Just heard this one on the Dennis Prager show this morning-that Mike Huckabee’s continued presence in the race is splitting the conservative vote allowing Sen. McCain to win.
The problem? This claim is utterly false and I have data to back it up:
Is Mike Huckabee’s continued presence in the race hurting Mitt Romney? That’s been the conventional wisdom, some of it echoed by Romney himself, which has reached the point that even Huckabee himself has responded to it. The idea is that conservative Republicans are not enamored with John McCain, and are seeking an alternative. Huckabee’s presence in the race therefore splits this anti-McCain vote, keeping all of it from going to Romney, and ultimately helping McCain.
We have a way of looking at this. In our latest USA Today/Gallup poll Huckabee supporters were asked for whom they would vote if the race came down to John McCain or Mitt Romney.
The results? McCain wins over Romney as the second choice of Huckabee voters by more than a 2 to 1 margin, 64% to 28%. Indeed, McCain beats Romney 42% to 24% with Huckabee in the race (Huckabee gets 18% of the vote, Ron Paul gets 5%, and Alan Keyes gets 2%). With a narrowed-down ballot focused just on McCain and Romney (forcing Huckabee voters to choose between the two front-runners), McCain wins 53% to 30% — a slightly expanded margin.
In other words, it does not appear as if Huckabee supporters would be supporting Romney at any unusually high rate if Huckabee were to drop out of the race. So it’s hard to substantiate the argument that Romney would suddenly be doing better – at least at the national level – if Huckabee weren’t still campaigning.
On a slightly different note, it’s worth noting that Huckabee is now pulling in just 24% of those Republicans who attend church on a weekly basis. That’s a point behind Romney’s percent of the vote of these highly religious Republicans. And still well behind McCain among the same group.
Back in mid-January (which seems like ages ago), Huckabee was winning among the highly religious Republican group with 30 % of the vote, followed by McCain with 26% and Romney with 12%. There was a bigger field of candidates at the time, but overall McCain led in that poll just as he does now. And Huckkabee’s percentage of the vote in that poll – 19% — was virtually the same as now. Huckabee has clearly dropped on a relative basis among highly religious Republicans at the national level.-(all emphasis mine)
What Gov. Huckabee’s continued presence in the race is accomplishing is keeping Sen. McCain from garnering huge majority victories over Gov. Romney in a two man race.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=1101
Early exit poll data, Nothing shocking on the Republican side yet, Hillary up big in Mass.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
This seems to vary from state to state. I specifically remember the Iowa exit polls showed Mitt as 2nd choice for the vast majority of Huckabee voters, and evangelicals.
At least the 18 in WV will help broker the convention. As far as that particular aspect of things, Huckabee staying makes it more possible, not less.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Wow you are ignorant…what happened in Maine when you had a straight up contest?
That’s what I thought.
Moderate Republicans are trying to pull the wool over your eyes…
Conservatives…it’s time to FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!
February 5th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Not True.
No one knows how the psychological dynamic changes in a two person race. This can be seem on the Dem side. Obama becomes a much more appealing candidate when put solely up against the establishment. the same would be true. non issue though, as huck is in it until either his man wins, or his ego is satisfied.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
At this point, analysis is correct. Huck’s supporters have taken their cues from Huck himself with his not so sublte anti-Mormon, anti-Wall Street view of Romney.
Romney may ultimately regret throwing the first punch in Iowa as Huckabee then began his “Mitt, stop being mean to me mantra” which Huck supporters have now taken up as well.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Kavon’s right. Nobody is dumb enough to think Huckabee is a conservative, so his supporters are obviously all committed liberals. Think! Huckabee raised taxes 47%! He raised spending 50%! He raised the number of bureaucrats in the state 20%! So the conclusion that is forced on those of us who are conservatives, is that in the next 4 years, we have a lot of educating to do. We have 4 years to create the intellectual framework for a free society and take back out party from the liberals. If we can’t do it, we will have failed history.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Do you suppose the irresponsible media will continue this line, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary?
February 5th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Awesome post, Kavon! Romneybots are always trying to bail out Romney for his phoniness and his inability to buy states.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Did anyone just catch that eyebrow raise by Crist on Fox?
