Lucas Roebuck is a former managing editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times and the Siloam Springs Herald-Leader
If this is a two-man race, Romney may be the odd man out
Mitt Romney and his sycophants among the Beltway ” conservatives” are spinning the yarn that the GOP presidential contest is now a two way race. Romney is wrong. The race still has three viable contenders:
Sen. John McCain, Romney himself, and Gov. Mike Huckabee (who I support ).
” We’re finally getting where we wanted to be, and that is to have a two-person race, ” Romney told Fox News. ” In a two-person race, I like my chances. ”
But if the race was a two-man contest, who are the two men ? After Super Tuesday, Romney may find himself the odd man out.
Let’s look at who leads the Super Tuesday states according to the most recent polls as of this writing. (For what it’s worth, most of my information comes from RealClearPolitics. com. )
McCain is currently leading the following Super Tuesday states:
Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. He is tied with Mike Huckabee in Alabama.
Huckabee is currently leading in Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Montana, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Mitt Romney currently leads in Massachusetts and Colorado.
So that leaves six states with no real polling data. Here’s my wild, educated guess on how they’ll split: McCain will take Delaware and Minnesota; Romney will take Utah and maybe North Dakota; Huckabee will take Alaska and West Virginia.
Some of the states are winner-takes-all delegates, while others have varying distribution rules. For the sake of this illustration, however, let’s use a winner-takes-all model, assuming that second- and third-place delegate awards will end up being a wash among candidates.
If this model holds, on Super Tuesday, the candidates will rack up the following number of delegates: McCain, 601; Huckabee, 368; and Romney, 151. Currently, McCain has 93 delegates, Romney has 59 and Huckabee has 40 delegates. In order to win the nomination, a candidate needs to have 1, 191 delegates.
What we are seeing is that Romney’s tired attempts to be the conservative standardbearer aren’t closing the deal. In the end, no matter how many reassuring speeches Romney gives, too many voters – especially social conservatives – just can’t get over Romney’s flips.
His switching on abortion and the Second Amendment just seem a little too convenient. McCain may not be a conservative’s conservative, but he has been consistent on his positions, like Mike Huckabee. Huckabee is as fiscally conservative as any of the GOP candidates in the race and is demonstratively more socially conservative.
The moderate states so far – New Hampshire, Michigan and Florida – were wars between Romney and McCain. The conservative states – South Carolina and Iowa – were dominated by McCain and Huckabee.
A lot has been made recently of the three conservative movements that were part of the Reagan coalition: social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and national defense hawks. Each movement today has their champion. McCain clearly is the strongest military conservative.
Huckabee is clearly the strongest social conservative. Romney can barely make the claim that he is slightly more fiscally conservative than Huckabee. Or McCain. (I don’t think Ron Paul’s libertarians really fit into the Reagan revolution. )
The likelihood that Super Tuesday will come and go without someone getting into striking distance is high. Unless the landscape changes significantly in the next few days, even when Super Tuesday is over, McCain, Romney and Huckabee will all likely have mathematical possibilities of victory.
The dire predictions – that somehow, because more of the electoral contests are being held earlier in the cycle meant the primaries would be over before they began – have not come true. Instead, we have had the exact opposite effect. More opportunities for early victories have kept more Republicans in the game.
The GOP convention may actually pick the candidate this year instead of just crowning him.
As far as his assessment, I do not agree 100% – I think Alaska will go McCain, not Huckabee and I think that the Ron Paul defectors will support Huckabee over any other republican candidate (although most will abstain for vote Libertarian) .
Mike still has a strong reason to stay in – he has tremendous potential to win several states on Tuesday and retain the conservative wing of the party. Romney supporters need to get behind Mike now – Mike has the speaking abilities, the friendly demeanor, and the charm to obliterate the democratic nominee. Romney’s negatives are skyhigh and he will get killed in the general – Mike has the ability to connect with the common man. Mitt just turns him off. Maybe Mitt could be a VP ….
January 31st, 2008 at 3:38 pm
This article is outdated. Georgia and Tennessee have both fallen to McCain in polls today.
Huckabee – if you have any conservativeness in you, take one for the team, make a deal with Romney and get out of the race.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:39 pm
On first glance
Now, have I seen any recent polls that show Huckabee ahead in Missouri or Oklahoma? Montana?
January 31st, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Brett,
Are you trying to inform us or convince us?
If Huck is 3rd after Super Tuesday, will you then concede defeat?
January 31st, 2008 at 3:43 pm
If Mike were a conservative I would think about it.
He is nothing more than a pro-life democrat, hence I will never support him.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
#4, that is the myth – i do wish you would reconsider -
January 31st, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Thanks for fixing that!
January 31st, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Nutscabee is more dead than fried chicken.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:47 pm
NP
January 31st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Huckabee is not qualified to be president. He must learn the difference between Jordan, and Syria. McCain does not know whether Putin leads Germany or some other country way over that way, but he is still somewhat qualified. Bless your heart for hopin’.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
As far as Alaska is concerned. . . McCain is against ANWAR, and that alone means he won’t win here. As for Huck, I don’t believe he has much organization here. Romney and Paul have the biggest ground games in this state. Paul has been running ads, and Romney, with the endorsement of the Lt. Governor, has had an active campaign here for a while now.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I was impressed with Huck last night.
I’m concerned about his apparent change in immigration stance, but I also recognize that people have issues with Mitt’s change on abortion.
I’m far more comfortable with idea of a Mitt/Huck ticket, and if that needs to get brokered to reach 1100+ delegates, then so be it. If they come to an agreement after Tuesday, I think it could work.
I’m of a mind to say… play the whole game out to see who should be on top of the ticket.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Tommy, they are scratched out. Try hitting refresh?
And Jeffrey, if we go by CNN’s Florida exit polls, Huckabee really is helping Mitt more by staying in than getting out. Of those who voted for Huckabee, about 75% of them have McCain as their second choice.
The other thing to keep in mind, also is that Huckabee’s conservatives mostly are strictly one-issue voter — they are voting against abortion. Even if McCain has not personally lead on any social issue, he does have a strong social record. True, he is not as big on FMA, overriding the Roe, or stopping the federal fund of stem cell research, but as we have seen, his record is enough to fool a few of those social conservative.
I really think he’s helping Mitt more by staying in this race.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Mikes reason for staying in is to derail Romney in hopes “his good friend” McCain will give him a job
January 31st, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Huckabee is way more likeable than Romney. Mitt supporters should get behind Mike unless they want McCain or a DemocRAT in the White House.
Mittens will not win. He’s far too divisive a candidate. People either have a visceral dislike for the empty suit or they worship him like a false idol. Unfortunately for Mittbots, more people dislike or mistrust Romney than fawn over him.
Mike Huckabee is a genuine candidate that more people can get behind as an alternative to McCain. The problem is that Romney and Huckabee take votes from one another, not the Senator. They split the support giving McCain the chance to run away with the nomination.
