Why is Sam Brownback so immediatley dismissed?

[DownWithTheLeft]

The guy is excitable, charasmatic, steadfast and gaining in the polls.  He should get the support of the base and really a true conservative.  Why do most on this forum feel he is so unelectable yet someone as far to the left as Obama is deemed as magical?

[Reaganfan]

Well, when the GOP moves right, they tend to win. However, I would rather have Huckabee over Brownback, but I do not expect either to get the nomination.

[YRABNNRM]

I've yet to see anything that shows this man is "excitable, charasmatic, steadfast and gaining in the polls".

[Reaganfan]

Didn't we just nominate a Senator from Kansas 10 years ago?

[Democratic Hawk]

Didn't we just nominate a Senator from Kansas 10 years ago?

You did and he was a long long way removed from being excitable and charismatic

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

I've yet to see anything that shows this man is "excitable, charasmatic, steadfast and gaining in the polls".

Well, I can't see where Brownback is excitable or charismatic but he seems to be a steadfast conservative, which should do him good in the GOP primaries

Dave

[Boris]

If the GOP wants to retain the White House in 2008, they're going to have to nominate someone who is, or who at least talks like a moderate. If they don't,  then all the Democrats have to do is say "A Vote for [insert name here] is a vote for four more years of George W. Bush." (This is of course operating under the assumption that Bush is still unpopular in two years time)

Bottom line is that the GOP got slaughtered among moderates and independents this year. If they want to turn that around, they won't nominate a staunch conservative.

[7,052,770]

Though it would obviously be smart for the GOP to not nominate an archconservative, conservatives are going to vote for a conservative in the primaries.  A real conservative.

Brownback, or maybe another strong conservative, is going to do pretty well.

[Sam Spade]

You see him as excitable, steadfast and gaining in the polls.

I see him as boring, unimaginative, a terrible speaker and going nowhere.

I am right, you are wrong, especially in terms of knowing the Presidential contenders.

[Moooooo]

Probably because he talks to snowflake babies on the floor of the senate.

[ShadowRocket]

I read a blog the other day that suggested him running for Vice President along side Rudy Guiliani. Which is a good idea, IMO.

[Saxwsylvania]

Sam Brownback is a good man.  He sincerely thinks that the political realm is the best way to advance Christian values and stop what he sees as the evils in the society.

However, he is the wrong man at the wrong time.  After the thumping the GOP received in November, "compassionate" conservatives are seen as just big spenders who were ultimately responsible for their defeat.  He is also very much pro-amnesty, something that will be an even bigger issue come 2008.

As of now, Brownback has no chance because he has no money and no organization, which are worth a lot in the GOP primaries.  He is also registering around 4% in the national polls.

A lot of Democrats are salivating at Brownback's prospects in 2008.  They actually think he has a chance, they are deluded into thinking the religious right actually controls what's going on and will therefore vote for Brownback in droves, resulting in a Democratic victory in November.  This is nothing more than a liberal pipe dream.

Second of all, they're forgetting Mike Huckabee, another compassionate conservative who will be supported by the religious right.  Huckabee is a Protestant, Brownback is Catholic.  These ultra-religious voters will vote for the former in the primaries.

[FerrisBueller86]

Sam Brownback could be Bob Dole Part 2.  We already know that he's a Republican Senator from Kansas.  We're waiting for him to talk about himself in the third person, endorse Viagra, and appear in a Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears.

[Eraserhead]

Brownback could create a reverse 1984 type election.

[Reaganfan]

I think that Brownback is young enough to be the perfect candidate to "come back" as a conservative and unseat a Democratic President in 2008. But for President in 2008, I don't think so.

[Smash255]

The guy is excitable, charasmatic, steadfast and gaining in the polls.  He should get the support of the base and really a true conservative.  Why do most on this forum feel he is so unelectable yet someone as far to the left as Obama is deemed as magical?

He can get support from the base, and probably will.  However, you can't win if that is where your only support comes from.  He would get wrecked among Independents and moderates.

[JJones]

Senator Brownback has a great shot at being the conservative alternative to Guiliani and Mccain, and to be a key player in the primaries. He is probably too conservative to make it all the way, but he's pretty good at making his conservatism come accross as ethical and above the fray. He's a good guy but Republicans don't elect dark horses.

[JSojourner]

The guy is excitable, charasmatic, steadfast and gaining in the polls.  He should get the support of the base and really a true conservative.  Why do most on this forum feel he is so unelectable yet someone as far to the left as Obama is deemed as magical?

I think a lot of paleoconservatives would have real problems with Brownback.  They would probably like his theocratic tendancies -- putting abortive mothers in jail, stripping gays and lesbians of their rights, etc.

But Brownback has a compassionate streak when it comes to the poor and the third world.  Granted, that may just be another ploy like George W. used.  He turned out to be as compassionate as Madame DeFarge. But if Brownback is serious about his call for ending AIDS...paleocons are gonna skewer him for it.

My guess is the paleocons will support Newt or Romney or McCain.  The Neocons and Theocons will support Brownback and Huckabee.  And Huckabee would probably get more support than Brownback because of the latter's Opus Dei connections.  Of course, if hocus pocus is a problem for you, I am not sure Opus Dei is any worse than the tongues-speaking, faith-healing, demon-exorcising tradition Reverend Huckabee was ordained in.  But Huckabee's Protestant, anyway -- so unless there are a lot of Neo and Theo Catholics, Huckabee has the edge.

[Gustaf]

Brownback could create a reverse 1984 type election.

THose days are gone...even the worse Republican would probably hold onto at the very least 100 EVs, probably 150 or so. The same goes for the Democrats though (more or less).

[Reaganfan]

Senator Brownback has a great shot at being the conservative alternative to Guiliani and Mccain, and to be a key player in the primaries. He is probably too conservative to make it all the way, but he's pretty good at making his conservatism come accross as ethical and above the fray. He's a good guy but Republicans don't elect dark horses.

That does seem to be true. We tend to nominate the frontrunner or the person most likely to win. I think the biggest regret the GOP Convention ever had was 1976 after Reagan's speech it was like...wow...Reagan is Presidential material.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Well, when the GOP moves right, they tend to win.

Really?