Race for 2008 Unofficially Begins

[Dr. Zaius 0]

Frist thrives with home-field advantage

Senate majority leader wins straw poll, but downplays significance

 

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (CNN) -- Home-state favorite Bill Frist won the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll Saturday night, besting a slate of other potential 2008 GOP presidential candidates in this unscientific survey of Southern and Midwestern Republicans.

 

With 1,427 ballots cast, the Senate majority leader from Nashville received 526 votes, or 36.9 percent -- and all but 97 of them were cast by Tennessee delegates. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made a surprising second-place finish with 205 votes, or 14.4 percent.

 

Frist overcame an 11th-hour attempt by Sen. John McCain of Arizona and other GOP leaders who urged voters to write in President Bush as their choice in a symbolic sign of support for the embattled leader. Bush tied for third place with Sen. George Allen of Virginia. Each received 147 votes, or 10 percent.

 

McCain, whose write-in effort was largely viewed by attendees as an attempt to derail a Frist victory, placed fourth with 66 votes. McCain's political advisers denied that that was his goal, and said it was appropriate to stand by Bush as the United States fights the war on terror.

 

"We are gratified," Eric Ueland, Frist's chief of staff, told CNN. "We did a lot of hard work. We are focused on 2006 and the party's focus for a strong positive vision for 2008."

 

A Frist loss essentially would have derailed his presidential ambitions, a Frist confidante told CNN before the poll results were announced.

 

Other possible candidates and their vote totals: Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, 54; New York Gov. George Pataki, 38; Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, 22; former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, 15; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 13; and Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, 3.

 

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was not on the ballot, received 32 votes, and 43 delegates voted for the category "other."

 

About 2,000 Republicans are attending the four-day conference that ends Sunday.

 

The straw poll was sponsored by the National Journal's Hotline and the Tennessee Republican Party.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/03/12/GOP.poll/index.html

 

Yes, the straw poll is meaningless, and yet the lengths the candidates went to in order to win (or make someone else loose) makes it seem otherwise. And McCain telling people to vote for Bush as a "symbolic sign of support " is hilarious.

[2GOLD 0]

If Clinton rises for the democrats, it's going to be another year of finding someone else to vote for.

The races for the White House make my head hurt even more than it already does.

[Art Sandusky 0]

McCain's doing that because he's a real motherfuckin' American. "Yeah, our side's doing bad right now, but goddammit we're gonna solve this together."

[2GOLD 0]

If McCain runs, I'm voting Republican. It'll piss my future mother-in-law off to no end but oh well. I really like John McCain and was pissed when he lost the primaries to Bush.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I'd have to see who the Democrats nominated and also hear McCain speak as an executive rather than a legislator before I decided. Clinton/McCain would be a real history-making election and actually dictate the way the country is going to go in the next several decades. We're finished with the current rank-and-file sort of Republicans.

[gWIL 0]

Evan Bayh.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

The poll is mostly insignificant other than the fact that Frist HAD to win because it was conducted in Tennessee. His people were treating this poll like it was a general election and even admitted they felt more relieved than jubilant after he won because a defeat in this poll probably would've doomed his presidential hopes. I wouldn't complain about that, though, because I don't think he'd be a great candidate.

[MrRant 0]

Let me know how it shakes out next year when it's actually closer to the freakin' election.

 

It's like discussing next year's NFL draft right after the draft is over.

[Vyce 0]

And McCain telling people to vote for Bush as a "symbolic sign of support " is hilarious.

 

It's fucking brilliant on McCain's part. He's usually the one acting like a RINO at times, so this was him trying - and probably, to an extent, succeeding - in looking more in tune with the GOP.

 

But this straw poll was a fucking joke, because Frist won (no surprise given the location), and I don't believe he has any realistic chance to win any primary.

 

Ideally, I'd like to see Mark Warner win the Democratic nomination for 2008, although I've heard that may be difficult given that he's too much of a centrist. That's a shame, seeing as he's better than anyone the Democrats realistically have to offer (ESPECIALLY Hillary) and could very well win the general election if he makes it to there.

 

On the Republican side, I'm sort of liking Allen and Romney. I'm loyal to Allen, but I do need to learn more about Romney.

 

Basically, if it comes down to Hillary / McCain in 2008, I'm definitely going with McCain. If it's something like Warner / McCain, I don't know. I might go with Warner....even though he left us with a shitty successor as VA governor. But I guess I won't hold that one against him.

[BX 0]

I hope Feingold will consider running.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

I'm also pulling for Mark Warner for the Democrats, as well as Evan Bayh (I'd love to see that as the ticket). I'm hoping for either McCain or Chuck Hagel for the Republicans. I doubt Hagel has a chance in hell due to being far outside the party's "inner sanctum" but I think he'd be a strong candidate.

[2GOLD 0]

I'm also pulling for Mark Warner for the Democrats, as well as Evan Bayh (I'd love to see that as the ticket). I'm hoping for either McCain or Chuck Hagel for the Republicans. I doubt Hagel has a chance in hell due to being far outside the party's "inner sanctum" but I think he'd be a strong candidate.

