ZOT! Can there be a serious challenge to Bush in the GOP primaries?

John Buchanan is a journalist and magazine writer based in Miami Beach ^ | november 29, 2003 | john buchanan

[Republican Challenger]

I am a nationally published journalist who has been drafted to challenge George W. Bush in the Republican Presidential primaries, beginning in New Hampshire on January 27. My aim is to prompt legitimate debate and genuine new ideas, but I start with a question:

HAS GEORGE W. BUSH BETRAYED TRADITIONAL GOP VALUES?

He has failed in his promise to control spending. Nondefense spending has skyrocketed under Bush. The Congressional Budget Office reported that for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2003, nondefense spending rose 7% – nearly double the 4% discretionary spending caps Bush promised to enforce (Source: Washington Times). Since Bush took office, nondefense spending has leapt 13% -- 21% if spending on the war on terrorism is included. “My impression of Bush,” says Chris Edwards, director of fiscal policy at the libertarian Cato Institute, “is that I’ve never seen him give a speech in which he says government is too big and we need to cut costs.”

He has failed in his promise to keep America strong. Under Bush, U.S. foreign policy and international esteem have reached historic lows. After spending hundreds of billions of dollars since 9/11, the Bush administration has failed to catch Osama bin Laden, failed to find Saddam Hussein, failed to defeat Al Qaeda, and failed to stabilize Iraq after an invasion that his own Pentagon policy adviser, Richard Perle, now admits was “illegal.” As a result, the geopolitical balance of power has been jolted, traditional allies have been severely alienated, and as a result, the European Union – led by Great Britain – is now conducting secret talks about the formation of an EU military force outside NATO.

He has failed in his promise to be a “compassionate conservative.” Perhaps never before has a U.S. President so divided the country, according to a recent Time cover story. Despite Bush’s promise to be “a uniter, not a divider,” he has turned Republican against Democrat, rich against poor, Christian against Muslim. He has eroded our civil liberties and Constitutional rights in the name of “national security” and aided and abetted a corporate elite class in the theft of the Republican Party and the two-century-old values that made it the Party of Lincoln. “Corporations have been enthroned,” Lincoln said presciently before he died. “…An era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power will endeavor to prolong its reign by working on the prejudices of the people…until wealth is aggregated in a few hands…and the Republic is destroyed.” Under Bush, Lincoln’s ominous – and accurate – prediction might find its final manifestation unless he and the “neo-con” corporate juggernaut are stopped.

DO YOU AGREE? Please let me know your thoughts. There will be more to come from me, including a detailed platform and agenda for ending the corporate reign in this country, shrinking the federal bureaucracy, and restoring Constitutional freedoms to pre-9/11 levels. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to your comments and questions.

[Cultural Jihad]

I subscribe to classical Republican values thqat date back to Lincoln.

[inquest]

I don't agree that he owed anything to any Gore voter. A leader needs to lead by his convictions (assuming he has any), not by polls.

The rest of your post speaks in such generalities that it's impossible to make heads or tails out of. Overall, however, he's bent over backwards to please the liberal constituency in this country. His massive education spending, his refusal to do anything at all about illegal immigration, his constant pressuring of Israel to cave into the PA's demands, his push for AIDS funding in Africa, and of course the recent Medicare entitlements are all evidence of this.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

The lack of skill of the trolls continually amazes me. They almost want to reinforce preconceptions. Sad.

If iron sharpens iron (and it does) then why is it so hard to believe that lead dulls lead?

[eddie willers]

founder of Earth Day...

Oh that'll get you far around here....

Bwahahahaha

[Hotdog]

I think it's a great that someone else from the Republican Party has the ambition to pursue the nomination for President of the United States...especially when he/she wants to do it with GWB in the drivers seat. Our current President has proven himself to be above all politicians by being a statesman and a true leader. He has proven himself as an God fearing man and applies himself as such to me and the rest of the Americans that have a conscience. Above all...President Bush has not only been right the majority of times...but,when wrong...he is man enough to admit it and correct any wrong doings...

You want to run against this man that has restored dignity to America and the Oval Office? Sir...if you think you can do a better job then GWB...then go for it...and send me an e-mail...would love to meet you. Good Luck!...(Bet you can’t change my mind…I'm voting for true American leader in 2004...GWB!...for you?...lets talk about 2008…eh?)

[PhiKapMom]

The kitten is adoreable! Unbelieveable posting by an anti-Bush type -- is he a Republican? I sincerely doubt it because he quotes Time magazine!

[jwalsh07]

We don't need a challenge fellow, we need a mandate. We need that mandate to force the Senate to put conservatives on the federal bench and to continue the attack on keyboardists wherever they may be found.

Anything else can wait until the next election. You want to do something for conservatism? Get Bush a mandate that the senate can't ignore. We already know his nominees and I, as a conservative, am happy with them. I am unhappy with conservatives who don't understand that those are the two most important issues of our time.

So, like I said, you can put me down for an emphatic NO!

[Commie Basher]

Sorry, I wouldn't know because I didn't see the story, I don't read socialist propoganda.

But George Bush is a socialist. So is today's GOP.

[Cultural Jihad]

Spoken in the imperative tense, Emperor Davey.

[CounterCounterCulture]

You live, eat, and breath hate for Tom McClintock seemingly on every thread. Give it up. It ain't healthy.

[Wait4Truth]

The simple truth is that you do not speak the truth about Bush. You are telling lies that you hope some will fall for. The second truth is that you will never win any primary anywhere against George W. Bush. End of story.

[johnfl61]

We don't need more kooks. WE have 9 kooks on the RAT side. Join the 9 kooks.

[auboy]

There may still be a few "debates" left if you hurry. I'm sure they can find a tenth podium for you.

[JennysCool]

the free market wins every single time

No argument there! FReegards!

[plain talk]

You might as well ask the question: "Has Bush (or any politician) disagreed with any of my positions?". Or "Has Bush been (dare say) imperfect?". Politics is about relative comparisons not absolute ones. Your question is assinine.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Instead, he has used 9/11 to drive a wedge between the corporate ("war on terror") class and the people.

Bwa-ha-haaaaa. Da. Class warfare. Straight out of the USSR. You must be proud.

He never acknolwedged that the lost the popular vote and therefore should have reached out from day one to those who did NOT vote for him -- to make good on his promise.

As far as I'm concerned, he's pandered way too much to the squishy middle and the never-appeasable left. But I like his chances better than yours.

[DefCon]

"...We shall soon see whether my message is perceived as having any merit..."
- - -
Listen to me now, and hear me later.

You, or anyone else for that matter, would be wasting your time,
your money, and your energy if you made any attempt whatsoever to
challenge George W. Bush in the Republican Primary of 2004.
No matter what your credentials are.
No matter what your platform is.
No matter what your motivations are.

The nomination goes to W.
The machinery is already in place and functioning.
The train has left the station.
Get on board or get run over.

[Torie]

I was at a Thanksgiving Dinner with relatives, including about 20 adults, spanning three generations, up in the San Francisco Bay area. I asked if any but myself, had voted to recall Governor Davis. No hands went up. I then asked who they voted for as a replacement governor. 5 indicated that they voted for McClintock, none for Arnold, about 10 for Bustamante, and the balance left their ballot blank. And so it goes. I enjoyed the company of each and every one of them by the way.