Does the GOP have any viable national candidate for 2016 other than Chris Christie?

[YANCEY]

I don't think so.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Isn't it too soon to talk about the 2016 election until after the 2014 midterms? Their results will shape the context. And it's too soon to talk about the 2014 midterms. November, maybe.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Chris Christie won't be viable by 2016. But three years is a while. Something will float to the surface. The question is whether it will be a repeat of 2012 when nobody seemed to really WANT to run so they ran a circus and half shoved Romney into a fight he couldn't win and they all knew it.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Chris Christie won't be viable by 2016. But three years is a while. Something will float to the surface.

[insert your own Christie fat joke here]

 

[YANCEY]

Isn't it too soon to talk about the 2016 election until after the 2014 midterms? Their results will shape the context. And it's too soon to talk about the 2014 midterms. November, maybe.

No, it's not.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The GOP bullpen is empty.

I expect to get the nomination by default then introduce America to the 4th Reich. This time we're gonna leave the Jews and Russians alone, and invade California, Vermont, and Canada. Niggaz, faggots, and galz will move to their new homeland, New England. Step across the Hudson River and you could get more than your feelings hurt.

 

[Sean Renaud]

It really is too early to indulge in 2016 talks but whatever.

 

[KRCummings]

Anyone figured out yet why the OP is such a fucking idiot?

 

[Sean Renaud]

Working on it. Though other than being really early I'm not sure why he's an idiot this time.

It's not like the Republicans don't literally have an official Stop Hillary page up and are threatening not to put any debates on CNN if certain conditions aren't met.

 

[KRCummings]

Working on it. Though other than being really early I'm not sure why he's an idiot this time.

It's not like the Republicans don't literally have an official Stop Hillary page up and are threatening not to put any debates on CNN if certain conditions aren't met.

You've seen his other posts and threads right? He's an idiot.

 

[Sean Renaud]

You've seen his other posts and threads right? He's an idiot.

Yeah. The only reason I don't iggy him is that just like Renard Ruse (until recently) he simply doesn't post frequently enough to sufficiently gather my ire. Just being stupid isn't enough.

 

[Setanta84]

It's really not too early to talk presidential campaigns. They run two years--two years AFTER the serious candidates have built or reinvigorated pre-existing organizations. Mid-2013 is actually the perfect time to talk about potential candidates.

When talking about candidates who have the resources to be viable in the general and the connections and resources to fight off the crazies in the primary, it's foolish not to consider Jeb Bush. He has a family fortune, to living ex-presidents in the family, a Latino, Spanish-speaking son running for office in Texas, and Obama has helped rehabilitate the Bush name by continuing Bush's policies and demonizing and isolating anyone in the game who consistently opposed those policies. (Also this is going to be the first general where we have both gutted campaign finance laws and a gutted CRA--it's the Republican's election to lose, especially when Obama is no longer popular and his party has been in power for two cycles.)

On the R-side, the people I see being contenders in the primary are Bush, Paul, and Santorum. (Bush for reasons stated, Santorum because finishing second traditionally means you are the presumed frontrunner in the following primary cycle on the R-side, and Paul because he'll lock up the libertarians while Santorum locks up the fundamentalists and Bush locks up the Romney coalition.)

Christie, while he could have been a contender in the general--is going to be a non-entity in the primary. First, he's fat and the GOP electorate is weirdly into the looks of their candidates--hence Palin and Perry having careers as statewide executive officers despite both being dumber than bricks. Secondly, he publicly praised Obama during the 2012 GOTV period, which is kind of unforgivable from a partisan activist POV. Finally, the establishment will already have its standardbearer in Bush.

 

[doctor_insanus]

Remember when Rick Perry was The Great Republican Hope, sitting around and acting all badass while the rest of the GOP field tore itself apart? Then he stepped into the race and showed everyone what a fucking idiot he is?

So now he's putting on his best nerd outfit and trying to make us think he's smart. Yeah, that's not gonna work.

 

[Bad_Doggie]

The question is whether it will be a repeat of 2012 when nobody seemed to really WANT to run so they ran a circus and half shoved Romney into a fight he couldn't win and they all knew it.

It was different from 2008; how?

Woof!

 

[Setanta84]

It was different from 2008; how?

Woof!

In 2008, the guys on the GOP side--other than McCain--with a legitimate shot at a general election win sat it out because the GOP brand was unprecedentedly toxic--less than 30% of registered voters would admit to being Republicans in the wake of the Bush presidency. They knew the Democratic primary would likely be the election that actually mattered that year and sat it out.

In 2012, you had an embattled sitting president who had spent four years doing nothing but doing favors for the richest 400 people in the country, had the donor rolls to prove that, and had a campaign with a sterling reputation for campaign confidence and effectiveness based more in fantasy than fact. The wise sat out the contest because they knew the banks already had their guy in the office, the less wise sat it out because they believed OFA's hype, and the truly stupid ran.

 

[patient1]

Anyone figured out yet why the OP is such a fucking idiot?

I just presume it's an alt that got tired of being ignored and tried to re-invent itself.

 

[bronzeage]

Anyone figured out yet why the OP is such a fucking idiot?

Call it the white man's burden.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Sentanta, you're insane. Please keep it up until you're on universal iggy.

 

[renard_ruse]

Let's hope not. We need to clear the field for the Constitution Party's candidate to whoop ass on the commie-fag parties!

 

[renard_ruse]

Yeah. The only reason I don't iggy him is that just like Renard Ruse (until recently) he simply doesn't post frequently enough to sufficiently gather my ire. Just being stupid isn't enough.

STFU loser.

 

[islandman]

Isn't it too soon to talk about the 2016 election until after the 2014 midterms? Their results will shape the context. And it's too soon to talk about the 2014 midterms. November, maybe.

Agreed.

 

[jeninflorida]

I don't think so.

problem is that you, obama, merc, seanh, seanr, robdownstouth, sgtpepperDumbass, dickdaily ..... the only thing you assholes care about is entitlements.

you want to punish the hard working and steal their money, so that you lazy assholes can sit on your fat ass, drinking Old Style, while smoking a crack pipe

 

[Boxlicker101]

It is too soon to start talking about the 2016 presidential election, partly because it is still more than three years away and, mostly, because some of the major candidates will need to run for reelection in 2014.

Except for Mark Rubio, the potential candidates are mostly governors and some of them are not well known outside their home states. By the time the debates end in 2016, the GOP nominee will have as much name-recognition as Hill the Pill and probably less baggage.

I like Gov. Scott Walker of WI. He is still relatively young but has considerable political experience; he won in a mostly blue state and he has shown he will not let the unions push him around, nor is he in their debt.

 

[KingOrfeo]

I like Gov. Scott Walker of WI.

Then shame on you.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Then shame on you.

Why?