The McCain Primary

I've been thinking about the John McCain-JD Hayworth primary going on in Arizona for some time.  I am sympathetic to those who want to see McCain defeated.  I've always been torn on McCain because his 2000 campaign got me interested in politics, but he's done as much harm as good to Republicans in the Senate.  Since the election however, McCain has become in many ways the face of the opposition to President Obama in almost every issue.  He has been active in recruiting Republican candidates and was maybe the only major Republican player to back Scott Brown before the Coakley campaign imploded. 

But I think the reason I support McCain in the primary is because I think JD Hayworth is not the man to replace him.  Though a "consistent conservative" as he claims, Hayworth's end in Congress was wrapped in the big-spending, Abramoff wing of the Republican Party.  If he was such a consistent conservative how did a six-term congressman lose reelection?  I know it was a bad year, but he had been in office for a long time and clearly the shenanigans with Abramoff, his wife's salary through his PAC, and his mouth hurt him.  He lost a lot of Republican support to Harry Mitchell, including past elected officials who had supported him.  Hayworth will scream in his deep baritone voice that he is the conservative in the race, but is he the best man for it?  On top of that, Hayworth gave an embarrassing rambling answer to Campbell Brown as to whether Barack Obama was a US citizen shows that a) he's either a closet birther, or b) can't function under pressure. 

Like I said, this is more about how incompetent Hayworth is rather than his cause.  If a Jeff Flake or John Shadegg said they would take McCain on I'd be on it.  But Hayworth turned out to be an embarrassment as a congressman and just because he shouts that he's a conservative louder than McCain doesn't mean he's earned the right to serve in the US Senate. 

Comments

[The Northern Virginia Conservative]

I feel you on JD being associated with Abramoff and his clowns, but the fact of the matter is it's John McCain. Illegal immigration by itself elimi9nates the possibly of conservative support. Also, the man can't control his temper. Hayworth is not perfect, as you certainly pointed out, but it's time for McCain to go, and Hayworth would vote better.

[Dan]

"Hayworth's end in Congress was wrapped in the big-spending, Abramoff wing of the Republican Party."

In other words he is a mainstream Republican. He fits right in.

BTW, did you see where Dan Quayle's kid is running in AZ-3? The seat Shadegg is retiring from.

[GoBob]

A flaming bag of dog crap would be preferable to McCain.....and his daughter is materialistic and detrimental to the family.

[Dan]

So, you would prefer a flaming bag of dog crap to a guy who has a solid conservative voting record for almost thirty years in the House and Senate? A guy who was the choice of Republican voters to be their standard bearer in 2008. Not to mention his five years as a "guest" of the North Vietnamese at the Hanoi Hilton.

Forgive me. But that is one of the dumbest goddamned things I have read in a long, long time.

I've been following the CPAC festivities this week and I must say I am appalled that the John Birch Society is one of the cosponsors of the event. More than forty years ago those extremist whackjobs were banished from the movement and I think history demonstrates that the conservative movement was pretty successful in the subsequent years.

If the movement is embracing the Birchers the coming years are not going to be good ones for the conservative movement. Although GoBoB should be happy about it. It will cause many solid conservative men and women to flee and he will have many more flaming bags of dog crap to vote for on the Republican line.

The problem is the American people both want and need quality candidates. Not the steaming piles of dog crap that seem to be being welcomed with open arms at CPAC.

[Crystal Clear Conservative]

Dan,

Take a chill pill. McCain is a squish...plain and simple. I said this countless times during the 2008 election, and I'll stand by it now. Can I remind you of McCain-Feingold, which infringed upon the First Amendment? How about the amnesty legislation? We need leaders, who recognize the Constitution, not stomp on it...like some are doing.

At least, Hayworth's record as a Congressman (outside of Abramoff) was fiscally conservative and he addressed the illegal immigration issue quite frequently.

While I admire McCain's military service, it is time for him to retire and let fresh blood take over.

[Dan]

And Hayworth represents fresh blood? Really?
.
Also, during the period that Hayworth was part of the Congress assisting Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff in selling our government for money I don't recall too much behavior on the part of Republicans that could accurately be described as fiscally conservative.

[Brian W. Schoeneman]

Wow, I can't believe this is one situation where I'm going to disagree with Chris and go with the more conservative candidate. I prefer Hayworth here. McCain is a bomb thrower, inconsistent and has taken the wrong stand on too many issues for too long. If we can get a proven Republican who isn't going to run off and push his own agenda, I'm behind that. I think Hayworth is that guy.

[D.J. McGuire]

Easy, guys. Hayworth played the Birther card: http://is.gd/8D72V.

I used to like him. No more.

[Chris]

Brian, the problem with Hayworth is he will do what your worried about "run off and push his own agenda." He did that in the House and that is why that seat is now Democrat. We shouldn't reward failure with a promotion. We aren't the federal government.

[Chris]

And to CCC, Krystle I'm not sure Hayworth can be trusted on spending . . . I would argue that McCain has a stronger fiscal conservative record than Hayworth. J.D. is all bark and no bite, if he were the "consistent conservative" he claims he is he wouldn't have lost reelection after being elected eight straight years.