No, the top choice for the GOP is someone seen as supportive of the President's Doctrine on the WOT followed by two "perceived" conservatives. Forget the names and read the signal the folks are sending.
They want a conservative and they want someone unapologetically in support of the WOT to carry G.W.B.'s plan forward.
Look at the folks they don't want. Questionable (McCain/Terrorist rights) or outright hostile to the WOT (Hagel) followed by a northeastern Republican (Liberal) and someone seemingly weak in leadership (Frist) all linked together as questionable in their conservatism at best.
Considering most blogs tend to be "lighter" in their "conservatism" that are used for these surveys, it's telling McCain scores so badly. We know among the core of conservatives he's on the outs, but he can't even score well in "center right" blogs.
"No, the top choice for the GOP is someone seen as supportive of the President's Doctrine on the WOT followed by two "perceived" conservatives."
It is obviously true that Rice was tailor made for the job she is in, and that she supports (if not creates) the WOT. And thank goodness.
It is also true that she has never repudiated her pro choice position, and that she has never run for as much as school board. For better or worse, campaigning is a very different school which most Secretaries of States (even great ones) would have no clue as to how to go about it. It is also true that she continually says that she is not running.
My only point is that if that is our favorite....then we have problems.
I want a conservative who has proven he can get elected, and who (like Reagan who ran briefly in 1968, and hard in 76) actually wants the job.
Currently no one fits that mold. Not even close.
You just nailed it. The people who top the "desired" list are people perceived as unequivocally prepared to wage war. The people who top the "undesirable" list are people who are perceived as having not been stalwart Bush supporters, or people who are simply not forthright.
That may not represent the views of Republicans in general, it is after all a poll of bloggers. But I suspect it does, indeed, represent a good sample of rank-and-file opinion.
Anyone pushing McCain as being the only one who can beat Clinton, should take this into account. He can't beat Clinton if he can't get his own party to the voting booth. Remember Dole.
I am so pleased about this. McCain won't pay any attention, but the party leaders and contributors will. The MSM is desperate for a McCain/Hillary matchup. Sam Donaldson said on Sunday that he would come out of retirement for it. We know very well that it's not because they want McCain to win.
I think the fact that most bloggers tend to not be 'lighter' in their conservatism is the reason rudy does so well among some parts of the blogosphere.