McCain on Meet The Press...

[Kamicosmos]

I personally feel the Democrats will win it in 2008, regardless of who runs on either side.

I fear a Hillary Presidency, but I bet she'll get the Dean treatment and wash out early in the primaries. Her and Bill have too much dirt that the other candidates in the Dem party, let alone the Repubs, will throw at them.

But, the Dems will take it.

Heh, I think I'm going to put $5 in an evelope and put it in the safe as a bet with myself. I sure hope I'm wrong, but....I don't see it going to the Repubs this time. And a third party hasn't been a real threat to win since the early 1900s...


But, I'll do what I've done in the past 4 presidential elections (as well as my state and local elections) in my life: Vote 3rd party whenever I can!

 

[callgood]

Looks like another expensive election year for me. I got my AR15 compliments of John French Kerry. By the fall of '08 I'll have enough in the sinking fund (i.e., I have this sinking feeling the dems might win) for an AR10. Oh, well, I'll just tell Mrs. Callgood, "Dear, I'm taking Hilary to the range."
The first time I told her I was taking "John" to the range, she thought I meant my brother.
I used to let this all affect my bloodpressure, but the dems are the party of the loony left and the republicans are conservative in name only, spending at a rate FDR would have found appalling and openly thumbing their noses at the law- i.e., immigration. Blowing a gasket won't change things, so I'll just do the best I can to prepare for what may come.

 

[Selfdfenz]

Remember, in a Hillary vs. McCain in 2008 will be another "I can't throw my precious vote away on a 3rd party - so I'll vote for McCain". The summer of 2008 this forum will be full of that discussion.

There are other threads running right now on THR about 3rd parties and why they can't win. That went on before the last election. If McCain is nominated the Lib and Constitution party get a major shot in the arm. A McCain nomination causes a watershed repositioning in the RP, what it stands for and who it's supporters are.

I went 3rd party [happily] last time and I will again unless something magical happens with the RP. From the outside looking in I don't see the RP doing much to bring the conservatives that bolted back home. Anything but.

If W and McCain are the best the R's can come up, I'm never going back.
For me that is a wasted vote.
Best,
S-

 

[nico]

I definitely won't vote Republican in '08 unless they put a real candidate on the ticket.

I hate to sound like an air america tool, but it really does seem like the national Republicans are just pandering to evangelicals (who they seem to think exclusively make up their base) and doing whatever they want with everything else. It's scary to see how many so-called conservatives support the patriot act.

 

[Selfdfenz]

pandering to evangelicals
>>?<<
S-

 

[taliv]

umm, yeah, seriously, nico, where'd that come from??

i'm even more evangelical than I am a gun nut. what has Bush done for evangelicals except give us a bad name?

putting tax-dollars into faith-based charities is NOT helping the evangelicals. money corrupts, and evangelicals don't really have much problems raising their own money.

as an evangelical, the list of things i'd like starts with disbanding the federal Dept of Education. #2 on the list is straightening out the "separation of church and state" doctrine, which is currently FUBAR

I'll grant you that Bush has talked a lot about evangelicals, but then, cheney comes to all the NRA dinners too and that hasn't accomplished much either

 

[nico]

Maybe I should have phrased that differently. It seems like Bush (and a lot of the national repubs) tries to make it look like he's pandering to religious Christians (whether or not he's actually doing anything) with things like the gay marriage Constitutional Amendment and Faith Based Initiatives. He doesn't seem to be interrested in going out of his way to make any other specific groups (gun owners, fiscal conservatives, people who want limited government, etc.) that usually make up the Repub base happy. In fact, he's often gone out of his way (advocating renewal of the AWB, spending like there's no tomorrow, the Patriot Act) to screw over groups that usually make up the repub base.

Bush gives evangelicals a bad name in the same way Dean gives quasi-socialist liberals a bad name. Just like there are plenty of leftwing nuts who think Dean is the future of the party, there seem to be a significant number of people who think that bush is a good Christian so they don't care what else he does. I'm gonna puke if I hear another person say "I have nothing to hide so I don't have a problem with the Patriot Act."

 

[Selfdfenz]

nico,

Not sure I'm a poster boy for being an evangelical, but to whatever extent I might be even close, W is not one of us. Not by a country mile.



S-

 

[nico]

I shouldn't have said "Evangelical" as, in this context, it's a buzzword used to demonize a group of people (which is NOT what I meant to do). I do think, however, that Bush for whatever reason, has a significant number of people who think that because he's "a good Christian," he can do no wrong and always has the country's best interrest in mind. Not that it's quantitative evidence, but that seems to be a pretty common sentiment among Rush Limbaugh and Shawn Hannity callers. "The Democrats just want to demonize president Bush because he's a good Christian and they can't stand that."

