Florida GOP Abandoning McCain

[Orange_Juice]

Florida Republicans cast blame as McCain trails in polls | MiamiHerald.com

John McCain's plunging poll numbers in Florida have top Republicans second-guessing and starting to distance themselves from the campaign.
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS AND MARC CAPUTO
[email protected]
For the first time in more than a decade, Florida Republicans are considering the almost unthinkable: Their presidential nominee could lose the state.

The economy, an unpopular president, a strong opponent, and the inability of John McCain to reverse poll numbers despite repeatedly revising his strategy has top state Republicans looking for someone to blame.

''There are a lot of folks who have never been in a foxhole before and are clearly nervous,'' said Brian Ballard, a major McCain fundraiser. ``There is some finger-pointing going on a little bit too soon.''

Even Gov. Charlie Crist, who helped deliver Florida for McCain during the primary, said he will spend the final weeks before Election Day minding the state's weak economy rather than campaigning for the Arizona senator.

''When I have time to help, I'll try to do that,'' Crist said last week, after he flew around the state with McCain running mate Sarah Palin. Saturday, he skipped a McCain football rally and instead went to Disney World.

Once considered a potential running mate, Crist had pledged to do all he could for McCain and spent several days this summer campaigning for the Republican nominee in and outside Florida. He faults the tough economic times for McCain's difficult time in Florida, where he trails rival Barack Obama by about 5 percentage points in the polls.

No Republican has won the White House in modern times without carrying Florida. The last to lose the state was McCain's former colleague, Sen. Bob Dole, in 1996. Some Republicans say the state party hasn't done enough, while others blame McCain's national campaign.

 

[Caligirl]

Mmmm - yeah, and I saw another article today where they think (in Wis or Minn) that McCain's slipping may be beginning to hurt other (lower ticket) races for the GOP....

 

[xsited1]

Of course McCain is to blame. Though neoconservatives have hijacked the Republican Party, they still don't have a majority. Let's all hope that the Republicans have such a bad loss in November that they'll be forced to return to their conservative roots.

 

[Caligirl]

That would be nice.

 

[rayboyusmc]

If they did, maybe we could actually have some dialogue on these boards.

Right now, it just amounts to "so's your mother."

 

[Silence]

Of course McCain is to blame. Though neoconservatives have hijacked the Republican Party, they still don't have a majority. Let's all hope that the Republicans have such a bad loss in November that they'll be forced to return to their conservative roots.

that would be good for everyone IMO.

The Republican party needs to do everything they can to cut the cancer that is the neo-conservative motive from their party.

 

[Annie]

Florida Republicans cast blame as McCain trails in polls | MiamiHerald.com

John McCain's plunging poll numbers in Florida have top Republicans second-guessing and starting to distance themselves from the campaign.
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS AND MARC CAPUTO
[email protected]
For the first time in more than a decade, Florida Republicans are considering the almost unthinkable: Their presidential nominee could lose the state.

The economy, an unpopular president, a strong opponent, and the inability of John McCain to reverse poll numbers despite repeatedly revising his strategy has top state Republicans looking for someone to blame.

''There are a lot of folks who have never been in a foxhole before and are clearly nervous,'' said Brian Ballard, a major McCain fundraiser. ``There is some finger-pointing going on a little bit too soon.''

Even Gov. Charlie Crist, who helped deliver Florida for McCain during the primary, said he will spend the final weeks before Election Day minding the state's weak economy rather than campaigning for the Arizona senator.

''When I have time to help, I'll try to do that,'' Crist said last week, after he flew around the state with McCain running mate Sarah Palin. Saturday, he skipped a McCain football rally and instead went to Disney World.

Once considered a potential running mate, Crist had pledged to do all he could for McCain and spent several days this summer campaigning for the Republican nominee in and outside Florida. He faults the tough economic times for McCain's difficult time in Florida, where he trails rival Barack Obama by about 5 percentage points in ththeye polls.

