Opinion: John McCain tries to fire up a less-than-excited voter
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John McCain came face to face Tuesday with the ‘passion gap’ in this year’s presidential race. It came in the form of Doug Englekirk, a wiry 46-year-old contractor from the Lake Tahoe area.
Repeated polls have shown great gusto among Democrats excited about November’s election and the prospect of voting for the party’s presumptive nominee, Barack Obama. For many Republicans who are pondering their choice ... well, not so much.
Or, as Englekirk told McCain at a town hall session in Sparks, Nev.: “I speak for a lot of conservatives. I’m not very excited about this election.”
To a smattering of applause, Englekirk asked McCain what he might do or say to kindle a bit more enthusiasm from the right.
The Arizona senator responded with a question of his own: What (in so many words) was Englekirk’s beef?
He responded with a litany: McCain’s stance on illegal immigration -- which Englekirk dubbed “amnesty” -– his support for campaign finance reform, his opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, his running with “the global-warming crowd” and his membership in the Senate’s so-called “Gang of 14.”
McCain addressed two of the complaints, starting with the “gang” -- a bipartisan group of senators who worked in 2006 to avoid a legislative meltdown over the appointment of federal judges.
McCain noted that he has voted for plenty of conservatives judges, including Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito, and said he would appoint to the bench only judges “who will strictly interpret the Constitution.”
McCain also said “global warming is real” and needs to be seriously addressed -- a position he staked out early in this campaign and one widely seen as an effort to distance himself from President Bush.
Wrapping up his response to Englekirk, McCain said: “I’m a conservative. Unabashed conservative. But I also believe I am in keeping with the vision of one Ronald Reagan. It’s healthy to have disagreements.”
Afterward, Englekirk said McCain had sold him -- up to a point.
He appreciated the candidate’s answer about the Gang of 14, but worried the federal government would just use the global warming issue as an excuse to pick taxpayer pockets.
“I can’t vote for Obama,” Englekirk said, a baseball cap pulled low on his brow. “I’m going to vote for McCain. I’d just like to be excited about it.”
-- Mark Z. Barabak