Bronze in SC?
Thanks to Jeff Fuller for the link.
CNN Exit Polls show McCain as the likely winner. Huck appears to get the silver. From looking at the various tables and categories, Mitt could end up with 3rd Place. Fred’s close behind, however, in a split conservative race.
Go here to watch the delegate and overall numbers for SC.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Update: With 1% reporting (long way to go, obviously), McCain is way out in front and Mitt has a secure 3rd-place position (leads by 6%–18% to 12% )over Fred.
Update II: What does this do to guaranteed-a-win Huckabee and 4th-place Fred?
Update III: With 28% reporting Fred in 3rd by 497 votes. This will be tight.
Update IV: I was about to type Mitt was down by ~2000 (62% reporting), but after refreshing the page Mitt is only down by 900 (with 65% reporting). I’d love to hold that bronze medal.
January 19th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Exit polls showing McCain. Blecch. Hope Huck, (if not Romney) has an unexpected surge as the night goes on…
January 19th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
If McCain gets first and Romney third, it will offically push Thompson out, and really hurt Huckabee. If Huckabee is defeated in the South by McCain, then evangelicals need to wise up and support Romney before they risk a Guliani and McCain nomination.
January 19th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I believe Huck will get out of the race after tonight, and then Mccain will get out after Florida, Romney has too much of a lead and Rudy will negate any sway Mccain has in Florida. Mitt will win Florida and that will lauch him nationwide on Super Tuesday.
January 19th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Huckabee and Fred are seriously damaged if it continues like this. Fred may well drop out, and Huckabee will have too little money to continue seriously.
The bad news is that the media will have plenty of ammunition for touting McCain’s resurgence. They’ll dub him the revitalized frontrunner heading into Florida. Romney will have to give it his all in the Sunshine State to pull it out there.
We may finally have a two man race, (unless Rudy really can win Florida) but I don’t like the media-induced strength of that other man.
January 19th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
If Huck leaves the race, he’ll just endorse McCain, in order to secure the VP nomination. I think McCain is very very strong right now, and needs to be brought down somehow. Any ideas how to do it?
January 19th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Boy, we’re right back to the beginning of the year with Rudy, McCain and Romney. The more things change, the more they stay the same!
January 19th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
What’s the name of that black Fox News democrat guy? Juan something or other…
Goodness gracious… he just got finished saying that Mitt Romney was just “baaaarely on the edge” of being in this presidential race.
Haha, it’s this kind of blatant garbage that makes my head explode.
January 19th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Fred on FOX now! It really looks like he’s about to announce a drop out.
January 19th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
If Rudy doesn’t win Florida, Romney will be the only conservative force that could stop McCain. Anti-McCain conservatives will likely flock to Romney. Romney would have to steal support from Thompson after tonight, steal some from Rudy when Rudy loses Florida, and Huckabee might be alive but then we need to work on getting social conservatives (at least the Catholic and other non-Protestant factions) from Huck. That should be enough to win it all.
January 19th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
I think that Fred has to call it quits at this point. If Romney somehow surges to second before the count is done, Huck will need to drop out. But that is not likely and he is more likely to limp along for at least Florida’s vote. Duncan Hunter should drop out too.
It is really sad that Hunter and Thompson don’t just endorse Romney already. Or at least drop out. Hunter’s 1% and Thompson’s 12 % would have brought Romney into second in SC. That would have really put an end to Huckabee. They might have even been able to nudge Romney to first in NH.
It’s already clear who the only (electable) conservative is. And it is also clear who the real conservatives want. Now if only we could have the race narrowed to Giuliani, McCain, Romney and Paul already, I believe Romney would end up taking about 90% of the remainder of the 48 states.
R.I.P Wyoming (1890-2008) and Nevada (1864-2008)
BTW, I have been wondering, why does everyone seem to think that Thompson will endorse McCain instead of Romney? That just seems so incompatible…
January 19th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Well, no drop out. It really sounded like a drop-out farewell speech. Awkward.
January 19th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Well “4th place Fred” is “3rd place Fred” at the moment. It isn’t by much, but we’d better hope that doesn’t last…
January 19th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Don’t forget anti-mormon bias. Mitt would do good to pick Huck or Thompson now as his VP so that evangelicals see the whole package, and will vote for that rather than worrying about his Mormonism.
