The Southern Republican Leadership Conference (yeah, I don’t really know what that is, but apparently it’s a big deal) had its Straw Poll, and the big winner:
Mitt Romney!
Yeah, the author of the disaster Massachusetts health care that Obamacare is an imitation of. Plus, I wonder if Barack Obama will have turned people off of having presidents with weird names like “Mitt.”
One vote behind Romney:
Ron Paul!
He was basically putting money to get people to attend the SRLC (tickets cost $150, but he was selling them for $30) in another lame attempt to finally trick us into thinking he has popular support and isn’t just supported by a bunch of cranks.
So things aren’t really looking great for Republicans in 2012 just yet. We really need someone to emerge who doesn’t… well… suck. So if you know anyone you think would be a good president, make sure to tell the Republicans about him/her.
Fred Thompson . . . assuming he has a great web presence soon. ;>
How will Romney run for POTUS when he’ll be busy starring in a film production of Plastic Man.
We’ll not even talk about that crazy old guy.
I wouldn’t sweat it at this point. I don’t think either of them will be much of a factor by the time the 2012 Presidential Election season rolls around.
However, keep in mind that predicting the future isn’t one of my strong suits. I predicted John McCain would never be the Republican Presidential nominee. How did that gem turn out?
Write In SarahK!!
Please, God, no, not Fred Thompson. That would be worse than having John McCain run again. Against Barack Obama, he stands no chance. All his policy positions aside, he is simply not an attractive candidate to all but the most diehard Republican supporters. If we expect to win in 2012, we need someone who can beat Obama at his own game.
Mitt Romney has always seemed rather smarmy to me, and this blog post makes a pretty good point about his record regarding health care, but he also has a strong business background that suggests to me that, if he were elected, he could very well be the man who could finally get the economy back on track. Plus he has all that charisma, sex appeal, etc. that is apparently required to be elected President of the United States today–by 2012, Obama’s luster should have significantly faded, giving someone like Romney a chance to shine.
Alternatively, if Marco Rubio wins the Senate election here in Florida, as he seems poised to do at this point, he might become a rising star and be a serious contender in 2012. Only problem is, by that time he will have had less than two years of experience in the Senate, which is even less than what Obama had when he was elected. It would be ironic to see Obama hurl the “experience” argument that was used against him to virtually no effect in 2008 back at Republicans in 2012, but I wouldn’t put it past him. More importantly, Rubio is not only far more committed to conservative principles than any other possible contender (with the possible exception of longshot Sarah Palin), he has the youth, charisma and eloquence that Obama projected and used to such great effect in 2008, and he has the ability to, like Obama, bring in a large and important segment of the electorate, Hispanic voters, to the polls to vote for him en masse. I’m not sure that he would choose to run in 2012, or prefer to wait until 2016, when he would stand a much stronger chance, if Obama were to be re-elected. But I know for certain that he’d have my vote either way.
Herman Cain strongly hinted that he would run at the end of his Southern Republican Leadership Conference speech. Pretty much everything I’ve seen and heard from him I like.
The Paulbots mostly troll at night. Mostly…
I think it’s telling that Ron Paul stacked the conference with 900 supporters, but got fewer than 450 votes.
Lt Col ALLEN WEST
amazing man
Taking the funny hat off, the Republican Party has been terrible at grooming CONSERVATIVE candidates for decades. Reagan had to claw tooth and nail to get the ticket, and had GHW Bush foisted on him. We know how well that worked out. Bob Dole? Great guy, poor canididate. W suprised us all the first term and went wimpy with the second. Mc Cain,’nuff said. I have wondered more than once if the inner party folks have a moderate-or-die policy. We win with conservative leaning people, and lose with moderate wimps.
Funny hat on. At night we get the zombie paulbots.
Oh don’t worry about the lack of candidates at this point in the game. Any serious candidate is smart enough to be lurking now, instead putting all their energy into helping conservatives win the 2010 races. Even looking like you are running right now makes me think less of you and I suspect I ain’t alone on that notion.
Oh, and if your state doesn’t have closed party primaries already; why aren’t you busy correcting that mistake? Or do you want Democrats picking our nominee? Obama isn’t going to be getting any sort of serious primary challenge so where do you think the average Dem is going to be on primary day? Yup, running their version of Operation Chaos on us yet again.
So if you know anyone you think would be a good president, make sure to tell the Republicans about him. Or her.
I liked Paul more back in 08 he seems to have strayed a bit from coming off as “principled” to now seeming more like the “angry ranter.” Don’t get me wrong, plenty to get angry and rant about. Keep in mind even the left cant win with a guy like that and those type of people are 9/10 of their base.
