Michael Scherer reports here on a second meeting among some social conservative elites scheduled for this Saturday in Washington, D.C., just hours after Mayor Giuliani addresses the “Values Voters Summit.” Scherer writes:
By these criteria, it seems to me that it would be difficult for social conservatives who reject Giuliani to launch a third-party bid. After all, is it likely that Giuliani’s nomination would result in “major defections of elected officials”? No. Would the Fox News Ch
annel or the Wall Street Journal support a third-party challenger to Giuliani? Probably not. An “independently wealthy individual” may back political action committees that would attack hizzoner from the social right. But unless the “independently wealthy individual” ran for president himself, campaign finance law would restrain the amount of money he would be able to provide the third-party. One way social conservative elites potentially could stop Giuliani’s nomination would be to rally behind a single pro-life candidate who is already running. They haven’t done this, however. Which suggests one of two things. Either these social conservative elites aren’t all that serious about mounting a third-party bid if Giuliani is the nominee. Or they are in serious danger of marginalizing themselves from the Republican party and those social conservatives whom they claim to lead.
