Sen. John McCain is in a quandry. For years he prided himself as a maverick Republican who has stepped on conservative toes and worked compromises with Democrats. Now his chickens have come home to roost.
Since he clinched the GOP nomination months ago, it is evident that conservatives are lukewarm to McCain as the GOP standard-bearer. Their enormous distaste of Barack Obama as a possible White House occupant has tempered their reluctance of supporting McCain. McCain is strong on national security and foreign policy issues in conservatives eyes, but he is weak on immigration and campaign finance.
In order to have conservatives enthusiastically support McCain with their dollars and campaign work, he needs to pick a vice-president candidate with solid conservative credentials.
Rumors are that McCain is seriously considering Sen. Joseph Lieberman as a running-mate. While Lieberman is a nice guy and is strong on national security and Islamic terrorist issues, he is still a liberal and an Independent Democrat. I like Lieberman for his courageous stands on the issues which fly in the face of the Democrat Party, but he will not help McCain's cause as a running-mate. He would still turn off conservatives. McCain needs to solidify his conservative base.
As the Salt Lake City Tribune wrote:
The answers will go a long way to determining whether McCain picks Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman as his running mate. McCain has left the door open to picking a pro-choice veep candidate, and the pro-choice former Homeland Security Secretary and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge and Lieberman are reportedly on his short list.
Selecting Ridge, who is at least a Republican, would be a more cautious choice, but also a foolish one. Whatever help he might give in Pennsylvania would be overwhelmed by the disappointment of the evangelical voters who have of late been rallying around McCain. Although Lieberman is more heterodox than Ridge, he makes more sense - if McCain is willing to follow through on the radical logic of his selection.
Despite being an independent, Lieberman still caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate and has a standard liberal voting record.
McCain has also mentioned that a pro-abortion Republican is a possible veep choice. That would also antagonize conservates. I am not a hard-core pro-lifer, but this would not boost McCain's esteem in my eyes.
McCain needs conservatives to be enthusiastic in their support. If McCain chooses Lieberman or a liberal Republican, the conservatives will sit this election out, despite Obama. The Republican Party and the country would be put in great danger in electing an inexperienced leftist in the White House. But distaste and fear of Obama will not be enough to elect McCain. He needs the conservatives behind him.
My preference for McCain's veep is Mitt Romney.
No comments:
Post a Comment