Fred Thompson's Progress; McCain's last gasp

TownHall.com ^ | 7/21/07 | Robert D. Novak

[JohnHuang2]

WASHINGTON -- In advance of a formal solicitation for funds or an announcement of his candidacy, Fred Thompson's presidential campaign is quietly organizing its first Washington fund-raiser at the downtown J.W. Marriott hotel the last week in July.

This event will give the clearest signal so far of how successful the actor-politician will be in his late-starting drive to finance his run for president. It will be watched carefully to see whether Thompson picks up important lobbyists and other Washingtonians who earlier had lined up for Sen. John McCain's fading campaign for the presidential nomination.

A footnote: Thompson may not announce officially as a candidate until September, although an "exploratory" committee may soon be unveiled.

MCCAIN'S LAST GASP

Sen. John McCain's virtually bankrupt presidential campaign has made a desperate fund-raising bid for small contributions, on grounds that "the liberal Hollywood elites would love to see Sens. [Barack] Obama, [Hillary] Clinton or [John] Edwards face off against any Republican other than John McCain."

A July 11 fund-raising letter was intended to reassure contributors that, contrary to speculation, McCain has no intention of dropping out of the contest. The senator signed the appeal that promised: "With so much on the line . . . , we cannot afford to give up -- or even back down one inch. My friend, I promise you, I never will."

However, McCain's letter seeking $400 contributions went to some supporters who already had sent his campaign the maximum $2,300 contribution for the primary elections.

[counterpunch]

I believe we will have a demographic unknown with a potential female president who is a liberal. Some observers think she will bring out female voters who don’t usually vote.

Those observers obviously have little respect for women's intelligence."Girl power" means very little to women when making the very serious choice of political leadership. If women somehow held such an electoral advantage, then all of our elected politicians would be female by now, including at least one former president.

[BobS]

And who in Hell are you?

[Stallone]

I can summarize it simply as:

Bush lost the base.

We were the volunteer public relations department.

We were the volunteer alternative media.

We were the volunteer political war room.

Having been betrayed by Bush on matters fundamental to Conservatism, we volunteered no more.

In our absence, the incompetence and dereliction of duty of this entire administration was on full display.

Bush continues to swing in the wind.

So be it.

[libstripper]

Please don’t call the Witch a “bitch.” It demeans female dogs, the vast ajority of whom are far better people than the evil Witch.

[George W. Bush]

However, McCain's letter seeking $400 contributions went to some supporters who already had sent his campaign the maximum $2,300 contribution for the primary elections.

The rich irony here is that McStain is on the verge of being forced to accept matching funds from the FEC just to stay afloat. Along with the ridiculous limits to how much he can spend in states he can win and being allowed to spend lots of money in states he can never win.

Hoist by his own petard, it seems.

[mo]

“Gingrich is possessed of the kind of mind which can change the whole agenda....”

He should be the RNC chair....

[George W. Bush]

Great stuff. Certainly deserved its own vanity thread too.

Far more serious than trying to blame the Religious Right who, contrary to accusations here at FR, turned out their entire voting bloc and even added another 5 million to it. Or blaming the hardcore open-borders folk who all turned out as well. Or the fiscal conservatives.

No, we all turned out. We just didn't give the indies much reason to vote for us after scandal, porking, and a war so ineptly conducted it caused them to question our security prowess.

We need, as a party, to learn those lessons and return to our conservative roots or 2008 will be the real bloodbath that the debacle of '06 has foreshadowed. We can do it but we have to be firm and clear and repudiate our errors.

Fear Of Hillary is no greater guarantee of victory in '08 than Fear Of Nancy was in '06.

[George W. Bush]

I think people keep forgetting, ironically, 9-11. I work with young people, and you might be surprised how many of them claim to be liberals and Democrats but who see a strong defense as the #1 priority. These people were kids on 9-11 and will be voting for President in '08.

Yeah, they say they'll vote. But past elections aren't encouraging.

I support Ron Paul and we're very very strong with the youth and young adult group. We would be polling much stronger if only the pollsters called cellphones, not just landlines. And I thoroughly believe that. But despite their intensity in supporting Ron Paul online, I really wonder how many are going to show up to vote in the primaries or the caucuses.

