The Republican lawmakers and celebrities who would be president

Al Jazeera ^ | December 27, 2014 | John Batchelor

[Cubs Fan]

Ted Cruz is awesome, Scott Walker is a fighter with a record of Accomplishment. Ben Carson could also be promising.

Jeb Bush, Rand Paul and Kris Krusty can all go to hell.

[Carl Vehse]

"At the same time, Republican politicians in Washington often speak poorly of Cruz’s decisions and obstinacy."

BS! It is RINO scum politicians in Washington (like Ayotte) who speak poorly of Cruz. Such RINO mouthings are worthless.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Probably increases the widow’s pension in some way. I didn’t even know they were detectives, as the press refers to them as police officer so-and-so.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Oops, wrong thread..

[Republican1795.]

All I know is that if Jeb Bush announces: the establishment Republicans will be supporting him to the hilt.

[TomGuy]

Rubio is an ironclad conservative vote for the incoming Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Rubio’s strength for the party is his work on immigration reform,

Ironclad conservative vote but his strenth is in his work on immigration reform?

John Batchelor must have touched a faulty toaster and it fried some of his brain cells.

[skeeter]

John Batchelor writes for Al Jazeera?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Looks that way.

[zeestephen]

Re: “Rubio’s strength for the party is his work on immigration reform.”

Rubio’s “strength” is Amnesty?

The author is deranged.

If Rubio is nominated, the Republican Party will fracture.

I doubt Rubio could win Florida in a presidential election.

Cubans total just 32% of Hispanic voters in Florida, and Cuban immigrants since 1980 are rock solid Democrats.

I doubt Rubio could win a majority of all Hispanic voters in Florida in a presidential election.

White Florida voters would give Rubio a majority, but would it be enough?

25% of Florida voters are Black or Hispanic.

And a significant percentage of white Florida voters are Democrat refugees from New York and New Jersey.

[stevie_d_64]

It will not be in the best interest of the republican leadership “elites”, you know those GOPe’s...

To allow Ted Cruz’es, Scott Walker’s and Ben Carson’s to eclipse the Bush’s, Paul’s and Krustie’s in their ranks and pockets...

Just be prepared for all sorts of unreasonable BS to be foisted on the TEA Party favorites this next go around...

And why should we not be surprised by the opposition???

All the democrats have to do is sit back and watch these folks consume our own...We’ve seen this before, we’ll see it again...

[x]

Rubio won't get nominated next time. He's too inexperienced and doesn't have a real base of support. He may mount a little campaign this time, but assuming he can hold on to his Senate seat he's got opportunities for a more serious run years down the road.

But I don't think the party has written him off over immigration by any means. It's going to be a long time before that issue is resolved (if it ever is) and politicians are going to be making all kinds of moves in the meantime.

[Aetius]

Paul Ryan also sucks, mostly because of his left wing views on immigration.

[lentulusgracchus]

I would love to see Fiorina jump in and suck some of the RiNO money away from the "obvious candidates".

In 2012 Karl Rove's whisperers persuaded a mob of conservatives to dive in and splash all the money out of the (shallow) conservative end of the political-money pool.

Turn about is fair play. Do it, Carly! Announce now!
(You won't get any votes, but you'll get a lot of Karl Rove's money!)

[lentulusgracchus]

Immigration is a useful litmus for a number of other issues, whether a candidate is going to be another GOP-e bootlick or not. Ted Cruz is on the right side of the issue, Paul and Rubio and Walker and Bush 45-wannabe all stand in the shadow of the GOP-e and their wagebreaking crusade.

[South40]

He's got my vote.

[TontoKowalski]

If what you say is true, then how did he win his Senate seat?

Rubio would certainly win Florida if he were the nominee.

[zeestephen]

Re: “Then how did Rubio win his Senate seat?”

First, he lied to the Tea Party.

Second, he won in 2010, when huge numbers of Black and Democrat Hispanic voters stayed home compared to 2008.

Third, he “won” with 49% of the vote, against two candidates who were conspicuously to his Left.

If Rubio runs for reelection to the Senate in 2016, I think he will win by 1%-2%.

If he runs for president in 2016, I think he will lose Florida by 3%-4%.

[piasa]

This Floridian thinks he would have no problem whatsoever winning Florida.

[Impy]

Walker, yes.

Jeb and Rand, hell no.