Posted on 05/26/2007 4:10:29 PM PDT by Josh Painter
Tennessee political news blogger A.C. Kleinheider explains why it is a Big Deal that Tennessee congressman Marsha Blackburn has switched allegiance from Mitt Romney to the undeclared candidate Fred Thompson in the race for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination:
"This is evidence of two things. One, Fred is definitely running. If there was absolutely any doubt in anyones mind about Freds intention it should be removed now. Marsha Blackburn got way out in front in supporting Mitt Romney for President the fact that she has flipped means Fred is in for sure."
"The fact that Blackburn has jumped ship means that Thompson is in and the Tennessee Republican Party is fully behind him. One can hardly blame Marsha for this. She is a Tennessee Republican politican. She couldnt support Romney over Fred, it would be impossible even if she wanted to."
"What does this mean for Romney? Nothing good, thats for sure. When Bill Frist decided not to run for President all his people, money folks and consultants, went up for grabs and grab Romney did. He came into Tennessee and poached quite heavily from the infrastructure of Bill Frists embryonic campaign. Now, all that support, all that fundraising, goes bye-bye."
"Romney did a lot of work it Tennessee and it is about to not only leave him but work against him. He is gonna take a hit far worse than the other candidates the day Fred gets in."
I said early on that the first and quickest casualty of Fred Thompson getting in the race would be Romney. Kleinhheider's talking about in Tennessee, of course, not nationally, but I predict what happens to Romney's campaign in Tennessee will soon happen in other states.
Romney's biggest asset was his position as the most conservative of the Big Three in the race, the most-conservative-candidate-who-could-win-in-November. That asset evaporates when Thompson declares his candidacy. Thompson is appealing to conservatives - especially social conservatives - and just as electable if not more so than Romney.
As for Blackburn, she is a bona fide hero to Tennessee conservatives, and a rising star nationally. Her decision to switch from Romney to Thompson will hurt Romney far beyond the borders of the Volunteer State.
Ping
Romeny could give Hillary a contest, which is the main reason he is doing well, but FT can inspire the conservative base to come out.
you mentioned blue dog Dems... that’s the biggest fraud in politics today!
most real Americans dont share the ideology of the left, but they voted for it nevertheless, wittingly or unwittingly. Ex: once I checked out that Pelosi gave Chet Edwards $5,000 for his re-election campaign, and plenty of other leftwing special interests fatten his campaign chest, I knew that a vote for Chet Edwards *IS* a vote for the Moonbats to control DC. Whether people do it wittingly or not, that is the effect - a leftwing victory.
What’s worse of course is that the leftwing special interest money is used by Chet to lie to his electorate and convince them he’s just a good-ol-boy from Waco. consequently, we have a secret “Nancy-boy” who will fake right just enough to look ‘independent’ for the district. ... This man has been living in DC for 20 years now, and represents more the Dem leaders and interest groups than people in his own district.
Every ‘blue dog’ in Congress is really a neutered pet of Pelosi.
“I think that you are giving we the people too much credit. Most Americans know only to vote against the ins if they are dissatisfied. They were just voting Democrat because they were against GWB.”
I dont disagree with this assessment.
Democrat-incumbency-power+media-bias can equal a strong hold on the Congressional majority, so even if the voters ‘wake up’ and even if the GOP rallies and unites, it will be hard to overturn this big move to the Left for the country.
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