McCain Meets with Wary Ohio Conservatives
EmailA late update to the schedule today — at 2:30 pm ET, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., met with some local conservative leaders.
Specifically, he’ll be meeting with Phil Burress, Mike Gonidakis, Harvey Hook, Chris Long, Dr. Jack Willke, and Lori Viars.
They are not your typical McCainiacs.
Who are they?
* Phil Burress heads the anti-porn group Citizens for Community Values and was active in the successful drive in 2004 to amend Ohio’s constitution to ban same sex marriages.
"McCain wasn’t my first choice, and I’m not sure about him now," he was recently quoted saying, "but we’ve got a zero chance of getting a conservative Supreme Court justice out of either Clinton or Obama. I don’t know whether we’ve got a 25 percent chance, or a 50 percent chance, or a 100 percent chance with McCain—but it’s better than zero, and I’m going to do everything in my power to help get him elected. He’s our best shot."
In 2003 Burress told the Los Angeles Times that the federal "government should be locking up ‘white-collar pornographers’ like Internet service providers that facilitate pornographic spam and hotels that operate X-rated pay-per-view channels.” "Burress’ hatred of porn rooted in his former love for it," read the headline of a 2003 profile in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
A 2004 New York Times profile described Burress as having been "raised on a farm in Hamilton County outside Cincinnati. He attended a small Evangelical church two and sometimes three times a week, and married a fellow parishioner when he was 18. At 14, he said, he found a pornographic magazine on the roadside and became obsessed with seeing more. Every chance he got, he said, he drove into Cincinnati to buy, and sometimes steal, magazines or videos. Over the next two decades, he had four daughters from two marriages. But he says his obsession with the raunchy fantasy world of pornography ruined both marriages and drove him away from religion. ‘I was living a double life,’ he said. . . . In 1998, he was married for the third time, to a woman he met at an antipornography conference.’"
* Harvey Hook heads The Gathering in Columbus, an organization that "provides articulate and challenging communicators who address moral, spiritual, ethical, leadership and character development issues head-on."
During l’affair Lewinsky, Hook told the Columbus Dispatch that Bill Clinton should resign. "I think in his position, or for anyone in a position of leadership, the honorable thing to do is to recognize his transgressions, admit them and put them behind him by resigning….When we look at high school principals, counselors, physicians, policemen, officers in the military, they lose their jobs" for such behavior. "I don’t believe we should think of presidents as above anybody else. We call a president to a higher standard. Are we to live up to a lesser standard?"
* Mike Gonidakis, executive director of Ohio Right to Life, is suing a state ban on broadcast ads mentioning the names of any candidates funded by unions, nonprofit organizations and corporations within 30 days of an election. The ban is based on a federal law that McCain helped write.
* Dr. Willke, former president of National Right To Life, is also author of a book entitled Slavery and Abortion: History Repeats, which compares the Dred Scott and Roe v Wade decisions. In the movement, Willke and his wife Barbara, a nurse, are widely credited with assembling the collection of photographs of aborted fetuses that one is likely to see at an anti-abortion rally.
"For years, any good right-to-life recruiter knew enough to order a set of the photo collection assembled by Jack and Barbara Willke, the Ohio doctor-and-nurse couple whose paperback ‘Abortion Handbook’ was the talking-points bible of the anti-legalization movement," wrote Cynthia Gorney in her look at the abortion fight in Harper’s four years ago. "Most of the photos were close-ups of just-aborted fetuses, and to this day, when asked whether there was an epiphany that pulled them into the movement, many right-to-life veterans will recall their first look at the Willke pictures. ‘The gross pictures,’ one Texas right-to-life worker in her thirties calls them, remembering having viewed the photos in high school. ‘The graphic pictures of aborted babies.’"
After initially backing the presidential campaign of Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, Willke told the Cincinnati Enquirer last November that he was backing Mitt Romney to prevent McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani from getting the nomination.
"If it was my heart, I’d go with Thompson or Huckabee," he said. "But there is too much fragmentation. If we pull together with our heads, not our hearts, we can keep Giuliani out and go with Romney." Wrote the Enquirer: "Romney has been accused of ‘flipping’ on abortion, but Willke said, ‘We accept converts.’ The other candidates are either unacceptable (McCain) or unrealistic (Huckabee, Thompson), Willke said. And if Giuliani faces Clinton, two pro-abortion candidates would be a huge setback. Romney must defeat Clinton, Willke said. ‘The alternative is almost too horrible to consider.’"
