I do have several John R. Bolton articles I need to review with care but let me start with this observation and a disclaimer:
The observation: Bolton may be more of a contender than people think. There are, as I see it, four groups in the GOP today:
1. Tea Party members – generally interested in the Constitution, abuses of power and spending/tax related issues
2. Religious social conservatives – while most evangelicals are also social conservatives, they tend to want to hear God talk from their leaders
3. Libertarians – against big government, skeptical on war on drugs. concerned about the Constitution and sovereignty issues but also tend to be social liberals (Ron Paul is a major exception to this question) and non-interventionists (that is NOT isolationism!)
4. National Security conservatives – tend to be interventionists and are very opposite of libertarians.
Bolton falls into the fourth group of course. But he can make inroads with libertarians with his skepticism of the UN and his strong stance on sovereignty issues, and his support of gay marriage. He could also make inroads with Tea Partiers with the sovereignty thesis. He works for a think tank (The American Enterprise Institute) that likes reduced regulations and is skeptical about issues like Common Core. He may be able to give a God talk testimony (I am not sure about his religious beliefs actually but he seems not hostile to religion). I think Bolton is less of an interventionist than he is reputed to. I also think the gay marriage issue will be decided by the courts by then and will be a dead issue. Bolton looks like a prophet on this. I think he can be acceptable to all four groups and that might be the winning hand for 2016.
I want to write more on Bolton. Now for the disclaimer: I would support Bolton and have sent my materials to him to help him with his campaign. If that happens, we’ll disclose it right away. I think it would be fun in early 2016 for Sandy to be trudging through cold Iowa trying to get Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee and Tea Party supporters to vote Bolton. Lots of blog material and maybe I’ll get over the midlife crisis caused by writing about Savid Javid…
About Elwood Sanders
Elwood "Sandy" Sanders is a Hanover attorney who is an Appellate Procedure Consultant for Lantagne Legal Printing and has written ten scholarly legal articles. Sandy was also Virginia's first Appellate Defender and also helped bring curling in VA! (None of these titles imply any endorsement of Sanders’ views)
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Twitter: @StevenBTucker
says:
Bolton has several things working in his favor. First, Obama has destroyed our foreign policy and many Republican voters will be looking for someone strong and knowledgeable on foreign policy. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Sarah Palin don’t really have anything that can match Bolton there. He is well respected by experts in the field. In other words, he is a credible candidate with a serious platform.
He does suffer from many of the same image problems that hurt Ron Paul and Steve Forbes. That’s 1. He also doesn’t have a firm history with either the Tea Party, the Goldwater/Reagan conservative movement, or the liberty-movement. That’s 2.
What was his position on TARP? What was his take on the Patriot Act? What’s his position on NSA Spying? I’d be interested where he stands on those three issues in particular.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SandySanders2
says:
I think my readers might be surprised at Bolton’s positions. But I am sure he’ll put USA first and in no way support globalist nonsense. That’s good for me for right now. Thanks for coming by again Steven.
Sandy
Twitter: @StevenBTucker
says:
I completely agree that Bolton will put our Country first. I think he is a good candidate. I also think Rand Paul is a good candidate. This could be a bloody primary. It’ll be hard to hold perspective as our favorites go after each other, necessarily I know, in the political arena (Colosseum) .
Twitter: @StevenBTucker
says:
Sandy, just got done reading about Bolton’s attack on Rand Paul.
http://therightscoop.com/john-bolton-president-reagan-would-be-rolling-over-in-his-grave-to-hear-rand-paul-praise-him/
Apparently Reagan is being defined by Bolton only on his foreign policy. This is good politics, but it will inevitably turn off the libertarians you thought might by into a Bolton candidacy.
ambassador Jhon Bolton is one of the best pick for president.Iwill vote for him in a heart bit.Oh!!yes!!!!!!