Posted on 01/30/2008 10:02:49 AM PST by jdm
In the wake of the loss in Florida yesterday, Mitt Romney needs to focus on tonight's debate to break out as the conservative choice for the nomination. John McCain has taken leads in significant Super Tuesday states, and tonight will be the last national audience for all of the remaining candidates before 21 states go to the polls or the caucuses. Romney has to ignite conservatives and make this a binary race across a clear ideological line.
Some feel that the moment has already passed. Writers at The Corner and Dick Morris have resigned themselves to a Romney loss before more than 10% of the necessary delegates have been won. Others, like my friend and indefatigable Romney supporter Hugh Hewitt, argue that the numbers show that no one can win next week. The truth lies in between, as Hugh has the numbers correct but avoids acknowledging the role momentum plays.
Romney has one big advantage, but it will only be an advantage this week. He has better organizational strength and more resources. He can be more places at the same time as John McCain, which makes a difference when 21 states hold their contests on the same day. He can get his message across to more people simultaneously after this debate, and do it more often. After February 5th, that becomes far less necessary as we go back to a series of one- or two-state primary dates that stretches into April, when Pennsylvania goes to the polls.
If Romney wants to build momentum and define the race in binary conservative vs moderate terms, he has to start tonight and get aggressively positive about his credentials. He has only a few days in which he can crowd McCain out of the messaging. If he can't do that tonight and for the next five days, he will have little chance of prevailing, especially if McCain takes a big delegate lead next week.
What does McCain need to do? He needs to reach out to conservatives. He started last night with a gracious victory speech, but he needs to address the real and honest concerns on policy that conservatives still have with McCain. They need to see McCain promise to go after the Democrats with the same fervor that he went after Republicans over the years, and he has to convince them that he won't go back on his word on border security and tax cuts. After this debate, he has to make a significant outreach effort, and CPAC would be the best place to do this.
I think you've had to many fried squirrels my friend. You are starting to sound like one.
Not so sure about that.
McCain is the best kind of Straw Man. He’s the kind that doesn’t know he is one.
I wonder which is worse, Romneycare or Hillarycare?
I’m convinced that everyone at free republic will be charged with some type of crime if McCain wins. Hate speech, unamerican activities. Whatever they can think of will be shoved down our throats.
LOL, that is a real knee slapper, you just run on over and vote! Huckster is not going to beat anybody.
The British came after the American Patriots too.
“A Romney nomination means I vote for Hillary.”
Now there is a true conservative.....
“Romney supporters would never support Mike Huckabee.”
I disagree. I think evangelical social conservatives that those that held their noses over Romney’s mormonisn - but backed Romney because of perceived “electibility” would switch to Huckabee whom they probably wanted to vote for in the first place. I’ve seen too many interviews where the voter said he/she liked Huckabee but backed Romney because they thought him more electible.
Romney cannot beat John McCain. For that matter, Mike Huckabee cannot beat him either. However, Huckabee can and will make a good VP pick for McCain. Huckabee is the ONLY true social conservative left, and him being on a ticket with McCain will shore up McCain with the religious base of the GOP. Also, Huckabee doesn’t carry Romney’s (deserved) mormon stigma.
God Bless and Keep Mike Huckabee. I know he will stay in the race all the way and be a TRUE choice for the values/moral voters and keep our interests forefront. His continued running keeps our group alive and engaged.
If Romney wants to keep spending his kids inheritance.....well that is his choice.
So is Huckster. If it wasn't for free liberal media coverage, he'd be polling next to Ron Paul.
How about quit before he spends another $70 million just to lose in November?
You are a bigot!
Romney gave Mass. HillaryCARE, so the fact is that to
vote for Romney IS to vote for a ‘Clinton’oid, so why not
vote for a Clinton directly, and get the ‘real thing’?
So fascism and socialism is OK, when ROmney does it, right?
[RomneyCARE = HillaryCARE without a vote]
Huckabee also lied about addressing the jobs leaving in Michigan.
The man is a sleazy, phony-ass fraud.
theonly true social conservativeChristian Socialist Huckabee.
There. Fixed it for you.
a VOTE FOR mCcAIN OR hILLARY IS A DEFEAT FOR CONSERVATIVES.
Frankly, a vote for any candidate left is a vote against conservatives.
It isn’t what McCain needs to do, because we can’t count on anything. It is about what the PEOPLE need to do to fix the problem of left wing RINO’s.
No deal. The GOP needs to implode and start over.
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