Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

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Lowry’s Strategizing

Someone emailed me to the effect that Rich, the leading light of the Cornerites, has urged Huck to go hyper-negative against McCain and, by implication, come close to urging the decent (Romney) people of South Carolina to vote for the new man from Hope as the only way of curbing John’s momentum. It goes without saying that life is to short for me to actually look for the link.

So here might be the strategic situation for many a social conservative: Even though my heart might be with Huckabee, should I go ahead and vote for Romney because he might actually get nominated? OR even though my head is with Mitt, should I go ahead and vote for Huckabee to stop McCain?

Because I’m perfectly aware that my one-state/one-day endorsement of Romney turned things around for him in Michigan, I’m huddling with my staff to decide whether to issue a one-day/one-state endorsement of Huck.

Discussions - 9 Comments

I'm on sabbatical, so here's the Lowry link.

urged Huck to go hyper-negative against McCain and, by implication, come close to urging the decent (Romney) people of South Carolina to vote for the new man from Hope


That "implication" seems mighty shaky to me. It is long overdue for the other candidates to go negative on McCain. Where his votes would go after that is very unpredictable. I'm sure Huck would get at least some, and he needs to drop McCains numbers somehow, or he's out.

The sooner that Romney and McCain start going after one another, the better. This is a clear case where we want "more rather than less, and sooner, rather than later." Those two campaigns have a deep hankering to rip into one another, and life is too short for them to put it off for much longer.

So have at it boys! Have at it!

McCain truly despises Romney, so why camouflage it! Let it all hang out John, give us some of that "straight talk" we've heard so much about.

And as for Romney, why content yourself with the low level attacks you've been making for over a year. Come out with it Romney, unleash, you know you want to, you know you detest McCain, and you know you're livid with how he laughs at you in the debates.

So have at it.

We'll get our popcorn ready, as T.O. might say.

The sooner that Romney and McCain start going after one another, the better.

Good Lord, Dan! Do you follow politics at all?

Yes!

I don't want either man to win the nomination, so I'm hoping for a major falling out between them.

Not to mention I'd enjoy observing the resulting fracas.

The only thing that might make it better is if Thompson and Huckabee start going after one another.

And John, you don't need all of the candidates to go after McCain to polish him off. You've overlooked the role of conservative talk radio; they're ripping into McCain by the hour, day after day, night after night. They prevented him winning Michigan, and they're probably going to make sure he doesn't get the nomination.

Huckabee isn't going to win the nomination.

Talk radio is going to go ballistic if it looks like McCain is closing in.

Actually your boy Romney's situation is looking better and better. Though he would surely be helped if Rudy fails in Florida. Romney wants the race to devolve into a 3-way race, between a Huckabee who is unacceptable, a McCain who can't be stomached, and himself, the rational alternative between the two.

a Huckabee who is unacceptable, a McCain who can't be stomached, and himself, the rational alternative between the two.

Don't discount the hankering of the base for a conservative who is not an establishment GOP man like Mitt. I know I won't vote for him (been burned by the GOP too many times to go for yet another inside man - think Bush). I will sadly give the election to the Dem by simply staying home. McCain will ruffle the country clubbers, and Romney ruffles the base, and Huck is anathema - looks like the Dem's take the White House in 08, cause that's the very definition of a no-win situation...

Perhaps if it does go to the Convention Gingrich will jump in. That would really get the fur flying and the pundits prattling. Or you might see a consensus selection such as Jeb Bush drafted in. If there is no clear winner, you could see the party reach outside the field of candidates, to a guy untarnished by the contentiousness of the primary battle. Perhaps they'll reach out to a Jeff Sessions, a Jim DeMint. Perhaps they'll reach out to a Rick Santorum. Or maybe a Governor Rick Perry.

We'll see. But I for one am not despairing of the general. I'm convinced that Rudy won't split the party, only McCain will. Romney might, that's a closer call.

I'm convinced that Rudy won't split the party

I still cling to the naive hope that you will one day take a stab at explaining why you think that a man who is loathed by large sections of the GOP would not split it apart by being nominated.

National Right To Life has endorsed Fred Thompson. They have also specifically dubbed Giuliani the "Pro-Abortion Choice". The anti-abortion people will leave if Rudy is nominated, no question about it. So will the gun rights people. So will the immigration hawks. How is that NOT splitting the party? There may be some argument that splitting the party would be a good thing, that it would pick up more votes than it would lose. But there can be no doubt at all that a split would occur.

I know you won't answer, but I'm going to keep asking all the same.

I don't want either man to win the nomination, so I'm hoping for a major falling out between them.

As I say, Dan, you really don't follow politics at all. McCain and Romney detest each other and have been at each others throats from the beginning.

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