GOP Primaries/Candidates thread

[southsider2k5]

Huckabee converts a press gaggle to gun control (and by that I mean taking the gun out of Huck's hands)

http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/pol...trol_probl.html

 

You say that like shooting at the press is a bad thing...

[NorthSideSox72]

BE, I actually do appreciate some of Ron Paul's ideas on reducing the size and reach of the federal government. Some of that is needed. But to go as far as you suggest would be highly counterproductive. We cannot simply trade with other countries and interact with them without having a real foreign policy, nor can we allow businesses to run roughshod over the people in this country. Either one would result in exactly the kind of disasters you are saying are likely under current trends (which is, I think, a massive exagerration).

 

[YASNY]

That right there is ridiculous. Companies would absolutely destroy the environment if it weren't for environmental regulations.

 

He emphasized the word federal. That's the issue. Put that back in the hands of the states. We need LESS federal gov't. Much less.

[mr_genius]

.

 

Okay I will bite. How exactly does a government function without tax revenue. Do we still have an FBI. Do we have a military.

 

The idea of isolationist is not something that I want to be part of. Do you really think that if we just sit here and stick our head in the sand that the bad guys are going to go away. It hasn't worked in the past with countries. Neutral countries have been invaded before, and some of them have been drawn into war no matter what they have tried.

 

Do you think that Paul and his isolationist theories will stop the chinese government from cyber attacks against our government and industrial companies. Do you think that the Islamic extremists will give us a pass because we have tucked tail and have run home. Unless Paul's plan involves the imposition of Sharia law and that every citizen converts to islam I still think a certain part of the world might want to hurt us.

 

 

You can have the best military in the world, including great cyber defense... AND stop invading these countries and end our nation building policies. I don't think getting rid of the income tax is a good idea, but cutting spending is a great idea. A GREAT IDEA. GW Bush has ran up a huge deficit and spends like a drunken liberal sailor. You can't have tax cuts, plus TONS of pork spending, plus lots of invasions, and be world police without running up a huge deficit.

 

How about keep the income tax, and stop all the pointless crap? Then once the deficit is gone, lower income tax for everyone. That, or we can continue what we are doing and jack up your taxes to around 50% or your total income to balance the budget.

Edited December 29, 2007 by mr_genius

[StrangeSox]

The problem with making environmental a state-by-state issue is that what you allow to happen in Indiana can have a great impact on what goes on in Illinois, even if Illinois laws are much more strict.

 

On a lot of issues, I'd agree that the federal government is too big/ powerful, but not this one.

[mr_genius]

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2...3c100054e2b.txt

 

lol

 

"Fred Thompson acknowledged Saturday he's not especially fond of running for president, but he thinks he'd be a good choice for the White House."

 

 

 

[EvilMonkey]

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2...3c100054e2b.txt

 

lol

 

"Fred Thompson acknowledged Saturday he's not especially fond of running for president, but he thinks he'd be a good choice for the White House."

Well, you would really have to wonder about the sanity of the candidate that said they LIKE campaigning.

[mr_genius]

Well, you would really have to wonder about the sanity of the candidate that said they LIKE campaigning.

 

So he expects people to just vote for him, even though he doesn't want to campaign or explain what his policies would be. Sounds like a losing strategy. I don't even see why he bothered running.

[EvilMonkey]

So he expects people to just vote for him, even though he doesn't want to campaign or explain what his policies would be. Sounds like a losing strategy. I don't even see why he bothered running.

Not sure where you have been hibernating, but he has just about been the only candidate to state actual positions on things so far. And he didn't say he WASN'T campaigning, just that he didn't like it. Actual honesty from a candidate, how refreshing. Show me one that says they DO like it, and I'll show you someone unfit for office. And you did read the whole story you linked, right?

[NorthSideSox72]

Not sure where you have been hibernating, but he has just about been the only candidate to state actual positions on things so far. And he didn't say he WASN'T campaigning, just that he didn't like it. Actual honesty from a candidate, how refreshing. Show me one that says they DO like it, and I'll show you someone unfit for office. And you did read the whole story you linked, right?

OK that's just incorrect. There are plenty of other candidates who have taken clear positions on issues. Just not Hillary or Rudy or Mitt.

 

[EvilMonkey]

OK that's just incorrect. There are plenty of other candidates who have taken clear positions on issues. Just not Hillary or Rudy or Mitt.

Touche', pussycat! You are correct. You just don't hear about them, or Fred, since they don't seem to be the media favorites.

[Rex Kickass]

You don't hear about Fred because he's put more effort into filming Law & Order episodes than he has in running for President.

 

If you want people to follow your campaign and get press coverage, it might be a good idea to show up at more of your own events.

