The GOP's 20% Problem

The Wall Street Journal/Opinion Journal ^ | 10/12/2007 | Peggy Noonan

[Servant of the Cross]

Fred Thompson gives "a very incoherent and not very concise stump speech," peaked months ago, and is the campaign's "biggest dud." Mitt Romney has "an authenticity problem"; he is "almost too mechanical about the issues." John McCain faces "enormous hurdles," and the "irony" of his quest is that he may just be repeating 2000. Mike Huckabee has "the obvious problems--being from Hope, Ark., and quite frankly having the last name Huckabee." The craven Republicans are "terrified about losing the presidency after losing Congress." All this comes from Terry McAuliffe, longtime Democratic Party mover, maven and moneyman, who's obviously hoping for a Democratic win.

Only kidding. It comes from Mr. McAuliffe's new podium partner on the Washington speech circuit, longtime Bush operative Dan Bartlett, recently departed after years as White House communications director.

[bill1952]

Then we agree on many things. Fair enough, honestly put.

Thank you for your post, - bill

[MNJohnnie]

No what we are tired of is this pathetic childish need of supposed “Conservatives” in the Junk media spending ALL their time firing on their OWN allies.

Tons of stuff to attack the Left on. From Schip to the lies directed at Rush to Iraq. Does Peggy and the rest of the “Conservative” media EVER attack the Left on ANYTHING? No they spend 100% of their time trash talking their allies.

Seems these losers want Hillary appointing the next 3 Supreme Court Justices just because their fragile little egos cannot stand to admit they have been wrong. Just like the Democrats, media “Conservatives” put their pathetic childish egos in front of the good of the Country.

They deserve all the scorn that is being directed at them.

[ckilmer]

true. but taking your word at its fullest meaning precludes the candidates utterings from having any meaning beyond the moment at all.

[Badeye]

Uh huh, what you said....(chuckle)

[ex-snook]

You’ll find out on election day the difference between 70% and 20% since you can’t figure it out now.

[Servant of the Cross]

In this article, she merely repeats Dan Bartlett's comments; these aren't her opinions. She goes on to make the valid point that the Republican 'establishment' is not helpful to the conservative candidates in the primary and in fact seem to be rooting for Rooty.

IMHO, I think she's a closet FRedhead.

[SoConPubbie]

Get used to it.

Actually, the vast majority of those who won’t vote for a candidate are saying that about the ‘Democrat in a cheap Republic suit’ Rudy, as they should be.

That will not change because Rudy is who he is.

I, as well as, most of the Freepers will vote for anyone but Rudy and quite possible Ron Paul.

All the others I can live with.

I will never vote for Rudy in the Primary or the General!

[NeoCaveman]

Uh your fire should be directed at effete Washington snobs like Dan Bartlett not at Peggy who is just quoting him.

[jrooney]

Good post #42. I second that. Noonan and Newt NEVER, I repeat NEVER attack the democrats. Instead they load, point, aim and shoot their weapons at republicans. The viewers watching or reading these two ass clowns then get a negative picture of the GOP and come away thinking the democrats must be better because they are not receiving the negative scorn the republicans are. Noonan and Newt are the best friends of democrats because they are swaying republican or independent voters from the GOP. What kills me is how Noonan tries to protray herself as such a respectable lady on television, all along spewing the same vile Pelosi or Hillary does. Trash all of them.

[roses of sharon]

Its the new “kewl” on FR.

Losing is a virtue now! LOL

[roses of sharon]

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/NEWS18/71011036&oaso=news.rgj.com/breakingnews

Republicans for Hillary and Bill!

It’s the new kewl!

[jrooney]

So nice to see these has beens surrender to Hillary. I wonder if they think we can beat al Qaeda too or should surrender to them because hey are formidable, organized and dangerous.

You beat Hillary and easily by letting Hillary's own actions derail her. If the RNC and conservative groups would run political ads showing her make faces and roll her eyes when GW addressed Congress shortly after the 9/11 attacks. She was caught on tape making a fool of herself. That would destroy any chances she had at winning the presidency. BTW, I think Hillary will win the donk nomination but will lose to the republican candidate. Her negatives are too high and the election is a long way off. She will get tar and feathered badly.

[Servant of the Cross]

Hillary is certainly beatable and your strategy of highlighting her being herself has much merit! As succinctly stated in a previous thread by elpadre, Rudy is the battle and Hillary is the war.

