Posted on 02/13/2008 4:21:21 PM PST by jdm
**EXCERPT**
The same conservative Christian activist who called a meeting last fall to discuss backing a third-party candidate to counter a possible Rudy Giuliani candidacy is revisiting the idea as Sen. John McCain closes in on the Republican presidential nomination.
Bob Fischer, a South Dakota businessman and anti-abortion activist, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that while he could back the Arizona senator over either Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama, he made clear that he and others in the evangelical movement are not content with those choices.
"I'll be working in other ways to see that we have additional choices as conservatives," Fischer said.
He declined to elaborate, but held out hope that Mike Huckabee might mount an improbable comeback, or that another "good conservative, Godly, Christian pro-life" GOP candidate somehow emerge to supplant McCain. The Arizona lawmaker has opposed abortion during his four terms in the Senate.
Fischer also volunteered an alternative scenario: supporting the nominee of the fledgling Constitution Party.
Although some conservative Christian activists are warming to McCain, Huckabee's success with that voting bloc in recent primaries and caucuses shows that much work remains for McCain.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
Only if it causes McCain to lose. If voters stay home and McCain wins, it will set in stone that those voters who sat it out, no matter what they call themselves are irrelevant and not needed.True, but if he can win without conservative support then there will be years in the wilderness no matter what happens.
5) A brokered convention and the GOP nominates the most qualified candidate for POTUS, Dick Cheney.
5) A brokered convention and the GOP nominates the most qualified candidate for POTUS, Dick Cheney.I was looking past the convention making the assumption that McCain will be the nominee.
It's late in the process to force a brokered convention. McCain has most of the delegates he needs sewn up and few major pockets of resistance ahead.
There are a lot of downsides to a brokered convention as well. With no Candidate until late summer the other party will be able to concentrate fire on our bickering candidates while they're running through a lot of money.
The dark horse candidate would have to be a compromise that the existing candidates with delegates could support. Those with the most delegates would have the most influence. It would involve a lot of back room horse trading to get everyone on board. The process is likely to resemble the West Virginia Caucuses with tactical decisions being made.
Lincoln was a product of a brokered convention and he did ok :) . But there was a reason he had all of his political opponents in his cabinet. Would that formula work in this situation?
The less support McCain has at the convention the less influence he will have on the platform and future party direction so it isn't a bad goal to work for. I just wouldn't bet the farm on it.
If the big govt spendaholic christianists want to leave the GOP then by all means please do so. Those of us who want the Federal govt to stay out of our pocketbooks won’t miss them in the least.
Folks, you’re making it a lot easier for a
President Barack Hussein Obama. Come on
now...THINK! This isn’t what you want...
but it’s what you’ll get.
IU think you misunderstood what was being said. Bush was never a conservative, and the danger in a Bush Administration was what the danger in a McCain Administration is-- that they will pull along enough conservatives in support of their quasi-liberal policies to dilute and undermine what conservatism is.
As Newt said, we did neither ourselves nor President Bush any favors by not being tougher on him when he veered from principles. The constitution Party has been doing that -- being hard on Republicans to try to keep them to principles. With more people in the party and more voter support, it could do so much more effectively.
Liberal Democrats are as dangerous to the country, more so, but in a very different way. Dop not cloe your eyes to the dangers posed by RINOs just because they hve Rs after their names.
Or not. There are likely to be at least two seriosu third-party candidates from teh left: Nader and McKinney. Maye Bloomberg too. So even taking 10-15 percent for a conservative third party wouldn't necessarily sink the Republican candidate.
Of course, if it does, it tells the GOP loud and clear that you can't win without us, so you'd better not abandon and mistreat and insult us again.
A lot more room to wander in the wilderness than in the Tent.
Out of our previous "wandering in the wilderness" came the Reagan Revolution.
Besides, he has his House seat to defend and that is much easier within the framework of the GOP -- for now, at least.
If only the Whigs didn’t have that foolish sounding name I’d sign up right now...
And not to mention that I don’t have the slightest idea of that their ‘animal’ is. I mean other than it’s not the Elephant nor the Donkey.
Maybe the Whigs don’t have an animal. So if we revive them, we can pick our own animal that truly symbolizes what politics is all about.
I vote for the Rat.
If Paul won’t do it, who then? Keyes? The wya he is being utterly ignored and treated like he has no right to run by his own party, he might just be mad enough to make the race.
You know that's not true. Do you know who holds hte balance of power in the Montana Legislature right now? The Constitution Party. It holds one seat, but that one seat is decisive in terms of who controls it. The CP has other officials also, all at local levels, but that is where you start building.
5) Vote for a third party candidate for President but vote for principled Republicans for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and state offices.
I sure hope they step up to the plate.
To me, I think it is wrong to run away and vote third party. Best way to put the dimocrats in the WhiteHouse.
Not smart in my estimation.
To me, I think it is wrong to run away and vote third party. Best way to put the dimocrats in the WhiteHouse.I guess it depends on how you define yourself, a Republican, an anti-Democrat, or a Conservative.
Go for it. I’ll vote for a conservative in a third party. At some point, it’s time to send a message to the liberals in the GOP. The impudent Illinois GOP is already dead without a conservative party. I think in nationally the GOP in 2008 will be where Illinois is today.
the only thing is that we cannot afford to lose to the democrats while we are at war with radical islam...that would be extremely dangerous. And what about overturning Roe with numerous likey conservative appointees to the supreme court. That will be out the window for a long time with Obama in there.
True conservatives need to realize they will never change the Republican party back to a true conservative party. It has become a Socialist Lite party which has sold its soul to special interest groups and will never revert back to its proud past.
We are going to lose to Democrats right now. A third party Conservative would be an option toward victory.
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