Posted on 07/08/2006 3:53:39 PM PDT by Jeff Fuller
So, is anyone else baffled by the fact that John McCain is listed as the "strong frontrunner" among GOP 2008 presidential hopefuls? The political pundits all have him as the head honcho (usually followed by Romney and Allen) as evidenced here, here, here, here) and in the most recent National Journal 2008 Republican Insiders Poll.
This was not always so . . . just a few months ago to a year ago Allen was leading in that Insiders Poll (actually, you can look at the figures and find that Romney has been gaining the most, percentage-wise, of any candidate.)
However, most self-proclaimed conservatives have major reservations about McCain. McCain does much better in cold-call phone polls than he does in Convention or Online strawpolls. His recent positions on the wrong side of the immigration bill and Marriage Protection Ammendment will give GOP primaries pause. I feel that McCain looks so strong now because of four things: 1) great name recognition 2) his great relationship with the mainstream media (MSM) 3) his strong polling against Hillary 4) a promise from GW Bush that if McCain sat out in 2004 and campaigned for W, that the favor would be returned in 2008 (Oh, THAT IS WHY HE KEPT CHENEY ON AS VP!) Bush may not be many things, but he is a man of his word.
Many have speculated on this fourth claim before . . . but two recent pieces seem to be putting the picture together pretty clearly now. First, a piece in the Washington Times called "McCain sitting pretty for 2008 race" starts out:
Some top Republicans at odds with Sen. John McCain on core conservative issues say privately that the party's 2008 presidential nomination is "his to lose." They cite the Arizona senator's head start in fundraising, a primary calendar that is shaping up in his favor and a growing belief that he enjoys the tacit support of President Bush.It then goes on to discuss former TEXAS Senator Phill Graham's support for McCain, despite not agreeing with him on some issues.
"There are plenty of things I don't agree with John on, but I don't think they are important, compared to things I do agree with him on," the former Texas A&M University economics professor said.
Later . . .
"What I've heard seems plausible to me -- that a deal was cut that if McCain supported Bush in 2004, the Bush team would get behind McCain for 2008," Republican media consultant Tom Edmonds says. Among those who have signed on with Mr. McCain are Mark McKinnon, Mr. Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaign media strategist, and Terry Nelson, Mr. Bush's 2004 national political director. A senior Republican senator from a Western state who opposes Mr. McCain says privately, "Look at who he's got in his camp and look at him in the polls -- I'm telling you there's no one out there strong enough to beat him. It's his to lose."
Sounds like a challenge to me!
Further information confirming the McCain-Bush alliance comes from a recent piece titled "Landing Big Campaign Finance Fish" found at Chris Cillizza's Political Blog "The Fix" hosted by the Washington Post.
Bush asked affluent individuals not simply to donate to the campaign but also to round up thousands of dollars in contributions from friends and colleagues. A tiered system was created to reward the most effective of this lot; "Pioneers" raised $100,000, "Rangers" $200,000, and "Super Rangers" $300,000.
It lists who McCain has signed up already from this group of Bush donors:
Wayne Berman, lobbyist (D.C.) RANGER Fred Malek, Thayer Capital Partners (D.C.) Carter Pate, PricewaterhouseCoopers (D.C./Texas) RANGER Bob Mosbacher, Mosbacher Energy Co. (Texas) Tom Loeffler, lobbyist (Texas) RANGER
Notice anything interesting? They are all from D.C. and/or Texas! The Bush team is obviously strongest in D.C. and Texas. I do not see this as coincidental since, although McCain is oft called a "Maverick", his political record puts him more in line with a northeastern GOP Senator than a Texas-styled GOP Senator.
