Suppose McCain wins...what incentivewill he have to placateconservatives?
Given his age, he's planning on being a one-term president(I believe he has said as much), so there is no reason for him to be kind to conservatives to get elected in 2012.
And Palin? Do you think that once elected,McCain's going to give her a prominent position at the cabinet meetings?Johnny will say: "Hey, you've served your purpose, Alaska girl, nowgo back to the kitchen,cook some moose, maybe have another kid...., "
And immigration? If elected, his first major legislative success will be to pass an amnesty bill. He's for it, so are most dems, He can use the prestige of victory, make appeals to a "bipartisan spirit", encourage his fellow republicans to "be responsible", "we can't deport 12 million", blah, blah. *This easy victory for McCain will be too tempting, despite his protestations that he now opposes amnesty.*
People like McCain do not think in terms of justice and what is really for America. They think like "responsible republicans" ---ie. in the shallow sense of "getting things done", passing bills, etc., etc. This gives them a sense of accomplishment. They do not understand that sometimes "legislative deadlock" is good for the country. Look at the anger he displayed towards a Senator for holding up "his bill".
Yes he claims that he is now serious about the border. But do Moderate republicanslike him really keep their word? Remember George Bush I? How he made to conservatives and to the whole nation his famous "no new taxes pledge"?
Remember how optimistic conservatives were? How George W. Bush was going to continue the Reaganite agenda? How he had learned from all those years with Reagan to "respect conservatives"?
He broke his word pretty quicklyand put conservatives out to pasture.
It's a safe bet that McCain will do the same if he's elected.The thrill of victory makes one forget all of one's promises.
Anyway, let's hope that the result which is best for the country occurs (whatever that means concretely speaking).
