Posted on 01/11/2008 6:16:46 AM PST by commish
First, let me get the obligatory sorry for the vanity post out of the way, although truthfully I am not sorry, this is something that I need to get off my chest and needs to be discussed.
The purpose of this post is to address those who are upset at Fred Thompsons performance in last nights debate because he
1. Did not attack John McCain
2. Was mean to poor old Mike Huckabee.
It is time for a lesson in Southern Politics 101 :
As has been said ad nauseum on here already, Fred Thompson has always planned on employing a Southern Strategy to win the nomination. This is not to start a discussion of the merits of Fred, or Rudy G., allowing McCain, Romney and Huckabee to basically have free reign in Iowa, NH and Michigan, but as a background for the points I want to make.
Freds strategy has always been to start in SC, and use that to sweep the southern states namely SC, Ala, Ga, Tenn, NC, Miss, LA, Tex. By winning those he would build a good number of delegates and have a solid shot at the nomination. That was his plan.
The monkey-wrench in that plan has become Mike Huckabee.
John McCain is not Freds main rival in the states Fred is targeting. That is why Fred is not attacking him like he is Huckabee. Yes, I know that Fred and John are close personal friends, but trust me there are no friends in politics. If Fred needed to hurt John he would.
The simple fact is John is a non-factor in the South, as long as there is no one else to split votes with Fred. McCains 25% in the polls in SC is his HIGH POINT. He will NEVER get over 30% in any southern state. He is maxed out. In the South, McCain is like the fart in church, there will be a lot of noise and a lot of disgusted faces.
So, Fred needs to get rid of the competition for the other 60%. Rudy? Not a factor anywhere but New Yawk south, otherwise known as Florida. Mitt? Massachusetts pretty boy need I say more? 10-20% MAX.
That leaves one person Huckabee. Huck is the only obstacle to a Fred sweep in the south, ergo HUCK MUST GO. Fred started the destruction of Huckabee last night.
Which leads to point two: Mean old Fred Thompson picking on Huckabee. Three words about that BOO-FRICKIN-HOO!
This is not nicey nice Iowa, or touchy feely New Hampshire. This is the SOUTH! Home of BBQ, NASCAR, Sweet tea, and NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING! Attack ads and negative campaigns are not shunned in the south, they are an ART FORM.
Thompson was campaigning to the people of South Carolina and the entire south last night, and trust me they lapped that blistering attack on Huckabee up like a blue tick hound on a bowl water on an August day in Bama.
Anyway, enough ranting on my part. Hopefully this opens the eyes of some of the crowd upset at Fred for not doing this or that, or for being mean.
Fred has already stated he won’t accept a VP slot, bet huck will and Rudy or Romney will pick him so Huck can ease their problems with the pro-life movement. Problem is VPs don’t appoint the judges. But I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts the HUCKSTER will be glad to sell his Right to Life credentials to the highest bidder.
I don't know if Winston Groom himself could write a more 'southern' line! lol
I agree that McCain won't be an issue in the south, in the long run. Huckabee is an entirely different story only because of he has 'Preacher cred', which is mightier in the south than 'street cred' at the HipHop awards.
My Husband feels that there is no way the South will elect another Gov from Arkansas and doesn't see him as a threat to Thompson.
Why would Fred run AGAINEST McCain if his plan is to help McCain? Of course I forget, the people that believe that are Hucksters and will believe anything.
does anyone remember a part of the debate where McCain was asked to commment on some Rudy position, and he began with something like ... “I only have the greatest affection for my good friend Rudy” ... and then paused, uncomfortably. That alone should take many points away from him. Hopefully, there will be a YouTube video of the moment.
Your are right about a big Military vote in SC. Mc Cain will get the majority of that and Huckabee will probably get the majority of evangelicals. After that, it will be a good battle for the rest. The independent crossovers may be the key. Mc Cain was ahead in the Polls in 2000 one week before the Primary with Bush and there was a huge “push poll” smear campaign against him that final week that swayed things towards Bush. I don’t see that happening this time around.
