GOP candidates push before S.C. primary
By Robert Behre
Two days before South Carolina's first-in-the-South Republican presidential primary, five hopefuls trekked all over the state making speeches, shaking hands and otherwise trying to warm up to voters.
A new McClatchy-MSNBC poll showed Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee neck and neck with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson vying for third.
But another poll earlier this week underscored how much the race might be up in the air. The poll, by Clemson University, showed more than a third of the state's GOP voters undecided. Of those who named a candidate, almost half said they could change their mind before voting Saturday — essentially meaning that two-thirds of the electorate might still be up for grabs.
The Post and Courier
Barry Hart, chairman of the fire commission, presents (from left) Bob Pelham's son, Norman, his widow, Belle, and his daughter, Susan Pelham Polk, with a flag that flew over the new station several days ago.
A big question remains: Which one will get the biggest lift from the state's large evangelical bloc?
Oran Smith, executive director of the
Palmetto Family Council, said members of his board, conservative Christians, are torn between McCain, Romney and Huckabee, a Southern Baptist minister.
"I think South Carolinians looked at New Hampshire, Iowa and Michigan as a sort of dress rehearsal" to see which candidates were electable, Smith said. "I think the real story is evangelicals want Hillary defeated. ... While they want a firm stance on immigration and someone who is strong on national defense, and all of the different proposals, I think the ultimate concern is they don't want someone in the White House who is hostile to their views."
Blease Graham, a political science professor at the University of South Carolina, who has studied the state's politics for more than 30 years, said the evangelical Republicans, accounting for more than 50 percent of the party here, hold the same sort of sway that black Democrats do.
But just like black Democrats, the state's evangelical vote is not monolithic, especially this year.
"The potential for evangelicals to influence the nomination in South Carolina is extensive and dramatic, if they're organized," Graham said. "And I don't sense the organization that we've seen in the past," partly because of some disenchantment with the Bush administration and the lack of a clear front-runner coming into this state.
"I think Thompson is going to hurt Huckabee."
Texas Rep. Ron Paul also might chip away at a base that might have otherwise gone to Huckabee.
Meanwhile, on the campaign trial, Huckabee can only hope his supporters turn out Saturday like they did during his rally with celebrity guests Chuck Norris and pro-wrestler Ric Flair at Clemson University.
A crowd approaching 2,500 showed up to see Huckabee take the stage with an acoustic guitar and play riffs from Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama."
During his 20-minute speech Thursday, Huckabee told the crowd that the next president will have a greater impact of the lives of younger Americans than on the lives of his generation.
Huckabee touched on the economic burden the government places on families and businesses and reached out to people in all parties by saying the next president must first be an American, not a Republican or a Democrat. He got big applause when he said that if he were president, the United States would no longer be "enslaved" to Middle Eastern countries for oil within the next 10 years.
Although Clemson is nestled in the Upstate, which has the greatest concentration of the state's evangelical voters, Huckabee kept the event on a light note and didn't talk much about morality or Christian values except to say, "Mothers and fathers still raise better children than governments."
Values voting is "Christian common sense," said Chuck Childs of Tamassee, who wore a "Jesus is my boss" hat to the rally. Along with him was his wife, Renee, and friends from church, Jack and Helen Bryant of Salem.
As Baptists, to have Huckabee lead the country is more important than any other issue in the election, the couples agreed.
"It would mean everything," Jack Bryant said. "He could bring some morals back to the country."
"The Bible says, you know a Christian by his fruit, and this man is a Christian," Chuck Childs said. "He is born again."
Huckabee visited Nucor Steel in Berkeley County earlier in the day and answered steelworkers' questions about fair trade, the future of the nation's manufacturing sector as well as the rising cost of energy. Nucor also has a plant in Huckabee's home state.
In West Columbia, Thompson made light of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's call for a quick economic stimulus and said it might be best to leave the economy alone for now.
Thompson was answering questions in a restaurant where Bernanke could be seen on a TV urging short-term relief to avert a recession. Thompson was asked what he would do.
"You could probably get a 'Law & Order' rerun on TNT there if you wanted to switch that around a little bit," quipped Thompson, who acted on the series. More seriously, he said he was not ready to embrace a stimulus package.
"We're all concerned about the direction of the economy," he said. "We've had a good run, but we can't take growth for granted," he said, adding, "we've got to have a potential stimulus package on the table to be discussed if it would make sense to be used in short order, but we're not quite there yet."
