Thursday, February 7, 2008

Romney Out ?

Strong rumor this morning is that Romney is out. . .

9 comments:

H said...

It's official. Your fears have been allayed, and in fact reversed. Obama and Hillary are now tied in normal delegates and in a very nasty fight, and we can start working on November. It's a good day for the Republican party.

Anonymous said...

Not so sure if it's a good day. My own mother (a staunch Christian conservative but Romney supporter) has deserted and said she would vote for Ron Paul or, (God forbid) Hillary, before she will for McCain. This is very serious indeed.

El Jefe Maximo said...

I tend to agree with H...but lets let it shake itself out, anon. Just maybe Hillary and Obama will do our convincing for us.

H said...

I tend to think that a lot of the hysteria will pass over the next few months. As we focus on the real competition the real differences will become clear.

For example; McCain has a 0 rating form NARL, Hillary has a 100 rating.

So many people went so far off the deep end that it will take time for them to come back. When they get here we'll be ready to get back to the business of beating the Democrats like a bongo drum.

Anonymous said...

i'm waiting to see mccain's running mate.
i would lmao if he chose lieberman.

Anonymous said...

One thing is certain, perhaps two.

McCain no longer needs Huckabee, and will pry Huck's fingers off the ledge as soon as possible...

...and he'll laugh watching another Evangelical take a fall.

Rhod

El Jefe Maximo said...

I don't know about that Rhod, at least all of it. McCain wants Huckabee to quit...but he will do his best to be polite about it without conceeding too much. He dares not, if he wishes to keep some independents on board and to pacify the Romney group, which is upset, to put it mildly, at Huckabee.

Remember -- the Democrats have polled almost 5 million votes more than Republicans this primary season. Their base is desperately ready for a winner. Now just possible we can roll them up piecemeal if they come apart, but they need our help to do so; and, as a probably outnumbered force, we need as much unity as we can find.

I think that McCain will pry Huckabee's fingers off the ledge as rapidly as possible in any case, and the Talk Radio/business faction Republicans will help him with that. Huckabee's populism is more feared than his ties with evangelicals are disliked.

If McCain is wise, he will, if it can be done, try to find a vice presidential candidate acceptable to the Romney group and to Evangelicals. . .but he cannot go to Huckabee -- right now I can think of few things that would make the Romney faction more angry.

But a candidate with a little populism is not bad at all, particularly if the opposing candidate is Obama. McCain will want to try to get votes from some of Mr. Brooks' Safeway Democrats.

Conservatives of all factions are in too sorry a plight to allow Obama and Hillary a free road to the White House. We must endeavour to split them, and minimise our own splits. We can argue and rebuild a more solid conservative faction later. But we must deal with today first.

Anonymous said...

bolton on mccain

Anonymous said...

The usual fine analysis from you EJay.

But...you knew there would be one...Limbaugh has to get away from the "country-club blue-blood Republican" meme if he wants to be consistent.

The CCBBR's disappeared with Henry Cabot Lodge and his kind, and to claim there is such a cabal is just another kind of dreaded populism.

If modern conservatism is about "the pursuit of excellence" (I don't think it is), then elites will evolve, and that doesn't make them CCBBRs.

But that's a minor complaint, and not to the point.

This entire McCain affair is, to me, a struggle within the political class for power and association across the aisle, rather than a squabble over lib/conservative principles.

We have a lot of work ahead of us.

Rhod