Do you think John McCain can win the Rep primary in 08?

[Poiuyt]

Now that John McCain is running to the far right, what do you think his chances are of winning the primary? Yes, I know it's early and we should be concentrating on the 06 elections, but I don't think it's too soon to knock off a front runner. I've heard a lot of people on this board say that McCain can never win the primary, George Allen has a better chance, etc. But for some reason, the media loves him and ignores his past and what he's really like. Jerry Falwell is starting to back him and the media portrays him as a maverick, which could appeal to the moderates. What do you think his chances are? If you don't think he will win, why not? And if he does win, what would be the best strategy to defeat him in the general election?

[lovuian]

1. NO

He's committed Political suicide....

[davidwparker]

8. And, let's hope he realizes that and then does the honorable thing:

not run for senator again.

I believed his rap one time.

[Imagevision]

2. No respect for McCain as he sucks up to Bush, he's not his own man

McCain vows to be every bit the puppet Bush is and will be easily manipulated

[Catchawave]

3. Nope...Romney, Huckabee...I predict for

GOP nom. As of today, that is :hi:

[Left Is Write]

14. I agree with you.

Both'll make a good run for it.

[cassiepriam]

4. Gonna be Jeb Bush, who is gonna run against Hillary...

Back to the future time.....

[Imagevision]

27. If Jeb Runs? 2008 Headlines: Clinton defeats Bush...(again)

[cassiepriam]

36. yes, I life that headline :)) nt

[Poiuyt]

28. I think the country is going to have Bush fatigue by then

Well, OK, the country has it now. But I think George has poisoned the name of Bush for a long time.

[cassiepriam]

37. Historically people vote for a familiar name, even if it is the devil's

name :(

[H2O Man]

5. I sure hope so.

A Bob Dole retread should be the easiest republican candidate to beat in '08.

[KittyWampus]

32. While Chuck Hagel Would Be Their Strongest Bet, IMO

but would the BFEE go with someone who is, in part, a true maverick within his party or with someone who just plays the part on tv?

[yellowdawgdem]

6. pretty good not great

I haven't been following that closely the 008 election and how that is shaping up. But given that the shrub has such low approval ratings and that people will be looking for change, well maybe they think McCain could appeal to a broader base than most right wingers. It'd be interesting to see the full roster of candidates- like, is Jeb running, and whether they want somebody with name recognition or not. Sometimes unknown governors are favored, but this will be a strange election year, with people clamoring for change.

[skipos]

7. His age sure doesn't help. He'd be the oldest president ever

if he was elected.

[BlooInBloo]

11. Older than reagan? How old is he?

[skipos]

19. See my post below. nt

[Poiuyt]

25. Reagan was 73 at the start of his 2nd term. McCain would be 72

[Left Is Write]

16. He's not even 60 yet.

Reagan was 69 when inaugurated the first time.

[skipos]

18. He was born Aug 29,1936

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain

I am no mathmetician, but I am pretty sure that makes him over 60, right?

[Left Is Write]

20. You're right. LOL!

You mean it's not 1996? And I'm not about to turn 30?

;)

[stanwyck]

30. He's had health problems

which would be an issue. And I do think his age would hurt him at this point. I don't ageism is right. But, let's be realistic. The Republicans are going to need the best they can find -- they need a conservative, charismatic Kennedy or Clinton.
McCain's flaws are as apparent as his perceived pluses. He cancels himself out.

[joemurphy]

9. No way. n/t

[saltpoint]

10. It doesn't seem like it as much now as even half a year ago.

Allen's touted and I personally believe Haley Barbour might get the nomination.

I think we could whup McCain.

Less sure about Barbour.

[ThomWV]

12. I Honestly Do Not Care Who They Run

One criminal looks just like another to me.

[warrior1]

13. nope

[Imagevision]

15. Insiders say that Bush doesn't like nor trust Giuliani

[Yupster]

24. Giuliani has no chance

He doesn't pass the first requisite which is pro-life.

McCain does pass that test, and is likely to win the nomination as the republicans always vote for the frontrunner if there is one.

[femmocrat]

17. I think it's gonna be Romney.

Although I have heard that fundies don't like Mormons (?), I think he has been getting a lot of press for his make-them-buy-their-own health insurance plan. That should appeal to the repubs who fear "socialized medicine"! Plus he has better hair than McCain.

[Left Is Write]

21. Unfortunately...

looks do play into it for a lot of people, and Romney is a reasonably good looking guy.

