Posted on 03/04/2007 9:05:30 AM PST by Reagan Man
Although there will no doubt be a winner in their straw poll of Republican presidential favorites for ’08, many participants at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington March 1-3 voiced to me dissatisfaction with the current field -- all of whom except John McCain addressed the conclave of 6,000-plus conservatives at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
“I haven’t given it much thought,” Jennifer Graf, who managed the winning anti-affirmative action initiative in Michigan last November, told me when I asked her favorite for the GOP in ’08. Similarly, Diane Schachterle, who works in the office of affirmative action foe Ward Connerly in Sacramento, California, replied: “I mostly don’t like any of them.”
Nevada’s Chuck Muth, who heads the conservative group Citizen Outreach, echoed these views and told me: “I’m keeping my powder dry for now.” Birmingham (Ala.) attorney and longtime Alabama family issues leader Eric Johnston said he will “see what comes out of CPAC. A lot of candidates claim to be a conservative but I’m not sure they are.”
When pressed to name a favorite, Johnston did mention the name of Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. But, others who expressed neutrality and ambivalence about the ’08 contest came up with another name when I pressed the question to them: Newt Gingrich.”
Carolyn Meadows, former Republican National Committeewoman of Georgia and now a board member of the National Rifle Association, told me her choice at this time for ’08 was “None of the above, but that would change to Newt when and if he gets in. Another Georgian and the newly-elected chairman of the Georgia College Republicans, Esther Clark, said : “I hope Newt runs. Maybe by October, if the other major candidates keep beating each other up, he’ll decide to run. We really need a guy with ideas.” For now, Clark added, “I like McCain.”
This budding “Run, Newt, Run” sentiment extended to non-Georgians as well. When I pressed Nevada’s Muth, for example, he said “Newt is someone I really could get excited about.” Paul Caprio, a pro-family leader of Illinois whose Family PAC rates members of the state legislature, predicted: “If Newt doesn’t get into it, then [California Rep.] Duncan Hunter will emerge as a leading conservative.”
Gingrich, whose address to CPAC drew a rousing reception, has said he will make a decision on whether to run for President by September. One political consultant who has been in recent touch with the former speaker predicted he would make an announcement on whether or not to run on September 27, the 13th anniversary of the Contract With America which Republicans rode to capture of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994.
Newt PING
No glowing words for "America's Mayor" (what a JOKE), RINO-rudy?
To hear the koolaid-drinking RINO-rudy-Rooters talk, they LOVED him at CPAC.
Newt has a lot of skeletons in his closet but his closet is bare compared to Bubba Klintoon or the Hildabeast. The media will pounce on him regardless so why not pick someone that espouses true conservative values and rally around him. The choices we have right now, to quote Eric Cartman, suck ass.
I believe Newt will announce in September.
“If Newt doesn’t get into it, then [California Rep.] Duncan Hunter will emerge as a leading conservative.”
Must be conservatives there know who the conservatives are?
Hunter was excellent. Too bad his 8:30 AM slot kept him low profile.
This Presidential race promises to be the most vicious and down and dirty in history so we might just as well brace ourselves now and start stockpiling ammo. And all you damn "Republicans" out there with jello for spines better step up to the plate or get the hell back into the dugout and leave it to the rest of us that are not afraid to call a spade a spade and not concerned whose feelings get hurt in the process. We cannot afford to let the f'n libs run roughshod over us without monkey stomping their nads in the dirt. Fight fire with fire and use a bigger flamethrower. W's Presidency has brought the libtard whacko fringes out of the woodwork and we need to eradicate them like the cockroaches they are. No more f'n around it's time to take the gloves off and start throwing knockout punches.
Well said.
Just like Arnold gave us fair warning on his Recall campaign website that he was practically a Green Party sympathizer, Newt refuses to step out against the anti-property rights and expense inducing, to say nothing of economy crippling litigation, agitation and assignation of these patent fools!!! Until he does, and with meaning, I cannot support him for national office anymore!!!
I just heard on CBS radio that the EnvironMentalists are having a giant activism get together for training each other in "direct action" against corporations that won't cow-tow to Kyoto and globular worming!!! Can you say Eco-Terrorism coming??? (I hope the FBI is watching these Eco-Taliban militants!!!)
I'm a Newt man.
He lacks the right stuff to win however. He must at some point enter the fray with a series of daily stemwinders that will wow the base and empress the middle with the certain knowlwdge that to elect any one who will not carry on an agressive preemptive war on terror will result in personal death. To elect a passive coward left leaning wimp will get you, that is, not some random New Yorker, but you, death. The war will be here.
Fire and brimstone preview of the future will win the day.
Can the softspoken Newt rise to the challenge of oratory?
We'll see.
Newt's a great conservative and GOP advisor but no way would he win the general in 2008.
There are some good reasons to consider him for the GOP nomination. Newt`s got more conservatism going for him, then the centrist Romney and the liberal Giuliani, combined. He is more conservative then John McCain. In that regard, Newt and Duncan Hunter are the most viable alternatives at this early point in the campaign for me. Newt merely needs to announce and his support will skyrocket.
IMHO, the two biggest strikes against Newt, are his big govt mentality --- support for Bush`s free drug program stands out --- and his unwillingness to advance social issues more often. He does talk about the need to promote God in American society and he does mention the Founders in every speech. I do think Newt is a big time believer in freedom and liberty, as it goes hand in hand with individual responsibility. OTOH. Newt maybe too much of a wonk to get the nomination, however. We shall see.
In all seriousness, the "NONE OF THE ABOVE" ought to be a legitimate choice in the voting booth for the purpose of encouraging the political organizations to put forth candidates whom the people would be seriously in FAVOR of electing instead of the current mode where most of us are left with having to vote against the one we dislike the most. I'm reasonably sure that most people in this country share my sentiment that having to vote for the lesser of the evils is not in the strictest of terms the true intent or nature of a represented republic type government. If None of the Above received more votes it would automatically exclude anyone in that election cycle from running in the next cycle and a second election would be held. Obviously the second election would have to be a much shorter process.
MEMO
TO: NEWT
FROM: N4EF
DATE: 3/4/07
SUBJ: 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
Dr.Gringrich: Run for POTUS and bring Tom Tancredo as VP.
Way to support your best pick. That's why politics sucks in this country and in large part why we have the (choke) "leaders" we have!
"Newt's a great conservative and GOP advisor but no way would he win the general in 2008.
Unfortunately you are absolutely correct. Romney or possibly Thompson are the most conservative we can get with a fair chance of winning.
I think Newt would make a tremendous President.
BUT, his past womanizing and serving his wife divorce papers while she lay in a hospital bed fighting cancer will go over with the independents and women like a warm bowl of pus.
He is, quite simply, unelectable.
I'm not trying to defeat "the good" in favor of "the perfect" in the end, but... by gum, I'll be dipped if I'ma gonna be talked into some sorta CONservative this early before the Primary Election!!!
Is Hunter anti-ecokook? I haven't seen anything about where he stands on that stuff.
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