Posted on 03/27/2015 6:49:48 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
With Ted Cruz announcing and Rand Paul and Marco Rubio soon to follow, it’s time to start handicapping the horses and making enemies.
No point in wasting time on the Democratic field. There is none. The only thing that can stop Hillary Clinton is an act of God, and he seems otherwise occupied. As does Elizabeth Warren, the only Democrat who could conceivably defeat her.
On to the GOP.
First Tier:
1. Marco Rubio. Trails badly in current polls, ranking seventh at 5 percent, but high upside potential.
Assets: Foreign policy looms uncharacteristically large in the current cycle, and Rubio is the most knowledgeable and fluent current contender on everything from Russia to Cuba to the Middle East. The son of Cuban immigrants, he can break into flawless Spanish (so can Jeb Bush) and speak passionately about the American story in a party that lost the Hispanic vote by 44 points in 2012.
Liabilities (in the primaries): His Gang of Eight immigration apostasy, though his current enforcement-first position has wide appeal. Second, after Barack Obama, will voters want another first-term senator with no executive experience? (Same for Cruz and Paul.)
Major appeal: Fresh, young, dynamic persona is a powerful counterpoint to Clinton fatigue.
Odds: 3-1.
2. Jeb Bush. The consensus favorite (though I remain a bit skeptical). Solid, soft-spoken, serious, with executive experience and significant achievements as governor. What he lacks in passion, he makes up for in substance. And he has shown backbone in sticking to his semi-heretical positions on immigration and Common Core.
Obvious liability: His name. True, it helps him raise tens of millions of dollars, but it saddles him with legacy and dynastic issues that negate the inherent GOP advantage of running a new vs. old, not-again campaign against Hillary.
Odds: 7-2.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
I do concur with some of his numbers [zero chance] for some of the also-rans.
There are many run-ables but few win-ables.
Am I alone in feeling None of the Above is still leading the primary race, right now?
I always see this guy and immediately think Walter Mondale
I figured he’d put him on the bottom.
Hey Kraut! Ya sure you didn't mean to put this in the Jebster's Obvious Liabilities column? "Cause I can tell ya for sure, this Uber-RINO is not getting MY vote.
NEVER. EVER.
Marco Rubio has actually taken steps to support amnesty.
His “gang-of-eight” support for an immigration reform bill is a tangible ACTION in support of amnesty. He will try to talk that back, and perhaps 1-in-20 conservatives will believe him.
I’d like to believe him, but I place a lot of emphasis on actions taken.
I don't drink. If that is the choice come Election Day, I'll make up for lost time. Would it be possible to get drunk enough to vote?
There is no doubt Krauthammer is a very bright guy. The problem is that his nest is the beltway. He needs to have dinner on the porch of a fly-over American family and re-stimulate his synapses.
I'd rather lose 10 bucks betting on the 15-1 horse than win a thin dime back from the GOPe.
I would like to trust Rubio on this or trust Congress to restrain Rubio, but that is too big a risk. Rubio is not an acceptable candidate (although far better than Romney, Christie, or Bush).
His stand with the gang of eight on amnesty is going to cost him. Still, he’s one of the more intelligent people in congress. Listen to any of his interviews and, whether you agree with him or not, he impresses anyone with his depth of knowledge on many issues. He should be given a cabinet position in the next Republican administration.
Donald trump didn’t even make the list.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.