The Corner on National Review Online
So, I would encourage Bill Kristol, Fred Barnes, David Brooks, VDH, et al, to pause and reflect about what they’re urging Republicans and conservatives to embrace. I don’t think John McCain can win in November because of his record, not “unfair” criticism, talk radio, or what have you. If the issue is electability based on current polls, that’s an absurd position. Six months ago Rudy was the inevitable Republican nominee and Hillary was the inevitable Democrat nominee.
Any Democrat candidate will destroy John McCain in the general election. McCain’s single biggest asset has been the free ride the liberal mainstream media has given “maverick” (meaning he sticks it to those awful conservatives) McCain. Once the choice is between Republican nominee McCain and Democrat nominee Obama (or Hillary), the liberal media will turn on him and savage him. And, as I have posted elsewhere, there are a myriad of ways he can be savaged.
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Not sure I agree with you there. I think McCain destroys Billary. But Obama would pose a different challenge, since he would be able to continue to use his outsider status to his advantage. But I still think McCain beats him too.
The question is would both candidates be so horrible that they would make enough room for a viable 3rd party candidate (Thompson/Gingrich 08?).
On what do you base this ever so hopeful scenario, Jon? (If you call a McCain victory a hopeful outcome, that is).
Personally, although i would have cheerfully voted for Fred Thompson, and I did help to organize and raise funds for him, as well as donating myself, I don’t think he could have beaten either Democrat this year, either.
Republicans are always surprised at the savage effectiveness of the liberal MSM when it fully trains its guns on the GOP. But we’ll be in a recession by the time November rolls around, and John McCain is a walking target board for the lefty media. They’ve been going easy on him because they want him as the GOP candidate. Current polls of flighty know-nothings and irrational ignoramuses may make him seem formidible, but when the MSM gets fully cranked up, those numbers will sink like stones. Especially since the conservative media assets will be supporting him reluctantly, at best. And potential assets like Daily Pundit won’t be supporting him at all.
When Democrats are the opposition, there’s always hope. As a former Democrat (Carter was the last straw) I noticed early on that in the back of every Democrat’s head is the haunting question: How are we going to lose this time?
Bill’s on record predicting a Demo blowout at both the presidential and congressional level. I have to agree with the latter,especially the Senate. But I believe that all presidential elections are fairly close, barring an unusual event.
McCain as the nominee can produce his own unusual event. His testiness and arrogance is never far from the surface, and if he produces just one display of his temper and pettiness, he’s toast. Who will vote for a candidate with anger management issues?
McCain looks like the one nominee who can complete Bill’s trifecta prediction.
Actually, the average Presidential election is about as close as the average Super Bowl. In fact, of the past 10 elections since 1968, six were blowouts in both the popular vote and electoral college, four were relatively or extremely close in the popular vote although one was an electoral college blowout and a second was a solid electoral college victory. Only the last two have been close in both venues, and they are an historical anomaly.
Ditto. As I have stated earlier, I always believed it would be impossible for hillbilly to win. Then the rep’s found a way, nominate McCain or Huckster. The MSM will rip them to shreds. HillBilly/Obama will need to just keep quiet.
I will not vote for either of those two rep prospects. I’m not enthused about Romney, but he is the only (slim) chance the R’s have at this point.