McCain's horse losing steam: What happened to media's darling? (For background, see previous blog entitled The GOP (Part 1)
As U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, tries to fend off the dark horses in the GOP presidential run for the roses, his campaign is imploding. Among many others, his chief fundraiser and communications director have resigned, hoping to go to greener pastures. literally. McCain's campaign is out of green cash. His Straight Talk Express is running out of gas (and gas money). What happened to this tough talking media savvy Vietnam veteran?
McCain's recent birthday bash was quite telling. The invited guests were members of the elite media. These were his darling constituents, broadcasting his every move--in a positive way. He was the Bush basher, the Republican maverick, the conservative who attacked conservatives and conservatism. He has had the backing of Indepedents nationally, particularly in New Hampshire, the first primary state. He had the cash and the best political operatives that money can buy.
McCain had the backing of the Republican establishment in South Carolina, the home of the first Southern primary. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC, advanced his issues, including immigration. McCain's run for the roses always had an Archilles heel, or a loose horse shoe. That shoe is now falling off.
The Republican and conservatives leaders that he had distanced, sometimes attacked, are the ones who directly vote or influence major groups to vote, not the members of the elite media. Polls are now showing that his strategy has backfired.
Republicans and conservatives, the voting constituency, are not giving money and not acceding to his candidancy during state and national poll surveys. His initiatives, including the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, his attack on President Bush's intelligence strategy, including the torture issue, his playing both sides of the abortion debate, along with pushing for the guest worker/immigration bill has caught up with him. Even his support for the War on Iraq has angered his media constitutency.
Perhaps, most of all, his media constitutency has embraced their natural allies--left leaning, egalitarian candidates U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-IL and Hilary Clinton, D-NY. McCain is back in New Hampshire to pick up the pieces, starting with the many Independent voters in the state.
In my home state of South Carolina, where McCain has nurtured the Republican party for over eight years, his efforts are not bearing fruit. The fruit is becoming stale, perhaps due to the conservative leaning of this state. His moderate, independent, and insurgency campaign is growing sour in this must-win state.
What about the other candidates, including former mayor Rudolph "Rudy" Giuliani, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and likely candidacy of former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, R-TN? Will it be McCain at the Republican finish line or one of these other candidates? Catch me next time as I talk about these candidates and the other dark horse candidates in the Presidential Run for the Roses.
What do you think?
(For background, please see previous blog entitled Presidential Run for the Rose: GOP (Part 1)
Jul 12, 2007
Presidential Run for the Roses: The GOP (Part 1)
The Straight Talk Express hits a snag in South Carolina
While visiting my old stomping grounds, Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby. I thought of the political race that is heating up--the 2008 presidential race.
After a hard horse race, the Derby winner steps up and receives the bouquet of roses, specially made for the occasion, thus the race is called Run for the Roses. Another special race is starting to gain more attention, the presidential race, specially the primary in my current home state of South Carolina.
As a professor in politics, teaching the presidency and the media, South Carolina is known for picking winners. South Carolina is the gateway to the South, that is, the Southern Primary. Historically, South Carolina in 1980 chose Ronald Reagan, who became president. In 1988, South Carolina picked George H.W. Bush over Pat Robertson and Jack Kemp. Bush became president.
Again, in 2000, after a bitter defeat in New Hampshire, George W. Bush came back, winning a crucial victory over John McCain--where else? in South Carolina. George W. became the 43rd president.
Since 2000, John McCain has been courting South Carolina leaders and have been endorsed by many prominent Republicans, starting with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC, who has been "driving" the Straighttalk Express for about eight years. Graham needs to deliver for McCain, who may consider him as his vice presidential nominee.
McCain needs to win this state or his hopes will be dashed.
What do you think?
While visiting my old stomping grounds, Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby. I thought of the political race that is heating up--the 2008 presidential race.
After a hard horse race, the Derby winner steps up and receives the bouquet of roses, specially made for the occasion, thus the race is called Run for the Roses. Another special race is starting to gain more attention, the presidential race, specially the primary in my current home state of South Carolina.
As a professor in politics, teaching the presidency and the media, South Carolina is known for picking winners. South Carolina is the gateway to the South, that is, the Southern Primary. Historically, South Carolina in 1980 chose Ronald Reagan, who became president. In 1988, South Carolina picked George H.W. Bush over Pat Robertson and Jack Kemp. Bush became president.
Again, in 2000, after a bitter defeat in New Hampshire, George W. Bush came back, winning a crucial victory over John McCain--where else? in South Carolina. George W. became the 43rd president.
Since 2000, John McCain has been courting South Carolina leaders and have been endorsed by many prominent Republicans, starting with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC, who has been "driving" the Straighttalk Express for about eight years. Graham needs to deliver for McCain, who may consider him as his vice presidential nominee.
McCain needs to win this state or his hopes will be dashed.
What do you think?
Jun 28, 2007
Amnesty Away
Under the law
Obedience to American law was my family's step toward citizenship. I became a citizen at 16 years old, seven years after my arrival to this land of liberty. It does matter what you do first in regard to one's new country. If breaking the law is the first deed; it won't be the last time.
