Posted on 01/31/2008 12:43:58 AM PST by Checkers
John McCain won over few if any conservatives tonight, and his display of bad temper and his rambling filibuster of his wrongful "timetables" attack on Romney from last weekend may even have lost him some moderates. In the spin room heads were shaking. McCain was at his worst in the second half of the debate, and those who watched had to ask themselves how this sort of performance would play against a youthful, upbeat Obama with a MSM ready not to protect McCain but tear into him as aging and confused --even obviously deceptive-- about his facts.
The first half of the debate was Romney's on points. Romney began by listing the series of assaults on conservative values championed by McCain including McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, the McCain-Lieberman global warming regulatory monster, the opposition to exploration in ANWR and the votes against the Bush tax cuts. McCain's responses are the same we have heard again and again, and they do not wear well. Romney was assisted by the obvious downgrading by Anderson Cooper and Janet Hook of Mike Huckabee, and Huckabee's frustration at his demotion to Ron Paul status broke through in the second half of the debate, but only served to underscore that the real contest doesn't involve him. It is a McCain-Romney race, and anyone watching the debate knows that.
(Excerpt) Read more at hughhewitt.townhall.com ...
If they are Republicans, they also will almost certainly walk away disquieted by the prospect of a McCain nomination, both because of his ideas and even more so because he just didn't look electable tonight. Romney did. In fact McCain's best part of the day was when Rudy was talking about him, and it went down hill from there. McCain will get another assist from Arnold tomorrow or Friday, but it is hard to hide the fact that this would be a second Bob Dole campaign, with less energy and fewer conservative principles. Many, many Republicans have to be worried not just about losing the White House, but about a dispirited party and a down-ticket wipe-out. McCain supported the surge. That's true, and a very strong point. But is it enough to wage a nine-month campaign on?
Romney's third conscutive strong performance in a debate will almost certainly lead to a rise day-to-day over the next six days in key states, but whether he rises fast or far enough depends primarily on the Huckabee voters' recognition that continued allegiance to the Huck spells a McCain nomination and all that means for the next nine months.
ping
I noticed when Romney was speaking, McCain often looked down and had a look on his face like he was about ready to burst out laughing. I don’t like rudeness. I wouldn’t like it if Romney was rude to McCain and I don’t like McCain acting that way. He needs to control himself and show some respect. Romney is a political opponent not an enemy.
It is a clear indication of the extent to which virtually all of the MSM is in the tank for McCain that he does not get thoroughly trashed for such a piss-poor performance. Anyone they didn’t like would see his campaign wrecked in the media over such a performance, but the MSM hacks are determined to have a RINO candidate who won’t endanger their movement for socialistic policies, illegal immigration hordes, Soros 527 groups and the absurdly mis-named “Campaign Finance Reform” etc. etc.
in my opinion, McCain had his **** handed to him last night. In a good and strong way, though. Romney stood up to his lying ad and McCain dug in his heals and denied the obvious truth and then tried to demean Romney by questioning his ability to be commander in chief. I expect McCain to fade very quickly after that demonstration of immaturity.
Oh please by right.
Oh please be right.
Amen to that!
You have to look down when you are writing something.
He wasn’t always writing.
Maybe he was considering writing.
Maybe he’s just a rude ass.
Well said, but we could only hope for McVain to “fade very quickly” if the MSM would actually report widely how atrocious McVain’s debate performance actually was. As it is 98% of Americans will never have any idea of what really happened, so it will take a lot more than this to hurt McVain’s candidacy.
McCain is petty and very rude with Romney and Romeny attacked McCain on issues not personal. Much of all of McCain’s attacks were personal and tasteless. McCain is a horrible candidate and is no leader.
He was not always looking down. When did hold his head up he had a jaw clinching grin on his face when Romney was nailing him on the facts. The type of forced grin used to repress an internal rage, how dare a mere Governor challenge me and the facts as I see them!
double, double please be right!!
McCain seems very unstable at times.
I think a lot of these candidates are just plain ole' jealous of Romney. The media? They want their liberal darling McCain to challenge their other liberal darlings.
The GOP establishment is afraid Romney is not beholden to them. When someone says Washington is broken and they want to fix it and the guys benefiting from this and profiting from this are threatened, they are not going to throw you support. In some cases these McCain supporters are really just massive RHINOS.
I am afraid we will be stuck with another RAT for president, no matter who wins.
Conservatives are screwed now, we don't have a dog in the hunt anymore, since Fred gave up.
Can you say president Hitlery?
IKNEWYACOULD
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