Another
report here explains where they are coming from: "There is a
great deal of anxiety that some in the Christian community have put
security and the fight against Islamo-fascism ahead of the pro-life
movement." It is not just the GOP that would be damaged of course
by a third party candidate. The unity and influence of these
religious leaders who decided to go find such a candidate would
also be permanently damaged. (The individual who accepted would
likely have to be someone with no real prospects -- ever -- in the
GOP since it would be political suicide for the individual who
accepted the nod.) Backing a third party candidate either would not
prevent Rudy's election -- sending the message these voices can be
ignored in the future -- or would hand the election to Hillary and
forever make the spoilers the subject of millions of conservatives'
ire. We'll see...
UPDATE: Powerline guys have a similar take, contending that these leaders
"are not stupid" and neither they nor others in the conservative
movement would throw the Presidency and the future Supreme Court
away with a third party gambit.
topics:
Islam, Supreme Court, Fascism, Oil