WASHINGTON - It’s going to take a lot more than the red-carpet endorsement from President Bush to rally disenchanted conservatives behindpresumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, according to L. Brent Bozell, a conservative writer and longtime crusader against broadcast indecency.
TheArizonasenatorwill have to cease attacks on conservative leaders, “particularly those in talk radio,” who will not be silent, Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, wrote in an opinion piece in Sunday’s Washington Post Outlook.
The “tens of millions of activists” who turn to these leaders for guidance will not support McCain “unless and until they believe him and believe in him,” said Bozell.
“Yet through his surrogates, McCain is attacking these leaders. This is beyond folly. It is political suicide,” Bozell wrote. “McCain may have the Beltway crowd in his corner, but grass-roots conservatives aren’t sold.”
What else should McCain do to win the support of the disgruntled conservative base?
Bozell advises the candidate to take up the mantle of the president they most admire, Ronald Reagan.
“The liberal base of the Democratic Party is on fire; he must bring an equal passion to the table with his conservative base. It is time for McCain to be Reagan.”
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Photo credit: Reuters/Tami Chappell (Town hall meeting in Atlanta)
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6 comments so far
Just add Mitt Romney to your ticket and you’ll succeed in bringing in the conservatives. If you continue to antagonize the conservatives, the Democrats will win come Novemeber. Your choice.
- Posted by SamuelJust adding Mitt is not enough. He needs to resign from the Senate so I can be assured of never ever hearing from him again if he loses. Otherwise I’m writing in a true conservative.
Vote Ronald Reagan 2008 - Go with the Gipper
- Posted by MikeDHe could actually try being one…
- Posted by DarrenUnfortunately, voting for John McCain will be voting for the lessor of three evils. I will vote for him because Clinton is for Abortion and gun control, two things I detest. And who knows what Obama is for. He has no track record. He managed to miss the majority of votes, both as a state legislator and in the senate.
- Posted by don rossThe essential problem for Senator McCain, I think, is that he has to walk a very narrow tightrope between two constituencies: the Republican base, which is to say the least unenthused about its (presumed, see Bill Safire’s wonderful column last week) nominee, and the independents who have gravitated to him because of his “maverick” status. I think that once the Convention is over the Republican Party will unite behind him. But once that happens, he’ll have to tack a bit left, and remind us that he opposed much of Bush’s economic agenda and was the foremost opponent of earmarks on the Hill. He’ll also have to remind us that he was the principal supporter of a new strategy in Iraq (not that he’s been shy about that issue), and that he seeks a principled victory there - victory defined by the installation of a responsible government there and, if necessary, an American troop presence. On that point he will have to make it clear that his “100-year” remark referred to a continuing commitment to building democratic institutions in the region if Iraqis choose to pursue them. He has tried to do so, but the catch phrase persists.
I think Senator McCain will do well in the general election. He may not win, and I may disagree with him on many issues, but his nomination does honor to the Republican Party.
- Posted by Darren ShupeA leopard cannot change his spots. We must call a spade a spade. McCain is not a conservative and will never be.
A few years ago, he called the Religious Right a very inappropriate term, which I cannot recall at the moment. That statement showed his true colors and beliefs. There is no way McCain can win without the Right.
Unless McCain makes some real changes in his beliefs, I will vote with a write in candidate, perhaps Reagan or even Huckabee.
The topics of grave importance are the 2nd Amendment, abortion, protection of the US from barbarian muslims and the econonmy, although the prez has little effect on the economy. It is mainly managed by the Federal REserve. The Prez can have influence in all these areas, however, especially homeland security.
I want to see all restrictions removed from the right of the people to bear arms, especially those with CPLs (concealed pistol licenses). We should have the right to carry anywhere, having been processed by the FBI and deemed credible and having a perfect record. These are important to the security of the USA and to the people of the Homeland.
- Posted by Andrew