Two-thirds of Florida Republicans Vote Against McCain
With 94% of the precincts reporting in Florida, Ron Paul has posted his worst showing of the campaign so far with 3% of the vote. The news from the night isn't entirely bad, however. Rudy Giuliani is reportedly dropping out after his third place finish with 15% of the vote. Whatever momentum Mike Huckabee had after winning Iowa is now completely gone, as he couldn't even beat Giuliani, placing fourth with 14%. Mitt Romney took second with 31% of the vote, but gets no delegates for the effort, since Florida is winner-take-all.
John McCain walks away with the post-penalty 57 delegates, passing Romney in the delegate chase and earning the now-dreaded title of national front-runner. Yet it's hard to imagine the Republican base getting excited at the prospect of rallying around McCain. He wasn't just on the pro-amnesty side of last summer's big showdown on illegal immigration, he was leading the pro-amnesty forces with Ted Kennedy and President Bush, against the grassroots conservatives.
He was against the Bush tax cuts before he was for them. Independent voters might see his global warming junket to Alaska with Hillary Clinton as a sign of bipartisanship, but conservatives view it as part of a dangerous tendency to compromise with liberals. And conservatives have long seen his signature McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act as an unconstitutional assault on the First Amendment.
Not surprisingly, McCain's victory in Florida, like his win in South Carolina, was achieved with an unimpressive plurality -- just 36% of the vote this time, following a 33% showing in South Carolina. How many national front-runners can unite their party with two-thirds of the base against them? If Huckabee follows Giuliani to the exits, McCain will no longer benefit from Huckabee splitting the conservative vote with Romney.
What does it all mean for Ron Paul? Not much, as he wasn't counting on a strong showing in Florida, having already begun focusing his attention on the upcoming Maine caucuses and the Super Tuesday states. The 3% tally may hurt for now, but a thinning field makes voters that much more likely to consider him seriously, beginning with the Reagan Library debate tomorrow night.
Ron Paul is still signing up precinct leaders nationwide, the money is still flowing into the campaign, the all-out advertising assault is being launched, endorsements are rolling in, and another money bomb is in the works. Over 90% of the delegates are still up for grabs. If voters seriously investigate the remaining candidates, and want to support a candidate who is reliably conservative on all the issues, with a consistent voting record to prove it, Ron Paul will remain in this race for the long haul.
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John McCain walks away with the post-penalty 57 delegates, passing Romney in the delegate chase and earning the now-dreaded title of national front-runner. Yet it's hard to imagine the Republican base getting excited at the prospect of rallying around McCain. He wasn't just on the pro-amnesty side of last summer's big showdown on illegal immigration, he was leading the pro-amnesty forces with Ted Kennedy and President Bush, against the grassroots conservatives.
He was against the Bush tax cuts before he was for them. Independent voters might see his global warming junket to Alaska with Hillary Clinton as a sign of bipartisanship, but conservatives view it as part of a dangerous tendency to compromise with liberals. And conservatives have long seen his signature McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act as an unconstitutional assault on the First Amendment.
Not surprisingly, McCain's victory in Florida, like his win in South Carolina, was achieved with an unimpressive plurality -- just 36% of the vote this time, following a 33% showing in South Carolina. How many national front-runners can unite their party with two-thirds of the base against them? If Huckabee follows Giuliani to the exits, McCain will no longer benefit from Huckabee splitting the conservative vote with Romney.
What does it all mean for Ron Paul? Not much, as he wasn't counting on a strong showing in Florida, having already begun focusing his attention on the upcoming Maine caucuses and the Super Tuesday states. The 3% tally may hurt for now, but a thinning field makes voters that much more likely to consider him seriously, beginning with the Reagan Library debate tomorrow night.
Ron Paul is still signing up precinct leaders nationwide, the money is still flowing into the campaign, the all-out advertising assault is being launched, endorsements are rolling in, and another money bomb is in the works. Over 90% of the delegates are still up for grabs. If voters seriously investigate the remaining candidates, and want to support a candidate who is reliably conservative on all the issues, with a consistent voting record to prove it, Ron Paul will remain in this race for the long haul.
