2008 -- the Presidency, the GOP, and John McCain

So here we are, well into the 2008 primary season, and the worst of all worlds has come about: the GOP has, in effect, decided to nominate John McCain to be its candidate for President. Let me explain.

To me, electing a President comes down, first and foremost, to two basic though fundamental things: conducting a foreign policy that will keep the U.S. safe and promote the ideals of liberty and capitalist democracy; and enthusiastically promoting and protecting the basic Rights as enshrined in the Constitution, in particular the first few of the Bill of Rights.

When it comes to the first part, Mr. McCain is acceptable. His foreign policy programs and ideas all fall within the realm of plausibly protecting and advocating for the U.S. No problem there.

On the second part, which is the most important, he fails completely. The First Amendment was chosen by our Founders to be the First of the Bill of Rights not arbitrarily but specifically: because it would underwrite and guarantee the rest of the Rights. The First Amendment guarantees our right to political speech and our right to the means of that speech. It guarantees that the government shall not interfere at all in the people's collective and individual rights to make their opinion known, through whatever mechanisms exist at the time. This is arguably the most important of all the Rights and it must be defended in an absolute sense.

Which brings us to Mr. McCain. He has shown in his career nothing but contempt for the 1st Amendment and, through his actions, contempt for the people having the right to express themselves and their opinions. By sponsoring the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform bill, by advocating for it and condemning in personal terms those who disagreed, by being unwilling to admit that those who opposed the bill (and Mr. McCain's efforts thereby) were principled people standing up for the Constitution and the American People's rights, by being unwilling to afford to others the claim of being "principled" that he was wrapping himself in -- Mr. McCain earns the complete contempt of anyone concerned about the erosion of our basic Rights, and in particular this most fundamental of our Rights, the 1st Amendment.

I have advocated and promoted the GOP candidate for President since I was 13 years old. The first flyer I handed out was one I made myself, because it was important in 1983 to promote Ronald Reagan over the idiocy of Walter Mondale in 1984's election.

I will vote for John McCain in November, 2008, because he will be the "lesser of two evils", as the Democrats are choosing between two people with even less respect for the 1st Amendment tahn Mr. McCain (among other reasons).

I will not advocate for or promote John McCain. For the first time in 24 years, I will not promote the GOP candidate. I will not offer a positive opinion of the GOP candidate. If I am asked, I will be truthful: I would never have chosen John McCain for President, I cannot in good conscience recommend him to anyone. His total disrespect for the 1st Amendment shows an alarming failure to understand the most fundamental Right the founders enshrined in our Constitution and how that Right provides the guarantee to the others.

I will recommend that anyone inclined to Republican or conservative principles vote for Mr. McCain, not so much as a vote for Mr. McCain, but simply because we have no other options. Not voting would be as effective as voting for the Democrat. And voting for either Barack Obama, who has shown a genuinely frightening inability to understand even the most basic concepts of foreign policy or an understanding of how history can inform our present policies, or Hillary Clinton, who has now come out in favor of mandatory universal government-run health care with jail-time for those who don't want to participate (you will participate, or you'll go to jail) -- voting for either of those two is simply not acceptable either.

But Mr. McCain should understand this. He is correct in saying he is a very conservative person with a very conservative record. He does have a record of that. But on 2-3 issues, he has taken positions that are not just wrong, but dangerously so. And, unfortunately, those issues aren't small things, but fundamental ones. They're issues that are key to the essential nature of the American culture and identity, as with the 1st Amendment. He has chosen to be Leftist on specific issues that are simply too important to ignore. That is his choice. Those of us who believe otherwise cannot in good conscience support or promote him -- that is the consequence of his choices. He should not expect otherwise.

And on his position on illegal immigration:
Those who come here legally should be welcomed. Those whose first act in coming here is to choose to break our laws should be treated accordingly -- they chose to break the law, they should be treated as the criminals that they are. It isn't a question of compassion or understanding. We are a nation of laws, or we aren't a nation at all. If someone chooses deliberately to break our laws, that person cannot say "but I'll follow your laws once I'm a citizen" -- they've already demonstrated that they will pick and choose which laws they want to follow. Illegal has a very clear definition.
We should not pursue policies that in any way condone or promote those who choose to break our laws in that way. And that brings us back to Mr. McCain, who has shown a stunning disregard for the rule of law. His plans for dealing with illegal immigrants give them ways to become citizens -- thereby insulting those who did follow the laws in the first place, and condoning those who chose to break our laws and came here illegally.
Once more, Mr. McCain should not be surprised when people disagree with him and refuse to promote him for President when his actions are clearly against the bedrock principles that underwrite this nation and its history: the rule of law and the right to speech.