Redstate

Posted at 2:47pm on Feb. 6, 2008 JC Watts for Vice President

By matpruitt

I have three main criteria that I hope Senator McCain will follow in picking a running mate:

1. That the individual be from the South;
2. That they be able to consolidate both religious and economic conservatives, and;
3. That they be able to bring new voters into the fold and expand the Republican base.

Considering these three criteria, I am endorsing an individual that hasn't been given much thought... former Oklahoma Congressman JC Watts for Vice President.

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Posted at 6:04pm on Feb. 5, 2008 Congratulations to the "Amazing Mike Huckabee"

By matpruitt

Some say that Mike Huckabee stole West Virginia from Mitt Romney today. Frankly, that is a bunch of crap.

I can understand the frustration of Romney supporters, but they do not give credit to a man who deserves it and who has earned it.

The biggest misconception of this campaign, in my view, is the political makeup of rural conservatives throughout the Midwest and South, like those in West Virginia. They probably agree with Mitt Romney, but they don't relate to his Wall Street style approach to politics, centered on economic theory and his experience as a corporate executive. They are for tax cuts and fiscal responsibility, but this isn't why they vote Republican. They vote Republican because of religion, guns, abortion, and red blooded true American patriotism… in the words of the great Congressman Bob Dornan, "faith, family, and freedom."

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Posted at 6:11pm on Jan. 31, 2008 The Difference Between John McCain and the Democrats on Global Warming (pulled)

By matpruitt

The quote I used from Bill Clinton as the basis of this post was taken out of context by the source I got it from. After learning about the entire context of the quote, I didn't feel that it was appropriate to keep this diary up. It would have been, you know, Clintonesque.

My argument; however, I still stand by. There is a big difference between John McCain and Hillary Clinton when it comes to global warming issues.

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Posted at 1:27am on Jan. 26, 2008 Senator Mel Martinez Endorses John McCain

By matpruitt

After much speculation that Mayor Guiliani's fundraisers had scared him away from an endorsement, Mel Martinez takes a stand:

"John McCain is the only candidate ready to lead as commander in chief on day one. He alone has the experience, character and judgment to confront the challenges we face in a dangerous world. He is the one candidate I trust to deal decisively with the transcendent threat of radical Islamic extremism.

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Posted at 5:23pm on Jan. 25, 2008 American Spectator Compares McCain to... Ronald Reagan

By matpruitt

Full article here.

Peter Wallison of AEI writes:

Apparently dissatisfied with their presidential choices, Republicans are asking, "Why don't we have another Ronald Reagan?" But if we think seriously about what made Ronald Reagan a great leader and a great president, we may find that there's a reasonable facsimile hiding in plain sight. John McCain, although he has failed to toe the line of conservative orthodoxy, has many of the characteristics that the American people admired in Ronald Reagan, including the key elements that made him a successful president. In fact, given his electability, McCain offers a rare chance for conservatives to recapture the essence of the Reagan revolution...

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Posted at 1:58pm on Jan. 24, 2008 Romney is Believable on Economy, Executive Leadership

By matpruitt

Time to give my weekly praise to the guy I am not going to vote for in the primary, and try to help him out a little bit.

Sometimes in politics candidates need to find their one issue that takes them over the top. Governor Romney has been struggling to do this in my opinion. He isn't a consistent social conservative crusader, he doesn't have much foreign policy experience, and there isn't a huge immigration problem in the state that he governed. However, this recent hype in regards to a possible recession, and I believe it truly to be hype, may be where Romney hits his stride.

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Posted at 1:38am on Jan. 24, 2008 Congratulations Senator McCain - Louisiana Caucus Edition

By matpruitt

Well, I wasn't going to do this again until Florida, but what the hey.

Adam is right, Louisiana is right up there with Wyoming status; however, this is a win of significance for John McCain for a few reasons.

1. Louisiana is a really conservative Republican state in the south, and McCain won.

These weren't independents that voted in the caucus, but Woody Jenkins, Bobby Jindal, Buddy Roemer, good old fashioned down home Louisiana grassroot conservatives from the south. This is the crowd that is supposed to despise McCain on immigration, campaign finance reform, and torture, and they picked him over anyone else. That could be for a lot of reasons, but it also could be a sign that conservatives are going to vote for McCain although they don't always agree with him, because of his record, years of service, and foreign policy experience.

