David Frum: GOP Base Needs To Suck It Up And Follow McCain

What can John McCain do about news of a "passion gap" breaking out between his supporters and Democrats energized by Barack Obama? And how can McCain plug the near-constant stream of sniping at his campaign strategy from conservative pundits? While some on the right appear to think drilling for oil could prove an inspiring rallying call, many others continue to prescribe further distancing from President Bush and the damaged Republican brand.

But David Frum, the former Bush speechwriter credited with coining the phrase "axis of evil," begs to differ. He thinks Republicans simply need to buck up and start supporting McCain. "He is one of the most profoundly appealing personalities of politics in the last generation," he said. "The election may wind up being less a referendum on McCain than on the Republican Party. It won't be so much a test of his leadership than their followership."

The former Bush scribe warns McCain not to listen to those calling on him to take one kind of drastic action or another in order to make immediate gains in national polls -- disputing both the notion that the Arizona Republican needs to beat up on the president or make an immediate about-face and support drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"He doesn't need to beat up on Bush, and it's bad form anyway," Frum said. "And McCain can not afford to be pushed into utter disregard for environmental issues [on drilling]. ... The whole point is that McCain stops being McCain the moment he starts reinventing himself at every turn."

More broadly, Frum believes this particular election is less likely to be be influenced by such marginal positioning corrections. "Unlike 2000, this is not a very tactical election," Frum said. "In 2000, campaigns mattered a lot. Gore had to make one decision: embrace Clinton or repudiate him. In retrospect, it's clear that either one of those strategies would have worked. If he had repudiated him, and said, 'I'm a decent guy,' he would have held West Virginia and Tennessee. Or, if he embraced Clinton and run as an economic centrist and good party man, he would have won Florida. But he couldn't decide and he did both. So he got the benefits of neither approach and the negative consequences of both.

"Then there are elections like this one which are being decided on the big facts: voter economic dissatisfaction, versus voter uneasiness about the utterly untested candidate being offered by the Democrats."

Still, Frum admits that sometimes events are simply beyond any nominee's control. "This is an election when the status quo presidential incumbent party faces challenges," he said. "One of the most important things you can do in politics, I think, is accept the limits of what a politician can do to change the underlying facts of the election. Sometimes you run the best possible campaign you can run, and you can still be the victim of adverse factors."

Comments

[sugarmoes]

the gop base SHOULD be so ashamed of themselves for the bush years that they apologize by staying home or voting for obama but also SHUTTING DAFUK UP for awhile since they've been SO VERY WRONG about so many things this last decade especially.

but they won't.

because they have no shame and they are brazen fools.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Besides kool-aid

[paulbikes]

And how does this guy not have demons clawing through his mind when he goes to sleep at night?

[WatchIt]

Let's hear it for Bob Barr! Barr/Root '08!!!

[SCG]

"It won't be so much a test of his leadership than their followership." - David Frum

Yes the party of lemmings is doing a wonderful job on the country.

[El]

Way too little, too late. Frum, how do you sleep at night?

[NoahVail]

They don't need to suck it up. They can just suck it.

[mlaiuppa]

Sounds like Frum is laying the ground work of "no matter what we do, we're going to lose." He does stop short of blaming Bush for putting the Republican Party in such a weak position.

[barackobama4prez]

It's clear that John Mc Cain will be a WORSE prez than Bush 43. Rethuglicans just don't want their own sitting it out for voting for Barr. But Republicans have a chance to do the RIGHT THING for the country instead of just backing the short old empty suit.

[kevingiampa]

David Frum is a great example of the kind of GOP commentator/pundit/surrogate/candidate supporter who is too smug, too boorishly disdainful of anyone who offers an opinion which contradicts his own, to be taken at all seriously.

It's grown into a full blown epidemic. Republican commentator after Republican commentator come on TV, and all have seemed to have gotten the same memo that tells them that it's time to play "hardball." They roll their eyes while someone else is speaking, they arrogantly laugh at others ideas, they angrily interrupt others points, at times, attempt to shout others down. Unfortunately for them, instead of coming across as strong, knowledgeable, authoritative, they come across more as complete a**holes.

I've heard it said (I think it's Chris Matthew's idea) that the Democratic Party is the Mommy Party and the Republican Party is the Daddy Party. That may have been true in times past. For the past 15 year, or so, the Republican Party has been the Party of Spoiled Brats. And David Frum could be their poster boy.

[normathumb]

The crackpot coalition of the Republican right have been so sure of their own purity, they cannot bring themselves to support McCain. That would be too much of a compromise. As absolutists, that is something they cannot do. Bob Barr will allow them to maintain the belief in their virginity. Of course, they aren't nearly as virginal as they think. they are in a heightened state of denial.

[TroubleNYC]

Canadian David Frum? Neocon David Frum? Co-author of the laughable "An End to Evil"

This man's a joke.

[Bendersky]

"He is one of the most profoundly appealing personalities of politics in the last generation," he said.

Wait--you are talking about JOHN McCaine, right? Not Harold McCaine or Juliette McCaine or Samuel L. McCaine? From what I've witnessed, this "profoundly appealing personality" comes across like a damp washcloth.

By the way, quite the pep talk: Republicans have to "suck it up" and get behind this completely lackluster candidate. Sounds like Robert Dole 2.0.

[Grunty1]

His personality is on par with B'ush's dysfunctional ego.
They picked the perfect successor to the worst president of all time.

[nyboomer]

The GOP mantra is now and has been, follow the jerk we sent out to run for office. He is a thief and a scoundrel but he is not a democrat or liberal who will make your life better unless you are a multi-millionaire.

The GOP cares only for itself and not for this country. It prefers anyone with wealth over anyone who is honest, ethical and/or moral.

Can anyone point out any legislation passed by GOP members that is beneficial to at least 75% of the population? No such animal exists.

[JohnTalbutt]

"It won't be so much a test of his leadership THAN their followership."

Bush had a speech writer who didn't know his than from his as.

[nepat]

And we care what David Frum the Canadian says because...?

[mcole]

lol.....my sentiments exactly

[sociocanuck]

His being Canadian is not relevant.

If it were really that big a deal he'd be a Conservative Party speechwriter in Ottawa :p