2008 Conservative Presidential Candidates

reply to post by xpert11

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I think he was referring to the likes of Tim Russett or the McLaughlin Group. Larry King and even that Neo-Nazi, Glen Beck. I don't watch FOX but with the likes of Beck who needs to go to FOX?

Many people listen to those characters for "background" noise. People will look back on this era - 1980-2010 - and call it the "Third Great Awakening!" But it will take another New Deal to salvage the wreckage they have left behind. And its economic fiasco will compromise our efforts at infrastructure and education and health for 3 generations. What a L E G A C Y!

As I write, It is approaching midnight on the East Coast. As MOST of us predicted, the Democratic race is very tight. There is one surprise, and that would be the close contest in California. Naturally, will be up all night to keep an eye on the trends.

I am actually glad to see things shaking out on the Republican side. McCain now holds a decisive lead over his competitors. Romney's third place finish (overall) is an indictment of his wishy-washy rhetoric. Huckabe's finish is impressive, for a man with no money and very little organization.

Conservatives should be encouraged by this turn of events. Romney's embarassment might nudge him in to an early withdrawl. The voters have spoken, and he is clearly not wanted.

Here's an interesting aside for you. Huckabee is like Obama in that he is riding a popular wave, which has allowed him to be non-specific about a lot of things. In many respects, it will matter who goes first on the ticket. It always does. McCain-Huckabee would appear to be the smartest combination for the Republicans at this time.

Consider this. If the GOP faces an Obama-Clinton ticket, McCain goes toe-to-toe with a foreign policy neophite in the Presidential debates. Huckabee goes up against Mrs. Clinton in the Vice Presidential debates, where the playing field is more or less level on most issues, except foreign policy.

Huckabee can short-circuit Senator Clinton if he can put on his preacher's mantle and moralize effectively without alienating too many moderates. If McCain can cast enough doubts over Obama's foreign policy goals nad credentials--without losing his temper--he can possibly eek out a narrow margin win in November.

McCain can have the rug snatched out from under him if the economy goes bad too quickly before we go to vote in November. It would be ironic if Obama's rise to power cost his party the White House. Even if he loses, we are forever changed in a positive way. The mere fact that a black man can go that far in our society says a lot about how far we've come.

I cant escape the feeling that Richards may be the wild card VP pick for the dems although more so if Hillary takes first place . Anyway call me a cynic but I think the tax rebate scheme is just designed to prevent the economy from tanking on Bush watch. From a political stand point the dems need to delay the package for there own advantage .

IMO Hillary only ever stayed with Bill for political gain. But given the budget blow out , Iraq and so on I doubt any one would care enough about Mike has to say because he already comes across as a religious nut. I would also expect his time as governor to come up so he can put out that he has a more suitable candidate for the job.

It is worth noting that my perspective doesn't come from someone who is a party man. Instead I look to the political party's that provide what I think to be solutions to problems. It just happens that most of these solutions come from the Conservative side of the tracks.

[edit on 5-2-2008 by xpert11]

1) I agree that Mitt is ***t to use a off-color colloquialism. It is comforting to recall that despite all his money he was beaten by a man on a shoestring. Of course, I have not seen McCain’s collections since he administered Romney's NH rout but I’d guess he is no longer UNable to feed his staff at Waffle House.
2) It’s not wise to predict the future. In fact, this - predicting the future - is a stoning offense in the Old Testament. The word translated “prophet” is as accurately translated “preacher” as in John the Baptist. It is a Christian invention that the OT prophets foretold the future. End of Religion 101l
3) I see no glory in losing. That is why I’m worried. I am satisfied that the whites will NOT vote for a black on the top of any ticket unless it would be for a janitorial service. Look at TN’s returns. Look at MO’s returns. Those some-what “liberal” states - liberal is a relative term, not a real POV - show how white voters will go if a black is at the top of a Dem ticket. Racism is only just under the skin, and you know how thick the skin is?

reply to post by xpert11

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Earlier on I also supported Gov. Bill Richardson of NM as the logical best choice for Hillary. A Hispanic person, which minority is now the #1 minority with 14% versus the African Americans at 13%, and being a Rocky Mountain state, where some have predicted the '08 race will be decided, both auger well for Richardson. OTOH, if it ends as I hope it will, with Hillary in the #1 slot, then she MUST offer the #2 slot to Obama which tradition says he must accept. (Former Gov. Ann Richards of TX is too old to make the run).



