The New Republican Insurgent
Because "Maverick" Ain't Just The Handle For Tom Cruise's "Top Gun" Character
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Featured Stories | Republicans — Comments (21) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Dan Drezner has a question about the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination race and the fact that John McCain is wrapping up the support of the upper echelon of GOP campaign personnel:
This leads to the obvious question -- who's going to play the role of insurgent outsider to McCain's front-runner? At some point, there has to be a media boomlet for a candidate other than McCain. [But the media loves McCain!!--ed. They love a good horse race a lot more... besides, this allows reporters to push the "McCain has changed" meme in the way that rock enthusiasts talk about how they only like early Nirvana.] This candidate will inevitably be painted as an authentic straight-shooter who is somehow more "authentic" than McCain.
I suggest that Sam Brownback will be the new McCain. He will appeal to the ideologues on the Right throughout the primary and caucus season. He will also serve as the conscience of the Republican Party given his involvement in humanitarian issues like Darfur and given his rather complex set of policy priorities. This isn't to say that I necessarily support Brownback; indeed, I don't know enough about him and probably would find another candidate to gravitate towards (Tim Pawlenty? Mark Sanford, if he can be persuaded to run?), but Brownback is well-positioned to hold the GOP's feet to the fire on a whole host of issues of consequence. Whatever one's views on the issues that he holds dear, he is a smart and interesting public servant and he can probably prompt a fascinating national conversation, even if he doesn't win the Republican Presidential nomination.
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I know this is a leap of faith...but what if they don't turn on McCain in the general election? What if they like him not for what he stands for but because they have faith in him to make good decisions...even if they disagree with him? Just something to ponder.
that would be the story of 2008.
The right will abandon him because of his immigration votes.
And the "moderates" will abandon him for everything else.
this pretty much applies to Frist and others as well. As a matter of fact, I doubt Brownback and Frist combined will break single digits anywhere.
And it is absurd to think McCain can win the primary, let alone the general election, with the attack ads that he will richly suffer ("Americans wouldn't pick lettuce for $50.00 an hour" and other greatest hits). Frankly, no one in D.C. right now is attractive to the general electorate for a variety of reasons, and we should look at governor's and business leaders for that reason. The repulsive face of Washington must be avoided.
I have been saying that for a year that I think Sam Brownback will win the primary (even though I am starting to lean toward Mitt Romney).
John McCain has the media on his side (for now), but he is a pure politician and does nothing unless he thinks it will help him win elections. Sam Brownback on the otherhand I could trust what he says is what he means, even though I would have a hard time supporting him.
BTW - Remember before Iowa Kerry was in the single digits. Both Dean and Gephart(sp) was in the top 2 so there is always a shocker. I think Sam Brownback will take away the Conservative support from McCain and I think Mitt Romney will take away the more moderate parts of the Republican party. In the end Mitt Romney would probably be the hardest fight the Democrats have. (McCain is a Senator and only 2 Senators have ever won the Presidental Election).
By making a pro-abortion guy be the insurgent, they set themselves up perfectly to attack McCain and the eventual nominee (since they won't be the same person) on abortion.
Of course, we COULD start taking steps now to prevent them from writing our storylines...
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.
Two well-known politicians, a 9/11 hero and a VietNam hero.
Lots of stuff for the MSM to write about, until one of them wins and the unbiased journalists support Hillary.
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More brilliance such as that can be found at the Academy. And yes, I know how pretentious I sound.
That is a very interesting idea, although they will have trouble painting Rudy Giuliani as an outsider when we have heard about him ever since 9/11. McCain was something more of an outsider-not many people followed him seriously until Faith Of My Fathers was released.
I see either Sam Brownback or George Allen as the outsider, even though they are senators, because of the fact that they don't get much mainstream attention. The best 'outsider' choice would be Romney, since his Washington experience is none, and in the current political environment, a non-Washingtonian who can get along with Democrats and still stay conservative might be highly valued. And, before I get ripped for praising his bipartisanship, it can be a good thing to get along with your political opponents, so long as you don't let it dilute your own principles (see Reagan, Ronald).
Don't be afraid to see what you see.-Ronald Reagan
Oh, all they have to do to make Rudy the outsider, is sharpen their pointy sticks from South Carolina 2000: "The Republican Party is controlled by a cabal of radical domineering religious rightists, imposing their hypocritical morality on the country by any means necessary, and the hero of 9/11 is running to steer the party back toward the mainstream."
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.
Rudy is a more known commodity. Who had really, closely, paid attention to McCain until his autobiography and subsequent presidential runs? Rudy, on the other hand, is more well known to people of all political stripes. I agree with your conclusion that if they come to Rudy's rescue, it will be along the "These people are religious, and religion is bad, since it leads to fundamentalism." But I don't know if they will paint him as an outsider to be cheered, as much as they will an insider with backbone, willling to take on his party on some of the most essential items in the platform. A GOP nominee who doesn't agree with a large amount of the GOP platform? The media is frantically wetting themselves for the opportunity to do this once again.
Don't be afraid to see what you see.-Ronald Reagan
Brownback is good on most issues, but he's awful on immigration, so he and McCain are alike in at least one area.
And yes, the speed with which the media would turn on McCain once pitted against a Democrat would probably make his head spin.
That's been clear for six years. Note the amount of airtime he gets when he opposes Bush on something vs when they agree.
because whoever it is is someone to be at least wary of. And whoever it is will be dumped over the side like a rotting fish when our domestic media-of-islam sees fit.
But I would pay to see the moon face of John McCain when the unctuous dope wakes up and realizes that he has been both used and discarded. That it was all a years long charade, that to his media summertime friends he never was either maverick or hero but only a ploy, a jerk, and a tool.
The image is what he lived for and the old fool could well be a broken man. But you play and then you pay.
"a man's admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him". Tocqueville
We need someone who is a forward looking thinker and can put ideas into action.
The moderate wing of the GOP will split between Romney, McCain and Giuliani. That will leave conservatives solidly behind Newt.
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Eliminate the IRS and all payroll taxes! http://www.fairtax.org
As long as he doesn't revive the idea of making Puerto Rico a state. He actually thought that was a way to win over Hispanics to the GOP!
You clearly have never seen him speak. He could put a red bull convention to sleep.
Plus, Brownback is really only terrible on the issue of immigration, and I don't think that is enough alone to win over the media.
I agree whole heartedly! And, this is the first time I have seen it in print on the blogosphere. Newt Gingrich is about the only true conservative choice out there with the necessary name recognition, although some say he is "damaged goods". I disagree. Just look at the popularity Slick Willie continued to have after falsly claiming that he "did NOT have sex with that woman"!
De Opresso Liber
I was praying it would not come to this.
Lord knows I wanted nothing to do with any of the political muck of this or any other campaign.
I only wanted to live my life, enjoy my family and write my insane little novels.
But, now . . . THIS!!
Duty calls once again. So, I open my closet, dust the moth balls from my teflon suit, sigh, roll my eyes heaven-ward, squeeze into my old armor, and step - once again - into the arena.
Wearily. Proudly - but with the utmost humility - I,
. . . YAHUTI . . .
offer myself as the McCain alter ego in the forthcoming presidential campaign. I rely upon the hard-eyed 'night creatures' of RedState to open, fund and operate my campaign committee.
Let me know where and when to show up for campaign activities.
No. No. No thanks are required.
The media will love McCain until the day he becomes the Republican nominee. Once he stands between a Democrat and the White House, they will turn on him like a pack of wolves.
Drink Good Coffee. You can sleep when you're dead.