JEANINE PIRRO Conservatives eye rival.
Posted on 11/07/2005 5:10:04 AM PST by Liz
JEANINE PIRRO Conservatives eye rival.
Jeanine Pirro's little-known opponent for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate is close to winning crucial backing from the small but influential Conservative Party, insiders say.
Such a success by former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer would deny Pirro a vital endorsement in what would already be — if she is the GOP nominee — an uphill battle against incumbent Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. And it would be the latest blow for Pirro, the outgoing Westchester County district attorney whose campaign has been marred by stumbles and fund-raising shortfalls.
Tactically, Spencer, a tough-talking ex-Marine who is far more conservative than Pirro on a range of issues, plans to use Conservative Party backing as leverage to convince many still-uncommitted GOP leaders to back him as the only candidate with a chance to defeat Clinton.
"Spencer clearly has the edge on Jeanine," Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long told The Post. "If our party's convention was held next week, I think Spencer would be the choice." Spencer said, "I feel, at this point, the Conservative endorsement is in the bag."
No Republican since 1974 has won statewide election without Conservative Party support.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Agreed. If you're a sure bet to lose, then do so with honor, rather than run the female equivalent of Gloomberg or McPain.
Why in the world do you want this woman as your Senator?!?
Hey, New York, you sure know how to pick them!
Hillary and Jeanine...blue candidates in a state that's bluer than blue...
Almost sounds like you're talking about Bob Taft (the grinning idiot) here in Ohio. He's the worst Guv we've ever had, and has done more to help destroy the party than any Repub in memory-although George RHINOvich started the ball rolling before him.
Taft, whose name should've ordinarily be associated as the anti-Eastern Establishment (the original RINOs), has utterly disgraced his grandfather's memory. However, even in saying that, Voinovich & Taft haven't yet technically caused numerical damage to the party (we still, after all, have majorities in the legislature, the Congress, statewide offices, etc), and didn't have a negative (or would it be positive ?) impact on those statewide initiatives. But while the national media was crowing that the unpopularity of Dubya almost cost us that special Congressional election, that very much was more the cause of the state of Taft and the state GOP.
Unlike with MA, however, we have the anti-RINO waiting in the wings to tackle the damage being inflicted by the RINO leaders, that being Ken Blackwell. Failure to elect him Governor will indeed result in those numerical losses that haven't yet materialized. Between having to fight the RINO establishment and the media (What ? Allow an uppity n***er oreo Republican to WIN ?! No way !), he also has to battle the 'Rats... it'll be a tough contest next year, but I think he'll pull it off. Blackwell in my opinion is also potentially Presidential timber.
I could be wrong-it's happened before, some have fooled me (mostly women, though-:D), consider myself a good judge of character-which is why I never voted for Taft or Rhinovich. EVER. Went third party or no vote at all for that spot, as I could read them like a book-and I was right. Never voted for DeWhine, either. But I WILL vote for Blackwell. Especially if along with my gut feeling, he also has your endorsement. You impress me with your political knowledge. I wish more on FR were as informed as you, while I do consider myself to be good at analyzation also, but primarily in my state. Wanted to ask you something-Blackwell is from Cincy-fairly conservative down there, but there are a LOT of (conservative)people around my area (Toledo, unfortunately a Dem stronghold for eternity)who call him a RHINO. What do you think the basis was for such rumors to get spread? I've never heard one phony thing about the man, myself, but I know deep in my heart that Petro, Taft, Betty "overstuffed" Montgomery, and all the other 'country clubbers' we have in high positions here do NOT like him-and probably share that 'uppity n*&^%r thought.
I always had mixed feelings about Voinovich. He HAD been useful to a degree on occasion. As Jim Rhodes's running mate in '78, he stayed in office just long enough to return to rescue Cleveland from the evil incompetent clutches of Dennis the Menace Kucinich (so score one for him in that regard). I was supportive of his run for Governor in '90 (of course, back then, I was one of those "any Republican is better than a 'Rat" types, and was still in the dark about what RINOs were). Voinovich can also take credit, probably now to his chagrin, for elevating Blackwell to statewide prominence.
Blackwell should've been headed to Congress as long ago as 1990, very narrowly losing the then-1st district. After Clinton elevated 'Rat Mary Ellen Withrow to U.S. Treasurer, that provided Voinovich to put in the "token" Blackwell. I'm sure he always believed that Blackwell would probably toe the line with the rest of the establishment, though did anything but, as we have seen.
I don't know what is up with those outside of Cincy thinking Blackwell is a RINO (although, when you were promoted by the RINO establishment, are surrounded by the RINO hordes, you tend to think they may ALL be alike - not too unfamiliar for Blackwell, who is practically 3rd party, he was not "technically" a Republican when he served as Mayor, but a member of the Charterites, a uniquely Cincinnati institution). It is quite possible that the smears against Blackwell are coming from the Petro & Montgomery camps, neither of whom deserve to become the next Governor. There were some complaints that Blackwell did receive an endorsement from McCain (which under normal circumstances would cause me to question my support - BUT Blackwell is using McCain (rather than vice-versa) to try to secure support from the weak-kneed RINOesque voters to make it look like he's "safe" to vote for, it might be a risky move, but I trust he knows what he's doing). The higher % he receives in the primary the better, as it gives more a sense of inevitability he will take the general (and the 'Rats are very desperate to take back the office after what will be 20 years).