1) We don’t know what motivated the Clinton’s to stay together. I can assure you philandering by husbands is as old as time. From what source do you think Cain found his wife? I’m listening to a book - a public service for the blind and handicapped - about the 1920s. Warren Harding was the first president in that era, elected in 1920. Harding had a reputation for womanizing before he entered the White House, which makes it all the more plausible that he suffered his fatal heart attack during coitus with a dazzling young coquette. Years earlier he had been imprudently interrupted by his housekeeper while having sex with a woman not his wife, on the kitchen table. Hmm? They don't make tables like that anymore.

I’m pretty sure without knowing that Hillary did not condone Bill’s filtrations. OTOH, to raise a daughter is a daunting task not to be undertake lightly or alone, if it is at all possible to avoid. Regardless, they are the “ideal” couple today. And you can see that Bill is very protective of Hillary. And she is very cautious how she describes their relationship so as not to give any credence to those who would like to see them estranged.

The winning ticket must be Clinton and Obama to face McCain and Huckabee.



There is hope for you Mr X11, as long as you remain open to discussion. Up here, the GOPs oppose minimum wages, oppose enforcement of wage and hour laws, OSHA, EPA, and all other rules or regulations that “infringe” on what they perceive as the “right” of capital to be “regulated’ only by the MARKET. The GOP wants to further reduce taxes on the R&Fs and to abolish the all too scant estate tax. Running red ink shifts the cost of government to the poor whose children will have to pay off the bonds we sell to China.

Don’t overlook it was the GOP's de-regulation of home loans and banking practices that gave us and the world the current sub-prime mortgage melt down. The fulfillment of the Reagan Revolution. Much like the Reagan era S&L meltdown, it is likely to cost the taxpayers up here many many billions. It is already costing us by the Fed going crazy on the overnight rate. JP Morgan says "give US money" and Bernecke gives them money. OUR money by the way, not his. GOPs are always careful about whose money they give away.

Despite what conservatives tell you, our complex world will not run by itself!

I support all the things the GOP opposes. Why would it make any sense for me to vote for a Republican? Candidates come and candidate go, but parties tend to be constant and nearly perpetual.

[edit on 2/6/2008 by donwhite]

Up until Super Tuesday, Huckabee was the spoiler for Mitt Romney. Now, Romney have a chance to return the favor by staying in the race. If he struggles forward to the convention, he could somehow beg his way in to the VP nomination.

Conservative leaders need to understand that its time for this petty bickering to end. Somebody needs to visit Mitt and tell him dat truth about his future in the party. He can do mroe good by dropping out of this race NOW.

From now on, he will continue to trail a distant third. He might even be overtaken by Ron Paul, which would leave him in a miserable fourth place. The Republicans do have a shot at victory if Obama gets his party's nomination. their chances are improved further, if the GOP field is paired down to just two serious contenders.

McCain and Huckabee would need time to repackage themselves and get to know each other. They need all the time they can get to earn the trust of a jaded public. If they have enough time to complete this charm offenseive, they might just snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

reply to post by donwhite

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Where to start ?

On the whole the US is more conservative then Europe and NZ.

Although the minimum wage isnt an effective weapon in the fight against poverty I support its existence because it is the decent thing to do. The only political party that opposes the existence of the minimum wage is the ACT party. This is a problem because I voted for ACT last time and may do so again . Opposing the existence of the minimum wage and opposing raising the minimum wage aren't one in the same thing.

Even after National Party deregulated the labour sector in the 90s things didn't sink as low as you refer to. It worth noting that we have anti discrimination laws and that party currently in office opposes them.

Supporting markets and the deregulation that took place in the 80s is not the same thing as supporting the weakening of regulatory body's . Nobody who opposes the use of speed cameras advocates removing the police from the streets entirely.

Admittedly right wingers to have tendency to over look common decency . John Howard was guilty of this and it cost him and his party the election.

Now onto other matters . IMO Huckabee represents why the Republican party is broken . This guy wants to amend the constitution to suit his religious views. I would after having Bush who cared more about constitutional amendment aimed at banning gay marriage then he does fiscal sanity .

