GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
In the past, I’ve tried to give Anderson Cooper the benefit of the doubt, but this is two debates that he’s moderated where he’s done an absolutely terrible job.
As I’ve repeatedly reminded our readers here, I don’t have a horse in the race anymore, and I have have been waiting for one of the candidates to win me over. I hoped for a moment that “wows” me. Tonight didn’t seal the deal, but tonight did clarify a few things for me.
A couple of months ago, I thought that if Fred Thompson were to drop out, McCain would be a good alternative that I could be happy with. Since late November, however, I have cooled on McCain. Tonight, he really turned me off. He did not come across as presidential material, to put it mildly. Frankly, his performance tonight reminded me of all the reasons I didn’t support him in the first place. It was an embarrassing performance. There were times he almost turned it around, but in the end, he failed to do so.
Mitt Romney came very close to having a “wow” moment. He showed a command of the issues, and used talking points that are very close to my heart. Romney’s biggest problem tonight was that he let himself get defensive, instead of rising above McCain’s constant attacks. At one point, it looked as if he had delivered a knockout punch, but he couldn’t seal the deal. When talking about leadership, Romney sounded like the pragmatist he is, and that has been one of his biggest obstacles throughout the entire campaign. He must show an understanding of true movement conservatism, as well as his knack for problem solving to inspire the GOP thinkers. However… overall, Romney clearly comes out of this debate looking a lot better than McCain, and much more presidential. He gave a near great performance.
One of my biggest problems with the whole debate was that Cooper seemed to be making an effort to minimalize Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. Huckabee rebounded brilliantly from his prior performances, when he was given the opportunity. Whether you agree with him or not, the bickering on the stage made him look very good. His problem is that whenever he speaks, he doesn’t cut himself off. His effective talking points are wiped out because he tends to go on and on, and when he does this, he strays into liberal territory.
The way Ron Paul was treated tonight was pathetic. Cooper repeatedly cut him off, and it was pathetic. Paul gave some of the best responses tonight, especially on the question about Reagan’s endorsement. After McCain and Romney argued over who Reagan would endorse, Paul sounded humble, speaking with a grace that he has not been known for. When he said “I’m not sure,” I knew I had heard something remarkable… someone giving an honest, humble, and truthful opinion, and he sounded like a leader while doing it.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
So when do we get the Tommy Oliver endorsement of Ron Paul?
Join the rLOVEution! It’s not too late
January 30th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
The American Spectator’s John Tabin: “Romney corrects some of McCain’s facts – McCain confused Romney’s lieutenant governor with his predecessor, among other things. I think Romney won this exchange.” (John Tabin, “Romney Vs. McCain,” The American Spectator Blog, http://www.spectator.org, Posted 1/30/08)
January 30th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Huckabee’s Reagan closing was the best of the entire debate and says why he is the real leader on the stage.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
National Review’s Mark Hemmingway: “Not that I needed anyone to tell me the McCain-Lieberman cap-and-trade program is a bad idea, but Romney’s dissection of it was clear and compelling.” (Mark Hemmingway, “Not That I Needed Anyone,” National Review’s The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com=, Posted 1/30/08)
January 30th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
What is wrong with minimalizing those who do not have a chance to win the nomination, particularly Paul.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
3, Huck is all style, no substance. He can deliver a good line, but cannot think strategically or manage effectively. This is show by how he governed in Arkansas and how he has ran his campaign.
Huck would be a disaster as a nominee or as a president.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Quacknhack,
Because they’ve been doing it for months, even when the race was wide open, and it doesn’t give the competitors the opportunity to win over voters. It suggests that “the fix is in.”
January 30th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I think Huck was great in CA - he usually has strong debate showings, but even by Huck standards, this was good.
I really didn’t like the seating at a table format - it tended, as Tommy noted, to marginalize Huck and Paul and also just wasn’t as cool as the more standard podium battles.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Tommy, Paul is in single digits. He doesn’t even deserve to be there. He’s NEVER even placed 4th place!
Should we call up Alan Keyes and get him in the debates as well?
