Conservative core seeks a contender

The Los Angeles Times ^ | January 20, 2007 | Mark Z. Barabak

[Clintonfatigued]

For decades, the conservative movement has been the animating force of the Republican Party, providing the ideas and energy that catapulted candidates to the GOP presidential nomination and, often, the White House.

But as conservatives survey the 2008 field — and, particularly, the early Republican front-runners — many are despairing. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani have all broken with conservative orthodoxy at one time or another. Many activists have neither forgiven nor forgotten.

"There's absolutely no contender that is a bona fide conservative," said K.B. Forbes, who has worked for a number of conservative candidates and causes since the 1990s. "We have insiders, squishes and moderates running for president."

The candidate closest to the heart of social conservatives, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, plans to formally launch his White House bid today with a speech in Topeka. But even those who admire Brownback, and especially his Senate leadership opposing abortion, same-sex marriage and stem-cell research, question the viability of his candidacy.

"Brownback has to prove he can win," said Richard Land, head of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination.

Land sees different problems for the three leading GOP hopefuls. "Most social conservatives at present are uncomfortable with McCain," he said. "They're appalled by Giuliani." As for Romney, Land said, "He has to convince social conservatives he's become one of them."

It's a striking state of affairs, given the ascendance of the conservative movement since 1964. Although he was crushed in the general election that year, Arizona's Barry Goldwater wrested the Republican Party from its Midwest and Eastern roots, starting a realignment that eventually turned the GOP into the party of Ronald Reagan, the Sunbelt and the

[onyx]

LOL! I hear you, but I will vote for him as well.
BTW, it wasn't pleasurable to vote for Lott in November either, but I did.

[David Isaac]

Is Duncan Hunter this person??????


Right now, I would say he is the best.

[Leonine]

Conservatism works and conservatism wins BIG. Reagan proved that against a monolithic media. Moderatism does not work and moderatism loses. W proved that, even though he had support from Fox, talk, &c.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Thanks for another 'history' lesson!

The cause and effects that you represented as facts were rather rhetorically in line with your way of thinking but well out of touch with reality.

The Iraq War, Republican Corruption and Media propaganda is what drew the independent/swing voters over to the Democrats.

The proof of that is, good conservatives like Allen and Santorum lost their seats, along with several other conservatives that should not have lost but did. You can rant all you like and blame who ever you like, but reality is what it is.

Some of us can see the big picture ahead and many here refuse to believe what is being said.

[kacres]

Someone brought up Fred Thompson on another thread the other day. I read his bio, seems a good contender,but I don't know if he will run.

[onyx]

The Iraq War, Republican Corruption and Media propaganda is what drew the independent/swing voters over to the Democrats.

True dat.

[Dog Gone]

onyx/Dog Gone 2008.

We'd be a juggernaut.

[David Isaac]

If another Bush runs, I will also run. Australia perhaps.

Bush Sr. = BJ Clinton, Bush Jr. = Speaker Pelosi and an American population demographic that will never be the same,......?

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

The Libs sold us Kerry as the 'REFORMED' war monger who came back and saw the light. He bragged about throwing away his medals and testified against his brothers in arms. He also lied to a Congressional Committee. The Libs love a candidate like that.

[onyx]

I like the term "fire in the belly" --- unless he has it, he won't run. IMO, when he didn't run for reelection the in senate, he opted out of elected office politics and is happy with his new wife and his L&O role.

[onyx]

Campaign buttons from our opponents would read "Dog Gone onyx." LOL

[kacres]

When I read up on him, they mentioned he may be taking over for Paul Harvey, I thought that might be cool, my eight year old loves listening to Paul Harvey.

[NormsRevenge]

The last guy who did that to become President was at least Supreme Allied Commander in WWII.

---

Tommy FRanks comes to mind as being a choice I could live with or at least worth consideration. The field overall at this point is not supremely palateable personally.

[loreldan]

Well, let me dig in my archives and offer a couple of examples of Freepers admitting either staying home or voting third party. The ones here are in Santorum's state.

"...I, as many here in PA, withheld our vote or wrote in a candidate. I was saying that Santorum has not acted upon his so-called conservatism and it hurt him big time."

If Santorum was not conservative, there were no conservatives in Congress.


"...As last Tuesday demonstrated, we will throw Republicans into the street when they spend like drunken Dems, refuse to reform Social Security or the tax code...and try to sell Amnesty for Illegals as reform. We're not stupid and we won't tolerate it. When conservatives are not being represented in Congress, it makes little difference which party isn't representing us."

Earlier that lady told me that she also voted against Santorum. I can give more examples of Freepers let alone Republicans in general that stayed home, voted third-party, and even some that voted Democrat against conservative Republicans to teach the general party a lesson. I left out the Freepers names on purpose.

[Dog Gone]

That's precisely why I have to run for VP. ;-)

[bassmaner]

The Iraq War, Republican Corruption and Media propaganda is what drew the independent/swing voters over to the Democrats.

Media propaganda about The Iraq War, and media non-reporting of Democrat corruption (eg. Sandy Burger and William Jefferson) while obsessing about Republican Corruption and Media propaganda is what drew the independent/swing voters over to the Democrats.

Fixed it.

[Leonine]

Is your analysis based on exit polls?--reliable, aren't they. And the big picture, would it be global, perchance?

[NormsRevenge]

The field overall at this point is not supremely palateable personally...

I might expand that just a wee bit to include

Duncan Hunter

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

You are absolutely correct. The Democrats did this in '06 and it worked. They laid all their extreme differences aside and collectively voted as a whole.

They appealed to the moderates & independents most and kept their extreme Leftist rhetoric out of it. This is what worries me the most.

THEY HAVE IT FUGURED OUT! And, any party that fails to learn this will lose.

[Dog Gone]

I hope they like the kind of Supreme Court justice we can get approved at the next opening.