[Dr. Sivana]

First, let me state that for a number of reasons I don't believe Palin would be a wise #2 pic, despite the act that I had been all in for her candidacy. She doesn't need the position to be elected POTUS later. She can do plenty as Sec. of Energy, including dismantling the department. Keep her in true executive roles. "We don't have any moderates running," Black said.

Okay, Elk, what gives here? You have always said nice things about Charlie Black. But Romney and Huntsman are no conservatives. Too much DC water?!

[BlackElk]

I was friendly with Charlie Black forty + years ago when he was a national staffer (college director IIRC) for Young Americans for Freedom. He was from Florida and he was one of the more dependably principled people in the national office. He went on Jesse Helms staff when Helms was elected to the Senate. By 1976, Charlie was a bit less admirable personally but still quite solid politically and he was a national staffer for Reagan's challenge to Gerald Ford.

By 1980, Charlie had entered into a political management partnership with Paul Manafort and Roger Stone. The late Lee Atwater was employed by the firm. That firm had one year when it represented three competing GOP POTUS candidates, probably 1988 with Bush the Elder, Dole and a third candidate whose identity I forget. Once the firm was established, money became its primary objective for all of the partners. Atwater was assigned to handle Bush the Elder which was regarded by movement conservatives as Atwater getting the booby prize.

Charlie as an idealistic young guy and Charlie as a money-chasing businessman are very different personalities. I am afraid that his original principles have faded badly.

If he is saying that there are no moderates in the field, that probably means that he or what may be left of the firm are on Romney's payroll.

David Keene, who was YAF National Chairman in the late 1960s, also followed the path to cash over principle. He actually took a paycheck from Bush the Elder to work against Ronaldus Maximus in 1980.

The YAF folks who stayed in Washington, DC, instead of going home to be politically active were subject to being compromised by the political system in DC and in the GOP.

The conservative movement badly needs a new YAF (and the Paulistinian/anarcholibertarian Young Americans for Liberty is NOT it) as a training ground for a new and uncorrupted generation of genuinely conservative young leaders. Bill Buckley founded the first YAF at his family's home in Sharon, Connecticut on 9/22/60. A very vestigial organization still exists as Young Americans for Freedom. The alumni of YAF formed the more effective Young America's Foundation. Ron Robinson is the key figure there.

Romney is no conservative. Huntsman is no conservative. I must add that Ron Paul is no conservative (particularly n foreign/military policy/moral issues where he is a do nothing and a variety of other issues. The heart of genuine American conservatism is Fusionism, a combination of libertarian and traditionalist views into one movement devised by the late Frank S. Meyer and described in his 1962 book In Defense of Freedom.

Charlie Black's problem is too much easily available RINO cash. He is comforting himself and self-deluding by claiming the likes of Romney and Huntsman as "not moderate."