Has Brownback opened the door to running with Giuliani?

Last week the Republican hopefuls held their first debate.   John Mcintyre on the RealClearPolitics blog has posted a good summary.  Perhaps one of the most interesting moments came when the leading social conservative in the field - Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas - was asked if he could support a GOP candidate who was not pro-life.  This was his reply:

"I could because I believe in the Ronald Reagan principle that somebody that's with you 80% of the time is not your enemy; that's your friend and that's our ally. And this is a big coalition party, and it's a coalition party that's governed for a number of years in this country. And it governs because it governs with a coalition of economic and social conservatives and people that want to be strong for the United States."

John Mcintyre's conclusion is the same as ours: "Sounds to me like Senator Brownback is open to a Giuliani/Brownback ticket."  This ticket designed to unite the Republican party and reduce the risk of a third party, Christian right candidate in the event of a Giuliani nomination was first raised on this blog in January.

Comments

[Philip]

So diametrically opposed are the reported views of Giuliani and Brownback on the core life and family issues, that the idea of a Giuliani/Brownback partnership brings to mind sayings about light partnering with darkness!

However perhaps it might work if Giuliani softens his reported liberal views and agrees to appoint socially conservative judges to the Supreme Court – this in my limited understanding about the way things work in the US, is the way to bring about change. Otherwise, could Brownback as VP candidate merely be a token to buy off social conservatives? How much influence and say does a VP have? However I presume a separate conservative presidential candidate would dangerously divide the Republican vote and let in Obama or Hillary.

[Andrew]

Let me guess - he was one of the three who don't believe in evolution? :-)

[Steevo]

Well Philip your limited view of how things work in the US is more than the overwhelming majority I've seen outside this country; and probably inside.

Some exception is although conservative or strict constructionists elected to the Supreme Court is very significant, it still won't play a major role in directing social change. Our media and educational institutions have the greatest control in my opinion.