My Filipino parents respect American law and abided by it then and now. Respect for law is a principle that I am teaching my students and children. So it is good that illegal immigrants were not rewarded with a helping hand towards the path to a very valued asset, United States citizenship.
U.S. citizenship is a prize
American citizenship should be treasured by Americans, especially by American leaders; much of the world are striving, even dying, to get this status. Leaders, including Pres. Bush, U.S. senators John Kerry, D-Mass, Ted Kennedy, D-Mass, John McCain, R-AZ, Lindsey Graham, R-SC should never be permitted to give away the right to citizenship like food stamps for mere votes (for future Hispanic votes, the leading minority voting bloc). Even with good intentions, which I believe some on the pro-illegal immigration side have, the move to make illegals legal will only invite civil disobedience, cultural division and constitutional devolution.
Political fallout
In this transcending issue, the winners:
law, reason and principle over appeasement, emotion and compromise;
conservatives over liberals;
Southerners and social conservatives over northerners and establishment politicians;
U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, R-Al over U.S. senators Ted Kennedy & John Kerry, D-Mass;
U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, R-SC over U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC;
U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-TX over U.S. Senator John Kyl- R-AZ;
Grassroots conservatism over pragmatic and patrician Republicanism (Pres. Bush, Sen. McCain)
The law and order presidency on this issue gave in to compromise and emotion, while the Graham/McCain duo lost to DeMint and Sessions (as a South Carolinian, perhaps, DeMint will become the movement senator in our state). Senator Kyl, the leading conservative in the senate who formely led the fight on this issue may now take a back seat to Sen. Cornyn, R-TX.
This issue has proved that grassroot and cultural conservatism along with Talk Radio can still stand against liberal, Beltway politicians, the elite media, and the President--that shows political and cultural depth and strength.
Illegal immigration is an issue that is legal, cultural, moral and constitutional, and should be resolved by upholding current law first followed by, if necessary, an amendment process. The issue of abortion was decided by men in black (the U.S. Supreme Court) and still remains a deeply divisive issue. Illegal immigration should, if necessary, be finally resolved through the amendment process in order to allow U.S. constitutional law, human reason and national unity to again be our standard.
These are my initial thoughts. What are yours?
For an in-depth discussion of this topic, please go back to my website at http://www.drecarma.com/ and read my published writings on the right side of the home page. Please click my illegal immigration article.
Obedience to American law was my family's step toward citizenship. I became a citizen at 16 years old, seven years after my arrival to this land of liberty. It does matter what you do first in regard to one's new country. If breaking the law is the first deed; it won't be the last time.
My Filipino parents respect American law and abided by it then and now. Respect for law is a principle that I am teaching my students and children. So it is good that illegal immigrants were not rewarded with a helping hand towards the path to a very valued asset, United States citizenship.
U.S. citizenship is a prize
American citizenship should be treasured by Americans, especially by American leaders; much of the world are striving, even dying, to get this status. Leaders, including Pres. Bush, U.S. senators John Kerry, D-Mass, Ted Kennedy, D-Mass, John McCain, R-AZ, Lindsey Graham, R-SC should never be permitted to give away the right to citizenship like food stamps for mere votes (for future Hispanic votes, the leading minority voting bloc). Even with good intentions, which I believe some on the pro-illegal immigration side have, the move to make illegals legal will only invite civil disobedience, cultural division and constitutional devolution.
Political fallout
In this transcending issue, the winners:
law, reason and principle over appeasement, emotion and compromise;
conservatives over liberals;
Southerners and social conservatives over northerners and establishment politicians;
U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, R-Al over U.S. senators Ted Kennedy & John Kerry, D-Mass;
U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, R-SC over U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC;
U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-TX over U.S. Senator John Kyl- R-AZ;
Grassroots conservatism over pragmatic and patrician Republicanism (Pres. Bush, Sen. McCain)
The law and order presidency on this issue gave in to compromise and emotion, while the Graham/McCain duo lost to DeMint and Sessions (as a South Carolinian, perhaps, DeMint will become the movement senator in our state). Senator Kyl, the leading conservative in the senate who formely led the fight on this issue may now take a back seat to Sen. Cornyn, R-TX.
This issue has proved that grassroot and cultural conservatism along with Talk Radio can still stand against liberal, Beltway politicians, the elite media, and the President--that shows political and cultural depth and strength.
Illegal immigration is an issue that is legal, cultural, moral and constitutional, and should be resolved by upholding current law first followed by, if necessary, an amendment process. The issue of abortion was decided by men in black (the U.S. Supreme Court) and still remains a deeply divisive issue. Illegal immigration should, if necessary, be finally resolved through the amendment process in order to allow U.S. constitutional law, human reason and national unity to again be our standard.
These are my initial thoughts. What are yours?
For an in-depth discussion of this topic, please go back to my website at http://www.drecarma.com/ and read my published writings on the right side of the home page. Please click my illegal immigration article.
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