Sarah Palin's Folly: Stumping For John McCain

One of my very favorite bloggers on the Right - Powerline's John Hinderaker - wrote a post earlier today entitled 'Biker Girl Campaigns for McCain'. By Hinderaker's own admission, his sole motivation for writing it was to show a perfectly gratuitous photograph of Palin looking great in a black leather biker jacket on the campaign trail.

No complaints there.

However, I have a bone to pick with the rest of John's comments:

Sarah Palin was in Arizona yesterday, campaigning for John McCain in his primary contest against former Congressman J.D. Hayworth. This was an appropriate demonstration of loyalty toward the man who opened the door to fame and fortune for her. Beyond that, Palin's support McCain is right on the merits and displays her almost unerring judgment in political matters.

Like most conservatives, I sometimes disagree with John McCain, and on those occasions he can be an infuriating opponent. But he describes himself as a "proud conservative," and that's how he votes a large majority of the time. Moreover, while he is an imperfect Republican, McCain is a great man. He is a warrior, one of the staunchest characters ever to participate in politics, a modern-day Andrew Jackson. We need him. If the Republican tent ever grows too small to contain the likes of John McCain, we are in deep trouble.

Moreover, McCain was the party's Presidential nominee just two years ago. The last thing Republicans need to do is to start eating our own, like the Democrats when they drummed Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Lieberman out of their party.

Now, Sarah Palin endorsing John McCain per se is understandable. I still don't like it one bit, but I'll cut her some slack. Remember, she threw in with McCain before conservative J.D. Hayworth entered the race. And with McCain expecting only token opposition from the Democrats in the general election, he was for a time the most conservative man in Arizona's U.S. Senate race - if only technically and by default.

BUT...J.D. Hayworth is in the race now. He is a far preferable choice than McCain for conservatives on many issues, particularly immigration. Meanwhile, Palin has transitioned from merely supporting McCain (presumably out of a sense of loyalty) to actively stumping for the guy.

I thought Palin was supposed to be helping elect conservatives - not campaigning against them.

Furthermore, in this instance Palin is supporting the very man who deserves unique (though not exclusive) blame for putting Barack Obama in the White House, for the following three reasons (at least):

1. McCain-Feingold. The effect of this now officially unconstitutional campaign finance 'reform' legislation was to allow 'non-partisan' (read: radical left) outfits like MoveOn.org to thrive and to bestow massive political influence upon filthy rich liberal donors like George Soros. Think that played a role in Obama's victory?

2. Comprehensive Immigration Reform (aka Amnesty for Illegal Aliens). Read this and you'll get a sense of how McCain's convoluted stance on illegal immigration lost him the conservative vote in droves in 2008. Think that played a role in Obama's victory?

3. The Bank Bailouts of September 2008. McCain went out of his way to put himself on basically the same page as Barack Obama when it came to bailing out big banks. In an election year that favored any warm body the Democrats ended up nominating, this gave voters one less reason to not vote for Barack Obama. Think that played a role in Obama's victory?

Don't get me wrong - I'd probably still support John McCain vs. 'unopposed' or 'garden variety Democrat.' Probably. But J.D. Hayworth is a no-brainer for conservatives vis-a-vis John McCain, and one has to assume Palin would be in Hayworth's corner were it not for the fact that she was McCain's hand-picked running mate in 2008.

So I'll ask the question: Does personal loyalty trump conservative principles for Sarah Palin?

UPDATE: Many thanks to Instapundit for linking.

UPDATE #2: And look at this, Hot Air links! I really need to write more.

Comments

[dwd123]

I don't blame her but I live in AZ and I'm not sure John will win this one even with Sara helping. If it wasn't for John, Palin would not be on the map. She owes a lot to him and also Kyle is supporting him. I think it'll be close and I only wish John had run as a conservative when he ran for president like he is now.

[jgreene]

My feeling is I would go to a rally for McCain if Palin was there just to perhaps meet her or hear her speak. Then I'd go home and vote for J.D.Hayward.

I do not live in the State of Arizona but I support Conservative candidates with small dollar donations in other states. It is imperative to the very survival of our American Republic that we defeat all Socialist Marxist Democrats - the DemocRAT Party.

John McCain is a good man, a Patriot, but it's time to retire Senator McCain.

