The always insightful Patrick Ruffini dissects John McCain's most recent fundraising totals. In short, despite the aggregate improvement there is still significant cause for concern.
I go back to a point I made on the eve of Super Tuesday, in the latter half of this post: in short, the conservative activists who propelled the intensive grassroots campaign of 2004 on behalf of George W. Bush just aren't going to bring the same game this time around. They'll vote for McCain (mostly), but contributions from many an otherwise likely Republican small-dollar donors - not to mention the hours of phone banking and door knocking - just won't be as plentiful in the Presidential race.
My own experience interacting with assorted activists, including at this years Snohomish County GOP convention, confirms this notion. Resigned acceptance is the mood, not anything close to open-the-wallet or sign-me-up-for-the-team enthusiasm.
Ruffini has more than has a point about recent weakness in the McCain online effort. Yet, I fear the untapped potential that remains isn't all that impressive anyway.
Posted by Eric Earling at April 08, 2008 09:39 PM | Email ThisUntil you let the moderates (and no McCain isn't a moderate) control the republican party, you're going to keep on losing elections.
Idiots!
Posted by: progressive on April 8, 2008 10:04 PMTough on terror!?! That's a joke, right? Oh, I guess you think that the war on terror is real.
Yes, Osama Bin Laden ordered the killing on 9/11 but we haven't gotten him have we? Iraq is only a huge wasteful distraction.
Conservative republicans: Another name for incompetent fools.
Posted by: progressive on April 8, 2008 10:31 PMThus, the party is inadvertently acknowledging a certain excitement deficiency.
And since 81% of Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction under the albatross in chief I would suggest "tough on terror" might be something that McSame might want to look at. The slogan just isn't going to resonate. The incompetence in handling it so far hasn't been stellar. Perhaps study up on some fancy economic terms. 'Bomb Bomb Iran' just doesn't have that oh special zing anymore.
The old guard just didn't leave room for momentum of the less knowns- Giuliani, Romney, Huckabee, and yes, even Paul- to eventually overtake the January/February "feelings" polls as we neared November.
McCain is still doing well in the "feelings" polls of now April, but I get a sense of the same old, same old. Old is appropriate as I see Jack Kemp and Steve Forbes as big time advisors and I see McCain on the stump with- nursing home politicians. There is no youth on stage with McCain, other than his family.
How that translates in November? McCain obviously is going to be the grisled veteran going up against the upstart Obama. Who would you want to answer the call at 3 a.m.? That sort of thing.
He appeals to the old folks who already are in the handout mode and want their Social Security and won't vote R no matter what. You see, they believe the Rs will take their checks from them because that is what the Ds have been told, retold and told again for years and years and years. It will be questionable if McCain can get the old guys.
And, will Obama supporters be so disappointed after the "vetting" they won't show up to vote in November? Old people always vote.
Posted by: swatter on April 9, 2008 07:12 AMI see he's going to spend 85 million dollars of our tax money to get elected, though, so I guess he managed to force a donation out of this Paul supporter anyway, even if it was indirect and very small.
For the record, I don't check that box saying to contribute $3. But my money has to support the programs that everyone else would be supporting, so I'm still paying indirectly :\
"Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain."
That also goes for me in giving $$ and energy to get him elected.
Just wait till the fall and we all understand what it will mean for McCain to lose!
AFY!!
Posted by: AFY on April 9, 2008 08:35 AM"Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain."
That also goes for me in giving $$ and energy to get him elected.
Just wait till the fall and we all understand what it will mean for McCain to lose!
AFY!!
Posted by: AFY on April 9, 2008 08:35 AMAnother bad sign:
"One official said McCain intends to accept public financing in the general election — a sum of about $84 million. McCain donors are now being asked to supplement that public financing with donations to the Republican National Committee, with a goal of raising $120 million through a joint Victory Committee."
Even worse sign, the GOP Religious Wing thinks McCain is soft.
"I have seen no evidence that Sen. McCain is successfully unifying the Republican Party or drawing conservatives into his fold. To the contrary, he seems intent on driving them away."
John McCain = Bob Dole 2.0.
Try reading beyond headlines.
The only problem with that statement is when you look deeper into the poll you actually find out the respondents all believe THEY are in the other 19%.
