GOP Primaries/Candidates thread

[southsider2k5]

Who would be working for half the pay?

 

"cutting costs" means cutting jobs or cutting wages, there is no way around it. That is one of the dirty little secrets here.

[Balta1701]

"cutting costs" means cutting jobs or cutting wages, there is no way around it. That is one of the dirty little secrets here.

The problem is...doesn't the graph I posted earlier mean that some sort of cost cutting is required no matter who runs the program? If we're on track for 50% of GDP spent on health care in 50 years or so, then simply saying that having the government cut costs is a bad thing doesn't address the fact that someone has to cut costs somewhere.

[southsider2k5]

The problem is...doesn't the graph I posted earlier mean that some sort of cost cutting is required no matter who runs the program? If we're on track for 50% of GDP spent on health care in 50 years or so, then simply saying that having the government cut costs is a bad thing doesn't address the fact that someone has to cut costs somewhere.

 

It also doesn't address the fact that cutting costs is going to create new problems.

[Balta1701]

It also doesn't address the fact that cutting costs is going to create new problems.

Yes it will. But if you accept that a significant level of cost-cutting/control is necessary to avoid that situation, where 50% of the GDP of this country is spent on health care, then the question is not "can we tolerate these new problems" it's "problems will happen, what's the best way to deal with them, because the alternative of doing nothing is simply untenable"

[southsider2k5]

Yes it will. But if you accept that a significant level of cost-cutting/control is necessary to avoid that situation, where 50% of the GDP of this country is spent on health care, then the question is not "can we tolerate these new problems" it's "problems will happen, what's the best way to deal with them, because the alternative of doing nothing is simply untenable"

 

I also don't believe that the graph will end up being true. There is no way the system will get to the point where health care takes up 50% of GDP, which makes all of the scare tactics moot.

[kapkomet]

I also don't believe that the graph will end up being true. There is no way the system will get to the point where health care takes up 50% of GDP, which makes all of the scare tactics moot.

+1

 

[Balta1701]

I also don't believe that the graph will end up being true. There is no way the system will get to the point where health care takes up 50% of GDP, which makes all of the scare tactics moot.

I agree, it won't get to that point.

 

Because beforehand, we're going to get a President who finally rebuilds this disaster of a system and fixes it before we get there.

 

Hehe.

[southsider2k5]

Mike Huckabee is officially staying in the race, per his speech this morning from CPAC. I know Obama gets a lot of love for his speech making ability, but Huck can work a room just as well, if not better than Barack.

[EvilMonkey]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/20...ron-paul-r.html

 

Does this signal the end of the Ron paul Experience?

 

Viva Ron Paul Revolution (but with fewer staffers)

Email

Share February 09, 2008 12:31 PM

 

Late on a Friday night comes a tacit admission from Ron Paul that he will not be President. Sort of.

 

In an emailed message to supporters, Paul says, "Let me tell you my thoughts with Romney gone, the chances of a brokered convention are nearly zero." From Paul this is about as close as we can get to an admission there there is no possible way he can get the nomination.

 

Indeed, Paul is not ending or suspending his campaign. The fact there won't be a brokered convention, "does not affect my determination to fight on, in every caucus and primary remaining, and at the convention for our ideas, with just as many delegates as I can get," he declares.

 

He's just going to do it with even fewer resources than he already has. "With so many primaries and caucuses now over," writes Paul, "We do not now need so big a national campaign staff, and so I am making it leaner and tighter."

 

Paul also, for the umpteenth time, rules out a third party run and says he will refocus on keeping his Congressional seat. He faces a primary challenge in Texas.

 

"I have constituents in my home district that I must serve. I cannot and will not let them down. And I have another battle I must face here as well. If I were to lose the primary for my congressional seat, all our opponents would react with glee, and pretend it was a rejection of our ideas. I cannot and will not let that happen," he says.

 

Paul's next campaign event comes this weekend and it is for his Congressional campaign in Lake Jackson, Texas. The next event listed on his website is not until Feb. 28th -- the next Republican Presidential debate, where there will already probably be a lonely stage.

