Posted on 01/20/2008 2:27:30 AM PST by counterpunch
COLUMBIA, S.C.- John McCain was the winner of Saturday's South Carolina primary. Mike Huckabee came in second. Fred Thompson came in third, followed closely by Mitt Romney.
This is a victory that eluded McCain in 2000, and if history is a guide, may have set him on course to become the GOP presidential nominee. No Republican since 1980 has won the party's nod without a win in the first-in-the-South primary.
Saturday's primary loss was clearly a big disappointment for Fred Thompson, but you never would have picked up on that when you heard him speak to his supporters.
"Well, it may be a little early to declare victory, I am not sure," Thompson joked. "We told our folks to vote late, so they'll be trickling in I am sure."
So a lot of folks are now weighing in on Fred Thompson's political future. One political expert from Tennessee weighs in.
"I think he is through if he doesn't do well here, I think he has said so. Even a second place finish won't do," said Jackson Baker, Memphis Flyer.
"This is a gun show he just attended, if he can't get votes from this crowd, in this state which is probably the most conservative state in the union probably, then his message just probably won't play anywhere else," said Baker.
Thompson spent more time campaigning in South Carolina than anyone else. An army of Tennessee Volunteers also came through. They sent out a scripted message to undecided voters.
In South Carolina, apparently, Thompson's message did not catch on. Fred Thompson, however, was far from making any sort of statement about bowing out of the presidential race. Thompson returned home to Virginia Saturday night. His campaign most likely is regrouping, and gearing up for another big fight in the Florida Primary.
I’m pro-business and therefore not a supply sider. And two reasons for this.
1) Putting Tax-cuts and Deficit spending together and fed complacency is like giving a High School Athlete a combination of steroids and cocaine - the short term performance will be great, but the crash is going to be awful. The Government flooded too much money into the financial market causing mini-bubbles from stocks to housing to bonds to sub-prime.
2) Deficit spending makes government services look cheap, and when somethings cheap you just want to start buying more of it. “Medicaid “reform” - sure what the heck, I’m not paying for it...” “Farm Subsidies - sure what the heck, I’m not paying for it...” “Bridge to nowhere - sure what the heck, I’m not paying for it...”
But the second we say
You want “Medicaid Reform” that’s going to cost you $200 extra a year.
You want “Farm Subsidies” that’s going to be an extra $250 per year.
You want “Bridge to nowhere” that’s an extra $50 bucks per year?
And suddenly the taxpayer is going to say? “Oh heck no!” And spending will go down.
“No, what happened is the media started pushing Huckabee, and once that happened, Fred’s numbers started dropping and Huckster’s started rising. I think that definitely hurt Fred.”
Yes. Shameful that Huck got all that attention, when he’s clearly a) too liberal b) not too bright and c) unelectable. Fred Thompson outshines him in every way except he doesn’t wrap himself in the Bible.
I’d be very curious to know what Huck’s SAT scores were... ;-)
While McCain might get the independent votes, he will lose the core of the GOP conservative base. These will offset, and he will get creamed. Same goes for Rudy. Huckabee will lose the fiscal conservatives and conservatives with any amount of real intelligence, which after viewing these first few primaries one might wonder how big a percentage that really is. But for argument sake, let's assume it is significant. That leaves us with Romney, who has argued during this presidential race all the right positions. But many conclude he is insincere or at least not conservative in his gut.
Without Thompson, this is looking pretty grim.
“Are those swing and indies enough to make up for the the conservatives that will sit home in DROVES and watch your party go down in flames?”
Whatever.
Since they don’t know how to get along with others, who needs ‘em?
Politics has always been about compromise.... not intolerance.
They are as bad the far left.
“Since they don’t know how to get along with others, who needs ‘em?”
Funny. I bet people just like yourself asked the same question around September/October 2006.
Doubtful...I suspect that this week's polling data will show all of Rudy's rino supporters fleeing to the McPain camp.
McCain needed South Carolina to emerge as the front runner..Thompson delivered it to him...Thompson spent the last week excoriating Huckabee, who was McCain's only threat in South Carolina....Are you so naive that you think Thompson does not have a polling staff... he knew exactly where he would land, who didn't?