McCain, also campaigning in South Carolina ahead of the Republican primary, proposed cutting the corporate income tax to 25 percent from 35 percent and implementing other business tax breaks to expand the economy in the longer term. McCain, too, appeared to resist a temporary fix, despite Bernanke's recommendation for "putting money into the hands of households and firms" quickly and on a short-term basis.
McCain is scheduled to end campaigning in the state today with a rally aboard the aircraft carrier Yorktown at Patriots Point around 5:30 p.m.
During a campaign stop in Columbia, after snowfall scrubbed a planned Greenville stop, Romney said he could govern in the country's best interest because "I don't have lobbyists running my campaign," although Washington insiders are on his senior staff and registered lobbyists are top advisers.
One of them, Ron Kaufman, chairman of the Washington-based Dutko Group, regularly sits across the aisle from Romney on his campaign plane, participates in debate strategy sessions and just last week accompanied Romney to a lunch in Myrtle Beach with South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint.
Another adviser, former Rep. Vin Weber, R-Minn., is chairman of Romney's policy committee. He also is chief executive officer of Clark & Weinstock, which provides strategic advice to institutions with matters before Congress and the president.
"I think it's time for Washington, Republican and Democrat, to have a leader who will fight to make sure we resolve the issues rather than continuously look for partisan opportunity for score-settling and for opportunities to link closer to lobbyists," Romney said during a news conference.
Aides said later that the comment was directed at McCain, whose campaign manager, Rick Davis, is a registered lobbyist.
Romney described Kaufman as an adviser, adding, "He's not running my campaign. ... He's not paid. He's an adviser like many others, but I do not have lobbyists running my campaign."
Meanwhile, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani continued to stay away from South Carolina as he courts Florida voters who he hopes will resuscitate his campaign during that state's Jan. 29 primary.
Paul, who has a small but highly motivated group of supporters here, crisscrossed the state Thursday with stops in Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Greenville and Aiken. Given his low position in the polls, the Associated Press and other news outlets are paying less attention to his campaign.
He plans to hold a "Stronger America Rally" at the Charleston Marriott on 170 Lockwood Blvd. at 7 tonight.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday for the Republican primary, though anyone who votes then cannot vote in the Democratic presidential primary Jan. 26.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or at rbehre@postandcourier.com. Reach Yvonne M. Wenger at 803-799-9051 or yw
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moonpie (anonymous) says...
Hey did you guys here Hillary found her VOICE! No kidding I just saw it on the TV. She sounded real good so I believe she did find her voice. She didn't clear her throat, or anything!
January 18, 2008 at 6:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rich_Hamlin (anonymous) says...
Still no report of McCain's inconsistency on embryonic stem cell research. There's a reason that McCain gets a free pass from the media.
January 18, 2008 at 7:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
webwe (anonymous) says...
Don't get taken for any more rides, let the scales drop from your eyes. The Huck stands head and shoulders above the rest of the lot, all of whom are looking pretty Lame of Late.
January 18, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
2001to5930 (anonymous) says...
JQ. You already spewing venom this early in the AM.....What is the deal w/you? Clearly, the agenda here is affecting your rational on this subject matter. Perhaps you should lay-back awhile and just observe. Thank you.
January 18, 2008 at 8 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
2001to5930 (anonymous) says...
What, or where, is MY dream world? You are quite the obnoxious character. Real mature comments.
January 18, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kesterhenderson (anonymous) says...
Huckabee suports the "Fair Tax"meaning he thinks the rich should get richer-no thanks
January 18, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Ron Paul = True conservative, squeeky clean record, worn the Country's uniform
John McCain = Shamnesty, worn the uniform
Fred Thompson = True Conservative, doesn't put up with BS
Mike Huckabee = Tax and spend Liberal, loves Jesus, will help his friends at the CFR give your Country away
January 18, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
Hillary is polarizing. Obama is a snake-oil salesman. Neither have executive experience. Mike Huckabee is a uniter and has the best chance of winning in November...
January 18, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChipShirley (anonymous) says...
--------------H U C K A B E E----------------
The two biggest problems facing America today are,
National Security and The Economy:
Mike Huckabee is devoted to a plan for,
American Energy Independence and this alone will go a
long way towards solving our security and economic
problems.
Because, not only will becoming energy independent
create jobs and secure our fuel supply, it will also
stop the flow of money from America to radical middle
eastern regimes and terror groups.
These are tough times and we need a president with
better ideas than the ones we've been using.
Mike Huckabee is tough and smart and experienced and
only he has pledged from the beginning and all along,
to make America Energy Independent for these reasons.
