GOP 2012 primaries thread

[suburbia]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Again - game changer is Kristi. Obama would have trouble beating him. Doubt he will jump in though.

I'm not so sure. Christie talks tough & is doing a pretty good job, but he's not really that conservative.

The county is just about split 50/50 right now. And, while Obama is riding high off of killing Obama right now, he'll be back down to earth soon. The economy, jobs, gas prices, taxes, etc. will be the issues. Obama will have to run on his record and not his potential.

The Republicans dominated the 2010 midterms and should have an enthusiasm advantage. But, they'll blow that advantage if they don't nominate a conservative.

In 2008, we nominated the media's favorite Republican. We nominated the guy who every week would go on the Sunday talk shows and criticize fellow Republicans. We nominated the guy who "compromised" and "worked across the aisle". We nominated just the kind of Republican Colin Powell would hope for.

And, how did that work out?

Many conservatives hated McCain. There was no enthusiasm for his candidacy.

If the Republican Party is going to win in 2012, it needs to energize its base. It can't be an "alternative" to the Democrats. We need someone who can clearly enunciate conservative principles and draw a distiction between the two parties.

I don't know which of the current candidates can do that. Maybe Romney can. Maybe Pawlenty can. We'll see.

I think several of the current GOP candidates can clearly enunciate conservative principles and draw a distinction between the two parties. Whether they can do so without alienating independents even more than Obama has is another matter.

And FWIW, I think you're right about McCain. What does it say about the other GOP candidates that McCain still won the nomination relatively easily?

 

[Boom_70]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Kris Kristi is a buffoon of the first order. He has no policy chops - domestic or foreign - he's just a good **** talker.

He's a big fat bully -- the kind of guy on whom everybody who's not a big fat bully would just love to land a right cross to the jaw.

Republicans need someone with balls to run. Kristie fits the bill.

 

[sportsguydave]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Kris Kristi is a buffoon of the first order. He has no policy chops - domestic or foreign - he's just a good **** talker.

He's a big fat bully -- the kind of guy on whom everybody who's not a big fat bully would just love to land a right cross to the jaw.

Republicans need someone with balls to run. Kristie fits the bill.

Christie implodes before he gets to Iowa. His schtick won't play on a national level. Most Americans don't like bullies, and that's mainly how Christie is going to come across.

 

[deskslave]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Again - game changer is Kristi. Obama would have trouble beating him. Doubt he will jump in though.

I'm not so sure. Christie talks tough & is doing a pretty good job, but he's not really that conservative.

The county is just about split 50/50 right now. And, while Obama is riding high off of killing Obama right now, he'll be back down to earth soon. The economy, jobs, gas prices, taxes, etc. will be the issues. Obama will have to run on his record and not his potential.

The Republicans dominated the 2010 midterms and should have an enthusiasm advantage. But, they'll blow that advantage if they don't nominate a conservative.

In 2008, we nominated the media's favorite Republican. We nominated the guy who every week would go on the Sunday talk shows and criticize fellow Republicans. We nominated the guy who "compromised" and "worked across the aisle". We nominated just the kind of Republican Colin Powell would hope for.

And, how did that work out?

Many conservatives hated McCain. There was no enthusiasm for his candidacy.

If the Republican Party is going to win in 2012, it needs to energize its base. It can't be an "alternative" to the Democrats. We need someone who can clearly enunciate conservative principles and draw a distiction between the two parties.

I don't know which of the current candidates can do that. Maybe Romney can. Maybe Pawlenty can. We'll see.

Thinking of applying at Fox News?

 

[YGBFKM]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Kris Kristi is a buffoon of the first order. He has no policy chops - domestic or foreign - he's just a good **** talker.

You just described the guy in your avatar before he was elected president.

 

[YankeeFan]

Re: Huckabee won't run

If you want someone more conservative, it looks like your choices are Santorum, Palin, Bachmann or Newt. Happy hunting!

No thanks.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Re: Huckabee won't run

People keep talking about all the money Huck gets from FOX.

How much money could he possibly be making for a once a week, Saturday night show?

Now, if he gets Beck's daily time slot (and ratings) he could make some big bucks.

I do believe that Huck would prefer to make money, than have to run for President and raise it. Huck is like the guy on Celebrity Apprentice who tries to look busy on a fundraising challenge because he doesn't have any rich friends to call.

And, he's the prototype for using a Presidential run to increase your name recognition to the point you can make a living off of just being famous.

But, he's got to be making more from speeches and appearances than he is from FOX.

Huckabee is reportedly making $500,000 per year from Fox.

With his speeches and whatever he's still getting from his books, it was enough for him to pay $800,000 for a beachfront lot in Florida, where he's building an 8,000 square foot home with a nearly 3,000 square foot lanai.