If the choice is between Huckabee, McCain or a Dem, what’s your choice?
Clearly Huckabee is the right answer if those are the only available choices.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
#13 is correct, but in addition Huckabee is a religious bigot.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
… and …
Yeahright. Romney himself ensured that this would never happen when he went bitterly negative against Gov. Huckabee in IA. This is why you don’t go negative in the primaries—because you’re all supposed to be on the same side.
So why does Romney get no cooperation from the other candidates? …
January 31st, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Alaska – so are you implying that people in Alaska are supportive of ANWAR? Shocking! Fortunately big brother is in Washington to protect the great ‘grand canyon’ of Alaska from ruin and destruction.
Also, how many people do you estimate go visit ANWAR each year to take in its scenic beauty? 3? 4?
January 31st, 2008 at 3:55 pm
# 14 I’ll take Hillary. If the president is going to be a dishonest, mean spirited liberal, it would be better that she be a Democrat.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Brendan, I do not know if you were here long enough, but yes, Huck has changed a few of his positions WITHOUT any explanation. In fact, he often claimed, in so many words, that he was misunderstood and that he actually has always felt the same way about a given issue. He did not really changed. If he is willing to admit he may have been mistaken, like Mitt did with his abortion stance, then there may be more of us considering him. But, he kept denying so often, what we have come to term his behavior as “huck up”.
Oh, I did not realize until now that there is a double meaning to “huck”. Ok, now it makes sense!
January 31st, 2008 at 3:55 pm
14. Psycheout…
I dare say all 3 Reps left are “divisive” candidates in their own way.
If this goes down to the wire, its simply going to take an alliance of two to get a majority, and people are going to have to tamp down their bile to build a winning platform.
It all comes down to, which two should make the ticket.
ME? I’ll take Mitt/Huck or Huck/Mitt over any ticket with McCain on it.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Huckabee is the reason why we have John McCain where he is today. He slowed Romney by winning IA and that help McCain to win NH.
Now, Huckabee stubbornly stays in the race when even Rudy who had more support has left. The only purpose Huckabee has to stay in this race is to further divide the vote – again helping McCain.
He has no chance no prayer. Huckabee is doing his share to rip up Reagan’s coalition.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:57 pm
outdated post, huck is losing in all the southern states to mccain. and once again, brett posts something anti romney instead of pro huck. huck and chuck are nothing but anti romney shills as well. and that is what i dislike most about the huckabee campaign. its all about why romney sucks, instead of why huck is good. Also, if huck wanted to win this for real, he would have tried to beat mccain, which he didn’t. so he wasted all his supporters time and money. As a romney supporter, I can at least say my guy gave his 100% to win. huck, fred, and rudy supporters cant say the same.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
This tired old bit of Romney going ‘negative’ is just that – old. This is politics – the mild contrast ads that were run were far from hardball. All the cryin’ and whinin’ by Pastor Mike and McCain is just bush league – both of ‘em should just grow a pair – or shut up.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Jeffrey (#17) Yeah poor us western folks, not knowing how to take care of any of our land. It’s bad here in Idaho, too, as 75% of the land here is under control of either the state or federal (here at 50%!).
January 31st, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Psycheout Says:
“Huckabee is way more likeable than Romney”
and I might agree with you on that, but I’m not going to turn my finances over to him. Likeability only goes so far.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Lucas Roebuck speaks of sycophants, which might be his only area of true expertise. No Huck spin is too silly for him to accept and format into an “opinion column”.
Huckabee’s leads of a few weeks ago are gone. To the extent that he still leads in polls outside of AR, the polls are dated. Huck is falling that fast. Leads in GA, AL, MO, OK, TN are now gone or will be gone as polls update.
Huckabee is a very talented politician. It is a shame that his AR record is so moderate/liberal and that he did not think through economic or security issues before launching his attacks on those parts of the Reagan coalition. Huckabee never had much support outside of evangelicals, and his evangelical support is dwindling as his true record becomes known.
Many of us in AR who oppose him would be among his strongest supporters if he had just actually governed in the conservative way he now pretends to have governed.
Conservatives in AR wanted him to stand against illigal immigration. Huck called us racist and un-Christian for stating our position, one that Huck himself now flipped to.
Conservatives in AR wanted Huck to hold the line on taxes, instead if was Huck and the Dems marginalizing conservatives by agreeing on taxes, taking the tax issue away from conservative in AR.
Conservatives in AR wanted Huck to be tough on crime. Instead, it was Huck releasing criminal after criminal. When conservatives tried to use the crime issue against Dems, all we would hear back from the Dems was “look at all the killers Huck releases.”
The issue list goes on and on. Huckabee stubbornly refused to govern as a conservative, instead attacking conservatives to appeal to moderates.
It is very gratifying to me to see Huck fade as is record is exposed. All you had to do Mike, was govern like a conservative in AR, and you political skills would have given you the nomination. You didn’t, now you will lose.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Yeah. OK. So when Sen. McCain allegedly when negative on Romney in FL that was OK, right? Romney should have just stopped whining–and OMG did the old man whine!—and grow a pair, which, given his high pitched voice, he should get started on anyway. It’s all just politics. I get it.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Those of you who now complain about Huck being a spoiler should have listened to the people from Victim’s Voice 527 who begged you to fund the Dumond add to put Huck out of our misery.
Instead, you got cute and thought that if Huck could stop McCain in SC, you could take care of McCain later. Well later is right now, and its obvious that you should have put Huck on the ground when you had a chance.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:06 pm
To some extent all of this seems to fall within the whole idea of primaries and the convention. We have 3 men who each are leaders of one segment of the coalition. It may take a convention and some haggling to pick a figurehead and an agreement to the priorities for the party.
Things in common:
Life issues
Tax control
Spending control
Strong defense
Let’s start there – that’s 4 years worth of work as it is, esp if the Dems control congress.
I’d like to thing that all 3 candidates are in line with those. That’s a winning platform. This bickering is going to lose us all four.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:06 pm
ROMNEY needs to DROP OUT.
Huckabee can still beat McCain. Three points in SC and this would have been a completely different ball game.
Romney has proven that with all the money in the world he can’t win. “Can’t buy me love…”
Huckabee is the best guy to go up against Obama.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
That’s what happens when you burn bridges.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Boy do you people not understand how primaries are supposed to work. We’re all supposed to be on the same side. We’re disagree about emphases and policy details etc. The task of the candidates is to project issues and try like hell to appear presidential, not take each other out like this was a video game.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Good article Brett
Huck has a strong case to stay in. Its Mitt’s fault he hasn’t eclipsed him or McCain.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Civic, what? Your #27 does not make sense. JerryO was saying the so-called “negative” ADS Mitt released in Iowa and NH were not as bad as negative ADs (or rather, the robo-calls) like we have seen from Huckabee and McCain in Florida.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:08 pm
17. . . Of course people in Alaska are supportive of ANWR. People in Alaska know the truth about ANWR and haven’t fallen prey to the environmental lobby down in DC like McCain has. We recognize the need to treat the land with respect – and the proof of that can be seen at the current oil fields and the pipeline that slices down the center of the state. We also recognize the need to lessen our dependence on foreign imports. Telling Alaskans we can’t drill here is like telling Texans they can’t drill in their state. This will be the main reason McCain won’t win here next week.
