Posted on 02/28/2008 7:00:23 AM PST by xzins
Will the "Willie Effect" Impact the Election?
Some speculate the controversy could cost McCain the White House
By 700WLW News
Thursday, February 28, 2008
( Cincinnati ) -- Some reports claim the on-going controversy involving 700 WLW talk show host Bill Cunningham (Willie Cunningham) and presidential candidate John McCain has the potential to impact the results of the 2008 election.
Ohio is a key state in the presidential election. For Republicans it is essential that they win as much support as possible in southwest Ohio to counter the strong Democratic party support in the Cleveland area.
Political Science professor Jason Johnson from Hiram College spoke to the Cincinnati Enquirer and told them John McCain needs radio talk show listeners and Willie fans to go his way, "John McCain needs those people if he has any hope of winning in November."
With other national talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity rushing to Willie's defense, it widens the rift between the party's conservative base and John McCain even further, at a time when the Republican party has only recently started to solidify around the likely nominee.
Huckabee is McCain’s Judas Goat, he’s keeping all the sheep in line until the convention, when he will ask them all to fall on their own swords and support McCain.
My guess is that McCain is trying to separate himself from the conservatives as much as possible because he thinks that he has a better chance of picking up the Hispanic vote and the anti Obama vote if he separates himself. That’s where Huckabee comes in. He holds the base and keeps them engaged so that they don’t just give up and withdraw. McCain figures that if he can keep the conservatives thinking about the federal election, that they will give up and vote for him eventually.
You haven't read well what Blu said. Blu said that he is not a listener. He did not say that he hasn't heard of him. He, in fact, said that he has heard Cunningham, because he specifically said "not listend to him, AT LEAST TO HIS TALK SHOW."
Do you honestly think that Clear Channel would have given a national show to a guy with no success at home?
BTW, Dane, I live here, too. And, except for a military career, I've lived here my entire life, and I'm not a youngster. Of interest, perhaps, is the fact that I was NEVER assigned anyplace in the US where I couldn't pick up Cunningham's WLW700 station. I even picked it up once on top of a mountain in Sonthofen, Germany.
...not to mention having his fingees on the nuclear buttons! “McCain Unhinged” is a redundant phrase...
Are you threatening me?
Retired Army Chaplain. Also, Calminian by birth, and Calminian by the Grace of God. :>)
“Cunningham makes McCain appear reasonable....John’s camp used him to make a national statement. It worked.”
And that statement was.....”I, Juanito McAmnesty am a friggin’ wuss!”
He can't. Because, in McCain's eyes, we ARE dog crap.
Your guess is as good as mine, but I’m one of those not voting for McCain here in Florida, and everytime I waiver in that and begin to think maybe, just maybe I could hold my nose, McCain comes out and reminds me again how much contempt he has for people like me.
That's not what I said ... I said I've never listened to his show.
You can't live in this area and not heard of Cunningham, he does several commercials, most notably a car dealership commercial.
He enjoys some degree of local celebrity status.
Mr McCain took full responsibility for Cunningham’s remarks. Therefore, if you’re right, McCain has hurt all of us.
This boy has the common sense of a turnip.
Nam Vet
I can only speak for myself, and I can tolerate a man with whom I disagree on some issues, (even very important issues), but cannot tolerate a man who is disloyal, uses liberal parlance for votes, uses liberal smears for votes, uses Republican’s most dangerous enemy (the MSM) for votes, works against Republicans, and threatens to join the UnAmerican Democrat Party.
In no way is a man like that advancing the Right or even center Right.
He is exacerbating the problems we have.
He has a Sunday night show, not exactly prime time in radio, and also how many stations carry him?
JMO, after seeing Cunningham on TV(Fox, CNN), he seems like he is full of himself, and I agree with other opinions on this thread, that McCain criticizing Cunningham helps him.
Yuh know that the world doesn't revolve around the insular world of talk radio, something the hubristic talk radio hosts are finding out,
Oh? So it's not the fault of conservatives that they have squandered their authority and influence to the point where we can't even field a viable candidate? "Blame somebody else" is awfully easy -- but really, it's just proof that we're our own worst enemies.
Dane,
The Primaries are not at all close to what will happen in the General. You of all people, are intelligent to know that. There were cross-overs upon cross-overs.
Judging by the massive Democrat turn out, the GOP will need EVERY vote it can muster, and I mean MUSTER! There is no way McCain can win without us. And there are still many more of us that you or the RNC believe there are.
Hide and watch, come November, it will be a Democrat landslide from the Executive to the Legislative branches. Count on it.
“don’t think that McCain had any choice but to make the remarks that he did unless he wished to appear hopelessly partisan.”
This is Juanito, there is no chance that he would EVER be seen as “hopelessly partisan” unless....you don’t think that he would switch parties do you?
Uh... ok. Hooo, boy.... there's some incisive thinking, for sure!
A question, if Cunningham is so "popular" how come he hasn't run for public office, according to you he would win in a landslide in SW ohio.
Good advice. I’ll certainly follow it. Look for me on the news when the secret service carries me off when I try to have a word with Mr McCain.
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.