McCain to Huckabee supporters: you’re irrelevant
Congratulations to Huckabee for accepting John McCain and his campaign’s gift to you in West Virginia. It seems reminiscent of Iowa, with Huckabee first, Romney close behind (even closer this time), and McCain in the distant rear view mirror.
The difference this time, however, is striking. McCain, knowing he was headed for 3d, authorized / encouraged his supporters to flow over to Huckabee and allow Huckabee to win the convention. This is not right-wing paranoia, or a conspiracy theory. This is being widely reported (see here, for example, on Fox). Why would McCain do such a thing? The answer is easy: he believes Huckabee is irrelevant, and doesn’t mind admitting it. Whether there’s another back room deal (the evidence for which is mounting), or McCain simply doesn’t view Huckabee as a threat, the message is clear from McCain: my real opponent is Romney, and we can hand Mike a win and it won’t matter.
This is politics, and people do things out of their self-interest. I’m uncomfortable with the unseemliness of what happened and the “stealing” of a victory from Mitt, who appeared to have it locked up with more percentage points in WV than McCain won with in FL. And like Florida, politics worthy of Richard Nixon effectively steal a state from Romney. If this makes you uncomfortable, too, though, you can do something about dirty politics and reject this sort of gamesmanship by voting for Romney. But if you say “it’s just politics,” I certainly can’t argue. It is certainly “politics as usual.” Huckabee, through apparently legitimate voting, walked way with a VERY narrow win (51.x% to Mitts’ 47.x%) thanks to McCain’s gift. And I’m sure he’s glad to take it. But McCain clearly thinks it’s in his self-interest to use this back-room maneuver, or he wouldn’t have done it. Why? Because McCain views Mike Huckabee’s supporters as irrelevant; they’re pawns on the chess board to be moved around by the would-be king from Arizona.
Huckabee supporters, and there are a few of you out there who read this site, while you may be happy with WV, you should seriously consider whether you like this road’s direction. You’ve got your right to choose, and no one is saying otherwise. But you are being used, and while you may have wished Mitt made his pro life change earlier, if you continue you may end up with a nominee that will not support strict constructionist judges, and you will lose the very thing that means the most to you. Remember Esau and his mess of pottage. He exchanged what he wanted most, his birthright, what he stood for, for what mattered at the moment, and he lived to regret it. Don’t be an Esau.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
See The Hill article http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/romney-camp-accuses-mccain-huckabee-of-shady-w.-va.-deal-2008-02-05.html
here is the key evidence from the article. Note that McCain went from 176 votes in the first round to twelve in the second
“Huckabee won the contest on the second ballot with 567 votes, or 51 percent, to Romney’s 521 votes, which put him at 47 percent. McCain finished the second ballot with 12 votes.
On the first ballot, McCain had 176 votes to Huckabee’s 375 and Romney’s 464 votes.
Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) received 118 votes on the first ballot, but because he failed to finish in the top three, he was not included on the second ballot.
By winning Tuesday’s state convention, Huckabee was awarded 18 of the state’s 30 delegates.
The McCain campaign did not immediately respond to comment for this story.”
February 5th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
It’s sad that beside radio hosts, everything is against Romney. Right now, Arnold is rallying votes for McCain in CA because of latest polls. I need to less my hope high for Mitt so I will be more less disappoint tonight. If he do so well then its great but if he doesn’t then I am glad that I have chose the right president. It is not my fault that the day America elect the wrong president.
Just for fun. There is one thing interesting about the date December 21, 2012 which Mayans predicted doomsday. I wonder if it have to do with McCain’s tempers on 2nd term election. Hmmm.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Look at McCain’s results from Maine and West Virginia. Are these numbers of a surging candidate? No! He’s starting to fade—the MSM and establishment are the only things holding him up, But, the people have the final voice and I have hope that Mitt performs better than most think.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
OK folks, on the Fox News ticker, reports out of W. Virginia shows McCain supporters during that caucus were “instructed” to vote for Huckabee by operatives AT THE CAUCUS. This report comes straight from the voters themselves. Amazing, just amazing. Sheep to the slaughter. I can’t believe a voting american would allow themselves to be railroaded in such a manner….boats
*you need to look no further than W. Virginia to diagnose the following….the “fix” is in. I can honestly say, I will never vote for McCain , never in a hundred years. It’s just short of diabolical.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
The truth is, Huckabee didn’t win anything. McCain suppressed the voice of West Virginians for his own political gain and essentiall gave Huckabee a bone to block Romney. You would think Huckabee being a good Christian and ex-Pastor would be honest here and try to do the right thing to make everyone’s vote count in WV but I guess good Christian values can be tossed to the side when it’s politics. Nice example Mike Huckabee.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Some posts are being suppressed today. So I’m reposting this (slightly edited version) here:
Conservatism is not dead!