As for visiting the reserve. . . Only scientists go there. There are I believe two Native Alaskan villages there as well. It is literally one of the most remote areas in the world. It wasn’t set aside for visitors so much as it was for the safety and protection of the animals. And Alaskans are fine with that. ANWR would mean setting aside land the size of Dulles Airport for drilling in a reserve nearly 20 million square acres in size. The North Slope of Alaska has been drilled safely for years. ANWR would be no different.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:09 pm
He should have dropped out after he got pummeled in NH. From then on he was just a spoiler, and a spoiled one at that.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Romney’s ads were actually far worse, far more broadly distributed over the airwaves, and far more dishonest. But why quibble over details? My point stands.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:11 pm
[...] editorialist argues that Mitt Romney may be correct that the GOP Primary has become a two-man race, he is simply wrong about the identity of the two men: But if the race was a two-man contest, who are the two men ? [...]
January 31st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
It’s obvious at this point nobody is going to drop out, until at LEAST Wednesday.
And if things remain pretty split, with each of the 3 gaining support.
It Behooves them to go to the convention and fight for the causes of the people who supported them.
This isn’t a typical year. I’m thinking a real convention might be just what the party needs.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Every single word of Mitt’s IA adds were accurate. Because Huck had 6 months in IA to make a positive impression, the personal feelings for Huck hid the truth of Huck’s lousy record.
This has not been the case since IA. The truth has come out. It is so obvious that Brett Passmore will not even try to debate the specifics of the Huck record. (See the #4 and #5 comments to the post for proof).
January 31st, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Civic
You’ve got to be kidding
“Yeah. OK. So when Sen. McCain allegedly when negative on Romney in FL that was OK, right?
allegedly????????? anyone with half a brain knows that was a flatout lie. If your going to lie on your posts at lest be honest with yourself.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:15 pm
civic virtue Says:
“Boy do you people not understand how primaries are supposed to work. We’re all supposed to be on the same side. We’re disagree about emphases and policy details etc. The task of the candidates is to project issues and try like hell to appear presidential, not take each other out like this was a video game.”
Now thats funny coming from you!!!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:16 pm
“Maybe Mitt could be a VP”?!
Whoever wrote that obviously does not know ANYTHING about this race. A Romney/Huckabee – and especially a Huckabee/Romney – ticket is one of the stupidest things I have heard in quite some time. Did you even pay attention to the campaign in Iowa? None of these three will ever be on a ticket together. The mere presence of such an absurd idea is an insult to this website.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Amen. Obama will take McCain to the matt. And Mitt will look even more wooden and robotic against an animated Obamanation.
People seem to take the “change” line seriously with Obama. Although not all change is good. When Romney says it, it just sounds silly.
Huckabee would be competitive debating Barack Hussein. Romney probably would not. To coin a phrase: it’s the phoniness, stupid!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:17 pm
So why does Romney get no cooperation from the other candidates?
Chris Matthews got it right on Hardball yesterday. The guy who was talking to Chris said, Romney is good looking, has money, has a great wife and 5 wonderful boys. Then Chris said there are two things that happen in politics, jealousy and fear.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:17 pm
43, right……. doh
January 31st, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Huck and Mitt are damaged goods with low ceilings in the GOP.
If someone wants to take McCain down in the primaries, they need to announce a write-in candidacy in the next 2 days. Someone BIG. Like Newt.
And that person needs to say that Mitt and Huck are unviable, and a vote for them is a vote for McCain. It needs to be a big movement with Rush such behind it.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Anybody who voted for Mitt or Huck in a previous primary is responsible for this. If you read this site, you would know how hated your candidates are within the GOP — that they could never be a McCain stopper. You had the knowledge — and it’s your fault.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Huckabee is done for for. He has not won anything since Iowa. He can’t even win a plurality of Evangelicals despite his entire campaign being built on identity politics.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:20 pm
psycheout
Hucki has no chance, McCain used him when he needed him but he has served his purpose and is needed no longer
January 31st, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Sean Hannity just said “The person who best represents conservative values is by far Mitt Romney and I’m voting for him on Tuesday”. Or something closely approximating that.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Metro
You were backing who? Giuliani?
That makes #47 sound pretty stupid
January 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Nice contrast ad out now against McCain by a 527: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGTJDAAHCnQ
January 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
What? I didn’t think it was terribly negative.
Hey, reasonable people can disagree. The mittwits insisted that Romney’s viciously negative attacks on the truth were simply “contrast” ads.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
#51 – didnt see that one coming… :O
January 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Civic
Ditto 41 – comparison ads are MUCH DIFFERENT than a flat out lie about a stance that was completely false…or wait – did you not BELIEVE that McCain was for Amnesty…or Cap and Trade…or his MCCain Feingold…or Gang of 14.
Romney has been the gentlemen of the so called “attack ads” actually being specific about stances on issues….McCain had to go to a direct distortion and lie and promote the lie to death to squeeze that last 5 points for a win. Definitely Clintonesque Old School Dirty Washington Politics.
So much for the “Straight Talk”
January 31st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
It’s time for the Rombots to concede and give their support to Huckabee. It’s the only way to keep McCain from winning. Come on Rombots . . . we need ya.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
The ad will air on FOX News Channel nationally beginning on Thursday, January 31
Nice contrast ad out now against McCain by a 527: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGTJDAAHCnQ
January 31st, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Time to rally for true conservatism and go down in flames even if we don’t win. McCain and Huckabee are both fiscal liberals and populists. I don’t need an attack ad or a clever editorial to convince me that. I just have to watch the debates and hear the words coming out of their own mouths. They are against free markets, against capitalism, and against business success. That is not traditional conservatism.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:26 pm
The REAL Truth, Rudy Giuliani polled aroudn 55-60% in 2-man matchups against McCain.
Romney and Huckabee have NEVER EVER (to my knowledge and I followed almost every poll) polled above 50% in a 2-man matchup against ANY other Republican. Low ceilings.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I don’t hate anybody, but I hate McCain and Huckabee right now because of their dirty politics.
