Forget who the Dem candidate will be. Who will the GOP put up?

[Tab]

Leaving out the possibility of some '08 (or prior) "October surprise", the repubs will have to put up a candidate. Georgie ain't going to be eligible, short of martial law, but assuming we try to make things apparently normal, someone has to run.

They've floated Jeb's name, but he's fraught with problems, not that may necessarily make a difference. I haven't heard any other name.

Thoughts?

[MissWaverly]

1. I have heard McCain, Prez, with Jeb as VP

[Yupster]

8. McCain - Kay Bailey Hutchison

is my guess.

[snowbear]

35. Kay Bailey Hutchinson?

http://eliteleague.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/lol!.gif

Thanks for the laugh Yupster!

[wakeme2008]

2. McCain /Jeb in 08

I would bet on it.

[Mojambo]

3. I really have a hard time believing they would put another Bush in there

By 2008 the Bush name is going to be majorly toxic.

I can see McCain, but the guy is ancient, and unlike Reagan, he's got some HARD miles on him.

They'd love to run an empty Christian suit like Allen.

[wakeme2008]

5. IMHO the deal is ONE term for McCain.... Jeb tries in 2012 as sitting VP

:shrug:

[saltpoint]

15. Mojambo, I think you're right about another Bush with the GOP.

Certainly a lot of US are sick of Bushes. Hopefully some of them will be, too.

Jeb would be such a dumbed-down fool of a president. Not as obnoxious as his older brother but very smarmy just the same.

There'd be no end to the puking at my house.

I'm hoping the GOP nominates a complete idiot (there are so many in their party to choose from...) so our ticket can mop the floor with 'im.

[saltpoint]

4. Chuck Hagel. Webb takes out Allen in the Virginia Senate race.

McCain's polls in Iowa, combined with declining health, force him from the race; he reluctantly withdraws.

Romney, Frist, and Brownback are rounded up and institutionalized.

Pataki campaigning in Florida, attempts an Everglades photo-op, slips off the dock and is never heard from again.

Mike Huckabee stops in for a quick cameo at a hoot-n-holler church somewhere in West Texas, lapses into a glossolalia trance and never again regains sensory cognition. With gas prices being what they are, they opt for local placement and lock him up in the zoo in Amarillo, where the other animals kind of take a shine to him.

Rudy Giuliani drops out to play the lead mobster in HBO's new SOPRANOS II. It's about a really raw, unrefined power-monger whose wife leaves him in the first episode, so he moves in with two gay men. For at least 3 shows he doesn't even leave the apartment, but shouts vulgar phrases out the window with a bullhorn.

So that leaves Chuck Hagel.

[karynnj]

19. Hi OC, this is fantastic

For more serious reasons I can see Hagel. To go ot, here's how he could get the nomination and how difficult facing him might be. From the Raw story account and the MSNBC Tucker Carlson comments - as related on a thread here, the RW smearing of McCain as an out of control and hot tempered has begun. By McCain's own admission in his second book, he had difficulty not exploding while on the POW/MIA committee - he thanked Kerry for supporting him and calming him down.

McCain has been a media favorite, but this smear has at least an element of truth - giving it some believability. Hagel has also had some positive press - including a NYT magazine profile. He is considered a real conservative by the base and he is considered independent from Bush. He may well be the maverick that McCain was cracked up to be.

Hagel would also be a very hard candidate for Clinton/Biden/Bayh as the Vietnam Vet could end up sounding like he has the same Iraq position as they do - but with the advantage of having known combat. Because of some comments he has made on the way the war is going, he could even appear more against the war than they to some moderates. Warner and Vilsack would have this difficulty too plus the concern that they have no foreign policy experience.

Hagel would likely propose a VAGUE plan for Iraq to run on - the only clear anti-war alternatives might be Kerry and Feingold. (Others may disagree, but I don't see Edwards having a believable plan or credibility on Iraq.) Clark will not be as clear an anti-war alternative, but obviously he would be capable of standing up against Hagel.

[StatGirl]

21. I agree -- it's mostly likely Hagel, unless . . .

. . . someone starts digging seriously into black-box voting and how he got to be Senator in the first place.