[NorthSideSox72]

With all the talk about the tight 3-way race among the lefties, let's not forget that Iowa is looking very close for the GOP as well. 3 polls out in the past week (that are not Zogby or ARG and that use a decent sample size), show this (from oldest to most recent):

 

------------QC Times--Strat. Vision--Mason-Dixon

Romney____27_______27________27

Huckabee___34_______29________23

Thompson___11_______15________14

McCain______8________14________13

Giuliani______8_________4_________5

Paul________8_________4_________5

 

Romney and Huckabee are very close, though Huckabee seems to be possibly be fading a bit. Thompson and McCain are both still within striking distance, at least of making some noise. Giuliani and Paul appear to be non-factors in Iowa. Hunter doesn't even register in the polls.

 

Speaking of NH, that tells us some things about what is at stake in IA for these folks. Last 3 valid polls there...

 

----------Rasmussen--USA/Gallup--BG/UNH

Romney____31_______34________28

McCain_____27_______27________25

Giuliani_____13_______11________14

Huckabee___11________9________10

Paul________7_________9_________8

Thompson___3_________4_________3

 

So, to me, here is what this does to Iowa...

 

--Romney, if he wins Iowa, becomes the clear leader

--Huckabee has to win Iowa or at least stay close, because he's well down into 4th in NH

--McCain, if he can pull off an upset in Iowa and win, becomes the leader. Even if he places 2nd or 3rd, with his strong NH, he still has a shot.

--Thompson must win Iowa to stay alive.

--Giuliani is out of the running in IA and 3rd in NH - he is near-death at this point in the race. I don't see how he can win.

--Paul and Hunter are done.

 

[mr_genius]

Not sure where you have been hibernating, but he has just about been the only candidate to state actual positions on things so far. And he didn't say he WASN'T campaigning, just that he didn't like it. Actual honesty from a candidate, how refreshing. Show me one that says they DO like it, and I'll show you someone unfit for office. And you did read the whole story you linked, right?

 

Hibernating?

 

The guy has run a horrible campaign, and now basically admits he doesn't even want to campaign. It makes him appear lazy and not prepared for the rigors of being president.

 

Can you go one post on the message boards without trying to blend in a lame person attack? Probably not.

[kapkomet]

I am EXTREMELY disappointed in Fred Thompson. What a waste.

 

[spiderman]

With all the talk about the tight 3-way race among the lefties, let's not forget that Iowa is looking very close for the GOP as well. 3 polls out in the past week (that are not Zogby or ARG and that use a decent sample size), show this (from oldest to most recent):

 

------------QC Times--Strat. Vision--Mason-Dixon

Romney____27_______27________27

Huckabee___34_______29________23

Thompson___11_______15________14

McCain______8________14________13

Giuliani______8_________4_________5

Paul________8_________4_________5

 

Romney and Huckabee are very close, though Huckabee seems to be possibly be fading a bit. Thompson and McCain are both still within striking distance, at least of making some noise. Giuliani and Paul appear to be non-factors in Iowa. Hunter doesn't even register in the polls.

 

Speaking of NH, that tells us some things about what is at stake in IA for these folks. Last 3 valid polls there...

 

----------Rasmussen--USA/Gallup--BG/UNH

Romney____31_______34________28

McCain_____27_______27________25

Giuliani_____13_______11________14

Huckabee___11________9________10

Paul________7_________9_________8

Thompson___3_________4_________3

 

So, to me, here is what this does to Iowa...

 

--Romney, if he wins Iowa, becomes the clear leader

--Huckabee has to win Iowa or at least stay close, because he's well down into 4th in NH

--McCain, if he can pull off an upset in Iowa and win, becomes the leader. Even if he places 2nd or 3rd, with his strong NH, he still has a shot.

--Thompson must win Iowa to stay alive.

--Giuliani is out of the running in IA and 3rd in NH - he is near-death at this point in the race. I don't see how he can win.

--Paul and Hunter are done.

 

Good analysis, but I do think Giuliani is alive and looking ok as long as nobody sweeps the early primaries - he probably would like Huckabee to take Iowa, and McCain NH so there's no clear momentum as the bigger states come into picture, but I do think that he has made this much more difficult by ignoring the earlier states (until he was getting massacred in Iowa/NH, and decided to campaign there some for a better showing).

[EvilMonkey]

Hibernating?

 

The guy has run a horrible campaign, and now basically admits he doesn't even want to campaign. It makes him appear lazy and not prepared for the rigors of being president.

 

Can you go one post on the message boards without trying to blend in a lame person attack? Probably not.

OK, in this thread, there have been several posts about Fred's positions, etc.

POst #450 (around page 30 or so) about his rasing money

POst #547 where he reafirms his pro-life stance

Post #556 (page 38) where it talks about his immigration policy, which was very detailed, followed by

post #560 talking about his social security plan (have you heard any of the others mention anythign about ss, except that is needs to be saved?)

Post #728 mentions his endorsement from the Right To LIfe Committee

#767 where SS2K mentions an interview of Thompson he saw discussinig points he talked about where he gave actual answers, not sound bites with non-commital blurbs.

#771 where it mentions that he wouildn't sign the 'no tax' pledge

And those are just in this thread. Since you post here, in this thread, often, you would think that these may have caught your attention. I guess not.

