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.
From the article:
McCain won 15 percent; he wasn't expected by many Republicans to be popular in the state, given his opposition to earmarks and drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
"To have a Republican in the White House that's against ANWR, I think there's a visceral Alaskan reaction to that," said Jacqueline Tupou, a Romney supporter and organizer.
The fact that Romney changed his position on abortion nothing but admirable. That is what the Pro Life movement is all about. . . changing hearts.
On the other hand, Senator Kennedy has never changed his mind about admitting that he ran scared the night he left Mary Jo Kopechne to die in the waters of Chappaquidick Bay.
oh I wasn’t just talking about abortion.
it is the last part of the debate (3:38) , where romney answers the question “what is your biggest failure” that will really hurt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI
I have figured out a good definition of a bigot.
Someone who mixes apples and oranges cases so cluelessly that they cant seem to understand that ‘religious bigotry’ simply means considering someone of a different faith so beneath them morally that they won’t treat them as equal human beings. you know, dissing them as ‘cultists’ who ‘slander’ you, or suggesting they might be good shoe shine boys but shouldnt be presidents.
“Why should they be tolerant to Mormons?”
Are you tolerant to Jews, Buddhists and Catholics?
Where do you draw the line? And if you insist you are tolerant to all, what’s with the “Tolerance.... schmolerance.” cr*p?
By not having a clear consensus conservative alternative and by conservatives dividing their votes.
“Tonight on Hannity & Colmes, that Bill Beckel was apoplectic at the suggestion that Romney might continue on and win. He and Susan Estridge continually say they would love Mitt to be the candidate because he’d be easy to beat.
Right there you know Mitt’s the last one they want in this race.”
Yes, I’ve heard that and I wonder if it is reverse psychology.
No matter who we run, they will get their knives out and cut our guy up .... consider “MccCain the old guy” meme:
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/468e86fe-2c85-45f9-954f-371939817d3b
Hmmmm. . . .wonder why Teddy wasn’t asked what his greatest personal failing was?
How do you think he would have answered that one?
Maybe. . . Mary Jo?
well what do you think about romney’s answer? what do you think the media would do with it?
OK.
Under FDR, the top tax rate was 94%. We got through it. Well, I didn't, I wasn't even a gleam lol.
“By not having a clear consensus conservative alternative and by conservatives dividing their votes.”
Ah ha, point of agreement...
We got down to 3 candidates in this race:
- the warrior - McCain
- the businessman - Romney
- the preacher - Huckabee
Put those 3 together in one candidate and you have the ultimate GOP candidate. But you cant. Naturally the fiscal cons, the social cons and the neo-con/defense cons had their different take on which part to emphasize more, differnt groups have different agenda, so no consensu ... and the RINOs and mods had their guy - McCain.
I felt Romney was best since he at least reached out to embrace social conservative pro-family positions and explicitly has called to stay inthe ‘house that Reagan built’, while Huckabee still bashes wall street with populist rhetoric and his tax-and-spend record is much more liberal than Romney’s record ... and McCain is still embracing amnesty, embraces globaloney CO2 caps, no apologies for voting against bush tax cuts, anti-ANWR, etc.
Of course the media would use it. So what. But there would be enough written about Kennedy’s own personal failing (MJ)to more than counteract it.
On second thought, the MSM would be pretty stupid to go there.
And Rush Limbaugh was right in 1992 -- character matters (sadly, he apparently meant only for the Democrats, though). Candidates that betray voters, flip-flop and/or are habitual liars that believe in nothing are the greatest danger to the conservative movement.
McCain or Romney are very likely to end being a national version of Arnold Schwarzenegger in office. That is the worst case scenario.
There are many of us who are NOT fatcats would would benefit greatly if interest were not taxes. Every saving account would turn into an IRA that could accumulate until death. IAC, my guess is that most of the truly wealthy may income tax at a rate lower than I do and I am a retired person.
“hen why was he for the big rebate? you know what he said? http://www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Romney_Agenda_1.19 Permanently Reduce The Lowest Income Tax Bracket to 7.5%. Permanently cutting taxes for all taxpayers will put more money in workers’ pockets and stimulate consumer confidence and spending.
huh??????”
SINCE WHEN IS A TAX CUT A BAD THING? His statements are not incorrect.
And why are you being selective here? That is ONE of his several tax cuts. His most significant tax cut proposals are to cut the corporate tax rate and *eliminate* middle class income taxes on investment earnings!
Romney’s Economic Stimulus Plan:
* Reduce the lowest income tax bracket to 7.5%.
* Eliminate payroll taxes on seniors.
* Eliminate savings, capital gains and dividend taxes for those earnining less that $200,000.
* Reduce the corporate tax rate to 20%.
* Allow 100% expensing of equipment for two years.
* Expand Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan portfolio limits to allow larger loans to homeowners. Expand NeighborWorks program.
