Five GOP Groups That Can't Stand John McCain

1. His Colleagues

John McCain has a serious problem with his own party. Back in 2000, when the GOP nomination race came down to he and George W. Bush, he had the backing of just four of his Senate colleagues. When he ran this time around, they were vocal with regard to their discontent. In the most oft-quoted comment, Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran said that the though of McCain in the White House sent "a cold chill down my spine." Tom DeLay called him a hypocrite. Fellow candidate Tom Tancredo put it fat out: "I don't like John McCain," he said.

The list those who have either expressed public dislike for McCain or who've been on the receiving end of his legendary temper is long and distinguished: Senators, Chuck Grassley, Pete Domenici, Bob Bennett, Former Senators Rick Santorum and Bob Smith, Former Representatives Dennis Hastert and Rick Renzi. The list goes on and on, ranging from those who served with him in Congress, to governors, state party chairs, and so on. All of them are Republican.

To be fair, many of them have now changed their tune, offering at the very least tepid support for the Arizona Senator since he's won the party nomination.

2. The NRA

Forget that the National Rifle Association has been overwhelmingly friendly to Republican candidates over the years- John McCain is not their favorite person. McCain effectively neutralized the NRA's influence as an advocacy group in politics with his McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act, putting him high on their list of enemies. In his general address at one of the NRA's annual convention, long time CEO Wayne LaPierre had this to say to the audience, "Is it possible that John McCain thinks you have too much freedom?...I gotta tell you, I don't know what's happening to John McCain."

A fact sheet still available on the NRA's website shows a second amendment advocate with tape over his mouth, and the words "McCain-Feingold" written across it. The pamphlet begins by warning members that "John McCain and others are attempting to muzzle your voice concerning critical national issues- including the Second Amendment."

Since then, McCain has attempted to smooth things over with the gun group, but with less than convincing success. In an article on the 2008 NRA convention, the LA Times quoted various members of the organization who were disillusioned with the Republican nominee. One called McCain, "the lesser evil," his sentiment was echoed by a chorus of others. To this day, the group that has reliably jumped behind GOP candidates in the past has yet to offer McCain its endorsement.

3. Evangelical Christians

In 2000, McCain made a mistake- a big mistake- when he delivered a speech and mentioned by name mega-Evangelists Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, calling them "agents of intolerance." He went on to accuse them of "distorting religion." Thus he touched off a rift with not only these men, but their followers as well, that continues to this day. In fact, it's only gotten more volatile- the extremely influential James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family. Dobson emphatically stated that he would not vote for McCain "under any circumstance," despite McCain's past praise of Dobson's work.

McCain's estrangement from the core group that carried George W. Bush to victory in both 2000 and 2004 could be disastrous, and the Arizona Senator knows it. Just before Falwell's death, McCain tried to patch their rocky relationship, speaking at Falwell's Liberty University.

Still, healing past wounds may be a tall order for McCain, and he's learning that eight might not be long enough to wash away the sting of past conflict with these groups.

4. Conservatives

John McCain ran a miraculous primary campaign, winning without the support of the backbone of the Republican Party. Were it not for open primaries that allowed independent voters to participate in the earliest contests, McCain might have been wiped out before Super Tuesday.

McCain's core support is founded on the backs of independent and moderate Republican voters. Conservatives and hardcore Republicans eschewed McCain, splitting their vote in favor of Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, allowing McCain to be competitive without reaching into the rank and file of his own party. Many conservatives do not count McCain among their ranks. Both columnists Robert Robb (of the Arizona Republic) and Matthew Continetti (of the LA Times) paraphrased the late conservative figurehead William F. Buckley when they said that McCain, while sometimes favoring conservative issues, was simply not "a conservative."

Conservatives' problems with McCain stem from his "maverick" reputation. He's bucked the party too many times on important issues like his votes against tax cuts (which he now has pledged to make permanent, despite his previous opposition), immigration, and campaign finance reform, just to name a few. Though many will swallow their discontent to avoid a Barack Obama presidency, it's been widely reported that some conservatives will simply sit this election out- which could be a big problem for McCain in November.

5. Right Wing Pundits

If you tally up the faithful radio audiences of the right wing pundits who've come out in opposition to John McCain, you'd start to wonder how McCain stands any chance of winning their votes in the general election. Rush Limbaugh said that his presidency would "destroy the Republican party." Ann Coulter called him "Bob Dole minus the charm, conservatism, and youth." The list goes on and on. Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, David Limbaugh, and Michelle Malkin have all publicly denounced the Republican nominee.

Sensing a battle that he might not win, McCain has largely steered clear of talk radio and other conservative outlets. That deprives him of a significant resource that has been incredibly valuable to other Republicans in the past. Airtime on these shows was daily free advertising for Bush, but McCain has to do without.

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