The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Stopping the Bush Bandwagon

Posted on | March 30, 2014 | 89 Comments

Even before the 2008 campaign had ended, it became apparent to me — from the rumblings about certain aides to the McCain/Palin campaign, especially Nicolle Wallace — that Sarah Palin was being sabotaged by Bushies, so that one could perceive at that early date the stealthy moves toward a dynastic restoration via former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. As I said at the time, however, the lesson was obvious enough: “Lie down with Bushes, wake up with Democrats.” That is to say, electing a Bush to the White House is always the foreshadowing of a future Democrat victory, and therefore the urgent task of conservatives since 2008 has been to rid the GOP of its doomstruck taint of Bushism. Thus to explain my horrified reaction at this Washington Post story:

Concerned that the George Washington Bridge traffic scandal has damaged New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s political standing and alarmed by the steady rise of Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), prominent donors, conservative leaders and longtime operatives say they consider Bush the GOP’s brightest hope to win back the White House. . . .

(The reported “alarm” toward Rand Paul is ill-founded. If Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker can get re-elected in November, he will immediately emerge as the likely 2016 GOP nominee, based on his success in fighting Big Labor in an industrial Midwestern state.)

One bundler estimated that the “vast majority” of Romney’s top 100 donors would back Bush in a competitive nomination fight.
“He’s the most desired candidate out there,” said another bundler, Brian Ballard, who sat on the national finance committees for Romney in 2012 and John McCain in 2008. “Everybody that I know is excited about it.” . . .

(Obviously, the idiotic big-money GOP Establishment would be “excited” to repeat the doomed campaigns of 2008 and 2012.)

On Thursday night, Bush was feted here at a VIP dinner held by Sheldon Adelson inside the billionaire casino magnate’s airplane hangar. When one donor told Bush, “I hope you run for president in 2016,” the crowd of about 60 guests burst into applause, said a donor in attendance.
Bush also met privately with Adelson. One person with knowledge of the conversation said that the former governor was “very laid back and comfortable” and that they did not discuss the 2016 campaign.
Bush has been nurturing donor relationships for years. Earlier this month, he headlined a fundraiser for Virginia Senate candidate Ed Gillespie at former ambassador Al Hoffman’s home in North Palm Beach, Fla. Private-equity manager Lewis M. Eisenberg and former ambassador Ned Siegel were among the heavy hitters in attendance.
And in July, investor Scott Kapnick threw a book party for Bush at his Manhattan apartment. About 100 leading GOP donors showed up.

Well, so much for ditching that “Republican Party controlled by billionaire neocon warmongers” stereotype, I guess.

Despite my avowed anti-Bushism, I am nonetheless sufficiently pragmatic as to nod in agreement with Kevin Williamson:

Even if you think that Romney is a squishy RINO Massachusetts technocrat with a secret crush on Obamacare, you have to be on the wrong side of the border between ideologically hardcore and ideologically blinded to conclude that spending four years fighting against the very worst imaginable tendencies of a Romney administration would have been anything other than wine and roses compared with spending four years fighting against the very worst tendencies of an Obama administration, especially when the president is in the position of never having to face another election.
You can tell yourself a just-so story about how the guy you liked who couldn’t beat Romney in the GOP primary would have beaten the mom jeans off of Obama in the general, and maybe you’re right, but it didn’t happen that way. . . .
The question wasn’t “Mitt Romney — yes or no?” It was: “Mitt Romney — compared with what?”
Compared with this.

(Hat-tip: Instapundit.) A libertarian populist (or social conservative) opposition to the unprincipled drift of the Republican elite can only succeed if we can develop the kind of team spirit and political professionalism necessary to unite behind a plausible alternative to the GOP Establishment choice, nominate that candidate and then defeat Democrats in the general election.

Without re-hashing every failure of the conservative grassroots since 2007, however, both team spirit and political professionalism have been in short supply. Finger-pointing recriminations are useless, but we must avoid the mistakes of the past and be prepared (a) to support any candidate — Paul, Walker, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, whoever — who emerges as the conservative alternative to GOP Establishment offering (Christie, Bush, whoever) in the Republican primaries. And if (b) the Establishment nevertheless imposes its will on the party again, we must be prepared to go all-out for the spineless sellout nominee we can’t stand.

A Republican victory in 2016 is essential, and nothing must distract us from that object, not even our existential horror at another Bush.

God help us.

