Robert Shrum: Why Republicans can't find a decent presidential candidate

[flpoljunkie]

ROBERT SHRUM

Why Republicans can't find a decent presidential candidate

The party's ideology is out of whack and nobody wants to lose to Barack Obama. Meanwhile, time is running out

POSTED ON MAY 23, 2011

Shortly after Donald Trump, the political apprentice in the 2012 lineup, was fired as his poll numbers receded faster than his real hairline, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels became the latest candidate to flee the contest. Unlike the Donald, Daniels was coveted by the GOP establishment. But he would rather be Hamlet than president.

Mike Huckabee would rather be rich and on television, ensconced in his Florida mansion instead of reaching for the Executive Mansion. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour would rather be his good ole boy self. And the third Bush (Jeb), along with South Dakota Sen. John Thune, would rather be president in 2016 than a losing nominee in 2012. So would Chris Christie, the neophyte New Jersey governor, who’s presently pear-shaped in his home state polls and probably couldn't carry it against Barack Obama.

By post time, the GOP may have a decalogue's worth of dropouts who have no wish to replicate Abraham Lincoln’s description of the man who was asked how it felt to be tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail. "If it weren’t for the honor of the thing," Lincoln quoted him as saying, "I’d rather have walked."

Distressed Republicans, dissatisfied with the runners who are at or approaching the starting line, are publicly pining for another choice. Fox News's Roger Ailes, the GOP's strategic guru from Richard Nixon to the first Bush (George H.W.), has been actively if unsuccessfully recruiting. The neocon editor of The Weekly Standard, Bill Kristol, reacted to Daniels's decision with the establishment's standard lament: "The current field…doesn't exactly represent an overflowing of political talent."

There must be someone else. But there's the rub. As the old political saw has it, who the hell else they got – that is, who's willing to be gotten?

more...

http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/215571/why-republicans-cant-find-a-decent-presidential-candidate

[yellowcanine]

1. Heh. All these sorry "pundits" lamenting the lousy candidates. Why doesn't Bill Kristol run ?

Or

Roger Ailes?
George Will?
Grover Norquist?

I thought so.

Someone needs to ask that next time they puff up and pontificate about the lack of viable candidates.

[daggahead]

2. They really don't care about winning the Presidency ...

They will focus on winning seats in the Senate & House so they can destroy the country legislatively.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. "was fired as his poll numbers receded faster than his real hairline"?

:spray:

[NightWatcher]

4. No one wants to be the captain of a sinking ship (see Bob Dole)

There's no chance of them winning as people get tired of the teabaggery.

[Zoeisright]

5. Because there aren't any decent Republicans?

That's my guess.

[Downtown Hound]

6. BINGO!

This is what happens when you base your resistance on extremist and paranoid ideology. You get nothing but extremist and paranoid morons for candidates.