RINO Season Officially Opens: No Bag Limit

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

First there was NY-23, now this:

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s public support is collapsing in South Carolina – driven by a wholesale revolt among the GOP electorate and a steady erosion of his support amongst independents.

Already consistently loathed by a solid third of GOP voters, Graham’s recent leftward bent – including his co-authoring of a controversial “Cap & Tax” proposal supported by President Barack Obama and liberal Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) – has him locked in a “terminal free fall,” according one prominent Republican consultant.

“A chunk of the GOP has always detested him, but in the last month a damn has broken,” said the consultant, who was granted anonymity to discuss the impact of two recent polls that were conducted in South Carolina (one allegedly by Graham’s own advisors). “More Republicans now oppose Sen. Graham than support him.  Independents are also deserting him in huge numbers.”

Even more troubling for Graham is there doesn’t seem to be a way out of the box.  In fact, both polls reportedly showed that the more the national liberal establishment and local environmentalists rally to Graham’s defense, the worse things get for him.

That has sparked a heated debate within Graham’s camp as to how to best manage the situation.

“He needs positive messages desperately,” said a source familiar with the discussions. “But the only available messengers seem to be doing more harm than good.”

As reported on FITS ( here, here and here), some of the nation’s most liberal funding groups have come to Graham’s defense on the issue – while South Carolina Republicans (even moderate Coastal ones) are once again furious at another betrayal of their core beliefs.

Specific numbers were not provided to FITS, but Graham’s team was supposed to have received its poll results on Wednesday.

Sources also tell FITS that after viewing those polling numbers, Graham’s team compelled former SCGOP Chairman Katon Dawson to throw Lindsey a bone earlier this week in an effort to stop the bleeding among Republican voters.

Stay tuned …

http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/11/14/two-new-polls-show-graham-tanking/

Conservatives have long said that chasing the squishy middlers on a leftward track was a short-term boon with dire long-term consequences. The squishy-middlers may be pussies but they aren't stupid and when they see legislation being written with trilion dollar price tags they will choke and come running to us.

[Chris_]

The only way to deal with a RINO is shoot him and mount his head on a wall......will he face a primary challenge?

doc

[bkg]

The only way to deal with a RINO is shoot him and mount his head on a wall......will he face a primary challenge?

doc

Doubt the GOP will allow a primary challenge. I think District 23 showed their true colors on that one.

[thundley4]

Doubt the GOP will allow a primary challenge. I think District 23 showed their true colors on that one.

Hopefully a conservative will run like Hoffman did in NY-23, but start a little sooner .

[Chris_]

Doubt the GOP will allow a primary challenge. I think District 23 showed their true colors on that one.

As I understand it NY 23 isn't over yet.....perhaps a conservative "independent" needs to run against him......if the GOP won't do the right thing, stuff it down their collective throats......

doc

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

The only way to deal with a RINO is shoot him and mount his head on a wall......will he face a primary challenge?

doc

I was kinda hoping to do a couple of shots and get mounted myself.

Doubt the GOP will allow a primary challenge. I think District 23 showed their true colors on that one.

I also think the GOP may have learned its lesson to a certain degree. Lots of establishment types were backpeddling with apologies after Scuzzyfava tanked. Now Newt is talking about a Contract with America, Part II and Steele said RINO need to beware because the party would no longer hand-pick candidates.

[bkg]

I was kinda hoping to do a couple of shots and get mounted myself.
I also think the GOP may have learned its lesson to a certain degree. Lots of establishment types were backpeddling with apologies after Scuzzyfava tanked. Now Newt is talking about a Contract with America, Part II and Steele said RINO need to beware because the party would no longer hand-pick candidates.

I find the highlighted as full of crap as the first one he did.. The "contract w/ America" is called The Consitition of the United States. Anything else is ecotisctical, political crap.

Just my opinion, though. 

[thundley4]

I find the highlighted as full of crap as the first one he did.. The "contract w/ America" is called The Consitition of the United States. Anything else is ecotisctical, political crap.

Just my opinion, though. 

Didn't Newt back Scozzafava?  'Nuff said.

[DefiantSix]

Didn't Newt back Scozzafava?  'Nuff said.

And so did Steele.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Didn't Newt back Scozzafava?  'Nuff said.

He did but he also admitted his wrongnessitude. I'm prepared to believe he learned his mistake...I dunno if I WANT to forgive him, but I do believe he took away a lesson from this episode and that was my point.

