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"The Republican Party is going to have a hard time coming up with a strong presidential nominee in 2012."
-- Michael Barone, summarized by Instapundit
The short, bald, grouchy RINO loser the party nominated last year was, arguably, an even worse candidate than Bob Dole. And that's saying something.
A basic problem with the elite class of conservative commentators is that they cannot help but reflect the Beltway GOP's prejudices, including the sensibility that associates foreign policy/national security policy with prestige.
The domestic side of conservatism -- economic and social policy -- always suffers by comparison. A limited-government agenda is not going to get you invited on junkets funded by Raytheon and Boeing. Christian conservative stances on social policy aren't going to result in your becoming a regular on the Jim Lehrer show.
The Republican foreign-policy specialist, however, is going to get his share of guest shots on CNN whenever the situation in the Mideast goes sideways. His op-eds will be published by reputable newspapers. Democratic senators aren't going to shun the former GOP administration official who becomes a lobbyist for General Dynamic, when General Dynamic is contributing generously to the Democratic senator's campaign fund or leadership PAC.
This is why John McCain, who was never a real right-winger in his domestic policy commitments, was always such a darling of the MSM -- right up to the moment when they set him up as the Designated Republican Loser for 2008.
It was almost an exact repeat of what happened with Dole in 1996. Republicans never seem to learn: Your best candidate is always the one most hated by liberals.
The conservatives need to have a solid 10 or 12 point platform before we worry about a candidate.
ReplyDeleteThe MSM loves to talk about the horse race but they avoid talking about the issues.
Sounds like Palin
ReplyDeleteThe Left’s obsessive hatred of Sarah P. must be the explanation for my sticky sheets in the morning…
ReplyDeleteAlso, it’s “General Dynamics” (mit “s”, Mein Herr).
Loving the Sarah-cuda in F/X Station, VA
Stacy - Where you been man?! The NYT had nothing but good things to say about cous John from 01 - 07! Of course once he was assured the nomination they changed course 180 degrees! But they fooled a lot of liberal Republicans for 7 years. Lots of 'em!
ReplyDeletean old exJarhead
Cerritos, Cal
If unemployment stays around 10%, the GOP may not need a strong presidential candidate to win.
ReplyDeleteBut, this is all nonsense anyway. Two years before the election, everyone thought the nomination was Hilary's, and Obama might be someone the Democrats could groom for 2016. Alot can change in a couple years.
The GOP has been giving us the Lesser of Two Evils for a very LONG time---Enough already!
ReplyDeleteC-CS
Is that why Sullivan is jabbing at Palin for her Runners World spread? His utter and pure hatred for Palin is disturbing. Sullivan is a "conservative" the same way that Cousin John was a "conservative"....they're not.
ReplyDeleteProblem is, the Rinos are running the party right now, The entire Repub primary was rigged to give McCain the nomination....he won all the primaries in blue states with the aid of crossover voting...states he had absolutely no chance of winning in a general election. During the last debate, even his challengers. with the exception of Romney, backed off...as if in some kind of prearranged agreement. Party only deferred to Palin's pick in desperation, when they knew they were going down. I think these clowns would rather be out of power than give up control of the party to conservatives.
ReplyDeleteModerate Republicans are right everybody. In the '08 election, we just didn't move far enough left. President Bush even gave us the socialist bailout, but it wasn't moderate enough.
ReplyDeleteSen. McCain had the whole green thing and supported global warming/cooling/climate change, even wanted to add a tax to health benefits, close down Gitmo, offered a mortgage rescue plan and he would have had some Dems in his cabinet and that wasn't moderate enough.
The next Republican candidate needs to wear Che t-shirts, hate rich people, support big government and abandon Reagan.
That's the winning formula.