Ron Paul vs. Lindsey Graham
John McCain and his lapdog Lindsey (aka Lucy) Graham are working feverously to move the GOP to the left, build a “big tent” and are attacking more conservative and libertarian members of the GOP. Now Graham and Ron Paul are doing battle.
Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul took to the cable networks today to jab back at South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who over the weekend said he would not sit back and watch the Texan “hijack” the GOP with his brand of Republicanism.
“My first reaction would be, ‘What does he have against the Constitution?’ And the supporters I have support me because I’m a traditional conservative and I support the Constitution,” Paul told CNN in an interview tonight.
He cited Graham’s support of TARP funds and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and “all the big government things” as examples of why his supporters feel lukewarm about the GOP. “These are the things that constitutional conservatives don’t support,” he said.
The spat was sparked during a contentious Oct. 12 town hall meeting in Greenville, S.C., when Graham engaged in verbal combat with constituents who questioned his GOP credentials and urged him to be a little more like Paul. (Click here to watch the video.)
“I’m going to grow this party. I’m not going to let it be hijacked by Ron Paul,” Graham said to jeers. One heckler called out: “You’re the one that hijacked it!”
Gop will not retaliate against Snowe, McCain, Graham for disloyalty, according to the party’s courageous Senate leader, Mitch McConnell.
How do you think the McCain/Graham plan will work out? Usually I like a “boy and his dog” stories, but I will make an exception in this case.
A boy and his (lap)dog.
Hat tip: The Wall Street Journal and Politico
[1]
McCain and Graham are like rabid dogs and there’s only one thing to do: take them down in the primaries. If we can secure the nomination for J.D. Hayworth, McCain’s stooge, Lucy Graham, will be scared sh!tless.
[2]
“I’m going to grow this party. I’m not going to let it be hijacked by Ron Paul,” Graham said…
And folks wonder why I think its time for another party. The Reps are done for mentally if McCain/Graham has their way. NOW.
[3]
Graham is delusional if he thinks he’s going to grow the party. Who is he going to get to expand the numbers? The likes of David Frum and followers? Graham will gather a handful of beltway pundits and pols, but he’s never going to get the grass roots across the country.
[4]
True words INC. True words.
[5]
Exactly what does Lindsey Graham think about anything? Whatever John McCain tells him to think.
[6]
The Dems are in control for a long time. As long as conservative and moderate Republicans are at each other throats (like this traditional Rep-leaning district) it is not going to be nice. Liberals are going stay right on top.
NY-23 Poll: Owens (D) Takes Lead
Posted by Kyle Trygstad | Email This | Permalink | Email Author
With assistance from Conservative Party nomninee David Hoffman, Democrat Bill Owens has erased a 7-point deficit from two weeks ago and taken a 4-point lead with 19 days to go in the special election race for the vacant 23rd District of New York, according to a new survey from the Siena Research Institute (Oct. 11-13, 617 LV, MoE +/- 3.9%).
Just 40% of Republicans back the GOP nominee, Assembly Member Dede Scozzafava, as 27% back the more-conservative Hoffman. Hoffman also leads among independents with 31%, while Owens draws 28% of the independent vote and Scozzafava gets 24%.
Owens 33 (+5 vs. last poll, Oct. 1)
Scozzafava 29 (-6)
Hoffman 23 (+7)
“With just 10 points separating the three candidates, this is likely to be a very tight – and fiercely fought – campaign right through election day, now less than three weeks away,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg. “With one in six voters still undecided, who these undecided voters choose to support – if they choose to vote at all – will likely determine the outcome of this race. And given how tight the race is, this election may very well be won by a candidate with less than 40 percent of all the votes cast.”
The three candidates are running to replace former congressman John McHugh (R-N.Y.), who left for an appointment as Secretary of the Army. McHugh had regularly won the district easily, with his lowest winning percentage (61%) coming in his first election in 1992. However, Barack Obama won the district by 5 points with 52% of the vote in 2008, after George W. Bush won by 4 points with 51% in 2004.
[7]
MI Conservative:
What is the point of electing Dede Scozzafava when she is more liberal than the Dem, supported by the Daily Kos and endorsed by ACORN?
A certain percentage of Republicans (e.g. MFG) support any candidate that carries the GOP brand. I doubt Scozzafava would have won a GOP primary.
The party should have held a primary rather than selecting Scozzafava.
[8]
Why should people have any confidence that the GOP can lead a country when they cna’t even decide who is leading the party?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28191.html
[9]
I agree.
I’m just pointing out that I see quite a split in groups/people that have traditionally voted Republican.
In the long run, who does it help?
Democrats.
If Corzine wins in New Jersey it will be the same situation. Except for Ralph Nader in 2000 in Florida, third party candidates help Dems keep control.