Wall Street Journal
Democrats and the Economy
By STEPHEN J. ROSE and ANNE KIM
March 25, 2008; Page A22
Most people think the economy is in poor shape and worry about potential misfortune. But this sour mood and their worries are tempered by a strong appraisal of their own financial situation and a low evaluation of personal risk. For example, only 15% think that it is at least somewhat likely that they could be laid off in the next year. Even in the most recent polls, over two-thirds of Americans describe their financial situation and standard of living as either good or excellent.Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on April 9, 2008 08:12 PM
What does this all have to do with Rossi? He's got my vote, as does the R. Congressman from my district. Remember, that their are 3 branches of government.
I also promise not to whine when Obabmination or the Hildabeast makes it to the office of President. If there's going to be an end to this country, we might as well finish it a coupla years earlier, so we can start anew sooner.
Posted by: Dave Lincoln on April 10, 2008 06:20 AMDave looks like the typical Tom Tancredo supporter...aka White Sheet Republicans.
Before you get really into the Racist name-calling (as opposed to an "argument", that's what we thinking people do), you may want to understand my view a bit:
I actually like Mexicans better than most immigrants from say Western Europe, as the Euros are bring their idiotic socialist attitudes with them. However, I don't live in Mexico. I have been, and if I moved there, it would be mostly to get out of the US police state (yes, you need a picture ID to get into the damn federal bldg. downtown Seattle). Corruption, laziness and all that, I think our amigos down south will never have a police state, just due to their laid-back attitudes.
If I were to live in Mexico, I would learn more Spanish, speak it as much as I can, and become a Mexian (I guess part of that would involve a tanning bed, if I go that far). I would develop a taste for re-fried beans, as if the first frying is not good enough. Anyway, I expect the vice versa out of anyone arriving to stay from Mexico. They are not even trying.
I don't like that at all. Secondly, with the border wide open, it ain't just Mexicans that can come across illegally, my race-baiting amigos. I really don't see the point of searching Grandma's titty ring at the airport (and Granpa's ring on his thingy), when Al Quada can send 100 operatives a day across the Rio Grande. Come on now, WTF?
I will address the part about McCain in a second. My keyboard is just getting warmed up!
Posted by: Dave Lincoln on April 10, 2008 11:19 AMI am starting to talk to friends and blogs about the senator from Oklahoma who seems to hang around senator McCain, Tom Coburn. I am thereby runnning my own little private campaign for him.
I grew up in Oklahoma, and therefore have a little interest in following events and people from Oklahoma. Washington state has never needed to really know him, but now would be a very good time to change that.
As I have watched his political career from the distance of Washington State, I have been able to be proud of him. His record is clear. He has not compromised. I would vote even for McCain if Coburn were his running mate.
Posted by: ljm on April 10, 2008 11:37 AMMcCain is a major statist on the adherence to the 2nd Amendment. Have you not checked that out? Look him up at GOA, he's an F- ! He is a gun control nut. Now, I am not saying the other 2 are any better, but you can't get much worse.
So, McAmnesty would be good for the economy due to his stand against earmarks and big government? Right, buy some swampland in S. Florida, you'd get a better deal (or spend your money on strippers like I told you once already). This guy is on the global-warming/cooling/changing/too-table/sky-is-falling banwagon, and he doesn't care if he has to socialize the whole US economy to fight this "menace". Look at the ethanol boondoggle and blow it up 10 times.
Let's see, the Supreme Court? OK, so Alito was too conservative for this man. You think McCain will improve the Court? I don't think so, Lucy. He really wants to be liked by the other side. That is why I think it would be a disaster if he gets elected, and worse than if one of the Dems wins. Nobody on the Repub. side will fight him, because he is "one of them", just like both of the Bushes. If a Dem. wins the presidency, then it could be like the early/mid 1990's, which really was not too bad a deal, if you close your eyes/ears/bungholio when a man named Bill comes near.
Oh, yes, I would have supported Tancredo. I don't think sovereignty of the US was the only issue he is good on. He was a conservative in general.
Posted by: Dave Lincoln on April 10, 2008 11:47 AMNo, I don't use preview. Get over it!
haha, man, Dave's in a bad mood. Dave doesn't like Jimmy's asinine comments. Dave's getting perturbed!