Of course, someone could always come out of nowhere, a la Clinton. But I'm not sure a Republican could capture the public imagination given the events since 2000.

[AX10]

22. I hope you are right about McCain and the RW.

McCain is a fraud, a fraud who could be sitting in the White House in January 2009. If he is taken out now, the Dems will be in a much stronger position in 2008.

I must disagree that Wes Clark would have a hard time defeating Hagel because of his war stance. Clark was opposed to Iraq from the begining without question. Hagel is a mealymouth opportunist who uses catchphrases to sound like he is anti-war, though in reality he is just as pro-Iraq war as Bush and McCain are.

[karynnj]

24. I wrote that entence badly, I know Clark wa againt the war

from the beginning. I wa meaning that hi CURRENT poition ran the rik that Hagel - with his comment that compare it to VN COULD get to the "anti-war" side of Clark, who has been giving the official Democratic reponse. Hagel can play Nixon to Clark's Humphrey.

[DemPopulist]

30. Hagel has NO chance

The right-wing base does not think of him as one of theirs. It would be like us nominating Lieberman. Here's a sampling of right-wing opinion on Hagel.

SENATOR CHUCK HAGEL TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008 (Puke Alert!)

hagel.......another RINO

Hagel is soooo full of himself....unbelievable bag of gas.

Hagel's voting record is a tribute to his constituents, not to his sound thinking.

Senator Hagel never misses an opportunity to get on television and knock this Administration. He is a media whore and is routinely disloyal to the GOP... just so he'll get invited to the right parties and treated nicely by the NYT.

Well, here is one lifelong Republican, Nebraska-born and Nebraska-bred, who would never wish Charles Hagel upon the country. After Senator Hagel returned from Vietnam, he went to New York City and began hobnobbing with the elites there--nothing wrong at all with going to New York City and socializing with the upper crust (a lot of dough held together by crumbs).....but there is very much wrong with forgetting the people and the culture who gave one life, and the opportunities to rise high.

And that was a couple of years ago; unlike McCain, he really hasn't done anything to ingratiate himself with the knuckledraggers since.

I always see Hagel's name come up on Democratic boards as the "sensible" choice for the GOP in '08....which is precisely why he won't be the candidate.

[saltpoint]

42. I hear you on those points but feel that Hagel is uniquely positioned to

carry the day for the GOP in 08.

He rides in as the savior of the party, the restorer of the party's reputation. War veteran (unlike Bush). Solid on his feet when he speaks (unlike Bush). Gruff but caring (unlike Bush's fake gruff and who-gives-a-shit).

Etc.

It's going to be Hagel for the GOP, definitely.

[saltpoint]

40. Agree on the serious points you put in here, karynnj. I actually do

believe Hagel will be the GOP nominee.

Agree with you also on Clark -- he would be a formidable candidate against Hagel -- and their debates would be intelligent and informative -- and civil.

Edwards was awfully popular in Iowa in 2004 and he and Hagel would be competing for a lot of the same demographic across the country. It would be a close, very late-night election between those two.

[AX10]

23. rofl

:rofl: Who will run with Hagel?

[saltpoint]

38. Shrewd Chuck Hagel, once the nomination is in the bag, will ask the

convention to nominate Rob Portman of Ohio.

Hagel-Portman.

[Dr.Phool]

6. Frist / Lieberman.

Zell Miller won't be released from the insane asylum in time.

[AX10]

7. One of these four: McCain, Frist, Romney, Allen

[Tab]

9. Well, it'd be interesting to combine Frist with McCain

I suspect McCain doesn't want anything to do with Frist, but he does want the high office, so he might go for it.

Frist will get the sheeple, McCain can win the war vote.

I have some issues with McCain, but I would certainly take him over Dubya. I'd take my Border Collie over Dubya, because at least he knows enough not to pee in his own house.

Frist worries me, and I wonder if he might have outstayed his welcome. But McCain will probably be on it one way or another, I suspect.

[saltpoint]

14. I hope Frist doesn't expect to get the PETA endorsement.

I don't think they'd be very enthusiastic about supporting THE CAT BUTCHER.

[Clark2008]

41. Ya know... I live in Tennessee - in the most Republican part of

the state, actually - and that made our local newspaper. The part about his adopting cats and killing them for experiments. They quoted his books.

