Posted on 01/19/2008 4:14:29 PM PST by Romneyfor President2008
Campaigns Turn Focus To Florida: Romney Visits Today; McCain Monday Other GOP Candidates Expected In Next 10 Days
UPDATED: 8:27 am EST January 19, 2008
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Mitt Romney will be the first of what is expected to be a parade of Republican candidates who will come through Jacksonville as the campaigns leave South Carolina and turn their attention to the next primary in Florida.
Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, will kick off his campaign blitz in the state with a planned appearance at 6:45 p.m. Saturday at the University of North Florida.
The doors of the University Center will open at 6 p.m. for what Romney officials call the "Change Begins With Us" rally.
Romney last appeared in the area in September, with a fundraiser in downtown Jacksonville and a town meeting in Orange Park.
Sen. John McCain is scheduled to appear at 5 p.m. on Monday at Mussallem Galleries at 5801 Philips Highway.
Sen. John McCain speaks to residents at the Fleet Landing retirement community in Atlantic Beach on March 28, 2007.
McCain's most recent visit to the area was last March, speaking to residents of an Atlantic Beach retirement community.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who made stops in Jacksonville and Yulee on Tuesday, plans to return to a yet-to-be-announced location in northeast Florida on Monday afternoon.
With the state being the largest prize yet of the primary season, political observers expect Sen. John McCain and Gov. Mike Huckabee to also spend time in Florida before the Jan. 29 primary.
Democratic candidates have promised the party's national committee not to campaign in the Florida to punish the state for moving its primary ahead of others in violation of party rules. The DNC also said it will not seat Florida's delegates at the party's convention this summer.
The Republican National Committee also was upset with the early primary, and says it will seat only half of the state's delegates.
On Friday, the state's U.S. senators -- Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Mel Martinez -- issued a joint statement and video message urging all Floridians to ignore the political party infighting and cast their votes on Jan. 29.
"The eyes of the nation will be on Florida," Martinez said.
"And the winners in Florida could well decide who the next president will be," added Nelson.
A Quinnipiac University poll of likely Republican voters in Florida released Jan. 14 showed a close race, with McCain leading the pack with 22 percent, Giuliani at 20 percent and Romney and Huckabee both pulling 19 percent.
MCCAIN AND RUDY MUST BE STOPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If anyone hears I need to know where he will be in florida so I can go.
You might want to approach it differently on FR. Some of us might be persuaded to, reluctantly, support Romney for the sole purpose of stopping McInsane. But rubbing our noses in it isn’t the best way to win support.
I’ve been approaching it differently for a few months now. Let us minorities have our day. :)
The question I have is whether Fred will officially drop out before Florida. If so, Romney should get a boost. If he doesn’t some of his supporters will stay with him.
I’m down to anybody but Huckabee, Rudy and Romney.
I offered my advice, do as you see fit, but given Romney’s relative strength in a lot of important states, you might want to reconsider.
Let me put it this way:
The race is now down to Romney, McCain and Huckabee ...
Proamnesty-antiBushtaxcuts-proCO2caps-CFR-RINO John McCain delenda est!
Proamnesty-antiBushtaxcuts-proCO2caps-CFR-RINO John McCain delenda est!
Bush is pro amnesty. He was stopped. McCain now says he has learned his lesson and the fence must come first.
Bush supported CFR.
As for tax cuts, McCain was right. Tax cuts are great but those people in Washington need to control spending.
That is my biggest reason to lean toward that RINO, McCain. He is right on spending. Bush was a disaester.
And he was/is right about Iraq.
I hate him for many reasons but if Fred drops out, he is the only one who can beat the beast.
I am waiting to see how Fred does in SC. Depending on that and if he stays in and the whole situation, I will either stick with Fred or support Romney to get rid of McCaniac the the Huckster. We shall see.
“Bush is pro amnesty. He was stopped. McCain now says he has learned his lesson and the fence must come first.”
- A fool would believe that means he wont push for sham-nesty - he never apologized or backed down from that wrong position, all he said was he would build the fence *first*. expect a pathetic sham fence then a sham ‘certification’ we are secure from DHS, then a push for shamnesty.
“Bush supported CFR.” One of his worst decisions.
“As for tax cuts, McCain was right.” NO he wasnt. Human Events brought up the quotes that made clear he voted against the tax cuts on the grounds it was too generous and on class-warfare grounds, not spending.
” Tax cuts are great but those people in Washington need to control spending.” McCain is a hypocrite - he’s been in Washington for 28 years, what has he done?!? Not enough!
He voted for most of the bills he now campaigns against.
“That is my biggest reason to lean toward that RINO, McCain. He is right on spending. Bush was a disaester.”
- If you show a single time in the last 8 years he filibustered for smaller budgets, you might have a point. But McCain did precious little to stop it, he was too busy concocting CFR, amnesty and other RINO bills with the Democrats. He claims he’s not taken earmarks, but in fact he has.
His 2006 ACU rating was 65%, RINO level, worse that 44 other GOP senators.
“And he was/is right about Iraq.” okay, but all but Ron Paul are on the right page.
“I hate him for many reasons but if Fred drops out, he is the only one who can beat the beast.” Disagree. Romney is articulate and much better and credible economic change message. And isnt old like McCain. Romney can run a better campaign. Clintons will rerun the 1996 playbook against McCain. both Romney and McCain have a chance at beating Hillary.
As long as Fred’s in the race, that’s where my money’s going. Now looks like it’s Super Tuesday or bust.
I agree with your premise. I just wish the Mitt bashers on FR would act the same way.
He is not very bright or he wouldn’t be supporting WILLARD in the first place.
I think McPain would be disastrous for the economy . I also think McPain would try and shove Amnesty down our throats yet again , further damaging our economy .
McPain doesn’t like to be defeated and he doesn’t forget ....Amnesty will be back and with a vengeance ....
Romney talks a good game , but he just doesn’t have the track record to back it up . What are we to believe with Romney ? His naivete on the gun issue is also downright scary ...
When McCain says, “He gets it,” regarding illegals, he is really thinking, “You don’t get it.” Comprehensive reform will be back with just like it was before.
Be ever vigilant.
My next contribution will max me out for the primaries, but Senator Thompson will get whatever I can give.
Dole II.
Washington need to control spending.
That is my biggest reason to lean toward that RINO, McCain.
He has had twenty years to control spending. If he could not convince his REPUBLICAN Senators to control spending when they were the majority, how is he going to control the Democrats who will have a pretty healthy majority???? 20 years is two long to spend spend spend and then suddenly he is going to clean up spending...I find that unlikely.
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