Brian Calle,California Political Review
The endorsement of Mitt Romney’s presidential bid by John McCain,the 2008 Republican nominee,was the latest indication that Romney is the GOP establishment’s heir apparent.
As Romney,who picked up McCain’s endorsement last week,appears to be gliding to a comfortable victory in New Hampshire’s primary Tuesday,the next major campaign stop,and the GOP establishment begins to rally behind him,he has still yet to capture the trust,energy,and esteem of many rank-and-file Republicans,let alone the Tea Party activists.
The prevailing wisdom among GOP establishmentarians and Romney backers may be:“Take it or leave it,it’s going to be Romney versus Barack Obama.” But if Romney is unable to energize his party’s base,he will suffer the same fate as McCain,a clear defeat.
McCain’s 2000 and 2008 bids for the Republican presidential nomination in many ways mirror the candidacy of Romney. In 2000 McCain was labeled the moderate or liberal candidate against George W. Bush. Some went so far to label him a RINO – Republican in Name Only.
In 2008,McCain had experience competing in early primary states and better understood the various constituencies. As such,he pivoted,campaigning as a conservative-ish choice for Republicans. But he still received backlash,especially by the most conservative primary voters who resisted the Arizona senator because they believed he was soft on issues of great importance to conservatives such as campaign finance reform. He suffered a dismal fourth-place finish in conservative Iowa but rebounded in New Hampshire and elsewhere.
McCain’s 2008 campaign pivot was not what won him the nomination though,He essentially prevailed through attrition,an attitude prevailed that McCain was the best of a lackluster lineup – the safe pick with the best chance of beating the Democrats. McCain perhaps also benefited from a GOP loyalty factor,that is,the belief that he paid his dues and was next in line (a perception that benefited the successful candidacies Richard Nixon,Ronald Reagan,and George H.W. Bush).
Romney is still viewed as a RINO by many Republicans and is not popular among Tea Party activists. In fact,South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley prompted blowback from Tea Partiers in her state because she….
Read more.
The endorsement of Mitt Romney’s presidential bid by John McCain,the 2008 Republican nominee,was the latest indication that Romney is the GOP establishment’s heir apparent.
As Romney,who picked up McCain’s endorsement last week,appears to be gliding to a comfortable victory in New Hampshire’s primary Tuesday,the next major campaign stop,and the GOP establishment begins to rally behind him,he has still yet to capture the trust,energy,and esteem of many rank-and-file Republicans,let alone the Tea Party activists.
The prevailing wisdom among GOP establishmentarians and Romney backers may be:“Take it or leave it,it’s going to be Romney versus Barack Obama.” But if Romney is unable to energize his party’s base,he will suffer the same fate as McCain,a clear defeat.
McCain’s 2000 and 2008 bids for the Republican presidential nomination in many ways mirror the candidacy of Romney. In 2000 McCain was labeled the moderate or liberal candidate against George W. Bush. Some went so far to label him a RINO – Republican in Name Only.
In 2008,McCain had experience competing in early primary states and better understood the various constituencies. As such,he pivoted,campaigning as a conservative-ish choice for Republicans. But he still received backlash,especially by the most conservative primary voters who resisted the Arizona senator because they believed he was soft on issues of great importance to conservatives such as campaign finance reform. He suffered a dismal fourth-place finish in conservative Iowa but rebounded in New Hampshire and elsewhere.
McCain’s 2008 campaign pivot was not what won him the nomination though,He essentially prevailed through attrition,an attitude prevailed that McCain was the best of a lackluster lineup – the safe pick with the best chance of beating the Democrats. McCain perhaps also benefited from a GOP loyalty factor,that is,the belief that he paid his dues and was next in line (a perception that benefited the successful candidacies Richard Nixon,Ronald Reagan,and George H.W. Bush).
Romney is still viewed as a RINO by many Republicans and is not popular among Tea Party activists. In fact,South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley prompted blowback from Tea Partiers in her state because she….
Read more.
An election for President and Commander in Chief of the Military must strive to be above reproach. Our public institutions must give the public confidence that a presidential candidate has complied with the election process that is prescribed by our Constitution and laws. It is only after a presidential candidate satisfies the rules of such a process that he/she can expect members of the public, regardless of their party affiliations, to give him/her the respect that the Office of President so much deserves.
JUST like McCain; Romney will be the Republican Party's "designated looser". THE Republican Party is run by neo-con RINOS who would like to see 4 more years of the imposter -- who will keep "wars" active on many fronts AND foster the New World Order that George H. W. Bush promised us way back when...
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