The need for rebuilding the party has never been more apparent. According to this AFP article, shaken Republicans are now turning to John McCain as their savior. The AFP article calls it ironic. I’d prefer the adjective pathetic to describe this news:

Soul searching Republicans are turning to an unlikely savior, one-time party heretic and now presumptive White House nominee John McCain, as they try to stave off an electoral disaster. Stung by the Democratic seizure of three staunch conservative seats in Congress, Republican lawmakers fear a shellacking in November’s general election, after losing control of both chambers of Congress in 2006.

The rise of McCain as their champion is not without irony, since the 71-year-old Arizona senator has quarreled with his own party for years on issues as diverse as immigration, campaign finance reform and global warming. But it is precisely that independent streak that is drawing Republicans to his coattails, hoping he can cleanse them of the stain of gridlocked Washington.

This is what happens when Washingtonian idiots misread elections. It’s also what happens when spineless people are put in charge. As I said here, it’s time to rebuilding from the state up. It’s one thing to unite around the Republican presidential nominee; it’s another to view him as the GOP’s savior.

Altogether too often, Sen. McCain has stood opposed to Reagan’s principles. Everyone knows that President Reagan would’ve vetoed BCRA because he would’ve seen it as violating the First Amendment. We know that President Reagan would’ve scoffed at the notion of man-made global warming because it’s a liberal hoax. Instead of signing onto it, he would’ve demanded proof that humans were causing the earth’s temperatures to rise or fall.

That’s what Sen. McCain should’ve done instead of forging ahead with his MMGW initiave. He isn’t doing that because he’s easily taken to doing what’s popular rather than doing what’s right.

It’s one thing to say that all leaders have flaws. That’s obvious. It’s another to say that people who do what’s popular are leaders. They aren’t because they’re actually followers more often than leaders. Let’s hope that Eric Cantor is thinking shortterm:

Eric Cantor, Republican chief deputy whip in the House of Representatives, told reporters that the McCain brand was healthier than that of his party. “John McCain is a demonstrated vote getter among independents, and his message and what he will be able to do in this election is extremely important.”

Rep. Cantor is right in saying that McCain is more popular than the GOP right now. That’s because the GOP stopped being the party of fiscal and social conservatives. They’ve stopped being the ideas people. They’ve stopped being interested in finding common sense solutions. Instead, they’re more interested in running personality contests. Rush says that we stopped teaching conservatism. I think that’s as good an explanation as you’ll find.

I’d also add that we’ve become the top-down party. That goes against Reagan’s principle of trusting the American people. Reagan was a man who believed in rugged individualism. Rugged indidualists don’t let people furthest from the situation make the most important decisions. They’d tell Washington insiders to butt out and let local experts make their own decisions.

Those aren’t the principles that John McCain believes in. That’s why he’s our presidential candidate, not the leader of the conservative movement.

Republicans would be wise to learn the distinction.

Technorati Tags: John McCain, Ronald Reagan, GOP, Conservatism, First Amendment, BCRA

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

1. Republicans had a chance to nominate Ron Paul, and yet they threw it away.

   Comment by Michael Ejercito — May 15, 2008 @ 1:34 pm

2. Thats OK, let the Democrats run everything for 8 years. There will be no one else to blame after Pelosi and O’bama completely wreck the economy.

   Comment by T. A. Gray — May 15, 2008 @ 5:22 pm