RSS Feed MenuI spoke to Jim Geraghty on the Hugh Hewitt show tonight. At the beginning of one segment, Jim mentioned receiving a lot of email claiming that I had voted for Barack Obama in 2008. I don’t know how interested anybody is in my personal voting history, but for what it is worth, here it is:
I worked on the Rudy Giuliani campaign in 2007-2008. After Rudy left the race, I agonized over my second choice. In November, I voted for John McCain, for reasons I explained in my National Review blog and reproduce below:
Saturday, November 01, 2008
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For John McCain10) No elected official in American life has contributed more to the security of the nation than John McCain. Latterly, McCain was the most senior and most forceful advocate of the strategy that has saved the day in Iraq. For that reason alone, he deserves your vote.
9) Over a quarter-century in public life, John McCain has defended the interests of the taxpayer, not only speaking for lower taxes (that’s easy) but fighting for the essential precondition of lower taxes, less government spending.
McCain’s healthcare plan is the first and essential step toward a market-based approach. If competition is to work, individuals must buy their own care. Barack Obama praises the employer-based system. But Obama knows full well that the employer-based system is dying – he’s just propping up its carcass until the time is ripe to insert full government control in its place.
7) As a man, McCain is more pragmatic and more open to compromise in substance (and not just in verbal formulas) than Barack Obama. It’s a bad reflection on the McCain campaign that it has allowed the less ideological candidate to be depicted as the hot-head – and the more ideological Obama to position himself as the moderate. But the failures of the campaign are reasons to punish the campaign managers, not the country.
6) The combination of a Democratic president, a Democratic Senate, a Democratic House and federal control of the nation’s financial system is dangerous to prosperity and freedom. Even if I weren’t a conservative, I’d believe that this government bailout makes balanced government indispensable.
5) To borrow an argument from Mona Charen: The best thing about a president with a military background is that he has learned not to show too much deference to generals. Let’s not forget: The brass hats were against the surge!
4) This country hungers for moderate answers on social questions from abortion to stem cells to same-sex marriage. McCain’s split-the-difference instincts offer the hope of social peace. Obama’s 100% down-the-line social liberalism will provoke reactions that will aggravate and sustain these social controversies, when we need to find compromises that can allay them.
3) McCain’s victory would be the most surprising come-from-behind victory in American political history. It would prove that money and endorsements are not everything. That is healthy for American democracy.
2) McCain has never compromised on free trade. Never. Not to win a primary, not to win a vote. Never.
1) John McCain is white, the son and grandson of admirals, married to a wealthy heiress – and yet he has experienced degrees of suffering, despair, and defeat that not one in a million of us can imagine. Barack Obama wears a black skin and carries an exotic name. In the United States, people of darker color have faced oppression and discrimination for centuries. But in Barack Obama’s own life, he has known nothing but an easy and welcoming path to success since he was 18 years old. Privileged John McCain has known more absolute degradation than any man ever to contest the presidency. Obama was born in adversity, but he has smoothly risen to a place where he is most comfortable with those for whom things are most easy.
I do not fear Barack Obama. I even rather like him. I certainly feel I have much more in common with him than I do with John McCain. To lead this country, though, I prefer the man who has seen more and suffered more and felt more. For all his faults, it is John McCain who is the more universal man.
I vote for John McCain.
One final comment. As readers of this space know, I have been very critical of the selection of Sarah Palin. Yet I do not regard her as a reason to cast aside the principles of my life on voting day. She may not bring much knowledge to this ticket. Yet she is obviously no fool. Indeed, using the favored metric of Joe Biden (“I think I have a higher IQ than you”), my guess is that she would probably outscore the Democratic vice-presidential candidate on a standardized aptitude test. To his credit, Biden has conscientiously worked to familiarize himself with the great questions of national policy. To her discredit, Palin has not. But on Tuesday, I will trust that she can learn. She has governed a state – and she did risk her career by defying the corrupt leaders of the Alaska Republican party.
Beyond that, it says something important that so many millions of people respond to her as somebody who incarnates their beliefs and values. At a time when the great American middle often seems to be falling further and further behind, there may be a special need for a national leader who represents and symbolizes that middle. And if worse did come to worst, who doubts that the whole country – including Colin Powell and Larry Eagleburger – would rally to the aid and support of the first woman president, thrust into office by some unexpected tragedy?
This is a great and greatly enduring country. It flourishes because of the genius of its institutions and the decent and moderate instincts of its people. I look to the American future with confidence always – under a President McCain preferably, under a President Obama if it must be.
sinz54 // Mar 4, 2009 at 8:30 am
First of all, we still have a secret ballot in this country. Hewitt shouldn’t be allowed to get away with claiming whom you voted for, unless he can prove he’s psychic. Secondly, no American should ever be forced or intimidated by anyone into admitting whom he voted for. Whom you voted for should remain YOUR personal secret, for as long as you wish it to remain secret. That’s the American way.
Bulldoglover100 // Mar 4, 2009 at 9:04 am
The right wing nut jobs are everywhere Mr. Frum. If you don’t agree with them? Your toast. So be it. Soon? They won’t have a party to tear up in a million tiny pieces.
