will a true moderate be a serious contender for the gop nomination?

[Inmate Trump]

Why is it Democrats say the Republicans never nominate someone "moderate" enough when they consistently nominate from the most liberal of their ranks?  Obama is far from moderate.

In 2008, the Republicans nominated the only moderate person running on either ticket.

[TheGreatOne]

McCain's ardent support of the war was the only thing that got him the support he did get in the Republican Primary. He really had nothing else to run on. Most GOP'ers aren't that enthusiastic for Campaign Finance Reform or Amnesty.

McCain was also pretty solid on taxes and abortion.  There was really no one in the Republican party who could have beaten a Democratic canidate at the time besides McCain. He had a positive record that could attract independent voters.  Huckabee didn't have the money and Romney didn't have any kind of grassroots base.  The only reason why the election wasn't down to the wire is because wars are unpopular, the economy collapsed, and the independents ran away from Palin, who kept putting her foot in her mouth.

[Marokai Backbeat]

JS, I was referring to Giuliani as a moderate. I do realize he does possess hawkish views, but if those subsided as Iraq et al. slows down, I see him backing off that. Those aside, I think Mr. Giuliani is very moderate. He's a small government, hands off on social issues guy but does have a neocon streak.

McCain was hardly a moderate, but he did not answer to the far right until he selected Palin. I do believe McCain had stated in his past that he would accept gay marriage if there was a ceremony, but he obviously backed off that statement during the GOP primaries.

Giuliani is not a "moderate" by any stretch of the imagination.

I must say I found one of his campaign gimmicks incredibly amusing as it was almost an unintentional satire of American conservatism.

"IT WILL BE THE BIGGEST TAX CUT IN HIIIISSSTORRRY!"

[Sewer]

they consistently nominate from the most liberal of their ranks? 

hahaha



no

[Mint]

they consistently nominate from the most liberal of their ranks? 

hahaha



no

Don't be silly sewer, President Feingold is doing a great job!

[Inmate Trump]

they consistently nominate from the most liberal of their ranks? 

hahaha



no

So you truly believe Barack Obama, John Kerry, Al Gore, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale, George McGovern were/are all moderates?

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

they consistently nominate from the most liberal of their ranks? 

hahaha



no

So you truly believe Barack Obama, John Kerry, Al Gore, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale, George McGovern were/are all moderates?

None of those with the exception of McGovern were anything approaching principled liberals.

[Lief 🗽]

they consistently nominate from the most liberal of their ranks? 

hahaha



no

So you truly believe Barack Obama, John Kerry, Al Gore, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale, George McGovern were/are all moderates?

Yes, obviously.

[Хahar 🤔]

they consistently nominate from the most liberal of their ranks? 

hahaha



no

So you truly believe Barack Obama, John Kerry, Al Gore, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale, George McGovern were/are all moderates?

Yes, obviously.

Nah, McGovern could be described as being on the left.

[Lief 🗽]

they consistently nominate from the most liberal of their ranks? 

hahaha



no

So you truly believe Barack Obama, John Kerry, Al Gore, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale, George McGovern were/are all moderates?

Yes, obviously.

Nah, McGovern could be described as being on the left.

Not really. He was hardly a New Dealer or anything. People think he's some pinko just because he opposed the Vietnam war.

[Psychic Octopus]

Nah. At this point, the person farthest on the left running is Mitt Romney.

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

Nah. At this point, the person farthest on the left running is Mitt Romney.

Depends on the election.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

McGovern was a Senator from South Dakota of all places. He was a religious borderline pro-lifer whose economic policies weren't really to the left of Nixon's. Opposing an idiotic and destructive war does not make someone a far leftist.

[Alexander Hamilton]

The GOP should have learned their lesson from nominating true moderate John McCain.

Moderate McCain had less to do with him losing than a failure of campaign strategy combined with hatred of Republicans because of Bush.

No, I'm pretty sure McCain's "moderate" mishandling of the financial crisis was what brought him down.

It was a factor.  My only point is that it wasn't moderatism that killed it for McCain - it was the circumstances around the election that really did him in.

If McCain were a true conservative, the economic situation could have been an opportunity rather than his downfall.

We're talking about McCain, dunce of the year for like 657 years in a row now. The dude is a dinosaur among dunces. Also, I hope he gets primaried. Say no to bailouts. Say no to amnesty. Say no to McShame.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

McGovern was a Senator from South Dakota of all places. He was a religious borderline pro-lifer whose economic policies weren't really to the left of Nixon's. Opposing an idiotic and destructive war does not make someone a far leftist.

Yes, McGovern was the last moderate to be nominated by the Democratic Party.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

The GOP should have learned their lesson from nominating true moderate John McCain.

Moderate McCain had less to do with him losing than a failure of campaign strategy combined with hatred of Republicans because of Bush.

No, I'm pretty sure McCain's "moderate" mishandling of the financial crisis was what brought him down.

It was a factor.  My only point is that it wasn't moderatism that killed it for McCain - it was the circumstances around the election that really did him in.

If McCain were a true conservative, the economic situation could have been an opportunity rather than his downfall.

We're talking about McCain, dunce of the year for like 657 years in a row now. The dude is a dinosaur among dunces. Also, I hope he gets primaried. Say no to bailouts. Say no to amnesty. Say no to McShame.

But of course. It's interesting to note how McCain is now suddenly considered a great friend by 'conservatives' and an enemy by the Democrats despite the long history of these roles being reversed.

[Bo]

No, if you mean social moderate. However, Huckabee, who is economically moderate (one thing I like about him) might win the nomination if he decides to run.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

No, if you mean social moderate. However, Huckabee, who is economically moderate (one thing I like about him) might win the nomination if he decides to run.

Suckabee is economically socialist and socially fascist.

