Tuesday, January 08, 2008
|
|
Mac is Back
|
|
Posted by:
Mary Katharine Ham at
9:14 PM
|
I'm already at the McCain event. Everything's so close together here.
They played the "Rocky" theme for McCain's entrance:
"I'm probably too old to use any phrase with the word kid in it, but tonight we sure showed them what a comeback looks like."
"When the pundits asked us how we'd do it, I told them, 'I'm going to New Hampshire where the voters refuse to let you make their decisions for them.'"
He throws in some schadenfreudic shots at Mitt: "I came to New Hampshire and I told you the truth. I'm not the one who told you what I thought you wanted to hear. I didn't tell you what I knew to be false."
The atmosphere here is, of course, rowdy and crowded. There's an overflow crowd in the lobby of the hotel, where I'm sitting on the floor in front of the closed-circuit TVs and blogging.
Update: So, what's up with Clinton leading, huh? This election has been nothing if not humbling for pundits. Sounds like grown-up voters came home to Hillary instead of getting caught up in Obama-mania. Or, as my colleague Amanda posits: "All the young people went to the Obama victory party and were too busy drinking to vote. Kinda like a really awesome tailgate where you forget to go to the game." Heh, I know that feeling. Odd that the young people would come out in Iowa, where it's comparatively difficult to vote, and not in New Hampshire.
Update: This victory speech is dragging quite a bit. A little more sing-songy than fiery. I would have expected more edge from him.
|
|
Am I, a conservative, supposed to be impressed that McCain won a primary in a liberal state because he got support from moderates and independents?
With all due respect to the conservatives and true Republicans who live in NH, we all know NH is going for the Democrat nominee in November, whoever he is.
That McCain won the GOP primary in NH with 37% of the vote, with the lion's share of his support not coming from his own party's base, is virtually meaningless. To win the nomination he will need support from the very grass-roots conservatives he has been double-crossing for the last seven years. And to win in November the Republican nominee, who will not be John McCain, will need to win in red states like Florida, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado.
I don't wish to discount the votes of NH conservatives, but any realistic GOP strategy in the general election will not depend on New England moderates and independents. It will depend on grass-roots conservatives in the South, the heartland, and the border states (can McCain win the GOP primary in Arizona?). |
|
|
I like the match up of McCain vs the Hill better than McCain vs Obama. We have had two recent elections with war hero's vs Mr. Personality (media favorite). Both times America chose the draft dodger over real war heros'. |
|
...not win New Hampshire?! He had 18-plus newsmedia come out in unison, backing him last month. For the past several weeks, many of these papers wrote daily editorials and articles that were anti-Romney and pro-McCain. Even to the point of full frontpage endorsements for McCain on and prior to the day of voting. How could anyone compete with that?!
In spite of this unfair bias, Romney still fared incredibly well, with only 5% pts behind McCain and beating all other candidates by far. Mitt is still the best man for the job of president of this great nation. Good luck to him! |
|
According to my 79 year old aunt, she is going to vote for Hillary because she wants Bill back in the White House. In her own words, "He was a bad boy, but he was a good president." I love my aunt dearly, but she has clearly lost her marbles. I wonder how many other women voters in New Hampshire felt the same? As for Hillary's tears: she was having a melt-down because there was a chance she might not get her way.
All I can say is, "God help us if the Clintons get back in the White House." |
|
|
that sux I wish he'd just go away. |
|
mean spirited digs if they are directed at the Dems. We need to build some kind of consensus and coalition on the GOP side. Granted, McCain and Huckabee lost me a long time ago. Those two, combined with Bush economic policy will almost certainly cause me to leave the GOP.
McCain and Huckster whine about comparison ads and lie about their records while calling Romney a liar. All the while, anyone who researches the claims in those ads will easily find that they are true. Both of them play with a covert brand of anti-mormon bigotry. brianakira - I assume you approve of that what with your 'bishop romney' references. Huckster's brand of anti-mormon bigotry is somewhat more overt than McCain's but McCain is into it neck deep as well.
