Serious question for Allen supporters: what is his appeal?
I've seen him speak a number of times recently. While he strikes me as a reasonably pleasant and articulate mainstream Republican, I don't find anything particularly compelling about him. I call him Generic Republican Man. So, for those who are excited about Allen, I'm genuinely curious to know just what it is that has you excited.
Well, first I’ll admit that I’m kind of biased because I am from Virginia and Allen is my senator.
The reason that I find Allen appealing is that he is a very strong and principled conservatives among many wavering politicians. Not that Allen hasn’t occasionally wavered on issues, but those are exceptions, not the rule. Allen makes no bones about his conservative values and usually fights exceptionally hard for them. Also, I like the fact that Allen takes seriously the power of ideas, which I think strengthens his commitment to conservatism.
Allen also served as governor of Virginia before he was elected Senator, so he possesses executive leadership experience that most senators lack. When he was governor, he fought hard for important initiatives like abolishing parole and tax cuts.
Finally, I like that Allen exudes positive energy and optimism, encouraging people to think positively about the future and meet challenges head-on. And he’s just an overall decent, likeable guy. Not everyone may share my impression of Allen, but that is my take on him.
"Legal immigration has been and continues to be the life blood of our nation; my mother legally immigrated to America. Unfortunately, illegal immigration is one of the biggest problems affecting our country today and it is undermining our economic and physical security.
I believe that, first and foremost, we need to secure our borders. We need more border agents and detention centers along the border and we ought to be using technology, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, to help with surveillance. Secondly, we must not reward illegal behavior; rewarding illegal behavior will only encourage more illegal actions." --- Sen George Allen
http://www.georgeallen.com
I'm not an Allen supporter at this point (I'm in wait and see mode) but I'd like to point out that many people could legitimately have asked the same question about Dubya in late 1999 when people were saying he'd be a good president and Texans were raving about him.
In spite of what the Naysayers of FReeRepublic(TM) say George Allen is one of the most dynamic speakers and leaders out there today. He's solid on his positions on the issues (but not a knee-jerk conservative like some want). He's one of the hardest working, intelligent and exciting candidates out there.
I wish he could still be Governor. But I'm glad to have him as my Senator.
I can't help but wonder what the fascination is.
I went to his website to see exactly what he stands for and I came away with nothing.
He has a tab that says he has Jeffersonian beliefs, but when I click on it all I see are links to donate or make pledge of support. Since there can be so many ways to interpret "Jeffersonian values", I'd really be interested in knowing exactly what it is he stands for. I worry about his stand of Second Amendment issues and am still looking for a reliable source.
You've answered your own question.