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.
ALL three of them should be challenged with vigor and, quite frankly, lots of anger. Plus, I wanna see McCain lose it.
which is why he could get the senior vote
“He’s running as a conservative so make sure he stays that way.”
Wrong. He’s running as a MAVERICK and will think NOTHING of betraying conservatives if elected. He’ll know he was elected DESPITE conservatives, and that is exactly what we’ll get in return: his SPITE.
In 2001 he approached the Dems about switching parties, in a tiff over having lost the nomination to GW. He’s a 72 year old bratty child that PRIDES himself on defying the conservative voters’ wishes.
He has not backed away from legalizing the 30 million illegal aliens here, either. All he’ll say is that he now realizes it must be “enforcement first”. He STILL wants amnesty, as though he is ignorant of the huge expansion of socialist programs that will be required once all those low-wage workers are eligible for them. Remember, “doing the work Americans won’t do” doesn’t pay very well ! From Foodstamps and Medicaid to SS/M, they’ll become a HUGE drain on the taxpayer.
Lotsa of too late smart, could of had an economic conservative Romney, but supported McDole instead, and now America is enslaved for another Decade by the effects of a High Tax Democrat.
romney is a big spending keynesian, not a fiscal conservative or a supply sider.
You're assuming we can keep a filibuster proof Senate if Hillary is elected.
My fear is that with McCain on the top of the ticket, conservative voters don't even turn out to vote for the down-ballot races.
True. When Rex Reed was a major force and leader in the evangelical movement they movement had political savvy. Now that he is gone, the evangelicals are rudderless and have guaranteed by there political naievette nothing but a minimum of 2 SC justices who will destory the Pro life movement for the next 40 years.
Just how do you think you can pin a label on a person who is a Christian and believes that Mormons are cultists, and have slandered the core of their belief system?
You and a few people here sound just like libs from Berkley. Tolerance.... schmolerance.
It is any persons right to hold a conviction of their choice, if they have issues with Latter Day Saints, it should be expected. Please don't make me should all the reasons. And you should not be bashing them for their beliefs. Why should they be tolerant to Mormons? And why are you not tolerant towards them?
Pure Liberal indoctrination on your part. "oh they are bigots because they won't vote for a liberal Mormon.
McDole’s budget is to the left of Romney’s, so yes, the fiscally conservative one that lowers tax rates for cooperations is better. The ‘large keynesian stimulus plan’ is already being passed by Senator McDole.
He’s running as a MAVERICK
McMaverick.
72 year old bratty child that PRIDES himself on defying the conservative voters’ wishes.
Point
“He’s a hard core balance the budget, pay off the debt guy.”
That’s a lot easier when you are voting against a few earmarks than it is when it requires shutting down existing social safety-net programs because importing poor foreigners has added $400B to their costs. And making SS/M solvent after adding 30 million low-wage workers who don’t contribute enough to pay their way ? Can’t be done without HUGE tax increases.
Open season on evangelicals?
with McCain on the top of the ticket, conservative voters don’t even turn out to vote
My Clinton hating Democrat senior buddy wouldn’t even go vote against Clinton if McDole is the opponent. I won’t count on Clinton haters to get out and vote.
Awesome job with that keyboard tonight Afronaut.
“Tell me why people are “bigots” if they will not vote for a Mormon?”
People are not bigots because they won’t vote for a Mormon, unless the sole qualifying requirement is they can’t be a Mormon....but that academic point is moot. Last night several Hucksterites...said specicifically that
1. Romney was the anti Christ
2. I will never ever vote for a Mormon
3. voting for Mormons would set a bad example for my children...and various other ignorant shit
“I actually hold Huckabee to a higher standard than I do the other candidates precisely because he is a preacher! “
I don’t. He’s just a politician running for office.
Yet even the low standards I expect politicians to meet ... he failed. multiple lies, backing up mccain’s timetable lie in his transparent way of playing favorites. his arkansas ethical baggage, his stunt of making a negative ad and then announcing he was taking the high road by not airing it ... then airing it anyway after showing it to press corps.
“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.”
Yes, the ‘us vs them’ populism is sickening. I’ve got investments and a 401k and the like, and frankly when he trashes ‘wall street’ I consider it a personal attack that harms my wellbeing. scary.
“romney is a big spending keynesian, not a fiscal conservative or a supply sider.”
That is completely false. His main advisor is glen hubbard.
his tax proposals are very supplyside oriented.
Employment crackdowns, sanctuary city crackdowns, and a fence together would make many self-deport. Just the slow-down in construction and the few local anti-illegal laws have caused many to go home over the past year.
Of course, I wish for a more hard-line position. I would offer a $1,000 bounty to LEOs for each illegal alien they bring in for deportation. I’d seize any assets they have since those were purchased with ill-gotten gains, and I’d tattoo their hands before sending them home, so no employer in the future could claim to be ignorant of their illegal status if they ever returned. Cost: less than $20B as they scrambled to self-deport before getting caught and being sent home with nothing.
Huck remains in the race to siphon votes from Romney, period. And the idiots and lefties among the evangelical Republicans think he has a chance, and continue voting for him. Bob
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