 

Category: No More Bushes

Comments

89 Responses to “Stopping the Bush Bandwagon”

  1. ariyadesai01
    March 30th, 2014 @ 1:51 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Stopping the Bush Bandwagon http://t.co/zjk2UwhXLF #TCOT

  2. NWcarol28
    March 30th, 2014 @ 1:53 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Stopping the Bush Bandwagon http://t.co/zjk2UwhXLF #TCOT

  3. gntlman
    March 30th, 2014 @ 1:54 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Stopping the Bush Bandwagon http://t.co/zjk2UwhXLF #TCOT

  4. Political Rift » Stopping the Bush Bandwagon
    March 30th, 2014 @ 1:55 pm

    […] Robert Stacy McCain Even before the 2008 campaign had ended, it became apparent to me — from the rumblings about […]

  5. DaveO
    March 30th, 2014 @ 2:19 pm

    1. Consider the source: the WaPo isn’t and won’t be in Conservatism’s corner. It will work hard to ensure the nomination of whomever Hillary (or the Dem 2016 nominee) can not only beat, but won’t challenge any suspected election fraud.
    2. Another point to consider is Conservatism is a Middle Class Value. There are very few rich folk who are in and of their own personal belief conservatives.
    3. The key to the election cipher is 2014’s senatorial races. If too many middle class senate nominees are selected by the electorate, then the RINOs and GOP will pick up their marbles and go home like they demonstrated with O’Donnell and Angle and others, then America loses the Senate by the Dems retaining it. We’ll be inundated with blogs and articles about how only centrists can win, and we’ll have Jeb Bush or maybe Lindsey Graham as the nominee. This is the GOP-RINO playbook and they’ve played it every election cycle since 1976.

  6. K-Bob
    March 30th, 2014 @ 2:19 pm

    This would be an acceptable position prior to going over the cliff.

    But we’re over it. No more delusions about “avoiding the precipice” or “we’re headed over the cliff.” The Cliff happened when Romney lost and SCOAMFcare became Finagle’s Own Variable-Constant Law of Everything, Including the Land.

    Something as immense as a nation collapses slowly (at first), so I can understand people up near the top thinking the thing is still seaworthy. But it’s a wreck. “Republicans” helped make sure of that.

    Electing a Bushie, a Christie, or a similarly Rovian candidate would be fine if this were 1996. But you can’t stop a wreck that’s already happened by turning the wheel slightly back toward the right. Might as well re-arrange the splinters and shards while you’re at it.

    I’m voting only for people who will restore the ship. If I have to write them in, then that’s what I’ll do. Other than that, I’ll work my ass off to make the Article Five Convention happen. But I know what to expect from “Republicans” and I’m not wasting time or money on them.

  7. Anamika
    March 30th, 2014 @ 2:30 pm

    And so the infighting has begun. How refreshing!

  8. Kirby McCain
    March 30th, 2014 @ 2:42 pm

    Finger-pointing recriminations are useless, but we must avoid the mistakes of the past and be prepared (a) to support any candidate — Paul, Walker, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, whoever — who emerges as the conservative alternative to GOP Establishment offering (Christie, Bush, whoever) in the Republican primaries. And if (b) the Establishment nevertheless imposes its will on the party again, we must be prepared to go all-out for the spineless sellout nominee we can’t stand.I sense desperation in the Tea party corner.

  9. ZZZZZZZZ
    March 30th, 2014 @ 2:56 pm

    zzzzzzzz……

  10. Anamika
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:11 pm

    A libertarian populist (or social conservative) opposition to the unprincipled drift of the Republican elite van only succeed if we can develop the kind of team spirit and political professionalism necessary to unite behind a plausible alternative to the GOP Establishment choice

    A social conservative (& his/her supporters), if they feel they are no longer in the race, are more likely to prefer a “Republican elite”/(moderates like Christie, Bush etc) over a libertarian populist. And vice versa applies for a populist libertarian and his/her supporters. That’s the conundrum. In a 3-player game the odds are heavily stacked towards one side. So make it a 2-player game of elimination always. You need to win three in a row to take the big prize.

  11. Kirby McCain
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:15 pm

    The infighting stopped?

  12. njinfl
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:16 pm

    Well, unfortunately, Walker is also an open borders running dog.
    And an ingrate–he’s never acknowledged Palin for saving his butt on that cold rainy day preceding the Prosser recall vote.

  13. Anamika
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:19 pm

    I mean it’s now in the open… I would love to see it played out all over the conservative blogosphere and twitter and McCain deeply involved in it. At least that way we can get a break from more Belle Knox blogging.

  14. Jere Smith
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:21 pm

    White flag already waiving. John Boehner could not be more proud. Nice!

  15. Anamika
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:26 pm

    What’s going on in Palin land? Is she running or not?

  16. Proof
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:37 pm

    Jeb looks like he’s been putting on weight. Trying to get the Chris Christie vote is my guess!