Clinton won in 1992 with a “little” Ross Perot help. And that’s not a short joke.
[10]
According to Rasmussen, Christie’s lead over Corzine continues t decline and is down to 4 points.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2009/new_jersey/election_2009_new_jersey_governor
Don’t cry for Christie if he loses because he is running a typical RINO campaign and standing for nothing.
[11]
TLS- Good Link and another point about how divided the Rep are and that will lead to trouble taking back congress.
They need a Ronald Reagan figure to unite.
I don’t think Palin, Huckabee, or Pawlenty can do that. I like Romney, but am aware others here don’t trust him or think he is too liberal. Perhaps John Thune if he can be a little better known.
[12]
Again, a third party (Daggert I think???) is pulling independents away from Christie.
The devil would be better than Corzine but I can see him win again.
[13]
Gosh I forgot who used this in an important speech in the 1800s. Someone help me out.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
And that is where we are in the Republican Party.
[14]
I agree MI Conservative, but, from everything I have read, Christie has run a horrid campaign and has really done a good job of describing his plans for straightening out New Jersey (as much as New Jersey can be straightened out).
[15]
He’s too fat to dance and hug children is the main problem according to Corzine.
Plus, you are probably using McCain’s fantastic campaign as a standard of excellence! Ha.
[16]
MI Conservative -
McCain, Graham and a few cohorts are the ones looking for a fight.
At what point do you say enough is enough with “Republicans” who vote with Democarts a majority of the time like (Snowe, Collins, Kirk, Coleman, etc.) and constant backstabbing by the likes of McCain and Graham?
[17]
In all seriousness, when Christie first decided to run, he should have gone on a crash diet. I saw Candy Crowley on Lou Dobbs last night. She looks like shw dropped about 40 pounds. Candy will never be a beautiful woman, but she sure looks a heck of a lot better.
[18]
Robert Wexler (D FL-19) resigning from House.
[19]
Let the slide to oblivion begin –
NYPost
[20]
I hate to weigh in with any good news, but according to Rush R’s won a couple of state senate seats in special elections that have long been held by Dems and it seems that Healthcare was the dynamic that caused the Dems to lose. One of these seats was in Tennessee I think but I havent found anything to confirm what Rush said and I was only halfway paying attention when I realized the import of his comments.
I hope I heard it right.
[21]
It’s too bad conservatives are compared to Ron Paul. Although I think SOME of his ideas are good, and that he really does place the proper respect and all that’s due to the Constitution, I think we all remember him during the debates. He is at the very least a half a bubble off plumb. I don’t want to be classified as a conservative ‘like’ Ron Paul. I want to be compared to the founders, and bless his heart, RP is not like them.
[22]
OK, the Tennessee result is for a State House seat. In 2008 the Dems won it 55% – 45%. In the special election the R won 55.7% -41.4%, a 3rd part got the rest.
This seat had long been held by Dems.
Here is a link to the story:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091014/NEWS0206/910140414/TN+special+election+expands+GOP+lead+in+House
[23]
beej
I agree. There are some conservatives that come across as mean spirited and nasty. Then they are surprised when they lose. Paul was one of them in my book. Agree with him quite often but I would not want to have a relaxing dinner with him.
[24]
HOLY MACKERAL!!!!
The republican beat Ty Cobb?!?!?
I wouldn’t be braggin’ about beatin’ a dead man. Ha
[25]
Yeah, there was one other race we won that had been held by a Dem but I wasnt listening close enough to catch the state….but, hey, it is good news.
[26]
The other was in oklahoma.
[27]
HHR has been talking about the NJ race a lot.Many of the thoughts over there, that make sense to me, are that on election day Daggert’s lead will evaporate, as most people really want Corzine out, including the unions. Since Corzine has never polled much higher than 40%, the feelings are Christie will be the recipient of last-minute thinking, and win by a margin that may surprise people.
Also, bc’s article on Rasmussen shows a 4 pt lead by Christie, which is an increase, rather than a decrease in support, as lately there has only been only a 1% difference between him and Corzine.
While I hope Christie is able to pull victory out in the NJ race, my thoughts are different on the NY-23 race. Scozzafava is a dim in GOP garb, for all intensive purposes…and there is a viable conservative alternative in the wings. Hoffman seems to be gaining ground fast with a decent fraction of the voter pie (23%). With so many undecided voters still around, I see this race as holding potential for the real conservative winning, much like Lieberman was able to take it away from the DNC’s annointed candidate.
If Hoffman wins, it will send a stinging message to the powers-that-be in the republican hierarchy that the base is watching and will not be fooled into compliance 24/7. Christie’s win sends a different message, as it will be one sent to the DNC. Coupled with a Virginia win, it will show a strong disapproval of Obama’s agenda, possibly helping to thwart passage of HC, because of moderate dims getting uneasy about the electability of their own hides!
