Bush Republicans for McCain

American Spectator ^ | 02/28/06 | The Prowler

[peyton randolph]

SHOW ME THE MONEY
Two indicators of just where Republicans money folk are placing their bets right now: Sen. John McCain spent time last week in Florida, Miami specifically, meeting with mostly Hispanic business groups. This round of meetings follows in the wake of a lunch McCain had eight weeks ago with Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

That the President's brother publicly disclosed the lunch meeting with McCain and close Bush adviser, now-McCain consultant Mark McKinnon, underscores just how far McCain has come in gaining the support of the tight-knit Bush clan. Another sign: McCain is being given access to some of the deepest pockets the Bush family draws on for their campaigns.

For example, Jeb Bush, who has close ties to the construction and land development crowd in Florida, helped arrange two meetings that McCain advisers consider critical to their man's ability to outraise other Republicans in the state. The first was a morning meeting with developer Sergio Pino and the second a luncheon with the Latin Builders Association.

This most recent Florida trip comes on the heels of several trips McCain has made to Texas, where McKinnon has been squiring McCain around to Bush's high-end donors and fundraising organizers. While a number of Republican donors are throwing money at Sen. George Allen, Gov. Mitt Romney, and lower profile potential candidates, a number of the bigger fish are already aligning themselves with McCain.

And not just in Texas and Florida. McCain, who was given access to the Bush campaign's full donor list, has been making inroads with Republicans in both Iowa and South Carolina, two states McCain very much wants to win in 2008. In 2000 McCain didn't run in Iowa's caucuses -- and everyone remembers what happened to him in South Carolina that year.

[peyton randolph]

If true that the Bush family is support this candidacy, then prepare the GOP for Bob Dole redux.

[CWOJackson]

LOL. Now there is a loaded title.

[TexGuy]

Right. Dole is the one GOP vote I regret. Never Again.

[bayourant]

Right now McCain is who I will support in the primary unless someone grabs me. Romney I am open too but his pro life stance or lack of is troubling. Frist-sorry cant win, Allen- maybe but he doesnt seem to got that special thing that helps one win the Prez. I mean who is left

[coconutt2000]

How do we sabotage McCain this time around?

He's always wanted the Presidency, for all the wrong reasons. At best he'd be a mediocre stand in until a better, more principled conservative comes along. At worst, he'd be another Clinton, with everything slipping through his fingers through incompetence all the while blaming his mediocrity on someone else.

McCain does not have what it takes to be President. He'd be happier just staying a Senator. The hours are better and the workload is far less.

I wonder if the liberals have latched onto him, hoping to convince him to run as a third party candidate when he fails to win the nomination. If they haven't, they will.

[Nephi]

A McCain (or a Rudy) nomination will guarantee a Hillary win in '08.

[Echo Talon]

Republicans nominate McCain at their own peril, I can not vote for him

[kingu]

*yawn* Oh, look, the commentators are trying to pick the party candidates again. Sorry, we've looked at McCain, we're rejected him, going around again will just waste people's money.

Which is probably the goal here - cut off money from others by making McCain appear to be the crowned prince.

[peyton randolph]

The McCain Campaign Slogan: Vote for Me or You'll Get Clinton.

...and we saw how much luck Bob Dole had with that strategy.

Can't beat something with nothing...and right now we've got no one on the conservative side to run with a decent chance of winning both the primaries and the general election.
 

[Theresawithanh]

OhpleaseGodno! Wonder if he'll still be the media's darling?

IF he makes it to the nomination I will vote for him rather than not vote, but please, no!

[peyton randolph]

the commentators are trying to pick the party candidates again.

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The guys at the American Spectator are not fans of John McCain. If anything, this is a warning that the GOP establishment (including the Bush family) is lining up the big donors behind McCain. 

[LibFreeOrDie]

"I wonder if the liberals have latched onto him..."

Well, the liberal guys I work with sure do love McCain. If it's Hillary vs. McCain, a lot of liberal males will be voting McCain.

[sageb1]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. McCain will never be Pres.

[peyton randolph]

If it's Hillary vs. McCain, a lot of liberal males will be voting McCain.

---

Classic Dick Morris triangulation strategery. Want to see what a McCain presidency will look like, just check out California under its current governor.

 

[peyton randolph]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. McCain will never be Pres.

---

As far as the GOP establishment and the MSM are concerned, he doesn't have to be President. He just needs to win the GOP primaries and lose the general election like Dole did in 1996.

 

[sageb1]

I want a hero, dammit. McCain ain't it.

[Smokin' Joe]

Mc Cain seems pretty Left to me. I want someone Right.

[Cold Heat]

No way he get's through the primary unless there is no real competition.

It looks like there will be plenty.

[Bullish]

If McCain gets the nomination, then Hillary won't need a Ross Perot type third party running in order to win.

[Cold Heat]

McCain is nuts. His politics are secondary.:-)