Comments on: A Ridge Too Far http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/13/a-ridge-too-far/ n. the principle of good order<br /><br /> "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:38:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Daniel Larison http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/13/a-ridge-too-far/comment-page-1/#comment-9546 Daniel Larison Sat, 15 Mar 2008 05:56:07 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/13/a-ridge-too-far/#comment-9546 Certainly that would do him a lot of good in the Rust Belt states, but he will never do that. What should be sobering for everyone who wants McCain to lose is that he is currently running ahead of the named Democratic candidates in these very Rust Belt states. Maybe that will change as his voters become more aware of just how blindly he embraces the free trade ideology, but it is remarkable that near-total indifference to the economic interests of these states doesn't seem to be hurting the GOP nominee. For the record, I also don't want McCain elected. Certainly that would do him a lot of good in the Rust Belt states, but he will never do that. What should be sobering for everyone who wants McCain to lose is that he is currently running ahead of the named Democratic candidates in these very Rust Belt states. Maybe that will change as his voters become more aware of just how blindly he embraces the free trade ideology, but it is remarkable that near-total indifference to the economic interests of these states doesn’t seem to be hurting the GOP nominee.

For the record, I also don’t want McCain elected.

]]> By: Howard J. Harrison http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/13/a-ridge-too-far/comment-page-1/#comment-9518 Howard J. Harrison Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:56:34 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/13/a-ridge-too-far/#comment-9518 Daniel: It is understandably the fashion in this pre-convention season for conservatives to respond magnanimously to Mr. McCain's generous overtures. Such a response reflects well on the American conservative character. However, I hope that your readers will not be impatient with me if my memory is longer and my desire to save the nation on genuinely conservative, traditional terms trumps my desire to see Democrats defeated in 2008. I still don't want Mr. McCain elected 44th president. Steven Stark wrote: <em>[John McCain] has to win more than his share of the rust-belt swing states — such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and even Michigan — that are likely to decide the election.</em> John "I am a student of history" McCain suffers from a regrettable delusion that free trade were somehow a conservative policy, coupled with an impenetrably ignorant certainty that the U.S. is wealthy because she has practiced free trade (in spite of the fact that, until World War II, she hadn't practiced it) and that she suffered the Great Depression through failing to practice free trade (in spite of the facts that the admittedly ill timed Smoot-Hawley tariff was enacted months <em>after</em> the 1929 market crash and that monetary not trade policy seems to explain the Depression the better). That Mr. McCain's views are "ahistorical nonsense," in Pat Buchanan's words, is bad enough. Worse---or better, really, to those of us conservatives who grimly wish Mr. McCain defeated---is the delusion that Mr. McCain could win in the Rust Belt by preaching free trade. Do you not think rather that an admission by Mr. McCain that NAFTA and the WTO are conceptually deeply flawed---that they have not turned out so great in practice as they had seemed in theory---would do Mr. McCain's Rust Belt prospects more good than ten Tom Ridges? <em>Howard</em> Daniel:

It is understandably the fashion in this pre-convention season for conservatives to respond magnanimously to Mr. McCain’s generous overtures. Such a response reflects well on the American conservative character. However, I hope that your readers will not be impatient with me if my memory is longer and my desire to save the nation on genuinely conservative, traditional terms trumps my desire to see Democrats defeated in 2008. I still don’t want Mr. McCain elected 44th president.

Steven Stark wrote:

[John McCain] has to win more than his share of the rust-belt swing states — such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and even Michigan — that are likely to decide the election.

John “I am a student of history” McCain suffers from a regrettable delusion that free trade were somehow a conservative policy, coupled with an impenetrably ignorant certainty that the U.S. is wealthy because she has practiced free trade (in spite of the fact that, until World War II, she hadn’t practiced it) and that she suffered the Great Depression through failing to practice free trade (in spite of the facts that the admittedly ill timed Smoot-Hawley tariff was enacted months after the 1929 market crash and that monetary not trade policy seems to explain the Depression the better). That Mr. McCain’s views are “ahistorical nonsense,” in Pat Buchanan’s words, is bad enough. Worse—or better, really, to those of us conservatives who grimly wish Mr. McCain defeated—is the delusion that Mr. McCain could win in the Rust Belt by preaching free trade. Do you not think rather that an admission by Mr. McCain that NAFTA and the WTO are conceptually deeply flawed—that they have not turned out so great in practice as they had seemed in theory—would do Mr. McCain’s Rust Belt prospects more good than ten Tom Ridges?

Howard

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