Post-Tuesday: Two RINOs enter, one RINO leaves; Update: Mitt to lure delegates away?
posted at 9:58 am on February 6, 2008 by Allahpundit
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What now? Like Geraghty says, maybe Mitt goes to Virginia next Tuesday to take one last stab at stealing a big winner-take-all state, but the Annapolis factor for McCain and the evangelical presence for Huck make it a tough get. After that there are no significant delegate opportunities until March 4, when Romney has to deal with Huck’s southern mojo again in Texas. Is he in it for another month just to nail down another 35-35-30 delegate split? I’m skeptical. The more you think about it, the clearer it is that it was Huck’s wins yesterday in the south, not Maverick’s walkovers in the big blues, that really killed Mitt by denying him any chance of a “conservative vs. RINO” two-man race. As long as he’s got still got bank, Huck goes forward and Mitt probably goes nowhere.
So let’s say he does drop out, leaving us with the race we’ve all dreamed of. McCain won’t want his victory tour sidetracked with surprise losses to Huckabee, especially in red states while he’s busy trying to convince the base he’s a real conservative. Isn’t he basically forced to offer Huck the VP slot — the one he couldn’t turn down, by his own admission — to get him out? Or are we actually staring down the barrel of a RINO vs. RINO mindfark where the blogosphere swings grudgingly behind McCain to stop the greater of two evils?
If that doesn’t leave you depressed enough, enjoy Frum this morning.
Update: If the other candidates disliked him before, wait until he makes this move.
As an example of the Romney campaign’s hurriedly revised calculations, aides had begun discussing an unlikely strategy that relies on delegates who are pledged to other candidates but who are not technically bound to them. Under that plan, the advisers envision that conservative fears continue to work against Mr. McCain, buying time and fueling a series of big victories for Mr. Romney. That would place him at a point where he has enough momentum to wrest some of the promised but not bound delegates into his column at a contested convention.
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Because the MSM’s polls said so?
He’s their peacock now, but watch how they pluck out all of his feathers as we head into the general election.
fogw on February 6, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Pretty much. I think your analysis is dead on.
matthewbit07 on February 6, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Two? What did we have pre-Tuesday, then?
Reaps on February 6, 2008 at 10:48 AM
I respectfully disagree. Considering how split the GOP is currently, it could make a difference in this race.
natesnake on February 6, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Reality check: it’s Feb 6th. Yes, last night could have been better for Romney, but we are a loooooong way from Election Day yet. If Romney does indeed stay in until the convention, I think delegates will flock to him if they are able to do so.
Doug on February 6, 2008 at 10:51 AM
THAT is why we need to work as much as we can on EVERY Congressional race! We need at least part of Congress to try a blunt whatever Bozo we have to deal with in the whitehouse.
Jimmybob on February 6, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Meh, not much. How many of us who are currently insisting they they won’t vote for McCain would change their mind if he picked a more conservative VP? Who’s going to say “Gee, that’s a good VP pick- McCain ain’t so bad after all”.
With the possible exception of the current administration, the office of the Vice President is mostly a ceremonial one.
Hollowpoint on February 6, 2008 at 10:53 AM
It matters not who McCain picks as a running partner.
Has no one heard the overwhelming call for change from the youth in both parties?
What kind of change do you expect to get from a crusty 72 year bad tempered old fart like McCain? He is the epitome of everything they are sick of dealing with.
He will lose the youth vote, the conservative vote, and the “we want change” vote. Anyone that assumes McCain is going to win in November is not dealing in reality. The days of dinosaurs winning the election for president is over, over, over.
leanright on February 6, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Flock to the guy who can’t win? I don’t see that happening.
Hollowpoint on February 6, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Romney can’t even win populous states in a GOP primary election when every big-time conservative media personality is pushing for him non-stop.
But somehow he could win the general election?
And did somebody on the previous page say that Mrs. McCain and Mrs. Thompson aren’t attractive, or just that men won’t go visit with them because they don’t support their husbands politically?
