MSNBC says McCain to show "loyalty" to Bush by pulling out of straw poll

[flpoljunkie]

this weekend at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Memphis. What the man won't do to try and curry favor with Bush's base--huge megadonors--those who wanted the Dubai port deal to go through and are, no doubt, on the big donor list Bush recently gave McCain.

[Stephanie]

1. Okay, that's it. Cheney is OUT and McCain is your new VP.

I guarantee you, there is a deal in the works. Loyalty is a one-way street for the bushes. He wouldn't think twice about throwing Dick overboard. And Dick looks like he got the word:

[ronnykmarshall]

2. Grumpy ol' Elmer Fudd.

[hippiechick]

3. It's not George who's gonna throw Dick overboard ...

... more like Dick's gonna bail into a cushy and secluded retirement and leave Georgy Porgy there alone to twist in the wind.

[Skarbrowe]

14. Yes, that would be my take on the situation if it happened. eom

[cassiepriam]

38. Bingo. Right on. C will live the good life. Guns, booze and blonds

all over the place, and no nasty reporters to get excited about any of it.

[Gman]

6. The Dick always looks like that

If anyone dumps anyone, it'll be Cheney dumping Bush. Cheney actually is the power. Don't know that that will happen.

[Catherine Vincent]

7. That third pose of Dick...

why is he thrusting forward like that?

[FreedomAngel82]

11. I don't wanna know

[hippiechick]

17. That's a 'bored executive' pose ...

... I see it often here in Insurance-land ...

[yurbud]

19. your gonna force me to do an animation with that

[Catherine Vincent]

32. LOL!

[yellowcanine]

21. Looks like a fish out of water. Definately something going on that he is

not happy about. He couldn't look more pissed. My guess is he is ready to bail over the Bush cave in on the Dubai deal.

[yurbud]

34. ANIMATION: Cheney's lap dance

[thinkingwoman]

23. Yep, that's what's coming.

:eyes:

[Stephanie]

24. what's with the rolly eyes?

is that to let me know how very dumb I am?

[thinkingwoman]

25. no, are you kidding?

I think you're spot on with most everything you post, and especially this time.

The rolly eyes were at the McCain deal. Sorry I didn't make that more clear.

[Stephanie]

26. oh okay thanks

sorry I am getting touchy :hi:

[thinkingwoman]

28. hey you're welcome

but you're not being touchy. I was being vague. obtuse. lazy.

And I want to thank you for asking me to clarify instead of flaming the crap out of me. :hi:

[Catherine Vincent]

31. Touchy because there have been no more Fitz sightings?

:hi:

[LSparkle]

4. How does that show "loyalty"?

2008 is GOING to be here sooner or later (sorry, Dumbya, but according to our system AS CURRENTLY IN PLACE, you've GOT to leave in '09) and since when is it "disloyal" to at least throw your hat in the ring? This stinks of some sort of deal (as noted above).

[flpoljunkie]

20. Check Brooklynite's post, sign which supposedly came from McCain's people.

Post #15.

[flpoljunkie]

5. More from Hotline blog...

March 10, 2006

McCain Supporters Behind "Write In Pres Bush?"

The first campaign paraphernalia targeting straw poll voters is a sticker that urges people to write in President Bush and "Focus on 2006" and "Support Our President."

The stickers are ubiquitous. A senior Republican strategist tells the Hotline that McCain supporters are behind the effort. A very on-message organizer of the campaign insists that the stickers are simply a grassroots effort to channel Republicans' proper energies toward 2006.

Update: the "Bush supporters" now have 11 x 14 printed signs. This isn't some "grassroots" idea, it's an organized effort; we're continuing our search for the folks who are paying for it.


Posted at 12:48 PM

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/03/mccain_supporte.html

[emulatorloo]

12. Since Bush wasn't elected in 2000, maybe they SHOULD run him in 2008

This is just idiotic. What is wrong with McCain?

[brooklynite]

15. What this SUGGESTS is that...

McCain thinks he won't win in the southern setting, so he wants to deflect the loss with a "show of loyalty".

[flpoljunkie]

16. Perhaps. More posted from Hotline on this.

March 10, 2006

McCain To Urge Ballots Be Cast For Bush

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will urge SRLC conference registrants tonight to write in the name of Pres. George W. Bush when they vote in the Hotline's '08 presidential straw poll.

McCain, in a copy of his prepared remarks distributed to reporters by a top adviser, says that "straw polls are entertaining, my friends, even extremely early ones." But "I think we have bigger things to worry about. So if any friends here are thinking about voting for me, please don't. Just write in President Bush's name. For the next three years, with the country at war, he's our President, and the only one who must have our support today."

An aide to a rival campaign called McCain's decision to try and opt out "a ploy" and predicted that most straw poll voters would find it too cute by half. Another said he was "not surprised" because McCain was not expected to do well in the straw poll anyway. Still, Bush retains significantly higher job approval ratings among southern Republicans than just about any other democraphic group.

Republican sources said that Gov. Haley Barbour, in his planned remarks, also intends to ask attendees to support Pres. Bush in the straw poll.

