Tammy Bruce: Politico: Iowa Leaves GOP in Disarray

Politico: Iowa Leaves GOP in Disarray

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Uh, the GOP was in disarray before Iowa, illustrated by the Summer of Shamnesty and GWB being more concerned with Mexico's well-being than with ours. Considering Republicanism died in the 2006 election, and the "party leader" George W. Bush is a liberal who ended up turning Reagan Conservatism on its ear, we shouldn't be so surprised the GOP is confused after Iowa. We, the People, have been confused by them for years. If they actually had some sort of leadership, didn't have such contempt for the people, and weren't more concerned with Saudi Arabia's profits than our homeland security and sovereignty, maybe they'd have their act together.

Part of my support for Giuliani is based in the fact that he's not from the Washington establishment and could represent a return to the Reagan Coalition. Huckabee, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of what Reagan stood for, and is an embarrassment to the legacy of President Reagan.

Iowa leaves GOP in total disarray

DES MOINES, Iowa — Mike Huckabee’s startling, not-even-close victory over Mitt Romney and the rest of the GOP field in the Iowa caucus means the Republican Party is in for a wildly unpredictable ride in the weeks ahead.

Here’s what’s certain: Romney’s dethroning has created a big opening for a John McCain revival in the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday.

The Iowa results, with a victory for a populist social conservative deeply mistrusted by many people in the Republican establishment, also virtually guarantee that the nomination contest will not simply be a battle over personalities and credentials. Instead, the race will now be a deep and probably intensely negative fight for the direction of the party in the post-Bush era. [...]

Fred Thompson had said in recent days that he needed to come out with a second-place finish. His third place has many of his own advisers estimating that he has only days left in the race, because he has little money and little prospect for a comeback.

Many confidants expect he will eventually endorse McCain. But the former Tennessee senator has not yet made his intentions clear. In part, his fate will depend on his own appetite for punishment and willingness to invest personal effort in a long-shot candidacy.

And there is Rudy Giuliani, who did not even compete seriously here and has only modest prospects in New Hampshire but remains atop many national surveys and is hoping that a fluid race will allow him to sprint from behind on the basis of a strong Super Tuesday performance on Feb. 5.

In the meantime, Giuliani had a few things to say in Florida, and praised Huckabee. As he should--the Huckanut has a glass jaw.

Giuliani Praises Huckabee's Win in Iowa

HIALEAH, Fla. (AP) - Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani praised rival Mike Huckabee for his win in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday - a contest Giuliani skipped - yet insisted his own early-state campaign could win over the long haul.

"I think we're in good shape. We're ahead in maybe 16, 18 of the 29 states that are coming up," the former New York mayor said. "This was the first one. I think it's one that, quite honestly, we didn't expect that we would win. And we didn't put a lot of resources into it. And now we'll move on to the others." [...]

Giuliani made no mention of his Republican competition during the rally, which a few hundred people attended. He did, however, take a shots at Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband's administration.

Referring to her as the leading Democratic candidate, Giuliani paraphrased her approach to taxes like this: "We have to take things from you for the better good."

The crowd booed.

"I have a different philosophy," Giuliani said. "I want to give some things back to you for the common good."

Touting the anti-terrorism theme that defines his campaign, he called for increasing the size of the armed forces, saying the "terrorists' war on us" should be approached from a position of strength. "We have to be on the offense," Giuliani said. "No defense. We have to be on the offense."

Posted by Tammy · January 3, 2008 08:35 PM · Permalink
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Your punditry frequently leaves me wanting to laugh and cry simultaneously. This was one of those times. For the sake of the party and the country I hope things align at the convention. Happy New Year!

Posted by: Steven W. at January 3, 2008 09:36 PM

I think I am calm enough now to write something half way coherent. Watching the Iowa Cacca returns, I kept wishing I was Dorothy and could click my heels three times and 'wake up'.
I sit here and I wonder what has happened to my party-then as Tammy points out-GWB is our standard bearer and it makes sense. We are in total shambles. I refuse, refuse, to accept Huckabust as the nominee. He is Jimmy Carter Jr and he would set this party back 15 years. I do not trust him, his arrogance lingers in the air like a bad stench; Ed Rollins his campaign manager needs a stern smack upside the head and the Conservative bloggers are all up in arms.
Look, either we get serious about who we want as a leader, or simply give it to Obama/Hillary/Oprah.
While I fully realize that this is one caucus and there is about a month to go before we are all chosing the VP candidates; I fear for my country in a way I have not before. My party is secondary at this point. I switched my support to Giuliani from Fred because I knew in my heart we needed a leader; then some 40K in Iowa tell me otherwise. I await NH, calling 911 before it is too late and we are all saying President elect-Obama. Or worse yet, Clinton.
WAKE UP AMERICA!!!

