Republican frontrunners fail to thrill
Republican frontrunners fail to thrill
By Edward Luce in Washington
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Published: May 4 2007 22:32 | Last updated: May 4 2007 22:32
If Republicans had been hoping their first debate of the 2008 presidential election would restore enthusiasm to a demoralised party, they were probably disappointed. Compared with the diverse range of Democratic candidates who held their first debate in South Carolina last week, the Republicans presented a uniform picture – 10 white men in dark suits jostling for a magic moment that never arrived.
It was too soon on Friday for pollsters to assess whether any of the candidates had gained traction from Thursday night’s 90-minute debate at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in California. But among the three frontrunners, Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney, only Mr Romney, who is in third place, sustained a fluent and confident tone.
Most tellingly, all three avoided praising George W. Bush, whose approval ratings are hovering close to a low. In contrast, each tried to associate themself with Ronald Reagan, whose widow, Nancy, sat in the audience. “What we can borrow from Reagan is that great sense of optimism that he had,” said Mr Giuliani.
Mr Romney said: “Gosh, I love America . . . It’s that optimism we thank Ronald Reagan for. Thank you, Mrs Reagan, for opening up this place in memory for us.” Mr McCain said: “Ronald Reagan used to say we spend money like a drunken sailor. I never knew a sailor, drunk or sober, with the imagination of Congress.”
Yet in spite of efforts to capture some of Reagan’s “morning in America” optimism – Reagan was cited 20 times, all favourably, compared with five mixed references to Mr Bush – the candidates’ sombre attire gave off more of an impression of mourning.
Opinion polls suggest registered Republicans, particularly the third who describe themselves as evangelical Christians, are prepared to overlook a candidate’s position on issues such as abortion if they believe he can prevent a Democrat from capturing the White House in 2008. Yet with the exception of Mr Giuliani, who stuck to a defence of women’s “right to choose”, candidates tried to outbid each other’s social conservative credentials. In a show of hands, three out of the 10 said they did not believe in the evolutionary account of human origins.
And eight out of 10 said they would applaud the Supreme Court if it overturned the 1973 ruling that legalised abortion. Sam Brownback, the Kansas senator who has so far had little luck in achieving the status of social conservative frontrunner, said: “I think it would be a glorious day of human liberty and freedom.”
Tom Tancredo, the firebrand anti-immigrant congressman from Colorado, said: “After the 40m dead we have aborted in this country, I would say that would be the greatest day in this country’s history.” Only Mr Giuliani, who is still leading the Republican polls, said: “It would be OK . . . I supported it [abortion] in New York. But in other places people could come to a different decision.”
Nor did they strike out new positions on the Iraq war or direct engagement of Iran over its uranium programme. Most took care to avoid endorsing Mr Bush’s prosecution of both but none questioned the strategy.
“Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad [Iran’s president] is clearly irrational,” said Mr Giuliani. “He has to look at an American president and he has to see Ronald Reagan. Remember they [the Iranians in 1980] looked into his eyes and released the hostages.”
Mr McCain, whose support for Mr Bush’s 30,000-troop “surge” to Iraq has cost him some credibility with the wider public, said: “I think it’s on the right track. The war was terribly mismanaged and we now have to fix a lot of those mistakes.”
Only Mr Romney was relaxed enough to joke. His faith has been a source of controversy. The former governor of Massachusetts, who would be the first Mormon president, was asked what he would say to Catholic bishops who denied communion to those with whom they disagreed. “I don’t say anything to Roman Catholic bishops,” he said. “They can do what the heck they want.”
By Edward Luce in Washington
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Published: May 4 2007 22:32 | Last updated: May 4 2007 22:32
If Republicans had been hoping their first debate of the 2008 presidential election would restore enthusiasm to a demoralised party, they were probably disappointed. Compared with the diverse range of Democratic candidates who held their first debate in South Carolina last week, the Republicans presented a uniform picture – 10 white men in dark suits jostling for a magic moment that never arrived.
It was too soon on Friday for pollsters to assess whether any of the candidates had gained traction from Thursday night’s 90-minute debate at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in California. But among the three frontrunners, Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney, only Mr Romney, who is in third place, sustained a fluent and confident tone.
Most tellingly, all three avoided praising George W. Bush, whose approval ratings are hovering close to a low. In contrast, each tried to associate themself with Ronald Reagan, whose widow, Nancy, sat in the audience. “What we can borrow from Reagan is that great sense of optimism that he had,” said Mr Giuliani.
Mr Romney said: “Gosh, I love America . . . It’s that optimism we thank Ronald Reagan for. Thank you, Mrs Reagan, for opening up this place in memory for us.” Mr McCain said: “Ronald Reagan used to say we spend money like a drunken sailor. I never knew a sailor, drunk or sober, with the imagination of Congress.”
Yet in spite of efforts to capture some of Reagan’s “morning in America” optimism – Reagan was cited 20 times, all favourably, compared with five mixed references to Mr Bush – the candidates’ sombre attire gave off more of an impression of mourning.
Opinion polls suggest registered Republicans, particularly the third who describe themselves as evangelical Christians, are prepared to overlook a candidate’s position on issues such as abortion if they believe he can prevent a Democrat from capturing the White House in 2008. Yet with the exception of Mr Giuliani, who stuck to a defence of women’s “right to choose”, candidates tried to outbid each other’s social conservative credentials. In a show of hands, three out of the 10 said they did not believe in the evolutionary account of human origins.
And eight out of 10 said they would applaud the Supreme Court if it overturned the 1973 ruling that legalised abortion. Sam Brownback, the Kansas senator who has so far had little luck in achieving the status of social conservative frontrunner, said: “I think it would be a glorious day of human liberty and freedom.”
Tom Tancredo, the firebrand anti-immigrant congressman from Colorado, said: “After the 40m dead we have aborted in this country, I would say that would be the greatest day in this country’s history.” Only Mr Giuliani, who is still leading the Republican polls, said: “It would be OK . . . I supported it [abortion] in New York. But in other places people could come to a different decision.”
Nor did they strike out new positions on the Iraq war or direct engagement of Iran over its uranium programme. Most took care to avoid endorsing Mr Bush’s prosecution of both but none questioned the strategy.
“Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad [Iran’s president] is clearly irrational,” said Mr Giuliani. “He has to look at an American president and he has to see Ronald Reagan. Remember they [the Iranians in 1980] looked into his eyes and released the hostages.”
Mr McCain, whose support for Mr Bush’s 30,000-troop “surge” to Iraq has cost him some credibility with the wider public, said: “I think it’s on the right track. The war was terribly mismanaged and we now have to fix a lot of those mistakes.”
Only Mr Romney was relaxed enough to joke. His faith has been a source of controversy. The former governor of Massachusetts, who would be the first Mormon president, was asked what he would say to Catholic bishops who denied communion to those with whom they disagreed. “I don’t say anything to Roman Catholic bishops,” he said. “They can do what the heck they want.”
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