Uh Oh: Martinez To Endorse McCain?

This ain't good. If McCain wins South Carolina and this Monday endorsement goes through, it'll help him win Florida, too. Geraghty thinks it could be over if McCain wins both. Time to start a conservative party, I guess.

Word from Florida is that Sen. Mel Martinez will finally be able to do what he's been wanting to do for a while: endorse Sen. John McCain.

A joint appearance is on tap for Monday in South Florida, according to two Florida Republican sources, although Martinez is under pressure from GOP fundraisers to hold off, and he may back out at the last moment..

Martinez, like McCain, was on the side of Pres. Bush during the immigration debate in Congress, and only in Florida -- after South Carolina -- would such an endorsement help McCain politically.

No comment from official McCain sources.

Crist and Fred, if he drops out, too?

Gov. Charlie Crist, meantime, has been asking advice from others on the campaign trail over whether he should endorse McCain, who was an early-and-often Crist supporter. Crist also has close ties to Martinez, whose election he strongly backed in 2004. It's more likely that Crist sits this one out.

Then there's the matter of Fred Thompson, who in debates has teamed up with McCain as if they're the two old guys in the Muppets (Statler and Waldorf). Assuming Thompson does as badly in South Carolina as some expect, then he could drop out and eventually endorse his former senate colleague as well.

Comments

[Steven Den Beste]

As Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

[Bill Faith]

Thomas Lifson at American Thinker doesn't think Thompson will give up unless/untill someone else has enough delegates lined up to lock in the nomination, and I hope he's right. If it comes down to a brokered convention Fred still has a good chance of winning the nomination.

[docweasel]

Really though, I've become resigned to 'settle' for McCain: who better? Fred, sure, he's great, but he hasn't worked for the nomination. I don't know if he just expected it to be handed to him or what, but he hasn't worked for it, not from the start. If he can't win SC, he can't win anywhere, except maybe Tennessee. Huckabee and Romney would be disasters- landslide losers whose negative coattails would sink the down ticket and give the new Dem prez bigger majorities in both houses, leading to leftist judges on the SCOTUS.

I was for Rudy early, and I still think he has the best chance to win against ANY dem, but when is he going to start his campaign? He skipped Iowa, NH, Michigan and I guess Nevada. He's losing too much ground early and has lost a lot nationally. He may never get a chance to GET started.

McCain is probably as conservative a candidate as can be elected. Face it, Romney and Huckabee aren't really conservatives either. Neither governed like a conservative when they were governors. Just because Romney promises to now, why should we believe him? Plus, the party will split wide open against a Mormon. I know there are lots of Mormon apologists out there, but its a stone cold fact that the Mormon "religion" has some pretty hateful and despicable tenets, that Romney has never refuted. More light is going to be shown on this IF he gets the nomination. It won't matter how much he cries "anti-Mormon bigotry" when the true facts of what Mormons teach their kids and preach every week in their private Temples gets out to the regular citizen, most of whom are just vaguely unsettled about Mormonism. Expect the Dems to, RIGHTFULLY, expose what it is that people don't like about Romney and his cult: racism, sexism, hate preaching against other religions, hate scriptures about the Jews that look like midieval anti-Jewish propaganda that launched pograms, killing hundreds of thousands. They are just as slandorou about Catholics and other Protetants. That's not even mentioning the misogynistic and repressive views on women. All this will be publicized by the Dems and the MSM, and personally I think its fair game.

We all know about Huckaboom. He's the true epitome of an empty suit. He says something stupid every day, nearly. He would be toast by about July or August if he's nominated. The nutroot are salivating to get either Huck or Romney as an opponent. They fear McCain and Rudy, and for good reason. Either of them can win. Only McCain seem to have the guts to really go for it. I know he's not perfect, but we don't have a perfect candidate. Duncan Hunter was the nearest thing, and he never got 1% support. So out of what we have I think McCain is the best alternative to Hillary or Obama for 4 years.