What is even more interesting is that Romney has already signed on 12 (count them, TWELVE) of these major Bush donors. This group is the largest and most geographically diverse of all, thusfar:
Peter Karmanos, Compuware Corp. (Mich.) David Fischer, Suburban Collection (Mich.) PIONEER John Rakolta, Walbridge Aldinger (Mich.) RANGER Dave Phillips, Phillips Industries (N.C.) RANGER Tom Tellefsen, Tellefsen Investments (Calif.) PIONEER Anne Dunsmore, Capital Campaigns (Calif.) RANGER Hadi Makarechian, Capital Pacific Holdings (Calif.) Herb Collins, Boston Capital Partners (Mass.) PIONEER Jim Sims (MA) GEN3Partners (Mass.) Joe O'Donnell (MA), Boston Culinary Group (Mass.) RANGER Tom Foley, NTC Corp. (Conn.) PIONEER Eric Tanenblatt, McKenna Long Aldridge (Ga.) RANGER
Frist has a strong team at 7, but it says:
We hear that Virginia Sen. George Allen and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are huddling regularly with the whales but have yet to sign any of them up.
So, going back to my list above of the four things that makes McCain the frontrunner now:
1) This will become a non-factor as the campaign wears on 2) Romney's charisma, great interviewing skills/telegenicity, and the controversial Mormon issue may turn him into a favorite among many in the media . . . though the MSM "powers that be" will untimately look to destroy a true conservative like Romney. 3) There are a lot of options to beat Hillary . . . McCain is not the only choice . . . Giuliani and Romney would be able to do this hands down. 4) Although Bush seems to have pointed the closest in his political machine in McCain's direction, it looks like the financial donors are thinking more independently.
This Bush-McCain "back-room deal" of trading support will not sit well with the media or the GOP electorate . . . it may just turn out to be McCain's "back-fire deal."
Anyone here who just wants to have a little suspense accompanying a serious waste of money would get more from running a racing car than giving to either of these RINOs.
This tells me that the RNC will back McPain! I don't know enough about Romney to form an opinion. Had my hopes pinned on Tancredo.
IMHO: neither Romney nor McCain are going to happen.
He kept Cheney on as VP because he WANTED Cheney or he could have selected McCain to make it easier in 2008. As for the promise he made, do you have some evidence? A link would be helpful.
Correction: Kennedy ran against Vice President Nixon.
And Vice-President Nixon had been a member of the House of Representatives from Californian, not a US Senator. So Lyndon Johnson is the last US President with Senate experience.
Richard Nixon's Senate years are perhaps the least known aspect of his political career. After beating Rep. Helen Gahagan Douglas (D-Calif.) in a sensational race in 1950, Nixon served for only a couple of years in the Senate before his election to the vice presidency.
A senator seeking higher office might find his paper trail to be a major impediment to his aspirations. Opponents can point out, for example, when he voted for something before he voted against it.
Did you follow the links in the first paragraph?
Polls are a different animal than political pundits! I didn't say who was leading the public opinion polls. Those polls are meaningless over 2 years before an election . . . they're all about name-recognition . . . think Bill Clinton polled well at this stage? Oh, and who was leading the Dem public opinion polls at this stage for the 2004 race . . . some guy named Joseph Liberman who dropped out VERY early once the real votes started coming in!
Pundits don't have all the answers either, but they have a much better idea than cold-call polls!
"Is this Bush/McCain crap true?"
It's more than a whisper at this point. The links are my evidence . . . I don't find it coincidental. The insiders seem to know that it's happening.
Rockefeller's not for me,
He is not for GOP.
He is for the welfare state.
He has had more than one mate.
Rockefeller's not for me,
He is not for GOP
R-O-C-K-E-Y: Oh you SOB!
Unofficial Goldwater campaign song from 1964
"But Mitt Romney as the GOP nominee in '08? What are his conservative credentials? Surely not his monstrous Taxachusetts health care plan!"
Where to begin . . . .?
1--Turned $3 billion deficit into a $400 million surplus within one year without raising taxes and by cutting pork projects and needless "feel good" social programs
2--Most articulate and outspoken supporter of traditional marriage (i.e. anti-gay marriage) in the nation.
3--He is pro-life (but, boy do I hear the "flip-flopper" claims coming)
4--Strong on Homeland Security and War on Terror (suggested wire-tapping Mosques that have been know to promote terroist activities)
5--Vetoed Stem Cell Research bill in Mass.
