Posted on 03/12/2006 11:02:47 AM PST by RWR8189
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The historic Peabody Hotel's grand ballroom felt more like a locker-room Saturday morning as the Southern Republican Leadership Conference kicked off its second day. But was the game plan just for 2006?
As the morning's first speaker, Sen. George Allen woke up the slightly sleepy GOP crowd with a speech quite familiar to Virginians who have watched him win races for the House, the governorship, and, most recently, the Senate over the last 20 years.
He harkened the words of his heroes: Ronald Reagan, Thomas Jefferson, and his dad, the late football coach George Allen, Sr. He called the audience his "teammates" and delivered big-applause lines against taxes, federal bureaucracy, and amnesty for illegal aliens.
Dick Wadhams, Allen's chief of staff, said the speech was "as good as I've ever seen him," noting that Allen's remarks were pretty standard stump fare for him.
Allen got standing ovations before and after his roughly 15-minute speech, and then he was the one standing for the next hour and half. A couple of television interviews from the back of the room -- with potential 2008 rival Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas speaking on the stage behind him from across the room no less -- were followed by a growing pack around Allen in the hallway outside the room.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Pretty fawning for the MSM. Nonetheless, Allen's my guy until I see better.
I agree.
Frist is too much of a wimp, Romney is an empty suit who will change positions for political benefit.
Quite a surprise. I figured they'd all be pushing McCain. Evidently the only McCain story is the one that Drudge has posted, that he had to tell his troops to vote for Bush in order to avoid a humiliating public loss.
And catch this: "Brooke Brower is a producer at Hardball."
You are completely right about Frist and Romney. Why would the American people EVER want anybody that had anything to do with running Taxachusetts?
The best guy out there is Jeb Bush. I hear everybody is tired of the name, but he's still the best guy out there.
Allen doesn't have a prayer. He's a marshmallow.
I am not exited about Allen, but who else is there?
I have to agree, although my support is a bit more unconditional. I think Allen is way ahead of the field in being the most attractive in the GOP that seems to want the job. In fact, what he did at this conference seems to follow what he does wherever he goes. I think he can stir the base nationally as none have since Reagan.
If the Democrats are busy assessing the competition, and I think they are, I suspect Allen is the one they most fear these days, not McCain.
Here's the kicker. Everything I have heard from Allen or read about him suggests that he and I are on the same page on most of the issues. I too like Jeb Bush. Let's make history with him in 2016.
Romney is
Anti Second Amendment
that makes him dangerous, un-American, and a phony-conservative.
If that's true, could he work on his public presentation skills a bit? I saw him on "Meet the Press" this morning, and when he started a sentence I could never be sure if he - or I - would be awake by the end of it.
So this is how the first woman gets elected president. Simply because America had no more men left who were able and willing to lead.
How's Allen doing in his Senate re-elect race?
The funny part is, you're absolutely right. If these guys opened their minds for a second and actually looked into what Romney has managed to do in Massachusetts (with a liberal legislature no less), they'd have to be impressed, particularly by his economic conservatism. The guy took a liberal northeastern state and gave them a budget surplus. That's almost unheard of these days.
But, I suspect what it comes down to on this board is abortion. Abortion, abortion, abortion. Forget taxes, forget economics, forget national security, forget things that, you know, affect everyone every day. Nope, it's all about abortion. And maybe gay marriage too. Yeah, those affect us every day don't they? I don't know why people give those 2 issues priority over things that clearly matter much more. Romney is the best candidate on the things that matter. Bottom line.
Now, I give it a good 20 seconds before someone calls me a "RINO", a "liberal," a "faux conservative," or any derivative of the previous.
He's not perfect, but he's no rhino or liberal. Just put a good conservative as his vice and you've got it.
Pence or Tom as vice.
I think America is not going to put up with another President who has poor communications skills. Did some second-rate Democrat back-bencher clean Allen's clock, again?
No; Biden was on with him, but they weren't really doing a point/counterpoint with each other.
Allen got lucky.
I could live with Allen from what I've seen so far. I'd prefer Tancredo, but of the bunch in Memphis Allen seems the best.
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