Gay-baiting Senator John McCain won the Florida primary yesterday. One can’t help but wonder, however, whether this win really matters. Yes, McCain took 36% of the vote, a healthy margin of victory over competitor Mitt Romney, who took 31% of the Republican tally. While the win would seem to put McCain on track for a Super Tuesday win – which our editor has renamed “Turgid Tuesday” – a closer look at the numbers show yet again that the Republican base has been fractured.
From those redcoats at the BBC:
He owes his remarkable victory instead to support from Hispanics, those over 65 and independents.
…
Hispanic voters were only 12% of the Republican electorate, but they voted 54% for Mr McCain, with only 14% for Mr Romney, and 24% for former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.Among white voters, who made up 84% of voters, Mr Romney actually beat Mr McCain narrowly by 34% to 33%.
The intriguing analysis goes on to show that more conservative voters went for Romney. The Mormon former Governor also took in more religious voters, particularly white protestants, as well as Bush supporters.
So, what does McCain’s win mean? Not that much. But don’t tell McCain, because he seems to think yesterday’s tally clinches the deal: “Our victory might not have reached landslide proportions, but it is sweet nonetheless. It shows one thing. I’m the conservative leader who can unite the party.” Not if you look at the numbers, Johnny Boy.
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In fact, the only person who is really, truly effected by McCain’s win must be Rudy Giuliani, who is expected to drop out today and endorse McCain. Said Giuliani: “The responsibility of leadership doesn’t end with a single campaign, it goes on and you continue to fight for it. We ran a campaign that was uplifting.” If you call scandal-ridden uplifting, sure.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton took 50% of the Democratic votes. She receives no delegates, however, because Florida violated DNC rules and moved its primary forward, thus disqualifying the delegates. Some could say Clinton received so many votes because she ignored the party’s push and campaigned there, anyway. So much for unity…
Bob R
Yes, it matters a great deal because now the financially strapped McCain campaign will get a fresh infusion of cash. Giuliani’s money donors will probably gravitate to McCain. Romney is financing his own campaign right to the end. Huckabee’s 15 minutes are over and it’s now a two man race for the GOP just as it is for the Dems. So, McCain gets delegates and a refreshed bank account just when he needs it most.
hisurfer
I’m hoping Romney hangs in there, if only because the Democrats will make mince meat out of him.
M Shane Walsh
I’m actually inclined to think that Romney represents more of an older, somwhat saner repub sensability (which is nonsense to me).
& I’m guite sure that the Mormon ideology is not very decisive on the gay issue-far far less frightening than the Redneck variety-the only thing pink about McCain is his face.
While it could be irrelivant the Mexicans probably thought that he was Irish Catholic (from the name) and didn’t realize that he’s from Protestant No Ireland.
There is an old bond with Irish Catholics because they joined the Mexican side during the Mexican-American War and a Mexican Holiday called San Patricos, commemorating the event. The only thing McCain would want to do with Mexicans is to press them into
service murdering Iraqis.