Jan. 18, 2008
S.C. GOP Chair Says Electability Is Key
Political Players: Katon Dawson Assesses The GOP Field And Talks About What His State Wants In A Candidate
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Katon Dawson (AP Photo)
CBSNews.com: Governor Romney is back on the air now in South Carolina after suspending his ad campaign following his second place finish in New Hampshire. How hurtful do you think that break was for his campaign?
Katon Dawson: I think that with as many undecided voters as there are right now, certainly you don't like to go down in your political media. But there are a lot of undecideds out there in this race, and it's up for grabs in South Carolina. So we will find out how well the strategy played. But Government Romney has got a strong team here, a strong presence here, for a little over a year.
CBSNews.com: Do you think that his Mormon religion has hurt him among evangelical voters--who account for as much as 50% of the GOP vote there?
Katon Dawson: My opinion would be voters are looking for an entire package, not just one issue to disqualify you. But certainly Governor Romney has values that are very consistent with evangelical voters, and has run a good campaign here.
I always think this lumping and grouping into any type of category is very dangerous in South Carolina because we are a very independent state with independent voters. If evangelicals all voted the same, Pat Robertson certainly would have won here [in 1988].
CBSNews.com: Senator McCain seems to be in a very strong position in South Carolina. He got 44 percent of the vote in 2000. He’s either tied for the lead or in the lead in most of the polls. What does he have to do between now and Saturday?
Katon Dawson: I think Senator McCain certainly has had a good campaign staff in South Carolina the entire time. He is a war hero, and recognized for that. He has stuck to his message, and was right about the surge and where we are in the war on terror. And the voters, I think, are rewarding him with their favor right now for being very consistent with his message.
With that being said, there are more people in the race than there were in 2000. 2000 was basically limited to George Bush and John McCain. Right now you have got lots of very well-qualified candidates.
CBSNews.com: McCain, very famously, came back to South Carolina after the 2000 primary and apologized for going with his political advisers rather than his instincts on the Confederate flag. Do you think his position now--that the flag should be taken down--will hurt him at all?
Katon Dawson: I think that issue's behind everybody in South Carolina. I do. At least I hope it is. And we've resolved it, and certainly to some people's dissatisfaction. But this race is bigger than one issue.
Electability is huge. People want to know who could take the fight to the Democrats and retain the White House. I cannot tell you who that is right now.
CBSNews.com: Of the two leading Democrats, who do you think would be tougher to beat in a general election? South Carolina is pretty fertile territory for the Republicans, but nationally?
Katon Dawson: I think it is tough to tell you right now. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. I think the thing that I am the most encouraged about is the philosophical differences in the parties, to me, have never been as wide as they are right now. The Democrats are out front about raising taxes, socialized healthcare, weakness in the war on terror. And the Republicans are opposite on all those issues. I think you are going to see a striking difference in the candidates.
By Brian Goldsmith
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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- HILLARY CLINTON ROCKS!
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- Ron Paul stands for everything that Hillarceny is not,....a true Constitutionalist. Yes, there is a "CONSTITUTION PARTY" which is already the third largest and the fastest growing in the United States. (constitutionparty.com)
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- Gotta be Romney or McCain. Huckabee won''t survive outside the Bible Belt. In an event, a Hillary nomination will help the GOP.
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- Mitt Romney%u2019s great business success:
In 1992, the firm acquired American Pad & Paper. By 1999, the year Romney left Bain, two American plants were closed, 385 jobs had been cut and the company was $392 million in debt.
The next year, Ampad was forced into bankruptcy.
Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs bought Dade International for about $450 million in 1994.
The firm quickly fired or relocated at least 900 workers. Over the next several years, it sunk increasingly into debt and laid off 1,000 workers.
In 2002 it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
A 1997 buyout of LIVE Entertainment for $150 million resulted in 40 layoffs, 1/4 of the company''s workers.
The job cuts affected all aspects of the company from production and acquisition to legal and public relations.
In 1997, Bain bought a stake in DDI Corp., a maker of electronic circuit boards.
3 years later Bain took the company public and collected a $36 million payout.
By August 2003, the company filed for bankruptcy, laying off over 2,100 workers.
Four months after the bankruptcy, shareholders sued company executives, the initial public offering underwriters and Bain for mismanaging the IPO and failing to disclose company financial information. - Reply to this comment
- The most corrupt institution in America, our wolfpack press, HATES Mitt Romney and like a wolfpack are working together to hurt him anyway they can. Lies, distortions, censorships, smears are all part of their plan to stop Mitt BEFORE he can win the GOP nomination.
