Posted on 11/08/2006 4:58:08 PM PST by rodomila
George Allen is completely dead politically. He proved what I suspected - that he wasn't smart enough for the national spotlight.
Santorum would have been my first choice but his crushing defeat yesterday rules him out.
McCain is insane and a turncoat on taxes, judges and immigration. Many hard core Republicans, such as myself, would NEVER vote for him.
George W's phony, big government "conservatism" has poisoned the well for Jeb as Bush fatigue is now almost universal.
Hillary MUST BE STOPPED, but if I were a bookmaker I'd have to make her the odds on favorite.
So that leaves four possibilities for the good guys:
Condi Rice is a no go because she isn't sufficiently experienced. Frankly, I don't think she is up to the job and I think she would make Hillary competitive in the South which would be disastrous.
That leaves three sane guys right now with the name ID, credible experience and the brainpower to be Prez:
Newt Gingrich has the conservative bonafides but the media trashed him so badly in 1995 that, like Quayle, he probably can't win. He's also kind of fat and has an annoying, high pitched voice - two things that would hurt him in our superficial media dominated age. Also, the press would have a field day with his personal life.
Rudy has the brains and could be trusted to fight the war on terror. His pro-choice and pro-gay positions are definite downers for me, but would make the northeast competitive for Republicans and really throw a monkey wrench into the Hillary machine. He might be able to finesse these issues with the Republican right if he said social politics should be resolved at the state level and promised to name constructionist judges. He would also have to be solid on taxes, spending, immigration enforcement and economic growth. A little pow wow with Stephen Moore and Pat Toomey at Club for Growth should straighten him out.
The final, and I believe the best choice at the moment is Mitt Romney. I wish he wasn't a Mormon but he has the following going for him. He is running on the right - pro-gun, anti-abortion, pro-marriage etc. He will make us competitive everywhere. He is telegenic and articulate and so smooth on TV. He has been a phenomenally successful businessman. He has impeccable academic credentials. He is also the only Republican option who is still happily married to his first wife. There are those who will claim his record in Massachusetts is too liberal to be the Republican nominee. I would submit to you that politics is the art of the possible, and he did as much as he could do in that bluest of blue states. I for one will be delighted to have a candidate who can explain the issues who doesn't make me cringe during Presidential debates. We haven't had that since Reagan in 1984.
If not Mitt, who? And why? I would love to hear Freeper views if there is any other viable option I haven't considered.
No need to go THAT FAR outside the box, Rudy would have to be tempered with a STRONG CONSERVATIVE, young, vibrant Veep waiting in the wings for us to elect in 8 years, somebody like Santorum, etc.
JC Watts was my congressman.
He's a little light on the intellectual candle power and he was caught on film taking, ahem, a bribe during his corporation commissioner days. The Clinton wrecking ball would have a field day with that.
You say Tom Colburn who actually looks good to me. He is pro-life which is a plus. However his thought that homosexuality is the most dangerous threat to America won't get him any support with Independents or every moderate Republicans. He might be too right for 2008. But except for that thought, he looks very strong to me.
A friend of mine mentioned him to me today, but for the VP slot. A Giuliani / Watts ticket would be strong.
Giuliani/Santorum would be my pick.
Rick got hammered yesterday, but he's not through. He's a young guy with a lot of friends...he'd make a nice conservative counter-balance to a more centrist Rudy candidacy. I don't know what kind of personal relationship they have with each other, but both have impeccable leadership skills and would make a hell of a team.
McCain is dead politically as a choice. As is Allen. As is Frist.
I think to win, we need some ethnicity on the ballet.
I also dont' think Rick could do it in 08. Too close to having lost this race. I think he needs to be doing some other stuff and THEN run for POTUS.
Well they're not in Montana anymore *sigh*
Gosh, I am kind of enjoying this thread. I think its good and proactive. I know there are some deciding to take extended leave from FR because of yesterday.
A couple teams:
Guiliani/Barbour
Guiliani/Hunter
Barbour/Dreier
Romney/Perry
Kasich/Sanford
Giuliani campaigning for Republican congressional candidates didn't work out too well this time did it???
And, if Ken Mehlman is on his team, forget it...
Yes, there you go. I can see that.
I like the Giuliani/Watts ticket.
Yesterday tells me Romney would not win NY or NJ or PA or OH. Giuliani likely would win most if not all .
Under the best of circumstances Romney might make it a race.
Giuliani is a almost certain winner.
Guiliani is pro-abort, can't win
If you picked a Dem, some of the idiots that vote "D" no matter what would/could vote for the ticket.
Sorry if it sounds a bit corny, but I'd take a Zell Miller -type over a Condi Rice/Colin Powell/RINO for VP.
Beat you by 3 posts, Guiliani/Santorum, or pick your favorite young conservative for veep and go for 16 years.
I could live with that. The two of them would be one hell of an odd couple--the northeastern semi-liberal big-city Mayor and the South Carolinian down-home hardcore-conservative Governor.
If Giuliani would:
- be willing to push decisions on abortion and similar life issues down to the states in a federalist manner;
- stay the hell away from the Second Amendment;
- push hard to appoint conservative judges
...then I could get behind him. Will he do that? Maybe. He's not stupid. And before anybody drags up the "he won't play in flyover country" shtick...he was absolutely knocking them dead in South Carolina recently. He seems to be a pretty terrific campaigner with a lot of personal magnetism.
}:-)4
If Romney's theology bothers you, how much do you understand about Nixon's (Quaker), LBJ's (Congregationalist) of Martin Van Buren's (Dutch Reform) church? How does this knowledge (or lack thereof) affect your view of their presidencies?
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