July 02, 2008
McCain: Pump This!
Printer FriendlyBy: Ann Coulter
Well, I guess we're all pretty relieved we didn't drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge back in 2002. What a disaster that would have been.
The vote on ANWR was almost entirely along partisan lines, with all Republicans, except a handful of "moderates," voting for drilling, and all Democrats, except a handful of sane Democrats like Zell Miller, voting against drilling.
John McCain opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because he polled soccer moms and found out they were against drilling. They thought it sounded too much like going to the dentist. McCain wanted to ensure that he remained beloved by the two pillars of his base: "centrists" and New York Times reporters.
Even Sen. Chuck Hagel voted for drilling in ANWR. But John McCain, "our" candidate, voted against it.
I guess we're beginning to see the problem of basing a political platform on the passing fancies of "centrists." These are people who have no opinions because they know nothing about national issues. They're the ones who check the "not sure/no opinion" box on polls regarding the legalization of cannibalism.
You can't blame them: They're not being paid to know something about national issues. Those people we call "senators" and "representatives."
But now, astronomical gas prices have forced even soccer moms to spend 10 minutes looking at a problem that their leaders were supposed to be thinking about for years. And the soccer moms are saying: Drill! Drill! Drill! Bobby, come down off of there! Stop hitting your sister! Where was I? Oh, yeah ... Drill! Drill! Drill!
Consequently, McCain recently switched his position to go along with the centrists. See, that's the downside of having chosen all your political positions by polling centrists: The moment they acquire any knowledge, they'll realize you're an idiot.
It's always the same argument. Year after year, the "moderate Republicans" so respected at The New York Times harangue us to dump the Christians, the conservatives, the Swift Boat Veterans, the "right-wing extremists," the gun-and-God clingers and the fanatical pro-lifers from our party so we can repel every American who voted for Ronald Reagan in order to win the votes of people like Christine Todd Whitman.
Yes, by all means let's clear out all that deadwood and pave the way for a 49-state landslide! (For the Democrats.)
McCain followed the Times' strategy to a T. He called Jerry Falwell an "agent of intolerance." He called the Swift Boat Veterans "dishonest and dishonorable." He has denounced every Christian minister who tries to endorse him. Over the years, McCain has ostentatiously attacked every issue of importance to conservatives and embraced every crackpot liberal idea, including the left's latest plan to exterminate the human race, called "global warming."
Two weeks ago, McCain skipped the capitol prayer breakfast in California, instead appearing with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at an environmental event in nearby Santa Barbara. Schwarzenegger's absence marked the first time a governor skipped what has come to be known as "the governor's prayer breakfast." I guess in the world of moderate Republicans an environmental event qualifies as a religious observance.
The keynote speaker at the breakfast, Hollywood producer Mark Joseph, quoted a recent cover article in Christianity Today by professors Daniel Taylor and Mark McCloskey that said:
"In premodern times, the courage of a leader often had to be physical. In the last 500 years it is more often moral. Moral courage is the ability to do what's right even when it is deeply unpopular, even dangerous. Courage is only found where there is the genuine possibility of loss -- loss of friends, reputation, status, power, possessions or, at the extremes, freedom or life."
No wonder McCain and Schwarzenegger skipped it.
Moderate Republicans like McCain have taken to heart liberals' admonition that Ronald Reagan's appeal had absolutely nothing to do with his conservative philosophy. Don't be like him! You'll lose the soccer moms! Liberals assure us that Reagan won landslide elections because Americans were mesmerized by his sunny disposition and corny jokes. If that's true, why isn't Al Roker president?
The irony is, the only people McCain can count on to vote for him are the very Republicans he despises -- at least those of us who can get drunk enough on Election Day to pull the lever for him. In fact, we should organize parties around the country where Republicans can get drunk so they can vote for McCain. We can pass out clothespins with his name as a reminder and slogan-festooned vomit bags. The East Coast parties can post the number of drinks necessary for the task to help the West Coast parties. For more information, go to getdrunkandvote4mccain.com.
Not being ignorant "centrists," we know what a world-class disaster B. Hussein Obama will be. Meanwhile, the centrists McCain spent years impressing with his outraged denunciations of conservatives, Swift Boat Veterans and Christians will be voting for Obama. They think he's cute.
How many times do we have to run this experiment?
Taking the advice of Democrats, Republicans ran "moderates" for president in 1944, 1948, 1976, 1992 and 1996. All lost. Republicans also ran a "moderate" for president in 1988, but that was unwittingly -- both to us and, fortunately, to the voters. In other words, in the language of the market, the best tip on "moderate Republicans" is: SELL!
