Alfred Regnery: How McCain Can Convince the Right
[Mr. Regnery is publisher of the American Spectator and author of "Upstream: The Ascendance of American Conservatism" (Threshold Editions), to be published this month.]
John McCain is not the first Republican nominee to give conservatives fits. In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower promised Robert Taft's supporters that he was just as conservative as Mr. Republican, as Taft was known. By the time Ike finished his two terms, conservatives were so disappointed they vowed never again to support a moderate based on vague pledges of conservative fealty.
Few stuck to that promise, and ultimately many threw their support to Richard Nixon, Jerry Ford, Bob Dole and both Bushes. Most feel badly burned as a result. So it is no surprise that now, when the conservative movement is the dominant force in Republican circles, conservatives feel very wary about supporting anybody who is less than one of their own.
Mr. McCain cannot get elected without the conservative vote. Unless he goes out of his way to assure conservatives that he is as conservative as he likes to tell them he is, many will simply stay home, as they did in 1976, 1992 and 1996, and regroup and find an acceptable candidate for 2012. Rush Limbaugh probably stated it as clearly as anybody when he told a reporter that Mr. McCain could not succeed as president, and that he'd rather see a Democrat fail than a Republican. Unless Mr. McCain makes some very definite proposals, Mr. Limbaugh could have plenty of company.
It will take a lot more than vague promises, but there are a few things that might bring a good many conservatives into the McCain camp.
- Take a firm no-new-taxes pledge. Mr. McCain has said he would not sign any tax increase coming from a Democratic Congress. What about from a Republican Congress, if there is one? He needs to promise that he won't increase Social Security taxes -- especially by lifting the earnings cap -- or increase hidden taxes in regulatory schemes, and that he will try to eliminate the death tax.
- Get specific on spending. Mr. McCain talks a lot about pork barrel projects, earmarks and the need to get spending under control, but so does everybody. ...
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John McCain is not the first Republican nominee to give conservatives fits. In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower promised Robert Taft's supporters that he was just as conservative as Mr. Republican, as Taft was known. By the time Ike finished his two terms, conservatives were so disappointed they vowed never again to support a moderate based on vague pledges of conservative fealty.
Few stuck to that promise, and ultimately many threw their support to Richard Nixon, Jerry Ford, Bob Dole and both Bushes. Most feel badly burned as a result. So it is no surprise that now, when the conservative movement is the dominant force in Republican circles, conservatives feel very wary about supporting anybody who is less than one of their own.
Mr. McCain cannot get elected without the conservative vote. Unless he goes out of his way to assure conservatives that he is as conservative as he likes to tell them he is, many will simply stay home, as they did in 1976, 1992 and 1996, and regroup and find an acceptable candidate for 2012. Rush Limbaugh probably stated it as clearly as anybody when he told a reporter that Mr. McCain could not succeed as president, and that he'd rather see a Democrat fail than a Republican. Unless Mr. McCain makes some very definite proposals, Mr. Limbaugh could have plenty of company.
It will take a lot more than vague promises, but there are a few things that might bring a good many conservatives into the McCain camp.
- Take a firm no-new-taxes pledge. Mr. McCain has said he would not sign any tax increase coming from a Democratic Congress. What about from a Republican Congress, if there is one? He needs to promise that he won't increase Social Security taxes -- especially by lifting the earnings cap -- or increase hidden taxes in regulatory schemes, and that he will try to eliminate the death tax.
- Get specific on spending. Mr. McCain talks a lot about pork barrel projects, earmarks and the need to get spending under control, but so does everybody. ...