“’Thus McCain will surge out of Michigan to win SC’
I hope Mitt wins in Michigan to stop the McLame express.”
McCain won Michigan last time because nothing was going on in the Democrat primary, and dems were voting to embarass Engler, who was Bush’s state chair. They were also retaliating for Republicans voting in the Democrat Gov. primary two years previously (got weak candidate Geoffrey Feiger nominated).
This year, we are hearing that Labor wants Dems to stay put in their own primary and vote “uncommitted” so Hillary (the only name on the Dem Primary Ballot) will not lock up the nomination. Don’t underestimate also that this is Mitt’s home state, and his father is a much-beloved former Governor. I haven’t been real active in politics lately, but all my friends in the Republican Party establishment have been working for Mitt.
.02
McCain's 'flaunting' of that Air Force Tanker cancellation is getting very tiresome. He mentions in ad nauseum in EVERY DEBATE. I wonder how many Navy military contracts he has helped scuttle!!!
Bull.
Fred has thrown in with Mc Cain and will formally endorse him after SC.
Your predictions are routinely worthless.
Why do you guys always tell us to vote for the moderate?
Why don’t you support the more conservative Thompson to start with. AH, that’s the problem, your really aren’t a conservative. Your own post lists Thompson as perfect and Mitt as good, but the Thompson supporters are the ones that will give us McCain, not the Mitt supporters?
Sorry, NO RINOS, if you don’t want McCain, support Fred or Duncan. I won’t be voting RINO ever again.
“Lindsey Graham, who continues to serves as a reserve Air Force colonel and military lawyer even while in Congress, is working to reach out to veterans, who make up a significant part of South Carolina’s GOP primary electorate and could help deliver McCain’s winning margin there.
“We’re a very big military state,” Graham said, ticking off the names of half a dozen military bases in South Carolina. “I’ve looked at all the military bases in Iowa. There’s none.”
Spears, Graham said, has a broad network because he’s popularly elected. And his son, Stan Spears Jr., is heading up McCain’s veterans outreach. “He’s signed up every VFW commander, every American Legion head,” Graham said of Spears’ son. “And when people left [the campaign] in July, these guys stuck with us.
In some instances McCain — who has spent at least five days a month in South Carolina for the past six months — makes specific appeals to veterans, suggesting they should get a plastic card qualifying them for immediate health care rather than having to travel long distances for such government services. But McCain’s most compelling argument to South Carolina’s active and retired military, Graham said, stems from what he calls the senator’s commander in chief” argument.
“We’re at war. Veterans, of all people, understand what awaits us if we don’t defeat this enemy,” Graham said. “It’s a question off who can fight this war and lead us to victory.”
Pure 100% Bullshit!
If Fred was trying to help McCain, he could quit and endorse now.
Of course, IF Fred endorsed McCain, his supporters would go...anywhere BUT McCain.
We would all be remiss, if we do not thank both of you fine gentlemen for your past great service to the security of America! You have my utmost gratitude for your service to this great country on our behalf.
LOL
There's at least a small chance that you started that rumor.
I hope you’re right, McLame and Rudy would be disasterous for the GOP.
That's all you got?
LOL
After the way Fred disassembled your boy Huck last night, I suppose you would have little of substance to say.
Let’s just wait and see what happens after the SC primary. If I am wrong, I will admit it. If on the other hand, I am right, I assume you will concede the point without the colorful adjective.
“That is exactly correct. Thompson is a stalking horse for McCain. Thompson and McCain are old friends and if Thompson doesn’t win SC, he will promptly endorse McCain. Remember: it was the McCain-Feingold-Thompson campaign finance law. Mitt Romney is still the best of these imperfect candidates. Seeking perfection (Thompson) over the good (Romney) is going to deliver McCain.”
Yup. Could somebody please explain to me why the ONLY CANDIDATE who is going after McCain who is the biggest RINO in the race, is Romney? Why did Thompson take swipes at Romney in NH and not McCain? Waiting...
Why the hate? Can't you just call him Huck?
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