Carrie Wigal

There was a panel of four political strategists on NBC’s Meet the Press today: JAMES CARVILLE, Democratic Strategist; MARY MATALIN, Republican Strategist; MIKE MURPHY, Republican Strategist; BOB SHRUM, Democratic Strategist.

I didn’t watch the first half of the hour where it was focused mainly on the democratic side, but I did catch the second half and frankly I became so infuriated, immediately following the broadcast I blogged about how “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

The straw that broke this camel’s back was Mary Matalin’s comments,

“MS. MATALIN: …Huckabee’s presence in the race is a spoiler for Romney, and it’s, it’s a shame. We should let this be a two-man race because we’re also talking about the future of the country. But apparently this man crush is stepping in front of–he’s not going to get out. I don’t know, he hasn’t brought one thing to the party. Not one–his record doesn’t say anything to the party, what he’s put on the table says nothing to the future of the party. He’s a good joke teller.

MR. SHRUM: Mary, do you not like him?

MS. MATALIN: I don’t like–this is very important contest…

MR. MURPHY: Put us down as undecided.

MS. MATALIN: …a very important contest, and he’s being supremely selfish. ”

[SOURCE]

I am SO sick and tired of the GOP presidential race being categorized as a two man race. Last time I checked there were two other candidates who are also running for the nomination. They have every right to be running, and for someone to suggest either one of them should drop out to make it easier for another candidate to win is preposterous!

While I personally am not voting for Ron Paul, I believe he’s gotten just as much of a raw deal as Mike Huckabee. I actually agree with some of the things he’s said, but I don’t agree with his position on the war and I don’t particularly think he’s a good “speaker”…I don’t like his public demeanor. That’s not to say I don’t like him. But he should be getting a much fairer shot than he has been.

Mike Huckabee has demonstrated double-digit percentages of votes in each of the previous primaries…a win in Iowa and a close second in SC (the two states that boast they predict who the nominee will be), yet the media has blacklisted Huckabee. I personally believe had Fred Thompson not been in the race, Huckabee would have won SC by a LANDSLIDE, but obviously Thompson had every right to be running as well.

Regardless of whether or not you like either man, they deserve to be included in the media coverage and political rhetoric as being part of this race. Why? For one, they filled out all the proper paperwork, got petitions signed, and turned in the forms on time. They are legitimately IN THE RACE. What does that say to Americans going forward who wish to be president someday? You can follow all the rules, but you’ll still be ousted if the mainstream media doesn’t like you.

What about the fact that each of these candidates has a following of their own…they are not stealing votes from other people. The people who wish to vote for them support THEM, not the other candidates. I know many (if not all) Ron Paul supporters who will NOT vote for anyone else if Ron Paul should ever drop out (not that I think he would) or if he doesn’t win the nomination, and I know for a fact that many Huckabee supporters (myself included) will NOT vote for anyone else if Huckabee were to not win the nomination either.

Love Me Now or Leave Me Alone

The idea that we don’t matter now because we support a candidate that goes against the mainstream media, but are expected to matter come Election Day in order to beat Hillary/Obama is absolutely repulsive. It is personally insulting to have the media including folks like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh speak of “evangelicals” like we/they are some evil entity. Yet come election day, we are expected to unite behind the Republican nominee in order to defeat the Democrat. Hey, I’m a Christian Conservative, but I’m not an idiot. I know when I’m being used.

I am deeply concerned about the direction of the Republican party. It seems to me that it is leaving the socially conservative by the wayside, and that is a HUGE mistake. If the Republican Party doesn’t get on the ball here, their party is about to implode.

“He hasn’t brought one thing to the party,” huh. Which party is she talking about? The socially moderate, evangelical-hating, rich-coddling club? That wasn’t the party I signed up for. What about you?