The GOP Field
This AP story outlines the shape of the Republican presidential field as 2006 comes to a close.
It correctly points out that John McCain has been trying to annoint himself the front-runner, but notes that he has problems:
Long viewed skeptically by conservatives for his renegade streak, McCain has further agitated them with his position on immigration and his involvement in avoiding a Senate showdown over Bush's judicial nominees.
Of course, the piece neglects to mention McCain's other negatives: His support for First Amendment-hostile campaign finance reform, his opposition to tax cuts, and his grandstanding on the terrorist "torture" issue.
No doubt there are issues that confront Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney -- the other two members of the "top tier" of Republican candidates -- but I'd rather have their problems than John McCain's. Unlike McCain, neither Romney nor Giuliani have taken such a sanctimonious and self-consciously "maverick" delight in opposing the majority of their party, nor have either been advantaged by nor courted the MSM a la McCain.
No doubt some Republicans mistrust either Giuliani or Romney or both. But they'll get a hearing. When it comes to McCain, however, most conservatives figure they already know all they need (or want) to.
It correctly points out that John McCain has been trying to annoint himself the front-runner, but notes that he has problems:
Long viewed skeptically by conservatives for his renegade streak, McCain has further agitated them with his position on immigration and his involvement in avoiding a Senate showdown over Bush's judicial nominees.
Of course, the piece neglects to mention McCain's other negatives: His support for First Amendment-hostile campaign finance reform, his opposition to tax cuts, and his grandstanding on the terrorist "torture" issue.
No doubt there are issues that confront Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney -- the other two members of the "top tier" of Republican candidates -- but I'd rather have their problems than John McCain's. Unlike McCain, neither Romney nor Giuliani have taken such a sanctimonious and self-consciously "maverick" delight in opposing the majority of their party, nor have either been advantaged by nor courted the MSM a la McCain.
No doubt some Republicans mistrust either Giuliani or Romney or both. But they'll get a hearing. When it comes to McCain, however, most conservatives figure they already know all they need (or want) to.
posted by LadybugUSA at 12:10 PM
2 Comments:
Carol, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney but never John McCain.
Now's the time for all comers to get their names out there and make their cases. I'm not thrilled with Rudy or Mitt, either. If I'm stuck with 'em, that's one thing, but I'd like to see more options come to the fore. Anyone viable will need all the remaining time to show him/herself deserving of conservative support.
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