Quote :

"does anyone think Bloomberg will have any effect on the race if he does decide to run"

Bloomberg won't run for (and certainly won't win) the GOP nomination so he is really outside the scope of this thread.

12/9/2010 8:20:04 AM

bloomberg is not conservative at all...he wouldn't get the nomination.

12/9/2010 8:37:20 AM

Regarding all the things said about Ron Paul:

I feel when he made a swing at the campaign in 2008 he had a good message and unadulterated, sincere cause. However, I can no longer get behind him due to the bullshit causes and he has supported through Campaign for Liberty.

RP was the first political candidate that I ever sent a donation, but, at this time, can only look at the man with disappointment. Ron Paul went from a person on whose every word I hung to the most annoying contribution of spam to my inbox.

I don't know if I am more disappointed in him, or myself for having bought into him.

12/9/2010 9:57:28 AM

^he was the first I gave money to also.

I was similarly disappointed in his efforts

12/9/2010 10:02:01 AM

My apologies for bringing Bloomberg into the discussion, he is definitely outside the scope of the GOP thread.

And I didn't mean to imply that I think Pence/Daniels should run together, they're just really the only candidates I can see supporting at this point in the race and they just happen to both be from Indiana. Pence did win the Value Voters straw poll a few months ago which I found a little surprising given how much the social cons adore Huckabee and Palin. I think it's going to be hard for the dark horses to get any traction for 2012, but McCain was counted out early in 2007 before making a big comeback so I guess it's really anyones race at this point.

12/9/2010 12:20:41 PM

Huckabee and Palin live in my nightmares. They are both so fake and so manufactured, it is sad. Repubs like Palin because they feel like she gets picked on and she really pisses off the left so they love her for that. Huckabee is popular because he has a talk show on Fox News and he is also trying to be Paul Harvey on the radio. Also, he shamelessly panders to the religious right. These qualities do not make a good candidate. Far from it.

IDK who the GOP will nominate, but I truly hope that it isn't either Huckabee or Palin.

12/9/2010 12:54:25 PM

I would love to see a Romney/Jindel ticket. Romney is financial savy from his days at Bain Capital. I believe he could put the country is right direction in terms of the economy. Jindel has done really well with the schools down in Louisiana, and both seems like reasonable and intelligent individuals with excellent education.

No candidate is going to fully encompass my political views, and this next election will be like all others, choosing the lesser of two evils.

Romney has the rich white guy thing going for him and Jindel has the educated brown person thing going for him (read: Rep. BO), in that when combined could be a strong ticket.

12/9/2010 1:05:09 PM

Yes, you're clearly so enamored of Bobby Jindal that you've very nearly learned how to spell his name.

12/9/2010 1:06:54 PM

pwnt

12/9/2010 1:12:34 PM

Quote :

"I feel when he made a swing at the campaign in 2008 he had a good message and unadulterated, sincere cause. However, I can no longer get behind him due to the bullshit causes and he has supported through Campaign for Liberty."

Campaign for Liberty is fine. The e-mail spam did get annoying, which is why I unsubscribed from the e-mail feeds. That's par for the course with any kind of political organization, to be honest. Ron Paul's message has not changed, though. He supports the same things that he always has. If you supported his run then, you should support his run now. "An organization he started sent me too many e-mails, so I'm not going to vote for him" comes across as disturbingly petty.

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 1:19 PM. Reason : ]

12/9/2010 1:12:53 PM

Quote :

"Yes, you're clearly so enamored of Bobby Jindal that you've very nearly learned how to spell his name."

Clearly by my comments of choosing the lesser of two evils it should lead one to believe that I am not "so enamored" with Jindal. Reading comprehension.

12/9/2010 1:25:02 PM

Quote :

"Ron Paul's message has not changed, though. He supports the same things that he always has. If you supported his run then, you should support his run now. "An organization he started sent me too many e-mails, so I'm not going to vote for him" comes across as disturbingly petty."

I disagree with your position on multiple accounts, and find your reading comprehension suspect. I didn't state that I will not vote for him because he sends too many emails, but rather stated that I feel his agenda has changed. Personally, I find a change in agenda to be the most valid reason someone can choose when it comes to switching candidates.

