Posted on 02/24/2008 4:41:29 AM PST by Alas Babylon!
The Talk Shows
Sunday, February 24th, 2008
Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows:
FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): McCain campaign manager Rick Davis; Govs. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Jon Corzine, D-N.J., and Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn.
MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Ralph Nader, consumer advocate and former presidential candidate.
FACE THE NATION (CBS): THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.
LATE EDITION (CNN) : Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R); National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell; Robert Bennett, attorney for McCain; Govs. Ed Rendell, D-Pa., Kathleen Sebelius, D-Kan., and Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn.; Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.
Thanks. My goof up. I guess you are being bombarded with TV and radio commercials by the two dims too.
IMHO, Corzine just handed the GOP a major weapon.
Explaining how the Dems plan to “pay for” all their goodies,
he cited the money spent in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The GOP should take that and talk about how Dems’ first target is ALWAYS military and national security spending. They cut the military under Clinton under false pretensions of a “peace dividend”. They gutted the CIA and it has never recovered. They treat the State Dept like it the Dept of Tea Parties.
Should be an easy one to hit them with.
I think you are right on that Rod; if Bloomberg does jump in, I see him taking away more dems than pubbies...but I doubt he will jump into the race.
I should have said “hobbled” the CIA (Church Committee). I don’t know if they cut the intelligence budgets.
LOL; FNS just played the “Shame on You Barak Obama”...”Meet me in Ohio” tape. I had not seen the whole thing before; I’m looking forward to the upcoming fight; the debate this week should be fun to watch...need big bag of popcorn.
I realize that this is an echo chamber, but underestimating Obama's appeal and message is the same mistake Hillary has made on her way to her "coronation" as the Dem nominee.
McCain is a weak, flawed candidate who only received 31% of the primary vote prior to the Potomac primaries. The Rep base is far from being energized and many Reps will either stay home or not vote for the top spot. An Obama candidacy will not energize the Rep base like Hillary would.
I followed the McCain campaign four days each in FL and SC attending almost all of his events. His audience is composed mostly of the old and veterans. His campaign style and oratory are old and boring. He is visibly an old man who is depending upon his resume to win over voters. I don't see that working in the general election.
McCain is the Republican Party maverick. Bills like McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, and McCain-Lieberman don't sell well within the party. "Since 1964, Republicans have won 7 of 10 presidential elections. They lost in 1976, 1992 and 1996. Each time, the party was saddled with a standard-bearer – Ford, Bush ’41, Dole – that a large part of the base couldn’t stand. "
Obama is young and energetic. He will be appealing to an energized base that is showing up in the primaries by two to three to one compared to the Reps. Turnout was the key to the Dems retaking Congress in 2006 and they will have even larger turnouts in November. What are the issues?
The Iraq War: More than 60% of the Anmerican people believe it was a costly mistake. They want us out. Although we conservatives support McCain's position on the war, it is actually a negative for him in attracting independent and Dem voters. His statement that we may have to stay there a 100 years will be used against him over and over. Obama will have a net gain on this issue.
Illegal immigration: McCain and Obama have essentially the same position on the issue. They voted for both amnesty bills, S 2611 and McCain-Kennedy, i.e., conmprehensive immigration reform. This could have been a wedge issue for the Reps if they had nominated the right candidate.
Health care: With the growing number of uninsured, the rising cost of health care, and Medicare about to go bust in a decade, there will be a confluence of forces pushing for national health care, including US businesses, which want to get out of providing health care. The fact that McCain voted against the Medicare Prescription Drug program may endear him to conservatives, but it will not play well to AARP members. Obama's "plan" will be viewed more favorably by more Americans than McCain's health service accounts.
The economy: More than likely, we will still be in a downturn or just emerging from one by November. The Reps will get blamed no matter what happens, which will help Obama.
Global Warming: Both candidates essentiall agree on the issue. I can see both of them proudly saying that they voted aganst drilling in ANWAR and favor a cap and trade system in carbon credits. This may play well among Dems and some independents, but most of the Rep base will be turned off, which won't help McCain. And it will hurt Rep candidates running on the ticket with McCain who will have to run against many of McCain's positions.
Bush factor: With approval ratings in the low 30s, Reps will suffer at the polls. McCain will have to run not only against Obama but also Bush, which will further depress the base. Add to that the fact that about 30 Rep Congressmen are retiring this year, and you get the feeling that the Dems are going to ride a tidal wave into the WH.
The uncorruptible John McCain: Some of the stories are starting to come out concerning McCain's relationships with lobbyists. There will be a steady drip, drip, drip, leading up to November and charges that McCain is not as squeaky clean as he likes to pretend. The Keating Five scandal will be brought up again. Rick Renzi's current legal difficulties will add to it. And his association with folks like Juan Hernandez will drive voters away from him.
In sum, we are going to see a reprise of 1996 with the old, war hero, Washington-establishment pol going against the young, hip, energetic young man who represents the future and change against the past and the status quo. It ain't going to be pretty.
At least you'd think the witch could "help the little guy." LOL..
If you ever want to watch a liberal tie themselves into knots ask them to explain why communism doesn’t work as an economic system.
it looks like only Fox with Davis is going to stir the pot on the NYT fiasco, and nobody from Obama’s camp has been pressured into defending “proud” or the lies about the army captain. It should be a good week for the Republican counter-offensive, but the crickets chirping is all that will be heard in the land.
What these pathetic Republican regulars want is to bait people like Limbaugh or Hannity or Coulter into going down into the schoolyard and doing their fighting FOR them. I hope they don’t.
The best example ever is probably JFK picking LBJ.
That book is next on my to read list.
Agreed. I envision Atty General more than VP but McCain surprises me too often to predict.
My own governor, Mitch Daniels (Indiana) came out way last year supporting him. I think Daniels likes McCain because of his reputation as a frugal spender.
Yeah, you’re probably right. They have neutralized the communism label for the most part. I too plan on getting this book shortly.
Thanks Laverne! I meant to comment earlier. We are still an hour and fifteen minutes away from it here.
It’s the one issue the GOP still has the edge over the Dems. Events will determine how big of a factor it’ll be in the race.
I just don’t see McCain winning in November. Not unless OBL/al-Qaeda commit a major terrorist action or release a tape just prior to the election. And that is doubtful, as they did in 04 and Kerry lost.
Obama is bringing in new voters, young voters. And his message of ‘change’ is resonating with those young, new voters.
McCain represents OLD. Old Washington, status quo, more of the same. And McCain has already shot himself in the foot. His frequently repeated debate position that “Washington is broken” doesn’t bode well, because, McCain was in Washington about 25 years — he helped break it, and he has done little to fix it. Add to that McCain’s admission that he knows little about economics.
The fact is, we’re stuck with a pathetic candidate and need to brace ourselves for a pitched battle with an Obama administration and the DIRE NEED to identify ONE conservative candidate to get behind for 2012.
Must reads on Obama, scroll down on second one. Pass it on.
http://righttruth.typepad.com/right_truth/2008/02/sunday-reading.html
http://righttruth.typepad.com/right_truth/2008/02/america-is-not.html
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.