Direction of the Republican Party???
I know the CW of the Washington establishment is always soooo right, that we all must assume right now all the friggin' hype about unannounced frontrunners (Clinton, Obama, McCain) are going to win the nominations for their respective parties. But take a look at this article about Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee:
For me that is the potent message that will be a huge thing for the Republican Party in the upcoming election. We are going to see McCain go down in flames because Bush is actually buying his Iraq strategy. Nothing will doom his candidacy more than a message of "no witdrawal without victory" when there really isn't any victory to be actually had and the very strategy he advocated in the first place never really achieves anything (that is if it even happens.... I mean where is the Army going to muster up so many troops? I haven't heard of a boom in recruting these days...)
In other words, in two years (though so far off, anything is possible... except some definite "victory" in Iraq), the Republicans refelcting further on their absence in relevance in public debate on so many issues, I think will look to moderate as quickly as humanly possible. They did so when they nominated Bush for his "compassionate conservatism". It was a reaction to the Republican Congress extreme act of impeaching Clinton, which turned off many voters. And they will do so this time around after losing in grand fashion this year. Iraq will also be moderated, especially if the escalation takes place. McCain, who we can consider the closest thing the Republican leadership has had to moderation in the last 6 years, will look every bit the hardline conservative he is.
Huckabee's my man to watch in '07, for '08...
"I think I would appeal to true conservatives for whom conservatism doesn't mean they're angry at everybody," Huckabee said in an interview with The Associated Press. "My brand of conservatism is not an angry, hostile brand. It's one that says `conservative' means we want to conserve the best of our culture, society, principles and values and pass them on."
For me that is the potent message that will be a huge thing for the Republican Party in the upcoming election. We are going to see McCain go down in flames because Bush is actually buying his Iraq strategy. Nothing will doom his candidacy more than a message of "no witdrawal without victory" when there really isn't any victory to be actually had and the very strategy he advocated in the first place never really achieves anything (that is if it even happens.... I mean where is the Army going to muster up so many troops? I haven't heard of a boom in recruting these days...)
In other words, in two years (though so far off, anything is possible... except some definite "victory" in Iraq), the Republicans refelcting further on their absence in relevance in public debate on so many issues, I think will look to moderate as quickly as humanly possible. They did so when they nominated Bush for his "compassionate conservatism". It was a reaction to the Republican Congress extreme act of impeaching Clinton, which turned off many voters. And they will do so this time around after losing in grand fashion this year. Iraq will also be moderated, especially if the escalation takes place. McCain, who we can consider the closest thing the Republican leadership has had to moderation in the last 6 years, will look every bit the hardline conservative he is.
Huckabee's my man to watch in '07, for '08...
posted by Amos at 9:52 PM
1 Comments:
Yes and common sense is what rank-and-file Republicans will be pleading for from their candidates in '08. Place yourself in the shoes of a Republican voter, say from the Midwest, Missouri, Kansas.
You're tired of hearing about the boys from home dying in Iraq, yet you have a president and the "front-runner" saying that more troops are needed. You feel that America can get by by protecting its borders rather than trying to revolutionize the Middle East to reflect western values. You just saw your party do the most unimaginable things whil in power for 12 years. Nearly none of the promises made were completed. You nearly voted for the Democrat, but you thought your incumbent was decent enough.
You're not swayed to the Dems because you still suspect the leadership in Congress. But with the leading candidates for your party: McCain, a hawk that wants even more Americans to fight and die in Iraq. He doesn't speak the about the basic principles the Bible teaches you.
Guliani- why the hell should You trust a New York City mayor to even begin to understand what someone in MS needs.
Even Brownback- he is too far. He is too much of the same and his endorsements of Bush's strategy in the Middle East are promoting failure. He is too polarizing who would most likely not work well with a Democratic Congress- which is the most likely scenario for the next president.
Huckabee- a simple man who has worked with Democrats, a god-fearing preacher, message of simple principles that will allow him to take on the tasks of the country. I.e. not an ideologue.
Because he doesn't impress with revolutionary, ideological fervor, impresses many. It makes him a stronger. Secondly, Now is not the time to judge a man's mettle in a campaign season. We know what McCain and Guliani's got. The potential of him as candidate is unproven. But the standards he is setting for his vision of America will resonate with regular Republican voters. The problem with the common sense approach, I think it will be rather weak in the general election against a good Democratic candidate. Otherwise we'll see a Republican-style Jimmy Carter...
Post a Comment
<< Home