February 5th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
True dat.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
If this is true then the Republicans have let liberals take over the
party.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Conservative Gladiator #3,
Issue by issue, I guarantee that I am every bit as conservative as you are. Just as most of my fellow McCain supporters are.
Everyday Republicans are tuning out the destructive rhetoric and making their choice clear.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Metro,
No, what happened?
February 5th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
BULL CRAP Kavon
February 5th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Arnold said, behind every great man is a great woman. Crist’s eyebrows popped. He’s rumored to be gay.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
(Arnold was introducing Cindy McCain in San Diego. Crist was standing behind them.)
February 5th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Say good bye to the Reagan coalition, it will be decades before we can get this party back on track. If McCain is the nominee I can’t wait to see his butt go down in the general election, no way do I want this liberal representing me!
February 5th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Sam #5,
True Conservatives don’t play like that. That’s the problem with everyone who isn’t. They play dirty. Outside convention. They try to win fair and square with ideas. Reagan didn’t win by being dirty. This is what we’ve gone away from. Moderates are taking over the party and now you see how they play. There’s no structure to it. They win by skewing and molding what they can control into something jumbled to the point of bringing you back to what makes them appealing and hoping to keep you looking at the medallion waving in your face. They’re becoming liberals before our very eyes. People with all the concern in the world with no good ideas about how to make things better except what makes them feel better which is to give you free money and lets you do whatever you want just as long as you keep
them in power…
CONSERVATIVES…FIGHT!!! FIGHT!!! FIGHT!!!
February 5th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
“Arnold said, behind every great man is a great woman.”
that is pretty sexist
February 5th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Kavon…how as a conservative can you support McCain, who isn’t conservative.
If you are willing to seel your principles because polls 8 months out have McCain with a slim margin, just ask how Rudy’s H2H numbers looked 8 months ago against the Dems?
McCain is a crook and a liar!
February 5th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
If that’s the case, the word conservative does not mean anything anymore. It’s not a question of rhetoric, it’s a question of principles. McCain has none. He does anything he can to get power and attention. I did not turn anti-McCain yesterday listening to Rush’s rhetoric. I turned anti-McCain three years ago when McCain abandoned his principles to style himself the “maverick”, aka “the big media suck-up”
February 5th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
It’s true.
I’m a Huckabee supporter, and there’s no way my vote would EVER break for Romney. I’d go for McCain if Huck wasn’t in. Then Paul. Then I’d write in Huckabee. Then I’d write in Thompson. There’s no way I’d ever vote for Romney.
Thanks for bringing this up, this is an interesting statistic.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
15
Crist is gay – people in FL know that as fact basically.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Kavon,
Answer me this please. Why then has not Huckabee campaigned against McCain recently?
In fact, Huckabee has not taken a shot at McCain since his SC lost when Huckabee called McCain “too old” to be president.
It is clear that these two are in coohoots since they have not campaigned against each other.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
22, Why?
February 5th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Kavon #12,
“Conservative” has totally lost its meaning. It’s worthless trying to debate who’s more or less “conservative” these days. It used to pertain to conserving a free, constitutional, federalist republic.
Now, those who favor a Constitution-sized federal government, economic freedom, national sovereignty, and oppose an inane big-government foreign policy are called “moonbats” and “kooks.”
February 5th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Huckabee is hoping he has enough delegates to get him the VP slot
to McCain.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Jay Cost agrees with Kavon, and this seems to be the final word:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/horseraceblog/2008/02/on_mccains_voting_coalition_1.html
February 5th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
26, what Josiah said!
February 5th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
26, Agree…this race reflects that fact that WE, the big WE, the United States are moving to the left. There is ust no two ways about it. WE want bigger government. WE really do.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Rombots – QUIT YOUR WHINING!!!
February 5th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Only rombots would be so bold as to advocate governing by talk radio mandates rather than by what voters say in the ballot box.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Fox News is reporting McCain campaign making calls in CA claiming Mitt Romney is “Anti-Godâ€.
I can tell you one thing, McCain is not uniting and inspiring the GOP like Reagan did.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I live in FL and know for a fact that Charlie Crist is NOT GAY! He has a girlfriend from the Tampa area who he has been dating for several months now, that is just a rumor, our governor is not gay!
