2010-05-13
John Thune Testing the 2012 Waters
We might have a shot in 2012, after all.
Senator John Thune is the one and only Republican who I believe is capable of foiling President Obama's plan to be the third consecutive President elected to a second term in the White House. Up until now, I thought he was keeping too low of a profile to be interested in running, but that began changing this week. On Tuesday, Thune keynoted the Republican National Committee's (RNC) annual conference for GOP State Chairmen in Maryland. He didn't say he was going to run, but he didn't say he wouldn't run either; which is standard operating procedure at this point. Next Saturday, Thune will be in North Carolina campaigning speaking at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association along with other 'possible' contenders, including former Governor Sarah Palin, Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Indiana Representative Mike Pence (who I suspect is more likely to replace Senator Lugar when he retires than run for President), and South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint.
Don't get me wrong, I love Pence, Barbour, and DeMint. However, John Thune is an incredible campaigner and messenger. While he's certainly made some mistakes I'm not entirely fond of, including his vote for the TARP bill in 2008 - which will dog him during a GOP Primary, I can't help but love this guy. I think he's one of the most talented and likable conservatives in the ranks of the Republican Party today.
If Thune doesn't enter the race, I'd likely be torn between Barbour (who will probably run) and Mitch Daniels (who probably won't). If Thune does get in, I'll be on his bandwagon from day one. John Thune is the political savior the Republican Party so desperately needs right now. He's folksy like Huckabee, conservative like Barbour and DeMint, as energetic as (and more intelligent than) Palin, and he can command the respect of GOP elitists that we're all so irritated with.
I truly believe with every fiber of my body that John Thune is the man we need to reunite the Republican Party, bring us back into the majority, and get the party more in tune with the platform that has defined conservatives more than it's defined our party.
John Thune 2012!
On a side note, John Thune is up for re-election in South Dakota. Check out his campaign website and see how you can help re-elect the Senator who killed the Senate Career of former extreme-liberal Democrat Majority Leader Tom Daschle.
