Rush Hates Me, But Republicans Don't

Now that Romney has officially quit the race, the GOP is down to just one player. And conservative talk-show hosts are fuming. Rush is providing blustering, red-faced tirades that make him look like a blubbering volcano about to erupt. And Hannity, Ann Coulter, and wannabe Glenn Beck are all threatening to cast votes for Hillary if McCain is nominated. Well, guys, be careful what you promise, because guess who just lined up the nomination.

I was amazed by the blinding rage that has come from these circles. And why are they angry? Not that McCain is running for President. Not even that he called himself a conservative, which he had been doing for months. No, the ire began when it began to look like McCain would actually win. That Republican voters would take a look at guys with their brand of conservatism -- Romney, Huckabee, and Thompson -- and then pull the cord for McCain over all of them. That's what the Right Wing Chatterboxes can't get over, that after being preached to for nearly twenty years, these voters have the audacity to think for themselves.

What these guys don't understand is that there are Republicans out there, lots of them, who aren't happy with the way things are going. They've stuck with Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld and Gonzales and Rove and Scooter Libby and the Neo-Cons and the secrecy and the incompetence and everything else that they've seen during the Bush years, and they're thinking, "enough." They are still Republicans, many would even call themselves conservatives. They still believe in limited government, low taxes, and strong defense. They still hate the idea of liberals running the show. But they also would like to see the war end someday. They quietly believe in stem-cell research and global warming. They don't believe in torture, and spying on Americans without a warrant. And they are tired of paying a fortune for healthcare, and to fill up their gas tank.

These Republicans aren't traitors to the party. It is the party that has turned on them, by locking down all discourse and turning on anyone who strayed on any issue. It wasn't long ago that Tom DeLay used to pose for pictures with a big smile and a giant hammer. But the hammer wasn't for pummeling Democrats, as many thought. It was for beating down Republicans in Congress who even considered voting against them. Well, you may be able to coerce the vote of a member of Congress, but you can't do the same to millions of Republicans in California and New York.

Fortunately for McCain, the battle is nearly over. Now that he has the nomination, he no longer has to suck up to conservatives. His speech today before the booing CPAC audience is the final apology that he'll have to make. Starting tomorrow, he'll go back to running against Democrats, and the pundits can go back to their favorite activity, attacking Clinton and Obama. And all will be right with the world again.

But I hope that McCain will remember those who screamed so passionately against his nomination, with the same long memory that they had for him. And I hope that someday they will have to explain why they turned on him.