Republican Exile From Mainstream

I thought the Florida Democratic Convention was going to be the most embarrassing shindig. It appears Republicans convention topped the Donkeys in lameless. It's a bad sign when Rudy Giuliani attempts stand-up comedy.

Rudy Giuliani: "Where are the Canadians going to go for health care if Hillary gets Hillarycare? ... You don't believe Michael Moore that health care in Cuba is better? It now occurs to me, I've been looking at Michael Moore, and he gets his health care in Cuba, he looks real healthy, doesn't he?"

I spare readers John McCain's Zsa Zsa Gabor jokes.

No one is expecting the Republicans candidats to be Richard Pryor in his prime. I can let that slide and be grateful I wasn't in attendance. The St Petersburg Times description of the reception Charlie Crist got from the party faithful is fascinating. Short answer: the base hates Crist.

About 3,000 Republican activists gave Gov. Charlie Crist a reception Saturday that could be called polite. They applauded his arrival, but a few hundred wouldn't join in a standing ovation, and his remarks on climate change got no applause at all.

The cool reception was not altogether surprising. It's a highly partisan crowd in Orlando, and Crist has strongly downplayed partisanship as governor in favor of working with both Democrats and Republicans.

When Crist mentioned his predecessor, Jeb Bush, the crowd whooped and applauded. Social and moral issues are vital to many convention delegates, but Crist touched on them only perfunctorily, saying "the sanctity of marriage" is between a man and a woman and "a culture of life."

This has less to do with Crist than the base losing political influence. The Christian Right is so fed up that there is talk about them backing a third party candidate. They fear a Giuliani nomination. What hasn't been dicussed is how unlikely it would have been for a pro-choice Republican candidate to be doing so well in the polls. Sam Brownbeck and Mike Huckabee are candidates respected the Evangelicals. Brownbeck dropped out and Huckabee is making less news than the anti-Iraq war Ron Paul. The GOP platform is becoming increasingly out of the American mainstream