Posted by: Trinity at January 3, 2008 09:52 PM

"Iowa Cacca"...TOO FUNNY!!!

You're depressed....and I'm cornfused. I am a 3rd generation DEM but have been voting REP since 2004. Honestly, I don't know what to tell my Lib friends anymore.

Personally, I'd like to mix all the GOP candidates into a blender and create the perfect drink that I could digest. In the interim I'm gonna have to just settle my belly aches with some Tumbs or something. UGGHH!!!!

The only joy today was seeing the "Invincible" Shrillary step 3 knotches down. (I think Bill can expect to sleep on the couch tonight!!) LOL!!

Posted by: DEM because I say so.. at January 3, 2008 10:47 PM

hahahha.. love the Iowa Cacca term.. a fitting term, Iowa was the state that Pat Robertson was given a win in in 1988. The takeover of the Republican party in many states with his evangelical voters hurt many state's Republican organizations.

My dislike of Huckabee is after watching his interactions, his trying to be magnanimous in not airing a negative ad then showing it to reports and releasing it to a number of TV stations. The man is a liar. His comments after the hunting trip shows his true nature.

The MSM only want Huckabee to be the Republican nominee so they can tear him down for the general and hand the election to whoever runs as the Dem's nominee. Huckabee would lose to Kucinich.

Posted by: Skeptic at January 4, 2008 02:01 AM

Let's hope Rudy's strategy really works:

Allow Huckster to tear down Mitt in the early states where Rudy's social liberalism puts him at a disadvantage, so Mitt doesn't gain so much momentum that he runs over Rudy in the big later states where Rudy has been concentrating his effort.

Posted by: Free Radical at January 4, 2008 03:00 AM

I fear for my country.

Posted by: TC at January 4, 2008 04:53 AM

Every 4 years you see the same thing - some shiny new object looks appealing and everything else looks like crap. Then the shiny thing turns out to be worthless - then someone much more mainstream prevails. I have the misfortune of living in a 1 party state but I think Huckleberry will fade fairly quickly - if not get ready for the People's Republic of America.

Posted by: Jack Tanner at January 4, 2008 05:52 AM

Watching that arrogant ungracious Ed Rollins on Fox last night made me sick. I iwll sit it out in November if Huckabee is the nominee.

Posted by: Ripper at January 4, 2008 06:16 AM

The Religious Right was a critical factor in carrying the Republican party to a majority status. It may very well be the agent of it's collapse. No, Huckabee is not a conservative, but he said "Jesus" often enough to win the church vote. The elitist so-called moderates, i.e., traditional Republicans, always held the ragtag conservative base in contempt, finding the Religious Right an embarrassment. Iowa just confirmed their opinion. It will do no good to argue the conservative coalition delivered the party to its majority status and abandonment of conservative principles is leading to it's collapse. The James Bakers and Christie Todd Whitmans want their party back.

Conservatives are dumbfounded how McCain can be taken seriously, but the elitists look at him favorably, especially now that Romney has shown himself to be an ineffective candidate. The traditional Republicans were all in favor of the amnesty bill. McCain earns major points for promoting the bill.

Conservatives built their nest in the Republican tree which is now rotting. The Democrat candidates are farther Left than the country wants to be. We could be in for several years of weak leadership at a time when the world is arguably at it's most dangerous. I hope Giuliani gets his track shoes on. As much as I shudder over many of his positions, I believe he is our best hope out of all the candidates, Republican and Democrat.

Posted by: pat_s at January 4, 2008 06:27 AM

IOWA: Idiots Out Wandering Around.

Posted by: St. Thor at January 4, 2008 07:12 AM

This whole Iowa caucus thing has just been irritating. Being a "winner" here isn't the end of it--thank God. And the caucus people in Iowa in no way represent a cross-section of this country. (Again, thank God.) This an odd deal (that I still don't quite get) that allows the Iowans to have their moment in the sun, during a cold, boring winter. If anything, it may give us a reminder as to what we need to be focusing on. And hopefully, those in a position to do so can find a way to cut through the garbage, and more effectively wake people up with the actual facts behind those who would be President.

