Posted on 01/20/2008 8:41:05 PM PST by jdm
POLK CITY, Fla. — The Republican presidential contest entered a new phase on Sunday as the campaigns descended on Florida for the first primary in which all the candidates are participating full force, using as their stage a state famous for divisive election battles.
Four major candidates — Senator John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudolph W. Giuliani and Mike Huckabee — all have a claim to different segments of the Republican electorate in this culturally and geographically diverse state.
And in a rare moment of political consensus, all of the campaigns see the primary in Florida, the fourth most populous state in the nation, as the most important contest on the calendar to date. It is the gateway — candidates hope it is a springboard — to what will in effect be a national primary on Feb. 5, when more than 20 states will hold Republican nominating contests.
“All the candidates are playing there, and it really is going to be the last opportunity for national attention for a single victory,” Alex Castellanos, a senior adviser to Mr. Romney, said of the Florida primary.
Mr. McCain, after shutting down his operation here during his campaign’s financing crisis in the fall, opened six offices in the state on Sunday, and aides said he would begin advertising on Monday. Mr. McCain, of Arizona, plans a series of bus trips across the state, starting Monday morning in Central Florida.
Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, returns to the airwaves on Wednesday; his commercials will include advertisements on Spanish-language television emphasizing how different this state is from those in which the candidates have campaigned before. Mr. Romney’s aides said Sunday that he would spend every day in Florida until Jan. 29, when the state holds its presidential primary.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
One mention of FDT and zero of Paul.
The media blackout continues.
At this stage, anyone but Rudy to win FL would force his liberal butt to go back to NYC.
It’s a contest of elimination. There are too many candidates. Once several have dropped out, the situation should clarify.
Brief Overview of Congressman Paul’s Record:
He has NEVER voted to raise taxes.
He has NEVER voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has NEVER voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has NEVER voted to raise congressional pay.
He has NEVER taken a government-paid junket.
He has NEVER voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He DOES NOT participate in the lucrative congressional pension program (!!)
He RETURNS a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year!
Only mention of Fred:
Mr. Huckabee could also be helped if Fred D. Thompson, the former senator from Tennessee who has sought support from social conservatives, decides to drop out after his weak showing on Saturday in South Carolina.
It is going to be a great day.
The Ron Paul Republican Revolution.
I would like to see Fred Win but I heard that if he pulls out he would support mccain, If he did that he’s no conservative either.
Another media blackout ping. They did it to Tancredo, Hunter, Paul and now Thompson.
We don’t want no stinking liberals picking our President.
I would like to see Fred roll into Fl ,he stands a good a chance as anyone there
***On what planet?***
Planet Claire. (B52’s.) He’s a rock lobster.
It was glaringly obvious on Fox Saturday night as well. Paul’s name was barely mentioned when talking about Nevada even though he came in second there. The media has really been making me sick lately and that was just the final straw. Anyone who thinks that they aren’t trying to force their choice of who they want the nominee to be on us is blind.
$28.5k in the first 20 minutes!
Not too bad.
The media is on an all “blackout” of the conservatives agenda. Includes our( not mine) precious FOX News.
Honestly, if Thompson drops out, and now that Hunter is gone, I will seriously consider supporting Paul. I’d take him any day of the week over McCain or Huckabee.
He already has raised more than Huckaberry did at the Kung fool BBQ Norris just had. LOL at Huck.
$32,277 in 20 minutes
***$32,277***
Yikes, that is far less than what a Rudyjudy dress would cost. LOL.
The media is going to push Thompson out. I don’t know if Rush himself declared his loyalty and endorsed Fred, if that would make a difference. He would get little press.
Paul has gotten almost ZERO press.
We would love to have your support if Fred is pushed out by the darling media.
Have you not been watching Freds anti-MSM campaign ?
The last group that will push Fred out will be the MSM . If he gets out it will be for the good of the party , and nobody else .
We are with Fred until the end !
I like that RP is picking up new donors. 87 new donors in 34 minutes. Hope the trend continues.
http://ronpaulgraphs.com/text_stats.html?disqus_reply=89667#comment-89667
You forgot to list his big gaping flaw which will be noticed by Florida’s rather large military veteran voting block ...he’s about as appealing as a turd in a punchbowl on GWOT/foreign policy.
