Zen and the Art of Candidate Selection

Illinois Review ^ | April 26, 2011 A.D. | John F. Di Leo

[jfd1776]

As a high school senior during the lead-in to the 1980 primaries, I did what I could for “The Early Bird” – Rep. Philip M. Crane. I wore his enormous button everywhere – the Fox Valley Mall and the Woodfield Mall, the movie theater, the pizzeria. I couldn’t do more than that, but I tried. He was the most conservative candidate in the field, a twelve-year congressman, author, and terrific speaker. Despite fine showings in straw polls, his conservative faithful weren’t enough; his campaign was eliminated early on in the primary season. Fortunately, the primaries worked out well for the right that year, and again for President Reagan’s second term in 1984. Something of a rarity.

In 1988, the field was broad and deep. Jim Thompson, George HW Bush, Alexander Haig for the moderates; Pete DuPont, Jack Kemp, Pat Robertson for the conservatives. The right split, the moderates united behind Bush. Bush got the nomination, and of course got his second chance in 1992.

In 1996, there were again plenty of candidates. Conservatives split between Buchanan, Dornan, Forbes, Keyes, Gramm, and others. The moderates began with Lugar, Alexander, and so many others, but coalesced early behind Bob Dole. As conservatives remained split, Dole got the nomination.

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[jfd1776]

Enough of this fantasy football... it's time to stop wasting time on the unelectable, and concentrate on who can step up and defeat the obamination!