When we cut off our nose to spite our face… (UPDATED)
January 31, 2008 by Jenn Sierra
Filed under News/Op-Ed
On the Glenn Beck Show, yesterday:
GLENN: Michelle Malkin, I’ve got 30 seconds. If it’s John McCain, Hillary Clinton, do you pull the lever for John McCain?
MALKIN: Not at this moment I don’t. I’m running a poll right now on my site and you can see that there are a majority of my own readers who are going to sit home. And I think it’s a big warning to the conservative movement out there. We still have time to fix this.
GLENN: Michelle Malkin, thank you very much, appreciate it.
What?! Allahpundit is calling this McCain Derrangement Syndrome. Are we supposed to seriously believe that Michelle Malkin’s going to actively or passively support Hillary Clinton because…well, for any reason?!
I think I know what she and some other conservatives are doing…they’re trying to pressure the powers that be in the Republican party to get us a better candidate before next Tuesday…right? I hope that’s the intention, because otherwise Allah’s right - there’s a serious mental disorder in the conservative ranks at the moment.
I believe it is a little too late for this strategy. If there was ever an appropriate time for conservatives to threaten to boycott the entire election process and let the nation go to liberal hell if we didn’t get our way, it was while we still had a conservative or two running for office! (e.g., Tancredo, Hunter, Thompson)
Now, five days before Super Tuesday, is a stupid time to be causing an irreconcilable rift among conservatives. I mean, how do you back down from a threat to vote for Hillary over McCain and still maintain any credibility, come February 7th?
Be careful, folks…this is what happens when we cut off our nose to spite our face: We head into a wartime election year with no clear sense of direction. This isn’t “cute.” It doesn’t make us look “feisty.” And it certainly doesn’t make us look “smart.” It just makes us look ridiculous.
UPDATED - Ann Coulter apparently as McDS, too:
The bright side of the Florida debacle is that I no longer fear Hillary Clinton. (I mean in terms of her becoming president — on a personal level, she’s still a little creepy.) I’d rather deal with President Hillary than with President McCain.
[...]
At least under President Hillary, Republicans in Congress would know that they’re supposed to fight back. When President McCain proposes the same ideas — tax hikes, liberal judges and Social Security for illegals — Republicans in Congress will support “our” president — just as they supported, if only briefly, Bush’s great ideas on amnesty and Harriet Miers.
You need little flags like that for Republicans since, as we know from the recent unpleasantness in Florida, Republicans are unalterably stupid.
Republicans who vote for McCain are trying to be cute, like the Democrats were four years ago by voting for the “pragmatic” candidate, Vietnam vet John Kerry. This will turn out to be precisely as clever a gambit as nominating Kerry was, the brilliance of which was revealed on Election Day 2004.
Also see:
- Dobson Says He Will Sit Out Campaign if McCain Elected
- Bill Kristol: McCain Derangement Syndrome?
- Laura Ingraham: I’ll Vote for McCain
- Limbaugh Rails Against McCain
- How Collaboration, not Competition, Could Beat McCain
- Dan Rather on why Conservatives don’t like McCain
- Pundits Discuss the McCain - Conservative Feud
- I Could Vote for Hillary
- Do Conservatives Want a Democrat Over McCain?
- Do Conservatives Want a Democrat over McCain?
- Ron’s Musings: Conservative Angst
- Jenn Sierra: When we cut off our nose to spite our face…
- Ann Coulter: GOP to Edwards-How Much for That Concession Speech
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Your point is well taken. However, I’m sick at the thought of having to choose between McCain of Hillary. It’s like having to choose between day old cabbage or day old spinach… neither is appealing. If push comes to shove, I’ll vote for McCain. The problem is I’m not going to be promoting him, talking him up to my neighbors, or donating to his campaign. There is a lot to be said about enthusiasm for a candidate. If troubles me to be left with a “lesser of two evils” choice.
I’ve written extensively on this subject and I’m with Malkin. A McCain victory will spell the end of the Republican Party as we know it. I don’t relish the thought of a Clinton presidency but that may just be what it takes to wake the Republican Party and I think that is an acceptable price to pay. The alternative is likely a return to decades of Democrat rule. On the other hand, a Clinton or Obama victory is likely to lead to an overwhelming Republican resurgence in 2012. As Rush said, it took Jimmy Carter to get Ronald Reagan!
And if it wasn’t clear from the comment above, I will not vote for John McCain under any circumstances.
One more thing. Orlando used the expression “lesser of two evils.” In the past that meant that neither was particularly good but one was more acceptable than the other. In this case neither is acceptable at all.
Thomas Sowell talks a lot about what he calls first stage thinking. By that he means that people, particularly politicians, tend to only look at the short term. Long term consequences, though easily predictable, are not paid any attention and when they come about are not tied to the events that caused them. I think that applies well in this case. The short term consequences may seem better with McCain but in the long run I am thoroughly convinced that he will do far more damage because he will redefine the party and conservatism will be left out in the cold. Where does that leave us? Where does that leave the country?
“Be careful, folks…this is what happens when we cut off our nose to spite our face: We head into a wartime election year with no clear sense of direction. This isn’t “cute.” It doesn’t make us look “feisty.” And it certainly doesn’t make us look “smart.” It just makes us look ridiculous.”
Not just ridiculous, it makes you look like democrats.
Afraid not Jessica. Principles matter. I don’t care how I’m view by others. I care about actually living the worldview I claim and not simply caving in every time things get tough.
I’m with Ron on this. McCain talks principles but they are his principles… not conservative principles. Actions speak louder then words and McCain’s actions have been a knife in the back to conservatives over and over again. I can’t stand Hillary either. The truth is, I’m angry about being left with this choice. Maybe Ron is right about bring back the Republican party. However, Hillary could appoint two liberal Supreme Court judges in the upcoming years setting back years of conservative progress. So, do I hold my nose and vote for McCain, don’t vote, or vote third party? If seems I lose either way.
I concede that judicial nominations are the real concern. But at the risk of sounding too religious, it really is all in God’s hands. I will not be forced into violating my principles.
While I will of course vote, and would prefer NOT to have Hillary or McCain in office, I would like to point out one obvious problem with having to vote for the lesser of two evils these days: The lesser of two evils is still either. IMO, even Romney would be a better president than McCain.