Topeka Republican U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback formed a campaign exploratory committee Monday to measure the nation's appetite for his possible run for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 2008.
Voters across America ignored this event. The Anti-Sam, back from hiatus during campaign season, has a nice review of the top Brownbackers.
More like this
Rasmussen Reports polled Brownback vs. Clinton & Obama:
Sensuous Curmudgeon and PZ are both having fun poking through the bac
This deserves a read: University of Chicago professor Jerry Coyne has published an essay at Edge taking on Republican presidential hopeful Senator Sam Brownback's
I'm finding it particularly interesting, particularly in the scienceblogs context, that that committee includes none other than Tom Monaghan, founder of the Thomas More Law Center.
Tom Monaghan's meddling accidentally killed the "Intelligent Design" movement from within; I wonder what he'll do to Sen. Brownback?
Truly these are exciting times.
Sam the Sham will play up his farm state ties and work the Twice Born in Iowa and come out of the caucuses as a viable candidate. He'll skip New Hampshire except for the media and will concentrate on South Carolina where he'll do well with Evangelical Republicans.
The Evangelicals will be particulary underhanded toward Mitt Romney; those people really, really hate Mormons. Giuiliani can't make it with his pro-choice, "soft-on-gays," "New York" profile. The legendary McCain "Straight Talk" Express will be much more meally-mouthed as the Arizonan tries to both placate the Religious Right and retain some credibility with the moderates he'll need in the general election. Sam will flank McCain on the right, spewing his hard line on social issues.
This sets Sam up to have a significant number of delegates -- perhaps the margin of victory -- at the GOP convention.
He might even parlay it into a VP slot on the ticket. Win or lose, that'll make Sam a national presence.
Everything about Brownback's 2008 candidacy points to his real goal: 2012.
I agree with Monkeyhawk that Sam's real play is for 2012 (or beyond). I also agree that many mainline Red Meat conservatives aren't enamored with its current slate of candidates. With Senator 'Macaca' Allen's untimely departure from the national stage, Brownback's stock has risen, simply as a function of a dirth of major hard-right candidates. McCain is the closest, I suppose, but his historic independence has not endeared him to party regulars (party loyalty is a big deal in the GOP.) As hard as it is to believe, Sam may be a major figure in presidential politics.