GOP: how serious is the Religious Right about a 3rd party Candidate, and do you fear it would help the Dems?

Question

the same way Ross Perot helped Bill Clinton vs G W Bush?

Answer 1

no Ross Perot was plagued by problems he brought on him self he could of done allot better. but we will never know now that race is run. they should back Ron Paul the true Conservative now and back a winner.

but they are too busy trying to tell everyone else in the nation how to behave, instead of whats best for the nation.

the religious right are like a spoiled kid , if it doesn't go there way they want to take there ball and go home. Ive gotten to the point of LET THEM!

Answer 2

I think that several of them are seriously considering the possibility.

My personal opinion is that the current discussions are merely contingency planning. The contingency is the nomination of a candidate who does not endorse all of the key elements of the agenda of the religious right. Since the four leading candidates have all at some point opposed some part of the agenda, there will likely be a point where they will have to make a decision.

The ultimate question for the religious right is whether there is a dime's worth of difference on their issues between the likely Republican nominee (as of say March 1st) and the Democratic nominee. Contrary to the statements of Mayor Giuliani, economic issues do not unite the social conservatives to the Republican Party. You eliminate the social issues, and the religious right splits down the middle between the two parties on other issues.

I do not think it matters whether the Religious Right actually forms a third party. If the situation arises where they need to make a decision, it is equally likely that the decision will be to sit this election out entirely. I think you will have a similar situation to 1992 in this respect -- the potential supporters of this third party would either split relatively evenly between the two parties or sit out the election if there is no third party.

Answer 3

They aren't serious!

BTW, a 3rd party candidate would have to get electoral votes to make a difference. No 3rd party candidate has enough support to do that. There isn't a Ross Perot" type candidate out there.

Ron Paul could never be a spoiler candidate like Perot since his support is meaningless - in case someone brings up Paul as an option for the Religious Right.

Answer 4

The action of Religious Right goes to show how much power they have over the GOP (God's Only Party). They have the final say as who gets the nomination since the days of Ronnie Reagan.

Answer 5

The extremists of the "religious right" seem to be very serious about it.

I pretty well discount every thing that group does though. Just like all extreemists, they are just too much!

As one poster has said, Ron Paul seems to be the only candidate that is on an even keel.

Answer 6

Republicans have made too many enemies on the way up. They even attack Ron Paul and the party that’s going to replace them in 2008