Posted on 01/20/2008 1:58:52 PM PST by AmericaTalks
John McCain's clinching of the primaries i n New Hampshire and South Carolina indicates that the GOP has serious problems. McCain is the least conservative of all of the Republican contenders, yet somehow his message appears to be resonating with disenfranchised voters.
McCain's win puts him in a position to trounce all comers in the Florida primary January 29th and Super Tuesday on February 5th. But his lack of the values conservatives espouse could spell disaster for Republicans who want to make sure that a true alternative to the liberal rhetoric of Hillary and Obama is offered.
Until now, there has been no frontrunner in the GOP race, with Huckabee winning the Iowa caucuses, Romney winning lower-profile Wyoming, Michigan and Nevada primaries, and McCain taking New Hampshire and now South Carolina.
Now admittedly Romney has the highest delegate count so far, but things could quickly change in the days ahead, which could spell trouble for those of us who wanted almost anyone but McCain.
How much longer Mike Huckabee will be able to hold on is uncertain. But Huckabee was counting on a clear victory from conservative Christians which he didn't get, largely from the undecideds. He's still a contender, but he is beginning to falter. Depending on how Giuliani does in Florida, his campaign could tank, and Fred Thompson is now on life support.
Which leaves us with McCain. He is a true war hero, and a fine man. But he is not a fiscal conservative, not a hawk when it comes to foreign policy, not a friend of those opposed to illegal immigration, and his campaign finance reform bill soured many in his party to anything else he might have to say.
Should McCain survive and become the nominee of the GOP, he will have truly risen from the dead. But like the old saying goes, his light at the end of the tunnel could be the headlights of an oncoming train wreck which might propel a democrat into the White House this November.
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It’s real simple.
If these so called Republican voters want McCain then they will in short order have either Clinton or Obama as president.
We need to rebuild people's confidence in our ideas... Gradually... We can't shove it down their throats...
Thompson’s most professional move when he bows out is to announce he will endorse the party’s nominee. Somewhat standard procedure this late in the game.
Of course Romney is the optimal choice in electability because of Michigan. Those are electoral votes not in reach in recent years and suddenly they would be. Move On has poured money into Ohio, Michigan’s recession and a now hated Democrat governor, and the Democrats trashing their primary all combine to put it in reach — but only for Romney and his favorite son status.
Head to head polling we all know is not relevant right now because so little attention is paid to the process pre convention.
So it comes down to the contempt of McCain’s Amnesty Bill and a decision to reward him or not. As Huckabee fades and after Thompson’s departure, consolidation to Romney will beat McCain and successfully deny him a reward for his abuse of the party.
Did you not support Bush in 00 and 04?
He was pushing the amnesty bs just as hard as McCain.
I get so sick of the whiners who go after McCain on CFR and amnesty yet give Bush a pass.
They are equally to blame.
It’s called Romney
I bet most of Thompson’s supporters probably despise McCain.
I thank him for his service but John McCain is not a "fine man."
Mitt Romney doesn’t have a conservative bone in his body. Its all a show. Phony to the max. Just to get votes. Look at his negatives. Almost 50% negatives.
I posted this on another thread. Mitt will be Kerry on steroids. He will be destroyed. And it will be easy.
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!
On illegal immigration.
Hillary: My opponent supported the comprehensive immigration bill that I voted for. In fact he called it reasonable. Now he says he is against it. Yet he in fact had those immigrants working in his front yard? Where does my opponent really stand on this issue?
I could go on and on and on....
I despise him.
But I can still vote for him because I loathe Hillary more.
And if its Rudy vs. Hillary? I will skip that race.
ANY Republican in the White House is better than Hillary in the White House!
Please, no talk of how four years of Hillary as POTUS will give us another 1980 and the Reagan Renaissance all over again.
There’s just too much at risk.
“The perfect is the enemy of the possible”
Nicely expressed. McCain has spoken outwardly of his contempt for the conservative movement. His nomination will not only destroy the Republican party, but set back the meaning of what it means to be conservative.
The only positive that can come out of a McCain nomination, would be the destruction of the Republican party and the rise of a TRUELY Conservative party from its’ ashes.
As an Arizonian, who has interacted with this man, he is beyond egotistical. Get a copy of the Cain mutuny to see what’s in store.
How in the hell did we ever get to this point?
I understand all that... but don’t you think the MSM will have Obama’s back, and position any negative campaigning as racist? Hillary’s is not getting away with it, and she’s one of them! They’ll simply slaughter the GOP. It would be a very ugly year, and inflict huge damage on the GOP.
Please, my bs meter is clanging so loud my ears are hurting. Sure sounds to me like you support McLame. BTW, any politician who gets slammed by the likes of a rag that does the jihadists work for them gets my vote. By the same token, any politician who gets slobbered over by that same rag ought to viewed with the greatest suspicion. He has really done nothing to advance the prolife position and the 2nd Amendment. Just lip-service, that’s all. And just what is McCain’s “national defense experience?” He did absolutely nothing to stop the Clinton-gutting of the military, nothing. Voting on a bunch of crap in the Senate, that’s all he’s done and, any moron can vote. As a leader, he will be worse than GW, far worse. He wants to close Gitmo and bring the jihadists here to the mainland where their leftie slip-and-fall ACLU attorneys will have a field day undermining our WOT efforts further. Brought to you by John McLame. So go peddle your jive to someone who will buy it, I sure as h*ll won’t, and I will only vote for McLame with the greatest reluctance. I would vote for either Romney OR Guiliani willingly, and believe these men are more presidential on their worse days than a treacherous old fool like McCain could ever be on his best.
Lie after lie... So you’d rather have McLame?
I do NOT want to see the Clintons soil the Whitehouse again !!
I agree with you about who cares what happens to the GOP. In fact, I plan to change my registration to IND this week. However, the "Conservatism will survive all of this" is true just as long as you realize it's going to survive as a small 3rd party like the Libertarian party, one that may be able to keep the Republicans from ever holding the office of President again. That's the conservative future without being part of the Republicans, but more than likely that's all conservatives deserve considering our actual numbers are small.
Did you vote yet? Rudy was the only guy down her before the polls opened last week. Romney has had a few ads on TV. Not many yard signs or bumper stickers. My County has had heavy voting.
Yes, I realize Romney polls poorly in the general election along with Huckabee and Giuliani. The only Republican who has achance of winning in November is McCain. But many FReepers say they will refuse to vote for McCain.
I will never vote for J. Mc(Kerry)Cain, R. Guiliani nor Mitt (liberal) ROmney!
LET THE RNC GO CRYING BACK TO New York City! for all I care..
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