Posted on 01/01/2008 3:12:59 AM PST by Maelstorm
Rush Limbaugh is, arguably, the most influential conservative Republican of the post-Reagan/post-Buckley era someone whose support is essential to any GOP presidential nominee and the next GOP president. If you doubt his impact, check Mike Huckabee's poll numbers since Rush responded over the airwaves two weeks ago to ill-considered insults hurled at him by the Huckabee campaign.
Since his national emergence in 1988, Rush has pledged never to endorse any Republican candidate during the presidential primaries. In 2007, he seemed to come close to breaking his own 11th commandment twice. First, he identified Fred Thompson as the only conservative participant in the CNN/YouTube GOP debate and defended Thompson against charges of laziness. Then Rush commended Mitt Romney's speech on faith, although he also criticized Romney's less-than-conservative record and his Iowa debate comment about not losing any sleep over the tax burden on upper income Americans.
Limbaugh may not issue official un-endorsements, either, but attentive listeners can easily discern his sympathies and antipathies. Among the top tier candidates, he has been completely positive about Thompson. Conversely, John McCain is a longstanding target of Limbaughs disdain. In a 2004 Wall Street Journal opinion piece about the conservative themes running through convention speeches given that summer by McCain, Giuliani, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rush characterized McCain as the most liberal of the trio. He also lauded Giuliani for taking on John Kerry directly, detailing his equivocations and flip-flops on matters of war and peace, and pointing out how such indecision and expediency endanger America's security (please see http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110005563).
However, if Limbaugh holds fast to his illusion of impartiality in the 2008 primaries, his reward might well be the nomination of Senator McCain.
Romney is, I believe, a fatally flawed candidate. Regrettably, Giulianis aforementioned warnings about Kerrys flip-flopping and expediency apply likewise to Mitt Romney. The GOP base is divided among those who hope Romney means what he says today, those who are skeptical of his Clintonesque glibness, and those who will never vote for a Mormon. Significantly, he is clearly disliked by his GOP opponents.
Giuliani appears Clintonesque in his personal life, holds social beliefs unacceptable to evangelicals, and his Florida-centric campaign strategy may be his political downfall. If so, where will his supporters go? He has expressed admiration for McCain and ostensibly could endorse him.
Conceivably, Huckabee would continue through the primaries as a spoiler, buoyed by his evangelical base. Thompson seems like the natural beneficiary of a Huckabee collapse. Nevertheless, as Huckabees Iowa support was seen to decline, Romney and McCain also enjoyed increased poll numbers there.
The only criticisms published of Fred Thompson are personal (the laziness charge that is belied by his current campaign schedule and his resumé) and strategic (his late entry into the race). His conservative credentials are widely heralded and stand in stark relief against the records and positions of his moderate competitors.
If Thompson fails to finish well in Iowa and New Hampshire, he probably skips Michigan and enters South Carolina with a substantial disadvantage, politically and financially, from which it will be extremely difficult to recover. Thompson endorsed John McCain in the 2000 presidential race and it is no great stretch to imagine that he will endorse McCain again if he drops out.
That would be a death blow to the conservative movement of Buckley, Goldwater, Reagan, and Limbaugh, which has not had a genuine conservative nominee since 1984. More importantly, the conservative principles Thompson would bring back to the White House are needed desperately to win the war on fiscal irresponsibility, win the war on our borders, and win the war on terrorism as they steadfastly won the Cold War.
If Limbaugh were to endorse Thompson this week before the Hawkeye cauci, single-handedly Rush could return the national conversation to conservative vs. liberal ideology, overturn the conventional wisdom so beloved by beltway and drive-by media types, and spurn the McCain surge. In a battle of wits, ideas, principles, integrity, and gravitas, Fred Thompson is best armed to lead us to victory.
Likability is a non factor among political junkies as they, the smartest and holiest, will only look for the purest candidate from ideological point of view and thus this candidate should be the nominee. In the real world, outside of that built by the political junkies, the vast majority of people have to like and connect with the candidate first in order to vote for him and then they look at his record.
