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Lowry: For Republican McCain, the center did not hold
The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 2008-11-07 | Rich Lowry

Posted on 11/07/2008 6:28:12 PM PST by rabscuttle385

Republicans are consoling themselves by telling anyone who will listen that we still live in a "center-right country." They're right. That's the good news. The bad news is that they've lost the center.

According to exit polls, Barack Obama won moderates by a whopping 21 points on Tuesday, 60-39 percent. That more than doubled John Kerry's nine-point margin over George W. Bush among moderates in 2004.

The ideological composition of the electorate was remarkably unchanged from 2004. The percentage of self-identified conservatives and moderates -- the center-right -- held steady. Conservatives were 34 percent of voters and moderates 44 percent, with liberals the smallest slice of the electorate at 22 percent. John McCain underperformed Bush by six points among conservatives, but getting trounced in the country's great middle doomed him.

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


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona; US: Utah
KEYWORDS: 2008; election; electionpresident; elections; epicfail; failure; issues; lowry; mccain; mccainsfailure; palin; rinopurge
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Ouch.
1 posted on 11/07/2008 6:28:12 PM PST by rabscuttle385
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To: rabscuttle385

I think it was McCain’s lack of attacks against clear targets and the mass media being in the tank for Obama.


2 posted on 11/07/2008 6:30:46 PM PST by MtnClimber (O'bomber: fake messiah, fake religion, fake hope! I did not vote for THAT ONE!)
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To: rabscuttle385

Sounds true though, I am amazed at the people who pulled the lever for this empty suit, most because they were fed up with Bush.


3 posted on 11/07/2008 6:31:12 PM PST by ohiogrammy (12)
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To: rabscuttle385
Always said you need the moderates to win. McCain tried to run to the right and cozy up to the people he has always been least comfortable with. SoCons.

Turned the middle off big time.

4 posted on 11/07/2008 6:32:24 PM PST by joesbucks
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To: rabscuttle385
According to exit polls, Barack Obama won moderates by a whopping 21 points on Tuesday, 60-39 percent. That more than doubled John Kerry's nine-point margin over George W. Bush among moderates in 2004.

It sure was a good thing that we nominated a so-called 'moderate', INSTEAD OF A CONSERVATIVE,,,

because as so many said, even here, a moderate would be able to attract moderates and independents. /BPS (biggest possible sarcasm)

5 posted on 11/07/2008 6:33:36 PM PST by stockstrader (At least Biden has tried to warn us of the dangers of an inexperienced and unqualified ticket)
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To: rabscuttle385

I Don’t trust Polls, they are inherently skewed.

Some people that can’t speak a lick of english or are underage may avoid them. Dead people Can’t respond, neither can Cats, dogs, and inanimate objects.

I know we were robbed of some swing states. The fix was in from the start.

Oh, and just in case people that belive the exit polls think I’m paranoid. Sometimes paranoid people are right, even if by accident.


6 posted on 11/07/2008 6:38:11 PM PST by ChetNavVet (Build It, and they won't come!)
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To: rabscuttle385
Republicans are consoling themselves by telling anyone who will listen that we still live in a "center-right country." They're right. That's the good news. The bad news is that they've lost the center.

No... McCain lost the center. In fact, he lost votes from the center, the right, independents, old, young... he just flat out lost across the board. Nominating one of the most despised Republicans as the presidential candidate was extraordinarily stupid. The election was lost the day McCain got the nomination, IMO.

7 posted on 11/07/2008 6:38:27 PM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: stockstrader

Doesn’t sound like the PUMAs turned out in the numbers they assured us they would either.


8 posted on 11/07/2008 6:39:12 PM PST by cripplecreek (The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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To: rabscuttle385

McCain failed to attract moderates because he ran a crappy campaign and the financial crisis.

He was just too old to run. His mind was set in old dogmas and unresponsive. Just look at the debates. He attacks Obama, Obama lies to deflect. McCain doesn’t point out the lie. Rinse, wash, repeat. The lack of responsiveness on the campaign trail was the same.

He should’ve realized he had lost and campaigned in minnesota and other states to help downticket republicans. Instead, he idiotically tried to think he could still win without money and a message that yo-yo’ed around to whatever suited his old, addled mind.

I supported the guy, but his ability to run an organization was probably the worse of any candidate since Jimmy Carter.


9 posted on 11/07/2008 6:40:08 PM PST by DiogenesLaertius
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To: ohiogrammy

Bush never had a group out there responding to the nonsense. He basically thought they could not damage him, and maybe he will emerge as a great president with history (although I have my doubts), but his lack of response ruined the party. You cannot have a standard bearer at 30% approval rating. Of course, he could have vetoed a few things and pardoned some border agents that could have improved his image, but no...he signed pretty much everything they put in front of him and left the agents to rot.


10 posted on 11/07/2008 6:40:27 PM PST by Goreknowshowtocheat
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To: calcowgirl
Nominating one of the most despised Republicans...

Who's the most despised? Lindsey Graham? LOL.

11 posted on 11/07/2008 6:41:21 PM PST by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" --Patrick Henry)
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To: stockstrader

John McCain was never liked by the masses.....he is not a conservative and has done everything to push thorns under our fingernails for the past 20 years.

Good riddance Johnny.........you suck.

By the way john.....you never gave us anything to hold onto.


12 posted on 11/07/2008 6:41:47 PM PST by Michigan Bowhunter (Democrat socialist liberal scumbags.....how did we let this happen!)
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To: rabscuttle385

Guess what? We conservatives are glad to get rid of the “center.”

I want people standing next to me that I can trust with a gun. Everyone else can take a hike.


13 posted on 11/07/2008 6:42:29 PM PST by BuckeyeTexan
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To: rabscuttle385
Somebody forgot to remind the idiot McCain: Driving down the road, all you find in the "center" is roadkill. Now he's history because he didn't have the sense to surround himself with competent help.
14 posted on 11/07/2008 6:43:54 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: rabscuttle385
Somebody forgot to remind the idiot McCain: Driving down the road, all you find in the "center" is roadkill. Now he's history because he didn't have the sense to surround himself with competent help.
16 posted on 11/07/2008 6:44:06 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: rabscuttle385
"Who's the most despised?"

The fact that Tom DeLay is NOT the most despised says much about what is wrong with the Republican Party.

17 posted on 11/07/2008 6:44:13 PM PST by who_would_fardels_bear (The cosmos is about the smallest hole a man can stick his head in. - Chesterton)
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To: DiogenesLaertius

He lost because he is not a member of an opposition party, with the exception of the Iraq war.


18 posted on 11/07/2008 6:44:26 PM PST by Globalist Goon ("Head down over a saddle.")
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To: calcowgirl

“The election was lost the day McCain got the nomination, IMO.”

I remember saying something along those lines on that horrible day.


19 posted on 11/07/2008 6:44:26 PM PST by Grunthor (Palin/Jindal 2012!)
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Comment #20 Removed by Moderator


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