[Mondo]

I'm giving Palin a pass here.

1- As you mentioned, she did commit to campaigning for him before Hayworth entered the race. Loyalty is not a bad thing.
2- Hayworth has a few conservative issues of his own in his previous votes as a Congressman. He's nowhere near as offensive as McCain, but he's not simon pure, either.
3- Most conservatives are smart enough to tell Palin and McCain apart. When the 2 were campaigning in 2008, I went to their rally to hear Palin and left when McCain started speaking. If I were to attend a rally today, it would be for Palin, not McCain.

I doubt there are many conservatives who will switch their votes mindlessly because Palin shows up at a few McCain rallies.

[Blacque Jacques Shellacque]

"...and I only wish John had run as a conservative when he ran for president like he is now."

Run as a conservative? I'd be happy if McCain really was a conservative.

[w]

McCain has been better on fiscal issues. Hayworth voted for Medicare D and McCain voted against it. Hayworth is a gasbag with some minor ethical issues and could lose the general if the democrats find a good candidate. They did not appear to be trying to find a good candidate before Hayworth jumped in.

[Dan Cleary]

@Mondo

"I doubt there are many conservatives who will switch their votes mindlessly because Palin shows up at a few McCain rallies."

True - but then don't we want and expect her to have an impact if and when she stumps for other candidates (like maybe Rubio or DeVore?)

[Tom Grey]

It's great if real conservatives run in primaries to allow Reps a choice to boot those RINOs out.

It will be fine if McCain loses; I sort of hope he does.
But I also hope he doesn't, since he IS such a fine man, despite the 3 points above that I agree with.

Plus point 4 -- agreeing with Obama that capitalist greed was the problem with the banks in the first 'foreign policy' debate. McCain should have been ready with the terrible CRA and the unsustainable Fannie & Freddie dishonest gov't mortgage giants which had been supporting the bubble. (Bad prep, bad instincts).

Still, it's important for Sarah to be loyal -- conservatives need to be loyal. Both to principles AND to people, as long as the people deserve it. McCain still deserves it, enough.
For Sarah's active support.
Perhaps not for the votes of true conservatives.

McCain losing sends a stronger, more right message to DC. And I think that would be good.

[Fz]

"one has to assume Palin would be in Hayworth's corner were it not for the fact that she was McCain's hand-picked running mate in 2008."

McCain billed himself as a 'maverick' and Palin's cred as a 'maverick' warmed him to the notion of choosing her as running mate. To me, 'maverick' implies doing the unexpected, even or especially when it defies current relationships. McCain crossed the aisle---crossed his party---do vote with the Dems on X or Y. I don't recall, but did McCain explain his votes as putting principles above loyalty?

Palin riffed on that 'maverick' note herself. "Going Rogue", anybody?

So it would be fitting, and for McCain it should be perfectly forgivable, for Palin to 'cross the aisle' or Go Rogue and campaign for Not McCain. Put principles ahead of loyalty.

If she couldn't explain that kind of change of direction, she's more worried about what people think about her than I think a leader should be. That, therefore, makes her a follower.

[Dan Cleary]

@Fz

"So it would be fitting, and for McCain it should be perfectly forgivable, for Palin to 'cross the aisle' or Go Rogue and campaign for Not McCain. Put principles ahead of loyalty."

You're feelin' me.

[Poul Costinsky]

what is this "conservative" thing and who cares? we are all libertarians now.

[Poul Costinsky]

oh, and immigration reform and bank bailout were basically bush's ideas. what, w is not conservative enough for ya?

[JB in GA]

Palin seems to be honoring one of the old principles of politics: your word is all you have. If you give it, you keep it. A rule honored mostly in the breach for some time now.

[patriot-girl]

"My feeling is I would go to a rally for McCain if Palin was there just to perhaps meet her or hear her speak. Then I'd go home and vote for J.D.Hayward." That is exactly what happened at yesterday's rally here in Tucson. The McCain campaign made the mistake of letting Palin speak before their guy. The result was a mass exodus out of the hall when McCain took the podium.

Hayworth is what Arizona needs right now. And he has fittingly said, that he welcomes Palin's support once he wins the primary. Her stomping for McCain is, at least to Arizonans, a sign of McCain's desperation rather than a sign of her wavering on principles.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

No problems. (1) was a mistake. (2) is still the best idea. and (3) was the right thing to do.

