McCain Gets His Moment

National Review Online: It's Good To See Candidate's Strengths Rewarded In New Hampshire

(National Review Online)  This column was written by The Editors Of National Review Online.

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John McCain’s victory in New Hampshire is a lesson in the power of perseverance. Written off for much of last year, he now seems, to many observers, the most likely candidate to win the Republican nomination. It is good to see his strengths rewarded. These strengths include the foresight and (again) perseverance he has shown on the Iraq war. Voters who considered it their most important issue went heavily for him.

He is one step closer to a McCain-Huckabee-Giuliani race in which he could find himself the most acceptable choice to conservatives. But he is not there yet. He will be tempted to go after Giuliani’s voters. The mayor took some national-security voters and moderates from McCain when the senator faltered, and he might get them back now. But as McCain starts competing in states more conservative than New Hampshire, he should also ease conservatives’ lingering doubts.

We think he can address some of their concerns without violating any of his beliefs. He continues to support a “comprehensive immigration reform” that includes a guest-worker program and legalizes most illegal immigrants. But he says that enforcement should come first. He should agree to enact an enforcement bill first, and then to try for separate legislation on his other initiatives after enforcement has had time to work. He announced his support for federal funding of embryo-destructive stem-cell research when it looked like alternative types of research were not as promising. Now they are, and he should acknowledge that the case for that funding is weaker. It would also be reassuring if he pointed to respected legal conservatives who would be involved in picking judges for him.

Our candidate, Mitt Romney, has been damaged by his second-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. He has yet to truly connect with voters, many of whom still see him as inauthentic. But his message in New Hampshire - as the conservative turn-around artist who wants to fix Washington - suited him, even if he came up short. He will need to win the argument about the economy in Michigan, which will require talking about it more, and with more emphasis on middle-class families. Based on his record, views, knowledge, credentials, and interests, Romney should be winning the economic debate. Yet McCain trounced him in New Hampshire among the voters who care most about the economy.

When we endorsed Romney, we called the race “fluid and unpredictable.” It still is. It is possible, if only just barely in some cases, to see Giuliani, Huckabee, McCain, or Romney winning the nomination. We hope there are more surprises to come, and that they serve as a prelude to the biggest one of all this November.

[rushlimpdrug]

This old man he played New Hampshire on his knee,
with a nick nack paddy wack give them all a bone, this old man should be in a rest home.

[fairandbal]

Based on his record, views, knowledge, credentials, and interests, Romney should be winning the economic debate (article above)

hardly, you NRO hypocrites

you just wish he was winning the debate because he would continue the Bush govt for the rich folks

Posted by ainttaken at 10:44 PM : Jan 09, 2008


This post is SOOO dead on correct, it''s worth repeating!!!

[mcv57]

''Gulf incident clip fabricated'' (video)
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Teheran, Iran

Iran on Wednesday called video and audio released by the Pentagon showing Iranian Revolutionary Guards boats confronting US warships in the Strait of Hormuz "fabricated," an English-language state-run television station reported.

"fabricated."

The Iranian boats appeared to ignore repeated warnings from the US ships, including horn blasts and radio transmissions, according to the video, which was shot from the bridge of the destroyer USS Hopper.

Intend no harm."

The audio and video recordings were made separately but were pulled together by the Navy. Often uneven and shaky, the video condenses what Navy officials have said was a 20-minute or so clash.

That is something normal that takes place every now and then for each party," he told the state news agency IRNA.

"The identification of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian Navy units is a natural occurrence," the official IRNA news agency quoted Najjar. "Islamic Republic of Iran Navy units always put questions to passing vessels and warships at the Strait of Hormuz and they need to identify themselves. This is in accordance with the normal procedures."

Najjar called Western news reports that the boats threatened to blow up the US warships as "mischief."

[bill1fj]

mccain, hilary, and obama are all for amnesty for the over 20 million ILLEGAL aliens now in the U.S. stealing jobs from LEGAL residents.
Why would anyone vote for these people that intend to give amnesty to ILLEGAL aliens?
NO AMNESTY!

[vastr-wcon]

.
If you support amnesty for illegal immigrants, you have only ONE clear choice in this election: AMNESTY-JOHN McCain.

You can rest assured that after another half-hearted effort at "securing our boarders", AMNESTY-JOHN, if elected president - or otherwise - will do everything in his power to p*ss on those legal immigrants awaiting for citizenship, and immediately grant full citizenship status to all those that illegally entered our country (with the usual BS that they "learn" English ;) and pay a "fine" ;)).

Don''t be fooled by cheap imitators like the Huskster - who will only use your tax dollars for more benefits for illegals, or Rudy "Sanctuary City" Giuliani, who just looks the other way whenever an illegal approaches.

So, if 1. you''ve always wanted to have to learn spanish, or 2. you really want your town to achieve the coveted "barrio" status, or 3. you enjoy lower wages, or 4. you want all those empty spaces in the local prison filled, or 5. you want to pay even more hospital costs for ANCHOR babies --- THEN AMNESTY-JOHN IS YOUR GUY!

!Hurra para la amnistia!

,

[mcv57]

Place on your ballot: Bozo the Clown, at least he will make you laugh on the way down.

[mcv57]

Hillary is going to win. The people of America will take any Clinton over a Republican. And McCain is too honorable of man to buy his way in the White House.

That is comment is comming from an educated man who knows the whole d*a*m* government is corrupt and has adopted facism. I am for no party. Hillary will bring this country into more welfare, national debt, and lots more taxes.

Place on your ballot: Bozo the Clown, at least he will make you laugh on the way down.

[johnnobrain]

John McCain has been in DC for 25 long years. He is a big part of the Washington grid-lock problem. He is aging like a fossil at 71 years old. He has ridden his war hero status for a long time with small results in Congress. Military leadership can hardly translated to excellence in real life management, because you only has one acceptable way to respond to your seniors which is "YES SIR!%u201D How can any one believe he can revitalize the country? He should be getting ready to pack up his office and move to Florida for his retirement.

[chrisbieber]

NRO...shills for the CORPORATE SOCIALISTS...which back in the old days PRIOR to NR and not TOTALLY megalomaniac WFB, was CONDEMNED as EVIL by the Right...

Now NRO and thier ilk serviley serve and parrot the GLOBALIST and STATIST mantras their bankrollers(and even themselves) in bleating like Pavlovian manner..

Dont even commit the ThoughtCrime of...CHALLENGING the RECORD of Mr. McCain...Keating 5, McCainFeingold, McCainKennedy, playing pattycake with Falwell and the RR, and his MEGALOMANIACAL warmongering and imperialism...and the H*** with the Constitution and US heritage...let alone the BANKRUPT USTreas...

Not even going to go down the Romney Road...too easy...utterly embarrasing...even for NR crowd..

oh well....

They had their chance in the primaries...to say the HECK with convenience and to stand on Principles of liberty and freedom and support Ron Paul.

But no...they chose Statism and expediency.

Hope they will be happy come election day....

[noloyalisti]

McCain is a bad joke and good bush enabler along with most of his GOP ilk. Remember his Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran number. Good joke huh?

I think this guy should be in a nut house or in jail with the rest of his traitorous party.

[guysdigdirt]

NRO is elitist in that it went for multi millionaire Romney who no one is really voting for.
Posted by fairandbal

Seems you are sour that he has money and you are still making slurpees at 7-11. If no one is voting for Romney, how is he the only GOP to have delegate votes from every caucus so far? Would seem you are out of touch.

[fairandbal]

This article shows how NRO is totally and completely out of touch with mainstream America people.

NRO is elitist in that it went for multi millionaire Romney who no one is really voting for.