For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Dick Morris says, "John McCain is America's favorite kind of candidate."
With his record of extraordinary patriotism and his distinctive Senate tenure, McCain is a nominee whom voters from both parties -- and independents, too -- could easily support...McCain needs to not run as a traditional Republican, which is easy, since he's not one. After all, how did an anti-torture, anti-tobacco, pro-campaign finance reform, anti-pork, pro-alternative-energy Republican ever emerge from the primaries alive? Simple: The GOP electorate, along with the rest of the country, has moved somewhat to the left. (In Florida, for example, exit polls showed that only 27 percent of Republican primary voters described themselves as "very conservative," while 28 percent said they were "moderate" and 2 percent said they were "very liberal.")
To sum it up: A candidate who cannot get elected [Obama] is being nominated by a party that cannot be defeated [Democrats], while a candidate who is eminently electable [McCain] is running as the nominee of a party doomed to defeat [Republicans]...In this environment, McCain can win by running to the center.
I'm sorry this was a weekend op-ed, because such talk would have evoked huge debate here on a weekday. :-) Regardless, Dick Morris says McCain is the ideal candidate at this moment in history, and he needs to court the center because Republicans have moved to the left. What say you, NewsBusters?
Comments Policy
You mean he hasn't
May 17, 2008 - 11:07 ET by sarcasmoCourted the center (if not the left) this whole time? Coulda fooled me...
McCain's problem IMO is that even if the Libertarians -- who were financially eviscerated by the Ron Paul campaign -- nominate a dud, the Constitution party soundly rejected Alan Keyes and nominated Chuck Baldwin, who is likely to run a serious campaign. If that happens, Chuck will tempt many conservatives, IMO. And if the LP ticket includes Barr in either slot, that will mean more bad news for conservatives. We might be finally seeing the end of the "2 party system." If so, good riddance.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Throw da bums out!
May 17, 2008 - 11:45 ET by GalvanicWe might be finally seeing the end of the "2 party system." If so, good riddance. -sarcasmo
That's what I find so promising about this year's campaigns. For years I've been waiting for these two old dinosaur parties to start cracking under the all the corruption, lies, and greed, each one weakened by inherent rivalries.
For the Dems, the unity facade is breaking, as 2 strong candidacies are pitting their special interest blocs against each other. Its the feminists v. the African-Americans; the Party elites v. the populists; the Elderly v. Youth; the college educated v. the blue-collar worker; the status quo-ists v. the radicals. And no matter which of the two gets the nomination, there will be alienation.
For the GOP, its the end of the kabuki dance that sounded like it was carrying on with the Reagan agenda while the Party actually slid back into status quo mediocrity. While there are many Republican politicians against big government spending, they've had no inflluence since 1989. Bush and Hastert lost it for the GOP when then refused to control spending -- the #1 item on the conservative agenda. McCain is obviously not trusted by conservatives, and he gives them plenty of good reasons. He's flip-flopped on major issues including border security, and now appears willing to say anything to sound conservative.
It may yet take a while to materialize, but let's hope that this is a genuine beginning to the end of the corrupt 2-party system that afflicts us now. Let's hope that the rotting process continues, and out of this political compost pile rises new, energetic parties that are ready to lead this Nation instead of bilking it out of its fortunes and future.
The key to killing it, IMO
May 17, 2008 - 11:49 ET by sarcasmoAnd this won't be easy, believe me, is to somehow force at least one "third party" candidate into at least one of the glorified news conferences they call "debates." This might be possible, but I guarantee from experience it won't be easy. And it doesn't even matter all that much what he says once he gets there, though obviously smaller-government rhetoric seems to get good results around election time.
The statist side will fight VERY hard against this potential breach in their big-spendin' duopoly, so it's not even likely to happen. Hell, just getting an alternative candidate onto all 50 states' ballots might not be possible this year, despite widespread support for wholesale change.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
J
May 17, 2008 - 12:03 ET by Noel SheppardJ,
I think it's far more likely a third party would result from one of the two major parties splitting than the emergence of either a new party or rise of one of the current also-rans. After all, no third party in many decades had a better shot of becoming a truly serious entity than Perot's Reform Party. They had money, a well-known charismatic leader, and -- did I say? -- money. Loads of it.
Yet, where are they now?
Instead, I think what could be emerging, and have been writing about it for four years, is the eventual split of the Democrat Party. A fight for the nomination in Denver three months from now could facilitate this.
On the other hand, as the Republican Party is almost equally divided, maybe it will be the GOP that splits in the coming years if Obama wins in November with a huge coattail. ns
I'd the GOP has been in far worse shape...
