National Poll: McCain gets a big bounce
posted at 5:13 pm on January 11, 2008 by Bryan
John McCain’s victory in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary appears to be paying off.
The senator from Arizona is the front-runner in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, according to the first national poll taken after the New Hampshire primary.
McCain has the support of 34 percent of registered Republicans in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey out Friday. That’s a 21-point jump from the last CNN/Opinion Research poll, taken in December, well before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary earlier this month.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa Republican caucuses, is in second place in the new survey, with 21 percent of those registered Republicans polled supporting him for the GOP nomination.
Rudy Giuliani follows with 18 percent, a drop of six points from the December poll, when the former New York City mayor was the front-runner.
“Only McCain gained support among Republicans nationally. McCain’s now the clear Republican front-runner,” said Bill Schneider, CNN senior political analyst.
34-21-18-14-6 (Romney and Fred making up fourth and fifth respectively) — double-digits for McCain. McCain is also ahead in South Carolina’s most recent Rasmussen poll, though that poll was snapped before the debate. Huck leads the averages, but none of those polls reflect post-debate shifts either.
Is McCain now the presumptive nominee? Are we looking at a McCain-Huckabee ticket? How many times will we have to beat back shamnesty if he’s elected (never mind if the Democrats win)? Am I the only conservative who’s getting punchy from being more concerned with stopping potential nominees than with coalescing around one and supporting him?
Is the racial feeding frenzy that’s consuming the Billary-Obama race our only hope now?
Update: Did I mention racial overtones on the Dem side?
She is staking out policy ground slightly to the left of Obama on domestic issues, and noticeably won the votes of those on lower incomes and without college degrees. In the words of that Clinton adviser: “If you have a social need, you’re with Hillary. If you want Obama to be your imaginary hip black friend and you’re young and you have no social needs, then he’s cool.“
All together now, “Imagine if a Republican adviser had said this.”
Meanwhile, outside the McCain campaign on our side, Rudy insists he has cash on hand even while his top staffers are going without pay and he’s cratering in Florida, which was his big stand state. Guess who is leading in Florida now? The same guy who’s bouncing nationally.
Update: From the CNN story linked above, some good news, sort of.
Early victories appear to have boosted Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in the Democratic nomination battle, with Clinton the choice of nearly half of registered Democrats nationwide.
Clinton is at 49 percent in the new poll, up nine points from the December survey, with Obama at 36 percent, which is a six-point gain from his December standing.
A McCain-Clinton race in November might be in our future. I’ll try to contain my excitement.
Blowback
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Why not?
joewm315 on January 11, 2008 at 6:05 PM
MB4 I know, I know. But hell, we’re still in Germany. We keep a presence there why? (yeah, I know that answer too, or suspect that [cough, Putin, cough] I do) but one could argue that keeping a robust presence in the Middle East is going to be necessary.
I don’t like it, my husband’s Air Force and has spent way too much time in the sandbox already. But I could fathom the argument.
McCain’s not my guy. I think his campaign will tank nationally just like in 2000. But I would vote for him vs Hillary! or Obama.
I cannot say the same for the Huckster, not by a long shot.
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 6:05 PM
That’s not what you said. You said 70% of Americans were at a klan meeting.
jaime on January 11, 2008 at 6:07 PM
He’s the only one to actually BUILD A G– dam- FENCE and talk about VAT, GATT, and WTO, and yet not much publicity.
America’s loss. I hope he gets SecDef or something substantial.
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 6:07 PM
Fred didn’t go after McCain because they’re buddies, and Fred is the “consistent” conservative choice. Sure, he backed McCain Feingold to the hilt, but you see, Fred was duped! McCain is guilty guilty guilty, Fred was hoodwinked!
BKennedy on January 11, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Agreed
joewm315 on January 11, 2008 at 6:10 PM
BKenndey, why didn’t your man Mitt go after either one? Too unwilling to take off those white gloves?