Personally, I still think Rudy will pull it out and be the nominee. I hope he does. I think he'd make a good president. I don't require a doctrinaire conservative, and frankly, I disagree with a lot of far right rhetoric. I don't see anything wrong with gays being allowed civil unions, and I have a hard time seeing what is wrong with gays committing to a life-long partnership, whether you call it marriage or not. Damage the institution of marriage? How, exactly? How, more than hetero couples have done for generations.

I don't think homosexuality is sinful, unnnatural or immoral. I don't believe in locking a woman in prison for abortion, as much as I deplore the practice. I'm really disgusted with conservative efforts to control Hollywood, video games, TV, sex toys, pr0n on the internet, etc. That's just another kind of nanny government. Watch your own damn kids, I say.

McCain may have bad-mouthed the Republican in the past, and he's part owner of the execrable campaign finance fiasco, but he' becoming more and more palatable as I see more of the other candidates. There is a groundswell of Democrat excitement out there. You ain't getting a conservative this year for Republican nominee, live with it. IMHO there isn't one running.

The eye on the prize here is to name SCOTUS justices. We need an "R" doing it, not a "D". That' what really matters and what will last for a generation or more.

[edward cropper]

It is interesting to see the lameness of those who have been screaming for a real "conservative" now that there seems to be a "possibility" that
John McCain "may" win the nomination.
Such comments as, "he is becoming more and more palatable as I see more of the other candidates" is enough to gag a maggot.

[BobInStamford]

McCain v. Thompson. What a laugh! Hard to say which is a more pathetic geezer. McCain because he is an angry old coot or Thompson for being the laziest politician since your beloved "Vacation President". Decisions, decisions.

Personally, I am pulling for Jesus' pal from Arkansas. He's more entertaining than these 2 old fools combined! God Bless you all, patriots!!

[Roy Mustang]

My big issues are WOT, Illegal Immigration, Abortion, Judicial Activism and cutting pork barrel/welfare spending.

5 out 6 isn't bad. McCain is by no means the perfect candidate he's not as bad or liberal as some of the GOP establishment is trying to make him out to be.

FYI: McCain voted for Bork, Alito, Thomas and Roberts when the chips were down. Gang of 14 made us lose 2 lower court judges in exchange for Sandra Day's replacement. I think that was a good deal. Constitutional nuke should have only been deployed for a pivotal Supreme Court Justice slot.

[Fred Beloit]

The Governor of Florida, Crist, is extremely unpopular in the Panhandle, my neck of the sands. If I were a candidate I would ask him not to endorse me. From here, anyway, Crist looks like a one-term guy.

[Brainster]

Gee, the last two third parties to gain significant support brought us Woodrow Wilson and Bill Clinton. This one could result in a President Hillary. Who wouldn't want to be midwife to that effort?

[reliapundit]

fred has been bashing huck cuz huck ain't no conservative.

if he drops out and endorses ol buddy ol pal mccain, it'll prove fred is a phony.

mccain is as liberal as lieberman.

he'd make a fine dem nominee but has no place on the gop ticket.

i won't vote for mccain under any circumstances.

i'd rather see edwards in the wh - or hillary or obama.

[Sometimes I comment here]

>>>I don't require a doctrinaire conservative, and frankly, I disagree with a lot of far right rhetoric. I don't see anything wrong with gays being allowed civil unions<<<<

You mean when that far-righty Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act?

McCain ain't my first choice, but he scores in the 80s from the American Conservative Union. Rudy would be the best choice, though.

[Sometimes I comment here]

>>>I don't require a doctrinaire conservative, and frankly, I disagree with a lot of far right rhetoric. I don't see anything wrong with gays being allowed civil unions<<<<

You mean when that far-righty Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act?

McCain ain't my first choice, but he scores in the 80s from the American Conservative Union. Rudy would be the best choice, though.

[Yoda]

Defacto liberal democrat, Crist is.

[Fred Beloit]

That's it precisely, Yoda.