GOP In Complete Disarray

By Lee Bandy
SouthCarolina Insider

(2/11/08) Republicans are in a fix – and here’s why.

Conservative members don’t care for John McCain, their presumptive presidential nominee.

GOP voter turnout during this primary season has been pathetic. There is no excitement.

The party’s political base is splintered. There are evangelical Christians, fiscal conservatives, veteran party regulars, and cultural conservatives competing for attention.

In addition, there is a growing sense of resignation among Republicans that no matter what they say or do – or whom they nominate for president - 2008 is going to be a Democrats’ year.

Summed up: Republicans are in complete disarray.

McCain, the Arizona senator, sought to allay the fears of skeptical conservatives during a high-profile luncheon meeting on Thursday of the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC).

Many remember the 2000 primary contest against George W. Bush in South Carolina. It was one of the most bitter, nasty contests witnessed by man. McCain was the moderate candidate, who reached out to Democrats.

Today, these conservative members loathe McCain. They don’t trust him. They’ve tried and failed to stop him in his quest to win the presidential nomination. So, it is with growing frustration and an unaccustomed sense of impotence, that many conservatives surveyed the battlefield and realized it was too late.

While prominent economic and social conservatives have slowly moved to McCain’s side as his hold on the nomination has become more secure, he still faces some resistance from those who have seen his challenges to party orthodoxy on a range of issues, from campaign-finance reform to taxes and the environment, as a form of left-leaning betrayal.

Some conservatives aren’t amused.James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said under no circumstance would he vote for McCain.

“I’m convinced that Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are,” he said in a statement this week.

Dobson was not moved by McCain’s speech to CPAC.

McCain’s loudest critics have been conservative radio talk show hosts.Rush Limbaugh has devoted much of his airtime to arguing that McCain’s nomination would destroy the Republican Party.

And Ann Coulter said last week she would support Hillary Clinton over McCain if the two faced off in the general election.

McCain called for a truce Wednesday with the bickering GOP base, but made it clear he wasn’t ready to kiss any rings.

The first test of his peace overture to conservatives came Thursday with a speech before about 6000 true-blue
Republicans at the annual CPAC conference.

“I do hope that at some point we would just calm down a little bit and see if there’s areas we can agree on,” McCain said.

“Our message will be that we all share common principles, common conservative principles, and we should coalesce around those issues in which we are in agreement.”

Conservative disdain for McCain runs deep, mostly because of his stand on illegal immigration. Other black marks: He voted against President Bush’s major tax cuts. He opposes a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage . And he’s not only willing but expresses an eagerness to work with Democrats in Congress.

Exit polls exposed his lack of support from the far right – a weakness that alarms many Republicans.

McCain was booed by the CPAC crowd when he brought up the subject of immigration reform.

Former U.S. Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, known as “Mr. Conservative” said McCain didn’t win many friends with his CPAC appearance.

Laura Ingraham, a talk show host, wasn’t impressed either with McCain.

She said it’s one thing to brag about being a foot soldier in the Reagan revolution. But she said the real question is, “what have you done lately for the conservative cause?”

“I think some people want to own the word conservative,’” said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a prominent McCain supporter who faces criticism within his own party for his positions on certain issues.

His advice to McCain is to do what he has done his whole life: Tell people who he is and what he believes.”