Feb 11 2008
Huckabee’s Boomlet Is Over, Can Conservatives Lose Gracefully?
Want to know who will win the VA, MD and DC GOP primaries handily? It won’t be Huckabee, it will be McCain. The polls show McCain romping in these states who will vote tomorrow see (RCP polls for VA and MD). So when Huckabee is blown out of the South in VA will the delusional fantasies of a Huckabee Boom to stop McCain finally end the conservative revolt? Peggy Noonan asked last week if Hillary can lose graciously – but I want to know if conservatives can?
The conservative revolt against George Bush and any progress that even hinted at bipartisan sanity (e.g., The Gang of 14 which I and my fellow members in the Coalition of The Chillin’ accurately predicted would not be a disaster for the GOP, but would instead lead to the long string of conservative judges Bush was able to put on the Federal Benches around this country). This anathema against progress became more and more heated through from the nomination of Harriet Miers to Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
The hyper-partisan right (e.g., ‘true’ conservatives) declared open warfare against their one time coalition allies and predicted victory in their war with moderates (a.k.a RINOs, quislings and traitors). Now that it is clear they are losing the battle for the heart and soul of the GOP with the ascendency of John McCain, will these people lose graciously? I ask them to picture what they wanted to see in their defeated political foes if they had won. Did they want support and respect and backing in their cause? If so, do they not think they owe that kind of response to their one-time allies if they lose the battle? I have my doubts, but I can easily be proven wrong.
Update: So it seems Gary Bauer has shown how to prove me wrong:
Conservative Gary Bauer is endorsing Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
The prominent abortion foe says in a statement that McCain “has dedicated his life to defending human rights around the world, including the rights of the unborn.” The McCain campaign released Bauer’s statement.
Can the Amnesty Hypochondriacs prove me wrong as well? This is the week to find out. BTW, my prediction on Huckabee’s challenge to the WA caucus is that he will lose.
The state Republican party posted new numbers late this afternoon, with 93 percent of the precincts reporting. The percentages didn’t change much, with McCain winning about 25 percent of the delegates, Huckabee 24 percent, Paul 21 percent, and Romney 17 percent.
I suspect the WA GOP knew where the remaining votes were and who was going to win. The fact Huckabee went to court tells me this is a lot to do with media coverage, since his ‘miracle’ chances are slim.
The only reasons I can think of for Huckabee staying in after Romney gracefully suspended, is to try to show he has a ton of support in the states that McCain isn’t strong in–to make a case for being McCain’s VP. The only other reason I can think of, is to continue his contact with voters, win as many states as possible, and get as much media attention out of it in order to strengthen his own case to run again in 2012.
Obviously he knows he hasn’t a chance — and there will be no brokered Republican convention now that Romney is out of the race.
I would have to also point out that I considered Huckabee less conservative than McCain. He is considered a conservative candidate because of his stand on faith and family (abortion, marriage, etc). And, it is true that one issue social conservatives stand by him, even today. He is liberal on national defense and fiscal matters. In fact, I put him under McCain as an acceptable candidate, when I was going through my thought process on deciding who to support (long before the Iowa caucus).
I think it is his liberal side that has him acting this way.
But, he has the right to continue his campaign. And, if McCain wraps it up in early March then it doesn’t hurt the party much in the long run. Once McCain hits that magic number I think Huckabee will suspend his campaign (atleast that is what he hints at).
A.J.
I for one have endorsed McCain:
Thanks Rodney, appreciate you sharing that here.
AJStrata
It is a good thing that Huck is doing what he’s doing: we don’t want those evangelicals going over to the dark, ah, dem side. Bring ’em in, Huck, just keep bringing ’em in… And then, if you will, get them to vote republican in November. Thankyouverymuch!
AJ, I’ve been checking around on this….the hyper-conserviacs are going to submarine this election if McCain is the pick. They are saying they don’t see any difference between McCain and Obama or Hillary (eg., the are all liberals). And they are taking their stand. They will NOT vote for any liberals. EVEN if it means loosing the election to Obama/Billary.
They don’t care what the RNC leadership is doing. They don’t care about who’s endorsing him nor are they listening to party leaders to change course and get united behind him. They are going down with the ship and they are taking our country (and McCain) with them. While they wont be able to stop McCains nomination. They can submarine the election in Nov. Obama is already making a big push to soak in as many moderates and indies as he can right now…while the RNC is rejecting them and trying to push them away. Couple that with a stay-home far right base and you’ve got an easy win for Obama….not as easy for Billary but still puts them in the drivers seat.
Have you seen the “VVAM” Vietnam Vets Against McCain…claiming he was actually a collaborator and traitor during his time as a POW and that his bi-partisan work with Kerry on MIA and POWs was actually an effort to hide evidence from people? They’ve got a video ready.
Here’s a little exceprt of what we can expect going forward
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vFM1xqqTX_g
I’m sure McCain won Washington, but the way the local GOP handled the counting was just stupid. Why do it in a way that would lead to controversy? How hard would it have been to simply have counted them all and then let the results speak for themselves? I think Huckabee’s got a legitimate gripe, and I don’t even support him for cryin out loud.
