Each state saw a portion of the Republican vote go to Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the libertarian, anti-war candidate who has maintained a semi-serious campaign while focusing on getting reelected to the House. But most of the anti-McCain votes went to Republicans who aren't even running anymore.

In North Carolina, almost 63,000 Republican primary voters - 12 percent of the total - marked their ballots for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher who is far more visceral than the likely nominee on social issues. Another 8 percent went for Paul, while 4 percent - one in every 25 North Carolinians who took GOP ballots - checked "no preference." In effect, they said that no one at all was better than John McCain.

Remember months before when it looked like a battle between Romney and Huckabee? Remember when guys like Limbaugh and Coulter were attacking McCain with such fanaticism that they said the Democrats would be a better choice? Remember when they tried to paint McCain as such a "maverick" that he didn't belong among the Republican frontrunners, and was at best a candidate of last resort?

Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Taking into consideration that almost half of the country, according to a
recent poll, would not vote for someone older than 70 years old, I'd say
John McCain might be facing an uphill battle.

Now, if we can get those swiftboats revved up and the Big Lie machine
running at full speed, we probably can convince a fair portion of those
people that their bibles will be taken away by atheists looking to rape
their daughters if they don't vote along party lines.

After all, what could be more important than that?

Just 1 in 4?
repost

A Majority of Americans are against the free-trade agreements as the are now. Yet, McCain is about as hard-core pro unadulterated free trade as it gets.

Americans are war weary, yet the candidate the Reps have was advocating regime change in Iraq before Bush was. Not to mention his hard-on for Iran and more regime change in the Mid East
McCain's foreign-policy advisers are a mix of traditional Republican "realists," who favor a pragmatic approach to the world, and "neoconservatives," who lobbied for the Iraq invasion, advocate tougher action to squelch Iran's and North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions and favor using U.S. power to transform the Muslim world.

The coup de grâce is immigration. As pointed above a vast majority of Americans want illegal immigration curbed with penalties. Where is this in the representatives for presidential hopeful, especially in what is supposed to be the bastion of this sentiment, the GOP.

We often talk on fark of how does Clinton represent the Dems, but frankly, how does McCain represent a traditional republican? Does anyone pay attention to the will of the people?

I thought the number would be higher than 1 in 4

Doesn't that mean 3/4 support him? If Obama is the nominee, Democrats will flock to McCain in such numbers that it will make Reagan Democrats look like Lincoln Confederates.

What kind of masochistic asshole would vote for McOld at this point?

Bloody William:
Remember months before when it looked like a battle between Romney and Huckabee? Remember when guys like Limbaugh and Coulter were attacking McCain with such fanaticism that they said the Democrats would be a better choice? Remember when they tried to paint McCain as such a "maverick" that he didn't belong among the Republican frontrunners, and was at best a candidate of last resort?

Pepperidge Farm remembers.

McCain:
Right on the economy
Right on the war
Right on healthcare
Good for Israel

Psylence: What kind of masochistic asshole would vote for McOld at this point?



On the Job!

Still on the job.

First thing I thought of, LonMead.

Psylence: What kind of masochistic asshole would vote for McOld at this point?

Suicidal Writer: Doesn't that mean 3/4 support him? If Obama is the nominee, Democrats will flock to McCain in such numbers that it will make Reagan Democrats look like Lincoln Confederates.

I almost thought you were trying to make a point, but you're clearly still bitter because your candidate isn't the nominee. Get over it already, pal.

Party Boy:

...how does McCain represent a traditional republican?
As hawkish as he seems, he doesn't, and is seen as too liberal by true conservatives.

His "bomb Iran" humor has damaged his credibility as much as Hillary flying out to the nappy-headed hoes to meet with and "comfort them", which by the way came unexpectedly and had nothing to do with her desire for publicity.

Sumo Surfer: As hawkish as he seems, he doesn't, and is seen as too liberal by true conservatives.

Id like to reply, but you might want to rewrite the sentence. I'm not sure what you are trying to say.

Party Boy:

Id like to reply...

...he doesn't (represent a traditional republican)...

That better?

Many liberals I've chatted with don't seem to know that McCain is criticized by his party for not being conservative enough i.e. he is 'weak'.

Sumo Surfer: ...he doesn't (represent a traditional republican)...

That better?