February 5th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Kavon: Issue by issue, I guarantee that I am every bit as conservative as you are. Just as most of my fellow McCain supporters are. Everyday Republicans are tuning out the destructive rhetoric and making their choice clear.
That’s a good one.
I suppose the fact that McCain is making calls all over California right now calling Mitt Romney anti-God is nice and rosy rhetoric.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
27,
Absolutely…if he can get the VP spot and show that he’s not as kooky as everyone thinks right now…he will be able to make a nice run for the top job when he’s 56 or 60.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
33,
McCain thinks he “deserves” it. I’ve been listening to him for a year and still have no idea what bold new direction he would take us.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
#33 & #35,
This only shows that this entire race has turned into one big vernal playground war. There’s only one adult running, and it’s not McCain, Romney, or Huckabee.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
It was funny how Huckabee had that oh my god look when Chuck Norris said McCain was
too old – he evidently hadnt let Chuck know of his VP plan as of that time.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
After a year of slimy, lying campaigning, Mitt deserves ANY lie thrown at him in the very end. Taste of his own medicine.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Romney is anti-god! He is Mormon for God’s sake and they are cult in many peoples eyes!
February 5th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
38…OK, fess up. Don’t keep us guessing? Ron Paul?
February 5th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
YOU QUIT YOUR GLOATING YOU slimy piece of ……
February 5th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Ilfigo #20,
I have debated writing an extensive post explaining my political beliefs/philosophy and why I have backed the candidates that I have.
The first thing is that I find official “blogger endorsements” to be really, really, pretentious. I mean really… Who gives a rip regarding who some blogger supports? That’s why I have never written one myself, and why I have been reluctant to write such a post about my personal beliefs in general.
Secondly, I have always wanted to strictly adhere to the Eleventh Commandment (and I feel that I have done the best job of that of anyone up to this point.) Consequently, I have never wanted to directly compare and contrast opposing candidates, because I didn’t want to injure the man who could be my Party’s nominee in any way. Smearing Republicans is what Democrats do, and I want no part of it.
On your point on McCain not being a conservative, I reject that out of hand. McCain is a conservative’s conservative on Spending, Entitlements, Earmarks, the GWOT, National Defense, Judicial Nominations, Opposing the Fairness Doctrine, etc… and has been Pro-Life and Pro-Family his entire life.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
(Arnold was introducing Cindy McCain in San Diego. Crist was standing behind them.)
That’s just lovely. Just keep her away from his wife Maria who as endorsed Obama. After all, McCain’s daughter thinks Obama is cute .
These are the “conservative Republicans” that I’m to consider voting for?
February 5th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
#38 It’s Obama. That’s why the GOP is doomed this time around.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Metro,
Couldnt agree with you more on that one!
February 5th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Huck beat McCain among conservatives in SC and Romney beat McCain among conservatives in FL and NH:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/index.html#SCREP
See vote by ideology. This is clear evidence that Huck and Romney have been splitting the conservative vote. The people of SC even thought Huck was the strongest candidate on immigration!
Huck is not staying in the race to help Romney. He finished behind Rudy in Florida and should have dropped out with him.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Wow, i just saw a foxnews ad for john mccain –ON TV.. they look lots different on TV than those tiny youtube videos
February 5th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
“Illinoisguy Says:
February 5th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
YOU QUIT YOUR GLOATING YOU slimy piece of ……”
don’t start calling names. I was not gloating at all. I am just tired of all the whining.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
45,
The party is moving to the left…that’s all there is to it. As MA goes, so goes the country….just give it time.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Kavon,
I guarantee you that you are Republican first and Conservative second.
You have the same problem that every other person who claims to be conservative has and that is just because you have ideas about things that are conservative doesn’t mean you are. Conservatism is a group of ideas that are in you to the point that regardless of the situation you aren’t going to waiver and act on that belief. I’m okay with you and your guy McCain but if that’s your guy then you need to admit at the least that you’re conservative on some things and liberal on others. Again that’s okay for me but you’re moderate at that point.
Conservatism is something that’s in you. You either think and DO that way or you don’t.
