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.
Futher info:
Fred Thompson has taken Spencer Abraham as his campaign manager or campaign advisor because Abraham "Understands the threat of Muslim terrorists."
What a joke!
Michigan has the highest number of Muslims in the country today and Spencer Abraham said that if he were re-elected to the Senate, he would increase the quota for Arabs to come to the United States from the Middle East. Does this sound like someone who understands the threat of Muslim extremists?
Abraham is highly praised in The American Muslim Council (AMC) publication of 1996 with excerpts from the following interview with him.
AMC: "Do you believe that AMC's role in promoting the interests of Muslims in America has begun to reduce discrimination against Muslims and mitigate the negative stereotypical image of Muslims and Islam in the West? If so, how was it accomplished?
ABRAHAM: I commend the American Muslim Council's efforts in reducing discrimination against Muslims and mitating the negative stereo typical image of Islam in the West. The efforts of AMC in sponsoring such dinners as that of February 13, 1996, assists in shredding a positive light upon the many wonderful accomplishes of the religion and the members of the Muslim community. The AMC should continue this good work by encouraging political involvement among its members.
"AMC: In which ways, if any, did the Muslim community play a role in your successful 1994 campaign for the U.S. Senate?
ABRAHAM: As you may know, I am very proud of my heritage (Lebanese Orthodox Christian)and of the bipartisan support that I received from the American Muslim community during my Senate campaign. The community in Michigan and all over the United States encouraged and supported my candidacy--and for that I am grateful. I am working hard in the Senate to listen to the views of the Muslim community and to make sure that the community has a place to voice those concerns."
The dinner Abraham referred to was the first White House celebration for EID Al-Fitr on February 20, 1996 by President and Mrs. Clinton. The AMC publication also shows a portrait of the First Lady, Hillary Clinton, holding a copy of the Koran.
As for AMC, Steven Emerson writes in his commentary, "Friends of Hamas in the White House," that AMC's tactics of claiming anti-Muslim racism rather than acknowledging the existence of Islamic extremism deliberately serves to silence criticism of terrorists." "The American Muslim Council is a radical group that supports radical Islamic terrorists movements," says Seif Ashmawy, the American Muslim publisher of the Voice of Peace in New Jersey. "I am shocked and outraged that the White House would embrace them." Unfortunately, President Bush picked up on the tradition of honoring the end of Ramadan in the White House.
You are judged by the company you keep.
I don't fault Fred's credentials, I fault his approach. He does not have to flip-flop to get media love, however, this is still a game where the media can make or break you.
If a candidate can't figure out how to break through the media's pre-chosen preferences, he/she doesn't deserve to win.
This is called standing on principles. Rush can end this farce and stand strong and endorse Fred, or he can just become another member of the RINO herd. I know what the right thing to do is. I hope he does, too.
Disagree. If he were to back Thompson now and Thompson does not get the nomination, his endorsement will have less impact for the eventual winner.
Rush should NOT make an endorsement. Changing his mind on this would only diminish the esteem his audience has for him.
Principles! Both Rush and Fred have them!
I will never be a footsoldier for that gutless, no-good, sleazy, lying, bribing, liberal RINO turd sandwich known as Joe Isuzu Romney. That scumbag will set this party back decades and will do to it from a national standpoint exactly what he did to the one in MA. Bury it. He wouldn't get my vote at gunpoint.
Did you ever think Fred doesn't care what the MSM is doing?
Maybe, just maybe, Fred going directly to the people and not grandstanding for every newshound organization gets his message across clearer and faster?
I agree with your comments on Rush.
Fred Thompson has gained traction with me. The question is how many in Iowa have paid attention to him? I think it will be more than expected. I dont want to fall on my sword for Romney.
That is, I agree that Rush faces a great risk if he endorses Thompson.
I would still like to see him do it.
The fact that he hasn’t yet is an amazing oversight. Waiting can only hurt the conservative cause.
Rush should not endorse any particular candidate at this stage.