May 17, 2008 - 12:18 ET by Missouri Conservative...than it is now. In the 1970s, for instance, the Rockefeller country club wing of the Republican party dominated, and pushed two moderate/liberal Republicans on to us: Nixon and Ford. Ford defeated Ronald Reagan, of all people. We also had the Watergate disaster to contend with. Yet, conservatives re-emerged to prominence a short time later.
If people are honest, the chief problem facing the GOP right now is Bush. The media and the Democrats have successfully made Bush toxic to even loyal Republicans. I honestly don't know what the Democrats are going to campaign on once Bush leaves office.
"women and minorities hardest hit"
I agree there Missouri
May 17, 2008 - 12:30 ET by jefflebowskiLike Peggy Noonan said yesterday, many Repub candidates are, and need to, distance themselves from Bush.
It's not that he has been a bad President. He has just been very mediocre when he had the potential to be one of the greatest. He has, for 8 years, let the left push him around without uttering one defense of his positions. I have waited for him to unload on the libs for the problems that they have caused the American people. But no, we hear nothing for him. He lost immeasurable support on the Amensty bill. He also lost a lot of support (as did the RNC) by the out of control spending when the Repubs owned both houses. I told my 16 year old a while back when he was questioning about past Presidents:
The worst President - Jimmy Carter
The worst person to be President - Bill Clinton
The biggest disappointment - George W Bush, followed by George Bush
I think Conservatives will re-emerge because Conservative principles are tried and true. But we must endure a very tough 4 years and our next Carter...be it Osama, Clinton or McPain.
»→ Lebowski
May 17, 2008 - 12:36 ET by Cool ArrowWas that Noonan column painful to read, or what?
She nailed the GOP problems at every corner.
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
Cool, yes it was
May 17, 2008 - 13:00 ET by jefflebowskiIt was but it is interesting how many Repubs ripped Noonan for writing it. I think many Repubs have their heads in the sand. I agree with Noonan that the RNC and leaders in Washington do not fully understand how people feel about Bush.
You know, automatically a President is disliked by about half of the country based on their party. Bush lost the people who elected him with Amnesty and out of control spending, Harriet Myers, etc.
Tough times, my friend!
Cool, yes it was
May 17, 2008 - 13:00 ET by jefflebowskiIt was but it is interesting how many Repubs ripped Noonan for writing it. I think many Repubs have their heads in the sand. I agree with Noonan that the RNC and leaders in Washington do not fully understand how people feel about Bush.
You know, automatically a President is disliked by about half of the country based on their party. Bush lost the people who elected him with Amnesty and out of control spending, Harriet Myers, etc.
Tough times, my friend!
No more "compassionate conservatives"!!!
May 17, 2008 - 12:44 ET by Missouri ConservativeI hope that people like Michael Gerson, Matthew Dowd, Bill Kristol, et al never have influence over policy as they have with this administration.
"women and minorities hardest hit"
»→ Yes Missouri
May 17, 2008 - 12:30 ET by Cool ArrowBush is the problem. He bent over for the Dems early and often trying to buy their support.
The Dems are even going to have a veto-proof majority (as though they will need it)
At best, we get hosed for only four years.
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
Dick Morris and John Mc Cain
May 17, 2008 - 19:17 ET by merlin61Cool Arrow: Yes, Bush bent over backwards
to get the Dems on his side. and never really
came out and criticized them. What good did
it do him. They hate him. Mc Cain says he's
gonna be bi-partisan. He didn't learn from Bush
that they don't care they only push their agendas
He's a Pollyanna believing that he can get them
to cooperate with him when he's in office.
McCain can win by running
May 17, 2008 - 12:30 ET by motherbeltMcCain can win by running to the center.
The way he's been campaigning, he's going to have to move right to get to the center!
»→ motherbelt
May 17, 2008 - 12:42 ET by Cool ArrowI honestly don't think McCain can overcome the "change" mantra wafting through the young liberal left.
Those youngsters understand their parents are going to be a big drag on them through the years.
This is just the beginning of the growing movement toward lifting the hard decisions from the individual consciences of our children and placing them clinically into the hands of a very "pragmatic" government.
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
Morris ain't always right . . .
May 17, 2008 - 11:19 ET by GalvanicI pay attention to Dick Morris because he is often insightful, and (admittedly) he often brings up inside-dirt about the Clintons. But we must also not forget that he sometimes get things wrong.
For instance, on shows like The O'Reilly Factor and Hannity & Colmes last summer, Morris declared that not only was Hillary Clinton going to win the Democratic nomination; she's was going to be our next President.
I don't think he has a clue as to why McCain -- who most pundits like Morris declared dead and buried when it ran out of cash -- was able to resurrect his campaign and won the primaries so early. He's guessing that the GOP has shifted left.