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 6:10 PM
That’s a good start. A lot of people on our side have bought into that crap and have lost confidence in conservatism. Perversely so, I would add, in part resulting from congressional republicans and the WH abandoning it. This is why you have so many limpwrists on our side supporting shamnesty, because they are peeing in their panties over losing the Hispanic vote, so they think we need to pander to them by erasing the border, throw out the rule of law by granting amnesty to 10′s of millions who broke our laws, and devaluing the whole concept of citizenship.
thirteen28 on January 11, 2008 at 6:12 PM
My bad joke. I do think that the majority of people who opposed the legislation, did so out of fear. I wont call it racism (nor will I imply it further through bad humor), but it was certainly not a well informed group in general. The legislation was quite good and met with a huge positive response from Republican law-makers.
Wise Golden on January 11, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Big difference. Nazism was outlawed in Germany, Islam has not been outlawed in Iraq, in fact it is enshrined in their constitution.
Besides Germany has viele schone frauen und viel gutes bier. What does Iraq have now?
MB4 on January 11, 2008 at 6:13 PM
Prescription – find way to “set McVain on fire”, to irritate him.
Entelechy on January 11, 2008 at 6:13 PM
I think it would be fricking hilarious if Huck got the nomination and Fred wins by write-in votes.
Fredalanche!© ◄ Donate!
TheSitRep on January 11, 2008 at 6:13 PM
My wife and I moved out of FL, a few months after we voted for Martinez. We really didn’t like how he sounded on immigration, but at the time, I was determined to vote party line for one reason only: the troops in Iraq. After we lost in 06 and Martinez won, I remember a lot of FL having buyers remorse about the guy. And when immigration reform was going through, people were really pissed. I say all this because, I would never have guessed that under those conditions, McCain would be above all other candidates just because he won in NH. That makes no sense whatsoever. But hey, polls can’t be wrong!
Weight of Glory on January 11, 2008 at 6:14 PM
That’s a huge concern I have about Romney, actually. He will not be willing to get a little dirty in a contest against Hillary.
Fred! and McAmnesty are old friends who disagree on a huge policy issue, so Fred wasn’t gonna go negative.
Huckster is a nasty little snake oil salesman who needed to be slapped, and hard. Fred did that.
If Mitt is serious here, he’s gonna have to go after McAmnesty hard in Michigan.
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Because Mitt is in the lead and he focuses on his opponents in comparison ads, letting the rest of them look like bitter jerks when they savage each other in debates. When you’re in the lead, you don’t need to risk attacking people.
Although he did through a zinger Paul’s way, but you could tell Romney was quite irked. Possibly for the first time, ever.
BKennedy on January 11, 2008 at 6:15 PM
I felt the same thing about Rudy in the last debate. He has never lacked the killer instinct before and should have brought up McCain’s desire to close Gitmo and other domestic security weaknesses. He had the perfect opportunity too when the moderators brought up McCain’s assertion that he lacked foreign policy experience.
phronesis on January 11, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Read this and weep.
Which is why the Capitol switchboard was shut down with callers on this issue. More people cared enough to phone than any other issue. Evah.
Which is why 4 states (and counting) are doing it themselves.
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 6:16 PM
Schöne Frauen too, but, alas, you can’t see them…
Entelechy on January 11, 2008 at 6:16 PM
It appears no one has the “fire in the belly” to attack McCain.
phronesis on January 11, 2008 at 6:17 PM
Well, I can see I won’t convince you of anything when it comes to this issue, so we’ll agree to disagree. However, I think the misinformed were the Republican congressmen, who were aiming to win votes and appease the businesses who love being able to pay low wages.
I live in Phoenix and work as a forklift operator, and wages have stopped rising even as “Now Hiring” signs become more and more plentiful.
Still, I’ll vote for the pro-life candidate that wins the general.
joewm315 on January 11, 2008 at 6:17 PM
Not buying the polls for a second. Mcshamnesty has no chance.
