Posted on 11/13/2012 9:34:57 AM PST by Perdogg
Who is going to be the next conservative candidate who has the necessary mix of skill and ideology that we as conservatives, conservatarians, and libertarians can unite behind to win the argument and the country?
If ideology alone were the criteria, I would run, but that is not going to happen. I am not sure Palin or Ryan is the answer. Losing VP candidates have not been successful in being elected president, only FDR in 1932 after losing as a running mate in 1920 was elected president. Remember, Nixon was not a losing VP candidate he was 2-0 running as the running mate.
If Palin wants to be President, she has to be part of the equation and we will have to stop making excuses for her. She is going to have to overcome a general negative impression of her in the population. I don't like it, but it is reality that people do not like her. Remember, it was difficult for Reagan as well, only winning the nomination in 1980 on his third try. If we were nominating a candidate today, odds on Chris Christie would win. Or Jeb Bush. I say we "stay out of the bushes" and off "the Jersey Shore". I myself is behind Tom McClintock, but I am not sure he is interested. Are we going to get behind Rubio? There is a lot unhappiness with him already and I don't want to be dragged through the birther argument again.
Who is the next Reagan or Coolidge? Is it Tom Cotton, or as silly as it sounds, is his name going to be a problem?
We have 30 Republican governors, right? Probably look there first. How about Sam Brownback for president (doesn’t he have good conservative creds?) & Susana Martinez for VP?
Ditto on the elder. But I seriously doubt that an older white guy can ever win again with this electorate.
Romney lost because the conservative virtues - the traditional American virtues - of liberty, hard work, free enterprise, private initiative and aspirations to moral greatness - no longer inspire or animate a majority of the electorate. The notion of the “Reagan Democrat” is one cliché that should be permanently retired.
Ronald Reagan himself could not win an election in today’s America.
No, I don’t think 2016 is out of the question. And I actually don’t believe that we have an electorate terminally lost to welfare addiction. A vast majority of individuals in this country still desire having an actual future with opportunity and a life worth looking forward to, rather than being relegated to ennui slumming by indefinitely on the dole.
I think there’s significant untapped desire out there for someone who can actually come out and campaign on actual vision & ideas for once, rather than the usual policy peddling to the status quo typical candidates cater to.
There’s going to have a lot of serious consideration about how the Conservative message can retooled and communicated politically in this era, in order to appeal to as many disparate elements of the Conservative-leaning populace as possible—it’ll have to be a theme inclusive to SoCons, Libertarians, etc. No more internecine bickering over the who the “True Conservatives” are and what not.
No, I don’t think 2016 is out of the question. And I actually don’t believe that we have an electorate terminally lost to welfare addiction. A vast majority of individuals in this country still desire having an actual future with opportunity and a life worth looking forward to, rather than being relegated to ennui slumming by indefinitely on the dole.
I think there’s significant untapped desire out there for someone who can actually come out and campaign on actual vision & ideas for once, rather than the usual policy peddling to the status quo typical candidates cater to.
There’s going to have a lot of serious consideration about how the Conservative message can retooled and communicated politically in this era, in order to appeal to as many disparate elements of the Conservative-leaning populace as possible—it’ll have to be a theme inclusive to SoCons, Libertarians, etc. No more internecine bickering over who the “True Conservatives” are and what not.
Does not matter, as the Libs and their allies in the MSM are prepared to target and destroy them as soon as they reach the level of County Commissioner.
There is and will be only one such person, and that is Sarah Palin.
She is the only one who exhibits the fortitude, courage and love of America that Reagan did.
A few more years of Obama, and people will be begging for her to run.
If we have to, we’ll start a new party to run her.
bmk
And you point out something I have said ever since McCain-Palin lost in 2008: In the entire history of this country, ever since tickets, losing VP candidates never have gone on to win the presidency, with the lone exception of Franklin Roosevelt (1920, 1932). I don't see Palin as the answer. She won one statewide race, in Alaska, and then resigned before her term was over. She has not run for anything since. And she would have to overcome her high negatives, which she has not been able to do.
Likewise, but to a lesser extent, with the currrent losing VP candidate, Paul Ryan, although I think he has a brighter future than Palin. I'd like to see Ryan as Speaker of the House first, then maybe in 2020 or 2024--he'd still be young enough then--he can try.
No on Christie. Just. No.
No Bushes.
I don't see 2016 being Santorum or Perry or Huckabee or one of those guys. Somebody who hasn't run yet--Rubio, Kasich, McDonnell, Walker, maybe Jindal--that's where I'd look.
BTBW,
I like your list of possible candidates... I agree that all of them could be strong contenders for this “next Reagan/next Coolidge” role. The one whom I think might fit best is Mitch Daniels. I know conservatives bash him for wanting to separate the social issues and focus on the economic issues, but I think Mitch is the reincarnation of Calvin Coolidge and a good possible Reagan-like principled guy.
With that in mind, since he is now out of office, I’d love to see Mitch do something similar to what Reagan did during his time-off from politics in the years before the 1980 election: go everywhere and “pitch” conservative principles and the conservative vision. Look to get a gig on conservative talk radio doing a “four minute conservative thoughts for the day”. Reagan did that for years — he was like a one-man think-tank, writing the scripts himself. This exercise (along with his GE days of making pitches on the rubber-chicken circuit around the country) got Reagan’s philosophy memorized and ingrained in his soul.
We need that kind of ingrained thinker (and speaker, and debater) articulating our message. Hone those talking points into 4 minute essays. People will hunger for that kind of thinking and that kind of clarity.
JMHO.
We need to ditch the “conservative” label and be recognized as progressive and liberal.Not “progressive” or “liberal” as journalists intend the words, of course - but actually progressive (in the sense of believing in and promoting progress of, by, and for the American people. And actually liberal in support of liberty of the individual.
Those are the values of the Constitution. Who do you know who has elective executive experience and is ready, willing, and able to articulate those values? Besides Sarah Palin, I mean . . .And Palin, advocate her as I did, has in all reasonable likelihood passed on her main chance. Her opportunity was to jump in before all the other conservatives got into the 2012 race, and try to suck the oxygen out of the air so that she only had Romney to face in the primaries. She is her own person, and she made her decision - but it seems to me to be an irreversible one.
He just got re-elected, so he must be pretty popular. Also, coincidentally, he's being interviewed on Hannity's show tonight, so I highly recommend that show as a way to get to know him a bit better.
We’ll learn to love Jeb just as we learned to love Dole, McCain, and Romney. :)
Tell me, who do you want, not just who you don’t want?
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