But, but, what about all those folks calling Fred a 'stalking horse' for McCain? Could they possibly be wrong? /s
Typical for the Old Grey Lady in particular, and the media in general. The ONLY mention of Fred was suggesting which candidate might benefit if he dropped out.
“You forgot to list his big gaping flaw which will be noticed by Florida’s rather large military veteran voting block ...he’s about as appealing as a turd in a punchbowl on GWOT/foreign policy.”
Yeah because people in the military love serving overseas but leaving our borders gaping wide open.
His foreign policy is to stop foreign aid.
Why do we arm both sides of conflicts, then try to get them to enter peace talks, and then go intervene?
It’s madness.
That's because that's been the anti-Fred talking point this week, in the media, and here on FR.
Last updated: 01/21/08 12:36 AM EST
total raised today: $57,681
donations today: 587
donors today: 430
new donors today: 99
total raised Q1: $996,641
total donations Q1: 13,542
average daily total: $47,459
average daily donations: 645
days to end of quarter: 70
Who do you think Fred would endorse if he got out of the race?
I know it wouldn’t be Huckster.
Thats a big graph.
On non money bomb days, I have noticed that about half of the total donors each day are new donors.
Since Fred hasn’t said he’s getting out of the race, the question is irrelevant.
Rudy? You mean Mr. 911?
P.S. We don't want him back. And Arkansas can have Hillary back too for that matter.
*** have noticed that about half of the total donors each day are new donors.***
I totally agree.
It is most encouraging to see new donors because it lets us all know, despite the media blackouts,negative stories, smear tactics, etc, people are ignoring them and supporting RP.
There aren't as many veterans in FL as there were in SC. I think Paul will have a decent showing, although it'll be for naught because FL is winner-takes-all.
What? Are you high? Just where do you get that figure? Florida is huge and has ACTIVE bases from Pensacola (which is west of Detroit) to the Florida Keys. So in addition to the ACTIVE DUTY are thousands of retirees who live near these bases. I'd love to set the figures supporting your claim.
We have to take into consideration that a large chunk of the active duty stationed in Florida are not from Florida. Therefore, they are not necessarily registered to vote in Florida. The several people I know stationed all over are all still registered to vote in Texas, and actively do vote in the Texas elections.
Huck and Mitt are the MSM stalking horses. They’re minimalizing Fred (scared to death of him). Now that McCain slipped under the wire in SC, they’ll start pimping for him hard core. Mittens and Huck will still get press, but it’s not going to be good.
The primaries 2 weeks from now will show a clear cut front runner, with several large states having winner-take-all delegates.
I suspect this is where the rubber hits the road when discussing the campaign funds. That leaves Rudy and Romney. McCain doesn't have the staff, nor the money to hit these states. Huckabee surely doesn't have the official organization, nor the money, but he does have the unofficial campaign push-polling the hell out of people. It can be effective, but it didn't bring him to victory in SC. The southern states coming up are not winner-take-all. That's going to handicap Huckabee hardcore.
I'll stay a Thompson supporter as long as he is in the race, but if he drops, either Romney or Rudy will get my vote.
Romney is playing chess while the rest are playing checkers. I wish I knew who said that first because I would like to give them credit. They will be writing books for years on how smart a campaign that Mitt has run. He left all of them fight in SC while leaving his ads running. He went to Nevada and collected a win and a bunch of delegates. The rest squabbled in SC, and now they are all broke,and angry with each other. He doesn’t get blamed for knocking off Fred, or sapping votes from Huck. Neither Fred’s supporters or Huck’s will vote for McCain or for one another, that leaves them with Mitt or Hillary.
Mitt knows where to fight and where to hold his fire. When he needed to fight in Michigan, he beat McCain by nine points in an open primary. He has staked out Florida for a big fight, it is a closed primary and Rudy is fading, McCain is not liked by real conservatives because he is an open borders guy.
True. But FL still has a large share simply because it's a state without an income tax. First thing folks usually do is switch their home of record to a state without an income tax so they can quit paying it in their old state. Texas is one of the few others that doesn't have one. First chance I got I switched from Maryland to Texas so I could go tell MD to pound sand.
Even so, retirees live near bases for support and I'm quite sure that there are thousands more here than in SC.
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