Nov 29 2006
Republican Prospects in 2008 Looking Even Worse
The latest Republican to drop out of the 2008 Presidential race is super-conservative Bill Frist, and frankly, it’s no big surprise to me. With a bad outlook for Republicans in 2008 and an investigation into shady stock deals dogging him, it’s probably a good call for Frist to drop out now.
So who’s that leave in the GOP corner for 2008? Consider the frontrunners:
Rudy Giuliani: A pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-gun control Republican. Good luck in the primaries. Republicans will love “America’s mayor” until they find out he’s “for the gays”.
Sen. John McCain: Bizarro plan for increasing troops in Iraq, despite overwhelming public support for the opposite. Cheated on his first wife after she was in a car crash, divorcered her, and a month later married the mistress. Family values gold.
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: Third most unpopular Governor in America just oozes electability. He’s also Mormon, which is fine and all except that 40%+of Americans have said they’d never vote for a Mormon for President.
And with poster boys for conservative social values like Sen. Bill Frist and Sen. George Allen out of the running, the talent pool is even more shallow for the GOP in 2008.
Keep an eye on Mike Huckabee. He’s still a bit of a no-name, but if anyone can revive evangelical excitement over the GOP, it’s him.
I think stuff like this leaves Newt “Three Wives and Counting” Gingrich panting. He’s pretty good at running on conservative social values that he doesn’t believe in.
Right. Things like Frist dropping out defininetly help out “Real Social Conservatives” like Huackabee, Tom Tracedo, and Sam Brownback. But I think they’re mostly second tier players in a Presidential run ala 2004 Democrats like Lieberman, Gephardt, Tom Harkin and the like. They’re mostly running to get their pet issue talked about.
The real interesting thing that Jim brings up will be how the Republican primaries shake out when you pit “social conservatives” like the 3 above against “fiscal conservatives” like Gingrich, and whoever else emerges in that area.
As a Democrat I’d like to see the most conservative Republican emerge from the primary of course and try to “Run back to the center” for the general election. The problem for almost all of the contenders from the GOP in 2008 is they just can’t get back to the center, especially on social issues. Their base would just implode.
Which is why this is so fun for me to watch, I must admit.