Who's it going to be?

[HashiriyaS14]

With Mitch Daniels out, now seems the time to have a discussion about the eventual Republican nominee in more holistic terms. Some of what I've been thinking about:

1.) Can a Tea candidate possibly stand a chance to win it? If so, could they ever win the general?

2.) How much will this year's GOP primary electorate weight performance in the general election versus ideological purity? If this comes down to losing with Bachmann or Pawlenty versus winning with Romney, what will voters choose?

3.) Will Mitch's pullout motivate some other heavy hitter to step in, sensing a potential void?

4.) How do people feel about the big business establishment trying to "coronate" their own candidate? These people obviously do not want Bachmann or Cain as the nominee, and have been approaching Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, and other people trying to get themselves a candidate that they feel will "play ball".

5.) Is prior support of mandated health insurance going to be a complete disqualifier for any candidate?

6.) Is Newt still going to be running by the time of the straw poll? He pretty much pulled the trigger on himself this past week. I'm looking forward to seeing him on "Face the Nation" this morning.

[IBCoupe]

Speaking of mandated health insurance, I'd love to get Gingrich on stage, just to have at the fact that Obamacare is identical to the Republican plan of 1994.

If we're saying Romney is the only candidate with issues on this point, I think we're suffering from short-term memory loss.

[Cold_Zero]

I suspect there may have been some deal making... Lugar retires, Daniels runs for his seat and it frees someone up to run for President (not sure who). Either that, or this was an exercise to get get Mitch's name out there so that he can get picked up in a cabinet position.

I find it o

[HashiriyaS14]

Why do conservatives have such a problem with Romney?

If anything can be said about the man, it's that he has little commitment to any ideology but instead relishes drawing objective conclusions from data. I feel his doing this has, in MOST cases, been enormously beneficial to conservatism because it has resulted in certain conservative convictions being backed up by factual evidence Romney has helped assemble.

Granted, this didn't play out on Mass. health care, but it was state specific. Why is this a disqualifier? Why is ideological purity valued over an obvious and demonstrated desire and ability to reach objective conclusions via data analysis and hard work?

Honestly, Obama gets shxt from liberals for exactly the same reason all the time. Both are analysts at heart, which is exactly what I think a President should be.


EDIT: Check this out. THIS is genius on his part.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/2 ... 66365.html

[heliochrome85]

Why do conservatives have such a problem with Romney?

loving jesus is a litmus test. romney is mormon and thus is a hair shy of being jewish. luckily for him its not as damning as being muslim, or at least having a strange name...

[stebo0728]

Why do conservatives have such a problem with Romney?

loving jesus is a litmus test. romney is mormon and thus is a hair shy of being jewish. luckily for him its not as damning as being muslim, or at least having a strange name...

[AZhitman]

romney is mormon and thus is a hair shy of being jewish.

Disagreed. I think if he runs, there's going to be a s***storm of concerns about Mormon ideology.

I think a Jew would have an easier time becoming POTUS, but it won't happen. You think radical Muslim sympathizers hate us NOW?

[IBCoupe]

Weiner 2016!

[stebo0728]

Bieber 2032!

[IBCoupe]

f*** him. I'll be 47 in 2032, and I'll run and mess his s*** up.

[stebo0728]

And i'll vote for you too, unless I'm running also.

[HashiriyaS14]

Disagreed. I think if he runs, there's going to be a s***storm of concerns about Mormon ideology.

Meh, I have a shxtstorm of concerns about mainstream Christian ideology too, and I AM one.

He's secular enough, it's not like he's living on a compound with fifty women.

Although, a hate-storm on Mormon ideology MIGHT work on the GOP electorate, who is uniquely susceptible to that kind of nonsense. The Democratic electorate would care too, but less. Perceived character "flaws" are less of an issue to that demographic, for whatever reason.

[IBCoupe]

Cynical bastards, we in the center and on the left be! If a candidate has no character flaws, he's either a robot or a spy.

[stebo0728]

I agree with Hash, by the time Romney's healthcare plan is through with him, no one will care that he's a mormon.

[IBCoupe]

o rly?

Whose healthcare plan are we talking about?

[stebo0728]

Yes, thats old hat. The '93 Bill, blah blah. Modern republicans have either forgotten or dismissed it.

[stebo0728]

Not to mention its not part of the current republican platform. If it were you'd have a much different type argument to make.

[IBCoupe]

Well, that's convenient.

[stebo0728]

*sunglasses on*

Guess its a CONVENIENT TRUTH

YYYYEEEEEAAAHHHHHHH

[IBCoupe]

Okay. I laughed.

[HashiriyaS14]

Does anyone credibly believe that any current candidate other than Pawlenty can become the nominee?

I think it might come down to a vote at the convention. I somehow doubt there will be a single strong front runner by that time due to how fractured the electorate is. Might come down to an establishment candidate and a Tea candidate, and then there will be war at the convention.

[IBCoupe]

An actual convention vote would be hot.

As much as I resented Romney as Governor of MA, while I was in high school and college, I don't know what Pawlenty's going to be next week, and so I'm kinda leaning towards Romney. I'm pretty sure he's going to try to continue to play the moderate role he has been, and as long as that's representative of what he'd actually do as President, I'm okay with it.

[Cold_Zero]

Bieber 2032!

You do realize he was born in Canada. Thus not eligible to run for President.

[IBCoupe]

Bieber 2032!

You do realize he was born in Canada. Thus not eligible to run for President.

Worked well enough for... Ah, nevermind.

[stebo0728]

Bieber 2032!

You do realize he was born in Canada. Thus not eligible to run for President.

As close as we got to having the law changed for the Governator? You think Biebzies couldnt get that done in 30 years? Well maybe it depends on how puberty works our for him. LOL

/Sarcasm

[Cold_Zero]

*Buzzzz* the correct answer was, "Gee Bud, how did you know that bit of information?"

[stebo0728]

Oh I just assumed you had some Biebz loving daughter or grandaughter who tells you every 20 minutes LOL

SO .... how DO you know that? LOL

[Cold_Zero]

Oh.. Right now I am in Miley, Justin, Selena and Jonas Brother's hell when my daughter wants to listen to Radio Disney. I am exposing her to some culture by playing my music on the ride to school with Sirius.

[IBCoupe]

Show her both kinds of music: country and western.

[Cold_Zero]

Love it. Great movie.