But as my 24 year-old son says when analyzing McCain v. Obama, "At least the choices are very clear."
The media put McCain where
May 17, 2008 - 11:25 ET by the strugglerThe media put McCain where he's at,conservatives didn't.
The choices are clear??
May 17, 2008 - 11:25 ET by jefflebowskiI wish I could see such stark differences..outside of the Iraq War.
Hey, why vote for McCain when you can vote for the real thing? McCain is a lib and his record shows him as such. It's going to be a bad 4 years regardless of who wins.
Down-ballot races are key.
May 17, 2008 - 11:39 ET by Missouri ConservativeI will be voting McCain primarily because Barack Obama is flat out unacceptable.
We conservatives need to focus on electing solid, principled conservatives at the local and state level this year.
"women and minorities hardest hit"
I have been thinking for a
May 17, 2008 - 12:50 ET by motherbeltI have been thinking for a while now that the whole country is moving left. Liberals are becoming outright leftists, the center is liberal. That's why the Republican party is moving left; they can see which way the wind is blowing and they want to get elected and re-elected. They are (rightly or wrongly) reading the mood of the country as people wanting pro-active government that does things to "help" them, and so that's the way they are going. They know the government can't really do anything about high gas and food prices, but because that's what people want, they will pretend that they can.
I remember when Morris was predicting HRC as our next President. At that time, she did look like a shoo-in. She had money, organization, ground game, everything. Who could have forseen what would happen?
»→ Voting myself money
May 17, 2008 - 12:56 ET by Cool ArrowWe've come to the realization that we really can vote ourselves money and benefits. The dollar has got to drop a whole bunch more before we realize our 401k's and life's savings are approaching worthlessness.
Partner with Obama
Morris ain't always right
May 17, 2008 - 19:39 ET by merlin61Galvanic, you are right, but Dick Morris is
definitely not always right, in fact he's seldom
right and I wouldn't trust him for all the money
and tea in China. He seems like a slime bucket
to me.
Well Dick, Maybe some of the
May 17, 2008 - 11:39 ET by USA4freedomWell Dick,
Maybe some of the Republicans have moved left I know one that has not. That’s me and I have a feeling there are many more.
See this is what I was talking about earlier, for us conservatives its not all about winning, its not Clinton style of triangulation, its not stick your finger up in the wind and see what way the breeze is blowing.
We have our beliefs. These beliefs are our anchor, our touchstone. That is why so many of us are mad, we see the Republican party running off the cliff, with trying to be re-elected. They are doing what is good for them (they think) not what is good for the country.
These politicians sit around and think: well if I earmark this project for my district then the people will love me. When he should be thinking: why should someone in Virginia pay for a teapot museum inMississippi.
Or.. I know that the country needs to drill for oil, I know that it can be done safely, but if I vote for it the Serria Club will be allover me.
Or.. I know that if we let in 12-20 million immigrants it will over load our schools and hospitals with people that don’t speak our language and have no skills. But.. if the Democrats let them in and they will vote for them rather than us, so we have to beat them to the punch, as well as we get big money from big business to, let them in, keep the fence down, and make them citizens to work and buy our products.
See something that Dick does not understand, we conservatives are like our military, it’s the love of country that makes us who we are. Not power, surly not the money, not the prestige, not to be invited to the best parties, its not be looked up to as enlightened (even if we are), its not to win favor with the so called intellectuals.. ITS SIMPLE, WE LOVE THIS GREAT AND WONDERFUL COUNTRY, AND WE WANT TO PASS IT ON TO OUR CHILDREN WITH OUT DAMAGE, WITH OUT ENTITLEMENTS THAT EVERY GENERATION WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMEONE IN 2008 TO GET ELECTED. In essence, my kids paying for their life time for someone to get elected this year.
Dick, does not know us, he is a politician, we are patriots.
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
Romney / Jendil 2012 (if,we survive)
USA, I agree with a lot of
May 17, 2008 - 12:34 ET by motherbeltUSA, I agree with a lot of what you say. But on immigration, my belief is that if Republicans think they cna vote for amnesty and the immigrants will vote for them instead of Democrats is engaging in wishful thinking.
That might work if Dems were against it. But they're not, and once the immigrants are here, no one can out-pander the Democrats.
Oh, I agree. I was talking
May 17, 2008 - 17:38 ET by USA4freedomOh, I agree. I was talking as if I was the RNC.
I totally agree that that will be the next group that need hand outs from the Dam o crats. We will, via our taxes will pay for these people to be here. On top of that make sure that the Republicans stay the minority party for the next 50 years. Who do we thank for this brilliant thinking?? Bush, Kennedy and Juan Mc Lame.
