Thread: We've gotta stop thinking about Iowa start on New Hampshire

Originally Posted by PatriotDreams

Romney did a great job of highlighting Huckabee's record without going nasty.

Clearly Huckabee played the Mormon card every chance he got. Huckster only carried the evangelicals, he lost every other group.

Very true but they are still accusing Romney of going neg

I noticed this morning on Fox that McClown is already starting
on "Romneys picking on me"

I see a difference between pointing out flaws and going nasty neg

but it seems they are trying to take the facts out of the debate
and say you can't highlight your opponents record or your negative

Sort of like saying if you oppose illegal immigration you must be a racist

Iowans voted for a preacher - the rest of America will vote for a president.

Go Mitt!

Originally Posted by usanevada

Originally Posted by PatriotDreams

Romney did a great job of highlighting Huckabee's record without going nasty.

Clearly Huckabee played the Mormon card every chance he got. Huckster only carried the evangelicals, he lost every other group.

Very true but they are still accusing Romney of going neg

I noticed this morning on Fox that McClown is already starting
on "Romneys picking on me"

I see a difference between pointing out flaws and going nasty neg

but it seems they are trying to take the facts out of the debate
and say you can't highlight your opponents record or your negative

Sort of like saying if you oppose illegal immigration you must be a racist

I think Mitt Romney ran a very positive and uplifting campaign in Iowa. It's the media that framed it in negative terms, and Huckabee ran with it. The best thing Romney could do is stay above the fray. If he does so, Huckabee and McCain will have nothing to work with. They'll have to spend their time defending their questionable records.

I'm on board for any McCain operation for NH. I hope any NH members here will contribute insights they have into the situation there. That could be helpful in figuring how to direct our efforts since we have so little time.

Pointing out Huckabee's policies is not negative. Huckabee was the one who actually ran the negative campaign by playing the religion card, e.g., his New York Times magazine comments, his "I'm not to use this ad" but then did, etc. He really is a snake oil salesman.

Regarding NH, the MSM will continue to push McCain and not publicize his many flaws.

The NH papers are wildly anti-Romney.

I hope Romney can pull this one out, but even if he doesn't, he has the resources to go well beyond the two small states of Iowa and NH.

Remember, only about 100,000 voters participated in the Iowa GOP caucus, which included a disproportionate number of Evangelicals. Hardly representative.

Originally Posted by ymeoru

I'm all for stopping McCain. My goal is not to have him in the top three. If Thompson would wake up, I don't think McCain would be a problem in New Hampshire. But some of the news stations (before Iowa) were suggesting that Thompson may drop out and throw his support to McCain.

I've lost the logic of that one.

I'll wait to hear the strategy. I don't believe going negative is going to work, and it actually could help both Huckabee and McCain. Huckabee seems to excel when it looks as if he's been picked on. McCain likes being the underdog, and many Americans are sick of negative politics.

It's time for these remaining candidates to toot their horns and stop trying to trip other candidates. That dog didn't hunt in Iowa (sorry, I'm a southerner) and may hurt them in later states.

Both Huckabee and McCain are popular with the press. And, not just because their liberal. They're likable. Like it or not, the press is still controlling this process. I hope our candidates can find a way to work it to their benefit.

They are both popular with the press because the press is pro-illegal-----and BOTH McCain and Huckabee were pro-illegal at one time!!

Notice how Huckabee never talks about his plans against illegals to the media----because he tries to keep this quiet so the media doesn't shun him like they do most anti-illegal candidates.

Originally Posted by ymeoru

I'm all for stopping McCain. My goal is not to have him in the top three. If Thompson would wake up, I don't think McCain would be a problem in New Hampshire. But some of the news stations (before Iowa) were suggesting that Thompson may drop out and throw his support to McCain.

I've lost the logic of that one.

I'll wait to hear the strategy. I don't believe going negative is going to work, and it actually could help both Huckabee and McCain. Huckabee seems to excel when it looks as if he's been picked on. McCain likes being the underdog, and many Americans are sick of negative politics.

It's time for these remaining candidates to toot their horns and stop trying to trip other candidates. That dog didn't hunt in Iowa (sorry, I'm a southerner) and may hurt them in later states.

Both Huckabee and McCain are popular with the press. And, not just because their liberal. They're likable. Like it or not, the press is still controlling this process. I hope our candidates can find a way to work it to their benefit.