If the pundits don’t think we hold our conservative values dear, then they are mistaken. All of the societal ills we face in our country today trace their roots to the abandonment of fundamental conservative family values. That’s the real disaster, and that is a BIG deal to me and many voters, particularly those of us with kids. What kind of world will we leave to them? A place where they can raise their kids in safety and security, seeking and finding true happiness, or in a country that is morally and economically bankrupt, chasing after every hedonistic fad? (I’ll refer you to object Lesson A: Britney Spears, in case you want to know how that turns out). I choose happiness. (Object Lesson B: The Romney clan)
Now, I would like to disabuse some commentators of their assertions made on other posts today:
1. Romney is a conservative. No doubt. This site is awash in posts and legitimate endorsements to support that claim, but there’s more to being conservative than one issue in one aspect of the coalition.
2. Many of us have been disappointed in the conservatives we’ve sent in the past, but they were either career insiders (congress), not up to the task, or fundamentally not immune to the Washington slime. We haven’t had a successful conservative outside change agent in decades. (Bush’s record in the real world economy doesn’t measure up to Romney’s, so that comparison is a stretch). With Romney we have a candidate that has proven that he gets things done. Big nasty, hairy problems too, all while shrinking government. Who doesn’t want that? Anybody who says otherwise is running a few brain cells short and probably supports the Woodstock museum.
3. Nobody can hold a candle to Romney’s intelligence (unlike others, he was not partying in school, so he still has all his brain cells
). So where there is no strong foreign policy credential (yet), with Romney you have a man that is a voracious learner, and not afraid to study the issues deeply to uncover their true complexity (in fact, he already has, as many experts and non-affiliated policy wonks give the nod to Romney as the only candidate that “gets it”). Then he can ARTICULATE this understanding to others. There will be no simple boiler plate answer to the challenges we face, so we better have a president that understands how foreign policy works with and impacts domestic economic policy. Nobody measures up to Romney on that score.
So in summation, there are three legs to the conservative stool, and though Hucakabee and McCain stand strong on one leg, it is a precarious balancing act. Only Romney brings a well-balance, full spectrum approach to the problems we face. Conservatism is not and in Romney we have an advocate that will fight for and win for our cause.
Rally to MITT!!
February 5th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Missing “dead” in the last sentence of my last post. (Is that a Freudian omission? Can I not bring myself to say it
)
Should have read:
Conservatism is not dead, and in Romney we have an advocate that will fight for and win for our cause.
Rally to Mitt.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Well, it will all be over soon. Our only hope now is for McCain to be crushed in the General Election. That will be fun to watch.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Oh this just gets better;
Looks like Ron Paul also had a deal going with Huckabee but the Huckster duped him.
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/wv/
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“Supporters of Texas Congressman Ron Paul and Arizona Senator John McCain switched their support to Huckabee in the second round of voting.
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The Paul campaign says the price of that support was three of Huckabee’s delegates.
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Huckabee’s campaign denies there was any deal. Huckabee spokeswoman Alice Stewart said there’s no truth to the story.
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But John Tate, national political director of the Paul campaign, says a deal was done and the Paul campaign plans to hold Huckabee to it.”
February 5th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Just a quick quote from another article to remind everyone why McCain must be stopped!
“But just about every other event in the McCain-as-maverick story involves him abandoning conservatives and the Bush administration to adopt the favorite policies and pet projects of media elites and the Left. During the 1990s, these groups became fascinated with three causes: the fight against global warming, campaign-finance reform, and stopping the conservative drift in the federal judiciary. In all three cases, Left-wing elites sought to maintain or expand their power: climate-change regulations finally give bureaucrats a chance to implement central economic planning, campaign-finance reform strengthens media companies at the expense of alternative political institutions, and the judiciary is where elite judges can enact laws and amend the constitution to advance their Left agenda without bothering to subject it to public vote. In all three cases, McCain was instrumental in providing these elites a crucial Republican crossover voice or vote, and clearly knew all the time that he was playing that role for them.”
February 5th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
We ought to put a stop to it… Americans must protest rigged caucuses and primaries… Evidence is there that Huckabee and McCain camps were in a political bed together.
We must protest and not let it go… it’s not okay!
I am sick to my stomach hearing about this especially coming from Huckabee- the Holier than Thou attitude towards Mitt sprouts deception… how awful!
STOP and PUSH MITT toward the White House
Pleaseeeeeeeeeee! GO MITT!
February 5th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
What happened in W.Va. is just despicable to say the least! If this is going on right in front of our faces, imagine if McCain was elected president. What would go on behind closed doors!? Shame on you McCain and Huckabee…….I wouldn’t trust McCain to babysit my grandchildren! Romney is the real deal. Go Mitt!………….
February 5th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I thought caucus attendees are suppose to negotiate/persuade vote changes among themselves, not get instructions from campaign headquarters….
February 5th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Back in 1976 when Carter had screwed this country up so bad, I was so thankful for Reagan to come to our rescue from the Democrat Party and other evils that were running this country.
I can’t tell you how happy I was when I found Mitt Romney about 3 month’s ago, battling for the Republican Nomination for President, how proud I was that This Great Man cared enough about This Country to try to untangle the mess that both Democrat and Republican Leadership has gotten us into.
