Posted by
Jabra on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 11:33:42 AM
In reply to my post yesterday about the possibility of Romney being the Republican ticket in 2008 a reader responded that it is wishful thinking because the remaining states in the primaries are not winner-take-all states. Nevertheless, nominating a dark horse at the convention and ignoring the primary results is not unheard of, especially when the apparent front-runner has angered the base. A similar thing happened to Salmon P. Chase, and William Seward (the Republican front runner going into convention), who were two of the main Republican candidates in 1860, who, similar to McCain has estranged the base by supporting positions that the base of the party didn't agree with.
As the convention developed, however, it was revealed that Seward, Chase, and Bates had each alienated factions of the Republican Party. Delegates were concerned that Seward was too closely identified with the radical wing of the party, and his moves toward the center had alienated the radicals. Chase, a former Democrat, had alienated many of the former Whigs by his coalition with the Democrats in the late 1840s, had opposed tariffs demanded by Pennsylvania, and critically, had opposition from his own delegation from Ohio. Bates outlined his positions on extension of slavery into the territories and equal constitutional rights for all citizens, positions that alienated his supporters in the border states and southern conservatives. German-Americans in the party opposed Bates because of his past association with the Know-Nothings. (quoted from Wikipedia.com)
Unless McCain puts a very good and convincing argument that he will be a true Conservative president, which I doubt, Republican delegates still have a choice at the convention.