Jonah Goldberg: Inherit the Wind. What if it takes a Democrat? (Maybe a Democrat should win)

National Review ^ | Feb. 16, 2007 | Jonah Goldberg

[FairOpinion]

This wisp of a notion is simply this: Maybe a Democrat should win in 2008.

Personally, I don’t believe in this poltergeist, at least not yet. But every now and then, I must confess, I do shiver from its touch.

The idea goes something like this: If you believe that the war on terror is real — really real — then you think it is inevitable that more and bloodier conflicts with radical Islam are on the way, regardless of who is in the White House. If the clash of civilizations is afoot, then the issues separating Democrats and Republicans are as pressing as whether the captain of the Titanic is going to have fish or chicken for dinner. There’s a showdown coming. Period. Full stop. My task isn’t to convince you that this view is correct (though I basically believe it is), but merely that it is honestly and firmly held by many on the right and by a comparative handful on the left.

[nopardons]

We disagree on some of your opinions, on that list.

Will you really go third party, should one of those whom you say is okay to good doesn't make it past the first of second primary?

[hosepipe]

#159.. excellent diagnosis.. I agree..

[onyx]

Defeat Hillary! I'm focused, but we're barely into primary season. I'll vote for the GOP nominee regardless.

[onyx]

Same surname, but I hate misinformation. Glad to make you happy too. :0)

[FairOpinion]

This poll just in:

Giuliani Leads Hillary, Obama for 2008 Vote

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/14777


according to a poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News. 49 per cent of respondents would vote for the former New York City mayor in 2008, while 40 per cent would support New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In a contest pitting Giuliani against Illinois senator Barack Obama, the Republican holds a six-point advantage.

[FairOpinion]

In a recent FoxNews poll, Hillary was leading in the Dem poll.

The poll also finds that when only Clinton and Obama are considered, Democrats prefer Clinton as their party’s nominee by 17 percentage points today, down from her 22-point edge two months ago (December 2006).


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,252181,00.html

[jveritas]

The ultimate question that all "conservatives" should ask themselves: "Do we want a democrat candidate to be in the White House because we do not like the Republican candidate?". It is a very simple question and the answer for it is very simple yes or no. I hope that vast, vast, vast majority will answer "NO".

[Jim Robinson]

The only way I would go third party is if someone truly unacceptable and dangerous to the conservative coalition and therefore dangerous to continuing American liberty gets the nod and the coalition becomes so disgusted with the Republican Party that major leaders and organizations pull out and are joined by top conservative sitting or ex governors, senators, congressmen and state senators and legislators, officeholders, candidates, judges, professionals, business & industrial leaders, consultants, party people, authors, pamphleteers, veterans, patriots, etc. In other words a major split and parting of the ways and a birthing of a new and powerful conservative party hitting the ground running with a sitting nationwide conservative coalition at all levels of government and a full slate of qualified candidates.

[jveritas]

I do not like Guiliani to be the Republican candidate because he is a social liberal, however he is vastly better than any other democrat candidate specially when it comes to the most important issue that we are facing in our life which is fighting the war on terror and defeating the terrorist enemies. Of course he is also vastly better than any democrat candidate on the fiscal issues.

PS: I doubt very much that Guiliani will win the Republican nomination for President in 2008, but I can be very wrong on this.

[jwh_Denver]

You do know that your post runs counter to the rising tide of bashing conservatives 24/7 around here? Good post and nice tagline. New here?

[Spiff]

Your list is spot on.

I want you to consider Jim Gilmore and add him to your list. He's the former governor of Virginia, a conservative Republican, pro-life, board member of the NRA, appointed pro-life, social, and economic conservatives to his staff, served in the military, chaired the 'Gilmore Commission' which established the Office of Homeland Security, works for a homeland security company now, signed partial birth abortion ban, signed parental consent law, served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, very anti-tax, and is liked by conservatives but isn't considered "extreme".