[mr_genius]

Mike Huckabee is officially staying in the race, per his speech this morning from CPAC. I know Obama gets a lot of love for his speech making ability, but Huck can work a room just as well, if not better than Barack.

 

He really can. He has quick wit and does well in debates, and gives a great speech. The guy is solid campaigner, his ratio of delegates per dollar spent is very impressive. I think Huckabee really surprised a lot of people, including me, with his political skills.

[Balta1701]

Mike Huckabee has won the Kansas caucuses in a blowout. Currently 62-22.

[StrangeSox]

Mike Huckabee is officially staying in the race, per his speech this morning from CPAC. I know Obama gets a lot of love for his speech making ability, but Huck can work a room just as well, if not better than Barack.

 

I absolutely loved him on the Colbert Report. I'd never vote for him, but he's a very personable guy. At least on TV.

[southsider2k5]

Ron Paul can stay in the race, and no one will really notice. He has had his time in the sunlight.

[WilliamTell]

I love Huckabee's charisma, he has a really slim chance at getting the nominee, but at least he's putting up a fight.

[whitesoxfan101]

I love Huckabee's charisma, he has a really slim chance at getting the nominee, but at least he's putting up a fight.

 

They showed a graphic on CNN tonight that showed just how unlikely that is. If Huckabee won every single state left (literally, every state) by a 50 percent to 40 percent margin, McCain would still have enough delegates to win the nomination before the convention. So, not only must Huckabee go perfect the rest of the way (and he might not, Lousiana and Washington are neck and neck right now, and he won't get the LA delegates tonight since he doesn't have 50 percent of the vote), but he must win by a lot. It's pretty much impossible, especially since quite a few states left are not republican only primaries.

[southsider2k5]

They showed a graphic on CNN tonight that showed just how unlikely that is. If Huckabee won every single state left (literally, every state) by a 50 percent to 40 percent margin, McCain would still have enough delegates to win the nomination before the convention. So, not only must Huckabee go perfect the rest of the way (and he might not, Lousiana and Washington are neck and neck right now, and he won't get the LA delegates tonight since he doesn't have 50 percent of the vote), but he must win by a lot. It's pretty much impossible, especially since quite a few states left are not republican only primaries.

 

What about Romney's delegates? With the hate of McCain in right wing circles, I could see a backroom deal for Mitt and Huck to team up as the "conservative ticket" and slip the nomination out from under McCain.

[mr_genius]

What about Romney's delegates? With the hate of McCain in right wing circles, I could see a backroom deal for Mitt and Huck to team up as the "conservative ticket" and slip the nomination out from under McCain.

 

I think Romney is siding with the GOP leadership and is looking for a future presidential run. The only way he would give Huckabee his delegates is if Romney gets to be President and Huckabee VP. I doubt Romney would be happy with being the losing VP on a Huckabee ticket.

[mr_genius]

They showed a graphic on CNN tonight that showed just how unlikely that is. If Huckabee won every single state left (literally, every state) by a 50 percent to 40 percent margin, McCain would still have enough delegates to win the nomination before the convention. So, not only must Huckabee go perfect the rest of the way (and he might not, Lousiana and Washington are neck and neck right now, and he won't get the LA delegates tonight since he doesn't have 50 percent of the vote), but he must win by a lot. It's pretty much impossible, especially since quite a few states left are not republican only primaries.

 

Yea, Huck doesn't have a chance. McCain will most likely win more delegates than Huckabee on Tuesday. Huckabee might not even get more delegates from here out, let alone sweep.

[Balta1701]

So, something odd appears to have happened in Washington State. For some reason, the Washington Republicans seem to have declared McCain the winner there despite only 87% of the votes being tallied, and only 1.8% separating McCain and Huckabee in that state. Huckabee so far has not yet conceded the state. Full results are expected to be available on Monday, but it's interesting that the state party declared McCain the winner before the full results were actually available.

[whitesoxfan101]

What about Romney's delegates? With the hate of McCain in right wing circles, I could see a backroom deal for Mitt and Huck to team up as the "conservative ticket" and slip the nomination out from under McCain.

 

Wouldn't matter in my senario, as even if Huck wins every state left by an average margin of 50 percent to 40 (won't happen), McCain would have about 1,300 delegates and a backroom deal wouldn't be enough.

