Pulling a lighter load
By Patrick Kelley (Contact)
Originally published 01:13 p.m., June 3, 2008
Updated 01:13 p.m., June 3, 2008
JOHN McCAIN has much weighing him down as he cranks up his presidential campaign. His biggest burden, of course, is George W. Bush.
The president has offered to stay out of the spotlight in the campaign and give McCain the opportunity to run as something other than Bush’s anointed successor. But McCain’s decision to hew to the Bush line on the Iraq war and on taxes has dragged Bush to center stage and will keep him there. McCain’s friends and foes seem to agree that the candidate is running for a third Bush term.
Much of the country is tired of Bush and that weariness shows in the general unwillingness to give money to McCain’s campaign. The Democrats are piling up mountains of cash, with much more likely to come in once a candidate is chosen.
But for all his burdens, McCain is fortunate in one respect: He is carrying a very light load of true believers.
We are talking about supporters who believe in their bones that their candidate is perfect and the only hope for the future of the nation. Many Republicans do not feel that way about McCain. To be sure, he has support from true believers in the war and in Bush’s tax cuts, but that is not the same thing as true belief in McCain. For the GOP, McCain is a compromise candidate — no longer trusted by the party’s moderate wing and not yet trusted by the party’s far right, but capable of winning votes from both.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were both swept toward the nomination on the shoulders of waves of true believers. To learn how great their supporters’ commitment is, it was only necessary to listen to the reactions of the crowd at Saturday’s meeting of the Democratic Party Rules Committee, where the status of the Florida and Michigan delegations was being debated. Most of the audience behaved well, but substantial numbers of true believers tried to shout down the speakers and the committee if they thought their candidate wasn’t winning on the issues.
Passion is always useful in campaigns, but coupled with a belief in perfection and perfect candidates, it can be self-defeating.
To expect perfection — especially in imperfect human beings — is to invite disillusion. All it takes to turn a devoted follower into a bitter former follower is an ill-chosen word, an expedient shift in a policy position or even becoming the target of a well-orchestrated and plausible smear campaign.
Unlike couples at the altar, true believers wed themselves to candidates for better and in health. At any hint of worse or sickness, they evaporate like the dew.
Clinton and Obama have to walk the tightrope of high expectations. The eventual nominee will have to continue to walk that tightrope while trying to gather in the true believers left behind by the loser.
John McCain does not have that problem. He is blessed by his party’s low expectations.
Patrick S. Kelley
Editorial Page Editor
Comments
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Posted by Bjnemp (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 2:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm sorry, Mr. Kelly, my left-wing liberal friend, but many people are strong believers in John McCain, including me. He is not George Bush, thank God, and will be by far the best choice on the November ballot.
Don't count your chickens---the one's with left wings only---before they are hatched. Your man Obama carries countless flaws and some extremely heavy baggage into this campaign. Anyone who believes in the Second Amendment, secure borders, capitalism over socialism, unity verses divisiveness, or defending our nation from terrorists, and those convinced we already pay enough taxes, will not be voting for your golden boy Barack. He is a radical left-wing nightmare; much like The Emporia Gazette.
Posted by jayhawker (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 2:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am a "true believing" supporter of George Bush. Consequently, I am not a strong supporter of John McCain precisely because his administration would definitely not be a 3rd term for Bush. I will vote for McCain, but not with enthusiasm. I think that the Democrats will have a very hard time convincing reasonable voters that a vote for McCain is a vote for Bush. I only wish it were.
Posted by Wasp (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 9:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am with Bjnemp and jayhawker. There is no way I can vote for anyone who wants to be a dictator like Hitlery or Obama.
Posted by Observation (anonymous) on June 3, 2008 at 11:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If George Bush could run for a third term, he would get my vote. We should thank George daily for all of the folks that have not died at the hands of terroists. If FDR would have had the guts that George has, Hitler would have not lived to murder 6 million Jews. I'm not sure any of the current candidates have the resolve to even come close to leading our country as well as George Bush has.
Posted by Bjnemp (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
President Bush is hated by liberals because he was brave enough to do what had to be done. None of them would have, that's for sure. I am saddened that we have lost 4,000 brave men and women, over a period of four years, in our war against Islamic radical terrorism; but let's put that number in perspective. We lost that many men in ONE DAY on the beaches of Normandy in 1944 as they fought to rid France of the Nazi army. We lost that many men in two days, plus 50,000 wounded, at the battle of Gettysburg. During our four years in Viet Nam over 50,000 of our young heroes were killed. The United States is in a war for our very existence against barbarians who have vowed to kill you, and your family, and who value martyrism over life. Elect Obama and he will be sending gift baskets to his namesake and his buddy Amahdinejad instead of sending them to heaven to claim their 72 virgins, which is where they belong.
Posted by USNretired (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 12:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
From what I have heard in his speeches, Obama wants to repeat the political Charley Fox of turning over a conflict to a fledgling force long before it is ready to stand alone, just to appease protesters who know nothing about the situation they protest against. Can you say "Vietnamization"? Just throw away a string of brilliant victories because the lefty loonies say they didn't happen.
Posted by under_score (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 2:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Patrick Kelley = Left Wing Nut Job
Posted by under_score (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 3:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You guys might enjoy this article. It is written by someone far more intelligent that Patrick Kelley. Left-wingers beware: It speaks the truth too mach for you to handle it.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Rea...
Posted by karmadog (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 4:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Obama wins enough delegates last night to secure the democratic presidential nomination. This is history, whether you like him or not. He is the first African American man to do this and in Thursdays Gazette, the story is buried on the 4th or 5th page as an AP article. Come ON!!!! This is news and history.
Posted by jayhawker (anonymous) on June 4, 2008 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
karma: Do you recall where they put the story about McCain clenching the nomination? If not, I'll help you - page 11.
Posted by Observation (anonymous) on June 6, 2008 at 9:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Karmadog
Why do you call Obama an African American? You could just as easily refer to him as a European American. The fact is that his mother is European American and his father is African American. I am concerned that the European American part has already been forgotten about, and no longer supported as half of his genetic makeup, (maybe even by the candidate, at times), and the African American half always gets full glorified billing. Why can’t we just call a spade, a spade? He is an AfraEuro American or a EuroAfra American. Whichever way your bias flows. Wouldn’t it just be easier to say American and put him back there on page 11 with John Mc Cain.
Posted by Bjnemp (anonymous) on June 6, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good observation, observation! Personally, I very much dislike ANY version of a hyphenated national heritage description. A person can NOT be African-American, or Mexican-American, or Australian-American. You are either an African, a Mexican, or an American. Whether you are black, white, or flourescent green is of no relevance. You are either an American citizen, or you are not. A person can't pledge allegiance to two flags. My ancestors came here from Ireland. I am not Irish-American. I am an American. Hyphenating divides and classifies us in a time when we need to be unified more than ever before.
Obama is not an African-American. He is an American, who just happens to be black. Now that he has jumped into the fire of a presidential campaign, he needs to demonstrate that he is running for President of The United States of America, not President of Africa-America.
Posted by TacoBellB (anonymous) on June 6, 2008 at 1:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
under_score
Great Article. Unfortunately I think many people are so blind to things outside their party of choice, that it will fall on some deaf ears. Here's to hoping some people see the light.
Bj
I like what you are saying. I've never understood why Americans regardless of race can't just be considered Americans. I'm a Heinz 57 variety, so you can imagine what my hyphenated identity would be. Good point on the President of the United States of America - not a hyphenated America!
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