Basically, we’re out of luck, Muck, Huck, & Chuck suck!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Huckabee fundraising report filed – raised $6.6MM Q4
http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/dcdev/forms/C00431809/319867/
January 31st, 2008 at 4:28 pm
So Romney goes negative. Then his opponents respond in kind only with more intensity and courage, and Romney shrieks like a girl? And you want this wimp to be our president? How does that work?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:28 pm
#48 – do you know how hated McCain is? Seriously – I only know 1 person that likes him – everyone else – even my friends from AZ think he is a dirty old man (POW aside) – with dirty tricks up his sleeve. And I am from IL?!?! Aren’t we a state that is supposed to be pro McCain? Sorry.
All the candidates are devisive in some way – its just who is the LEAST devisive – and sorry, but McCains true colors are coming out “my friend”
January 31st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
“It needs to be a big movement with Rush such behind it.” WHAT A JOKE!
Rush, Insanity, Ingram, Levin have all been wetting themselves for Romney and denouncing Huckabee and McCain.
That still does not stop Huckabee from claiming a good chunk of “very conservative” voters — nor should it, nor would it ever.
Conservatives think for themselves… especially social conservatives who are truly pro-life will not compromise for a hack like Mitt “I attended a Planned Parenthood fundraiser” Romney.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
This author must be legally retarded.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:30 pm
redbmsy, yes, the whole point was to find a way to stop him. He his hated but LESS hated than Huck or Mitt.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:30 pm
#30 Huckabee’s best finish after Iowa is a 2nd in SC. Huck got destroyed in Fla after he was leading there just a few weeks ago.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Smith, that is the problem: They are behind Mitt, but Mitt is disliked.
The problem is not with the power of conservatism. The problem is lining up that power behind a flawed individual such as Mitt.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Constrast ad? With whom is Sen. McCain being contrasted, you super-genius? This is just an attack ad.
Contrast, bright one, requires a ground of comparison.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Keep dreaming. Romney should drop out? How about the fact that Romney has raised almost 10x the amount of money Huckabee has been able to raise from his friends in the Southern Baptist Convention (that’s RAISED not earned, of course he’s earned like a 100x more than Huckabee has raised, but that’s beside the point). Romney is in a strong position. McCain will probably win the nomination and lose the Presidency. Brian Williams, Anderson Cooper, and Tim Russert have simply gone too long without a White House cocktail party like they had in the old Clinton days.
Huckabee should drop out now if he wants a pro-life President. He is the one splitting the votes. He is the one who is getting the MINORITY of Republican votes. He made a mistake becoming McCain’s trusty sidekick, but Huck’s found out that the ’superhero’ never lets the sidekick drive the car. I don’t even think Huck has enough patron capital to get a job if McCain wins, so he will be effectively unemployed. Do you think Huck’s going to be able to run again in 2012? No. He wont have the resources or the newsworthyness.
Romney is winning the majority of republicans and conservatives between Huck and Romney. Huck should drop out. Should McCain win the nomination, then Romney will be there to challenge the democratic president in 2012. As I’ve said before Romney:2008 :: Reagan:1976.
If Romney doesn’t win the nomination then he will continue to work in the public sector with the major conservative think tanks (an entity that Huckabee can only demonize at this point–since they’ve all rejected him). When he runs again in 2012 then he will have the political clout to challenge the democratic president. At that point Romney would satisfy even Civic Virtue’s idiosyncratic and incarnated definition of Conservatism (which heretofore has been embodied in the form of Giuliani and none other).
January 31st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Civic: a contrast ad that starts out by saying the opponent is a good man and then compares 1 position vs. another position; then a weekend lie and robocalls – oh yeah, go ahead and try and equate that and retain any credibility.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
CIVIC
It was an intentional LIE. will you an Mac now tell us the sky is Green? The truth is the truth and a LIAR is a mcain
January 31st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
If we made the canidates of both parties apply for the job of President with a resume that had name, race, religion and sex deleted from the form and had to choose the best to be President….who would get the job? It’s nice to know that racial, religious, and sexual bigotry are alive and well in BOTH parties of America. Also Mitt surrounds himself with smart people why would he rely on two of the stupidist people on the ticket to help inform him of policy and the economy. Oh I forget McCain IS the expert. At least Ron Paul was a Doctor. Everybody has envy and jealousy ozzing i say ozzing out of their eyeballs.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Quite. As the pundits keep repeating like a mantra lately, we don’t vote for ideologies, we vote for people.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I’m certainly open to the possibility.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
This is turning into a battle between traditional conservatism (free trade, limited government, strong militaries, strong families) and the new conservatism (anti-free trade, big government, strong militaries, strong families). It is Rush, Sean, Laura and the Heritage Foundation vs. Schwarzenegger, Lieberman, and Crist. It is the National Review vs. the New York Times. True conservatism will not fail. Maybe this time around, but not in the long run.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Just so you all know the Mormon comunity has always voted with evangelicals. In fact, Bill Clinton came in 3rd in Utah in 1992. That’s right 3rd behind Bush and Perot. If you want to continue to count on our support in the future, it might be nice of you to stand behind one of our guys. Huck has no way of winning, Evangelicals should unite behind Mitt.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Oh, yeah. I remember that “x is a good man” crap. The voters didn’t buy it either. The exit polls in NH indicated that many people refused to vote for Romney because of his viciously negative “x is a good man BUT” commercials.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Smith – can you help me understand how Mike Huckabee was consistently pro-life when he exchanged $990 million dollars in continued medicaid funding for the state of Arkansas in exchange for an ‘arrangement’ whereby Huckabee swapped out ‘public funding’ with a special ‘private fund’ to cover the abortion of a 15 year old who was raped by her step-father?
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A00E5DF113EF933A2575BC0A960958260
Seems that Mr. Mike “Pure as the driven snow” Huckabee is able to rationalize abortion.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Metro
“The REAL Truth, Rudy Giuliani polled aroudn 55-60% in 2-man matchups against McCain.”
The polls also showed Rudy running away with it and Mac dead in the water, polls mean nothing.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Once again CV, you have shown how facile the reasoning of a sophist may be. Romney confronted McCain with McCain’s own lie. McCain couldn’t even look Romney in the face. Romney stood up to the purile bully and all the bully could say was “Teacher, Teacher this meanie is beating up on me.” The media is always willing to oblige because whatever hurts conservatives, they do.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:38 pm
It must be very restful to live in a world of such simple moral binaries. You’re really never called upon to think for yourself.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:39 pm
“I don’t think Ron Paul’s libertarians really fit into the Reagan revolution.”…………..does the author even understand Reagan?….jesus…he carried around copies of ludwig von mises with him….get a clue
January 31st, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Civic: If you call that “viciously negative” then: 1) grab a Webster’s to gain an understanding of the language … or 2) grow a pair yourself.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Joseph D. Walch: Romney has money… bla, bla bla.
It has not worked for him yet.
In 1976 Reagan has conservative ideology! In 2008 Romney only has political opportunism!