He filed papers (exploratory committee) to run for President last month. I just found the following additional information on his campaign website:

Courageous. Consistent. Conservative. Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore has exactly the credentials that most Republicans are looking for in their nominee for President of the United States. 

• Jim Gilmore served as a U.S. Army counter-intelligence agent in Germany during the Vietnam era. 

• Jim Gilmore served as a tough, crime busting local prosecutor in Virginia.
  
  
• Jim Gilmore served as a popular, no-nonsense Virginia Attorney General.
  
  
• Jim Gilmore served as a Governor who was a champion of the taxpayers.
  
  
• Jim Gilmore served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
  
  
• Jim Gilmore served as Chairman of a national commission on prevention and response to terrorism. 

On the issues, Jim Gilmore is a leader Republicans can trust to stand for low taxes, secure borders, support for our troops, protection of our 2nd Amendment rights, the preservation of life and the defense of traditional marriage and family values.

---

Cutting Taxes
As Governor of Virginia, Jim Gilmore, cut 16 different taxes totaling $1.5 billion, created more than 250,000 new jobs and gave the state its lowest unemployment in 40 years. As Chairman of The Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce, Jim Gilmore led the national fight to block taxation on the internet and helped repeal federal communications taxes in place since 1898. As a candidate for President, Jim Gilmore supports efforts to reduce taxes including making the Bush tax cuts permanent. Jim Gilmore believes high taxes are too great a burden on the nation’s economy and on working families. As President, he will work to close tax loopholes, reduce runaway spending and create jobs and opportunity to help end the nation’s culture of dependence.

---

Stopping Illegal Immigration
Jim Gilmore is, as are most Americans, a descendent of immigrants who came to this country legally to seek the American dream. And, he believes that dream should remain attainable for those who obey the law. However, there should be no amnesty for those who are in our country illegally. As a forceful advocate for homeland security, Jim Gilmore knows that we must secure America’s borders to protect our country. We will not be able to deal successfully with those who are in our country illegally until we have secured our borders and stopped the entrance of additional illegals. We must re-examine our existing immigration laws and develop a better program for temporary workers as well as requiring employers to verify workers are here legally.

---

Defeating Terrorism in Iraq
As a former member of the U.S. military who volunteered to serve during the Vietnam era, Jim Gilmore is strongly committed to supporting America’s troops in Iraq and around the world. As Governor, Jim Gilmore directed the state response when Virginia was attacked on 9/11. As President, Jim Gilmore will do what is necessary to defeat terrorism and to protect the vital interest of the citizens of the United States. Jim Gilmore supports increasing the number of troops as necessary to enforce civil order in Iraq and giving our military men and women a clearly defined mission that will allow them to defeat the terrorists who are threatening our security. Jim Gilmore strongly rejects the calls of those who demand a pullout of U.S. forces from Iraq on a fixed timetable because it would swiftly lead to chaos and America’s defeat.

---

Protecting the 2nd Amendment  
Jim Gilmore is a member of the National Rifle Association’s Board of Directors and has spent much of his life working to protect our 2nd Amendment rights. Jim Gilmore believes the right to keep and bear arms is entitled to the same protection as every other amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Jim Gilmore believes gun ownership is based on the American tradition of personal responsibility and he is committed to protecting the rights of hunters, sportsmen and gun owners. As Governor, Jim Gilmore created Virginia Exile to put those illegally using guns in jail. His efforts as Attorney General and Governor, including the abolition of parole, truth in the sentencing of criminals and juvenile justice reform, reduced Virginia crime rates to a 25-year low. As President, Jim Gilmore will continue to work to get guns out of the hand of criminals and he will forcefully oppose any new controls on gun ownership.