I did describe his message as spam, and did so because Ron Paul has resorted to leeching off his "celebrity". I preferred a Ron Paul who contributed revolutionary ideas and had an organized message as his agenda to the version that markets books of the desperate and sells t-shirts.

12/9/2010 3:40:29 PM

What specifically has he changed his views on? Or how has his agenda changed?

It sounds like, to me, that you supported him for the wrong reasons to begin with. If you just got caught up in the movement without understanding what it was about, then I guess I see where you're coming from.

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 4:32 PM. Reason : ]

12/9/2010 4:24:44 PM

Ron Paul is not going to win the nomination no matter how much money he raises so can we move on from the Ron Paul discussion? And he officially hates freedom fighters in China since he can't even bring himself to vote for a resolution in the House honoring Liu Xiaobo and if there's one thing GOP primary voters love, it's Chinese freedom fighters who stand up for freedom in China.

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 4:52 PM. Reason : asdfsdf]

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 4:52 PM. Reason : adsfsadf]

12/9/2010 4:51:45 PM

He'll shape the debate regardless and will pull voters from other potential candidates. So no, we don't need to move on from Ron Paul.

12/9/2010 4:55:12 PM

Quote :

"What specifically has he changed his views on? Or how has his agenda changed?"

Again, your reading comprehension is suspect.

I'll say this in as few words as possible so that you don't get lost. Ready?

I don't support Ron Paul because how he chooses to communicate is increasingly more about using his name to market the goods of others. If I wanted to vote for someone who fit this dynamic I could cast my vote for any child actor.

Based on the way in which he chooses to reach out,and the way in which he leverages his influence it has become readily more apparent that what many view as a message is nothing more than rhetoric.

12/9/2010 5:02:03 PM

Quote :

"I don't support Ron Paul because how he chooses to communicate is increasingly more about using his name to market the goods of others."

So your problem is that he has organized a group of generally like minded individuals to promote his world view.


Yes, this is a truly disgusting revelation.

12/9/2010 5:12:01 PM

^^^Sorry, bud. I'm not going to shut up about it. Also, it isn't the job of Congress to honor individuals. In fact, I think I'd be insulted to join the ranks of those commended by Congress. They've given medals to some lousy human beings.

^^I don't think it's my reading comprehension that's the problem here. Ron Paul set out to create an organization that would promote his views. He's an old dude, he can't be a lone crusader forever. You may have some issues with how C4L is run, but that does not detract from Ron Paul as a political actor. He's still voting like he always has. If you do believe in what Ron Paul says about monetary policy, foreign policy, and basic liberty, then some infrastructure has to be put in place to allow for the dissemination of those ideas into the public at large. When you supported Ron Paul, did you want his views to be put into practice, or did you want him to continue being a fringe outsider that would never have any influence on the political process?

12/9/2010 5:41:07 PM

Quote :

"infrastructure has to be put in place to allow for the dissemination of those ideas into the public at large. When you supported Ron Paul, did you want his views to be put into practice"

I can agree with the above statement. However, C4L fails to act as that medium, and, being the name behind the brand, Ron Paul is held accountable for how C4L operates. Rather than perpetuate his message C4L peddles bullshit. If Ron Paul manages C4L in that fashion I would hate to see how anything else under his control would operate.

12/9/2010 7:54:41 PM

Donald Trump will win the GOP nomination. He might even be elected President in 2012.

Consider yourself warned.

12/9/2010 10:41:27 PM

12/10/2010 7:11:37 PM

Quote :

"both seems like reasonable and intelligent individuals"

Bobby Jindal, the man who claims to have performed a violent exorcism that cured a woman's cancer, is a reasonable and intelligent individual?

12/12/2010 10:06:06 AM

^ Jindal doesn't need to be a reasonable person, he only needs to be percieved as one.


also, the countdown begins:

Quote :

"The first 2012 Republican debate in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire has been scheduled, with the GOP contenders slated to face off on June 7, 2011. CNN, WMUR-TV and the New Hampshire Union Leader are jointly hosting the debate. The timing of the debate is nearly the same as the one the three organizations held in the 2008 cycle; that debate took place on June 5, 2007."