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
Romney / Jendil 2012 (if,we survive)
Well Dick, maybe some
May 17, 2008 - 19:43 ET by merlin61USA4freedom: Amen - I agree - nothing more
need be said.
McCain didn't win, he "survived"
May 17, 2008 - 11:50 ET by Missouri ConservativeRudy was great but was pro-choice, and was effectively vetoed by the socially conservative wing of the party. His personal baggage didn't help either.
Romney was a great conservative this year, but that didn't jive with positions he'd held in the past and many voters didn't trust him. In the end, he never could make that gut-level connection with conservatives & Republicans.
Fred was a great principled conservative all the way around, and was an absolutely atrocious candidate. He was going through the motions out there, and it showed. He failed to inspire, and half the time it looked like he give his left arm to get the hell out of there and back to his study with a scotch and a Monte Cristo.
Huckabee was basically unacceptable to the fiscally conservative wing of the party, and lets face it, he wouldn't have come within 200 electoral votes of the presidency had he won the nomination. He wasn't an ideological conservative, and also had ethical problems of his own.
Aaaaaaaannnnd that leaves with the good senator from Arizona: John Sidney McCain III. I am no huge fan of the guy, but he stuck to his guns vis a vis Iraq and the surge and it payed off. He's the "survivor" of the group, and honestly, he's probably the one guy out of the bunch that has a realistic shot at winning, in spite of the damage done to the Republican "brand".
Finally, no, I don't believe the party has moved left. The country (and even many Republicans I know) has an irrational hatred of Bush, and because of that, many independents (and even some squish Republicans) are more inclined to vote Democrat this year. It's up to us to reverse that trend.
"women and minorities hardest hit"
Missouri, I disagree
May 17, 2008 - 12:12 ET by jefflebowskiIf the party hasn't moved left, why do the Repubs have a liberal candidate. Face it, McCain is not a Conservative or moderate and after his amnesty bill fiasco, McCain/Feingold, Gang of 14, you'd have a real hard time convincing me that he is not liberal.
Out of control spending in congress over the last 8 years, nothing being done on illegal immigration...oh yeah...Bush, McCain and his friend Miss Lindsey Graham...calling those who opposed amnesty bigots...and allowing the Democrats to kick their butts at every turn...I'd say that the Repubs have definately moved leftward. And that is why they find themselves in dire straits for the fall.
McCain could win the Presidency...but Repubs are going down. I no longer call myself a Republican....I will always be a Conservative!
The Republican leadership has moved left....
May 17, 2008 - 12:30 ET by Missouri Conservative...but I don't think the GOP electorate has. One just has to witness the outrage from the base directed at the party to see that. Bush is NOT a conservative, and the party has followed suit and adopted the big-government "compassionate conservatism" that he brought along. The party takes its cues from the leader, and since Bush isn't really a conservative, you have a party that hasn't been conservative since his ascendance. That can change with new leadership, and it has in the past (liberals like Nixon and Ford gave way to Reagan; Bob Michel gave way to Newt Gingrich, etc.)
I personally am troubled by the such seemingly strong influence big government "heroic conservatives" like Michael Gerson and Bill Kristol have had on GOP policy. That is, to expand and grow government, and then attempt to appease certain groups of moderates and liberals and Democrats by adopting part of their platform: i.e. NCLB, immigration, Medicare D, campaign finance reform, the farm bill, the highway bill, and on and on and on.
I don't think the agenda put forth by Bush and championed by liberals like Michael Gerson is one that the GOP electorate supported fully, and it is certainly not one to grow the party by teaching princpled conservatism.
"...women and minorities hardest hit"
»→ Teddy Kennedy rushed to Hospital
May 17, 2008 - 11:51 ET by Cool ArrowStroke symptoms.
Remember, We are not Kos.
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
You have a point CA
May 17, 2008 - 12:34 ET by shawn228If this was a conservative senator, they would be laughing it up by now.
They are all wringing their
May 17, 2008 - 12:59 ET by motherbeltThey are all wringing their hands over there...
One commenter was unhappy with the pictures the media were showing and said
the man is OUR lion. they need to show more respect
another commented on the "readers' comments" in the local paper:
look at the times reaction section. amazingly, the idiots on the other side have already started singing their heinous lyrics
Sound familiar, koskiddies?
DKOS on Falwell's
May 17, 2008 - 15:20 ET by TruthMongerDKOS on Falwell's funeral:
"THE GATES OF HELL SWING WIDE OPEN TO WELCOME THEIR FAVORITE SON"
but they did mean it in a nice way...
