Republican Presidential Candidate for 2012?

[vaberella]

I have to say guys...I've been active in politics since Gore's run---but really into it since Kerry's. I can honestly tell you guys...I just cannot wrap my head around the top two competitors for leader of the Republican party in 2012, let alone, who would win the seat as Republican candidate against Obama.

I'm really at a loss. I see a lot of candidates---but all of them are so weak that, no matter who was chosen they would lose and they would probably win said seat with only 30%---or a little bit above that against the others. I hear people calling for Pat Buchanan-because the Repub party is so desperate.


I know Mitt Romney is named by a few, but aside from his healthcare---people really hate him and see him as the ultimate flip-flopper and shady guy. No one, from fringe to relatively decent Republican trusts the guy.

We have Palin---after her comments about "blood libel"---I got the feeling she was systematically dismissed. This is the first time that I have yet to see a post about Palin in 4 months in the GDP section. Normally she was getting a post once a week before the "blood libel". Aside from her speech in India in the GD section---the site has been mum. To me she's went the way of the "do-dos" and I figured nothing could get rid of her.

Then there's Huckabee--and I don't think he'll ever get much votes. But I put him as the one who might squeak by at the top. However, supporting Michele Obama and saying the thing about his base---which I didn't think was that bad. Doesn't really help his cause since the fringe is what will really get him elected if Rand Paul means anything.

Then we have Ron Paul---I still think the Backward B-Girl will haunt his presidency and as another posters clearly listed here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x620597#620600 Which makes him the weakest of all---although he's always strong in debates.

Jeb Bush is out-completely.

I hear talk of Newt Gingrich---sounds like another desperation like Buchanan.

I'm at a point where I think if Glenn Beck (don't worry I'm biting my tongue and knocking on wood) run of President he might actually have the best chance out of all the contenders above. There's not a single strong candidate who can really beat the President. Well not this one. Plus with the Repub Governors going crazy and Reps threatening to shut the government. Let's just say those teabaggers who depend on their SS checks who voted for these clowns into office----can expect long delays over this. They are not far thinkers.

I think I have to agree with a poster who stated there was a Duning-Kruger effect going on, that I know when push comes to shove they will vote for the same Repub clowns who are screwing them and the nation over. But for President there's way too many of their usual suspects and I find the Republican party is so divided--that even the fringe group is at times divided by the teabaggers that I don't know.

I'm really at loss as to who will get the nomination and I wonder by how much. This list is crap---and the short list---even worse.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Somebody will crawl out from under a rock and get the nomination.

Probably some governor like Daniels, or maybe Timmy "The Tool" Pawlenty (although he has all the charisma of a tree sloth). I'd love it if they picked Glenn Beck because he's too demented for all but the most ardent and stupid freepers, and it would be fun to watch him decompensate. But it's probably going to be the usual boring white guy with nice hair.

[vaberella]

3. Didn't Daniels also cause Dems to flee? n/t

[babylonsister]

2. I can't think of a strong contender; if there is one, he/she is biding

their time til 2016. That's okay by me.

[rhett o rick]

4. Why is Jeb Bush out? I think you underestimate the BCF and that is not good.

Citizens United will see that Karl has unlimited budget to corrupt. Jeb Bush and Liz Cheney. Some wont even have to change their bumper stickers.

[vaberella]

6. I discounted Jeb Bush because he, himself said he would not run. n/t

[rhett o rick]

8. And his word is his bond. His brother said there were WMD in Iraq also. Just sayin.

I hope you are right, I just dont trust the BCF. I think they will all start coming out of the woodwork any day now for the 2012 election. I have already seen Rummy making the rounds and expect the others will soon.

[vaberella]

9. I'm not saying his word is gold. But at the moment he's out and hence my point. n/t

[rhett o rick]

12. I believe that in about one year, Karl Rove will put the kibosh on poor Palin and other nitwits.

And Jeb Bush will ride in on his white horse to save the Republican Party from the wacko's. He will be viewed as the savior. And with an unlimited budget Karl will go after Pres Obama with a vengeance and make the race close. And close races are easily stolen by RepubliCons.

I present this prediction free of cost and guarantee it worth every penny.

