Being A Republican Candidate

How would you like the label - Republican Candidate For President? I've been a candidate in an election where your Party isn't the popular one and I know that speaking to the Party faithful who will vote is a different thing from speaking to the general voting populace. If you are bound, as I was, to saying what you mean at all times the difference is very meaningful.



In order to win the Primary you must carry your Party's vote, so you must be able to show them that you reflect their viewpoint and are electable. Any Party has issues that may prove difficult in a General election, sometimes those issues are toxic. The Republicans have a couple that range from toxic to darn difficult. The war in Iraq is toxic, Americans don't like to lose at any time, but appealing to that sentiment in the face of Iraq reality is tough. They can't back off it with the Party faithful, the 20 some percent of BushCo support, but they're staring the 60 some percent gun right in the barrel. Oh what to do? So far they delicately support BushCo with some quibbles. As the 08 race actually approaches watch for "progress in Iraq" as that is their only hope. You certainly wouldn't expect this Admin. to manipulate information for political gain.

Immigration, abortion, civil liberties, taxes, deficits are all going to be difficult. Tax policy still seems to be the same - you're over taxed; deficit seems to wander from it doesn't count to "eeek!"; abortion is truly odd - I was/I'm not now/I wasn't/who knows; immigration seems to be moving toward enforcement of some sort - what the plutocratic base will make of that is open to question. They can actually play some form of these to the independents but their party has toxified the discussion - to their deficit. How do you nuance something your Party has made into virtual hate rhetoric? What you say to the base is going to be an issue in the General and the chances that the General will be civil are very small.

Rovian politics is not dead and the passing of BushCo will not kill it. The all politics all the time practiced in BushCo will not go away as the election approaches, expect it to expand and get uglier. The manipulation of intelligence and information and media spin will get ramped up. BushCo really cannot afford 08 to produce a large Democratic Congressional majority and a Democratic Presidency, there are too many debris floating around the Executive branch that won't look good, or may even be actionable. If you have some idea that there have been some ugly campaigns in the past, you ain't seen nothin' yet.