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I argue that McCain lost because he got too close to the conservative end of the GOP. The conservatives argue that the defeat was the end of moderates

Posted by Mop (aka rburriel) Nov 7 '08, 10:23

Of course, there's a great deal of self-interest involved in conservatives saying that it was the fault of moderates. It's easier to point the finger at someone else than to do soul-searching and accept the demise of your own cause. Which is not to say that what they're saying is false. I'd like to hear more opinions on this.

Raul

Responses:

I think it a laundry list of things. Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush, Palin, Economy, Obamamania, etc. A very bad time for all Repubs - VMan Nov 7, 10:38
I think in part it is that conservative ideas don't resonnate in this kind of climate, and the tenor of the campaign made them seem irrelevant. It was - emoticripple Nov 7, 10:29
I would argue that mccain lost because his campaign was disjointed, not very well planned, and seemed to be one hail mary pass after another. -- nm - tRuMaN Nov 7, 10:29
My personal opinion: he lost because of 2 things: the Economy and Palin. - JaxSean Nov 7, 10:27 28
- 1) he was running as a Republican, 2) he didn't have the charisma of Obama. -- nm - Max Nov 7, 10:31 2
  - I know quite a few Republicans that didn't vote for him because of Palin. -- nm - JaxSean Nov 7, 10:34 1
    - I do too, but I still don't think Lieberman would have helped any. That ticket *might* have beaten Kerry or Gore. - Max Nov 7, 10:37
- that and his seeming lack of focus towards the end - decline Nov 7, 10:30
- but this is not what lesson the GOP party faithful will take away from it. they think the mistake was nominating McCain in the first place -- nm - pigby Nov 7, 10:28 19
  - Maybe, maybe not. It's been 3 days. Remember the disillusion you/we felt 4 years ago? - ty97 Nov 7, 10:29 1
    - Yep. -- nm - Mel Profit Nov 7, 10:32
  - disagree, because who else would it have been? -- nm - loosilu Nov 7, 10:29 16
    - the true believers wanted Fred Thompson as far as i can tell -- nm - pigby Nov 7, 10:31 1
      - and it kept shifting, when Fred flamed out, they went to Rudy (who they used to consider the devil) and when he tubed they went to Romney -- nm - crash davis Nov 7, 10:33
    - I'm taking that you don't listen to right wing radio much do you? -- nm - crash davis Nov 7, 10:30 13
      - Does right wing radio respresent the GOP? - ty97 Nov 7, 10:32 10
        
        they drive the debate and frame the issues more than any other group in the party - pigby Nov 7, 10:34 1
        
        but they didn't get their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice candidate on the ticket. That's telling, to me. -- nm - ty97 Nov 7, 10:36
        
        I made the point yesterday that it doesn't. But the phrase pixie used was talking about a more specific group. -- nm - crash davis Nov 7, 10:34
        
        exactly. I think that segment of the GOP has shrunk since 2004. -- nm - loosilu Nov 7, 10:34 6
        
        but I think they won't go away... - Mel Profit Nov 7, 10:36 1
        
        Hmmm. But I don't think Reagan Republicans are the same as the current religious right. -- nm - loosilu Nov 7, 10:36
        
        I'm pondering the possibility. I have no data to back it up. And the listenership will get a boost with a Dem POTUS and Congress, for sure -- nm - ty97 Nov 7, 10:35 3
        
        the data you can use is the specific voting breakdowns, and I think you'll find that that group has less of a defection rate than the others. -- nm - crash davis Nov 7, 10:36
        
        I think the core is probably still there but the fluffy coating is long gone. -- nm - loosilu Nov 7, 10:36 1
        
        mmm..fluffy... -- nm - znufrii Nov 7, 10:36
      - no, I try to limit my daily dose of masochism. -- nm - loosilu Nov 7, 10:31 1
        
        Well they hated the McCain nomination and Wednesday they threw him under the bus. They wanted anyone but him. -- nm - crash davis Nov 7, 10:32
- I think Bush was a way bigger factor than Palin. -- nm - loosilu Nov 7, 10:27 3
  - I think Palin turned off way more Republicans than Bush did. -- nm - JaxSean Nov 7, 10:35 1
    - ...because McCain is a different person with different ideas. He's not Bush. - JaxSean Nov 7, 10:37
  - I think Palin was in many ways an echo of Bush. -- nm - znufrii Nov 7, 10:29
I haven't really studied it, but I think the 1 - 2 punch that did McCain in were out of his control completely - ty97 Nov 7, 10:26 1
- Their long-term strategy regarding the economy set them up for abject failure. -- nm - Beryllium Nov 7, 10:32
I'm not discussing one dang more thing with you until you answer whether you're playing Halo tonight. -- nm - crash davis Nov 7, 10:26
the proof will be in what kind of candidates the party fields in 2010 and 12 - pigby Nov 7, 10:25
Hmm. Disclaimer. - Mop Nov 7, 10:25
I agree. If he had held the middle, Obama would have had a much harder time of it. -- nm - znufrii Nov 7, 10:24

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I argue that McCain lost because he got too close to the conservative end of the GOP. The conservatives argue that the defeat was the end of moderates

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