McMentum vs Huckmentum (by Mark Steyn)

NRO Corner ^ | Jan. 19, 2008 | Mark Steyn

[FocusNexus]

A McCain victory in SC has to be good news for Giuliani because the narrative becomes "Stop McCain!" and Rudy's best poised to do that - not just because his numbers in Florida haven't yet collapsed to the same undetectable levels as they have everywhere else, but because Huck and Mitt and Fred will be fairly proven failures at the "Stop McCain" game. So, if stopping him's your priority, then Rudy's the one-stop shop after everyone's stopped shopping around. He'll be the last ABM (Anyone-But-McCain) in with a shot.

[counterpunch]

I don’t see why anyone who would vote for Giuliani would have a problem with McCain, or why anyone who has a problem with McCain would vote for Giuliani.

It seems that McCain satisfies Giuliani supporters on national defense and as it turns out, trumps him on the big rational for Giuliani last year, which was “only he can beat Hillary.”

As it turns out, McCain whomps Giuliani on the “electability” issue.
So what’s left, really?

[fluffdaddy]

Precisely. Sane people don’t climb into the lion’s cage to escape from a tiger. I have often thought that Mark Steyn has never quite gotten the hang of American politics. But then, neither have I. Tonight’s results from SC make that painfully clear.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Barfmentum

[Westbrook]

> So what’s left, really?

For conservatives?

Not much.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Well, Romney crushed McCain in Michigan, and he really crushed McCain in Nevada, which is one of McCain’s “next-door” states.

[SoConPubbie]

Mark Steyn goes from arguing from a princpled point of view to arguing from a unprincipled tactical point of view concerning three candidates who are all detestable.

Go figure!

[Ottofire]

>Barfmentum

Makes you wish you had a mentos...

[samtheman]

I see it differently than you do. I don’t want either of those guys but if I had to choose one it would be the one that promises to keep GITMO open, not promising to close it. It’s a valid litmus test to me.

Whoever is serious about keeping some whacko muzzies from violently separating us all from our rear ends would never in a million years think of closing GITMO.

To me that’s a BIG difference and it would CERTAINLY, if it came down to it, influence my vote.

Having said that, I still hope Fred stays in the race.

[Tramonto]

So what’s left, really?

Talk radio says Giuliani is a true conservative and McCain isn't. Yeh, it doesn't make sense to me either.

[Redbob]

“What’s left really?”

The death of the Republican Party if McLame is the nominee - he’d never win the general election, and very probably the death of the GOP also if the former mayor of a blighted city is the nominee as well.

Neither of these men come close to representing the ideals of the vast majority of Republicans - neither is anything remotely approaching a Conservative.

[sourcery]

McCain cannot be the GOP nominee. Which means, given the collapse in support for Giuliani, the (in)ability of the theoretically viable candidates to raise (or draw down existing) funds, and the way they each appeal (or don't) to the various factions that make up the GOP, it is becoming highly probable that Romney will be the GOP nominee.

[County Agent Hank Kimball]

"I don’t see why anyone who would vote for Giuliani would have a problem with McCain, or why anyone who has a problem with McCain would vote for Giuliani."

-----

Huh? I was a Fred supporter, but I'd vote for Rudy in a New York Second (pun intended) over McCain. He supported Bush's tax cuts (and has advocated more), effectively ran the world's most important city, and even though he's a social liberal, he hasn't made a career out of sticking it to conservatives. He's pro-business, anti-regulation, and most imporantly of all, hasn't been suckered by the Global Warming crowd.

McCain's nomination would be the death of the conservative movement, at least within the GOP. Guiliani would be infinitely preferable.

Hank

[Redbob]

"Mark Steyn goes from arguing from a princpled point of view to arguing from a unprincipled tactical point of view concerning three candidates who are all detestable."

That's because professionally, Mark Steyn is an arguer.

Not a political theorist, not a principled conservative, but a talking-head-for-hire.

Let's not confuse entertainers with leaders here.

[chardonnay]

wait. please check out the DELEGATES tally sheet here:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/delegate_counts.html

[Antoninus]

I don't think Rudy will win in Florida. And even if he does, it'll just mean that the GOP will stumble through Super Tuesday without a clear winner, thus causing all the campaigns to hemorrhage even more money.

The only good news is that there's a possibility that the same thing could happen on the other side....

[weston]

Rudy is NOT pro-life. He’ll NOT be the nominee

[counterpunch]

What you’re saying means, as it looks to me, is that Huckleberry becomes irrelevant, Fred’s supporters abandon him, and Giuliani resurges in a “stop McCain” movement, parting the sea for Mitt Romney to win.

[Antoninus]

Talk radio says Giuliani is a true conservative and McCain isn't. Yeh, it doesn't make sense to me either.

What is says to me is that the conservative media is more media than conservative these days.

[Redbob]

"...he hasn't made a career out of sticking it to conservatives."

Well, not unless you're a conservative who believes the Second Amendment means what it says.

Rudy Giuliani clearly, demonstrably, does not!