Rep. Trancedo dropped out of the Presidential race yesterday . He is best known in this race for advancing a strong border enforcement position. As the Atlantic Monthly said :

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Before Tancredo, the GOP presidential candidates didn't take the anti-immigration sentiment they heard on talk radio all that seriously.

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Marc Ambinder (December 20, 2007) - On Tom Tancredo

But ;that seemed to be the only cause he was strongly identified with and it became pretty clear that he would not advance beyond a 2nd Tier candidacy.

What I found surprising is that he threw his support to Mitt Romney ;a rather recent convert to the border security ranks . He claims the issue boled down to electability .But the Atlantic also gives a hint to another possible reason Trancedo gave Romney the nod.

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Will he endorse? Unclear. If he does, the betting is on Thompson or Romney, although advisers to both men expect the other to get it, if it's gettable. Note that Bay Buchanan is a member of the LDS church and is said to be pushing Tancredo to endorse Romney as a way of repudiating Huckabee, somehow.

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Bay Buchanan is the sister of Pat Buchanan and has been Trancedo's senior adviser.To my knowledge she shares both her brother's ,and Trancedo's strong views about border security .

Do you think that she would push hard for Trancedo to throw his support to Romney simply because of their shared LDS affiliation ? It doesn't make sense to me that religion would trump the single issue that has become Trancedo's trade mark .

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Originally Posted by tomder55

Do you think that she would push hard for Trancedo to throw his support to Romney simply because of their shared LDS affiliation ?

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Hello tom:

The evidence suggests that she did exactly that. Doesn't surprise me, though.

If religion doesn't trump policy, why are the Republicans trying to out Christian each other?

excon

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If religion doesn't trump policy, why are the Republicans trying to out Christian each other?

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I don't know but I think it is a mistake. I'm hoping this is unique to the Iowa caucus and that real concerns decide who is the nominee down the road .

That Tancredo was always going to be a 2nd tie candidate has never been in question. What surprises me is that he actually acknowledged that fact and decidd to step down and clear the path for other candidates. Politcians aren't often known for being able to admit when they haven't got a chance in hell of being elected. That Tancredo is self-aware enough to know his own limitations makes me respect him all the more.

But not enough to have voted for him.

Elliot

Almost all the 2nd tiered guys are gone . The Huckster has inexplicably become atop tier candidate and the only one holding court at the 2nd tier is Ron Paul .The difference is that he will remain a single digit candidate I believe.