Many liberals I've chatted with don't seem to know that McCain is criticized by his party for not being conservative enough i.e. he is 'weak'.

Yea. It wasn't a dick "LOL grammar!1" move, it was more like I needed a clarification, cause I didn't want to confuse your post.

McCain clearly doesn't represent a traditional conservative.
Some of his stuff is best looked at with the "neo" prefix. For example, neo-liberal economic trade policies.

Considering the choices we have, I'm going to write in RON PAUL in capital letters on the ballot.

McCain's VP choice will make or break the election because, even if he doesn't keel over from a heart attack after a couple of months on the job, someone's going to have to change his diapers and make the decisions.

Party Boy:

For example, neo-liberal economic trade policies.

When I was in high school I thought NAFTA was the best idea ever.

Now at my CA employer there's an ex-GM employee from Michigan who endured two significant pay cuts before she was laid off. I'm no longer so excited about free trade, but I think its funny that neoliberalism adopts more conservative ideas. It makes the rest of 'em seem stuck in the past.

In all fairness, GM cars also suck.

I think this "See, Republicans don't like him, he's such a maverick" campaign is a way to convince everyone NOT a republican that he is still the principled man he was in the 2000 election and not the pod-person they've replace him with. They're just trying to convince us that he ISN'T a third term of this neocon bullshiat.

Personally, I'm insulted by the prospect. I have eyes, ears, and a brain, and I may be in the minority in America anymore but I use all three when it comes to picking my candidate.

Suicidal Writer: Doesn't that mean 3/4 support him? If Obama is the nominee, Democrats will flock to McCain in such numbers that it will make Reagan Democrats look like Lincoln Confederates.

Hillary? That you? I think you have your thought process backwards. After seeing how Hillary has acted in this primary, I'd imagine many more Obama supporters staying home, writing in Obama on the ballot, or finding a third party to vote for than Hillary supporters would be to flock to McCain. Well, disregarding the racist numbskulls in places like W. Virginia that would never vote for a black guy even if it meant voting for a guy with a platform of "You know what, the only problem with the war in Iraq is that it's not big enough, so let's bomb Iran too."

Suicidal Writer: Democrats will flock to McCain in such numbers that it will make Reagan Democrats look like Lincoln Confederates.

Aside for the threats on Hillaryis44 I cannot find anything to support your position. Can you post any credible sources that backs up what you believe?

eddyatwork
Considering the choices we have, I'm going to write in RON PAUL in capital letters on the ballot.

I wonder if I could write in my personal choice for president of the United States:

'; DROP TABLE votes; --

/Let's hope Diebold's software is keen to injection attacks
//http://www.xkcd.com/327/

Suicidal Writer: But only 59% of Democratic voters who support Clinton say they would vote for Obama against McCain, while 28% say they would vote for the Republican McCain. This suggests that some Clinton supporters are so strongly opposed to Obama (or so loyal to Clinton) that they would go so far as to vote for the "other" party's candidate next November if Obama is the Democratic nominee.

Gallup (new window)

The interesting thing to me about this poll is that even with that factored in he still leads McCain by 3% in composite polls. (new window)

All Obama needs to do to win is convince a handful of those Clinton defectors that he represents them better than McCain does.

Wow - that was quite an idiotic article. By its logic the Democrat nominee is in far worse trouble than McCain. Oh, wait, that's actually true. Nevermind.

HappyDaddy: Wow - that was quite an idiotic article. By its logic the Democrat nominee is in far worse trouble than McCain. Oh, wait, that's actually true. Nevermind.

I guess we'll see.

Tastes Like Chicken: Suicidal Writer: But only 59% of Democratic voters who support Clinton say they would vote for Obama against McCain, while 28% say they would vote for the Republican McCain. This suggests that some Clinton supporters are so strongly opposed to Obama (or so loyal to Clinton) that they would go so far as to vote for the "other" party's candidate next November if Obama is the Democratic nominee.

Gallup (new window)

The interesting thing to me about this poll is that even with that factored in he still leads McCain by 3% in composite polls. (new window)

All Obama needs to do to win is convince a handful of those Clinton defectors that he represents them better than McCain does.