12/15/2010 8:25:05 AM

I'm sorry, but that person who no longer supports Ron Paul just comes off as the type who can no longer like a band once they become big.

I mean, you can't really argue that he has done nothing substantive since coming to prominence. For the first time ever, he is going to chair the subcommittee on monetary policy. Beyond that, I don't think that any mainstream person would even be talking about the Federal Reserve today, even with all of it's increased action in the economy, if it weren't for RP. His popularity, no matter how mild, continues to get him on TV, which helps him steer the debate.

Also, I agree that C4L isn't all the effective, but I would also argue that YAL does far more groundwork.

BTW, there is a reasonably strong possibility that RP will be coming to NCSU in the spring.

12/15/2010 11:13:08 AM

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/report-bachmann-considering-run-for-president.php

Quote :

"A source close to the three-term congresswoman said Bachmann will travel to Iowa this month for multiple meetings to seek advice from political forces there and party elders close to the caucus process before coming to a final decision regarding a potential presidential run. Bachmann, a native of Waterloo, Iowa, also is set to deliver a keynote speech at an Iowans for Tax Relief PAC fundraiser Jan. 21 in Des Moines, Iowa."

1/5/2011 2:12:03 PM

Sounds like Mitch Daniels is getting closer to running:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/business/economy/05leonhardt.html?_r=2&ref=business

1/6/2011 11:36:27 AM

On the 2012 front from this week:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/13/gingrich-touts-south-carolina-ahead-of-visit/

Quote :

"Gingrich touts South Carolina ahead of visit (CNN) – If Newt Gingrich decides to run for president, as it is expected he will, it appears the former House Speaker will put a lot of stock into the South Carolina primary."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/13/romney-resigns-from-marriot-board/

Quote :

"Romney resigns from Marriott board (CNN) – Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has resigned his role on the Marriott board of directors, another incremental step ahead his almost-certain second bid for the White House."

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/01/whatever_it_takes_3.php?ref=fpblg

Quote :

"Whatever It Takes Over the last few months, we've brought you news that prominent social conservative Bryan Fischer has blamed gays for the Wikileaks disclosure, told readers that Obama wants to give America back to the Indians, declared that bears are a threat to our Judeo-Christian culture, declared that no new mosques should be built anywhere in America and insisted that Hitler preferred using gay soldiers since they had "no limits." And just yesterday, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (doing everything he can to get right with the right) went on Fischer's radio show to declare that he'd push to reinstate DADT if he were elected president."

1/14/2011 3:07:25 AM

Bachmann and Gingrich have no shot whatsoever, but in running will definitely shape the debate . . . especially Gingrich.

Although, a Palin v. Bachmann debate would be entertaining as hell.

1/14/2011 7:00:27 AM

^ cat fight!

1/14/2011 9:40:31 AM

More like Special Olympics.

1/14/2011 11:44:48 AM

Quote :

"Bobby Jindal, the man who claims to have performed a violent exorcism that cured a woman's cancer, is a reasonable and intelligent individual?"

Intelligent staging here, but perhaps unreasonable:

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/spill-report-accuses-jindal-of-showboating/?hp

Quote :

"The report, released on Tuesday, also details new allegations that Mr. Jindal deliberately withheld the location of an area of oiled marsh from the Coast Guard that he used as a backdrop for television interviews. “Coast Guard responders watched Governor Jindal — and the TV cameras following him — return to what appeared to be the same spot of oiled marsh day after day to complain about the inadequacy of the federal response, even though only a small amount of marsh was then oiled,” the report stated, citing an interview with a Coast Guard official. “When the Coast Guard sought to clean up that piece of affected marsh, Governor Jindal refused to confirm its location.”"

I'm usually a fan of Cooper, but this is sad:

Quote :

"The commission also called out some in the news media for stoking local outrage over the federal government response to the spill. “Local resentment became a media theme and then a self-fulfilling prophecy,” the commissioners found. “Even those who privately thought the federal government was doing the best it could under the circumstances could not say so publicly.” In one instance, Anderson Cooper, the CNN anchor, “reportedly asked a parish president to bring an angry, unemployed offshore oil worker on his show,” the panel wrote. “When the parish president could not promise the worker would be ‘angry,’ both were disinvited.”"