[sallyseven]

26. He is also a bigger jerk than McCain.

Romney is a sneaky lying creep.

[AndyTiedye]

22. Yes. Another Fake Moderate. Just What They Need.

And better yet (for them) a likely-to-be-short-lived one.

They have been grooming him for this for the past few years.
It would be easy for the media to convince the sheeple that McCain won,
even if they have to steal 10,000,000 votes.



They'll have some fire-breathing Fundie as VP.
The Fundies would be willing enough to wait for McCain to kick off.
How old would he be when he takes office? 81?

Then we'd have pResident Brownback or something :scared:

[WernhamHogg]

23. I don't think so

The fundies have an irrational hatred for him. A few months ago, a fundie told me he would stay home rather than vote for McCain "even if he ran against Hillary". On the other hand, all it would take is a bit of $$$$ and I'm sure the "leaders" of the religious right would be singing McCain's praises to their sheep. Still, I expect the repukes to run someone with a lower profile who is FAR more insane than McCain.

[WFF]

31. The fundies might hate him now, but he's really courting them hard

It looks like McCain's strategy is to romance Jerry Falwell and the Bush ultra right wingers, and then if he gets the nomination, he'll go to his maverick side and play up his "war hero" image. (He was no war hero - he gave out military secrets to get medical care when he was a POW). In any event, Poiuyt was right, the media does seem to love him, and that can go a long way.

[tsuki]

35. I have never understood their hatred. Why? I dislike him for the

Keating Five, the skate on ethics, the lying, etc, but why do the fundies hate him?

[msgadget]

29. It's gonna be harder now than it was before

Right after the republican primaries he had such a shot at maintaining the support of moderate republicans and democrats because of his victimization. Even after he did the hugs some thought it just proved a how noble he was. Over time he went along with too much yucky stuff, didn't speak out against the signing statement and now is courting conservatives. Oh, and there's the voting record a lot of moderates ignored as they swooned over him as Mr. Bipartisan Straight Talk.

[BlooInBloo]

33. I fail to see anything blocking him from the nomination...

The problem for him is that winning the primary and winning the general election are very likely mutually exclusive propositions for the republicans (because of the run-to-the-right-then-run-to-the-center dance he has to do).

Democrats don't have that problem. They just have to be different from ANY republican.

[NNN0LHI]

34. I think his health is failing. His face seems to be puffing up in places

Looks like he is carrying around a mouthful of walnuts.

Don

[Peter Frank]

38. I hope so...

Even if the Dem candidate loses, at least the corruption might stop.

[Disturbed]

39. John McCain, Hypocrite

John McCain, Hypocrite
by Doug Ireland

John McCain, the media's darling, has found a clever way around his own campaign finance reform law to take big corporate bucks in furtherance of his political ambitions while carrying water for the corporate mammoth providing the dough. But the national press is ignoring the story.


The Associated Press first ran the story of John McCain's odorous but lucrative Senatorial service to the communications giant Cablevision on the afternoon of March 7. But, while some local papers in McCain's home state (like the East Valley Tribune) have run the story, nothing has as yet made it into the print editions of the New York Times, the L.A. Times, the Washington Post, or any of the half-dozen other big city dailies I checked (although, if one searches the hundreds of AP stories available on the Post's website on its Politics page by clicking on "Latest Wire Reports," one can find it there--but how many readers would bother to do that?) One notable exception: the Kansas City Star.


Here's what the AP's investigation found:


McCain repeatedly intervened on behalf of a policy Cablevision favored -- one which "congressional and private studies conclude could make cable more expensive" -- while his chief political adviser, Rick Davis (who's masterminding McCain's probable '08 presidential rerun) solicited $200,000 in contributions from Cablevision to an institute that promotes McCain and pays Davis a $110,000 annual salary.


The Reform Institute was set up to promote McCain and his issues--especially campaign finance reform, embodied in the famous McCain-Feingold law. This Institute is "a tax-exempt group that touts McCain's views and has showcased him at events since his unsuccessful 2000 presidential campaign," and it "often uses the senator's name in press releases and fund-raising letters and includes him at press conferences," the AP says. And, of course, it provides a cushy sinecure with no heavy lifting for McCain's main man, Davis, as he prepares the pontificating Senator's next presidential run. Cablevision's contributions account for a whopping 15% of the Institute's budget.


http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0309-35.htm