Tonight as the historic and incredibly long Democratic nomination process has appeared to indicate that the rookie senator from Illinois will be the Democratic nominee in the general election against Senator John McCain, we get a good look at the lines of attack that the McCain campaign will utilize in the fall.
As you may know from my earlier writings, I have some major issues with John McCain over his policies regarding amnesty for illegal immigrants and the proposed cap and trade system, but I want to make it clear that McCain has my support. Despite the serious issues I have with Senator McCain, I’m absolutely horrified of an Obama presidency. He’s clearly not qualified, and his rhetoric indicates that he’s extremely naive when it comes to serious issues of national security and the usefulness of entitlement programs.
Based on past comments, it’s virtually guaranteed that he would nominate activist justices to the Supreme Court. And given the high likelihood of a Democratic controlled congress, there is no telling how much damage he could cause revisiting the failed policies of presidents like Jimmy Carter. He’s more liberal than Dukakis and McGovern sans the experience.
Despite being delivered in a rather rusty and uninspiring fashion tonight (Senator McCain needs to practice using the teleprompter), I applaud the content of Senator McCain’s speech tonight. His speech in New Orleans managed to accomplish three important tasks with its content:
- It explicitly pointed out the issues in which he has been incredibly critical of President Bush providing a preemptive strike on the already circulated speech where Obama while indicate that McCain presidency will be basically a third term for Bush. There is an absolute need for McCain to provide some credible separation between the policies of the Bush and Cheney administration and himself.
- It effectively begins the courtship of disgruntled Clinton supporters by praising Senator Clinton’s resolve and integrity. The battle over moderate Clinton supporters that include Reagan Democrats will be crucial in the fall.
- Third and most important it struck at the heart of the problem with Obama. The rookie senator is a hard left candidate (and the most liberal member of the US Senate) in the mold of Dukakis, Kerry, Stevenson, and McGovern. McCain attacked Obama over the failed policies of the past that Obama points to as his promise for tomorrow.
Here is a passage from McCain’s speech extremely critical of Obama over his position on Iraq that he will likely return to time and time again:
Senator Obama opposed the new strategy, and, after promising not to, voted to deny funds to the soldiers who have done a brilliant and brave job of carrying it out. Yet in the last year we have seen the success of that plan as violence has fallen to a four year low; Sunni insurgents have joined us in the fight against al Qaeda; the Iraqi Army has taken the lead in places once lost to Sunni and Shia extremists; and the Iraqi Government has begun to make progress toward political reconciliation.
None of this progress would have happened had we not changed course over a year ago. And all of this progress would be lost if Senator Obama had his way and began to withdraw our forces from Iraq without concern for conditions on the ground and the advice of commanders in the field. Americans ought to be concerned about the judgment of a presidential candidate who says he’s ready to talk, in person and without conditions, with tyrants from Havana to Pyongyang, but hasn’t traveled to Iraq to meet with General Petraeus, and see for himself the progress he threatens to reverse.
I know Americans are tired of this war. I don’t oppose a reckless withdrawal from Iraq because I’m indifferent to the suffering war inflicts on too many American families. I hate war. And I know very personally how terrible its costs are. But I know, too, that the course Senator Obama advocates could draw us into a wider war with even greater sacrifices; put peace further out of reach, and Americans back in harm’s way.
And he is uniquely positioned among Republicans to attack Obama over his record on energy reform:
No problem is more urgent today than America’s dependence on foreign oil. It threatens our security, our economy and our environment. The next President must be willing to break completely with the energy policies not just of the Bush Administration, but the administrations that preceded his, and lead a great national campaign to put us on a course to energy independence. We must unleash the creativity and genius of Americans, and encourage industries to pursue alternative, non-polluting and renewable energy sources, where demand will never exceed supply.
Senator Obama voted for the same policies that created the problem. In fact, he voted for the energy bill promoted by President Bush and Vice President Cheney, which gave even more breaks to the oil industry. I opposed it because I know we won’t achieve energy independence by repeating the mistakes of the last half century. That’s not change we can believe in.
Read the entire McCain speech at Politico.
Additional Coverage:
Politico: McCain draws sharp contrast with Bush, Obama
Gateway Pundit: Historic Primary Ends… Dems Pick Far Left Inexperienced Black Candidate with Islamic-Marxist Roots
Michelle Malkin: Tonight: Hillary exits, Obama exults, McCain exhorts; Update: McCain praises “my friend” Hillary; Obama clinches, McCain speech bombs; Update: Hillary congratulates her “friend” Obama, “committed to uniting the party;” “I will be making no decision tonight;” Update: Obama thanks his grandmother and Hillary
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