Posts filed under 'John McCain'
Boston TV is local to much on NH. The red Sox are the home team. Past beneficiaries of the Massachusets effect on NH elections:
• In ‘88, then-Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis won the primary
• In ‘92, former Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas won it
• In ‘04, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry took top prize among Democrats
Romney should win here. Name recognition hurts him nationwide, but not here. Why isn’t he winning then?
‘Massachusetts factor’ raises stakes for Romney - CNN.com
June 6th, 2007
In spite of what John McCain’s mailers might say, Romney’s on a roll, leading in both in the money and the early states’ polls. Recent polls in the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire show Romney surging with a double-digit lead over Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The Des Moines Register put Romney’s standing at 30 percent, 12 points ahead of McCain and 13 points over Giuliani. A Zogby poll in New Hampshire shows Romney at 35 percent, with both McCain and Giuliani at just 19.
After a terrific fund-raising quarter, made possible by his business connections and mormon network, he’s had a steady stream of television advertising; the one-term former governor of Massachusetts has caught the attention of both voters and political insiders.
May 23rd, 2007
FOXNews.com relives the republican debate. I wanted to pass along this gem:
Mike Huckabee said Congress has “spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop”. He didn’t quite earn my vote, but that’s what’s so fun about politics.
McCain took time after the debate to praise Guiliani for his poise and handling of Ron Paul implying that our policies are to blame for 9/11. And Huckabee praised him (kind of) during the debate for his integrity regarding his abortion position: “[Giuliani] has been honest about his opinion; he’s been honest about his position. And I think that’s a healthy thing for our party and for this debate.”
Gilmore referred to “Rudy McRomney,” combining the names of McCain, Giuliani and Romney. He cited Giuliani’s position on abortion rights, Huckabee’s decision to raise taxes in Arkansas and Romney’s mandate requiring universal health care while he served as the governor of Massachusetts.
“Did I get left out?” McCain asked to laughter.
“I’ll come back,” Gilmore retorted.
A few seconds later: “It’s a form of flattery to be attacked but I wish my name would get in the moniker. … I could use the bump,” Huckabee said.
Good stuff. McCain and Romney got into it a little bit:
“My fear is that McCain-Kennedy would do to immigration what McCain-Feingold has done to campaign finance and money in politics — and that’s bad,” Romney said.
McCain: “I have not changed my position on even-numbered years or changed because of the different offices that I may be running for.”
It’s a great line John but I’m not sure it’s true.
I don’t know that anyone really one, but I felt like Huckabee made himself look like a serious candidate. Gilmore is overmatched. I’ve heard him speak and he’s not very good on his feet. He can follow a script but when things go amiss he gets flustered
May 18th, 2007
It’s been a while since I posted. Romney is surging, making the election odds page out dated. He’s on the cover of time this week thanks to Slate saying we can’t elect a candidate that follows a conman (per the article, Mormonism is Scientology + 150 years). More recently, the Good Rev. Al “Rhyme Master” Sharpton told a local debate audience:
“As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don’t worry about that; that’s a temporary situation,” Sharpton said during a debate with Hitchens at the New York Public Library.”
It’s one thing to say Romney believes something silly (Slate)… it’s something else to say that he doesn’t really believe it. I don’t quite understand Mr. Al (Let’s all eat some cake).
It turns out Rudy does consulting on the side more those Oxy-moron drug liars. McCain sent out an email this week:
“What does that mean for our strategy? It means that the early states: Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina will become more important. These contests will set the stage and establish momentum going into Florida on January 29 and then very quickly into the February 5 contests.
As of today, Senator McCain has built a tremendous organization in those states. And, the state by state polling reveals voters in these states have heard his message and are moved by it. The American Research Group released a handful of statewide polls this week showing Senator McCain leading in the key early states: Iowa (+7), New Hampshire(+5) and South Carolina(+13). “
Anyone not employed by his campaign is coming to different conclusions, but to each his own I suppose. The democrats have been pretty boring. Obama picked up donations from 50,000 new donors last month. That’s pretty impressive. That’s about how many the next closest competitor had in Q1. Nobody else releases info like that… he just does it for the hans and frans show off / intimidation factor. Populist Edwards has introduced a number of new, detailed policy proposals, address health care, energy, education and poverty reduction. He’s proposed undoing Bush tax cuts and raising social security tax to pay for the estimated cost of $199 Kajillion / year.
Fred Thomas has preannounced his candidacy, probably eliminating Gingrich from consideration unless his sizable ego gets in the way of his reason and desire to save face. Clinton hasn’t done anything much lately. Nothing noteworthy, good or bad…. kind of a nutshell critique of her candidacy.
That’s all folks. And remember, vote early and vote often!