If you've watched the campaign throughout you've seen
that Mike competed and did well in every single
primary so far and he won in Iowa by 9 points. Only
Mike and Mitt Romney can say that. But if you have
watched all along you've noticed something else.
Every single day the rest of the candidates in the
field sound more and more like Mike Huckabee. Mitt
Romney and John McCain had given up on getting
American jobs back just a few weeks ago and now
they're practically quoting Mike in their speeches and
ad's, but they don't have a plan.
We can't afford another 'insider' politician or
'corporate glamor boy'. And we sure can't afford a
candidate in Fred Thompson who just woke up in a
cranky mood, to the fact that there was a campaign
going on, and now is slinging mud in a desperate
effort to get noticed. Fred is good at going ballistic
over terrorism, but if you ask him about the economy
he'll just smile and tell you 'Don't worry, everything
is fine'. Everything is not fine Fred and we need a
president who is ready to get to work.
Vote for Mike Huckabee or don't vote at all!
MikeHuckabee.com
January 18, 2008 at 9:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jimmy (anonymous) says...
I will never vote for Huckabee.
He is just like Clinton.
The liberal Hucakbee pardons a murderer:
January 18, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
webwe (anonymous) says...
>>Huckabee suports the "Fair Tax"meaning he thinks the rich should get richer-no thanks<<
Can't see mom and pop stores collecting federal taxes so I don't think it will work but I still like the Huck. Besides which the Republican platform will smooth it over.
A rational voter assigns a weight to each issue and then selects a candidate with the best overall score from their perspective. Individual voters assign different weights to each factor or issue. Some issues are more important (carry more weight) & as we all know there are single-issue voters.
January 18, 2008 at 9:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
horatio (anonymous) says...
There's only one conservative in this race, and that's Ron Paul. I was considering voting for Fred, who comes close, but he's still too willing to nation-build in the middle east, no matter what the cost to the taxpayer (many trillions now and counting), and supported McCain-Feingold, the "protect the incumbents" campaign-financing law originated by you-know-who. And he's too willing to let the Fed continue to devalue the dollar. In other words, "go along and get along." Paul is right on the issues: wants to eliminate the income tax (you could balance the budget by simply reducing spending to the levels of the second Clinton administration), supports the Second Amendment, opposes amnesty and, more importantly, wants to eliminate the incentives for illegals such as free education, free health care, and free public assistance; he's been a principled guy who believes in these things, not just when it's convenient to ask for my vote. If the media tells me I'm wasting my vote by not voting for Romney or McCain anyway, I might as well vote for the guy who's actually right on the issues. And, the race is wide open, so who knows? He's the best candidate we've seen since Reagan, and that's why I'm voting for Mr. Paul.
January 18, 2008 at 10:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
"The liberal Hucakbee pardons a murderer:"
LIE
January 18, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
republicansuck (anonymous) says...
Anyone that votes for huckabee or any republican candidate only needs to look in the mirror to see what is wrong in America.
January 18, 2008 at 10:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
McCain is very liberal - and maybe as much as a flip-flop as Romney....
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/...
January 18, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Yeah, more than likely Huck will get the nod here, there are plenty of evangelicals to lick his boots. Not much difference in voting for Hillary or Huckabee, both liberal Democrats, of course Huck uses a fake Republican front to hide his deception.
January 18, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
webwe (anonymous) says...
>>After the nation finishes laughing at South Carolina for endorsing this rube he will quietly fade away into obscurity.<<
Voters in Iowa selected the Huck and they're not stooopid. Case in point: Iowa's high school class of 2007 had the nation's highest scores on the SAT college entrance exam. Look it up.
January 18, 2008 at 10:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
There is one candidate to vote for Saturday if you want change. That courageous man is Ron Paul.
January 18, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Yep, if you love America and the ideals of the Constitution than you vote Ron Paul, there is no other choice.
January 18, 2008 at 10:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
schopefull (anonymous) says...
I am very dismayed by these reports of Huckabee throwing in the towel after SC. I just hope and pray these are rumors and not true!
January 18, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Hmmmm......Huckabee quitting......now thats a blessing
January 18, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jmcgjim (anonymous) says...
MCCAIN, WHY IS NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT THE WAR, THE LIE?
The new Congress is doing nothing about the War. They are doing it to the people again, more politics, more lies.
The War, the highest lie, the highest act of treason, the highest crime against the troops, their families and the American people.
The troops are dying for Bush's political agenda, to protect his position, his power and his families legacy in American history. The troops are dying for nothing.
