Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Glenn Beck: McCain would have been worse than Obama

That is an interesting statement to say the least. I agree that Hillary would have been better than Obama. Even though Hillary is a bit of a leftist ideologue, she, like her husband Bill, would have been too concerned about her political backside to ever go against the will of the people like Obama does. As a result she would have backed away from really unpopular legislation like the stimulus, like cap and trade and she certainly should have learned a lesson about health care reform.

Now as far as McCain being worse that both Hillary and Obama, I not too sure I would go that far. To me John McCain has no ideological center. Rich Lowry described McCain as a political gadfly, because of his conflicting stances on various issues. I find this description to be 100% correct. As such, who knows what we would have gotten with a President McCain. Would a President McCain, stuck with a Democratic Congress, have signed the stimulus, or cap and trade or the health care bill? Who knows? What we do know is that John McCain put too much importance on bi-partisanship. While bi-partisanship is something nice to achieve, it certainly is not a replacement for strong principles.

I voted for McCain only because of Sarah Palin. I had hoped that she would have used her strong conservative principles to guide McCain. Without her, my original plan was to stay home on Election Day.

Another bit of Beck news out today is a commentary by Peter Wehner. Wehner argues that Beck is bad for the conservative movement. You can read the whole commentary here, but I will give you the last paragraph to give you a sense of what Wehner is all about (emphasis added):

I understand that a political movement is a mansion with many rooms; the people who occupy them are involved in intellectual and policy work, in politics, and in polemics. Different people take on different roles. And certainly some of the things Beck has done on his program are fine and appropriate. But the role Glenn Beck is playing is harmful in its totality. My hunch is that he is a comet blazing across the media sky right now—and will soon flame out. Whether he does or not, he isn’t the face or disposition that should represent modern-day conservatism. At a time when we should aim for intellectual depth, for tough-minded and reasoned arguments, for good cheer and calm purpose, rather than erratic behavior, he is not the kind of figure conservatives should embrace or cheer on.

Oh yes, lets all be quiet little conservatives who play by the Marquis of Queensbury rules while the left knocks our teeth out with a lead pipe. Conservatives have been playing this losing role under the wimpy GOP leadership for decades. It doesn’t work.

Think about the health care debate. What has slowed that legislation down more, the intellectual writings of say National Review or Sarah Palin’s death panels? What was more effective to the conservative movement, the arguments made by people at the Weekly Standard or Glenn Beck starting the 9/12 Project?

Conservative intellectuals have a place. They help form the basis of our arguments and dissect liberal policies. However, conservative intellectuals are no match for counteracting leftist radicals. Libertarians like Beck and strong natural conservatives like Palin, are far better suited for the task.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: CBS News

Via: Commentary Magazine

20 comments:

JSF said...

Strategically, Beck is right (He did not flunk flank either!).

If the unemployment and foreign problems had been like this with a President McCain, everything would be tagged as Republican's fault (even with a Dem Congress).

But, with a Dem president (who cannot govern his way out of a paper bag) and a Dem Congress (unwilling to clean up it's own corruption), it's hard to see how in 2010 they plan blame any problems on Republicans.

I lived through the Carter Administration, I can't belive they're showing the re-run again. Without even a good movie like "Star Wars," to make it easier!

Teresa said...

I disagree with Beck with reference to him saying that McCain would have been worse than Obama. At least McCain wouldn't have been so pro-death, and attacking of freedom and capitalism. I agree he's a compromiser and wishy washy in some areas, but I think he would have made a better President than Obama. I didn't enthusiastically support McCain until Palin was added to the ticket. She is a wonderful vibrant new kind of conservative that actually values her principles and holds true to them. I agree with Rich Lowry as well. Beck and Palin have done some wonderful things to promote conservatism, so I believe they are both an asset to the conservative movement. In an article which I even sent to Noonan, I defended Palin against Peggy Noonan's outrageous attack and character assasination on Sarah Palin. Personally, I don't think Noonan qualifies as a conservative anymore.

LL said...

I disagree with Wehner and agree with you 100%. And I think that America's political barometer is changing with the emergence of a truly radical left administration. It's like thinking you'll be taking a bite of chicken and having it turn out to be road kill.

McCain was the most liberal Republican in the Senate and both left and right would have hated him as president.

The conservative movement is not a Republican movement (which scares the Democrats a lot because you end up attacking "bloggers" and "racists" and they aren't as convenient as attacking a Palin, for example). It's a legitimate grass roots reaction to GOVERNMENT fouling things up so badly that the house of cards is in jeopardy of falling in on itself.

And I don't think anyone knows how it will change politics in America. One thing is for sure. The Obama Presidency, the utopian socialism he's pushing and his cult of personality - will backfire on the Democrats in a big way.

Nikki said...

This is one of the reasons I don't care for Glen Beck, aside from the obvious reasons of our political differences and he cries like a girl. This is just stupid. John McCain would have been much better for our country and sometimes the Glenn's are the ones mucking it up with their alarmist ways. I think a lot of conservatives have no idea that Glen is not a republican and is quite radical himself. IMO. :)N

The Conservative Lady said...