(Source: MittRomney.com, The Romney Economic Stimulus Plan, January 19, 2008)
Romney’s Economic Platform: Mitt Romney would push for a fivefold increase in spending on energy and automotive technologies. He would also overhaul the tax code and fight new regulations, including tougher fuel-economy requirements for cars and trucks that Congress recently passed and Bush signed into law.
* Make Bush tax cuts permanent.
* Cut all tax rates.
* Eliminate death tax.
* No increases in Social Security taxes.
* Pass amnesty “patch” for middle income taxpayers to avoid excessive Alternative Minimum Tax.
* Make Research & Development tax credit permanent.
http://useconomy.about.com/od/fiscalpolicy/p/Mitt_Romney.htm
Romney on economy:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/17044699
ROMNEY IS THE SUPPLY SIDE CANDIDATE. The other guys arent even close:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=19856
“The Romney campaign is staffed by a number of experienced policy heavyweights. Leading the economic team are R. Glenn Hubbard, dean of Columbia University Graduate School of Business, and N. Gregory Mankiw, a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a free-market economist at Harvard. Hubbard was the chairman of President Bush’s National Economic Council from 2001 to 2003. Mankiw took the position until 2005.”
“ogether, these men are considered the chief architects of the Bush tax cuts. Over the course of the campaign, these advisers are expected to give Romney the upper hand over Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.) on taxes.When McCain infamously voted against the Bush 2003 tax cuts, he forced Vice President Dick Cheney to go to Capitol Hill to cast a tie-breaking vote in favor of them. The Arizona senator’s tax policies were recently the target of a lengthy attack by Club for Growth President Pat Toomey, who said, “American taxpayers cannot expect consistently pro-growth economic policies from a McCain Administration.”
Economist John Cogan, a senior economic advisor to George W. Bush when he was Texas governor and who directed his budget transition team, will be another key economic adviser and a major player on the Romney campaign team. Cogan has served as assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Labor, associate director in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and as OMB deputy director.
Former Special Assistant to President Bush on economic policy Brian Reardon, another veteran of Bush’s NEC shop, has also joined the Romney campaign. Reardon has front-line battle experience on tax policy from his service as staff director and chief economist of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. Former domestic policy adviser to Vice President Cheney and renowned tax strategist Cesar Conda has joined the Romney economic brain trust as well.”
“He also attacked McCain for wanting to cut government spending” - distortion: Romney supports lower spending and pledged to cap discretionary spending to below inflation and mentioned the need for entitlement reforms, proposing a very good set of ideas that would save social security!!
Here is what he criticized McCain on - GLOBALONEY:
http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/2008/01/28/gov-romney-on-mccain-lieberman/
One has to be completely ignorant of his sorry record of tax/fee increases, budget deficits, socialized health care and his promotion of both abortion and the homosexual agenda in Massachusetts to make that kind of statement.
That clip is so illustrative of why McCain is so wrong to bring the party forward. While the kids are sending the BlackEyedPeas/Obama utube video around the world and back, we are looking at a group that couldn’t inspire a dog to meat. No disrespect, but come on, the GOP has got to get with the program
But out of the three, there is but one candidate that can be trusted to keep his word and that is Huckabee.”
FALSE!
Huckster has lied on the campaign trail, lied about his involvement in Dumond case, dissembled on taxes, supported mccain’s ‘timetable’ lie, was dishonest about pushpolling, and has flip-flopped on the campaign trail - on immigration, taxes, Cuba, etc. much worse flipflopper than romney for sure. His had numerous ethics charges as gov and tried to get around gift restrictions by registering for weddings gifts (when he had grown boys - how long after the wedding is that?!?). He is unethical, unqualified and a slick Clintonesque smoke-and-mirrors guy.
“character matters”
Yes it does. The man with the best and most consistent and ethical character is Mitt Romney. By far.
“McCain or Romney are very likely to end being a national version of Arnold Schwarzenegger in office.”
McCain yes- Romney no. see previous comment I made on Romney’s supply side helpers - ROMNEY HAS STAFFED HIS CAMPAIGN AND ADVISORY BOARDS WITH CONSERVATIVES.
He is the closest thing we have to Reagan in the race.
PERIOD.
I have no idea why you think Romney would end up being any better than either on that issue.
But, I do KNOW Huckabee is a social conservative, a strong advocate of gun rights, would nominate conservative judges and is far more likely to keep his word than the other to lying RINOs. That, at least, is something.
Here's one for ya, Huckabee demanded in-state college tution for illegal aliens in a conservative state while Romney vetoed a similar bill in a liberal one.
If you want to make comparisons between the two I'm sure we can find things we don't like with either of them however the point cannot be missed that Romney was dealing with a hostile legislature his whole time in office and as a result compromises had to reached. In fact he was not only fighting that but liberal judges as well. What Huckabee's excuse?
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