For one, should that candidate NOT become the nominee, Rush looks like a lame-duck loser-backer.
Second, it would make Rush’s listeners out to simply be sheep who simply follow orders from above. That is something Rush himself would abhor and tries very hard to avoid.
Third, it would also delight Rush’s critics to no end. They would love to portray him as a failed kingmaker.
Rush should simply do what he does best (which we all should emulate) - simply tell the truth, back it with facts, and let the voters come to the right conclusion.
Rush went as far as he wanted to according to his long-standing principles. The poster above is absolutely correct......it was up to Thompson to prove his worth in Iowa, not up to Rush or anyone else.
Leni
One thing Im certain of. Rush will think of a way to solve this predicament.
Mitt Romney professes conservative principles. Beyond a shadow of a doubt he will be more conservative than any Democrat. Your problem seems to be that you do not think he is, "reliable." Well, we know that Hillary Clinton is "reliable" and we know that Barak Obama, we'll be reliable. Against that you would oppose your opinion.
I suppose it does not much matter, because whoever carries the standard this year must perform a prodigious miracle to put a Republican in the White House. Our duty is to soldier on.
FT is a garden variety federalist when it comes to abortion—this probably has hurt him more than anything. His view, that the people, not the courts, should decide in the states seems defensible and apt. Not enough for some who have insisted, via the party platform, on a constitutional amendments prohibiting both abortion and homosexual marriage. This willingness to use federal government power to alleviate local mores and belief preferences has hurt the Republican Party more than anything else.
Other than his pro-life voting record and the imputed pro-life fervor his supporters see, FT is not the usual and typical conservative candidate.
A dynamite looking wife, infant children and a physical appearance of a tired old man seems incongruent to the implied conservative standards. Added to this is his non-hodgkins lymphoma that is bound to recur in spite of his adherents saying otherwise. The reason that it will recur, and hopefully once again respond to chemo, is this is the natural history of the disease in an older man.
FT is a great guy, mature and thoughtful but his ability to project himself as a substantial and experienced leader is hindered by his very positive qualities as well as his shortcomings. Thus far his adherents have succeeded only in destroying the reputation of other candidates--notably Rudy Giuliani--otherwise, they have failed convince others of the specific qualities that would augur for a successful FT general election.
But all of this coming to an end soon. It starts in two days and ends in 30 or so.
besides, he’d pi$$ off one half of his listeners who like the other candidates.
The lame stream media would have a field day with it. Don’t do it Rush.....just drop us subtle hints....keep them guessing!
I pray Fred Thompson falls into the greater than 80% remission rate seen in non-Hodgkins lymphoma, as it appears he has. He deserves many more years with his family.
A Thompson/Hunter ticket will help protect against the effects of this risk on the nation.
“Mitt Romney professes conservative principles.”
Mitt Romney professes to have seen his father marching with MLK. He professes some things now and other things in the past. Romney is a very big problem.
Fred would win the general election easily in my opinion. I think Iowa conservatives will realize that by Thursday.
Please, don't. I'm going to stop you right there. This man can profess to be the 2nd coming of our Lord, it doesn't mean you accept it to be so. I've known him 14 years, and I'm going to tell you right here and now, he is more dangerous and destructive than any regular rodent candidate. I'm embarrassed that I once did a small amount of participation in his 1994 Senate campaign, but in those days, I was stupid enough to believe ANY Republican was better than any Democrat. There are worse things than Democrats, and those are Democrats that have systematically infiltrated the Republican party for the purposes of maximizing damage. The man is a pathological liar, completely absent of morality or principles and would sell out anything or anyone for power. He's bribed his way through this election season, picking off those that could be bought, and using his slick, "trust me" persona to fool the rest. I would trust Hillary Clinton before I'd trust him, and that is sickening to realize. I'll say it again, he is absolutely dangerous and cannot be trusted under any circumstances. Nothing that comes out of his mouth can be believed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.