 

[stevelyn]

Everbody seems to be focused on McCain. I think Rudy Giuliani is going to suddenly appear out of the woodwork and throw a monkey wrench into the works.
The repugnikans don't have anyone currently in govt that would motivate their voter base to go out and vote and/or campaign. Everyone that the Democrats can viably run are absolutely destestable to the American voters. Giuliani kinda disappeared from the scene while riding high on a tide of popularity for his leadership after 9/11 and has been hidden since. I think if he were to suddenly appear as a presidential candidate after all the other misfits have revealed themselves, he just might pull off a coup and get nominated.
He seems to be a capable leader, is well liked and personable. By staying hidden he dosen't generate much controversy so there's less dirt to dig up and throw back at him. Don't take your eyes off the immediate threats (Hitlery and the Manchurian), but do be aware of other possibilities.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Giuliani is a contender as well, I agree, but I think he will end up as McCain's running mate.

 

[taliv]

i'll buy that, nico

 

[Rebar]

Giuliani is not a contender, he'll do better than McCain, but he doesn't appeal to the primary voters. He'd be far better off going for Hillary's senate seat next year.

 

[R.H. Lee]

Giuliani's a non starter. Outside of the east coast urban areas, he's virutally unknown. Hardly presidential material, either.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Giuliani is not unknown outside the NE. He was everywhere after 911.

I think you guys are underestimating his chances. Any Republican that runs will get the South. Giuliani will do at least as well as Bush in the west and midwest, and he may actually be able to bring in NY.

 

[2nd Amendment]

Giuliani is a Dem with a Repub label. He'd do no better than Bush because he would inspire no more, if as much, desire in conservatives to vote at all than Shrub did. His votes would come from people opposing the Dem, otherwise he wouldn't collect enough votes outside the East Coast to win dog catcher anywhere else.

 

[Mr. James]

Guiliani is a non-starter with the conservative base who fuel primary elections. He is pro-choice. He is anti-gun. He has a checkered marital past (married three times, serial adulterer), which many social conservatives will find positively distasteful. Remember, he shacked up with his girlfriend after his second wife had had a belly-full, and married her at Gracie Mansion at a ceremony officiated by Bloomberg, another dispicable urban RINO.

Guiliani, for whatever steel he showed after 9-11, is poison to the faithful.

 

[JB in SC]

The republican primaries will be a dogfight, and I just don't see McCain surviving them. I don't see the deep south faithful voting for him. Even my own Senator Graham is in trouble for his defection. He's got some 'splaining to do when he gets home.

I seriously doubt McCain will run third party (his little bill stabbed third parties in the back); he's kicking tires and pandering to the media. He's playing the good guy that wants to do "the people's business". I want him to keep his nose out of my business.

 

[RealGun]

Not sure I'm a poster boy for being an evangelical, but to whatever extent I might be even close, W is not one of us. Not by a country mile. - selfdfenz

Not sure what you are saying here. Should I be relieved that a genuine evangelical is not President, "a country mile" stronger about religion as executive guidance and how that should effect proposed legislation, "compassionate" views of illegal immigrants, and the nominations to the federal courts? Was there no satisfaction with his views on gay marriage? What is "one of us"? I know it doesn't include me either way.

You don't need to respond and get into a religious debate, but your statement was strong enough and negative enough to deserve some balancing comment.

 

[dasmi]

All the Republicans, even you guys who are so against McCain right now, will vote for McCain too, and justify it as another "lesser of two evils" election.

Nope, I won't. I will vote my conscience, and that certainly will not be McCain, or Hillary.

 

[SteveS]

I think it is fair to say that, as part of Rove's strategy, GWB sought the "evangelical" vote. It worked, mostly because the Democrats have slowly, but surely, demonized and alienated most religious groups and this was a chance to win a lot of voters.

He doesn't seem to be interrested in going out of his way to make any other specific groups (gun owners, fiscal conservatives, people who want limited government, etc.) that usually make up the Repub base happy.

He doesn't have to. If the Dems had put up a moderate or pro-gun candidate, he would have sucked up to the gun voters, but Kerry certainly didn't fall into either of those categories. As for those other groups, they weren't going to vote for Kerry, so he didn't have to worry. Oh, the joy of a two party system!

 

[RealGun]

part of Rove's strategy,

The strategy was a no-brainer. Be pro-life, anti-gay marriage, and find no problem with figments of Christianity in government proceedings and your in with the passionately religious crowd being coached from the pulpit, especially when the other guy has opposing views down the line or disingenuous waffling. I believe these philosophies are natural for Bush. Rove may have used it to advantage but it doesn't mean appealing to "traditional values" was his creation.

 

[longeyes]

All McCain needs to do is drop the "Mc."

Beware of men who consider themselves the Great Conciliator.

 

[longeyes]

The candidate the American people are waiting for is a nationalist. Is there one in the house? Of course, I can't see the Rockefeller Republicans who still run the Party ever letting such a creature get anywhere near the nomination.