The Republican weak in review

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

By Joseph Schloss

The Iowa and Wyoming caucuses and the New Hampshire primary are a thing of the past. By the time you read this column the Michigan primary will be over as well. Up next will be the Nevada and South Carolina primaries (Jan. 19) followed by Florida (Jan. 29), Maine (Feb. 1) and the granddaddy of them all, Super Tuesday (Feb. 5).

Super Tuesday is when 24 states will conduct their Republican primaries on the same day. It is significant because more than 50 percent of the Republican voting delegates nationwide will have cast their vote by that day. This means that it could be possible to ascertain who the Republican candidate for the presidency will be by close of the business day. But if there is no clear-cut winner by majority then we have to wait for the Republican National Convention, September 1-4, before we will have an answer.

Meanwhile, much has been happening in the world of presidential hopefuls. John McCain was heckled and booed while answering questions about immigration in Michigan. It is rumored that Rudy Giuliani is out of money and doesn’t have enough cash to compete. Giuliani counters that he has 12.7 million dollars in cash in his war chest. Still, I’ve read that 12 of Giuliani’s top campaign staffers have been told that there is not enough money left to pay them their salaries. They have graciously agreed to work for free – a peculiar happening if they truly have as much money as they say they do.

Mitt Romney stands strong with a message of “bringing change to Washington and getting Washington to finally deal with problems like energy independence, get[ing] gas prices down, fixing our schools, getting health care, stopping illegal immigration, and voting for tax cuts for the middle class.” His campaign people announced that they have raised another 5 million dollars for his election. Will Romney, having been born in Michigan to a father who was a former Governor of Michigan, secure a win in the Michigan primary?

In Myrtle Beach, S.C., a verbal slugfest ensued when Fred Thompson slammed Mike Huckabee on his liberal policies. Thompson claims that Huckabee is following a Democratic platform and is a member of the “Blame America First Crowd.” The next day, Huckabee responded about Thompson saying, “He was in a bad mood last night” and “He needs some Metamucil.”

On the TV show “Hardball with Chris Mathews” an episode entitled “Battle for the Heart and Soul of the Republicans” aired. During this show, Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, and Pat Toomey, President of the Club for Growth, declared that Giuliani and Huckabee were “not conservative.” When questioned about who they thought was a fiscal and social conservative they both replied that Romney and McCain fit the bill. Romney and McCain have been squaring off over lack of employment in the auto industry in Detroit.

While Thompson and Huckabee have publicly sparred over their conservative, or lack of conservative, bona fides, Duncan Hunter has been quiet of late. The downside to his quietness is that he garners no attention. The upside is that he is not being attacked by his political adversaries.

Thompson is stumping hard in South Carolina where he is in dire need of a win in their upcoming primary. His affable manner and distinct accent seem to appeal to the southern gentry. Giuliani is putting all his eggs in one basket by stumping equally as hard in Florida. Florida, known for its preponderance of retired New Yorkers, is viewed as a boon for Giuliani. His attempt to conserve money by focusing only on Florida while neglecting Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire and Michigan will either prove to be a stroke of genius or it will be his downfall.

One thing is for sure - there are more twists and turns in this presidential race than there are contenders. One day you are on top of the heap and the next day you are on the bottom. The good news is that this roller coaster ride will eventually end - with only one victor.
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Reader Comments

Joe, you should be ashamed of yourself. You show your true colors in not mentioning Ron Paul in your article - a candidate who has recieved 30,000 more votes than either Giuliani or Thompson in the first three races. Did you forget about him, or are you simply towing the estabilshment line? I suspect that you, like others, fear mentioning Ron Paul because his message of Freedom, Peace and Prosperity, and limited constitutional government shines a light of truth on the corrupt, neocon, warmongering, big government, unconstitutional agenda of the Republican machine and it's chosen candidates.
little saganaga