The Detroit News asks whether Rep. Thad McCotter of Michigan is any more of a presidential longshot than businessman Herman Cain, former Utah governor John Huntsman, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, and Texas congressman Ron Paul.
Fox News did, and McCotter failed to generate a percentage point. His “peak” may very well have been an August 7 Fox News poll when he hit one percent.
But it is a bit unfair for debate sponsors to use McCotter’s poor poll standing as a reason to exclude him (a five-term congressman and former chairman of the Republican House Policy Committee) and then not include him on their list of candidate options when they conduct those polls.
I’ll note, part of my view on this is based simply on the entertainment value of having the dry humor of McCotter on the debate stage. Come on, organizers. Give him a shot, at least one debate.
From his recent appearance:
“I’ve been running around Iowa and New Hampshire. You may not have heard a whole lot about that . . . And at the Iowa, Pork County GOP fest, warmly received with a standing ovation, and the same from the Corn Growers. (laughter) Well, yes, I like to eat.”
“I have no doubt that the people in the Republican party know we cannot beat Barack Obama with a bumper sticker, and we cannot expect him to defeat himself, because he will have much help — much of it coming, actually from the people paying little attention to our campaign so far . . . Make no mistake: The most powerful special interest is big government, and Barack Obama is its lobbyist.”
"Make no mistake: The most powerful special interest is big government, and Barack Obama is its lobbyist.”
This line ought to be repeated again and again by the Republican nominee. Clear, succinct, understandable and relatable, it tells you everything you need to know for this election.
In my experience most people operate under the assumption that government is good, has good intentions and therefore deserves larger and larger portions of our nation's treasure. If we can get people to at least question this very basic premise, we will go a long way in converting them to conservatism.
Jim, you're one of my favorite writers. Your twitter remarks are entertaining, and your work is substantive. I been following McCotter for 3 years and its so disappointing that he isn't given a chance at bat. Thanks for writing this because I do believe that McCotter has a chance if only the "gatekeepers" let him present his case to the people.
Jim, you're one of my favorite writers. Your twitter remarks are entertaining, and your work is substantive. I been following McCotter for 3 years and its so disappointing that he isn't given a chance at bat. Thanks for writing this because I do believe that McCotter has a chance if only the "gatekeepers" let him present his case to the people.
I intend to vote for McCotter, regardless of whether anyone else knows who he is.
I hope the networks consider the folly of the popularity filter they are using to keep out other candidates. The most popular sentiment I hear from the people I talk to is that they are not 100% happy with any of the candidates (I exclude the Paulites many of whom never much considered any of the other candidates and cannot be said to have an open mind on the subject).
What that should tell us is that we should stop excluding people who just might be the sensible candidate we are looking for. Of course, I have in mind Thaddeus McCotter, but Gary Johnson deserves a look, too. I have contributed to both campaigns.
McCotter is Lincolesque. And I recall that Lincoln entered the 1860 convention a 4th-place dark horse.
Bout freakin' time someone started asking these questions.
It's more than just unfair, it's absurd. The polls this year are distorted by inclusion of famous non-candidates so that they run out of room to include actual candidates. This feeds the celebrity-reality-show nature of the debates, which makes them more of a circus than might be good for the actual process. But then it's early, which means there's time for all that to change.
My take: The media have not wanted to be bothered fitting him into their storyline up until now. Maybe they are now casting about for a fresh story line. If somebody wants to play a game of "Hey, look who we just discovered, where's he been hiding?" then so be it.
But if you ask me, what McCotter supporters have on their minds is NOT to let the media pick the next president. We've seen how well that worked. If the media want to make their new story "let grass roots America decide" then I can certainly get past the irony if they can.
Yes, the guy is refreshingly funny when being funny makes the point--and serious when it's time to be serious. He can think on his feet and speak anyone's language. Remind you of some previous president, perhaps?
I agree with C C Writer and applaud his efforts on other blogs to raise the issue of including others in the debates. Except for name recognition, in my view McCotter completely outclasses all of the other candidates. McCotter's interview on C-Span.org is one of the best places to get a sample of who he is and what he has to offer.
At this time, Rep. Bachman and Governors Perry and Romney are the only announced candidates who have a plausible chance at winning the GOP nomination. At some point, they should no longer have to share the debate stage with the other candidates.
I love Rep. McCotter and I think Governor Huntsman should leave the GOP.