I believe the greatest service Rush can give us all is to categorically go through the governance record (Not what he/she says now) of each candidate and show which is the most consistent and who has been poll driven into the latest whim.
Thompson/Hunter08
Jihad Spence: Fred Thompson's Pan-Islamist Campaign Manager
Fred Thompson and Spencer Abraham: Bad combo
Spencer Abraham, no way in Hell, Fred Thompson
Fred Thompson Hires Spencer Abraham - Red Flags Fly as the FredHeads are Silent?
Fred Thompson names anti-Israel ex-senator as campaign manager.
Fred Thompson, Israel and the Spencer Abraham Factor.
Fred Thompson is finished, by Cliff Kincaid, Accuracy in Media.
Rush needs to help us eliminate Rudy,Mitt,Mccain, and Huckleberry. He has been working on that tack,but he needs to endorse and ask Hunter to Step aside.
I believe Bloombugger will run. He will have the support of MSM to help kill the GOP.
You are a political junkie yourself as evidenced by the fact that you’re here, so what gives you any special insight into the mind of the “Republican voter” than the rest of us slack jawed, crazy eyed addicts waiting for our next fix of Fred, or dose of Duncan?
Not wanting to argue by the way, if the voters are as uninformed and disinterested as you suggest (very possible), we are in for a world of hurt.
They are two peas in a pod so why is Bloomberg any bettr than Giuliani?
Just curious.
I simplify things and not complicate it. Thus I am able to see the simple facts such as likability is the most important factor to win the Presidency and then the candidate ideas and ideology come second.
Hunter is undoubtedly the only one that fits the bill that conservatives are looking for - socially, morally, on fiscal, home security and the war on terror. And that’s why he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell to get the nomination.
I did not say that the base is not informed, I am saying that most of them have to like someone first and then look at his ideology and politics.
As a proud Scout Parent:
Those boys work too hard and are just too decent as human beings, each and every one of them, to be subjected to "perversion politics".
Shame, SHAME on Mitt and anyone else who supports activist gays in scouting. Those children deserve a childhood, not political indoctrination and perverse social engineering.
Take a look at the behavior of all the Democrat strategistsIm convinced theyre secretly terrified of Fred Thompson.
Here is my opinion:
Fred may be a reluctant candidate, but once he decided to get into the race, he has an obligation to do his best to win.
If you enter a race, you should do your best to win that race. You owe it to yourself.
I don’t think Fred is doing his best to win this nomination....and that is what is bothering most conservatives.
Agree 100%. After he played this long and annoying foreplay about entering the race I knew that something is not right with his attitude and passion toward becoming President.
I think Hillary will be unelectable in the end. (The only way she could overcome her negatives would be to pull something really dirty, fraud or what have you, and hope it doesnt become known.)
Obama, I believe, is intrinsically weak and if nominated continued exposure will reveal this quality. I believe Thompson could get a lot of the southern Democrats, enough to win.
Why should Rush Limbaugh endorse anyone?
I respectfully disagree. This was from yesterday:
Iowa campaign office: standing room only every stop of Thompsons bus tour; significant increase in number of media people attending the eventsthe guy didnt want to put a number on it but when I pressed further his rough approximation indicated that increase in media people is likely to be at least doubled from start of tour.
When asked about progress, office staff comment:
Freds more than a 30 second sound bite.
Call response is getting better.
When you get people in a room with Fred, hes a closer.
The needle is moving.
As of December 31, Iowa campaign office reporting:
People are just pouring out to come see him.
We had an entire restaurant in the little town of Tama packed full last night, and this has been happening across the state.
Staff member also says theres been an increase in both the number of media and general public.
Fred has made sixty stops so far in fifteen days.
It won't be because Rush endorses Fred, it will be because Rush will point them iin the direction to LOOK at what Fred brings to the table.
And yes, if you DON'T think Rush has an influence, we don't need to discuss further.
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