I agree. And I think he does it simply by stressing that a John McCain presidency means "Scalia-esq" SCOTUS nominees who'll work to overturn Roe v. Wade. I've always said that one-issue votors are morons (*cough* USP .45 *cough*), but there's no way those hillaryis44 chicks vote for the old guy who'll will work to disallow them from having an abortion should they or their daughters or granddaughters choose. Sure, some may stay home, but I bet a big enough block comes to terms with it and pulls the lever for Obama to put him over the top.

Suicidal Writer: But only 59% of Democratic voters who support Clinton say they would vote for Obama against McCain, while 28% say they would vote for the Republican McCain. This suggests that some Clinton supporters are so strongly opposed to Obama (or so loyal to Clinton) that they would go so far as to vote for the "other" party's candidate next November if Obama is the Democratic nominee.


As many times as I have seen and heard this repeated, it is never pointed out that a significant percentage of the the people who voted for Hillary in Democratic primaries wouldn't support Obama OR Hillary in the general election.

Crossover voting has been helping her perpetuate her hopeless candidacy, and has been doing damage to the party. The worst of it is that she thinks it a great laugh that Rush has "a crush" on her.

Good jorb. Way to place personal ambition before party and country.

Suicidal Writer: Doesn't that mean 3/4 support him? If Obama is the nominee, Democrats will flock to McCain in such numbers that it will make Reagan Democrats look like Lincoln Confederates.

They just dont get it, McCain is going to be the next president and by a landslide when you get down to the two the dems are putting up against him.

Everyone that thinks these people wont vote mccain is farking crazy, there may be 2 or 3 supreme court slots coming up in the next 4-8 years and they want a little say in those openings. Besides its already been pointed out that as many as 30% of dem voters would vote mccain if their candidate didnt win, if that happens he would win traditionally held democrat areas.

In the end it doesn matter, both parties are the farking same and people believing they are have not been paying attention the past 20 years.

steamingpile : In the end it doesn matter, both parties are the farking same and people believing they are have not been paying attention the past 20 years.

As someone who has been conscious for a good part of the past seven years, I would like to take issue with that assertion.

Have you been paying attention?

The Dreaded Rear Admiral: I agree. And I think he does it simply by stressing that a John McCain presidency means "Scalia-esq" SCOTUS nominees who'll work to overturn Roe v. Wade. I've always said that one-issue votors are morons (*cough* USP .45 *cough*), but there's no way those hillaryis44 chicks vote for the old guy who'll will work to disallow them from having an abortion should they or their daughters or granddaughters choose.

For bonus points, perhaps they could point out that Scalia and his ilk believe that McCain's signature campaign finance reform bill is unconstitutional. How can one run as standing for "strict constructionist" principles, when his acts in the Senate ran so starkly in contrast to that? Further, if he decides to throw McCain-Feingold under the bus, what does it say about a person who is willing to completely abandon his previous achievements just to gin up some votes?

LocalCynic: ...under the bus...

Did you get that memo?

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/11/news/local/32-citylights.txt

or

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/04/30/under-the-bus-and-other-offense s/

The Republicans I know can't stand him. Let's just hope he doesn't end up the lesser of two evils.

/also, subject-verb agreement, subby
//one in four says
///couldn't let it pass without comment

steamingpile: They just dont get it, McCain is going to be the next president and by a landslide when you get down to the two the dems are putting up against him.

While I am not willing to call the election for either side, I strongly doubt that McCain will win by a landslide.

We shall see.

I don't understand how anyone can be so disillusioned as to think McCain has a real chance. Bush's approval rating is 28% for chrissakes. 28%!



You can talk all you want about 'working class' white voters, when McCain's policies come under scrutiny, he's done.

Not particularly noteworthy, much as I would like it to be.

Nearly a month after withdrawing from the race in 2000, McCain took 22 percent of the vote against then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the April 4 Pennsylvania primary. A month later, still on the ballot, McCain received 19 percent against Bush in Indiana and 11 percent on the same day in North Carolina. Even as late as June, McCain got 10 percent in New Mexico and 14 percent in South Dakota. And he wasn't alone. Even Keyes, a perennial candidate, cracked double-digits in three June primaries.

Four years earlier, a similar scenario took place. That time, it was the pugnacious Pat Buchanan who was still drawing votes well into the political after-life. Even after effectively withdrawing from the race on April 17, the pitchfork populist won 19 percent in Indiana and 13 percent in North Carolina on May 7. A week later, he got 16 percent in West Virginia. All this came long after Bob Dole had picked up the necessary delegates to seize the nomination on March 26.

