In some quarters on the right, exasperation with the fractured state of affairs has already boiled over. David Lane, an influential and low-profile Christian conservative, wrote in an email to associates Friday that he feared a redux of 2008, when Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee split the conservative vote to give John McCain a crucial win in South Carolina.
“We have Fred Thompson to thank for McCain as the Republican nominee in 2008,” wrote Lane, who said he sees Santorum playing a similar role this time by undercutting better-funded opponents.
Referring to the local social conservative leaders in Iowa who have endorsed the former Pennsylvania senator in recent weeks, Lane continued, “If Santorum gets traction, we’ll have Santorum (and the IA ‘Family Policy Boys’) to thank for Romney as the Republican nominee in '12, and the reelection of Obama on Nov. 6, 2012.”
In an email to POLITICO, Lane elaborated: “Right now it looks like 2008. Evangelicals, generally speaking, don’t understand politics.”
Well said...
Perry and Michele Bachmann are headed straight to South Carolina and skipping New Hampshire after the caucuses. Not Santorum. In a brief interview following a campaign stop in this central Iowa town, Santorum said that he was headed to the Granite State on Wednesday in an effort to build on expected momentum coming out of the caucuses.
*snip*
Perry and Michele Bachmann are headed straight to South Carolina and skipping New Hampshire after the caucuses. Not Santorum. In a brief interview following a campaign stop in this central Iowa town, Santorum said that he was headed to the Granite State on Wednesday in an effort to build on expected momentum coming out of the caucuses.
*snip*
Some veterans of Huckabee’s campaign say they’ve seen this movie before, arguing that the Pennsylvanian should consider ceding New Hampshire to Romney to prevent Perry from making a strong stand in the first southern primary state.
Tactical error? Probably. Good news for Newt and Perry fans.
Even at this late moment, there’s still no clear consensus among conservatives, in Iowa or nationally, as to which of Romney’s foes is the best bet for the primaries and the general election. Though Santorum appears to have the momentum in Iowa, there are serious doubts about whether he has the infrastructure and money to compete with Romney into mega-states such as Florida.
Said before...
“There’s going to be a lot of pressure on all of these other candidates to get with the team, get with the program and line up behind Mitt Romney,” said Muth, who leans toward Gingrich in the race. “If they can’t rally behind Gingrich, they’re going to come to the conclusion that they have to settle for Romney whether they like it or not.”
History will record that Jonathan Martin
was, and is, ‘handmaiden’ to Mitt Romney the Backstabber.
Martin and Politico, for Romney and Obama,
the ineligible twins, tried to take out
each conservative candidate to rob the American
people of their choice.
Prepare for incoming fire, TBBT.
Don’t you know that Santorum is the chosen one (this week, anyway)?
Time for all the other candidates to leave the field and concede the contest to little Ricky, don’tcha know? < /sarcasm >
Yeah. We're dumb.
It's a wonder we can even tie our shoe laces, Mr. Lane.
SC '08
McCain 33%
Huck 30% (despite snowstorms all day in key parts of the state)
Thompson 16%
Romney 15%
Paul 4%
Just follow the money and you find where the battle is. Even with Newt driven down to 4th or 5th place in the Iowa race, Romney is concerned only with Newt. He continues still running hit ads against Newt and knows he needs to demoralize Gingrich and the conservatives before he has to face them in SC. He wants an early knockout of Newt out and would love to go against Santorum. I think there will be a backlash in SC and Newt will lead it.
this is just totally incorrect. the field is too big at this point to unify behind a single candidate. romney can’t get above 20-25%. other than the bonkerz paulbots, everything else is the anti-romney vote.
and besides, iowa is just irrelevant. a caucus is a mob. it’s a ridiculous way to pick a presidential nominee.
Hmmmmm.... Prediction: It won't be necessary after the Tues evening results, imho.
Go Santorum!
Happy New Year TBBT, all.
We should all know the GOP Establishment strategy adopted since 2008 to combat grass roots-
1. Install an “establishment” conservative to take the air out of the room (e.g.— J.D vs McCain.)
2. Otherwise, sabotage the anti-establishment candidate (Miller, O’Donnell, Sarah).
Hopefully, one of these candidates will affirmatively attack Romney, the Republican Establishment and this invidious strategy— and that candidate would be the one that we coalesce behind.
It's not rocket science, but the LSM/Elite GOP are attempting to crate momentum where it is not.
I believe that this is the first time that "the people" are aware of the tactical B.S. and will not put up with it.
Would the Conservatives be willing to sacrifice another 4 years of Obama to prove a point (while electing more conservatives down ballot)?? I, personally have not made up my mind yet on this tactic, but I would like to hear what others think.
Hope New Hampshire didn't spend all that revenue they thought they were going to collect from that 9% meal and lodging tax this time around...
So because your candidate sucks we should vote for him instead of the one who best represents us?
No sale.
Was a Fredhead then, McCain won because he was the most conservative of the remaining batch.
Huckster and Slick Williard were to his left. If the McCain folks had gotten behind Fred, we’d have President Fred and a very different world today.
Now today - Newt = McCain, Mitt = Mitt. Santorum = Fred. Perry = Huckster.
So why would I vote for the loser, again? If I wanted someone who would lose I’d vote for Paul.
“We have Fred Thompson to thank for McCain as the Republican nominee in 2008,” wrote Lane, who said he sees Santorum playing a similar role this time by undercutting better-funded opponents.”
I would posit that we have Dr. Dobson and Mike Huckabee to thank for McCain - not Fred Thompson, Mr. Lane.
“In an email to POLITICO, Lane elaborated: “Right now it looks like 2008. Evangelicals, generally speaking, don’t understand politics.”
Well said...”
“Well said” is right, if you include evangelical would-be king-makers like Mr. Lane himself in that assessment.
“There’s going to be a lot of pressure on all of these other candidates to get with the team, get with the program and line up behind Mitt Romney,” said Muth, who leans toward Gingrich in the race. “If they can’t rally behind Gingrich, they’re going to come to the conclusion that they have to settle for Romney whether they like it or not.”
Does this Muth seriously think “these other candidates” will be able to rally their conservative voters to line up behind Mitt Romney whether they like it or not? Romney’s scorched earth campaign has already doomed him in the general, even if he gets the nomination.
Coalesce around? People don’t agree who to coalesce around.