I submit to you that the situation you perceive as natural or inevitable is being manufactured by the media for their own reasons, and at a time when it is really not necessary or advisable to narrow the race. Lincoln is one of the presidents we would not have had, were this year's process followed back then.
I would narrow it further to Perry and Romney. Bachmann has zero chance of receiving the nomination. Thad may be a great guy, but with or without the GOP establishment propping him up, he receives no real interest because he hasn't yet earned the name recognition. Perry didn't just wake up one day and find out the GOP establishment "made" him a top candidate. He won multiple statewide elections and built an executive record that people knew about before he was even a candidate. He also built a national network of support as chair of the Republican Governors. Romney famously took on Ted Kennedy as a much younger man, earned the recognition of every financial expert in the world, gained international acclaim as the organizer of the Olympics, and was elected governor in a state notoriously unfriendly to Republicans, then ran a credible campaign for President in 2008. What has Thad done to earn national name recognition? What has he done to build a national network of support? Is he a great guy? Sure. Would he make a much better president than Obama? Sure. But that applies to a few million other people. You don't just say "I am a candidate" and expect the world to roll over and grant you whatever you want on a equal footing with everyone else. That's what communists and affirmative action believers do maybe - but as conservatives we think he needs to EARN IT.
gullyborg, you make some good points, but you ought to look into what McCotter is doing to earn support. He is campaigning and getting response on the grass-roots level, which is what it should be about--national recognition should be a result of that rather than be a prerequisite going in, but for that you have to allow some time, and that makes all this hurry-up business highly suspect. National polls can't reflect the campaigning-in-the-field factor so early on. They certainly can't reflect the national recognition that might have been well-earned by a candidate by his performance in a debate from which he was excluded because of polls that didn't even list him an option because they're focused on asking questions about non-candidates! (nickname for this situation: the Kafka Blacklist.)
You also seem to give short shrift to having viable, principled policy positions, as well as to actual current work as a legislator. McCotter has just introduced a bill in the House that is the best actual solution to the Social Security problem that has been put on the table so far.
$20 to show on Kiss Me in the fourth race. [I base my mock horse-race bets on actual captcha phrases, if you were wondering.]
gullyborg, you make some good points, but you ought to look into what McCotter is doing to earn support. He is campaigning and getting response on the grass-roots level, which is what it should be about--national recognition should be a result of that rather than be a prerequisite going in, but for that you have to allow some time, and that makes all this hurry-up-and-narrow-it business highly suspect. National polls can't reflect the campaigning-in-the-field factor so early on. They certainly can't reflect the national recognition that might have been well-earned by a candidate by his performance in a debate from which he was excluded because of polls that didn't even list him an option because they're focused on asking questions about non-candidates! (nickname for this situation: the Kafka Blacklist).
You also seem to give short shrift to having viable, principled policy positions, as well as to actual current work as a legislator. McCotter has just introduced a bill in the House that is the best actual solution to the Social Security problem that has been put on the table so far.
$20 to show on Kiss Me in the fourth race. [I base my mock horse-race bets on actual captcha phrases, if you were wondering.]
Excellent point Jim. I've been lucky enough to be one of Rep. McCotter's constituents and he's always been thoughtful, intelligent, funny, and down to earth.
This is exactly why NRO should be hosting one or more debates. People complain that we let the media select the candidates, but then why do we cater to the dinosaur media like MSNBC and CNN. Have a debate online, people could watch on their phones, computers, etc.
Or why not have a debate on talk radio during the day. Millions of conservatives are already listening, so go to the people!
I have a McCotter sign in my yard, but when I try to talk about him to family and friends, people say, "Who?" He is truly the best candidate that no one knows. Not Guardasil Rick, not Crazy Ron, not bumbling-mouth Bachmann, not Romney-care and not Any of the others. I like Cain and Santorum, but they do not really deserve the attention they get. Certainly they don't deserve it more than Thaddeus.
So what is at the heart of those ignoring him? Apparently poll numbers affect the commercial sales offices of news organizations.
Do we all remember the last president chosen by the media? Oh, yeah. He's still here.
I actually want to see a debate without the frontrunners (Perry, Romney, Bachmann and Paul). Why not have Gingrich, Cain, Huntsman and Santorum share a stage with McCotter, Buddy Roemer, Gary Johnson, maybe the gay guy Fred Karger from California.