HaraldHardrada on January 11, 2008 at 6:17 PM
We have burkas and mint tea. So there!
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 6:18 PM
Duncan Hunter for Homeland Security. Let’s get “lettucehead” out of there.
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Its a damned outrage that we’re forced to play whackamo with these liberal clowns at all!
I’m not sweet on the idea of voting for a liberal or voting for a liberal.
Americans have shown that they want a center right President and the old saying that nobody ever went broke selling people what they want to buy applies.
I’m convinced the RNC has sold out and is promoting less than Conservative candidates. Or an I wrong?
Speakup on January 11, 2008 at 6:20 PM
From the year before. Bush and DEMOCRATS, not Republicans, voted for shamnesty in 2005 very similar stance in 2006.
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 6:21 PM
That’s from May 30, 2007. I fully understand that at the time people were in an uproar. Later, Congress backed down, but Congressmen started explaining it to constituents through letters, Blogs, articals and personal conversations. And the fact is that most of them (Congress,) believed this was a good bill. I think it was a great start and it’s better than the nothing that we have now.
Wise Golden on January 11, 2008 at 6:21 PM
I’m not buying it either. There’s no way Republicans will elect a liberal. If they do, then the party’s really dead.
orlandocajun on January 11, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Sand. Shi’ites, which the Huckster says folks like us should love.
Again, I want to get all of our people out of the middle east. I want to drill in Anwar and off the coast of Florida (which is opposed by Jeb Bush). I want to put that wind farm off Nantucket (which is opposed by Romney and fat Teddy Kennedy).
But I could hold my nose and vote for McCain. I honestly couldn’t do the same for Huckabee.
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 6:23 PM
The media is employing a full court press for Huck and Mcshamnesty.
They will rue the day Fred gets the nomination, for they know the fat lady will prepping her aria.
Fredalanche!© ◄ Donate!
TheSitRep on January 11, 2008 at 6:23 PM
No, you are not. I heard from a (very) conservative Republican insider in NV that state GOP is set to annoint Rudy at the state caucus, independent of county results.
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 6:23 PM
Or he’ll make his buddy McCain VP and sell us out on amnesty.
BKennedy on January 11, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Good one.
Wise Golden on January 11, 2008 at 6:26 PM
If you believe these latest polls, McAmnesty is now in the lead. If Mitt wants to win, he’s gonna have to go after him, by your logic BKennedy. Will he do it?
I see Romney being a great VP. Give people time to get used to the stupid Mormon bigotry they may have, and then he will will as POTUS.
My preference which I’ve stated before is that Romney beats JF Querrie for Massachusetts senator in 2010. But Veep or Sec Treas would be good too.
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 6:31 PM
whoops will win
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 6:32 PM
Results of SurveyUSA Election Poll
At this hour, in polling completed exclusively for WFLA-TV and WKRG-TV, conducted after New Hampshire, but before the Myrtle Beach GOP Debate, Florida stands: McCain in 1st at 27%, Giuliani at 19%, Huckabee at 17%, and Romney at 17%, all tied for 2nd place, with Fred Thompson and Ron Paul further back. Giuliani’s entire campaign is predicated on a win in Florida on 01/29/08, immediately followed by wins in other “big states.” Giuliani did not compete in Iowa and competed half-heartedly in New Hampshire and South Carolina, concentrating his time and once-considerable resources on Florida. Now, McCain runs stronger than Giuliani in all 5 regions of Florida, including Southeast Florida, where Giuliani had led McCain by 51 points 6 weeks ago. Among males, Giuliani’s support is half of what it was 5 weeks ago. McCain among men jumped 20 points after New Hampshire. Among Conservatives, Huckabee is tied with McCain for the lead, Giuliani and Romney tied for 3rd place. Among Moderates, McCain leads Giuliani 2:1 and leads Huckabee 5:1. Among voters age 49 and younger, Huckabee, McCain and Giuliani are in an effective tie for the lead. Among voters age 50+, McCain leads Giuliani by 11.
bnelson44 on January 11, 2008 at 6:32 PM
A GOOD BILL? “Z visa” that 12 to 20 million illegal aliens could apply for and DHS was allowed a generous 24 HOURS to do background and health checks, and which gave immediate permanent residency? RIGHT! Only cynics like Kennedy and McCain would try to foist that crap on us – and Congress had only 2 days to read the damn thing and find the devious details!!