[Edited on January 15, 2011 at 5:42 PM. Reason : .]

1/15/2011 5:41:19 PM

Wow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhMepzqJvIw

Edit: I know this may be old, but I hadn't seen it before, and this seemed like the best thread to put it in. God I hope the rest of the voters aren't this stupid.

[Edited on January 17, 2011 at 10:45 PM. Reason : ]

1/17/2011 10:43:44 PM

^That was good for a laugh. Despite some literal singing of her praises, her chances of being elected President next year has gotten pretty slim with her favorability the worst its ever been:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/18/palin-hits-new-low-in-poll/

Quote :

"According to the new USA TODAY/Gallup survey, Palin's favorability rating has dipped to 38 percent while her unfavorable now stands at 53 percent. Gallup reports the 38 percent is a new low when it comes to the percentage of Americans who give the former Alaska governor a thumbs up. The 53 percent who dislike Palin is also a new high in Gallup polling."

[Edited on January 19, 2011 at 2:31 AM. Reason : .]

1/19/2011 2:30:58 AM

Rick Santorum:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/01/rick-santorum-obama-abortion-stance-remarkable-for-a-black-man.html

Rick Santorum Calls Obama’s Abortion Stance ‘Remarkable For A Black Man'

1/20/2011 11:40:46 AM

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/20/usual-suspects-at-the-top-of-the-2012-polls/

Quote :

"Usual Suspects at the top of the 2012 polls Two new polls, but as of now the same old story: Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Sarah Palin remain the leaders of the pack in hypothetical 2012 GOP presidential nomination matchups. According to an ABC News-Washington Post survey, 21 percent of Republican or independent leading Republicans say that as of now, Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate, is their choice for their party's presidential nomination, with 19 percent supporting Palin, the former Alaska governor and Sen. John McCain's runningmate in the last presidential election, and 17 percent backing Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who also ran for the White House in 2008. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was a distant fourth, at nine percent, followed at eight percent by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has repeatedly said he is not going to make a bid for the White House in 2012. Everyone else was in the low single digits. Similar results from an NBC News-Wall Street Journal survey that was also released in the past 24 hours. That poll indicates that Romney with the support of 19 percent, followed by Huckabee at 18 percent, Palin at 14 percent, Gingrich at ten percent, and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who made a bid for the last GOP presidential nomination, at eight percent. Everyone else is at five percent or lower."

So it's

1) Huckabee 2) Palin 3) Romney 4) Gingrich

or

1) Romney 2) Huckabee 3) Palin 4) Gingrich 5) Paul

1/20/2011 3:10:54 PM

If Sarah Palin is our next President I will graciously accept GrumpyGOPs concession that there is in fact no god.

[Edited on January 20, 2011 at 3:17 PM. Reason : graciousness]

1/20/2011 3:16:25 PM

I still dont think Palin runs.

I would still prob vote for Huck in the primaries if he supports the fairtax. But Id vote for BO if he would support it.

1/20/2011 4:22:51 PM

Quote :

"If Sarah Palin is our next President I will graciously accept GrumpyGOPs concession that there is in fact no god."

and by claiming there is no god you would both be terrorists.

1/20/2011 4:26:45 PM

^Huckabee is certainly making his rounds, so you may get that chance in Nov next year.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/20/huckabees-book-tour-lavishes-attention-on-iowa-south-carolina/

Quote :

"Huckabee's book tour lavishes attention on Iowa, South Carolina Mike Huckabee will visit six cities in Iowa and five in South Carolina during his upcoming book tour – one more sign that the former Arkansas governor wants to keep his name in the presidential mix for 2012 even as he enjoys the comforts of a lucrative talk show career."

Quote :

"That means Huckabee will be spending more than a quarter of his 40-city tour in two states that play a major role in determining who the GOP presidential nominee will be in 2012."

1/20/2011 4:30:20 PM

It’s really still WAY too early to be looking at this, Obama didn’t come up as a serious candidate until late-ish in the last race.