I was :wow: 'ed

[saltpoint]

43. That really is something, Clark2008. I'm kinda surprised they ran it

too. But good for them that they did.

Now we just have to get other papers to do the same.

Frist is nobody's buddy.

[CK_John]

10. Expect the unexpected.

I believe they will walk away from 08. This is their sop, screw the country and the economy up, then let the Dem cleanup the mess and blame us for everything.

My concern is from a new independent movement based on the idea that both parties are the problem.

This movement will be centered around the old idea of "we're rich, we're smart, we're practical, we're scientific, we will solve your problems". This movement may not even know they are a movement yet, but power and money, always become political.

I believe the public face of this movement could be Mayor Bloomberg of NYC and the behind scenes will be the Gates Foundation. They will become political when they become frustrated by red tape in their implementation of their "vision" of the way things should be.

I feel 08 is our last chance.

[Bucky]

11. With Republicans, expect the expected. They always nominate frontrunners

When was the last time an insurgency candidate took the Republican nomination?



(1964)

[Nothing Without Hope]

12. McCain, unless something comes up to prevent it. That's been clear

for some time.

[Robbins]

13. 2008

I think the race between Republicans depends on what happens In November.

I see 3 things possible

We take both the House and Senate,and Mccain win The Nomination

We take the House,there Is a 50 50 Senate again,and a battle between Mccain,Gingrich,and Huchabee

We pick up seats In the House and Senate but fail to take control and there Is a battle between
Allan,Brownback,and Huchabee.

Rice will not run. Patkai and Romney will not make through New Hampshere. Hagel has no chance
because of Mccain. And Guilani will lose because of his liberal postions on social Issues.

[ndcohn]

16. McCain/__________

Santorum or Allen seems likely, since he'll want to appease the base. He could go with Jeb to reward the Bush camp for their support. I duno though

[Douglas Carpenter]

17. If there the least bit pragmatic McCain.....If not probably Sen. Allen

But I know that Sen. McCain might not be acceptable to the more rigid elements. But when all is done and said; McCain is a right wing Republican who is sympathetic to the neocon worldview and agrees with the religious right on all major issues.

Here is a voting record analysis based on interest group ratings.

First is Peace Majority – a compilation of scores from a number of different peace groups – see website:

http://www.peacemajority.org/scorecard /


Sen. Hillary Clinton: Final Score: 59.0/98.0 votes=60%

Sen. Evan Bayh: Final Score: 31.0/99.0 votes=31%

Sen. Russell Feingold: 75.0/99.0 votes=76%

Sen. George Allen: Final Score: 4.0/98.0 votes= 4%

Sen. John McCain: Final Score: 4.0/95.0 votes= 4%


Link for Peace Majority: http://www.peacemajority.org/scorecard /

__________________________________________

Below is courtesy of project vote smart - link:
(If you wish to see the latest scores for any member of the Senate or the House click on the link below and put the name in the search box then click on "interest groups")

http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm


___________________


Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 67 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Allen supported the interests of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 0 percent in 2004.
_________________________________


2005 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Peace Action 89 percent in 2005

2005 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the Peace Action 78 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the Peace Action 78 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Allen supported the interests of the Peace Action 33 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Peace Action 33 percent in 2005.
______________________________________

2005 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 75 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Allen supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2005.
_________________________________________________

2003-2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 78 percent in 2003-2004

2003-2004 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 56 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 89 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Allen supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 0 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 22 percent in 2003-2004.
_____________________________

2005 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 95 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Allen supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 5 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 10 percent in 2005
_________________________

2005 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 93 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 93 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 93 percent in 2005

2005 Senator Allen supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 7 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 14 percent in 2005.
_________________________


2005 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 93 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 93 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Allen supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 7 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 14 percent in 2005
_________________________

2005 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the National Education Association 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the National Education Association 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the National Education Association 100 percent in 2005..

2005 Senator Allen supported the interests of the National Education Association 0 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the National Education Association 0 percent in 2005.
____________________

2003-2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 88 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 75 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 88 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator Allen supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 13 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 25 percent in 2003-2004.
_____________________________________

2005 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 94 percent in 2005

2005 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 94 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Allen supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 0 percent in 2005..

