Posted on 11/12/2006 5:16:21 PM PST by freespirited
John McCain's New Hampshire supporters yesterday welcomed news the Arizona senator is expected to launch a Presidential exploratory committee this week.
Establishing the committee is a formal step that allows the four-term senator to raise money and travel the country as he decides whether to seek the nation's highest office.
McCain ran unsuccessfully for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2000, although he handily won the New Hampshire primary over President George W. Bush, who went on to become the GOP nominee.
Co-chair of McCain's 2000 New Hampshire Presidential primary effort, Executive Councilor Peter Spaulding, R-Hopkinton, said yesterday the exploratory committee "is a great idea. It's just exactly what the party needs at this point in time: he's a fresh face with fresh ideas who appeals to young people, independents and conservative Republicans."
With the drubbing Republicans candidates received in last week's election, McCain's candidacy should be a shot in the arm for the party, Spaulding said.
Spaulding said "(McCain has) got a great sense of humor and if there's anything we need today it's someone with a great sense of humor."
Spaulding said McCain's 2000 organization is still basically in place. "We've picked up an incredible number of people who were not McCain supporters last time or not involved and that's very encouraging," Spaulding said.
Manchester Republican Rep. Keith D. Hirschmann, who lost his bid for re-election last week, rode the Straight Talk Express with McCain during the 2000 campaign and expects to again in the next Presidential Primary.
Hirschmann said McCain's candidacy has very much been expected. "I'm looking forward to John coming back up here where he has a good following as he does nationwide," he said.
Hirschmann said he expects McCain will benefit from the fact that the Nevada caucuses have been added between Iowa and New Hampshire, adding that Arizona is right next to Nevada.
"Between New Hampshire and Nevada, John McCain will do very well," he said.
Hirschmann said a McCain candidacy would help the Republican Party on a national level, because the senator has a high profile, is a strong supporter of the war in Iraq and is a statesman.
Former state Republican Party chairman and current McCain supporter Steve Duprey of Concord said "In light of the tough election results last week it's encouraging sign to see someone like Sen. McCain step up and say 'let's start rebuilding right now.'"
While some in the Republican Party criticize Sen. McCain, Duprey said, "(McCain) is a conservative Republican with a good conservative record who has always reached out to other side to reach a compromise to get results."
McCain has tremendous experience in foreign policy and military matters which are going to be critical over the next decade, Duprey said.
Former state Republican Party chairwoman Jayne Millerick, who supports McCain, said he would be an excellent candidate for a number of reasons including his foreign policy experience.
At this time in our nation's history, he is the type of leader we need and is the person who can tackle a lot of the challenges our nation faces around the world," she said.
Millerick said McCain has shown he is someone who garners a lot of grass roots support. "His popularity here in New Hampshire can really be a benefit to our state party," she said.
In recent polls, McCain is the front-runner for the Republican Presidential nomination. Other possible Republican candidates include Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
She's got neat eyes....I'll give you that
oh there are now two jerks-you and Newt-thought so and waited for you expert posters to nail me.
get a life.
That's why I have not posted in over one year-still Newt's out there on Free Republic.
If you have a counter point of any thought please share if you have the capacity to do so.
He would be the first president elected that all the voters were holdiing their noses while pulling the lever for him.
what about Dole, Ford and Nixon? And Clinton?
Oh, give me a break here. He'll be 72 friggin years old in '08 IIRC. He's more of the problem than the solution.
Someones suffering from short term memory loss [sarcasm off].
There would be many interesting facets to a McCain run. Some include;
1. How McCain handles being challenged on his incredibly leftwing immigration positions during the primary. Based on past experiences, I think we can expect much in leftist rhetoric, and in self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude, and quite possibly a temper tantrum.
2. If he can convince the base that he'd be a stalwart ally on judicial nominations. I think that is the only way he can win the nomination; that or a dread fear among the base that he is the only one who can beat Hillary.
3. If he wins the primary, how he then handles the inevitable turning of the media against him. Again, I would't be surprised to see angry outbursts. You already see the beginning of the turn with many in the media already talking about how he is beginning to 'pander' to the religious right when he does outrageous things like speak at Liberty University.
4. If Iraq has not drastically improved, how he handles being more of a hawk on it than President Bush with his support of more troops. The media would allow Hillary to distance herself from past support for the war, but McCain would not be able to do so.
Okay, the fourth.
2008 could make the Pub debacle of '06 look like peanuts.
You are great. Maybe even more than four.
We are so diverse. 50 countries in many respects.
A Republic was wisely conceieved and both our stength and weakness.
agree.
excellent. expressed what I was thinking. (you must type fast).
This nation will regret having Bush gone. He is a steady and assuring leader. Closest we will get to Reagan, who, if you remember, had a terrible second term.
I know enough that this is at least the second time he divorced a wife at the height of his success in his career.
Divorce is not the issue; having an affair while married and Speaker of the House is the issue.
He could have been more concerned about his duties and the nation, rather than feeding his considerable ego.
Go back to the university and teach.
Let's have more divorced Republican candidates: McCain, Guiliani,etc and talk about family values.
You don't think this will come up?
This isn't 1980.
Frankly if Graham continues his nonsense of carrying McEgo's water, his support in SC may not be worth much.
Sanford's approval ratings consistently exceed 60% and have sometimes climbed as high as 70%. No serious Democratic challengers have emerged to face him in his pending re-election bid.
In a radio interview on South Carolina's WRHI-AM in Rock Hill, Sanford said that while he wasn't discounting a possible future run for the White House, it wasn't on his mind.
The bolded text is the most important part of the whole article.
Kuma Mark Sanford sounds like a great candidate.
I hope McCain does not get the nomination. I would have to think seriously about going third party.
To those who tried and tried to get him to find a REAL answer to the fate of the missing servicemen in South Vietnam.......
To those to us who have watched him all of his days in office......
He has always been just one thing and one thing only.
A Traitor to the United States and a Traitor to the men and women of the Armed Forces.
While a Hillary Presidency would make me sick......it would be far better than for the Nation to elect a demented mentally-sick traitor to the highest Office in the Nation.
redrock
Held my nose and voted straight party ticket this time. Don't think I could vote for McCain if the Republicans were dumb enough to nominate him and I don't want to hear it said that I am thus endorsing Hillary. If the choice is between a self absorbed power hungry psychopath and another self absorbed power hungry psychopath who is also an inveterate liar, God save the republic.
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