Poll Results: Which Of The Following Candidates Would You Like To See The GOP Run In 2012

Right Wing News ^ | November 10, 2008 | John Hawkins

[Kevin J waldroup]

Here are the results of a poll of RWN's readers that I ran on Friday. There were 1,355 responses to the following question,

If you had to pick today, which of the following candidates would you like to see the GOP run in 2012?

Here are the results.

11) Charlie Crist: 1% 10) Tim Pawlenty: 1% 9) Mark Sanford: 1% 8) Jeb Bush: 2% 7) Rudy Giuliani: 2% 6) Mike Huckabee: 4% 5) Ron Paul: 5% 4) Mitt Romney: 6% 3) Duncan Hunter: 6% 2) Bobby Jindal: 23% 1) Sarah Palin: 48%

[Kevin J waldroup]

Duncan L Hunter in 2012

[Be_Politically_Erect]

Give it a rest.

There’s more to life than D.C.

BPE

[cripplecreek]

Hunter would have been my vote if I had voted. Palin is great but she’s gotta want it.

[Kackikat]

Palin-Sanford in 2012

[dotan]

Please: Shut up.

http://www.thenextright.com/patrick-ruffini/the-internet-should-kill-2012-talk

The Internet Should Kill 2012 Talk, by Patrick Ruffini

Barack Obama was not even mentioned as a potential candidate until October 2006. Mitt Romney, by far the most well-prepared of the early 2008 contenders, was defeated in Iowa by Mike Huckabee (who was accused of slacking on the early ground game) and in New Hampshire by John McCain (whose early organization got shredded). The hottest GOP contenders at this point in the last cycle were George Allen and Bill Frist. And all John McCain's early legwork got him was an excessive burn rate and campaign implosion, until he retooled into a leaner, meaner machine.

In October or November of 2007, few people would have predicted Barack Obama or John McCain as the nominees. If we can't predict three months out, what makes us think we can predict three and a half years out?

Nor was 2008 a total fluke. There are structural forces at play here. On the one hand, the campaign cycle has been lengthening. But on the other hand, the Internet, and specifically a richer information ecosystem that allows us to pay more attention to also-rans like Huckabee and Ron Paul is operationalizing the Feiler Faster Thesis where challengers rise and frontrunners implode faster.

This means that in a primary, money and organization don't go as far. McCain got nominated with half the resources of some of his competitors. Mike Huckabee got to be the second to last guy standing on financial and organizational fumes. When Barack Obama's YouTube channel is worth more than the entire budget of a respectable primary campaign, you know something is up.

So, I implore you, quit focusing on 2012, and focus on 2010 and on showing the Republican Party can rebuild at the state legislative, Congressional, and statewide levels in 2010. (That's where we're starting with Rebuild the Party.) Start blogging about potential candidates for Congress now. Even if we somehow manage to unseat Barack Obama in 2012, it won't mean very much if our ranks in the House and Senate remain decimated, and we've redistricted into oblivion until 2022.

[Scothia]

Palin-Hunter 2012. Or Palin and any other conservative. I’m sick of this RINO bull pooey—it’s time to push back.

[Old Sarge]

I could be quite comfortable with a Palin/Hunter ticket.

[dalereed]

Quit publicising your own damn web site!!!

[cripplecreek]

I will agree with those who say we need to take a break from worrying about the next presidential races for a while. We need to concentrate on senate and house races for right now.

Those who wish to run for the white house in 2012 need to start speaking to the right crowds and get out there and show conservatives support.

[redk]

Palin and Jindal take more between the two of them than the rest combined. I love it.

[unspun]

6) Mike Huckabee: 4%

Shows how well the putrid smear campaigns by Club for Growth PAC, Cato Institute, and "cigarette smokers for nicotine" have worked.

Also, Michelle Malkin and her brood.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

What if the left actually succeeds in banning “everything conservative” prior to ‘10 or later? How can conservatism seriously ever come back from such possible profound suppression?

[cripplecreek]

Neither have any fear of the media or the democrats. I think they would put on a great show without trying to hold each other back.

[org.whodat]

Where do you check, means nothing??

[alecqss]

I'd prefer for the 2012 ticket to include 2 of the next 4 (listed in alphabetical order): Cantor, Jindal, Palin, Sanford.

[RJS1950]

Now is the time to begin looking at this problem. Hopefully by the beginning of the next election cycle we can have a strong, forceful and conservative candidate waiting in the wings and not have the wasteful and useful popularity contest that screwed us this time around.

Now is also the time to begin lining up and culling the herd of candidates for the midterms. The GOP is way too limp about finding the best candidate, building them up and then getting behind them at the state level. The democrat machine has always understood how to do this; the GOP has been hit and miss at best.

[dotan]

What if the left actually succeeds in banning “everything conservative” prior to ‘10 or later? How can conservatism seriously ever come back from such possible profound suppression?

That would suck. But we would survive and, I hope, prevail over time. We would develop a samizdat press or other means to propagate our message.

[cripplecreek]

Hopefully by the beginning of the next election cycle we can have a strong, forceful and conservative candidate waiting in the wings and not have the wasteful and useful popularity contest that screwed us this time around.

Nothing but an endurance contest nowadays.

Personally I'd like to see some debates between candidates from both parties prior to getting saddled with the most pathetic man running.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

How can people even be so sure that there will even be a GOP in ‘12?