Posted on 02/06/2008 3:11:00 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Despite what the pundits, talking heads, and self-annoited experts say about the Republican race, it is more muddled and more up in the air than at any time since Iowa.
Why?
Because 60 percent of the Republican Party is against John McCain.
And the more a dour Tim Russert or an arrogant Chris Mathews says that, “the Republican race is, for all intents and purposes, over,” or this one, “it is very hard to see how John McCain can be stopped,” the more agitated conservatives get.
That translates to “we lefty pundits who dominate the TV airwaves want McCain so we will just proclaim him the inevitable nominee.”
But conservative GOP voters are rebelling against McCain; yes, he gets moderate Republicans and independents who come into the GOP primaries. But the base — conservatives — are voting against McCain.
So I ask you this question: How can the Republican Party, with a huge base of conservatives, nominate a candidate who hates them and who they despise?
This is the crux of the dilemma that is ripping the GOP apart now. Ann Coulter’s "Hannity & Colmes" diatribe was more than amusing. It raised this question: Who do conservatives hate more, John McCain or Hillary Clinton?
The question, more than any answer, is instructive: The fact that we are even talking about this shows how divided we Republicans are and how unaccepting of John McCain we will be.
We feel like he is being jammed down our throat by the left, and by the same inside-the-beltway GOP establishment that has been, frankly, wrong on just about everything from amnesty to Dubai Ports World.
The two candidates opposing McCain are both having difficulty cobbling together enough support on their own to defeat McCain; they are splitting the conservative vote and enabling a moderate-to-liberal win.
And Huckabee is clearly in the tank for McCain. Yesterday’s rigged convention in West Virginia was designed to deny Mitt Romney a “Romney Wins West Virginia” headline running all day long on cable TV. While within the rules, it was a petty, ugly example of the "real McCain" at work.
As the so-called GOP front-runner he should be above that kind of thing. But it tells us he is still more afraid of Romney than he is of Huckabee. Therefore, conservatives are increasingly going to rally to Romney from here on out.
And what Romney now needs to do is simple: pick an upcoming state — a crucial one — and make it a mano-a-mano race, Romney vs. McCain, and win it!
It is time Romney beats Mccain one-on-one because if he cannot, then McCain will win the nomination by default.
But if Romney draws the line in the sand and beats McCain, then we have a new race on our hands. The conservatives will rally to Romney and McCain could still be stopped.
So, Mitt, get going and fast.
Your task is a difficult one: take on not just McCain but the entire D.C. establishment.
Let it all out . . . get angry; show some passion. Embrace the talk-radio hosts, as they represent the GOP base.
Take on McCain and squash him, and soon, maybe in Ohio.
Make the economy the issue.
Do us all a favor.
“Never once did I say I agreed with big spending, or tax hiking.”
I know, you just supported and voted for the Huckster that raised taxes.
And you think evangelicals are the only ones who care that babies are being murdered?
McCain was awarded the Economic patriot Award
What a joke, voted against Bush tax cuts because McDole knows it’s the Congress’s money, not the peoples. /sarcasm off
“Hope he’s right! Romney is no Reagan, but he HAS to be better than McInsane!”
Actually, the only insanity being put forward here is by the author. Senator McCain apparently now has more than 700 delegates, meaning that Mitt Romney’s chances are virtually nil. I really think that talk radio’s influence is on the decline, as characterized by the futility of Rush Limbaugh’s hypocritical rants. In late 2005, Mitt Romney made NRO’s top 10 RINO’s in America list and now he’s suddenly the Jesse Helms of our party? Give me a break.
Mitt Romney was far more liberal than John McCain ever was. John McCain is not my first choice but I believe the best way to deal with this situation is not to throw all our toys out of our cots, but rather to make McCain tow the conservative line. He’s running as a conservative so make sure he stays that way. Let’s not destroy our party in a fit of folly.
Go away, kid. You bother me.
I didn’t say anything about any “anti-Mormon Conspiracy” or about McCain insiders.
