McCain Cakewalk?

hughhewitt.townhall.com ^ | Friday, January 11, 2008 | Patrick Ruffini

[Checkers]

If John McCain is somehow prevented from winning the nomination, it won’t be because of his fellow candidates.

Last night, the rest of the field refused to lay a glove on McCain. Many conservatives I talk to still assume he will fall of his own weight. And, truth be told, the other campaigns’ visceral dislike of Mitt Romney is blinding them to the need for a strong voice to articulate the conservative base’s deep distrust of McCain.

For McCain, a seemingly impossible confluence of events have had the effect of parting the waters for his previously treacherous path to the nomination.

First, McCain emerged from the back of the pack. The conservative establishment didn’t know if this was serious or not, so they didn’t organize. At the outset, Romney probably found this useful to knock off Rudy in NH. Then Rudy decided he didn’t have the warewithal to challenge his friend McCain in a pro-choice, Northeastern state.

In Iowa too, Huckabee used McCain as a club to bash Romney. Romney only started attacking McCain in late December, and then only on McCain’s home field of New Hampshire.

Okay, I can see letting New Hampshire slip. That happened in 2000. But certainly South Carolina could be counted on finish him off for us. Is McCain getting any heat there?

Not much.

Mitt Romney has to save himself first, and he’s doing that in Michigan. That probably necessitates a pivot to a more positive message. Like other cash-strapped candidates, he’s counting on Huckabee to finish the job in SC. It’s also probably too late for any 527s to get going.

[ejonesie22]

You are not alone, that is an issue through out the RNC.

[NYC Republican]

Now you’re saying that Mitt and McCain are teaming up? Do you just spew all kinds of shiite, hoping some of it sticks? Really, where do you get this sophomoric jibberish?

[Petronski]

Now you’re saying that Mitt and McCain are teaming up?

Witness their pink pillow fight in Michigan. It's obvious.

[Miss Didi]

RUSH: Now McCain. This is funny. This is from Jonathan Martin, our old buddy the blogger at The Politico. "Styrofoam coffee cup in hand, John McCain came back toward the press section of his charter jet to indulge questions and allow the photogs to get some shots. Asked what he would say to conservatives still suspicious about his candidacy, McCain interrupted the question. 'I say a very large portion of it, the conservative base, voted for me yesterday -- I thank you,' McCain said... 'I will continue to expand that base.' McCain cited two reasons -- one old and one new -- to make his case as to why Christian conservatives should get behind him. 'A very large portion of the evangelical community is becoming more and more concerned about climate change because of our biblical obligation to be good stewards of our planet,' McCain said. 'That clearly is an issue that I'm in complete sync with the evangelical community on.'" Okay. Stop laughing, because this was a calculated statement -- and the evangelical community? Why, I thought that was Huckabee's!

But make no mistake: Governor Huckabee, at this stage, in my opinion, is in the race to take Romney out of the way for McCain. Just to hit off on this evangelical business, the thing Huckabee's gotta understand is if you have made a deal with McCain behind the scenes, under the table, understand it's one way, because McCain is going to throw you overboard as soon as he has to, Governor (laughing), when the time comes -- and he'll not remember the deal or it will get reshaped in his mind or somehow changed. McCain "also said he'd point out something that he's not always been comfortable doing -- that he's voted the anti-abortion line for his whole career. 'I'll also try to make them remember that my social conservative record has been consistent and unchanging,'" and in that way he's going to take out Rudy. So he's going to try to get the Huckabee vote with the global warming route and try to get the evangelicals. He's going to try to take Rudy out with his consistent abortion stand, which he's not fabricating. He has been consistent on the pro-life issue.

