Monday, February 15, 2010

It's Looking More and More Like a Three-Way Race

Joe Arnold agrees that Bill Johnson is becoming a factor in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, as manifested by Johnson's strong showing at Saturday's debate.

Johnson's fundraising disadvantage may be insurmountable. But his ascendancy cuts into Tea Party support of Dr. Rand Paul and thereby helps Trey Grayson.

Grayson meanwhile has shifted from a focus on national security to abortion. For weeks, Grayson has emphasized the wacko positions of Ron Paul on the war on terror (which Paul thinks America brought upon ourselves). Grayson's success in tying legacy candidate Rand Paul to the policies of his career politician dad resulted in Rand Paul running an ad to state that terrorist trials should be held in military tribunals. Make no mistake, the timing and the content of the ad shows that Paul is on the defensive on the issue.

Now Grayson has accused Paul of the "Potomac two-step" for for maintaining that he opposes abortion -- which earned him the endorsement of the Concerned Women of America -- while trying to appease libertarians by emphasizing the constitutional authority of states.

Abortion is a wedge issue between libertarians and social conservatives, and Paul is trying mightily to appeal to both groups without alienating either. Grayson and Johnson, in contrast, have been unequivocally pro-life. How and why did the Concerned Women arrive at their decision to endorse Paul?

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