Why do Limbaugh, Hannity, et al dislike McCain so much?

Great Debates
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If we could go back to the OP and avoid the discussion of media bias, I have a question for conservative posters like pkbites. I’m afraid I still don’t get why people say McCain isn’t a “real” conservative, and that they’d rather see Clinton or Obama elected than McCain.

Following up on divemaster’s comments in post #61: If McCain’s not a “real” conservative, how does he score so highly on the American Conservative Union’s ratings? Of the three Senators currently still running, McCain has a
lifetime rating of 86% adherence to the conservative values espoused by the ACU. Clinton and Obama both track at 8%.

And, comparing McCain to Thompson, there’s no difference on the ACU rating system: McCain gets an 86% lifetime rating, covering his entire time in the Senate. According to the ACU rankings for 2002, Thompson’s last year in the Senate, he got a life-time rating of … 86%.

Now, I appreciate that these things are subjective, but the ACU presumably has a pretty good grasp of conservative issues, and tracks these things closely. Why, if they have the same lifetime rating, is Thompson a “true” conservative, and McCain isn’t?

Second, if you are a conservative, why would you prefer to have someone with a ranking of 8% in the Oval Office, rather than someone with a ranking of 86%?

I’m genuinely puzzled by the dislike for McCain in conservative circles, and would appreciate any clarification.

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[QUOTE=CalMeacham]
pkbites writes:
“Victorize”???
[/QUOTE]

It’s a perfectly cromulent word.

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[QUOTE=Lemur866]
I suppose from your point of view, a liberal president is doomed to be a failure, so a liberal presidency is automatically a commercial for conservatism. But that didn’t happen with Bill Clinton, did it?

[/QUOTE]

This will probably prompt a debate in it’s own, but Clinton was beatable in 1996.
The Republicans did then what they’re doing now: nominated the wrong guy!

[QUOTE=Northern Piper]
I’m genuinely puzzled by the dislike for McCain in conservative circles, and would appreciate any clarification.
[/QUOTE]

It’s the principle of it for me. I simply can’t be responsible for a McCain Presidency.
As for his “conservative” credentials:

*****McCains positions on waterboarding, the Fisa court warrants, and Guantanamo show a weak will on the fight against terror.

*****McCain wants to sign the Kyoto protocol which will devestate our economy.

*****He was the sponsor of McCain-Feingold, the greatest assault on free speech in my lifetime.

*****John McCain believes in destroying thousands of human lives for embryonic research.

*****John McCain led the gang of 14 which blocked what would have been President Bush’s ability to push through the conservative judges he wanted.

*****John McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts, cuts which turned around our sagging economy for almost 4 years.
**
***John McCain talks out of both side of his mouth on gun control. First he says he supports bans, and then he says he’s against it. This is one of my biggest issues, and the one I trust him the least on!

These are just off the top of my head. These are not conservative positions.
I don’t trust McCain, I don’t like McCain, I will not vote for McCain in either the primary nor the general election.

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The more conservatives who think that way, the more likely it is that the next President will be a Democrat.

It you’re okay with that, then, well, so am I.

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[QUOTE=Huerta88]
You say many of them were journalism majors, English majors, spent a lot of time drinking? I’m glad the calculus is so straightforward, then!

[/QUOTE]

I just want to know where this part comes up. Are English majors known for their keggers? Is drinking political, or does it make the person untrustworthy to report the news?

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[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]
What does the tablod media have to do with political bias? The tabloid media is irrelevant to the question. It’s non-political.
[/QUOTE]

The New York Post ain’t!

(Neither is the free weekly that first introduced you to The Straight Dope, if that counts.)