McCain's bus passes Romney's bus and what does that mean?

Are buses becoming the campaign metaphor of 2008?

Earlier this month as he sought publicity and votes by making a 36-hour nonstop pre-caucus campaign tour all around Iowa, Democrat John Edwards' bus started making strange sounds in the frigid darkness of western Iowa.

It was abandoned on the roadside as the candidate and his entourage jumped into vans to race to the next appearance very late and greet a restive crowd spilling into the cold night. The next morning Ticket readers messaged they had seen the vehicle being towed forlornly along Interstate 80 for repairs.

And Edwards did not do so well in the Hawkeye state either.

Last night it wasn't so cold in Ventura County. But at the Republican debate in the....

Reagan Library near Simi Valley, Mitt Romney and John McCain argued loudly over who was more to the right on the political spectrum. Every once in a while CNN's Anderson Cooper et al deigned to throw a bone to the other two candidates -- Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee, in the form of an occasional question. At one point Huckabee threw up his hands in disgust and exchanged impatient looks with Paul.

Afterwards, the press gangs assigned to both GOP front-runners trooped outside the library to board separate buses and make their way down the 118 to the 405 to the Beverly Hills Hilton where the campaigns had booked the press for the night, but not the candidates.

The Romney press bus was zipping along quite nicely in the left lane on the 118 when, with a rocking blast, the McCain press bus blasted by in the right lane to take the lead and disappear into the freeway darkness ahead.

Are you picking up on the symbolism here?

Sure enough, The Times' Seema Mehta, who was also on that Iowa Edwards trip, reported from the Romney bus, they arrived at the hotel a full six minutes behind the bus from the McCain campaign, which has now captured the New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida Republican primaries in a row. Second place once again for Romney.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Joe_From_PA]

Last night, Ron Paul had a chance to carry the state of California. When asked the question about CA’s right to set emission standards, the answer should have been:

Absolutely! When Pres. Bush and the EPA sewed the CA Air Resources Board to remove the no emission car requirement, Pres. Bush stole the right of the California people to choice their own destiny. By doing that, the “Big 3” stopped all electric car development, leaving only Honda and Toyota to fill the need. If Bush & the EPA would have stayed out of their business, the people of CA would have cleaner air to breath, electric cars to drive, lower gas prices because of lower demand, and those unemployed auto workers in Michigan, that Senator McCain told their jobs were gone and they would have to be retrained, would not be attending McDonald’s University learning how to flip burgers, they would be making electric cars.

[Stacey]

my comments to andersen cooper:

Mr. Cooper-
Shame on you for a completely deplorable performance in last night's "debate". This was not a debate, this was the McCain/Romney show! There were 4 people at the table last night, not 2. And even now, as I write this, at 6:02 am PST on Thursday, January 31, 2008, you still have only 3 people's pictures on your web page advertising last night's debate! Why are you so groosly disrespectful to Dr. Paul? Please, for once, an honest answer! Why was he not allowed to speak? Why was he promised that you'd allow him to speak on the issue of conservative credentials "later", and then you never did? Honestly, why? Do you think it's up to you who deserves to speak? I even feel sorry for Gov. Huckabee. You let these two glory hounds bluster and blow, to your own discredit and dishonor. You, sir, are no true journalist; at the very least you're a weak-kneed political junkie who bows in the presence of "celebrity"; at the worst, you're a propagandist and the worst that the so called mainstream media has to offer...Shame on you. I know the fact that this comment is negative means it will get absolutely NO response or play, but come on. If you can defend yourself, do so sir. Try. Can you?

sent it to every cnn email i could find...
disgusting display, to say the least!

[CNN PROTEST! Anderson Cooper MUST BE HELD RESPONSIBLE!]

Paull Supporters: MASS EMAIL THIS PROTEST LETTER TO CNN AND THEIR SPONSORS!

Dear CNN, affiliate TBS, and sponsors Los Angeles Times, and Politico.com of Capitol News Co.:

I found your coverage of the 1/30/08 Republican debate in Simi Valley, California to be extremely biased. The final speaking times were completely uneven and unfair. Each candidate in this election deserves equal coverage for how far they've come, and we rely on you for the news, not so that you can twist the news to suit yourselves and your advertisers.

We request that you immediately issue an apology for the unequal speaking times the candidates were allowed; furthermore, you should extend to those candidates that were given drastically less time the opportunity to make a televised statement free of charge to make up for the inaccuracy in your monitoring of the time allowances.

It is not acceptable to the American people that you are giving certain candidates more face time and speaking time than the others, for no apparent (or stated) reason.

Until such an apology is issued, I will not be tuning into CNN, TBS, the LA Times, nor Politico, nor will I be purchasing products from ANY sponsors of this debate. I have copied the investor relations departments of the companies that participated in advertising for this debate.

We already have FOX News being unfair and unbalanced. It used to be that MSNBC and CNN were different: WHAT HAPPENED???

Sincerely,

Matt S.

written on this site for mass distribution: http://www.connietalk.com/republican_california_debate_013008_III.html

Deliver this petition by e-mail, phone, or letter (preferably, all three!):
We will be doing all three, and will be recording our answers to post for you. If you can record yours for YouTube and send it to us, we'll publish it! Just make sure to advise the other party on the line that the conversation is being recorded (if state regulations apply).