  17. StrangernFiction
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:39 pm

    Better the statist who is perceived by the average American to be a statist than the statist who is perceived to be a conservative.

  18. DaveO
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:44 pm

    Did Mark Levin say that? Glenn Beck? Sarah Palin? Or an employee paid to ease conservative opposition to Bush?

  19. Wombat_socho
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:58 pm

    You either need more sleep and food, or you need to LURK MOAR.

  20. Wombat_socho
    March 30th, 2014 @ 3:59 pm

    Walker 2016: SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!

  21. WarEagle82
    March 30th, 2014 @ 4:17 pm

    I will NEVER vote for Jeb Bush. Ever. I didn’t vote for John McCain (in spite of Sara Palin) but I will NEVER vote for Jeb Bush.

    Electing another Bush will, in the end, push the country over the tipping point toward the inevitable destruction of the Republic.

    It is nonsensical to expect Bush to undo any of Obama’s “progressive” changes. If they aren’t undone in 2016, they will never be undone.

  22. Quartermaster
    March 30th, 2014 @ 4:19 pm

    She does drink moar, I’m sure.

  23. Quartermaster
    March 30th, 2014 @ 4:21 pm

    What the GOPe is up to is in that documentary as well. They’re part of the problem and have been for the last century. Watch it while it’s still available. It is a well spent 1.5 hours.

  24. Christy Waters
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:03 pm

    Jeb Bush awarded Hillary Clinton with the Liberty Medal last Sept 10… one day before the one year anniversary of the Benghazi attack, which Hillary was responsible for. She should be indicted, not awarded. For that reason (as well as his positions on Common Core and amnesty), I will stay home on 2016 election day rather than vote for Jeb Bush. No need to spread a rumor. Remind people of this fact.

    Further, if the GOP chooses to make conservatives the enemy instead of the Democrats, then they don’t want the conservative vote and have no right to expect it. Therefore, let the ensuing Republican loss be on their own heads.

  25. Lemuel Vargas
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:26 pm

    And you think the Democrats have not begun infighting w/ themselves? Oh, nevermind…You democrats have a herd mentality in w/c your party will lead you by the nose to what they want you to do.

  26. Lemuel Vargas
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:30 pm

    So you would rather have a democrat POTUS w/c will impose the Democratic ideal of government bureaucracy and its attendant red tape and huge public debts?

  27. Finrod Felagund
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:30 pm

    The difference between now and 2012:

    In 2012 the Gingrich people would have rather had Romney the nominee than Santorum, and the Santorum people would have rather had Romney be the nominee than Gingrich.

    In 2016, I predict the Rand Paul people would rather have Scott Walker than Jeb Bush, and the Scott Walker people would rather have Rand Paul than Jeb Bush.

    You heard it here first.

  28. Joan Of Argghh!
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:31 pm

    I will NEVER, before any election, give the GOP the luxury of thinking they can count on my vote. It makes them stupid.

    Moreover, there must be money in the GOP losing, else why would so many throw good money after a weak candidate? I worked with a guy who was a campaign team member for Romney who gleefully bragged of his own liberal/prog ideology and his work to undermine the campaign. GOP doesn’t even know who is under their “big tent” anymore, nor do they care.

  29. njinfl
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:34 pm

    Alas, I think not. Its a pity, because she’d clearly be the most talented and interesting of the lot.

  30. K-Bob
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:44 pm

    Heard that joke already. It stopped being funny in 2000.

  31. Adjoran
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:45 pm

    So a single unnamed source in a WaPo story is good enough for McCain? Hardly surprising – all he needed was whispers in Iowa to smear the campaigns of Rick Perry and Mitt Romney for alleged dirty tricks against Cain and/or Santorum.

    You can find an anonymous source for almost anything. That’s not journalism. Prudent editors always required at least one on-the-record source to confirm information from anonymous sources, back when there were standards.

    But you can bet the unnamed “bundler” who assured the Postie that “the vast majority of donors” would rally behind Bush is a big Jeb supporter. So what is his word worth?

    Solid gold, if your sole object is to vent your smears.

  32. K-Bob
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:46 pm

    What I don’t get is all the folks I see around the
    right-iverse threatening (like it’s some sort of actual threat) to stay home. It’s like write-ins are just too much effort.

  33. Will E Big
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:50 pm

    I predict that should the GOP establishment shove another RINO down our throats, you can bet Hillary will be the next president.
    I will, just as I did with the architect of Obamacare: Mittens, will just write in for POTUS and vote the most conservative choice down ballot.