I'd be more concerned were I a 'Rat, because you have a potentially VERY ugly situation afoot. Although both Mayor Coleman and Rep. Strickland are liberals, there is the perception that Strickland might be a stronger general candidate. If Strickland wins the nod narrowly, a lot of Black voters will be quite angry, and Blackwell would likely be able to build on his support in the Black community (and downplayed by the media is the fact that Black voters in Ohio are amongst the most Republican in the country - Dubya received around 20% of their vote in '04, and some reports indicated that Blackwell has received at or above 40% of the Black vote, and if you combine a regular Republican vote + 40% of the Black vote means a huge landslide for the Republican candidate).
However, there is still a contingent of ordinarily Republican voters that won't support a Black man for Governor (and I don't mean Conservatives, but those elitist aforementioned country-clubber types, think "Caddyshack's" Judge Elihu Smails), and you also have seen some feelers being made to ex-Congressman John Kasich to try to get him into the contest to "stop" Blackwell and his "inevitable loss." Were that to happen, the resulting damage would all but hand the office to the 'Rats.
The biggest worry for us next year isn't the Governorship, but the Senate seat. DeWine has been a particularly abysmal Senator, and stands a very good chance of losing the general, either to the plagurist Sherrod Brown or the vacuous twit with a General Patton complex, Hackett. If anything, we ought to be urging Kasich to take on DeWine, or we WILL lose that seat. OH already had to suffer through 2 decades of Socialist Metzenbaum and Traitor Glenn, and they certainly don't want to go back to those bad old days. Unfortunately, just like we have to put up with phony RINO Lamar! Alexander down here in Tennessee, you guys will have to put up with Voinovich (at least until 2010) before you can sack him...
Sorry for going on a bit here...
Hey, no problem, I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts. You are 100% dead on about the overstuffed "Sweaty" Betty Montgomery. She's from this area, and was totally worthless here before moving up. She is absolutely a social liberal, I can testify to that fact. I don't know all that much about Petro, but I didn't trust him even before you gave me the goods. I've leaned toward Blackwell for a longer time than most in my area, now I see him as the only hope for the Ohio GOP. Having a black CONSERVATIVE Repub guv would be the greatest thing that ever happened to the GOP-which is why , as you say-the 'country clubbers'-who have almost totally taken over the party here from top to bottom, except for some rural areas-will do everything in their power to stop him-because they aren't conservatives. Mark my words-if he doesn't get the nod-I believe the GOP is done in Ohio for decades. Conservs like myself have been lied to & sold down the river ,or taken for granted, for years-and we're tired of it. It doesn't take an ounce of effort to stay home on election day.
The one thing we can say about Secretary Blackwell is that he's not some token or some affirmative-action case... he is, without question, the single most qualified individual (man or woman) to become the next Governor of Ohio, period. Just imagine the heart-attack the media, the liberal 'Rats, and the RINO country-clubbers would have if we saw a future Presidential ticket consisting of Governor Blackwell and by-then-Senator Michael Steele of Maryland ? :-D
One thing I forgot to add. If Governor Taft were truly interested in saving the state GOP and preserving (or rather, restoring) its integrity, he could instruct his appointed Lieutenant Governor to resign and then follow suit himself with his own resignation, and Blackwell would then become the Governor, being next in the line of succession. He could do it tomorrow if he wanted. But, of course, that would be the act of a statesman, and Robert Alphonso Taft the 3rd is no Robert Alphonso Taft, Sr. Maybe for once he could look to his grandfather and do the right thing for a change.
Never happen. Taft will remain in office to do still more damage to the state and the party for the remainder of his term. I predict they'll try to deny Blackwell, not because he's black, but because he's a true Republican (fiscal AND social conservative). And it pisses me off to think the Ohio RHINO party (which is what it has pretty much become)would shoot themselves in the foot just to deny him, but in my heart, I know they would. I'm thinking of the judge in Caddyshack again. :-D
"One thing I forgot to add. If Governor Taft were truly interested in saving the state GOP and preserving (or rather, restoring) its integrity, he could instruct his appointed Lieutenant Governor to resign and then follow suit himself with his own resignation, and Blackwell would then become the Governor, being next in the line of succession."
Knowing very little about the new Lt Gov, Bruce Johnson, I have no idea if given the opportunity to serve in the top job, would he merely step aside ?
Al D'Amato,who served from 1981-1999 as one of those unapologetic conservatives who "can't win" in New York.
The Pirro apologists will probably note D'Amato won because another liberal "split the vote" with the Dem in 1980, though this shouldn't be a problem in 2006 because Cindy Sheehan is being urged to mount an "independant" bid against Hilderbeast (and let's not the Greenies)
You don't run campaigns to lose. "Let's go out and lose this one!" is a ridiculous attitude.
Go for it. By the way, Al's now on TV from time to time since he's no longer in the Senate.
Huh? And running Pirro is running to win? She is going to get crushed.
"We" aren't running Pirro. She is running. That's the problem with your perspective - it isn't rooted in reality.
Anyone who runs a campaign with the goal of losing to "make a statement" is an idiot, plain and simple. Neither Dole nor Goldwater were running to lose.
NH?
President Bush got 48.07% in New Hampshire in 2000 and 48.87% in 2004, so he improved his showing by almost 1%. The reason why Bush carried NH in 2000 but not in 2004 was that Nader got 3.9% in the state in 2000 but wasn't on the ballot in NH in 2004, so Kerry got 50.24% as opposed to Gore's 46.80%.
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