The Popular Vote: Moderates must be GOP's saving grace
Michael Roberts
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Opinion
John McCain is a name that Americans should know. Chris Simcox is not nearly as well known, at least not to people outside of Arizona, but that could all change in the next two years. Chris Simcox is going to run against Senator McCain, with the hope of defeating McCain and his moderate tendencies in 2010. This now makes Arlen Specter and John McCain part of the Republican hit list of people that the new Republican leadership does not want representing conservative ideals in Congress.
Chris Simcox is a founder of the anti-illegal immigrant group, Minuteman. The Minuteman Civil Defense Corp's mission is "to see the borders and costal boundaries of the United States secured against the unlawful and unauthorized entry of all individuals, contraband, and foreign military." Republicans in Arizona are going to have to ask themselves whether they want such a hard anti-immigration candidate like Simcox to have a chance at the Senate seat in replacement of a proven bipartisan senator in McCain.
The challenges to McCain and Specter bring up a much bigger issue, though: the death of moderate Republicans. Not just the loss of McCain in the general election, but other moderates-like ex-U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays of Connecticut-going down in the previous election signaled the end of the moderate conservatives.
The loss of people like Christopher Shays in the 2008 election has made the Republican leadership think that the only way to win now is to be extremely right-wing. This really should not be the attitude being adopted by the Republicans. Jim Himes beat Christopher Shays for two important reasons: Barack Obama heavily endorsed Jim Himes (painting Shays as "Bush-like"), and Christopher Shays stuck to his guns when it came to his decision on the Iraq War. Moderate Republicans like Shays only lost the election because of the wrongs of the Republican Party as a whole, and the connection by name that was made between the two-not their moderate tendencies.
Chris Simcox is a founder of the anti-illegal immigrant group, Minuteman. The Minuteman Civil Defense Corp's mission is "to see the borders and costal boundaries of the United States secured against the unlawful and unauthorized entry of all individuals, contraband, and foreign military." Republicans in Arizona are going to have to ask themselves whether they want such a hard anti-immigration candidate like Simcox to have a chance at the Senate seat in replacement of a proven bipartisan senator in McCain.
The challenges to McCain and Specter bring up a much bigger issue, though: the death of moderate Republicans. Not just the loss of McCain in the general election, but other moderates-like ex-U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays of Connecticut-going down in the previous election signaled the end of the moderate conservatives.
The loss of people like Christopher Shays in the 2008 election has made the Republican leadership think that the only way to win now is to be extremely right-wing. This really should not be the attitude being adopted by the Republicans. Jim Himes beat Christopher Shays for two important reasons: Barack Obama heavily endorsed Jim Himes (painting Shays as "Bush-like"), and Christopher Shays stuck to his guns when it came to his decision on the Iraq War. Moderate Republicans like Shays only lost the election because of the wrongs of the Republican Party as a whole, and the connection by name that was made between the two-not their moderate tendencies.
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American Patriot
posted 4/28/09 @ 12:38 PM EST
What Mr Chris Simcox dose not understand is that we need Solutions to our nations situation, not His RACIST Line of thoughts.
Mexico is our 3rd largest trader, they import Billions of $$$$ of our Goods produced in USA , If they will STOP, We will be in a bigger problem with trade deficit and More UNEMPLOYMENT of US CITIZENS than now. (Continued…)
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