Many visitors to this site will be familiar with MBMc, known outside the blogosphere as Michael McClellan, Esq. He has just published a great piece about the 2008 GOP Presidential California primary. Like many, he saw McCain as a natural fit for a conservative primary--as most GOP primaries are. He then looked at the below-tepid response McCain is receiving in California GOP circles, and the enthusiastic support Giuliani gets--even though Giuliani, unlike McCain, is socially moderate-to-liberal.
His observations from the recent California Republican Party convention:
Giuliani was there in person delivering an address to a packed luncheon and making the rounds to various overflowing smaller venues. In contrast, the sole McCain presence I encountered was a lone table manned by a single young woman. Giuliani's presence was that of a front runner; McCain's was not.
Having a great deal of respect for John McCain, I pressed a number of people regarding their dislike of the Arizona Senator's candidacy. They conceded that McCain was strong on the issues of foreign policy and fiscal responsibility, but stated that they could not move past things like McCain-Feingold and the "Gang of 14." Others simply said that while they respect much of his record and especially his service in Vietnam, they "still don't trust him." The almost complete absence of the McCain campaign from the convention seemed to exacerbate the trust issue.
And his observations were confirmed by a recent poll on the subject:
Last week a poll conducted by San Diego based Datamar, Inc. confirmed my convention observations. Among likely primary voters in California, the poll showed 11% favoring Romney, 17% preferring McCain, and a stunning 41% supporting Giuliani.
McClellan, rightly I think, finds that Giuliani's most public actions--cracking down on the mob and porn in NYC and 9/11-- portray him as a conservative leader. McCain's most public actions--the Gang of 14 debacle and the-biggest-attack-on-free-speech-since-the-Alien-and-Sedition-Act "McCain Feingold"--show him having no conservative foundation, and seeking the limelight for his own sake, rather than his party's or nation's.
Here's how MBMc puts it:
As Mayor of New York, Giuliani symbolized a no-nonsense approach to dealing with crime and corruption. He was the tough good guy who took on the mob as an attorney and cleaned up New York as Mayor. September 11 cemented this image and elevated Giuliani to the truly national stage. He became "America's Mayor" and a symbol of American resolve. Republicans love this image, and Giuliani's perceived toughness seems to be eclipsing his record of social liberalism.
In contrast, McCain elevated himself to the national stage as a "maverick" Senator, known for breaking with his party. For many GOP primary voters, the image of McCain the moderate eclipses McCain's conservative voting record, and even his military heroism. In two pivotal strokes, many party stalwarts believe that McCain put himself above his party, and accordingly at odds with them. The first is McCain-Feingold, which most GOP activists see as simultaneously assaulting free speech, hurting the party's financing, and empowering liberal "527" groups like MoveOn.org. The second is the "Gang of 14" ...
Given their disparate ascents to the national stage, Giuliani's enduring image is more conservative than McCain's. At the risk of oversimplifying, it is perhaps fair to say that Giuliani's image is loudly conservative and quietly moderate, whereas McCain's image is loudly moderate and quietly conservative. These disparate images have taken hold among California Republicans, and Giuliani's image is blowing McCain's out of the water.
You should read the entire piece here.
And for a take on the conservative v. moderate debate happening in and around Mitt Romney, the other serious candidate in this three-horse race, read James Bopp Jr.'s piece in the National Review. He analyzes Romney's recent "conversion" to the pro-life position, and finds it to be legitimate. He also discusses the impact of Romney being Mormon--which might be a serious handicap in primaries heavily influenced by evangelical Christians. But he also notes that we are, ultimately, faced with a political/practical decision, and the other choices (McCain and Giuliani) are worse. Essentially, it is better to have a Johnny-come-lately to conservative views, than someone who is openly against you.
Here's his take:
Many social conservatives do not share Romney’s Mormon faith, but his faith should be viewed by social conservatives as a good sign, not as a matter of concern. The Mormon religion, while having tenets that Christians do not share, is profoundly conservative in its support for life, family, and marriage. Thus, Romney’s religion reinforces, rather than conflicts with, his conversion. All people of faith believe that the best public officials are those with God, not man, at the center of their lives.
It cannot be forgotten, however, that this is also a political question, a matter of practical choices. And what are these choices? Senator John McCain and Mayor Rudy Giuliani are the other leading candidates for the Republican nomination. Barring the unlikely emergence of some conservative alternative in the next few months, the choice will be between Giuliani, McCain, and Romney. While both Giuliani and McCain would be vastly superior to any of the prospective Democrats, there are serious questions about the policy positions of both, and not just on social conservative issues.
Giuliani is simply not a social conservative. He is pro-choice, pro-partial birth abortion, and pro-special rights for homosexuals. He is also pro-gun control. Senator McCain opposes the federal marriage amendment, supports embryonic stem-cell research, and was a ringleader of the Gang-of-14 compromise that made it easier for Democrats to block President Bush’s judicial nominees. Also, he is the principal sponsor of the McCain-Feingold bill, which imposes severe limits on the participation of citizens groups and political parties in our representative democracy.
After finishing up MBMc's article, read Bopp's here and let us know who you support. For reasons I will go into in another post, but largely covered already by MBMc, it is, for me, (1) Romney, (2) Giuliani, (3) take a political vacation for 2008. Meaning, no-way, no-how, never on McCain.
Thomas More
allthesemore@yahoo.com
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