Posted on 02/10/2007 7:54:35 PM PST by seanmerc
There are a few potential precedents this time...First Mormon, first woman, first black, first mayor, first Hispanic.
We are deeply endebted to Newt for the Contract with America that put Republicans in power in the Congress for the first time in a long time.
And Newt is a terrific idea man. I do love listening to him.
Dear patriciaruth,
"So, if Rudy gets the nomination, it will be a big precedent."
But where are all the cries of, "No one who served only as mayor was ever elected president! It would be foolish to try to nominate someone like that!" ?
One good non sequitur deserves another.
sitetest
Better hairy legs than a hairy chest! Hahahahaha!
Check my tagline ping!
Rudy has a record of accomplishment...cleaning up NYC and getting 600,000 off its welfare roles.
He has also been tested under fire.
If Duncan Hunter could boast as much, I'd be more interested in him.
Now if we could inject some of Duncan into Rudy or vice versa then maybe we'd have a candidate we all could be more pleased with.
Is he the ranking Republican now of the House Ways & Means Committee? Why do you ask?
I love Rumsfeld! He has served his country with honor and integrity, and we owe him a debt of gratitude. I think that Rumsfeld has earned the right to retire and enjoy the rest of his life. Let someone else do the heavy lifting for awhile!
Dear patriciaruth,
"Rudy has a record of accomplishment...cleaning up NYC and getting 600,000 off its welfare roles.
"He has also been tested under fire.
"If Duncan Hunter could boast as much, I'd be more interested in him."
That's a much different argument than "sitting US Representatives can't get elected."
It's still one non sequitur up against another.
sitetest
I didn't write ""sitting US Representatives can't get elected."
So, I'm a bit baffled why you are biting my heels on this.
Really now.
You must find something a bit larger than a phone booth.
Perhaps something the size of Texas.
So sorry we don't have first single black female in the race, too.
Dear patriciaruth,
Because that was the point I was making in the post to which you originally replied. Look at my post to which you originally replied, and the post to which I was replying.
I wasn't looking to make any other point at this time.
Especially because it's getting so late for me, that I'm not sure that I could coherently move to address any other points right now. ;-)
Good night!
sitetest
I concede that Duncan Hunter is the most popular by far amongst the Freepers, but he won't mean squat if he can get money. If you guys want him, then I encourage to donate the maximum to his campaign. In fact, if you are truly serious about him, then I would expect the Freepers to organize a concentrated effort to solicit money for him like crazy.
Now, if this kind of activity does not materialize for Duncan Hunter, then I will keep him regulated to the second tier (a really good second stringer mind you)
I was implying that people outside of another state don't know too much about a politician from another.
His constituents like him and trust hin enough to keep reelect since '81.
Only when they step out into the limelight do we learn about a politician from another state.
We reelectd McCreary in Nov. Good decent man.
How many people outside of Arkansas knew who Bill Clinton was back in February of '90?
Not too many.
Feb. of '90 had the dems ready to concede the WH because Bush Sr. had such high approval numbers! Many prominent dem's choose not to run for fear of being labeled a loser!
With todays technology it is easier now than ever to get the message out and to spread the word.
Frankly, Hunter's conservative credentials notwithstanding, I still lean toward a more experienced individual - meaning someone with Gubernatorial leadership, and a high profile among the centrist/conservative folk in the GOP, someone who is a proven fundraiser, and an established party loyalist - maybe even with a military record.
I am specifically thinking of {former} two term Montana Governor Marc Racicot. As a former Army Cap't., and past Atty General before taking the Governor's post, he is a definite law and order type. Not to mention he is a staunchly Pro--life Catholic who would {I believe}rightly garner the support of every Pro-Life Catholic in the US.
Think of all the votes such a candidate could poach from the East-coast Catholic pro-life Dems who felt conflicted about voting for J eFfin' Kerry...
Having a candidate who meets a key array of conservative litmus tests is important and potentially valuable, but having someone recognizeable that has enough high office experience is even moreso. Hunter may look good, or even great right now to a GOP that is hungering for a credible and principled conservative, but he is not and should not be electable, absent that experience.
To the point, I will not vote for him in a statewide primary -- unless he is the ONLY GOP candidate on the slate who even resembles a conservative. It is not a reflection upon his character, only an understanding of the political realities of our time.
Every single conservative voter on this thread ought to ask themselves this reality check question:
WHO was the last man elected to the Presidency that was not first the Governor of a state, previous Vice President, or US Senator? {Bush, Clinton, Bush 41, Reagan, Carter, Nixon, Kennedy..}
Yep General Dwight D. Eisenhower - who had an inarguably higher profile in the U.S. after his WWII service as Supreme Allied Commander.
Not a good subject for comparison for purposes of pointing to a modern political precedent. I didn't know Dwight D. Eisenhower, but I feel comfortable in asserting, ala Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle, that Duncan Hunter is "No Ike..."
McCain has been too shifty for me, Giuliani is not acceptable whatsoever, Romney is a good man, but seems calculated and time has yet to tell. Brownback alarms me, Tancredo is viewed as an extremist by even "centrist" Dems {is there such a thing in the DemoRat party?} and would be vilified by the MSM..
Huckabee of Arkansas is worth consideration, but whether he can generate enough interest [read: campaign donations] is an open question. That almost defaults to Racicot, my personal favorite - and not only because I have met and spoken with him on several occasions at statewide GOP events.
Racicot has been a tireless and enormously effective fundraiser for the National GOP, a party and GW Bush loyalist...
The one wildcard would be whether or not Dick Cheney, after surveying the primary landscape, throws his hat into the ring. He has the benefit of being a sitting Vice-President and having been the Wyoming Gov. Heck - many of the "Black helicopter" DhimmiRats think he has been the "real" President the past seven years anyway...
Why not make it "official"?! That would really bring on gnashing teeth, foaming mouths, and full-blown radical- lefty-rioting in the streets, anti-Halliburton dementia!!
LOL!
Problem is - a good ticket needs to cut across electoral/ regional lines, so two Rocky Mountain western state Governors on the ticket would not be ideal.
IMHO, the best option would be Cheney/Huckabee, Racicot/Huckabee, or perhaps Racicot/Hunter/ or Racicot/Pence...
Any of the above pairings would be plausible, viable in more ways than one, and befitting the true nature of the GOP
Good point. Is Duncan Hunter as intelligent and affably engaging a candidate as Bill Clinton was?
Bill Clinton could talk real purty. Can Duncan?
Meanwhile, it's pouring outside here now!! Yippee! Some of the orange trees may be able to bloom after all.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.