Your man is a HACK! FRAUD! PHONY! He can go join all the think tanks he wants or set on the boards of directors of as many corporations as he wants, he will never be accepted by the base as an authentic conservative.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:39 pm
That’s an interesting interpretation. I like how you bring in the conspiratorial media to cover for the fact that no one else seemed to see what you saw.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:42 pm
CIVIC – This is CONTRAST
#70 civic virtue Says:
January 31st, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Nice contrast ad out now against McCain by a 527:
Constrast ad? With whom is Sen. McCain being contrasted, you super-genius? This is just an attack ad.
Contrast, bright one, requires a ground of comparison.
#54 civic virtue Says:
January 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
allegedly????????? anyone with half a brain knows that was a flatout lie. If your going to lie on your posts at lest be honest with yourself.
What? I didn’t think it was terribly negative.
Hey, reasonable people can disagree. The mittwits insisted that Romney’s viciously negative attacks on the truth were simply “contrast†ads.
MAKE UP YOUR MIND
January 31st, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Why are you so interested in my boys, dude? “Viciously,” as in vicious, an apt and appropriate term. Also acceptable descriptors for Romney’s advertising: lies, calumnies, verbal abuse, sick propaganda, you get the idea.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Psycheout (#44) Oh, yes, Huckabee will definitely one-line out Obama, but he cannot even go into the depth as well as Obama. With Huckabee, what can he offer that he won’t need a staff to clear up what he was saying? Huckabee has not done too well with sharing his experiences as a governor, at least, not at the level Romney was able to show in the debates. And have you forgotten the exit polls of all states, except Iowa?
And try listen to one of Obama’s speech sometimes, and you will truly be “psyched out” only to realize afterward Obama has said nothing. I mean, Obama really is talking about nothing, but you do not get the “sense” that he is talking about nothing. It really does sound like Obama have something to offer.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Make up my mind about what? In one case I point out that what someone called a contrast ad doesn’t, you know, specify a contrast, it just attacks Sen. McCain. In other other I claim that what someone else calls negative really isn’t, and that reasonable people can disagree.
Where did I contradict myself?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:45 pm
MR (#48) I know you like Rudy, but to blame Mitt/Huckabee voters for his 6th places in all but one state, where he finished 4th, is going too far! Rudy screwed it up BIG TIME, and BY HIMSELF!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:45 pm
# 90 “And have you forgotten the exit polls of all states, except Iowa?”
you mean the ones where Romney isn’t even the 3rd choice of Huck supporters? that one?
This just proves you all see what you want to see. We all are guilty of it i guess.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Once again. So Sen. Sam Brownback, Jack Kemp, Phil Gramm, Rep.Joe Wilson who all endorsed McCain, are they Liberals? No they are not! McCain is Pro Life, Pro Military, Pro Tax Cuts, Pro Cap’s on Spending, and Pro Free Trade, and the list goes on and on. McCain is a CONSERVATIVE!!!! He has an 84% lifetime rating!!! Wake Up you Idiots!!!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
GET REAL
I WOULD GET BEHIND MCCAIN BEFORE HUCKABEE—AT LEAST MCCAIN IS MAN ENOUGH TO SAY I DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ECONOMICS.
fetchabee thinks he does and knows little more than a 5th grader.
with that said, i will probably write myself in.
let hill win and hopefully the moderates wont be so stupid in 2012
January 31st, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Mittmama Have you seen this article about why other candidates dislike Mitt so much?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Civic,
You really need to work on that tranference problem you have with Romney. Seek professional help. Pleanty of Psychiatrist help people who have latent father-son or authority type issues. If Romney reminds you of that smart kid in High School who beat you in the academic triathalon, then you can get help. You don’t have to live with this burden of negative mental-emotional energy any more. Let it go and be free from the controlling projections your mind is forcing upon you.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Those Republicans who ignore the new fourth leg of the conservative stool–Constitutional conservatism–do so at their own peril.
The final four candidates clearly reflect the four legs of the stool — Huckabee with the socons, Romney with the ficons, McCain with the defcons, and Paul with the concons.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Actually that’s not true. Someone wrote a brilliant analysis that contrasted Romney’s speech about his Mormon confession where he tried to pander to Evangelicals with Obama’s address from about the same time about race in America, where Obama attempted to develop a new language—a less divisive language—about our most divisive issue, race. Obama’s speech may have been one of the best addresses since MLK; Romney’s speech? Well, who remembers Romney’s speech?—he went down in flames in IA anyway.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:49 pm
John McCain is the one smiling and laughing right now – his trail of useful idiots continues to grow.
Mike Huckabee for obvious reasons
Fred Thompson for not going after his ‘friend’ as the real threat in SC and earlier
January 31st, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Other candidates don’t like Mitt, Rush, Hannity, Mark Levin, etc. because all the other candidates are liberal republicans!
How many CPAC meetings has McCain been to????????????????
January 31st, 2008 at 4:50 pm
#98 – that is an interesting insight.
i need to think on this one – thanks.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Civic If you attack the personality of a person, you are attacking him. If you point out how he has voted, and how you have voted, that is contract! Show us one AD of McCain about Mitt that has to do ONLY with his record as governor without saying anything about his personality.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:51 pm
What planet is Brett Passmore on? Enough with Gomer. His cash is about done. He’ll be out by the time Super Tuesday comes.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Yuh-huh. This might follow were I the only one, or one of the few, who had issues with Romney. But I am awfully good company, company that includes all the other candidates and most Republican primary voters. Does the entire US have father issues that we’re projecting on Romney, dude? Well, I suppose it’s possible—not probable, but possible. But what does that say about Romney that so many people are willing to project upon him the grimmest of intentions?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Josiah,
What a name…lol.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:53 pm
104- thanks man – good argument – you won me over to your side now!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Gladiator #104,
If this presidential season has taught us anything, it should be: Anything Can Happen.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Gladiator #106,
Lol, what name are you talking about? My name (Josiah) or the name for the new fourth leg of the conservative stool (Constitutional conservatism)?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
That’s ridiculous. Go look up the word “contrast,” you supergenius—to “contrast” requires you to contrast something with something else. It requires a comparison, that’s all. You’ve never taken first year English? You’ve never written a comparison and contrast paper!?
You can attack someone personally by way of contrast; you simply contrast someone’s personality or person with someone else’s. Or you can contrast policy positions etc.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Smith, keep repeating the lie. It won’t matter for you after Feb 5th. Come this time next week, you’re man will be unemployed since the voters who you think will vote for unemployed coworkers actually will choose the more talented leader; Mitt. It’s just too bad Huck has found out a couple of states too late that his buddy McCain isn’t going to keep him from the ranks of the unemployed either.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Hope springs eternal.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:58 pm
You forgot the fifth stool that comes out of an orafice…there are three stools my friend (as McGrumpy would say) and there has only been one who has tried to bring them together – Mitt Romney. If everyone could get past the hating we’d see who the true conservatives are and the ones who aren’t. It’s time for Gomer to step aside and get behind McCain already so that we can see his true colors and the final battle can commence.