January 19th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
First off, regarding the VP spot, Thompson would be better than Huckabee, if for no other reason than there is at this point too much bad blood between Romney and Huckabee, as well as too much baggage. Whereas with Fred, even when he was polling well, the language stayed pretty civil. Fred is also a smart and genuinely liked guy, so coupled up with Mitt and the strength of his organization, he could be a good running mate and great Vice President.
But second, why are we assuming that all current Thompson or Hunter supporters (and the majority of Huckabee supporters) would automatically switch to Romney if their candidate drops out? It seems a little presumptuous to think that the entire block of support would move as a whole to a single candidate, let alone ours. I’m sure he would pick up support from any dropout, but let’s not assume facts not in evidence here.
January 19th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
no, I believe that Romney will do better if he picks Thompson as VP, a Solid Conservative and has a committed base, and Fred will endorse Romney I’m sure, if he drops out. And the sooner Romney announces Fred as his VP you’ll see the nation follow suit and he’ll win landslide over the divided Demo’s. Hillary won’t have a chance.
January 19th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Romney needs to announce Fred as his VP tonight. Together they can win this thing!!
January 19th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Romney’s history is of gathering the very best around him. He has always tried to put together individuals better than himself. (A monumental goal in and of itself). We should let this master executive do what we know he is good at. Having said that I would cringe if he chose Huckabee. (no offense to huckabee supporters) I just think huckabee’s assests could be easily found in others that I feel are more qualified.
January 19th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
As I was watching Huckabee’s concession speech tonight, with his lovely wife standing behind him, the thought crossed my mind as to why Huckabee doesn’t include his two sons standing with he and his wife, the way Mitt includes His Five Sons on stage with He and Ann. Then the thought came to me that Huck son’s may not be able to leave the state of Arkansas.
January 19th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Bruce, I thought you were going to say because the two sons wouldn’t be able to fit on the stage.
January 19th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I realy believe that Romney needs to announce a strong V.P choice that will help him in the south before Florida votes. This will help offset the heaps of praise the media including many at Fox except Hannity will give to McCain. This will interupt his momentum. I dont see anything else breaking his stride except a endorsement of Romney by El Rushbo. Rush has the oppurtunity right the conservative ship before it sinks!
January 19th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Fred will NOT be Mitt’s VP. No man who works as hard as Mitt and surrounds himself with hardworking, upstanding professionals would saddle himself with this lazy, old man. Mitt is trying to remove the anvil off the neck of American business, why would he put one around himself? ON TO FLORIDA!
January 19th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Hello Mitt supporters, I am a “FredHead” who can see the writing on the wall. Whatever happens now Mitt MUST STOP John McCain. A McCain win is the death knell of conservatism in the republican party. Get it done in Florida folks!
January 20th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Romney should point something important out here. On Jan 19th there were two states in play. Nevada with 34 delegates and South Carolina with 24 delegates? Sure South Carolina was more prominent in the past with it’s 48 delegates but times have changed and they were only 24 now. And as far as this GOP race was concerned what did we see? We saw all of the front runners except one doing the same old thing they have been doing for decades going for South Carolina not adjusting to the changes made to that state in having fewer delegates. This is what I’m talking about in how Washington does not change. The candidates going for South Carolina instead of Nevada with the bigger prize was a classic example of the same old Washington mentality doing what they have always done for decades. We need to get rid of that mentality in Washington and with your help we can do just that. Change Washington to go for the bigger prizes in the world instead of settling for the same old things.
January 20th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Nathan, welcome to Team Mitt. We welcome you and all other Fred-Heads who are similarly discerning :-). Check out this post…http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/2008/01/20/what-happens-to-the-fred-heads-onceif-fred-drops-out/
It looks like you’re not the only Fred-Head thinking Mitt. We need all of your help to shut down McCandidate in Florida. Please help! Together we can do it!
January 20th, 2008 at 11:36 am
BTW there seems to be some confusion about why fred might endorse mccain its because they are old friends from the senate.