People most likely saw thou Romney flip flops . A good sign of ill rational the wider Republican party is at the moment is the fact that the same people that hate Hillary may not even show up at the polls. The Republicans need to lose come November so they can finally admit that there party is broken and that it is there fault.

So far they have only admitted that divisions that have been highlighted in this thread. I pointed out this to Don but others may find this thread to be of interest .

reply to post by xpert11

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Post February 5, the Clintons are faced with a situation I’d bet they did not anticipate last January. I’ll betcha they thought the nomination would be locked up on Super Tuesday. Shucks, all the early polls said Hillary was a shoo-in for the Dems nomination although the polls did not promise such a cake walk into the White House. Hillary carried baggage. As if no one else does?

From Jacksonville, it looks to me as if this over-long primary season will end with NEITHER candidate obtaining the needed 2025 delegates. More in point of fact, that may become the unspoken goal of the Clintons. To win sure, but if not, then to prevent Obama from winning BEFORE the convention in late August. There, the 873 super delegates - the old pros - will have the decisive votes. Should it happen this way, I would confidently predict a Clinton-Obama ticket.

That’s my take 2 days after Super Tuesday.

[edit on 2/7/2008 by donwhite]

reply to post by xpert11

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I expect no less of you, Mr X11. “The decent thing to do.” It also protects the most vulnerable of our society from the economic indecencies the better off would heap upon them if not restrained by law. It is a starting point. It is a statement by society.

My advocacy of a living minimum wage is based in large part by my own personal experiences. I could have lived on 75 cents an hour in 1951. My mother worked in a grocery store - clerking - for $7 a week in 1938 when the minimum wage law first went into effect. For her 50 hours - 5 days of 10 hours each - the law would have raised her pay to $13.75. (Hours over 40 got 1.5 times the base rate). Her employer sorrowfully laid her off; he believed he could not afford to pay her the new wage. And maybe he was right. But he should have tried.



Hmm? In America the minimum was raised in 2007. It had not been raised since 1996. I likened that to repealing the minimum wage. Which is a cute political tactic I have accused the Republicans of adopting and employing since 1981. If you cannot vote the government out of existence on an up and down vote in Congress, you can de-fund it, and refuse to staff it so that the less well informed will agree, GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WORK. It is a tragedy because the US once had the BEST large bureaucracy in the world. By subtlety alone the Reagan Revolution has carried the day. One day the public will wake up and see the Federal offices are all empty.

But I digress. Surely you are not suggesting that it would have been OK to support the first (1938) 25 cents an hour minimum wage - on charitable grounds - but that is immoral and counter-productive to EVER raise it? Hmm?

Help me. I'm throughly flummoxed!

reply to post by donwhite

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Well I think that the minimum wage should have modest increases from time to time or put another way more then once every ten years. Although current economic conditions need to considered. Locally now wouldn't be a good time to increase the minimum wage because rising fuel costs , return of superannuation have been passed onto the consumer.



Does it really matter that Romney suspended his campaign rather then formally dropped out of the race. ?






[edit on 7-2-2008 by xpert11]source

[edit on 7-2-2008 by xpert11]

reply to post by xpert11

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The 2007 law put the minimum wage under COLA. Cost of Living Adjustment. Except for the fact the bean counters who do the COLA have been cheating us. Congress - under a different law - gets about 3.5-4% a year adjustment, the rest of us hooligans get 2 - 2.5% per year. Who said “them that has gits.” Note: The top tiers of the Executive branch appointees have salaries tied to Congressional salaries. That means all the guys on top get about TWICE the ADJUSTMENT of the rest of us. If we ever have a 1789 France-type revolution over here, I hope I’m around to run the guillotine. I will be the last person to see those formerly happy faces before the blade falls! Yes, rubber suits will be de rigeur to keep out of the way of the spurting blood.

I believe Romney’s “Suspended” means he can resume should something unexpected happen. More a legalistic than a practical effect.

Alright boys...

Seems McCain is our man...

I can just feel your enthusiasm...

Given that there has been Exactly umm... ZERO posts on this thread since McCain become the man that is going to be the nominie...


So... lets rid our depression by discussing who should be his Running mate... that is assuming that we all haven't commited '08 election suicide...


So, whats the ticket...

I would love to see a McCain/ Powell ticket.

That could get me to vote for McCain....

THoughts?