Going negative is the ONLY thing that is going to work.

It did work in Iowa----as Romney was a LOT further behind Huckabee weeks ago.

The only reason he did not win in Iowa-----is because of the Evangelicals who were voting religion instead of policies/issues.

Originally Posted by zeezil

Originally Posted by ymeoru

I'm all for stopping McCain. My goal is not to have him in the top three. If Thompson would wake up, I don't think McCain would be a problem in New Hampshire. But some of the news stations (before Iowa) were suggesting that Thompson may drop out and throw his support to McCain.

I've lost the logic of that one.

I'll wait to hear the strategy. I don't believe going negative is going to work, and it actually could help both Huckabee and McCain. Huckabee seems to excel when it looks as if he's been picked on. McCain likes being the underdog, and many Americans are sick of negative politics.

It's time for these remaining candidates to toot their horns and stop trying to trip other candidates. That dog didn't hunt in Iowa (sorry, I'm a southerner) and may hurt them in later states.

Both Huckabee and McCain are popular with the press. And, not just because their liberal. They're likable. Like it or not, the press is still controlling this process. I hope our candidates can find a way to work it to their benefit.

Pointing out problems with platforms and philosophies of candidates is NOT negative, if stated and presented in the light of exposing their stances on issues and past actions. It's all in how you lay it out.

I agree!!

Remember how far behind Romney was in Iowa two weeks ago!!

The majority of people in Iowa were voting religion only!!

Originally Posted by zeezil

Originally Posted by ymeoru

Pointing out problems with platforms and philosophies of candidates is NOT negative, if stated and presented in the light of exposing their stances on issues and past actions. It's all in how you lay it out.

Okay.

Mitt Romeny "pointed out problems and philosophies of candidates stated and presented in the light of exposing their stances on issues and past actions."

Two Possibilities
1) The people he wanted to vote for him considered it NEGATIVE and didn't vote for him.

2) The people didn't consider the ads negative but also didn't consider the ads adequate enough as reasons not to vote for a man he outspent 20-1.

And, before we start complaining about evangelicals again, there were some independents and even republicans that crossed over to vote for a democrat (Obama, Edwards, Clinton or others)

New Hampshire isn't Iowa. Maybe he can pull it out there.

I'm just thinking he may need to make some changes somewhere if he plans to be the president of the United States of America. You can't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing after the results were announced.

Originally Posted by Bren4824

They are both popular with the press because the press is pro-illegal-----and BOTH McCain and Huckabee were pro-illegal at one time!!

Notice how Huckabee never talks about his plans against illegals to the media----because he tries to keep this quiet so the media doesn't shun him like they do most anti-illegal candidates.

You're right. Huckabee didn't say much of anything about his illegal immigration plan.

I think he's hoping he doesn't have to. Whenever we ask, he's simply going to point to Jim Gilchrist and say, "Would he be with me if I wasn't tough on immigration?"

I think old Jim really hurt the bigger movement with that one.

Originally Posted by ymeoru

Originally Posted by zeezil

Originally Posted by ymeoru

Pointing out problems with platforms and philosophies of candidates is NOT negative, if stated and presented in the light of exposing their stances on issues and past actions. It's all in how you lay it out.

Okay.

Mitt Romeny "pointed out problems and philosophies of candidates stated and presented in the light of exposing their stances on issues and past actions."

Two Possibilities
1) The people he wanted to vote for him considered it NEGATIVE and didn't vote for him.

2) The people didn't consider the ads negative but also didn't consider the ads adequate enough as reasons not to vote for a man he outspent 20-1.

And, before we start complaining about evangelicals again, there were some independents and even republicans that crossed over to vote for a democrat (Obama, Edwards, Clinton or others)

New Hampshire isn't Iowa. Maybe he can pull it out there.

I'm just thinking he may need to make some changes somewhere if he plans to be the president of the United States of America. You can't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing after the results were announced.

Romney's ads stopped him from losing a lot worse------as he was a LOT further behind Huckabee 2 weeks ago.

These people were voting RELIGION and anti-Morman is how they were voting---plain and simple.

I saw the posts about Mormans that they were plastering all over the blog sites in the Des Moines blogs.

Actually......As far as the results...........I thought about this last night.......Maybe we should feel that we won based on the fact that Romney only lost by 9 points.