CaveDog
01-29-2008, 11:10 PM
Listening to a lot of republicans talk, you'd believe that all of America is scared stiff of terrorists and will vote for the candidate they feel will most aggressively protect them, especially when it comes to sticking to our guns in Iraq.
I was listening to Jay Severin (who was a big time republican political consultant) on the radio today and he made an interesting point. The primaries are one thing but being pro-war in the general election will probably be the "kiss of death".
I'm inclined to take that seriously. Even with heavy turnout in the primaries most people only vote in the general election and polls still show overwhelming opposition to the war in Iraq. That could change the dynamic significantly. Even after the major slapdown for repubs in congress on '06, a lot of republicans don't accept that as a mandate against the war.
If the repubs nominate someone like John "100 years in Iraq if need be" McCain then anyone on the left is going to look considerably less hawkish by comparison. Could it turn out that if RP isn't the nominee then the republican candidate could wind up getting the same kind of slapdown from the general electorate that the republican majority in congress did in '06?
I was listening to Jay Severin (who was a big time republican political consultant) on the radio today and he made an interesting point. The primaries are one thing but being pro-war in the general election will probably be the "kiss of death".
I'm inclined to take that seriously. Even with heavy turnout in the primaries most people only vote in the general election and polls still show overwhelming opposition to the war in Iraq. That could change the dynamic significantly. Even after the major slapdown for repubs in congress on '06, a lot of republicans don't accept that as a mandate against the war.
If the repubs nominate someone like John "100 years in Iraq if need be" McCain then anyone on the left is going to look considerably less hawkish by comparison. Could it turn out that if RP isn't the nominee then the republican candidate could wind up getting the same kind of slapdown from the general electorate that the republican majority in congress did in '06?