Posted on 01/20/2008 6:57:25 AM PST by skully
Fred Thompson's distant third in last night's South Carolina primary, has me re-thinking my support. I say this with disappointment, " I don't think Fred can win the nomination". Part of me wants to support him to the bitter end. Another part feels that in doing so I may only be helping McCain or Huckabee; my least 2 favorite candidates. I live in a Super Tuesday state, and my vote may actually matter this cycle, so I want to use it wisely. The only other candidates who seems like they can stop McCain or Huckabee is Romney or Rudy. If McCain wins in Florida, then he's in good shape to be the nominee. Polling analysis, done before Nevada and South Carolina primary; has him in the lead in Florida at around 23% about a 2 point lead over Rudy whose at 21-22%. Romney is around 18%, Hucakabee 15%, Fred 7%, and Paul 5%. Florida is a winner take all state, so whoever wins will have solid delegate count. Romney has the most delegate at this point, counts vary from source to source, but I put him at 72 to McCain's 38. So a win from Romney in Florida would give him a solid lead going into Super Tuesday. A win by Rudy would knock McCain into 3rd in the delegate count. So my quandry is do I continue to support Fred, or put my support behind a candidate who has a better chance of stopping McCain. In the end I will vote for the GOP nominee regardless. This is only because the troops are deployed, and they don't deserve a Commander-In-Chief from the party that tried to lose the war for them. So the primary is where my vote counts the most, and I want to put the "best man possible" for the job on the ticket. Unfortunately it dosen't look like the "best man" for the job will be at the top of that ticket, but there's is another spot on that ticket. Hey it might be wishful thinking, but what's a Fredhead to do??
“Huckabee is a better choice for conservatives and Americans than Clinton/Obama.”
The Christian socialist is better than the agnostic socialists? If it comes to that, I will let the rest of the country make that decision.
This is the crux of the problem. I knew dems were helpless little sheeple that could be easily led - but I'm shocked & disappointed how easily so many Republicans are being manipulated by the MSM. Our country has really "dumbed" down, hasn't it?
The way I see it - first the MSM was pushing Rudy on us - as the "only one who can beat Hillary". People didn't jump right on that wagon & I think Rudy started running out of money - so he's bunkered up & putting all his eggs in the Florida basket.
Then, the MSM thought - "Hmmmm, they're not falling for the Rudy line - so let's give those stupid social conservatives a preacher to vote for - that'll show 'em!" So, they started lifting Hucklebee with everything they had. Now, we see that there's lots of sheeple in our party too. People that won't check a candidate's record out themselves - and vote for someone just because they can talk a folksy preacher game.
Then, they start building McCain up too - because they win whether he wins or loses - & once again - stupid sheeple follow to line up behind who they are told is "the one who can win".
Can we not see the trend here? Is it not obvious enough yet? The MSM has shut out every true conservative in the race! Yes, it's up to the man to get his message out & Fred is doing that the best way he can without media's help - but it has to have some effect on a campaign when the media will not even talk about a candidate.
What does this tell us? We absolutely are being led down a path where we lose!!!!!!!!!!!!! If the media is pushing someone - you can bet your life - they are not the right choice for any conservative.
I fear it's too late. Even some of the people on Free Republic are falling for their tricks. Now, I can understand the story in the Bible when Moses came down from the mountain with the tablets & found his people worshiping false idols and forgetting the whole reason they were there in the first place. Let's face it - most people are just plain stupid - and the devil knows it.
Our job is cut out for us now & if we don't rise to the occasion and do it - we will lose & I don't think we will recover in my lifetime. This is crucial for us.
I’m surprised some of you can’t see that the news media hate Romney. He won Nevada by more than thirty points and the news media are having an orgasm because McCain won by three.
Disagree. Huckabees' evangelicals are just about dried up. Maybe two more states and he's finished.
Amen
Statistically, Bush barely carried the South. Every race was too close to call and Flori duh was a few hundred votes of throwing the election to Gore in 2000. Even though Gore won the US popular vote by a few thousand votes.
Ohio was the deciding factor in 2004, again by a very slim statistical margin. Although Kerry did not win the popular vote it was still the subject of a recount in some precincts.
Why do you think that some people are pushing the abolition of the electoral college?
If every election can split the vote 50 - 50, with less than half of eligible voters participating in the election there is more opportunity for voter fraud to be the deciding factor.
I see that too. I could vote for Romney - but Fred is my first choice.
It's like what happened with Iraq, except this time republican voters didn't stand firm...they cut and ran.
You may be right, but it reflects a very sad state of affairs for this country when there is more money than votes in being the loudest voice in the nation against ILLEGAL immigration.
The problem is that the lesser evil morphs to become a bigger evil -- and you have encouraged it along the way.
The whole process is bastardized. If dems can cross over and vote in a GOP caucus, what’s the point? None of it makes any sense any more. We’ve been royally RIPPED OFF!
I think I could support Hucknugets before I could support anyone that has ever won an election in Massachusetts.
Conservatives are a minority in the current Republican party. If we were the majority we would be winning. At this point the question is how do we minimize the damage? I suggest we coalesce around the least objectionable of the leading candidates from a conservative prospective. I suggest Mitt. Sad, but Fred is very unlikely to win anything now. He should withdraw. With that we should have enough votes to stave off McCain, Rudy, and the Huckster. And no I didn't start as a Mitt supporter. Duncan and Tom were my guys. Our first choice guys didn't catch on. It is time to move on to the next best position. I know it hurts but it is time to think strategically and win the best outcome we can.
The only one a conservative can vote for,pray for, and hope for would be Fred Thompson.
Sounds like everybody is working off their third choices! I’m thinking Mitt; at least he’s running on a platform I agree with mostly, and I do think he has historically appointed competent professionals overall. Not perfect, but acceptable.
Welcome to the club. I plan on voting for the most conservative candidate I can find on election day...
...and if that candidate is not a Republican, it is on their heads, not mine.
States like SC, which allow independents to pick which primary they will vote in on a whim, will see results in the Republican vote such as we saw with McCain.
“Huckabee has no chance of winning, no matter what Thompson does. Hes a complete fraud, and the news media will expose him when it serves their purposes.”
I will surprised if Huckabee can win anything outside of the South.
” Like another poster claimed, it is like trying to choose diarrhea over vomiting. “
Just hope you don’t sneeze while you’re thinking about it!
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.