Disenfranchised conservatives, stolen elections

Renew America ^ | January 24, 2008 | JR Dieckmann

[Jack Black]

State with the winning Super Bowl team goes first, runner up second. Winning college teams go 3 and 4.

Just kidding. It’s fun to make up rules for the whole world like Greybeard does! I thought I’d take a shot at it.

[OCCASparky]

Don’t I? You think Fred Grandy is conservative? Chuck Grassley? How about a whole host of Midwest “conservatives” looking for a gub’mint handout? These people in Iowa voted for a tax-and-spend, illegals-loving, kids-dog-hanging Clintonite. Period.

[mmichaels1970]

Thanks so much for steering my mind into a completely ridiculous direction. I’m now picturing primaries in some sort of “bracketed” format, office pools, March Madness, etc.

[seemoAR]

The large majority of candidates money comes from Corporations. Big business will not give money to politicians who will work against them. The people of the US are screwed when money buys the politicians and all the media coverage.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.asp?txt=Q03&cycle=2008

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/sector.asp?txt=Q03&cycle=2008

[TheThirdRuffian]

Vote for Fred; he’s still on the ballot.

There is a not unrealistic chance that this will be a disputed convention -— and Fred could very well become the consensus choice -— especially if he has some delegates.

[TheRobb7]

I have a question: Since Fred is still on the ballot here in TN, what would happen if he actually WON the TN Primary?

and what if it wasn’t just TN? what if he won 2 or 3 states on Super Tuesday?

Wouldn’t the media HAVE to cover that? would it send a message to Fred to get back in? (or atleast state that he is open to being nominated if nobody has the needed amount of delegates?)

Just curious since I am contemplating voting early here in Shelby County.

[allmendream]

I believe Ann Coulter’s “Romney” article was published after Hunter dropped out and Thompson was on his way out or was already out.

[Tennessee Nana]

President FRed Thompson

:)

Looks like we are headed to a brokered convention in Sept so FRed could get the GOP nod there if he had a lot of delegates...

On the ballot he has umpteen great TN folks running for a delegate spot and he should have the same in the states where he is on the ballot..

FRedHeads love FRed enough that they would stick with him if it looks good..I hope.. :)

fingies and toesies crossed...

Duncan for VP or Sec of State etc...

[Tennessee Nana]

This year has glaringly illustrated the lop-sided game of primaries/caucuses..

If 22 states can agree to have the primary on the same day then 50 states can...

Disenfranchised ???? The last REAL American citizen/voter, please turn out the lights...

[r9etb]

First, Fred Thompson was the guy who shot Fred Thompson. I liked Fred's positions, but he made a bunch of miscalculations. There was a lot of support for him, but everyone else was running for a year before he laced up his shoes. He campaigned like he was disinterested in the whole process.

OK, here's the deal. Fred Thompson never made any claims other than to be a solid, adult, and rational candidate. The very sort folks claim to want. And he ran as a solid, rational adult.

And yet he couldn't get traction -- the conventional explanation being that he refused to shove roses and chocolates up the arses of the Republican voters.

Well, Fred was in the right on that one. If Republicans need to be wooed like fickle cheerleaders, they deserve the STDs they catch from every fake lounge-lizard who catches their fancy.

Republican voters are the problem. They need to grow up and get serious.

[moonhawk]

Unless, opf course, you wanted to vote for a conservative...

[TChris]

Wyoming is a liberal state?

[firewalk]

No one will ever know just how much support candidates like Hunter & Thompson really had.
Being forced out for a lack of funds doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have been the best man to be President.
(& imo this is wrong)
I would like to see all of the primaries held on the same day.

[Jack Black]

Sorry the other 90% of us don’t live up to the standards of the FredHeads. Of course the Paulites think 95% of us are wrong. Sigh.

Along with Fred’s “reasonable adult” stands as you call them was he lethargic campaign, lackluster fund raising, inability to connect with voters, 5 year out of politics, refusal to work for votes in several key early states, etc....

But I’m sure you are right. These are actually all the fault of voters, and none reflect on Fred whatsoever.

Why in the world would a brokered convention pick someone who finished so poorly in a number of contests. If we have to choose, I say choose among the leaders, not the losers.

[Salvation]

**There is a chance that Romney can hold Republicans together **

I don't think so.

Romney the flip-flopper:

[Jack Black]

I would like to see all of the primaries held on the same day.THINK! Please. You are mad that lack of funds affected Fred and Duncan?? Can you IMAGINE how much money it would take to run in a ALL-USA one-day primary???

The only effect of that would be handing more power to the media than they already have to pick winners by selective coverage and spinning.

The staggered system is the only one that allow lesser known or less well funded candidates to have a shot.

This years surprise winner: Mike Huckabee.

The Media were already for a McCain vs. Rudy race last year. Your poorly thought out all-states primary would have ensured that's what we got on Everybody Tuesday.

UGH! Try again.

[r9etb]

What I'm suggesting is not that Fred Thompson was the perfect candidate. Rather, I'm suggesting that the complaints about why he failed to catch on, explain why you (among many others) are complaining about the candidates who are left.

If Republicans can't find themselves a good candidate, blame the Republicans, not the candidates.

[firewalk]

YOU THINK AGAIN
The media has already picked the candidates.

The staggered system has served one purpose...
to provide a few choice states the chance to advance
their favorite candidates while bankrupting the others.

[Jack Black]

You say the conventional wisdom is Fred Lost because:"he refused to shove roses and chocolates up the arses of the Republican voters.... Republicans need to be wooed like fickle cheerleaders ...Republican voters are the problem. They need to grow up and get serious".

I say: Fred ran a crappy campaign. He had good positions but articulated them poorly. He didn't do well in the debates. He entered the campaign too late, and didn't start raising money early enough. He didn't contest early states, the critcal way you overcome a lack of money and name recognition.

My claim is that if Fred had only campaigned as diligently as Romney or Huckabee or even McCain he'd still be in the race. Instead he ran a terrible campaign. Guilianni is the other big underperformer in the race, for some of the same reasons. He ignored the conventional wisdom. (Not a good conservative thing to do, usually). He was wrong. He could easily have finished high in New Hampshire. The "all in" in Florida strategy never made sense. But, that at least was only one big error.

Fred made many errors and in the end it was reasonable for voters to decide that he didn't look organized enough to be POTUS.

In my opinion it had nothing to do with his positions on the issues. I don't think most GOP primary voters are looking for give-aways. I don't think most of the other GOP candidates have promised give-aways. (Though Romney did go there in Michigan about reviving the auto industry. And was savaged for it by many.)

We voters probably deserve blame for some stuff, but Fred's exit is not one of those things.

[SwankyC]

For God’s sake, will you Republicans LISTEN????????

TO WHAT??????