When that battle begins, it’s Romney all the way!!!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Brett (#93) What? I know Huckabee supporters do not like Mitt. I was addressing Psychesout’s claim that Huckabee can beat Obama. He cannot even draw the supporters outside of evangelicals, and he only get less than half of the evangelicals. How can he beat Obama if he does not appeal to non-evangelicals?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:58 pm
98, Romney is WAY more fiscally conservative than Huck, both in record and in positions taken as national candidates.
Huck supports cap and trade, which violates his no new taxes pledge. Romney doesn’t.
Huck has proposed billions and billions of new spending, Romney has not.
Huck got a D- from Cato on fiscal management, Romney did not. The record is clear. Huckabee is a pro-life liberal.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Civic – the argument about ‘contrast’ ads is silly (70). Can’t you detect sarcasm when you see it?
I found it humorous how quickly you rushed out to decry that 527 as anything but a contrast ad.
Thanks for the laughs
January 31st, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Do you realize how insane that sounds? How detached from the healing balm of stern reality?
January 31st, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Hey, it’s a sick, sick world we live in. The only thing that keeps the idiot vote from overpowering the rational ones among us is the fact that you have to be oriented to person, place and time in order to vote. Lucky for us, it’s a just sufficiently little harder to vote for President than it is to vote for our favorite American Idol to eliminate much of the idiot vote.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
CIVIC
your a lost cause. You say if it’s about McCain it’s an attack ad. If it’s a lie about Romney it is a contrast add
what a joke
January 31st, 2008 at 5:04 pm
In late Dec., Huck was at 27% in FL tied for the lead. Even though 1/3 of the FL electorate were evangelicals, Huck got only 13% of the vote. Assuming 100% of Huck’s support came from evangelicals, two moderates and a Mormon got almost twice as many (combined) evangelical votes as did Huck.
Huck thinks that there are a bunch of pro-life John Edwards types out there in the Republican primary. This isn’t only wrong, its stupid. Huck bet his whole campaign on that stupid notion, and he lost.
Where is ABE? The Huck-a-bust is heading south.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:04 pm
It isn’t a contrast ad because there’s no point of contrast. In fact it is the precise opposite of a contrast ad because it argues not for contrast but for identity; it argues that Sen. McCain is like—not different from, as in contrast, but like—Sen. Clinton.
You may disagree about whether it is true or not, or whether it is an attack or not, but to call it a “constrast” ad is to abuse the term “contrast”.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Civic, great! Just great! It is no wonder that you are not for Mitt at all. YOu have missed the specifications he shared. YOu have missed the fact that he wants to increase the military spending to at least 4% of GPN. YOu missed his talk about how he will see 100,000 more men and women in military. You missed his talk about how he will look at every single program — remember that talk about there being 300ish programs doing the same thing? He has been very specific aplenty of time. Those are just a very few of specifications he has shared.
The specifications I have seen of Huckabee was about the national-wide smoking ban, the construction of roads along the east coast (have you ever seen the map? There are too many roads over there already!) and he cannot say anything about how he will help recovering economy. Oh yes, do not forget his “living and breathing constitution” comment!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
LOL Iowa was dominated by Huck and Mccain?? LOL
January 31st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Why does it sound insane civic virtue?
January 31st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Civic 121 – see 116
January 31st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
everyone knows mike huckabee got gastric bypass.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Huck BLAH BLAH BLah huckster blah bla bl b…. Can you say Has-a-been? McCain will never choose him for running mate, he is a clown. Romney is doing far better than Huckabee. Old News and Old Politics.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
The ad at the end of the link that was posted was clearly an attack ad, yes. McCain’s points about Romney articulated in Florida were merely an honest attempt to educate the voters—I never said they were contrast ads or not.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
You Rombots argue that the reason some people do not like Mitt is because they are jealous because they don’t have hair like Mitt, arn’t as good looking as Mitt, don’t have as much money as Mitt, and arn’t as smart as Mitt.
Do you have any idea how that kind of arrogance turns off typical voters?
January 31st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
46:
Still waiting to hear any reasoning from you about Huck/Romney ticket…
January 31st, 2008 at 5:08 pm
130, Didn’t know that was a question earlier. If Romney wants to win anything, then he ought to sign onto Huck’s ticket now. that is the premise.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:08 pm
I didn’t miss it. I just don’t believe it. Please forgive me, but I do not believe a word the man says.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Civic
And Macs lie wasn’t an attack on Romney?????
It looked more like a CLinton ad that comes right before the election so there is no time to refute it.
What a dishonest piece of Jackass crap.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Civic you’re lucky I’m speaking to you because from what I’ve read that you’ve put out, let me just say you’re insane or just a moderate/liberal Republican.
Either way let’s go!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Guys, don’t be too hard on Civic Virtue, He just a Leo Strauss mugged liberal whose candidate lost miserably, and who is now taking it out on the world. Give him room to vent, and he’ll come back to his senses.
The conservatives simply have to choose between Romney and Huckabee. Hopefully they choose before it’s too late. McCain is easily beatable (he’s only managed 37% in his most succesful win). They need to follow the lead of the majority of their conservative brothers who have been voting for Romney by-in-large in every state.
Huckabites, give up your sectarian ambitions. It won’t hurt the southern baptist movement; just consider the consequence of the pro-life Judges democrats (including McCain) will appoint.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:11 pm
[...] Passmore over at Race 4 2008 says no, and suggests that Mitt should drop out or at least his supporters should give Huckabee some serious consideration for the good of the [...]
January 31st, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Civic doesn’t believe Romney but he believes Mac wen he says he will secure the border,(then will spring amnesty on us on January 22, 2009
January 31st, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Because it’s now the 11th hour. The battle is over. The guests are leaving. The caterers are clearing the tables. The staff are folding up the chairs and putting away the tables.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
135, ditto – just replace Huckabites with Rombots -
January 31st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Let’s go where?
January 31st, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Brett it is a good thing that Civic is on here or you would sound ridiculous, Huck/Romney
January 31st, 2008 at 5:14 pm
QuacknHack, I was one who provided out why other candidates do not like Mitt, and that is just it — why other candidates do not like Mitt. It has nothing to do with the voters themselves, why they do not like Mitt. I am not in the position to say why they do not like Mitt. But I can say the candidates are pretty shallow, because they have been attacking Mitt on a personal level, never on his record (at least, not before distorting it first).
January 31st, 2008 at 5:14 pm
*provided a link
January 31st, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Joe c – no doubt – Huckabee should just come out and say
“My friends, there have been false reports out there attacking my weightloss as anything but natural. I can assure you that when I entered that outpatient clinic to consult about the best method to lose weight, we decided that a combination of hypnotherapy, self control, diet and excercise would be the best course of action for me.