No Republican has won the White House in modern times without carrying Florida. The last to lose the state was McCain's former colleague, Sen. Bob Dole, in 1996. Some Republicans say the state party hasn't done enough, while others blame McCain's national campaign.

The FL vote will go where McCain asked, indirectly, but straitforward. They'll vote for the messiah, Obama.

 

[Red Dawn]

Of course McCain is to blame. Though neoconservatives have hijacked the Republican Party, they still don't have a majority. Let's all hope that the Republicans have such a bad loss in November that they'll be forced to return to their conservative roots.

That's what what was said after the GOP got blown out in 2006.

It didn't happen. Cons spent the next 18 months defending George Dumbya Bush to the hilt, and really only fully tossed him overboard in the last couple months.

The GOP is getting more fanatical, not less. Moderate republicans and liberal republicans are a dying breed.

All that's left in the republican party is the hard core nutbag base: the ones who yell "Kill 'em!", "Bomb Obama!" and "Traitor!" at national political rallies. The NeoCons and the religious right dominate the party. Do you really think a moderate republican (the few that are left) can win a national GOP nomination? I don't. Why do you think McCain was forced to pick the ultra-rightwing theocrat Sarah Palin?

 

[Caligirl]

If they did, maybe we could actually have some dialogue on these boards.

Right now, it just amounts to "so's your mother."

Says you.

 

[Caligirl]

The GOP is getting more fanatical, not less. Moderate republicans and liberal republicans are a dying breed.

All that's left in the republican party is the hard core nutbag base: the ones who yell "Kill 'em!", "Bomb Obama!" and "Traitor!" at national political rallies. The NeoCons and the religious right dominate the party. Do you really think a moderate republican (the few that are left) can win a national GOP nomination? I don't. Why do you think McCain was forced to pick the ultra-rightwing theocrat Sarah Palin?

I don't agree, I think that over the past eight years as the moderate conservatives have come face to face with 6000-year old earth believers and end-time believers and the results of having this sort of president and the result of choosing this sort of vice pres running mate --- I think they see what a failed tactic it is. They'll move back to the center and the far right will have to vote for them as the lesser of two evils (moderate over liberal) and they'll regain some of the middle. Thankfully, if it happens.

 

[Red Dawn]

I don't agree, I think that over the past eight years as the moderate conservatives have come face to face with 6000-year old earth believers and end-time believers and the results of having this sort of president and the result of choosing this sort of vice pres running mate --- I think they see what a failed tactic it is. They'll move back to the center and the far right will have to vote for them as the lesser of two evils (moderate over liberal) and they'll regain some of the middle. Thankfully, if it happens.

Caligirl,
I don't think Republicans can't win without the end timers christians. No way, no how.

The end timers might be like the crazy grandmother you keep locked up in the attic, but republicans no way are going to toss them overboard. They'd become a permanent minority party if they did, and they know it.

Theocrat Sarah Palin is already being mentioned as the GOP frontrunner for 2012. Where are the moderate Christine Todd Whitmans? No where to be found.

 

[DavidS]

that would be good for everyone IMO.

The Republican party needs to do everything they can to cut the cancer that is the neo-conservative motive from their party.

 

[Caligirl]

Caligirl,
I don't think Republicans can't win without the end timers christians. No way, no how.

They will get the extreme votes with any candidate they put forward, as even a moderate republican is better than a moderate dem, to a far right creationist etc.

 

[DavidS]

They will get the extreme votes with any candidate they put forward, as even a moderate republican is better than a moderate dem, to a far right creationist etc.

Didn't George Wallace run in the far-right American Independent party that was pro-segregation? Maybe they could go back to that party or have their own American Conservative Party.

Leave religion out of politics.

 

[Caligirl]

They would vote for the moderate republican.

The republican party can start putting forward moderate candidates, that is why whitman was working towards getting moderates elected into lower positions, at the RNC.