A.J.
I endorsed McCain and I’ll vote for him (seeing as how Billary or Obama would be a disaster). Or are you saying that “going along” isn’t enough?
Dc:
I heard about that video, I also heard that all those claims have been debunked time and again, but that does not keep these idiots from coming back. Needless to say they have no evidence whatever.
If these guys do hand the election to Obama, then the Republican party should make an effort to drive them out of the party for good. They could attract more Independents. These folks are like some kind of albatross.
The thing that annoys me the most if that if McCain is the people’s choice then they have no right to expect the party to change that. and these same people did not help anyone else. They did not support Brownback or Thompson they way they should have.
The only McCain doesn’t get the nomination is if he becomes incapacitated.
Am I the only guy creeped out by Mike Huckabee harping about miracles within that context?
Rodney,
I was wondering if folks like Noonan can practice what they preach and practice how they envisioned the ‘losers’ would be if they had been on the winning side.
Losers is right. Armey jumps on Coulter
Susan Davis reports from the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Conservative author, pundit and provocateur Ann Coulter may speak for many conservatives in the Republican Party, but she doesn’t speak for former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, who now runs the fiscally conservative Freedom Works.
Addressing thousands of the party’s most loyal supporters at today’s Conservative Political Action Conference , Armey let it be known that he disagreed with Coulter’s recent statement on Fox News that she’d vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton over Sen. John McCain if he becomes the Republican nominee.
Voicing his support for McCain — now the presumptive nominee since Mitt Romney suspended his campaign — Armey expressed confidence that the Arizona senator would win in a general election and that subsequently Coulter and Clinton “can be very happy together.†That brought murmurs and a spattering of boos from the conservative crowd. The Texas lawmaker didn’t stop there. “That was really one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard,†he added, which was met with resounding cheers from the audience.
Maybe McCain can win over conservatives after all.
What did YOU think about GWB as candidate 9 Months before his first election????? I thought Who is this Guy??….. I’m satisfied with my vote….. Are you???????
I was not sure what to think of Bush back then. I like him better now. But some of these true conservatives have not been kind to him either.
My point would be how deep is your memory hole. Weeks, months or decades…
I’ll consider supporting McCain when his supporters stop insulting everyone who has legitimate complaints about McCain’s positions on the issues. I figure that will be sometime in 2020 or so, after McCain is dead and his supporters have finally finished gloating and scolding and wagging their fingers at all those with whom they disagree.
antimedia,
Let’s test your glass house. Did you ever call someone a RINO for disagreeing with you? Did you call McCain and Bush traitors or un-American for supporting comprehensive immigration reform?
You seem to think because supporters are happy their guy is winning (and I am not a supporter nor am I happy he is winning) that is some kind of insult.
Did you miss the point of this post?
In my opinion, the louder Sean or Rush or Laura or Mark or Michelle scream or impose their will with negative intent and covert hostility, the more national votes go McCain’s way. We are the United States of America, not the Conservative States of America. Americans are sick of the blackmail, personal attacks on the President and the unreasonable demands.
I am an American first and foremost. As the biblical story with Solomon points out, the real mother would not allow her baby to be split in half. I will not participate in allowing a global socialist soros, bought-and-paid-for, democrat into the People’s House. Ever.
AJ,
The animosity runs both ways. It thus behooves McCain (and his supporters)to reach out to the supporters of his various primary opponents if he wants more than their reluctant vote come November. Falling in on the candidate is not a problem, falling in love is a whole ‘nother matter.
P.S. This from a fellow alumnus of McCain’s.
Here’s how it works, for those who cannot understand what to do who dislike McCain.
When someone wins, and is going to be the nominee and you differ with them and the positions on which you ran LOST, “you” go to “them” and seek to gain audience to them to discuss those issues you have concerns about. You respectfully, seek their ear so you can voice what is your biggest concern, hear reassurances (or not) from them, hear what “They” have to say, and try to impress on them the importance of what you believe and what issues concern you most.
You DO NOT, smear them to try and force an ultimatim under the door. You do not do everything you can to wreck the party and/or election because you are angry you lost and then demand they adopt your ideas (you just lost on) or else you’ll suicide vote. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
McCain won “BECAUSE’ of his ideas and stances. He deserves to put together somekind of campaign to build on that. NOT force him to carry an albatross around his neck of lost campaign causes that have died on the vine and could not pass muster in the nomination process this election. Take whatever concerns you have to McCain and talk to him. One of the biggest cranks on him has been that he listens to alternative views and sometimes takes up those causes if he is convinced . So, why not take advantage of that and go talk to “him”?? Tell him what you are concerned about and why you are concerned. Discuss those things with him and seek to reason with him over differences.
That’s what everybody else has done. Hell, Tompson endorsed him. What do you think an endorsement means? Romney isn’t going to endorse McCain…but respects McCains position as the probable winner here. And further, Tompson didn’t like Romney either and slammed him often.
I think, some of it seems just like pouting, whinning and sour grapes…..traits I’ve grown to despise from the DNC side of things.