A man doesn't build a beachfront mansion if he's wanting to move to DC anytime soon.

 

[Boom_70]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Kris Kristi is a buffoon of the first order. He has no policy chops - domestic or foreign - he's just a good **** talker.

You just described the guy in your avatar before he was elected president.

 

[Mark McGwire]

Re: Huckabee won't run

If you want someone more conservative, it looks like your choices are Santorum, Palin, Bachmann or Newt. Happy hunting!

No thanks.

Hey, I hear you.

 

[YankeeFan]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Huckabee is reportedly making $500,000 per year from Fox.

With his speeches and whatever he's still getting from his books, it was enough for him to pay $800,000 for a beachfront lot in Florida, where he's building an 8,000 square foot home with a nearly 3,000 square foot lanai.

A man doesn't build a beachfront mansion if he's wanting to move to DC anytime soon.

I would have never guessed he made that much money.

If Mika Brzezinski hears this, she's going to loose her mind.

His show is on once a week on one of the lowest rated nights for cable news. I don't know that he's ever conducted a news making interview or broken any news. I've never heard anyone ask, "did you watch Huckabee the other night?"

The production cost are surely low, but he's still stealing FOX's money if he's getting half a million dollars a year from them.

 

[secretariat]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Consider it an investment from Fox. Because now Huck can play kingmaker if the field lacks someone who plays well in the south.

 

[steveu]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Given current slate of GOP candidates Obama will win by a landslide. I plan to vote for him and I've never voted democrat in presidential election.

I have NO idea why I'm clutching my chest right now.

 

[Starman]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Fox isn't paying people on journalistic or even ratings value. It's a shell game.

 

[Boom_70]

Re: Huckabee won't run

In 2016 Cumo is going to be a very viable candidate. He just took on Federal rail money that Florida refused. He is going to use it to run passenger railroad from NYC to Montreal.

That will be a huge boost to uptate NY.

 

[Lugnuts]

Re: Huckabee won't run


Huckster was my favorite of the GOP cartoon characters (Palin, Trump, Santorum, etc.) I actually find the fair tax argument interesting, if implausible.

Bummer.

 

[YankeeFan]

Re: Huckabee won't run

In 2016 Cumo is going to be a very viable candidate. He just took on Federal rail money that Florida refused. He is going to use it to run passenger railroad from NYC to Montreal.

That will be a huge boost to uptate NY.

Cuomo would have to change in so many ways to run nationally.

He's a guy that doesn't like to give big speeches. He doesn't like to do interviews, and he doesn't like to talk -- on the record -- to reporters.

He's a better political operative than he is a candidate.

And, as a person, he makes Joe Girardi look like a nice guy.

He won the Governors race because he had no competition. And, while he's done a good job, I don't see the Democrats nominating, or the country electing, an ethnic, Northeast liberal with so few people skills.

 

[Boom_70]

Re: Huckabee won't run

In 2016 Cumo is going to be a very viable candidate. He just took on Federal rail money that Florida refused. He is going to use it to run passenger railroad from NYC to Montreal.

That will be a huge boost to uptate NY.

Cuomo would have to change in so many ways to run nationally.

He's a guy that doesn't like to give big speeches. He doesn't like to do interviews, and he doesn't like to talk -- on the record -- to reporters.

He's a better political operative than he is a candidate.

And, as a person, he makes Joe Girardi look like a nice guy.

He won the Governors race because he had no competition. And, while he's done a good job, I don't see the Democrats nominating, or the country electing, an ethnic, Northeast liberal with so few people skills.

He has 4 years to learn them.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Obama split Nebraska last time, and against Palin or Bachmann or, hell, even Santorum, half of those are easily in play. West Virginia? Arkansas? Louisiana? Against Palin? Really?

Otherwise, great analysis.

There's only one "n" in Bachman.

You're welcome.

 

[YankeeFan]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Obama split Nebraska last time, and against Palin or Bachmann or, hell, even Santorum, half of those are easily in play. West Virginia? Arkansas? Louisiana? Against Palin? Really?

Otherwise, great analysis.

There's only one "n" in Bachman.

You're welcome.

I'm pretty sure there are two.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Re: Huckabee won't run

Obama split Nebraska last time, and against Palin or Bachmann or, hell, even Santorum, half of those are easily in play. West Virginia? Arkansas? Louisiana? Against Palin? Really?

Otherwise, great analysis.

There's only one "n" in Bachman.

You're welcome.

I'm pretty sure there are two.

I think you're right. I was thinking of Randy Bachman of the '70s rock 'n' roll band Bachman Turner Overdrive, as well as The Who. That always throws me because I knew of Randy first, so Michelle's name always looks wrong to me.