[28]
Also, the R won the Mayoral race in Albuquerque that has been held for many years by the Dem….he beat the three time incumbent handily.
[29]
janzam….according to Red State, the RNCC ran youtube ads against Hoffman. You cant make this stuff up.
[30]
“There are some conservatives that come across as mean spirited and nasty.”
I love it when people talk about me.
[31]
Also, the R won the Mayoral race in Albuquerque that has been held for many years by the Dem….he beat the three time incumbent handily
brucefdb
Alas and alak, that was only because there was a viable third party bleeding off votes from the dim.
[32]
#31 I’m glad you said that-you are provin’ me wrong when I said 3rd parties kill Rep.
bc3b-mean spirited and nasty is completely differnety than outspoken.
[33]
Thanks IP. The R won in Okla state rep district 55, by 55-44. This seat had been held by Dems previously. But I have no other info.
[34]
I’m not sure that is right IP about the mayoral race….it was 44 – 35. It would have taken a pretty monumental portion of the remainder for the Dem to have won. Maybe so, maybe not.
[35]
Bruce, you’re right. The RNCC has actively opposed Hoffman, very much like the DNC openly opposed Lieberman. That’s why a Hoffman win would be a sign that a “correction” in the RNCC thinking is due.
The Christie race, though, is different as we would lose more than win by having Christie lose, albeit some call him a RINO. He is not as flagrant as Scozzafava, there is no other conservative, that one can place their vote towards, and it would be so symbolically significant, a show of republican strength and “comeback,” if both Christie and McDonnell won.
[36]
You want Christie to win simply because dual wins in VA and NJ will definitely sink HellCare
[37]
I think the fat jokes are desperation by Corzine
A lot of people are fat and will resent such a chickenshit attack on Christie
My best guess is that Daggett’s support will collapse on election day as almost always happens to third party candidates and that Christie will sneak out a tiny win
However this IS New Jersey, so I don’t have my hopes up
Dual repudiations of the Communists will fire a shot across the bow of all of the Communists in Congress as to what awaits them in ‘10
Hope Christie can pull it out…
[38]
Also IP, even the article you link about the mayor’s race shows that the R was unexpectedly strong in traditional Dem areas.
While I remain pessimistic about all the damage Ogabe will do in the next year I do think that there is simmering rage growing in people that generally dont get riled up and results like these are a possible indication of that trend.
Anecdotally there are people that I know and play golf with occasionally that are seldom outspoken about politics and are generally politically correct. They never liked it when I talked politics because their lib pals were annoyed. Now they are sending me anti Obama stuff.
Maybe we can stop some of this stuff, like Cap and Trade and Amnesty. Probably not but….
[39]
I’m not sure that is right IP about the mayoral race….it was 44 – 35. It would have taken a pretty monumental portion of the remainder for the Dem to have won. Maybe so, maybe not. bruce
Not sure WHAT is right???
The point being?? The hispanic vote was split by two hispanics.
[40]
janzam….I agree a Christie win is preferable. I subscribe to the RWY theory about not worrying about Blue State RINOs. As you say a Christie and McDonnell win will send a stronger signal.
[41]
I thought you were implying that the Dems would have won the race if there were only 2 candidates.
[42]
I am a ‘neighbor’ of Creigh Deeds in Virginia. Terrific guy. Family man, just all round nice. His office is next to where I get my hair cut.
He’d be awful as a gov. If he wins, there is no hope at all for Virginia turning red again.
[43]
I thought you were implying that the Dems would have won the race if there were only 2 candidates. bruce
Berry, a two-term Republican state legislator, bested Chavez in convincing fashion, collecting nearly 44 percent of votes to Chavez’s 35 percent. Richard Romero received nearly 21 percent of the vote. Only provisional ballots remained to be counted early Wednesday.
EXACTAMUNDO GRINGO:
GOP==44%
Chavez==35%
Romero==21%
Hispanaic vote==56%
gringo vote==44%
People will vote for their own tribe over a foreign tribe. This isn’t rascist, but a fact of nature.
[44]
Hispanics are not as likely to be a block vote. My parish is more than 50% hispanic and there are no shortage of Rs that are in that number. I speak passable Spanish and have had friends and associates in that community my entire life.
Now, if amnesty passes that changes everything because the number of uninformed grows exponentially.
But you can believe what you want to believe.
I still think the result in Albuquerque is a good sign.
[45]
New Jersey is like making CrOOK County a state.
[46]
You know what, if they want Corzine, **** ‘em
Let them collapse
[47]
Heh, 46, they are used to screwing themselves in that state arent they?