Limbaugh dismissed the notion that a McCain victory would be a "personal setback" for him. "My success is not defined by who wins elections," he said. "Elected officials come and go. I am here for as long as I wish to stay. . . .
"Yesterday it was Limbaugh vs. [Donovan] McNabb, Limbaugh vs. Michael J. Fox. Before that it was Limbaugh vs. Bill Clinton. Tomorrow it will be Limbaugh vs. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. And I note the media never applies this template to anyone else in media. Not to anyone in cable news, not to any of the endorsements of the major newspapers. Why are the New York Times and Washington Post not asked about the setback they both suffered when George Bush beat both their endorsed candidates in 2000 and 2004?".
Rush has been joined by other conservative talk radio hosts, who have rallied behind Romney. (Not to mention conservative bloggers:) Other than on the war and his stubborn Porkbusting, McCain has trended left in recent years, which any clear-eyed observer knows--McCain himself brags about it all the time with his series of hyphenated-liberal bills assaulting free markets and free speech.
In the Republican race, Romney maintained a stable 40 percent to 33 percent lead on McCain in California, fueled by heavy support in the southern part of the state and among self-described conservatives. The margin of error was 3.4 percentage points.RCP here. Also, Frank Luntz was going over voter response, by party, to the ads running in California. He described the measures voters were looking for were the 3 E's--Energy, Electability and Experience. Obama won Democrats, and among Republicans in the Golden State, this Romney ad scored off the charts: Mitt's speaking today at the West Virginia convention, asking for their vote. More later.
UPDATE: Notice who uses the word enemies--not me. Note to Noemie and the rest of the Weekly Standard crew: We are not enemies on the right, we are just looking toward the future, not to the past. As the WSJ says, at least we know in what way McCain will betray us. Republicans are united on the war on terror and on fighting to win in Iraq--no question about that. We would like to see some fire in the belly for conservative principles, or at least some respect. I think Kathryn Jean Lopez, NRO has it right.
UPDATE: Reid Wilson, John McCain's Arizona problem:
John McCain will win all of Arizona's allocated delegates when polls close this evening. But come November, and even earlier if the Republican primary race continues beyond today's primaries, the Copper State could become a serious albatross around his neck.
McCain's legendary temper and maverick streak have irked members of the GOP on virtually all sides. No one knows that better than those who should be his biggest backers, the top leadership of the Arizona Republican Party. Instead, they are some of his most ardent foes, and McCain's actions earlier this year have done little to assuage their anger.
UPDATE: Mark Davis, Dallas Morning News, "Will the Reagan Era End Today?"
UPDATE: Sad, after the first ballot shy of 50% (Romney got 44%), McCain has his voters switch to the Huckster, and the 10% Paul guys took their marbles and went home without voting the 2nd, so Huckabee wins the 18 WTA delegates in West Virginia.
UPDATE: Ambinder:
UPDATE: Statement on West Virginia from Beth Myers, the Romney camp:The key battlegrounds of the night are California and Missouri.
In California, Romney drew his largest crowd of the campaign last night, according to CBS News' Scott Conroy.
In Missouri, McCain (by dint of his national ad buy) and Romney (local/spot ads) are on television here. Romney has most of the major endorsements. It’s a winner take-all state.
"Unfortunately, this is what Senator McCain's inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Governor Romney's campaign of conservative change.
"Governor Romney had enough respect for the Republican voters of West Virginia to make an appeal to them about the future of the party based on issues. This is why he led on today's first ballot. Sadly, Senator McCain cut a Washington backroom deal in a way that once again underscores his legacy of working against Republicans who are interested in championing conservative policies and rebuilding the party."
UPDATE: Full quote on Mitt's statement this morning on the Dole dustup via The Corner:
Readers keep quoting me one line from the Romney-Doocy interview this morning, here's what he said, plus the video:
Fox News' Steve Doocy: "Governor, what do you make of the letter that Bob Dole wrote to Rush Limbaugh that says, 'Lay off of John McCain he is conservative enough?' Do you buy that from Bob?"