Source

McCain adviser hosted the coronation of Rev Moon as the "New Messiah" in Wash D.C. on federal property. ^{(^)}

residentgeek: The Republicans I know can't stand him. Let's just hope he doesn't end up the lesser of two evils.

... adn they're STILL going to vote for him because he'll be the one with the (R) next to his name.

People in the same numbers who supported Tsongas in 1992 were saying the same thing about Bill Clinton. When it comes down to the showdown in November, they'll be there. Their current hurt feelings will fade with time AND the threat of Gramps McCain picking Supreme Court Justices.

Hobodeluxe: McCain adviser hosted the coronation of Rev Moon as the "New Messiah" in Wash D.C. on federal property. (^)

That fact I've never seen this Reverend Moon cocksucker on any Main Stream Media outlet tells me something is putridly rotten in the state of Denmark.

This bastard gets crowned as the 'father of humanity' in the Capital by a bunch of Christianist Conservatives and the media spends 24/7 talking up some small time preacher on Chicago's south side?

People had better start paying attention, we're going to get the Democracy we deserve.

robsul82: AND the threat of Gramps McCain picking Supreme Court Justices.

I can only hope the Democrats go after him not only on his flip-flopping but on his Justices ... paint them not as originalists but justices who don't think you have the right to privacy.

OmniscientSean: <b>eddyatwork</b>
<i>Considering the choices we have, I'm going to write in RON PAUL in capital letters on the ballot.</i>

I wonder if I could write in my personal choice for president of the United States:

'; DROP TABLE votes; --

/Let's hope Diebold's software is keen to injection attacks
//<a href="http://www.xkcd.com/327/" target="_blank">http://www.xkcd.com/327/</a>

Knowing Diebold, there's probably an auto-destruct button protected by a minibar key.

elchip: robsul82: AND the threat of Gramps McCain picking Supreme Court Justices.

I can only hope the Democrats go after him not only on his flip-flopping but on his Justices ... paint them not as originalists but justices who don't think you have the right to privacy.

A big failure of the Kerry 2004 was never (or barely, I might've missed the two times Kerry mentioned it) bringing up that whoever was the winner of the 2004 election was going to be nominating Justices. That, in essence, they weren't picking the path of the country for the next 4 years, but for the next 25 years. Alas, John felt like going windsurfing.

Sumo Surfer: neoliberalism adopts more conservative ideas

I don't think you know what these words mean.

robsul82: elchip: robsul82: AND the threat of Gramps McCain picking Supreme Court Justices.

I can only hope the Democrats go after him not only on his flip-flopping but on his Justices ... paint them not as originalists but justices who don't think you have the right to privacy.

A big failure of the Kerry 2004 was never (or barely, I might've missed the two times Kerry mentioned it) bringing up that whoever was the winner of the 2004 election was going to be nominating Justices. That, in essence, they weren't picking the path of the country for the next 4 years, but for the next 25 years. Alas, John felt like going windsurfing.

I disagree. Kerry ran as "Decider II, Wannabe in Chief." The electorate stayed with the genuine article. The wind surfing was a non issue until he decided to have a photo op in a duck blind.

In short, Democrats lose because they let Republicans define the debate, if Republicans throw a shiat fit over wind surfing, Democrats reactionaryly disavow it. It's pandering to idiots and Americans hate that.

Kerry got what he deserved. . as "anybody but Bush" is not a platform.

You can talk all you want about 'working class' white voters, when McCain's policies come under scrutiny, he's done.

Compared to who? The Dems have been talking up how wonderful they are, but the actual things they've said are pretty train-wreckish when it comes to the public. And yes, what the party overall says is as important as what Obama is saying this week.

You also have the continuing series of people Obama's been throwing under the bus as needed. His grandmother, Rev. Wright, and his most recent one, the Hamas-talking aide. It's bad enough that he was associated with Wright for all of those years, but after the political fallout got too bad, Obama turned on him like a junkyard dog.

...and before anyone whines that Obama didn't know anything about his crazy pastor, NOBODY in the US will buy that except the more brainwashed Obamaniacs. Twenty years, and he never noticed that Wright was a bigoted old jerk? You guys are talking about McCain's age, when Obama's already senile enough to forget the last couple of decades of sermons in his church?

