Moderate Republicans Continue Getting Fenced In
It doesn't take long to arrive at the political metaphor so graciously provided by that "danged fence" John McCain suddenly wants to build: the Tea Party has erected an ideological barrier, and if you're a moderate Republican running for reelection, don't even think about crossing it.
You wouldn't know it by watching his new campaign commercial, but McCain actually used to be pretty moderate on the immigration issue. In 2005, he cosponsored an immigration reform bill with Ted Kennedy that would have granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants (it failed in the Senate). And in 2007, he told Vanity Fair that building a fence on the Mexican border would be ineffective, but added, "I'll build the goddamned fence if they want it." But now that McCain is running against an ultraconservative talk-radio host in the Republican primary, he is exposing his insecurities with embarrassing "tough talk."
Although in this case, it's not just about fences. Or John McCain. He may have the most bizarre campaign spot at the moment, but the "danged fence" line could well have been uttered by any of his moderate Republican colleagues. That's because they're feeling threatened, and as they see it, they have only two options: quit the GOP and run as an independent (à la Charlie Crist), or, in McCain’s case, put on your Navy cap and scurry to the right.
We'll see which strategy pays off in November, but meanwhile, in California, we get to observe a third category of moderate Republicans: the lame duck.
Indeed, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, with his dismally low approval ratings and his state in financial crisis, enjoys the freedom of pretty much saying whatever he wants. The Tea Party can't touch him, after all, and he's got nothing to lose by speaking his mind. Last month, Schwarzenegger went on The Tonight Show and sharply criticized Arizona's controversial immigration law, calling it a "mess." And yesterday, while speaking at a commencement ceremony at Atlanta's Emory University, he joked, "I was also going to give a graduation speech in Arizona this weekend, but with my accent I was afraid they would try to deport me."
Take a close look, everyone: it may not be long before the fence-jumping Republican is a thing of the past.
You wouldn't know it by watching his new campaign commercial, but McCain actually used to be pretty moderate on the immigration issue. In 2005, he cosponsored an immigration reform bill with Ted Kennedy that would have granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants (it failed in the Senate). And in 2007, he told Vanity Fair that building a fence on the Mexican border would be ineffective, but added, "I'll build the goddamned fence if they want it." But now that McCain is running against an ultraconservative talk-radio host in the Republican primary, he is exposing his insecurities with embarrassing "tough talk."
Although in this case, it's not just about fences. Or John McCain. He may have the most bizarre campaign spot at the moment, but the "danged fence" line could well have been uttered by any of his moderate Republican colleagues. That's because they're feeling threatened, and as they see it, they have only two options: quit the GOP and run as an independent (à la Charlie Crist), or, in McCain’s case, put on your Navy cap and scurry to the right.
We'll see which strategy pays off in November, but meanwhile, in California, we get to observe a third category of moderate Republicans: the lame duck.
Indeed, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, with his dismally low approval ratings and his state in financial crisis, enjoys the freedom of pretty much saying whatever he wants. The Tea Party can't touch him, after all, and he's got nothing to lose by speaking his mind. Last month, Schwarzenegger went on The Tonight Show and sharply criticized Arizona's controversial immigration law, calling it a "mess." And yesterday, while speaking at a commencement ceremony at Atlanta's Emory University, he joked, "I was also going to give a graduation speech in Arizona this weekend, but with my accent I was afraid they would try to deport me."
Take a close look, everyone: it may not be long before the fence-jumping Republican is a thing of the past.
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McKay Coppins is a reporter for Newsweek and The Daily Beast covering politics and national affairs. His writing has also appeared in The Daily Caller and Salt Lake City's Deseret News.
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