[TigersEye]

Free Republic Opinion Poll:
Would you be for or against McCain?
Member Opinion
against 92.4% 2,989
for 7.6% 247

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U.S. Sen. John McCain is no War Hero

John McCain: The Manchurian Candidate

JOHN MCCAIN, WARTS AND ALL

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A number of articles on McCain. (some the same as above)

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McCain/Soros by Rabbi Areyh Spero

Soros' "Reform" (an article about Soros‘ instrumental hand in McCain/Feingold)

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The Turning Point on Global Warming (McCain and Lieberman Op-Ed Alert)

Climate bill sets stage for debate (Sens. McCain, Obama, and Lieberman join forces)

McCain: Global warming is fact, must be addressed [hurl alert]

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More YOUTUBE - McCain On Abortion (UH OH! YouTube Has a Video of Him in 1999)

How Cindy McCain was outed for drug addiction(stole drugs from the American Voluntary Medical Team)

John McCain: Hypocrite by Mark R. Levin

McCain and his Chicom Connections: Posts #17 and #18 by Calpernia

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It depends on the meaning of “never” (McCain's Convenient Memory) **NEW**

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McCain Sides With Leading Dems on Global Warming (NH voter reminder ALERT

The Conservative Case Against John McCain In 2008

McCain Blames Bush For Osama's Escape

************************************************************************

Why don't you shut your political pie hole?

Stifling the www? Online Freedom of Speech Act (H.R. 1606)

"1606 is needed because federal courts have ordered the Federal Election Commission to regulate "electioneering communications" on the Internet because of the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act (McCain-Feingold). If H.R. 1606 fails to become law, your Web site or blog could be shut down for the 30 days prior to a primary election and the 60 days prior to a general election should you express "electioneering communications."

[MNJohnnie]

His best bet for taking out McCain is now, in SC. McCain is hugely vulunrable in SC due to Sc’s immigration and employment problems. Fred also needs to spike McCain’s gathering momentum. McCain is starting to pull away in SC.

While it true we have a ways to go to the Primary in SC, Fred doesn’t have a lot of room for error right now.

[NYC Republican]

Seriously, NO one can doubt that Fred’s become McCain’s stalking horse. He may not have came in with that intent... but isn’t obvious, by the way he NEVER criticizes McCain? ... He’s gonna drop out and support McCain, wholeheartedly.

[Hawthorn]

> McCain could sink the GOP if he came unglued in the General or worse the White House (hey look the GOP put a nut in the Oval Office) <

Can’t be said too often!

[ejonesie22]

Oh are you in for a surprise...

[kabar]

You have nailed it. Fred is in single digits. And McCain is leading the pack. If Fred takes any votes, it will not be from McCain. He is hurting mostly Huckabee, but also will have an impact on Romney who is being hurt by Huckabee. <?p>

[ejonesie22]

It has been said a lot in the halls of the GOP since 2000...

[Hawthorn]

> It has been said a lot in the halls of the GOP since 2000 <

You would appear to speak from a position of authority. So what do your RNC sources think can be done to avoid this probable calamity?

[NYC Republican]

Where have you been? He’s attacked McCain time and again in ads, and they hate each other... You folks are DEPSPERATE, and worse than the libs with your conspiracy theories.

[Petronski]

He’s not attacking McCain anymore. It all changed in NH.

[Perchant]

Supporting Thompson seems to be the antithesis of “letting McCain be nominated”.

Only if you don't know how a stalking horse works. The more votes Fred gets, the more McCain benefits. McCain is relying on Democrat crossover votes and the stupid vote to win the nomination and he needs the conservative vote to be fragmented between as many candidates as possible.

If Fred manages to gain enough momentum where he'd be a threat to McCain's chances, he'll self-destruct his own campaign.

[Petronski]

Your tagline is false in at least three ways.

[Petronski]

Seriously, NO one can doubt that Willard has become McCain’s stalking horse. He may not have came in with that intent... but isn’t obvious, by the way he won’t criticize McCain, the leader in the state (MI) that he MUST win? ... He’s gonna drop out and support McCain, wholeheartedly.

[kabar]

Romney is spending the money in Michigan and has pulled his ads from SC and FL.

[kabar]

They are all running as conservatives, including Giuliani.