1992:
So, people are angry at Bush for not being a real conservative, it’s looking like this Clinton thing has some real momentum, and it’s quite likely we’re likely to have a quirky independent candidate enter the race.
2008:
So, people are angry at Bush for not being a real conservative, it’s looking like this Clinton thing has some real momentum, and it’s quite likely we’re likely to have a quirky independent candidate enter the race.
Will Ron Paul enter the race as an independent? I can’t figure out any other reason why he’s sitting on that war chest while pulling single digits in the delegate count. I think he will. We remember what happened when the GOP vote split in 1992. The same thing could happen in 2008.
What I really want to know is where the gun vote is? Huckabee hasn’t had much appeal outside of evangelicals, many of whom are concerned about gun rights as well, but Huckabee hasn’t run on that message, other than talking about hunting. Fred and Ron Paul were the only real pro-gun candidates in the race, and both of them combined don’t add up to Huckabee’s Delegate count by a long shot. Are a lot of gun owners voting for McCain in the primary? For Romney?  I doubt it, but it’s possible.
Want to know why the GOP is such a fair weather friend to gun owners? It looks to me like we’re not voting in the primaries, or are actively supporting candidates in the primaries who have crappy records on the issue compared to other candidates. If gun owners were voting their issue, Fred would be doing better than he is, and would still be in the race. Gun owners need to be more involved in the primary politics of both parties if we want to stop voting lesser of two evils candidates. That’s really the only way to change the direction of the party.  One can vote third party, but that didn’t work out for the malcontents of 1992. I don’t think it will work out too well in 2008 either.
We have blown our chance in the primary, and that’s going to mean getting behind a ho-hum compromise candidate, or handing the keys to the White House to Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. The choice is ours.
Yes…true according to past history. However, the silver lining is a total route of Dems in midterm elections two years later. Go on Hillary…pull the tiger’s tail..
Don’t count on it this time. That was quite honestly a perfect storm moment for the Republicans. It will be hard to replicate.
Don’t count out Mike Bloomberg as another quirky independent candidate. Even though he keeps denying it, I still think he’ll run because the current field is just so bad.
I’m not saying Bloomberg makes it better, but I do think that we’re ripe for a 3rd party making major, major headway in a Presidential race.
I’m wondering where the “gun vote” will go as well. And where will the true conservatives turn? I’m more libertarian than true conservative, so with Fred out I’m stuck. I think electing a socialist would be the absolute worst thing we could do to this country.
It’s blasphemy to call Romney, Guliani or McCain a Conservative. They’re not, but at least they’re not pure socialists like Obama or Hillary. I think conservatives will feel they have nowhere to turn and will vote for whoever the Republicans field because Hillary/Obama are just that bad.
The “Gun vote” really has nowhere to go unless Paul goes 3rd party, and most probably won’t go that way with the threat of a Hillary or Obama White House.
Basically us gunnies are screwed no matter what. (although I’ll admit I’m a bit of a cynic.) I agree though, we need to elect liberty-minded candidates in our local elections.
I agree Mike. The GOP’s uppance needs to come, but I’m not sure 2008 is the time to teach that lesson. Besides, what did they learn from 2006? Anything?
“So, people are angry at Bush for not being a real conservative, it’s looking like this Clinton thing has some real momentum, and it’s quite likely we’re likely to have a quirky independent candidate enter the race.”
Wasn’t the economy in the gutters ’round 1992 as well? I don’t remember, since I was only 6 at the time…
Seems like history repeats itself in 16 year cycles.
Yeah, it was. But that was a particularly bad recession. All the ones we’ve had recently haven’t seriously spiked unemployment.
If McCain does get the nomination, it will allow for a great big irony. Someone could violate McCain-Feingold by airing a pro-McCain ad.
If his campaign got busted by his own campaign finance reform act, I would shit myself laughing.
Well, you can’t have any of my TP when you do – I’ll be using it myself :)