If you can figure out a way to get this through their thick skulls, our movement, but especially our country, would sure be thankful. Let me know what you come up with.

Very well said.

I have stated plainly Crist would not be my First Choice from a “Philosophical” standpoint…. People tend to not want to bother to go beyond the point that I am looking at this strategically…. A Strategy is not always about what we get right this second, but it relates to next years strategy, and the longer term strategy… etc…..

Supporting Rubio in this Primary is a good thing for many reasons, even if Crist is the General Election candidate….. One part of that is using Primaries to build up future candidates (as discussed there) in that there is going to be another Senate Race in FL to worry about also!!!!! Which is addressed: Are we preparing Conservatives via 2010 Campaigns for ’12,’14,’16 Races? – shouldn’t we be?!?! Diary where I go down the list of CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES of not just now but who are we preparing for the next Races…. We have to have Short term and Long term strategies… and I just look at EACH RACE in that perspective…. Viewing each battleground for achievable goals working toward other (the overall CONSERVATIVE CONTROL) long term objectives/agenda/plans.

I don’t expect people to agree with my Opinion in each case. I would always prefer a more Conservative candidate, but have been honest/up-front that I can/will make “exceptions”. This just happens to be one. The Ridge/Toomey thing was a whole different story because Toomey was/is the “Previous Primary” prepared/ready/winning Candidate to have in PA.

While McCain may not be beatable, I still want him Primaried (yeah, so it ain’t a real word lol): going at McCain in a Primary, finally. If for no other reason than he needs a slap upside the head. We haven’t prepared Conservative candidates well enough, IMO, so they are the first ones that come to mind and are basically unquestionable as to whether they are the right choice and can/will win GENERAL Elections!

Take care and regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)

PS: Let us remind all what a REPUBLICAN/CONSERATIVE Leader should sound like (shame we have to go across the Pond to find it) Daniel Hannan (British MEP) – mbecker’s: What the Leader of the Republican Party should sound like! Productive vs non-Productive sectors of the Economy same here as in UK.

The larger point I’m aiming at here is that right now Cornyn, and those defending his thought process and/or decision, are using polling data almost a year and a half before the election to make a decision *today* based on ‘conventional wisdom.’ It would take an entire separate diary to even begin to chronicle how many times in the last 30 years that ‘conventional wisdom’ in politics has been stood on its head but the Guiliani/Clinton “match-up” is but one of the more recent.

At this time in ’07 who would’ve ever guessed that Rudy would run such a feckless campaign?; or that the MSM would turn on their previous darling and embrace another candidate with a sycophancy which was stunning even by their non-existant standards? or that a candidate, high name recoginition or not, whose candidacy had been left for dead on the side of the road with a campaign staff that would fit inside of a mini-van would rise from the ashes to become the GOP standard-bearer (and with virtually zero money);

My point, and the point of many of the posters who are livid about this latest round of interference from the ‘powers that be’ is that they continue to make decisions based on ‘conventional wisdom’ which usually has it’s roots with the hallowed halls of the Beltway pundits who not only don’t give a rat’s hinder about conservatives, they *hate* us. And following this ‘wisdom’ is why we keep losing elections.

The GOP has one, major problem right now that no amount of cagey strategy, deployment of human and finanial resources, electoral strategy, identity politics, or GOTV efforts can fix: the consumer thinks our product *sucks* and has zero idea what we stand for anymore (how bad has it gotten when polls before and after the election show that the public trusts The Socialist One and the Dems more than the Pubs to control spending and lower taxes).

No amount of Rovian politics or money can fix that problem. And the bottom line is, Charlie Crist doesn’t help fix that problem, he makes it worse.

Sorry for the run-on sentence, but whoever finds it un-decipherable wasn’t trying or is quite ignorant of the issues and history of the matter.

Cornyn’s and others’ non-run on decipherable sentences are the problem given their attempt to justify their own losing strategy. We “lost” by paying to beat Toomay and electing Dem Specter, etc

Too much weekend fun at the Republican convention – I am still not awake.