But now, apparently, we have to run the experiment again. This year, moderate Republicans have hit the jackpot. John McCain is the Platonic ideal of a "moderate Republican."
To paraphrase Richard Nixon on George McGovern in 1972: Here we have a situation where moderate Republicans finally have a candidate who almost totally shares their views. Now we'll see what the country thinks.
Posted by redguy at July 2, 2008 08:05 PM
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Comments
Excellent Ann, as always... One thing you might want to change is your reference to Barack Hussein Obama as B. Hussein Obama. Barack is a very important part of his name. It is the name of the alleged white horse that the alleged prophet Muhammad allegedly rode up into heaven upon. Make no mistake (and I know you don't) Barack is very, very Muslim....
Posted by: PDMac60 ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.redstatesusa.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at July 3, 2008 09:30 AM
Anne, you've exposed the complete absurdity of the coming presidential elections. We get to choose between two certain deaths: starvation (McCain) and poison (Obama). It's too bad we can't just do without a president until a good one comes along.
Posted by: Florida Cane at July 3, 2008 09:48 AM
Dear Ann,
You are so right about McCain and yet, with
the prospects of an Obama presidency, McCain
starts to look like Reagan in comparison! I
heard on a radio show this morning that he
has to do something really big and brave to
break though all this Obama fluff. How about taking on Gingrich as his VP? I saw Newt's
speech recommending opening up the National Oil
Reserves yesterday and am convinced that that would be the answer. In an instant it would
kill off the speculators and decrease
the price of oil by $40.00 or more. We could
make ANWAR our reserve in it's place if they insisted in the foolishness of keeping it
off limits for the caribou. There would go all
the lib's arguments about it taking 5-10 years
to bring new oil wells into production.
And buy some time for them (the Libs) to figure
out how to get planes to fly on wood chips as Ann would say!
I am starting to feel that McCain, unlike Obama,
can be reformed when faced with reality and the
responsibility of actually dealing with problems
rather that just coming up with fairy tales as Obama would have it. His backers will be
controlling him like a puppet. He has neither
the experience nor the starch to stand up to his
left-wing backers even if he knows they are wrong.
Posted by: GW Bramhall at July 3, 2008 10:47 AM
Dear Ann,
You are so tough, I love it!
The people get the “Leaders they deserve”. Well I see we don’t deserve much. What with a Republican who passes up a chance to humble himself before God in prayer, and a Democrat who could be a closet Muslim are we not moving further and further away from God?
There is hope on the scene that encourages this 65 year old born again carpenter. That is the recent events happening on Therebelition.Com web-site. Here are a group of young men and women who are rebelling against the low expectations our current society expects of our so-called teenagers. Let’s hope we leave enough of a sane and sound society for them to reclaim our founding father’s dreams to a new and God fearing height.
Unless there is a resurgence of Wisdom to apply our much new knowledge, this country will continue to flounder. I once read that “Knowledge is the ability to take a thing apart. Wisdom is the ability to put it together.” Well all our knowledge is taking man’s last great hope of this world, America, apart!
Two things further; the Bible says Wisdom comes from the reading of the Word of God. And Jesus said, “You can do all things if you abide in me. Apart from me you can do nothing.”
Thank you for your witty columns (and books).
Posted by: MYBEAROPINION at July 3, 2008 12:40 PM
Too, too funny.
Americans have not moved away from Republicanism in droves because of centrism.
They have left because Republican policies simply do not work for anyone but a few.
Americans have stopped embracing greed and immorality.
Hence, like Moses in the desert, Republicans will be banished for another fourty years.
Posted by: kevind at July 3, 2008 09:41 PM
With the aid of the dishonest propaganda of the leftist media, the fight to keep Republicans in power is a difficult one. Thank goodness for people like Ann who get the word out!
As for the Republican party not being the party of the people ... it is in reality the party for ALL the people. Rather than take from the rich and give to the poor, the Republican party creates an atmosphere where everyone can get rich if they make the effort. It's funny, but when the rich have money, they spend it. And who do you think works in those factories that build their big SUVs and at the dealerships and garages that sell and service them? Who works for the contractors that build their new houses? Who works at the grocery store where they buy their cavier? Who works for the caterers that they hire for all their parties? Who works for the landscapers who manicure their lawns and weed their gardens? And who is the first to suffer when the rich have to pull in the purse strings?
Hell, even people on welfare benefit from Republican policies! The goods and services they pay for are cheaper than when the Socialist Democrats are in charge of things.
I'd also like to know who you think freed the slaves and enacted civil rights legislation in the good ol' US of A ... it sure as hell wasn't the Democrats.
Posted by: The_Kat™ at July 4, 2008 12:07 AM
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