“What we have now” – states are doing it by themselves, and it’s working just fine, thank you. McCain and shamnesty – just leave the states alone and they will solve the problem without your “help”
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 6:32 PM
McCain – conservative democrat
Huckabee – religious moderate democrat
Guiliani – moderate democrat
Paul – ?
Romney – now a moderate republican
Hunter – conservative republican
Thompson – conservative republican
Starlink on January 11, 2008 at 6:33 PM
Finally – an accurate comparison! Too bad the American electorate will never understand this.
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 6:39 PM
Paul – constitutionalist
BlackCapitalist on January 11, 2008 at 6:39 PM
FTFY.
BKennedy on January 11, 2008 at 6:42 PM
@ Starlink on January 11, 2008 at 6:33 PM
I agree somewhat, except I would put Romney in the independent category instead of calling him a republican, and Duncan Hunter would move to the conservative nutjob category.
muyoso on January 11, 2008 at 6:42 PM
Guiliani’s a conservative Democrat too, I think.
That poll….among “conservatives” McCain and Huckabee are tied for the lead? There’s a lot of folks who don’t quite have a grasp on what conservative means, huh?
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 6:44 PM
@ BKennedy on January 11, 2008 at 6:42 PM
FTFY
muyoso on January 11, 2008 at 6:44 PM
Paul–the only one who might actually sympathize with the KKK.
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Just found this great TV news video about a suburban San Diego shanty town, and how the “undocumented immigrants” have all the comforts of home in their little village – Sunday Mass by the local priest, brothels, etc. Totally assimilated.
Maybe the next debate moderator could show this, and then ask each candidate how their “24 point plan” would address the problem.
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Any particular reason? Any of his policies you disagree with?
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 6:47 PM
muyoso is one of Stormfront’s footsoldiers. Asking them questions is just begging for them to right more conspiracy theory crap.
Hunter clearly supports the trilateral commission and does not have a list of his black friends at the ready.
BKennedy on January 11, 2008 at 6:52 PM
*write more conspiracy theory crap , even.
BKennedy on January 11, 2008 at 6:53 PM
2ND LOOK AT BOB DOLE.
krabbas on January 11, 2008 at 7:00 PM
He’s the frontrunning Democrat.
tommuck on January 11, 2008 at 7:01 PM
All right, I’ll bite. WTF is the trilateral commission? I know it’s something the Paulbots go on and on about, but somebody rational explain it to me, please.
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 7:01 PM
-Karl Rove
TheBigOldDog on January 11, 2008 at 7:01 PM
NOOOOOOOOOOOO
*scrambles up the clifface as the floodgates open*
joewm315 on January 11, 2008 at 7:05 PM
Thanks to Mccain’s attack dog,Fred Thompson, Mr. Amnesty himself may win the republican nomination.
Be sure to thank Fred for his efforts to guarantee a Hildebeast presidency!
HaraldHardrada on January 11, 2008 at 7:06 PM
McCain -v- Clinton would be awful. I wouldn’t even bother putting a bumper sticker on my car.
Mojave Mark on January 11, 2008 at 7:10 PM
joe, I asked for a rational person to explain what the Paulbots are crying about. Not for a Paulbot to spew conspiracy theories.
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 7:11 PM
You walked into the New Hampshire primary
Like you were walking into the Whitehouse
Your smirk strategically dipped below one eye
Your face looked like you had just ate an apricot
You had one eye in the mirror
As you watched yourself snicker and gloat
And you thought all the suckers dreamed that they’d be their el President
They’d be your peons, and
You’re so McVain
You probably think this song is about you
You’re so McVain
I’ll bet you think this song is about you
Don’t you? Don’t you?
