How John McCain Lost Me




By Eric Schulzke
Jan 29th 2008 9:37PM

Those who have been following the Political Machine for awhile know that I have become a defender of Mitt Romney. I am an ambivalent defender. He is a fine man and a great manager, and would easily be the best managerial president on either side in the field. I recognize his weaknesses, and even wrote a piece a few months back entitled "Plastic and Elastic." However, I concluded after working through the viable candidates that he was the only one who had a chance whom I could support on the GOP side.

I'm a lifelong Republican. Only voted for a Democrat once, in a House race where the Republican nominee was a crook. But if McCain does become the Republican nominee, I will not vote for him. Why?

Cuz I've seen this movie before. In 1991, I worked for a GOP Congressman from California when he and several other conservatives sought an audience with newly elected "moderate" GOP Governor Pete Wilson. I remember the response clear as day . It came from Wilson's spokesman Dan Schnur, who still kicks around California politics: "The conservatives are f---n irrelevant." Later, when Wilson wanted to be president, he tried to court the conservative vote with insultingly pandering anti-affirmative action and anti-illegal immigrant measures. He was never trusted by the base -- and never understood us.

But you don't forget a quote like that. Nor will Senator Coryn (R-Texas) ever forget when John McCain screamed "F- You" at him in a Senate committee room, when he had the audacity to disagree with McCain on immigration last spring. Nor would any of the other colleagues and staffers who have gotten this treatment from him.

Nor will I ever forget being called a racist by McCain and his sidekick Lindsey Graham, when they both demonized everyone who disagreed with them on illegal immigration. There are many other things I won't forget. The list is long. But that one was a deal breaker for me. I will not support someone who tells those speaking for me in Congress to "F Off," any more than I would support someone who calls me "F'n Irrelevant."

Good article, read the rest here...