Sun 3 Feb 2008
Local Tucson journalist Jim Nintzel has a McCain story published on Salon.com. The article quotes several Tucson political activists. No links to Arizona political blogs. Thanks for nothing Jim.
NB: Here is another article about McCain’s strained relations with fellow senators.
February 4th, 2008 at 12:48 am
What do you expect from Nintzel? I don’t know him but his articles aren’t exactly friendly to our side.
“Margaret Kenski, a longtime GOP pollster who has done work for McCain in the past, says that the conservatives who are upset with McCain make up between 10 and 15 percent of Arizona Republicans. But she says that, particularly in a national race, candidates strategically try to hold on to support from 90 percent of the party base while tacking center to attract independents. Kenski says her polls have shown that McCain’s favorability rating in Arizona tends to hover around 60 percent, which she says is “as good as any politician. . . . William Dixon, the head of the University of Arizona political science department, . . . says conservatives disdainful of McCain aren’t likely to vote for a Democrat in November but might choose to sit out the election altogether. . . .”I would guess that they would vote for McCain to keep Hillary out,” Dixon says. “I don’t know that they would do that for Obama. They don’t know enough about Obama to hate him. They know enough about Hillary to hate her.”
GOP pollster Kenski doesn’t think the vitriol among conservatives will really end up hurting McCain in the November election. . . she suggests McCain may face a bigger problem with the national electorate: the way in which war-weary Americans will view his unwavering support for the Bush administration’s surge in Iraq.
“If anyone is misinterpreting McCain,” says Dixon, “it’s Democrat-leaning independents who think he’s a Republican maverick.”
February 4th, 2008 at 8:52 am
McCain is gonna win…You just wait and see
February 4th, 2008 at 9:04 am
I agree with commenter #2.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:02 am
For many of us, we dread waking up on Wednesday morning and realizing, “My God, we’ve nominated the wrong guy! What have we done?!?!”
February 4th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Anexcerpt from Jim’s piece illustrates why many of us who SUPPORTED McCain in 2000 now see him as the Nick Saban of American politics:
“As McCain eyed a 2008 presidential run, he took some steps to shore up support among conservatives who were apparently alienated during his 2000 run for the White House. He backtracked from his censure of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as “agents of intolerance” by giving a commencement address at Falwell’s Liberty University. He embraced the Bush tax cuts, which he had initially opposed. And he has abandoned additional campaign-finance legislation that he once championed.”
The guy believes in nothing but his own ambition. What happened to saying that he presented a return to Theodore Roosevelt’s brand of Republicanism? Did he really believe that? Does he really believe anything he is saying now?
McCain calls himself “a foot soldier in the Reagan revolution.” He is, however, not fit to be compared to Reagan, who was a person whose views rested on a solid mantle of principle. McCain is a chameleon and a weathervane. He’s lucky that Romney and Edwards were in this race to detract attention from his own shameless makeover.
If I were still in the GOP, I really don’t know if I would even bother voting tomorrow. Thompson was the only one of the lot that I thought had any appeal. Romney and McCain are two sides of the same coin.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:14 am
I’m one of those Republicans who will vote for the Democrat if McCain is the nominee.
I encourage all Republicans to do the same.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Those still clinging to the idea that someone other than McCain will get the GOP nod have about 36 hours left to cling, if that.
Cactus,
I hope you follow through. The salvation of the GOP you desire is the utter destruction of the GOP that left you.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Oh, did you see Bush’s $3.1 T budget? Deficits don’t matter.
We don’t need no stinking fiscal responsibility!! BORROW BORROW BORROW SPEND SPEND SPEND. Stuff a Cheney pig for Jesus.
February 4th, 2008 at 11:16 am
We, as Republicans, must back our Party’s candidate for President. The alternative is the loss of 25 years hard work and the appointment of possibly 3 Supreme Court Justices that will take away more of our rights and freedom. We all look up to Ronald Reagan but some of us are forgetting the 11th Commandment. Either we pull togeather as a team or we suffer dire consequences that can not be reversed by future elections.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Good point Walt.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
To Walt and James,
Although some feel strongly that sending a message…a short-term loss for long-term gain…make a lot of sense.
Not sure I agree…but…
February 4th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
x4mr,
I’ll give your advice to me as much consideration as it is worth.
February 4th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Your ALL going to find out tomorrow just how Arizona feels about Sen. John McCain. And I know your not going to like it…LOL!
February 4th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Cactus:
Haaagh!! Huwaaagh!!
Love you too!
Go Mitt!! My Pats lost, so Tony’s guy can lose too. Profuse taunting awaits.
Not. Tony is right. Enjoy your denial. You might have 21 hours.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
The Whig party died for lack of a solid candidate. The circumstances were interestingly similar. The disenchanted voters started a new party and Abe Lincoln was their first choice as a candidate.
I’m with Abe, give up a party AND STICK TO YOUR PRINCIPLES. Partys come and go…when principles do, you NEVER had any.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
McCain will win! Mr. Haney- maybe its time to retire. Haha. maybe you’ll pull an Ann Coulter, and vote for HIllary. Personally, I have a wager that you are a Democrat foil in disguise, trying to ruin the Republican Party. I think that you are the Democrat’s secret weapon.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:48 am
True GOP,
The Dem’s secret weapon is McCain, backed by the Gullett(2), Sproul, C Allen, Konopnicki, Magruder, O’Halleran, Kolbe, etc. left wing RINO, WISH, pro-amnesty section of the Party.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Tony
You said we will ALL find out who the nominee is going to be and we’re not going to like it. Shouldn’t use the word ALL. Some of just might like the outcome.
Can’t wait to see the results tonight. Or yea and about the Pats, Huckabee talked about the underdog coming out on top. He said that’s why he’s staying in, “you never know when the leader is going to trip and break a leg” He also said, to everyone that keeps saying he needs to get out because he’s taking all the votes away from Romney, “couldn’t the opposite be said as well? Couldn’t it be that Romney is taking all the votes from me?” Interesting..and I’m not a Huckabee supporter but I think he’s fun to listen to
February 5th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
West Side Phoenix: No. Haney has time and time again tried to divide the party. A party divided cannot stand. He will be to blame when we lose seats this fall in AZ. Look at his won LD! He lost a Republican seat there last year, because he was too busy dividing the party.
February 5th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
“But William Dixon, the head of the University of Arizona political science department…”
Not only was this written with enough liberal slant that my dog can pick it out, they quote a UofA puke as well. YUK!