John McCain for President 2004

An interesting thing is happening in American Politics today. The general trend is for candidates to move towards the center, ala Bill Clinton in 1996, or for candidates to move to the edges to polarize their base, ala Ronald Reagan. Today our candidates are all over the board. They try to please everyone and in that effort convince no one. Take George W. Bush for exampe, he's grown the government into a $400 Billion deficit, he's increased the size of discretionary spending by 21% in his first term. He's passed over $3 Trillion in tax cuts. The President has approved a $400 Billion Medicare Drug Beneift, he has a $401 Billion Defense Bill that he has signed. But that's not all, he also has faith based initiatives, de-regulation of the environment, re-regulation of financial disclosure requirements through the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the largest federal expansion into education since the creation of the Department of Education with the "Leave No Child Behind Act". President Bush has accomplished quite a bit and I don't mean in terms of successful policy but rather in accomplishing his agenda. He has yet to veto a single bill with almost three years complete in office.

Let's look at the otherside of the spectrum, the Democratic Frontrunner wants balanced budgets, he claims to be a fiscal conservative but wants Universal Healthcare. Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont is anti gun control, he wants to raise taxes and increase regulations on the environment. Yet he also wants to be fiscally responsible while doing all of these things. He wants to fully fund special education and create a Medicare Drug Benefit that is even more expansive than the one that the federal government has proposed. He believes that gay marriage is a state's right issue and he believes that it should stay that way.

It's funny, but both of these candidates want to be as much as they can, to everyone that they can. They have policies for the right, left and middle. Yet, they please no one. Dean on policy is hardly a leftist Democrat and Bush on the record is hardly a right wing Republican. It seems, especially in the case of Bush that the more he tries to appeal to his base, the more he actually does to appease the center of the political spectrum. As a result, we have traditional Republicans up in arms over the lack of fiscal restraint as well as the Bush invasion into civil liberties. However, Bush is the best that the Republicans have. In contrast, Dean is the best choice that the Democrats seem to have. For some, he is incredibly left, for others like Dick Gephardt, he's too center, Dean is everything to everyone and they just can't seem to stick a label on him. However, there's a third route, a route which no one really wants to go but I think that they can.

I'm talking about having John McCain run for President in 2004. I think he can win and this is how he should do it. McCain should run as an independent and run as a movement by traditional republicans, republicans circa 1994 or even 1999, to regain control of their party. I think there is enough pent up anger against Bush that Republicans will defect and vote for McCain. He's strong on defense and is a war veteran. McCain is a fiscal conservative and has been amongst the first to criticize the GOP for spending money like a drunken sailor. McCain can effectively bargain to get more international support for the war on Iraq. Most of all, I think McCain is an appealing candidate. He can attract libertarians, conservative republicans, moderates and most importantly independents. Unlike the conventional wisdom, I do believe that this election will be won through a centrist approach. I think right now, the candidates are too across the board on the issues to actually mobilize their base. Unless Bush makes some serious changes, I think a lot of libertarians are going to vote for a strong civil liberties based Democrat like Dean who takes the First, Second and Fourth Amendments seriously. I think many Republicans will just sit this one out to show Bush that he is too much of a fiscal hack for their tastes.

But then again, there's an alternative, and I think that alternative is John McCain. He can grab votes from that center as well as the disenchanted voters on the extreme right and the exterme left, he can do it because he's charismatic and most of all because he's truly and Independent who may be wrong at times but always unapologetic and unwavering for his beliefs.

Ruchit Shah is a Government/Philosophy/History Junior at the University of Texas at Austin

Comments

[Brian]

Shah doesn't know what he's talking about. Not that many Republican's are pissed off at George Bush - Shah is overexaggerating the discontent on the Right with the Administration. Most people understand that programs such as Homeland Security are necessary ,especially considering the times, and that they will cost money.

The libertarian population in the U.S. is so marginal that it won't make a difference. 90 percent of them would vote for the LP anyways.

[Ruchit]

Personally I think we can all agree that George W. Bush is hardly a Republican. I think the discontent with Bush is highest amongst ideologues and those who supported the policies of Reagan, etc, etc.

I think the discontent with Bush is amazing and is only going to grow as true Republicans begin to realize what a mess his fiscal policies really are. I'm not saying any of these Republicans are going to call for a return to the Clinton days but I think they will want Bush to tighten the pursestrings a little bit as well as ease up on his rape and pillage tactics concerning civil liberties.

I mean, what Republican ideals is George W. Bush really coming through on? Other than big defense budgets!

[matt]

I happen to agree with shah, I have never voted anything but republican in my life. I voted McCain in the 2000 primaries, and stood out last election becuase I had serious reservations about Bush. I think they have been confirmed. As much as I hate to do it, I might have to vote Democratic. As crazy as it sounds, maybe going Democratic is the way to control spending. What I think is going to really haunt Bush in the upcoming election is his social spending. Huge social security, marriage counseling, and education increases in my opinion put him further left than most Democrats. I really hope a truly conservative third party candidate comes in the race, because I don't like most of the Democratic candidates either. (although more than Bush).

[randall rorrer]

This is to John himself..........Please annonce your run for President. We have had enough of the looney toons......Its time for a man of integrity in our capitol. So please get the ball rolling......we need all the support we can get. Thank You

[Angel]

I am a dyed-in-the-wool liberal Democrat. I would have supported Sen. McCain four years ago, and at this point, I feel he is the only possible candidate who could properly run this country right now. How do we convince him to abandon the Republican party and run as an Independent? I believe there are more Democrats like me, who would rather vote for John McCain than any Democrat - and certainly, no self-respecting Liberal could support Pres. Bush. There are also plenty of Republicans who would support John McCain - so how do we get him to run?

[Michael Frantz]

I personally am sick of left wing right wing. The two party system SUCKS! With a two party system the only way a person stands a chance at winning the election for president is to affiliate themselfs with one party or the other. There-bye conceeding to all the ideals of one party or the other. In my opinion there isn't a true representation of what one might call the everyday american in ether party. Enter John McCain, who I would agree is this representation. The only way I see getting John to run is to get a web page up in support of John McCain for president.
There have to be more of use out here. If there is such a web page, someone please pass it on to me. I would support the movement of John McCain for president in 2004 and I voted for Bush last time. All he needs to do is be on the ballid, I think the rest will play out. Everyone knows who he is and were he stands. Lets get him to run!

[RK Shah]

Michael,

You may have inspired me! I wrote another article on this, please pass it around, give me your thoughts. refresh on www.ipundit.com . Maybe a real Draft McCain movement is in order.

[Scottar]

I could vote for him if he pledges to:

Rescind McCain/Feingold and replace it with real political financing reform, Stop all increases in government control and spending, cut domestic spending, abolish 1/2 of government agencies, stop the global warming hysteria crowd from destroying this country, stop those who distort the science of climate change from fear mongering the public, allow drilling in ANWR, stop environmental extremism obstructionists and allow for sufficiently advanced nuclear plant construction, appoint only strict constructionists (real, not his definition) to federal benches and rescue moral families from the cesspool of the public schools. Oh yeah, he needs to apologize for calling those who want the borders secured racists.

lol