January 30th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I know McCain said he would “hire” managers to manage the economy, but I think he really meant that he would outsource it to China.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I think Romney was the clear winner tonight. McCain tried to pull the victim card out by saying Mitt “attacked” him and Huckabee.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Schneider: “Romney is winning this big-time — McCain’s wrong. We already have timetables for everything in Iraq, whether we stick to them or adjust them later on.”
January 30th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Joseph he placed 2nd in NV and probably 1st or 2nd in LA, although we won’t know until Feb.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
The only policies Huckabee proposed in the debate were laughed away. (I am in California now, so let’s build a superhighway across California–and make sure those people in Montana aren’t left behind as well.)
Huckabee has learned he’s going to be unemployed if he keeps propping up McCain. He has learned to stop being the dutiful sidekick. I say: too little too late.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I agree that Paul sounded more cogent and reasonable than he has to date. Many of his fundamental points are valid.
Romney’s intellectual capacity relative to McCain’s was also on display. But does anyone care? I am troubled that leading Republicans are lining up to help make McCain the leader of the free world. More interest in maintaining the status quo than in fundamentally changing Washington to better serve our nation.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Sorry Jason, I forgot about Nevada. But still, I think the point at which Paul’s legitimacy in this campaign is exhausted is approaching. Then he can run as the Nader off on the sidelines.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Huckabee is staying in the race because once he drops out all of his children will be unemployed!
January 30th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
McCain clearly had the worst night. At the beginning of the debate he seemed listless (yawned on camera) and like he didn’t know why he would have to bother with the debate (after all isn’t the race already over?). He looked really bad in the exchange over timetables.
Romney was solid for much of the night, but had a couple bad blunders. His opening question (are we better off than we were 8 years ago), he botched badly, trying to dodge the question instead of addressing voters concerns. Yes, Mitt, a presidential candidate should have an opinion on the state of the country, not just an opinion on his own record. He told people he didn’t give a crap. When McCain took the cheap shot on laying people off, Romney laughed. I know he was laughing off a cheap shot, but it could be interpreted as callousness towards layoffs. Not a good posture for the super wealthy, self financed candidate.
Paul actually did very well with what letter time he had. His answer following the McCain/Romney squabble over timetables was one of the best responses of the not. Most of his answers were well delivered, but his obsession with gold and paper money reinforces his fringe status.
Huckabee had a great night. His answers were smooth, particularly his answers on Reagan’s endorsement, the need for leaders to pay attention at the bottom, the case for governors, and the right to life. His one flaw was his repeated complaints about lack of time. He’s right, and I was sick of the eternal McCain/Romney exchanges, but repeatedly vocalizing his frustration came off a little whiney, and further marginalized him.
1. Huckabee.
2. Paul.
3. Romney.
4. McCain
January 30th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
bjalder:
That’s because McCain has his patron system all lined up.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
CNN’s “fair and balanced� summary of their focus group was basically, that they didn’t like McCain at all, but they’re still not 100.00% sure who they will vote for.
If McCain had done as well as Romney I bet they would be talking about the landslide of support for McCain from their focus group.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
If a disproportionate share of the audience was from California, this debate will help Mitt in the state. I’m guessing that a lot of people watched there just to see if Schwarzenegger endorsed McCain afterward.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Joseph,
“The only policies Huckabee proposed in the debate were laughed away. (I am in California now, so let’s build a superhighway across California–and make sure those people in Montana aren’t left behind as well.)”
I think you missed the point. The point is, if the government is going to spend money to stimulate the economy, why not do so in a way that employs Americans, improves their quality of life, and keeps the money in America, rather than buying everyone a new iPod made in China. Borrowing from the Chinese so Americans can buy stuff made in China really isn’t the best way to improve our economy. Wouldn’t you agree?
January 30th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
#17 Well, we don’t want that to happen. We know what Huckabee’s son does when he has spare time on his hands.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
I agree that Cooper was not great, but I prefer him to the insufferable Wolf Blitzer. And at least the questions were mostly substantive.
