Posted on 02/01/2007 10:06:51 AM PST by GulfBreeze
Republican conservatives are unhappy... don't have a presidential candidate.
...they don't see a "real" conservative in the top tier of the GOP field.
...may have to choose between a front-runner who professes fealty to conservative causes but whose devotion may be suspect or a lesser-known ...
The disquiet stems largely from polls showing the two front-runners ...John McCain of Arizona ... Rudy Giuliani, who supports abortion rights, gun control and gay marriage.
The fastest-rising contender ...Mitt Romney, ... once campaigned as a backer of abortion rights and urged a bigger role for gays and lesbians in the GOP.
In a column last month ... Republican pollster David Hill dismissed .. McCain and Romney candidacies ...
...that doesn't mean there is no GOP aspirant with a record that social conservatives could readily support. Sen. Sam Brownback... Mike Huckabee... James Gilmore... Duncan Hunter of California and Tom Tancredo of Colorado, are also wooing the right.
... Mr. Hill, who seemed mainly concerned with questioning the motivations of Mr. McCain and Mr. Romney. Both "possess some conservative credentials," he conceded, but "neither of them seems particularly interested in being the 'real' conservative."
"They are already moving to the center to win the general election, and this could be their undoing if a genuine conservative enters the fray,"...
The conservative dilemma is hardly a new one. Since Barry Goldwater's 1964 candidacy, the most conservative contenders – from Phil Crane in 1980 to Gary Bauer in 2000 – have usually lost the GOP nomination to more broadly acceptable candidates.
But one thing is clear: Republicans have tended to do better with nominees like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, who drew the enthusiastic support of conservatives, than with those who attracted less fervent backing, like Gerald Ford, the elder George Bush and Bob Dole.
...
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
I do not think more is better. But some folks do. I would like to hear from more conservative candidates who have a conservative record, with military experience.
I have seen enough of candidates who have flipped to becoming "conservatives" in the last few years. I have been taught by the gang of 14 not to trust them. I cannot look at Giulliani without doubting his credibility, due to his previous historical positions on the 2nd amendment and gay marriage.
The next election will put the culture wars to rest, or it will extend them and disunify the nation to the point that conservative americans will begin moving to the red states rather than live in places like Vermont and Massachusetts. Its that bad.So the 2008 election will deeply effect the demographics of our nation, a fact that many have overlooked.
And when did you first become psychotic.... I mean psychic.
"To the contrary, if either of them get the nomination, they'll be party-splitters."
Hillary will be the Republican party unifier. I can recall no candidate in my lifetime who has caused such universal disgust among Republicans. But unifying conservatives isn't enough- if we nominate someone with conservative credentials but little charisma or national stature, Hillary will win easily. We're just coming off horrible election results in 2006 for conservatives. I don't like it all, but realistically we're not going into this election from a position of strength.
I'm in favor of the best man for the job.
I like Hunter's positions....looked them up the other day.
I just want to hear him in front of a microphone, see him on camera, listen to his vision.
He passes those tests, then he will be VERY high on my list.
Go run an Electoral College simulator and show the world how Hunter beats Hillary.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/ecc/calculator.htm
I already voted in the poll. For Hunter.
Well then why aren't you over on a Romney thread chatting up with the many Romney fans, flocking to Charismatic appeal?
Oh yea. Because there aren't any.
You obviously don't remember Filegate.
No. You do it.
This is a conservative website. By your own admission, Rudy McRomney is not a conservative. We all agree. Rudy McRomney is the left's choice for the GOP candidate. Thus, you will see scant excitement for Rudy McRomney here, other than the occasional, panicy cut-and-run excuse of "He's the only one who can beat Hillary!" (which, of course, is without basis).
Imagine this, if you will: A conservative website that wants a conservative to run for office! This is not a case of "lets pick someone who can beat the other side" (like Feingold or Clark), its a case of picking a candidate with a set of views and a backbone that can put this country back on track.
Of course she can win. I can't think of one state that Kerry won in 2004 that Hillary would lose in 2008. That's a heck of a head start. States Dubya won in 2004 that could go to Hilly include Ohio (if she wins that one alone, game over and she wins 272-266), New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado.
Yeah, but I don't see Rep. Hunter taking Ohio, Michigan, or Pennsylvania. Guliani could do that without losing core southern state voters who would rather vote Satan than Democrat. He could also easily pick up a solid purple state like Minnesota if he made the (much more conservative) Gov. Tim Pawlenty his running mate. NYC itself is far too blue to go for Guliani for president, but solid campaigning by "America's Mayor" here and in Philadelphia would force Hillary to spend resources shoring up her backfield and spare us extensive campaigning in the western states.
Given my druthers, I prefer to vote for the candidate who most closely represents my views, but I'll sacrifice some of that for the candidate who can win.
Too late, people already are noticing.
I already ran the numbers.
Duncan Hunter is unelectable.
I suggest you run the numbers and come up with an electoral college scenario that indicates your candidate has a chance to win.
Hunter will pass Romney in a few months.
"Conservative Republicans feel abandoned by the Republican party. The Republican party cannnot possibly win the Republican presidency without the conservative vote. Unless there is a conservative presidential candidate, there will be a repeat of the 2006 debacle in which Republican conservatives stayed home in droves. The Republican party usurped and abandoned the conservative legislative agenda from the House of Representatives. And the Republicans will not be able to trick or terrify Repuiblican conservatives back into the Republican fold without a conservative candidate."
Amen, and the republicrats can enjoy their minority status, they will stay there.
depends on who we run. i think kerry only got as many votes as he did because he was "anybody but Bush" not because he was a great candidate or a steller personality;)
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