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.
I needed that. With the crappy weather and the glorious economy the depression factor is at an all time high here in Michigan.
Excellent points! Thanks for the post.
Romney is no Reagan, but he might be able to get you some government health insurance.
Deserves a repeat. :-)
963 delegates left. McCain needs 494 - more than half. he can be stopped before the convention.
It should start tomorrow at CPAC. Romney speaks at 12:30 and McCain speaks at 3pm. Romney ought to go right for the jugular on immigration and the Bush tax cut that McCain voted against. Also, he ought to mention McCain’s adviser Warren Rudman, and how Rudman will influence SCOTUS picks if McCain wins the nomination.
There is not one R in my info-dump group that will cast a vote for McCain....but the 3 dems in that group would ,over Hillary.
I respectfully disagree.
Neither McCain or Romney are worth a vote.
As repulsed as Ann Colter is by McCain - that’s how repulsed I am by Mitt.
And, no, he isn't better than McCain any more that Arnold Schwarzenegger was any better than a Democrat in Calfornia.
Romney has the MOST liberal record in the race and is just as untrustworthy as McCain.
Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.
Agreed. And the intellectual bankruptcy of the McCain brigade has made it plain that there's absolutely no valid reason to vote for McCain since Mr. McAmnesty himself ideologically no different than Hillary and Obama.
“Neither McCain or Romney are worth a vote.”
Care to mention any alternatives to go with your statement of blind opposition? If so, can you suggests one that prevents the election of another Clinton? Thanks.
I’m glad to see your still in there fighting 2ndDV. Keep your chin up buddy.
Le-boot is math challenged. It’s all over! Mitt would have to begin getting 75% of the vote in remaining primaries, which are not winner-take-all. Ain’t gonna happen. Fuggetaboutit.
Is it being shown on cspan?
Rudman was the one who got Souter on the SC, correct?
Bump!
“Your mission, Mitt, should you decide to accept it, is to prevent John McCain from getting the GOP nomination for President of the United States. Otherwise, this party will self-destruct in 5 months.”
Or perhaps
you think Mr "Dead last in all the poll with no money no organization and no political support pushing a nation wide smoking ban , US should apologies to Pakistan cause Butto got wacked by Al Qeda" Nanny state Liberal Huckabee would be better?
How about this...
How about if Romney decides to give John “The Inevitable” McCain a dose of his own dirty tricks medicine, drops out of the race, and tells ALL of his people to vote for The Huckster.
That would cause McCain’s butt-boy use of The Huckster to backfire, and that sub-intellect from Hope would suddenly find himself THE choice of conservatives (like it or not), and with a lead in delegates, to boot!
Would I rather have Huckabee as my candidate instead of McCain? Well, that’s like asking if I would like Chicken Pox rather than the Measles... but, YES. I’d LOVE to see McCain defeated.
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