Hillary Clinton is off to the races.
The field is now clear for her grab the Democratic Party nomination for president in 2008.
She’s got all the time in the world to position herself, raise the money she needs and lay the groundwork for a campaign most people regard as inevitable.
The news stories about Hillary in 2008 were already written and published the day after the 2004 presidential election – even before the final outcome was certain.
The temptation for Republicans and independents and the anybody-but-Hillary crowd is to wait – to let nature take its course. People are tired of politics – especially presidential politics following this grueling campaign.
But we cannot afford to wait. We cannot afford to let nature take its course. We cannot afford to put off thinking and planning and recruiting the opposition to Hillary until 2007.
This process must begin immediately.
Now, it’s no secret I wasn’t thrilled about the choices presented to us in 2004 or 2000 or 1996 or 1992 or 1988. In fact, I don’t think Americans have had a real clear choice since 1984, when Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale vied for the presidency. We had that kind of choice in 1980, too, when Reagan challenged Jimmy Carter.
Will we ever have that kind of choice again?
Not if we let nature take its course, not if we wait until 2007 to start thinking about it, not if we don’t begin thinking and planning and recruiting right now.
Think about it. In 2008, this nation is going to elect a new president. Right now it’s a choice between Hillary Clinton and the great unknown. I’d like to see that alternative to Hillary come in to shaper focus sooner rather than later.
The idea of Hillary Clinton as president scares me.
During the eight years of her husband’s presidency, people like me were in constant danger of retribution with the full force of the federal government. The Internal Revenue Service was used to target adversaries and critics of the Clinton administration – people like me, Paula Jones, Larry Klayman and groups like the Heritage Foundation and Concerned Women of America.
There was a very real enemies list developed, and, unlike the one developed by Richard Nixon, there were very real consequences of being on it.
Hillary Clinton is a dangerous demagogue, and she must be denied the White House.
But you can’t beat someone with no one. And that’s what the anti-Hillary people have right now – no one.
I don’t want to see the Republican nominee in 2008 just be someone who can compete with Hillary for electoral votes. I want to see someone compete with her bad ideas – to present Americans with a real choice.
I’d personally love to see someone emerge from outside the usual ranks of career politicians and lawyers.
Here are some of the intriguing ideas raised by callers to my nationally syndicated talk radio program:
- Mel Gibson – Does anyone have better name recognition? And he’s a fighter for life and values.
- Judge Roy Moore – Does anyone better understand the threats we face as a nation from judicial tyranny and eroding morality?
- Denzel Washington – He’s not just a pretty face. He stands out in the entertainment industry as a courageous independent thinker and defender of American values.
- J.C. Watts – He’s a tremendously likeable man with a great smile and the core values of Ronald Reagan.
- Steve Largent – From what I hear, there’s nobody more principled.
- Dr. Tom Coburn – This Washington rebel just proved his mettle by winning a Senate seat in Oklahoma despite efforts to portray him as a radical.
- Tom DeLay – A solid conservative, well-spoken and experienced in the ways of Washington.
Now I don’t pretend to know exactly where these men stand on all the issues of the day. Nor do I pretend to know if each of them has the will to make the kind of sacrifices necessary to win. Nor am I suggesting any or all of them can beat Hillary.
But my point in naming names is to open up our thinking, to dream a little, to get us beyond the usual suspects – Rudy Giuliani, Tom Ridge, George Pataki, etc.
I want real choices. Do you? Who are your suggestions? Don’t leave it to the political establishment to decide for you. Make your voice heard now – before it’s too late.