[karynnj]

11. Not to mention - look at all the claiming credit for Bush in the MSM

How many articles tried to credit Bush's "spreading democracy" for the people led Tunisia and Egypt to reject tyrants. Today the NYT has an article that highlights how important Libya giving up WMD in 2003 turned out to be. (ignoring that these were the materials that Libya got from the A.Q.Khan network - that Bush 1 ignored in spite of the BCCI report suggesting as the number 1 action item that this needed to be done)

This - combined with the Fox News meme that Obama is messing up on foreign policy - makes me agree with you that a Bush or a Bush ally could be the 2012 candidate.

[nevergiveup]

5. Romney can have it if he wants it because it is his turn

and also because he looks very Republican-esque. The fringe will cringe but they will walk in lock-step once he is nominated. Romney will pull enough independents to make it tight in states like Ohio but Obama would prevail. He already started his skillful politicking against Romney today at the governors conference.

[vaberella]

7. I don't think so. If that was the case he should have been able to beat Huckabee.

But in key delegations, where he was expected to win and he thought he would win--he failed miserably.

[rhett o rick]

13. I agree. He doesnt come across as someone the Teabaggers would have a beer with.

And him belonging to LDS church wont help him with the fundies.

[sallyseven]

36. Romney is a big fat jerk.

He was a bad governor and an arrogant piece of crap. I despised him. He is a fraud.
He hates dogs.

[Dokkie]

10. GOP field is just like last year

I will be rooting for the only candidate in the GOP who would push Obama to the left where it really matters and that is the Pauls. Imagine one of the Pauls forcing Obama to commit to ending the Patriot act or GTMO or the wars in the ME or war on drugs. This brother can only dream :)

[rhett o rick]

14. So think about what you said. Why would CorpAmerica want to push Obama to the left?

If CorpAmerica is relatively happy with Obama then they should encourage the GOP to run an idiot like in 2008.

[Dokkie]

15. last time I checked

It wasn't corporate America doing the voting. So if you want to see someone debate Obama in the presidential debates, you go out and vote for him. This is the kind of talk about corporate America deciding everything that discourages so many Americans from going to the polls

[rhett o rick]

18. Last time I checked corporations had a tremendous affect on voting.

They dont spend hundreds of millions for nothing. And it's anticipated that 2012 presidential will be flooded with corporate money.

[Dokkie]

23. I am starting doubt the influence corporate america has

on the American politics. Every year they spend even more money trying to convince a smaller number on undecided voters to vote for their guy. The only reason why they are successful is because they tend to support both sides. I am one of those guys that votes for the candidate not receiving corporate support and a lot of people I know do the same.

They pump all that money into the campaign so they can convince YOU to vote for their guys. So do yourself a favor and ignore their influence

[stevenleser]

16. It would have the opposite effect that you hope...

If your goal was only to win the election, you would have Obama adopt a centrist position on those particular issues and a progressive one everywhere else. Paul's positions on those issues would turn off enough Republican and Republican-leaning voters to keep them home while Obama plays to his base on other issues and offends typical Republicans least on the above. Obama wins 48 states.

[Dokkie]

17. My goal is to push Obama to the left

Btw I am tired of sucking up to the centrists, they exist only to water down the progressive message. So fuck the centrist who always tend to propose the worst ideas from both parties, do u want neo-liberal economic policies? elect a centrist, how about a pro war, pro empire, anti civil liberties? yep another centrist. Obama is the incumbent which automatically increases his chances of winning a 2nd term, so its high time he runs to the left not just in terms of rhetoric but in actions.

[rhett o rick]

19. Dont think it's going to happen. He hasnt shown any inclination to move left. nm

[stevenleser]

21. I understand that, I'm telling you how a strategist would use the opportunity of a Ron Paul

nomination. You would exploit the places where Paul's position sharply diverges from what would be his natural base by moderating your own position on those issues and then appealing to your base on the other issues. This creates a scenario where many of Paul's would-be supporters (Republicans) would stay home since there is no significant advantage to voting Paul vs Obama.

Your hope is that it would cause Obama to move left. I'm telling you the opposite would happen. When your opponent hands over the center, you take it.