That youth vote, like the Year Of The Woman the press always talks about, just never actually happens. Maybe we should reinstitute the draft. Then they'd turn out to vote, I bet (for free college and every other loopy thing you can name). Hmmm...maybe encouraging that youth vote isn't such a hot idea after all...

[nathanbedford]

Here is what I posted when George appointed Martinez, demonstrating - as he did with Harriet - that he is not serious:

"Gingrich has nearly as much downside as Hillary but 10 times the upside. Historically, our closest article to Winston Churchill was probably Theodore Roosevelt. But among the current crop of politicians in America, the closest to Winston Churchill is clearly Newt Gingrich. He has not been utilized by the Bush administration for the same reasons that Winston Churchill was not utilized during the years of appeasement in Great Britain-neither one was a team player, both were brilliant, and both had a pyrotechnic ability to piss people off.

The Bush administration never embraced Gingrich, not because he is radioactive, but because he is not button-down. Can you imagine the last election if Newt Gingrich had been chairman of the Republican National Committee? Can you imagine the aftermath of Katrina if Newt Gingrich had been ram rodding Homeland Security? We might still have the House and Senate.

There was wide scope to let play the genius of Newt Gingrich in this administration but the country club Republicans would not have it. Karl Rove would rather pretend to be a real conservative than to actually set one loose inside the harem.

Newt Gingrich cannot be our nominee, we all know that, but he can save the party."

[nathanbedford]

How about, "die Hexe?"

[mo]

“when George appointed Martinez, demonstrating - as he did with Harriet - that he is not serious...”

On e of the greatest liabilities with many “name” politicians is that they are so well off-or see their office as a means to wealth...that their conduct and actions betray the interests of the rest of us who NEED the rights and protections of the US Constitution to afford ourselves and our families opportunity in this world. GWB in no way shape of form NEEDS the US constitution to be sure of his and his families’ opportunity in the world. This is a very “salable” position for any politician running for office.

[Mtner77]

****”I support Ron Paul....”****

Interesting. One boring day not long ago, I was actually surfing through DU (yep, du). If you do this you must have an extremely thick skin to not reply to the idiot rants of these far left loons. Anyway, not long ago there was a thread which asked the other loons something to the effect of “If we had to have a GOP president who would you perfer?” Guess who won? Yep, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX). It seems that the dummies perfer him over anyone except Hilly, Obama, Breck Girl, & algore. As I said, Interesting....

[George W. Bush]

You get the same thing with Slashdotters and all the geek sites. Also the gambling sites. Many of the pro-gun sites. Lots and lots of special-interest sites that would surprise you. Of course, all the online merchant sites support him since he opposes Net Neutrality, the new attempts to have internet sales tax from certain governors, etc.

He has unique appeal, a fusion candidate. After supporting his work for so many years, I'm constantly finding another group that are supporting him or from whom he is getting support. Just today, it's the Iowa and Dakota farmers who want the feds to allow them to grow industrial hemp for paper products, plastics, cellulosic ethanol (about 10 times more efficient conversion than corn-based ethanol). Industrial hemp is "ditchweed" that you can't get high from. RP, a doctor, does favor medical marijuana too for the usual patients: glaucoma, chemotherapy, AIDS.

Like I said, it constantly surprises me. It seems to me that his contingent of antiwar supporters is a small minority. Most of his supporters are either broadly focused libertarian Republicans and even some liberals with a very large number who are loyal based on only one or two of his positions which are their issue as single-issue voters.

[libstripper]

How about, "die Hexe?"

Fine, just as long as you don't slander female dogs by calling the Witch a "bitch."

[Darkwolf377]

I understand your point, but the ‘08 election may surprise us re: the youth vote. 9-11 made a lot of liberal-minded college kids conservatives when it comes to national defense.

[George W. Bush]

Yeah, security is good issue. But I'd bet RP is pulling more of them with his liberty message.

We haven't even started yet on CCW rights and whether the kids at Virginia Tech and other colleges have a right to carry concealed and whether those colleges have any standing to deprive them of their rights under the Second.

And Ron Paul is still the darling of the Gun Owners of America. The Second has no greater friend.