* Lori Viars, executive director of the Family First PAC, also a big player in the 2004 drive to amend Ohio’s constitution to ban same sex marriages, and had been a supporter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Viars told the Dayton Daily News that her fellow conservatives "would probably hold our nose and vote for McCain."
Apparently before said mass nose-holding can transpire, this meeting was required.
- jpt
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1. Viars told the Dayton Daily News that her fellow conservatives “would probably hold our nose and vote for McCain.”
2. The other candidates are either unacceptable (McCain) or unrealistic (Huckabee, Thompson), Willke said.
. “McCain wasn’t my first choice, and I’m not sure about him now,” Burgess was recently quoted saying.
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Wow, what “full-throated” endorsements! McCain must be oozing happiness!
And The Repubs think the Dems have problems, LOL!!
Posted by: jmc663 | June 26, 2008, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm
The media is focusing on how the Dems are not united but the reality is that neither are the Republicans and McCain has had 3 months to unite his party. Obama has been only at this unification for 2 weeks.
Posted by: Stacey | June 26, 2008, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DONT EVEN WANT HIM HA HA THATS SO FUNNY I KNOW ALOT OF REPUBLICANS THAT ARE GOING TO VOTE FOR OBAMA MY HUSBAND IS ONE OF THEM
Posted by: angie | June 26, 2008, 3:46 pm 3:46 pm
The polls show McCain over Obama by 3 points nationwide the PM. Good show.
Posted by: Martin | June 26, 2008, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
If I McCain I wouldn’t bet the house on the belief that her conservatives would probably hold our nose and vote for McCain. I myself am a social conservative and I was a big supporter of Huckabee, but now I’m giving Obama a look. The reason is that McCain is being influenced by Romney and his thug like club for greed friends. So McCain can take all the money and advice he wants from these people, but don’t believe for one second that we will just fall in line and vote for him.
Posted by: HC | June 26, 2008, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
If I was McCain I wouldn’t bet the house on the belief that conservatives will probably hold our noses and vote for him. I myself am a social conservative and I was a big supporter of Huckabee, but now I’m giving Obama a look.
Posted by: HC | June 26, 2008, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm
It doesn’t look good, my fellow conservative friends, said MCcain.
Doesn’t look good at all, and we have 5 long months to go.
It’s already over
OBAMA 08 FOR 8
Posted by: Nat Turner | June 26, 2008, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
The real polls show Obama in a landslide.
Good Blowout
Posted by: Nat Turner | June 26, 2008, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
HC,
I really found Romney lacking in the Primary. He was very smarmy and smug.
I actually used to like McCain. I’m Independent and was thinking about voting for him, but he is nothing like the John McCain I used to like.
Posted by: My Candidate is Smarter Than Yours! | June 26, 2008, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
The news thinks Obama is JESUS
Posted by: angie_ | June 26, 2008, 4:25 pm 4:25 pm
HC – and the rest of you people who say you are a conservative and especially a social conservative if you were true to that you could never vote for Obama period, Obama supports Late term Abortion on demand up to and at time of birth!!
As far as the Landslide poll that was a fraud catch up with the news, it was skewed with 45 % libs, 9% Republicans and 46% independents from high democrat areas and even in that poll McCain was 8 points above Obama with independents!!
So we really do not want to hear about your liberal polls!!
The issue is not Republicans, they support McCain 100% it is the Conservatives, and they will vote for McCain (true ones that is in the end) for Obama is the Anti-liberty candidate.
Posted by: spock | June 26, 2008, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
spock
the polls lean that way because the population is leaning that way… part affiliation has swung strongly to the dems…duh…how about reading a paper.
and I love how you have to spin all dems as liberals…
well if that was the case then an overwhelming majority of the country is now liberal.
go peddle the spinning lies to someone who doesn’t care
Posted by: dl | June 26, 2008, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
spock wrote:
The issue is not Republicans, they support McCain 100% it is the Conservatives, and they will vote for McCain (true ones that is in the end)
********
REally? My 70 year old father is voting McCain and he told me he hasnt ovted Dem since JFK.
That says alot. And there are many more just like him. They hate McCain. These are the folks who got drafted and remember their opposition to the Vietnam war. And they hate this once just as much.
Posted by: jmc663 | June 26, 2008, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
Correction….
REally? My 70 year old father is voting OBAMA and he told me he hasn’t voted Dem since JFK.
