I think Norquist, like Weyrich, Dobson, Robertson, etc., sees himself as a GOP “kingmaker”.
All these self-annointed guys puff themselves up as if they have millions of “followers” who will vote exactly as they say. They therefore expect the candidates to kneel at their feet and beg for their “endorsement”. When a candidate doesn’t show proper “respect, ie., sign the “kingmaker’s pledge, well then that candidate ends up on the kingmaker’s poop list.
I’m sick of all of them.
Unfortunately, too many good conservatives here do not look at Fred as a different kind of candidate running a different type of campaign. They only see he is not doing the 'normal' things in a campaign.
Aside from the ones who absolutely hate him, and there are quite a few, there is a huge following that will support him.
I was looking to Duncan to rise above the group, but his campaign management has booted that to the curb. Not his fault, but I would have had a team that understands how to run a campaign.
I’m sick of all of them.
Agreed. I appreciate it when they keep quiet, but I know there is lots of pressure on them from their "public" to reveal what candidate they like. I know Rush Limbaugh has been taken to task for not endorsing a candidate, but I rather like that he hasn't. I love to think Rush is thinking to himself, "What the hell is the matter with all you people who don't see that Thompson is clear and away the guy for this win?" I've listened to and read enough of Rush to know who I think he's voting for in the primary. My fantasy is that Rush lets it slip in time to push Thompson to victory.
I know that there are other listeners who think the same but plug in the name "Hunter" or "Romney" or whatever. And that's okay with me.
I can absolutely understand, ESPECIALLY in the context of what I read from all sides of "conservatism" social and otherwise on Free Republic, WHY he's keeping mum. No matter which candidate he chose, he'd bear the bitter wrath of former fans six ways to Sunday, judging by Free Republic. Every other call would be from a shrew lady conservative ready to give him hell for not supporting her favorite, whoever that might be. Maybe Rush figures it's smarter to keep his mouth shut. The only thing I've heard from him regarding primary candidates was his reference to feeling "like the guy who Romney threw under the bus" (comparing to Romney's lame media comment on the "phony soldiers" drive-by attack to Romney's abandonment of the ol' toe-tapper guy).
I'm kind of relieved Rush has kept quiet because it lets me think whatever I want about him! I wish Hugh and Laura and Hannity and Medved and Coulter had been equally reticent.
But here's what a hypocrite I am ... I'll confess ... I was really gratified when I heard KFI talk radio host John Ziegler puzzle over the fact that it's taking so many so long to figure out the deal with Thompson -- that he's really the only viable conservative in the race. Ziegler isn't well known (7-10 p.m. weeknights, L.A.'s KFI AM 640 talk radio), but over the past year or so I've listened, he's nearly always damned Hilariously politically incorrect, outraged, honest, funny, and RIGHT ON THE MONEY. He gets great guests, too, weird ones and famous ones -- he's a blast. His taking the same opinion on Thompson as mine just made me like him more.