Pat Toomey’s Future An interview.

National Review ^ | 4/30/04 | Ramesh Ponnuru

[Formoore04]

And what is that supposed to mean?

[Formoore04]

"No, I am an American.
I was born in Cuba.

"Sin Pátria..." -- without a homeland.

"...pero sin amo." -- but without a master.

A quote from José Marti."

That's contradictory. If you're an American, you have a homeland... get this... it's called the United States of America!

And Luis is not an American name. It's spelled Louis. Assimilate, or go back to your "homeland", Luis.

[Delphinium]

I think Toomey has a bright future ahead of him. If he handles it right, the whole establishment will be behind him for the next run.

I agree, he will do much better next time.

Someone should send him a copy of John Ashcrofts book: "Lessons from a Father to His Son"

[ClintonBeGone]

To PA freepers ... do you think Toomey could win in Nov. running as an independent? ANYTHING to get rid of Specter.

Absolutely not. But he could cause Specter to lose.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Whatever Jethro.

I have a home, but it's not where I was born.

It's not contradictory...you are.

[ClintonBeGone]

You sir are exactly right. We need to negate the RINO vote by electing more conservatives. It's as simple as that.

[ClintonBeGone]

Pat Toomey is a proven Democrat vote-getter. He has always won in Democrat areas.

Perhaps, but it becomes apparent when reviewing the results of his primary that he still needs to focus on getting a majority of REPUBLCIAN votes.

[NittanyLion]

Perhaps, but it becomes apparent when reviewing the results of his primary that he still needs to focus on getting a majority of REPUBLCIAN votes.

Why? Because Specter beat him by 12,000 votes - after outspending Toomey 3-1, having the support of Bush & Santorum, and the benefit of name recognition?

What a crazy comment.

[ClintonBeGone]

Well maybe Tancredo should (have) challenge Bush in the primary. You know its those damn illegals that are killing this country.

[ClintonBeGone]

Oh, by the way, you're in America now, not whatever 3rd world failed state you fled from.

Perhaps you forget that anyone in this country has the right to speak whatever language it is that they like. If you had more respect and understand of the constitution and what this country is all about you would know that.

[Delphinium]

I am in total agreement with what you said.

[ClintonBeGone]

And Luis is not an American name. It's spelled Louis. Assimilate, or go back to your "homeland", Luis.

I think he's assimlated quite well. Its you that seems to be a problem. America is a melting spot and you appear to be a big clump of #(%$ floating on top.

[ClintonBeGone]

And Luis is not an American name. It's spelled Louis. Assimilate, or go back to your "homeland", Luis.

I think he's assimlated quite well. Its you that seems to be a problem. America is a melting pot and you appear to be a big clump of #(%$ floating on top.

[ClintonBeGone]

Why? Because Specter beat him by 12,000 votes - after outspending Toomey 3-1, having the support of Bush & Santorum, and the benefit of name recognition?

What a crazy comment.

What's crazy about expecting someone, who YOU claim can win dem votes, to win a majority of his own party's votes first?

[K1avg]

I'm reminded of a quote from The Savage Nation: "Democrats will take us to socialism on a bullet train. Republicans will get us there on an express train."

No other party has any chance of winning anything. But a good point has been raised: Would you give up a Republican majority in the Senate just to oust one RINO? I don't think it's worth it. Carry on...

[Criminal Number 18F]

I think whats going to have to happen is a major split in both parties, and have a third truly conservative party emerge.

Think it through. A third party (any third party) in American politics will never be anything but a spoiler, unless one of the major parties is so decayed that the third party replaces it entirely.

The reason is that American electoral politics is a winner-take-all proposition. You can have three, or nine, or 37 political parties in a parliamentary system like Canada, England, Germany, or Italy, where the spoils are doled out proportionately to electoral support (more or less). But in America, the #1 guy gets the seat, and the #2 is shut out, as is #3, through to #n. In this system, all the various interests opposed to #1 naturally make common cause with #2 if they can, and all the various interests that are somewhat in agreement with #1 make common cause with him.

The system is bipolar, and if disturbed by a third party, seeks its own equilibrium. The 20th Century saw the rise and fall of the Bull Moose Party, Debs's Socialists, a couple of racist segregationist parties, the airy liberal American Independent Party and the man-on-a-horse authoritarian Reform party. The most any of them ever achieved was getting the fellow more opposed to their politics elected.

Therefore, a conservative third party would lead to one or two elections won by liberals, before collapsing in chaos and recrimination.

"Politics is the art of the possible."

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[cynicom]

I remember Bush the elder in a speech saying "there is a NEW WORLD ORDER out there". That got my attention.

[NittanyLion]

Had Bush & Santorum simply remained silent on the issue, Toomey would've won this thing. It'a absurd to believe that Toomey couldn't win in November because Hoeffel has carried traditionally Republican areas in the past.

[cynicom]

snope...

Waste of time using the term "statist" here on FR. Most do not know what it means, in fact they cannot even say "socialist" instead of using the term liberal.

[Ahban]

Luis is right about who the RINOS are now. He has spelled it out as plainly and forcefully as I have seen in all my time here. People who put Conservative ideals above the goals of the party leadership are the RINOS now. The only question is, when are conservatives going to wake up to the plain fact that they are no longer Republicans (except in name only)?