Reason’s Hit and Run blog is reporting that former MSNBC television host Tucker Carlson has been conducting phone polls of LP delegates to see if there’s any opening for a last-minute Presidential bid.
Delegates are reporting getting calls that include Carlson’s name with the other announced candidates already in the race.
This seems unlikely to me, but I could be wrong.
What do you folks think? Would Tucker get creamed if he throws his hat into the ring?
Well, as I said at LFV, I think this is just a rumor. Would I support Tucker over say Barr or Root? Sure.
I also read a comment speculating that perhaps Tucker is trying to align himself for potential VP votes, should Barr win the nomination.
Tucker was extremely kind to Dr. Paul and is pretty sensible on most issues. He has actually been more honest about his flaws and errors in judgment in the past then Barr has, despite being a media pundit a position where it never pays to admit you are wrong.
Still I don’t see this being serious. I could see others trying to draft him as another big name, with a younger, less compromising profile then a Barr or Root, but I wonder if he himself is behind all this. This is a guy who was prognosticating on tv with Dan Abrams just days ago after all.
Interestingly enough, TPW hasn’t reported on this yet. Are they clueless, late, or interested in suppressing the information?
http://www.thirdpartywatch.com/index.php?s=tucker+carlson
Tucker’s show was the first televised outlet for the newsletter smear, interestingly enough.
http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/01/08/ron-paul-just-trashed-on-msnbc/
Does this necessarily mean anything? No, but it does suggest that Tucker might be more of a Jamie Kirchik libertarian than a Ron Paul libertarian.
Tucker’s endorsement of Ron Paul is listed on the RP2008 website… and he claims to have voted for Paul in 1988.
I guess Tucker was only about 19 at the time, though. Making it his first ever vote in a Presidential election.
Tucker took Kirchik to task on that show and pointed out that a man who is honest about everything, including highly controversial things, is not exactly the type to cover up un-pc views on race.
In other words Tucker was also just about the only MSM guy to defend Paul during newsletter gate.
I didn’t see the show; it looks like I might have spoken out of turn. Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens.
IMO: this is part of the Viguerie NeoConspiracy takeover bid. It’s push polling. People have the seed planted, “Tucker could be a candidate — cool!” And then he comes here and endorses Barr. Now those people are more inclined to support Barr.
I could almost tolerate Barr for what he is, and squelch my objections to his stances in hopes of growing the LP and hurting McCain in a memorable way, but the company he keeps is just too much.
Go Baldwin.
Maybe it’s the Barr folks testing out Carlson’s name for VP?
That would be a really smart tactic.
Austin,
It’d be a wise maneuver. Tucker was/is popular amongst Paulites. He’s seen as a Media-Martyr.
Trent
Depending on what happens this weekend, I may end up saying “Go Baldwin” as well.
I don’t know what to think about Tucker. He is purportedly a Paul supporter, yet he orchestrated that smear involving the “Bunny Ranch” last year. “Prostitutes for Paul†or whatever it was. He is either extremely naïve about the way the media works (very unlikely) or that was an intentional effort to damage Paul’s reputation among Republican primary voters.
I think the possibility of him running for VP is a much more likely scenario than for him to seek the presidential nomination.
Which means he might only agree to be VP if Barr is the nominee.
Barr/Carlson ’08
Tucker supported Paul, but he made it clear, I believe, that he didn’t agree with Paul on the Fed and gold.
If he becomes a candidate he will have to go back to wearing a tie. If he agree to start wearing bow ties again, I might support him. SAVE THE BOW TIE!
Is Tucker’s show still on? The FEC won’t like that.
G.E., no it was cancelled a couple of months ago (presumably for low ratings).
It seems like he was considering running but decided against it:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/05/tucker-carlson.html