 

Warner/McCain would actually make me kinda interested in politics again. Or hell, Bayh/McCain.

But watch the dems pick Hil and the Republicans pick someone we have never heard of and it turns into a, "why God-Allah-Buddha-Kirshna-WHOEVER, what did we do to deserve this AGAIN!?!?!"

[SuperJerk 0]

The problem is that this early on (yes, its early, but we still love to talk about it) only the most established candidates seem to get any press. There's still time for a dark horse to come in and totally upset the apple cart (a la Bill Clinton in 1992). Of course, the Republicans ALWAYS nominate the early front runner. If it wasn't for the Shiavo fiasco, I'd say Frist had a 80% chance of winning the nomination just by virtue of his resume.

[Vyce 0]

In my darkest nightmares, it'll come down to Hillary vs. Frist, which is one of those terrible, horrible scenarios that tempts one to shout, "Bring me the big knife, I'm gonna cut my throat!"

[Vampiro69 0]

McCain or Frist is my early picks to head the Republican ticket. The democrats are harder to figure out. I honestly feel that if they choose to run Hillary they will do worse then they did in 2004.

[SuperJerk 0]

I honestly feel that if they choose to run Hillary they will do worse then they did in 2004.

 

People need to quit talking like Kerry lost by a landslide or something. [/Kerry apologist mode]

[Dr. Zaius 0]

And McCain telling people to vote for Bush as a "symbolic sign of support " is hilarious.

 

It's fucking brilliant on McCain's part. He's usually the one acting like a RINO at times, so this was him trying - and probably, to an extent, succeeding - in looking more in tune with the GOP.

 

I might have been brilliant if it had actually worked.

 

From the article:

McCain, whose write-in effort was largely viewed by attendees as an attempt to derail a Frist victory, placed fourth with 66 votes. McCain's political advisers denied that that was his goal, and said it was appropriate to stand by Bush as the United States fights the war on terror.

 

Let's write in the name of someone who is Constitutionally ineligible from ever running for office again because it is the "appropriate" thing to do? I do not see how that qualifies. Especially when it is a transparent attempt to take attention away from someone who might actually run.

Edited March 15, 2006 by Scorpius

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I hope Feingold will consider running.

 

By all accounts it's pretty much a done deal, and I'll be voting for him, I'm sure (and not just because he's from Wisconsin.)

[SuperJerk 0]

History is seriously against the notion of a sitting U.S. Senator winning the presidency.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Evan Bayh.

Evan Bayh has been pretty under the radar lately for someone who is GONNA TAKE BACK OUR WHITE HOUSE! And remember, the Senate is not a stepping stone.

[CBright7831 0]

YAY!

 

I can't wait.

 

2008 couldn't come any faster!

 

[/sarcasm]

[NoCalMike 0]

The fact that the media is already underminding the 2006 elections by having "Race for 2008" themed shows is sickening. I mean they are acting as if 2006 isn't important, being that we have a President with a 34% approval rating that could possibly only be holding onto his job because his party is in power.

 

Fuck 2008, get your priorities straight and worry about 2006 for the time being.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Holy quadruple post, Batman!

 

You're right though, 2006 is going to be very important. I don't think the Republicans will lose their majority in Congress outright, but I think the Democrats could make significant gains.

[Vampiro69 0]

I honestly feel that if they choose to run Hillary they will do worse then they did in 2004.

 

People need to quit talking like Kerry lost by a landslide or something. [/Kerry apologist mode]

 

Kerry didn't lose by a landslide, it was a very close election.I only made that statement because I honestly felt that the 2004 election was the Democrats to win. I think that if Hillary is the Dems choice, they will pull less states then in 2004.

[gWIL 0]

Evan Bayh.

Evan Bayh has been pretty under the radar lately for someone who is GONNA TAKE BACK OUR WHITE HOUSE! And remember, the Senate is not a stepping stone.

 

Staying under the radar may be a good thing, less likely for something to come back and bite him in the ass. And to undertand my Evan Bayh love you would have to live in Indiana. I don't think his approval rating during his 2 terms as governor and now his second term as senator has slipped below 65% and Indiana is really, really red.

[Dr. Zaius 0]

Besides being a popular centrist former governor from a large state, what does Mr. Bayh have going for him exactly? I'm curious.

[SuperJerk 0]

Is that a trick question?

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

"Bring me the big knife, I'm gonna cut my throat!"

 

Moonstruck?

[Stephen Joseph 0]

I so badly want to see a Condi/Hillary race.

 

Two shitty choices. It would be worth it just for the hilarity...because it doesn't matter who wins, the government's just gonna GET BIGGER.

 

Maybe the LP would get 2% of the vote...

[Vyce 0]

"Bring me the big knife, I'm gonna cut my throat!"

 

Moonstruck?

 

Yes! Good, I was afraid no one would notice that.