I’ve mostly ignored the shenanigans of Meghan McCain, but this latest bit sparked a response from Allahpundit that I want to highlight:

…this whole line of attack demonstrates how fundamentally she misunderstands why so many “far right” Republicans don’t like her. As I think I’ve said before, McCain’s really no further towards the center than I am; she supports gay marriage, as do I, and she’s conventional on most other core conservative issues (guns, abortion, religion). And yet the base hates her while they, errrrr, tolerate me. Why is that? If the “old guard” of right-wingers is so retrograde, how does a wayward atheist like me end up co-blogging at one of the biggest righty blogs in America? Simple answer: I spend most of my time challenging the left while Meggie Mac spends hers challenging the right, so I have a certain baseline credibility on our side that she has yet to establish.

Well, I’m not an atheist, and I have a better relationship with my RS readers than Allahpundit has with his HA ones – but his basic point is one that I share. I’m openly for allowing same-sex marriage, and by a lot of people’s definitions I’m ‘pro-amnesty;’ I’ve even been known to remark that we could increase the budget for the National Endowment for the Arts. But what I’m not is someone who’s into kicking say, social conservatives in the shin for the sake of kicking social conservatives in the shin: firstly, because they usually don’t deserve it; and secondly, because it’s neither good manners nor good political sense.  I don’t expect the groups that I do mock and go after to love me for it*, but I can expect at least respectful attention from the ones that I merely disagree with.

Which doesn’t mean that Meghan McCain shouldn’t write whatever she likes. But I note that, based on the URL, the original title of her article was apparently something like “My War with Michelle Malkin.” I don’t know whether the title was hers or The Daily Beast’s – but either way it demonstrates a mindset that will do nobody in the GOP any favors. Including Meghan McCain.

Moe Lane

PS: Yes, yes, yes: a social conservative ate your homework, made fun of your Trapper Keeper, insulted your favorite sexual activity, said mean things about you in public once, audibly disapproved of one of your activities, and/or raped your parakeet. And now you’re fuming blusteringly smug because I’m not feeling your pain about that.

Enjoy!

*Mostly the true splinter groups, although they’d contest that designation.

Crossposted to Moe Lane.