I guess that was a Freudian slip, lol! I guess that because my dad reminds of of McCain at times. LOL!!
Posted by: jmc663 | June 26, 2008, 5:25 pm 5:25 pm
jmc
My dad and Mom the same thing…
My blue collar dad who is a hawk and ex-military…and is almost the same age as mccain says the guy may be a hero but he is “dumb”, “a warmonger” and “too old”
and this is a guy who voted who threw me out of the house the day I came back from college almost 20 years ago and I told him I was voting dem.
and my Mom… who “does not liek that reverend Wright guy” but “will give the to Obama”
they are both voting strongly Obama.
Posted by: dl | June 26, 2008, 5:30 pm 5:30 pm
What IF:
You have children!
You have a friend that has children!
You have a brother or sister that have children!
You have a neighbor that has children!
You know of a working peer that has children!
Or you remember what your parents work to give you as a child!
You would be labeled a ‘FOOL’ to vote for the so called “Conservative Republican’s John McCain”, after the last 8 years of LIES, Deceit, IMMORALITY, enrichment of the WEALTH at the cost of the poor and MIDDLE CLASS.
BUT THERE IS A SAYING, NO TWO SAYINGS,
1. A FOOL DOES WHAT A FOOL DOES
2. A FOOL IS BORN EVERY DAY
OBAMA FOR 2008
TELL A FRIEND WHO HAS CHILDREN THIS.
TELL ANYONE THAT YOU THINK OF AS IMPORTANT THIS
BECAUSE THE CHILDREN WILL BE THE ONES THAT WILL SUFFER THE MOST IF WE HAVE FOUR (4) MORE YEARS OF BUSH POLICY.
Posted by: American10 | June 26, 2008, 5:30 pm 5:30 pm
Lori Viars is a great America Hero!
I really admire Lori’s strength and her integrity. She has been an inspiration to all pro-life and family causes.
Unlike many others who followed the political winds for the day, Lori Viars had guts, integrity and wisdom to always support Governor Mike Huckabee during the primaries.
I really admire Lori Viars for that. I was and many other conservatives “let down” by other so called leaders who turned the other way to support other presidential candidates who are not true conservatives.
We can have all the money in the world, but if the human race doesnt respect life, it is doomed. We are better than that, our social values must always come ahead of our financial values.
As Jesus said, it’s easier for a Camel to go thru the eye of a needle than a finacially wealthy person. If I had my choice, I rather have God judge me on well I did helping life than God judging me on how well I did finacially or how famous I was.
Lori Viars is my Hero and I will vote for her any day of the year. Whatever direction she says to go, I will be sure to follow her direction. She has won my respect for standing up and supporting a true conservative Mike Huckabee all the way to the end.
One day I hope Mike Huckabee is elected President of the United States. And I hope he chooses Lori Viars for a position in the cabinet. Along with Janet Folger too, both of them are really great American Hero’s!
Thank you Lori and Janet for all your hard work, you are my Hero’s forever!
Posted by: Giant Robot | June 26, 2008, 6:45 pm 6:45 pm
Really? Well I AM 70 years old and have been a Dem all my life — I will be voting for McCain — You live and learn.
Posted by: carola | June 27, 2008, 9:34 am 9:34 am
John McCain talks out of both sides of his mouth. In front of a conservative group he tells them what they want to hear. In front of a Mexican group he promises them Amnesty. McCain is riding the Double Talk Express for sure.
Posted by: Coe | June 27, 2008, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
Though both candidates have their share of flaws, it is pretty clear that McCain is the lesser of two evils. Obama has too many lies, flip flops and questionable judgments in his record. One inute, he can’t disown his venomous,anti-American minister, three weeks later, he’s disowned! One day, Obama promises to adhere to the federal election funding, then he finds it more expedient to go with his millions of private money. How can you trust someon like this? McCain is far more principled and trustworthy, regardless of the fall out. How low America would have fallen if she elects a dishonorable person like Obama.
Posted by: Dave J | June 27, 2008, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm
Well – this Life-long Democrat will be voting for McCain – along with my 35 other family members. He is the best 2nd Choice to lead our country. Hillary Clinton is the best qualified but the DNC picked the Weak guy.
Obama is a FRAUD – he CHANGES his message daily for political gain. Seems like the obama group just follow him “because”!!! This guy is NOT qualified to lead our country – and will NEVER be elected.
Posted by: Molly | July 2, 2008, 9:34 pm 9:34 pm