Start running for president apparently. From his Exploratory Committee: (but how much did you raise Sam?)

December 2006 was a very strong month for Senator Sam Brownback and his presidential exploratory effort. After announcing the formation of his presidential exploratory committee on December 4th, Senator Brownback met with thousands of activists, conservative leaders, donors, and Republican volunteers in several different states to discuss his possible run for the presidency in 2008.A brief synopsis of the Senator’s December activities follows:

• December 1, 2006: Senator Brownback attended and spoke at Pastor Rick Warren’s Global AIDS Summit which was held at the Saddleback Church in Orange County, California.

• December 4, 2006: Senator Brownback announced the formation of a Presidential Exploratory Committee for purposes of a possible run for the White House in 2008. This committee is comprised of prominent business, political, and religious leaders from around the country.

• December 5, 2006: Immediately following the exploratory committee announcement, the Senator traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa on December 6th to keynote the Linn County Republican Party Christmas dinner.

• December 8, 2006: The Washington Post moved Senator Brownback into the top tier of Republican prospective candidates in 2008.

• December 8, 2006: Senator Brownback went to prison for a night at a maximum security prison in Angola, Louisiana, highlighting the effectiveness of faith-based counseling in fighting prison recidivism. The Senator slept in a prison cell overnight and met with the prisoners while there. This visit gained praise from noted conservative leaders such as Marvin Olasky, Cal Thomas, and Chuck Colson.

• December 12, 2006: Senator Brownback returned to Iowa, this time to speak at the Polk County Republican Party Christmas Party. With this visit, Senator Brownback visited the two most populous cities in Iowa in the first eight days since his announcement.

• December 14, 2006: Senator Brownback announced the addition of two key leaders to his exploratory committee: Dr. Jerry Zandstra of Michigan and Miss America 2001 Mrs. Angela Perez Baraquio of Hawaii.

• December 19, 2006: Senator Brownback returned to Iowa for the third time in December, this time to meet with conservative and right to life activists in Davenport and Dubuque. Since the November 7th midterm election, no other prospective 2008 Republican candidate has visited Iowa more than Senator Brownback.

• December 20, 2006: Joined by Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL) and several hundred Cuban- American business and political leaders, Senator Brownback spoke to the US-Cuba Democracy PAC in Miami about the importance of human rights and democracy in Cuba.

• December 21, 2006: Senator Brownback was hosted by U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) for his first visit to South Carolina since forming the exploratory committee. On this visit, Brownback met with conservative leaders, veterans, and medical professionals to discuss his possible 2008 candidacy.

• December 21, 2006: Senator Brownback announced the addition of key Iowa conservative activist and co-founder of Iowans for Discounted Taxes, Mr. Kevin McLaughlin. Previously, Mr. McLaughlin was the Iowa Co-Chairman of Steve Forbes for President in 2000.

• December 22-31, 2006: Senator Brownback is currently on vacation with his family and is making a final decision about a 2008 presidential candidacy.

Thank you for your continued interest in the Brownback 2008 Presidential Exploratory Committee.

Please visit www.brownback.com for more information or to sign up for updates. Also, please join our Brownback Coalitions Team today by clicking here or make an online contribution today!

Sam Brownback | No Comments »

One thing we’re going to hear a lot about during the Republican primary season is what kind of conservative each candidate is. More than that, each candidate is now trying to build their brand. Right now, I see three potential conservative brands coming out.

I’ve talked before about Sam Brownback’s full scale conservative branding. This is a powerful meme - it conveys commitment, forcefulness, and an unapologetic stance. It sounds a lot like “full contact fighter,” which anyone who’s a fan of Ultimate Fighting knows is a phrase/brand that describes mixed martial artist combatants. Not a bad idea to keep floating around your candidate at a time when the Republican Party is in retreat.

Full scale conservative also is a shot at Mike Huckabee. Huckabee’s brand is largely based around his massive weight loss. Brownback is saying nuts to that - I’m full scale and I’m not backing down. Now Brownback will never say this, but the diction brings up reactions in the voters mind based on the phrasing the candidate chooses.

