John McCain's Conservatism

John McCain presents a fascinating anomaly to most recent Republican national figures. He is often described as a maverick and unpredictable because he does not always toe the conventional party line. Some have said this shows he is without convictions or merely an opportunist, but such characterizations are neither fair nor accurate. McCain is essentially a conservative with a strong pragmatic streak. His views and positions are products of the interaction of sincerely-held core values with his experiences and understanding of real-world facts and developments. Today I'll comment on his fundamental conservatism. My next post will examine the apparent exceptions and explain McCain the maverick.

McCain qualifies as a conservative due to his core belief that "least government is best government." He prefers market approaches to problem-solving over government programs. He is unabashedly patriotic, subscribing to a faith in democracy and the idea the America is a beacon of hope to the world, the "shining city on a hill." He is also a spending hawk, objecting to earmarks, looking for waste and advocating the elimination of programs that he feels do not justify their expense. McCain has said that up to 20% of federal programs fit this description. He would like to see the re-introduction of the line-item veto for these reasons. He wants to keep taxes as low as is reasonably practicable, especially on business and investment, and wants to completely repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax.

On social issues, McCain is pro-life and anti-gay marriage. He feels that Rowe v. Wade ought to be reversed and promises to appoint supreme court justices who share that view. He believes these matters should be decided by the states. He also likes the idea of incorporating faith and community-based organizations into social efforts whenever possbile. He opposes embryonic stem-cell research. He agrees there are serious problems in access to health care, and feels that tax credits and market practices encouraging greater competition in the industry can rectify the situation. These views, growing out of his basic outlook, seem to square with conventional conservative doctrines.

McCain is famously pro-military and a leading supporter of continuing the War in Iraq. This is founded on his deep-seated view that practitioners of violent radical fundamentalist Islam represent "an existential threat to Western Civilization." To him it is a simple case of good versus evil, and good cannot back down in the face of evil. He sees no moral alternative to carrying on the fight where the fight exists. To those who point out that there were no jihadi groups in Iraq prior to our invasion, he quickly responds, "Well, they are there now. And they must be defeated."

For all these reasons, it is quite appropriate to describe John McCain as staunchly within the ranks of American conservatism. The American Conservative Union's tally of selected votes gives McCain a conservative rating of 82% for the 20 years from his election to the Senate in 1986 through 2006. When McCain describes himself as a conservative he is telling the truth, and his stance is founded on bedrock principles he has always believed in and advocated.