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GOP official thinks experience will trump youth in November

Posted February 14, 2008 10:00 pm

Bernard Schoenburg

Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander thinks that, despite large turnouts for Democratic primaries nationwide, voters may turn to U.S. Sen. John McCain's experience in November.

And Bill Houlihan, downstate director for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and a backer of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president, said one lesson he's learned in politics is: "Don't count out the Clintons until the votes are counted."

Kjellander and Houlihan spoke to the Citizens Club of Springfield at the Hoogland Center for the Arts Friday.

"No pundit, no political insider, no political reporter … really knows what's happening this year," Kjellander said. "The voters in the various states just didn't take their cues."

While McCain has been attacked as not conservative enough by commentators such as Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, Kjellander said, he expects Republicans ultimately to come together behind a "very distinguished patriot."

Houlihan talked of the close Democratic race between Obama and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and the strong turnout in Democratic primaries.

"Both Clinton and Obama have more than 3 1/2 million votes more than the frontrunner on the Republican side, John McCain," Houlihan noted.

"There's really something going on out there."

Houlihan also thinks Democratic leaders nationally will work hard to avoid a convention-floor fight about seating of delegates from Michigan and Florida - two states that held primaries earlier than party rules allowed.

"I think there's going to be a compromise of some sort that will have to happen. I don't know what it is," he said.

Asked by an audience member how McCain can overcome the surge of youth support for Obama if Obama is the Democratic nominee, Kjellander said that, while the economy is today's focus, "in the tough world we're living in, you never know when the next national security challenge is going to occur."

He said McCain "understands the security issues facing this country better than anybody," while Obama is "a very impressive, inspiring young man - but emphasis on the young man."

Houlihan said he knows some Democrats want a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket. However, he said, "I don't know how excited either one of the candidates would be."

Instead, he thinks Democrats probably will pick a governor for vice president - possibly Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who ran for president and is "very well liked."

On the GOP side, Kjellander said, some think former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee would be a good vice presidential choice, but while Huckabee is socially conservative, he is a populist, not a "bottom-line conservative" on economic issues.

Other possibilities, Kjellander said, are Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is a "very sharp guy."

Bernard Schoenburg can be reached at (217) 788-1540.

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