- Carly Simon Redux
MB4 on January 11, 2008 at 7:19 PM
Finally, something that BKennedy and I can agree on. :)
Centerfire on January 11, 2008 at 7:20 PM
My first choice is Huckabee. But I will be just as ecstatic if John McCain gets the nomination. He is a war hero and knows his stuff.
popularpolitics on January 11, 2008 at 7:40 PM
Nice! One of your best parodies.
joewm315 on January 11, 2008 at 7:41 PM
Some will be unhappy to hear this, but I and many other Republicans will stay home if McShamnesty gets the nomination. Yes, I will send what was once the REPUBLICAN party a hard message…nominate a RINO and I and many more like me stay home. I’m depressed thinking about the mess the Repub party has become. I need a drink.
jwp1964 on January 11, 2008 at 7:41 PM
MadisonConservative on January 11, 2008 at 7:42 PM
I will not vote for McCain.
Wanted Duncan Hunter or Fred from the start. Will support Rudy before I support McCain.
I will never support someone who keeps pissing down my neck and telling me it’s raining…
BadBrad on January 11, 2008 at 7:42 PM
I got real estate in Mexico
:)
windansea on January 11, 2008 at 7:47 PM
Join Rudy! ◄ Donate!
Chakra Hammer on January 11, 2008 at 8:00 PM
I just don’t understand the huge fervor over the amnesty. What would it change other than to the good? Why is it such a hot-button issue? It isn’t an issue for this election, so why sacrifice McCain over it? He’s the most likely of the crop to have a chance at winning. He’s not going to appoint crazy liberal judges. He’s not going to lose the GWoT. He’s not a tedious religious demagogue like Huckabee. He is virtually devoid of personal baggage unlike Rudy. He’s not a Mormon who seems to have a silver spoon in his mouth.
He’s electable. He’s a man I can see as President.
Why would he be such a disaster for the Party (which I don’t belong to) or to Conservatism?
Viscount_Bolingbroke on January 11, 2008 at 8:01 PM
Hilarious? Yes. Do I want to risk having Huck on the ticket against Obama/Clinton? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Hang in there Fred, we’re counting on you!
Browncoatone on January 11, 2008 at 8:08 PM
Amen to that. McCain has the most experience, and he’s ready for the job. My only concern is his age, but he is VERY accomplished and VERY strong on foreign issues. I am also confident in his judgment and in who he would choose to serve in his administration.
McCain is a man of honor. A man ready for the challenge. HotAir.com members: Nobody is ever a perfect conservative, but McCain IS the total package. Give him a chance!
popularpolitics on January 11, 2008 at 8:08 PM
Trilateral Commission
News2Use on January 11, 2008 at 8:12 PM
Why have 4 states (and counting) decided that their citizen taxpayers want a little law enforcement?? (In spite of our pathetic federal government)
Why do logical thinkers have the opinion that REWARDING law breakers with residency in our country (the ill-gotten goods they came here to steal in the first place) is like a judge awarding the stolen jewels to the convicted burglar? And burglars are (choose one) 1) encouraged 2) discouraged to rob more houses?
Why do we want less of this anarchy??
Surely you jest.
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 8:14 PM
These aren’t perfect fits, but a little more elaborative:
McCain – Conservative Democrat a la Kennedy
Huckabee - Bush II (big-government) Republican without the tax cuts and who wants everyone to like him
Guiliani – Wannabe Reagan Republican who falls short, but comes close enough for my taste
Paul – Who cares?
Romney – Moderate Republican a la Bush I
Hunter – Who cares?
