Will George Bush Lose the New Hampshire Primary?

[LWolf]

http://truthout.org/docs_04/011104J.shtml

This is an interesting piece on truthout. I didn't know Tom Laughlin was a republican; from the little I know about him, I wouldn't have thought it. Isn't he a little old for a "Billy Jack" sequel? I have to admit that I saw Billy Jack 20 or 30 times or so as a teenager, and it still remains high on my list of "bad movies that I can't resist."

Tom Laughlin aside, I wonder if any of these challengers are viable?

There are 14 Republicans running in the New Hampshire primary. Is it a done deal that George Bush will win the Granite State? Not necessarily. New Hampshire Republicans are a fiscally conservative lot and they could very well turn their backs on a man who cannot -- and will not -- balance the federal budget.

According to former state of New Hampshire GOP Chairman David Gosselin, "We need a challenger to draw out on the issues and answer the questions we have about the war, the economy, and questionable dealings the President has had with major corporations to which he or his staff have connections.''

"George Bush is a maverick who does not follow the traditional Republican party line regarding overspending," stated one local voter. "If I were to go out and spend double and triple my annual income the way that Mr. Bush does, I would very soon be bankrupt -- or in jail. His open-handed spending policies are scaring me."

Conservative New Hampshire Republicans have traditionally been opposed to so-called Big Government and Bush's track record of increasing government bureaucracy may not go down well with them either. "Sure, Bush has cut back public services like Medicare and Social Security," another resident added, "but for every bureaucrat fired from the EPA, Bush pumps an even greater amount of federal money into corporate-based programs that are just Big Government in disguise as far as I can see. And too many of our tax dollars are going to support an over-active citizen surveillance bureaucracy. Call it Homeland Security or whatever. To me, Big Government by any other name is still Big Government."

[SheilaT]

1. There's actually going to be

a ballot with more than one name on it for the Republicans in the NH Primary? That's news to me.

Depending on just how the Republicans select their delegates to the national convention, it may or may not matter. I rather suspect that almost every other state's Republican Party has already selected their delegates, or will quite soon without any pesky primary or caucus.

Here in Kansas we're having a caucus because our Republican legislature wouldn't fund a primary. The Republicans see no need for one since they don't have more than one candidate, George W Bush.

In answer to your question, no, none of the challengers are viable. For starters, notice that none of them are being covered by the national media.

[Demeter]

2. We're not even having a primary in Michigan

GWB is unopposed, and the Democrats will Caucus in Feb.