MDS makes men no longer like visiting with pretty ladies? Wow, that’s bad. Worse, perhaps, than making people believe that 50 = 8 even.
funky chicken on February 6, 2008 at 10:59 AM
leanright on February 6, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Good points. As a person who makes up all three catagories you point to, I couldn’t agree more.
matthewbit07 on February 6, 2008 at 10:59 AM
A vote for McCain I can handle. A vote for Huckabee? Even as VP? That’s asking a LOT.
amkun on February 6, 2008 at 11:01 AM
First, let me say that I’m going to vote for Mac in the General Election. Regardless. I won’t vote for Hill or Obama. Period.
The angle is not so much as picking a more conservative VP for his credentials; it’s more for th name and face recognition. Even if it has an impact on 5% of the registered voters, that 5% could be enough to win an election.
natesnake on February 6, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Bwahahahaha!!!! This is why we love you Allah. You are the master Allah, but I’m on to you.
The Mitt supporters aren’t Fredhead types. We can see the writing on the wall. It is completely clear that Romney has played this badly in respect to the moderates and he just couldn’t become likable enough, soon enough.
We are not going to hang onto this like the Fredheads did with Fred’s failed campaign.
Find some other group to poke with a stick. Try conservatives! That’ll get you some serious traffic.
csdeven on February 6, 2008 at 11:02 AM
funky chicken on February 6, 2008 at 10:59 AM
that was me. I’m a woman and I don’t like the idea of men voting for a president/vice president because they have a HOT wife.
that’s just me tho.
dish on February 6, 2008 at 11:03 AM
dish on February 6, 2008 at 11:03 AM
That’s why I was asking for the /sarc tag. ;)
Oh, and BTW, did you see Romney’s press secretary(I think)? Yummy!
dish on February 6, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Buy Danish, I don’t want Mitt as veep. I want him to unseat John F’n Kerry in 2010.
C’mon Romney supporters, get on the bandwagon. Romney for US Senate in 2010.
The states that Romney lost, he lost huge. The states that Huckabee lost, he lost huge. That doesn’t show crossover appeal for either one. I don’t have an answer, unfortunately.
funky chicken on February 6, 2008 at 11:07 AM
The funny thing, is that even though by Hot Air standards, I feel that I am clearly a moderate.
Here in California, where I live, everyone thinks I’m a right wing extremist.
Go figure.
JayHaw Phrenzie on February 6, 2008 at 11:13 AM
It hasn’t been non-stop! The conservative media support was very late in coming- exasperatingly so. All of this came after Mitt lost Florida.
I don’t know that he would want to be a legislator at this point in time. His skills are as an executive.
Buy Danish on February 6, 2008 at 11:17 AM
You were saying?
Hollowpoint on February 6, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Mitt & Mike need to join forces. I doubt Johnny will pick Huck as VP because he’s promised that to so many people.
I’m telling you, those two would be incredible together. Think about it.
stenwin77 on February 6, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Right now I don’t mind McCain being the nominee, because he’s going to get slaughtered in Nov., and hopefully, that will end his career.
Take a good hard at the numbers ladies and gentlemen, Dems. outvoted Reps. better than 2 to 1 across the board. The Country is going to get “CHANGE” rammed down it’s throat this year.
All aboard the pain train.
ChrisM on February 6, 2008 at 11:23 AM
If Mitt & Mike were on the ticket together, they could run as THE “outside the DC beltway” team to CLEAN OUT WASHINGTON !
stenwin77 on February 6, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Here’s something that people gushing over McCain don’t understand. Some of us vote on principle not the one who whores for delegates. If you listened to Rush yesterday you would have heard him talking about all the “endorsements” McCain has gotten by promising to be everything to everybody and how many were going to be upset when Juan gets beyond all us conservatives that aren’t buying into all of McCain’s lies.
I’m serious, people like you have destroyed the GOP as it was. The nation has two democrat parties and the GOP is the weaker of the two. Hope you are proud of yourself now that you’ve destroyed the two-party system you arrogant moron!
highhopes on February 6, 2008 at 11:26 AM
First of all, Fred didn’t win anything, and I fault him for not making a concerted effort as a candidate. He has not helped this process at all by meandering into the race without a full commitment to winning on his part.