If either of those two are the nominees for the GOP I will be interested to see how they fare in 'red states' that have sizeable mormon populations. Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming all have sizeable, politically active mormon populations. McCain might do alright in Arizona but he is not well liked in neighboring states and his actions in this campaign have damaged him further. Huckster is an non-starter out there. It will be fun to see the reaction of the GOP if those states are thrown into play. |
|
Romney - 29
Huckabee - 20
McCain - 9
Thompson -6
Paul - 2
Guiliani - 1
Hunter - 1
Next is Michigan. Romney will be either 1 or 2, again stretching his delegate lead. Following that; SC and Nevada are on the same day. Romney will be 1 or 2 in Nevada. Perhaps for the first time - he could finish third in SC.
Almost every scenario puts Romney as the top vote getter and delegate winner going into Florida.
From that point on - it's a whole new ball game.
Gotta admit though; things look good for the Democrats, they've got two decent candidates battleing for their nomination and two in the battle for the Republican nomination. |
|
brianakira - True Churchill was boorish and he was a genius. McCain isn't Churchill and this isn't the same world. He is just grumpy and old. He calls people liars when they point out his record but can't refute what they say. When it becomes apparent that he can't he appeals to class warfare. He's wrong on taxes. He's wrong on immigration. He's wrong on freedom of speech. He really has become a sad caricture of himself.
Beyond that, he alienates people that he will have to work with in the future. He holds petty grudges over stupid disagreements. He is a fine senator. He is not presidential material and he will have his clock cleaned if he is the nominee. All of these people that he has alienated will turn their backs. I know I will. |
|
Go, Hillary, go !
This is awesome news.
I pray she becomes the nominee, because in a general election, we'll carve her up like a Thanksgiving turkey.
|
|
...and unfortunately, so is Hill. FNC just called the race. Just when you thought that damn Clinton machine was dying out, it's back and we can't stop it. I feel so helpless right now.
As for "Mac," I'm starting to like him again. Forget Rudy...at least for now. |
|
|
This is just like that Simpsons episode when Bart ran for class president, but all his supporters went straight to the victory party and skipped the vote. |
|
Romney is toast
Romney is toast
Romney is toast
He has more delegates that either of us, but..
Romeny is toast! |
|
I just can't come to like him. I respect him. I just think he is boorish and petty. I think that he is more often wrong than right when it comes to policy.
Nevertheless, congratulations McCain supporters. Unlike Iowa, I can't crack on the intelligence of those who voted for the winner in NH. I question their judgement but certainly not their intelligence. I believe that in the not too distant future we will look at those who supported Huckabee the same way people looked at Trent Lott for bemoaning the loss of Strom Thurmond. A vote for Huckster is a vote for bigotry. He has nothing more to offer. A two-way race between McCain and Huckabee drives me from the GOP. |
|
|
starting to annoy me. Seems like he was savoring every last bit of sweet victory from this win. As far as Clinton goes, color me surprised and a little dismayed if she wins - since they all can't lose... |
|
"This victory speech is dragging quite a bit. A little more sing-songy than fiery. I would have expected more edge from him."
I don't think New Hampshire is going to get what it expected from McCain either. |
|
|
Mac evidently, like Huck did in Iowa, will beat Mitt by a large margin. Amazingly, the DEM race is the close one. Ham is getting the ale tour of the campaign stops. |
|
|
Now go over there and see if their beer is any good! :) |
|
|
Mac needs to look up more in his acceptance speech and drop the monotone jazz. A "return" theme is not the greatest idea. Huck is the one who can out-communicate the Dems. But congratulations to Mac fans! You have to admire him and his scrappy ways! I'm for Huck but I respect Mac! Hopefully they will not knife each other too much in Michigan. I don't think Mitt can win there either. National Review and others will start getting realistic soon. Mitt has the promise of FOX and Rush to stick with him, but the parties over for Mitt. |
|
|
|