A Bad Omen for Rudy In Iowa

[ck4829]

The Associated Press ran an article over the weekend examining the role “religious conservatives” in Iowa continue to play in the Republican presidential primaries. As the article noted, GOP “candidates will need to convince religious conservatives that they are serious before they can win them over” and that none of the front-running candidates has managed to do that quite yet.

And just like leaders and organizations at the national level, local Religious Right leaders and activists in Iowa are divided over which candidate to support. But while these activists might not currently wield enough political power to single-handedly dictate who the nominee will be, they certainly can do the opposite:

"Religious conservatives and social conservatives in the Republican Party are like the driver's education instructor," said Goldford. "He has a brake, but he doesn't have a steering wheel or an accelerator. They can pretty well say who is not going to be the nominee."

This fact, coupled with this recent declaration by “100 conservative Iowa Republicans” vowing never to support Rudy Giuliani cannot bode well for Giuliani’s campaign:

When, in the course of political process, it might become necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, it becomes necessary to declare the causes which would impel the separation.

We, the undersigned of this digital document, hereby agree that we are Conservatives first and Republicans second, and that we would not support the candidacy of Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani if the Republican Party chooses to nominate him for President of the United States.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/04/a_bad_omen_for.html

[goclark]

1. They are wise not to support Crook Rudy nt

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

2. We're Doomed....

2008 is shaping up to be an election that nobody is thrilled about.

I bet the turnout is low, and will come down to which party hates their candidate the least.

The Democrats, if Al Gore continues with his "plans" to not run, will be split over Ms. Clinton, who the repubs will NEVER vote for. While the repubs will be less than enthusiastic if they end up with Rudy.

The election will be close, even though for the Democrats, it should be a landslide.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

3. That's pretty much how I see it.

I enthusiastically campaigned for Dean and somewhat less so for Kerry, but chances are slim-to-none that I'll be knocking on doors for Hillary.

[Imagine My Surprise]

5. I'll be knocking on doors with Jehovah's Witnesses before I'd...

knock on a door for her.

[Hardrada]

10. And I'd rather collect money for the Moonies.

[loudsue]

6. Maybe Clark will get into the running and blow everyone else out of the water

:thumbsup: I can hope so anyway!

:kick:

[WorseBeforeBetter]

8. I like the idea of Gore/Clark and would hit the bricks for that ticket.

Even though the wingnuts would still sing the "Gore said he invented the Internet" tune, I think Americans who dismissed him before would give him a closer look. Hell, if many evangelical groups are finally saying we need to protect the planet, maybe it is Gore's time. And if not Gore, perhaps some combination of Edwards/Clark would be a winning ticket.

[Clark2008]

9. Edwards and Clark will never run on the same ticket.

Research that a bit so I don't rumor-monger.

:)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

11. Spill it!

Or maybe I'll just start a "why won't Clark and Edwards" run on same ticket thread?! :-)

[rurallib]

4. Wow, Rudi has a first name for each wife!

Maybe he could say that only one of his exes was married to "Rudolph" and slide it by the freepers?

[Bucky]

7. Giuliani's always been counting on the New Hampshire GOP to turboboost him.

The Republicans in Iowa are half loony and half anti-New York. Not much of a constituency there, unless there's a new terrorist attack.

[kskiska]

12. I didn't see his wife with him on the news.

Maybe she was ducking the "puppy killer" questions?