Saturday, February 9, 2008
More on the GOP
Huckabee won 60 delegates in the Kansas Republican primary today. He's pressing on.
Only a few months ago, as recently as November, McCain was thought to be out of money and out of realistic contention. What the heck happened? He's not even remotely conservative, has a famously raucous tongue and temper and yet there he is. What happened to Romney and Guiliani who were supposed to be the real contenders with Huckabee the darling of the religious right but unlikely to win enough delegates to put him in contention. And Thompson supposed to be the candidate for the rational thoughtful Republicans.
Thompson delayed entering the race for aaaaggggeeeesss and then was desultory about the whole thing, so much so that one wondered if he cared. And Guiliani decided to sit out all the states until Florida and pin all his luck on that donkey. Not surprisingly, neither strategy - if that's what they were - worked at all.
As a result of which, the angry little old man with a pretty second wife and an admirable war record (about which I am mighty tired of hearing, forgive me) is back on the radar screen. How come?
In fact, Romney isn't as far behind McCain in *actual* delegates as Billary is behind Obama, yet the Democrats are talking about how close their race is while the Republicans have handed the mantle to McCain, although Huckabee refuses to cave in. I can't stand the man's views but I am relieved that someone refuses to look at the emperor and praise his new clothes.
I can only think that deals have been made. How else explain all this? Remember smoked filled back rooms? Cigar-smoking wheelers and dealers? Why isn't it possible that GOP Powers That Be are convinced that Billary or Obama can only be beaten by McCain (not Romney or Thompson or Guiliani or Huckabee) and that, therefore, "for the good of the country" (as Romney almost chanted the other day when he withdrew) all the rest of them should take a hit? What else explains Rudy's plummet from eager to utterly lifeless AND Thompson's shuffling off the mortal coil of the campaign AND Romney's withdrawing when he's not actually very far behind and there are 27 states yet to have primaries and caucuses? How is it possible that Huckabee is the only one with enough personal gumption to say "take that deal and shove it"? What other conclusion can one draw?
Only a few months ago, as recently as November, McCain was thought to be out of money and out of realistic contention. What the heck happened? He's not even remotely conservative, has a famously raucous tongue and temper and yet there he is. What happened to Romney and Guiliani who were supposed to be the real contenders with Huckabee the darling of the religious right but unlikely to win enough delegates to put him in contention. And Thompson supposed to be the candidate for the rational thoughtful Republicans.
Thompson delayed entering the race for aaaaggggeeeesss and then was desultory about the whole thing, so much so that one wondered if he cared. And Guiliani decided to sit out all the states until Florida and pin all his luck on that donkey. Not surprisingly, neither strategy - if that's what they were - worked at all.
As a result of which, the angry little old man with a pretty second wife and an admirable war record (about which I am mighty tired of hearing, forgive me) is back on the radar screen. How come?
In fact, Romney isn't as far behind McCain in *actual* delegates as Billary is behind Obama, yet the Democrats are talking about how close their race is while the Republicans have handed the mantle to McCain, although Huckabee refuses to cave in. I can't stand the man's views but I am relieved that someone refuses to look at the emperor and praise his new clothes.
I can only think that deals have been made. How else explain all this? Remember smoked filled back rooms? Cigar-smoking wheelers and dealers? Why isn't it possible that GOP Powers That Be are convinced that Billary or Obama can only be beaten by McCain (not Romney or Thompson or Guiliani or Huckabee) and that, therefore, "for the good of the country" (as Romney almost chanted the other day when he withdrew) all the rest of them should take a hit? What else explains Rudy's plummet from eager to utterly lifeless AND Thompson's shuffling off the mortal coil of the campaign AND Romney's withdrawing when he's not actually very far behind and there are 27 states yet to have primaries and caucuses? How is it possible that Huckabee is the only one with enough personal gumption to say "take that deal and shove it"? What other conclusion can one draw?
Labels: 2008 election, reflections, silliness
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