Conservative Radio Hosts Lampoon McCain

Typically, conservative talk show hosts attack the opposite side of the aisle; this cycle, they are going after one of their own

The kings and queens of conservative talk radio thrive on displays of anger and outrage. They summon it easily, and they direct it most frequently at Democrats. The godfather of talk radio, Rush Limbaugh, has already called Sen. Hillary Clinton a "whore" and Barack Obama a "Halfrican."

Being good partisans, Limbaugh and friends typically spare their fellow Republicans from similar treatment. But sometimes discord emerges, or even erupts, in the family, as it has in the past few days. Suddenly their outrage has narrowed, almost vindictively, to the man now moving hastily toward their party's nomination: Sen. John McCain.

On Monday, January 28, the day before the Florida GOP primary, which McCain won over Mitt Romney, Limbaugh said, "If, this autumn, voters must choose between Clinton and McCain, they will face, at least stylistically, an echo, not a choice."

Equating a Republican with Clinton is obviously a low blow, and Limbaugh's comment, it turned out, was just the opening salvo to a steady stream of vitriol that crackled over the transistor this week and scattered across the airwaves. Hugh Hewitt, another well-known conservative radio host, wrote dejectedly on his blog, "It is hard to hide the fact that this would be a second Bob Dole campaign, with less energy and fewer conservative principles. Many, many Republicans have to be worried not just about losing the White House but about a dispirited party and a down-ticket wipeout."

The chorus against McCain from certain elements of the party has no doubt grown louder as his candidacy has gained traction, attention, and front-runner status. Florida, as a closed primary state, was supposed to serve as a buffer for those who felt McCain was out of step with the party base; it did not. The departure of former Sen. Fred Thompson, an avowed conservative, and the reduction of the field to a largely two-man contest between McCain and Romney has only exacerbated the audible alarm. The New York Times endorsement of McCain last week didn't help, either.

But the ferocity of the charges being leveled at McCain is noteworthy, not only for its sheer decibel level but also for what it potentially means for the Republican Party. Conservative talk radio clearly sees McCain as being too moderate, even liberal, on social and economic issues, such as his opposition to the first round of Bush tax cuts. More to the point, they say his candidacy represents a fracturing of the Republican base and that Romney is a better pick. But many Republican voters still support McCain, as evidenced by Florida.

So what gives? One argument is that conservative talk radio, representing the bastion of the party's strength since the 1980s, is out of step with a country that is weary of George Bush. A second argument is that talk radio is not out of step at all; rather, voters have simply been willing to compromise when picking from a lackluster field. A third possibility, more foreboding for Republican chances this fall, is that the base has fractured. Division is never good for a party, but it is especially worrisome for Republicans, who typically rely on an energized base to drive voter turnout.

The last time the Republican Party was so strongly divided over its candidates was 1964, says Denison University political science Prof. Emmett H. Buell. That year, conservative Barry Goldwater won the nomination, alienated moderates and liberals, and ultimately lost to President Lyndon Johnson. Goldwater made no effort to reunite the party; McCain, however, has.

"McCain will have a difficult but not insurmountable task of uniting the party around him," Buell said. "This would be a tough act for any of the candidates. The Reagan coalition has come off its wheels. McCain is not all things to all Republicans, but neither is Romney or Huckabee." The one fact that will most likely help his cause: his polling against Hillary Clinton. Romney and Huckabee lose by large margins when matched against Clinton; McCain, according to at least one poll, beats her by a single point.

To better understand the origin of talk radio's beef with McCain, we've waded through recent audio from the morning shows of some of the country's most popular conservative hosts. Die-hards like Limbaugh and Beck have spoken the loudest and harshest; others, while expressing concerns with McCain, have tried to distance themselves from the caterwauling.