Posted on 01/16/2008 7:59:05 PM PST by pissant
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council Action in an Update today wrote,
“The lesson that some are drawing from the results of the Republican presidential voting to date is that the race for the party's nomination is wide open. The deeper lesson is that the race for the GOP agenda is anything but wide open...
“The simple truth is that the conservative coalition--a three-legged stool--stands when social, economic and defense conservatives work together on an interlocking agenda. The coalition collapses when any of the legs is missing. (Dick) Armey and others, especially the early enthusiasts for Rudy Giuliani, suggested that the social conservative leg of the stool is dispensable, or at least that it can be appreciably shortened without impact on the greater stability of the coalition. This thesis is not only false in theory; it now has been decisively shown not to represent what the conservative coalition actually believes. The three winners of the contests to date are each emblematic of one of the legs of the stool, and each is attempting to shore up his standing with the other two "legs":
“In Michigan, these three individuals, now leading their party's nomination race, won more than 85% of the vote. The remainder went to Ron Paul (who represents the small, doctrinaire libertarian portion of the coalition), Fred Thompson (who has all three legs but is struggling to interest voters in them when his manner suggests his own lack of passion for them), and Rudy Giuliani (trailing badly now because each leg of the coalition has a much better option than he is). Giuliani's crushing last-place finish in Michigan only underscores the larger point: the GOP coalition is looking for coherence on all three parts of the message and the base constituency of the party is fairly evenly split among those who hold each of these legs highest when forced to choose among them.
"Somehow or other, if the conservative coalition is to re-form, these three legs need their favorites to unite around the strongest themes of each, to wit: 1) the surge worked, and it is no longer business as usual against radical Islamic terrorism - we will take the fight to them and win for our values (McCain); 2) the government is run with all the efficiency of a barroom brawl where the sailors are bad enough but it's actually the drunken captains doing the damage, and someone with business acumen has to clean it up (Romney); and 3) moral values are indispensable to a free nation that hopes to have and keep small government, and we can't get there without some Old-Time Religion, and those old-timers, our nation's almost uniformly Christian founders, knew it (Huckabee).
Perkins adds, “…There is probably nothing they could do that would be more unifying than to rally now around a platform that embodies the coalition in full…”
Perkins summarizes, “The message: the GOP electorate is asking its leaders to reassemble the stool, plant it firmly in the cockpit of the party, and get the plane fast down the runway and off the ground. The message to Rudy? The tailwinds have passed you by, and the party you want to lead is moving on. The race is not wide open. A unified agenda beckons the GOP to a surge of its own.”
I agree with some of what Perkins is saying, there is a Republican candidate who I believe adequately represents all three legs of the stool and that is Congressman Duncan Hunter. He has been ignored by conservative talk radio, though he is the strongest true conservative. I can understand that he is being ignored by the radically biased liberal main stream media because he is an anathema to all that they believe.
Hunter authored the Life at Conception Bill, he did something constructive about the immigration problem in his home district, San Diego, California – he built a 50 mile long fence while the amnesty loving McCain mouths promises about being the best guy to get our borders secured (LOL). He also opposed our Free Trade policy, which is economically sound than globalist Romney who like President Bush would side with Big Business over the American taxpayer and worker.
Hunter is the only true conservative I see among the GOP candidates. Huckabee, Thompson and Paul may have some of the package, but only Duncan Hunter is the complete package. Unfortunately he is being ignored pretty much by everyone. It seems like conservative talk show hosts are predominately shills for the Republican Party pushing Romney, Giuliani and Thompson as those who could win over Rodham-Clinton. To me I principles are more important than pure politics. I am thoroughly disgusted with that President Bush used me to get into office and has largely betrayed conservative principles and that is exactly what we would have or even worse with a nominee in a McCain, a Romney, a Giuliani or maybe even with a Huckabee.
I hope and pray that someone like a Representative Duncan Hunter rises from the ruins of the increasingly unprincipled GOP and gives me someone for whom I can cast a vote.
Also, I enjoyed the little chart that shows Hillary Clinton and Obama and actually almost all the Democrats on the "right" side of the spectrum and almost all the Republicans as toward "authoritarian".
Democrat_media doesn’t seem to understand that “free enterprise” and “capitalism” aren’t the same thing. He is representing cartels “free enterprise”.
What you described, upsdriver, with the HISTORY of UPS is “free enterprise”.
Free enterprise allows individuals doing business to do so without unnecessary state-imposed constraints.
Cartels are a brand of capitalism that relies on the power of the state to create monopolies or to crush competition in order to control a market.
Duncan Hunter’s fair trade will de-regulating a cartel-based economy. Cartels are dominated by private groups like the World Trade Organization which he has already come out and against with his WTO-compliant bill, HR 782.
I’m not running down your candidate, I’m just saying look, be warned — this is what’s going to happen.
We all know Duncan Hunter isn’t going to be the nominee. So do you honestly believe he won’t throw his support to the one guy in the race who can win and is supporting the Fair Tax legislation that Hunter himself sponsored?
