A first(?) thread on 2008: McCain,Giuliani & the Republicans

Egads, Huckabee's been assassinated already!

He did it himself, CI. Click here for details

Good to see you, OBill, but do you think one bad decision by a politican will do him in? I believe all politicians make more than a few mistakes, and still survive.

Good to see you too. He supported the release of rapist, despite warnings from multiple other victims, and an innocent woman is dead as a direct result. He's arguably as culpable as Ted Kennedy ever was, IMO, and will be denied the Oval Office just the same. This mistake doesn't go away. Just like the story of Mary Jo Kopechne; his opponents can ride that horse as much as they wish, and it will never die.

Yeah, I was thinking about Ted Kennedy, and he seems to have survived rather well.

True... but he'll never even be considered to sit behind the desk in the Oval Office. And we all know why.

Ted's sorta a joke among most because of the excesses that started with Chappaquiddick.

I dunno, Giuilani and Romney seem to be self-destructing. After all this, Huckabee's emergence could help get McCain the nomination. I think McCain is the only viable candidate that has a chance in the general election.

McCain will NEVER make it as the GOP nominee...

Actually, although I don't speak for "most" nor do you, I suspect that most people respect him for his work in the Senate despite the Chappaquiddick incident.

<giggles>

I'm just sayin'............

Since you have the crystal ball, who will?

Hi!

I don't know who will---I only know a few who can't.

This is such an interesting cycle.

McCain isn't considered a Republican by the shadowy guys in the back room. They'll fight him from the inside.

It ain't necessarily so. Who would have thought that Giuliani could have gotten as far as he has? Well, sure, other than Giuliani of course.

The Republican candidates are each electorally disfigured in some way. Whoever comes out ahead will not have the sort of movement support and consensus as we've seen previously.

Can a Mormon actually make it? Who'd have thought that?

Maintaining the White House will be the fundamental concern. If McCain is still standing in a month or three AND if it looks like he could challenge the Dem candidate, then McCain will get the support of the backroom boys you refer to.

Hi bill. Nice to see you. I gather the penicillin treatments were successful?

I say McCain's outright anti-GOP activities while a senator are burned into too many powerful memories.

Giuliani may hold some views outside the fold, but when it comes to the common thread--he has it.

It will be fun to watch.

Good to see you too, Blatham. Fit as a fiddle, thanks.

I have to agree it's too early to count McCain out.

Huckabee: No way.
Mormon: I don't believe it.
Thompson: Too old school to get the vote that really wins the general (mine).
This race is Giuliani's to lose. He isn't the prototype conservative, and that is precisely why he has a chance in the general. McCain lacks his charisma; but fits into this same mold, and keeping the Whitehouse has to be the GOP's first concern. Some of McCain's stands, which bastardize him to the party, are precisely the kind of demonstrations of principle that could be sold to independents. It wasn't so very long ago, that even a majority of Democrats seemed to respect him.

Four years ago; a Hillary candidacy was a joke used mostly to bait right-wingers into statements like "I'd leave the country". Did anyone really think her makeover would be believed? Clearly, it has been. She says more of the right things to earn the most important vote (mine) than any of her fellow Democrats. (To bad for her; I don't believe her.) Anyway; when it comes down to the General... when the majority of those who vote start bothering to pay attention... I think McCain would be second only to Giuliani as a viable Republican candidate. Put him on the ticket with Giuliani; and I think you'd see the odds change dramatically. The GOP can either face the fact that the General Public isn't interested in Far Right Leadership or they can lose. Both McCain and Giuliani can demonstrate thoroughly that they are NOT Bush. This, more than anything else, is mandatory for a Republican to stand a chance.

As McCain stands against democrats today:

McCain (49%) Biden (36%)
McCain (47%) Clinton (45%)
McCain (52%) Dodd (33%)
McCain (39%) Edwards (46%)
McCain (45%) Obama (44%)
McCain (43%) Richardson (38%

Widely held GOP perception: The problem is if McCain gets in, he's like Democrat.

Just the type of thinking that could lead them to outright forfeiting the oval office. I think they're smart enough to recognize "like a Democrat" as the lesser of two evils, from their own perspective, and act accordingly if the situation warrants it. As the holder of the deciding vote; they would be ill advised to dismiss my wishes. :wink: