McCain and Conservatism

I signed the Contract with Conservatives petition today. It is a concise and clear presentation of the key tenants of conservatism. Below is the preamble or introductory statement to the “Contract.” It can be found GOPUSA.com website.
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Supporting the Contract with Conservatives

“The party of Ronald Reagan -- a collection of social and fiscal conservatives -- saw all their work come together with the Republican Revolution of 1994. Republicans came to power through their dedication to core, conservative principles.

“Since that time, the conservative base has seen the Republican Party go astray. From runaway spending, to big government programs, to assaults on our First Amendment rights to amnesty for illegal aliens, conservatives have become disheartened, and the time has come for dramatic change.

“America can thrive under conservative leadership and government. The Republican Party is best equipped to deliver this kind of leadership, but too often, it has not. The time has come when conservative voters can no longer be taken for granted. Conservatives need something more than simple assurances. For our time, effort, money, and votes, we need a pledge. We need a pledge from our presidential nominee to uphold the core Republican values that built this party, and which have taken a backseat to politics in recent years.

“The Contract with Conservatives is that pledge. It is a pledge to uphold the major conservative ideals that have been pushed aside over the past decade.

“We, the undersigned, will support our presidential nominee and other candidates for high office, only if they uphold the Contract with Conservatives.

“It is time to get back to basics. The conservative base will work for candidates who pledge to uphold conservative values.”

Here is an outline of the “basics” as outlined in the Contract with Conservatives. You can find the entire document here.

Immigration Reform
Tax Reform
Size and Scope of Federal Government
Judges
Life
Free Speech

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Of course the two very liberal Democrat candidates Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham-Clinton reject outright all the provisions of the Contract with Conservatives. Unfortunately, Senator John McCain as revealed by his record and not his election year rhetoric is on the opposite side of at least half of the named provisions (immigration reform, judges and free speech).

Until such time that Senator McCain clearly states that he will be supportive of all of the basic provisions outlined in the Contract with Conservatives, I cannot and will not vote for him if he is the GOP nominee this year. If I did I would be approving of his compromises and his apparent as well as the GOP's rejection of conservatism.