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The GOP needs a brokered convention in 2008
vanity | January 22, 2008 | neverdem

Posted on 01/22/2008 8:38:59 PM PST by neverdem

Free Republic Opinion Poll: (1/22) With FRed dropping out, who do you now support for the Republican nomination?

I just lost my reason for changing my registration from Conservative to the GOP in New York. My pick in that poll was none of the above. Slightly more than half on this forum prefers Romney as I write this.

I don't know why Fred didn't get more support, but when he got a little more than half of the support of Mike Huckabee in the South Carolina, that told Fred something. Huckabee was his main rival for the social conservative vote. I don't know what those folks in South Carolina were thinking when they voted for Huckabee, but a candidate who proposes to ban tobacco smoking and who criticizes the present administration for being too bellicose is not credible, IMHO, not to mention his otherwise populist politics.

When it comes to the general election, I'll most likely support the GOP's nominee, but if it is Romney, I won't be surprised if a lot of the "base" stays home. Some will stay home because of his religion. That's probably the worst reason not to vote for him, IMHO. Debra J. Saunders wrote today in the San Francisco Chronicle: "But don't tell me Romney is the true conservative in the race. His record reveals a solid conservative - when it has been in his interest to be one." Suffice it to say, the author barely starts to criticize Romney for all of the changes in his political positions over various social issues over the years. Should Romney win the nomination and in November, I expect as many disappointments as the current occupant of the White House.

I don't have to mention the other RINOs that are left in more ways than one. How did we get to this point where we are left with such a bunch of dismal RINOs? I don't know. The drive by media didn't help. But that is beside the point. The point is what do we do now. I say vote in the remaining primaries in a way so that we get a brokered convention. Considering what we are left with now, how could we do any worse?

Some might fear a brokered convention. I fear muddling along with any of these RINOs. David Freddoso wrote last month in National Review Online: "A brokered convention would allow for an airing of grievances for a party that has to decide its direction after a major loss." November 2006 was such a loss. Conservatives and small 'l' libertarians have just had another loss in this GOP primary season. A brokered convention could result in having a nominee we want to vote for, as opposed to voting against whoever the donkey is, after they have a nasty primary battle, or Bloomberg who's shaping up as the serious third party nominee. The left are eating their own. Fierce fighting over the minority vote may be the real surprise of the '08 Democratic race, with many blacks gravitating to Sen. Barack Obama and Hispanics to Sen. Hillary Clinton.

The new poll found 77 percent of the adults surveyed opposed making driver's licenses available to illegal aliens, while just 16 percent supported the idea.

Licenses fared poorly across party lines, including near-blanket opposition among self-identified Republicans, at 88 percent. Among independents and Democrats, it was still overwhelmingly unpopular, drawing 75 percent and 68 percent opposition, respectively.

A brokered convention could take advantage of another fracture in the donkeys and appeal to a great many folks sick of endless illegal immigration while our entitlement and social programs are undermining our finances. Another third party effort from the right, e.g. Constitution Party, would be courting disaster even if Bloomberg draws votes only from the left and center, IMHO.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008election; 2008rncconvention; election2008; gop2008
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Pardon my rant, but I'm serious.
1 posted on 01/22/2008 8:39:01 PM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem

Well I think we need to wait and see if someone has enough delegates after all the state elections first. First one to 1078 will be the nominee. Can’t really change the rules after they are made. If a person does not have enough delegates then a convention is the way to go.


2 posted on 01/22/2008 8:40:29 PM PST by napscoordinator
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To: neverdem

BTTT for later.


3 posted on 01/22/2008 8:42:40 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: napscoordinator

Vote in the primaries so that none of them have the required number. These guys are for the birds.


4 posted on 01/22/2008 8:42:45 PM PST by neverdem (I have to hope for a brokered GOP Convention. It can't get any worse.)
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To: neverdem
Ok I hear what you are saying, but my problem is, (stupidity?) I don’t know how a brokered convention works.
5 posted on 01/22/2008 8:44:58 PM PST by gidget7 (Duncan Hunter-Valley Forge Republican! GoHunter.08)
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To: neverdem

Well, if you are social conservative, why would you vote for any of the three frontrunners?

It’s like the GOP has decided they can safely diss their most motivated and cohesive voting bloc....and it’s going to come back and bite them.


6 posted on 01/22/2008 8:45:31 PM PST by Dreagon
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To: neverdem

Wasted rant.

There will NOT be a brokered convention. No point pining for it, as it would end up just getting Hillary elected anyway. We are better off without it.

But it won’t happen. Here’s why.

Florida is winner take all. McCain is in the lead, Romney is #2. If Romney wins, he will have a clear majority of delegates so far and will have the momentum to take many states including California, and will have the money to effectively be the only one funding a candidacy through the latter primaries. With no competition, he can easily rack up the needed wins.

If McCain wins, he wont have a majority of delegates immediately, but will sweep the board on Feb 5th and get enough to be on the way to a majority.

Either Mitt Romney or John McCain will pick up most of the delegates by March and will be the nominee.

Oh, and Huck has zero chance and Rudy has zero chance. They are fading in polls as we speak and as people recognize that this is a two man race soon to be a 1 man race.