Representative Trent Franks called Duncan Hunter a Valley Forge Republican. I have no clue what that means. Sure, it connotes an original, conservative brand. It makes you think of the founding principles that carried Washington and the revolutionary army through a brutal winter to victory and independence. But what does that have to do with today’s politics and today’s Republican Party? Valley Forge Republican sounds nice, but is vacuous.

Lastly, Mike Huckabee has taken to calling himself a true conservative. While not defining what that means, Huckabee casts himself definitively. His meme is the simplest and most direct. Despite his appeal to “true conservatives,” Huckabee has claimed that he will appeal to moderate and independent voters. The implication is that true conservative is not reactionary and that today’s Republican Party under the Bush administration is not a party of “true conservatives.”

We’ll see more twists on how the Republican field brands themselves as conservative. For now, a race is on among a full scale conservative, a Valley Forge conservative, and a true conservative.

Technorati Tags: Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback

Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, Sam Brownback | 1 Comment »

During the course of the year, there was talk of a possible presidential run by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg as a third-party candidate.

This summer, The New Republic noted his “coy” denials of a candidacy in ‘08, and as Daniel Owen from Oval Office 2008 notes, Bloomberg “does enjoy keeping the rumors alive.”

WCBS-TV in New York reported that Bloomberg dressed up as Bruce Springsteen and gave an adapted rendition of ‘Born to Run’ at a party for City Hall workers early in December. Included in the lyrics: “I say ‘Next stop: Washington!’ Cause folks like us, baby we were born to run. We’ll win, you’ll see, and beat the G.O.P. and Democrats.” Stirring stuff. [emphasis added]

Currently, there are three New Yorkers contemplating candidacies for the presidency. Two, of which, are Republicans.
Bloomberg’s predecessor, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, is neck-and-neck with Arizona Senator John McCain in early polling. Outgoing New York Governor George Pataki is reportedly contemplating a run for office.

Democrat Senator Hillary Clinton recently won re-election to a second term and is ahead in national polls. (Early primary state polls show her much closer to the competition.)

Michael Bloomberg | 1 Comment »

California Representative Duncan Hunter has two ads running for his Peace Through Strength PAC.

The ads, entitled “Football” and “Submarine,” cite China’s growing economic power, calling them “cheaters.” (Nobody likes a cheater.)

Then, Rep. Hunter proceeds to “scaring the living daylights” out of the viewer by listing off what American money buys for China: “… ships and planes and missiles.”

Word is that the phrases “Holy hell! Look what they’re buying!” were axed from the original script.

(Hat tip: Daniel Owen, Oval Office 2008)

Duncan Hunter | 2 Comments »

Rep. Duncan Hunter of California picked up another endorsement for his presidential bid in 2008. Conservative Rep. Trent Franks lended his support to the fledgling Hunter campaign over fellow Arizonan, Senator John McCain. (Local Arizona press article here.)

Franks said he knows that his early backing of the lesser-known Hunter will raise eyebrows, given that his own state’s senior senator is considering a run for the White House.

But without criticizing McCain directly, Franks described Hunter as a candidate who “is an unequivocal social conservative and fiscal conservative and has a consistent conservative voting record.”

Franks created a new term in describing Hunter: Valley Forge Republican.

Franks described Hunter as “a bold, Valley Forge, Ronald Reagan Republican who holds the temperament and philosophical foundations to lead this country to its greatest heights yet.”

Last week, Hunter received official backing from Chuck Yeager, the inspiration for Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff.

Endorsements, Duncan Hunter | 5 Comments »

Gallup released a poll of 425 Republicans nationwide. Check out Doug Daniels at The Next Prez for the Democratic numbers.

Republicans

John McCain — 28%
Rudy Giuliani — 28%
Condoleezza Rice — 12%
Newt Gingrich — 8%
Mitt Romney — 4%
Mike Huckabee — 2%
Sam Brownback — 2%
George Allen — 2%
Tommy Thompson — 2%
Chuck Hagel — 1%
George Pataki — 1%
Duncan Hunter — 1%
Someone else — 2%
None (volunteered) — 3%
Unsure — 7%

Allen, defeated by Senator-elect Jim Webb in Virginia, is not likely to run, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has previously stated that she does not “intend” to run for president. However, for her to poll at third is particularly eye-popping.

Romney produced another abysmal showing at fifth place with four percent.

