McCain worried

P

Pat H

Moderator
As well he should be, but calling Ron Paul a spoiler is a bit disingenuous.

Marc Cooper
The Huffington Post
McCain Irked By Ron Paul the Spoiler

January 3, 2008 03:08 PM

Des Moines, Iowa - GOP presidential candidate John McCain is deeply worried that his resurgent national campaign may be stalled by a relatively strong showing in tonight's Iowa caucuses by the iconoclastic Ron Paul.

The Arizona senator's campaign told the HuffPost that their candidate is concerned that Paul will finish third behind front-runners Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney.

McCain, whose campaign floundered earlier in the year, has been showing renewed strength in the battle to win the key New Hampshire primary next week. His national numbers have also been rising and one respected poll now has him in first place..

The McCain campaign also gives former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, currently leading the Iowa Republican polls, little chance of surviving New Hampshire even if he scores a clear victory in tonight's caucuses. The fight for the GOP nomination, McCain strategists believe, should be a head-to-head showdown between McCain and Mitt Romney.

A strong showing by Paul tonight could severely damage McCain's overall strategy. McCain is said to be especially irked because the outsider campaign of the Texas Congressman is given little viability on a national scale. But Paul raised $20 million from his fervent supporters in the last quarter of 2007, enough money to act as a spoiler for more mainstream candidates like McCain.

"Ron Paul's like the Joker in a poker game," said one McCain staffer. Paul reportedly dropped three mailers overnight and kicked his phone banks into turbo-mode in an all-out push to make into the final tier of tonight's winners.

Both McCain and Paul are currently tied at about 10% in most polls of likely Iowa caucus-goers. McCain has not actively campaigned in Iowa and skipped last summer's Republican Straw Poll. His visit to the state today just hours before the caucuses was one of his rare campaign trips here.

As Paul greeted his volunteers this morning at his downtown headquarters, the HuffPost asked for the candidate's reaction to McCain's anger: "I'm so excited. I'm excited he's so upset about me."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/03/mccain-irked-by-ron-paul_n_79576.html
Click to expand...
 
It's good to be RP now. If he finishes 3rd, he wins. If any of the others finish 3rd, they lose. I like McCain. I never want him as my president, but there is no end of respect I have for that man. I thought of driving up to Iowa to help RP, but alas, my wife said no, so I sent him another contribution last week.

If you're from around these parts when he runs for Congress, his wife gives a really awsome cookbook to donors (even if you only give a few dollars). The cookbook is a collection of recipes of the RP constituents' family recipes. Good Lord the oreo cake is awesome and worth every penny I ever sent him. If he'd only give the cookbook to Iowans and New Hamshireites (I don't know what the proper noun is for them), for a vote, he'd already be declared president. He ought to put them on the website.

Don't bet against him. You can doubt him (I always do), but in spite of crazy odds and much better financed opponents, and in spite of positions that anger many of his constituents, he gets elected over and over to the point that Democrats rarely seriously challenge him and Republicans rarely fund him.
 
So lets see, if Paul (who has been campaigning there for months) beats McCain (who hasn't campaigned there at all) its somehow a sign from above that he is ordained to be president. Thats some bassackwards logic.

Here's a better question for Paul supporters. Since Paul HAS been campaigning in Iowa for months and has more money on hand and more staff in iowa than both Huckabee and Romney, why isn't he going to beat them?

Note: I prefer an answer without use of the word conspiracy.
 
Let me try here. Ron Paul does have more money than McCain. However, McCain is pretty much a household name in every state in this nation. Nobody outside of Southeastern Texas, and maybe a few libertarians ever even heard of the guy. Some did here and loved the guy until recently, and then he became persona non grata.

Today on the radio, I heard that Romney has run something like 4000 ads in Iowa. Unless he owns the radio stations, I seriously doubt Ron Paul has outspent Romney or even a tenth of the outlay. Romney has the most to lose because I believe he is very close to having outspent all the remaining Republicans combined.

Huckabee could pull a second or first and make him the clear winner. Iowa politics are different from New Hamshire, so after those two, we'll understand more about who can win among diverse populations. I doubt a Baptist minister can really take the NE US by storm, but I kinda like the guy and he'll do well in the South (except FL) and the Midwest.

So- considering the amounts spent and the weight given MH, RG, and MR, I would say that if Ron Paul comes in 3rd, he wins.
 
Ron is the least of McCain's problems.

McCain's record is what McCain needs to start worring about.....
Good God:rolleyes:
 
What about if he comes in 4th behind Thompson or if Thompson beats McCain? Does that effect Paul as it has been mentioned that McCain has pretty much conceded Iowa in favor of New Hampshire.

Paul will be in for the duration regaurdless.
He has the cash to go at least to Super Tuesday.
 
Neither McCain nor Giuliani expect caucus votes in Iowa.

The Dems are doing their level best to create an independent spoiler in Paul.

Huffington post, indeed.
 
Well as of right now, McCain is beating Paul with about 30% of the vote in. Should things continue this way I'm curious how the Paulites are going to spin it. What excuse will suffice then?
 
As of 9:22PM the Dems are still in a three way tie for the win; the Repubs have Huckabee declared the winner (by CNN), Romney as the undeclared second place guy, and a statistical four way tie for third.
 
Thompson is in third and McCain is forth No statistical tie, McCain has it and may get 3rd moving Thompson to 4th. The rest haven't shown up significantly but in a few hours we'll have the hard numbers and that will tell us 5th, 6th, etc.

Given McCain all but ignored Iowa for New Hampshire, 4th would be about right and 3rd would just be juice.

Any alleged worry is surly dispelled.......
 
Clinton Round 3

Bill Clinton was put into office when Ross Perot split the vote away from GB #1. I hope history does not repeat putting Hillary in the White House and Ron Paul splitting the conservative vote.
 
As of 9:40PM Obama has been called winner for the Dems, with Edwards and Clinton in a statistical tie for second.

Repubs are still Huckabee, Romney, and now a three way tie for third.
 
Us Ron Paul supporters aren't going to make any excuses or spin. The Christian right just aren't following Paul. Since Iowa has the big Christian Right, it's not Ron's state. However Rudy is in the same boat. I just think it's unfortunate that More Christians (like myself) don't support Ron paul.
 
I see what you did there...with the whole "we're not going to spin" thing, then spinning...you guys are crafty!

That darn Christian Right...voting a Mormon into second place...

:D
 
I am surprised that Huckabee did as well as he did, not just a win but a strong win.

The thing that's made me happy about Iowa was Giuliani's 4% of the vote.
 
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