As we come closer to deciding the nominees of the major parties I couldn't help but think back to that time almost two years ago when the presumptive Republican nominee for President was Senator George Allen of Virginia, the Golden Boy of Republican Conservatism: Southern (or, Southern Californian, if we're nitpicking); son and namesake of a successful football coach; not bad looking; anti-abortion; hunter; 2nd Amendment advocate; not too bright; wealthy; ambitious; easily-led; _______ (fill in the blank.)
More below the fold . . .
George was a shoo-in for his Senate seat reelection and was making frequent trips to Iowa and New Hampshire. He was preparing for his ground game and organizational strategy in Iowa; campaigning for Republicans in those states so as to have chits to call in at an opportune moment. He had no competition for his Republican primary and an underfunded unknown Democrat.
How life changes in an instant. That this ill-mannered spoiled child of privilege was so close to becoming our President is frightening. John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson would not even have gotten as far as they did had Allen been running. In fact, I doubt that Huckabee and Thompson would have even gotten in the race. The Republican race would have been an Allen coronation. Conservatives would have been over the moon. Talk about rallying the base!
George Allen must be grinding his teeth down to stumps. How did it all get away. It was within his grasp - so tantalizingly close. These lines seem to have been written just for George:
Of all sad words of voice and pen
The saddest are these
It might have been.
We need to thank our lucky stars for S. R. Sidarth (Macaca) and Jim Webb.