Responding to the bat-signal of paleocons everywhere, Rep. Tom Tancredo is reportedly?heading to Iowa to announce that he’s planning to seek the GOP nod.? Says the Des Moines Register:
“Colorado Republican Tom Tancredo is on his way to Iowa to announce his candidacy for president.Tancredo, a U.S. House member, plans to be in Iowa Friday through Monday, with public book signings in Council Bluffs Saturday and West Des Moines Saturday.
The outspoken proponent of immigration reform is also a close ally in the House of Iowa’s Steve King.
If Tancredo and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson ‘ Republican taking steps toward running for president ‘ get hot, imagine the talk of the GOP dream ticket.”
Tancredo hasn’t a shot in Hades at the GOP nod, but he will fill the void for a Buchananite candidate in?a race dominated by coastal and urbane conservatives.
January 12th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
The more, the merrier, I say. Personally, I think he has a snowball’s chance, but no harm in letting him try. If nothing else, it will help the eventual nominee to shine.
January 13th, 2007 at 1:16 am
I know more than a few paleo-cons who are already pretty juiced about Duncan Hunter. Who will they choose?
January 13th, 2007 at 1:37 am
marK,
That seems to be a curious reaction on your part. Tancredo would conceivably take votes away from Romney in the primaries, which makes it harder for Romney to claim that conservatives should rally around him in order to beat McCain (Tancredo’s entry also undermines Romney’s immigration stance).
That’s why I fully welcome candidacies by Tancredo, Brownback, Huckabee, Gingrich and Gilmore, in addition to Romney. The conservative vote will splinter among them and make it more likely that the race will be McCain vs. Rudy (if he, in fact, does run).
January 13th, 2007 at 2:24 am
LJ,
I think marK may be referring to the exchange of ideas and rigorous debate which refines candidacies. I have heard that some nominee winners typically thank those who did not make the cut for their contribution to the debates. Whether or not it’s sincere is up to you to decide, but I think having a plethora alternative opinions this early on is a good sign. Think of it as a sort of political biodiversity if you will. Those that survive will be even stronger for it.
Mark (another one)
January 13th, 2007 at 2:44 am
BarkTwiggs,
Yeah, I knew that’s what he was referring to. My reply was half tongue-in-cheek, which unfortunately doesn’t translate well in the blog world.
January 13th, 2007 at 8:25 am
This great news for conservatives everywhere. Whereby most people associate Tancredo with his anti-illegal immigration movement, and rightfully so, he is also a STAUNCH pro-growth, pro-business, anti-tax increase, anti-pork spender.
While Duncan Hunter filled many of the holes left void by the other candidates, Hunter was not with conservatives on the Jeff Flake earmark amendments and voted against all 13 of them, earning the wrath of the very powerful and influential Club for Growth, who by the way, has a target on their back by people like John McCain.
So, while the Tanc’s candidacy will be difficult at best, there is finally a announced candidate I feel strongly about and can hold my head up high and support unlike ANY of the other candidates, unless Gingrich would enter the race.
I am very happy about the news and look forward to working with the Tancredo campaign here in New Jersey.
Michael
January 13th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Fun, fun, fun til your daddy takes your green card away.
January 13th, 2007 at 10:06 am
LJ, you are right that Tancredo may take votes away from Romney who is the most conservative on immigration of the big three. But, Tancredo will also constantly remind voters of McCain’s betrayal on this issue. He may slam Giuliani pretty hard also. Considering that he will probably not make the cut in Iowa and New Hampshire, I don’t see his entrance into the race as having much of an effect in the vote stealing department. He may be able to command enough support that an endorsement from him would help significantly though.
January 13th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Michael; That’s exactly the way I feel about Ron Paul. I know he has no shot, but I can have no qualms at all in supporting him.
January 13th, 2007 at 10:40 am
I think Tancredo, Hunter and Paul will likely split the fringe portion of the GOP. The 5-7% who wouldn’t vote for any of the big three even in the general election regardless. I think there candidacy make it effectively impossible to imagine “conservatives” uniting behind anyone other then the big three. These people represent, in GOP primaries, as much as double that strength, but certainly not enough to derail anyone when they’re split so thin.
January 13th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Tancredo’s a good guy. I just think that most people in the end will shy away from the big three, will ignore the little three and will eventually settle on Huckabee due to his likability and positive message.
January 13th, 2007 at 11:45 am
After seeing Huckabee on the dailyshow the other day, despite my dislike of his politics, I’m adding him to the big three of “electable”. He really is a charming guy. But I really don’t think this whole “I’ll run if my book sells a million copies” draft movement, while building virtually no serious ground game, has the slightest chance of panning out.
January 13th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
He did say that if the book was used for “bonfire fodder, you may have seen the last of me.” I think he’s probably running.
January 13th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Peter,
So Tancredo is a good guy. There are tons of good guys. I like to think that I’m a good guy. I’d never vote for me for President, however. There is a whole lot more to being President than being “a good guy”.
So why would he make a better President than any of the big three or the little three?
January 13th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
David Ensley,
But, Tancredo will also constantly remind voters of McCain’s betrayal on this issue. He may slam Giuliani pretty hard also.
Well, I think betrayal is a very strong word, but that’s probably because I support CIR. I think it’s almost certain that Tancredo will rip into McCain, Giuliani and probably Bush too on immigration. But then again, I’m doubtful that even if Jesus was McCain’s running mate that he could win the “enforcement only” vote. Which is why I don’t think Tancredo will hurt McCain’s overall support. But if Tancredo hammers immigration, could he not then hammer Romney for not being anti-immigration enough? After all, if Tancredo really wants to make an impact in the race, given the lack of a credible conservative alternative, he’ll have to go through Romney. By the way, this is something someone like Brownback couldn’t do since he supports CIR as well.