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Posted at 1:57pm on Jan. 23, 2008 Stormin' Norman and D'Amato Endorse John McCain

By matpruitt

These are good gets in regards to veterans and the state of New York.

Senator Alfonse D'Amato on McCain:

"I think he is our best chance to win the White House," said D'Amato, when asked why he chose McCain over Giuliani, a native son.

"My support for him is not because there's somebody else in the wings that I may have differences with -- even though that may be true," added D'Amato.

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Posted at 12:17am on Jan. 20, 2008 Congratulations to Senator John McCain

By matpruitt

Tonight what McCain did was truly amazing. Eight years after having a horrible night in South Carolina he took a very important step toward becoming the nominee. He is likely to get some major Florida endorsements and a bounce in a state he was already leading. And like Erick said, South Carolina's delegates were actually awarded tonight.

McCain gained in the counties he lost in and did better in the counties he won in 2000. He got a quarter of the evangelical vote and although immigration was the second highest issue that voters ranked in importance, he won anyway. This tells me that primary voters chose McCain although they supposedly disagree with him on some major issues. This happened because South Carolinians and Americans want a President that will tell them the truth, and people believe that John McCain will do that.

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Posted at 4:12pm on Jan. 19, 2008 Congratulations to Governor Mitt Romney

By matpruitt

You know, it may be that Romney is outsmarting everyone. As it stands, he is winning his third state today, bringing the medal count to 3 golds and 2 silvers. He may pick up a bronze in South Carolina, but he will win more delegates today then any other candidate. Furthermore, a Jeb Bush endorsement may be coming in the run up to the Florida Primary, and I got to beleive that means more than Senator Martinez or Governor Crist.

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Posted at 1:59pm on Jan. 19, 2008 Zogby Confirms ARG Shift Toward Huckabee in SC

By matpruitt

It isn't as dramatic and he still has McCain up one, but Zogby does agree with ARG that in the last day there has been a dramatic shift toward Huckabee. They disagree, however, about what this means for Senator Thompson.

ARG:

Huckabee 33
McCain 26
Thompson 21
Romney 9

Zogby:

McCain 27
Huckabee 26
Romney 16
Thompson 12

I think McCain has been preparing for South Carolina for four years and has farther reach then Huckabee, meaning that those who make up their mind today will choose the Senator.

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Posted at 12:26am on Jan. 19, 2008 Right to Life Founder Endorses McCain, National Review Says "Praise Him"

By matpruitt

Dr. Carolyn Gerster says:

"John McCain is the most qualified candidate and has a consistent and principled pro-life record," said Dr. Gerster. "He has spent his career standing up for human rights and he will continue to do so as president. John McCain will nominate judges who understand the sanctity of human life, and firmly believes that courts should not be legislating from the bench. John McCain has the conviction, strengths, and experience to serve as commander in chief from day one and that is why he has my vote."

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Posted at 2:38pm on Jan. 16, 2008 Unite against the Liberals, Democrats, and the Media.

By matpruitt

This is a rant with a call to action. I need to blow off some steam.

I hate the media. No really, I hate the media.

You see, I am involved in politics because a former Vice President from the State of Indiana got on national television and had the courage to call out a popular television show and rightly accuse it of glorifying single parenthood. That is the only thing you remember, because that is how the idiots who failed at everything else and majored in communications reported it.

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Posted at 11:42pm on Jan. 13, 2008 Prediction: McCain to Win Michigan, Nomination

By matpruitt

Not a big prediction fan, but in this case I have read two pieces today that lead me to believe John McCain is going to win Michigan, and in that scenario I cannot see where he loses the nomination. I think we have our candidate.

Here is why:

1. The argument that Romney will benefit because his dad was Governor is over stated. This is for two reasons. First, George Romney hasn't been the Governor for a really long time, and Mitt pretty much left the state when he turned 18 to go elsewhere. Second, Mitt Romney has done his best to run from the New England-style Rockefeller Republicanism that his father was so proudly the flag bearer for.

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Posted at 5:54pm on Jan. 13, 2008 Prove to Me He is Viable, and I Will Vote for Fred

By matpruitt

Let's have this discussion.

I have struggled with something for some time... I like Fred Thompson. I think he is out of all candidates running for President, the most consistent. However, I do not think he is viable. With the exception of one or two debate performances, his campaign has lagged. He simply hasn't clicked enough with any group of Republicans to finish higher than third in any state. Show me the polls where that isn't true. Give me some evidence that I am wrong.

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