Secondly, what you don’t see is a bunch of melodramatic weeping and whining from the Mitt supporters; instead you see a somber appraisal of the situation as we look at the options and the seemingly bleak prospects for this country’s future.
Buy Danish on February 6, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Is there first class on the Pain Train…..I don’t want to be sitting in the steerage section with the McCain sheep. They will not be much fun to be around as they make their way to the slaughterhouse.
Couldn’t have said it better highhopes, we now have two democrat parties…..at least one of them is honest about it.
David in ATL on February 6, 2008 at 11:31 AM
All hail the all-powerful destroyer of political parties, Jayhaw Phrenzie!!
amkun on February 6, 2008 at 11:33 AM
McCain is a party uniter all right… uniting all Republicans to consider voting Democrat this year.
Enoxo on February 6, 2008 at 11:37 AM
All that tells me is that we FredHeads were actually voting FOR our candidate and his principles and policies. The rest of you are just trying to get another (R) in the White House….a lot of damn good that has done conservatives.
I will NOT vote for McCain or Huckabee EVER!
Fredhead to the end.
ihasurnominashun on February 6, 2008 at 11:37 AM
ihasurnominashum-
I’ll write in (lazy) Fred before I vote for lying Mac.
I can’t stomach Huckabee’s faux “common man” and “juss a li’l ole preacher” venalities, but even he is less destructive to the GOP than McCain.
If Romney picked him for Veep, at least it would end Shamnesty.
I could swallow Huck with a lot of Pepto.
McCain, never.
profitsbeard on February 6, 2008 at 11:41 AM
I was wondering when the self-confessed “true conservatives” would start casting the others out and offering themselves as pure souls, untainted by the evil that is
selling their souls to a 70%erpolitics.Now we know. Wednesday, February 6, 2008, when all seemed lost.
amkun on February 6, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Allow that for a day or so disappointed supporters will hang onto some unreasonable hope. But substantively, expecting Mitt to just drop out when he has more delegates than HuckaBigot and more money than McCain is not that far fetched. Saying “it ain’t over” is denial. But we gave you Fredheads MONTHS of leeway. In the end, you’ll find that a majority of Mitt supporters are for conservatism and not in love with the candidate or his “hot” wife.
csdeven on February 6, 2008 at 11:48 AM
matthewbit07 on February 6, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Oh ,so in your world there is no youth vote, no conservative vote, and none of these people screaming for change mean anything.
No such groups exist in the McCain world. Denial is sweat, but ineffective as a strategy.
leanright on February 6, 2008 at 11:49 AM
I think a lot of Huck’s strength in the south has to do with people not wanting to vote for McCain (for all of the obvious reasons), but also unwilling to vote for a slick yankee like Romney (even though he isn’t really a yankee).
As for Huck as VP, I think it would be a disaster. What McCain needs in the VP slot is someone with strong economic credentials and I’m not sure a guy with a BA in religion, who wants to “shut down the IRS” can really be taken seriously.
I think Huck would make a dandy assistant deputy surgeon general.
Infidoll on February 6, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Good job! 10,0000 of you voted for Fred and Rudy in Georgia. Whatcha gonna do with those votes?
Buy Danish on February 6, 2008 at 12:02 PM
I never said I was pure…but I sure as shootin’ ain’t a sell out!
ihasurnominashun on February 6, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Infidoll on February 6, 2008 at 11:52 AM
I think Huck is doing fine right where he is, assuming the position for McCain. TOOL!
leanright on February 6, 2008 at 12:05 PM
I’m not going to “do” anything with them. They aren’t “my” votes to do anything with. I will say, I love the loyalty of those Fredheads though!
ihasurnominashun on February 6, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Buy Danish on February 6, 2008 at 12:02 PM
They sent them to the RINOs in the GOP that don’t believe there are any repercussions for being arrogant.
leanright on February 6, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Oh ,so in your world there is no youth vote, no conservative vote, and none of these people screaming for change mean anything.