The movement isn’t about Republicans…it’s about IDEAS and moving those IDEAS forward not the party. What good is the party if their ideas are close to the OPPOSITION…and let’s remember that they (the Democrats) are the OPPOSITION. Don’t forget that.
I’m okay if I lose the majority because they think that conservative IDEAS are wrong but you’ll never see me GIVE IN to the majority because traditional conservative thought is the best way to lead America and I’ll always believe that.
If you guys think that giving in to liberals is the way to go which is what John McCain has done his whole career then you are a Republican first and conservative second. Last I looked that makes you moderate.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
46,
Agree, the $32 million dollar man in January will crush the GOP candidate this year.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Huck is staying in the race b/c he doesnt like Romney and wants to stick it to him, i think we all can see that, i’m a McCain supporter but theres no denying that fact. Even if Huck won Missour,AL,TN, and GA, he would still not be able to win the nom. b/c he wouldnt have enough del’s b/c he’s not competing anywhere else.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
54,
For sure, and as long as he’s in the race, it will boost his next book’s sales.
“Leading the Christian Way-The Story of My Campaign for the People”
February 5th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
HAHA mitt is arrogant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6QjUdwhsRs
February 5th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Josiah,
The word conservative has only lost its meaning to the extent that anybody applies that label to McCain or Huckabee. McCain has voted against tax cuts 52 times! Rick Santorum has told the world that the Busy tax cuts would have been much larger, except for the efforts of McCain. If the Republican Party doesn’t stand for tax cuts, what is the reason for its existence?? There were only 2 Republicans who voted against the Bush tax cuts, and one of them was McCain. Huckabee raised taxes 47% in Arkansas! It’s real simple: The higher taxes are, the greater the growth of the state apparatus that exists to elimate individual freedom, i.e., the closer to Leviathan we get. The lower taxes are, the larger the private sector of the economy and the greater the aggregate quantity of economic activity that ensues, i.e., the more freedom and prosperity have. In West Virginia, the statists won. Stay tuned.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
#42 sam,
Think about it. Have you ever heard of Dr. Paul run robocalls accusing other candidates of being “anti-God” or stand there while chuckling and making snide comments at other candidates during the debates? Dr. Paul has always shown the utmost respect, seriousness, and maturity throughout his entire campaign–he basically had to baby McCain and Romney during their little slappy-fit in the last debate to get the forum back onto the issues and off these stupid quibbling games over who said what when.
#44 Kavon,
Your last paragraph couldn’t have my point in #26 any better.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Gloating is all we’ve seen for the last two hours! I hope all of get a chance to see how it feels, but unfortunately, i won’t happen because Mitt’s supporters play with ethics. I can’t tell you how upset I am with the collusion in WV. It’s disgusting.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
58, You are correct. If Ron had not made himself so strident, so histrionic in his war opposition he would have gone over better. The problem was in the debates was that his solution to every problem was the war.
But you are right, he has been far more mature than the others. The only one to really defend the attacks on
Romney’s religion as well.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
BTW, Don Surber says JMac and Paul supporters joined Huck during the lunch break at the WV GOP convention:
*sigh* Even Paulestinians pass on Mitt.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Illinoisguy #59,
But it was OK for the “Pro-Life/Pro-Family” slate to do the same thing to Ron Paul in Lousiana, because he’s a “kook.”
February 5th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I thought this short video captured Huckabee’s role in the race quite well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3z6d2dLVNM
February 5th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
In nearly every issue Ron Paul is the most conservative*. That’s why I call the talk radio crowd Republican Pharisees –because they thought they were exceedingly sincere in their beliefs, when in fact they completely lost the plot.
since when is foreign intervention “conservative”? if you think it is, then bill clinton was a foreign policy conservative too.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Did you guys hear that McCain campaign set up anti-God calls, featuring Mitt Romney as the target?
I wonder who placed the anti calls in NH? Who cares, I’m a sore loser on NH, but McCain is a flat out sore winner and a total loser. If he really pulls this off, I’m going to have to vent for months and then figure out who in the heck I’m going to vote for in November.
McCain is participating in the death of the socons and right wingers, and he knows it.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Conservative Gladiator #52,
I am really not going to get into some pissing contest with you regarding who is the most conservative. But I will, for the record, guarantee you that issue by issue, I am as or perhaps even more conservative than you are.