Huckabee deserved more time given he won IA and did well in SC. Paul got more time than his performance demanded.
Romney did well, but not well enough to change the race. He had opportunities to hit McCain hard on policies, but did not. Sure the whole gas tax thing was good, but complicated. Romney needed a soundbite and the perfect opportunity was when McCain droned on about his military service. Romney should have turned to McCain thanked him for his service and said, “Senator, please join me in the 21st century.” He very well could have been booed, but the point of McCain living in the past would have been made and replayed all day.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
i dont know whats wrong with me, but i have such a soft spot for underdogs. before fred thompson entered, i didnt want him to do well. once its clear he wasnt going to win, i was wishing he had done better. when john mccain imploded, i heard him do interviews and wished he was doing better. when rudy gave up last night, i was wishing he had done better, but when he was stooping to the ’sanctuary mansion’ attack, i thought he was really lame. now that huckabee is a non factor, i found him much less repulsive. and of course i felt really bad for ron paul tonight, because if you are going to invite him to the debate, then give him a chance to speak.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
#23 So would you ban those government paid workers from buying Ipods?
January 30th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Did anyone notice McCain’s yawn in the opening question?
Did anyone think that Romney’s laugh at McCain’s cheap shot over laying people off might make the mega-millionaire look callous?
January 30th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Tommy. . . So the question is, if tonight’s debate didn’t seal the deal for you, can anything happen (within the realm of normal campaigning) in the next week to affect your vote?
January 30th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
McCain’s playing the victim card was so ironic now that we see how liberal his positions are from this debate. Back then he might as well have said, Mitt, stop trying to distort my positions, they’re much worse than that.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
bjalder,
“So would you ban those government paid workers from buying Ipods?”
Don’t be silly. The point is, if the government is going to spend money to improve the economy, I think investing the money in infrastructure (which we desperately need anyway) which employs Americans and keeps the money in America makes more sense than cutting people a check that’s just enough to buy an iPod. I’m not talking about regulating what people purchase and you know it. You look like your just trying to avoid any sort of substantive response.
Do you think the money should stay in America?
January 30th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
#27- -Maybe, but it was pretty ridiculous for mccain to throw that in there in a question about the military.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Watch The Luntz Post-Debate Focus Group: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZOSDnNoQyg
January 30th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
MWS,
Huckabee hasn’t won anything since Iowa….that’s what has marginalized him. The reason Paul got short shrift was because he doesn’t merit being on the stage with the other guys. Huckabee is relevant because he can perhaps win a large enough bloc of delegates to play kingmaker at the convention….but he has no chance to win the big prize. Romney actually got more votes from evangelicals than he did in New Hampshire, Michigan, and Nevada. Evangelicals split almost evenly 3 ways in Florida, which were about the only votes Huckabee got in the state. If Huck can’t beat McCain in South Carolina, of all places, what’s his justification for even being in the race?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Townhall’s Mary Katharine Ham: “Mitt Romney is exactly right on letting states take the lead on global warming and emissions standards if they want to tighten them, but he does the work McCain wouldn’t do by pointing out that those actions have consequences in higher costs and lost jobs. When he talks these issues, he is smart and right.” (Mary Katharine Ham, “Global Warming Mania!” Townhall Blog, http://www.townhall.com, Posted 1/30/08)
January 30th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
National Review’s Mark Hemingway: “I think I can say that Romney was the clear winner in the debate.”
January 30th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder: “Applause from audience when Romney says Reagan would have found the dirty tricks reprehensible.”
January 30th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds: “GOOD POINT BY ROMNEY about how McCain shouldn’t ‘demean’ people who start businesses. McCain has been doing that a lot, acting as if meeting a payroll is somehow less honorable than working for the government.” (Glenn Reynolds, “Good Point By Romney,” Blog, http://instapundit.com/, Posted 1/30/08)
January 30th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Dave,
” If Huck can’t beat McCain in South Carolina, of all places, what’s his justification for even being in the race?”
