Huckabee + Paul Tally 27% of Republican Primary Vote in PA and 17% in Indiana...Oops!

Commentary by Daniel T. Zanoza

Houston, we have a problem!  Or perhaps I should say, Republicans have a problem.  Even though GOP crybabies--including Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity--now seem to be rallying around the candidacy of Sen. John McCain, the message has yet to filter down to the Party's base.

Though McCain is the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee, in Pennsylvania Rep. Ron Paul finished second with over 15% of the Republican votes cast.  Gov. Mike Huckabee snatched up nearly 12% of those who voted on the GOP's side of the ballot.  Both men tallied a very tidy 27% of all votes in a primary that was over before it started.

In Indiana, Paul and Huckabee scooped up 17% of Republican votes, combined, in that state's presidential horse race.  Folks, Paul and Huckabee weren't even trying and there wasn't even a race that day.

Does anyone besides myself see a problem here?

In contrast, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are scooping up 100% of votes in the Democratic primaries, even though former candidates, like Sen. John Edwards, had a considerable following in that Party.

Could it be Mr. McCain has a long way to go in his effort to consolidate the Republican electorate?  And could it possibly be said McCain will never solidify what used to be the rock-solid base of the GOP?

I know, the senior Senator from Arizona has over 175 days to get his act together.  But if McCain continues to base his campaign on issues like global warming, no drilling in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) and the road to citizenship for the many millions of illegal immigrants in the United States, the chances are he will never bring the Party together.

But what does this mean?  If the base of the GOP is hedging its bets on McCain, the Republican Party has taken a drastic shift to the political left.  And if the GOP occupies the same political space as the Democratic Party, in the future, the Republican Party will have no future.

For those of you who are asleep, haven't been watching or have been drinking too much Republican Kool-Aid, Democrats have been voting in droves this presidential primary season.  Thankfully, at the same time, the Dems have been fighting each other tooth and nail with a viciousness not seen Rosey O'Donnell was refused entry into the lady's room at New York's LaGuardia Airport.  I'm sorry, that was mean-spirited, wasn't it?  But I'm only human.  However, you get the symbolism, don't you?  If the Democrats ever get their act together, the Republicans are in trouble.  Well, let's say John McCain is in trouble.  We all know, no matter what happens, the Republicans are in a bind.  They stand for nothing and the Party is running away from the social and fiscal issues which solidified that base I was talking about.

Perhaps what we are seeing is a result of a lack of leadership.  Can anyone tell me who is at the helm in the GOP?  Now, please, I don't want to hear the name John McCain because, with some small shifts in policy, McCain could just as well be a moderate Democrat.  The days of Ronald Reagan are gone.  Newt Gingrich spends most of his time writing books as a policy wonk and George Bush is too busy thinking about his presidential library.  Governor Flip-Flop, Mitt Romney, is doing his best impression of Al Gore and the beat goes on.

What's the best hope for Republicans this November as far as the presidential race?  The Democrats keep fighting for the presidential nomination over race and gender.  Shame on them!  However, there is a chance Hillary and Barack will settle the Democratic nomination after a good ole fashioned knife fight.  If that's the case, and it's done early enough, the tougher individual would win.  Bill would make a very interesting First Lady, wouldn't he?

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Comments

[Net]

Love it! Great post!