I won't vote for them oh the Huckster. Of course I will vote third party. I am a Conservative, not simply a Republican lapdog.
Posted on 01/20/2008 5:16:22 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo
Republican gridlock rekindles talk of third-party candidate
WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON – Talk of a protracted nomination race or a brokered convention may excite political junkies and horse race aficionados, but it masks a grim reality for the U.S. Republican party.
Three different winners in three presidential contests now provide evidence for what has been long suspected – the Republican coalition is fractured and there's no one to paste it back together.
GOP gridlock is already sparking talk of a search for a saviour and rekindling talk of a third party bid, talk that has been a mainstay of American political chatter for months but only gets louder as the Republicans dish out primary and caucus victories like they were party favours.
So, as the Gang of Five Republican presidential hopefuls heads to South Carolina for Saturday's primary, a lot of political observers are looking west, where New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the nation's most celebrated noncandidate is heading to delegate-rich states of Texas and California.
Texas is the earliest state to demand the requisite signatures to get a third-party candidate on the state ballot.
In California, Bloomberg meets with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who has remained above the presidential fray, but would be a coveted "get" for any Republican hopeful.
The billionaire mayor has issued a litany of nondenial denials over the past months, clearly enjoying the flirtation, but also, according to a number of published accounts, travelling the country and conducting polling to gauge his support.
A new draft-Bloomberg movement has been formed, even as Bloomberg said this week, "no matter how many times you ask the question, I am not the candidate."
Maybe it's just the silly season here because no Republican candidate has caught fire, and voters in successive states reject the previous state's winner, like children holding their nose and pushing away a plate of vegetables.
This clear lack of enthusiasm is leading to various movements to lure former House speaker Newt Gingrich into the GOP race or get CNN host Lou Dobbs to declare an independent candidacy.
As they head to South Carolina, a state proud of having picked the ultimate Republican nominee in every contest since 1980, it is easier to list the various liabilities of the candidates than it is to predict who will eventually emerge.
John McCain? The truth-telling, straight shooter may have told too many truths to a party base that refuses to warm to him and views his positions on immigration, interrogation methods and campaign financing with suspicion.
Mike Huckabee? There may not be enough churches in which to campaign in when the big Super Tuesday states weigh in Feb. 5 and the glass slipper should fall off a candidate who often appears to be running against party elders on foreign policy and economic issues.
Mitt Romney? He can only be a native son once and his victory in Michigan, where he pitched bromides about bringing a once-proud state back to its former glory, reinforces a perception that he will say anything to get elected.
Fred Thompson? He set the campaign alarm clock way too late in the day and snored through a phase in which he could have seized the moment.
Rudy Giuliani? While pundits start talking about his late-state strategy bearing fruit, it ignores the fact he never established any conservative bona fides, carries way too much personal and business baggage and is trying to win the Super Bowl without taking the field during the season.
Tony Perkins of the powerful Family Research Council told members yesterday the party has to find someone who will build the "three-legged stool" that supports the conservative coalition.
In Iowa, Perkins said, a Huckabee win represented a triumph for the coalition's "social leg," while McCain's New Hampshire win meant the "defence leg" carried the day.
When Romney won Michigan on a message of economic hope, the three legged-stool was complete with the win for the "economic leg," Perkins said.
Except the three-legged stool has been represented by three different candidates and, Perkins said, it is up to the candidates to now rally around all themes.
He offered this rather tortured metaphor as the race goes forward: "The GOP electorate is asking its leaders to reassemble the stool, plant it firmly in the cockpit of the party, and get the plane fast down the runway and off the ground."
And his message to Giuliani?
"The tailwinds have passed you by, and the party you want to lead is moving on. The race is not wide open."
But unless Republicans can coalesce around a winner, Democrats and the U.S. will be immersed in the story of the first female or first black presidential candidate while the GOP is still stuck in traffic.
Good catch.
Thompson got 16 percent of the vote, in one of the most conservative States in the Union. He’s not going to the head of the list, ahead of candidates who have gotten many more votes.
The word of the day is bellwether. Look it up.
This thread has “I wont vote for, under any circumstances” (McCain), (Huckster), (Guiuliani—I think). It will be interesting. My guess is that either of them will put a Conservative VP on the ticket to shut up the party base.
The difference in numbers of votes in South Carolina is still in the thousands.
The real test is when the votes are counted in millions.
Fred can still do this.
It’s way too early to say there’s going to be a deadlocked convention. Let’s see how the race shapes up after Super Tuesday. My guess is that it’ll come down to Romney and McCain.
Lou Dobbs, what an interesting idea!
I can Honestly say that even if Huckabee were to name Fred as his VP, he would still not get my vote.
I think you’re right but pandering will only work for some, not most. McCain at the helm of the ticket will guarantee a Dem win, unless there are nude’s of Hillary floating around on the web (perish the thought) or pictures of Barak smokin crack!
Let’s see.....the Republican party is fractured and Canadians think that Bloomberg will fill the void????
For which of our 3 pillars? What does France think?
-sheese-
My guess is that it’ll come down to Romney and McCain.
Oh Lord ...What a Faustian choice.
You're joking, right? If Fred had been capable of presenting himself in a manner which was attractive to the MSM, he would have had plenty of coverage. Huckabee garnered attention with his smooth-talking, folksy style, his penchant for sound bytes, and his showing in Iowa. To the media, Fred looked old, tired, and was a boring candidate.
A candidate has to be able to dance to the music being played. While Fred might gain respect from some when he'd say that he doesn't like the music and won't dance, the media will look elsewhere for a more exciting candidate.
I won't vote for them oh the Huckster. Of course I will vote third party. I am a Conservative, not simply a Republican lapdog.
“I’m in the latter group. The ‘top tier’ are buffoons.”
Romney’s the only one of the top 3 who wouldn’t look complete amateurish debating Clinton... But could his record withstand a lot of scrutiny? I’m worried about the election, particularly if Obama is the Dem nominee.
LOU FREAKING DOBBS?
He’s a statist of the first order. I’d vote for Hillary first!
Hank
Not a conservative amongst them.
“Romney’s the only one of the top 3 who wouldn’t look complete amateurish debating Clinton... But could his record withstand a lot of scrutiny?”
No.
” I’m worried about the election, particularly if Obama is the Dem nominee.”
I’m hoping for Huckabee vs Clinton, with Ron Paul running 3rd party. Obama and McCain both draw independents. Hopefully the idiot brigades who hate Paul and those who heard the screaming but didn’t look into it themselves will come to see the light.
If a Rino is the nominee and wins, conservatives will have lost any hope to return the party to its’ roots for some time to come.
As painful as it may be to watch a third party repeat of Perot, it might be a blessing in the long term. The RNC must recognize it can not abandon conservatives.
“My guess is that either of them will put a Conservative VP on the ticket to shut up the party base.”
We learned our lesson with Arbusto/Cheney.
Fool me once, as a fool once said...
“If Fred had been capable of presenting himself in a manner which was attractive to the MSM, he would have had plenty of coverage”
It’s not a matter of capability. It has to do with whether or not he wanted to be complicit in the fraudulent system of the media.
I don’t care about what the media wants. When somebody like Fred comes along and treats the media like they deserve, I say it’s about time.
Fred can still do this without catering to the media. And when he succeeds, it will be a death blow to their asinine ways.
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