Thompson – Reagan Republican and hibernating bear who has finally woken up
Spolitics on January 11, 2008 at 8:15 PM
The hostility to the part of some on this site to John McCain is completely unjustified. I have been arguing that John McCain is the best candidate that the Republicans can nominate for President, citing his critical strengths (military matters, national security, foreign affairs, pro-life, fiscal conservative, committed to the appointment of strict constructionist judges), and I have been responding to the issues raised against John McCain. What I keep seeing is a refusal to engage in reasoned debate about the strengths and the so-called issues, and instead an adherence to catch phrases to justify purportedly an opposition to McCain.
Phil Byler on January 11, 2008 at 8:17 PM
Wow, if they thought Jimmy Carter was smart, I think Stormfront and his fellow nutcases aren’t a threat to anything except themselves.
BKennedy on January 11, 2008 at 8:19 PM
Does the fact he’s as reliable as a double-edged sword being fired out of a loose cannon rolling on a barrel phaze you?
BKennedy on January 11, 2008 at 8:21 PM
Many illegal immigrants use someone else’s social security number to work. It’s identity theft and it’s fraud and it hurts innocent Americans. (Do a search for stories of people who received a tax bill from the IRS for hundreds of thousands of dollars because of this fraud).
A big problem I have with McCain is that he fought to protect the benefits “owed” to illegals who committed identity theft and social security fraud.
I’m sorry, but the POTUS has an obligation to protect U.S. citizens first. Not to be “compassionate” to citizens from other nations at the expense of our laws and our own rights.
Spolitics on January 11, 2008 at 8:22 PM
I would actually campaign hard for McCain. I would campaign against Romney or Fred. No way in hell I would vote for those flops.
popularpolitics on January 11, 2008 at 8:23 PM
Nice, MB4. Nice.
jaime on January 11, 2008 at 8:24 PM
If you haven’t already, please see my comment above.
Spolitics on January 11, 2008 at 8:25 PM
Juan es mi eleccion. El tiene todo el derecho cosas que quiero tener exito en mis planes.
Oh sorry! I keep forgetting that not all you Gringos have leaned to speak Spanish – YET!!!
Juan is my choice too. He has all the right stuff that I want to succeed in my plans.
VinyFoxy on January 11, 2008 at 8:27 PM
popularpolitics on January 11, 2008 at 8:08 PM
Except for this tiny little paragraph:
Not so accomplished on that last detail. As strong as he is on the WOT, you can’t leave the southern border wide open and declare your country to be secure. Remember the Z visa? McCain wanted to reward 12 to 20 million illegal aliens with permanent residency within 24 hours of them merely filing an application. The previous year it was at least 90 days. Why would he want to shorten a background check to 24 hours? Let’s see – 24 hours divided by 12 million — how many minutes per illegal does that leave for a thorough background check by our overloaded and incompetant DHS??
You now have lots of reading material. Goodnight.
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 8:29 PM
Spolitics, do you realize that Fred Thompson voted for McCain-Feingold? And where was Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney in recent years while John McCain was frequetly visiting Iraq, criticizing the Rumsfeld light footprint strategy as not putting enough boots on the ground and then forcefully and vocally supporting the surge under General Petraeus from the start? The answer is that Thompson and Romney were looking at their shoes. I know because while my older son was in Iraq for 15 months until last October as a U.S. Army First Lieutenant serving as an infantry platoon leader, I was watching closely who was saying or not saying anything. John McCain was out front and vocal when Democrats were declaring defeat and Republicans were hedging their bets or were silent. John McCain was right about Iraq because he knows his stuff on military matters.
Calling John McCain a Democrat is unsupportable to the point of being silly. No Democrat is a pro-life fiscal conservative committed to the appointment of strict constructionist judges; Democrats are not allowed any more to be strong on military matters and national security. Also, if John McCain is a Democrat, then what are quite a number of conservative former Reagan Administration people are supporting John McCain — George Schultz, Alexander Haig, John Lehman, Lawrence Eagleburger, Dan Coats and Bud MacFarlane? Why are Phil Gramm and Robert Mosbacher some of John McCain’s strongest supporters?