 

For other positions, go to Fred08.com.

[Balta1701]

So, it seems Huckabee put on a bizarre enough performance today to get the assembled/establishment media actually laughing at him.

In what is likely to be remembered as one of the more bizarre moments of this campaign season, embattled GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee renounced negative campaigning today by unveiling an attack ad to a ballroom full of reporters and dozens of TV cameras.

 

Standing before a banner reading "Enough is Enough" and flanked by five large charts attacking the record of rival Mitt Romney, a haggard-looking Huckabee said that the fight to win Thursday's Republican caucus had gotten "out of hand" and "out of control" and that he would refrain from any more negative campaigning.

 

Huckabee's unorthodox media event comes as a barrage of new polls has battered his lead in Iowa and put his campaign at risk of crash-and-burn. Some of those surveys now show Romney regaining a lead he had maintained over most of the year until Huckabee began to surge ahead in recent weeks.

 

"Conventional political wisdom is that you must counter-punch," the former Arkansas governor said. "When you get hit you should hit back. And every bit of advice I have been given says that is exactly what we should do." Huckabee explained that he, indeed, prepared and produced a TV spot attacking Romney, sent it to local TV stations but had just given the directive to pull it from airing. "This morning I ordered them to hold the ads," Huckabee said. "From now we will run only ads that say why I should be president not why Mitt Romney shouldn't be president."

 

Then, amid loud gasps and laughter from the more than 150 reporters on hand, Huckabee announced he would show the assembled press the same ad. As dozens of TV cameras whirred, and after two false starts, the 30-second spot assaulting Romney's record was shown in full. The tag line of the spot ended with the narrator saying of Romney: "If a man's dishonest trying to get the job, he'll be dishonest on the job"

 

The room then exploded into a cacophony of questioning from the press memorializing this event as a moment that might be remembered as campaign meltdown for Huckabee.

 

When asked if it was cynical to show an ad to dozens of TV cameras while saying the campaign had banned it from the air, Huckabee pleaded innocent of ill-motive. "If people want to be cynical about it, they'll be cynical about it," Huckabee said. He claimed that earlier this morning he had simply reached a "tipping point" and decided to make a sharp turn in his campaign away from negativity.

 

When pressed as to why the downtown hotel ballroom he was speaking in was festooned with charts attacking Romney's record, Huckabee said his staff only learned of his decision "a few minutes ago when I walked into this room" and, therefore, didn't have time to take down the negative material.

 

...

Huckabee was forced to abruptly end his press conference as the questioning of his motives by an amused press corps only seemed to build. He left the room in the Des Moines Marriott to do a drop-by visit of his campaign headquarters across the street. He was met there by a gaggle of Ron Paul supporters who surrounded the office and heckled the candidate for his support for the war in Iraq.

[YASNY]

So, it seems Huckabee put on a bizarre enough performance today to get the assembled/establishment media actually laughing at him.

 

Good. I don't want him nominated anyway.

[BigSqwert]

I think it's a load of crap that Ron Paul won't be invited to the Fox debate.

[EvilMonkey]

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2...3c100054e2b.txt

 

lol

 

"Fred Thompson acknowledged Saturday he's not especially fond of running for president, but he thinks he'd be a good choice for the White House."

Fred's response to the article.

http://www.redstate.com/stories/elections/..._story_straight

[juddling]

You don't hear about Fred because he's put more effort into filming Law & Order episodes than he has in running for President.

 

If you want people to follow your campaign and get press coverage, it might be a good idea to show up at more of your own events.

 

 

Well then i guess this writers strike in Hollywood couldn't have come at a better time for Fred

[NorthSideSox72]

Two major outlets, CNN and the DSM Register, published their final polls. Results...

 

CNN (12/26-30):

Romney: 31%

Huckabee: 28%

Thompson: 13%

McCain: 10%

Paul: 8%

Giuliani: 8%

 

Register (12/27-30):

Huckabee: 32%

Romney: 26%

McCain: 13%

Thompson: 9%

Paul: 9%

Giuliani: 5%

 

So its Romney and Huckabee. It looks to me like Iowa is going to end Thompson's campaign - he isn't even bothering with NH, and he can't get better than 3rd in IA. He's done. Then there is Giuliani, who doesn't have a significant lead in ANY of the first SIX primaries and caucuses. He has a lead in FL on 1/29 - the 7th state. He is also done, I think. And McCain needs a good showing in IA and a win in NH to have a shot.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

With all the Iowa talk, it may be missed that something very interesting is happening in New Hampshire for the GOP. John McCain, written off as politically dead back in the fall, is now showing as either tied or in the lead in 3 recent NH polls. If McCain surprises in Iowa and makes a good showing there, he may still have a shot at the nomination.

 

[kapkomet]

Well, I guess McCain would be better then Guiliani, Huckabee, or Romney. But I still don't like him much either. Man, these candidates are all a steaming pile of poo.