A.B. // Mar 4, 2009 at 12:10 pm
“But if the GOP sticks with its strategy of failure as the only option, further eroding its brand with the people who decide elections, we may find out what it means for a political party to hit rock bottom.” (David Plouffe’s comment today in the mainstream DC fish-wrap.) This guy is pretty good at winning national elections, in case someone hasn’t noticed. Moreover, I think he is being frank, since he rightly assumes that most of us will not listen to him. How many people “forgot” to watch the State of the Union address? And “forgot” to watch the show in Chicago? Lots of Republicans, that’s who. Look out for sand in the ears, mouth and eyes!
A.B. // Mar 4, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Sorry, wrong thread for the below. I thought you defended President Bush was more effectively than anyone, at the time.
A.B. // Mar 4, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Invective and argument from authority represent a very limited toolbox for rational discourse. There are other ways to make an argument.
A.B. // Mar 4, 2009 at 6:37 pm
It is/it’s/its sad that we are reduced to trading invective with a dwindling minority.”Commune hoc ignorantiae vitium est: quae nescias, nequicquam esse profiteri.”
Go Dog Go! // Mar 4, 2009 at 6:57 pm
The thing I appreciate about David Frum’s position is that it doesn’t deify Obama. The guy is a decent man with a difference of opinion. Until folks start focusing on the real substance of the opinion, not the sloganeering and name-calling we hear on talk radio, we can’t get on to what’s important: Making America better.
barker13 // Mar 5, 2009 at 11:53 am
So… you voted for John McCain. I bet Rush Limbaugh did too. Me? I voted for Bob Barr – I just couldn’t bring myself to vote for a man who I believed (and stick by my vote and belief) would use the presidency and titular leadership of the GOP to destroy *my* brand of Reagan/Gingrich/Limbaugh conservatism had he won the office, all while demolishing the U.S. economy almost as badly as Obama would have (is doing) all while ADDING to the debasing of the Republican brand (as Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. both did). NOTE, THOUGH, DAVID… what I’m NOT saying is that you can’t be a true conservative because we voted differently in November. I damn no one for voting for McCain over Obama, for following the “lesser of two evils” path. I’m simply noting that *I* couldn’t follow that path and I explain why. (*SHRUG*) As to Giuliani… he was *MY* candidate too!!! Yes!!! (I note this to FURTHER illustrate my point that while politics can make strange bedfellows, “conservatism” – by *my* definition – isn’t limited to those who march in lockstep. I previously noted this with the Limbaugh vs. Dodd and Buchanan re trade policy observation.) My support of Giuliani was based upon his DEMONSTRATED leadership skills (as opposed to McCain’s LACK of leadership while excelling in talking a good game at times) and what I saw as his broadly speaking conservative (fiscally, foreign policy, criminal justice) principles and outlook while accepting his stance on certain hot button “social issues.” (Again, David… just noting all this to volunteer that while I may be a lot of things… being “one-dimensional” in the political/ideological sense isn’t one of my faults.) Basically, this particular post is simply meant to tell you where I’m coming from as I “defend” Rush Limbaugh. BILL
barker13 // Mar 5, 2009 at 12:19 pm
In response to your “For John McCain” reprint: re #10 – You may be right. You may be wrong. I suppose I’d have to be familiar with the records of thousands and thousands of federal elected and appointed officials in order to even begin to prepare to argue. (*SHRUG*) (*GRIN*) re #9 – Oh, please… give it a rest! Lots of media face time… lots of TALK… very little actual achievement. (As I pointed out in a previous post elsewhere, when you compare McCain’s LONG record to Tom Coburn’s SHORT record… well… ‘nough said. (*WINK*) re #8 – Agreed! (And I’m sure RUSH LIMBAUGH agrees with BOTH of us – all THREE of us.) (*CHUCKLE*) re #7 – What you call “pragmatic” I call unprincipled; what you call “compromise” I call surrender. (*SHRUG*) Anyway… again we AGREE that McCain ran a lousy campaign. re #6 – Oh… we agree… but as previously noted, I believe that if McCain had been elected President, over the course of his term (his SINGLE term) he would have effectively destroyed true conservatism and thus he would have destroyed the GOP for the long haul. Now… with Obama in the White House and Pelosi and Reid running Congress… I believe a backlash against the certain failures of Democratic leftism will revitalize the GOP while at the same time fueling a TRUE CONSERVATIVE resurgence in the GOP leadership. re #5 – Not an issue for me. (*SHRUG*) As for Obama… certainly he won’t show too much “deference” to the military brass – though we pray he won’t be hostile to them either. re #4 – I’m not interested in “moderate” answers – I want CORRECT answers. Nor am I a “split down the middle” kinda guy. While I’m not opposed to reasonable compromise… the devil is in the detail – I’m guessing that on a host of issues what YOU see as “reasonable” isn’t what I’d call “reasonable.” (*SHRUG*) re #3 – Oh, please… (*SNORT*)… if it’s symbolism you crave, there’s no beating the first black president of the United States… (*SMILE*) re #2 – I’m a “fair trade” fan rather than a doctrinaire “free trader.” Above all I’m a nationalist. I want AMERICANS gainfully employed PRODUCING goods as well as services. I want this both for purely economic/social reasons AND for national security reasons. re #1 – Huh…??? You mean John McCain is a VETERAN…??? He served in VIETNAM….??? (*CHUCKLE*) David. Yeah… we’re pretty much all aware of the John McCain story. God bless him for not taking up the offer of special treatment as a POW. We ALL respect him for that and his service. Anyway… (*SHRUG*) BILL