But what if that "someone else" is unacceptable to the 30% that are voting for Rudy?
We have heard a lot about what the anti-Rudy forces are going to do if he is nominated - that they will destroy the party in their anger and frustration.
What are the anti-Rudy forces offering the very large pro-Rudy minority to keep them on board?
So far, all I see on offer are threats and abuse.
That being the case, the destruction of the party appears assured, whatever happens.
Most of the RINOs - I mean Rudy supporters - have said on this forum that they will vote for whoever the nominee is - that anyone "would be better than Hillary".
What GOP candidate would they consider "unacceptable" and why?
What is Rudy doing to keep the pro life and anti amnesty people on board?
A: Zip!
Thanks for the destruction of the party Rudy. And he's arrogant enough not to see it coming.
I think probably Rudy is running well because he is backed by a mixture of people.
Most important are the big money people, country club Republicans, and professional party operators. They like Rudy because he’s pro-abortion and anti-gun, and because he knows how to wheel and deal with donors and operators.
Next are the RINOs, who also support him because he’s pro-abortion, pro-gay, etc.
Next are war supporters, who have been deluded into thinking that Giuliani and McCain are the two toughest candidates in the war on terror. I think Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter would be at least as good. And McCain is too whacko to trust.
Next are Democrats and media operators, anxious to split the Republican party. They don’t really like Rudy, but they are helping him along because it’s to their advantage. Then they would turn against him after the nomination.
I think most of these people, other than Democrats, could support Thompson. But huge numbers of social conservatives couldl never vote for Rudy.
The same thing the pro Rudy forces offered us, nothing.
I won't vote for Rudy if he is the nominee and I expect there are lots of Rudy voters who won't vote for the flip side of Rudy which would be Huckabee.
As I see it there are only three top tier candidates who can satisfy all three legs of the conservative stool and those are Thompson, Romney and Hunter. All three have major issues in my view but not large enough issues to have folks who normally vote for the Republican not vote for him in the next presidential election.
Hunter, my choice, is not gaining any traction and he will pose issues for the absolutist free traders but is strong on the social and security issues.
Romney has issues with everybody since he has gotten religion on the road to Damascus but I think most could coalesce around him if they had to.
Thompson is damn near perfect on the issues in that he offers something to the economic, social and security conservatives but, and this just may be me, he is as exciting as watching a big ole oak tree grow.
And then we have Wildman McCain whose conservative ratings would satisfy everybody but whose judgement on certain issues is cause to think the man is unstable at a minimum. The problem is he almost always outperforms all the other Republicans in head to head matchups in key state polls.
It ain't easy being a political junky with knowledge of the issues because all the sunspots show up every time we see a candidate.
Sir, you are very insightful...or just speaking a truth the socons don't think about much. This party is SPLIT, and if the GOP nominates another school prayer, constitutional abortion ban, constitutional gay marriage ban social conservative...more will leave this party than will leave if a social liberal/federalist is nominated.
Be assured, the old coalition is over.
I believe the ONLY hope to hold together this very, very fragile coalition is to nominate a federalist that is "personally" opposed to abortion, gay marriage and the like...but will NOT advocate for Federal Power to enable the socons to prevail.
If someone to the right of that position on social issues is nominated, millions will leave. Perhaps 10's of millions.
The RINOs, country clubbers, and assorted party honchos have been waiting for their opportunity to wrest the Republican party back to where they think it was stolen from them by Reagan. They recognize this as their chance. They long for the good old days of Democrat rule just as the Democrats do. They have never been comfortable in wielding power and have proven it repeatedly since '94.
I agree with you, the destruction looks not only inevitable, but desired by some.
Well, that depends. Are you talking about them leaving over abortion? Why would they leave now when they never have before?
If they're not leaving over abortion specifically but over the whole socon vs. libcon thing, Romney will be an acceptable canddate to them, and so would Huckabee once they get a gander at his record. I hate that that's where we might end up, but I only see fracture if Rudy's the nominee, and perhaps not even then.