The Potential Presidential Candidacy of Senator Bill Frist in 2008

The rise of conservatism in America, namely in the guise of religious conservatism, has been epitomized by the early lead of Senator Bill Frist in the race for Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Frist, the Senate Majority leader, has been involved in advocating for the maintenance of Terry Schiavo’s feeding tube a year ago, for the promotion of religious organizations as viable community leaders through federal funding, and the privatization of health care in the hands of the wise American consumer. Frist, however, has also run afoul of his party by sticking to his medical background and advocating for the release of further stem cell lines in the search for curing genetic diseases. It seems likely that conservative voters will continue to support Bill Frist’s presidential run because of the positive moral balance that the senator has maintained in his public dealings.

Bill Frist was born on February 2, 1952, in Nashville, Tennessee. Frist attended and graduated from Princeton’s Wilson School of Public Policy in 1974, with a degree in health care policy. After making some inroads into politics following college, he decided to pursue his M.D. at Harvard, where he graduated in 1978. While maintaining a practice in Tennessee and getting involved in Republican politics, Frist decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 1994. His campaign against Democrat Jim Sasser was based largely on a platform of budget cutting and honest government. His victory in 2000, in which he gained 66% of the vote, provided momentum for his rise to the top of the Republican congressional leadership. His leadership of the National Republican Senate Committee helped win the Senate for the party in 2002. Trent Lott’s fall from grace, following comments promoting segregation, in 2003 led to Frist’s ascension to the Senate leadership. As Senate leader, Frist has advocated for reform of social security to include health savings accounts. As well, Frist has advocated for tax cuts every year since 2000.

Frist’s conservative leadership has included his stumping against Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in North Dakota in 2002, his threat of using the “nuclear option” against Democratic filibusters in the last two years, and his general attacks against lackluster Democratic leadership. This leadership has ignited the religious right, for whom he is a solid frontrunner for the 2008 presidential nomination. While Frist has lost some favor due to his reversal on stem cell research, he will get serious consideration in the 2008 Republican convention. The senator’s mild manner and his solid leadership ensures that he will be at least the vice presidential nominee if not the presidential nominee.