3 posts tagged “gop”

He's leading by double digits in the polls for the GOP nomination. He holds a somewhat mythical status in the minds of many Americans. On paper, he'd be a lock. But each time his sometimes interesting personal life is mentioned as his biggest liability, I have to ask myself: can he really win the GOP nomination for president?

Does anyone honestly expect the conservative base to overlook his tendency to see social issues in a reasonable light? Or will he ensure that they do, backpedaling as furiously as he can until he's on the same page as his right-wing competitors? Would the base accept such a turn?

Will his personal history be his downfall in the eyes of  conservatives? I hope not. Though I can't see myself voting for him, I certainly do not want to watch another otherwise respectable national figure be ripped to pieces by the smearing and exploiting of a private life that is none of our business. At the end of the day, if someone's been married 3 times, had a scandalous parting of ways with a spouse in the public eye, isn't currently on good terms with their grown children, or has some other drama going on, I don't care as long as that person can lead this country and fight for its best interests. Yes, a glowingly stereotypical loving wife & 2.5 kids makes for a lovely TV spot, but it doesn't make a leader.  Why do some people still expect our politicians' lives to be perfect when nobody's is?

I imagine the right wing is willing to overlook, and maybe with a few remorseful speeches, accept Rudy's personal history. What will be more difficult to accept is his lacking social conservatism, no matter how hard he tries to change the subject or backpedal on his past positions. Or perhaps I'm wrong. Maybe national security and foreign policy will take precedence over social issues this time around. Perhaps the GOP prioritize itself for once and take a chance on their best shot at '08. The American people are sick of this administration, sick of this party and its tactics & current state of turmoil. I see few people who can prevent a Democrat in the White House in '08, and Rudy is the standout. But the question remains for the Republican conservative base: can Rudy win?

You tell me.

Congressman Duncan Hunter has entered the war of words created by Gen. Pace, ever so non-thoughtfully tying in the Catholic church pedophilia scandal to gays in the military. I cannot find the exact quote he gave at his press conference earlier today, so if  anyone has it or knows where to find it, please post it in a comment and I'll edit it into this post. It bears hearing, because it's simply unbelievable.

And Congressman Hunter is apparantly running for the GOP presidential nomination. Nothing like a little bit of ignorant pandering to the base, eh.

It's been a bad year for the Republicans, and I don't feel bad for them. But they have some tough decisions to make if they want to hold on to the White House in 2008.

#1 : Who will the Republican candidate for president be?

The field is wide open, but the last poll I saw had Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich as the most viable names. Rudy is far too moderate and reasonable to satisfy the GOP's fundamentalist base, and his personal history wouldn't make them happy either. Mitt Romney is in line with their issues, but he is a Mormon, which could very possibly scare off much of the base. Newt Gingrich, who ranked lowest in the poll, would bring alot of new and interesting ideas to the table, but also a goldmine of baggage that even an amatuer could exploit with success. John McCain, whom I greatly admire, has been courting parts of the base he previously alienated, apparantly successfully, but there is still a lot of distrust on both their parts. The GOP's best bet may be someone who doesn't seem to be interested in running : Condi Rice.

#2 : What are their main issues?

Clearly, the gay-marriage-guns-abortion stategy is no longer working. People want to hear about things that truly matter to them, like a new Iraq strategy, raising the minimum wage, fixing Social Security without abolishing it, reining in healthcare, ending DC corruption, etc. . If they want to win, they will stop listening to consultants and start listening to the people. Yes, I dare to dream.

#3 : Who are they?

Are they true small-government conservatives, or are they ambitious neo-conservatives? Are they constitutionalists or do they follow the whims of what seems right at the moment? Do they value privacy or the government's desire to invade it?

All of these issues they must sort out if they are to remain relevant. It's time for soul-searching and a renewed commitment to a healthy , innovative, and idea-driven debate. As a liberal and a believer in a two-party system supported by an honest debate, I'm pulling for them.