It is a Democratic bloodbath as well. Ironically all these states that moved up their primary to the early stages are gonna be disappointed when the real effort will be put in the later states in this primary.
Oh please the pubs are getting along a whole lot better than the uprisings the anointed good leader is getting. The next leader of the free world needs be tested to find if they have the character of their claims. Some of the GOP candidates can’t even remember what they did or said yesterday.
There's really too much at stake to lose this election, it would cause damage that would have serious negative consequences. But on the other hand, the end result of such a long-term realignment -- being played out to its fullest -- might just give each faction of the GOP exactly what it wants...after about 20 years of incremental changes and numerous and untold expansions of the nanny-state through our legislative bodies.
A good ol fashion brawl might be just what we need! Clean out the RINOs and spineless ones.
I fear our intra-party fury will destroy all leaders and send us off to a brokered convention — and from thence probably to defeat. If the Democrats have their candidate by February and we are campaigning harshly until August — we would surely start in a deep hole.I disagree that a brokered convention is a sure loser for the general election. It just might make us look like the more thoughtful party. The big question is how united we can become after the convention. If we're still fighting amongst ourselves after we choose a candidate, then Clinton will be president. Again.
Hey let’s all go back to a small tent and get rid of everybody that doesn’t agree 100% with ME, ME and ME. You know, it works every time it’s tried and if we just purge all those devils we’ll have fewer things to fight over which means fewer votes and of course the world will see how right we are and we’ll win, win, win. Uh huh, pass the Kool Aid.
Rep have 3 contenders relatively close in the numbers, likewise the Dems. Dem front runner and #2 seem to be tearing each other apart. Latest is a "love child" announcement about #3 contender Edwards. Are the Rep slinging mud at each other? Not that I can see relative to the libs.
Explain your "GOP bloodbath" claim, please, because I can't see it.
NO ONE HAS VOTED YET!
"Over the last year or two, one couldn't have lunch at the Capital Grille (a preferred dining spot for big-time D.C. Republican politicians and journalists) or other similar locations without hearing the constant complaint that the Bush White House was arrogant and wouldn't listen to their friends about Iraq and about domestic matters"
I'm sure those conversations were THE lunchtime topic of merit in all of the elite power centers including Washington DC of course. I'm not sure if the complaint is that Bush won't listen (he won't) or that the minions in those elite power centers don't wield their usual power in such matters.
I think this process is doing exactly what it should do - Vett the candidates to the electorate. Blankley's biggest complaint of all is that Huckabee's claims and statements on a great many issues are being tested and and have been found wanting. So, I guess in Blankley's preferred would we would just hold hands and get behind Huckabee and let the "professional" journalists script the examination of Huckabee to their more experienced liking. Got it.
I think the real complaint here is that these oh so professional journalists don't like losing control of being the ones to define the candidates to the electorate. The new media is whithering their power away and they don't like it one bit.
A “brokered convention?”
Who would be the brokers? Nope, the primaries will decide it.
If we have a floor fight, can hundreds of Freepers storm the convention and clean out the RINOs? I’d be there.
DICK CHENEY!!!
I would prefer a brokered convention. The smoke filled rooms often produced better candidates than the current primary system that relies more on money and name recognition to select our candidates. A “real” convention could actually galvanize support within the GOP. And the huge media coverage and public interest would be priceless.
The dems are at least as guilty of inter party hostilities as are the pubbies, and it seems a lot more nasty, presumably in honor of the clintons.
It seems to me that the problem on the right [relatively speaking] is that between the media and the party itself we are being herded toward another "more acceptable" candidate - acceptable to the extent that they'd fit in nicely with the other liberals in DC.
We are offered two east coast liberals, two western conservatives [both written off from the start] a couple of southern-ish odd balls [and sometimes Alan Keyes] for comic relief and a pompous former sailor who half the party hates.
That's not a blood bath - it's a SNL routine.
I'm just left to wonder whether we being set up for the eastern elite or the Arizona compromiser.
The brokered convention is the ROOTIE strategy. He figures to get enough votes on Feb 5th from large states to “control” the convention.
The other candidates had better decide among themselves that any of them are better than tootsie and they need to agree to support a consensus candidate OTHER than rootie.
If the shoe were on the other foot and half the Dem presidential candidates were really conservatives, I'd be loving it too.
Intrade has a new set of contracts, covering the possibility of brokered conventions. Bid is at 15%, ask is at 25%, earlier sold at 50%.
Brokered Party Conventions in 2008
REP.NOM.2008.BROKERED
The 2008 Republican Pres. Nominee to be selected at a Brokered Convention M 15.0 25.0 50.0 2 new
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According to Intrade, the winner of the December 12th GOP debate was... Duncan Hunter.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1938773/posts