Wow.  John Gizzi, Political Editor for Human Events, wrote an excellent piece on March 27th that I almost missed.

John Gizzi shows just how much the members of the White House press corps love Tony, finally expressed by members of the press on the day that Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino made the announcement about Tony's cancer.

The highlight for me was to read his account of the reaction of the press corps to the announcement, and particularly from good old Helen Thomas:


In Gizi's last couple of paragraphs he mentions the speculation of some (including yours truly) who would love to see Tony run for public office - once he makes it through this current battle with cancer.

Along with Laura Bush and Chief Justice John Roberts, Tony Snow is one of the best-liked faces of an Administration that is not generally popular these days. He became the first White House press secretary to campaign for candidates -- and they sought him with vigor. Pundits and pols speculated that the Virginia native would himself run for the Senate from the Old Dominion and even make a race for President himself.

Now Tony Snow is in a rematch with the cancer he had beaten shortly before assuming his current post. From my interns who were his fans to my colleagues with whom he loved to banter, the prayers are mounting that the closing prediction of Reuters correspondent Steve Holland when the briefing ending comes true: “He’ll beat it.”

You can (and should) read the full article here.

I love what others have already said about Tony Snow - his courage and faith as he battles cancer once again. I've enjoyed reading and hearing comments made by people from all walks of life - Republicans, Democrats, Conservatives, Liberals, Christians, and those of other belief systems.  It's a tribute to Tony just to see how he's gained respect from so many, even from politicians and members of the media who don't share the same respect for Tony's boss.

Cal Thomas wrote an excellent piece, "The Tony Snow I Know" - giving us a good glimpse of Tony's heart and soul.  This is a must-read for those who want to see how Tony might be dealing with his illness.

Charlie Lehardy (of AnotherThink) wrote recently of "Hope and Optimism"  In this poignant analysis of Elizabeth Edwards' own battle with cancer, he mentions Tony's classy tribute to the Edwards' hopeful, optimistic faith - right at a time when some pundits were assuming political motivations.  This is what Tony had to say:

And so I certainly encourage everybody to send their thoughts and prayers to Senator Edwards and to Mrs. Edwards. And what she is going to do is going to provide a lot of encouragement and example that I think is going to help a lot of people, and that is a truly wonderful thing, and I congratulate her for it.  (from White House press briefing, 3/23/07)

Lehardy says it well:

Embrace life and move forward. Proceed with a sense of hope and optimism.

Those are both solidly Christian perspectives about dealing with real life and all of its unexpected hardships and tragedies.

Faith is not a bullet-proof vest.

Within days of his crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

To proceed with a sense of hope and optimism in the midst of a fatal cancer diagnosis makes no sense. Unless you are in denial. Or heavily medicated. Or, your hope and optimism has been anchored all along in something so solid that the storms cannot shift it.

Embracing life and moving forward towards surgery and radiation therapy, pain and suffering and the possibility of death before you are ready are truly frightening things. But there is that strange assurance of Christ as he looked ahead to the cross: "You will have peace in Me."

Peace in the face of fear, faith that leans completely on the One who can heal (but doesn't always choose to), and the attitude of optimism that God knows what He's doing (even when we don't) - those are all integral to who Tony is, what keeps him going at a time like this.

Please join us in praying for Tony and his family.  Here's the official link for sending him "Get Well" email messages.  If you haven't done so already, please write to him soon.

Tim Russert definitely meets his match whenever he sits down with Tony Snow, and today's Meet the Press segment was no exception.  (Read the transcript here.) 

Tony was as sharp as always in his responses to Russert's questions and challenges, dealing with the politics and realities of the proposed troop surge, the non-binding posturing of Democrats and white-flag Republicans, and the challenges we face with North Korea and Iran.  Tony never fails to satisfy my need for a clear explanation of what's really going on, and he ably answered Russert on every point.

In the next couple of days I'll highlight some excerpts from the Snow-Russert exchange, but will go ahead and say that my favorite aspect of the whole interview was to see Tony out-Russert  Mr. Russert - pulling up actual quotes and research to back his arguments, a favorite Russert technique ("in 2005, you said, 'blah blah blah...").  There were just a couple of moments when I almost forgot who was interviewing whom, as I watched the good old Tony Snow in his old Fox News Sunday mode:

Tony met Russert quote for quote, especially when Russert attempted to use quotes from General Pace and others to make his points. Without missing a beat, Tony responded with Pace quotes of his own - he was obviously well-prepared for whatever topics Russert might address.

I know that this blog-site is only sounding one note (Tony Snow for President), but we still feel the need to try to get that idea out there for people to consider.  Watching Tony's performance today on Meet the Press - seeing how he explains the intricacies of foreign policy challenges - makes it easy for us to picture a President Snow someday.  (And why not in 2008?) 