The initial step of my plan was to undergo the very intense hypnotherapy, during which time I have no recollection of what occured. I was in this state for several hours after which I left on my pre-scheduled vacation. I might add that while I was hypnotized I accidently fell off my chair and punctured my side in three places because I landed just right on top of an upside down three-legged stool (who brought that along I have no idea). Anyway, so they had to give me a couple of stitches with some bandaids.
Well my friends, while on vacation I had the most marvelous experience. I literally had no appetite for 2-3 days, after which my appetite was reduced due to my hypnotically induced self-control and affirmations. Amazingly I was unable to eat as large of portion sizes and the weight just fell right off.
Now some counter this experience and claim that I had surgery – I absolutely did not. It is true that my weight loss pattern lines up 100% with what people experience when undergoing gastric bypass, but my friends, I can assure you that I did this the good old fashioned way. I had failed in the past, but this time I was blessed with an extra portion of grace and was able to take the weight off and keep it off.”
It’s OK Mike, we’ll forgive you. Afterall, you’ve shared with us how we can forgive others as we’ve watched you walk the talk 1,033 times.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Brett, I campaigned for Bush in Nevada 2004. I am no sectarian. I also think Catholics seem to be the best SCOTUS Justices. That’s not sectarian.
…but you can believe what you wish. I don’t think Hannity is a sectarian and he was calling for Huckabee’s resignation from the race today as well.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:16 pm
McPain may win the battle, but he won’t win the war. Meaning maybe the nomination, but not the general election. He isn’t likable, conservative, etc. when people get to know him… And the MSM is just sitting on their hands waiting to acquaint the public with the real John McPain.
http://www.mymanmitt.com/mitt-romney/2008/01/5-reasons-mccain-will-be-slaughtered-in.asp
January 31st, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Good call on L. Strauss. Persecution and the Art of Writing and On Tyranny are 2 of my favorite books. But Strauss marks me as a neocon; liberals hate Strauss, and for most leftists neocon is a codeword for “jew” because most of us happen to be Jews, either that or former Trotskyites.
Um, why would a “conservative” choose Romney? Romney’s not a conservative. If you’re conservative your only choice is Gov. Huckabee.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Civic (#132) What a flip-flopper you are! YOu claimed Mitt to have nothing, when it turned out it is just that you do not believe him to have anything. That is a big difference! It is not about Mitt. It is about your issue with him. It is about you! It is fine to say you do not think he will do anything. Great, now I can use this against you!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:17 pm
i have half a mind to moderate post #144 – that is spam as far as I am concerned – in the interest of free speech, i will let it stay… it still is a crap post with no basis
January 31st, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Huckabee will visit AR tomorrow. Hahaha. He is really desparate if a few days before 22 states vote he has to campaign in his own home state.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Civic,
Would a good neocon choose Huckabee over McCain?
January 31st, 2008 at 5:19 pm
You’re going to use the fact that I cannot trust Romney because of all his lies and flip flops against me? Uh, OK. Let’s see how that works out for you, dude.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Brett, Huckabee lost weight once before, and miraculously it all came back after the Feds outlawed Phen/Fen because of heart valve issues.
There is lots of buzz in the LR medical community about Huck getting a lap band.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Civic, I think we’re all better off for having your sage wisdom so freely pronounced upon us. If I were as wise as you, I too would spout hatred toward my least favorite candidate at every opportunity.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Everyone, Civic has an issue with trusting Mitt, so ignore him!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Brett, So that’s why my comments always say “comment awaiting moderation” whenever I comment on your posts.
You know, I don’t believe that post either, but you have to admit that you’ve posted some pretty dishonest posts about Romney.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Brett – since you brought it up “it still is a crap post with no basis”
There sure are quite a few folks that believe otherwise and have gone to great lengths to spell out just that case.
http://plutarch01.wordpress.com/2007/12/11/new-121007-300pm/
January 31st, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Probably not. But history is what it is. You work with what you have. The struggle never stops.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I saw something last night that I thought was interesting in the tussle between Romney and McGrumpy.
First of all Huckabee needs to drop out. NO FIRST OR SECOND’S since Iowa? Come on already we know your game at this point. You now have to stand in line behind Crist and Rudy for the VP spot. Also, Evangelicals are a little smarter than Gomer gives them credit for. The “I’m in with Jesus” crap has seen it’s better days. He didn’t do that great with Evangelicals in Florida and at this point is tied with him in the total Evangelical vote. There is no other area in which Huckabee can compete. Do we need to bring up the crap that he did in AR again while a 350 pound dude when he bolted to the top? He again is not a true conservative which is where the battle is forming between Romney and McCain. Huckabee is only standing in the way. The other battle between Romney and McGrumpy is the Outsider v. Insider where McGrumpy gets thumped if only Hucknuts would just again, step aside.
The final battle needs to start now!!! If it doesn’t we know who to thank…Jim Neighbors
January 31st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
131:
Mine was not a question earlier. But you did respond to it – however the response may have been – and I was merely noting the lack of ANY reasoning behind such a ridiculous statement. Now that you have stated one – albeit whimsical and near laughable – I am satisfying in having confirmed for myself and anyone who reads this that you indeed know nothing about this race. Keep practicing kiddo!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Wisdom unrealized in act and deed is futile. Dude, I have an entire blog with entries going back to last summer, all about Romney, only about Romney. That’s how much of a threat to the conservative movement I believe that he is. Not that I could do anything to stop him. I have a day job. But at least I could document the decline and fall of my ideological fellow travelers and learn something along the way.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:27 pm
156, i have never used that feature before – i just saw it as an option today – i wouldn’t mod your posts anyway – i have the utmost respect for you and your opinion – i just think it is wrong.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
But wrong in all the right ways.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Romney’s not happy about McGrumpy and his dirty play by the way. If there’s one thing about a nice guy, it’s don’t let the anger out. You don’t know what might happen.
The “tell” for me are the articles coming out about Romney buying heavy pre-2/05 after those early in the day saying he wasn’t planning to. Wishful thinking from the McGrumpy camp. Again the only person standing betwen a mano y mano battle is Jim Neighbors.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:30 pm
McCain is Hillary with a military pension. Huckabee is only there now to kneecap Romney. If you think the economy is rough now, just wait till all those global warming measures that John is advocating are put in place to help the planet.
I vote Romney
January 31st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Cool! Do you have links? Links, gladiator, links!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
#96,
That is a great article.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Conservative Gladiator, actually Huckabee finished 2nd in SC, but yeah, I get your point that he is not doing too well outside of the evangelical strongholds.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:34 pm
131 – That is too much…lmao.
Sorry Brett I had to laugh man…if you can’t laugh at that you’re too serious.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:37 pm
My bad…so 1 gold, 4 “thanks for hanging in there’s” from McGrumpy, and 1 “that’s too close”, said McGrumpy silver
January 31st, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I know Brett, I was joking around. It was mostly on another person’s posts that that happened to me (I shall NOT name names, you cannot make me–You can’t make me say that the first letter was R and it rhymed with bett).
