Broadening the Field for 2008
By Tara Ross
The 2008 election will likely mark the first time since 1952 that a Presidential election will be run in the absence of an incumbent or his Vice Presidential heir-apparent. What a great time for Republicans to start anew. Yet if they wish to seek a fresh start, now is the time to begin looking for a candidate.
Many Republicans will want to take full advantage of this rare opportunity. They have been upset with their party's recent tendency to spend excessively, create cumbersome federal bureaucracies, and promote campaign finance reforms that tread upon free speech--among other actions.
So who will this remarkable candidate be? Those Republicans occupying the national stage at the moment do not seem up to the task. Rudy Giuliani is much loved as America's mayor and a proponent of a strong national defense, but he is unlikely to satisfy the Republican conservative base on many domestic issues. John McCain suffers from similar problems--and he was an author of the campaign finance "reform" bill that gave us MoveOn.org, America Coming Together, and other, similar unaccountable organizations. Jeb Bush is great, but he has said that he will not run (and could be one Bush too many anyway).
Republicans will have to start from scratch. They will have to dig deeper than those candidates who already seem readily available. What public figures, given the opportunity now, could assume national roles and be ready for a Presidential run in 2008?
Greg Abbott, Attorney General of Texas. When John Cornyn (R-TX) was elected Senator in 2002, Greg Abbott assumed his job as state Attorney General. Rumors run rampant that he could be the next junior Senator from the state under the right set of circumstances. Abbott was once a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court, and he remains a popular public official who is known to be conservative on domestic issues and tough on crime. His service on the Texas Supreme Court was exemplary. He would certainly appoint judges who would uphold the law, rather than create it.
On the other hand, he could also make a great Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
George Allen, Senator from Virginia. For those tired of Presidential candidates hailing from Texas, George Allen is another good option. Not only are his views likely to satisfy the Republican conservative base, but this former Virginia governor is also young, charismatic, and experienced. He would make a well-rounded candidate in many respects and already has many supporters.
But no sitting Senator has been elected since John F. Kennedy in 1960, so perhaps Republicans should look elsewhere for victory.
Ken Blackwell, Ohio Secretary of State. Admittedly a bit of a long shot, Ken Blackwell is considered a rising star in the swing state of Ohio. Many believe that he could have been Governor long ago, but he stepped aside to let Republican Bob Taft run instead. Dissatisfaction with the tax-hiking Taft may lead the conservative Blackwell to run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2006. He recently led a petition drive to repeal Taft's unpopular tax increase. Blackwell has also served as Mayor of Cincinnati, undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
The value of a Republican presidential candidate from Ohio would certainly be great.
Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina. Mark Sanford is well-known for his tough stance on budgetary issues. In an effort to practice the fiscal responsibility that he preaches, he once threatened to shut down the state's Governor's Mansion. Private donations and spending cuts prevented the need for such drastic action. Sanford was formerly a Congressman, first elected to the House during the Republican wins of 1994. He left office following the 2000 elections, honoring self-imposed term-limits. He remains a well-liked conservative official in his state.
It is hard, after all, not to like a guy who responded to state legislators' defeat of his spending vetoes by arriving at the House chamber with a pig under each arm--one labeled "Pork" and the other labeled "Barrel."
Pat Toomey, Congressman from Pennsylvania. Pat Toomey already boasts support from conservatives all over the country after his near-defeat of liberal Republican Senator Arlen Specter during last spring's Republican primaries. Many in the party hope that Toomey will run for Pennsylvania Governor in 2006--perhaps placing him in a more prominent position from which to run for higher office? Toomey is known for his strong stands against excessive government spending and bureaucracy. Perhaps most notably, he led the charge against the new Medicare entitlement program that was (somewhat uncharacteristically) pushed through Congress by Republicans last year.
Few public officials have the courage and principles exhibited routinely by Toomey. The country would be lucky to have him.
These men represent but a small sample of the broad Republican pool that may be available in 2008. But Republicans must recruit these candidates now, while there is still time to get them on the national stage. Otherwise, Republicans may be forced to default to a semi-satisfactory, long-time national figure during the 2008 Republican primaries, even if that candidate would not best reflect the principles found in the Republican platform.
Tara Ross is a regular columnist for TAEmag.com and the author of Enlightened Democracy: The Case for the Electoral College.
