”Conservatives in GOP uneasy about Bush”
by Richard L. Berke, New York Times
(from San Antonio Express-News, 6/29/99, pg A1
Laconia N.H. -- Many politically active conservatives say they’re
increasingly frustrated and distressed by the early dominance of Gov.
George W. Bush in the Republican presidential race.
They accuse their party of sacrificing principle in the name of pragmatism,
prompting some to talk of mounting a third-party campaign.
In early battleground states such as Iowa and New Hampshire - and elsewhere
in the country - rank-and-file conservatives in interviews said they never had
felt so alienated from their own party.
They asserted Bush wasn’t sufficiently conservative on matters like abortion
and complained about the defense - if not outright embrace - of Bush by the
party establishment, including some leaders of their own wing, such as Pat
Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition.
They also cited compromises by Republican leaders in Washington on issues
such as taxes, gun control, military spending and gay rights.
They’re all the more uneasy, these conservatives said, because they fear even at
this early stage that Bush may be unstoppable since no conservative champion
has emerged from the right to take on the governor of Texas.
The disenchantment is so intense that more and more conservatives at the grass
roots are discussing openly whether to bolt from their party altogether.
One conservative presidential hopeful, Sen. Robert Smith of New
Hampshire, said he was so fed up he would decide in the next 30 days whether
to seek the presidency by creating his own party or running as a member of the
Reform or U.S. Taxpayer party.
Another conservative contender, Pat Buchanan, the television commentator,
last week insisted he would remain in the Republican contest.
But some of his advisers recently have mulled over whether he should seek the
nomination of Ross Perot’s Reform Party.
The discomfort among conservatives erupted in full view at a town meeting in
Manchester last week sponsored by Thing New Hampshire.
The group was established by Jim Rubens, a former Republican state senator
who ran for governor last year, to promote the party’s principles.
On a breezy summer night, more than 100 local Republicans gathered in an
auditorium to stew over the state of their party.
The theme, as set out by Rubens at the start of the meeting, was to ponder “the
gnawing question” he feared had “demoralized” Republicans. “How do we
resolve the tug of war between principle and pragmatism - between party
ideals and the pressure to compromise them?”
Members of the audience voiced concerns that Republicans with an eye on a
general election victory in 2000 were moving too quickly to dilute their
positions on bedrock issues like abortion.
Despite Bush’s command of the Republican field, not one participant defended
the Texas governor.
Jack Kenney, a freelance journalist in Manchester, drew enthusiastic applause
when he rose to a microphone in the audience and asked: “I wonder if any
of us can tell the difference between the Gore-Bush twins?”
Kenney echoed many others who expressed concern about Bush.
David Corbin, a state representative in New Hampshire who supports Alan
Keyes for the nomination, said Bush might win the nomination but lose the
following November because he wouldn’t be seen as standing for anything.
“I think George W. will win 35 percent of the New Hampshire primary vote,”
Corbin said. “But if the idea is winning at any cost, it may do more damage
to the Republican Party in the long term.”
Before boarding a plane in Austin on Monday night, Bush said he was not
worried about the prospect of a conservative rebellion.
“Well, I same come and look at my record. I’ve been the governor of the State
of Texas. I’ve now gone through three legislative sessions. I’ve done in office
what I said I would do. And they ought to come down and look at our
education program, or my tax cutting,” Bush said.
In Davenport, Iowa, the state that traditionally holds the first caucuses, David
Karwoski, a religious conservative organizer, said that if Bush captures the
nomination, he could lose as Bob Dole did in 1996.
“When you try to placate the pro-choice people and the pro-life people at
the same time,” said Karwoski, who is backing Gary Bauer, “the people
who feel strongly about those issues are going to have a huge question in their
mind: ‘Is he really with us? Can we trust him?’ There’s going to be a
rude awakening in November.”
In interviews around the country, many conservatives repeat the same mantra.
They’re worried Bush is getting “anointed”.
As Gordon MacDonald, the New Hampshire director for the campaign of
former Vice President Dan Quayle, put it, “There’s a real concern that the
establishment of the party is foisting on them a candidate who won’t stand for
their principles. It’s feeding this alienation.”
Many conservatives speak enthusiastically about the prospect of abandoning
the Republican Party.
Citing how the Whigs unraveled in the 1800s after the party was unable to
reach a consensus on slavery - and paved the way for the Republicans - several
conservatives said Republicans could be similarly ravaged over abortion.
“I have to tell you I’m not optimistic about the future of the Republican Party,”
Richard Lessner, director of the editorial page of the Union Leader, a beacon
of conservatism in Manchester, said at the town meeting.
Referring to his participation on a radio talk show in Arizona recently, Lessner
said: “What really sparked the telephone calls is when the subject of third party
came up. We can paper over this talk. We can pretend that it doesn’t exist.
We can urge all Republicans simply to set aside their differences and get
together, not shoot at one another, don’t call one another nasty names,
everything will be happy.
“But the sentiment out there for a third party is real,” Lessner continued. “It
is deep. And it is growing. We had call after call on that radio talk
show out there, people calling and saying, ‘You know, I’m a conservative,
but I’ve just about given up on the Republican Party.’”