Clifton:
This morning I heard Glenn say that if McCain has been elected, we would never have had the "right" grassroots uprising that we have now. Reason being that McCain would have been doing some of the same things Obama is doing (e.g., climate change crap), and the GOP would be more supportive of it because he was a Republican.
We needed to be scared out of our wits to "wake up" and Obama did the trick. Now we are engaged with everything that is ruining our Republic and we are fighting against it.
I was thinking...we did fight against Bush's amnesty plan for illegals, but we never felt the need for tea parties and marches on DC.
Maybe Glenn has a point???

And as for Peter Wehner...he can go pound sand. Sounds like another elitist who thinks he knows better than everybody else. You are right...who got 'results' is what matters.

Terrific post.

Anonymous said...

Agreed and well said.

t.

Stogie said...

"McCain has no political center." You nailed it, Clifton. McCain doesn't seem to have a strong sense of political philosophies; he just goes where he thinks the winds of public opinion blow. I never felt we could depend on him to look after our interests when the pressure is on.

JMK said...

It IS a very interesting and prescient observation.

I too believe McCain would've been worse for a number of reasons; (1) he would have emboldened the corrosive "moderate/LIBERAL-wing" of the GOP, (2) he doesn't have an ideological center and tends to drift Left with the Party's Rockefeller/"Moderate-wing and (3) would've further alienated Conservatives and Libertarians from the GOP.

In a sense, we NEEDED a dose of bad medicine and we've certainly gotten it.

Clifton B said...

JSF:

Beck certainly did not flunk flank. You are correct that a President McCain would have gotten the blame for everything. The Dems have no convenient scapegoat for 2010 and that is why they are trying to manufacture villains all over the place.

I too lived though the Carter years. I remember my parents panic over gasoline and how my mother would have to scramble to far away grocery stores just so that she could purchase coffee and sugar at reasonable prices. Get ready it is coming again. Have you seen the price of groceries lately?

Clifton B said...

Teresa:

Yes I think Beck went on a limb with Hillary over McCain. But to be fair McCain would have been a great big unknown. Palin would have been the stabilizing force that may have given McCain some direction.

Lowry's description of McCain was spot on. McCain is a gadfly, jumping from right to left with no rhyme or reason.

Re Noonan, we totally agree. I canceled my subscription to the WSJ because of her foolishness.

Clifton B said...

LL:

"It's like thinking you'll be taking a bite of chicken and having it turn out to be road kill."

This is the best description of this administration evah!

You are correct that Democrats (and Republicans I might add) have no idea what to make of the conservative movement. I think they are totally under estimating its resolve and most importantly its appeal.

I think 2010 is going to be a major watershed moment in American politics.

Clifton B said...

Nikki:

Many conservative and almost all liberals mistake Beck for conservative. Beck is a libertarian! To be quite honest, libertarians are quite appealing in these days. If Ron Paul had some charisma and more attractive packaging, he would be hot shit right now.

Clifton B said...

TCL:

I am not too sure about Beck being right that the Tea Party movement would not have happened under McCain. The people first started getting alarmed with Bush's amnesty nonsense. Tarp brought the simmer to a boil and Obama's policies made it all spill over. I think McCain would have ended up in the same place but perhaps more toward the middle of his term.

Wehner is the same type of bed wetting Republican we have been hearing for decades. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Clifton B said...

_t_i_m_o_t_h_y:

Welcome to ABC and thank you!

Clifton B said...

Stogie:

I always had the feeling that McCain based his positions on trying to guess what public opinion was via the NYT. Simply awful.

Clifton B said...

JMK:

1. Agreed
2. Agreed
3. Agreed

Re: a dose of bad medicine, you are correct. It has been over 30 years since Americans had a dose of Carter. Now that we have a taste of far left cuisine, it is time for a pallet cleanser!

Meadow said...

IMHO McCain would have been a continuation of the Bush years, with or without Palin. As VP, Palin could only do so much. Of course she would have served as a useful scapegoat, if one were needed.

If the US survives this experiment from the koolade company, hopefully long memories will prevent it from happening again.

We desperately need to clean house up on the Hill. This means send packing all the Dems and Repubs who just see $ in their pockets and power in their pants.

Replace them with patriotic folks who salute the flag, get tears in their eyes when they hear the bagpipes playing for a fallen hero and have the balls to stand up and take a poke at POS like Chavez et al`.

PatD said...

Beck is the guy pushing conservative issues and exposing Obama's radical links and how the radicals are infiltrating government. Nobody else is doing that job on cable.

Where was Wehner on Acorn? On the Tea Party movement? Who actually cares what he says?

Remember Beck's frog analogy? Bush heated the water to 120 degrees. McCain would have gently raised it to 140 degrees. Nobody would have squawked very loudly. The next guy would have added another 20 degrees. Obama has taken us to 212 degrees over night. He's made us jump and holler and scream blue murder. For that, we actually owe him a favor. It is easier to fight rampant socialism than creeping socialism.

Clifton B said...

Meadow:

Of course she would have served as a useful scapegoat, if one were needed.

One of the main reasons I am glad McCain lost. I felt this would have happened too.

Replace them with patriotic folks who salute the flag, get tears in their eyes when they hear the bagpipes playing for a fallen hero and have the balls to stand up and take a poke at POS like Chavez et al`.

In other words lets elect REAL Americans!

Clifton B said...

PatD:

It is easier to fight rampant socialism than creeping socialism.

No truer words spoken. Creeping socialism is what both parties have been serving up for decades.

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