I’ve written at great length about the presidential chances of Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel. For a Republican base grown tired of the war and a bumbling president, but still committed to conservative positions on social issues, the anti-war but very culturally conservative Chuck Hagel is the closest thing out there to a perfect candidate — he’s certainly better than the flip-flopping and socially moderate trio of Romney, McCain, and Giuliani.
And as Hagel grows into the role of the White House’s chief GOP antagonist (he’s the first Republican to say Wolfowitz should step down at the World Bank), he has announced he’s mulling an independent run for the presidency. The chance to grab anti-war voters from across the spectrum and Republican voters enchanted by his purist stances on social issues must be mighty appealing. Throw in the rumors that Hagel might partner on the ticket with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is highly effective and almost post-partisan, and you’ve got some worthwhile ’08 drama. (The rumors, by the way, were started by Hagel and Bloomberg themselves in a delectable bit of stagecraft. They had dinner together in early May, then leaked the news and denied its significance in Bloomberg’s own wire service.)
So my predictions of a Hagel-Huckabee ticket may not come to pass. Sadly, Hagel-Bloomberg just doesn’t have the same ring.