Does this bring us one step closer to Presidential Idol? Yes, but is that the worst process?
"Make no mistake: The most powerful special interest is big government, and Barack Obama is its lobbyist.”
This line ought to be repeated again and again by the Republican nominee. Clear, succinct, understandable and relatable, it tells you everything you need to know for this election.
In my experience most people operate under the assumption that government is good, has good intentions and therefore deserves larger and larger portions of our nation's treasure. If we can get people to at least question this very basic premise, we will go a long way in converting them to conservatism.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJim, you're one of my favorite writers. Your twitter remarks are entertaining, and your work is substantive. I been following McCotter for 3 years and its so disappointing that he isn't given a chance at bat. Thanks for writing this because I do believe that McCotter has a chance if only the "gatekeepers" let him present his case to the people.
He is so articulate, he just needs one chance.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJim, you're one of my favorite writers. Your twitter remarks are entertaining, and your work is substantive. I been following McCotter for 3 years and its so disappointing that he isn't given a chance at bat. Thanks for writing this because I do believe that McCotter has a chance if only the "gatekeepers" let him present his case to the people.
He is so articulate, he just needs one chance.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe RNC, that's who. Anything or anybody that might draw away "Perry votes" will be stifled or mocked.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think you meant "Romney" votes.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI intend to vote for McCotter, regardless of whether anyone else knows who he is.
I hope the networks consider the folly of the popularity filter they are using to keep out other candidates. The most popular sentiment I hear from the people I talk to is that they are not 100% happy with any of the candidates (I exclude the Paulites many of whom never much considered any of the other candidates and cannot be said to have an open mind on the subject).
What that should tell us is that we should stop excluding people who just might be the sensible candidate we are looking for. Of course, I have in mind Thaddeus McCotter, but Gary Johnson deserves a look, too. I have contributed to both campaigns.
McCotter is Lincolesque. And I recall that Lincoln entered the 1860 convention a 4th-place dark horse.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBout freakin' time someone started asking these questions.
It's more than just unfair, it's absurd. The polls this year are distorted by inclusion of famous non-candidates so that they run out of room to include actual candidates. This feeds the celebrity-reality-show nature of the debates, which makes them more of a circus than might be good for the actual process. But then it's early, which means there's time for all that to change.
My take: The media have not wanted to be bothered fitting him into their storyline up until now. Maybe they are now casting about for a fresh story line. If somebody wants to play a game of "Hey, look who we just discovered, where's he been hiding?" then so be it.
But if you ask me, what McCotter supporters have on their minds is NOT to let the media pick the next president. We've seen how well that worked. If the media want to make their new story "let grass roots America decide" then I can certainly get past the irony if they can.
Yes, the guy is refreshingly funny when being funny makes the point--and serious when it's time to be serious. He can think on his feet and speak anyone's language. Remind you of some previous president, perhaps?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI agree with C C Writer and applaud his efforts on other blogs to raise the issue of including others in the debates. Except for name recognition, in my view McCotter completely outclasses all of the other candidates. McCotter's interview on C-Span.org is one of the best places to get a sample of who he is and what he has to offer.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Make no mistake: The most powerful special interest is big government, and Barack Obama is its lobbyist.”
Wow. That's a 30 second campaign commercial there.
What's keeping him out of the debates? I dunno, they start too early?
Joking aside, I don't know. Truth is, I hadn't heard of him until his announcement. I hope he can make it to a debate.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLOVE McCotter! Would love to hear more from him. I'm sure he'd generate interest like Ron Paul does, but more in a good way than does Paul.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAt this time, Rep. Bachman and Governors Perry and Romney are the only announced candidates who have a plausible chance at winning the GOP nomination. At some point, they should no longer have to share the debate stage with the other candidates.
I love Rep. McCotter and I think Governor Huntsman should leave the GOP.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusecdscott,
But what is that plausibility based on?
I submit to you that the situation you perceive as natural or inevitable is being manufactured by the media for their own reasons, and at a time when it is really not necessary or advisable to narrow the race. Lincoln is one of the presidents we would not have had, were this year's process followed back then.