Thompson is establishment....the republican establishment will not have Huckabee....because..by golly ...if we have to choose between moderate Christian and a moderate maverick...the establishment is going for the maverick....
The social conservatives have been the trained dogs of the republican party...we get a bone now and then to keep us under the table. But there is no jumpping up and sitting at the table.....thats where the money and the power sit.
You’re right. You guys are always right. Thanks for correcting me.
Obama will never be POTUS....too many closet racists in the DemoSocialistLyingliberal Party.
Don’t be fooled by this crap.
Nothing is as it was. The world has changed, our Nation has changed.
Even the demographics of the South has changed dramatically. Did the 2000 Census not teach us anything? Did the last mid-terms not teach us anything?
Left of center Republicans, democraps, and in betweeners have flooded the South. Did’nt anyone notice the accents of the people interviewed by the MSM? Most weren’t Southerners.
Traditional wisdom and a $1.25 will get you a glass of sweet tea at the Waffle House, but it won’t give you reliable insight into the South, or this political race.
Hanging tough for FRed!
I just don't think Huckleberry is an issue. He will not get enough delegates. There are too many states where his travelin' salvation show just won't fly.
Don't know about Romney. He seems to spend so much and campaign so long and get so little in return.
McCain could be a danger, but there is no need to cede anything to him until states where Republicans choose the Republican candidate are heard from.
I'm am very disappointed with FDT showing in SC, but I by no means think his candidacy is dead.
The snake handler muddied the waters in SC but he can't hang on.
FDT supporters need to hang in at least through 02/05. What's wrong with us if we just throw him under the bus now?
This primary schedule is an abomination that lends itself to actual media interference with the process by basically allowing them to be the voice of the campaign because it's not possible for candidates to spend any real time in so many places in such a compressed time frame. People need to hear from the candidates and know their positions in a time frame which is in proximity to the time of the elections.
Perhaps FDT won't prevail but I will not abandon him so early in this blighted process. The stakes are too high.
Neither McCain nor Romney can beat Clinton. She will be the nominee. Obama is just a media sideshow to create imagined conflict.
For all the talk about McCain bringing independents, he will not get the support of the Republican base. He's another Bob Dole, only less honorable.
Good chance Thompson can't beat Clinton either, given what appears to be his ineffective campaign style, so far. But there is a chance he ill rise to the occasion. He is an honorable man and I would rather fight and lose by his side than embrace the mediocrity or outright dishonor of the other options.
Seems almost a waste to invest limited time and resources there unless he's already established a viable apparatus there.
The Thompson naysayers flocking to this thread are actually in the minority here.
At this time, according to the FR poll, over 60% of the 1700+ respondents, including members and nonmembers, are either staying with Thompson or moving TO Thompson.
This man has strong, loyal conservative support. The others only have a faction to try to ride and a ceiling beyond that because of baggage and high negatives. In the end, Fred will be the last man standing if we can keep him in the race.
They did what they could to wan the morons about McCain and Brother love. But to no avail.
“Don’t know about Romney. He seems to spend so much and campaign so long and get so little in return.”
Huh? He has the most delegates, by a far margin. He want from an unknown to a three-time winner and current leader.
You Fred guys make me laugh. Do you think all it takes is get out of bed make a few nice speeches and all the sudden your a president.
To win, it takes years of preparation, planning and organization. Even McCain knows that. He has been working for years to get this nomination. The same with all the others that are contenders. You make light of Rudy, Mitt, and Huck but they have done all the things that they needed to do.
As far as character goes, I don’t know much about Fred but I think anyone his age that is fathering children, especially after having cancer is a selfish old fart and irresponsible to boot.
You spend a lot of time saying bad things about Romney, a man that has never enriched himself through his connection with government, has been a faithful husband and from all reports a remarkable father, and outstanding businessman and a problem solver. He is vigorous, well organized and smart.
Has he changed his mind or made statements at don’t fit on a bumper sticker, sure. He has competed in every contest so far and done well every time. He will win in Florida and he will beat either Hillary or Barack without any doubt. Even the regular dems are against illegal immigration and I think most would hate to have a Clinton in the White House.
I think Fred is a nice fellow to go hunting with or have a beer with but I want a real leader running the country.
You’re absolutely right about the media providing the major impressions. Now more than ever with this compressed time frame for the primaries.
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