[Dokkie]

24. Theres no certainty

that my plan would work but I see 2 scenarios of pulling Obama to the left. One is a third part challenge in the form of Green or Nader but they wouldn't be invited to the debate. The other is to nominate a quasi libertarian in the republican ticket, this is bound to work in the areas where libertarians agree with us and as we all know with libertarians, they are extremist on all their positions.

But unlike the last election where he was virtually the most liberal in all the issues discussed, this time he would have someone even more anti war, pro civil liberty to debate. All this in the hope that he would be put of record trying to out left the libertarian in those areas. And who cares if the repubs come out and vote for him in the main election?

[Ter]

20. Which two would he lose?

Utah is a given, so I'll take a guess: Idaho? :)

[stevenleser]

22. You're right, make it three. Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. I had thought of Utah and Wyoming

originally. :-)

[Ter]

41. Alabama may be be a toss up too

:)

[vaberella]

33. As a point of clarification---the meme that Obama doesn't want to close Gitmo has been debunked.

EVERYONE should know by now that it was NOT Obama who halted that. It was congress. Congressional members didn't want convicted "terrorists" being put in their prisons. Obama asked Congress for money to build a prison in the US in a key location. They shut him down. He is forced to leave it open until he can find some place to put the convicted criminals. So it's not him. Scream at Congress. As far as the Patriot Act---he is keeping "certain measures" and those measures can ONLY be acted upon with a court order. So if the court says no---then no one gets it.

[yellowcanine]

25. Huckabee is done. "Huckabee Questions Obama Birth Certificate, Claims He Was Raised in Kenya"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=535161&mesg_id=535161

I doubt that chuckles can recover from this one. Even his staff is not defending the statement. But given the field....who knows?

[Dokkie]

27. he was also on tape

supporting cap and trade. Yea hes done

[AlinPA]

26. Huckabee is done. Within one week, he praised both the First Lady and the President. That will

ruin him for the primaries.

The extreme right wing (teabaggers) are in charge now and will dominate the primaries and convention. That means Paul, Palin, Gingrich, Bachmann, Barbour, Pawlenty will be their choices. Haley Barbour could do well for them in the south, but Palin would beat him. Thune said he won't run,he was my main worry.

If Bush ran, he would blow away everyone of the other republicans.

Whoever gets the nomination will pick Rubio for VP.

[Vicar In A Tutu]

28. Bush won't run.

I think that they are smart enough to know that the name still needs some rehabilitation. Also, I don't think Sr. would want to see Jeb run against Obama, just a gut feeling. He'll have a shot in 2016 and, like HW and W, he won't have an incumbent President to defeat.

[AlinPA]

29. Hope you are right, he could be tough with Rubio on the ticket. nt

[golfguru]

35. Jeb does not need Rubio, Jeb is married to a Hispanic woman

And Jeb can actually speak Spanish.
All others GOPers will want Rubio on the ticket.

[karynnj]

38. Not to mention, if the VP and P are from the same state, they can't get those electoral votes

So, they lose Florida's - a state too big to lose when either might carry it alone.

[golfguru]

40. Good point! n/t

[Kennah]

30. Vice President Scott Walker!

He's the perfect Ken doll to Caribou Barbie.

Mean and dumb is a rare combination, and it's four times as effective when two people are mean and dumb.

[Major Hogwash]

31. We'll be facing a Romney/Huckabee ticket in 2012.

Mitt has too much real world experience, and Huckabee has the ability to tell people to ignore Mitt's religion because Obama was raised in Kenya.

Which he just said last night on a radio talk show!!!

[stevenleser]

32. I don't think the Huckster gives up a lucrative Fox situation to be the Veep

I don't think he agrees to that. Besides, the likelihood is that Mitt loses and is out of the way for 2012 and Huck has the opportunity to run in 2016 without an incumbent to deal with.

[tweeternik]

34. Won't happen ... Romney and Huckabee don't "like" each other n/t

[karynnj]

39. Doesn't matter - it is most often a fiction that they do

Reagan had no use for Bush 1. Kerry was put off by Edwards. From many accounts, though Obama and Biden respected each other, they were not friends. Even Clinton and Gore were not that close.

[BobbyBoring]

37. I think the Rs are going to go long in 2012

And Alan West will be top dog! Just imagine!