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McCain's doves
LA Times ^ | February 1, 2008 | Matt Welch

Posted on 02/01/2008 6:18:57 PM PST by neverdem

He's a hawk on the war, yet independent-minded voters who are sick of Iraq are voting for him anyway.

John McCain will likely go down in history as the first GOP presidential nominee who vaulted to the front of the pack despite failing to win a plurality among self-identified Republicans in any of the early state primaries.

According to Florida exit polls, the Arizona senator tied Mitt Romney among voters who described themselves as Republican but pulled away to victory with a nearly 2-1 advantage among independents. That formula -- battle to a draw for Republicans, stomp all comers among independents -- powered McCain's wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina and has made him the front-runner heading into Super Tuesday.

It's no mystery why independents gravitate toward McCain. He's a country-first, party-second kind of guy who speaks bluntly and delights in poking fellow Republicans in the eye on issues such as campaign finance reform and global warming.

But there's a bizarre disconnect in the warm embrace between McCain and the electorate's mavericks. They hate the Iraq war, while he's willing to fight it for another century. The most pro-war presidential candidate in a decade is winning the 2008 GOP nomination thanks to the antiwar vote.

A full 66% of independents think that the U.S. should completely withdraw from Iraq no later than 12 months from now, according to a Jan. 18-22 L.A. Times/Bloomberg poll. McCain, meanwhile, said last month that the U.S. might stay in Baghdad for another 100 years. He continually expresses bafflement at the idea that that might not be such a good thing. "It's not the point! It's not the point!" he snarled at reporters recently. "How long are we going to be in Korea?"

And yet he dominated the antiwar vote in New Hampshire, with...

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: independent; iraq; mccain; rino
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This is bizarre, and one of the best arguments for primary elections closed to anyone not registered in the party. One of the few things that I agree with McCain about, that we can't afford a repeat of Vietnam with our effort in Iraq, and these independents who are voting for McCain want to walk away from Iraq regardless of consequences.

The GOP needs a brokered convention in 2008

Arise, Ye Favorite Sons

1 posted on 02/01/2008 6:18:58 PM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem

McCain’s indies like McCain himself are sheep who crave approval by the enemedia. Not great leadership material now or ever.


2 posted on 02/01/2008 6:29:40 PM PST by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: devolve; ntnychik; PhilDragoo; dixiechick2000; All; neverdem
 

 

3 posted on 02/01/2008 6:51:47 PM PST by potlatch ("Kindness is more important than wisdom, the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom" - Rubin)
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To: neverdem

OK...I’ve seen this new McLame TV spot several times, this evening, and I’m more appalled each time it airs. The announcer starts with “As a POW, John McCain was inspired by Ronald Reagan.”

Now, I have a reasonable grasp of the English language. And, I’m no stranger to history, and a US Army vet of the same era as McLame’s POW years.

McLame was a POW from late 1967 to 1973, and was freed as a result of the Paris peace accords.
In 1967, Reagan was in the first year of his California governorship. He didn’t announce a presidential campaign until August of 1968, which didn’t go anywhere. He won another term as Governor of California in 1970.

Now, either the Hanoi Hilton had some really good news feeds, or this whole “inspired by RR” stuff doesn’t make any sense at all.

Either way, McLame is an impossible stretch for many of us out here among the great unwashed. IMO, he ought to be running on the DhimmiRat ticket.


4 posted on 02/01/2008 6:57:49 PM PST by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion...)
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To: potlatch

.

Super graphic potlatch!


5 posted on 02/01/2008 6:59:29 PM PST by devolve (---- - Hey Boone! - My bonus check is late again! -)
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To: devolve

Thank you again. I spent days on it.


6 posted on 02/01/2008 7:00:46 PM PST by potlatch ("Kindness is more important than wisdom, the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom" - Rubin)
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To: potlatch

.

Yes - I can see it took lots of carful time and effort

I like the change of the running order


7 posted on 02/01/2008 7:04:17 PM PST by devolve (---- - Hey Boone! - My bonus check is late again! -)
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To: devolve

I wanted to have them running across the frames, coming on and off in different order, passing each other. It would have been wonderful.

But that one is already 556KB. Maybe the largest I ever posted.


8 posted on 02/01/2008 7:08:11 PM PST by potlatch ("Kindness is more important than wisdom, the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom" - Rubin)
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To: PubliusMM

I heard McCain on TV the other day say something about learning about Ronald Reagan while a POW from the messages the prisoners would communicate to each other (some of the ones shot down later might have heard more about Governor Reagan). I’d give him the benefit of the doubt on that one.


9 posted on 02/01/2008 7:14:26 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: potlatch

(snicker) good job!


10 posted on 02/01/2008 7:16:34 PM PST by tioga (Beware: conservative with back to the wall. Proceed with extreme caution.)
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To: neverdem

11 posted on 02/01/2008 7:21:40 PM PST by Iron Munro (Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.)
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To: devolve; tioga

Thank you tioga.


12 posted on 02/01/2008 7:22:48 PM PST by potlatch ("Kindness is more important than wisdom, the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom" - Rubin)
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To: Verginius Rufus

Thanks for the answer, but I’m not inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt on anything at this point.
He’s oozin’ up to the same slimy level as JFKerry in the last go round. “Hi, I’m John McCain. I was in Vietnam and now it’s my turn to be President.” Bull.

His stand on illegal immigration, alone, is bad enough. But, CFR and a few others (assault weapons ban, etc.) make it clear that this guy is a DhimmiRat in RINO clothing, IMO.

Sadly, his nomination will likely drive a stake into the heart of the GOP, and the truly conservative folks out here will have to find a new home.


13 posted on 02/01/2008 7:34:12 PM PST by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion...)
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To: potlatch

.

Some ,gifs get huge fat as you work on a new idea

It can be frustrating at times

It came out great!


14 posted on 02/01/2008 7:39:32 PM PST by devolve (---- - Hey Boone! - My bonus check is late again! -)
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To: devolve

Thank you, but not as great as it could be, lol. Wish I could do all I envision.


15 posted on 02/01/2008 7:42:28 PM PST by potlatch ("Kindness is more important than wisdom, the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom" - Rubin)
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To: potlatch

.

You do better .gifs than the pros in MSM


16 posted on 02/01/2008 7:45:30 PM PST by devolve (---- - Hey Boone! - My bonus check is late again! -)
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To: PubliusMM

The Republican convention in 1968 went from August 5 to 8. Reagan had the third-highest number of delegates, 182, after Nixon and Rockefeller. I don’t remember when Reagan first declared his candidacy but it must have been during the spring, while the primaries were being held, not in August at or after the convention.


17 posted on 02/01/2008 7:50:21 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Verginius Rufus

Actually, a draft Reagan plan was kicked off in May, but RR didn’t ‘announce’ until August, at the convention in FL. This comes from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reagan/timeline/index_2.html


18 posted on 02/01/2008 7:56:33 PM PST by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion...)
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To: PubliusMM
I don't know when he officially entered the race, but I remember people talking in the spring about whether Rockefeller and Reagan could stop Nixon. The problem, of course, was that neither Rockefeller nor Reagan had any reason to support the other man.

Notice the entry from the previous October about Reagan and the anti-war protestors...that's the kind of news that the POWs would have shared with each other.

19 posted on 02/01/2008 8:26:42 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: potlatch

I love that look on McCain’s face. Great work!


20 posted on 02/01/2008 8:30:25 PM PST by littlehouse36 (TAX the hand that feeds you.)
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