Posted on 01/22/2008 8:38:59 PM PST by neverdem
I just lost my reason for changing my registration from Conservative to the GOP in New York. My pick in that poll was none of the above. Slightly more than half on this forum prefers Romney as I write this.
I don't know why Fred didn't get more support, but when he got a little more than half of the support of Mike Huckabee in the South Carolina, that told Fred something. Huckabee was his main rival for the social conservative vote. I don't know what those folks in South Carolina were thinking when they voted for Huckabee, but a candidate who proposes to ban tobacco smoking and who criticizes the present administration for being too bellicose is not credible, IMHO, not to mention his otherwise populist politics.
When it comes to the general election, I'll most likely support the GOP's nominee, but if it is Romney, I won't be surprised if a lot of the "base" stays home. Some will stay home because of his religion. That's probably the worst reason not to vote for him, IMHO. Debra J. Saunders wrote today in the San Francisco Chronicle: "But don't tell me Romney is the true conservative in the race. His record reveals a solid conservative - when it has been in his interest to be one." Suffice it to say, the author barely starts to criticize Romney for all of the changes in his political positions over various social issues over the years. Should Romney win the nomination and in November, I expect as many disappointments as the current occupant of the White House.
I don't have to mention the other RINOs that are left in more ways than one. How did we get to this point where we are left with such a bunch of dismal RINOs? I don't know. The drive by media didn't help. But that is beside the point. The point is what do we do now. I say vote in the remaining primaries in a way so that we get a brokered convention. Considering what we are left with now, how could we do any worse?
Some might fear a brokered convention. I fear muddling along with any of these RINOs. David Freddoso wrote last month in National Review Online: "A brokered convention would allow for an airing of grievances for a party that has to decide its direction after a major loss." November 2006 was such a loss. Conservatives and small 'l' libertarians have just had another loss in this GOP primary season. A brokered convention could result in having a nominee we want to vote for, as opposed to voting against whoever the donkey is, after they have a nasty primary battle, or Bloomberg who's shaping up as the serious third party nominee. The left are eating their own. Fierce fighting over the minority vote may be the real surprise of the '08 Democratic race, with many blacks gravitating to Sen. Barack Obama and Hispanics to Sen. Hillary Clinton.
A brokered convention could take advantage of another fracture in the donkeys and appeal to a great many folks sick of endless illegal immigration while our entitlement and social programs are undermining our finances. Another third party effort from the right, e.g. Constitution Party, would be courting disaster even if Bloomberg draws votes only from the left and center, IMHO.
I foresee a third party run by Alan Keyes. I've seen that since he announced his candidacy. And if it happens, it could very well put a Democrat in the White House like Perot's run did.
Where do you get this? Romney has delegate lead and is leading in Fla.
In a brokered convention, the party hacks and New York Rockefeller socialists will give us McCain.
I still think that Mitt will pick better judges than Hillary or Bamamania.
If Thompson wanted our votes he could have at least pretended to like us. He didn’t bother to go to the value voters debate - which is what got Huckabee’s momentum going btw - he came out against the Human Life Amendment, he blew off Dr. Dobson, and he made a big deal about not going to church.
I am not sure what he was trying to prove by all this. It turned many people off (except FREDHEADS).
and Fred’s 100% pro-life record meant nothing. the NRLC endorsement meant nothing. Welcome back, Carter.
Apparently outside of FR it did not mean much.
Right now the directional wind appears to be blowing in Hillary’s direction. Why... she is protected and has the networking well established and an unlimited cash flow. She is experienced and has that old lovable sinner hubby that the majority of Americans love to see elevated and she did religiously speaking stand by her man. The Clintons are well studied in human nature and they have polled US nearly to death so they know up front what they can say and who they can point the ugly finger of accusation for the blame.
All the Clintons need is to pull that thorn Obama out of their side and gather under their wing that attention needing, above it all, Independents.
President Bush has become the personification of warmonger and ‘evil’ protector of the rich. Even though President Bush moved farther to the left under a compassionate dress than any Republican president since Nixon started many of these leftist governmental regulated programs.
Sadly these politicians do represent the majority of Americans.
It appears it is McCain or Romney now without a convention. I said we can't do worse. Who wants to help a RINO. Draft Coburn instead!
” Romney has delegate lead and is leading in Fla.”
I sure hope he is, but RCP poll average had McCain up by 2pts or so ... Romney needs a little ‘mo’ to get over the top there.
