Can a Traditional American Conservative Win the Presidency and Secure the Nation and our Liberty?

Vanity Opinion | Feb 21, 2007 | Jim Robinson

[frogjerk]

My usual philosophy is to support the most conservative candidate who has a chance of winning.

Who would that be?

[rhombus]

Hey check the poll in the sidebar... of course that's just 4300 plus FreeRepublic readers. I imagine a more conservative site, might poll differently. ;-)

[TonyInOhio]

Let's find out!

[Monterrosa-24]

"...Lack of nuance..."

Ha! I've never before seen the above phrase used as a positive. But you're right. We need cowboy plain talking. It is a better vote-getter than hedging every statement twice and throwing in caveat after caveat.

[B Knotts]

Well, if the party hacks are fighting against their own pro-enforcement candidates...it tends to make such a campaign somewhat less effective.

[Rightly Biased]

Your heart is that of most on this forum JR

thanks and BTTT

[rhombus]

Republican elites? The media will pick who goes to the primary for both parties? Sounds like you've given up. Imagine how hard it was before there was an alternative media. I think things are not that grim and I'm pretty old and cynical.

[af_vet_rr]

You think conservatives can't win primaries?

I think if the party leadership decides they want more "moderate" (i.e. left-leaning) candidates, I think they (Conservatives) have a significant handicap going in.

I think that's why we have people like GWB, etc., instead of true Conservatives. Many in the GOP leadership look at Bush's Presidential elections and see the margin by which he won, and think that if they get a more Conservative candidate, that fewer of the moderate voters would support such a candidate.

Barely squeaking by in 2000 and 2004 insures that the GOP will continue to move to the left (I mean become more moderate).

The ironic thing is, I think a true Conservative, with a good message could appeal not only to Conservaties, but to moderates and even many Democrats as well.

[spectre]

I haven't spoken with ONE person who is pleased with the Illegal Immigration invasion. They are sick of it, and want it stopped and existing laws strictly enforced.

When the GOP runs a Candidate who will stand up for America, we will win the election!

sw

[David Isaac]

Thank you, Jim Robinson. This is exactly what has been lacking in the rather heated debate over which candidate would best serve conservatives and the GOP (and many of us realize that the two are not synonomous). This is a statement of what we stand for as opposed to what we will stand for.

Giving is a great thing. But we have been asked, by some, to give away our principles. The time has come to turn the tide.

Go conservative..... or just go (of course, I mean that in a nice way).

[pissant]

Duncan Hunter.

[rhombus]

The ironic thing is, I think a true Conservative, with a good message could appeal not only to Conservaties, but to moderates and even many Democrats as well.

That's the hope and I'd guess the intent of this thread. Reagan is always used as a model. Unfortunately, we may have to wait for a Jimmy Carter to create the disasterous conditions that helped Reagan win. A sad strategy indeed.

[P-40]

Sounds like you've given up.

Not really. There is still time but quite frankly seeing so many people fawning over RINOs would inspire me to put my money on the Republicans losing in 2008 if I were a betting man.

[oldbrowser]

At any rate, what both sides seem to be ignoring in their fight for the mushy middle may be the 2nd most critical issue of all and an overlooked opportunity for the big win. And that is the fact that half or more of all Americans, regardless of party affiliation, are fed up with illegal aliens flooding into our country through our almost non existent border security. And this during time of war

"Illegal alien" is a hot button phrase and it's a loser for the conservatives, look at the last election. It sounds like racism to many people.

Now border security is an issue that everyone can support. We are being overwhelmed and its not just the mexicans. There are huge numbers of asians, middle easterners, that don't speak a word of english. There are many more english speakers that just fade into the crowd.

I would guess there are 50 million people in this country with questionable paperwork.

[Onelifetogive]

Are there any that are planning on running?

We are still a good ways away from the election. Who would WE like to represent us Conservatives in this race?

Duncan Hunter - Solid Conservative, lacks name recognition.
Newt - Solid Conservative, negative personal history, high negatives.
John McCain - Votes mostly Conservative - Only fails us when it's important!
Who else?

[Condor51]

[pissant]

That is not true. Tough measures against illegal aliens are popular in the SW. the guy who beat JD Heyworth was even more anti-illegals than he was.

[P-40]

This is what a Conservative should run on.

http://www.house.gov/house/Contract/CONTRACT.html

[MadIvan]

A Harris Poll in 2004 indicated that the American electorate identifies itself in the following way - 36% conservative, 41% moderate, and 18% liberal. You may not like it, but any Presidential candidate is going to have to peel off at least a portion of the moderate segment of the vote. Bush had to do so in 2000 and 2004; remember, 49% in 2004 voted for a harebrained liberal muttonhead. More did so in 2000.

The "traditional conservative" position is even more weak than usual because of several factors. First, the VP is not a candidate in 2008; if Cheney were 15 years younger and fully healthy, we would not be even having this discussion. Second, the statehouses, which are normally a source of good candidates, are depleted - many of the Republican governors are fairly new to the job, and for the first time in a while, Republicans do not hold a majority of the statehouses. Worryingly, the Democrats have been picking off governorships in the West, like New Mexico and Arizona.

So there is a short list of Rudy, Newt, Romney and McCain. Hunter does not have this national visibility; polls quoted on him put him behind Newt, even though he is not a declared candidate. McCain is out of his mind; whether it's senile dementia, I hesitate to say. Romney has already been flamed to death on this board. Newt may not be tempramentally suited to the job; being a thinker and policy wonk is not the best preparation for the top job, furthermore, he has not said he is running.

Out of this lot, Rudy is the strongest candidate. It really doesn't matter what anyone else says. He has shown he will do conservative things, such as being tough on crime, deregulation and cutting taxes. The social conservative wing could forge a compact with him: in return for their support, he could guarantee the appointment of appropriate judges which would overturn Roe vs. Wade. Shunning him helps nothing; all it does is give the real enemy, the Democrats, ammunition.

By all means, scream, bang your fists, shout from the rooftops all you like, but the next President of the United States cannot solely rely on conservative votes; he will have to have popular appeal, coupled to an optimistic message (optimism, an essential Reagan component, has been strangely missing from the "traditional" Conservative message lately). Rudy comes the the closest to fitting this bill. If some people stay at home, and help a Democrat into office, well, a plague on your house for subjecting the world to the pain of a decline in America's leadership.

Ivan

[RebelBanker]

I happen to like Newt, but would not vote for him in a primary because I do not believe he can win a general election given the state of the electorate. Newt talks like a college professor (for good reason!), he has worse negatives than Hillary and "Gingrich" just sounds too much like "Grinch." Great Cabinet material anyway...