McCain the Moderate

I'm watching Colbert Report tonight, and Christine Todd Whitman is bitterly complaining about how she feels moderates are shut out of the GOP. Then Colbert talks about other moderates, like Giuliani and ... McCain.

I've talked about this before, but I want to quantify it a bit. Can someone tell me any way in which McCain is more moderate than, say, President Bush? And I don't mean moderate in tone, but in actual views.

In my scale, McCain is quite a bit more conservative than Bush, on balance. I seriously want to know if I am missing something, or if most other people are, when they think McCain is moderate. Let's come up with a list.

Many people often bring up the McCain-Feingold bill, which frankly I don't see as fitting in to the political spectrum at all. But if you do, fine, that's one. But on the other hand, McCain is far more conservative than Bush on spending, especially in regards to social programs and pork.

McCain also was a more moderate voice in regard to the war on Iraq, which puts him as more conservative than Bush (remember, the invasion was a very liberal policy).

McCain is also more conservative on interpretation of Constitutional powers, but I won't count that, because it may be the result of perspective: Bush is President after all, and perhaps as President, McCain may be similarly biased.

I've never seen a quantfiable difference between the two men on abortion, despite many right-wing claims to the contrary. Nor on taxes or gay rights.

So here's a list. Under each is a list of ways in which they are more conservative than the other. I'll update it as ideas come in.

• McCain
  • Social programs
  • Pork
  • War
  • Immigration
• Bush
  • Campaign finance
  • Embryonic stem cell research