My own theory is that liberals working in the registrar of voter offices in each county tried to disenfranchise the most conservative registered members GOP. That could be easily done by anyone with access to the registrar databases and a little knowledge of demographics — and since government bureaucrats are overwhelmingly liberal, not implausible. You leave the voters alone based on young and elderly because those are the most liberal age groups in the GOP. You also leave alone those people with Hispanic names. You also leave alone the voters in poor neghborhoods or in retirement communities based on address. The others, you change to NP. Presto ! You have just disenfranchised the most conservative wing of the GOP, the white/middle-age/high-income voter and guaranteed that the most liberal GOP candidate wins the GOP Primary so you liberals on both Dem and GOP sides to pick from in the General.
“...Romney finds his way anywhere onto the ballot.”
Romney has no intention of running with that loser McCain. That ticket will get crushed. He will wind down the campaign and start maneuvering for 2012, after he goes to the Convention and plays the statesman by giving McCain all of his Delegates. The GOP will respect his being a team player and statesman...although it sort of makes HuckaB running moot now lol.
Oh, come on! There are conservative judges, the Fairness Doctrine, Taxes, Amnesty at stake. Romney isn't perfect, but he is much better than McCain.
If McCain is the nominee, many conservatives will revolt. He might not get elected, then we could be stuck with Obama who might do something stupid like attack Israel or send our military secrets to Iran. At the least, he or Hillary or McCain will appoint liberal legislate from the bench Supreme Court Justices.
This is a serious matter.
Sorry. I would have to take my chances. The man won the states most familiar with him. He couldn’t have been that big of a disaster.
You know, I don't want to sound mean - but let's face it - the package is a lot of what gets people elected or not. Television demands telegenic people & the Huckabees are not telegenic.
I actually hold Huckabee to a higher standard than I do the other candidates precisely because he is a preacher! When someone decides to go into a vocation where they are literally "preaching" to people and telling them how they should live their lives - they better damn well be sure they are setting a good example and "walking the talk". You bet I hold him to a higher standard and he just doesn't cut it in my book. He seems to be very jealous of rich people and resents anyone who has made a success of themselves. He makes little jokes about rich people and their money & tries to make it like it's just a joke, but I can tell he really thinks that way.
Of the three candidates, Huckabee has the least chance of winning. Do you really want to see Romney out & McCain the winner? Have you forgotten the things he has done? He may have a conservative record, but most of that is from the past, before he lost to Bush & completely lost his mind. Since then, he has had it out for conservatives real bad. He is a dangerous man. Do you really think he is fit to be our President? Don't you think out of the top two candidates - McCain & Romney - that Romney would be better than McCain? Do you really believe a word that that angry, vicious, vindictive little man McCain says?
I've talked to people from Arkansas & they seem to like Huckabee - but he cannot win & I don't think he's Presidential material anyway.
I'm sorry, I don't want to sound mean. I'm very concerned for the future of our country right now & I cannot believe that the voters have handed us this awful choice.
I know some trust Romney about imigration, but I wouldn’t be so sure. Larry Craig was one of the first to join his campaign, Big business needs illegals, don’t be fooled.
mcCain also thinks reforming medicare, medicaid, social security, UI and even going into the defense budget to close down useless bases (congressmen like them to keep jobs in their districts) is a big deal. He’s a hard core balance the budget, pay off the debt guy.
The Concord Coalition and Citizens Against Government Waste absolutely love him.
But when it comes to immigration (and free trade), he will be on the side of libertarians like Reason.com and Reagan who said
“I’ve spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don’t know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it and see it still.”
Reagan wasn’t just for amnesty. He passionately defended it on the basis of his principles. So we have a lot of work cut out for us if we are to make a case against illegals. The GOP has very little precedent for such a position.
There was a thread here yesterday from The Politico pointing out that Huckabee doesn't stand a chance in Utah because of Mormon hatred of Baptists. Utah's Mormons loathe Huckabee.
Well said.
Then we will have to stop him again in 2012. That liberal cancer Romney must be fought to the death !
Pig headedness in the name of piousness is pig headeness. The better than thou Huckabee voters, will cost us all. What a shallow victory for them. Reminds me of won the battle, but lost the war.
I don’t take chances with well-known con-men. The media would have a field day ripping him to shreds. $50 abortions, socialized medicine, liberal murderer-releasing judges, gay marriage. Just the tip of the iceberg of the Romney record of shame.
So the feelings are mutual.
This whole election cycle is a mess.
All I know is that God is on the throne and His ultimate will is going to be accomplished no matter who is the next POTUS.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.