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The Electability Myth: Why McCain is neither inevitable nor electable (Must Read)
McCain's Straight Talk ^ | February 1, 2008

Posted on 02/01/2008 9:06:28 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The mainstream media will turn against Senator McCain as soon as he selected as the Republican nominee.

So far as I can tell, that's true.

If I were voting in an opposition party’s primary as an “Independent” I would tell them everything that I thought a true Republican or Conservative would want to hear to skew the numbers in a way that makes that candidate to appear to have the best stance on all issues important to the party’s members. I would even vote in the opposition primary if I was satisfied with either candidate for my party and knew a vote for McCain would be like a vote for Hillary or Obama.

It sounds like you're assuming that convinced Democrats or liberals wouldn't have voted in the Democrat primary. That may have been true in some states where there was no real Democratic primary, but probably not in New Hampshire.

A lot of politically passionate people assume everyone is in one politically committed camp or the other. In fact, most independent voters are somewhere in the middle. They aren't operatives for the other side.

Perhaps the reason why the pollsters were so wrong about Barack Obama’s inevitable victory in New Hampshire was because many moderates that will vote either Obama or Hillary in the general election switched over to vote for McCain knowing that true conservatives and core Republicans would support him, thus splintering the party and greatly increasing the chances of a Democratic victory this Fall.

But aren't you also saying that true conservatives won't support McCain? Don't those two arguments conflict?

McCain could well turn out to be a real bust, but I don't know if we can safely assume that his people wouldn't be able to use Clinton's or Obama's negatives against them with swing voters.

McCain-Feingold, McCain’s own anti-free speech legislation may become McCain’s biggest barrier to electability by eliminating the soft-money that he could have raised through his friends Arnold and Rudy and other like minded moderates.

That could be true. If McCain doesn't get broad based support from conservative donors he may regret not having large contributions from wealthy contributors. But throw off all limits and you might be surprised at the results: the Democrats have a lot of ultra-rich donors who would love to give even more than they can under current laws.

21 posted on 02/02/2008 10:18:06 AM PST by x
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To: Matchett-PI

I have been calling for Romney all day. It’s amazing that there are still so many that are undecided between Mitt and McCain. Most of my undecideds said they would look at Romney again. One person from Teller County Colorado was telling me that she had no idea as to where to go on Tuesday, and no one she knew did either. What is going on out there? She wants input into the upcoming election, but nothing was sent to the voters in her area. This is unreal.


22 posted on 02/02/2008 11:04:50 AM PST by adc (Rush '08)
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To: adc

Thanks so much for calling and also for the input about what you’re finding.

I have found that sort of thing myself in talking to friends and relatives. Most people aren’t that much interested and don’t pay attention to the political scene like we do -they don’t even know where to begin when it gets down to crunch time. I find that they are grateful for any opinions they are able to get from people they like and trust.

I am quite willing to be of help. :)

Of course, I have plenty of friends and relatives who call me anywhere from a day to a week or so before an election to ask, “OK, who do we vote for in this election?” :)

Really! It’s maddening, but they just don’t care enough to be proactive and go out and do the research themselves.

I remember back when the Christian Coalition published their voter guides how happy the sheep were to get them.

With lazy, uninformed citizens like that in society, it’s no wonder the worst possible people in society are able to come to power in government.

It makes me sick!


23 posted on 02/02/2008 11:24:28 AM PST by Matchett-PI (Losers never win. McCain is a loser.)
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To: Matchett-PI

Bttt!


24 posted on 02/02/2008 11:54:16 AM PST by TheLion
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To: Matchett-PI

2nd caller from Colorado who is pro Mitt, but doesn’t know where to go. At least he is is going online to find out, but the point is. . . .WHY DON’T THESE PEOPLE KNOW WHERE TO GO? Isn’t it someone’s job to make that information readily available? Where is the organization to get out the vote?


25 posted on 02/02/2008 12:18:04 PM PST by adc (Rush '08)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I don’t think McCain cares. He just wants the nomination. I think it is a vindeta. He hates conservates and as much as Huckabee is working to get him the nominee, McCain is working to get Hillary or Obama the presidency.


26 posted on 02/02/2008 1:22:15 PM PST by FreeAtlanta (Search for Folding Project - Join FR Team 36120)
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To: adc
I got a friend of mine at work to go vote for Romney when I told him about McAmnesty. This guy is so upset with illegals and the pandering that he closed his Bank of America account last year.

The illegals issue will resonate, if we can get out the message. I hope it isn't too late.

27 posted on 02/02/2008 1:25:10 PM PST by FreeAtlanta (Search for Folding Project - Join FR Team 36120)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

That post is on point...but here’s McCain’s strategy: pull in independents and others to win open primaries. He’s then counting on the anti-hillary vote in the general and will count on drawing in folks like me. I find McCain to be intellectually dishonest, personally corrupted by a quest for power, a personification of forces who can’t stand our constitution, and charlatan. But, as a conservative who finds roe v wade to be perhaps the most repugnant decision in our history and holds the liberal members of the supremes in contempt (of court :)) what will i be left with. I must in conscience vote against the abortionists. This is a miserable situation and McCain is anathema to conservatives.


28 posted on 02/03/2008 9:06:43 AM PST by cthemfly25
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