$10 to place on Twice As Fast in the fourth race.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI would narrow it further to Perry and Romney. Bachmann has zero chance of receiving the nomination. Thad may be a great guy, but with or without the GOP establishment propping him up, he receives no real interest because he hasn't yet earned the name recognition. Perry didn't just wake up one day and find out the GOP establishment "made" him a top candidate. He won multiple statewide elections and built an executive record that people knew about before he was even a candidate. He also built a national network of support as chair of the Republican Governors. Romney famously took on Ted Kennedy as a much younger man, earned the recognition of every financial expert in the world, gained international acclaim as the organizer of the Olympics, and was elected governor in a state notoriously unfriendly to Republicans, then ran a credible campaign for President in 2008. What has Thad done to earn national name recognition? What has he done to build a national network of support? Is he a great guy? Sure. Would he make a much better president than Obama? Sure. But that applies to a few million other people. You don't just say "I am a candidate" and expect the world to roll over and grant you whatever you want on a equal footing with everyone else. That's what communists and affirmative action believers do maybe - but as conservatives we think he needs to EARN IT.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusegullyborg, you make some good points, but you ought to look into what McCotter is doing to earn support. He is campaigning and getting response on the grass-roots level, which is what it should be about--national recognition should be a result of that rather than be a prerequisite going in, but for that you have to allow some time, and that makes all this hurry-up business highly suspect. National polls can't reflect the campaigning-in-the-field factor so early on. They certainly can't reflect the national recognition that might have been well-earned by a candidate by his performance in a debate from which he was excluded because of polls that didn't even list him an option because they're focused on asking questions about non-candidates! (nickname for this situation: the Kafka Blacklist.)
You also seem to give short shrift to having viable, principled policy positions, as well as to actual current work as a legislator. McCotter has just introduced a bill in the House that is the best actual solution to the Social Security problem that has been put on the table so far.
$20 to show on Kiss Me in the fourth race. [I base my mock horse-race bets on actual captcha phrases, if you were wondering.]
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusesorry about the dup post. The captcha thing gave me an error message and made me re-try. Then both posted, it seems.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusegullyborg, you make some good points, but you ought to look into what McCotter is doing to earn support. He is campaigning and getting response on the grass-roots level, which is what it should be about--national recognition should be a result of that rather than be a prerequisite going in, but for that you have to allow some time, and that makes all this hurry-up-and-narrow-it business highly suspect. National polls can't reflect the campaigning-in-the-field factor so early on. They certainly can't reflect the national recognition that might have been well-earned by a candidate by his performance in a debate from which he was excluded because of polls that didn't even list him an option because they're focused on asking questions about non-candidates! (nickname for this situation: the Kafka Blacklist).
You also seem to give short shrift to having viable, principled policy positions, as well as to actual current work as a legislator. McCotter has just introduced a bill in the House that is the best actual solution to the Social Security problem that has been put on the table so far.
$20 to show on Kiss Me in the fourth race. [I base my mock horse-race bets on actual captcha phrases, if you were wondering.]
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseExcellent point Jim. I've been lucky enough to be one of Rep. McCotter's constituents and he's always been thoughtful, intelligent, funny, and down to earth.
This is exactly why NRO should be hosting one or more debates. People complain that we let the media select the candidates, but then why do we cater to the dinosaur media like MSNBC and CNN. Have a debate online, people could watch on their phones, computers, etc.
Or why not have a debate on talk radio during the day. Millions of conservatives are already listening, so go to the people!
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Or why not have a debate on talk radio during the day. Millions of conservatives are already listening, so go to the people!"
Whoa! That's a pretty good idea.
You can get some of the lesser known types to participate and the big-wigs may skip it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI have a McCotter sign in my yard, but when I try to talk about him to family and friends, people say, "Who?" He is truly the best candidate that no one knows. Not Guardasil Rick, not Crazy Ron, not bumbling-mouth Bachmann, not Romney-care and not Any of the others. I like Cain and Santorum, but they do not really deserve the attention they get. Certainly they don't deserve it more than Thaddeus.
So what is at the heart of those ignoring him? Apparently poll numbers affect the commercial sales offices of news organizations.
Do we all remember the last president chosen by the media? Oh, yeah. He's still here.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI actually want to see a debate without the frontrunners (Perry, Romney, Bachmann and Paul). Why not have Gingrich, Cain, Huntsman and Santorum share a stage with McCotter, Buddy Roemer, Gary Johnson, maybe the gay guy Fred Karger from California.
Does this bring us one step closer to Presidential Idol? Yes, but is that the worst process?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse