The GOP nomination is up for grabs

RealClearPolitics ^ | December 9th 2007 | Salena Zito

[LonesomeHawk]

The GOP Race is Still Up for Grabs RealClearPolitics By Salena Zito

The most intriguing aspect of the Republicans' road to the nomination for president is its unpredictability. It's a buckle-up race that won't be decided early or easy. About the only thing for certain is that anything can happen and anyone can win.

Campaign strategists for four candidates -- Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee and John McCain -- can sit down straight-faced, without spin, and outline a plausible scenario for how their guy can win the nomination.

And for each legitimate win-scenario is an equally legitimate reason they cannot win.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Well, it can be argued that we ought to have better choices. But out of the four choices mentioned at the beginning, if Mitt Romney has emerged to look like the easy winner after the first few primaries then the Republican Party has lost too much internal cohesion to ever again assemble a winning majority. Frankly, I think it has, anyway - and without the emergence of a charismatic Reagan-like figure in 2012, the label “Republican” could be headed for minor party status...like the label “Whig”. ;)

[wolfpat]

This guy gets it:
"If Hillary wasn't in the race," says Republican strategist David Carney, "I think that 2008 might be a potential slaughter by the Democrats. They could walk all over us because the base is not happy with all of our candidates, we are all making compromises.

[LonesomeHawk]

I agree, quote of the year in terms of republican politics.

[Nuc1]

if Mitt Romney has emerged to look like the easy winner after the first few primaries then the Republican Party has lost too much internal cohesion to ever again assemble a winning majority. Frankly, I think it has,...

A few years ago folks thought we were going to be in the majority forever and that the dims were going to dry up and blow away. Now it is the pubbies that are going away forever. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between. :D)

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

For what it is worth, if one is not going to vote for those seeking kingship for kingship sake, do vote, not for the future king, but for your conservative/Republican representatives even though you may have to hold your nose in some/many cases. Hopefully they will keep Mr. King in check.

Yes, I am a dreamer, but I can’t think of anything else.

(Voting for the lesser of two evils does not work for me. No more...ever.)

[Night Hides Not]

It's assumed by all of the pundits that Fred Thompson won't win. Despite my nervousness about his campaign, I think his strategy is to run it like it's a marathon, and not a sprint.

As long as he can hang around, he's a natural second choice for the supporters of particularly McCain and Hunter. Fred's endorsements from pro-life organizations have been lost in the cacophony of the Huck surge.

I'm no expert, but IMHO, the nomination will be won in the South, not Iowa/NH. Iowa's importance has grown mainly because of the 24/7 news cycle, and NH is no longer the "Live Free or Die" state, but a state being overrun by Northeastern liberals.

I do think it's a good idea for Fred to spend more time in Iowa, though, if only to improve his visibility.

[Night Hides Not]

(Voting for the lesser of two evils does not work for me. No more...ever.)

I'd like to say I'm with you 100%, but I'll admit I'll vote for the Republican nominee in the general election. To do otherwise would just hand the keys to the WH to the traitors running on the Democrat side.

[MSF BU]

I’ll tell you what; he is no a natural second choice of this Hunter supporter because I don’t believe what he says he stands for is actually what he’ll do.

[Senator Goldwater]

Voting for the lesser of two evils does not work for me. No more...ever.)

I’d like to say I’m with you 100%, but I’ll admit I’ll vote for the Republican nominee in the general election. To do otherwise would just hand the keys to the WH to the traitors running on the Democrat side.

---

Post of the Day.

This should be the motto for Free Republic.

[Mr Rogers]

McCain?

[Just A Nobody]

I’ll admit I’ll vote for the Republican nominee in the general election. To do otherwise would just hand the keys to the WH to the traitors running on the Democrat side.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post of the Day.
This should be the motto for Free Republic.

Then we would no longer a truly Free Republic, would we?

"In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide.
Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate, look to his character.
The scriptures teach that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, men of truth, hating covetousness.
It is to the neglect of this rule that we must ascribe the multified frauds, breaches of trust, and embezzlement of public property which tarnish the character of our country and disgrace government.
When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality,
he abuses his civic responsibility, he sacrifices not only his interest, but that of his neighbor;
he betrays the interest of his country."
-Noah Webster, 1823

Go Hunter '08

[EternalVigilance]

I’m going to vote for the man who most eloquently and forcefully communicates the heart of conservatism in Wednesday’s Des Moines Register Presidential Debate.

[Just A Nobody]

Well, it can be argued that we ought to have better choices.

Well, it can be argued that WE DO have better choices.

Prostating ourselves before the gods of the enemedia and party elite is the problem. Not the candidates.

Go Hunter '08

[Uncle Ivan]

Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee and John McCain

Not a one of those are conservative.

Our party has been hijacked. Truly sad.

[Just A Nobody]

no longer BE a truly

[Jakarta ex-pat]

Yes, but do any of the candidates REALLY care about the country they will lead.

For if so, they will be in a minority.

[EternalVigilance]

Not yet. Not a single sovereign citizen has yet cast a single ballot.

[Mrs_Stokke]

When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality, he abuses his civic responsibility, he sacrifices not only his interest, but that of his neighbor; he betrays the interest of his country."

It could be argued that a vote for somone other than the Republican nominee, reagrdless of who that nominee turns out to be, betrays the interest of his country.

Hillary won't be elected simply by the democrats. Her rise to power can't be accomplished without a divided Republican party. Her negatives are still well into the double digits. She needs Republicans to stay home in order to win.

[seekthetruth]

From the article: “But one thing that we are not going to compromise on,” he promises, “is getting the strongest candidate to beat Hillary.”

And that candidate is Fred Thompson! GO FRED!