Hotline editor-in-chief Chuck Todd said, "We thank Sen. McCain for raising the profile of the straw poll and for acknowledging that the results matter."

So what if Republicans don't follow McCain's advice? Would that be interperted as a bigger repudiation of McCain than a poor straw poll showing? Alternatively -- even if SRLCers aren't moved by McCain's gesture, would it play well with Republicans across the country who aren't subject to the elite's interpretation of straw polls?

Posted at 02:40 PM

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/03/mccain_to_urge.html

[yellowcanine]

22. McCain is clearly playing the "expectations" game. Hmm. I thought his

star was supposed to be rising with the Dixiecrat crowd. Apparently not. I guess they don't respect a candidate who panders to them for 6 years after they kicked him in the balls in 2000. Who would have thunk it?

[flpoljunkie]

27. McCain's people apparently telling CNN that Frist has "stacked the deck"

by bringing in busloads of folks from Nashville. CNN dutifully repeated this, of course.

[yellowcanine]

29. Well it does sound like something Fristy would do, being the play by the

rules guy that we know he is.:sarcasm:

[flpoljunkie]

30. Trent Lott is evidently pushing this too. Trent owes Frist--big time.

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/03/memphis_day_one.html

And then there is this delicious dollop of deep-fried Dixie revenge served up this morning by Trent Lott via CNN's Morning Grind:

"Sen. Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) told the Grind he believes the poll -- that will be conducted by The Hotline at the
Southern Republican Leadership Conference -- is 'a rigged deal' and
should not serve as a barometer to determine who might be the best candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008. 'Frist is bussing people in,' Lott said, referring to Senate Majority

Bill Frist (R-Tennessee), whose political organization is working to ensure he wins this unscientific early test of election viability. 'These are not real delegates. These are people being bussed in to produce the results. It is a rigged deal. It doesn't matter.'"

More on the Frist/Lott tension from somebody who knows a thing or two about the South and national politics. Mississippi native/longtime Boston Globe political reporter Curtis Wilkie was quoted in this morning's Memphis Commercial Appeal as saying "it's an understatement to say" that Frist won't be able "to count on Senator Lott's support." Wilkie: "And generally, when you have a candidate coming out of a region, it's not helpful when you have a major player from that region being not only not supportive but very much opposed to you."

Remember, Lott will be squiring John McCain around at the reception tonight for all those Mississippians who made the drive up I-55.

[karynnj]

33. So he is too whimpy to participate in a straw poll ,

because he might lose. What a wimp!

Imagine if any Democrat would have doen this. They would be mocked forever - especially here, much better to go, not do well, then claim that you gained momentum when you do better elsewhere.

[Brazenly Liberal]

8. That man has some serious mental health issues.

On the one hand, his legendary temper has him blowing up at people for minor things, but then he turns around and kisses the asses of the bunch who savaged him in South Carolina.

[la la]

9. maybe-

stockholm syndrome - hitting him 40 years 'after the fact' ?

[seaglass]

10. This is a transparent attempt to get into the Bush cultists' good

graces. Then he'll play to independent/moderate dems as the maverick who held Bush to the fire on torture...blah blah blah - McCain is such a phoney.

All you have to do is look at how angry he was at Obama for not playing his game on the lobbying reform to see how attached he is to his make-believe image.

[flpoljunkie]

13. No way would we want this hothead's finger on the "nukular" trigger.

[DoYouEverWonder]

18. Go for it McCain

The more McCain tries to kiss BushCo ass, the more support he loses from moderates in both parties and that just happens to be his base.

Never forget.

[yurbud]

35. It's hard to look like Elliot Ness when you're holding cake with Al Capone

[yurbud]

36. Dem commercial '08: Montage of McCain & Bush hugging, etc while...

Streisand sings "Memories" in the background.

Of course the Dems have shown a remarkable ability to sidestep the money shot and be boring and obtuse instead.

They could have had the one commercial they needed if they just took the "haves and have mores" clip from Fahrenheit 9/11.

[Buck Rabbit]

39. Sounds like a better Moveon spot. n/t

[yurbud]

41. even they held back just a bit. There were one or two commercials

in their contest along the lines of LBJ's famous daisies & nuke commercial about Goldwater.

They had even more visceral punch than that one.

Ironically, now that I think about it, Republicans would probably see that LBJ commercial as being pro-republican today: "Who do else will nuke the A-rabs back to the Stone Age?"

[Beacho]

37. Uh oh

looks like somebodys' internals are quite as good as they expected....

[alfredo]

40. This photo will keep McCain out of the white house

[radio4progressives]

42. Keith Olberman reports McCain is at the Conference...

so i'm really not sure what all of this means, and why we should even be concerned about it, frankly.

[flpoljunkie]

43. McCain is indeed at the conference, and fearing Frist will win straw poll

has come up with this ploy to deflect votes away from Frist. This ploy may well backfire on McCain, as the Rethug activists may not play along with McCain, even with Trent Lott supporting him.

People do pay attention to who wins these straw polls, which makes them important.