I was so proud of Him in all of the debates, how he was so sincere and honorable, I thought there was no one who could side-track Mitt.
I am so depressed after today’s under-handed debacles that are being pulled to keep Mitt Romney from the Republican Nomination.
I feel that if we are kept from having Mitt as Our Republican Nominee, then Mitt Romney could be the First Independant Nominee to be President of Our United States.
February 6th, 2008 at 2:55 am
What happened in West Virginia was that the McCain voters saw the opportunity to vote against Romney by voting for Huckabee instead.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
In my opinion, it was a smart move, and it was absolutely legal within the rules of the West Virginia convention. Not that legal is always right, but they were entitled to vote for (or against) whoever they liked.
One unexpected outcome is that Huckabee is again a contender, with just as much legitimacy as Romney (while only spending about 5% as much money).
February 6th, 2008 at 4:20 am
Have you considered the possibility that McCain’s supporters actually and genuinely liked Huckabee as their second choice? On many issues Huck is midway between Romney and McCain, so it’s totally logical they would like him better.
Besides, McCain’s supporters would consider Huck more genuine and straightforward. Sorry to burst the bubble, but nobody outside the Romney camp gives Romney high marks in that regard! So who would want him as their second choice? There is no reason to think a deal went on. And even if there was a deal, there didn’t have to be, because the results would most likely turn out the same anyway.
February 6th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I was totally for Mitt Romney until his campaign started slinging mud. McCain of course, slung it back. Yesterday, I voted in CA for John Mccain. Today, I am beginning to donate the $1,000.00 to McCain in installments of $100.00 that I was going to pledge to Mitt Romney. Mr. Romney, is making himself look small with his slanders of McCain. If Senator, McCain, by chance does not get the nomination; I will vote Democratic in the general election. Mitt Romney is no Ronald Reagan.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:11 am
DEAR MITT; I HAVE NO DOUBT YOU’RE THE BEST CANDIDATE,BUT YOU’RE LOSING BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT BEING YOURSELF.ILLEGAL IMMIGATION IS DESTROYING THIS COUNTRY FROM WITHIN,YET POLITICIANS ARE AFRAID TO DEAL WITH IT.ABORTION MAY BE BIBICALLY WRONG,BUT DO WE REALLY WANT TO DRIVE OUR DAUGHTERS AND GRANDDAUGHTERS TOSEEKING OUT BACK ALLEY BUTCHERS AND CRIMINALIZING THEM. STAND BY ,YOUR HOLDING THE MALIKI GOVERNMENT IN IRAQ TO PRIVATE TIMETABLES,AS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SO SICK OF THIS WAR THAT WILL NEVER BRING PEACE TO A PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IGHTING EACH OTHER FOR 3000+ YEARS. DON’ T LET HUCKLEBERRY GET UNDER YOUR SKIN N THE NEXT DEBATE,AS HE CERTAINLY WILL. KEEP YOUR EYE ON 4 YEARS FROM NOW AS THERE IS NO WAY MCCAIN CAN WIN.READ RON PAUL’S IMMIGRATION POLICY AND ADOPT IT AS YOUR OWN,INCLUDING THE END OF BIRTHRIGHT CITIZANSHIP. OPEN UP LEGAL IMMIGRATION TO A POINT SYSTEM,LIKE AUSTRALIA’S.IT WORKS. JWONDER HI.
February 10th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Conservatives are beginning to amaze me in their inability to see what’s really at stake here. This election is about more than McCain and his inability to follow conservative principals.
How is handing the whole country over to far left liberals a suitable alternative to McCain? What principal is that?
There is a serious difference between McCain and a pure-bread liberal who is bent on destroying ALL conservative values permanently.
Today’s liberal is not like the Bill Clinton’s Presidency. It’s moved radically left… Clinton is now considered a moderated, and loosing it’s power because it’s not radically liberal enough.
The Democratic candidate that is surging now, Obama, is bottom of the barrel liberal. He is about to take power, unless conservatives stop fighting and get serious.
This would give liberals what they will treat as a clear sign from America that is it ready to move sharply to the left. Not slightly to the left.
Cherry picking our candidate is exactly what got us INTO this mess, and if conservatives aren’t careful, they will allow our country spiral out of control.
There is no such thing as a quick recovery from 4 years of radical liberalism unchecked. We may be facing what will take years and years of damage to undo. What’s more, there’s no guarantee that it WILL be undone. Have conservatives completely forgotten Roe v. Wade and other extremely important issues?
Questioning McCain was right and highly useful for a time and a season. Many of us wish we had acted sooner to support Romney or Huck…. But staying home on election day allows liberals a pass to capture all THREE branches of Government. Our kids deserve better out of us.
I’m not asking anyone to sacrifice their own belief or convictions, but we have a serious problem here that requires that we do everything we can to minimize the damage this election can cause to our society.
I’d rather have 50% of McCains ear, than 0% of a liberals ear.
Give it some thought, friends.
Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com
http://thalunatic.blogspot.com