The surge is a stall, to save Bush, to buy him more time till the end of his Presidency.
The War is madness, Bush has gone mad, there is no way to win or control in Iraq, its all nonsense and wrong.
The War is lost!
Congress knows, they must stop playing politics, using the War in the last election, doing nothing and now using the War to run for President.
They must impeach Bush (Cheney) now! They must put them on trial for the high crime of treason! They must bring the troops home now!
Dam it Congress! Act now! Do it now!
Jim McGregor, Parish, New York
January 18, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hondais1 (anonymous) says...
Huckabee is Jimmy Carter with an "R" instead of a "D" beside his name. He is definitely not a true Republican!
January 18, 2008 at 12:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JohnS (anonymous) says...
I don't want McCain to win so I am voting for Mike.
January 18, 2008 at 12:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
littlehouse (anonymous) says...
John McCain is sooooooo Bob Dole.
Visualize a new day for America:
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg...
January 18, 2008 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wjhamilton3 (anonymous) says...
New Village Democratic Progressive Breakfast
Sunday, Jan. 20, 2007 9 am to 11 am
Rev. 1/18/2008 12:15 PM
Bodacious Bagels
766 S. Shelmore Blvd.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Event Coordinator William Hamilton (843) 870-5299, wjhamilton@wjhamilton.com
Site Coordinator, Setup, Business Owner, Amber Johnston 843-856-3738
Parking is available both in the BI-LO Plaza and in Shelmore Village across the Road. The parking lot pavilion, an open, covered structure about 30 x 60 feet with lighting and electrical power. Campaigns can set up tables and tents on the sidewalk and small green spaces in front of Bodacious Bagels. We'll also be meeting and greeting inside. The event's been scheduled to accommodate people attending church before and after.
7:30 am Bodacious Bagels Opens for Breakfast
9:00 am Representatives from the Democratic Campaigns will be sharing breakfast, talking about their candidate and signing people up to work as volunteers. The Clinton, Edwards, Kucinich, and Obama campaigns are all participating. Campaigns may have yard signs, bumper stickers and buttons. For more information on what your candidate's campaign is planning, contact their local office.
We'll be recording statements for ION radio from visitors during this time for later broadcast from supporters of all campaigns. You can listen to announcements for this event and coverage already recorded online at www.ionradio1640.com. Presidential coverage is running about 45 minutes after most hours.
10 am - Mini Rally. A representative, now being selected, from each campaign will speak briefly about their candidate. At the conclusion we'll light the candles on the "One year until the end of the Bush Presidency Cake" and children representing all the campaigns will blow out the eight red candles representing the years of the Bush presidency. The cake features a blue Slash/Circle over a red "W" with the date of the inauguration 1-20-2009 and is being made by the BI-LO Bakery next to Bodacious Bagels where it will be finished 2 pm Saturday. Media is welcome to photograph the cake after it's finished. The phone number for BI-LO is (843)388-1550 x 6.
10:25 am Event moves back to Bodacious Bagles to continue breakfast chat and sidewalk activity.
11:00 am. Everyone's invited to help clean up and recycle. Campaigns invited to do door to door campaigning in the surrounding neighborhoods Sunday. Large maps for door to door campaigning will be available.
January 18, 2008 at 1:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
For those of you who bash the FAIR TAX, obviously hasn't done your research. Please go to www.fairtax.org and read for yourself what Rep. John Linder and many others like him would like to see for our nation. Economic Freedom.
I'm not a Huckabee supporter. I'm wary of many things on his platform and I truly don't believe he will be good for our civil liberties. I'm not sure that he even truly believes in the Fair Tax but may be using it as a tool to lure fiscal conservatives into his fold.
But please don't discount the FAIR TAX because of one it's highly touted supporters
January 18, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bkeelin (anonymous) says...
Where do these lies about Mike Huckabee being a liberal come from. Do the research and you will see that there were two tax increases while he was Governor.
1. voted on by the people of Arkansas not just the Gov. 82% of AK voters wanted a tax increase to repair their terrible roads.
2. Court mandated funding of school system. Education ranked 49 and he took it to #8. Strong proponent of the 2nd amendment, heck of all the amendments including 9 and 10.
Strong on shutting down the border. founder of minutemen who now volunteer to protect our border in conjuction with the Border patrol supports Huckabee, not any other candidate.
Strong on National Defense, and strong on states rights.
He has a heart for the people of America, that makes him conservative not liberal.
