Posted on 02/19/2008 11:09:16 PM PST by Checkers
John McCain's victory in the Washington State Presidential Primary tonight should surprise no one. His thrashing of Mike Huckabee, however, and the latter's poor overall showing, is a fascinating storyline.
McCain's win in another non-Southern state tonight was likewise anti-climatic, though thanks to the meaningful and competitive Democratic primary in Wisconsin there was actually an exit poll conducted for the dissection of political junkies. It showed Mike Huckabee getting pounded among non-Evangelicals, losing to McCain 67% - 24%. Those voters comprised 62% of Wisconsin voters casting GOP ballots. That's a pathetic showing in a two-man race.
Alas, there is no exit poll in Washington, but we can be assured based on the results thus far that Huckabee is getting shelled. As of 9:20 tonight, when most counties had reported their one tally for the evening and after initial tallies from King and Pierce (with more poll votes coming), Huckabee was barely beating Mitt Romney in the statewide vote count, 21.15% to 20.48%, with over 363,000 votes counted. Furthermore, Huckabee was actually running 3rd behind McCain and Romney in fourteen counties.
That's amazing. Romney dropped out of the race twelve days ago and Huckabee is still losing to him in that many locales, including larger counties such as Benton, King, and Spokane. Moreover, Huckabee leads Romney by only small margins in a couple significant suburban counties, Clark (1.55%) and Kitsap (1.25%). Given all that, early absentees alone can't account for Romney's totals. And even considering the fact those margins will probably move in Huckabee's favor with later absentee/mail-in votes it's still a serious embarrassment.
(Excerpt) Read more at soundpolitics.com ...
It's simply more proof Huckabee doesn't sell well outside the Evangelical community, especially when contests move beyond the South. It's been a two-man race for two weeks and this is apparently the best Huckabee can muster outside of that core constituency.
Maybe comparing the Washington State GOP to the Soviet Union in the days after the caucuses wasn't the best move after all?
Would you be so kind as to ping your ping list?
Thank you in advance.
I think you find this post interesting.
mccain already has the nomination once you add romney’s votes
Seems to me the bigger story is that over 20% of Republicans would rather throw away their vote on a candidate who’s no longer in the race, and who has even urged them to vote for McCain, than vote for McCain. That does not bode well for the GOP in November.
Huckabee only has the support of the gullible Church ladies. Him and Rudy were at the bottom of my list.
Useful interactive map found here:
http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/states/WA.html
“Seems to me the bigger story is that over 20% of Republicans would rather throw away their vote on a candidate who’s no longer in the race, and who has even urged them to vote for McCain, than vote for McCain. That does not bode well for the GOP in November.”
Not to put too fine a point on it, but Huckabee is not cutting it as the anti-McCain alternative.
“Huckabee only has the support of the gullible Church ladies. Him and Rudy were at the bottom of my list.:
Huckabee, McCain and Ron Paul were at the bottom of my list.
~sigh~
BTW: I hope Dick left you some property in his will, a la Leona.
That went right over my head.
Oh, right, my name.
I’m tired.
In that you noticed their actions, I submit, they did not throw their votes away at all.
Their votes spoke, loud and clear.
The analysis of Washington state’s GOP vote is not correct. We have a “vote by mail” option in Washington. In King County (Seattle) about 75% vote by mail. I voted for Romney and mailed my ballot two days before he dropped out. Had I known he would quit, I would have voted for Huck as a protest vote, although I could I never support Huck in the November election.
I hope you know that there are evangelicals all over the country who think of him as The Huckster.
Me, being one...
Please stop labeling people.
Many folks bought into the Fair Tax issue.
Perhaps reality will sink in when it’s finally down to the two main candidates and which one will be better for the troops and judicial nominations.
The strange thing is that Huckabee is the 2nd best speaker in the race this year, behind Obama, however, unlike Obama, he has been unable to turn that good speaking into votes. My own bias says that Republicans are not so easily swayed by a slick speaker as Democrats are.
Hey, there he is, the anti-conservative himself! Where’ve you been hidin’, ari-the-RINO? Or, is it ari-the-Demorat? Ahhhh!! ari-the-Libertarian!
Keep dreamin’, ari guy! Romney’s votes aren’t going to McCain. They’re going third party, write-in and no vote. Either way, that hurts your man McAmnesty. I haven’t decided yet whether to REALLY stick it to McLame (by taking Ann Coulter’s suggestion) or to write in. I’ve given up on The CP. And what’s more, Huckabee’s votes aren’t necessarily going to McQueeg, either. A lot of conservatives have real problems with McNasty...
SO TRUE, papa!
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