I think Redstate can do it. Heck…we have a whole year, folks. That’s plenty of time to build a huge network.

I’ll bet that, if Rubio shows himself to be viable, the NRSC won’t help Crist’s campaign trash him.

Cornyn had reasons to doubt that Rubio could get elected. His job is to get (and keep) GOP Senate seats. He came onto the Redstate boards and made it clear that Crist has much better name recognition in FL than Rubio. Remedying that problem—i.e., making Rubio more well-known—would take money that Cornyn doesn’t have.

Yes, my theory has problems…but so do yours.

Many on these boards act as if the power of Redstate blogging will carry GOP candidates to victory in 2010. The Dems will choose instead to use money. Lots of it.

In his post, Sen Cornyn listed six states where he thought the GOP could field competitive candidates: Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada, California, Arkansas, and Colorado.

I agree with his assessment. But he’ll need lots of money to pull it off. Obama and the UAW and ACORN will see to it.

If I had the choice between a squishy R Senator from Florida (Crist) AND a new GOP Senator in one of the six states above, I’d consider that deal—-if the alternative is a strong conservative R Senator from FL ( Rubio) plus a D Senator elsewhere.

Two GOP Senators versus one….hmmm.

Many of the commenters on these boards seem to be saying that Cornyn did what he did because he’s (a) an irretrievable squish or (b) pure concentrated evil.

I’m saying that the man’s decision is understandable, because (in his situation) two is better than one.

Smagar I don’t want to get into a knock down drag out with you, let’s cool it down. If you want to know what “High Hat” means, rent the underrated 4 star movie “Miller’s Crossing”. I should not have mentioned the other thread, but it was semi-relevant because you were getting crap for seeming to be a moderate there too.

I just have trouble believing you disagree with Cornyn since you have spent 90 percent of the time defending him and used a one liner to get yourself off the hook. I would have more respect for your position if you admitted you support Cornyn and let the chips fall where they may. I am just an average member here, but at least I am not opaque. I tell it as I see it and don’t even look to see what others are saying before I give my opinion.

you gave me the high hat

I have no idea what that means. And, if I may, I’ve had plenty of people on this board giving me grief…it comes with the territory.

I’ll clarify my argument, Doc: Lots of people on this board are acting as if Cornyn’s support for Crist is indefensible. They’re criticizing him, as if he had no justification for what he did.

I’m pointing out that he DOES have justifications. I’m saying that I disagree with his decision, and that IMO Cornyn should have been willing to accept more risk. Specifically, he should have run the risk that a Rubio candidacy would either fail to hold Martinez’ Senate seat for the GOP, or (more likely) that Rubio’s campaign would drain away so many resources that the GOP couldn’t win seats elsewhere.

He is a politician and that is not a compliment.

Oh please. That’s a cheap and shallow insult. It’s so easy to blame “politicians” for getting us into our messes. What’s your alternative? Rule by philosopher kings? Picking our representatives by lottery, like some huge Powerball?

What’s easy, Doc, is sitting behind a keyboard preaching about how it all should be done.

I agree with you on both Sen Cornyn and “politicians” but it is still a sad commentary…

When I told her the NRSC had blessed Crist for the run, that was all she needed.

I will lay odds that she will be working door knocking for him in the near future.

I do not support Cornyn’s or the NRSC’s decision to endorse Crist prior to letting the people’s voices being heard in a primary.

I also understand the necessity of money. However, money is not the only thing in play.

I have watched ground games change the course of an election – volunteers, door knockers, social gatherings and the regular baby kissing circuit can change the momentum of money overload.

Increase the ranks of the volunteers and supporters and more often than not, the money comes.

It’s time for all of not only to give a few bucks (yes I did) but to also start contacting Floridians we know asking them to support Rubio in his run.

I would love to see this thrown back in the faces of the NRSC. I would love for them to do soul searching on their own relevance.

and btw, we DO have a problem with Cornyn, I know I do. He is all over the place on the issues and not a libertarian-conservative ala Goldwater/Reagan. He is a politician and that is not a compliment.