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(TJWalker.Com)-New York City-May 26, 1999. It's a done deal. George W. Bush is so wired for the Republican nomination for president, that if he were to get a girlfriend pregnant today, Reverends Jerry
Falwell and Pat Robertson would personally perform the abortion. Anything to avoid negative publicity for their guy. No principle is too great to sacrifice in order to return the White House to the
conservative establishment.
What will soon be eight long years out of power for Republicans has brought new luster to the politics of pragmatism. It seems the pleasure of looking for a true-blue conservative who really believes in
banning all abortions, firing every public school teacher and eliminating foreign aid pales in comparison to the pain of not receiving invitations to White house dinners or photo ops in the Rose Garden.
How self-important can a James Dobson or John Sununu pretend to be, if they can't pepper their phone conversations and sermons with "well, when the White House domestic policy advisor called me
yesterday asking for advice on�?"
The Republicans want the White House. Bad. They'll do anything short of repealing the 22nd Amendment and nominating Bill Clinton to satisfy their lusts.
Bush continues to garner money, support, and endorsements, all without asking for them or stepping foot out of Austin. If this magical appeal continues, he'll be able to run the country from Acapulco.
Bush has assembled a talented team of handlers in the first half of '99. But if they were judged by the policy substance flowing from the reluctant candidate's mouth, you would guess Bush had a staff of
two: "Being There"'s Chauncy Gardner and the 7th grader down the street who didn't quite make the Junior High School debate team.
But the Texas Governor's potential candidacy still has two drivers: 1. A Bush back into the White House is the perfect way to stick it to Clinton and avenge the unfair loss of George the Elder in '92, and
2. Bush is the only candidate who isn't too�. Bush isn't too dorky (Forbes), too stupid (Dan Quayle), too robotic (Elizabeth Dole), too butt-ugly (Bob Smith), too much like Patty Duke's TV father (Lamar
Alexander), too impish (John Kasich), too homophobic (Gary Bauer), too Nazi-friendly (Pat Buchanan), too unfaithful and short (John McCain) or too clueless (Alan Keyes).
To be fair to Bush, he's moderately handsome, seems reasonably pleasant, and doesn't look like he could kill his handlers when someone thrusts a baby in his face to kiss. But is a guy with five short
years of governing experience and not even five minutes of thinking about foreign policy ready to assume the Republican mantel-a position held by Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Daddy George, men who had proved
themselves on the national stage for decades before gaining the top prize?
Forget originality, I don't ask that from politicians. But has George W. Bush ever said one mildly interesting opinion or idea about anything? It's nice not to have a foot in your mouth, but how about
removing the cork once in a while?
Republican activists and party leaders want to win; deep down they know that Democrats Al Gore or Bill Bradley would have to propose laws REQUIRING gay marriage on the citizenry before either candidate
could lose a general election to any of the non-Bush Republican candidates.
Pick a fresh face. Principles be damned. The only thing that matters is winning the big one. This is a new strategy for the Republican Party, but not to politics. Republicans have long cried of Democrats
stealing GOP ideas, but it is the Republican Party now stealing the Democrats' playbook from '92 and '76.
Be careful, you just may win.
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