Snowe for President?
The BDN takes a look at a fledgling online campaign to recruit Olympia Snowe to run for president in 2008.
I spoke with the man behind www.olympiasnowe2008.com, 25 year-old Simon Dodd of Indiana, yesterday by email and got a look at the website that's currently in development.
The site goes into great detail about the Senator's record and history and attempts to make the case that her brand of Republican moderacy is exactly what the country needs. The following appears under the headline "Why Olympia Snowe?":
First, Senator Snowe will absolutely demolish any nominee that can be fielded by the other party, winning the 2008 election with a huge majority that cuts across the "red/blue divide"; Second, Senator Snowe will return the Republican party to the center of politics, where polls have repeatedly shown the majority of Americans reside.
What the site makes little mention of is how exactly a pro-choice, nominally pro-gay rights woman who voted against Clinton's impeachment is supposed to win the Republican nomination. The only mention of this detail is in the "campaign strategy" section which explains the need to "Form and develop a clear rationale for advocating Sen. Snowe's contesting (and winning) the 2008 primary" and "Identify and analyze potential primary competitors, such as Sens. McCain and Frist, Secretary Rice, or former Speaker Gingrich; form arguments for supporting Sen. Snowe over those candidates."
But hey, maybe there's something to this. As Dodd says in his email:
What's really strange is that three weeks ago, I didn't know if anyone else was going to be even vaguely interested in this idea, and now we're gettting 150+ hits every week and the press is interested. I think those things say absolutely nothing about any efforts we've made, and a great deal about the Senator's credibility as a candidate. All we did was couple the words "Olympia Snowe" and "potential President", and her record speaks to people for itself.
The site will eventually be up at www.olympiasnowe2008.com and their blog is located here.
Visit the new Maine Politics.
posted by @ 12:28 PM 
3 comments
3 Comments:
I wanted to add that the story has also made it into Maine Today and the Hotline.
In the week previous to the BDN story, we had 161 hits on the holding page. So far today, we've had nearly 2,300 hits on the holding page. Of course, curiosity certainly doesn't equate to support, but it's interesting to see so much curiosity.
Posted by Simon Dodd
I think that if the Republicans want to remain a viable, strong, and majority party they need to realize that, yes, there are members who are pro-choice and pro-gay rights. These two issues do not get to be the deciding factor for membership in the party, as they should not be. To do so would wipe out any majority the Republicans wish to continue. An American Viewpoint poll conducted last year states that around 73% of Republicans believe in a woman's right to choose (not the government doing so). We can continue to allow the social fundamentalists to take over the party, but eventually they will run out of steam and realize that they need moderates in the party. There is much more that unites us than divides us. Sen. Snowe is a moderate who has shown that she is a good, princpled Republican who knows how to get the job done. She is able to cross party lines, when necessary, in order to work for the good of this country.
The site does not imply that this will be easy, but I think that moderates should strive to have more of a voice within their party. Especially when it is the moderates who can tip the scale either way.
Posted by Nicole
She is able to cross party lines, when necessary, in order to work for the good of this country.
A phenomenon sometimes called "leadership". :p
~Simon
Posted by Anonymous