Posted on 10/15/2005 6:03:01 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
A TOBACCO chewing, horse-riding, cowboy boot wearing politician called George could be the Republican party’s choice for president in 2008. With George W Bush in political freefall, speculation is intensifying about his successor. The rising star among conservatives is George Allen, senator for Virginia and former governor of the state.
The son of a famous American football coach, Allen is a minor figure compared with prominent rivals such as Senator John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, but he is more politically mainstream and potentially acceptable to Republican stalwarts.
Bruce Allen, general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pro-football team, has no doubt that his elder brother can go all the way to the White House. “He has always been a leader,” he said. “I would never underestimate what he is able to do. He’s very real and that’s what makes him special.”
Those close to Allen’s unofficial campaign place his chances of winning his party’s nomination at 60-40. Although no senator has won the presidency since John F Kennedy, Allen has hands-on experience as a governor and a folksy, populist touch.
No matter how smart his suit and tie, he is never separated from his “lucky” cowboy boots. Nor will he ever give up his chewing tobacco and spittoon, according to an insider, although he is said to be a Virginia gentleman rather than a Texas swaggerer like Bush.
Sean Hannity, an influential right-wing radio and television host, has been boosting Allen’s prospects by comparing him with Ronald Reagan, a friend of Allen’s father, and declaring him capable of winning every state in the South against Hillary Clinton, the Democrat favourite.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
"I think he voted nay on the recent Gitmo treatment bill."
Unless he is allowed to revise and extend his votes,then he was not one of the 9 patriots who voted against this bill.
I thought Dr. Rice had dated Terrell Owen.
I guess he will be giving up his jaw to cancer. What a neanderthal habit.
This disqualifies him in my book. Then again, if Rudy, Condi and McCain are also candidates...
These are the nine Patriots who voted no to the Gitmo torture amendment.
Sen. Tom Coburn (Okla.)
Sen. Kit Bond (MO)
Sen. Wayne Allard (CO)
Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.)
Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.)
Sen. James M. Inhofe (Okla.)
Sen. Pat Roberts (Kan.)
Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.)
Sen. Ted Stevens (Alaska)
I loved Allen's style as governor, but I'm not sure it would fly with the élites...it's more NASCAR than Escar(got). ;-) He has a common sense and conservatism that I think would really resonate across the country, but would drive the MSM absolutely bonkers. SNL would have a field day with him creating caricatures....we'd have our work cut out, but I think it would be worth it.
What we need to turn this around and counter the MSM bias is some concrete results: troops withdrawals from Iraq and reduced spending in Iraq, gasoline back down to $2.30, an end to interest rate increases by the Fed, and rebuilding and renewal in Lousiana and Mississippi. All of these results should start to happen later this year and on into 2006. The first tangible result will probably be a decline in gasoline prices to $2.60 by December and $2.30 by March. After that, a lot depends on Iraq, but I believe we are turning the tide there in our favor (despite the hopelessly f***ed up MSM).
I disagree with Dick Morris' contention that Rice is the only one who could beat Hillary. I think Morris has a tendency to going to town with data that supports his contentions, and ignore that which disagree with it. I do agree that long-term demographic shifts favor the Democrats and the Left, but as with the last several decades, I think even in 2008 the nation will still naturally favor a conservative over a liberal in normal, stable circumstances.
Unfortunately, the potential seems higher than usual for big macro-condidtions to set up in favor of a leftist like Hillary, to push the electorate into voting against their natural inclination. Thankfully, we still have a little over 2 years for things to improve (by that I mean improve to the point where it would be hard for the media to credibly paint a picture of doom and gloom that only Saint Hillary could rescue us from).
I understand that people think a Rice candidacy could offset some of these things with an expected large draw from women and black voters. I don't believe for a second that Rice could win half of the black vote as some believe. I think that the natural desire of blacks to see a fellow African American ascend to the highest office would be offset by the inevitable demagoguery of her as a female Uncle Tom; by the time the Left and the NAACP got done with her she wouldn't be thought of as 'black', much like Clarence Thomas. Of course I'd be remiss to not acknowledge that Dem success generally relies on winning upwards of 90% of the black vote, so if she could just win 20 or 30% then maybe that would be enough to pick off some close states like Penn or Michigan.
As for women; well I don't really see why they would be more inclined to go with Rice over Hillary. While I agree with the conventional wisdom that VP's don't make much difference (with some exceptions of course, like LBJ and Texas), part of me thinks (or maybe hopes) that a Rice on the VP slot would help the GOP offset a possible Hillary landslide with women. I mean, having a credible and strong woman running as the VP would be quite novel as well (Ferraro doesn't fit that description), and again, it would set her up as an inevitable successor.
If the before-mentioned macro condidtions of our society are in good shape in 2008, and if Hillary has a good chance at winning, then I fear for the future because that would not speak well of where we stand as a nation.
I don't agree with Morris either, but I do think Condi would vaporize the beast. Others might win, but Condi would be their kryptonite.
Women, for one, are not NOW dykes or monolithic idiots who do as they are programed by the MSM to do or think. In fact, most women still have the beast's number just as they did after her dismissive remarks about having better things to do than stay at home and bake cookies. A friend of mine described his wife's reaction the first time she saw the krintons on the tube before the '92 election. She walked in, looked at the image of the krintons and asked who the feminist was that hated her husband. BAM! Absolutely cold and she got the entire picture. Other do to, but leftist polls ignore it.
Blacks, too, will also resonate with Condi when her full story is known. The bogus krintonesque 'down home' BS will shrink before Condi's real claim to civil rights fame and black heritage. Even the rave baitors will take a backseat to a righteous woman like her. If they don't she'll have the full ability to b*tch slap them into eternity.
In the end, all I am saying is that Condi would win in a landslide. She is not the only electable candidate, though. For me, winning is important, but I want my nation's enemies skewered on a spit and roasted on the White House lawn and Condi is the one to do it as well as mix-up a BBQ sauce to serve them with..
All that requires lots and lots of spending. Make Libs Happy, but piss off Conservatives.
We do need a real conservative in 2008, which is why Mike Pence needs to stay in the House (or perhaps go back to his radio show) so he has more time to read the Constitution and the First Amendment.
Sounds like Bill O'Reilly's Andrea Mackris defense...
Chelsa exists because Bill forced himself upon Hillary one night.
Then you're thinking wrong. And you will NOT gain support for Pence by knocking down Allen. So for the final time, please stop it.
Did you consult with your Japanese cartoon friends before you made this decision?
Be seein' you,
Jeff
fyi :^)
Still, that's not nearly as bad as some things other candidates have done.
That doesn't mean we can't do better.
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