Republican primaries 2012

I guess the good news for us liberals is that the GOP insists on churning out candidates who are over-the-top right-wing-religious-conservative.

Rick Perry is a nutjob. Santorum is a nutjob. Ron Paul is a nutjob. Gingrich is a hypocrite. I've felt for a while that the nom will probably go to Romney, which is a little scary since he's probably the least repulsive of all the candidates, but I think his being a Mormon won't sit well with the majority of GOP voters.

As an independent, I'm watching both sides with some interest.

I must say that if the media treated candidate Obama the same way they treat the Republican candidates, he would have looked like a nut job, too.  Refusing to vote on stuff in the Illinois legislature?  Attending a radical anti-white church?  Only 18 months of less-than-impressive experience in the US Senate?  See, it's all in how you look at it.

Gingrich will not be the nominee, and he knows it.  Ron Paul will not be the nominee, and he knew that before he ever started, by his own admission.  Rick Perry is perfect for Texas; the governor's position in Texas is very weak, and he fills it quite well.  Both Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney could run successfully as Democrats (proven by the fact that both were elected in states that are heavily Democratic), and they are doing what candidate Obama did--they are trying to appeal to the part of the party that can be depended on to go to the polls in the primaries.  After the convention, the nominee will run a lot closer to the center, which, by the way, is where "average" in the US is, just a little to the right of center.

I will vote for Santorum or Romney in the primary. I was a big Cain fan. But that is what it is. I would have loved to see Cain Debate Obama. THAT would have been great-Cain is a great speaker and a very smart man. Which is probably why he was targeted so early on. 

I think this thread was probably an attempt to bash Republicans, as if someone started a thread bashing liberals or Obama, all heck would break loose. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by resqchick 

 

 

I think this thread was probably an attempt to bash Republicans, as if someone started a thread bashing liberals or Obama, all heck would break loose. 

Seriously, there have been plenty of those.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momofmany 

I heard talk this morning about the GOP wanting to walk away from all of the current candidates and go for a new one. It's all very interesting.

Not going to happen, I think.  Romney and Santorum have put a lot of money, time, and effort in the race, and they deserve to be supported for their work.  And they will be.

Well, let's be upfront about this.  The Republican hierarchy, which is probably closer to the center than the Democratic hierarchy, does not like Santorum.  I suspect they'd agree with the sentiments expressed by most Democrats about Santorum.  On the other hand, as he admits, his voting record is pretty close to the middle, too.

It's easy to forget that campaigning for office is not the same as holding an office.  Our Presidents, from Washington to today, have found that the actual exigencies of governing don't allow for the idealistic statements they made when campaigning.  That's why Guantanamo Bay is still open, the Patriot Act was reauthorized, there is no single-payer health insurance program, and drone attacks are way up.  What Mr. Obama said, what candidate Obama said, doesn't stand up well when he's the man getting the daily briefings on the real threats, the political realities are staring him in the face, and his party is unable to hold the legislature.

He shouldn't feel alone, of course.  Jefferson had the same problems.

All this is to say that, while Mr. Santorum may express ideas many feel are abhorrent, he would likely make a perfectly acceptable President.  In fact, I suspect after a couple of months of turmoil, so would Ron Paul.  That, or he'd end up impeached and imprisoned for treason.

When you look at these guys through the prism of history, none of them are all that shocking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speakhandsforme 

I disagree about the Republican hierarchy being closer to the center than the Democrat hierarchy (I personally think it's the other way around), BUT otherwise you're right.

Of course, you do.  That's called our own bias.  It's why NPR makes fun of Fox, and Fox makes fun of NPR, and everyone makes fun of MSNBC.

Keep in mind, however, that I said the hierarchy.  I didn't say the party activists, or the wing nuts, in either party.

Yes, FDR campaigned as an anti-war isolationist.

And JFK cut taxes dramatically for the rich.

Eisenhower was asked to run for President by both parties.

And Truman, when he left office, was massively unpopular, had a southern accent that was ridiculed by many, was considered too stupid to be President, and got the US involved in an Asian war that he was unable to get us out of and that killed some 35,000 Americans and injured something like 5 times that.

As I said, campaigning and governing, and then how the history professors write the history books, are often 3 very different things.

Frankly whichever one is the candidate, I will vote for him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carolina 


I think they better These candidates are making Obama look awesome just about now - He doesn't even need to campaign I am loving it

However, keep in mind how bad the President and Hillary Clinton were making each other look about 4 years ago, before you count any chickens...or votes.

My guess is that the rise in gas prices and a surge in unemployment are going to hit in about 3 months.  Under those circumstances, it might take a miracle for the President to be re-elected.
 

I like Romney :)

Go romney....

As has been the case for a number of cycles I don't care for any of them that are running. I voted for Obama last time but after two years of the Obama/Pelosi team I am finished with him. I know he had one of the most liberal voting records of any legislator but I didn't think he would allow himself to be taken so far to the left by Pelosi. I also don't care for any of the Republicans so I probably just won't vote. Congress has become so partisan it is completely dysfunctional so I don't think it matters who is President. I know that we are very close to a day of reckoning over the huge deficit. It has come throughout Europe but we continue to rack up debt. This huge debt will be a continual drag on the economy and weaken the dollar.

Obama is very liberal, just as the Republicans claim to be very conservative.  But, fortunately for all of us, neither can govern the way they might like to, unless they want to totally lose the next election, because that's just not where the country is, on average.

I was disappointed the President didn't propose a single-payer health plan.  Had he done it immediately after his election, I suspect he would have gotten it.  Instead, he futzed around with letting the Democrats in Congress write the bill, and NO bold step comes about that way.

And, just to be sure the knife is twisted in everyone, Ron Paul would not be able to govern in anything close to the Libertarian fashion he would like to, if he were elected.  How do I know this?  Because Congress has passed exactly one bill he wrote or sponsored, since he came to Congress, out of the 600+ he's been associated with.

Well- I'd be more motivated to vote today, if it not was for the state I live in.  But- I live in VA, and as you all know- 2 of the candidates didn't even make it onto the ballot. 

So I don't even know if it's worth going out there or not, since I'm not a fan of either Romney or Paul.

But then again- DD just got her voter's registration in the mail (her AP Government teacher was getting the kids excited about it) so maybe I should just go over to the polling place with DD when she gets home from school. 

I honestly don't like any of them.  Nor do I like President Obama.  2 of the candidates I did like (and feel free to debate   I can take it) the CEO of Godfather's Pizza and Michelle Bachman- are both gone

Cheryl