If not for the Macaca incident, would George Allen be the GOP Frontrunner right now?

[TeamJordan23]

[Robbien]

1. Outside of the Macaca incident, Who is George Allen?

He was basically just a local politician.

[napi21]

2. He's a very outspoken RW advocate who speaks of all the

top issues for the Fundies, like their hatered for abortion, gay rights, and certainly gay marriage! I really do believe Shrub got McCain to back off attacking him for the last 6 years by promising him his support and that of the Party, but the Fundies don't trust John. They were DREAMING of Allen and Santorum, and both of them got their a**es kicked!

[gratuitous]

3. I think that's exactly why the GOP is flailing right now

George Felix was supposed to be the seat-warmer before Jeb! ran in 2012 or 2016, and if he hadn't lost his Senate seat to Webb, he would be the anointed one right now.

[MADem]

4. OTHER. It's hard to know. Allen just seemed too blase on the campaign trail.

Almost as though he felt anointed.

Webb was hungry. Macaca certainly helped him, but who knows what else might have happened had not Feeeeeeelix made that remark? The guy was no genius, he might have put his foot in his mouth at another venue.

I'm not convinced Allen would have won. I think VA was ready for change, and Macaca was an easy reason to use as an excuse, and hang that desire for change on.

[Mike Daniels]

5. Disagree that Allen would have lost even w/out Macaca

With Macaca it still came down to what...6,000/7,000 votes?

If Allen had just said, "I'm sorry and I apologize" out of the gate he'd still be in office.

[MADem]

6. What I am saying is, if not Macaca, then something else. Allen was OVERconfident

He would have let an "N" word slip, somehow, somewhere, or said something else that held his prejudices and thought processes up to full scrutiny. Already the habit of his spitting on women's feet (with his tobacco juice) was starting to come out...that might have gotten some traction.

Macaca suppressed a certain percentage of the GOP vote that just found that sort of thing distateful. If the women-hijinks had gotten more traction, it might have cut into his soccer mom vote in a bigger way.

It's hard to know, really. I just think he was cavalier, and if it hadn't of been Macaca, it might have been something else...

[juajen]

7. I answered "no"

That man is scary. Remember, his own sister is afraid of his temper. Bet he's great to live with now!

[TeamJordan23]

8. I voted yes

I just believe he was loved by Republican insiders to be the next President. Thank god its not gonna happen.

[TeamJordan23]

9. I voted yes

I just believe he was loved by Republican insiders to be the next President. Thank god its not gonna happen.

[rinsd]

10. I voted no because I think it would still be Rudy at this point (nt)

[LibDemAlways]

11. I didn't vote but having known George Allen

back in my teen years and having atttended high school with him, I think eventually voters would have caught on that he's a hopeless lightweight, not very bright, and a racist to boot.

I think after chimp, repukes are not going to be looking for another obvious dumbshit.

[BootinUp]

12. No, Allen showed his true colors

when Webb put the heat on him. In a high profile competition Allen would have screwed up sooner or later.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. If Webb hadn't run against him, then yes

But the fact that he had to run a close race weakened him significantly.