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Democrats have to do a tap dance between the left, the far left, and the moderates. Why is it this year that there are no far right 3rd party candidates to force Bush to the right in order to keep that base happy, therefore causing him problems in the center? Bush has the far right in his hip pocket so far, and doesn't have to dance the dance between right and center. He has no challengers this year. There is only one far right 3rd party candidate on the horizon and she's so bizarre she may yet get attention in the press for it. I'm talking about Diane Templin of the American Independent Party.
Templin touts herself as "100% Pro-Life." She also is a strident opponent of gay rights and illegal immigration, and a vocal supporter of school vouchers and gun rights. She also likes to pepper her campaign remarks with frequent Biblical references. In fact, Templin explained it was a Biblical verse that inspired her to make runs for political office. "I thought of a verse in Isaiah, the Old Testament, and it said: 'Who will I send and who will go for me?' -- and I said, here am I, Lord, send me," explained Templin (i.e. she outBushes Bush). Further, Templin said that she would only belong to a political party that "acknowledges God as creator and the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior." She describes her campaign platform as: "I support Biblical and Constitutional Principles of Life, Liberty and Property." Templin has done some strange things in the past as a candidate. For example, at the 1996 US Taxpayers Party Presidential Convention, Templin unsuccessfully sought the nomination by dressing up as the Statue of Liberty.
Dresses up for her speeches as the Statue Of Liberty? That's better than a flight suit!!! Wants an official Evangelical Christian Religion in America? Anti any gay rights or immigration rights? Diane Templin is so entertainingly extreme right that she could possibly cause a sensation among disaffected reactionaries on Bush's right. But she has no money and is getting zero media attention. If Democrats were more Machiavelian in these matters, they would surrpetitiously support someone like this with small donations, if for nothing else than to exploit a very gaping hole in Bush's armor, that is, the tremendous dissatisfaction he is having in his own party over issues of immigration, the deficit, his character, foreign intervention, no pro-life judicial appointments, and jobs. Sorry to be bringing up such impure sounding strategies but we are living in very desperate times. If Bush wins another term, who knows what will happen to us?
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