Your rhetoric of, “I am more conservative than you!!!” is really nothing more the last resort of a person who has lost the argument (as McCain moves looks to wrap-up the nomination this evening).
That fact that we simply disagree with each other on the two remaining candidates has nothing to do my claims or your claims of being a “true conservative”.
I also utterly reject the idea that your support of a candidate who has held either the identical positions as Sen. McCain, or positions VASTLY TO THE LEFT of Sen. McCain’s until he decided to run for President in 2005 somehow makes you more conservative than me.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I saw a surveyUSA poll before the election that had Romney doing really well among hispanics in Florida. The more you drill down, the less accurate the numbers are.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
59, What!!!??? I have seen more whining and crying from Mitt supporters, and attacks from Mitt suporters about how McCain will be the end of the country… But you just ignore the 90% of pro-Mitt comments to go after the like 1% that are gloating. Mitt supporters bash supportes of other candidates as being bigots, and stupid… And its Mitt supporters who are the ehtical ones. Its Mitt supporters who are the sore losers.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Looks like a fellow West Virginian is generally unimpressed by Mitt’s sore-loser ploy.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
One thing we’ve learned from this race….Ignore the media at your own peril.
You can not go straight to the people. You have to go through the media. It is sad…
but true.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Gladiator,
There is no movement conservative in the field.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
“Awesome post, Kavon! Romneybots are always trying to bail out Romney for his phoniness and his inability to buy states.”
Billy Valentine-Brownback bot.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
I like these posts. If Huck supporters really would go to McCain and WV shows he is viable, than this is all good news for Mitt.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
MarkG,
Do you really want McCain as your Republican nominee, or are you just looking for a Huckabee VP ticket?
February 5th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
#69 That’s not what I’m seeing, lots of people are disguisted, it was totaly legal, but there might be quite a bit of blowback.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Question for Huckabee supporters. If Romney were to drop out in the next few days do you expect Huckabee would follow or stick this thing out until the end?
February 5th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
76, Huck will bail a few days later.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I don’t understand why McCain would be making such nagative Robo-calls, it doesn’t make sense if you’re about to tie up the nomination. It makes sense if you’re far behind like Romney, but at this point I would think the general would be more of a concern for McCain than the primary. If McCain is really way ahead this seems like a really really dumb move. I hope this is a move rogue operation by McCain’s team and McCain immediately fires those involved.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=N2RlNTdkMTU3MTFkM2Q1ZWMzZmU3MDFkM2U2ZTRjNTg=
If Huck pulls out, Jmac enjoys yet another post-rudy-type surge.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
bjalder #75,
“Blowback” is just a conspiracy theory.
It applies to everything but American foreign policy.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Anyone else get the impression that Kavon has a “fetish” with the word meme?
February 5th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
MarkG,
It’s well known that the 3 super-delegates from West Virginia are all going to Mitt, and if the race is still going by the time of the primary, he will get the other 9. It’s the 18 convention delegates that he was screwed out of.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Huckabee is in it to win it – no bailing out.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
76, stick it out. I have talked to him personally on this.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Kavon,
Your one act alone to bless McCain with your support is enough to tell me that you AREN’T a traditional conservative. Anyone who thought McCain is the one to carry us are the ones who either didn’t know him enough or thought that he deserved it because of his being a war hero.
If you tell me that you’re supporting him because he IS the most conservative then your credibility as a conservative is truly suspect.
As for Romney it doesn’t matter to me where he was. It matters to me where he is now. There wasn’t enough there to make me think that he would do anything less than carry the conservative movement forward.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Romney supporters,
Why are you all whining about this? In caucuses, you are allowed to switch to your second choice if your preferred candidate doesn’t get the required number of votes. Why didn’t Hillary start crying when Bill Richardson threw his support to Obama in Iowa, handing him the victory? Why didn’t Obama complain when most of Edwards support in the Nevada Caucuses went to Hillary, giving her the win? What were McCain and Paul supporters supposed to do, just go home?
It really makes you guys look like sore losers.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
86,
because they are
February 5th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
“It really makes you guys look like sore losers.”