I agree,
May 17, 2008 - 13:06 ET by DEVILDOCMOMbut only to a point Cool. What can you say about someone who left a young girl to die and who has worked to destroy a wonderful country?
Ted Kennedy
May 17, 2008 - 21:10 ET by BritcomI don't wish Ted Kennedy ill, but I do wish him electoral defeat at the earliest possible opportunity.
---
Communist vs. Statist '08
Q. Is Panamanian born John McCain a "Natural Born Citizen"
Dick Morris is Correct
May 17, 2008 - 12:04 ET by seabreezeI have never supported McCain. In fact, his actions have driven me kooky on numerous occasions. But......
We Conservatives currently exist in a very toxic political environment. The mood of the country is very anti-Bush, anti-Republican. McCain (with his "independent streak") is the ONLY Republican that can get elected in this election cycle. We must accept that.
Where does that leave conservatives? We can use the 4 years of McCain's term to regroup, refocus, and find better leadership and candidates. It tooks us years to get into the mess we're in now. We can't get well in a year.
Accept McCain and all of his warts. And Pray for a conservative leader to emerge.
Hold your nose and vote McCain
May 17, 2008 - 12:53 ET by Bufordand then do what we can to regain a majority in one or more houses. Then we can worry about finding a "Conservative" Presidential candidate in the next go-round. In the mean time these next two years look kinda' grim.
The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program...........Ronald Reagan
»→ Clothespin futures
May 17, 2008 - 13:00 ET by Cool ArrowAside from saving energy bringing back the clothesline, I think we could sell clothespins stamped McCain 08.
Partner with Obama
Buford... Why only 2
May 17, 2008 - 13:10 ET by Clear thinkerBuford...
Why only 2 years???
"Abstain from McCain"
2 years
May 17, 2008 - 13:14 ET by BufordOdds are the Dem's will keep their majority in both houses. In two years, when the country sees what is happening, we might be able to pull-off a 1994.
The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program...........Ronald Reagan
You sure are an
May 17, 2008 - 13:16 ET by Clear thinkerYou sure are an optimist.
"Abstain from McCain"
It's in my genes.
May 17, 2008 - 13:21 ET by BufordSorry but I am a glass 1/2 full kinda' guy, that's my story and i'm stickin' to it!
The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program...........Ronald Reagan
»→ That's great Buford
May 17, 2008 - 13:26 ET by Cool ArrowBut within every silver lining, there's a dark cloud.
Lydsexics untie
Hm, I need to get my "The
May 17, 2008 - 13:34 ET by CortillaenHm, I need to get my "The glass is currently holding 50% of its maximum capacity. I'm an engineer." shirt out...
www.rhjunior.com Great comics with a hefty dose of Christian and anti-nutjob goodness.
"With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things near to you." -Miyamoto Musashi
That might be difficult with
May 17, 2008 - 13:22 ET by Jack BauerThat might be difficult with 10-20 million "new" citizens with the right to vote.
Jack... You are correct,
May 17, 2008 - 13:24 ET by Clear thinkerJack...
You are correct, we should NOT forget the power of the 'illegal' vote.
"Abstain from McCain"
Why do you think we will
May 17, 2008 - 13:17 ET by CortillaenWhy do you think we will ever have a conservative candidate for president if we keep telling the GOP that we'll vote the party line just so long as they're a bit right of the Dems? For that matter, how would doing this encourage them to put up conservatives for any position? It's my very own law of politics: Politicians will go as far left as the people allow. Unless the GOP believes their support from the people depends on conservative candidates, they will not put any forth.
www.rhjunior.com Great comics with a hefty dose of Christian and anti-nutjob goodness.
"With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things near to you." -Miyamoto Musashi
Cort... I'm not so sure
May 17, 2008 - 13:22 ET by Clear thinkerCort...
I'm not so sure that the GOP will be capable in the future to present the people with common sense Conservatives. They (GOP) have ruined the brand and I don't think they can get away with their attempt at re-branding.
If we get a chance to elect a Conservative, it may have to be under the banner of another party.
"Abstain from McCain"
I think that's entirely
May 17, 2008 - 13:30 ET by CortillaenI think that's entirely likely. I've expressed the belief that the GOP will have to effectively die, its current leaders be entirely removed, and the party rebuilt from the ground up to have a chance. In that effect, it might as well be a different party. Whether that will happen or a completely different party will take up the conservative mantle (and its voters) doesn't matter overmuch, in my opinion. What matters is the current form of the GOP being removed from politics.
www.rhjunior.com Great comics with a hefty dose of Christian and anti-nutjob goodness.
"With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things near to you." -Miyamoto Musashi
Be afraid of a McCain presidency.
