McCain defends his Republicanism
Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:08 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Republicans, 2008, McCain
From NBC's Bethany Thomas
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- McCain held a town hall here with about 600 people. Fresh off of a McCain in his own state of South Carolina, Senator Lindsey Graham introduced McCain, “I’m very proud of my state. The people of SC turned out in large numbers and John McCain won…Remember when you go in and vote, you are voting for the commander in chief of a nation at war.”
McCain hit on his regular talking points of the economy and fighting radical Islamic extremism before turning the microphone over to questions. The crowd- a large number of them retirees- was very eager to ask questions. So eager that McCain had to tell a few several different times to sit down and let him finish his answer on a previous question.
One woman pandered to McCain’s age of 71 years old when asking about social security. She said, “You hear, 50 is the new 40, 60 is the new 50 and when Reagan was elected he was 69 and that was almost 30 years ago, which means you’re actually only 60.” McCain responded, “Thank you for that new math on my age. I need to take you with me wherever I go. I am very interested in that formula. Thank you. I would very much like to use that.”
McCain’s appeal to independents and Democrats has some of the conservative right, such as Rush Limbaugh, calling into question the Arizona senator’s definition of being a conservative. A voter asked, “Some Republicans say you are not conservative enough. I say you are just right- being a little big moderate makes you the only candidate that can beat the illustrious democratic candidates that you might be facing. Do you mind being called a moderate Republican?”
McCain: “I wouldn’t mind being called a very young Irishman. I kinda resent labels, but the fact is- I am a conservative. If you look at my fiscal record, my national security record, my social- I am a proud conservative in the Ronald Reagan tradition and Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. I am a proud conservative. But let me also say my friends, I think conservatives are also concerned about radical Islamic extremism. I think that’s why I was able to win the Republican vote- both conservative, moderate, liberal in South Carolina and New Hampshire. They care about the stewardship of our planet and they care about the state of Israel and maintaining its freedom and independence. I am proud to reach across to all parts of the party, but I have to tell you, I am a conservative and that’s my 24 year record.”
