“Newt might not be the candidate to take on 0bama in 2012.
But his participation in the GOP primary sure would elevate the discourse.
He doesn’t have to win the nomination to set the tone and frame the debate.
He is needed to identify the issues, focus the debate, and challenge the other candidates with real ideas.
It will be up to them to out-do him.
And regardless of who ultimate wins the nomination, the GOP candidate will be stronger for it.”
You are living in an alternate political universe. The candidate putting forth the best ideas AND WINNING THE NOMINATION sets the discourse, not the loser.
Newt won’t be the king maker, here. He has compromised his credibility with conservatives. As I said earlier, Newt’s best days are far behind him.
National Security
Economic Security
Economic Freedom
Personal Freedom
Those are what will drive the debate. The candidate who frames his/her arguments in those terms will be the nominee. IMO, Palin has one of those 3 covered in spades. And she is quietly working the other 3.
All I hear from the rest of the GOP is liberal-talk.
So McCain put forward the best ideas and set the discourse last year?
It didn’t seem that way to me.
Primaries with no incumbent are rarely dominated by one candidate.
It is often smaller candidates who ultimately don’t win who set the agenda and direction of the debate.
Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter did that early on in the 2008 primary on immigration.
Had they stayed in the race, McCain probably would not have rebounded.
And yet neither were ever going to win.