I was thinking about this yesterday, It is hard to imagine any of the Republican 2012 field knocking Obama off, not with Acorn and the other Alynski-ites/ working overtime for 18 months with every left-wing megaphone of sitcoms-news-cartoons-classrooms-welfare office-etc rewriting the past and decimating the republican challenger.
@Storm- I was about to bring up all those names also. Always approach things as though history is going to repeat itself.
-I would be perfectly happy with Romney as VP or some sort of economy czar. His money skills are second to none. But he is a builder and fixer of structures. Politics is all emotion and revenge in those areas he is Helen Keller. He would make a Gore/Kerry type candidate.
-Palin has already been on the ticket and it lost by a big margin. Her fans can not deliver enough to offset electorally. I trust her morals and her willingness to make hard choices against her own interest. She is probably more powerful in the Media exposing the liberal agenda and keeping republicans on a short leash.
We got to dig some one up. Lets try metaphorically first then literally. Sadly it is too late to try and Clone Reagan at least for the next few elections.
Sorry, Michael. Though I agree in general, we need at least a few Democrat votes to win the general election, and Democrats really hate women. Especially the ones who wander off the reservation.
C’mon people, we all know we are rooting for mccain to get the nomination again. I mean reall, has there ever been a stronger candidate, who is more conservative? I ask you who could possibly carry the water for if not a mccain/paul ticket? C’mon start the chant for mccain/paul! Or newt, we could have newt! even better mccain/newt, glory to the repubs!!!
Okay even I can’t keep a straight face on that one.
I guess my point is due to conservatives not taking control or influence over the media and classrooms we are left needing/wanting a Reagen a one man army to take on the liberal hordes of bots. That is a terrible plan and we try it every election. We laymen have to build up our conservative army and gain back cultural power then we can support and get by with a mere mortal running for president.
If we don’t, the war is lost, just a matter of waiting out the sad death throws of the Independent American spirit. Once the people are too weak, stupid, and entirely dependent on the government (Nazi Germany – Modern Britain) Then some fascist leader will soon take hold of the reigns of government with promises of hope to a demoralized people and then we will have pure fascism. The evil that will spring from that only histories darkest corners hold clues too.
-Giuliani – I opposed him last go round but this time he is the only plausible in my book as of now. He would need to work out a deal with pro-lifers something like promising a SCOTUS pick or some sort of peace offering.
Rubio as VP sounds good to me.
Paul Ryan would also be a good VP pick.
Antodav,
Unless America’s economic status vastly changes, I doubt Obama’s tactics from 2008 are going to work again. You yourself said his luster will have likely faded.
Americans will respond favorably to someone who proposes less governmental interference, less taxes, and the incredible notion of listening to the voters and governing in accordance with the Constitution. Romney has a track record of socialized health care and some other policies that could encourage more governmental interference. With all due respect, I think we would be foolish to put too much emphasis on “youth” or “charisma”. Looking for those abstract things helped stick us with a candidate no one really wanted.
“We really need someone to emerge who doesn’t… well… suck.”
I bet Sarah Palin sucks, but in the good way…Not sure what kinda President she would make.
Funny, noone mentioned Senator Jim DeMint from South Carolina. He’s a real conservative and a staunch supporter of the Constitution. Six months ago, I would have brought up Mark Sanford, Governor of S. Car., but unfortunately he stepped on his “junk”. He also is a conservative, but now he has too much baggage. Another unfortunate circumstance is only a liberal can waltz into the White House with that much baggage.
I too supported Ron Paul in 2008. I believe he would have done much better if he had had the same media coverage as the rest of the candidates. He has a good message, although I don’t agree with all of it.
I find myself trusting the guy who does the Allstate commercials more than anyone else.
Bobby Jindal?
Well I guess it’s time again for my obligatory “defend Mitt” response. Maybe this time I’ll copy it somewhere so that the next time I can just copy and paste.
Ok. MA was going to have universal health care Mitt or no Mitt. He tried, unsuccessfully, make it something that was tenable. But with or without him those folks in his legislature were going to get universal health care. It is the state Teddy Kennedy represented and that John le’ Kerry represents now. What do you expect, exactly?
Again, any one know how much actual private business experience the cabinet today, including their fearful leader, has? Of the entire cabinet only 7% of them have any private business experience so it seems to me that the ONE person on either side with extensive business experience (not to mention that his business is turning failing concerns around) would be a front runner in the Republican race.
But then again I’m a reactionary. I also think that having “conservatives” attack someone for their religious beliefs is just as bad as attacking their race, gender or ethnicity and please don’t insult my intelligence by claiming that no one would do such a thing. I remember well the lessons of 2008 and the rev. huckster. I wasn’t surprised, disappointed, but not surprised.