 

[AVG-JOE]

That's what what was said after the GOP got blown out in 2006.

It didn't happen. Cons spent the next 18 months defending George Dumbya Bush to the hilt, and really only fully tossed him overboard in the last couple months.

The GOP is getting more fanatical, not less. Moderate republicans and liberal republicans are a dying breed.

All that's left in the republican party is the hard core nutbag base: the ones who yell "Kill 'em!", "Bomb Obama!" and "Traitor!" at national political rallies. The NeoCons and the religious right dominate the party. Do you really think a moderate republican (the few that are left) can win a national GOP nomination? I don't. Why do you think McCain was forced to pick the ultra-rightwing theocrat Sarah Palin?

I agree. She wasn't Big John's first choice... that's pretty obvious.

-Joe

 

[Caligirl]

She was a frikkin hail mary! And she backfired!

He already HAD the base. They didn't like him, but they supported him over obama. Obama had momentum and mccain had to grab the headlines, and he caved - hoping it would bump him over obama.

It failed. It shows very clearly what analysts have been saying, the the drift to the reeligious right has splintered the party.

He lost the moderates,

Let me put it this way. If he had picked Romney or Lieberman do you think mccain would be more competitive now?

 

[Chris]

She was a frikkin hail mary! And she backfired!

He already HAD the base. They didn't like him, but they supported him over obama. Obama had momentum and mccain had to grab the headlines, and he caved - hoping it would bump him over obama.

It failed. It shows very clearly what analysts have been saying, the the drift to the reeligious right has splintered the party.

He lost the moderates,

Let me put it this way. If he had picked Romney or Lieberman do you think mccain would be more competitive now?

Romney would have been the best pick. He could have helped in Michigan, and his business experience would look good against the backdrop of the collapse.

 

[Ravi]

Florida Republicans cast blame as McCain trails in polls | MiamiHerald.com

John McCain's plunging poll numbers in Florida have top Republicans second-guessing and starting to distance themselves from the campaign.
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS AND MARC CAPUTO
[email protected]
For the first time in more than a decade, Florida Republicans are considering the almost unthinkable: Their presidential nominee could lose the state.

The economy, an unpopular president, a strong opponent, and the inability of John McCain to reverse poll numbers despite repeatedly revising his strategy has top state Republicans looking for someone to blame.

''There are a lot of folks who have never been in a foxhole before and are clearly nervous,'' said Brian Ballard, a major McCain fundraiser. ``There is some finger-pointing going on a little bit too soon.''

Even Gov. Charlie Crist, who helped deliver Florida for McCain during the primary, said he will spend the final weeks before Election Day minding the state's weak economy rather than campaigning for the Arizona senator.

''When I have time to help, I'll try to do that,'' Crist said last week, after he flew around the state with McCain running mate Sarah Palin. Saturday, he skipped a McCain football rally and instead went to Disney World.

Once considered a potential running mate, Crist had pledged to do all he could for McCain and spent several days this summer campaigning for the Republican nominee in and outside Florida. He faults the tough economic times for McCain's difficult time in Florida, where he trails rival Barack Obama by about 5 percentage points in the polls.

No Republican has won the White House in modern times without carrying Florida. The last to lose the state was McCain's former colleague, Sen. Bob Dole, in 1996. Some Republicans say the state party hasn't done enough, while others blame McCain's national campaign.

Yeah, the flop sweat around here smells pretty bad.

I hate to call it so early, though.

 

[Red Dawn]

She was a frikkin hail mary! And she backfired!

He already HAD the base. They didn't like him, but they supported him over obama. Obama had momentum and mccain had to grab the headlines, and he caved - hoping it would bump him over obama.

It failed. It shows very clearly what analysts have been saying, the the drift to the reeligious right has splintered the party.

He lost the moderates,

Let me put it this way. If he had picked Romney or Lieberman do you think mccain would be more competitive now?

Yes.