Posted by
Scott Ott on Saturday, January 26, 2008 8:13:26 AM
by Scott Ott
If John McCain ever wants to hear 'Hail to the Chief' played in his honor, he must do something that he, among the remaining GOP candidates, is particularly ill-prepared to do: carry a conservative coalition into Congress on his coattails.
Mr. McCain, who fought President George Bush's tax cuts and now supports making them permanent, professes a desire to slash federal spending, eliminate wasteful programs and sneaky earmarks, and find new ways to reduce taxes. Be still my blood-red beating heart.
However, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid each would greet President McCain's vision with four words: "Over my retired body."
In other words, it takes a Republican Congressional majority to
cut spending and taxes.
While Sen. McCain has demonstrated a proclivity for reaching across the aisle, his bipartisan spirit has only worked to advance causes dear to Democrats -- campaign finance reform (read: free-speech restraint), immigration reform (read: illegal alien amnesty), and what might be called 'Senate Majority reform', when Sen. McCain's back-room "Gang of 14" deal
squandered the main benefit of a 55-vote majority -- the ability to confirm the president's strict-constructionist judicial nominees.
Sen. McCain can build consensus, he just can't seem to build it around conservative principles. And while he presents himself as a straight-talking maverick, he has succeeded in little but talking himself into compromise with people who think "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" would be better concepts if the federal government were completely in control of their distribution.
The man who has made a PR career out of bucking the right wing of his own party must suddenly transform himself into the leader whose bedrock conservatism inspires a new generation of Congressional warriors (elected in 2008 and 2010) who fearlessly and relentlessly wield the sword against the budget
Hydra. If you believe that will happen, I have bridge to nowhere I'd like to sell you.
The next Republican presidential nominee needs to use his positional authority to reform the GOP into a party that vigorously recruits candidates based on conservative principles, personal integrity and demonstrated ability to lead, rather than the party's current myopic practice of doing whatever it takes to get 'R' people elected, regardless of their adherence to the ideology that once made this party great.
Sen. McCain's bomber jacket has no coattails, and conservatives will deliver a little straight talk to him.
In a word: "No."
Scott Ott is editor in chief of ScrappleFace.com, the family-friendly daily news satire site, contributing author of the forthcoming book "The New Media Frontier" (Sept. 2008, by Crossway), and a dynamic public speaker available through Premiere Speakers Bureau.