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This conservative's choice Sunday, Feb 3, 2008 By David Sanders With a little more than 48 hours left until the polls open, yours truly faces that unavoidable decision every voter faces leading up to an election: For whom will I cast my vote? As a conservative, devotion to limited government, the rule of law and personal liberty, as well as fidelity to preserving tradition and the social order are the underpinnings that affect my judgment. But this Republican presidential contest has been disappointing because no one candidate has stood out as the obvious choice. There was, of course, Fred Thompson, that mythical figure from Tennessee (by way of Hollywood and Washington), who was supposed to unify the various constituencies that comprise the Republican Party's base. But even then, the 6-foot-5 towering conservative giant couldn't meet that tall order. No one candidate has demonstrated the ability to sit atop the three-legged stool balanced by a coalition of defense hawks, social conservatives and economic conservatives, which is troubling. In one way or another when these groups held together for a common purpose, electoral success followed: 1980, 1984, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2002 and 2004. When one or more was weaker, defeat followed: 1976, 1982, 1986, 1992, 1996 and 2006. I'm not sure that coalition can be unified this time around, but it is important that any nominee give it his dead-level best - not just because of electoral considerations, but because a belief that conservative government is the right course for the country. So what are the considerations? Like it or not, the country is engaged in a protracted struggle between the world's freedom-loving nations and the tyrannical regimes and groups that rely on terror. The economy is headed for some measure of a contraction. And the other side, which will continue to comprise a voting majority in the legislative branch, wants to retreat from Iraq and grow government by asserting its power and reaching into Americans' lives. There are, of course, other considerations. Of the candidates who remain, only John McCain and Mitt Romney have emerged as plausible options with the heft, seriousness and depth to meet the challenges that lie ahead for the next president. But competency is only part of the equation. Many of my conservative friends have flocked to Romney's cause. He talks a good game and has a solid record of achievement from the private sector. But I'm not sure which Romney would sit in the Oval Office. Would it be the militantly pro-choice, Ronald Reagan-loathing candidate who ran against Teddy Kennedy in 1994, or would it be the current version, who claims to have had a road-to-Damascus conversion on issues that most conservatives have had figured out for a long time? Some are willing to take the chance, but I'm not. So that leaves McCain, who, like all the others, has his share of drawbacks. There are all the hyphenated bills from the U.S. Senate, which along with his name carry the names of individuals whom conservatives loath. I disagree with him on campaign finance reform, cap-and-trade and the need for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. At least on illegal immigration he says he has learned his lesson from the American people and will seal the country's border with Mexico. His irascible temperament has put him at personal odds with conservatives on policy matters. But there is his attractive side. His unwavering resolve and willingness to let his entire candidacy rise or fall on the U.S. military's troop surge in Iraq is the kind of courage it takes to be a commander-in-chief. His consistent disdain for Washington's out-of-control spending practices is refreshing. When McCain says he will put conservatives on the federal bench I believe him. When he says that in order to get the country's economic house in order the tax cuts must be made permanent, I believe him. Competency and honesty are at a premium this year. Do I have reservations? Yes. But McCain has done enough to get my vote on Tuesday. ------- David Sanders writes twice weekly for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock and is a host of the Arkansas Education Television Network's "Unconventional Wisdom." His e-mail address is DavidJSanders@aol.com. |