Proamnesty-antiBushtaxcuts-proCO2caps-CFR-RINO John McCain delenda est!
“Some people actually believe these values issues are more important than other issues and want someone to champion them rather than give lip service to them.”
Yes, even though I disagree with Huck on a lot of issues (ie he’s not conservative on fiscal/economic issues) and found him therefore objectionable, that was/is the thinking of social conservatives. It was unfair IMHO to Thompson but it is what it is.
The whole point of the Reagan coalition of social, fiscal and national security conservatives is that all elements of the agenda need to be addressed. We cant push one group in the corner. The Huckaboom was reaping the harvest that was sown with the Rudy run. Thankfully, both Huck and Rudy are fading and the ‘Reagan coalition’ may yet endure, albeit wobbly, under Romney and/or McCain.
Unity is strength.
Feel free to paint any other realistic scenario. I don’t see it. It’s either McCain or Romney right now.
The only other guy collecting delegates was Huckabee, and he’s out of money, out of credibility, and out of new voters to appeal to.
PING for fascinating graphic.
“I still think that Mitt will pick better judges than Hillary or Bamamania.”
Yes, the guy endorsed by Judge Robert Bork (Romney) will definitely be a better selector of Federal Judges than the two folks who try to out-do each other on how pro-abortion they are. Romney will be more reliable than McCain as well, based on their relative reactions to gay marriage and Romney’s support for FMA while McCain voted against it. (viz santorum’s comments on McCain that McCain never wanted social issues to come to a vote in the senate).
“Leaves McCain and Romney. Looks like Romney will be picking up the majority of the support from the dropped out conservatives Tancredo, Hunter and Thompson, but surprisingly, McCain is hanging in there. Question will be, which way will Huckabee’s Evangelicals break?”
Leading The News Sen. McCain starts urgent dash for cash
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1957946/posts
McCain won’t last too much longer.
Very soon, perhaps as soon as just after Florida, it will be Romney - the guy who supported abortion, gun control, and amnesty, until the moment he decided to run for the presidency... vs Ron Paul, who has been consistently conservative on all 3 of those major issues.
“Yes, the guy endorsed by Judge Robert Bork (Romney) will definitely be a better selector of Federal Judges than the two folks who try to out-do each other on how pro-abortion they are. Romney”
Bork is against the RKBA - he thinks the 2nd amendment doesn’t guarantee us the right to arms. The NRA came out against his nomination for that reason.
He also called the 9th amendment an “ink blot” without meaning.
No wonder he supports Mittens.
The composers crunched the numbers based on voting trends over the years and not just the 2000 or 2004 POTUS election.
Questioned about gun control, McCain said existing laws should be enforced, noting that the Clinton Administration has been "derelict" in doing that. But he also said that he supported the recent gun control legislation passed by the Senate and he also said that in light of the recent spate of shootings, new proposals by the Clinton Administration should be looked at by Congress and not dismissed out of hand. http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/08/18/president.2000/thompson.mccain/
McCain flipped on guns
Senator McCain supported the interests of the Gun Owners of America 0 percent in 2005. (that's not good!)
Senator McCain supported the interests of the Gun Owners of America 100 percent in 2006. (wow, what a convenient flip!)
Based on lifetime voting records on gun issues and the results of a questionnaire sent to all Congressional candidates in 2004, the National Rifle Association assigned Senator McCain a grade of C+ (with grades ranging from a high of A+ to a low of F).
Mostly right, but McCain supposedly just doesn’t have the money to compete on Feb. 5 in all states. He’ll have to pick and choose, so he’d have to not only win, but win big in Florida to be able to “sweep the table.” Now, it’s possible that in the next week, he’ll rais $25 million, but that doesn’t seem that likely, especially since most of his potential supporters have probably already donated to Hillary or Obama.
Giuliani is not flush with cash, either.
And Huckabee is almost broke.
Nope, not if you're a conservative. However, leftists have no problem changing the rules if they aren't getting the outcomes that they like. (Fla 2000)
Having said that, the Republicans are so bitterly divided that they are probably going to lose this one anyway. The only question that remains is, how badly will that loss be?
Before you accuse me of being a pessimist or helping the 'rats win, I'll be voting Republican in November, be it Romney, McCain, Huckabee, or Giuliani. I'll do what it takes.
But - this year - it may take more than we all have. I wish that weren't so.
- John
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