[dragnet2]

Sadly I see little difference between the same old two parties. It like they’ve become two divisions of the same giant corporation.

Most party conservatives of today, would have been labeled liberals and leftist just a few decades ago.

“the parties are all the same” the product of a rabidly ignorant mind. To say such a thing you must either be working for the Democrat Party PR machine or wholly ignorant of all factual reality when it comes to politics.

I've seen your posts.... It's interesting the house liberal leftist, or neoconservative...Whatever the term is nowadays, would disagree here.

No offense, but most everything I've see you post here describes almost exactly what I was referring to.

[Seeking the truth]

Broken Glass Democrats?

Don't buy that BS.

I remember hearing the same in Florida about the "Broken Glass Democrats" coming out in droves to beat Jeb Bush to atone for the "Stolen Election"

It didn't happen....Jeb was elected twice...the second time by a much larger margin.

I do worry about Republican malaise...it is there and palpable...I've seen it first hand at Pubbie conventions that I attend for my business 0cents.com...that concerns me...hell, I see it in myself!

[jalisco555]

I will never vote for Rudy in the Primary or the General!

The worst Republican is better than the best Democrat. If Rudy is the nominee we'd all better support him. The alternative will be far worse.

[jalisco555]

Broken Glass Democrats?
Don't buy that BS.

I hope you're right but I think you're wrong. They want to win so badly they can taste it. They will swallow their differences and do what it takes. Can we?

[bill1952]

I remember hearing the same in Florida about the “Broken Glass Democrats” coming out in droves to beat Jeb Bush to atone for the “Stolen Election”

I understand your point but the comparsion is not valid.

Jeb was a hugely popular governor here, and those who wished for some huge rolling backlash against him were mostly out of state drones of the MSM hack machines, churning out trash with no backing in fact.

Look at Mr. Moore, if you can bear to.
Do you remember all of the ballyhoo about him charging in on a white steed, fresh with cameras aplently to record all of us pubs beating down the dem voters?

didn’t hear a peep about that after the election, huh?

Florida turned out big for Bush in 08.

I had been laughing at those NE libs who were drinking the MSM kool aid and shouting “Florida is in play!” so I see your point, but we have no known quality to rally around this time, no incumbent, and they are about to get their dream candidate.

Another clinton. Another 8 years of clinton.

Anybody but Bush! has morphed into Anybody but the GOP!

[seemoAR]

Would you vote for Hitlery if she claimed that she was a republican?. If your answer is no, you know exactly I feel about Frootie Rootie. The only difference I can see between the 2 traitors is the fact that he looks better in a dress. ;0)

[Seeking the truth]

Your memory is bad re: Jeb reelection 2002.

Here is National Review article November 2002.

Jeb & McBride were neck & neck in last polls.

I remember it well as I was living in Boca Raton (92-2003)

The Zeal Against Jeb: For Florida Democrats, it's payback time - Jeb Bush

National Review, Nov 11, 2002 by Bernadette Malone

Watching President Bush's brother Jeb struggle to win re-election against a little-known trial lawyer, it's hard not to suspect that Democrats are trying extra-hard to exact revenge for Florida 2000-that the barrage of attacks against Jeb is payback for George W.'s victory.

Then again, maybe it's purely Jeb's fault that he's in a neck-and-neck race against Bill McBride (who came from behind to defeat Janet Reno by a hair in the Democratic primary).

Maybe he's tied with his opponent in the polls for reasons other than a concerted effort to defeat him by embittered Democrats.

The maybes continue to pile up: Maybe the governor is neglecting grassroots campaigning in favor of heavy media buys, in time-honored Bush fashion; maybe he's distracted, as any loving father would be, by the recent incarceration of his daughter for possession of narcotics; or maybe, as Republican state comptroller Bob Milligan says, Jeb "hasn't surrounded himself with the best people" in his campaign.

The governor certainly has made his share of mistakes this year.

But suspicions that Democrats are thirsting for payback are rife.

Public records from Leon County, Fla., suggest that just one week after Al Gore conceded the state's recount in December 2000, the teachers' union re-mortgaged its Tallahassee headquarters, freeing up $1.7 million to take down Jeb Bush-he would pay for the offense of George W.'s ascension to the presidency.