Posted on 01/20/2008 2:27:30 AM PST by counterpunch
COLUMBIA, S.C.- John McCain was the winner of Saturday's South Carolina primary. Mike Huckabee came in second. Fred Thompson came in third, followed closely by Mitt Romney.
This is a victory that eluded McCain in 2000, and if history is a guide, may have set him on course to become the GOP presidential nominee. No Republican since 1980 has won the party's nod without a win in the first-in-the-South primary.
Saturday's primary loss was clearly a big disappointment for Fred Thompson, but you never would have picked up on that when you heard him speak to his supporters.
"Well, it may be a little early to declare victory, I am not sure," Thompson joked. "We told our folks to vote late, so they'll be trickling in I am sure."
So a lot of folks are now weighing in on Fred Thompson's political future. One political expert from Tennessee weighs in.
"I think he is through if he doesn't do well here, I think he has said so. Even a second place finish won't do," said Jackson Baker, Memphis Flyer.
"This is a gun show he just attended, if he can't get votes from this crowd, in this state which is probably the most conservative state in the union probably, then his message just probably won't play anywhere else," said Baker.
Thompson spent more time campaigning in South Carolina than anyone else. An army of Tennessee Volunteers also came through. They sent out a scripted message to undecided voters.
In South Carolina, apparently, Thompson's message did not catch on. Fred Thompson, however, was far from making any sort of statement about bowing out of the presidential race. Thompson returned home to Virginia Saturday night. His campaign most likely is regrouping, and gearing up for another big fight in the Florida Primary.
(1) SC is strong evidence that the Republican party is not particularly conservative anymore. True conservatives are probably < 15% of the population.
(2) SC is strong evidence that most primary voters still form their impression of candidates from the MSM. The number that go to conservatives websites and blogs is tiny. So — when the MSM “blacks out” coverage of candidates like Fred — and portray him negatively — that has an effect.
“Everybody is entitled to an opinion, my opinion is that your opinion is absurd.”
Eye of the beholder I guess. Apparently I’m not the only one who had trouble with Freds Speaking style though.
The more people hear about Obama’s policies, the more afraid they’ll become.
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I hope so! The mere fact that he has won a Senate seat is proof enough that we have a lot of retarded voters in this country, the fact that he is taken seriously as a candidate for the top job is enough to make a thinking person curl up into a fetal position or pack up everything and go look for a cave in the hills. The fact that the best choice the Democrats can offer us is coffee, she or E. is beyond satire.
“Change” is going to win the presidency. Hillary would beat McCain as a long time insider. Only Romney can out-debate and beat Hillary when it comes to change. He is more of an outsider than Hillary and many of Hillary’s supporters would turn into mittens.
Which is why so many of us are excited about Mitt Romney, his fresh face... his fresh newly minted approach to conservative ideas and promotion.
There, fixed it for you
That was to be expected, but when the most powerful & influential Conservative in the country (Rush Limbaugh) effectively "blacks out" FT and doesn't actively promote him, then the jig is up..
If SC is the "most conservative" state in the union, how in the heck did McLame get so many votes?
I see from your profile you're probusiness. But the biz community liked the tax cuts, no? You don't agree that lower marginal rates are stimulative, and thus revenue-producing? I thought supply siders dont believe in spending offsets for tax cuts?
McCain has run such a vague campaign, you’re right about pounding him hard. Going at him from all sides will force him into some positions, the same way Fred has had to move wholesale into the NRA camp.
The Feb Super automatically favors the frontrunner and the fact McCain has somehow remained the least-defined guy in the race so far .. not good. The other gentlemen need to lock McCain into some stuff they can use as ammo.
Im banking on Fred having a lot more mass appeal from the film career than pundits are considering. The Feb Super might toss him back into contention if we’re heading for a brokered convention.
Northern States? Are you delusional?
He cannot even win his own state, for crap’s sake.
And hillary may very well even take Florida.
Being in Florida, I never thought that such a thing could come to pass, but I am seeing the signs here every day that the base will not crawl over broken glass for Mitt, and that is what it takes to win Florida.
From another post; another thread:
If Romney is the nominee, imagine the debate with Hillary.On abortion:
Hillary: I am pro-choice and in fact my opponent was also at one time.On taxes:
Hillary: I opposed the Bush tax cuts for the rich, and in fact, my opponent was also against them at one time.
On healthcare for all:
Hillary: I support and will fight for healthcare for all, just like my opponent did in Massachusetts.
In fact, he said the biggest difference between his plan and mine is that his became law!
I welcome his support for my plan.On gays serving openly in the military:
Hillary: It is time to end ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’
In fact, you Mr. Romney, were all for ending that plan even before me and my husband.
You were ahead of the curve and supported gays being allowed to serve openly way back in 1994.On a huge stimulus package:
Hillary: I want to spend 100 billion in an effort to bring the economy back from this recession!
My opponent wants to spend 100 billion over 5 years just on the automobile industry, so my plan is, in fact, a lot more fiscally responsible than his!
I agree. This is ridiculous. The Fred supporters are so gung ho while the candidate himself acts like he really doesn’t care. He seems to be just playing at this. It’s an insult to the people who have gotten all fired up over his candidacy.
Fred Thompson bungled his campaign, just like he bungled the ChinaGate investigation. But that was no surprise, as everyone can see right now. Thompson has always been a bungler.
It’s as if he gets some sort of twisted kick toying with his supporters and then refusing to step it up for them. It’s disgraceful.
Fred needs to get out now and apologize to supporters for leading them on and wasting their time and enthusiasm.
I still believe McCain cannot succeed without the independent/dem voter voting in OUR primary! ...Gang of 14, Amnesty, McCain-Feingold, global warming......need I go on?
Here in the right blogosphere we must realize, there is no conservative base in the Republican party, the party is not much of anything identifiable.
Most people (even the majority voting) are not informed and not that interested. The what little information they bother to attain has been delivered through the liberal prism of MSM (including Fox).
For sure, there will be no Thompson candidacy.
I’ve voted for the lesser candidate in the GOP for years. I’ll NOT vote for McCain, Huckabee or Ron Paul (don’t really think I’ll have to worry about Huckabee or Paul). I could hold my nose and vote for Romney or Giuliani, but MSM has chosen McCain for us, and that’s who it will be, unless he explodes, as he has the tendency to do.
Let the nation elect him, Clinton or Obama. If that’s what America’s wants, so be it.
The GOP better wake up fast. There is going to be a massive no turn out on voting day if McCain or the likes gets in.
Are you nuts? Romney would kill Hillary in a debate.
He’s pro-life, she’s pro-choice.
He’s for tax cuts, she’s against tax cuts.
He is obviously more conservative than she is.
Wake up.
Hillary can’t beat Romney in the South or the West. She also can’t beat him in states like Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and several others
Get real.
Does Fred have any delegates, and if so, how many?
Response: Based upon his showing so far the operative word is retirement.
“The strange part is that when he officially entered the race he was in 2nd place nationally, and was polling pretty well. I think the problem was that he started pretty casually, and didn’t seem to ramp up till a couple of weeks before IA. when the polls showed him slipping. It went downhill fast from there.”
No, what happened is the media started pushing Huckabee, and once that happened, Fred’s numbers started dropping and Huckster’s started rising. I think that definitely hurt Fred.
“In spite of what a lot of people around here think, I do believe that only McCain will be able to get enough independent and swing votes to BEAT HILLARY.”
Are those swing and indies enough to make up for the the conservatives that will sit home in DROVES and watch your party go down in flames?
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