patteeu
01-15-2010, 07:07 AM
The top 20 most influential conservatives in the US according to the UK's Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6990965/The-most-influential-US-conservatives-20-1.html):
1. Dick Cheney (6 in the 2007 list ) Dick Cheney; most influential conservatives
Former Vice President of the United States
A low key and intensely loyal vice-president, Dick Cheney has emerged as the principal tormentor of Barack Obama in the past year, shaping the national debate on national security and forcing the White House to scramble to respond. Cheney signalled his intent way back in February when he stated that protecting America was “a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business” in which “evil people” would not be stopped “by turning the other cheek”. Having campaigned against the “politics of fear” and ridiculing the notion of a war on terror, Obama is finding out that the Islamist threat was not something dreamed up by Cheney and Bush. The President has been repeatedly rattled by Cheney, as illustrated by his decision last May to time a speech so that it would coincide with the former vice-president’s address at the American Enterprise Institute. It was Cheney who framed Obama’s delay on deciding his Afghanistan surge strategy as “dithering” – and the characterisation stuck.
Some Republicans are deeply uncomfortable about Cheney being the voice of national security for the party – and in many respects the main voice on any issue. They fret that he is old and white and grumpy and has low approval rating – making him, in essence, everything that Obama is not (though the gap between their approval ratings is narrowing). We judge that this is missing the point. Cheney’s role at this stage – before a new Republican leader emerges – is to energise the party base (and he will also be a prodigious fundraiser for 2010 and 2012), keep Obama on the back foot and engage in the “tough, mean, dirty, nasty business” of politics that some with their names on future ballots would prefer to sit out.
2. Rush Limbaugh (5)
3. Matt Drudge (3)
4. Sarah Palin (-)
5. Robert Gates (7)
6. Glenn Beck (18)
7. Roger Ailes (23)
8. David Petraeus (2)
9. Paul Ryan (-)
10. Tim Pawlenty (-)
11. Mitt Romney (10)
12. George W. Bush (21)
13. John Roberts (8)
14. Haley Barbour (16)
15. Eric Cantor (-)
16. John McCain (9)
17. Mike Pence (19)
18. Bob McDonnell (-)
19. Newt Gingrich (4)
20. Mike Huckabee (11)
...
41. Ron Paul (96)
1. Dick Cheney (6 in the 2007 list ) Dick Cheney; most influential conservatives
Former Vice President of the United States
A low key and intensely loyal vice-president, Dick Cheney has emerged as the principal tormentor of Barack Obama in the past year, shaping the national debate on national security and forcing the White House to scramble to respond. Cheney signalled his intent way back in February when he stated that protecting America was “a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business” in which “evil people” would not be stopped “by turning the other cheek”. Having campaigned against the “politics of fear” and ridiculing the notion of a war on terror, Obama is finding out that the Islamist threat was not something dreamed up by Cheney and Bush. The President has been repeatedly rattled by Cheney, as illustrated by his decision last May to time a speech so that it would coincide with the former vice-president’s address at the American Enterprise Institute. It was Cheney who framed Obama’s delay on deciding his Afghanistan surge strategy as “dithering” – and the characterisation stuck.
Some Republicans are deeply uncomfortable about Cheney being the voice of national security for the party – and in many respects the main voice on any issue. They fret that he is old and white and grumpy and has low approval rating – making him, in essence, everything that Obama is not (though the gap between their approval ratings is narrowing). We judge that this is missing the point. Cheney’s role at this stage – before a new Republican leader emerges – is to energise the party base (and he will also be a prodigious fundraiser for 2010 and 2012), keep Obama on the back foot and engage in the “tough, mean, dirty, nasty business” of politics that some with their names on future ballots would prefer to sit out.
2. Rush Limbaugh (5)
3. Matt Drudge (3)
4. Sarah Palin (-)
5. Robert Gates (7)
6. Glenn Beck (18)
7. Roger Ailes (23)
8. David Petraeus (2)
9. Paul Ryan (-)
10. Tim Pawlenty (-)
11. Mitt Romney (10)
12. George W. Bush (21)
13. John Roberts (8)
14. Haley Barbour (16)
15. Eric Cantor (-)
16. John McCain (9)
17. Mike Pence (19)
18. Bob McDonnell (-)
19. Newt Gingrich (4)
20. Mike Huckabee (11)
...
41. Ron Paul (96)