May 17, 2008 - 12:54 ET by R D HelmVery afraid.
RD
May 17, 2008 - 12:58 ET by shawn228Your right, that is a pretty scary scenario, but I would think the scariest scenario for consersvatives would be Obama with a fillibuster proof senate. I thought there was no way in hell that could happen, but with the last 3 special elections, I'm not so sure.
Obama could nominate, John Edwards to the SCOTUS and there is nothing the GOP can do.
Panderer in Chief
May 17, 2008 - 13:03 ET by AndersonMcScream was anti-torture, but now is pro-torture. He voted against tax cuts for the wealthy, but now is in favor of them. He was pro campaign finance reform, but now has disavowed his earlier stance. He was in favor of allowing illegal immigrants into the country, but now wouldn’t even vote for his own illegal immigrant bill. Sure, now he seems to be pro-torture, in favor of trickle-down tax cuts for the wealthy, anti-immigrant, and has disavowed his pro-campaign reform stance, so he would seem to be in line with our true conservative Republican ideals. To this end, he has also asked for and received the support of moralistic religious leaders who correctly realize and preach that 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina are deserved expressions of God’s wrath on sodomites and other sinners. All of his current “positions” sound great to me, but keep in mind one thing; he make’s John Kerry’s flip-flopping look like a Boy Scout making pancakes at summer scout camp. Amateurish, to say the least. McScream wants to be the Panderer in Chief. He believes he needs to appease the true Conservative Republican base to get elected. He’s got more than a few mountains to climb before he gets my vote. It’s just a damn shame that Cheney is running. Cheney and Huckabee. Not that would a team would could trust!
»→ Anderson
May 17, 2008 - 13:08 ET by Cool ArrowHe's pro torture now?
I didn't get that memo.
Lydsexics untie
Memo
May 17, 2008 - 13:35 ET by AndersonSorry you missed it. Here's a recap.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/13/whos-your-maverick-john-mccain-votes-in-favor-of-torture/
Obama
May 17, 2008 - 13:11 ET by shawn228Can do a lot of damage to the conservative party, even if it is only for 4 yrs. Many on this site. don't believe he can be elected, so they do not see him as much of a threat.
Look a what happenned in Missisipi a few days ago and the 2 special elections before that, to see how the country is leaning.
Two of the three went to
May 17, 2008 - 13:13 ET by Clear thinkerTwo of the three went to Dems that ran as CONSERVATIVES!
"Abstain from McCain"
Doesn't matter clearthinker
May 17, 2008 - 13:22 ET by shawn228When it comes to who controls majority of the senate and the house it is the letter beside their name that is important.
So what? They still won
May 17, 2008 - 13:26 ET by Clear thinkerSo what?
They still won the vote by running as CONSERVATIVES.
"Abstain from McCain"
Clearthinker the letter beside their name....
May 17, 2008 - 13:38 ET by shawn228.....gives the Democrats more of a majority in both chambers. Voters know that as well.
Like I said, it is unlikely, but there is a chance the senate can have 60 Democrats this year, with the way the tide is turning. Yes I think it is time for the GOP to panic.
Shawn... The majority of
May 17, 2008 - 13:38 ET by Clear thinkerShawn...
The majority of voters have no idea who's got what in the House or Senate. Most of them hear a heart warming, patriotic pitch and their hooked. They don't know a damn about how our system works.
"Abstain from McCain"
I see your point Clear Thinker but.....
May 17, 2008 - 15:03 ET by shawn228....in the case of Missisippi it is different. The GOP spent tons of money on this race, even brought our Dick Cheney. President Bush and John McCain helped out with phone messages
The GOP still lost by eight points no matter how hard in vain they tried to tie the candidate with Barack Obama and it sure backfired on them, because black voters came out in droves.
This could be a Democratic tidal wave come November. I'm not saying I agree with these things, but many blame Bush for the war, high gas prices, inflation....etc.
Many do not want GOP leadership anymore and they want to go back to the care free Clinton days, when we had the luxury of making a stained dress, the biggest news of the day.
»→ That's great, Clear
May 17, 2008 - 13:22 ET by Cool ArrowBut they don't get diddly for their constituents unless they toe the party line.
Witness the Yellow Dog Democrats that used to be "blue"
Make no mistake. It was their constituents who were "too cute by half"
Lydsexics untie
shawn,
May 17, 2008 - 21:16 ET by R D HelmI have to be honest here. I am not real sure McCain would be any better than Obama or even Hillary. His cap and trade crap alone to send this economy down the tubes, and right quickly, at that.
