Feb 09 2008
Huckabee Win In KS Shows GOP Elites Not Ready For McCain
What does a caucus win in KS by Huckabee mean? Same thing all those caucus wins on Super Tuesday meant for Romney – nothing much. Until Huckabee wins primaries (and he has a shot in VA this Tuesday, but I doubt he will win it) all this shows is the continued resistance of the GOP party stalwarts to face the facts the GOP voters are not going to give support for the eiltes preferred candidates. The primaries show voter preferences while caucuses show party stalwart preferences. And the fact they continue to split simply illustrates the inability of some to lose graciously.
“What does a caucus win in KS by Huckabee mean”
It means that I will still be avoiding Kansas for some time. Ever since they started teaching “intelligent design” as “science”, I have made it a point to not only avoid Kansas, I won’t hire any products of the Kansas school system either.
So, why is Huckabee staying in? And, how long will it take for McCain to reach that magic number?
Don’t forget that Kansas is in Huckabee’s back yard. He’s not exactly a favorite son but he is a neighbor they know well. Also, Huckabee is going to do very well in any state where the evangelical vote makes up a significant part of the republican base – which applies to most southern states and the midwest. Huckabee should do very well in Louisiana for the same reason he did well in Kansas – regional boy, lots of evangelicals.
Outside of those areas and that group, he doesn’t have a chance, of course.
McCain’s campaign said the earliest he could seal the deal was March 4th.
Huckabee will do well in states like that, evangelicals. And right now a lot of McCain and Romney people are probably thinking it is over. I wonder how many people will even vote now?
I understand now what suspension of campaign means. In this case, Romney gets to keep his delegate votes. So…what’s the advantage of keeping delegate votes?
Romney wants to make sure McCain wins?
Now I will vote for McCain now that Romney is no longer in the race. I prefer McCain over Huck. I have no idea why Huck is still running.
I think that delegates=influence.
That is also why Huck is running.
I think.
I wonder if Rush will talk about “religious wackos” voting for Huckabe in Kansas …. naaaaah, never happen.
Terry – as far as numbers (and I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong…) There are about 750,000 registered Republicans in Kansas. About 15,000 showed up to take part in this caucus. Them’s pretty poor numbers and should be deeply worrying for the GOP, since 36,000 showed up for the Dem caucuses last week.
Anyway, Huckabee won by getting 1.5% of the states republicans to show up and vote for him. Of course, McCain only got 1/2 of 1% to vote for him. So there’s really nothing here for anyone to be proud of.
Looks like Ron Paul may drop out.
Influence?
Maybe that’s why Romney suspended so he gets to keep his delegate votes.
My understanding is that Huckabee did not win the evangelical vote in the previous primaries. That majority voted for Romney. It is the Southern Baptist vote that Huckabee has been winning overwhelmingly. It will be interesting to see where that evangelical vote goes now. If Huckabee pulls more of that vote than McCain now it could help Huckabee force McCain’s hand for a VP slot. Or McCain may have to chose another who can help secure that vote.
Let me see if I’ve got this straight…..Huckabee is the choice of the party elites?
Man, I want some of what you’re smokin’. It’s gotta be goooodddd stuff.
Look at those voting numbers, people. Yeah, Huckabee won Kansas … with a whole 11,600 votes. 67,500 people seem to have voted for Huckabee in Louisiana. That’s not a lot of people, folks. We aren’t talking about any massive groundswell of support.
Whippet:
It has often been the case that Romney won evangelical votes, in spite of the fact that people say evangelicals do not like Mormons, I think that might have been an exaggerated bias.
It could well be that Huckabee would do well in Kansas and Louisiana for the same reasons he did well in Iowa and the south. Rural voters among others just like the guy.
I think the problem now is that people think it is over and they just won’t bother showing up.
The Democrats on the other hand, have a real race on their hands.
Saw Bobby Jindal interviewed last night – he reminded people that Huckabee, as Ark. Governer, had made some public and popular move to assist Louisiana after Katrina, and he was highly regarded by many people there due to that. Also, north Louisiana is much more similar to southern Arkansas than to south Louisiana (Hope is only about 40 miles from the border) so also Huck has a natural base there. I’ve come to appreciate the fact that Huck is a very strong regional candidate, one that can strongly appeal to (probably) up to about 10 states just because of where he’s from – he appeals to the “hey, finally a guy just like us!” vote in these states.
Of course, the perennial problem for regional candidates is that their appeal just doesn’t travel well.
Huh?
AJ is the master of Orwellian newspeak.
To imply that McCain isn’t in the Republican elite is bizarro world commentary.
All the primary results underline is the success of the Republican elite to manipulate the process to get him nominated.
But this is all irrelevant as November will demonstrate.
Barry will clean our clocks and usher in the irreversible decline of the greatest country the world has ever known.
See, AJ, all your insightful and uplifting Iraq posts have been for naught. The MSM, despite cutbacks and losses, has won the war. They’ve convinced the evangelicals, the swing voting block in US politics that global warming is real, Iraq was a mistake, we need socialized medicine, etc. A panoply of socialistic agenda with baby Jesus’ stamp of approval is now a frightening reality.
In other words, we are finished. Huckabee’s successes are only a foreshadowing of things to come. Obamessiah will give it to us good and hard, and with the Christers onboard will be undefeatable.
In two years you’ll have serious regrets about trumpeting the decline of conservative radio for they are the only ones able to put up much of a fight here.
Huckabee Win In KS Shows GOP Elites Not Ready For McCain
Well I say it is a sad day for Kansas that a few people spoke for the whole state. We didn’t get to have our say. No voting caucus here in Linn County, KS. Not everyone can drive 50 plus miles to vote.
I would say the GOP stabbed their own people in the back. This is one time I am sorry to say I am a republican.
I will vote for John McCain when the true election comes to town.