Campaign McCain

Competing With Ronald Reagan’s Ghost

By J. Wesley ⋅ April 4, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

There’s a lot about John McCain that drives me crazy. If he wins the election, and I buy a television, I’m sure I’ll spend a lot of time yelling at the screen. But a lot of the criticism of the guy is totally unrealistic. He’s competing with Reagan’s ghost – not Reagan himself, who was wonderful but imperfect – but rather against the iconic Reagan we’ve mythologized since 1988.

Let’s put it in perspective. Reagan was the exception, not the rule. From the early-1950s birth of modern conservatism onward, Reagan, Goldwater (and to an extent George Bush ‘43) have been the only consistent conservatives we’ve nominated. Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Bush ’41, and Dole were all moderates. These days, our purity test has gotten so stringent that even Barry Goldwater, old AU-H2O himself, would be unacceptable because of his socially libertarian views. Reagan would be highly suspect as well. While governor of California he signed the nation’s first law liberalizing abortion, but then later on embraced the cause of Life. Who could vote for an untrustworthy flip-flopper?

Don’t let the perfect Reagan be the enemy of the good McCain. He needs our energy and he needs our money. As my buddy Inkling said in comments, “Get McCain in office and *possibly* deal with another Sandra Day O’Conner on the SCOTUS or get Obama in office and GUARANTEE a steady stream of 50 year old Ruth Bader Ginsburgs.” That’s the future under an Obama presidency.

 My old friends at The Rough Woodsman are also blogging on McCain.  Welcome back to the ‘Sphere, guys!