May 11th, 2007
Here’s an overview of the first quarter spending is in Clinton is the head and shoulders winner in both cash raised and cash on hand.
| Party |
First Name |
Last Name |
Money Raised |
Money Spent |
Cash on Hand |
Just for the Primary |
Net Contributions |
| Democrat |
Joe |
Biden |
$4,013,090.00 |
$1,174,174.00 |
$2,838,916.00 |
$3,690,008.00 |
$2,110,990.00 |
| Democrat |
Hillary |
Clinton |
$36,054,569.00 |
$5,079,789.00 |
$30,974,780.00 |
$19,100,000.00 |
$26,041,109.00 |
| Democrat |
Chris |
Dodd |
$8,795,706.00 |
$1,313,239.00 |
$7,482,467.00 |
$7,754,658.00 |
$4,043,757.00 |
| Democrat |
John |
Edwards |
$14,031,663.00 |
$3,299,782.00 |
$10,731,881.00 |
$13,064,804.00 |
$14,021,504.00 |
| Democrat |
Dennis |
Kucinich |
$344,891.00 |
$194,217.00 |
$163,887.00 |
$- |
$344,651.00 |
| Democrat |
Barack |
Obama |
$25,797,722.00 |
$6,605,201.00 |
$19,192,521.00 |
$24,800,000.00 |
$25,665,688.00 |
| Democrat |
Bill |
Richardson |
$6,249,355.00 |
$1,226,882.00 |
$5,022,473.00 |
$6,230,357.00 |
$6,236,557.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Republican |
Sam |
Brownback |
$1,871,058.00 |
$1,064,432.00 |
$806,626.00 |
$1,257,171.00 |
$1,257,171.00 |
| Republican |
Jim |
Gilmore |
$203,897.00 |
$113,790.00 |
$90,107.00 |
$174,790.00 |
$174,790.00 |
| Republican |
Rudy |
Giuliani |
$16,623,410.00 |
$5,688,208.00 |
$11,949,735.00 |
$13,579,900.00 |
$14,731,897.00 |
| Republican |
Mike |
Huckabee |
$544,157.00 |
$170,239.00 |
$373,918.00 |
$544,157.00 |
$544,157.00 |
| Republican |
Duncan |
Hunter |
$538,524.00 |
$265,972.00 |
$272,552.00 |
$457,643.00 |
$499,874.00 |
| Republican |
John |
McCain |
$13,087,560.00 |
$8,379,215.00 |
$5,180,799.00 |
$12,965,055.00 |
$12,992,655.00 |
| Republican |
Ron |
Paul |
$639,989.00 |
$115,070.00 |
$524,919.00 |
$639,989.00 |
$638,389.00 |
| Republican |
Mitt |
Romney |
$23,434,634.00 |
$11,570,981.00 |
$11,863,653.00 |
$20,737,149.00 |
$20,737,149.00 |
| Republican |
Tom |
Tancredo |
$1,256,090.00 |
$711,012.00 |
$575,078.00 |
$1,000,000.00 |
$1,185,536.00 |
| Republican |
Tommy |
Thompson |
$391,628.00 |
$252,405.00 |
$139,723.00 |
$308,029.00 |
$315,036.00 |
Fun Raising Trivia
Trivia
Both McCain’s and Obama’s reports showed large numbers of small donors, meaning they can return to those donors for more money. Giuliani’s and Clinton’s reports show donations from large numbers of donors who have maxed out, meaning the candidates must find new sources of cash. Romney and McCain raised less than half of their funds from those large-dollar donations.
Hillary Rodham Clinton raised $26,041,109 from 70,300 contributions.
Barack Obama raised $25,665,688 from 104,000 contributions.
Mitt Romney raised $20,737,149 from 32,074 contributions.
A sizable segment of Romney’s haul came from Utah, suggesting that fellow Mormons were significant contributors. Four of the 10 Zip codes from which Romney received the most money are in Utah, and the leading Zip code is home to Brigham Young University, which Romney attended. He raised $2.8 million in the state, more than one-tenth of his total.
In the Los Angeles area, where Obama and Clinton have waged a high-profile battle to capture the support of big donors and celebrities, particularly in traditionally liberal Hollywood, Clinton collected $892,950 to Obama’s $713,142. The other contenders from both parties raised a combined $1.2 million in that region.
Dennis Kucinich is the only Democratic candidate to have not raised any funds for the general election (that doesn’t mean he isn’t in it to win though).