=======================================
Bold for stress added by Dennis
[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited June 29, 1999).]
by Richard L. Berke, New York Times
(from San Antonio Express-News, 6/29/99, pg A1
Laconia N.H. -- Many politically active conservatives say they’re
increasingly frustrated and distressed by the early dominance of Gov.
George W. Bush in the Republican presidential race.
They accuse their party of sacrificing principle in the name of pragmatism,
prompting some to talk of mounting a third-party campaign.
In early battleground states such as Iowa and New Hampshire - and elsewhere
in the country - rank-and-file conservatives in interviews said they never had
felt so alienated from their own party.
They asserted Bush wasn’t sufficiently conservative on matters like abortion
and complained about the defense - if not outright embrace - of Bush by the
party establishment, including some leaders of their own wing, such as Pat
Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition.
They also cited compromises by Republican leaders in Washington on issues
such as taxes, gun control, military spending and gay rights.
They’re all the more uneasy, these conservatives said, because they fear even at
this early stage that Bush may be unstoppable since no conservative champion
has emerged from the right to take on the governor of Texas.
The disenchantment is so intense that more and more conservatives at the grass
roots are discussing openly whether to bolt from their party altogether.
One conservative presidential hopeful, Sen. Robert Smith of New
Hampshire, said he was so fed up he would decide in the next 30 days whether
to seek the presidency by creating his own party or running as a member of the
Reform or U.S. Taxpayer party.
Another conservative contender, Pat Buchanan, the television commentator,
last week insisted he would remain in the Republican contest.
But some of his advisers recently have mulled over whether he should seek the
nomination of Ross Perot’s Reform Party.
The discomfort among conservatives erupted in full view at a town meeting in
Manchester last week sponsored by Thing New Hampshire.
The group was established by Jim Rubens, a former Republican state senator
who ran for governor last year, to promote the party’s principles.
On a breezy summer night, more than 100 local Republicans gathered in an
auditorium to stew over the state of their party.
The theme, as set out by Rubens at the start of the meeting, was to ponder “the
gnawing question” he feared had “demoralized” Republicans. “How do we
resolve the tug of war between principle and pragmatism - between party
ideals and the pressure to compromise them?”
Members of the audience voiced concerns that Republicans with an eye on a
general election victory in 2000 were moving too quickly to dilute their
positions on bedrock issues like abortion.
Despite Bush’s command of the Republican field, not one participant defended
the Texas governor.
Jack Kenney, a freelance journalist in Manchester, drew enthusiastic applause
when he rose to a microphone in the audience and asked: “I wonder if any
of us can tell the difference between the Gore-Bush twins?”
Kenney echoed many others who expressed concern about Bush.
David Corbin, a state representative in New Hampshire who supports Alan
Keyes for the nomination, said Bush might win the nomination but lose the
following November because he wouldn’t be seen as standing for anything.
“I think George W. will win 35 percent of the New Hampshire primary vote,”
Corbin said. “But if the idea is winning at any cost, it may do more damage
to the Republican Party in the long term.”
Before boarding a plane in Austin on Monday night, Bush said he was not
worried about the prospect of a conservative rebellion.
“Well, I same come and look at my record. I’ve been the governor of the State
of Texas. I’ve now gone through three legislative sessions. I’ve done in office
what I said I would do. And they ought to come down and look at our
education program, or my tax cutting,” Bush said.
In Davenport, Iowa, the state that traditionally holds the first caucuses, David
Karwoski, a religious conservative organizer, said that if Bush captures the
nomination, he could lose as Bob Dole did in 1996.
“When you try to placate the pro-choice people and the pro-life people at
the same time,” said Karwoski, who is backing Gary Bauer, “the people
who feel strongly about those issues are going to have a huge question in their
mind: ‘Is he really with us? Can we trust him?’ There’s going to be a
rude awakening in November.”
In interviews around the country, many conservatives repeat the same mantra.
They’re worried Bush is getting “anointed”.
As Gordon MacDonald, the New Hampshire director for the campaign of
former Vice President Dan Quayle, put it, “There’s a real concern that the
establishment of the party is foisting on them a candidate who won’t stand for
their principles. It’s feeding this alienation.”
Many conservatives speak enthusiastically about the prospect of abandoning
the Republican Party.
Citing how the Whigs unraveled in the 1800s after the party was unable to
reach a consensus on slavery - and paved the way for the Republicans - several
conservatives said Republicans could be similarly ravaged over abortion.
“I have to tell you I’m not optimistic about the future of the Republican Party,”
Richard Lessner, director of the editorial page of the Union Leader, a beacon
of conservatism in Manchester, said at the town meeting.
Referring to his participation on a radio talk show in Arizona recently, Lessner
said: “What really sparked the telephone calls is when the subject of third party
came up. We can paper over this talk. We can pretend that it doesn’t exist.
We can urge all Republicans simply to set aside their differences and get
together, not shoot at one another, don’t call one another nasty names,
everything will be happy.
“But the sentiment out there for a third party is real,” Lessner continued. “It
is deep. And it is growing. We had call after call on that radio talk
show out there, people calling and saying, ‘You know, I’m a conservative,
but I’ve just about given up on the Republican Party.’”
=======================================
Bold for stress added by Dennis
[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited June 29, 1999).]