The biggest issue for me at the moment is the economy, as well as the sharp increase in energy costs, which, if they continue to go up, are going to seriously impact the the economy more than they have so far.
Every one of the candidates are proposing new taxes, fees, regulations, etc., or some combination thereof.
Our economy, while beginning to show some signs of improvement, is not going to be strong enough to withstand all this stuff being implemented, particularly if it all happens very quickly.
We're in for a rough time, I'm afraid, regardless.
RDH
May 17, 2008 - 21:45 ET by shawn228With the exception of when the planes flew into our buildings or when I found out someone carried a nucleaur warhead across the country, I have never been so scared for our country.
Gas has gone up by 50 dollars in about 6 months. That is unbelievable? Terrorist want to kill us and and want to to do it on our soil. How about the war. Of course I want us to win, but the terrorist all proving very reslient and it is frustation watchour troops getting killed everyday.
Even thought the statistics say it is only 1 percent of our GDP, 6 billion spent and estimated to well well over 2 trillion dollars. GDP, I don't have a calculator on me, but thats around 20 percent isn't. Our dollar is dropping more and more everyday and the reality of the world using the Euro instead of the dollar might happen, if it keeps dropping.
Food is on the increase, People are losing their homes and the job market is getting worse and worse. Ie Michigan. If the Detroit Red Wings, the best team in the NHL is not selling out Joe Lewis arena something is amiss.
I don't know if I want to vote for the old guy that wants to protect our country, but can have a heart attack very soon, and probably be bad as the current adminstration on spending and immigration . or the person that wants to withdraw our troops from Iraq and support Stupid things like Affirmative action and home bailouts.
It is a lose lose all around.
Gas Prices
May 17, 2008 - 21:51 ET by harry flashmanWhen the Dems took control of both Houses gas average was $2.19.
harry
May 17, 2008 - 21:59 ET by shawn228Your right, and If you are implying anything, I never once said the Democrats are doing a good job. I am saying gas rising so quickly sucks,
Shawn
May 17, 2008 - 22:07 ET by harry flashmanNo implication intended - just an observation.
I agree wholeheartedly - gas prices suck.
The Japan of the '30's was destroyed because of their need for oil and it led them to destruction.
History, and all that sh1t.
thank your for that harry
May 17, 2008 - 22:17 ET by shawn228Not a week goes by without Ken Sheppard or someone else say the msm is trying to let us think cost more than it really cost. The national average is 3.72 and the msm gasp..,..dare shows a picture in California for Gast at 4.17. Those spinning dems.
I think the bigger picture is oil at $127.00 don't you? If it keeps rising as quickly as it is now, something has to to give. Can you see anyway this country could survive if gas cost $20 per gallon. How can people afford to go to work? How can restaurants afford food prices?
Rising gas prices can bankrupt this country.
Shawn
May 17, 2008 - 22:43 ET by harry flashmanI see the fuel situation as a strategic attack on the #1 economy in the world.
We are at war with Islam (radical, if you must justify) and gas is a weapon. The Wahabbis who control the wells know full well the effect they have.
But, the Liberal/Progressive/Socialist (whatever) claim to be for "energy independence" yet block every effort to drill for energy independent sources of oil. Lord Theodore of Hyannis Port blocked windmills on the Cape because it would destroy his unhampered view of the pristine Taxachussetts Coast.
The Liberalites block drilling anywhere on the West Coast lest they lose their Luddite constinuencies in Washington, Oregon and Kalifiornia. We can't drill in the postage stamp area of ANWAR or in the Gulf of Mexico.
Never, ever trust a liberal.
Yes Harry, I agree
May 17, 2008 - 22:48 ET by shawn228Drill and drill often. Build more rifineries and take away ethanol mandating.
The Saudis are p*ssed with us as well, that is why they are doing this.
They do not have a good working relationship with our President, and they are showing their spite. plain and simple.
They don't like us being in the middle east, they know it makes things more unstable, they don't like that we are trying to wean ourselves off gas.
I just don't know how much longer we can sustain the rapid price for fuel, let alone the rest of the world.
Shawn
May 17, 2008 - 23:03 ET by harry flashmanIndeed - oil, at present , is the life blood of the industrial West. This of course, means nothing (and everything) to a religious culture with an 8th century mindset, not to mention, a non-industrial society.
As long as the Koran and Sharia are operative societal mechanisms of Islam, so it shall always be.
To say that the West is fighting "Islamo-Facism" or "Islamic Fundamentalism" may be true in a given sense, the truth is we're fighting the inculcation of the madrassa and the Koran, pure and simple.
"I'd rather die fighting than fight dying."
