A ranking of GOP presidential candidates who can still make a case

The Washington Post's The Fix ^ | November 22, 2015 | Chris Cillizza

[2ndDivisionVet]

For all of the candidates, all of the debates and all of the unpredictability, the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 has taken a clear shape over the past month or so.

There is a four-candidate top tier that has separated itself from the rest of the pack. There is then a trio of “if/then” candidates who would need a major mistake or collapse from one of the top four to have a realistic chance at winning. Everyone else running has a puncher’s chance — at best — at being relevant in the nomination fight.

Below are my rankings of the candidates who can still make a plausible case for being the nominee. (By plausible, I mean that someone who is not directly related to them could listen to the case and not laugh out loud.) The No. 1 ranked candidate is the most likely to be the GOP nominee.

7. Chris Christie: The New Jersey governor has (finally) moved beyond Bridgegate, allowing his natural candidate skills to shine through. He has focused heavily on New Hampshire throughout the campaign, a smart move given that Iowa’s caucuses have been less than predictive in the past two Republican presidential nomination fights. Christie still needs a stumble or two by the establishment types in front of him but he has fought his way back to respectability....

[nopardons]

He’s NUTS !

[Fungi]

That rabid liberal Cillizza again. Why does anyone take advice from these liberal hacks? Do the RATS take any advice from conservative writers?

[datura]

Rubio?

Bull$hit.

[Fai Mao]

This guy is nuts

Rubio is not much higher in polls than Bush

[conservativejoy]

Rubio can’t win without Conservatives and Conservatives know thy can’t trust Rubio.

[nopardons]

EXACTLY SO!

Rubio lost the base long ago and I really wonder just WHO is for him now.

[Kenny]

Is this sarcasm?

[rrrod]

some very interesting point are made...this sticks out about Cruz...”He has carefully avoided alienating supporters of Carson and Donald Trump.....”

This is a wise move and may work but so far Cruz hasnt really caught on. I like him and its troubling. Also a common complaint about Trump from his supporter is his attacking other candidates that will be needed as allies in the future.

[SunkenCiv]

Partisan Media Shill alert! Here's Cilizza's ridiculous ranking:

1. Marco Rubio
2. Donald Trump
3. Ted Cruz
4. Ben Carson
5. Jeb Bush
6. John Kasich
7. Chris Christie

Erick Erickson's probably got something just as liberal, I'd not seen any of his swill lately.

Carson's not viable, but had managed to pick up the old Huckabee constituency -- until lately, if polling is to be believed, losing that to Cruz. Claiming that Carson was #1 at any time was and remains ridiculous wishful thinking of the left.

Jeb is not, nor has he ever been, viable. Again, ridiculous wishful thinking of the left. And the left isn't going to vote for any Republican, ever, regardless -- they'd have turned on him lickity split had Jeb reached the nomination.

Kasich isn't ahead of Christie, but it's a disttinction without a difference, because NO ONE (including Cilizza, he can't be that stupid) thinks either one of them ever had a shot at the nomination. Their best case would have been to raise their profile a little to secure a VP nod.

Rubio is being groomed by the PMS as the anti-Trump, the same way Fiorina was, then Carson. Again, ridiculous wishful thinking of the left. Rubio's an unsubtle slippery eel regarding the invasion of illegal aliens that is going and has been going on for some time now (2009).

Trump and Cruz are the only viable candidates, period. I'll take Trump with Cruz as a running mate and eventual successor; I'll take Cruz with or without Trump as VP.

Like Rush Limbaugh, ANY of the Pubbies would be preferable to Hitlery, but it's important to me that the nominee be either Trump or Cruz. I will vote for the Pubbie nominee, or go to prison for reasons best left to the imagination.

[GilGil]

For the record let's review the facts. The more they fight him the higher he goes. Let's face it. Trump's dad said of his son that whatever he touches turns to gold. Trump has timing and instincts and running for president is no different. Everything is breaking his way because he has the Midas touch and it is rubbing off on the country already. As I said the more they fight him the higher he goes as the polls reflect!!!!

[2ndDivisionVet]

"This is a wise move and may work but so far Cruz hasnt really caught on."

He's in second place in Iowa and New Hampshire.

[altura]

Kinda interesting until I got to Number 2 and it was Trump and I’m thinking ‘ who the hell is number 1?’

So, the whole thing immediately becomes worthless.

[rrrod]

He took some from Carson and wiped out Paul’s supporters. Some polls show Cruz a bit lower but the trend is up. My point is there isnt a noticable shift.

[teletech]

When you see where this piece originated, why read it at all?

[2ndDivisionVet]

That could be said about 80% of the threads here.

[NewHampshireDuo]

I’d say
Trump
Cruz
Jeb

Jeb is only in there because the GOPe wants him badly even if they have to do a “Weekend at Bernie’s” type deal.

[Vehmgericht]

The most significant thing about these polls is that at least 70% of the responses are for an anti-establishment candidate. They go up and down individually but the anti-establishment votes remains fairly constant.

[Patton@Bastogne]

[Lurkinanloomin]

Rubio lost the base long ago and I really wonder just WHO is for him now.

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The Cheap Labor Express

They had to have a backup, the Joyful Tippy-toes Tortoise is flaming out.
The RNC still has an obligation to deliver an amnesty candidate