[kjo]

Wendell Wilkie, 1940

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

People who support a left wing or moderate as the Republican Nominee are guaranteeing a democrat win!

We had a popular Conservative as POTUSA.
Next was a one term moderate.
Next was a two term traitor, who some people think was conservative.
Next was a two term moderate that squeaked by because the democrats nominees were very bad.
Now some people want a far left winger as the Republican nominee that most real democrats can beat because they can run to the right of any of them.

[SaxxonWoods]

Hoo boy. Duncan Hunter has a huge following of at least 47 potential voters in this country, and we are about to hear from most of them. Pass the popcorn.

[cripplecreek]

There was a time when the republican party was a 3rd party.

[lilylangtree]

Rudy, John, & Mitt remind me of '96 when Bob Dole ran (and lost) against Bubba & the Hildebeast. Pubs don't have a viable candidate and picking from the bottom of the barrel won't do.

[donna]

It's not vanity to want to influence the issues. It's good citizenship.

[GoldenPup]

It would seem pretty obvious that these "lesser candidates" are really running for Vice President, not POTUS. They know they don't have a shot at the top spot, but what the hell, why not try for number two with a possible shot at number one down the road, just like Nixon and Bush '41?

[CyberAnt]

Somebody needs to send Michael Medved this link.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1782675/posts

Anybody who think Duncan is not viable has not been paying attention. The media wants the public to believe McCain is their best pal, when he's really their worst enemy.

Duncan is not a fence straddler - he's a true conservative.

[AngrySpud]

Some of the "lesser" candidates might be in it for a shot at the VP slot.

[Antoninus]

I'm sad to say that Medved and Hugh Hewitt are politics over principles conservatives. I'm beginning to rue the time I spent listening to them over the years as they are revealing themselves to be snake-oil salesmen.

Gentlemen, with all due respect, stuff it.

[Antoninus]

My prediction is that some conservative talkers are going to go down with the Rudy Titanic in 2007/8.

Hewitt, Medved, and Hannity are tops on that list. They are revealing themselves to be charlatans to an audience that thought they were true-believers.

[saganite]

I think Bill Clinton was described as an underdog when he won his parties nomination although he had far more name recognition at the time than Duncan Hunter does now.

[EveningStar]

Miscellaneous ping list + others

[uptoolate]

The elections almost 2 years away and already we have people deciding who the viable and ridiculous candidates are.

No wonder politics has become nothing more than a popularity contest.

[JennysCool]

We ALL really need to calm down. The announced candidates have begun their campaigns (ie: fundraising drives) WAY too early. Some who may seem to have momentum at the moment will find America completely sick of them when it comes down to crunch time. Dark horses will surge only to fall back. Issues we haven't even thought of yet will be hotly debated. Gaffes will be made. Come November, 2007, or June, 2008 or, most certainly, November, 2008, things will be completely different than the way we view them now.

This preposterously early start for the campaign is, I think, an effort by the candidates to stretch out the fundraising "season" and the media to get more political bang for the buck, in both controversy for the news programs advertising for the bottom line, and advancement of their agenda.

In other words, the politicos and the drive-bys are manipulating us AGAIN. Just look -- conservatives are already at each others throats -- just the way the media and the libs like it. Just like 2006.

We sheeple never, ever learn.

[EveningStar]

forgot to ping you

[gitmogrunt]

The GOP has had such smashing success in the last election with their RINO candidates, they would be foolish to send out any lesser candidates, particularly if they were those lowly conservative types./sarcasm off

[TitansAFC]

The man is giving a few days to Rudy, and one to select other candidates, and none to candidates he feels are vanity candidates.

Gee, I wonder who Medved supports? LOL

Make no mistake about it, MM will be among the many in the GOP media who would pop the cork tomorrow and celebrate the death of Social Conservatism in politics. Pretty much all of the GOP media are Social Libertarians.

"Roberts and Alito..........LOOK into my eyes.......Roberts and Alito..................."

[nickcarraway]

I think he's overestimating the position of Ronald Reagan. Big GOP players didn't even want him at the '76 convention. He was definitely seen as a not-ready for the big leagues.

[trek]

Stick your head in a movie projector Medved.

Just today I sent a contribution to the Ron Paul 08 exploratory committee.

Is he going to get a large media following? No.

Is he going to be welcomed by the party bigwigs? No.

Do I even think he is going to win? No.

The reason I gave to Ron Paul is because he most reflects what I believe and because it is my money. My 50 bucks doesn't mean anything to the Republican Party. Pro-Death Rudy and Cactus John are making all the noise because they are the choices of the wealthy elites. So let the wealthy elites fund them.

It is only in the primaries that we even have the appearance of a choice. So at least in the primaries I will fund someone I actually like, not someone who is simply less distasteful than his or her opponent.