McCain Might Only Get Worse; or, The Case for Huckabee to Stay in the Race

Conservatives are not happy with John McCain. That’s become pretty clear. In state after state, they’ve demonstrated that they will not obediently fall in line behind the Arizona senator, even though many establishment conservatives have reconciled themselves to his nomination and endorsed him. For conservatives, the “Straight Talk Express” veers to the middle—and sometimes to the left—of the political spectrum too often to overlook. But here’s one thing I don’t even think most conservatives have realized yet: McCain might only get worse.

Usually, the trend during a general election is that both parties’ candidates drift toward the center of the public policy gamut, trying to widen their appeal as much as possible without losing their identities. Rhetoric softens, platforms become less ideological, and rallies are made to be more expansive and inclusive than hostile and polarizing.

Although such political strategy can seem like insincere pandering, it is generally overlooked and accepted as a necessary component to victory. But there’s a difference this year, and that difference is embodied in John McCain.

What do you have when a moderate conservative jockeys for the yellow-dotted line, rather than the left lane or the right? That’s the question about John McCain to which I want to know the answer. We’ve already seen that he is more than willing to crossover—not just “reach across”—the aisle on a plethora of issues. Will he actually lean more liberal than conservative in the months leading up to November?

What’s more, John McCain is totally indebted to moderates and independents for his success, and he knows it. Wouldn’t one logically suspect that he will pander to his dear middle? Not only that, but one of Barack Obama’s core constituencies is the independent demographic. Thus, if he becomes the democratic nominee, he and McCain will likely engage in a fierce battle over who is more “moderate” and "non-partisan." With Obama holding the massive advantage of not being the most hawkish advocate of the Iraq War known to man, that’d be a losing battle for McCain.

These are the reasons why it is so important that Mike Huckabee remains in the race, and that people continue to vote for him. McCain must be reminded—in a heavy-handed, incessant manner—that he is going nowhere without the conservative base. He must be told that he needs the conservative base fired up about, not just resigned to, him, in order for him to be victorious. He must be warned that, if he drifts toward the middle anymore, he’ll lose the lifeboat of the conservative voting bloc. He must be cautioned that, if he deems it unnecessary to select a staunch conservative as his VP, he will be defeated. But most importantly, he must be reminded that the race for the nomination is not over.

Note: I should add, anything could happen at any time to shake up this race. That is why it is so important for Huckabee to keep running at least until McCain has 1,191 (a majority of) delegates.