I guess now that the libs are in disarray it’s time to start eating our own. It’s what we do best, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Sigh.
Tom Tancredo
Jindal has dwindle 🙁
Ron Paul is not a crank. He simply tells the unholy truth that is reality. If he could be elected he would be the guy to go with.
Yeah so he does not support the aggressive foreign policy. He wants us out of Iraq. Whether that is good or bad Ron Paul more than makes up for it with his domestic positions. Libertarians tend to have the highest I.Q.’s of the lot.
Ron Paul may or may not make for a good domestic policy advisor, but President? He completely lacks in “leadership” quality. Palin? Nice to look at, ok to listen to for a little while, will probably make a reasonably successful talk / radio show personality. Romney? Mr. Plastic man…. too pretty for the job. Jindal? That guy needs gain some weight and get shirt collars that fit properly. Gulianni?? I always viewed him as a rino/rino leaning kinda pol. Its a bit premature to be thinking 2012. The election this fall is probably ranks in the top three pivotal elections in our history.
Although there is no clear sign he is planning on running at this point but I like Jim DeMint for the job. I’m really not interested in recycling the ’08 losers.
I wouldn’t vote for Ron Paul for the position of dog catcher.
@Joe: Paul Ryan for Pres, he’s too valuable to idle as VP (we all know they do nothing all the live-long day).
If we can’t draft Ryan for the top spot, we’re better off leaving him in the house where he’ll be ranking Republican on the budget committee, and when R is the majority in 2010, his will arguably the most powerful position (besides Speaker) in the house.
Actually I’m beginning to see the big plan, and it appears to be a good one, so far.
Get as much commie sh*t as you can vote on before ’10, knowing you’re going to lose. The Repubs have done no more to earn it than the Dems did in ’08, but they’ll be the one standing there when America shoots down 70% of Congress.
Give the Repubs anything they want and you’ll be the one standing there when America shoots down 90% of Congress in ’12; a side effect is nobody is standing there so Zero keeps his job.
Pretty damn smart, really. Too bad it’s not fiction.
3 words. General. David. Patraeus.
Giuliani is a military con-fiscal con-law and order con. Man do we need that right now and America including a lot of blue collar Dems and Inds agree. He is the anti-Obama.
Guiliana is no social conservative but he doesn’t hate them either. I think he appreciates having them for the other fights he cares about. Like I said I think he would be more then willing to cut a deal with social conservatives on a few big things. In reality terms Social conservatives would actually get more concessions out of Giuliani then they have gotten out of any of the past half dozen “pro-life” Republican presidents.
I think we need to stipulate a couple of things for a future POTUS:
1. Leadership experience: Can we PLEASE stop suggesting senators and representatives? Has that EVER worked out well for us?
2. Conservatism: No big-spending RINOs or loony Libertarians, please! We want to solve the problems, not just win the elections.
3. Proven track record: I’m so sick of people proposing somebody for POTUS the minute they come on the political scene. Remember people chanting “Scott Brown 2012!”… for pete’s sake we’ve only known him a couple of months. Let the younger generation (like Paul Ryan) grow into their jobs a bit before we give them the nukes.
I admit, by those three criteria the field is pretty bleak. I think several of our governors qualify, even Sarah Palin (though #3 is her weakest point). Newt Gingrich and Dick Cheney fit the bill. The name I keep thinking of, which nobody else is mentioning, is John Boehner. He could be a great President, the only problem is, I think he’ll be a historically outstanding Speaker and it may be a waste to have him step down from that, just for the possibility of maybe becoming President.
I too don’t want to see a rerun of all the ’08 losers. And all the hard core conservatives in the house and senate may be better served by remaining in their current positions to promote conservative ideas there.
Couple names I’ll throw out there: Rick Perry and Mitch Daniels. Perry is running for (his third term? as) governor of Texas this year; Daniels will be done with his second term as governor of Indiana in 2012 (and term limited).
I don’t know a lot about Perry, but he seems to have solid, conservative credentials and a proven record as governor. Mitch Daniels is a very popular governor who has kept our state more or less in the black despite the current recession. Loads of experience in both the public and private sector; very fiscally sound; he would actually do something about getting our fiscal house in order. However, he definitely lacks the charisma you expect out of a presidential candidate.
Thompson, Palin or Cheney pick two, otherwise the Republicans can FOAD.
Yeah, I’ve heard good things about Mitch Daniels and Rick Perry, too. My personal favorite ticket would be President Sarah Palin and VP Liz Cheney.
I think we need someone from outside of the South.
I’ll second the Mitch Daniels nomination. He’s boring as heck, but maybe that’s a good thing after the celebrity president crap.
Rick Perry may be a viable option. He does have a proven record as governor. He also has something many politicians have lost. Brass balls.