My biggest beef with McCain is from a few years ago when "Mr. Straight-talk/anti special interests/campaign finance reform" became Big Media Corporation's Gimp closet-b**** boy when going along with FCC media consolidation hand-outs to his masters. I still can't figure out how or why he did this? Was it some sort of payoff to protect his image in the press? Or does Mr. Maverick really think that an independent media rather than a homogenized corporate one is a bad idea? Either way, that really lowered him in my opinoin
No doubt about that. He brings some good issues to the forefront though - government accountability, reform in lobbying, pork, campaign finance and immmigration. No idea yet if I could support him, but it would be good for the GOP to have him in the race. It's too early for me to get a read on probable Dem candidates outside of the same ol' same ol' I mentioned earlier. I would really like them to take at least one branch of congress in November. Hopefully they can get their act together, I have little to no faith in Dean, Pelosi & Reid.
McCain's really toned down his "maverickness" since 2004 when he came out in support of Bush in the election. It was very oddly timed, especially after how much he bashed Bush and propped up Kerry and left open the possibility of the VP spot and things like that. I suspect he made a deal with the Bush people to help him become the frontrunner in 2008, but that unfortunately really takes away what makes people like him. Like Buck said, though, he really brings a lot of important issues that no one else has the stature to discuss to the table in terms of reforming government and fighting pork and special interests and such. If he doesn't cave on those issues, he could have a great long-term positive effect on both campaigning and the country if he were to win. On the Democratic side, I think the primaries are Hillary's to lose. She has ridiculous amounts of money and there are way too many challengers. For their to be a serious 2nd contender, one of two things needs to happen. Either a major national name has to get in the mix (Gore, for example), or all the other candidates have to quickly get knocked out so the race becomes a 2-person show between Hillary and an anti-Hillary. If the primaries keep going with 3 or 4 legitimate candidates, Hillary will sweep through the primaries even if only 30-40% of the Democrats support her.
That's the problem however - we've seen little but caving from him since, with Campaign Finance being the only notable exception.
Yeah - I agree. I'm not as big a fan of McCain as I was two years ago. I'm curious to see what he's doing. He may very well be playing the right to get their support through the primaries and then get back on message for the general election. But I really have no idea. For the last two election cycles, I would have voted McCain over just about anyone else either party put out there, but not so much anymore.
You can have all the money in the world, and if you don't "click," you won't get the votes. (see Connally, John) God help the Democratic Party if H.R. Clinton gets the nomination. I would vote for Bill if he could run again, but she ain't Bill, and Bill can't run. '08 is ours to lose. Let's not give the GOP another gift like that idiot, Kerry. Please. Someone else will step up and get the nomination. Bill Clinton came out of nowhere in '92, and won 2 terms. I'm very hopeful. It all starts with beating the GOP like a drum this Fall. Keep D&D Civil.
The Cook Political Report is a non-partisan,online analysis of electoral politics. Here's an interesting article on the 08' buzz. And some very interesting thoughts on Giuliani. http://www.cookpolitical.com/ Dominating the '08 Buzz By Charlie Cook © National Journal This column was originally featured in National Journal on March 4, 2006 Although political observers are focused on this year's elections, the fight for the 2008 Democratic and Republican presidential nominations and the fortunes of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain, as well as that of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, are never far from their minds. Those three outsized personalities are dominating early discussions of the first presidential campaign since 1928 to not feature a sitting president or vice president. (Harry Truman's vice president, Alban Barkley, made an unsuccessful -- and little-remembered -- bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952.) According to a new Cook Political Report/RT Strategies poll, Clinton is the most popular of three well-known Democrats expected to seek the 2008 nomination. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaners, she drew 44 percent support. Former Sen. John Edwards, the party's 2004 vice presidential nominee, received 16 percent, while Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 standard-bearer, drew 14 percent. The poll of 1,000 adults nationwide was conducted February 23-26 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent. Clinton does best among women and African-Americans, getting 48 percent of the female vote, compared with 38 percent of the male vote. She received a whopping 65 percent of black support, which could make her a big favorite in Southern primaries. The curiosity surrounding the New York senator's candidacy seems limitless, among friends and foes alike. In the Cook/RT survey, among Democrats and independents who lean Democratic, 47 percent thought that Clinton would be as electable as any other Democratic nominee. But 46 percent were concerned that she couldn't win a general election. Thom Riehle, the Democratic partner in RT Strategies, said, "Democrats are hungry for a victory.... Clinton's success in winning the nomination will depend on reassuring Democratic primary voters, especially hard-core liberals, that her candidacy will not condemn them to four more long years in the wilderness." In the poll's GOP trial heat, McCain and Giuliani tied with 30 percent, followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 11 percent. While Clinton must deal with electability questions, Giuliani has to figure out how to survive a GOP nomination process dominated by cultural conservatives. For Giuliani, the task will be quite a change from overwhelmingly Democratic New York City, where a Republican seeking office needs to take liberal social and cultural positions. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents were read two descriptions of Giuliani: "He really cleaned up New York City as mayor and made it a safer place to live or visit, and then showed real courage as a leader after the attack on the World Trade Center," and "His views on some issues -- because he is pro-choice on abortion, and supports gun control and gay rights -- make it hard ... to support him for president." Based on those statements, 50 percent said they would nominate Giuliani, while 43 percent would not. Among self-described conservatives, who tend to dominate GOP primaries and caucuses, 46 percent would choose Giuliani, while 48 percent would not. Clearly, how to view the ex-mayor is a very divisive question within the GOP. Lance Tarrance, the Republican partner in RT Strategies, says, "On the strength of name recognition, Giuliani runs right alongside McCain, but when you put his foot to the fire on issues like abortion, gun control, and gay rights, a significant number of Republicans can't support him." Although many conservatives have serious reservations about McCain's ideology and party loyalty, the Arizona senator's problems pale in comparison with those Giuliani would face. In a general election trial heat, McCain led Clinton by 10 points, 47 percent to 37 percent. He won 84 percent of Republicans, but she carried only 69 percent of Democrats. No matter what turns this year's contests take, count on Clinton, McCain, and perhaps Giuliani to remain obsessions of the political world.
Most of the things I hear about Hillary are either 1. Dealing with Bill or 2. window dressing for folx not wanting a woman president Hillary has done no worse than Bush or Her Husband or any other politician their pasts are all kind of shady BTW I'm not talking about you guys but in general Rocket River
RR, I think she makes a fine Senator for New York. I really do. I just don't think she is electable in '08 at the top of the ticket. I consider myself a feminist (you'd have to know my wife, LOL!), and her sex has nothing to do with how I feel about her. Sadly, it affects many others, but even so, I don't think that is the real reason she can't win. She's one of those, "Love her or hate her," kind of people. Not too many in the middle, and independants, are drawn to her, as they were to Bill. That's ironic, considering her positions on a lot of things. I differ from some of my fellow liberal friends here, in that I think we need a candidate with a strong appeal to the center. '04 should have shown, without a doubt, that we can't nominate someone who is "good enough." (not that Kerry was, but many perceived him that way. I never did... only that he was better than Bush, which I still believe) It won't cut it. Bush was so beatable in '04, but his ruthless campaign (did anyone expect anything different??), combined with Kerry's ineptness, was enough to keep voters home, get Bush's people to the polls, and sway enough Democrats unimpressed with Kerry, and frightened by Bush/Rove, to vote for him. We need a strong, new candidate, who can give a damn speech (which Hillary can do, on occassion, but not consistantly. I'll give her that), has charisma, appeals to the center, while holding to the core, liberal values Democrats like me care about. Who might that be? I think it's still too early to say. Keep D&D Civil.
So do I. Barack Obama is exactly who I'd like to see get the nomination. Hillary can be #2, and provide her financial backing. Keep D&D Civil.
Why? I think being governor isn't the advantage it's cracked up to be, especially for someone like Obama. Keep D&D Civil.
I agree. If you look back at the last 20 years, the one consistency about Presidential races is that the more charismatic candidate wins. Appeal to the center, and have a good personality (or a less-bad personality than your opponent), and you win.
1976: most americans knew who gerald ford was. his opponent, a little known governor from a small southern state. 1992: most americans knew who George Bush was. his opponent, a little known governor from a small southern state.
Tell that to Governors Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush. Only exception in that run is a sitting VP who ran and won.