  34. Will E Big
    March 30th, 2014 @ 5:54 pm

    The GOP establishment is not one iota different than the DNC.
    Have you forgotten who was the architect of Obamacare, that’s right Johnny…Mittens with Romneycare.
    The GOP establishment is already trying to squash any opposition to Obamacare and wanting to ‘fix’ it instead. They see billions to be made and they don’t want to let that slip out of their hands despite America’s outrage with the ‘law’.

  35. JeffS
    March 30th, 2014 @ 6:10 pm

    You sense that? How?

  36. JeffS
    March 30th, 2014 @ 6:14 pm

    You are quoting the Washington (com)Post, who is quoting an anonymous source?

    And this is credible …. how?

  37. Josh_Painter
    March 30th, 2014 @ 6:58 pm

    RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Stopping the Bush Bandwagon http://t.co/zjk2UwhXLF #TCOT

  38. Bob Belvedere
    March 30th, 2014 @ 7:04 pm

    THIS, squared.

    No more compromises – there’s no time…no air…

  39. Bob Belvedere
    March 30th, 2014 @ 7:06 pm

    I needed that laugh – thanks, Proof.

  40. Bob Belvedere
    March 30th, 2014 @ 7:16 pm

    The key is: if we conservatives plan to withhold our votes from an Establishment GOP Presidential Nominee, we must, at the same time, act in other areas in order to make our protest truly effective.

    As K-Bob mentions above, get involved in the Article V effort.

    Prepare for a collapse. Gather sufficient arms and supplies. Prepare mentally so that you are ready to take the effort to a Concord-and-Lexington level.

    Pray to God that the decentralizing trend continues to sweep the world, so that we will not be distracted in our efforts by our foreign enemies. We need to concentrate on the Domestic.

  41. Bob Belvedere
    March 30th, 2014 @ 7:20 pm

    I like the idea.

    My go-to write-in back in the 1980’s was ‘Barry Goldwater’ – for any elected office where I couldn’t bring myself to compromise.

  42. John Scotus
    March 30th, 2014 @ 7:27 pm

    Maybe it would be more effective to start a rumor that Jeb Bush secretly approves of online gambling and believes that banning abortion is the key to the 2016 election. Of course, Sheldon Adelson would just find some other RINO or GOP loser to throw his backing behind.

  43. DaveO
    March 30th, 2014 @ 8:24 pm

    Thank you for sharing this. Powerful information.

  44. DaveO
    March 30th, 2014 @ 8:28 pm

    Go local. Change the school boards. Take oversight of the police and local infrastructure. Top-down control only works with the active covetous cooperation of the Controllers at the interface of government and citizen.

  45. Art Deco
    March 30th, 2014 @ 8:40 pm

    Can you recall an example of someone as shopworn and tainted as Hillary being handed the nomination? The closest examples would be Lyndon Johnson in 1964 (an incumbent President who had only alienated about a quarter of the public at that point) and Richard Nixon in 1968 (who was clean as a hound’s tooth compared to Lady McB and nominated in a year when all the alternatives unaccountably begged off until the convention).

  46. Art Deco
    March 30th, 2014 @ 8:42 pm

    There would be Robert Dole in 1996 as well. I do not think Dole’s integrity has ever been at issue however, just his personality. He underperformed as a candidate as well. Not a congenial precedent for HRC.

  47. Lemuel Vargas
    March 30th, 2014 @ 8:48 pm

    That was not a joke. That is a fact.

  48. Will E Big
    March 30th, 2014 @ 9:28 pm

    Although I agree with what your saying, I just cannot bring myself to vote for the lesser of two evils.
    Our country is being torn asunder by those who have no values are amoral and disrespect those who do. The GOP establishment see’s to may ways to act like democrats. They are refusing to battle over Obamacare because they see the opportunity to make billions, not necessarily provide affordable healthcare. Never kid yourselves about what is going on within the GOP establishment, they are a treacherous bunch and Jeb seems to be at the spear tip for now.
    I will refuse to vote for RINO’s anymore even if that means Hillary becomes president.

  49. WarEagle82
    March 30th, 2014 @ 9:34 pm

    Here we go again. In his 2nd term, Bush paved the way for Obama. Bush grew government in real terms every year he was in office. There is no reason to believe that Bush 45, should that nightmare come to pass, will increase increase the federal government only slightly less, and erode the constitutional rights of citizens only slightly slower than HRC 45 would do.

    Either way, Bush or Clinton, I will be reduced to a serf in my old age and my children and grandchildren will have to fight to reclaim their birthright.

    I will NOT vote for Jeb Bush in 2016…

  50. Quartermaster
    March 30th, 2014 @ 9:56 pm

    Tokyo Rove and others make their riches whether the right guy wins or not. They’re laughing all the way to the bank.