What ticket to you want to see for 2008?

[RealEstateEntrepreneur]

I've been thinking about this lately, and I like Coleman/Rice.

If anyone else saw Norm Coleman's debate against Mondale, and the way he handled Wellstone's death, you know he's got the "Bush" quality that people love.

I think his views are pretty in line with Bush's, but need to look into it more.

Condi Rice in the VP slot is a great way to show America which party can elect a woman or a black. (Though I don't think the country is ready for that on the top of the ticket.) Plus it carries the Bush foreign policy forward.

I can't think of a more electable ticket, other than Giuliani/Rice--but I worry about Giuliani's positions on economics.

Other interesting possibilities on the 2008 ticket: Jeb, Frist, Romney, Ridge.

David

By the way, I'm new here. Look forward to interesting discussions!

[jagrmeister]

I would like to see Tom Ridge at the head of the ticket. Here his accomplishments/electable traits:

*Effective, Popular Governor of Pennsylvania
*Heads Homeland Security Department: prevented attack post 9/11.
*Vietnam Veteran
*Congressman
*Born into poverty. Earned a scholarship to Harvard University. Also received Law degree from Dickinson.
*Tall, telegenic, articulate
*Conservative/centrist politics that will appeal to America.

[rhinohunter]

Jeb/Watts or Jeb/Steele

You guys have to forget about Powell and Rice. Having a pro-abort on the ticket would be disastrous for conservative base turnout.

[RealEstateEntrepreneur]

What you say about Ridge is great. The problem is personality, and that matters to voters. Especially against Edwards or Hillary.

Regarding Jeb: I think he should wait. I don't think America would respond well to electing brothers back-to-back, especially when he'd be the 3rd in the family.

While I'm a pro-choicer, I agree the party may not yet be ready to have one at the top of the ticket. But I don't see it as a problem on the bottom of the ticket--especially Rice.

[fieldmarshaldj]

You put a pro-aborter in any shape or form on the ticket, and that ticket will lose, case closed. When this party stops supporting issues of morality and stops addressing the grotesque abomination of the holocaust of 45 million unborn enabled by the greatest threat to our society, the leftist Judicial activist, it will cease to exist. I noticed your page where you mentioned that we'll have to come around on issues such as abortion. If we ever do that, then we will become like Canada and Eastern Europe. I don't want to be around to see that abomination ever occur. Defense and economy and all the rest are worthless in the absence of morality, France is a testament to that.

Fortunately, I believe we are seeing a cultural change in the direction of increased conscienceness after the horrid decade of the '90s, and back to traditional values.

And welcome to FR.

[ForOurFuture]

What ticket to you want to see for 2008?

Paul/Tancredo. For 2004 as well.

[PhilCollins]

Coleman and Rice don't have enough political experience. He can run for re-election in 2008, so he'll do that and maybe run for president later. She's never run for office. If she holds an elected office, she might run for president or vp.
I hope that the ticket is John Ashcroft and Lamar Alexander. Four of the last five presidents were governors. Since Ashcroft was a governor, senator, and attorney general, he has enough experience, and he's conservative enough to win the nomination. Alexander also has a variety of experience and is as conservative as Ashcroft.

[RealEstateEntrepreneur]

Nominating Ashcroft would do to the Republican party what nominating Dean would do to the Democrats.

If you're a moral conservative; fine. We can debate that separately.

But Republicans are (hopefully) not stupid enough to destroy their own party.

An extremist on defense--great. An extremist on economics--great, and probably electable. An extremist on moral issues, and you've sacked the party.

[JohnnyZ]

Couple of things:

Ridge is pro-abortion. And he's a stiff, I'm afraid. "Ridge" and "excitement" have only been used in the same sentence once, ever. Well, twice now. He's fine where he is, in perpetuity.

There are several governors who I like for prez: Jeb, Bill Owens of Colorado, Sanford, Don Carcieri of Rhode Island (more likely VP, and he has to get reelected first), Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota. All Grade A #1 conservatives, all popular in their states, all with appeal beyond the country club.