He wants to see if AL, GA, OK, and MO will reverse South Carolina’s decision. I agree he has little more than a prayer at this point. But if we carries the Southern states Tuesday, at least he’ll have something if McCain implodes again. Huckabee and Romney are virtually tied now in the RCP national average, which at this point is our best proxy for Tuesday.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Problem is, most people like me feel this is now a foregone conclusion. I watched about 15 minutes of the debate and then turned it off for the rest of the night. After Florida, I will wager that there are millions like me who just tuned out the debate so nothing except a blunder of historical proportions will change anything before next Tuesday. The other problem for Romney is too many states next Tuesday are winner take all, and McCain will clobber him in those (somewhere around 300-60 unless Huckabee steals MO, which would then go something like 240-60-60). The irony is that at least one if not more of those states changed to winner take all thinking that it would help Rudy who now is no longer in it at all.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Steve,
“The irony is that at least one if not more of those states changed to winner take all thinking that it would help Rudy who now is no longer in it at all.”
You’re right, the WTA states tend to be the blue ones that Rudy was supposed to win.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
I think most of us can agree that McCain had the worst night. The McCainiacs here would rather talk about his endorsements. Huckabee’s only real stumble was the repeated complaints about time (which are valid, but look whiney). Romney dodged a few questions, the most damaging being the one about whether we are better off than we were 8 years ago. Instead of speaking to people’s hopes and fears, he (repeatedly) side-stepped and just wanted to talk about Massachusetts. Did he learn nothing from Guiliani?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
bjalder,
Please don’t spam my post.
Alaska,
I’m not going to endorse Romney or McCain because it would take away from my ability to try and see things from an objective view. I kind of like approaching this as an undecided voter. I probably won’t tell anyone who I voted for until after February 5. If I were to base my choice on tonight’s debate, I’d vote for Romney because I think he came across as the better candidate. However, that’s not the best way for me to follow the race and be able to give a somewhat objective viewpoint. By staying out of the endorsement game, it gives me the opportunity to praise each candidate and criticize each candidate without a label around my neck.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
MWS,
If Huckabee wants the Veep nom, and if he can earn enough delegates to prevent one of the candidates from winning outright, that’s a pretty good reason to stay in. The only other reason might be to spite Mitt. He has zero chance of winning the presidency however, and he’s smart enough to know it.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
MWS,
Huckabee had a very good night. I wish he would cut himself off before he goes on about waitresses and such. I get that he understands the common folk, but it tends to sound like pandering, not to mention liberal.
There’s nothing wrong with being a compassionate fellow, but not at the expense of sounding like Breck Girl. It weakens his point, and takes away some of the authorative way he responded to some of the questions tonight.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
To post a link is to spam someone’s post? I post links all the time. I had no idea it was a faux pas.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Tommy,
I’m not sure you really understand the whole representational democracy concept. There are plenty of certifiable idiots in the electorate picking a candidate to vote for for the flimsiest of reasons, but they are at least picking candidates. Why should somebody intelligent and educated about the race, such as yourself, abnegate your responsibility to be a good citizen? It’s a 2-man race: either McCain or Romney will be the nominee, and the decision by the voting public will be rendered within the next couple of months….the only thing anybody ever got from sitting on a fence was a ruptured scrotum.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Tommy,
I think that Huckabee talking about truckers and waitresses are some of his best moments. He’s definitely not the Breck Girl. But people need to know that conservatives and Republicans actually give a rip about people who make less than $50,000. None of the other candidates speak to that, to the party’s detriment. I agree that he could take it too far, but I don’t think he did tonight. I also think he was the clear winner on the discussion of the stimulus package.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
good nights for Paul and Romney…McCain, simply put, is a mental midget
January 30th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Intrade VP numbers:
Field(other): 33.9
Huck 23.5
Rudy 12.0 (+5.1 today)
TPaw 12.0
Fred 5.0
Mitt 4.0 (???)
Rice 3.5
Whom do you suppose such a high # for Field represents? Petraeus? Sanford?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Tommy,
I hope you also noticed that Huckabee spoke out for the 10th Amendment, federalism, and the importance of states as laboratories for policy. As a former governor, I think he is very sincere about that. That should have sent your heart all aflutter.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
MWS, although we’d disagree on the content of the message, I wholeheartedly agree with you that the majority of economic conservatives haven’t figured out how to sell it to the low end of the income scale — even though it’s in their best interests.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Ridiculous. We are not ruled by majoritarian plebiscite.
To not make a choice, to abstain, to refuse to rule on an issue (as courts sometimes do), or to simply keep silent are legitimate, defensible choices for any number of reasons in our system.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
This should be the burning question for the crack policy analysts at Cato. Solve the problem of how to develop support for free market policies among those who are often least positioned to benefit and everyone would benefit.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
On the Huckabee Debate Blog tonight:
o
On the first page alone there are psts from 4 democrats who say they are now voting for mike, a republican who said she is crying because she didn’t vote for Mike in FL.
Mike connected tonight folks…and if they browse the site tonight and discover his positions on the issues, look out for huckaboom 2.0
On page 3 of comments a CMA country music artist says he’s switching from Hillary and wants to campaign for Mike!!
:shock:
Something very special happened tonight
January 30th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Metro,
Yes, the way it is, people assume that conservative economics exists solely for the benefit of the wealthy. My die hard Roosevelt Democrat grandparents (from southern Illinois) thought that the GOP was for the coal mine owners, and the Democrats for mine workers.
Also, the 4% for Romney is absurd! You should definitely short that one. Those most be the same 4% who were picking Paul to win after NH or Michigan.
I think it’s safe to cross Fred off that list too. A McCain/ Thompson ticket- with a combined 374 years of life experience would look terrible against any of the Dems, especially a ticket headed by Obama.
“Crusty old white guys who just walked out of central casting vs. the vibrant, multi-race hope of the future.”
January 30th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Tommy. . . Thanks for the reply. I wasn’t asking for your voting choice specifically. Just wondering what would need to occur in the next week for you to consider the deal. . .sealed.
Also, do you think it’s a safe bet that FDT will remain neutral at least through 2/5?
I’m glad you’ve stayed out of the endorsement game. Makes your posts more intelligent and objective.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Good. Let us hope that he can somehow project the issues important to his candidacy in the states where he is best positioned to benefit, i.e. the south.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
MWS,
Yes, I noticed that, and he sounded very strong on the issue.
Dave,
I’m not saying that I don’t lean towards a candidate. I’m just not publicly endorsing one. Granted, my endorsement doesn’t mean a hill of beans to Joe Public, but as long as I am covering the race here, I want to spend the rest of my time covering it, as opposed to turning myself into Justin Hart or DaveG, where all I do is prop up one candidate and attack the other.
Actually, I take that back. Here is my press release:
Since Paul is not one of the two likely candidates, I can still cover them objectively.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Alaska,
FDT will not endorse any candidate before 2/5. At least that is what he told us on a conference call after his withdrawal.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Brett,
I hope you’re right, but the media have by and large decided this is a two man race, and a lot of voters will take their cue. On the other hand, Huck’s RCP national average actually bumped up since Florida, so we’ll see.
People say that Huck is hurting Romney by staying in. Not true. He’s hurting McCain. Romney is not competitive in a single state which Huck has a chance of winning on Tuesday. All of Huck’s potential winners are him vs. McCain, and if Huck weren’t there, McCain would win them all.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
civic virtue,
I was referring to one particular commentor repeatedly posting positive remarks on here from other commentators, aand I was hoping to be able to gauge everyone’s reaction. Usually, it doesn’t bother me.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
I am guessing that Civic Virtue is Libguy with a different name. Am I right?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Tommy,
Who do you think wins TN on Tuesday?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
MWS,
Mitt is competitive in both Tennessee and Missouri….not leading, but competitive.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I just remembered one other bad spot for Romney tonight. I’ll paraphrase:
Question about immigration, how Romney said in a prior debate that he’d deport them in 90 days, and how would he accomplish this.
Romney: I don’t think I said that. That was someone else.
Questioner reads quote.
Romney: If that’s what I said, then okay.
?????
January 30th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
MWS,
Honestly? Huckabee by a wide margin in Tennessee. Unless Florida’s outcome turned the majority of voters to McCain, or there is also the possibility to Fredheads still vote for Thompson, since he is still on the ballot.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
I don’t know who libguy is. If you’re wondering about my identity, you can find a link to my facebook page on my blog—facebook friends include the well loved Brett Passmore, Justin Hart who is sorely missed, the estimable Soren Dayton, the illustrious Kavon of race42008.com, a boy from Israel also named Gilad Dotan, and my rebbe who lives on Vancouver Island in the Pacific NW etc.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Dave,
Mitt was running in 6th place in Tennessee before Thompson and Rudy dropped out. I don’t think he can pull it off. That’s just my perspective. I’ve never seen a single Romney ad here, and since Thompson’s departure, Huckabee has gotten the majority of the local news coverage, while McCain has dominated the headlines.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Classic Romney. Quintessential Romney. The epitome of Romney-ness.
But at this precise moment all I can feel for the hapless candidate is compassion. (What the hell is wrong with me?)
January 30th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Hold up… “estimable” + “Gilad Dotan.” Is this one in the same? That’s one of my favorite blogs. I know the Rombots hate it, but that’s one of the funniest blogs I’ve read.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
My pragmatic desire to see victory this November had me leaning heavily towards McCain. But after tonight’s performance, I’m definitely second guessing myself. How will Sen. McCain hold up in multiple debates with Hillary or, God forbid, Obama?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Tommy, what can I do to mend bridges and swing you to the dark side?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Now with Romney contemplating no fresh media buys this is the kind of media that will prove decisive. Advantage: McCain for the most part, although variably as there are markets where he will underperform.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Saturday national polls will give important clues, as they should all be post-Florida, post-Rudy.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Yes, that’s my blog. I’m dr. g.d. And thank you for the kind words. Since we’re exchanging praise, I like conservative superiority too, and I’ve been your fan since you wrote about Romney’s treatment of Craig many, many moons ago.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
What I hope is the talk around the water cooler tomorrow:
“Man, I thought I’d vote for McCain, but that guy can be a real a-hole. That Romney guy seems real smart, but he’s awfully dodgy. Now that Huckabee fella’ is a guy I can relate to…….”
January 31st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Brett,
Actually, I don’t know.
If Fred endorsed Huck, then I’d vote for him.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Huck will never back out. He is an establishment plant to sway the nomination toward Mac. He seems small and petty about now.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:02 am
?
January 31st, 2008 at 12:02 am
civic,
Thanks! That’s one of my personal favorite pieces that I’ve written. Can you say Rosebud?
January 31st, 2008 at 12:04 am
77 thanks man — not gonna happen i suppose….
78 - drop this line of thinking - until FL, Mike was 2nd in delegate count - he still has serious support. just because you don’t like mike doesn’t mean he is out.
the last 4 days have been some of our strongest fund raising days of the entire campaign.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:06 am
Brett,
We’ll have to wait and see. I’m open to the possibility, but there are a whole lot of fences that have yet to be mended.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:08 am
82 - well if i can do anything - you know how to reach me. i gtg - have a great night.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:09 am
Oh, yes. I’ve been comparing Romney to Citizen Kane for months. I nearly laughed myself sick when you posted those spoofed movie posters.
The best, however, was The Deer Hunter.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:09 am
Tyler,
“He is an establishment plant to sway the nomination toward Mac.”
Yeah, that’s why he’s getting all of that establishment money, right? The Powers That Be somehow KNEW he would go from 2% nationally to be the frontrunner (for a time) and be one of the last three major candidates. Sure.
(Tyler) “He seems small and petty about now.”
Actually, if you haven’t noticed, it is McCain and Romney who are fighting like little schoolgirls.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:12 am
I am guessing that Civic Virtue is Libguy with a different name. Am I right?
Why on Earth would I need to go by a different name?
January 31st, 2008 at 12:13 am
No, it’s more depressing than that. Here’s what Chuck Todd wrote about Romney:
Dude. This bites. What am I going to do with my blog if Romney recedes into history? How the hell am I going to waste my precious time?
January 31st, 2008 at 12:13 am
Huck is just as dumb as G Dub but he speaks better. No Thanks.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:14 am
Thanks again. I probably picked that comparison up from your blog a while ago, and it stuck with me. I had to teach myself how to use Paint to do those, but I’d been waiting for the oportunity to use that one. I even tried to use the same format as they did on the actual cover of the Special Edition DVD, with the large poster in the background and him at the podium.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:14 am
Look. I’m talking to myself.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:17 am
Maybe, maybe not. It’s not like it’s not an easy comparison to make!
If you read the “who are we and what is our task” page then maybe, because that’s where I spell out the comparison.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:17 am
Civic,
“How the hell am I going to waste my precious time?”
Well, I kind of like Law and Order reruns.
Then there’s always Romney’s library of home videos.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:18 am
Civic,
Despair not. Remember, there is always the life after the downfall. We just have to remember Kane’s life after his campaign. We will watch Romney buy his own Xanadu, and then the rest is history.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:18 am
any word on where Mitt plans to compete on the air? I think he shouldnt spend a nickel in the northeast. He should cherry pick parts of CA and try to win half of the delegates there. Win UT, MA, MT, and CO. And I would focus money on winning AK, ND, MN, IL, AZ (yes Mitt could win there) and WV. Perhaps GA too. TN and GA would only be the others that he might try to do well in. I think the objective should be to win the small ones previously stated, and do well enough to get delegates in the large ones. And try like hell to win the red districts in CA. That will still give him a healthy number of delegates.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:19 am
It’s not like he doesn’t have his own connections with sleds.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:20 am
husky,
He’s apparently pulled his ads for 2/5, if the information is correct.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:21 am
you’d think that McCain with all his momentum would at this time, try and console the conservatives, stop attacking romney, and try to unify the party, since he is the obvious frontrunner. However, his arrogance and “i am john freakin McCain� force these thoughts to play back seat. McCainiacs you think this guy has any shot at uniting the party??? He spits in their face, lies, and rips on their ideals and values. He doesn’t talk substance, anytime he is questioned it’s “I am John McCain, the foot soldier, the sheriff, the not miss congeniality� In his mind he has never made a mistake ( he still supports McCain-Kennedy!!!). Mitt supporters are around 25% nationwide (according to the latest avg.s) and McCain thinks the best way is to be vindictive, lie, etc. I’d probably still hate him, even if he tried the unity tactic, but the fact is that it would have worked and would have helped him in the fall. Instead a lot of conservatives will be sitting at home in november.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:23 am
husky,
From the Associated Press:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22920891
January 31st, 2008 at 12:24 am
I wonder if Ann Romney is going to hound Mitt the rest of his life about the money he spent on this campaign.
“Mitt, I TOLD you you were finished after New Hampshire, but NOOOOO, your big fat ego just HAD to keep going. And when you won daddy’s home state you REALLY thought the people loved you, so what do you do??? Another $50 million!!!”
January 31st, 2008 at 12:27 am
” Romney’s campaign was not attempting to purchase television advertising time in any of the states on the Super Tuesday calendar.”
Obviously, Romney is less than broke without his own money, and he is implicitly conceding if he turned off the spigot of his own fortune. His big advantage is his ability to buy ads everywhere. That’s what’s supposed to keep him viable. If he doesn’t have that, then what does he have? Goodness, Huckabee is running ads. I just saw one after the debate. I’m sure it was national (on CNN).
January 31st, 2008 at 12:29 am
jaaron,
You make a good point. McCain would have been better served acting like the nominee tonight and looking Presidential, instead of getting in a slapfest with Romney.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:52 am
Jaaron. MSW. Agreed. This is how Sen. McCain can blow his front runner status before he ever has a chance to consolidate it. Right now—and by now I mean that he should have started tonight, during the debate as you suggest—he needs to begin reaching out to to conservative personalities (right wing shock jocks, talking heads, celebrities, talking heads), professional conservatives (writers, analysts, columnists, editors, think tank researchers), conservative activists, issues coalitions, pressure groups etc., etc.
