Posted on 10/15/2005 6:03:01 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
A TOBACCO chewing, horse-riding, cowboy boot wearing politician called George could be the Republican party’s choice for president in 2008. With George W Bush in political freefall, speculation is intensifying about his successor. The rising star among conservatives is George Allen, senator for Virginia and former governor of the state.
The son of a famous American football coach, Allen is a minor figure compared with prominent rivals such as Senator John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, but he is more politically mainstream and potentially acceptable to Republican stalwarts.
Bruce Allen, general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pro-football team, has no doubt that his elder brother can go all the way to the White House. “He has always been a leader,” he said. “I would never underestimate what he is able to do. He’s very real and that’s what makes him special.”
Those close to Allen’s unofficial campaign place his chances of winning his party’s nomination at 60-40. Although no senator has won the presidency since John F Kennedy, Allen has hands-on experience as a governor and a folksy, populist touch.
No matter how smart his suit and tie, he is never separated from his “lucky” cowboy boots. Nor will he ever give up his chewing tobacco and spittoon, according to an insider, although he is said to be a Virginia gentleman rather than a Texas swaggerer like Bush.
Sean Hannity, an influential right-wing radio and television host, has been boosting Allen’s prospects by comparing him with Ronald Reagan, a friend of Allen’s father, and declaring him capable of winning every state in the South against Hillary Clinton, the Democrat favourite.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
No I am not Mike Pence! I have only met him 5 times and have never talked to him more than 20 minutes at a time.
I don't think anyone knows or cares. If she's married to her career, all the better.
* Support VA beliefs & pass flag-burning ban amendment. (Apr 2000)
* Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
* Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
* Supports anti-flag desecration amendment. (Mar 2001)
* Rated 20% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
Hes got my vote! Hes strong on Abortion. I think he voted nay on the recent Gitmo treatment bill.
We just did a George Washington Bush, time to try a Thomas Jefferson Tancredo
I hope he can pull it off. He has 3 more years of doing things that will make himself known to the general electorate........the Conservatives know him pretty well, I think. WOW! I just had a thought........Allen/Tancredo in '08......that is if Condi refuses to run in either spot.
Actually, if I picture Hillary debating either Allen or Pence, I see just so much carnage....she will be be obliterated...
First of all, she is irritating as heck to listen too...and she just doesn't have the emotional "calm" to debate someone, I don't think...she tends to get SHRILL...
She would probably need to resign her position some time late next year or in early 2007 to start campaigning. I haven't seen any indication that she is preparing to do that. She would need to form a very good campaign staff and to do that she would a lot of time.
"One concern I have with Condi is the fact that she has never been married..."
She does date former SF 49'er wide receiver Gene Washington.
I agree with most of what you say, but even with regards to the proper role of the Courts, Bush's fidelity to that cause depends entirely on Roberts,Miers (if she survives), and a third SCOTUS pick should he get it. W does not have the same excuses to fall back on that his father had with Souter (deception) and Reagan (Kennedy turning more liberal once safely on the Court). After going to bat for conservative appellate court nominees, Bush refused to do so for the Supreme Court.
So if either of Bush's picks turns out to be another decades-long mistake, then there will always be justified condemnation of him for not taking the opportunity to nominate a candidate with a better track-record, and then letting the dice fly. The only legitimate excuse for a mistake these days would be if Bush had put someone like Luttig or Brown or Garza on the High Court, and then he or she did the unlikely and turned left.
I really like Allen, he was a great governor for us.
Stiill, I wonder if his vote in favor of McCain's torture bill will hurt his chances next year.
That would be the best thing which had happened to the country since Teddy Roosevelt.
I did not! I asked how Allen is to the RIGHT of Bush?
The only thing that will really matter is how the media portrays her.
Go ALLEN is RIGHT!
Sen Allen spoke at the OK GOP Convention this spring and probably 99% of us were ready to go out and start working for him for 2008! Senators Inhofe and Coburn could not say enough good things about him and we know how conservative they are.
And if I'm not mistaken, at that point she was implying that President Bush had never met with her.
A lot of Freepers laughed at me last November when I suggested he would be the leading candidate for '08... many were fixated on Condi or Jeb. I think if he gets someone really excellent to run as VP he'll be a very strong candidate who can bring out the conservative vote.
Thanks for posting that! I am totally impressed with the Senator and have already contributed to his campaign for Senate in preparation for his run in 2008 for President.
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