Anderson Cooper, c/o N.S. Bienstock, Talent Agent
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Phone: 212-765-3040
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CNN Executives
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One CNN Center Atlanta, GA 30303
and
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readers.rep@latimes.com, latfeedback@latimes.echomail.com, meredith.artley@latimes.com, letters@latimes.com, ocletters@latimes.com

[Jeanette Doney]

It looked like a solid first place for CNN to me with Obama getting more face and word time than Huckabee or Ron Paul.

(Uh, what debate were you watching? Obama was not in this one. He's in tonight's.)

[Micah]

I'm glad to see McCain get lots of time to talk himself into a pretzel. McCain's lack of understanding of all things fiscal is incredible considering the amount of time he has spent as a legislator, appropriator of funds and ostensibly in oversight of our economic and monetary policy.

It would be comical if it weren't leading to the subjugation of the people by the corporatist interests.

Ron is still in there. Go Ron Go!

[Mark D]

Lest we forget Ron Paul has the second most cash in hand after Romney-- expect to see ads from Ron Paul. I think he offers conservatives a options they should be hard pressed to choose between-- defense with no IRS vs. an empire with income tax.
Also its time you in the media take time to visit wikipedia and learn how fiat money has debased the currency (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:USACPI1800.png).

[doug neumann]

If Malcolm doesn't need those glasses, why doesn't he take them off?!

(Even without them I can see you still spell your name funny in Michigan. Are you still wanted by the Indiana Highway Patrol?)

[Steve]

This endorsement routine has gotten way out of hand. Would anyone admit to voting based on someone elses endorsement. If so, they should not be allowed to vote. How about using your own brain to decide who to vote for.

This endorsement stuff seems like a champaign stratedgy to entice people who can't think for themselves or can't take the time to know what they are voting for. Come America think for yourself and tell these endorsers to shut up already so we can listen to the candidates.

[Wendy73]

"CNN has the exit-poll numbers, and they reveal some surprising things:
Romney won pro-lifers.
Romney won the mainstream religious. (Huckabee won the very religious ­ less than one-fifth of the pool.)
Romney won the Protestants.
Romney tied Huckabee with Evangelicals.
Romney won the pro-GWB voters.
Romney is the primary second choice of Giuliani voters, Thompson voters …. and McCain voters.
Romney won the immigration hard-liners.
Romney won the upper-middle class, earning between $100,000 and $200,000 annually.
Romney won the terrorism-oriented voters.
Romney won the self-identified conservatives and the self-identified very conservative.
Romney won the values-oriented voters.
Romney won the white voters.
Romney won the tax-cutting voters."

Romney has the Reagan Conservative Vote. McCain does not. McCain has the moderate, the independant and liberal vote. Lets tack on to that the liberal media and "Broken" Capitol Hill vote. As things are going though unless Conservatives get behind Romney and challenge Washington, I doubt that Washington will let an outsider in. Romney says that Washington is broken and it is, but they will protect their own personal interests at all costs. If Romney entered the oval office, Capitol Hill would have their already poor records diminished even further as they watched a competent President take the helm and lead America through its challenges. What a sad state of affairs when greed, pride, lies, and self interest come before the needs of the American people. Washington is suppose to represent the people and look towards the citizen's best interest.

McCain is for ME and Romney is definitely for US. Conservatism is dying before our very eyes and the only candidate to save it is Romney.

[John Timber]

Romney lost too much political credibility since he flip-flopped on many major issues. I won't vote for him. Huckabee is the most conservative GOP candidate with quick wit and great ideas.

[RC]

Romney: 25:18
McCain: 21:19
Huckabee: 15:00
Ron Paul: 7:04

(About like the last debate only Paul got another single minite more, it looks likke. Very disappointing. I wish Dr. Paul would speak up about it, like Huckabee did at one or two points.)

[Guesswhotoo6]

If McCain is the "best" the GOP has to offer, it is all over for the GOP, right through November, "my friends".

No war mongering candidate will offer any chance to beat the Democratic party. Get Ron Paul up front and you have a chance, otherwise it is over now. The only way such a suggestion could ever get to be reality, would be another false flag event like 9-11 to refocus the publics attention away from the economy and back to looking under every rock in the Middle East for the boogie man. Otherwise, George might just get tired of all this election blah blah, and declare martial law. He always said, things would be easier if he were Dictator. Get real, your way off with any possibility that McCain is in the White House... nursing home maybe. Go Ron Paul 2008!

[Michael D]

So true that if Paul would interject himself into the debate he would get more air time? Or would they tell him to shut up? Didn't Regan already endorse Paul long ago? I read that some where. But yea if Paul would just interrupt Cooper and like speak oriely (over) him he would get some attention in the form of he's not gonna sit idly by as the president either.

[Michael D]

So true that if Paul would interject himself into the debate he would get more air time? Or would they tell him to shut up? Didn't Regan already endorse Paul long ago? I read that some where. But yea if Paul would just interrupt Cooper and like speak oriely (over) him he would get some attention in the form of he's not gonna sit idly by as the president either.