Posted on 01/20/2008 2:27:30 AM PST by counterpunch
COLUMBIA, S.C.- John McCain was the winner of Saturday's South Carolina primary. Mike Huckabee came in second. Fred Thompson came in third, followed closely by Mitt Romney.
This is a victory that eluded McCain in 2000, and if history is a guide, may have set him on course to become the GOP presidential nominee. No Republican since 1980 has won the party's nod without a win in the first-in-the-South primary.
Saturday's primary loss was clearly a big disappointment for Fred Thompson, but you never would have picked up on that when you heard him speak to his supporters.
"Well, it may be a little early to declare victory, I am not sure," Thompson joked. "We told our folks to vote late, so they'll be trickling in I am sure."
So a lot of folks are now weighing in on Fred Thompson's political future. One political expert from Tennessee weighs in.
"I think he is through if he doesn't do well here, I think he has said so. Even a second place finish won't do," said Jackson Baker, Memphis Flyer.
"This is a gun show he just attended, if he can't get votes from this crowd, in this state which is probably the most conservative state in the union probably, then his message just probably won't play anywhere else," said Baker.
Thompson spent more time campaigning in South Carolina than anyone else. An army of Tennessee Volunteers also came through. They sent out a scripted message to undecided voters.
In South Carolina, apparently, Thompson's message did not catch on. Fred Thompson, however, was far from making any sort of statement about bowing out of the presidential race. Thompson returned home to Virginia Saturday night. His campaign most likely is regrouping, and gearing up for another big fight in the Florida Primary.
Next election I'm voting for Bobby Jindal! If he can clean up Louisiana without joining the forces of corruption or getting caught in a scandal he will be in a very good position and have a great inspiring story to tell.
McCain will run the infamous "Dole" campaign of the country club Republican....with the same result. The fight for the White House ends with Thompson, at least for me.
“I just heard that Fred won Nevada!”
Romney won Nevada
“Romney won Nevada”.
Shucks! You’re right. I must have heard it wrong. Oh, well.
Conservatives WANT to like Fred.
We WANTED to believe he would be able to energize and solidify the Republican base, and lead us into a new era of strength, prosperity and conservative dominance.
But it's more than obvious that 85% of Republicans, or more, understand that Fred is too old looking and uninspiring (sorry for the crudeness).
More importantly, he is ALSO part of that Washington DC insider good ol' boy network which has caused so many problems for the GOP and America.
Same with McCain.
Only Huckabee and Romney are 'outsiders' and would thus bring in some fresh leadership ideas.
And Huckabee would be total disaster... and would destroy the GOP for decades.
Which is why so many of us are excited about Mitt Romney, his fresh face... his fresh approach to conservative ideas and promotion.
“More importantly, he is ALSO part of that Washington DC insider good ol’ boy network which has caused so many problems for the GOP and America.
Same with McCain.”
I think this was the main reason Fred didn’t ever really get going. He wasn’t able to draw any new supporters outside of the ones that were already for him. JMO but I think many people felt like he would just be an extension of GWBs administration and 4 more years of the same old same.
McCain is managing to side step some of this because of his reputation as a maverick. JMO again, but since the MSM never mentions McCains name without the Maverick thing thrown in, I think people have an idea that he will be a change candidate as well.
Exactly!
McCain, and Fred (unfortunately), are part of that good 'ol boy Washington DC network which has demoralized us and gotten the country into the funk its in.
The Republican Party needs a fresh face of conservative promotion.
The reason Bomb-o Abracka has been doing well (in part) is his outsider status, his fresh face.
Of course that amounts to a hill of beans if there is no message, which is why so many of us are excited and energized about Romney.
Mitt is not only energized.. he is a fresh face, a new spirit... a new approach toward GETTING THINGS DONE for America.
McCain and Fred, as much as I love Fred, are the same old same old and would bring us the same old result as Bob Dole.
You sound just like the media. Fred can win the south as soon as the media lets him speak.
I agree. Fred should stay in even if he has no chance of winning. He should be a voice, and a group of bargaining delegates, at the convention.
What a stupid comment. If that was so, how did McCain who is what, 72, win SC.
I’m still for Fred. However; if he stays in the race, he needs to consult with the likes of Haley Barbour or Ed Gillespie for ideas to turn this around. Fred’s been running his campaign from the back of the bus. In this day and age, that’s not going to cut it. He has to organize a grassroots army to go house-to-house, to man phone banks, to blanket neighborhoods with literature, etc. Ed Gillespie and Ken Mehlman (for that matter) understood this and helped propel W to victory in 2000 and 2004. W wouldn’t have won either election without the well-organized, grassroots machine he had. Ed, Ken, and (Rove) had every house in every precinct on a BlackBerry and had a strategy to reach the people in that house.
Fred’s TV spots and a few bus stops weren’t enough to carry the day in South Carolina, nor will they be in any other state. The MSM is marginalizing Fred. All the more reason he needs a strong grassroots effort. Again, this takes organization.
I’m ready to sign up for a PITCHFORK REVOLUTION under the slogan TURN IT OFF (meaning the MSM). Their polls, projections, and pandering be damned. I’m not ready to give my country over to those who will destroy it. As Mark Levin says, we must push back the liberal hordes.
“You sound just like the media. Fred can win the south as soon as the media lets him speak.”
I’m sorry but Fred proved in SC that he couldn’t win the South. He had been in SC for 2 weeks and he covered the state speaking, and still only pulled 16% of the votes. If Fred was waiting for the MSM to “Let” him speak that’s why he got his clock cleaned.
He ran one of the poorest national campaigns I have ever seen, given that he was supposed to be Reagan’s heir.
Just terrible.
“What a stupid comment. If that was so, how did McCain who is what, 72, win SC.”
He’s a better speaker than Fred.
Mitt is the same ol same ol liberal horsecrap trying to pass as conservative. He is a flip floppin phlegm phlagm man with no prinicples whatsoever except to say and do whatever it takes to win. His foundation is built of sand. He is a little better than Hookerbee and Queeg.
Fred, on the other hand, is head and shoulders above Rudy McRomney, in every aspect that really matters, principle, integrity, morality, and honor, and of course, conservatism. And I find that very inspiring. The others can just go eff themselves. I am with Fred all the way as far as he wants to take this.
Go Fred Go!
“He ran one of the poorest national campaigns I have ever seen, given that he was supposed to be Reagan’s heir.”
I have to agree with you. The strange part is that when he officially entered the race he was in 2nd place nationally, and was polling pretty well. I think the problem was that he started pretty casually, and didn’t seem to ramp up till a couple of weeks before IA. when the polls showed him slipping. It went downhill fast from there. This is one of the most spectacular flameouts I’ve ever seen, rivaling even Howard Deans. One day he was there.....the next day he was gone.
“Of course, if Obama beats Hillary, then it all over as no Republican will beat him.”
You say thast only McCain can beat Hildabeat, and no one can beat Obambi. Thus, if McCain stumbles, yYou seem to be pretty much resigned to a marxist being elected president.
I am not that fearful...yet. I do not believe a majority of the American people have become so suicidal. Oh, 40% have; but not 50.1%
I don't know if it was the poorest; however, it was pretty bad. He came to the party way too late and was largely ignored as a result (it's those first impressions).
In spite of? :) That scenario might be viable if all of the conservative base voted for him as well.
But it will not
McCain prevailed in a fractured field against 3 or 4 strong candidates and he will not have that luxury against hillary.
Hillary will beat McCain like a drum.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.