JOHN MCCAIN, ‘YOU’RE OR NOT KANSAS ANY MORE’

By R. A. Pearson

On Saturday, February 9, Mike Huckabee handily trounced John McCain in the Kansas caucuses 60% to 24%. In the winner-take-all contest Gov. Huckabee won all 36 Kansas delegates. Ron Paul, the Republican/ Libertarian got 11% of the Kansas vote. In a state where many Republicans may seriously doubt, evolution, photosynthesis, gravity, or even the fact the world is round since all they see is flat land and the Bible states “go to the four corners of the world and spread the Gospel” there is little surprise the voters would select a Baptist minister over a moderate turned conservative war hero Senator; however, McCain has a problem.

There is no doubt the Republican winner-take-all primary/caucus process practiced in most states has elevated ‘Mac’ into front runner status with only marginal pluralities, certainly not victories. Huckabee’s 60% in Kansas represents one of the true majorities in the Republican primary/caucus to date. If the GOP divided its delegates proportionately instead of using the winner-take-all system there would still be more people in the hunt provided none of the candidates accepted an invitation to go hunting with Vice President Cheney. While the Republicans wait for the resurrection of Ronald Regan, they could fix the winner- take-all primary/caucus system and give the rank and file in their party more voice in nominating a candidate.

Moreover, the McCain has more than a problem with critics such as Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Tom Delay and the talk radio crowd. He is going to lose more primaries and caucuses. Without the split of the conservative vote between Huckabee and Romney the conservatives have only one proverbial lever to pull. McCain may win the nomination, but he will have a divided party to contend with, and to date, the Democrats are out polling the GOP five to three. The general election will be one for the books.

Big Mac has done one thing for the Republican Party. He has made them aware that the party contains people who have read a science textbook, did not attend Bob Jones University, and people who do not have vested interested on Wall Street. The tent that Regan built is now a little too small for all who want fit under it and there is not enough bread and wine for all who want the sacrament.

McCain also missed the vote on the economic stimulus package although he was in town to do so. The Senate version contained a clause that would have made over 250,000 disabled veterans eligible for rebate checks as part of a proposed economic stimulus package. The plan also included 20 million seniors in the rebate. McCain’s vote for the package to help veterans and the elderly would have put him at odds with conservatives. To vote against it would have hurt him with these same blocks: however, to not take a stand seemed well….. you decide!