US Republicans Against John McCain

Three diverse and conflicted groups under the conservative tent do have one thing in common: they don't like John McCain. Libertarian-minded Republicans see him as Bush redux - more of the same interventionist foreign policy. Social conservatives see him as far too weak on their key issues, marriage and abortion. Limbaugh-conservatives see him as being far too "moderate" and ridicule his collusion with Democratic senators. Here are brief summaries of the complaints of these three groups against John McCain.

Why Libertarians Don't Like McCain

For libertarian-minded Republicans, McCain is a neoconservative par excellence. He is the favorite candidate of political commentator Bill Kristol, son of Irving Kristol, author of foundational books on neoconservatism. He supported the Iraq War from the start and is willing to remain there as long as it takes to accomplish a permanently peaceful American presence. He was against the Bush tax cuts before he was for them, and he's only for them now because they were passed against his wishes. Furthermore, libertarians have noted that under Bush, government size has grown exponentially, and they don't expect McCain to be much different.

Why Social Conservatives Don't Like McCain

Social conservatives simply aren't convinced that McCain is one of them. Social conservatism is strongly linked to the evangelical religious right, but James Dobson and company are hardly enthusiastic about McCain. He certainly won't support a Federal Marriage Ammendment. He doesn't talk openly of Christian faith, as George W. Bush did. For the religious right, McCain is not a candidate who will carry their issues straight to the White House.

Why Limbaugh-Conservatives Don't like McCain

McCain is a compromiser in the eyes of Rush Limbaugh fans and followers. He's the quintessential "moderate," which Limbaugh believes does not exist; moderates are just closet liberals. Though he's been for Iraq and played a large role in getting the surge to happen, he was also responsible for things like campaign finance reform, and he seems to get along just a little too well with Democrats. Even more than that, he seems to isolate conservatives in his desire to make peace with the other side of the aisle.

Who's Supporting John McCain?

Despite earning the ire of all three wings of the Republican Party, McCain still got the nomination, and he'll still get votes. Where will they come from? It seems unlikely the Libertarians will back him; the nomination of Bob Barr means a well-known, viable option for the Libertarian Party in '08. McCain will get some votes from social conservatives who believe he'll appoint conservative judges to the Supreme Court, with the hope of a Roe v. Wade turnover. Limbaugh conservatives will still vote for him, though they'll be voting against the Democrats on principle more than backing McCain enthusiasm. John McCain will get plenty of independent votes; as the "moderate" Republican candidate, he'll be depending more on independents than his own Republican base.

The Great GOP Walkout

For many, John McCain is the last straw. After the last 8 years of voting for "the lesser of two evils," many conservative Republicans have had it. Expect a massive departure from the Republican Party this year. Some Republicans have decided that McCain's nomination means that the GOP doesn't need their support, and they've decided to take the message to heart and storm out of the party.

Will a mass exodus from the party send a message to the GOP that it needs to return to its libertarian-conservative roots? It's hard to know, but disgruntled conservatives aren't holding their breath.

John McCain

John McCain

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