Governor Romney: "Well, it's probably the last person I would have wanted to have write a letter for me. I think there are a lot of folks who tend to think that maybe John McCain's race is a bit like Bob Dole's race. That it's the guy who's the next in line. He's the inevitable choice and we'll give it to him and then it won't work.
"I think that the right course for a winning campaign against someone like Barack Obama is going to have to be somebody who can speak with energy and passion about the future of America, not another Senator who can say, 'Well here is what I did on bill H-1234. Here is what I did on my committee assignment.' The American people are so tired of listening to Senators talk about their bills and their committees. They want to know how somebody has accomplished something for the people of their state or their city, somebody who has built a business, who ran the Olympics. They want somebody who has been in the real economy to fix our national economy."
UPDATE: They are talking on FoxNews about many districts in California using paper ballots, including the 2 million mailed in today, so if it's close, counting could go on all night and into the morning.
UPDATE: Kathryn Jean Lopez: Re: Dole and Romney
An e-mail:
"This — the constant state of outrage and attack from the McCain campaign" ....Yeah, there's no "outrage and attack" from Rush, Levin, et al. I'm "bothered" by your inability to see that.
UPDATE: The view from the key state of Missouri, via Gateway Pundit:
What is significant, as Dan Riehl pointed out this past weekend, is that Governor Mitt Romney jumped 9 points in Missouri since the Florida Primary just one week ago. This is evidently part of the "Anybody but McCain" phenomena that we are seeing across the country. Here is another poll tracker from USA Today where you can see that Romney has jumped at least 5 points in the last week.Latest RCP here.
UPDATE: Starting to sleet in Chicago, should change to snow--we're getting what Missouri's had earlier. Bad weather along the southern part of the country. Dow is down 370. AP.
Wall Street plunged Tuesday, sending the Dow Jones industrials hurtling down nearly 370 points after investors investors saw an unexpected contraction in the service sector as evidence that the economy is sinking into recession.The Institute for Supply Management said its January index of the service sector, which accounts for about two-thirds of the economy, dropped below 50, indicating contraction. Economists had been expecting another month of growth; the last time the service sector contracted was in March 2003.
"The report drives a nail into the coffin from investors' minds that we're in a recession," said Todd Salamone, director of trading at Schaeffer's Investment Research. "That doesn't mean stock prices in the months ahead will be lower. But when you see headline numbers like this, there tends to be a reactionary sell."
McCain rushes back to California to shore up his support--in San Diego now.
UPDATE: Oh, yes, Rush formally endorses Mitt today. Mick at Uncorrelated on McCain's latest moves:
While indignation is an appropriate sentiment over the West Virginia fiasco, it is nevertheless interesting that Mr. Inevitability has to resort to these kinds of anti-democratic shenanigans to eke out a victory of sorts.
He won Florida with tricks. He denied Romney West Virginia with tricks. McCain is looking more Nixonian all the time.
Apparently the McCain campaign is blithely unaware of the backlash this is producing. He has absolutely zero chance of healing the party even if he wins the nomination with nonsense like this.
And shoring up Arizona?!
UPDATE: I have FoxNews on while blogging but didn't catch this--another Mittblogger reports this:
"Fox News is reporting McCain campaign making calls in CA claiming Mitt Romney is "Anti-God".He must be really desperate but these dirty tricks really stink----taking a page from Huckabee's sly bigotry--How does McCain think he will unite the party after pulling stuff like this!!!
UPDATE: Freakonomics at NY Times says Mitt probability of winning CA by analyzing the Reuters/Zogby poll a whopping 92.7%. Compare to current Intrade--still has McCain leading.
UPDATE on the robocalls, via Gateway Pundit:
NASTY ROBOCALLS??? The word is out that Senator McCain is sending 'nasty' robocalls to California voters about Romney-- Included in the supposed robocalls are claims that Romney "left Massachusetts in a mess," that he's "anti-family," and that he's "anti-God." Laura Ingraham reported this today.UPDATE: Carl Cameron on, 4:34 central time, says the race is not the blowout today John McCain had hoped for. Romney and Huck nipping at his heels. (Maybe he'll have to start attacking the Huckster.)
Hat Tip Zach A.
OK folks, if you haven't voted, go out and vote for Mitt! Keep hope alive!!:) Every vote counts. Especially today.
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