Why Supply-Siders Will Rally to McCain

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One would certainly think that with so much at stake, all of the embittered toadies of the far right (Limbaugh, Coulter, Buchannan, Hewitt, Levin et al) would put aside their pettiness and embrace the candidate who CLEARLY gives the Republicans the best chance at victory in November: John McCain.

But I guess the fact that Senator McCain refuses to kiss their sanctified butts on cue and won't genuflect to their rigid litmus tests to prove that he's a "true conservative" is more than they can stand. What a bunch of howling idiots. Imagine. A candidate who thinks for himself and who puts the interests of the country ahead of ideology. Of all the nerve!

But no matter. The McCain Train will bury "Slick Mitt" tomorrow and then these recalcitrant malcontents will have no choice but to get in line or prepare themeselves for "President Clinton." Granted, we might lose an Ann Coulter here and there in a fit of childish pique. But overall, conservatives will rally to McCain because, in the final analysis, he's infinitely preferable to Hillary.

Dan of CA @ Feb 04, 2008 17:06:20 PM

McCain will do poorly in November...

If McCain becomes the GOP nominee, then I will take it to mean that maybe it's time for the Democrats to come in and screw up this country for a while. He has given much ammo to the Democrats should he move forward. His "there will be more war" comments alone will make certain that he is never elected as President, whether it be against Clinton or Obama.

It's a shame that we have come to a day when the polls seemingly elect our President for us. I think that many times, people to tend to cast their votes for a top candidate - one the polls tell us has a chance - and not necessarily the candidate that they think would do the best job for us all.

In speaking with a lot of my friends here in Arizona, we are all in a similar situation. I have supported Romney from early on, but we all seem to agree that either Romney, Giuliani or even Thompson would have received our votes. But in no way will I vote for McCain for a shopping list of reasons. I will go to the polls in November and vote for the other measures on the ballot, but I will NOT vote for John McCain. Some people seem to have gone further, and say that they might actually cast a vote for the Democratic nominee (that will not happen with me).

I can only hope that the last reasonable hope for us to win in November, Mitt Romney, comes out better than expected tomorrow. Recent polls in California and Georgia are encouraging. Who knows, maybe Romney even has a chance here in Arizona?!?!

Chris from Arizona of AZ @ Feb 04, 2008 16:51:26 PM

On each issue, Romney is much stronger than McCain

Interesting....but let's examine the same points with Romney. I suspect we'll see an even stronger candidate on all these issues.

<b>Bush Tax Cuts</b> - McCain voted against them twice on liberal class warfare arguments that they gave too much to the rich. McCain can't be trusted on tax cuts. Romney will never make this same argument. Decision: Romney

<b>Earmark Reform and Spending:</b> Both Romney and McCain support vetoing bills with ear-marks. McCain can point to a few he's killed, but in 24 years in the Senate he hasn't done much to improve the overall situation. Romney, on the other hand, has *proven* an ability to balance a budget--including the one with a $3B gap in MA. Romney has already put out his position regarding holding non-defense spending at inflation less 1%. Further, he has astutely pointed out that the bigger problem is not the pork-barrel spending but the mess known as entitlement spending. Decision: Romney

<b>Phil Gramm:</b> Honestly, I don't know on this one. Decision: McCain

<b>Trade:</b> McCain doesn't hold a candle to Romney when it comes to understanding economics Decision: Romney

<b>Healthcare:</b> McCain doesn't hold a candle to Romney when it comes to understanding healthcare. Romney is the only candidate of either party that has actually tackled this problem. Decision: Romney

On six of the seven issues, Romney is clearly more qualified than McCain and the seventh is even a toss-up.

<b>Mitt Romney - a PROVEN LEADER with the EXPERIENCE to tackle and solve the problems Washington has left undone.</b>

Jeremiah Grant of AZ @ Feb 04, 2008 16:45:51 PM

McCain the free trader

You write, "[O]pen global trade is the bedrock fundamental underlying the amazing global economic expansion."

Are you sure? Even if you are, how certain are you that this benefits the United States?

I realize that free traders feel themselves under assault these days, but part of the reason for this is that free traders have falsely convinced themselves that most of their critics do not understand "Economics 101." Some of us critics however do understand the basics of macroeconomic theory, but we wonder how it came to pass that, historically, the United States grew from an agrarian backwater in 1812 to the greatest industrial power the world had ever seen by 1939, precisely under a system of high tariffs. Free trade appears to us to have stalled wages, eviscerated America's industrial capacity, and turned the U.S. from creditor to debtor. For years free traders indoctrinated us to believe that the Smoot-Hawley tariff caused the Great Depression (a canard John McCain still inexplicably believes), whereas economists led by Paul Samuelson and Milton Friedman now admit that the Depression was largely caused by mismanagement of the money supply. (Republicans at the time saw the criticism of Smoot-Hawley for what it was: a clever Democratic diversion from responsibility for the untoward effects of the Roosevelt administration's novel economic experiments. One wonders whether John McCain is even aware that Wall Street crashed in 1929, the year before Smoot-Hawley became law.)

I cannot speak for others, but I for one do understand Say's law of comparative advantage. I even know what a Pareto exchange is. I also grasp the fact that Say's and Pareto's findings are theoretical rather than empirical, and that actual experience seems to contradict their findings rather roundly. The question is: does John McCain grasp this?

Howard J. Harrison of NY @ Feb 04, 2008 15:56:58 PM

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Capital Commerce

Capital Commerce

U.S. News business reporter Matthew Bandyk examines the issues, people, and debates that shape the nexus of political and economic life in the nation's capital.

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