LIKE FATHER LIKE SON? :

Keep Mr. Smith in Washington (W. James Antle III, August 19, 2002, Enter Stage Right)

Some species eat their young. Do conservatives eat their elders?

The question comes to mind in the race for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire. Sen. Bob Smith, a two-term senator with three terms in the House prior to that, is facing a Republican primary challenge from Rep. John Sununu, son of the former governor and chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush. Both men are conservatives, although Sunnunu tends to emphasize economics and Smith tends to emphasize social issues. But Smith has consistently been an outspoken defender of so many conservative causes that it makes you wonder why a conservative challenger is running against him at all, much less one who has been endorsed by National Review.

Smith has been a leader in challenging wasteful government spending. He has fought battles against policies and agreements that compromise U.S. national sovereignty. He is unapologetically pro-life and a tireless defender of the Second Amendment. Smith, a former high school teacher first elected to Congress in 1984, considers himself a political disciple of Ronald Reagan.

Yet many conservatives openly hope for his defeat.

This is a pretty good overview of the odd GOP primary here in NH. But I'd dispute that last notion and add one thing. It's not so much a matter of conservatives hoping that Bob Smith loses--he actually, despite his brief flirtation with a third party, remains personally popular. But Mr. Antle is right when he later says that there's a feeling that Mr. Sununu will have an easier time beating Jeanne Shaheen in the general. If Mr. Smith loses that will likely be the chief reason, rather than any dissatisfaction with his political stances.
Posted by Orrin Judd at August 19, 2002 7:07 PM