My student worker Michelle recently attended the CPAC conference in Washington, D.C. CPAC for you who have no idea what I am talking about is the Conservative Political Action Committee. This is a PAC, or Political Action Committee that is powerful in conservative Republican politics.
There were a few thousand attendees who voted on who they would want to be the Republican nominee for President in 2008. Mitt Romney won with around 21 % of the vote followed by Rudy Giuliani with 17%. Needless to say the real conservatives are scrambling to try and find a candidate who can stand up to Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, with Al Gore a longshot who has not declared as of yet.
Mitt Romney is a mormon. He does not fit into the Christian Right’s box like George W. Bush did so nicely (so they thought) in 2000, and again in 2004. But now the conservatives are trying to get Romney there in their box. I find this ironic as Mitt Romney is a recent convert to being conservative, only a few years ago being pro-abortion and pro gay marriage. Flip flopper? When you run for President I guess you need to get in line with your backers.
Where am I going with this? I like watching the conservatives scramble for a candidate. Do they dance with Rudy and his liberal social policies? Do they fit Mitt into their small box and hope he keeps his religion to himself? All good questions, all good questions. Tragic in all of this is John McCain, who I once stood next to waiting for an elevator when I worked in DC. John was not friendly then, and I am sure he is not now. John is too old to be President and his attempts to court the Christian right are sorry at best. These are the same folks who took him out of the 2000 campaign against George W. Bush. John McCain blasted the Christian right and now he is courting them. Sorry, you lost me on that one John.
That is it for now, this is shaping up to be a great race.
JVD