Pick the better of those two and stand by your man. One of them will be the nominee.

End of story.


7 posted on 01/22/2008 8:46:47 PM PST by WOSG (Proamnesty-antiBushtaxcuts-proCO2caps-CFR-RINO John McCain delenda est!)
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To: neverdem
I don't know why Fred didn't get more support ...

"If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?"

Thompson exuded diffidence.

8 posted on 01/22/2008 8:47:04 PM PST by dr_lew
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To: Dreagon
Yes it is, and I believe they (the RNC, GOP) are ignoring us out of resentment over our stopping the illegal amnesty bill. I won’t soon forget what they called us after that.
9 posted on 01/22/2008 8:47:42 PM PST by gidget7 (Duncan Hunter-Valley Forge Republican! GoHunter.08)
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To: neverdem

Where is the updated list of delegates each candidate has so far? I can’t find the link I had for it....thanks in advance


10 posted on 01/22/2008 8:48:29 PM PST by GOP_Raider (Fred couldn't you have waited until the day after my birthday to drop out?)
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To: neverdem
but if it is Romney, I won't be surprised if a lot of the "base" stays home.

Romney will be fine, despite the hysterics of some blinded Romney-haters on FR.

He has more conservative support in the media, on TV, talk radio, and in the Republican base than anyone else.

He is already leading the popular vote, the delegate vote, and the number of state wins.

So, he made a few dumb statements two decades ago which have been twisted and distorted by hysterical romney-haters. Big Deal.

Just think if all conservatives demanded purity from birth till today --- the conservative movement would be dead in the water because NO ONE is 100% acceptable to everyone else.

Romney will attract women, minorities, the intelligent, whites, blacks, Hispanics, and everyone else -- especially once people get a whiff of Hillary or Bomb-o Brack-a.

11 posted on 01/22/2008 8:48:37 PM PST by Edit35
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To: neverdem

No need to apologize. You made good points.

However, I fear a brokered convention for one reason. A losing candidate (or their supporters) will likely go public, claiming that the nomination was finagled (sp?) away from them via unseemly methods.

The MSM will jump on that story like white on rice or stink on...well, you know what I mean. I see them trying to portray our nominee as someone who won via underhanded methods which therefore taints them from the start.

Combine that with the possibility of masses of anti-war (and anti-GOP) protestors outside possibly fighting with the police and/or engaging in civil disobedience - and it’ll be like Chicago 1968 all over again.


12 posted on 01/22/2008 8:48:39 PM PST by MplsSteve
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To: neverdem

I have been hoping for a brokered convention for nearly a month now. Best option the GOP has right now...JFK


13 posted on 01/22/2008 8:49:24 PM PST by BADROTOFINGER (Life sucks. Get a helmet.)
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To: gidget7
I don’t know how a brokered convention works.

A brokered convention is where a small group of zealots demands Duncan Hunter be appointed the Republican nominee.

Then the party does down to devastating defeat.

/sarc

14 posted on 01/22/2008 8:51:08 PM PST by Edit35
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To: Rock&RollRepublican

“So, he made a few dumb statements two decades ago which have been twisted and distorted by hysterical romney-haters. Big Deal.”

No, he appointed some dumb liberal judges while he was governer. His history with judicial appointments does not bode well for somebody who is supposed to pick the next SCOTUS seat to become vacant. And social conservatives are all about the judges....


15 posted on 01/22/2008 8:51:31 PM PST by Dreagon
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To: Dreagon

well that wonderful bloc kicked themselves in the foot by not going for Fred. He wasn’t super christian enough for them so now the best they can hope for is a mormon. That’s what happens.


16 posted on 01/22/2008 8:51:45 PM PST by ari-freedom (The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government)
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To: neverdem

Huckabee will be gone after Florida. Giuliani will soon follow (thank God!). Leaves McCain and Romney. Looks like Romney will be picking up the majority of the support from the dropped out conservatives Tancredo, Hunter and Thompson, but surprisingly, McCain is hanging in there. Question will be, which way will Huckabee’s Evangelicals break?


17 posted on 01/22/2008 8:52:34 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Our God-given unalienable rights are not open to debate, negotiation or compromise!)
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To: WOSG
well thats not necessarily true , no one knows what will or can happen,its easy to go with the odds,but sometimes the odds change,there could be two brokered conventions,one independent,one green to run,who knows how a polarized society will vote ,too many variables to just act like its cut and dried
18 posted on 01/22/2008 8:56:56 PM PST by coalman (type to slow to be relevant,but I try)
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To: WOSG

After all of what you have said is done, I still truly don’t see how the final GOP Presidential candidate succeeds in winning on November 4.


19 posted on 01/22/2008 8:56:59 PM PST by johnthebaptistmoore
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To: ari-freedom

If Thompson wanted our votes he could have at least pretended to like us. He didn’t bother to go to the value voters debate - which is what got Huckabee’s momentum going btw - he came out against the Human Life Amendment, he blew off Dr. Dobson, and he made a big deal about not going to church. So, yeah, he ran away from us as hard as he could and we figured that if he is running from us during the primary there is no way we could trust him to be a strong social conservative while in office.


20 posted on 01/22/2008 9:01:51 PM PST by dschapin
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