[thundley4]

He did but he also admitted his wrongnessitude. I'm prepared to believe he learned his mistake...I dunno if I WANT to forgive him, but I do believe he took away a lesson from this episode and that was my point.

I never understood how a liberal ever got the nomination there in the first place. I know she was appointed by the local committee, but what were they thinking?

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

I never understood how a liberal ever got the nomination there in the first place. I know she was appointed by the local committee, but what were they thinking?

It comes down to Operational Research. It's essentially tracking data points and determining where the greatest of of convergences occur. The poll dancers--as I like to term these political whores--are looking for the greatest share of the electorate based on polls. If a survey says 51% of voters like the idea of free healthcare and another 53% want to stop global warming then by Dog that is what they are going to chase along with the 58% who want federal spending reined-in.

Alas, the proposition are self-contradicting and--this is where Marxism fails--human behavior isn't simple arithmetic. 53% may want to do something about global warming but that number plummets to 5% when you tell them it's going to cost them an extra $4600/year in taxes and jack-up unemployment by 8 points depending on geographic region.

That was Newt's sin: he became a poll dancer. I happen to believe that principles beat raw statistics every time but then again bunnies can be naive woodland creatures.

[Crazy Horse]

He did but he also admitted his wrongnessitude. I'm prepared to believe he learned his mistake...I dunno if I WANT to forgive him, but I do believe he took away a lesson from this episode and that was my point.

And on the couch with Pelosi, on tour with Rev. Sharpton

Screw Newt

[DefiantSix]

That was Newt's sin: he became a poll dancer. I happen to believe that principles beat raw statistics every time but then again bunnies can be naive woodland creatures.

If believing that makes you a "naive woodland creature", then naive woodland creatures are qualified to serve as starship captains, because I hold to the same belief, personally.

[DefiantSix]

He did but he also admitted his wrongnessitude. I'm prepared to believe he learned his mistake...I dunno if I WANT to forgive him, but I do believe he took away a lesson from this episode and that was my point.

I tend to think that Newt's backpedaling was nothing more than a response to wetting his finger and sticking it up over his head, to see which way the wind was blowing.

[5412]

Hi,

We have a similar situation here in Florida with Governor Crist running for the Senate seat vacated by Mel Martinez in 2010.  He endorsed the BO stimulus package as you may recall.  There was an article in the Tampa Tribune about how he has changed his stance on several issues "to appear to be more conservative".....whatever the hell that means.

He is being challenged by Marco Rubio who I think is really a conservative, and Rubio is raising money and closing the gap despite the fact that Crist has millions more in campaign funds collected.  It is going to get very interesting.  The head of the FL republican party is stepping down and he supported Crist.  I think that the tide will turn and then all of a sudden there will be money flowing into the Rubio camp, sure hope so.

The main point is the direction is changing and there will not have to be too many more instances like we saw in VA and NJ.  Republican party is starting to wake up.....hopefully.

regards,
5412

[thundley4]

Hi,

We have a similar situation here in Florida with Governor Crist running for the Senate seat vacated by Mel Martinez in 2010.  He endorsed the BO stimulus package as you may recall.  There was an article in the Tampa Tribune about how he has changed his stance on several issues "to appear to be more conservative".....whatever the hell that means.

He is being challenged by Marco Rubio who I think is really a conservative, and Rubio is raising money and closing the gap despite the fact that Crist has millions more in campaign funds collected.  It is going to get very interesting.  The head of the FL republican party is stepping down and he supported Crist.  I think that the tide will turn and then all of a sudden there will be money flowing into the Rubio camp, sure hope so.

The main point is the direction is changing and there will not have to be too many more instances like we saw in VA and NJ.  Republican party is starting to wake up.....hopefully.

regards,
5412

They have been following this race on RedState.  From what I read, Crist is using Democrat tactics against Rubio.

[5412]

They have been following this race on RedState.  From what I read, Crist is using Democrat tactics against Rubio.

Hi,

One of his campaign workers got caught running an anti Rubio web site that was full of lies......

regards,
5412

[Splashdown]

A worry--if a RINO feels his support collapsing, and there's a vote on health care "reform," what's stopping him from voting with the Ds if he's going to lose anyway?

In PA, I don't have this problem, as both my senators are asshats.

[JohnnyReb]

It's a long 5 more years before Lindsey Graham comes up for another election.

He will have done a lot of damage by then......unless we can have a recall vote?

Hmmmmm..... that's something I should check on.