I agree with Nathaniel that Chuck Hagel (R, France) is -- well, unappealing. Anyone who goes around hedging his bets on the Iraq war saying "I'm not a hawk, I'm not a dove, I prefer to be a wise old owl" is a sanctimonious SOB at best. [That's not an exact quote, but it was to that effect.]

The BIG NAME not mentioned on this thread yet is Sen. George Allen, the former Governor of Virginia. He is conservative, non-threatening, and building a national network as we speak as chairman of the NRSC. His position on abortion is an interesting one. He opposes abortion if there's brain wave activity/heartbeat, which is typically at 8-10 weeks. While this is not a 100% pro-life position, it has TREMENDOUS possibilities in terms of shaping the national debate about abortion. Imagine if the whole country knew that babies had brain activity/ heartbeat at 8-10 weeks, and that abortion was legal all 9 months currently. (Many if not most people think abortion is only legal in the first trimester, or maybe the second too.)

Other names that have been bandied about are mostly social liberals: Governor Mitt of Taxachusetts, Bob Ehrlich of Maryland, Rudy, Pataki, and I think Olympia Snowe might run. Rudy's the only one with a chance in a GOP primary; the rest are DQd by abortion alone, never mind their other flaws.

[Abram]

I don't know about the rest, but I really don't want to see Jeb run for President. The Bushes will be preceived to be a political dynasty like the Kennedys. We have enough talent in our party to avoid having to run people from the same families over and over. I like individuals like Gordon Smith, Mitt Romney, Tommy Thompson, Robert Elrich, Coleman, Sonny Perdue. Most of these are untested in the national arena or virtual unknowns. Look at the Democratic slate...most of them are virtual unknowns...making President Bush more likely to win the nomination and the election (this is if the economy cooperates and there are no major scandals). The Democrats are poised to nominate another McGovern or Dukakis...

Mitt Romney, Gordon Smith, and Elrich have my deepest respect...they were able to win in very tough political scenarios....Romney and Smith are both devout Mormons that make them unelectable in the national scene, but both have very deep pockets, impressive resumes, political families, big rolodexes of deep-pocketed friends. This is what got President George W. Bush elected. Don't get me wrong...Jeb would have a lot of the same credentials..plus a Hispanic wife and children, a Catholic religion, and much better Spanish skills than his brother (although President Bush's skills are pretty good). My only concern is that we had the Kennedys (and still have them) running over and over again...Jeb has some family issues with his daughter. We might want to bring someone out without the Bush/Dole family name. I welcome your thoughts....also, newbie...welcome to FR.

[JohnnyZ]

Hm, apparently you don't consider abortion (and other social positions) an issue.

The Democrats actually have some decent candidates for 2008, and I'm not talking about Hillary, who would be a sure loser despite all the carping to the contrary.

Evan Bayh of Indiana and Bill Richardson of New Mexico are the two heavy hitters IMO.

[bruinbirdman]

One thing neocoms love to do (since they can't speak to other dem issues) is inject the abortion issue to any discussion, right up front. You can see it a mile away. There goes the thread!!! Don't fall for it.

yitbos

[PhilCollins]

I think that Alexander is conservative because I have some of his U.S. Senate campaign literature. It states that he supports Second Amendment rights, is pro-life, favors making President Bush's tax cut permanent, and favors a stronger, modernized military. During his 1996 presidential campaign, he said that he favors eliminating the Dept. of Education because, while he was the Secretary of Education, he decided that it's a useless department. he wanted all education decisions made by state and local governments. He also favored eliminating federal government welfare spending because he thinks that each state government should be responsible for the welfare needs of its residents.
Sen. Frist doesn't have enough political experience to be president or vp because he's only in his second term in the Senate. If he gets more experience (as a governor or a cabinet member), I would support him on a national ticket.

[CPT Clay]

Brett Schundler & Bill Frist