January 31st, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I found this through the DIGG feed. You’re right, conservative gladiator, which is an apt moniker since gladiators wore skirts and were, according to tradition, outrageously gay, but wait, I digress, it seems that you’re right and Romney has reversed himself on whether to invest in massive ad buys!—this is fabulous news—it only proves my point that Romney is all about himself and not the party.
http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/01/31/romney-plans-major-ad-buys-in-california-other-super-tuesday-states/
January 31st, 2008 at 5:45 pm
171 – thanks man – i hope im at least somewhat different from rett….
January 31st, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Okay. You can dislike Huckabee for his policy positions (please be specific). I dislike Romney because he is a flip-flopper (Do you really need me to be specific?). But, please, you people who basically are a calling Huckabee a snake-oil sales man (i.e. a liar) or more creatively a “Huckster” please be specific. Where has Mike Huckabee lied? When has he said one thing, and then done another? Specifics? I covered him for nearly a decade in Arkansas, and never saw him go back on his word. Never.
Also, quit this Huckabee is hurting Romney bit. Romney has to sell himself, first of all, and if you believe the polls, it seems that Huckabee is the one who is challenging McCain in many states, not Mitt. Huckabee may be helping Mitts chances by dividing McCain’s resources. Huckabee is the only person keeping McCain from running away with this.
MN: McCain 41, Huckabee 22
TN: McCain 33, Huckabee 25
And yes, notice that these polls came out this morning, 24 hours after my column was written.
Finally, consider this for those who argue that Romney appeals to conservative Republicans. The states that have voted Republican in the last two election cycles are mostly McCain/Huckabee contests. And the states that voted Democrat the last few cycles are mostly McCain/Romney — Utah being a notable exception, as another poster correctly noted, Mormons have consistently voted with Evangelicals.
Thank you. And may the best man win. And by the way, its not over until someone has 1191 delegates. Many times in the history of the GOP brokered conventions have passed up on front-runners in a stale mate and gone with a compromise candidate. That compromise candidate could be Huckabee or Romney, or heck, it could be Dick Cheney!
May the best man win, and lighten up people. McCain, Romney and Huckabee are all preferable to Obama or Clinton. If you don’t think so, maybe you are not a conservative, or you are just unfamiliar with Obama and Clinton.
And yes, 144 is a complete fabrication from liberals who believe that hard work and sacrifice cannot help you achieve your goals.
Blessings to all.
Lucas
January 31st, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Brett – is what is expressed on this other blog a prevailing mindset of many Huckabee supporters?
http://nyforhuckabee.blogspot.com/2008/01/cnn-debate-romney-reveals-big-business.html
What this blogger fails to point out is that his example is fundamentally flawed. McDonald’s are franchised. So, what does that mean? Well, that means that IT IS a small business owner, and not the ‘big bad’ large corporation.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
159… Huckabee was second in South Carolina. He almost won.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Huckabee supporters – any idea why the Arkansas Republican Association didn’t go for their native son with their endorsement pick?
ARRA Board Endorses Romney
http://arkansasgopwing.blogspot.com/2008/01/arra-board-endorses-romney.html
January 31st, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Mittmama, yeah, it’s a good article. And to reconfirm what I told QuacknHack, this article is only about why other candidates do not like Mitt. It has nothing to do with the voters themselves. The reasons they are not voting for Mitt are entirely different.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Folks,
I can vouch for Civic Virtue. You may not agree with him, but he’s got one of my favorite blogs. It’s hilarious.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Jeffrey,
Another sloppy second for Mitt? Sheesh, that’s another Thompson endorsement leftover.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Apparently you have as much small business experience as Romney. Yes, The Golden Arches Supper Club is a franchise, but employee benefits and other services to franchisers are managed through the corporation. Here’s the WSJ’s take on RomneyCare, and it is brutal.
http://www.bizzyblog.com/2008/01/31/wsj-op-ed-romneycare-is-life-threatening-coercivecare/
January 31st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
CV,
It’s not about Romney and if you met him you would think otherwise. What does a guy who has everything he needs in life need to be President for? When I say everything I don’t just mean cash. I’m talking about the man has IT all. I would give my left nut to be half as disciplined throughout my life to get where he’s at. You know what I’m trying and it’s refreshing to see that I can do it.
He did it with a young family going to school and not only getting by but actually trying to be the best. Same thing in his business career and in other ventures. He’s someone to me who doesn’t do things half a– or tries to get by. That alone for me takes the label(s) he’s gotten from a bunch of haters down a few notches to irrelevancy. By the way let’s not forget that he said he was wrong while others are still hiding their true colors on issues and have made some seriously recent flips as recently as days and those are on video and I don’t see them saying sorry for their “evil” ways. Mitt Romney to me is the epitome of Conservatism. I can only hope that I can accomplish half of what he has. I still have hope that my 4 year old can do it. Not for me but for him. I know he can.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
CV – read the bloggers complaint – it is with STREET SIGNS costing $2000. Your knee-jerk reaction assailing healthcare doesn’t have anything to do with the assertions of the bloggers post.
I feel like I’m having a conversation with McCain.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:11 pm
By the way…I’m Polynesian so skirts aren’t new, but the gay thing? Far from it…if you saw my wife you’d leave yours for a life of stalking her. I should change “Gladiator” to “Warrior” huh? Anyway, I digress.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Yikes. My bad.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Jason,
This article should be posted on the race42008 site.
http://arkansasgopwing.blogspot.com/2008/01/arra-board-endorses-romney.html
January 31st, 2008 at 6:20 pm
That was a cheap shot. Please forgive me. My discipline is rhetoric so I have to read lots and lots of Latin literature, hence my reference to Gladiators. Commodus—the real Commodus and not Scott’s version in his movie titled Gladiator—was interested in the games, or so went the palace rumor, because he liked watching men etc., etc.
Are you Hawaiian? I was born in Honolulu but haven’t been back since I was 2.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I accept your testimony on its face. And it may well be that were I to meet the man I would believe otherwise. On the other hand, Romney seemed to underperform in states that required him to retail his message on the ground in heart-attack diners and meeting halls improvised from school cafeterias.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I think the McCainiacs are a bit worried after their boy got pwned by Mitt last night.
February 1st, 2008 at 2:26 am
To Brett Passmore: Hate to tell you this, but you’re wrong, wrong, wrong about McCain taking Alaska, and not because I can’t stand him. Back in December, the state’s leading TV station, KTUU Channel 2 in Anchorage, ran a poll, and here were the results: Ron Paul 29%, Mike Huckabee 22% Rudy Giuliani 14%, Fred Thompson 12%, Mitt Romney 9%, and John McCain 9%. McCain is anathema up here because he opposes opening up ANWR for responsible development and production. I think Paul will win, but I’ll tell you flat out – McCain will finish last.