Just a question to my colleagues here: Why is The Corner a Tancredo-free zone? Tom is now officially running. He has a campaign website here , where you can watch his address to the recent CPAC conference. Tom has been a solid conservative for ever. (Ninety-eight percent lifetime rating from American Conservative Union.) He is sound as a bell on every conservative issue you can name, and always has been. In those CPAC clips he offers his understanding of conservatism: “Limited government: the rule of law: strong national defense: traditional values.” He is strongest of all on immigration, of course. He is in fact the only candidate other than Duncan Hunter who sounds at all sincere about the issue. However (quote from the CPAC clips):

If you want to call me a single-issue candidate, that’s fine. Just so long as you know that my single issue is the survival and success of the conservative movement in America.

Tom is a capable speaker–not brilliant, but capable–as good as Giuliani, and far better than Obama (the real lightweight in this race so far). He seems sane and comfortable in his skin, and I don’t know of any skeletons in his closet. He’s light on executive experience, unless you count running a think tank–but so are plenty of other candidates. Another quote from Tom’s CPAC address: “The conservative movement is not supposed to choose a candidate, it’s supposed to PRODUCE one.” He uses the word “crusade” at least three times in that address, by the way. What’s not to like?