Oh, yeah - that "swiftboating" thing? You folks might consider that the Swiftboat veterans caught Kerry saying things that were proven to be false, like the "Christmas in Cambodia" story that was "seared, SEARED" into his memory. They challenged Kerry on his claims, and he ran away (basically, the only thing he had going for him were a couple of medals that, as the records show, he apparently put himself up for). So by saying anything about "Swiftboats," you're admitting that most of what's being brought up about your candidate is true.

Sumo Surfer: but I think its funny that neoliberalism adopts more conservative ideas. It makes the rest of 'em seem stuck in the past.

I should have reposted this with it. I went to bed

I think the first thing that will confuse people is how Neo-conservative and neo-liberal overlap in US politics
link

excerpts

What are the salient features of neoliberal political rationality?8 First, in contrast with classical economic liberalism (and, it is important to remind American readers, the "liberalism" of neoliberalism refers to economic rather than political liberalism), neoliberalism is not confined to an expressly economic sphere, nor does it cast the market as natural and self regulating even in the economic sphere. Part of what makes neoliberalism "neo" is that it depicts free markets, free trade, and entrepreneurial rationality as achieved and normative, as promulgated through law and through social and economic policy-not simply as occurring by dint of nature. Second, neoliberalism casts the political and social spheres both as appropriately dominated by market concerns and as themselves organized by market rationality. That is, more than simply facilitating the economy, the state itself must construct and construe itself in market terms, as well as develop policies and promulgate a political culture that figures citizens exhaustively as rational economic actors in every sphere of life.

and compare with what is a neocon

Its important to highlight these goofy incongruities as we proceed with Neoliberal ideals of reducing national borders here in the US, while promoting hyper nationalism in Iraq's separate states (neocon) or rearticulating and policing their borders -- while moving towards a universalized market rationality here in the US.

This Neoconservative split basically is still a fast summary of the disconnect McCain has with traditional republicans.

BTW, I don't know where you are going with your "highschool" comment. it doesn't make any sense to me.

Anybody else notice that the only Republicans who ran this year were either weirdos who wouldn't otherwise have a chance at a nomination (Romney), lightweights (Huckabee), or outsiders (McCain, Ron Paul, Tancredo)?

That's because the good republican candidates -- the ones who have an actual shot -- wouldn't run this year if their lives depended on it. Because Bush farked the Republican party completely, there's a huge realignment happening in the populace, and no one wants to be the sacrificial lamb for the GOP.

Same thing happened to the Democrats in 2004 (in the wake of 9/11). Kerry got the nomination because almost no one else wanted it. And he still almost won.

It's gonna be a 60/40 split in November or more. There'll be historic turnout. And by 2009, Democrats may well have a majority in both the house and the senate. That's why the Democratic primary has been so hard fought: we're watching the actual election unfold now -- the general isn't going to be nearly as close (or important) a fight as the fight for who controls the direction of the center-left party.

Random Reality Check: Taking into consideration that almost half of the country, according to a
recent poll, would not vote for someone older than 70 years old, I'd say
John McCain might be facing an uphill battle.

Now, if we can get those swiftboats revved up and the Big Lie machine
running at full speed, we probably can convince a fair portion of those
people that their bibles will be taken away by atheists looking to rape
their daughters if they don't vote along party lines.

After all, what could be more important than that?

Well, I'M an atheist. You have daughters?

Party Boy: Sumo Surfer:

To elaborate on the Neoconservative split... see the link above on

Today, both conservatives and neocons favor a robust US military. But most conservatives express greater reservations about military intervention and so-called nation building. Neocons share no such reluctance. The post 9/11-campaigns against regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrate that the neocons are not afraid to force regime change and reshape hostile states in the American image. Neocons believe the US must do to whatever it takes to end state-supported terrorism. For most, this means an aggressive push for democracy in the Middle East.

and compare that with McCain vs Bush 2000

McCain says he'd support, in some fashion, forces trying to overthrow regimes in 'rogue states' such as Iraq and North Korea. He'd also 'use our primacy in world affairs for humanity's benefit.'

Bush, too, counsels against isolationism but has emphasized more than McCain that the United States should intervene in conflicts when it is in the nation's direct interest to do so.

Of course, this is just one in a long like of McCain Mid East regime change quotes.

long likne