We shall see.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:55 am
Tommy, thats the worst news of the night. He should go for broke (not really since he would still be worth several hundred million). One week to make or break. I think he should try like hell this last week to run ads in several states. I dont think it would be a stretch to get about 40% of the delegates. Perhaps the debate tonight changes his mind to compete more. I would try like hell, and put a private # of delegates that you had to be at on Feb 5th. If you go one more week and spend what it takes and dont get there next week, you drop out (and dont endorse, ever!!!!).
January 31st, 2008 at 12:57 am
71…you are right, mccain will get absolutely fried by hillary or esp. obama in debates….jesus…he can barely cobble together a coherent argument and/or responsds to questions with utterly irrelevant points and/or arguments…what in gods name do all these big time GOPers see in him?
January 31st, 2008 at 1:59 am
Tommy, using “pragmatist” to describe Mitt Romney is very generous. Maybe opportunist, disingenuous, panderer, flip-flop, or fake would have been better
January 31st, 2008 at 8:50 am
While I’d never vote for him, and agree he has no real chance, I am glad Ron Paul was there. The answer when he took both Romney and particularly McCain to task for their back and forth over trivia about who said what when about timetables and the surge was the finest moment of the debate by any candidate, IMHO. Gold standard? Crazy talk. Tackling the big challenges without descending into gotcha politics? Paul is absolutely sane, and looked liek the only grown-up running…
January 31st, 2008 at 10:43 am
I have decided that I will take my ball and go home. We all watched as the polls (pollsters can and will give you any result you want) had Rudy then Huck, then Thompson and now they tell us the ONLY one that can beat Hillary is McCain. AND WE BELIEVE IT!!! WE WANT SOMEONE TO INSPIRE US…WOW US…LIE TO US… The Dems and liberal media are still mad about the election we stole 8 years ago and they are out to get even. They have chosen who they want to be the one running against Hillary and we have let the trojan horse (McCain) take over the party. Well Dems and Indies have chosen our canidate and as soon as McCain is annointed you will see the SHOCK AND AWE OF THE DEMOCRATES on a cranky, mean, stupid, (LOVE TO SEE HIM DEBATE A DEM), angry OLD man. Just imagine all the ads they WILL produce on last weeks media alone…..McCAIN LIES…McCAIN CAN’T REMEMBER…We deserve exactly what we get. There have been really good canidates (not perfect) and the media has made sure that NO air time was given to them and they faded. Look how they treat Ron Paul. They are mad that Romeny didn’t go home sooner because he had the resources to play. He HAD to use his own money to get his message out. It was just fine that Arnold used his own money to be Gov so he wouldn’t be bought!!!!!! Wow…if we just had the fairness docterine the media would have to give every canidate equal pos and neg air time, not just carry the water for moneyless McCain and Huck. (Oh, I think the fairness doc only would only apply to talk radio.) We have NO FREE PRESS, no facts, they just spin it to meet their needs. They tell us what we want to hear because we are too lazy to educate ourselves. Most of us will find something else to do on election night and let the dems give us exactly what we deserve. McCain NEEDS us to win…he says he sees what the american people want and makes changes… seems he’s always changing towards the ones on the left. ..WAKE UP AMERICA …GET OFF YOUR COUCH AND DO SOMETHING that will help fix Washington. Oh thats right Washington does not want to be fixed. Just ask any lifer…..politian.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:04 am
[...] Thompson supporter Tommy Oliver could not believe how Ron Paul was treated: The way Ron Paul was treated tonight was pathetic. Cooper repeatedly cut [...]
January 31st, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Joseph #9,
What? Ron Paul has never come in 4th? Paul came in 2nd in Nevada, 1st or 2nd in Louisiana, and 4th in Michigan.