GOP Candidates Better Than Right Wing Admits: Three good options for the Right

The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | March 7, 2007 | George Will [Washington Post Writers Group]

[quidnunc]

The axiom is as old as human striving: The perfect is the enemy of the good. In politics this means that insisting on perfection in a candidate interferes with selecting a satisfactory one.

Which is why the mood of many of the 6,300 people, lots of them college age, who registered at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference here, was unreasonably morose. Sponsored annually by the American Conservative Union, CPAC is the conservative movement's moveable feast. Many at CPAC seemed depressed by the fact, as they see it, that the top three Republican candidates — John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani — are flawed. Such conservatives should conduct a thought experiment.

Suppose someone seeking the presidential nomination had, as a governor, signed the largest tax increase in his state's history and the nation's most permissive abortion law. And by signing a law institutionalizing no-fault divorce, he had unwittingly but substantially advanced an idea central to the campaign for same-sex marriages — the minimalist understanding of marriage as merely a contract between consenting adults to be entered into or dissolved as it suits their happiness.

Question: Is it not likely that such a presidential aspirant would be derided by some of today's fastidious conservatives? A sobering thought, that, because the attributes just described were those of Ronald Reagan.

-snip-

[GSlob]

"Sorry, you are never gonna convince me that any of the above are good enough to shine RR's shoes."
Then you need to commit a grave robbery and clone RR from whatever tissue might be available. And then you'll have to wait 35 years till the clone becomes constitutionally eligible. Thus 2043 at the earliest, just in time for the 2044 campaign. Nice and great, but what are we to do till then?

[Issaquahking]

Only candidate who is running in the spirit of Ronald Reagan is Duncan Hunter...


Comments from an interview -

John Hawkins: Ok, along similar lines, I'm going to bring up a name or organization. You just give me a quick reaction.

Duncan Hunter: If you're running for this office, you shouldn't be the proponent of quick reaction.

John Hawkins: I understand. I'm just trying to get a lot of stuff out there about you, you know, so people can get a good feel about your positions on a lot of issues.

John Hawkins: Ronald Reagan.

Duncan Hunter: Peace through strength, my soul mate and the guy that I ran with in 1980 and whose views I still strongly support. No other candidate is even in his league, running as a conservative.

A good ticket would be Hunter/Gingrich!

[Alberta's Child]

Apparently this is a syndicated article that has been printed/posted by several different newspapers with different titles.

Unfortunately, George Will doesn't sound any smarter by the third go-around.

[yoe]

It is still too early - However, Giuliani is strong on law and that takes in the felons who are here illegally; feels Roe v Wade is an imperfect law and would like to see something written better; would not impose NY gun law across the country; he is strong on the Constitution; would most likely ask public education to produce a better product and see to it teachers are taught to teach; there is much to like about him. I will be interested to see if Newt will enter the race and I like Mitt. Cheney could retire do to health concerns leaving the space for Condi Rice a likely and good choice.

Those with single issue wishes will hurt the rest of the GOP. There will never be another RR so get over it and try to pick someone who can win and kick the Clinton's out for good.

Get after Harry Reid and his ridiculous Murthaspeak about the WOT and Iraq - this silly inarticulate public servant is about to get us all killed by creating the weakest America in history. Freep his office!

[Issaquahking]

Correction

John Hawkins: Ronald Reagan.

Duncan Hunter: Peace through strength, my soul mate and the guy that I ran with in 1980 and whose views I still strongly support.

No other candidate is even in his league, running as a conservative.

A good ticket would be Hunter/Gingrich!

[SaxxonWoods]

From George Will, about someone you remember:


"Suppose someone seeking the presidential nomination had, as a governor, signed the largest tax increase in his state's history and the nation's most permissive abortion law. And by signing a law institutionalizing no-fault divorce, he had unwittingly but substantially advanced an idea central to the campaign for same-sex marriages -- the minimalist understanding of marriage as merely a contract between consenting adults to be entered into or dissolved as it suits their happiness.

Question: Is it not likely that such a presidential aspirant would be derided by some of today's fastidious conservatives? A sobering thought, that, because the attributes just described were those of Ronald Reagan."

---

The above is not an endorsement of any candidate by SaxxonWoods. SaxxonWoods was leaning Duncan Hunter, but is currently undecided.

[Triple]

Who says those are the too candidates ?W

[longtermmemmory]

In other words,

a left wing newspaper wants us to select a left wing candidate in order to SHOVE the republican party left of center.

Left of center judges.
Left of center immigration.
Left of center gun control laws.
Left of center prosecutorial conduct.


no thank you.

[Scholastic]

Hillarious! I dont vote for liberals either, regardless of party.

[Triple]

Rudy is weak on the constitution . You like asset forfieture?

[OldFriend]

LOL....some folks wanted to be king makers but the horse is out of the barn and heading to the finish line without their imput and they're disgruntled.

[tkathy]

We need a RINO sensitivity day. Take a RINO to lunch. Us RINOs are the victims of RINOphobia. Whine snivel.

[showme_the_Glory]

"electability" = compromised values.

[cripplecreek]

but the horse is out of the barn and heading to the finish line without their imput and they're disgruntled.

Well there's something to be proud of. Blindly accepting the guy the party picked for you and declaring him the winner without the slightest mention of a single issue. And I thought democrats were sheep.

[SaxxonWoods]

FR definition of RINO: Anyone not as conservative as (insert preferred poster name here).

[El Laton Caliente]

yeo,

If you beleive what you posted it seems like you done VERY little readin up on Rudy's history. There are multiple Rudy quotes contridicting almost every point you were trying to make.

[Clintonfatigued]

You're making Giuliani, Romney, and McCain sound like Ghidorah.

[CWOJackson]

"FR definition of RINO: Anyone not as conservative as (insert preferred poster name here)."

LOL! Absolutely perfect.

[trooprally]

""Just say no to RINOs in 2008."

You are right, but most people only think "General" election. They sit home during the Primaries. Then they bitch about their options.

[Mr] T

[Wolfstar]

Like any historical figure who passes into myth, the real flesh-and-blood Ronald Reagan is hard to find anymore. He was a great man, yes, but there is no doubt whatsoever that if forums like FR were around in his day, he would have been just as vilified by the "real" conservatives as GWB is today. Maybe even moreso.

As president, RWR commtted a terrible strategic blunder when he cut and ran from Lebanon after the Marine barracks bombing. We are still paying for that blunder today.

As president, RWR signed the only amnesty for illegal aliens in U.S. history, thereby establishing a terrible precedent and opening the floodgates.

As president, far from taking the kind of hard-line stance with the Dems that many FReepers crave, RWR was congenial toward them. He socialized with Tip O'Neill and other Dems. He found ways to work with them to pass legislation. His jibes at them came in the form of gentle jokes and not gratuitous meanness.

As president, RWR did not nominate very conservative justices to the courts. He chose Sandra Day O'Connor for one reason only -- to put a woman on the court. That was the opposite of what on would expect of a "real" conservative.

RWR gave us huge budget deficits during his presidency.

I could go on, but suffice it to say that these and other decisions he made would have received the same hostility on FR, had it existed, as is presently directed toward GWB.