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.
Can you name one Conservative who has received fair coverage in the past 20 years? I could probably name several hundred that haven’t.
No, I'm saying that a candidate has to be of interest to the MSM. Usually, this means the candidate is telegenic, dynamic, and articulate (Obama, anyone?). You can't put it all on the MSM... they serve up what brings in viewers, and Fred has not generated the kind of excitement necessary to get his campaign off the ground.
Ronald Reagan garnered a lot of media attention. I wouldn't say that he had fair coverage, but he had the qualities which drew the cameras.
Let's face it. Fred is an excellent 19th century candidate. He doesn't have all of the superficial qualities that are necessary for the modern-day candidate.
What used to be the Federalist Party has, the last I knew, merged with the American Taxpayer’s Party to form what is reputedly the third largest political party in the US after the Demicans and Republicrats (although the Libertarian Party disputes that contention somewhat) - the CONSTITUTION PARTY!
http://www.constitutionparty.org/
The CP is the ONLY 100% Pro-Life, pro gun rights, pro National Sovereignty party in the Country.
Sure; Pubbies SAY they are; We MEAN it!
If you are a hard core Conservative - especially a Christian Pro-Life one - who has been feeling a little ‘persona non gratia’ in the “Big Tent” (with the open back door to boot pro-Lifers out) lately, check us out, won’t you?
We have a convention coming up next month, and may have some surprises for an alternative Conservative Candidate for those of us who have been wondering if there might be one.
Stay tuned - things could get interesting!
Add that McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts and panders to the goofball "global warming" alarmists, and you have a flat-out loser.
I agree with most of that, but:
Thompson - President
Romney - Commerce
McCain - Defense
Hunter - Homeland Security
Giuliani - Sec. of State. No anti-gunners as Attorney General. At State, he’ll at least be a friend to Israel and stand up to the Islamofascists.
Huckabee - Dog catcher
LOL. I suppose I could go with that, except I would prefer Hunter for State Department. And I would put Romney as US Ambassador to the UN. I would reserve much more of a trade hawk in favor of US, not international, business interests over at Commerce.
[If conservatives leave the RINO run GOP to form a new party,the GOP would become the third party—a small party populated by a circus of little prima donna generals moving non-existant divisions about on a fantasy battle map.
The conservative party,the new Federalist Party,would be second in size to the Dems only and with a lot more unity, purpose and nascent power.]
It is a shame that it has come to the point where rinos run the conservative party and a split between us is neccessary in order for conservatives to have a conservative nominee in the race, but it is necessary. Huckabee is but another Jimmy Carter near as I can tell and McCain is soooo liberal.
I thought SC was a closed primary state? If that's so then how did liberals and independets help McCain and Huckabee?
Oh, Lordy, that’s all we need - a Republican version of Ralph Nader. Say hello to President Hillary.
I suggest you put off your convention until after the GOP’s.
If Huck or McCain get the nomination,the CP would be more tempting.
ditto
I hope that you will get someone to run that has some name recognition or the ability to bring in a lot of funding. Because this is probably the best year to have a chance of actually having a successfull third party run and social conservatives desperately need a viable alternative to the GOP.
Any idea who are the likely candidates for the Constitution Party nomination this year?
Any idea who are the likely candidates for the Constitution Party nomination this year?
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