A level of media attention is being focused on commentators on the political Right like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter (How’s that for a ticket?), assigning blame to them for, allegedly, hurting the candidacy of John McCain. That, and the notion that people like Rush are driven to criticize McCain because McCain doesn’t tow his line. Both just a bit preposterous.

The issue isn’t that McCain doesn’t run in lock-step with conservatives. The issue with Rush and Ann, including myself, is that McCain and others (including the President) continue to say McCain is a conservative when, on the whole, he is not. It is dishonest to label him a conservative while appealing for conservatives’ votes.

“Right-wing pundits hurting McCain”

I don’t see it as the pundits are hurting McCain. What is happening here is the pundits are exposing McCain’s record. In that vein, I see it as McCain hurting himself. Hurting himself in two ways. First by his stance on the following: Gitmo, rights for enemy combatants, gang of fourteen, McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, voted against tax cuts before he would (presumably) vote for their extension, for starters. And second, by telling us and anyone who would listen, that he is a conservative.

Making the pundits to be the reason, instead of McCain himself, for hurting McCain is to miss or ignore all of the above.

He’d still be better for this country than either of the democrat wannabes. But it is his ‘reaching out,’ to further liberal principles, that is causing McCain’s troubles. Continue reading McCain’s Troubles, Are McCain’s Troubles →