Phil Byler on January 11, 2008 at 8:31 PM
Phil Byler on January 11, 2008 at 8:17 PM
Les in NC on January 11, 2008 at 8:32 PM
MB4 on January 11, 2008 at 8:34 PM
That’s a specious argument. In what way will Amnesty harm efforts to enforce criminal codes on a local level? How would making more people identified and known be harmful? I don’t buy the whole “reward” angle. They’re *here*. There’s no changing that. Mass deportation is not an option any more than Ron Paul as President is an option. Saying we need to “punish law-breakers” sounds like puritanism without understanding that the people you want to punish are human beings just like you and me. So much of the Amnesty issue is thinly-veiled bigotry.
I want to convert the illegals to Americans. Amnesty is an essential step if they are ever to be more than second-class labor. It’s not a pressing issue to me, though.
Viscount_Bolingbroke on January 11, 2008 at 8:38 PM
Why do people keep saying McCain is so great when it comes to the war on terror? He doesn’t even believe in waterboarding captive terrorists because he thinks “torturing” them will cause them to torture our guys. Because you know, they don’t already do that or anything…
And of course, his ideas about the border are ludicrous.
Point is, McCain being strong in terms of the war and defending the country is a myth.
Grayson on January 11, 2008 at 8:38 PM
fred5678, you say “goodnight” because you have engaged in the kind of drive by attack that the mainstream media excells in. Your description of the illegal immigration reform bill is grossly incomplete, omitting any reference to the law enforcement provisions; and you do not acknowledge that John McCain has been saying for months that he got the message, that law enforcement must come first. The present immigration problem stems from the 1980s law signed by none other than President Ronald Reagan; that law was not amnesty on its face, but because its law enforcement provisions were not enforced, it led to the millions of illegals living here now. The outcome of last summer’s immigration debate was that a clear majority of Americans believe that law enforcement comes first; all Republicans agree, including John McCain and Rudy Guiliani; none of the Democrats got the message.
Phil Byler on January 11, 2008 at 8:39 PM
Look I’ll support McCain if I must but how can we trust the man behind the gang of 14 to appoint good originalist judges?
phronesis on January 11, 2008 at 8:40 PM
Cause: Destroy the first amendment.
Effect: Win New Hampshire and other States.
Congratulations to John McCain and his supporters for ruining our country.
CABE on January 11, 2008 at 8:41 PM
Come on, Phil, that’s McCain’s comment straight out of the debate. There are points on which I like McCain. 1. He championed the surge. He deserves credit for that and it suggests he might make a great Defense Secretary. 2. He fights for fiscal responsibility — which will be key if the Dems keep congress (and why I am afraid of Huck).
There are also points on which I don’t like McCain. His immigration reform is chief amongst them. I also don’t like CFR — especially since it was written by someone who is now trying to use it to his advantage.
When I take it all into consideration… McCain is not my first choice. He’s my second-to-last.
Spolitics on January 11, 2008 at 8:41 PM
I agree on POTUS’ responsibilities. Which is why I don’t see Amnesty as a make-or-break. As for SS abuse, consider the following:
Say you want to diminish the instances of voter fraud. People are voting as dead people, voting multiple times, etc. You mandate voter ID. You have not punished the wrong-doers but have made it much harder for them to continue to break the law.
Why wouldn’t some similar ID measure under the sure-to-be derisory title of “Shamnesty” work to dimish fraud among the population of illegals?
Viscount_Bolingbroke on January 11, 2008 at 8:44 PM
Viscount_Bolingbroke on January 11, 2008 at 8:38 PM
Mass deportation does not have to even be considered. Just look at the states that have used the current laws and started enforcing them at the state level. The illegals deport themselves, or more true move to states that have a sanctuary policy.
Les in NC on January 11, 2008 at 8:44 PM
Why do you keep regurgitating the same crap?
So your “older son was in Iraq for 15 months until last October as a U.S. Army First Lieutenant serving as an infantry platoon leader”? How many times do you have to keep bragging about that. Are you trying to embarrass him?
