[Daveinyork]

“I can respect your support of Thompson, but language like this is a bit over the top.”

I disagree. The last Republican moderate to win election was Ike, or maybe you could include Nixon, who always ran as a conservative, even if he didn’t govern that way. Bush 41 won because it was thought that he’d be continuing Reagan’s work. He lost because he governed as a moderate. In 1996, the Republicans eschewed the conservative Phil Gramm, for the “electable” moderate Dole.

Bush 43 realized that he needed to mobilize the conservative base in order to win. The undecided’s are either too few, or don’t vote. Even Dems realize that they need to shift to the right to win national general elections.

Any Republican candidate for pres. who does not mobilize the conservative base will lose, and right now the conservative base is angry at McCain, and skeptical of Huck. They could be defeated in embarrassing landslides, because conservatives as a group are angry and impatient, and we realize that a moderate, in Washington, DC, governs as a liberal, making a Huck or Mac Presidency no better than a Democrat.

It is an observable trend that almost everyone who goes to Washington, DC who is not a strong conservative, will become more liberal over time. That Thompson has done the opposite is to his credit, if he is sincere. He may not win the general election, but I think he has a much better chance than anyone else the GOP is fielding.

[Rumierules]

Any Republican candidate for pres. who does not mobilize the conservative base will lose, and right now the conservative base is angry at McCain
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The conservative base is rather small. If the base cannot articulate why it is angry at McCain in some way other than listing several issues that most primary voters are uninformed about (immigration, CFR, the Gang of 14), he will roll onto win the nomination.

[RangerM]

A very reasoned post. Even if I disagree with some of your points, I can respect them.

The “Fred is the only....” and all others are some devil incarnate is way beyond reason.

[riverdawg]

Phil Gramm would have lost 40 states in 1996 to Bill Clinton. He reminds me of Newt Gingrich - he had many good ideas but projected a voice and personality that grates on too many people, conservatives and moderates, to have nationwide appeal. Otherwise, I agree with your post.

[syriacus]

[Thompson] may not win the general election, but I think he has a much better chance than anyone else the GOP is fielding.

I agree.

Thompson is the one candidate who would make the November election a real horse race.