Opinion
Bush = McCain
By Richard J. Bishirjian
Jul 11, 2008, 09:58

Yesterday a protestor holding a “McCain = Bush” placard at an event in Denver was escorted from the event by private security guards.  About the same time Carli Fiorina raised the issue of disequilibrium between men and women’s healthcare policies.  Men’s purchases of Viagra are covered; birth control pills are not.  Then former Sen. Phil Gramm, now an executive with UBS Warburg in New York said that those wringing their hands about the economy were “whiners.”

It was not a good day.

The only thing that could brighten McCain’s campaign prospects is the choice of a Vice Presidential running mate who firms up McCain’s Republican/libertarian base—and do that now.  Unfortunately, the two names that keep popping up are Gov. Pawlenty of Minnesota, a big government Republican and former Governor Tom Ridge, another big government Republican.  The choice of either will assure McCain’s defeat.

It doesn’t look good, but this is politics and anything can happen even a decision by Sen. McCain to disconnect from President George W. Bush in a ways that resonate.

There are three aspects of the President’s record that conservatives, and for that matter, everyone, dislike.

The first is the secular religion of democracy that infuses the President’s invasion and post invasion Iraq policies.  We know that the regime in Iraq was not harboring weapons of mass destruction and that “W” was personally out to get Sadaam Hussein.  He justified the invasion in the symbols of a secular religion of democracy and embroiled us in a country that we should have left alone. 

McCain needs to say that.

The second problem Republicans face because of “W” is a weak economy, high gas prices, the meltdown of financial markets and the Administration’s Keynesian stimulus approach to getting Americans back to work.  Each of those problems should be addressed individually and composed into an economic package with voter appeal. 

McCain needs to do that.

The third aspect of “W’ that thoroughly destroyed the confidence of his Republican base is W’s preference for big government.  At the U.S. Department of Education, for example, a failed No Child Left Behind policy was criticized years ago by Republican governors, but nothing was done.  Bush promoted Margaret Spellings to become U.S. Secretary of Education and promptly disaffected the entire higher education community.  Nobody likes her, especially conservatives who see her efforts as an attempt to federalize higher education.

McCain needs to pick a Cabinet Secretary and call for her or his resignation.

By the time McCain does all that it will be mid-August and he should announce that he has chosen a Republican conservative as his running mate.  This is a decision that reveals the man, so it would be best if the choice were placed in the hands of someone who understands the Republican faithful.  A big government, big spending, sitting or former Governor won’t do.  Another war hero won’t do either.  Charlie Black or Mike Murphy must drag McCain, kicking and screaming if necessary, to choose one of the following as his running mate:  Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC), or Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK).  If not one of those three, the only other running mate remotely acceptable is Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN).

President Bush’s approval ratings are in the toilet range of between 23% to 29% and only 17% of the American people believe that the country is going in the right direction. 

“McCain = Bush” is not a mere political slogan, it’s the death rattle of a once great political party.