Master Sergeant Joseph Perdue, USMC (ret)
You aren't paying enough
May 17, 2008 - 23:07 ET by NL207You aren't paying enough attention to the Japan of the 1930's. They declared war on the United States, Britain and the Netherlands over oil. Air Raid, Pearl Harbor, This is no drill! Do you think the present oil crisis is not going to lead to war? I sure as H*** don't.
(actually, there's a popular
May 17, 2008 - 21:54 ET by balboa(actually, there's a popular theory out there about the Red Wings that they're not playing a style of hockey that the fans like. The Pistons and Tigers are both doing really well attendance-wise)
This is not a racist statement Bal
May 17, 2008 - 22:03 ET by shawn228I know quite a few people that live in Michigan. They say it is a blue collar. white collar kind of thing.
The office workers are big fans of the Pistons and the ones that work for the auto plants and other manufactuing jobs, go to the Red Wing Games.
They won the Presidents Trophy and the best team in the league, I would think all the job loss has something to do with that.
Could be. Who has the
May 17, 2008 - 22:05 ET by balboaCould be. Who has the cheapest ticket prices?
Not sure Bal
May 17, 2008 - 22:08 ET by shawn228also, I watch how the Red Wings play. They have a good defense and are nowhere near as bad a Minnesota for boring hockey.
They have great offense as well. A few yrs ago, you could not even get your hands on tickets for Hockeytown.
I wish I could find the
May 17, 2008 - 22:18 ET by balboaI wish I could find the article where I read this...nuts.
But it said that they weren't playing smash-mouth hockey, not enough hitting.
shawn, LOL-
May 17, 2008 - 22:31 ET by R D HelmDay'em, you are starting to sound like me. :-)
What kills me is, the very people who could actually fix this thing, the congress critters, are too busy holding hearings on whether or not Roger Clemens did steroids. I mean, talk about priorities being whacked. I mean, deep down, whether they will admit to it or not, they know what needs to be done, but, they won't do it, at least not until they are forced to.
You know, for the first time in my life, I am beginning to have doubts about this country's future. And I am not talking 500 years down the road, either.
I have been reading up on what McCain and Co. are proposing, and all I see it as is one giant government power-grab.
You have to wonder, given the insane level of over-regulating just about everything that goes on these days, would Alexander Graham Bell have been able to actually invent the telephone in this climate?
I would say hell no, because the telegraph lobby would have raised hell over it, assuming the pony-express lobby didn't kill the telegraph before it had a chance to get off the ground. :-)
This is why I am such an adamant supporter of the Libertarian philosophy. They appear to be the only political party left that still cares about individual freedom.
The Republicrats gave up on it a long, long time ago, as there really isn't an ounce of difference between the two anymore.
Well, there is always the Cayman Islands.
RDH
May 17, 2008 - 22:42 ET by shawn228There is also this place. Everyone is happy and there is no danger of getting attacked, There are no whining democrats, no religious nutjobs and they dont pay taxes.
Shawn, no taxes? Hey, I'm there!
May 17, 2008 - 23:00 ET by R D HelmEspecially if Maureen McCormick is part of the deal. :-)
She was, after all, one of my first crushes. Susan Dey was the other.
marcia marcia marcia
May 17, 2008 - 23:20 ET by shawn228were you upset when you found out Marcia was getting it on with Jan in real life?
I actually find that is kinda hot.
It didn't bother me.
May 17, 2008 - 23:23 ET by R D HelmIt didn't bother me. :-)
Marsha Brady could do no wrong. Nothing.
LOL-Guess I'm gonna catch it now.
What if you saw .....her smoking?
May 17, 2008 - 23:36 ET by shawn228She is a all grown up here.
My favorites were Ginger and Mary anne.
Shawn,
May 17, 2008 - 23:39 ET by R D HelmLOL-I would let her dump her ashes in my pocket. :-)
RD... I must be a bit
May 17, 2008 - 23:42 ET by Clear thinkerRD...
I must be a bit older than you. My first crush was Ann Margeret. That was one hot red head!
"Abstain from McCain"
Ct, are you kidding me?
May 17, 2008 - 23:54 ET by R D HelmLOL-Ann was the reason why I bought the tape of the movie version of Tommy.
She was a dish.
RD... I remember the
May 17, 2008 - 23:58 ET by Clear thinkerRD...
I remember the first time I saw Elvis kissed Ann on screen, geez was I mad.
"Abstain from McCain"
Clear thinker
May 18, 2008 - 00:06 ET by shawn228One of the hottest women of any generation.
Shawn... I will admit she
May 18, 2008 - 00:13 ET by Clear thinkerShawn...
I will admit she was a knockout in her younger days, but she did NOT age graciously.
"Abstain from McCain"