South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint may be the most prominent tea party darling and conservative kingmaker in American politics. But unfortunately for the Republican presidential candidates, the eventual standard-bearer may have to win the nod without the kingmaker’s anointment.
DeMint says he is “very unlikely” to endorse in the upcoming primaries. Instead he intends to focus on Republican Senate campaigns.
DeMint’s coveted endorsement usually signifies a massive fundraising boost. For instance? DeMint has endorsed two candidates for Senate this season: Josh Mandel in Ohio and Ted Cruz in Texas. His PAC, the Senate Conservatives Fund, has raised over $500 thousand…for both candidates.
Mitt Romney received DeMint’s endorsement in 2008, but not so this time. “It’s a different race, different people in it, different time for our country,” DeMint told the Washington Post’s Marc A. Thiessen. He added that he’d be fine supporting any of the current candidates in a general election.
“I’ve got to keep my focus on electing conservatives to the Senate,” DeMint told Thiessen. He added that once the presidential field is whittled down to two clear frontrunners, he might consider endorsing the more conservative of the two.
Of course, each of the three current frontrunners have come under fire for insufficient conservatism — be it Herman Cain’s waffling on abortion, Rick Perry’s waffling on immigration, or Mitt Romney’s waffling on…well, just about everything.
That might make for a tough choice.