Good for him I suppose, but what’s that got to do with you or with that mentally unbalanced sellout to the plantation owners and La Raza that you are trying to foist off on us?
MB4 on January 11, 2008 at 8:46 PM
McCain is 72 years old. You want to run him against who? The MSM would like for us to believe McCain is the republican choice, so their candidate can win. Thompson or Romney would spank the democrat. There is only one sucessful executive, both in public and private, running for President. His religion is what people hold against him. He is the only person running who is fully qualified to hold the office of President of the United States of America.
Zelsdorf Ragshaft on January 11, 2008 at 8:46 PM
McVain was not a war hero, he was a POW, a war victim. You know kind of like a cancer victim only he got a reprive.
Even if anyone wants to think of him as a war hero, that get-out-of-jail card expired long ago.
MB4 on January 11, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Pleas read my posts again. Who is talking about mass deportation? Not me. Read the link I gave you – attrition through enforcement is working just fine, now that we have begun to actually enforce our laws.
Who is asking to “punish” illegal aliens? Not me. I just don’t want to REWARD them with what they came here to steal – residency in our country. Rewarding law-breaking only causes more law-breaking – just like the seven amnesties since 1986 have done.
No fine, no jail (unless that have committed additional crimes while here), just go home – as those links will show you it is working just fine.
fred5678 on January 11, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Let’s continue your analogy. Let’s say you identify voter fraud actually occurred. Would you fight to make sure those fraudulent votes counted arguing that it’s only fair to the people who worked so hard to commit that fraud? The whole point is, you don’t reward the fraud. You don’t reward the illegal behavior.
Spolitics on January 11, 2008 at 8:49 PM
He doesn’t give a rats a$$ about Soldiers and Marines anyway or when asked the question of “Would it be alright for our troops to stay in Iraq for fifty years”, he would not have said, “Make it a hundred!”.
MB4 on January 11, 2008 at 8:53 PM
You are sounding ever more whiny. You need a different approach otherwise you are just digging McVain in deeper.
MB4 on January 11, 2008 at 8:59 PM
Grayson, your position stated at 8:38 PM is indefensible to the pint of being ridiculous. John McCain is by far the best Presidential candidate to be the next Commander in chief and be the one to deal with the ongoing war against the Islamo-fascists. Former Secretaries of State George Schultz, Henry Kissinger, Lawrence Eagleburger and Alexander Haig, former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger, former national security officials Bud MacFarlane, James Woolsey, Robert Inman, Tom Kean and Tom Ridge, former Navy Secretaries John Lehman and William Ball all have endorsed John McCain because when it comes to military matters, national security and foreign affairs, John McCain is heads above the other candidates. John McCain was right about Iraq in criticizing the earlier light footprint strategy as resulting in too few boots on the ground and then in vocally supporting the surge from the start because he knows his stuff on military matters.
You say to the contrary because John McCain has opposed waterboarding, which by the way has been done supposedly very few times. Excuse me, but John McCain does so because he classifies waterboarding as torture, and there are four reasons why he opposes its use: (1) the war with the Islamo-fascists is an ideological struggle, and in that struggle, it is important that America be perceived as on the high moral ground, defending civilization against killers; (2) the United States has for years been a signatory to a United Nations Convention forbidding the use of torture, and so use of torture is against international law which America should be seen as upholding; (3) American military tradition supports the humane treatment of prisoners and refuses resort to torture; and (4) the United States should on moral grounds eschew the use of torture — John McCain suffered from real torture as a P.O.W. at the hands of sadistic North Vietnamese guards.
If you think that the use of waterboarding is the be-all and end-all of our war with the Islamo-fascists, then I think you are being very, very short-sighted and uninformed.
Phil Byler on January 11, 2008 at 8:59 PM
poppolitics is a Huckster supporter first and foremost.
funky chicken on January 11, 2008 at 9:01 PM
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