[Rex Kickass]

But the delegates that Romney and Huck control can force a very conservative VEEP nod for McCain though.

[Balta1701]

Huckabee press release.

The Huckabee Presidential Campaign will be exploring all available legal options regarding the dubious final results for the state of Washington State Republican precinct caucuses, it was announced today. Campaign Chairman Ed Rollins issued the following statement:

 

"The Huckabee campaign is deeply disturbed by the obvious irregularities in the Washington State Republican precinct caucuses. It is very unfortunate that the Washington State Party Chairman, Luke Esser, chose to call the race for John McCain after only 87 percent of the vote was counted. According to CNN, the difference between Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee is a mere 242 votes, out of more than 12,000 votes counted-with another 1500 or so votes, apparently, not counted. That is an outrage.

 

"In other words, more than one in eight Evergreen State Republicans have been disenfranchised by the actions of their own party. This was an error in judgment by Mr. Esser. It was Mr. Esser's duty to oversee a fair vote-count process. Washington Republicans know, from bitter experience in the 2004 gubernatorial election, the terrible results that can come from bad ballot-counting.

 

"Frankly, I am disappointed in the way that Mr. Esser has handled this urgent matter. So I call upon Mr. Esser and his colleagues to cooperate fully with the Huckabee campaign-and all Republicans, everywhere, who care about honest and transparent vote-counting-to make sure that every vote is counted and that all Republicans in Washington have the chance to make their votes count. Attempts by our campaign to contact Mr. Esser have been unsuccessful. Our lawyers will be on the ground in Washington State soon, and we look forward to sitting down with Mr. Esser to evaluate this process, to see why the count took so long, and why the vote-counting was stopped prematurely.

 

"It would be a disservice to every voter in Washington State to not pursue a full accounting of all votes cast.

 

"This is not about Mike Huckabee. This is not about Senator John McCain. This is about the failings of the Washington State Republican Party. All Republicans should unite to demand an honest accounting of the votes, so that Republicans can have full confidence in the results, and full confidence in the eventual Republican nominee. As I said, we are prepared to go to court, and we are also prepared to take our case all the way to the Republican National Convention in September.

 

"Our cause is just. We must reemphasize the sacred American principle that all ballots be counted in a free, fair, and transparent manner."

As far as what I'm reading out there goes, the guy in charge did some sort of back of the envelope calculation, without bothering to see which districts still needed to be counted, and declared that there was no need to count the last bunch of those votes because McCain had won. And since then he's spent his time avoiding phone calls on the subject and trying to avoid Huckabee's lawyers.

 

At least the Republicans have moved on from trying to make sure votes for Gore weren't counted to making sure only the right kind of Republican votes are counted. Eh? Eh? Eh? Thank you thank you we'll be here all week.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Hope... but Different.

 

[StrangeSox]

Huckabee press release.

As far as what I'm reading out there goes, the guy in charge did some sort of back of the envelope calculation, without bothering to see which districts still needed to be counted, and declared that there was no need to count the last bunch of those votes because McCain had won. And since then he's spent his time avoiding phone calls on the subject and trying to avoid Huckabee's lawyers.

 

At least the Republicans have moved on from trying to make sure votes for Gore weren't counted to making sure only the right kind of Republican votes are counted. Eh? Eh? Eh? Thank you thank you we'll be here all week.

 

It was 1500 votes. They could avoid all of this bad press if they just count them. After all of the b****ing about the WA elections in 2006 (or was in 2004), you'd think they'd want to count every last vote.

[southsider2k5]

Huckabee press release.

As far as what I'm reading out there goes, the guy in charge did some sort of back of the envelope calculation, without bothering to see which districts still needed to be counted, and declared that there was no need to count the last bunch of those votes because McCain had won. And since then he's spent his time avoiding phone calls on the subject and trying to avoid Huckabee's lawyers.

 

At least the Republicans have moved on from trying to make sure votes for Gore weren't counted to making sure only the right kind of Republican votes are counted. Eh? Eh? Eh? Thank you thank you we'll be here all week.

 

Call me when the Super delegates steal the election for Hillary