Democrats for McCain

This woman is in my Congressional District, and although from a Democratic family, is voting McCain and Manion this year.

I am sure we have quite a few Dems for McCain here. I’m definitely one of them. I obviously still believe in my core values as a Democrat but have grown absolutely sick of what this party has become and how it no longer represents me. The reason I haven’t officially left the party is simple: I want my vote for McCain to be counted as a “Democrat vote for McCain” I was and still am a Hillary supporter. And there are LOTS of us who have come over.

I still basically can’t stand John McCain the politician — I will never forgive him for gutting the First Amendment with his ridiculous campaign finance law.  But politics is never that simple.  The person that heads the party’s ticket is a vessel for holding the coalition together, and getting a winning majority.  The Republicans would have had a harder time finding a better candidate for that purpose in 2008 than John McCain, especially after his Vice Presidential pick.

One of the reasons I haven’t been hating as much on McCain as a lot of people probably has to do with where I’m from.  I’ve spent the last eight years watching George W. Bush destroy the Republican coalition in the Philadelphia suburbs.  Bush’s brand of conservatism is not one that the suburban Republicans can really get behind.  Less intrusive government, yes.  Balanced budgets, yes.  Lower taxes, definitely.  Less corruption?  Sure.  But Bush has largely ignored this part of the coalition, believing that if he just cut taxes, we’d go away and be happy.  He was wrong, and the evaporation of Republican support in the suburbs here is a big part of that.  Supporting Bush here is embarrassing, because he offends nearly everyone.

But McCain is the kind of Republican that Republican leaning people here can feel good about putting a lawn sign out for.  You can say “I support McCain” without people looking at you like you’re from some kind of alien planet.  McCain doesn’t seem to elicit the same kind of visceral hatred from Democrats (at least the sane ones) that Bush does.  McCain’s reputation as a fiscal conservative and a reformer will play well here, and will give Republicans some issues to build a coalition around.  For eight years now, they’ve had nothing.

I’m seeing McCain start to change that, and regardless of whether I’m pissy at him for supporting campaign finance, or ending private transfers of guns, he’ll be a useful vessel for helping rebuild a brand who we desparately need to win in order to secure a lot of things I do care about for the future.  I’m not letting my reservations about McCain’s imperfections get in the way of that.

3 thoughts on “Democrats for McCain”

  1. “Behind every great man is a woman.”

    In this case, Palin is the great woman who will really be pulling the McCain strings. I’m confident that if an anti-gun bill comes across McCain’s desk, Palin will be there the smack him upside the head and make him veto it.

  2. But McCain is the kind of Republican that Republican leaning people here can feel good about putting a lawn sign out for.

    Not around here! Last cycle houses w/Republican signs were vandalized cars w/Republican support bumper stickers were keyed window broken tire slashed. The vehicles scheduled by Republican volunteers to take voters to the polls were disabled.

    It’s like having an NRA sticker on your car or home, an invitation to robbery or vandalism.

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