Posted on 10/20/2011 11:40:57 AM PDT by broken_arrow1
The GOP could face a revolt from within its tea party grassroots base if it nominates an establishment candidate without true conservative, anti-big government values, one of America’s leading conservative pundits tells Newsmax.TV in an exclusive interview.
Specifically, columnist and former Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan told Newsmax that the nomination of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the architect of a state insurance plan that many say inspired Obamacare, could prompt the tea party movement to form a third party.
“It’s a real possibility because the tea party folks and the Republican conservatives and social conservatives and others are very apprehensive of Mitt Romney and they don’t feel he is really one of us,” Buchanan told Newsmax.
“They’ve got reason for that feeling and that sentiment but if they do that, if, for example … they persuaded Ron Paul to run on a third party ticket, Barack Obama would be easily re-elected,” he added.
Buchanan would certainly know. A former aide to President Ronald Reagan, he was one of the first conservative commentators to hold a prominent job as a TV commentator and syndicated columnist in the mainstream media.
From 1966 through 1974, Buchanan was an assistant to Richard Nixon, and from 1985 to 1987, White House Director of Communications for Reagan.
Buchanan ran twice for the Republican nomination for president and then in 2000 ran for the White House on the Reform Party ticket. He said he can see a third party candidate emerging in 2012 if Mitt Romney gets the GOP nod.
Of the current Republican candidates he said, “Certainly Michele Bachmann is one of us. I think Rick Perry is. I think Herman Cain is. If you are talking about a more traditional conservative certainly I would put Santorum in there.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
I could see this happening and no, I don’t think the GOP elites would prefer a conservative over Obama.
I think he’s right on this one. I certainly wouldn’t vote for Romney, no matter what.
FReep U Mitt Romney (FUMR)!!
Well, there must be a full moon, because I actually agree with Reichsinspekteur Buchannan.
If the meteoric rise of Herman Cain keeps up, Romney shouldn’t be a problem by the time primaries roll around, and Cain will waltz to the nomination. This isn’t the Democrats where they cheated Hillary out of the nomination that by the numbers ought to have been hers.
Pat getting a little low on cash, time to run again, and funnel all the money to Bay’s direct mailing business??
Nonsense. People didn’t vote third party in 92’ or 96’. Oh, nevermind.
If a third party is formed because of Romney I would think seriously of joining, but not for Ron Paul.
To quit the Repubs for Ron Paul would be as insane as Ron Paul.
I am looking for a Conservative, not a nutcase.
I think they would defer to Cain more than they would to a white bread conservative candidate. Yes that means the race card is in play, where blacks are given more latitude than whites, but that card has two sides and showing its back to Obama would be very rich.
How about if Cain or Rubio is on the ticket with Romney?
It would help me to have a definitive answer on how FReepers stand on this issue.
Absolutely!
It will take something like that to make the RINO extinct. Losing the first time is not the worst thing, losing every time is.
I don’t see this happening, and hope it doesn’t. Paul might get his feelings hurt, and try something. I still don’t trust Trump, but all I can do is back Cain, and hope for the best.
I want to believe that Cain will be the nominee, but I know that the establishment will try every trick in the book to keep it from happening.
If a few of the stragglers dropped out, like Bachmann and Santorum, I’d feel more confident in Herman’s chances.
We also have to keep an eye on Newt’s steady progress. He’s good fallback candidate, and I think he’d make a fine running mate, but we don’t want him to get so popular that he ends up splitting the conservative vote.
To be a third (spoiler) party candidate is a selfish thing which, unless you are so wildly popular that you can grab a third or more of the electoral votes, is counterproductive to what you want. If Romney got the GOP nod, then Sarah Palin said she was going to run with Cain as a third party... now that could grab enough votes to upset the applecart but good.
The last State of the Union said it all. The RinoCracy made a big point of Dems/Repubs all “sitting together”...basically flipping off Flyover Country.
The RinoCracy could care less whether Obama or Romney is the next President They’ll attempt to “Palinize” any candidate perceived as “Flyover Country”. Any candidate other than Obama/Romney is gonna need supernatural supervision...
The next best conservative will probably end up Cain’s VP. Cain said he would not wish to be Perry’s VP, for instance, but has said nothing so far against the possibility of picking Perry for his own VP.
I don’t think Romney could win the Primary, because he’s going to have zero momentum coming out of the south.
But if he did, there will certainly be a third party revolt. We won’t vote for Obama and we won’t vote for Obaromney.
I won’t vote for or support the abortionist, gay rights pushing, gun grabbing, global warming nutcase, mandate loving, big government, freedom robbing, socialist healthcare pushing Willard the RAT Romney under any circumstances whatsoever!!
His VP pick would not save him. McCain at least was pro-life and a military man.
Been there, done that, wouldn’t be prudent to do it again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7OQoBxZZPqU
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