[JimmyT]

I admire her loyalty, but, NOW I question her principles. She rails against open borders and then agrees to campaign for mcCAIN. Whether J.D. was in or out, mcCAIN violates her so-called principles. If he gets reelected, he will be standing next to Graham calling for amnesty. Next his wife and daughter will have him voting for gay marriage. He's been whining and an unreliable vote since his perceived slight in the 2000 primaries. I'm not familiar with J.D.'s shortcomings, but, they can't be worse than mcCAIN.

[INFIDEL JOE]

And the INVASION continues... http://www.BorderInvasionPics.com

[ray]

I had not voted for or supported McCain since right after his first election to the Senate. He betrayed the gun owners' groups he had solicited -- and received -- support from.

Against the BS artist, I voted Republican, but only because Palin was on the ticket. I made a contribution to Hayworth yesterday.

McCain is part of the problem, not the solution.

[cafogg]

I agree McCain needs to lose to send DC a strong message.

[loyola]

Unfortunately, JD Hayworth is a nut so the election is about choosing the lesser of two evils. I don't know who the lesser is yet.

[Fearsome Tycoon]

Did you not notice that Palin was McCain's VP candidate in 2008? You just don't stab the guy in the back that basically made your career. Ever. Even if he's squishy on gun control and immigration. I know that's what all True Conservatives want. But it just doesn't happen. Palin endorsing Hayworth in Arizona 2010 was as unlikely as Reagan endorsing Jack Kemp in 1988. And yes, personal loyalty doesn't matter. You know the saying, "Be careful who you step on during your climb up, because you'll be seeing them on your way back down?" It's absolutely true. Even if Hayworth weren't a dishonest gasbag who voted to expand socialized medicine, endorsing him would still be the wrong thing to do for Sarah Palin.

I seriously understand conservatives less and less every day. The fact that anyone thought that Palin would endorse anyone except McCain astounds me.

[Toni]

It was a difficult decision for me to vote for McCain in 2008. He is derisive and nasty against the conservative wing of the Republican Party. During the amnesty push in 2007 he was McNasty regarding conservatives. The same goes for his campaign in 2008. But now he's calling himself 'Conservative', he's going after JD Hayworth with a vengeance that he never even got close to in campaigning against Obama. McCain needs to retire taking his whiny pathetic liberal daughter with him. I'm not happy with Palin actively campaigning for McCain but will give her a pass on this one. If she goes on the stump trail for him again during the primary she will confirm for me she's just another politician.

[Kurmudge]

Good grief, this is exactly why we will continue to lose- McCain, irritating as he is, is still better than JD Hayworth. In Minnesota, the Troglodytic Right calls Tim Pawlenty a RINO.

Hayworth, the slick con artist, spews out nonsense about immigration (sure, it's a problem- but only in your dreams, no matter who is running things, will there ever be a convoy of buses hauling 10 million people South under armed guard; if you don't get that, you know nothing whatever about our legal system).

Like it or not, gang, McCain is not Arlen Specter. Go ahead, eat your own, and we will get even more of Nancy, Schumer, and Braaack after November.

[Arty]

Win or lose, you can count on John McCain to champion liberal causes and trash conservatives for many years to come. I propose a straight across trade, Joe Liberman for John McCain. Or maybe they could strike out on their own and form the Maverick Party.

[Terrye]

It is totally ridiculous to think that Sarah Palin would refuse to campaign for the man she shared a national ticket with. It is also totally ridiculous to say she would distance herself from him. He gave her an opportunity that no one else did or probably would and if he was good enough to share that ticket with, he is good enough to campaign for.

McCain might not be conservative enough for some people, his years as a POW and his career as a military officer might not be a big deal to some people. They just act as if none of that matters, but Hayworth is not Marco Rubio. He is less of a fiscal conservative than McCain, and he has some real skeletons in his closet. In fact the Arizona Tea Party people refused to even pick sides.

I will respect the decision of the Republican voters in Arizona as far as this primary is concerned, it is their decision...but to call this folly on Palin's part is not only wrong, it is hypocritical.

[Robinsolana]

McCain is always putting his thumb in his fellow conservatives eye just to see the perverted media flashbulbs go off.