Posted on 04/13/2006 6:33:27 AM PDT by FerdieMurphy
With the Democrat Presidential primaries apparently already completed, and Hillary Clinton declared the uncontested winner, it might behoove Republicans to start pondering a workable strategy for the 2008 election cycle.
Thus far, it has been the “business as usual” wing of the party, with such notable past candidates as Bob Dole, who are working hardest to define the impending race. And true to form, if they continue to dominate we should resign ourselves to “President Hillary,” nationalized health care, and the grim eventuality of our children being raised by some bureaucratic monstrosity of a “village.”
The list of Republican names presently being floated as potential candidates contains some notables with substantial and creditable accomplishments (such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani). Yet their support for a liberal social agenda constitutes an insurmountable liability.
Along with Rice and Guiliani is the standard litany of Republican imposters, chief among them being Senator John McCain of Arizona and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, either of whom would drive the pivotal “values voters” of the 2004 election away from the polls in record numbers.
Romney has been weak and indecisive on such issues as traditional marriage, and the sanctity of life. And when politically expedient, McCain has been openly hostile to the Christian Right. Ultimately, this band of moderates is devoid of any who could connect with the conservative grassroots of “Red State America.”
To have any hope of a victory, Republicans must first recognize that they simply cannot triumph by adopting Democrat rules of engagement. No Republican candidate can prevail as a cheap imitation of his/her Democrat rival. The insipid “move to the center” strategy, which never served the Republican Party well in the past, will fare no better this time around.
Secondly, Republicans need to come to grips with the fact that their track record of success, for at least the past four decades, can be directly correlated to their ability to steadfastly advocate and advance the conservative message in the face of inevitable media attacks and character assaults.
The three issues that will define America in the coming decades, and are thus of primary concern to the electorate (despite any efforts of the liberal cabal to disparage such concerns as “narrow minded” or “simplistic”) are national security, national sovereignty, and restoration of the American culture.
Democrats can garner a sufficient plurality to secure a victory by running against such principles, as did Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, but only when facing weak Republican opposition. But any attempt by Republican candidates to waffle or “moderate” on these issues, or any past track record of having done so, will deal a fatal blow to their candidacies. Thus far, at least among the presumed Republican “frontrunners,” prospects do not look good.
Last minute, election year “conversions” by candidates seeking to appeal to the conservative base will be no more highly regarded than Hillary’s sudden advocacy of her version of “Christianity.” And while mainstream Democrat voters regularly ignore such duplicitous reversals, the “red states” are not nearly so forgiving.
Rampant government spending with the blessings of the White House, the lack of a veto of any measure no matter how adverse to conservative America, and perhaps worst of all, the immigration issue have left George W. Bush with no political “coattails.” As a result, the best approach for Republican candidates would be to treat him as an irrelevancy.
This being the reality of the current political climate, only a few individuals yet stand out. Senator George Allen, of Virginia is one such personality. And although Senators have not historically done well when attempting to ascend to the White House, Allen was also a very successful Virginia Governor. Overall, he can credibly campaign as a stalwart conservative. And that is a winning strategy.
One individual who embodies the qualities of principle and leadership so sadly lacking among the present cadre of GOP hopefuls is Representative J.D. Hayworth of Arizona. Admittedly, Congressmen have had even less success at winning presidential elections than Senators. Furthermore, to date Hayworth has shown little or no interest in running.
But he is a solid conservative and a fearless advocate of proper border control, and possesses the charisma and devotion to principle that are essential to brave the storms of “political correctness” currently decimating legitimate debate in Washington. He displays a clearer understanding of the immigration issue than anyone on the Senate side, and is spirited in his determination to confront and, more importantly, to fix the problem
The next presidential election cycle is looming close at hand, and Hayworth would have to move quickly to establish an organization sufficient for an undertaking of this enormity. But by so doing, he could completely change the political landscape.
The ongoing demonstrations throughout America by advocates of illegal immigration reveal an ominous and metastasizing threat to the country’s future. And whether it is Hayworth himself, or someone else with similar qualifications who will take the reins of leadership, the events of the past few weeks prove that such a leader is desperately needed.
Whud'ya 'gonna do... write'm in?
"Tom Tancredo cannot win. Not in a gazillion years."
Agree. Neither can Hayworth, Pence, Allen, or anyone else associated with the Buchannanite/Calvinist Wing or annointed by Ann Coulter.
Now, "President Gingrich" certainly has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
I think the division between people who live in a fantasyland where Tancredo can win and those who know he can't is similar to the division in the Democratic Party between people who think that, say, Howard Dean could have won a general election and those who knew he cannot.
It's a question of how much of a conservative "Bubble" one lives in. People who have entire families of Republicans who live in extremely Republican areas and go to churches full of Republicans and really don't have regular contact with actual Democrats at all can get some very weird ideas of who is electable and who isn't, and also can get the idea that their own personal hobbyhorse issues are just as important to the rest of the country as they are to themselves.
Like I said it's not purely a Republican problem, the progressive core of the Democratic Party has it worse.
But anyone who thinks Tancredo is remotely electable is absolutely, positively nuts.
No he can't win.
Allen/Rice 2008
Some say that the immigration issue is a phony that has just surfaced prior to the next presidential election to muddy up the waters.
The truth is that the American people have been asleep and trusting their goobermint to do the right thing.
Impossible!
Guiliani or Frist, with Vice Presidential candidate Condoleeza Rice...
???
Not so fast. A lot can happen before the primaries and her stock is falling fast.
She's a politician.
"Politics is the art of the possible."
You've replaced "possible" with "fantasy" in the above.
BTW, the planet has never been more peaceful or stable than it is at the moment.
I don't dislike Tancredo, but he isn't presidential material and although you may wish he will win the presidency, it's just that, imo. A wish.
Can you imagine the commercial the left will make from when Tancredo suggested we nuke Mecca or some such nonsense? I'll stand by my statement. He doesn't stand a chance.
So with that said, I'll throw my support to whomever does stand an actual chance of doing something I can see Republicans haven't quite gotten the grasp of yet. Actually winning elections.
Have a plan to cut out the unConstitutional alphabet agencies, reducing the size and scope of the Fed Gov to its legal limtis, have a solid plan to lock down the borders, and have a plan to free up domestic commerce from under the tons of tax and regulatory BS it currently labors under (NRST?)...
Any candidate from the GOP running on the above issues would be a shoe in. Of course, if they end up another "Read My Lips" type... the GOP is over as a major poltical force and it'll be another 20 year struggle for relavence.
If need be. I will not support a liberal like Rudy or Mitt.
I hate the word *behoove*
That would be another step backwards.
"Tom Tancredo cannot win. Not in a gazillion years.
Why?"
Because the people who actually run the Republican party don't want him to?
Hillary.
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