Top Brownback Supporter: He Might Support Rudy In Order to Defeat Hillary
As noted below, conservative Senator Sam Brownback startled a lot of people in GOP Primary politics by saying that he he's grown "more comfortable" with Rudy's abortion views after meeting with him. A Brownback endorsement of Rudy would be big, because it would mean he's succeeding in winning over parts of the party -- adamantly pro-life factions -- who should be hostile to him.
How is this possible? The Catholic News Agency sheds a bit of light on the situation:
According to Jay Heine, Brownback's political director in Iowa, an endorsement could happen because Brownback and many of his supporters believe Giuliani has the best chance of defeating Senator Hillary Clinton, the expected Democratic nominee.
So, here a top political supporter of Brownback is saying that Brownback and "many of his supporters" think Rudy has the best chance of defeating Hillary, and hence may be able to overlook his pro-choice views. If true, that suggests that Rudy's argument may be working among at least some social conservatives.
The article also notes that Brownback's dalliance with Rudy has left some members of Catholics for Brownback "outraged." That's as you'd expect. What's surprising is that the outrage isn't preventing Brownback from very seriously suggesting he'd back a pro-choicer. The whole thing really is eye-opening.
Comments (9)
Anonymous wrote on October 26, 2007 1:12 PM:Maybe he really doesn't like Mormons or Huckabees.
I think his electability argument is fatally flawed.
Anonymous wrote on October 26, 2007 1:16 PM:For a good cabinet post, some politicians will do almost anything.
That said, if Rudy really does give them judges, that's really the whole ballgame.
phil james wrote on October 26, 2007 1:18 PM:But all this does is highlight the absurdity of what are supposedly deeply heartfelt beliefs and moral imperatives which turn out to be what we all know they are, simply wedge issues that can be used or not, as the political expediency of the day dictates. The fraud that is the Republican Party flashes in neon. And the ignorant party faithful traipse along behind never daring to look up from the mud for fear of staring straight at the assholes leading them.
Seth H. wrote on October 26, 2007 1:28 PM:Could we consider this a ham-handed attempt at getting the race for VP to a Guiliani candidacy started? It strikes me that someone like Brownback, with his Evangelical cred and a guarantee that he won't outshine someone like Guiliani, might end up being the right choice. It's (way too) early to be making solid predictions, but I think we might be seeing more of this as it (and if it) becomes more and more clear that Rudy's securing the nomination.
Nick Grossman wrote on October 26, 2007 1:55 PM:Since when do the Republicans get to choose the Democratic nominee?
Marc wrote on October 26, 2007 3:27 PM:I definitely think Brownback would be right at the top of Giuliani's VP list if he wins the nomination. Good regional balance and Brownback is even more wacked out than Rudy.
I still think a prominent pro-lifer like Brownback endorsing Rudy Giuliani would be the start of a schism within the Republican Party. While I still think Clinton can demolish Giuliani, a seriously pissed off Republican evangelical base could be the difference between a 4-5 point victory and a 10-point landslide.
Giuliani is such an inept and bald faced panderer (anybody remember "I don't agree with myself sometimes") to the Christian right that I don't understand why he doesn't have a come to Jesus moment like Romney so conveniently had and renounce the baby-killers with extreme prejudice. The right would surely be stupid enough to believe it.
intp wrote on October 26, 2007 3:58 PM:After living in Kansas for 6 years (now in Iowa) I have come to think that Brownback was always running for VP. No one in their right mind could have believed he was a viable presidential candidate. His blatant cozying up with Rudy seems to confirm this. For Brownback and his ilk, by the way, conservative social issues are not the primary factors that the MSM think they are. Authoritarianism trumps everything else, anytime. Rudy is an authoritarian extraordinaire, and thus the fact that the religious right will fall in line behind Rudy is not so surprising after all.
Seth H. wrote on October 26, 2007 5:35 PM:I'm still rooting for a third-party candidate from the Evangelical base, which I certainly think would be the case should the race be Giuliani/Jindal (which would be absurd, but it was the best I could come up with off-the-cuff). The only way a Rudy candidacy works is with a Brownback or a Huckabee in the Number 2 spot.
I would like to think that all Republicans need to be happy is a strong, disciplinary authority figure, but alas, such is, I fear, not the case. They will respect, and adhere to the policies of anyone in such a position, but that person needs to be in a position of authority first. I have a few Evangelical friends and have talked with them about this sort of thing in the past. They'll vote based upon their values and if someone offers that (Republican or otherwise), they'll go for it (only because they think they can win as they seem to think they are the majority of the country... obviously they don't read polling data).
Liberal Larry wrote on October 27, 2007 12:05 PM:Bush-Lite unites the republican base.
