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Huckabee as spoiler?

For Romney, not McCain.

Discussions - 5 Comments

I think Huck has always been a spoiler, for Romney, but also Giuliani. To social conservatives, Huck has been a fantasy, and the fantasy consisted of the idea they could get away from making a grim choice between the three main contenders, who were Romney, McCain and Giuliani.

Supporting Huck is an act of political procrastination.

There is something social conservatives know they're going to have to do, which is select a guy to win the GOP nomination. Of the main contenders, there is NO true social conservative that is also a viable national contender. So they're trying to put off that grim reckoning by supporting Huckabee.

But that action, or rather inaction, has consequences. Heretofore those consequences have descended most heavily on Giuliani. But also Romney.

The GOP needs all the distractions to leave the race. Paul needs to be banished from the conversation, thrown off the stage, bodily if necessary. Thompson, and his old cranky uncle act has got to go too. He had his chance, and instead of jumping into the race with energy and passion, he preferred to do his old Southern homespun bit, which wore thin fast, ... and I mean fast! And Huckabee too, who doesn't have the money, who doesn't have the organization, who can't run ads, who in short, can't run a national campaign, he's got to go. ALL the distractions have got to go!

The party needs to choose between McCain, Giuliani and Romney.

And that decision needs to happen now. The party members have put it off for over a year and a half, all the while chewing the cud of their disgust that these are the only candidates they've to choose from.

The time of procrastination is ending. And the period of consequences, brutal, momentous consequences, is almost upon us.

The selection of McCain has consequences.

The rejection of Giuliani has consequences.

A decision needs to be made about Romney, are his statements and newfound positions legit? If they are, then he's the guy saying more of the things that need to be said. If not, then it boils down to Giuliani and McCain.

Several issues need to be brought to the mind of the Republican voter.

Which of the candidates is most responsive to the Conservative base?

Which candidate has demonstrated the most disdain for the Conservative base?

Who will make better personnel selections? In Washington, PERSONNEL IS POLICY! So who would make the better AND THE MORE CONSERVATIVE personnel selections. Who has a record of placing top-shelf, top-notch talent all around him?

Who gets along the best with conservative talk radio? THAT'S IMPORTANT. For talk radio currently amplifies the message of the GOP.

Who places the least value on political correctness?

Who chirps the most about "bipartisan" endeavors? THAT'S A KEY QUESTION. Who seems more inclined to listen to The NY Times? Who seems to crave media love?

THESE are the questions that Republican voters should ask? These types of questions usually never needed to be asked, because we usually thought we had a rather reliable conservative candidate. But after the lies and the deceptions of this Bush 2d term, more probing questions need to be asked.

The answers to those questions should dictate the nominee.

Supporting Huck is an act of political procrastination....There is something social conservatives know they're going to have to do, which is select a guy to win the GOP nomination.

Nope, now your just being a GOP company man. I will stay home, as will many many other "social conservatives" - by which I include traditional conservatives like myself. The GOP game is now in the open: run moderate/conservatively, govern moderately liberal, unless your spreading spoils to the country clubbers and then do whatever you want. I and many others will no longer participate, biding our time until real conservative governance is possible. Like I have said before, give me an honest liberal (like Hillary/Obama) over a dishonest one anyday...

Alright Chirs, just preface my comments with: "For those intending to participate in the general...."

There are some Republicans up on The Hill as you suggest. But there are others, who never wanted to be co-opted into the game you describe. DeLay came right out and identified McCain as the greatest impediment for the Republican majority in Washington. He said it today. He too said if McCains gets it, he'll not vote for him. There are guys down there such as Hunter, who want and fight for a conservative agenda.

The problem is that South Carolina won't bounce a creature like Graham in their primaries. When citizens in SAFE conservative states refuse to exercise ideological discipline, ............. we're ALL screwed.

Maybe, but I doubt it. The polls in SC showed that McCain and Huckabee shared the same voter pool. Thompsons attacks on Huck in that state simply shifted his voters to McCain, who was their second choice candidate.

I think Huck has always been a spoiler, for Romney, but also Giuliani.

Good grief, Dan! Where do you come up with this stuff? The people supporting Huckabee will crawl on broken glass to vote for anybody but Giuliani. It was Rudy's seeming sweep to victory a few months ago that caused the whole Huckabee boom in the first place.

The same is true in reverse. Rudy's base of support will vote for Hillary before they support Huck. In fact, Rudys base of support voted for Bill.

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