6--Vetoed bill seeking to lower age of parental consent for abortions.
7--Vetoed bill seeking to approve the "moring after pill"
8--Managed to get Abstinence Education in ultra-liberal Mass
9--Supports drilling in ANWR
10--Strongly supports charter schools and voucher programs.
Should I go on?
He will be very OLD in 08. The most likely nominee is sitting in some Governor's mansion somewhere biding his time.
Romney may have a problem being a mormon, but it won't come from the right, it will come from some lame assed reporter who will ask him to compare his "fringe" religion to Islam.
Mark my words, someone will do it.
In their album "Folk Songs For Conservatives" (1963), Noel X & the Unbleached Muslims sang, among others, "Rock's Big Candy Mountain" (to the tune of Harry McClintock's hobo anthem "Big Rock Candy Mountain"), "We Shall Not Be Moved" ("Nuts to Rock; we're standing by Goldwater..."), "Tom Dewey" (to the tune of "Tom Dooley"), and "Hang Earl Warren" (to the tune of "John Brown's Body"). One must be familiar with early-1960's Republican politics in order to understand a lot of these songs' lyrics.
On the other side of the spectrum, The Chad Mitchell Trio released "Barry's Boys" (1964), a follow-up to their smash hit "The John Birch Society," which made it all the way to #95 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in the spring of '62.
By the way, "Wild About Harry" was originally written by Eubie Blake in 1922, and "I Like Ike" was composed by Irving Berlin in 1948.
As far as I know, the first rock and roll presidential campaign song was "Wake Up and Stay Happy" by the Nixonaires, from 1960--so the Republicans were the first to "rock the vote."
Haven't you learned, you get a much more receptive audience for romney over at redstate.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-09-05/a03sr650.htm
Romney: Catholic hospitals not exempt from offering emergency contraception By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press writer
BOSTON -- Facing opposition from women, the Democratic Party and even his own running mate, Gov. Mitt Romney abandoned plans yesterday to exempt religious and other private hospitals from a new law requiring them to dispense emergency contraception to rape victims.
http://www.operationrino.com/web/newsperm.606
Mitt Romney supports AWB and Brady Bill
http://www.operationrino.com/web/newsperm.608
Governor Mitt Romney has signed into law a permanent assault weapons ban that he says will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on these guns.
''I respect and will protect a woman's right to choose. This choice is a deeply personal one," Romney wrote in answer to a NARAL questionnaire during the [2002] campaign. ''Women should be free to choose based on their own beliefs, not mine and not the government's."
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/07/03/clarity_sought_on_romneys_abortion_stance/
Summary of Romney abortion stances
http://romneyisafraud.blogspot.com/2005/02/dime-dropper-willard-mitt-went-to.html
"I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a US Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it."
"Regardless of one's beliefs about choice, you would hope it would be safe and legal,"
Tovia Smith of Boston University radio station WBUR asked: "Mr. Romney, you say you're a moderate on social issues. One who will defend abortion rights, equal rights for women, for blacks, and for gays. In fact you say you will do more to promote gay rights than Senator Kennedy. You also sit on the national executive board of the Boy Scouts of America, which has an exclusionary policy banning gay members. Do you support that policy, and if not have you ever done anything as a board member to oppose it?"
"...I feel that all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation."
http://www.massnews.com/2002_editions/06_June/061802_mn_romney.shtml
"The Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, next month will be the first to open its arms to the gay community. Organisers of the 2002 Winter Olympics have actively gone out to get the gay community involved."
http://www.massnews.com/2002_editions/06_June/061802_mn_romney.shtml
he said he would support domestic partnership benefits, at one point saying they would become a "hallmark of my leadership as governor." ... Romney has broader goals in mind, and will use this opportunity to establish further rights for gay couples, Fehrnstrom said. "At the end of the day, same-sex couples will end up with more rights and benefits than they previously enjoyed," he said.
http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,525039435,00.html
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