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 6 percent in 2005
____________________________

2005 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 95 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 85 percent in 2005

2005 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 90 percent in 2005

2005 Senator Allen supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 5 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 45 percent in 2005.
____________________________

2004 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the Christian Coalition 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the Christian Coalition 33 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the Christian Coalition 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Allen supported the interests of the Christian Coalition 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Christian Coalition 83 percent in 2004.
____________________________

2005 Senator Clinton supported the interests of the American Conservative Union 12 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Bayh supported the interests of the American Conservative Union 20 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Feingold supported the interests of the American Conservative Union 13 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator Allen supported the interests of the American Conservative Union 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the American Conservative Union 80 percent in 2005.

[Clark2008]

18. The mouthing mynah's on the right want George Allen - so you can

bet he'll probably win.

They hate McCain and their lemming listeners won't dare vote against their talk-show host's favorite candidate, Felix.

[windbreeze]

20. McCain....uh uh....Jeb....yep...

The guy in there now has already said, that Jeb would be the next natural pres....that should give us a clue...what makes us think * intends to give up all he's worked so hard to put in place, by trusting anyone other than one of his immediate relatives to take over? imo they are using McCain...once again, to keep people's focus off of what they are really up too....they are going to run Jeb...either that, or something will happen, and by that time, we will be under martial law, with NO election...we better hope we get past 2006 midterms and make some headway in the Congress, before worrying about 2008....
wb

[nickshepDEM]

25. Pray for Allen, prepare for McCain...

[LibDemAlways]

32. Allen will be bloodied by Webb this fall. He's already

been outed as a racist with a dixie fetish, and his own sister has chronicled his mean streak in print. Webb is pounding on him for being a chickenhawk and a chimp rubber stamp. And,he's got divorce records just waiting to be unsealed. I think the GOP likes dumb guys named George, but they may not want to take a chance on another one - particularly one with considerable baggage - right away.

I'm thinking McCain is most likely, with some wingnut as VP to reassure the knuckledraggers.

[Catchawave]

26. Huckabee :)

Trust me....the GOP must think outside the box in '08.

[jjrjsa]

27. HUCKABEE!

This guy is seriously the most dangerous GOPer out there.

-He is a southern governor... this usually works good, at least lately.
-He is a fundie, so the base is behind him.
-On education, health and the environment, he is moderate.

This means, he will have the GOP base and probably a lot of working class people who are socially conservative, because his economic positions are moderate enough not to scare them back into voting dem.

He also has a good personality, is a good speaker and has an amazing story to tell (Lost over 100 pounds).

HUCKABEE will be the beast in 08...

[Catchawave]

28. Welcome to DU jjrjsa !

:hi:

Yes a Huckabee/Romney ticket would be dangerous, or vice versa. Only because I don't think GOP *true* conservatives will nominate anything remotely associated with the Bushinistas :scared:

[barb162]

29. They might put Frist or McCain up there

[pdxmike]

31. the risk of McCain

for the GOP is that he's a two time loser with melanoma. The chance of him developing a third primary melanoma, or metastatic disease is pretty darn high. Given how risk averse the GOP is, I bet they look for someone else.

I also don't think that they will put up with Hagel. He's certainly conservative enough, but has a nasty habit of going off the reservation and actually being honest.

I tell you, I can't figure where they go with this. I can't see Allen (especially if Webb runs close-much less beats him). I don't think that Jeb will run. So who does that leave us with? Frist is toast(meow!!). Brownback and Romney have issues. Hey! I got it! Lieberman! Hell he's got Hannity and Coulter in his corner. How can he go wrong?

