Often times I think some of these well-paid pundits are idiots who like to hear themselves talk. So, short and sweet, here's where we really are in Florida. And what happens next. The polls. In a close race with McCain riding a slight lead out of South Carolina, Romney won the debate. He started picking up undecideds and some voters from whomever. If nothing else happened, he'd win - close.
McCain is calling in all markers for endorsements and employing a dishonest hit to blunt Romney's late climb. Clear front-runners don't use such tactics. If what he's done and may do before Tuesday stems the tide and just slightly reverses it - he'll win. If not, it's Romney.
Without watching local TV, or seeing local press in Florida, we won't know. Romney never helps himself asking for an apology. It's dumb and this is the second time. He needs to let the thing go away and stick to the economy while portraying himself as a leader. Leaders don't ask people to say, "I'm sorry." Romney's a man of character, so it's coming from there, not weakness. But he needs to get over it and carry the ball over the line taking about issues on which he wins.
It isn't personal, it's business, Mitt.
One advantage he may have is that some of the Rudy/McCain demographic voted early, making it unavailable to McCain. If Romney just squeaks it out, Rudy may end up having done more good for Mitt, than himself, with that strategy.
Either way, Rudy goes down in history as having run the worst race for president in modern times. And Romney and McCain will still fight it out on Tuesday. Based upon results there, this might still come down to a one-on-one in the following states. Scroll here.
This is important: While there are close to 1,100 delegates up for grabs Feb 5, there are another 1,000 available in the states that follow - all to get to the magic number of 1,191 out of 2,380. Only 300 or so will have been contested after Florida. This race will be determined by how they split on Feb 5 and the calculus behind the second place finisher Feb 5 to get to 1,200 by contesting the remaining states.
That above, and not some talking head pronouncing it over on Tuesday, is what will ultimately determine this race.
McCain is trying to project his strength (military, foreign policy). What's wrong with that?
In any case, I find it offensive that Romeny (and the majority of Romnites) is trying to change history. ROMNEY WAS NOT IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE SURGE!
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NTU0NzEyZjIzMTI5YzZiYjgxMjY3MTM4YTIzMjY4NTA=
"But to speak for 50 minutes or so and not to talk about the Iraq war before a conservative audience at a crucial moment in that war is bizarre and just wrong and almost offensive in my view. This doesn't seem like an oversight. He went out of his way to check off every conservative box—except the one that is politically risky at the moment. "
Posted by: Roy Mustang | Sunday, January 27, 2008 at 06:59 PM
Well then, attention *could* have been called to this, instead of lying about what he really said. I'm no Romney backer, he seems too slick to me, but McCain is only marginally acceptable to me, and if he keeps this up he won't be acceptable at all.
Posted by: JorgXMcKie | Monday, January 28, 2008 at 12:44 AM
Maybe i'm stupid, but I would think that telling lies, or if that's not the case, demonstrating an inability to understand what someone has said should disqualify someone for a position of trust or a reputation of honor. Mr. McCain has done one or the other in his remarks about Mr. Romney and should be taken to task for it.
I was mildly inclined to support Mr. Huckabee until I caught him in a Clintonesque campaign distortion in a push-poll. Same goes for Mr. McCain. If I want a lying weasel in the White House, I can get that from Monica's ex-boyfriend's wife.
Posted by: steve poling | Monday, January 28, 2008 at 01:21 AM
There are no conservatives (much less Christian conservatives) in this race. Mitt is a moderate at best, and I'll support him since the others are either nanny-statist liberals (Huckabee, McCain) or are otherwise deluded (Rudy, Ron Paul) into thinking some miracle contrary to what the polls show will happen on Tsunami Tuesday.
Almost all of them are lying, stinking weasels of one magnitude or another.
Either the GOP base has changed dramatically and swung leftward in the past 8~10 years, or the RINO-elite GOP establishment has all but blocked the real conservatives with MSM pimping.
I dread saying this, but if this election results in a McCain, Hillary, or Obama presidency... it will be time to know that just as this nation has forsaken God and clung unto lawlessness and vileness... like all the other world empires grown too big and too proud and too sinful for their britches...
... we will have as a nation, been forsaken by God and turned into Hell for our national sins:
"--- The wicked shall be turned into hell, [and] all the nations that forget God. ---" (Psalm 9:17, KJV)
Posted by: seekeronos | Monday, January 28, 2008 at 11:13 AM
It's the latter.
Posted by: irish19 | Monday, January 28, 2008 at 11:40 AM
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the - Web Reconnaissance for 01/28/2008 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.
http://thunderrun.blogspot.com/2008/01/web-reconnaissance-for-01282008.html
Posted by: David M | Monday, January 28, 2008 at 01:44 PM
Like it or not (and I don´t because Giuliani would be a great president) but it boils down to Romney or McCain now.
I don´t think McCain is the devil. There is much that is admirable about him. Some of you seriously need to calm down. Of course I´ll take him over any Democrat. Having said that, I have my own link to The Corner here:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YzExN2UxYzJjMjRjOTA1YWQ1NzQ5NzAwYzYzYWZlYzU=
Yes, Romney is a bit of a panderer - and there is a point where I appreciate being pandered to.
Posted by: el gordo | Monday, January 28, 2008 at 02:04 PM