No such groups exist in the McCain world. Denial is sweat, but ineffective as a strategy.
leanright on February 6, 2008 at 11:49 AM
ummmm….I was agreeing with you.
matthewbit07 on February 6, 2008 at 12:13 PM
matthewbit07 on February 6, 2008 at 12:13 PM
My apologies to you, by taking it the wrong way, I wronged you. God help me, I’m touchy today!
leanright on February 6, 2008 at 12:42 PM
I guess the Pony Express is still operating in your neck of the woods because you seem not to have gotten the message that Fred (and Rudy) pulled out of the race.
Buy Danish on February 6, 2008 at 12:52 PM
No actually the GOP hasn’t gotten the message. I will continue to send it to them via my vote in the primary and in November.
ihasurnominashun on February 6, 2008 at 1:22 PM
SO THESE ARE MY OPTIONS!??? McCain is bad enough, but Huckabee is even worse if that’s at all possible. What we learned from Jimmy Carter applies to Huck as well. And what did we learn from Carter? Well, we learned that a southern fundementalist “conservative” democrat can also be a big-government liberal who distrusts the American people and its military; that he can be more comfortable with totalitarian dictators than democratically elected leaders; AND that he can hate Israel with such a passion that he can befriend its enemies and then evolve into a raging anti-semite. In fact, about the only thing Jimmy Carter HASN’T done is to deny the Holocaust, but that’s probably coming too.
So no, I don’t think Huck is Jimmy Carter… but I no longer equate religiosity with fundamental conservative principles either. I REALLY hope Hickaboo is McCain’s running mate. I could really use a good laugh (and a stiff drink).
Gartrip on February 6, 2008 at 1:25 PM
Good luck with that! The GOP did not choose any of the candidates in this race; they all ran on their own volition.
Buy Danish on February 6, 2008 at 1:27 PM
Fine, you support the candidate that represents your values, I’ll support mine. We will both end up with the democrats in the end.
ihasurnominashun on February 6, 2008 at 1:30 PM
If you vote for a candidate who is not in the race, who do you think you are enabling exactly?
While Fred’s policies are fine and while I welcome his ideas, he did us no favors by running. If he wanted to be a candidate he needed to commit himself fully to the effort. He failed to do that and all he managed to do was dilute the votes of conservatives, beginning in Iowa.
He also very actively helped McCain in New Hampshire during the debates. I don’t know about you but that’s not my idea of how to help the conservative cause.
This serves as a pretty good post mortem of his dilatory candidacy.
Buy Danish on February 6, 2008 at 1:58 PM
If McCain gets the final nod and is the GOP candidate, I predict the following:
Hillary and Obama will team up as President/VP candidates. They will be unstoppable. So, what we have to look forward to is 8 years of Hillary, followed by the now seasoned Obama for the next 8.
Nominate the lying old geezer and you can forget the WH for the next 16 years.
Pal2Pal on February 6, 2008 at 3:03 PM
It doesn’t appear that we have much choice in the matter, now do we?
Buy Danish on February 6, 2008 at 3:23 PM
It doesn’t appear that we have much choice in the matter, now do we?
Oh we have a choice, but unfortunately I don’t think anyone will really care what it is, least of all McCain.
Pal2Pal on February 6, 2008 at 3:30 PM
If Mitt DOES drop out, he should pledge his delegates to Huckabee…ya know…like West Virginia…only bigger.
SouthernGent on February 6, 2008 at 6:38 PM
I saw that, too! WTF?!?
SouthernGent on February 6, 2008 at 7:37 PM
This is largely true, because the VP vote is largely irrelevant. But it’s a mistake to think the VP choice makes no difference. A good conservative VP on McCain’s ticket would advertise that he cares about the conservative vote, at least enough to throw them a bone.
It matters now, because we’re going to wind up with candidates that conservatives won’t like, and there will be a lot on the knife’s edge of staying home and not voting. If they see someone they like in the VP slot, they might overcome their despair.
Doubly true when the Pres candidate is old. McCain seems to have good longevity genes, but if elected at age 72, 2 terms would see him as an 80-year old man. 1 term as president might be all he did. The more likely that scenario, the better a good VP candidate looks.
I think this is the exception to the rule.
theregoestheneighborhood on February 7, 2008 at 3:24 AM
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