Mitt can''''t help it that he''''s the only one that''''s running a 50 state campaign. The other guys like Slick Huck and Lone Ranger McCain are just cherry picking states they don''''t have the money from donors, like Mitt, and don''''t have the organization, like Mitt.
It''''s really silly the GOP nominee should be Mitt Romney.
......GO MITT !! - Reply to this comment
- You''re right, I don''t read polls, and I don''t like the idea of another Clinton White House either; I''m not alone in this by a long shot.
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- 100ker,
I can tell you don''t actually read the polls. Romney trails both Obama & Clinton in head-to-head matchups...badly!
Huck beats Hillary but loses to Obama.
Only McCain is competitive against both Dems; he beats Hillary and is behind Obama but with enough undecidieds to have a chance.
As a Democrat I''m psyched to see Romney winning because he''ll be the easiest Repub to beat in November(excluding Dead Fred). - Reply to this comment
- The Pubs may not agree, but the Huck and Mitt are the two who can best unite the party, and pose a better threat against the Dems. Either will be a blowout of Clinton, but even with Obama.
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- Posted by kansas1946 at 09:39 PM : Jan 18, 2008
Still ragging on the old abortion krap? Still want to tell others what do because you think you know what''s best for them?
Another legislate morality nut...geezus. - Reply to this comment
- But what is a libertarian voter?
Someone who will let you do what you think is best, pays their own way, and minds their own business.
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Really?? So if I think it is best and pay for my own abortion, Mr. Paul will mind his own business? Hmm...I didn''t think so. - Reply to this comment
- Electability is huge. People want to know who could take the fight to the Democrats and retain the White House. I cannot tell you who that is right now.
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LOL. If "elecability is huge" then they better write in a Democrat when they vote. - Reply to this comment
- Posted by random_radar at 06:18 PM : Jan 18, 20
lol, well said, also, hahahha! - Reply to this comment
- Posted by antoniof123 at 03:23 PM : Jan 18, 2008
Yes, Antonio, well said! - Reply to this comment
- Posted by Hwy71So at 02:52 PM : Jan 18, 2008
I hear ya. There were a couple of democratics that I like too, with tons of experience and good judgment.
I do know one thing. Maybe two, lol
It takes TWO parties to run this country. And the Neocon regime in the White House is NOT the real republican party of the United States of America. I am a yellow dog, bleeding heart, pinko commie democrat. But many times I have stepped across party lines and voted for the candidate rather than the party. And this year, I just can''t do it.
I was raised a Southern Baptist, and there''s no way I can vote for Huckabee. He just flat scares the hell out of me. And he is almost the only one that has stepped up and criticized this regime somewhat. And I like a FLAT TAX proposal. Not Fair Tax, but Flat Tax. And still I can''t vote for him. I think he would take this country back 50 years. Guiliani is nothing but a crook. And Romney talks out of both sides of his mouth.
Geeezus, we''re in a mess! - Reply to this comment
- What''s an evangelical voter?
Someone who knows whats good for you and intends to use the government to make you do it--and tax you to pay the costs.
What''s a liberal voter?
Someone who knows whats good for you and intends to use the government to make you do it--and tax you to pay the costs.
What''s a conservative voter? A socialist voter? A fascist voter? A moderate voter?
What''s a voter?
Someone who knows whats good for you and intends to use the government to make you do it--and tax you to pay the costs.
But what is a libertarian voter?
Someone who will let you do what you think is best, pays their own way, and minds their own business.
If we all voted for Ron Paul and had a libertarian government, at least we would be free even if we weren''t happy. - Reply to this comment
- "What is an "evangelical voter"?
Posted by oladywho at 03:28 PM : Jan 18, 2008"
Someone who knows whats good for you and intends to use the government to make you do it--and tax you to pay the costs. - Reply to this comment
- "S.C. GOP Chair Says Electability Is Key"
Wait, the head of the South Carolina GOP has come to the conclusion that being electable is an essential element to being elected?! Alert the media! - Reply to this comment
- Go McCain.
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- its nice of him to take time away from text messaging his teenage male interns to answer these questions.
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- What is an "evangelical voter"?
Posted by oladywho at 03:28 PM
Answer: These would be the idiots that got us into the Iraq War and two terms of Shrub. - Reply to this comment
Mike Huckabee on GOP "rock stars," 2012, health care reform and more.