[Alexander Hamilton]

No, if you mean social moderate. However, Huckabee, who is economically moderate (one thing I like about him) might win the nomination if he decides to run.

Suckabee is economically socialist and socially fascist.

No, he at least opposed the bailouts, unlike many of the "moderates" in the GOP.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

No, if you mean social moderate. However, Huckabee, who is economically moderate (one thing I like about him) might win the nomination if he decides to run.

Suckabee is economically socialist and socially fascist.

No, he at least opposed the bailouts, unlike many of the "moderates" in the GOP.

True, but his fiscal record as governor of Arkansas is worse than Bill Clinton's.

[Alexander Hamilton]

No, if you mean social moderate. However, Huckabee, who is economically moderate (one thing I like about him) might win the nomination if he decides to run.

Suckabee is economically socialist and socially fascist.

No, he at least opposed the bailouts, unlike many of the "moderates" in the GOP.

True, but his fiscal record as governor of Arkansas is worse than Bill Clinton's.

Yeah, but so was GWB's.


Ugh.

The more I think about it, the more I realize everyone in power here just sucks.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

No, if you mean social moderate. However, Huckabee, who is economically moderate (one thing I like about him) might win the nomination if he decides to run.

Suckabee is economically socialist and socially fascist.

No, he at least opposed the bailouts, unlike many of the "moderates" in the GOP.

True, but his fiscal record as governor of Arkansas is worse than Bill Clinton's.

Yeah, but so was GWB's.

Yep, and look what that got us once he got in the White House...

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Yes, that's definitely true.

We need a new grassroots movement for change. When are you going to run for office?

[Alexander Hamilton]

No, if you mean social moderate. However, Huckabee, who is economically moderate (one thing I like about him) might win the nomination if he decides to run.

Suckabee is economically socialist and socially fascist.

No, he at least opposed the bailouts, unlike many of the "moderates" in the GOP.

True, but his fiscal record as governor of Arkansas is worse than Bill Clinton's.

Yeah, but so was GWB's.

Yep, and look what that got us once he got in the White House...

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Yes, that's definitely true.

We need a new grassroots movement for change. When are you going to run for office?

Later

[Marokai Backbeat]

No, if you mean social moderate. However, Huckabee, who is economically moderate (one thing I like about him) might win the nomination if he decides to run.

Suckabee is economically socialist and socially fascist.

No, he at least opposed the bailouts, unlike many of the "moderates" in the GOP.

True, but his fiscal record as governor of Arkansas is worse than Bill Clinton's.

Not to distract you from your usual parade of fact-optional Huckabee bashing (and lord knows I'm certainly not a fan of him) but it's downright silly to bash Huckabee as a terrible Governor of Arkansas.

Under Huckabee, Arkansas' unemployment rate hit the lowest in it's history, in his last year in office, economic growth in Arkansas was .2% above the national average, and Huckabee left office with a budget surplus after coming into office with a budget deficit.

Perhaps some of his biggest accomplishments were funneling extra funds into the states road maintenance programs, which sparked considerable improvement in the State's road infrastructure. By 2005, Huckabee was picked from TIME Magazine as one of America's 5 best governors in the nation.

He also put funds into state health insurance programs that ended up slicing the uninsured rate for minors down considerably. According to a study from 2006, Arkansas had one of the best, if not the best, improving rates for uninsured kids, and was showing incredible improvement. Also, under Huckabee's time in office, the Arkansas welfare rolls were cut almost in half.

In short, while it may be fun to bash Huckabee for you, and he certainly is a religious wacko, a bad governor he was not. He was actually quite a good governor by any objective standpoint. That is, if you care about the positive effects of government spending and intervention. By any standard however, Huckabee did a very good job for Arkansas and made life better for individuals during his time in office, and unless you're willing to totally dismiss any positive improvement he made "just 'cause" (which I know you're entirely capable of doing) it's hard to see anything other than a good two terms for Arkansas.

[Alexander Hamilton]

No, if you mean social moderate. However, Huckabee, who is economically moderate (one thing I like about him) might win the nomination if he decides to run.

Suckabee is economically socialist and socially fascist.

No, he at least opposed the bailouts, unlike many of the "moderates" in the GOP.

True, but his fiscal record as governor of Arkansas is worse than Bill Clinton's.

Not to distract you from your usual parade of fact-optional Huckabee bashing (and lord knows I'm certainly not a fan of him) but it's downright silly to bash Huckabee as a terrible Governor of Arkansas.

Under Huckabee, Arkansas' unemployment rate hit the lowest in it's history, in his last year in office, economic growth in Arkansas was .2% above the national average, and Huckabee left office with a budget surplus after coming into office with a budget deficit.

Perhaps some of his biggest accomplishments were funneling extra funds into the states road maintenance programs, which sparked considerable improvement in the State's road infrastructure. By 2005, Huckabee was picked from TIME Magazine as one of America's 5 best governors in the nation.

He also put funds into state health insurance programs that ended up slicing the uninsured rate for minors down considerably. According to a study from 2006, Arkansas had one of the best, if not the best, improving rates for uninsured kids, and was showing incredible improvement. Also, under Huckabee's time in office, the Arkansas welfare rolls were cut almost in half.

In short, while it may be fun to bash Huckabee for you, and he certainly is a religious wacko, a bad governor he was not. He was actually quite a good governor by any objective standpoint. That is, if you care about the positive effects of government spending and intervention. By any standard however, Huckabee did a very good job for Arkansas and made life better for individuals during his time in office, and unless you're willing to totally dismiss any positive improvement he made "just 'cause" (which I know you're entirely capable of doing) it's hard to see anything other than a good two terms for Arkansas.

None of which has anything to do with his fiscal record, making your entire post irrelevant.