It is only going to get worse as the numbers start coming in tonight.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
LJ you’re no different than Kavon…see my posts.
Conservatives keep your heads up!!! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!
February 5th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Conservative Gladiator,
He could take the conservative movement forward, but he’s not a movement conservative. He’s a self described problem solver.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
“As for Romney it doesn’t matter to me where he was. It matters to me where he is now. There wasn’t enough there to make me think that he would do anything less than carry the conservative movement forward.”
Yep, Romney gets to have a pass on all anything pre 2007. Of course McCain doesn’t get a pass for even 30 years ago.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
NO ONE’S Whining.
We’re battling!!!
February 5th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Conservatives keep your heads up!!! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!
YES – GO HUCKABEE!
Gladiator – i had no idea you wanted Huckabee to win – thanks!
February 5th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Hillary is more of a lady and a gentleman than Mitt. I fully expect the Rombots to drop their candidate any day now to support her.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
“Your one act alone to bless McCain with your support is enough to tell me that you AREN’T a traditional conservative. ”
Anyone that chooses to vote for Hillary or Obama is not conservative at all. Remember that the next president will likely select two or three Supreme Court justices. Do you really think we would be better off letting the dems do that??
February 5th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
JOHN MARK,
NO ONE SHOULD GET A PASS FOR WHAT THEY DO!!! WHAT DID ROMNEY DID THE LAST 30 YEARS?
That’s what I thought, get in line with Kavon and LJ.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
92, Okay maybe you’re throwing a temper tantrum.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I send my kids to time out when they throw a temper tantrum. LOL
February 5th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
What did Romney do the last 30 years? He’s been firmly pro-choice, pro gun control, pro campaign finance reform, in short he was a Olympia Snowe type of Republican. But he gets a pass on that because the talkshows are pumping him up as some sort of second coming of Ronald Reagen.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
UA #98,
Good idea. I think this entire party needs to time out in the corner for a while, to read the Constitution and think long and hard about what they’ve done.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
#95
What guarantee do we have with McCain that he will nominate conservative judges?
Half of the judges nominated by non-”maverick” conservative presidents have turned out to be liberal.
Hardly a valid argument to differentiate McCain from the Dems.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
33, 35, 38 & 41
If Fox News was reporting what you and a bunch of anonymous and semi-anonymous posters
are claiming, there would be a link to the story on fox news’s website, no? So where is it?
http://search2.foxnews.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=my_frontend&proxystylesheet=my_frontend&output=xml_no_dtd&site=story&getfields=*&filter=0&sort=date%3AD%3AS%3Ad1&q=John+McCain+Mormon+anti+God )
Care to elaborate on your evidence?
February 5th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
98, In some ways this site would be a more pleasent site if the RomBots did get timeout.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Brett,
Your guy had a chance and now he’s just what he is. A spoiler who we all know doesn’t like Romney for anything more than being a Mormon. Oh and he’s a rich one at that.
Do we need to go over again what Huckabee did as Governor? Please let’s not go over that one again. Conservatives already put him through the ringer once. Don’t need to do that again. But for those who easily forgot maybe Romney should pull out those TRUTH ads.
By the way get in line with Kavon LJ and John Mark. Like I said you can be conservative on some things but you can’t on others be liberal. If that’s the case you’re a moderate Republican.
Conservatives FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!
February 5th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Sean P.
You only need to know 6th grade math to figure it out.
Thanks
February 5th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
80% of Romney’s voters = conservative
75% of Huck’s voters = conservative
Yes, Huck is costing Mitt the election.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
104, If Huckabee hates Romney so much hy is he staying in to help him.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Here is my crystal ball for November if McCain is the nominee. If McCain loses to Obama or Hillary the McCainiacs will blame Romney supporters, Rush, Hannity and all the rest for the loss. If McCain wins in November the McCaniacs will claim they did it without the help of Romney supporters, Rush, Hannity or Coulter.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Are there any exit polls being leaked yet?
February 5th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
[...] Romney, and his supporters have everywhere trumpeted the notion that a vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain. Someone recently claimed this on one of my old posts. But that is not the truth. [...]