[ndcohn]

34. McCain vs. Guiliani

I read an article today which said that Guiliani is planning on running for the white house in 08.
The way i figure it, McCain is going to continue to remind people that he is a conservative , and Guiliani will increasingly be seen as the 'real' moderate (which in some ways, he is).
the other far right candidates Thus, as Iowa approaches, McCain will be seen as the conservative he really is - but with a populist streak. Guiliani will hold the left of the right, and the other conservative candidates will bicker about how they are really the most conservative.
Now i'm totally going to have fun and predict, with no accuracy this far in advanced, but hopefully my reasoning will be ok haha.
I really can't see any of the 'no-name conservatives' rising up to beat mccain, i say they take a combined 40% of the vote in iowa, with McCain coming in with 33%, and Guiliani 27%. Despite continually championing himself as a member of the right, McCain will still win alot of the more populist members of the gop who are still socially conservative, and guiliani will pick up the most of the more moderate republicans.
New Hampshire is where the gop gets scared though - Guiliani beats McCain, and the right, now fearing a Guiliani vs. race, consolidates behind McCain, who wins. Weird, i'm predicting 2000 again except with McCain on the winning side.
I don't predict any successful challange to McCain from the right because
1. name rec
2. fear of a guiliani/democrat race
3. infighting between other anti-mccain canddiates

and yeah, i know that just because i predicted it, it won't come true :) - but hey - this thread asks us to predict ...

[PATRICK]

33. My formula

Cheney insider if the dynasty has to lay low. I don't see Condy in the front position at all,, not even as Veep. The trouble is Cheney despises all the elected reps. in Congress and his gang are mostly insider bureaucrats with zero public experience and worse appeal. But in this part of the formula look for a cultivated loyalist who would have to be a dumb yet clever loyalist, utterly doctrinaire. Most like though, this would have to be a Veep controller of the president, which means who is Dick's successor?
When Cheney dies his neocon gang may well be reduced to another set of Bush cronies once and for all.

Plus Dynasty. Jeb might very well be necessary if the natives are restless and too tempting by far if it is acceptable. I think they have to and they own all the boss access to coronation and ALL the cheating mechanisms. If no dynasty then no GOP president. Let some Bob Dole senior run and lose and take down more Bush rivals in the process. In this part of the formula it is absolutely essential the dem candidate by chosen for weakness, dupe-ability, and easy disposal. It must be absolute they cannot change or anything or hold anyone to account. Pretty tall order for four years.

A GOP successor like Hagel or Guiliani or McCain. Who likewise must be absolutely controlled, by blackmail, by the need of the cheat machinery, and kept busy with messes until a dynasty brat is ready. Their sole purpose must be for the Bush agenda(busy doing the botched job and cementing fraud over democracy). It appears to me instinctively that the Bushes are bleeding and humiliating their rivals which is a sign of where their preferences lie. Hagel is relatively untouched and so is Kathleen Harris
for the same reason. They know where the ballots are buried in virtual graveyards.

SCOTUS and the Fed and many other crony appointees can exercise brutal influence over all replacements to the Bushes.

The GOP's only choice structure is to hone the final touches of an American GOP dictatorship and one party rule. That or meltdown. And the flight of real money to the Democrats. Any hope that some reform or benevolent GOP transformation will happen in any shape or form seems so unimaginable that one must oneself be bizarre to entertain it. It is even far far outside the realm of political surprises and upsets. There is no material, no people there left to honestly craft any such unlikelihood- as as been the destructive anti-democracy course of the GOP since FDR.

Having to treat with this lawless party as a legitimate rival has brought out the very worst in the Democratic party merely by acceding to myths and lies that keep it alive.

I vowed after Nixon never to vote for a Republican. Every year since then they have gotten "progressively" worse falling the dark path set for them with no populist way to win the masses except to appeal to base instincts, divisions, lies and false patriotism. Even their attractive puppets must become in essence, intolerable monsters.

[Vinca]

36. It's a mystery who they'll settle on because they all have problems.

The Republicans who are generally pissed at Bush are pissed at McCain. Romney is a Mormon and likely to upset the fundies. Rudy has skeletons in the closet and doesn't worship the embryo. Jeb has the DNA factor and skeletons, too. George Allen many lose his senate seat he's so disliked. Then there's Frist. Personally, I hope the candidate is Frist so I can rent a cat costume and picket his appearances.

[Bjorn Against]

37. Could it be Lieberman?

We all know he wants to be President and we also all know he will never get the Democratic nomination? Does anyone still doubt at this point that he would consider switching parties if he thought it would help him personally? Hell he basically already has left the Democrats after declaring he would run as an independent.

[Clark2008]

39. George "I'm an idiot" Allen

Listen to Reich-wing talk radio, people.

That's all we have where I live. :puke: