McCain should court moderates, not evangelicals

Ripped from the wires ... Froma Harrop explains why John McCain should give up his lengthy -- and unsuccessful -- courtship of the religious right:

By FROMA HARROP

"Dear Greg, I've been dating a guy since I was 23. I'm 28 now. We started talking about marriage two years ago, and he said he wasn't 'ready.' So we moved in together to help him get 'ready.' ... Does he need more time, or is he just not that into marrying me?''

The above comes from the self-help book (now a movie) "He's Just Not That Into You.'' Co-author Greg Behrendt replies:

"Dear Waiting at the Altar, He's right. Why rush? It's only been five years. He's going to know you so much better after 10. ... Yep, my lovely, I know it's hard to hear, but better to hear it now than 10 years from now.'' In sum, he's just not that into you.

Would someone please send this book to John McCain?

Ever since the religious right slimed him and his family in the 2000 South Carolina Republican primary -- thus reviving the candidacy of George W. Bush, whom McCain had just clobbered in New Hampshire -- McCain has been courting the very people he then called "agents of intolerance.''

But years of carrying armloads of flowers to religious conservatives have engendered little reciprocation. Listen to the cold response of Lori Viars, an evangelical activist, when asked whether she and her colleagues would work for McCain as they had for Bush:

"I think a lot of us are in a holding pattern.''

McCain has sacrificed so much of his moderate image for them, and this is the thanks he gets. Nothing new here. For all his efforts to appease social conservatives, McCain scored dead last out of nine Republicans in the October Values Voter Straw Poll -- right behind pro-choice Rudy Giuliani!

The sad thing about McCain is that he was never into the very people who are not into him, while doing very little for those who might be. New polls show independents evenly split between Barack Obama and McCain, despite their dismal views of the Republican Party.

For starters, McCain should temper his official anti-choice position with a Giuliani-esque declaration that while personally opposed to abortion, he would not want it outlawed. McCain himself said that in 2000.

I happen to believe that as president, McCain would not seek the repeal of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision guaranteeing a right to abortion (and if he did, Democrats would stop him). But saying that he wouldn't do what he says he will do in his campaign literature is not the most convincing of arguments. The smarter Obama campaign, meanwhile, has the candidate out proclaiming his religiosity before moderate evangelicals -- and without altering his liberal views.

(Note from the Department of Short Memories: One recalls the purple apoplexy when Republican Mike Huckabee ran a Christmastide TV ad that the left insisted featured a cross, which the ad maker said was just the lines of a bookshelf. ``Hypocrite Huckabee Leaves His Cross in Iowa,'' read a headline in The Nation. Five months later, an Obama flyer in Kentucky shows the "committed Christian'' at a pulpit before a giant cross -- no ambiguity here -- and there's nary a squeak from stage left.)

McCain has taken baby steps toward winning moderates who would vote for him if only he'd give them something. For instance, he recently reminded Clinton backers that he had voted to confirm two of the Supreme Court's leading liberals, Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

But it's time for bolder action from McCain. He should tell religious conservatives, "I've given you what I've got, and it's more than you'll get from the other guy,'' and then sprint to the center, where so many would appreciate a phone call.

www.creators.com.

Comments?

Comments

[Richard L. Wolfe]

Is Froma for McCain or against him? This is a risky gamble, to give up reliable voters for wishy-washy voters? The religious voters will not vote for Obama. The " independents " might vote for McCain. He would be better off to keep telling his life story and contrast that with Obama's associations, liberal voting record and lack of experience. That is his only chance to win.

[PREFAB SPROUT]

This post is actually on the money. Any votes McCain gets from this group of far right christo-fascists will be more than offset by the moderates who will accurately conclude he has renamed his bus "The Flip Flop Express" and vote for Obama.

The "real" McCain was the guy who ran in 2000 and got smeared out of the race by his new friends Rove and Lil Bush. The 2008 version is a bastardized compromised guy desperate to gain more power. No wonder Joe Lieberman can relate to him so much!

[Denney Clements]

Richard: She is a liberal columnist who supported Hllary Clinton and was angry that she lost the nomination. My impression is she wants to reshape McCain to be more acceptable to the voters, especially women, who feel burned that Obama won the nomination. I would direct you to her June 4 post headlined "Hillary rejection infuriated women, bodes well for McCain." Those who want to read it should click "Presidential Politics" in the cagegory line above and scroll down to the June 4 posts.

dc

[Rick]

Denney, this is what I was saying, that Hillary's followers are not happy with Osama Obama and will vote for McCain.

[Dr. James E. Dunn]

Rick:

As the campaign heats up and each candidates' values become well known, those woman will go for Obama.

Moreover, I will be a liitle bit surprised if Hillary is not the other half of the Democratic ticket this fall.

DrJED

[Denney Clements]

Rick: Some Hillary supporters may gravitate in McCain's direction. But because her peeps tend to be liberal (let's face it; there are virtually no ideological differences between Clinton and Obama), they seem likelier to gravitate toward the Democratic nominee -- especially if McCain holds firm to his pro-life views. For a lot of woman Democratic voters, that issue is a big deal. That, I suspect, is the genesis of Harrop's exhortation that McC should signal women he's not serious about appoiting a high court that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

Big Mac will get some Hillary voters, in short, but I would be highly surprised if he gets all of them.

dc

[PREFAB SPROUT]

McCain will get as many "angry" Hillary supporters as Obama will get "angry" Romney and Huckabee supporters. And by the way that number is around damn few.

I must be the only one who remembers the day that McCain clinched the nomination and all the right wing cable loonies and radio propagandists were wringing their hands. "Oh this is terrible-we can't support this guy. He's not one of 'us'" We see how that all worked itself out and the same thing will happen here with Obama.

[Patrick Hill]

Next. Anyone. Anyone.

[DanielC]

Mr. Hill,

Your comment above:
"...
I bet they have kids together. Luke Rankin supports these types of hussies. Obama calls the future dissolution of this adultery - "a strong family" and he puts value to it! He even touts this slackness as the WAY in which America should go!
..."

I would love some proof, got a link, a document, or a video? Or is this comment just your conjecture in regards to the thoughts of Mr. Obama?

Wondering,
DanielC