(McCain – Money) + Iraq War = Romney is it.
As reported here a few weeks back, John McCain is done.
That means barring a Fred Thompson announcement, Mitt Romney is going to be the Republican nominee.
Romney could make trouble for Barack Obama (or Hillary Clinton, or John Edwards) in a couple of ways. 1) Romney has taken over the Bush money raising operations and knows how to use it. Although he is still unknown by rank and file Republicans, they will warm up to him if they see him as a winner. 2) For all of his flip-floppery – Romney strikes me as a kind of Republican Bill Clinton. Like Clinton Romney has the ability to be on every side of any given issue simultaneously. Walking the razor’s edge of credibility is risky, but as President Clinton showed, it can be done.
On the plus side for Democrats, Romney is a Republican and the voters are sick and tired of Republican who say that victory in Iraq is just over the horizon.
Congratulations to Dave Burris for his man outlasting Mike Castle’s and Game On!!
But will he really be able to capture those on the far right of the Republican wing? If they don’t turn out to support him, I’m not sure he can take a Dem. Or maybe it’s just hopefully thinking.
Right Wingers view themselves as loyal followers. They might make some noise about abortion, but will not splinter. Splintering is a Democratic disease.
When push comes to shove and it is either a Republican they don’t like or a Democrat, they will pull the lever for the Republican.
I’m mostly worried about Romney in the primaries. If he can get past that hurdle, then the general election should be much more smooth. He does remind me of Bill Clinton, in all the good ways, and he’s clean as a whistle. I hope the GOP lines up behind him.
I wonder if yesterday’s significant cross-over vote in the 7th is a sign that the average Republican is coming to fear the lizard-brains in their own party more than they fear the Democrats. Up to now I think they’ve been less likely to splinter because of that deep-seated fear of Dems. We Dems don’t suffer from fear so we vote all over the place. But the R’s have always had that fear thing going. Maybe their fear is shifting?
Hey! What about Rudy! The guy has the liberal platforms as far as social engineering (gay marriage, birth control), and he’s a proven administrator.
And, since you guys liked Clintons style so much, Rudy has been around the block a few times with the women-folk (at least before the prostate surgery).
I hear the guy’s an asshole in person and to work for, but he did some pretty amazing things in NYC, which, for the purpose of arguing experience, is a country all of its own.
Rudy was lucky to be the Mayor when the money gusher struck in the 90’s. That said he used the money to clean up the place and reduce petty crime.
As far as overall leadership is concerned I’m not too impressed. For example, he did not seem to institutionalize any of the positive cosmetic changes he made. And it is not the divorces so much, but the apparent vulgarity of the divorces that make him a non-starter with most of the party regulars.
“Rudy was lucky to be the Mayor when the money gusher struck in the 90’s.”
Another tie to Pres. Clinton! Sweet.
Sanjee, would you rather have someone with an apparent knack for being in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing, or an ex-coke sniffing, draft dodging moral majority idiot creating more terrorists?
(I figure if sanjee can paint with broad strokes, so can I)
I just don’t think the “moral majority” conservatives will line up behind a Mormon. I expect to see a fairly strong right-wing 3rd party candidate in this cycle that could give Democrats the electoral vote without a majority in the popular vote. Unless, of course, some “dark horse” Republican emerges who is more pleasing to the base and the general electorate alike.
“Unless, of course, some “dark horse” Republican emerges who is more pleasing to the base and the general electorate alike.”
Uh, Rudy?
I don’t see a socially liberal Italian Catholic with serious moral values issues as “pleasing” to the Republican base of WASPs, though I’m quite certain many in that group are hypocrites. Should be interesting…