But, the field on the right doesn’t look overly strong at this point. I’d be surprised if Palin got past the primary, but enough people voted for the most awkward guy in HS for prom king, and he won by a fluke.

1/20/2011 6:54:21 PM

http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2011/01/republicans-choice.html

Quote :

"Obama tops Mitt Romney, 48-43 (up from 47-46 in November); Mike Huckabee, 49-44 (48-45); Newt Gingrich, 51-39 (49-43); and Sarah Palin, 55-38 (51-42). Obama also tops monthly wild-card pick Michele Bachmann, who is reportedly considering a bid, 51-33."

Quote :

"Do you think Republicans would be better off with someone well known like Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney as their Presidential nominee next year, or would they be better off with someone newer to the national scene who is currently not as well known? Someone already well known ......................... 29% Someone currently not as well known............. 51% Not sure .......................................................... 20%"

The top 4 are all losing ground, and in general there seems to be support for the "find someone else" idea. I do agree with moron that it is too early to really know who all the serious front runners will be, but the first round of primary debates are just a few months away, so most everyone should be declaring pretty soon:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_%28United_States%29_presidential_debates,_2012

Quote :

"* Spring of 2011 - Simi Valley, California. NBC, Politico, Ronald Reagan Library * May 5, 2011 - Greenville, South Carolina. Fox News, South Carolina GOP * June 7, 2011 - Manchester, New Hampshire. CNN, WMUR-TV, New Hampshire Union Leader"

1/21/2011 10:20:24 AM

Larry Sabato's take on the primary field: http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/ljs2011012001/

1/21/2011 11:23:58 PM

http://politicalscoop.wmur.com/wmur-abc-news-and-nhgop-to-conduct-presidential-straw-poll-saturday

"WMUR, ABC News and NHGOP to conduct presidential straw poll Saturday"

Quote :

"On Saturday, January 22, ABC News and WMUR-TV are teaming up for a first ever “straw poll” sanctioned by the New Hampshire Republican State Committee to see just what kind of buzz these 2012 candidates have among the party faithful. This Saturday, the 493 members of the New Hampshire Republican party will gather at the Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire for their annual meeting. While there, each one of these party members will be able to anonymously choose the candidate they’d like to see as the party’s nominee for 2012."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/and-so-it-begins-new-hampshire-straw-poll-offers-early-2012-tea-leaves.php?ref=fpb

Quote :

"Indeed, the biggest drama in tomorrow's straw poll will likely center around how much Romey wins by. If his support in the straw balloting is lower than his poll numbers -- around 40% in a multi-candidate field right now -- it will likely be sold by observers as bad news for Romney."

1/22/2011 12:24:12 PM

I am frightened.

1/22/2011 2:39:44 PM

The New Hampshire GOP straw poll results are in:

Mitt Romney - 35%
Ron Paul - 11%
Tim "I'll bring DADT back if elected" Pawlenty - 8%
Sarah Palin - 7%
Michele Bachmann - 5%
Jim Demint - 5%
Herman Cain - 4%

Everyone else got 3% or below.

[Edited on January 22, 2011 at 5:45 PM. Reason : .]

1/22/2011 5:45:29 PM

Mitt Romney will be the GOP's John Kerry

1/22/2011 6:14:29 PM

Great line from a Politico article on Mitch Daniels:

Quote :

"“I do like Daniels, and I think that Americans often vote for the opposite of what has disappointed them,” said conservative columnist George Will on ABC’s “This Week” last Sunday. “If they’re disappointed with Mr. Obama, then a short, balding, unimpressive, uncharismatic, competent governor might be just the key.""

1/22/2011 7:03:03 PM

I can see Pawlenty making a run. I know nothing of the guy which is probably the best position to be in at this point. People have already made up their mind on most of the other front runners.

Romney has GOT to renounce romneycare to have a chance..imo.

1/22/2011 7:30:21 PM

http://www.theonion.com/articles/morbid-curiosity-leading-many-voters-to-support-pa,18865/

1/22/2011 8:14:18 PM

herman cain FTW

1/22/2011 8:20:01 PM