McCain beats Romney in Florida GOP race

AP on Yahoo ^ | 1/29/08 | David Espo and Liz Sidoti - ap

[NormsRevenge]

MIAMI - Sen. John McCain won a breakthrough triumph in the Florida Republican primary Tuesday night, edging past former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and seizing precious campaign momentum for next week's string of contests across 21 states.

"It shows one thing: I'm the conservative leader who can unite the party," the Arizona senator said in a brief interview with The Associated Press. "It's a very significant boost, but I think we've got a tough week ahead and a lot of states to come."

The victory was worth 57 national convention delegates for McCain, a winner-take-all's haul and the largest single prize to date in the race.

Rudy Giuliani was in third place, his best showing of the campaign but possibly not good enough to warrant continuing.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee trailed but told supporters he would forge on.

[Iron Munro]

"What else does McCain stand for...?

"Anything that will give him a good photo op with Hillary.

[popdonnelly]

The political advantage to standing by your conservative principles is that it forces the Republican Party to take note of you. If you refuse to vote for McCain, or vote third party, you will have to be courted again for support.

[patriciaruth]

I believe it was Independents voting in the Republican primary that put McCain over the top. Republicans and Conservatives gave the most votes to Romney.

[eXe]

Yeah.. I kinda like this one I found a while back..

[GOP Poet]

In my large circle of Republican friends I do not know one person that supports McCain. Can someone please explain where his votes are coming from?

Same here I just do not get it.

[devere]

“Between McCain and Obama: Obama - Between McCain and Clinton: McCain.”

I can’t criticize your sentiments, but I think that Clinton with a suspicious Congress might be less dangerous to the country than McCain. And anything he does will be blamed on the Republican Party, further discrediting “conservatism”.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I’d write in Fred Thompson before I’d vote Donk.

[CottonBall]

The third party or fourth party will be our only hope. The Republican Party has failed us, the conservatives.

The day McCain gets the nomination is the day I change my voter registration.

[NormsRevenge]

Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
smiles as he talks with media during a visit to a polling
station in St. Petersburg, Florida
January 29, 2008, the day of the Florida primary.
(Carlos Barria/Reuters)

[Logical me]

This just goes to prove something I have been saying for a long time. There are a lot of dumb ars Americans. And it looks like most of them were in Florida today.

Maybe now some will believe me, 2/3 of Americans are brain dead. Half of these are the liberal RATS, the rest are so uninformed they are about useless.

[xJones]

This Forum is in total meltdown. FReepers say they will never vote for McCain or the other three guys whatsoever. So what does that leave them? How are you going to vote or form a Conservative Party when the standard-bearers (Hunter and Thompson) couldn't even win in the Republican Party?

Oh, you think FR is melting down because we're having an honest debate about the GOP candidates? Have you never heard of discussion?

[xJones]

This Forum is in total meltdown. FReepers say they will never vote for McCain or the other three guys whatsoever. So what does that leave them? How are you going to vote or form a Conservative Party when the standard-bearers (Hunter and Thompson) couldn't even win in the Republican Party?

Oh, you think FR is melting down because we're having an honest debate about the GOP candidates? Have you never heard of discussion?

[traditional1]

"A very sad night for the Romney camp and for conservatives across the country..."

Yeah; but to be sure, you're talking about two DIFFERENT groups: MittWits and Conservatives....

[org.whodat]

I don’t think he could stomach a decent person.

It also works the other way, what decent person can stomach McCain?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Hillary does need to be kept out of the White House, but it’s the “at all costs” part I have a serious problem with. It’s not worth keeping her out if we have to sell our souls to earn a mere Pyrhhic victory to do it.

[seekthetruth]

“The political advantage to standing by your conservative principles is that it forces the Republican Party to take note of you. If you refuse to vote for McCain, or vote third party, you will have to be courted again for support.”

I WILL NOT vote for McCain if he happens to become the Republican nominee!

[CottonBall]

I’m not a “defeatist”. I just refuse to vote for a man who betrayed the nation I love. Let someone else elect him if they want to. It won’t be me.

Same here.

[levotb]

CottonBall

It’s very easy, and you don’t have to wait! Do it tomorrow! Do as millions of conservatives have done since ‘96 and become an Indy Con!!

[DouglasKC]

"It shows one thing: I'm the conservative leader who can unite the party," the Arizona senator said in a brief interview with The Associated Press. "It's a very significant boost, but I think we've got a tough week ahead and a lot of states to come."

How is it that the least conservative person in the race can win and then claim that he's a conservative leader?

[dinoparty]

That is a very telling comment. To you, another Bush term would be unbearable. I guess Alito and Roberts don’t ring a bell with you ... and no terrorist attacks here since 9/11/01 ... etc. etc.

I’ve always thought that not even Reagan could measure up on this board, and people here would probably vote for Dukakis over Bush I if the election were held today.