Powell has all but endorsed Obama. He says he's not in the endorsement business, but admires Obama. McCain he called 'competent.'

Keep dreaming.

I mean McCain! It's like I picked the Republican nominee!

We could seriously run a yellow dog and beat him. Seriously. He's McCain!

reply to post by TKainZero

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Thanks for reviving this thread. Huckabee is the logical VP pick because he stands the best chance of bringing the Christian right to the polls. I don't rate McCain electability even with Huckabee as the VP pick.

As for Powell at the beginning of this thread I thought that he would be player but I do have to bow down to the wait of reasoning against this happening. Aside from the fact Powell will be getting his retirement pension and he has been scared by his now now infamous UN speech . The UN speech or presentation will be Powell legacy IMO.

He would be strategic, but McCain is a "uniter" not a winner.

I'm afriad I don't grasp your comment here could you please elaborate on this ?

Cheers xpert11.

reply to post by xpert11

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Unauthorized reply to xpert11's question to RANT. “Strategic” from strategy. A plan. A way forward as we like to say nowadays. Strategic as opposed to tactical. Referring to Huckabee as McCain’s VP nominee. Strategic because it augers well that 'the Huck' could energize the “BASE.”

Base. The overly religious followers of the GOP. Those who want Intelligent Design given equal status to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Or to Einstein theories of Special and General Relativity. Or to the Neil Bohr Theory of Quantum Mechanics. America should have been building the CERN super atom smasher. Hunting for the Big Bang. Instead, the center of physics has gone back across the Atlantic, 100% due to the dinosaur-like pre-Neanderthals we call the Republican Religious Right.

Actually, by virtue of a plan adopted in the 1980s, the Republican Religious Right have been about 90% successful in its goal of dumbing down America. Anti-scientific. Pro-revelation. Acting on their plan, they have 1) infiltrated local school boards, and 2) they have skewed text book publishers in their direction.

What is the definition of Intelligent Design? If you cannot explain it to me, then it’s intelligent design!

McCain as a uniter. One who unites. A thinly veiled reference to Bush43 who offered himself in 2000 as a UNITER. Instead, he was of course, one of the MOST DIVIDERS. Which is what he intended all along. He lied to the public but what’s new in the Bush family camp? Remember how Neal barely escaped jail in the Silverado S&L scandal?

CNN is calling a clean sweep for McCain and McCain is talking like he has claimed first prize.



Source

No surprises here as I have noted Huckabee should have positioned himself for the VP pick .

reply to post by xpert11

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Long ago, when this electoral cycle began, the pollsters reported the public favored Rudy Giuliani - the oft married NYC Mayor for a Day - over the other potential nominees. Everyone "feared" Mitt Romney who admits to $200 million in private wealth, not counting his Swiss bank accounts. He wanted to cap his varied (and successful) careers in the Olympics and running a progressive state, Massachusetts. He looked formidable!

Then came the Voice of Victory out of the South’s heartland, Arkansas! Him also of Hope town birth. (One AG of Ky was born in Hope, AR). None other than Brother Mike Huckabee! A jovial Southern Baptist preacher who can smile while he twists the dagger in your back! Like the old time Dominicans who would pray for your soul as they lit the fire at the stake they had just trussed you to.

When and where the Huck and John “Hanoi Hilton” McCain made their swarthy deal I do not claim to know. But that they made one is obvious to anyone who listened to the Huck as he viciously assaulted Mitt Romney on spurious religious grounds. Leave it to a born again preacher to show intolerance! It must be an occupational hazard?

The Huck gets the VP nod. And the Bridal Shower listing!

[edit on 3/6/2008 by donwhite]

Upon further observation, it clearly appears that Huckabee would be the perfect VP for McCain.

Rudy did not get anyone intrested outside of NYC... he never had a chance from the start, nobody on the west coast would even think about him...

Looking back... i don't think McCain would have been the worst canidate... i mean, honestly...


I was really thinking we were heading towards a Clinton v Rudy election.... McCain v Obama is a much better deal... right...

reply to post by TKainZero

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IMO it all depends on the mood of the electoral college . In terms of the popular vote McCain looks doomed no matter who he comes up against . The core supporter base of the Republican looks set to stay at home on election day. All the figures I have seen state that in the primarys the number of dems voting far outweighs there Republican counterparts.