Who Does He Think He's Foolin'?

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From Rich Lowry at The Corner:

NR has learned that the McCain campaign has been calling key state GOP officials around the country the last couple of days and sounding them out about the consequences of a pro-choice VP pick. The campaign is asking about the reaction of conservative grass-roots activists to such a pick and whether a pro-choicer can be sold to them. This is an indication that the McCain campaign is serious about the possibility of a pro-choice VP nominee and that McCain leaving the door open to Tom Ridge last week may not have been merely a friendly nod to a longtime supporter. In this scenario, McCain's emphatic pro-life statements Saturday night and his pledge that he'll run a "pro-life administration" would have been partly an attempt to reassure conservatives in the event of a pro-choice pick. Here is NR's take today on why going with a pro-choicer would be a mistake for McCain.

H/T: Save the GOP

Let's see.  Here's a sampling since he first floated the idea:

A Catholic guy from swing state Ohio and his blogging friends.

Michelle Malkin

Phyllis Schlafly

Free Republic

Creative Minority Report

Regular Guy, Paul

Feddie at Southern Appeal, and founder of Catholics Against Rudy,  where that "Mission Accomplished" Sign really bugs me.

And finally, someone who gets the whole picture and doesn't have such a short memory.  It's worth quoting:

Maybe if McCain had not been pushed on us in the first place, and maybe if pro-lifers had not been urged to support McCain in the primaries, we would not be in this situation.

Compare -- "John McCain's character, courage, record, and life experience make him the best candidate of either party to meet today's challenges . . . Senator John McCain has a long-standing pro-life record. What’s more, he has the ability to secure the Republican nomination and to prevail against any Democrat nominee, each of which is strongly pro-abortion . . . Here is the way we thought about our decision. It was made at the intersection of three issues: defense of the unborn, defense of our nation from the Islamic terrorists, and electability. When these issues are taken into consideration together, we believe there is no candidate who is better than John McCain. We urge all pro-lifers to consider John McCain in precisely this way."
--Two Catholic Pro-Life Advocates Endorse John McCain's GOP Presidential Bid

With -- "Right now McCain is skating on the thinnest of ice. At best, the election is tied. In many polls, he is 4-5 points down. He has yet to crack 45 percent in any national poll and is behind in key states. At worst, he is facing a blowout. Now is not the time to pussyfoot around with a guy like Tom Ridge. . . . McCain is already suspect among social conservatives. And picking a pro-choicer will have the further effect of cooling whatever ardor he has been able to gin up among them mostly because of the fear of Obama. Social conservatives are largely not for McCain, they are against Obama. A lack of enthusiasm among McCain supporters could spell disaster for him come Election Day. . . . At the moment, McCain can expect at least tepid support among faithful Catholics, those who go to Mass at least once a week and who support the teachings of the Church on core issues like abortion. He needs this group to win the election. He is putting them in an untenable position if he decides to pick Ridge . . ."
--Defeat and Disaster if McCain Picks a Pro-Choice Catholic

We are in the situation that the second writer describes largely because of what the first writer and others like him were enthusiastically saying about McCain in the primaries, even though most other pro-lifers were very suspicious of McCain.

But guess what, the second writer and first writer are the exact same person.

This annoys me to no end. If John "most electable" McCain had not been kept afloat by such endorsements when his campaign was floundering, we might have a different nominee. A better nominee. A truly authentic and enthusiastically pro-life nominee, and not merely some guy who has happened to cast a few Senate votes on the pro-life side.

UPDATE: Could it be McCain-Giuliani?!?!?!  I wouldn't put it past him, would you?  Some believe, this might be the campaign floating his name out there to make the real veep choice seem more palatable to pro-lifers.  That's possible.  On the other hand, the campaign has already hired Rudy's staffer as the unnamed veep's communication director. 

Comments

[Feddie]

My sign bugs you? Why is that? As you might guess, I haven't done anything with that website in quite some time.

[Michelle]

Feddie, I love what you accomplished, but the sign still bugs me. Well, because while we succeeded in preventing Rudy from getting the nomination, it still seems premature to say "mission accomplished". Not only is McCain's committment to protecting life highly questionable, but now he's floating the idea of a pro-choice VP. And even the idea of Rudy himself as VP. The sign is very reminiscent of the one Pres. Bush had placed above the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003.

[Michelle]

BTW, it might be time to resurrect the movement.

[john barry]

A pro abort running mate means destruction for McCain. He will lose a large number of states as GOP voters stay at home or peel off to a third party candidate. Many southern states will be lost especially as Obama will benefit from a massive African American turn out. He will destroy the party if he chooses Tom Ridge or Lieberman.

Large numbers of Catholics and Evangelicals just are not prepared to accept a pro abort under any circumstances. There are some in the GOP floating Tom Ridges name working on the assumption that Catholics will vote for a McCain/Ridge ticket because Ridge is a Catholic. Forget it. Ridge is at odds with Catholic teaching on abortion consequently he will frighten off millions of potential GOP voters.

McCain has plenty of potential running mates who will attract votes instead of frightening them off. Sarah Palin is a fiscal conservative with a strong pro life record. As a woman candidate she would attract female voters in droves. Many women voters both Independent and Democratic are smarting at the defeat of Hillary Clinton. In protest some of these will vote for McCain especially if there is a woman on the ticket. It would be an imaginative move to draft her. Other potential running mates such as Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal and Tim Pawlenty amongst others are safer bets than Tom Ridge.

The Democrats are the party of death. The GOP up to now has been the party of life. There is no room for a second party of death.

John McCain needs to remember that Christian conservatives are not prepared to compromise on the abortion issue. In 1992 third party candidate Ross Perot received 18.9% of the popular vote - approximately 19,741,065 votes. George Bush Senior lost this election to Bill Clinton. Such is the influence of third party candidates.

A similar fate awaits John McCain unless he listens to the grass roots. He may gain a few pro abort votes by choosing Ridge but these will not compensate for the millions who will leave the party.

Just remember that a pro abort Vice President may have to assume the office of President at any time. Millions of Christian conservatives are not prepared to take that risk. They will make their views known in the ballot box or by abstaining. They will not be mollified by promises. They will not be won over. There can be no compromise on the right to life for Christians who believe in the Fifth Commandment. It is a pro life running mate or nothing.

[Annaberri]

I hope you saw the news this morning. I didn't think he'd pick her, but I'm very, very pleased he did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

[Michelle]

Yes, I did. Many are wishing she was at the top of the ticket. I dont' think McCain knew just how good his choice is. Check out Doug's report on this news: http://thereaganwing.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/mccain-shocks-the-world-picks-republican-running-mate/.