---

Preserving Traditional Values
As Governor of Virginia, Jim Gilmore time and time again stood solidly for the sanctity of life and the preservation of traditional family values. Jim Gilmore’s leadership led to successful legislation which he signed into law that created a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion, required parental notification for minors seeking an abortion and banned partial birth abortion. Jim Gilmore created the Virginia Abstinence Initiative and dramatically increased funding for adoption services. Jim Gilmore signed into law legislation banning human cloning and went to court to try to prevent the removal of a feeding tube and save the life of coma victim Hugh Finn. Jim Gilmore believes marriage is the union of one man and one woman and as President will oppose gay marriage and so-called civil unions.

---

Achieving Energy Independence
The United States today imports 60 percent of its oil, a situation that places our economy and our national security at risk.  Jim Gilmore believes we can do better!  As President, Jim Gilmore will launch a national energy independence project called American Energy Freedom, a NASA like effort to motivate and stimulate American ingenuity and technology using research and development tax incentives to help free our nation from its dependence on foreign oil within 25 years.  In the meantime, Jim Gilmore will push for steady and dramatic increases in domestic energy production and an increase in the size of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.  Jim Gilmore also will support expanding our use of alternative fuels like ethanol, making dramatic improvements in battery technology for plug-in hybrid vehicles and the long-range development of hydrogen power for vehicles.

I think that this is someone that we could get behind. He's not quite as conservative as Duncan Hunter, but he's plenty conservative. He has a much more polished appearance and he has a better executive record as it pertains to electability.

Please add him to your list and put some strong consideration in supporting him. I'd heard he filed, and I had a conservative friend tell me to check him out, and I just did that when putting this post together and I really like what I see. Tell me what you think.

[jveritas]

The only way I would go third party is if someone truly unacceptable and dangerous to the conservative coalition and therefore dangerous to continuing American liberty...

Jim, who do you see fit these horrible characteristics among the current Republican candidates?

[Jim Robinson]

Doesn't matter how you and I answer personally, when the conservative base and the grassroots are turned off by the candidate and or party policies we get losses like 1992 and 1996, barely get by like 2000, 2004 and disasters like 2006. We cannot afford a repeat of 1992, 1996 or a continuation of the 2006 debacle. We must field a candidate that unites and ignites the base and the grassroots. It can and must happen.

[BARLF]

Thank you.

I had been searching and finally found my mistake. Pete it is.

Sorry, chasio, my apologies.

[higgmeister]

It may be. But what happens when a President Clinton or Obama has a 9/11 — or worse — on her or his watch? Or is faced by the prospect of an Iraq run by terrorists?

This is insanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll raise and call your insanity one better!

Suppose it is a Democrat in the White House in 2008 and there is a Radical Islamic WMD attack on a major-metropolitan-city in the USA! Those cities are filled with "Blue State Liberals." Their population would drastically go down from the body count, the fright flight and the "come to Jesus" wakeup call. There will be a Conservative majority for at least ten generations to come. Their cause is self-defeating, yet they travel on toward destiny without a clue.

[jveritas]

He is an excellent candidate, however he has been out of any political office for a very long time, this will make it very tough to him to win the primaries.

[mrsmith]

He misses the biggest reason to put a Dem in the presidency:

A Dem president would be supported by the media in taking aggressive actions against terrorists.
You can't win a war when your own media is a propaganda tool of the enemy.

Unfortunately a Dem would fight a stupid and incompetent war (cheered by the media all the way though) and we would suffer. I suspect that is part of the political equation: that the failures of the Dem would rebound to our party's benefit. Cynical!

[mthom]

I have equal dislike for those that want to defeat the Dems only slightly more than they do social conservatives

[Jim Robinson]

Gilmore looks pretty solid to me.

[hosepipe]

Pretty good logic actually..

Democrat appeasement will encourage the terrorists to attack again.. The democrat response will expose them(demos) as the cowards they are.. -OR- the complete idiots they can be and are..

Raiseing taxes(Demos love taxes) will hamstring the economy plus hopefully NOT a nuked American City, Chaos in the Malls, or Chaos in the Grammar Schools like in Russia.. or all of the above..

Goldberg has a point, interesting times await..