Mary Katherine Ham posts a great little video clip from Tony Snow's recent speech at the National Review Summit. If you've never seen Tony in action in front of a crowd, take a look at this video sample.  He does a masterful job of addressing the issues of the day with intelligence and warmth - in a way that very few political speakers these days can do.  MKH seems to be a fellow Tony fan, so we plan to watch out for more of her observations and Snow sightings.

UPDATE:  After you watch the short clip, you'll want to watch and hear the entire speech linked on National Review here.    (Warning: It's a big download but definitely worth waiting for.)  The sound and picture quality are much better than MKH's clip, and following the speech Tony answers several questions from the audience. 

Now I'd really like to get a transcript of this great speech - I'll transcribe it myself if I have to!  There are lots of stirring Reaganesque lines throughout, with "presidential quality" written all over the thing.

The Sonoran Alliance analyzes the whole field of Republican presidential candidates and comes to the conclusion that none of them - for various reasons - seem to be the kind of conservative candidate that we could get very excited about this election season.

It's a rather discouraging dose of reality - and I'd have to agree with all of the reasons given for each one.

But here's the good news: Compared with the whole lot of them, Tony Snow looks pretty darn good!  List the other candidates' negatives next to Tony's positives, and he could be the one we've been looking for. 

I'm frankly surprised that he hasn't been mentioned very often as a possible solution.  I guess that's why this little blog attempt exists - to get people talking about Tony.

As a side note, some conservatives might list Tony's role as GW's press secretary as reason number one that we shouldn't trust the guy - just because he serves a president they no longer trust.  But they need to remember something important about Tony Snow:  Before he became press secretary - back when he was a pundit and member of the press - he was often critical of Bush policies and decisions. In other words, he does have a mind of his own and strong opinions that may run counter to the President at times.  But he also knows how to be a team player and was appointed by a President who liked the idea of having a different kind of press secretary  - one who isn't just a mouthpiece but also an honest adviser.  If Tony runs, wins, and becomes "the decider" in 2008, his decisions and policies would be Snow policies, not Bush policies, and he'd be the kind of brilliant, visionary leader our country needs.

Not in any particular order, here are at least ten reasons Tony Snow should run for President:

1. He has solid conservative values  (unlike Guiliani)

2. He is trustworthy  (unlike McCain)

3. He has name recognition  (unlike a few other candidates)

4. He has charisma  (unlike Hunter and others)

5. He has little or no baggage from the past  (unlike Gingrich)

6. He is fair and respected by people of various political persuasions  (unlike others)

7. He has a good understanding of the issues and is able to explain them clearly  (unlike Hillary!)

8. Even though he doesn't have governing experience, he does have experience working in the White House (unlike some, including Obama)

9. He may be the first White House press secretary who has had influence on policy decisions, as well as being one of the RNC's most popular campaign speakers

10. He is a skilled debater, winning most arguments while putting opponents and audiences at ease with his humor and charm


Have we forgotten any?

Hugh Hewitt is also thinking and talking about Tony Snow - but as in Quin's piece, he suggests that Tony begin with a bid for the Senate.  I really respect the wisdom and views of Hugh Hewitt, so this gives me hope! 

Quin Hillyer has a fine idea, whether or not John Warner wants to retire.  I doubt that Tony would be sponsoring many defeatist resolutions.

There are all kinds of reasons that Tony Snow would be the ideal Republican candidate for President in 2008, but let's begin the discussion with Quin Hillyer's excellent piece yesterday in the American Spectator:

A Meeting of Message, Messenger, and Moment
By Quin Hillyer
Published 1/31/2007 12:08:31 AM

So I was watching a speech the other day. The speaker had an interesting biography. He grew up in the heartland. He made his mark through decades of promulgating his own, deeply thought-out political views. He researched and wrote his own position papers. He earned his living on radio, and in print, and in front of a camera. In a media world full of cynics, he was well known for his geniality, his approachability, his generosity of spirit.

The speaker served in two different terms in the White House. In the second term, people were a bit concerned, at first, about how a bout with colon cancer would affect him.

Oh -- and his speeches, including the one I watched the other day, were things to behold. Inspirational. Humorous. Direct and plain-spoken. A paean to free markets, and a clarion call to spread freedom around the globe. Infused with a palpably genuine love of these United States, a sense that this country, our country, is special: forward-looking, energetic, moral, a force for good.

But this wasn't a videotape of Ronald Reagan that I was watching. It was White House press secretary Tony Snow, speaking live to the closing luncheon of the National Review Institute's "Conservative Summit."

And Snow was, to put it simply, magnificent.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.

What do you think? Could it happen? Snow in 2008?