February 5th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
“McCain is a conservative’s conservative on Spending, Entitlements, Earmarks, the GWOT, National Defense, Judicial Nominations, Opposing the Fairness Doctrine, etc… and has been Pro-Life and Pro-Family his entire life.”
That’s a fairy tale.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Illinoisguy,
I’ve seen a few.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Michael,
Not to question the veracity of your numbers, but Huckabee doesn’t have any conservative support. He has populist support. He has liberal support. He has some co-religionist support. The one kind of support he doesn’t have is conservative support.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Just becasue Huck voters describe themselves as Conservative doesn’t mean they are the type of Conservative that want Romney. The internals after Florida showed McCain as the overwhelming 2nd choice among Huck supporters. These Huck supporter I believe also described themselves as Conservative. What very well may be happening is that Huckabee is taking away the branch of Conservative voters that would vote for McCain and therefore McCain is left only winning moderate votes and looking like he only appeals to moderates when really he would win Conservative if he could win the Huck faction of Conservatives.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I don’t know if Huckabee supporters would automatically favor Mitt if Huckabee dropped out. I do think though that Huckabee supporters would probably tend toward Mitt if Huckabee hadn’t ever been in the race and pied piped them away from voting more conservatively.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
113, He has self-claimed conservative support which is the same numbers you Rombots like to toss around that show Romney winning Conservatives. The only thing you got to show for Romney being popular among conservatives is the same thing that shows huck being popular among conservatives.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Fox is NOW saying that this might be much closer than expected. Earlier today they were debating on whether or not McCain would wrap it up today.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
115, I suppose that’s possible. I think one of the reasons Huckabee supporters are unlikely to go for Mitt is that one of the strongest forces Mitt has is talk radio and obviously Huck supporters don’t care about talk radio or they wouldn’t be supporting him.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
117, That would explain the McCain camp going liberal on nagative. I’m still hoping the Robo Calls was something done by subordinates that McCain will come out and condemn.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
#118 Huck obviously reaches certain people. I don’t know whether they like talk radio or not, but I think if Huckabee was as true a conservative as he portrays himself he would support Romney not collude with McCain.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Dave, I failed to mention, I pulled those #’s from CNN a few minutes ago.
Regarding McCain’s anti-god calls, which sound oddly similar to those made by the group on ‘behalf’ of Huckabee, apparently Laura Ingraham was the first to report on it. I have yet to find anything on Fox or CNN, which has also been credited with reporting it.
In the end of all this mess, Mitt Romney will win.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
117 – could be, but regardless it is certainly spin to keep people sucked in to the wall to wall coverage – why give one side or the other a reason not to watch TV for 7 hours tonight?
February 5th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Kevin O, and they would be right except about Romney supporters, I think probably most Romney supporters are more reasonable than the talk radio and blogosphere community. And I still hold out hope that Rush and Hannity will come aboard once the nomination is actually sealed. However, I would be glad to see those chattering boxes made irrelevent.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
John Mark #118,
Where do you get the idea that Huck supporters don’t listen to talk radio? All the Huckabee supporters I know eat up Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
#63 – If that’s what happened, no it wasn’t. Those went to McCain too if you noticed. It seems to be a pattern known as dirty politics.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Let’s not forget the attacks made by Romney on Huckabee. I doubt he would support him after that.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
120, Except Huckabee’s main issue is life and McCain has been pro-life for a much much larger percentage of is life than Romney.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
If McCain wins the nomination, I’ll try and have an open mind, but there will be some serious stumbling blocks. McCain’s corrupt, he lies, he supports amnesty, he supports McCain-Feingold, he’s a political insider, he has a temper problem, he’s moderate at best, and I think he’s trying to destroy the Republican Party.