Supports Israel's right to defend itself
Where is the liberal lie coming from?
Rush and the others don't like him because he is not ashamed of his faith in God. Perhaps they are, they quip about God but rarely if ever discuss their faith or lack of faith in Him.
January 18, 2008 at 2:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
I like the fair tax.... I've been to the site and read the book, Huckabee acts like he invented the idea.....another reason to not vote for him, he merely piggy backs on other conservative ideas to deceive, he has no conservative ideas of his own, the sad part is his deception is reigning in the votes.
January 18, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hondais1 (anonymous) says...
Thank you Jane! You pointed out many good points about Huckabee the charlatan! He's also doing the push polling--I got a call yesterday and when I said "No" to continuing the survey, it started spewing info about Huckabee. I just slammed the phone down--even if I had been considering him, that call would have changed my mind!
January 18, 2008 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
A lousy charlatan at that
January 18, 2008 at 3:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
Mike Huckabee is the ONLY candidate that can pull this country together.
All the others are flip-flops, too liberal or too lazy to beat the self-centered, me-only, brain-dead Dems.
January 18, 2008 at 3:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
"He's also doing the push polling"
THAT IS A LIE.
Mike Huckabee is NOT doing the push-polling. You fell into the EXACT trap that they want you to - so obviously if you fell for their trick, it's working for Romney, or Ron Paul or for whoever IS doing it....
January 18, 2008 at 3:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
I don't know we keep talking conservative here, but I've been noticing lots of "Obama" and "Hillary" bumper stickers lately.....some I know for sure were conservatives and have crossed over.....scary isn't it? Just how many have done this in the whole country I wonder?
January 18, 2008 at 3:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
You must live in a REAL small town to see a bumper sticker on a car, KNOW who it is, AND what their politics are.
January 18, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
I get paid to know who's doing what and when.
January 18, 2008 at 4:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
Mike Huckabee is the ONLY candidate that can pull this country together...
...AND he's ACTUALLY an HONEST ONE.
January 18, 2008 at 4:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Huckabee is as honest as OJ
January 18, 2008 at 4:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
Mike Huckabee is the ONLY candidate running who is NOT an insider.
IF you people want one that is - then vote for Hillary, Obama, Romney, Thompson, or McCain. They are ALL INSIDERS. It's your choice.
January 18, 2008 at 4:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
2bowdown (anonymous) says...
Mitt Romney is easily the best canidate. His record is the best and He has by far more accomplishments than any of the other canidates on both the Republican and Democratic sides.
Mitt Romney in 08!!!
January 18, 2008 at 5:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
"He has by far more accomplishments"
...yes, like merging companies and sending the jobs overseas...
January 18, 2008 at 5:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TReid (anonymous) says...
If a person who may be elected to the Presidency would allow his or her personal religous dogmas (whatever they may be) to unduely influence his ability to uphold the Consitituion, every civic minded voter should become aware of it. As any non-mormon who lives in Utah can tell you, Devout mormons, in general, cannot seperate their religious dogmas from the laws their are sworn to uphold. As shown by this recent investigation by the Salt Lake Tribune on a former Utah Governor this occurs even at that high level of state goverment. Those voting for the leader of the free world need to consider the risk that this could occur if Romney is elected president
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7840906
January 18, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
McCain is a liberal. You might just as well vote for Hillary.
January 18, 2008 at 6:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
outrage (anonymous) says...
Romney!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 18, 2008 at 6:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Hmmmmm......I wonder if having an ole friend who is President of the CFR considered being an insider?
January 18, 2008 at 6:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Paul or Thompson all others are fake conservatives
January 18, 2008 at 6:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
It's a good thing to be a friend of Haass....
January 18, 2008 at 6:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
A vote for Thompson instead of Huckabee is a vote for the liberal McCain.
Split your vote against Huckabee if you want, but you'll just end up with another liberal.
January 18, 2008 at 6:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
A vote for Thompson will pull votes from Huckabee and you'll end up with this:
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/...
January 18, 2008 at 6:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
etb53 (anonymous) says...
I'm from Georgia, I hope you people in South Carolina will vote with me and other people in Georgia, and vote for Romney.I hope he takes the SOUTH, because he is the most Conservative in the Republican field, right now.
January 18, 2008 at 7:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestonnative1963 (anonymous) says...
Gander DId you say Huckabee is a unifier??????????????????
