The Haley Barbour Ping List
Let me know if you want on or off the list.
Posted on 03/24/2011 10:48:24 AM PDT by Artemis Webb
(snip)
But there are four solid reasons why Barbour could be the Republican sleeper in 2012. Let’s look at them in ascending order.
4. The Republican field, less than 10 months from the 2012 Iowa caucuses, does not have a front runner yet. Mitt Romney has troubles with evangelicals and small government conservatives. Sarah Palin has squandered her fame (though not her fortune) and now looks unserious. Mike Huckabee doesn’t want it … the telltale sign is that he has comfortably settled into his old overweight self. Newt Gingrich, though he imagines himself a Churchill in the wilderness, is past his sell date. Tim Pawlenty is trying to be all things to all conservatives but so far he is unable to convey much passion. Some deep part of Mitch Daniels apparently doesn’t want the job. Jeb Bush has the wrong last name. Chris Christie might be too regional.
3. Barbour is easily the most connected of all Republican candidates. He knows every governor, most legislators, all the fundraisers. He is well-liked.
2. He has performed well as Mississippi’s governor, both during the Hurricane Katrina crisis and in the everyday governor’s stuff of tamping down the state’s notorious tort bar, balancing budgets and promoting Mississippi as a place to do business. Barbour is, simply, a terrific salesmen for Mississippi’s business community.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.forbes.com ...
The Haley Barbour Ping List
Let me know if you want on or off the list.
Why all the rotund candidates. Maybe Barbour, Huckster and Christie could be considered one candidate. Sorry but if they are serious they need to do some serious drastic weight loss.
Haley Barbour asks 'What are we doing in Libya?'
Good question, Haley. Good question.
I really don’t think the people of the US are going to elect a fat, red-faced, white-haired Southern man, no matter how competent an executive he is. And make no mistake, he is really good; he has worked miracles in Mississippi. He’d make a very good president. But there is a tremendous amount of prejudice against men who look like him. His newbie verbal gaffes recently will be thrown back at him, and he’ll never live down the perception that he conforms to the stereotype of the Southerner as racist. It’s very unfortunate, and it’s due partly to the snobbery of the Northeast liberal intelligentsia and their Columbia J-school fellow travelers.
I say this as someone with a social connection to the Barbour people.
According to the article Barbour is down 25 lbs and now resembles Lou Dobbs.
I’ve always liked Barbour. I’m a little wary of his Washington connections and fear he might be too Beltway, but overall the positive outweighs the negative. I don’t know who it running this time around but he would be one of my first choices.
I like Haley Barbour a lot.
But I’ve got to say it. Somehow, putting a white, male, deeply-accented, Mississippian, up against a sitting black president is an open invitation for the left to make this election purely about race, when race should have absolutely nothing to do with why Obama needs to be ousted.
I do disagree with the part about Sarah, though.
That picture they provided sure does not prove that. Congrats on the 25 pounds. Only about 100 pounds to go.
I really, really wish you were wrong. I really do. But, you probably aren't.
I think whomever the nominee is, race will be interjected early and often, but Barbour - who I think would make a TERRIFIC president - has an especially large obstacle to overcome, even though it's entirely unwarranted.
Every potential candidate has political baggage, and their own political reality. Barbour's, unfortunately, is especially toxic.
I don’t know much about Barbour, but for anyone over the age of 40, losing much weight AND keeping it off, is sometimes just about impossible for some body types. - Obummer’s lucky to have the body type where he can scarf up the vittles with ice cream on the side and still get skinnier. Of course, being the perpetual basketball player helps. In fact, he looks a bit anorexic if one didn’t know better. Michelle’s got the body type that can carry a lot of weight, and apparently does.
Not in a hundred years. Go Palin!
I see what you are saying, especially since he does not wear a skirt or have a husband to load his rifle for him..... He stands NO chance! </s
Agree with everything the author said. But as others have said, a white haired fat guy from Mississippi, with that southern twang, has an uphill battle. Too politically connected. We need new blood.
Anyone concern with Haleys deep ties to Washington and lobbyist.....some of the thing that Tea Party were tired of seeing
That is true. I actually like Barbour as a person but don’t want him representing the United States. Yes Obama does look too skinny but still when he is talking to world leaders he still looks sharp.......Michelle.....totally another story especially when comparing world leaders’ wives.
I disagree with you about Christie. One of the reasons he won his election is because Corzine ran endless ads making fun of his weight. Since a lot of Jerseyans are overweight, it did not sit well. Insulting, stupid and juvenile. His weight is part of who he is. It certainly is a non-elitist look! As long as he’s happy at that size (and I think he looks pretty good!), he should keep the weight on.
I won’t comment on the others ‘cause I don’t know their histories that well.
Easily the best analysis of the GOP field I’ve seen in a while. Most are too colored by favoritism of one candidate or another and/or blindness toward their flaws. Barbour has something truly vital in a President that Obama so obviously lacks (even to many of his “friends”) - competence.
Excellent analysis. Having just come off eight years of a Texan drawl, I don’t think people are ready for a Mississippi twang. And those stupid Euros will go crazy! Not that I care about them.
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.