Posted on 03/10/2006 7:48:25 PM PST by Phsstpok
I'm not sure I agree with Captain Ed's conclusion (and I'm as distrusting of McLame's motives as anyone) but this is certainly interesting:
Chris Matthews reports at MS-NBC that John McCain plans to instruct delegates at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference to vote for George Bush as a write-in candidate instead of voting for him as the preferred nominee for 2008. Matthews says that McCain asks this to show support for the President, presently in a rough patch, and to keep the GOP's focus on 2006:
It's early on at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference down here, but already we've learned some big news.Sources tell me that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., plans to shock his supporters tonight by asking them to NOT vote for him in the presidential straw poll that will be conducted by The Hotline on Saturday.
Instead, McCain will urge his followers to write in President Bush's name. McCain will tell his supporters that this is not about 2008, but rather about 2006 and supporting the president.
According to McCain's supporters, he'll say: "I think we have bigger things to worry about. So if any friends here are thinking about voting for me, please don't. Just write in President Bush's name."
McCain has supported Bush in elections and on the war, but has not given Bush much support for his legislative agenda. He has also gone out of his way to play the "maverick" during the last six years, often crossing the White House on key issues. His defection on the Byrd option to defeat the obstructionism that Democrats employed against over a third of Bush's nominees to the appellate courts cost Bush a number of his judicial appointments, including Henry Saad and Brett Kavanaugh.
In short, McCain has made a pest out of himself, and seemed to enjoy playing the centrist gadfly that attracts all of the media attention. So why has he suddenly taken on a role as Bush's chief defender?
Two reasons spring to mind. Since the beginning of the year, McCain has tried to patch up his standing with Bush supporters in the party. McCain discovered that while he polls well in the general electorate, his numbers among actual Republicans would prevent him from winning the primaries. Repairing his image as a sell-out and an enemy of free speech will take a huge effort, and this toadying at the SRLC appears to be part of that. It also is unusual enough to ensure that McCain will get his invites to the Sunday-morning talk shows to which he appears addicted.
Matthews picks up on the second reason. McCain does not enjoy a lot of popularity in the South, and he likely would have finished poorly anyway. Matthews thinks that George Allen will score well at the SRLC straw poll, but Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee will be certain to show strength as well. A third-place finish (or worse) might convince the big fundraisers that McCain will not generate the kind of momentum needed early in the effort, and the big power players will flock instead to Allen and Huckabee, and perhaps even Mitt Romney as a dark-horse candidate.
So in order to get attention at a conference that would be inclined to discount him, suck up to the Bush supporters, and appeal to the party stalwarts who feel he stabbed the GOP in the back with his Gang of 14 antics, he plays a little rah-rah for Bush and attempts to shame everyone into making the entire event irrelevant. It's a clever ploy, one that might even work to a limited extent, and will almost certainly steal all the thunder and momentum from this effort to establish some credibility for Republican candidates early in the process.
In other words, if it's true, it's a typical self-centered McCain publicity stunt.
Jeb is very popular in Florida. He is much more polished than W and would be a force if he decided to run. I could be considered anti-george but I would support Jeb (and condi and even mccain).
Which Matthews? Chris Matthews? (Eddie Mathews is unavailable.)
Mike Pence / Newt Gingrich
Newt could live at the Naval Observatory.
CPAC Poll:
22% Allen
20% McCain
19% Giuliani
18% Rice
11% Allen, Frist, McCain
4% Owens, Romney, Santorum
5% Gingrich
2% Pataki
1% Hagel, Huckabee, Pawlenty, Santorum
0% Barbour
"Why Has McCain Become A Bush Cheerleader?" Simple, the power crazy maniac wants your vote.
Yeah ?
Well I've read many of his books: Neutron Star, Ringworld,
Ringworld Engineers, Tales of Known Space, World Out Of Time, World of Ptavvs .
>>and self deprecating. On top of that I have had the privilage of discussing the character (and his scientific screw ups with the character) with Larry Niven, one of my favorite authors.
<<
Yeah, lots of scientific screw ups !
Besides the obvious, he describes a future that is to perfect, too clean . A future where the technology never fails, even if it has been collecting dust for thousands of years !
Niven was an advocate of that early SDI program: The X-Ray Laser - - - what a boondoggle !
Condi Rice has no experience in an elected offcie whatsoever !
She is an unknown quantity in the area of voter
drawing-power !
McCain does not enjoy a lot of popularity ANYWHERE...except from Chrissy Mathews!
This is two-moves ahead thinking. Atypical for McCain. I wonder who's advising him now.
McCain is the master politico love him or hate him he is the master of his craft.
Keep perspective. Your right on if Freepers are the only voters and Condi changes her mind....and if she does she would accept being #2.
All of those are heavy odds bets.
Unfortunately George Allen is a to about 3% nationally - long roe to hoe!
LOL, yes, like Clinton, if you have the entire liberal media and Hollywood, on your side, you will be master of anything they desire.
Chris Matthews Struck Dumb by McCain Response.
Apparently McCain saw he was going down in flames and thought up a strategic retreat.
Condi has more global experience than anyone else in politics. She has met almost all leaders of other countries. And she is the smartest person out there.
She would be a good President.
I have a lower opinion of the intelligence of my party when we start to feed on the crap polls the rats and drive-by media try to pass off as real. Stupid Party
McCain would be lucky to have the 20% Gallup approval and majority reality approval Dubya has.
McCain is an unstable power hungry politician with absolutely NO understanding of or reverence for the Constitution (McCain/Feingold). McCain is the key to having Hillary as President. McCain will be utterly destroyed by the media if it is he versus Hillary. Nothing on this Earth would ever get me to cast a vote for McCain. He is a wholly despicable human being. I would gladly sit out this election if he gets the nomination.
She has character and resolve. I believe she would easily handle Hillary in any debate setting and would easily put the MSM in its place. She would be infinitely better than McCain. I have no idea if she would embrace Socialist spending habits.
And here I thought that Tree of Life fruit was supposed to heal all your aches and pains...
Considering how condi isnt running tancredo is hardly a legimate candidate and rudy probably won't throw his hat into the ring given all his scandals/etc(also pence isnt running), that isnt a good thing for Captain Mcqueeg. I'm curious who will attack allen first, Mccain or Romney. Mccain becuase Allen is at this point his likely primary competition, or romney becuase he wants to be mccain's primary competition.
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