HAHAHA....nothing can be more devisive than sugesting that America put God into the Constitution. Get real! WHich GOd, the Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Morman, Jehova' Witness, Scientology, Budist, Whose God do we use? Oh yea, the one true God that wrote the Bible
January 18, 2008 at 8:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestonnative1963 (anonymous) says...
ETB: NO, we don't do Mormanism--its not Christian...just kidding...have your own primary and please sure to add religion to the top of the list of issues.
January 18, 2008 at 8:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shelby (anonymous) says...
>> Huckabees fruit, his son David, was fired from his job as a counselor at a boy scout camp for torturing a stray dog. I would have to say this fruit is rotten.<<
JohnQ:..Not only is Mike Huckabee's fruit rotten, he is himself rotten! Mike Huckabee is among the top 10 most corrupt politicians per Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption!! Hillary Clinton is on this top 10 list as well. Huck and Hillary-more in common than we would have guessed! I hope voters will learn more about this man and will not waste their vote on him. HE CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BECOME OUR NEXT PRESIDENT! I think the information provided from the links below, would really surprise people. I was absolutely shocked!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Huc...
http://www.judicialwatch.org/judicial...
January 18, 2008 at 8:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
horatio (anonymous) says...
Any vote for anyone other than Ron Paul is a waste. None of them are conservatives in reality, and the Dems are about to successfully hang this war around the neck of the GOP in the general election unless we make a clean break from the neocons and return to our conservative roots. End the multi-trillion dollar nation-building, end the big-government "conservative" monopoly of the GOP establishment; support the 2nd Amendment, stop the devaluation of the dollar by the Fed, and end the incentives for illegals. Vote for Ron Paul -- otherwise, say hello to Hillary Obama.
January 18, 2008 at 8:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Ron Paul gets my vote @ 7am
January 18, 2008 at 9:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
No one from either party makes me feel good about the future.
As far as JonhQ...he's been casting write in votes for Fidel Castro since Kruschev died. That guy is one huge waste of good oxygen.
January 18, 2008 at 10:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
informed_reader (anonymous) says...
I will believe one sentence from a politician's past political and personal record over volumes of what he/she has stated. Any reasonable person should feel the same way. Being a concerned Republican, I did a background check on all of the Republican front runners and only found three with good personal family records speaking volumes in their favor.
My very conservative mother that died of cancer when I was 13 taught me, "If a man cannot be faithful to his wife with whom he should be the most faithful, how can you believe he will be faithful to his country?" This is why I cannot support McCain and Guiliani. McCain cheated on his first wife who used to be a model but because of an auto accident gained weight. After having the affair, he left her and married the young attractive beer heiress named Cindy from Arizona. He was 43 and Cindy was only 25. She helped with her money land his political career in Arizona. Years later he was involved in an unethical political scandal known as the Keating 5.
How can a person who cannot properly manage a household in which he/she should have the most interest be relied upon to manage a nation? This is why I cannot support Mike Huckabee. His son as a camp counselor at the age of 17 was fired after he admitted catching a stray dog, hanging it, slitting it's throut, and stoning it to death. It is appalling but true. Mike Huckabee also appears to have a record of taking gifts as governor of Arkansas in the grand tradition of the Clintons.
Among Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Fred Thompson, Romney appears to be the most electable to save us from a Democratic win and another Clinton in the White House.
The only "supposed" dirt I can find on Romney besides his political speak that I hear from all of the candidates is his religion. I went to investigate and it surprised me. Romney has paid monthly generous donations to the poor even when he wasn't rich. He made his fortune on his own, and he pays 10% of his income to his religion. He doesn't drink, smoke, and has been faithful to his wife who was his high-school sweetheart for 38 years. So what is about the Mormon religion that everyone is talking so poorly about, and why should a faith based on what he was indoctrinated as a child make such a difference to Republicans in electing a candidate. Here's what I found:
The Mormon Church originally was called the Church of Jesus Christ. It is now called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The core beliefs that the Mormons have believed for over 150 years is posted in a link at http://scriptures.lds.org/a_of_f/1/1-... for perusal.
Surprising isn't it... They sound awfully Christian to me.
You must make your own decisions but this religious conservative has decided Mitt is the best Republican candidate for President of the United States.
January 19, 2008 at 12:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gander (anonymous) says...
"sugesting that America put God into the Constitution"
THAT'S A LIE. HE NEVER SAID SUCH A THING. Huckabee is OPPOSED to an establishment of a religion.
US LAWS ARE BIBLICALLY BASED HOWEVER: Do not kill, do not steal, etc. THINK lest you be found stupid by others.
January 19, 2008 at 6:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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