Posted by: Kimj7157 at January 4, 2008 07:53 AM

We need to look at these results and understand that we have our work cut out for us this next 11 months. Let's keep this Tammybase pumped and optimistic and remember that we have the power of the individual within us all and can move mountains. Remember the Dubai port deal and amnesty for illegals that we crushed as Americans taking action against what would have been a disaster for America.
Huckabee can enjoy it while he can because it ain't gonna last. We will see to that. We can't afford another Carter Administration. I would love to be a fly on the wall at the Hillary house today. Tammy, she wold make that post you put up earlier on her colorful language sound like a morning at Sunday school. Let the battle begin !

Posted by: Young American at January 4, 2008 08:45 AM

Tammy - With the stink we have in contention for the GOP nominee...who is the lesser of the evils? I was hoping for Duncan Hunter but he only got the votes of one or two families in Iowa.

Your opinions and values are close to mine – so of the ones with a chance – who are you hoping for?

Posted by: OpenMinded_Conserv at January 4, 2008 09:21 AM

Pat_S: Dead on. Meanwhile, Kay Bailey Hutchinson dutifly took all the future spending for the border fence out of the omnibus spending bill. They as usual are counting on "we the sheeple" to just give 'em a pass, since we have no real power anyway. They will just chip away at our resolve until we finally say "fine, let anyone in, create your North American Union, build your highway, take our guns, appoint a commission to regulate speech, make elected positions a life-time term. Make all vitamins and supplements by prescription only, Regulate fat, triglicerides, tobacco, sugar and salt out of existence. Require permits to have children, and ofcourse allow lawyers to sue anyone on the befalf of any person who is offended by anyone else for any act or perception. Put an astronomical tax on carbon to stimulate the economy, and pay for all the cradle-to-grave bennies, and save us from too may storms, or too few storms, and restore the "health" of our glaciers.

Carter paved the way for Reagan. Reagan could not have been elected if the inept Jimmy lefty had done anything positive with the economy. Bush-I got his head handed to him by reversing himself on taxes, and it is worth noting that after the tax increases, tax revenues went down after the first quarter inwhich they took effect. (Those pesky so-called laws of supply and demand, and taxation Vs. revenue elasticity just won't listen to the legislators. It's as if they expect to thow a bucket of rocks off a cliff and have some of them stay in the air.) Now the Republicans are thinking we have no choice, and we certainly don't want a democrat, so we'll just hold our nose and vote for whoever they deem to put in front of us. Do we need a Hillary, or an Obama, or Edwards to once again show the Republicans that the "base" is a lot broader than they think and the base is far more libertarian than they think? No nose holding here. If R.G, J.M., or M.H. is the Rep. nominee, I go Libertarian, or a write-in.

Posted by: mrfixit at January 4, 2008 11:23 AM

I can't understand how anyone can take Huckabee seriously?!?!? He's such a fraud; that was sealed for me when he supposedly took the "high road" by pulling an ad. But he shows it to the media instead!!! Now its all over the internet. Go figure.

He trying to present himself as the folksy, gosh darn, I'm just an ordinary guy. How can anyone support him?? Are people that shallow?

With Obama, I honestly did not think he would win. I have to side with Tammy on this one though, Hilary will get the nomination. And so will Huckabee. The Republicans are too inept; Guliani is too liberal and not religious enough.

Overall, I think this is the worst election year. None of the candidates offer anything of substance. Do any of these hacks have any ideas or principles they live by? Of course not, but the American public doesn't have any either. I'm so sick of the wishy-washy, welfare state mentality that all of Washington condones. I'm not positive about the end result. For the general election I've decided to vote for the person who will take the longest in leading us down to H**L.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TAMMY:) AND EVERYONE ELSE TOO!!

Posted by: SlimFemme at January 4, 2008 04:54 PM

Just a quick correction, Skeptic. Pat Robertson came in second at the Iowa Republican Caucus in 1988, beaten only by Bob Dole.

As one of the "cacaa" voters last night, I can tell you that I was heartened somewhat to see my precinct put Fred Thompson in a tie with Huckabuck. I spoke on Rudy's behalf and got him one whole vote (mine).

After the outcome, I wasn't shocked by anything except Fred Thompson's third place. He's not out of the hunt yet, and with a little faith (not of the Huckabuck variety), money, and exposure, he might just surprise us all.

And failing a few victories, Fred can just glare at the other candidates and they'll surrender like Frenchmen not named Sarkozy. :-)

Posted by: TLindaman at January 4, 2008 06:52 PM

I fail to see how the Iowa Republican results were any bit of a surprise. Mike Huckabee ran as the "Christian Candidate for President". Within the modern Republican party that is all that is required, nothing more.

What's the surprise?

Posted by: Philadelphia Steve at January 6, 2008 09:12 PM

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