You honestly think he’s not going to support Huckabee?
You think Hunter is going to balk at the opportunity of having someone touting his legislation during the general election campaign, building support for it across the country, and then signing it into law if he gets it passed?
Gut check time — not to mention reality check time!
This is the stuff political alliances are built on.
It’s too bad Hunter supporters are so knee-jerk reactionary and vitriolic that they all spew venom at anyone who points out what should be more obvious to them.
I’m just trying to give you guys a heads-up on what’s going to go down.
Then put up the $500.00. You insist ‘we all know’. I say no.
Remember, that chart spans the entire spectrum of politics that has so far been imposed upon the world.
So yeah, the Democrats still do embrace capitalism fundamentally, they just want to impose all sorts of government control and regulation over the free market. They aren’t calling for the confiscation of all private property just yet...
And all of the candidates just about are also on the “authoritarian” side, because for the most part they are all for law and order. They are not for legalizing drugs and prostitution, releasing inmates from the prisons, sanctioning same-sex marriage and polygamy, disarming or disbanding the police, etc. Remember, this chart has to account for the furthest extremes, and most US politicians are pretty tame compared to some of what’s out there.
Mainstream politics in America occupies a very small space. Politicians on both sides argue over degrees and shades of the same positions in the grand scheme of things. America is absolutely a center-right nation, and one that values law and order. Both sides of the aisle. Often we exaggerate the differences between the parties and even candidates within our own party, but when comparing them to the political extremes the world has seen throughout its history, they’re for the most part remarkably similar to each other.
As do many of us, FRiend. As do many of us.
Wait a minute. Hold the phone!
Did I understand you correctly just now that you think Duncan Hunter is going to be the GOP nominee?? Or that he even has a realistic chance?
The bet I have on the table with you is here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1954971/posts?page=28#28
Yes, how very elementary school of you.
I’m just letting you all know how it’s going to be.
I don’t need validation. You’ve been warned.
Democrats only support “capitalism” because they know it’s the only way they can get enough tax money for their pet socialistic projects.
And, the capitalists are busy trying to set up the corporate state to give them a competitive advantage over their rivals.
It’s a classic case of the captured regulator scenario. They’re scratching each other’s backs.
As for Hunter eventually supporting the Huckster - no way, no how. Hunter’s top issue is illegal immigration, and the Huckster is a long-time amnesty and pro-illegal supporter. Hunter will not be fooled on that issue.
And apparently, my belief in Duncan Hunter’s integrity is much stronger and real than your belief in your Made in China coloring page.
Notice that Dark Horse and Duncan Hunter are BOTH D.H.
So you think Hunter is going to abandon his own Fair Tax plan he sponsored and support any of the candidates other than Huckabee, all of whom are opposed to the Fair Tax?
Why would he abandon it ? Its just not seemingly his highest priority.
He’ll have to abandon it as a sponsor in any case because he’s not running for re-election to the House. His son is, and I expect the son will have similar positions to his father if he gets elected.
If by some unforeseen event Hunter actually gets the nomination, which I will work to try to make happen in my state, then I’m sure he’ll push for and sign the Fair Tax legislation that comes across his desk as President.
It’s a high enough priority that he sponsored legislation for it.
It is one of his top priorities.
The only priorities that might be higher is the border fence, and perhaps outlawing abortion.
Hunter is leaving Congress, and *uckabee may very well be the last chance for the Fair Tax. Hunter will take advantage of the opportunity. It’s his best chance of getting one of his central issues passed.
Just step back for a second and consider what is at stake for Hunter here.
Then you will understand why he will ultimately throw his support to *uckabee.
The No Amnesty pledge *uckabee signed will be enough to satisfy Hunter so he can endorse *uckabee without feeling like he has sold out his principles.
Hunter is not a lightweight and sees thru the Huckster’s empty flip-flopping promises. Huckabee was a tax-raiser and illegals supporter as governor and just because he now SAYS something 180deg different doesn’t mean he will follow thru. Anybody who thinks so is very shallow.
In fact, if Huckabee’s campaign record is anything to go by, he will blame his inability to secure the border or get the fair tax passed on everybody but himself. I have yet to hear Huckabee take responsibility for any action, and I have heard him take credit for things that were not his to claim.
Your continued premise is that taxes trump border enforcement. I say you are wrong.
No, not that taxes trump border enforcement, but rather advancing some of his key issues trumps advancing none of them. I don’t think that Hunter believes the eventual nominee will be any better than *uckabee, and I think he is very aware of this.
So Hunter will support whomever is most likely to work towards getting done at least some of his other priorities, and that points clearly to *uckabee.
I saw an essay about this yesterday. I’ll try to find it.
It was about the GOP’s 3-legged stool: fiscal, national security, and social, and Dick Armey’s initiative one year ago, to attempt to push Giuliani, with the hope that the 2-legged stool could stand on its own.
Ha!
Look at the 2-legged stool’s collapse!
No, Uckabee’s been schmoozing with McCain-obviously hoping for VP with the GOP elite’s pick.
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