Fiscal Cons won’t give Hunter the time of day, though - he’s the opposite mold of what they want. They’d prefer the Liberal who cuts taxes.
***So Hunter gets ignored by the media, backstabbed by Fiscon/Solibs in his own party, and the wait-and-see by the Socon Evangelical “leaders” like Dobson. I have posted in the past that the best thing I can do for Hunter is to pray for him and his family. Gideon took on an army of 300k with a few hundred of his own men, so maybe God is doing the same thing here.
Hunter’s “problem” is that SoCons and Religious Conservatives try very hard to find candidates who will appeal to both sides of the GOP - Fiscals and Socials. So they tend to ignore SoCons who get the thumbs down from the “Chamber.” Fiscal Cons, on the other hand, could give a crap whether both sides can support their candidate, as long as the Fiscals like him/her. To hell with the SoCons and their ilk - they are what’s wrong with the Party anyway.
The problem is that Hunter’s base - SoCons and Religious Conservatives - have to be the grown-ups in the Party ALL OF THE TIME. The Fiscals are never truly asked to give an inch for party unity. When GWB asked for that inch for his spend-happy “Compassionate Conservatism,” the Fiscals stayed home. Ask Karl Rove how important it was to have record turnout for Bush among Values Voters in both elections. Without RECORD turnout, Gore would have been President, and then Kerry.
On the other hand, SoCons are always asked to give up large chunks of their issues to support the Party. Oftentimes, they are told to suck-it-up for candidates they so despise that they were forced to run Primary opponents against them (Chafee, et al). Fiscals throw a fit when offered 90%, yet they are perfectly happy to offer SoCons 1% (and no promises there!), and then demand their loyalty.
Why do you think J. Michael Luttig never got the Supreme Court nod? He was inarguably the most qualified Conservative judge. It was because the “Chamber” found one single disagreeable business ruling and put a veto on him. He will never be considered ever again, period. Bush never even dared try to nominate him.
Hunter has no shot because he opposes unconditional Free Trade. The “Chamber” has put a veto on him, and that’s that. I know it’s sad, but it’s true. His friends, the SoCons and Religious Conservatives, cannot back him because they have to be the grown-ups and try to find a candidate who will please both sides of the GOP. And they cannot afford to even chance supporting him because of the tragedy that threatens us on the horizon in Rudy911, and the big “F-You” the Fiscal Conservatives are working hard to give SoCons in 2008.
I hope Hunter ultimately endorses the most Conservative candidate of the front-runners, cause Huckabee is on a suicide mission from which SoCons may never recover.