Posted on 10/20/2011 11:40:57 AM PDT by broken_arrow1
The GOP could face a revolt from within its tea party grassroots base if it nominates an establishment candidate without true conservative, anti-big government values, one of America’s leading conservative pundits tells Newsmax.TV in an exclusive interview.
Specifically, columnist and former Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan told Newsmax that the nomination of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the architect of a state insurance plan that many say inspired Obamacare, could prompt the tea party movement to form a third party.
“It’s a real possibility because the tea party folks and the Republican conservatives and social conservatives and others are very apprehensive of Mitt Romney and they don’t feel he is really one of us,” Buchanan told Newsmax.
“They’ve got reason for that feeling and that sentiment but if they do that, if, for example … they persuaded Ron Paul to run on a third party ticket, Barack Obama would be easily re-elected,” he added.
Buchanan would certainly know. A former aide to President Ronald Reagan, he was one of the first conservative commentators to hold a prominent job as a TV commentator and syndicated columnist in the mainstream media.
From 1966 through 1974, Buchanan was an assistant to Richard Nixon, and from 1985 to 1987, White House Director of Communications for Reagan.
Buchanan ran twice for the Republican nomination for president and then in 2000 ran for the White House on the Reform Party ticket. He said he can see a third party candidate emerging in 2012 if Mitt Romney gets the GOP nod.
Of the current Republican candidates he said, “Certainly Michele Bachmann is one of us. I think Rick Perry is. I think Herman Cain is. If you are talking about a more traditional conservative certainly I would put Santorum in there.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Most lefties don’t see much difference between Obama and Mittens either. So I’d expect a liberal fourth party challenger, too.
It does not get more definitive than this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2793300/posts
Palin vs the Rats & Rinos would be epic!
Don’t worry Pat. Herman’s got this.
If Myth is the nominee I foresee a Palin TEA Party run for POTUS, and she would get my money and my vote.
Romney would be one RINO too far for this salty old dog!!
RINOS be damned, full speed ahead!!
NO MORE RINOS!!
UP YOURS MITT ROMNEY!!
FUMR!!
GO TEA PARTY!!
Can’t make it any plainer than that.
Wow, hadn't heard that. You know, I was always against the third party idea, but a Sarah/Cain run might just pull an upset!
You betcha!! Draft Palin as our TEA party candidate and I’m ALL IN!!
“How about if Cain or Rubio is on the ticket with Romney?”
I don’t think you’re going to get a “definitive” answer, cuz FReepers all have their own opinions.
In my opinion, Romney on the ticket in the top slot would be a disaster no matter what. It might be a little less disastrous with a conservative VP but I doubt it would be enough to get him elected. Didn’t work for McCain, and it’s even less likely to work for Romney.
I was thinking about that earlier. OWS may turn out to be a good thing. I’d bet my house that a Ralph Nader type is going to come out of it with 5% - 10% of the vote. I am now supporting OWS in my own version of operation chaos.
Mitt has been a sellout wherever he’s been.
One might argue that if Mitt can be maneuvered into an appropriate context, he could be persuaded to “sell out” to conservatives and turn his back on the liberals of his past. Maybe. If Mitt sincerely felt that’s where his bread was buttered, he might well do that. But I would hate to peg the future of this country on the hope that he would.
I’m personally a Cainiac, but I’d probably vote for Perry too. It’s debatable whether Perry has grasped the gravity of the consequences of what you do with illegales. It’s very nice to say you’ll just forgive all as long as you can clamp the border tight from here on, but these people are spoils minded and would not thank the GOP that helped them. They would become Democrats. The US would become Greece, except it’s so darn big that subsidizing it would be impossible.
Thanks for clarifying that.
Would you be surprised if Rubio or Cain accepts a VP slot with Romney?
Some of us believe that could happen.
I’m with you totally on McCain. He was definitely worth a nose-hold especially with Palin. ha ha
Romney will likely do what John McCain did last time.
Choose a VP who is enthusiastically liked by the conservative base.
It’s Marco Rubio’s for the asking, but Herman Cain and Chris Christie and Michelle Bachmann would be on the short list.
There won’t be a third party nominee unless it is being secretly bank-rolled by George Soros.
You know Jim, I think the Tea Party is much, much stronger than the elites, demons and lamestreams think. Hub and I were talking yesterday how a third party could take this election if the Depublicans don’t get their crap together and support a true Conservative! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_FIKySVnSvA
I'm no fan of Romney, and aside from Wrong Paul, he'd be my last choice going forward.. but keeping the overall in perspective, Job One is stopping Obama.
So... all the many reservations about Romney notwithstanding, my question to all is a very basic one: Given a choice between Romney and Obama, who would you prefer to make the next SCOTUS selection, knowing the next death/retirement likely will come from the conservative wing? And really now... let's not say there is "no difference."
“Romney on the ticket in the top slot would be a disaster no matter what”
A disaster for Conservatism? - YES..
A disaster for the Republican Party? - Not so much...
It’s important to remember that at this point, Obama is likely toast, no matter who the Republican Candidate turns out to be, and Romney would be a victory for the Republican establishment.
And much of that establishment believes the Conservative movement is a drag on the Party. As Obama has shown, it’s so much easier to get elected with today’s media, if you have no visible morals, at all.
What about about a brokered convention in Tampa? I also find the below article very interesting...
Top Rubio Staffer Reportedly Pushed for Early Florida Primary to Help Romney
Cain’s appeal transcends official “Tea Party.” Just by talking about the possibility of an alternative system of taxing, he has raised new awareness of the issue of taxes, and at what better time than this, when the country is teetering on the edge of going completely broke. “Tea Party” might actually put off some voters who would otherwise buy into Cain. Cain would restore a lot of the GOP’s lost dignity, as well as the country’s lost dignity. And Rats would be relegated to the political dungeon, for quite a while.
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