With no primary challenger, Bush can court mainstream

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | January 4, 2004 | Bill Sammon

[jgrubbs]

The absence of Republican primary challengers is allowing President Bush to campaign for centrist swing voters with a freedom that he lacked in 2000, when he ran to the right of rival Sen. John McCain.

"We haven't been forced to make a choice between activating our base and appealing to mainstream voters," said Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt.

[jgrubbs]

Peroutka 2004 BUMP!

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[Gorjus]

"We haven't been forced to make a choice between activating our base and appealing to mainstream voters," said Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt.

Translation: We're going to take our base for granted.

That's a major problem, because a base voter who is not motivated to vote is a lost vote. If the media succeed in protraying the Dem candidate as a 'moderate', then how many base voters will not vote at all? I don't expect them to vote for Dean (or whomever) but as Dole showed, taking your base for granted loses lots of votes - not to the opposition, but to 'none of the above.'

[steve50]

As for the risk of alienating rock-ribbed Republicans, many observers downplay that possibility.

They down played it for Bush1 also. With no primary to move him right I suspect he'll lose considerable support from the paleo/libertarian factions.

[inquest]

Who??

[inquest]

Oh, never mind. I suppose I should have read the article before showing my ignorance.

[meenie]

We're so fortunate that George doesn't have to run to the right to win the primary. This way he doesn't have to pretend to be conservative. We can already get a glimpse of his true political leanings. Somewhat to the left of FDR but to the right of Lenin. This is what you call moderation in the new compassionate conservative tradition.

[WRhine]

We're so fortunate that George doesn't have to run to the right to win the primary. This way he doesn't have to pretend to be conservative. We can already get a glimpse of his true political leanings. Somewhat to the left of FDR but to the right of Lenin. This is what you call moderation in the new compassionate conservative tradition.

How True. What "moderate" and "compassionate" stands for today is moderate, compassionate SOCIALISM. But hey, let us be thankful it is not out right Communism! Go Team Bush!

[FirstPrinciple]

This idiotic lady in his campaign credits him with the tax-cuts but not acknowledging that his prescription drugs benefit will cost over 2 trillion in the next ten years and will force the government to raise taxes in the future. What a moron.

[The_Eaglet]

This is a pretty good article, and I'm very impressed that the Washington Times covered Mike Peroutka.

It's strange that they ignored all of the other Republicans running for the GOP primary, reported by Politics1, and at least one, Richard Bosa, has been covered on various media including Free Republic.

[ElkGroveDan]

Bad strategy. No candidate should ever take their base for granted. Prolife, pro-family, Second Amendment voters are quite capable of skipping over a spot on the ballot if they don't hear what we want to hear from a candidate.

[expatguy]

If Bush does not get with the program and fly RIGHT, he wont be getting my vote.

[King Black Robe]

"We haven't been forced to make a choice between activating our base and appealing to mainstream voters," said Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt.

Is he saying that his base is outside the mainstream? Sounds like it. I beg to differ.

[King Black Robe]

, Mr. Bush went on the attack against the centrist Mr. McCain.

Again, I beg to differ with these labels. If someone sends his own party members out in droves to vote AGAINST him, then how can he claim to be centrist? Oh, I forgot, the party base is "outside the mainstream." No bias in this reporting.

[King Black Robe]

The freaky part is, this is the Washington Times. What's up with them?

[jgrubbs]

The freaky part is, this is the Washington Times. What's up with them?

Being a conservative newspaper, maybe the Washington Times is seeing the fact that the GOP is not the conservative party that it used to be.

[Stopislamnow]

I'm ready to vote against Bush already.

Amnesty and social security for Illegals will push me over the edge.

More and more I believe split government is the way to go. There is no conservative agenda in this White House, and the WH has browbeaten our somewhat conservative House into submission. And all our Senators are just gutless fatcats without a trace of courage or resolve.

A serious alternative is needed to save America.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Conservatives are a foreign concept to the GOP.

[steve50]

Had to check to see what site I was on, didn't think there were this many conservatives left here.