Don't lose sight of this GOP Senator.
I almost decided not to post this because I am aghast at all the speculation that is already happening about who is the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 20-freakin-12. However, I wanted to go on record as to someone that folks better keep an eye on, and it ain't Sarah Palin.
It is John Cornyn.
Roll Call reported that Cornyn is all but certain to become the next chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. That means that he will be in charge of the Republicans' efforts to regain a majority in the Senate in 2010. Trust me when I say that this will be a significant first step in Cornyn's attempts to increase his power.
My experience with Cornyn began when he was on the Texas Supreme Court. He was at one time my favorite judge on that Court. That changed when he became a key supporter of the adoption of the current Texas "no evidence" summary judgment rule (would take way too long to explain all that), and I haven't trusted him since. My next experience with him came when he was Texas Attorney General. I would love to tell that story, but the strictures of attorney-client confidentiality prevent that. Suffice it to say that my distrust of him grew.
Cornyn is very smart, very savvy, and very ambitious.
Even if the GOP does not regain a majority but gains seats in the Senate in 2010, expect Cornyn to be a serious contender for 2012.
It is John Cornyn.
Roll Call reported that Cornyn is all but certain to become the next chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. That means that he will be in charge of the Republicans' efforts to regain a majority in the Senate in 2010. Trust me when I say that this will be a significant first step in Cornyn's attempts to increase his power.
My experience with Cornyn began when he was on the Texas Supreme Court. He was at one time my favorite judge on that Court. That changed when he became a key supporter of the adoption of the current Texas "no evidence" summary judgment rule (would take way too long to explain all that), and I haven't trusted him since. My next experience with him came when he was Texas Attorney General. I would love to tell that story, but the strictures of attorney-client confidentiality prevent that. Suffice it to say that my distrust of him grew.
Cornyn is very smart, very savvy, and very ambitious.
Even if the GOP does not regain a majority but gains seats in the Senate in 2010, expect Cornyn to be a serious contender for 2012.
posted by WCharles @ 11/14/2008 01:35:00 AM
9 Comments:
Well, I think I'm beginning to like this guy Cornyn. But, explain why we shouldn't keep our eyes focused on Palin.
"But, explain why we shouldn't keep our eyes focused on Palin."
Because if she becomes the focus of the GOP, the Republicans are going to stay out of power. I will write more about this in a separate post, but the last two elections have, IMO, established that the "base" of the GOP--and its tactics--has been rejected. And Palin offers little other than red meat for the base. She is style rather than substance in a big way, and I don't see that changing.
There are other reasons why I think making Palin the face of the party is a very bad idea, but those will wait for another time...
As for Cornyn, he is also patient. He has spent years systematically advancing and building his power and his power base and his alliances. He is a seasoned pro at playing the political power game, and Sarah Palin is a novice.
Also, Cornyn has been in the public eye for over twenty years in increasingly high profile positions, and he has never been tagged with any kind of scandal. Palin, on the other hand, in her short time in a high office, has been busted on an abuse of power deal.
Dubya2, you've been away for so long we are out of practice. You missed my sarcasm. Eyes on Palin... her attractiveness... get it?
And if you're opposed to Cornyn, then I must be for him. Part of the separation of powers between liberals and conservatives.
On a serious note, I do find the talk about the Repub reinventing themselves and taking on the mantra of change to be interesting and a little disconcerting. I fear the war between traditional conservatives and reformers will be lost by the traditionalists and the reformers will take the Repubs further to the left making them even more just Democratic Lite. I've been reading more on third parties, I like some aspects of the Libertarians and some aspects of the Constitution Party, but both have problems.
"Eyes on Palin... her attractiveness... get it?"
I am so busted. Not only did I miss that obvious bit, I even set it up and failed to see it. LOL
If the "reformers" will consider going back to actual conservative positions, reform might not be so bad. If the reformers stop engaging in the negative, ultra-partisan strategy and tactics that have become what has passed as substance in the GOP for more than the last eight years, that would be a very good thing.
I'm not so sure that the reformers will go that much to the left. I think more Republican leaders are finally starting to figure out that their party has been hijacked by neocons, people that are not actual conservatives, and power mad assholes whose only goal is to beat the Democrats. Change all that, and there will be meaningful reform in the GOP.
I'm with you on looking at third parties. I really don't know much about the Constituion Party, but I do hang out with some Libertarians.
Something has got to change with our current system. The Dems and the GOP have made sure that it is almost impossible for any other party to participate, and that ain't right. And at this point, I don't think it is good for the nation, but that is a whole other discussion...
Now, back to Cornyn...
He is very capable, and I have to admit he has done some good things in his public career (particularly as Texas AG). I think he is still capable of doing good things. However, doing good stopped being his primary objective long ago. His objective is getting to higher and higher offices and gaining power. That's why I don't particularly like him.
If he would be like he was when he was a Texas Court of Appeals judge and the first few years he was on the Texas Supreme Court, I could live with that. However, I also said eight years ago that if W would act as Prez the same way he did as Texas governor, I could live with that, and we all know how that worked out.
Actually, I think we are on just about the same page with the Republican party. From what I've read, the Neocons are those who have been in power more recently and many actually came out of the Democratic party over the past 40 years or so, or had roots as middle of the road Democrats. Sometimes they are now called RINO's - Guiliani is actually in that category. He's political descendant of Nelson Rockefeller who was more liberal than many Democrats back in the day.
One of my biggest problems with politics is that as you were saying it seems both parties are only focused on opposing the other party. If A is for it, then B must be against it regardless of what is best for the country. And yes, many of these Neocons are just out to get the Democrats. Win at all costs. Hey, Bush is one of the most socialist presidents we've ever had. That's no big secret. And go back in history and who typically started or dragged us into wars? The Democrats - Wilson, FDR, JFK and LBJ. Even the Civil War was foisted on us by Democrats. Bush ought to have been a Democrat.
McCain thrived on his maverick reputation. In some ways that was good, but many of us didn't perceive him as a true alternative to Obama - we didn't want a RINO. We wanted a true conservative.
The Republican machine in NY did a good job of limiting voter possibilities in the primary. I didn't know much about him at the time, but if memory serves correct, he was excluded in our
Republican primary election.
OK, I'll say it this once, Palin is a flash in the pan. I do like many of her positions, but she ain't ready for prime time and probably never will be. She was an embarassment to the Repubs and to traditional conservatives whom she represented. She'll go the way of Dan Quayle. I do not want her as the conservative choice in 2012.
oops... In my penultimate paragraph above, I was referring to Ron Paul being excluded from the NY primary. My fingers were typing faster than my brain was working. Neither is very fast.
"My fingers were typing faster than my brain was working. Neither is very fast."
Yet another way in which we are similar rather than different. :-)
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