Apparently, every “good Republican” now has a beef with Meghan McCain. Why? Because she had the audacity to call out Ann Coulter for being the crazy stick figure with no soul that she is. And to make matters worse, she had the nerve to go on Rachel Maddow’s show and proclaim that “there’s an extreme on both parties and I hate extreme”.

Now, poor Meghan’s being called everything from the Republican version of Paris Hilton to a self-obsessed twit to a tool to being made fun of because of her weight. She’s basically being stoned by her fellow Conservatives for daring to question the old party principals and for calling out the extreme far right. Wow, this sure is a turn-around from the election when Conservatives were just fawning over the fact that she was blonde…beautiful…young…and Conservative! They just couldn’t get enough of her when they wanted votes. But now…oh no…she’s Enemy #1!

Yes, she’s blonde and she talks a little like Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde”, but she’s not stupid. She has a voice, she has opinions, and she has every right to voice them however and wherever she wants to, just like the rest of us do. She shouldn’t have to apologize to anyone for her beliefs, especially people within her own party.

Meghan responded to Laura Ingraham’s uncalled for attack on her weight yesterday with “The Politics of Size”.

Recently my not-size-0 body has come under fire again by the conservative pundit Laura Ingraham. On her radio show recently, she sarcastically commented that I was “too plus-sized to be a cast member on the television show The Real World” and needled me about my weight with a comment about Barbie’s 50th anniversary. Instead of intellectually debating our ideological differences about the future of the Republican Party, Ingraham resorted to making fun of my age and weight, in the fashion of the mean girls in high school.

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At this point, I have more respect for Ann Coulter than I do for Laura Ingraham because at least Coulter didn’t come back at me with heartless, substance-less attacks about my weight. All I can do is try to be a positive role model for women of my generation and, I hope, help show that no matter what industry you are in, what size you are has nothing to do with your worth.

You know, I always thought Laura Ingraham was a smart woman. Now, I see she’s no better than these men who trash women over their weight when they don’t have anything else to criticize them for. In fact, she’s worse. It’s very sad when you’re so desperate for something to make fun of someone about that you grasp for the image straw. Classy, Laura. I’m so glad that God blessed you with the skinny gene. It’s a shame you have to pick on those who are bigger than you because you think they’re traitors to the party. Pathetic.

Meghan McCain was right on when she said that Ann Coulter was scaring people in her generation away. Don’t believe her? Well, add me to the list of “scared Conservatives”. I’ve been so put off by the party over the last eight years that I’ve found myself questioning whether or not I want to be a part of it. And seeing the response to Meghan over the last few days only cements the fact that I don’t know the Republican party anymore. It’s a scary, hateful place full of nasty people who don’t like change or a difference of opinion.

Well, excuse me if I don’t buy into that bullshit. I refuse to eat the entire Conservative cookie, crumbs and all. There are far more people like Meghan and myself than the Conservative Party cares to acknowledge. They expect us to follow toe and step, and God help us if we stray out of line. Maybe instead of talking trash about Meghan McCain, maybe Conservatives should stop and listen to what she’s telling them about the weakness of the party and why people like myself are leaving in droves.

Liberal blogger Ron Chusid says what I’m trying to, only far more eloquently.

It is possible that, if we were trying to view Meghan McCain as a serious political pundit, this might be an issue. It is a different story if we try to see her as a typical young woman with a Republican background who just happens to be the daughter of their last presidential candidate. In this sense McCain might have some lessons for them as to why the Republicans are turning into a regional party of the south and Mormon belt, and why young people are abandoning them in tremendous numbers.

Is the problem that McCain has no principles, or that she will not adopt the extremist principles which are required of anyone staying in the Republican Party? The Republican Party has been driving out their moderates and taking on an extremist philosophy which even Barry Goldwater was highly critical of in his later years. Maybe they don’t mind that John McCain’s daughter doesn’t accept their extremism, considering they also see John McCain as a heretic, but in addition we saw two of Barry Goldwater’s granddaughters back Barack Obama this year, along with many other Republicans.

It is one thing for a political party to think they are adhering to a consistent philosophy. It is a problem for that party when their views become so narrow and out of touch with reality that many of their supporters leave the party. When a generation is becoming lost to them, they must seriously question if they are in danger of going the way of the Whigs.

Meghan McCain is certainly not a flaming liberal. If conservatives desire to have any chance of building a majority party which has the support of the young they would be far better off listening to her objections as opposed to attacking her weight or choice in comedians. The Republicans received Meghan McCain’s vote in 2008 because her father was on the ticket. They can hardly expect to win the youth vote if this is the only way many young people (or rational people of any age) will have anything to do with the GOP.

But who am I to talk? Because I agree with Meghan, I’m pretty sure that I’ll also be labeled a fat, unpatriotic, fake assed Conservative bitch. Wow. Charming. And here I thought the far left were the masters when it came to degrading others that didn’t agree with them. I’m ashamed of the Conservative blogosphere right now. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been so disgusted with it.

If you feel this way about her, then I can only imagine what you think of me. I share a lot of the same views as Meghan. And it’s not because I’m trying to be hip or because I’m a tool. I just happen to believe what I believe in and I’m not catering to anyone…especially the GOP.

So please, feel free to tell me right now that I’m a commie-loving, fat, disgusting, unpatriotic bitch, just like she is. Tell me that I’m not a good American and that I’m dumb and that I should shut my mouth. And when you’re done degrading me, think about the message you’re sending to all of those young Conservatives who share similar beliefs. That it’s “you’re either with us or against us”.

And for the record, I’m not a Communist loving, granola eating Liberal. What I am is a girl who voted for George Bush twice and voted for John McCain in the last election. I believe everyone has the right to love whoever they want and I DO support gay marriage. We happen to own lots of guns and I’ve shot more than my share. I come from a military family and a member of my family has fought in every major American war from the Revolutionary to our current war in Iraq. I lost a nephew in Iraq a few years ago and I support our brave soldiers and the job they’re doing to keep us safe. I believe a woman has a right to choose what she does with her own body and I’m all for the death penalty. I’m a red-blooded American, not some cookie-cutter Conservative or cookie-cutter Liberal robot. I have my own mind, I know what I believe in, and I don’t think there’s ANYTHING wrong with having more than one set of beliefs. I also hate extremes. I’m not confused about where I stand politically, I know EXACTLY what I believe in and I’m just as patriotic as you assholes. And until now, I always saw myself on the right side of the political sphere. Apparently, I’m just not good enough for the likes of you sweet, accepting folks.

Well, how about this. I understand fully now that the GOP don’t want people like me tainting their politics and giving the party a bad name. Well, that’s fine by me. I don’t think I want to be associated with a bunch of hypocritical jerks. So I’ll just pack up my toys and find another sandbox to play in.

And you wonder why Obama’s in the White House right now. You dumb, sons-a-bitches.