As Daniels at TNP states, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has previously polled ahead of Senator John McCain when Rice is left off the list of choices. Examples:

NBC News/Wall Street Journal, 12/8–12/11 (Giuliani 34, McCain 29)

ABC News/Washington Post, 12/7–12/11 (Giuliani 34, McCain 26)

CNN, 12/5–12/7 (Giuliani 29, McCain 24)

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics, 12/5–12/6 (Giuliani 30, McCain 23).

Polling | 2 Comments »

The outgoing New York State Assembly Whip, Republican Pat Casale, on a George Pataki presidency:

Thursday, he said the governor did a terrible job during his term, citing increased taxes and a laundry list of other negative developments. He called the governor, who also leaves office in a few days, “the biggest disappointment of my political life.”

“The only thing that bothers me about George Pataki leaving is that he wants to be president,” Casale said. “That would be a disaster for America.” [emphasis added]

George Pataki | No Comments »

Governor Mitt Romney’s campaign is losing support before it even starts.

Soren Dayton picked up on a Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) news report that the Massachusetts governor is losing support in Michigan from Republican members of the State House.

There are at least four Republican Representatives from the Michigan State House that are seriously rethinking their support of Romney for President. These are members of Romney’s steering committee in Michigan who are now having reservations about recent revelations about Romney’s past comments in regards to marriage, abortion and the Boy Scouts. [emphasis from Soren Dayton]

Michigan is a must-win state for Romney. Faultering support in the state is a major concern for the ‘08 hopeful, but also part of a growing trend.

Late last week, Governor Romney left potential New Hampshire primary voters unconvinced of his conservative credentials. One person at the event said: “After talking with him in person, though, it is hard to figure out what he does believe.”

A week ago, Romney’s chief California fundraiser jumped ship.

Recent ARG poll numbers showed one thing that TRF has been saying all along: Romney is not a top-tier candidate. The numbers just simply aren’t there.

Iowa — T-4th (6%)
Nevada — 4th (4%)
South Carolina — 4th (5%)
New Hampshire — 4th (9%)

In other polls, Romney either barely breaks double digits (3rd, 10 percent, New Hampshire), or not at all (3rd, 9 percent, Iowa).

This is not to say that a Romney candidacy cannot gain support. It is still very early, more than a full year before the first caucus, and these numbers can change. However, he has a long road ahead and a lot of BS’ing to do.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the governor is making a final decision on a presidential run with his family while skiing in Utah. (Hat tip: Eric Kleefield, Election Central | TPMCafe)

Earlier this month, it was reported that a Romney candidacy announcement is expected January 8.

Mitt Romney | 1 Comment »

It looks like Joe Lieberman is making a case to be the Republican vice presidential nominee as part of a Unity 08 ticket.

Technorati Tags: Iraq, Joe Lieberman

Vice President | No Comments »

How important is homophobia to winning the Republican nomination for president? Important enough that Romney is willing to ditch the smallest semblance of legacy to appear a tiny bit more anti-gay:

Today’s Boston Globe reports that Romney is now moving to force the legislature to vote on the referendum by trying to stall a pay raise for legislators.

It’s a move that’s almost certain to fail. The pay raises are guaranteed by a constitutional measure meant to keep politics out of that process. Furthermore, Romney’s successor, Governor-Elect Deval Patrick, would likely overrule whatever hold Romney manages to put on the raises.

Still, that may not stop Romney from doing his best to salvage a P.R. victory of sorts from what has been a disaster for the Presidential hopeful. With his nascent campaign is already in trouble with social conservatives for past remarks that were deemed overly friendly to gay rights, this anti-gay-marriage push was supposed to help Romney win the conservatives back — and it’s gone nowhere.

So Romney’s last possible move will be to present his efforts to hold up the pay raises as a victory — even if it flops. As the Globe puts it, this last-ditch effort to hold up the pay raises would still “let Romney trumpet before key primary-state audiences his efforts to hold the line on spending and continue his outspoken opposition to gay marriage.”

Win or lose — and it certainly looks like he’s losing — Romney will apparently do everything he can before leaving office to get the last word in on this issue and stop any more questions about the authenticity of his conservatism.

Mitt Romney | 2 Comments »