I don’t believe in not voting either, so (assuming McCain wins, which I’m not) I would either vote for McCain, Hillary/Obama, or write in Romney. Right now I think the best thing to do would be voting Democrat, just to help clean up our party. We should have never let McCain become a Senator.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I used to be a loyal Fox watcher – but they were so pro Giuliani that I stopped watching. Now I heard that they are very pro Romney. Should not be too much of a surprise since the whole Bain/Clear Channel thing.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
#124- we HATE these guys at this point–
see here: http://www.forum.hucksarmy.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9003
February 5th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
#113
Those numbers are from the link I posted on the article bellow this one. Huck has fooled a lot of conservatives into voting form him. He and Romney are splitting the conservative vote.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
If McCain got elected, the whole Republican platform wouldn’t matter any more. He would destroy the party nationally.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
UA – hurry and bring your wife and kids inside and close the doors – the black helicopters are all around – no one can be trusted
February 5th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
bjalder #128,
What? We should have barred a beloved war hero from keeping Bruce Babbitt out of the Senate seat because we knew that in the future John McCain was going to be a terrible presidential candidate?
I don’t understand your last sentence.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Brett #130,
Interesting. All my grandparents, aunts, uncles, my dad, and my boss at work are all ardent Huckabee supporters and they all listen to Hannity and Rush religiously.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
People need to cool it with the “if you support McCain you’re not a conservative rhetoric”. It’s nonsensical, embarrassing, and unduly divisive. I don’t happen to think McCain qualifies as a conservative. But, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have conservative supporters, or that they’re somehow forfeiting their principles to support him. Like it or not, he has admirable qualities. He’s fantastic on the war for one thing. That counts for alot to some people; being right about the transcendental issue of our time before anyone else, and more passionately then anyone else. It seems to me that, the way some folks are trying to cast things, anyone who supported Winston Churchill’s elevation to Prime Minister would be derided as “not conservative”. He switched more often then he changed hats. His domestic policies were a smorgasboard of differing ideological influences. Indeed, he often seemed to have no firm domestic principles. But, he understood the threat Germany posed, he understood it completely, and early, and he said so again and again despite becoming the frequent victim of ridicule. You might fairly say that Winston Churchill was no conservative, on balance. You might fairly say that John McCain is no conservative, on balance. I’d agree with you, on both counts. But, you’re not on solid ground when you’re maligning the purity of the supporters of either candidate.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
131, Except it appears to be a different conservative vote that would go to McCain.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
136. well said.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
#136, see #26.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
136, Thanks Matthew, its nice to seem some sanity among the Romney supporters. I’m actually not sure I am a conservative, I may be more of a moderate or maverick myself, but I can see where Conservatives would support McCain. Its tiring to hear all the Romney supporters constantly attacking the 70% of the party that doesn’t support their candidate.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Depending on how the states fall tonight – perhaps the big winner today will be the good Dr from TX
February 5th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
141, And how would that happen?
February 5th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
To add to my 136, I’d say something else. I think it’s important to define what it means to be a conservative. I have no problem with such a project. But, supporters of a candidate aren’t a candidate. They have different priorities. They weight issues differently. It’s probably true that anyone who supports McCain doesn’t believe immigration is the most important issue we’re facing. But, that doesn’t mean they agree with McCain on this issue; they’re just willing to look past his flaws, to try to find whatever positive nuggets they see in his platform. That’s it. They’re not traitors to anyone.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
If McCain wins the nomination and presidency, the Democrats will end up the White House for a LONG TIME after 4 yrs for McCain. I would much rather Hillary or Obama screw up the country for 4 yrs knowing that a conservative will serve after them. If McCain wins as a “self-proclaimed” conservative, he will just further injure the perception of the Republican party and maybe permanently destroy conservativism as we know it. Not that I think McCain is a bad person, but not ever war hero deserves or is qualified to be the president. If McCain wins, I vote for Hillary or Obama for the sake of the future.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Jeffrey #141,
As a Paul supporter myself, I doubt today will have many miracles in store for the good doctor. Our path to the nomination is difficult, but clear. Cross our fingers for a brokered convention, pick up five first place finishes somewhere along the way, and try to change the way as many people as possible think by September.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Who have the evangelicals voted for so far when they haven’t voted for Huck? That’s tright, they have voted for Romney.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
#105, I know, but I thought I’d give the people floating this rumor the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know why, since my challenge for support has been completely ignored. If anyone else on the Romney camp tries to push that rumor any further, they deserved to get slammed hard.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
You Romney supporters need to calm down. Stop insulting Kavon and LJ. Stop attacking and sliming people who support other candidates. The vitriol spewed by some of you Rombots is nauseating and disappointing.
And if you don’t like it here GTFO.