What's at stake...

Vanity | October 7, 2007 | me

[Jagman]

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to work really hard from now until election day to make sure they don’t even get that far!

[Old Sarge]

What were Bobby Knight’s words?

“If it’s inevitable, relax and enjoy it.”

[Perdogg]

Unfortunately, followers of the Grand Ayatollah Dobson won’t support Rudy if he runs against Hitlery Klinton.

[teledude]

Maybe the conservatives should unite behind the conservative candidate with the greatest chance of beating Rudy? Instead of splitting our vote and in effect nominating him.

(I think Hillary will crush Rudy, as many principled conservatives will sit this one out if he's the candidate.)

[elizabetty]

So you think personal convictions should take a back seat to political expediency?

There are indeed worse things than Hillary Clinton winning the election in 2008.

For instance, Hillary Clinton winning the White House and the Republican Party destroyed in the process. Or Hillary Clinton winning the White House and the Republican Party being represented by Rudy Giuliani.

[Gorzaloon]

(I think Hillary will crush Rudy, as many principled conservatives will sit this one out if he's the candidate.)

We do not get many candidates of good quality for President. Why should we? Does anyone with half a brain and a working moral compass want that miserable job?

As always, we have to vote for the lesser evil and hold our noses. If "principled Conservatives" want to live under that horror they will get what they deserve.

If someone of conscience cannot vote FOR a Republican candidate, then let them vote AGAINST pure evil.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Free Republic Opinion Poll: (9/24) If the Republican Presidential Primary were held today, and the following candidates were listed on your ballot, which one would you choose?

Composite Opinion
Fred Thompson 47.6% 3,258
Duncan Hunter 24.7% 1,691
Mitt Romney 12.8% 879
Tom Tancredo 7.6% 522
Mike Huckabee 7.2% 496
Totals 99.9% 6,846

OK let’s go with Fred!

[teledude]

I agree with you and wish principled conservatives would show some pragmatism (I certainly will)...but in dealing with them here on FR and reading about all this third party talk, I've decided we better come together before the convention.

If we split our votes now, Rudy will get the nod and we will only have the choice between two liberals. Sadly, many conservatives I know have sworn to sit this one out if that's the case.

[sweet_diane]

"OK let’s go with Fred!"

I agree. Yet it seems to me that somehow Rudy has become the savior of the Rep party (to some). I don't get it.

[small voice in the wilderness]

Please do not sully this thread with common sense or thoughtful insight. It makes the Political FReepercides nervous as they must at least acknowledge that what they’re threatening will indeed be on their collective conscience when we all are forced to pay the price they chose. Those aren’t Indians on the horizon, Custer Republicans, those are Socialists. Your scalp is the least prize they covet.

[org.whodat]

. Open the borders! Make America a “Sanctuary Nation” for anyone and everyone who wants to enter the country

Same thing that rudy pushed in New york. LOL,

Not drinking your brand of cool-aide.

[sweet_diane]

"Sadly, many conservatives I know have sworn to sit this one out if that's the case."

Since coming of age to vote, I have never sat out a national election..ever. Additonally, I have never, ever knowingly voted for a supporter of abortion.

I'm not going to fall for this notion that the sky will fall if Rudy isn't the Republican nom.

[Perdogg]

I like Fred Thompson. If Rudy gets the nomination, I will get up on Election Day 2008 at 5am to go cast my vote for Rudy.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

You have to take the long view. A Hillary presidency (2 term probably) would fundamentally alter this country with a radical left turn. It galls me to write this, but any real Republican would be better. With respect to Republican presidential candidates, recall an old saying: Better is the enemy of good enough.

[teledude]

Maybe I'm not making myself understood. I am not a Rudy supporter, but I would vote for him if he's the nominee, just because I truly fear a Hillary administration.

I know there are many pro-life people who would never vote for Rudy, and if he is the nominee I think Hillary will win in a landslide.

That's why I think all the supporters of the "second tier' candidates should take a hard look at what splitting the conservative vote is doing. Rudy will win with 25% to 30% if our votes are split between four or five candidates.

If you don't want to vote for a pro-choice candidate in the general election, maybe we should unite behind a pro-life candidate that can actually win! Even if that person isn’t your number one choice at the moment.

I think Fred can do it.

[BARLF]

If we split our votes now, Rudy will get the nod and we will only have the choice between two liberals. Sadly, many conservatives I know have sworn to sit this one out if that's the case.

Hillary Clinton is worse than liberal. She is a Communist. So my choice is clear, I will vote Republican in the general.

[Sonora]

Yes, I agree - it’s Fred!

[sweet_diane]

"I think Fred can do it."

I agree! What's difficult for me is the thought that it may come down to a choice between Rudy and Hillary. The idea of that choice makes me ill and I pray I never have to make it!

[codercpc]

Let's also look at the liabilities of the three major candidates, and rank them in order of general election electability.

1) Mitt Romney - Mormon, and combination of flip flopping on social issues.

2) Rudy - Social issues

3) Fred - so far (debate performance may change this perception) his uninspiring campaign presence, and although many don't want to talk about it, his health.

It is our responsibility to figure our how all of these things will play out in the general election.

For Mitt, I see his issues causing most problems in the evangelical south. Will it be enough to actually lose any southern states is the question. Will the percentage that refuse to vote for him in those states be absorbed by the otherwise large leads that President Bush had in those states in 2004? On the other hand does his "polished politician" persona win any new states, or even keep the marginal ones (such as Ohio).

For Rudy - these problems have been debated over and over again so there is no need to go into those again. We know, according to recent polls, that he loses up to 27% of the social conservative vote. But where are those votes? As with Mitt, does he lose them in any one place, or is it mainly the south that we can afford to lose a few points. For example, in 2004 President Bush won Georgia by 16.5%, obviously if all the 27% vote in that one state we would lose the electoral votes, but if instead only 10% of those people in Georgia refuse to vote for him, he would still win by 6.5% (I realize my math is not correct - I am just making the point). And can Rudy offset those numbers by winning some moderates in States like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, etc.

For Fred, I don't think his problems offset much if any in the primary elections. I think that most of his hard core supporters know his health issues, and are not bothered by his laid back persona, but let's move to the general election like I have with the others. Will the general public look at his health as a liability? Does the general public even know about his cancer? Will his campaign style woo over new voters? Can he hold on to all of the states that President Bush won in 2004.

Now that I have laid out some of the liabilities of all of the major candidates, we must decide which liabilities are worth the risk of going head to head with Hillary. We must also decide if our top priority is really to keep her out of the White House (which in my case it is)

[El Gato]

This is all fine and good after the primaries. Before the primaries we have to fight for the candidate we think would make the best President to safeguard the free Republic.

But after that we have to go after the 'rat nominee, who will almost certainly be her Thighness, with hammer and tongs. Making the transition, especially if the nominee is your 3rd or 4th, or "No Way Jose" choice, is difficult, but absolutely required to prevent a disaster.