And the 3rd Party Candidate is ...

Matt Lewis | October 01, 2007 4:16 PM

I just got off the phone with a senior conservative consultant who has spent the morning working the phones to social conservative leaders who have pledged not to support a Rudy Giuliani candidacy

, should he win the GOP nomination.

According to my source, these conservative leaders have narrowed the field of alternatives.

I'm told that former AL Chief Justice Roy Moore will be the first choice if Rudy is the nominee (there were rumblings about him in '04, but he was talked out of it to run for governor).

... Alan Keyes, according to my source, is the fall back ...

Apparently, they are leaning against running either Gary Bauer or Howard Phillips (Dr. Dobson reportedly voted for Phillips in '96 as the Constitution candidate), though they are on the list ...

The vehicle will most likely be the Constitution Party.

Update - 4:36: Marc Ambinder says "A Third Party's An Empty Threat."

Update - 5:54 - The AP reports that Dr. Dobson "is not yet participating in any planning for a third party ...

Update: 8:38 PM- I had the chance to interview Richard Viguerie, who actually attended the conclave. He tells me Roy Moore's name was never mentioned.