Colorado Republican congressman Tom Tancredo's decision to form an exploratory committee in a possible run for the presidency came on the same day that Illinois junior Sen. Barack Obama, a Democrat, took the same step.
It is clear from the beginning why Tancredo is a possible candidate. He wants to advance some campaign issues, principally involving illegal immigration, that he sincerely believes would be overlooked otherwise. What Obama stands for, what has motivated his decision and fueled his ambition, is largely unknown. There is no question that he has the ability to stir a crowd and generate enthusiasm, but it is not clear where he stands on the important issues of the time, except for a distinctly anti-war position.
Tancredo's new website (teamtancredo.org) merely features a brief statement from the candidate explaining that the decision to form a committee signals an "arduous and undeniably uphill battle."
What Tancredo doesn't say is that his decision might also have a couple of very beneficial short-term effects, despite how he fares in what will eventually be a very crowded presidential field.
The fact that Tancredo will be making the political rounds in coming weeks and months will keep the immigration issue very much alive. Other candidates, who might well wish to duck discussions of border security, amnesty and lax enforcement, won't easily be able to dismiss the topic.
The conventional wisdom since the November election has been that Americans voted for a "moderate" position on immigration and are willing now to accept a program that would grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. Tancredo's presence on the national stage will ensure that this view is challenged - as it should be.
To the degree that Tancredo can make the immigration issue a topic for frequent discussion, he could also affect Democratic plans for new immigration legislation.
The Colorado congressman has never been afraid to challenge the Democrats or those in his own party, including President Bush, who, more often than not, sides with liberal Democrats like Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy on the immigration issue.
In his announcement Tuesday, Tancredo made it clear he doesn't intend to be a one-trick pony. Obviously, however, his stand on immigration is what got him here and it is that stand that will help determine how far he can go politically.
His critics (and he has plenty both in Colorado and elsewhere) have tried for years to picture him as a kind of nut, obsessed with one topic to the exclusion of all others. That hasn't worked, primarily because he has demonstrated the ability to thoughtfully articulate his views.
Elections are, by definition, intended to settle things, but last year's balloting may be an exception to the rule. While it is true that there has been a power shift in Congress, the long-term effect of that shift is by no means clear. Iraq remains a central issue that is likely to split both parties in ways that can only be guessed. The large number of people in both major political parties interested in a presidential nomination, and the stark contrast between their policy positions, virtually assures political unrest from now through Election Day 2008.
All of the issues that were supposed to be decided last year are - wonder of wonders - very much in play. They include tax policy, health care, major entitlements like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, immigration, homeland security and all of the foreign policy matters that surround the subject of the war on terror. It's not going to be a good year for pundits or fortune tellers. The unexpected is virtually assured. President Tancredo would fit right in.
Conservative Candidates for the 2008 Presidential Election
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks