McCain resurrected?

OPINION:

Hell hath no fury like a conservative voter scorned. And that’s just who Sen. John McCain needs to resurrect his standing with evangelicals as he indicated in a recent address following the Republican Party’s announcement that he is the presumptive presidential nominee. Intent on cementing his conservative credentials, Mr. McCain put on a religious dog and pony show Friday at the secretive Council for National Policy’s (CNP) annual winter meeting in New Orleans. Criticized by some media outlets for referring to the nation’s capital as “the city of satan” in his jovial remarks to its membership — not everyone was laughing. In fact, you could say it sounded more like pandering than prose to some of the Republican Party’s base. A base still bearing scars from Mr. McCain’s history with evangelicals and his record on conservative issues.

Up until his most recent run for president, Mr. McCain had all but alienated many Christian Republicans with his infamous name calling of preachers he didn’t approve of.Ironic, since in an interview with Washington Times reporter Ralph Hallow on Friday, Mr. McCain’s campaign adviser Charlie Black referred to the CNP as “the most distinguished collection of conservative leaders.” Really? Does the campaign realize that this same “distinguished” group’s members reportedly included the Rev. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson — who as you’ll recall, Mr. McCain referred to as the “forces of evil” during the 2000 presidential campaign.

So which force is Mr. McCain courting now — good or evil? Were they just as distinguished then as they are now? Elephants do have long memories and if Mr. McCain and his supporters continue to be seen as openly hostile toward conservatives, those same conservatives will retreat. As the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life notes: “the exit polls in the 2004 general election showed that 78 percent of white, born-again Protestants voted for George W. Bush.” Thus, in that very close election, evangelicals were quite important to President Bush. And if the 2008 election is close, they would be as important to the Republican nominee.

Mr. McCain may have some trouble achieving that level of support from white evangelicals given that a majority of them preferred other candidates in the primaries.” Currently, Mr. McCain’s greatest claim to conservative fame is to tout his “consistent 24-year pro-life record.” That’s all fine and dandy. Big kudos for being pro-life. But as many social conservatives will tell you, it’s not just the social issues, stupid. The proof is in the proverbial three-tiered (fiscal, social and foreign) pudding. And Mr. McCain’s credentials don’t quite cut it.

Look at his record. In 2004, the National Journal ranked Mr. McCain liberal 49 percent of the time on economic issues, 44 percent of the time on social issues and 49 percent on foreign issues. In 2006, he was ranked more liberal than 43 percent of the Senate. That’s far from any ringing conservative endorsement. Especially when you compare McCain to another Arizona senator’s rankings, for example. In 2006 Republican Sen. John Kyl was found to be more conservative than 90 percent of the Senate (or 9.2 percent liberal).

Mr. McCain has been working toward a revival of sorts attending these conservative gatherings, including CPAC earlier this year — though he continues to bumble his way around evangelical voters. That he was booed at CPAC and told jokes at CNP is case in point.I spoke with the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, by phone, as he was leaving the CNP conference on Friday. Without talking about the meeting itself (as is reportedly forbidden by the group), Mr. Perkins did offer his take on whether Mr. McCain was conservative enough for the many conservative voters like him. It was more than apparent that Mr. Perkins is not sold on Mr. McCain and he made it clear that he has not endorsed the senator. Though he did indicate that Mr. McCain: “has the potential to win” but “has to” pick a conservative running mate.” Of the recently defeated evangelical magnet Mike Huckabee being a possible VP pick, Mr. Perkins said he considers Mr. Huckabee, “a very influential element of the conservative coalition.” Mr. Perkins also — rightfully — noted that Mr. Huckabee, having garnered a third of the primary vote and a larger majority of the evangelical vote, “illustrated the depth and passion that surrounds values issues.” These are hundreds of thousands of voters who will not be taken for granted or ignored.

“Mac” may be back as his supporters frequently chant, but not for many evangelicals. Adding to the conservative “enough” question is the pandering factor. And though a repentant John McCain attempts to reach out he consistently oscillates between which evangelicals he welcomes support from but doesn’t like, as he did when referring to Texas pastor John Hagee and a certain radio talk show host. Should Mr. McCain’s pandering oscillation continue, it’ll be to his detriment on election day when those “on the fence” conservatives put principal over politics and stay at home. One wouldn’t expect the maverick to give up his trademark streak and turn angelic, conservatives know who he is and who he is not, what he voted for and what he did not. Running from who you are would be taking a page from the Hillary Clinton school of politics. But considering a more conservative balance to the ticket is a more definitive solution. Putting your money where you mouth is, even better.

On Friday, Mr. McCain told CNP members, “it’s getting harder to do the Lord’s work in the city of satan.” That may be so, but when asked back in May 2004 whether he was going to run for president in ’08, Mr. McCain said: “My philosophy is to just go, go like hell.” Another dichotomy.