Slaying the Goliath

Last night, Senator John McCain secured enough delegates in the Republican Presidential Primary to secure the nomination. After weeks of running past the point of no victory, Governor Mike Huckabee finally dropped out. As I have stated in previous articles, McCain should now begin the process of securing the Republican base - namely the Conservatives who have been highly critical. I won't, again, go into how he can go about doing that; however, I would like to make a few comments about his victory speech.

He certainly sounded like a conservative at odds with the Left. It was, in fact, one of his most eloquent speeches to date. His discussed victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, not retreat. He promised to lower taxes and regulations for business and attacked Democrats who believe they can keep business from going overseas in spite of higher regulation and taxes. Indeed, it was a very good Conservative speech.

The part that interested me the most, however, was his brilliant conclusion. He spoke about the greatness of America. In doing so he said this: "We make the future better than the past. We don't hide from history. We make history." I like this for several different reasons. For one, it just sounds good. America has been a positive force in the world since its founding and has undoubtedly effected the world in a positive manner. We have made history - Positive history.
The interesting part was it seemed to be one of McCain's best attacks on the Democrats and the Left. He stated, "We're not a country that prefers nostalgia to optimism." Throughout the speech he referred to the Democrats wanting to go back to the failed big government policies of the 60s and 70s. American has nothing to be ashamed of or hide from, but the Left does.

They look back with nostalgia to their glory days of the 60s and 70s - when the radical Left was in full swing and open about their want for a Socialist Revolution in America. To cover up their failures over the last several decades they have hidden behind different self-given titles: Marxists, Communists, Progressives, Socialists, Leftists, the New Left, and even Liberals (although there is nothing liberal about a Liberal in the classical sense).

This is the kind of speech McCain needs to keep giving if he wants to united the Conservative base. Attack the Left for what they really are: Socialists filled with nostalgia for their glory days. Continue to point out that those programs didn't work in the past - in our country or anywhere else in the world, and there is no reason to expect they will work this time.