April 16th, 2007
In a Wahington Post Blog it talks about McCain Chattering on, with the following:
So what does McCain talk about on the bus? Literally everything. After a day on the bus, we know the following: McCain supports the military’s don’t-ask, don’t-tell policy; he thinks Iraq is the “transcendent” issue of the election; he’s not worried about polls which show him trailing Rudy Giuliani; he’s never dressed in drag (but wouldn’t comment on Giuliani’s appearance on Saturday Night Live.); he’s puzzled by his friend, Sen. Chuck Hagel’s non-announcement this week; and he still thinks of himself as the maverick that people seemed to like seven years ago.
I like that he’s less guarded that the typical candidate. Plus in my book.
March 16th, 2007
I was initially pretty sceptical of the high polling numbers given Guiliani (as seen in the 2008 presidential odds post). I’m slowly coming to the opinion of this article, that moderate stances are not hindering Giuliani . I won’t go so far as to say they’re helping him, but he’s at least holding to his guns (obviously not literally ;->). McCain and Romney are making deals with the devil and reinventing themselves to woo disillusioned conservatives to their camps, but Guiliani has tried to find common ground without moving (much). I would never have guessed that in a campaign against McCain, Guiliani would be the one treating the issues and his beliefs with the most integrity.
March 15th, 2007
Obama finally paid his late parking tickets two weeks before he launched his presidential campaign, thus ending parking ticket-gate before it even got started. He paid parking tickets he received while attending Harvard Law School, more than a decade ago. Aparently, Obama received 17 parking tickets in Cambridge between 1988 and 1991, according to the city’s Traffic, Parking & Transportation Department.
Of those tickets, he paid only two while he was a student and paid them late, said Susan Clippinger, the office’s director.
In January, about when the Boston Globe began asking local officials about Obama’s time at Harvard, including any violations of local laws, someone representing the senator called the parking office to inquire about the decades-old tickets. Obama then paid the $375 with a personal credit card.
No big deal. Except that it demonstates an incredible arrogance to repeatedly park illegally and then only pay your fine when it becomes a campaign issue decades later. I guess it isn’t a big deal… but it’s the type of thing someone who things they are better than everyone else would do.
I determined in 1996 that I was going to vote from here on out based on the character of the candidate (as best I could determine it). It’s hard to glean much from people in the public eye so I feel like I have to try to glean from character tid bits like this. It’s a shame because I sure wouldn’t want someone judging me on this sort of basis, but it’s all I got. McCain and Obama have been cast by the media as the “high character” candidates in either party. We’ll see how they hold up to this continued scrutiny.
March 9th, 2007
John McCain, once a folk hero, bombs prime time is an entertaining look at some of the potential pitfalls facing McCain in his quest for the presidency. I enjoyed the following:
The past two presidents have spoiled Americans with their boomer-era energy and (relative) youth. We expect to see our president’s out jogging or biking or clearing the endless quantities of photo-op-ready brush on their ranch. As JFK knew well enough four decades ago to hide his own infirmities, we like a president with vigor.
Complicating McCain’s quest, he’s facing competitors in both the primary and the general election that positively ooze health and youth. On the Democratic side, Barack Obama and John Edwards both qualify as eye candy. As for Republicans, Giuliani, while not exactly centerfold material, is still a reasonably youthful guy with a carefully cultivated tough-guy persona. And Mitt Romney? Dear god, if the man’s hair were any bigger or his teeth any more gleaming he’d be Tony Robbins.
The Romney bit goes right along with his own realization disclosed last week, that his hair might be too pretty for him to be elected.
March 2nd, 2007
Robert D. Novak talks in the washingtonpost about the void on the right among GOP primary candidates. He speaks of a push poll in which Jim Gilmore of Virginia would win the nomination. It was obviously a manipulated result, but it demonstrates how uneducated and wide open the GOP nomination is. Novak states:
The most commonly mentioned potential void-filler is not Gilmore but Newt Gingrich. A straw poll by the right-wing organization Citizens United of its political contributors showed Gingrich leading with 31 percent (followed by Giuliani at 25 percent, Romney at 10 percent and McCain at 8 percent). But based on his actions as speaker of the House, Gingrich’s conservative record is far from flawless.
Gingrich has really demonstrated some resilience over the past decade. He’s done really good work on the issue of health care and is such a persuasive orator. He is to the democrats, though, as Clinton is to the republicans. An object to be loathed, embodying the worst sterotypes of their party. I doubt he’s electable, but he’d do great in a debate.
UPDATE: 3/5/2007
Rather than a whole new post, I figured I’d add to this one as it’s the same topic. Ann Coulter was questioned about the best candidate for conservatives and had the following to say, per csc:
During a question-and-answer session, Coulter said she believed Romney “is probably our best candidate.”
She described Giuliani as “very, very liberal,” and said that despite doing good things in New York, he “has a list of negatives that makes [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi look like the rational middle.”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, she said, like 1980s music, was not likely to come back into style.
March 1st, 2007
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