Romney, Huckabee and Palin are GOP Favorites for 2012 [Giuliani is still around, too] [sick]

CQ Politics ^ | 2009-07-28

[rabscuttle385]

Three Republicans are bunched within five points of each when potential GOP presidential candidates are matched up for 2012 with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney barely on top, according to a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll conducted July 21-22. The margin of error for the part of the survey dealing only with Republican voters is 6 points.

Romney leads with 22 percent, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 21 percent and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with 17 percent. Former New York City mayor (we're dealing with a lot of "formers" here) Rudi Giuliani polls 13 percent, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gets 9 percent and by the time we get to an elected official, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, he scrapes together 3 percent. Ten percent say it's too soon to decide.

[wmfights]

DeMint is awesome. Not nearly as certain about Barbour or Jindal.

I agree about DeMint. He is the future of the Pub party.

Barbour has done a good job as gov. of Mississippi and has that friendly talking ability that makes it hard for the media to make him seem so radical. Reagan had that quality. Jindal is young, but as gov. he has stuck to his promises and from all accounts has been doing a good job.

I worry about Palin because you either love her or hate her, there is no middle ground. Like it or not, if we are going to get the govt back we need to attract the mushy middle and they tend to vote for the candidate that is the most likeable.

[DM1]

Palin resigning is ammo for any of her opposition - they will label her a quitter and the squishy middle of American politics will agree. I dont know enough about Bobby Jindahl but maybe there is solid conservative Governor out there who will make his or her mark and take the nomination.
right now these poll numbers are of name recognition who knows what can happen in a couple of years

[Jewbacca]

Then we are toast.

I love Sarah, but she’s damaged goods, thanks to McCain (and her own missteps with the media).

[DM1]

i really think Palin is going to be damaged goods despite my fondness for her. she is going to be labeled as a quitter that could not cut it and i think that the squishy middle of AMerican politics will believe it.
if anyone can derail either Romney or Huckabee it will probably be some under the radar governor
thats just my take who knows what will happen

[GunsareOK]

.....Rudy would probably agree to leave gun control alone and keep his word about it....

I hope you’re right.

[GunsareOK]

I’m more than puzzled—I wish she hadn’t resigned.

[org.whodat]

I agree, see tag line!!! LOL

[SoConPubbie]

I'd like to see Romney as Treasury Secretary....

The idea that Romney is great on economic issues is just an urban legend.

The only things you need to know to de-bunk that crap, is that he supported or implemented the following two items:

1. RomneyCare - Which is now bleeding massive amount of money in Massachussetts as any socialist health care proposal would and has done throughout history.

2. He supported the bailouts. Which any conservative economist could have told the dope would not have worked and has not worked and only made the situation worse.

Sorry, but Romney ain't a conservative and he ain't much of a businessman, at least not the type of businessman conservatives can rally around.

[Buckeye McFrog]

that question is pretty close to “Can you name a prominent Republican?” (I’m guessing they got a few Reagans and Nixons in their response too)

[SoConPubbie]

i really think Palin is going to be damaged goods despite my fondness for her. she is going to be labeled as a quitter that could not cut it and i think that the squishy middle of AMerican politics will believe it.
if anyone can derail either Romney or Huckabee it will probably be some under the radar governor thats just my take who knows what will happen

The only people who believe that Sarah is a quitter are those duped by the crap shoveled by the Media, the DNC, and the supporters of 2012 Presidential Candidates that fear her.

Those that have actually listened to her speak KNOW this is not the case.

And now that she is free to speak her mind and spend a whole lot more time in the public's eye, more and more people will be able to hear her and it will counteract the negativity coming from the Media, the DNC, and the supporters of NeoCons and Moderates such as Huckabee, Rudy, Mitt, et. all.

[festusbanjo]

Sorry, but I can’t excited about any of them for a number of reasons. Is this the best that we have to choose from? Where are the new Reagans?

[org.whodat]

Perhaps more vexing for Palin’s national political aspirations, however, is that 57 percent of Americans say she does not understand complex issues, while 37 percent think she does, a drop of nine percentage points from a poll conducted in September just before her debate with now-Vice President Joe Biden. The biggest decline on the question came among Republicans, nearly four in 10 of whom now say she does not understand complex issues. That figure is 70 percent among Democrats and 58 percent among independents.

You've got a big, big, hill to climb. http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/palin_favorability_rating_drops_to_40_percent_poll_finds/281916/

[Niteranger68]

I think Obama has proven to me that sometimes, you really do have to hold your nose and pull that lever.

Agreed. There are a few too many Conservatives who do not understand the difference between political offense and defense. All or nothing will usually get you nothing.

[Will88]

All of this tearing down of the best known candidates is paving the way for Tim Pawlenty in 2012, to be handed the nomination by the blue states just as McCain was in 2008.

[trisham]

Excellent points.

[SoConPubbie]

Once again...

This is a media created perception, created while her hands were tied as Governor.

Now she has been set free to spend an enourmous amount of time combating the crap from the media and people in her own party, as well as, getting out and speaking out on a daily basis on issues of the day and supporting conservative candidates for 2012.

She starts Aug. 8th at the Reagan Library. I'll be there and will report back on what she has said.

That hill ain't that high nor will it be hard to climb at all.

[SoConPubbie]

Thanks

[Antoninus]

Not Romney. Not now. Not ever. If he’s the GOP’s candidate, count me out.

[Bob J]

“The only people who believe that Sarah is a quitter are those duped by the crap shoveled by the Media, the DNC, and the supporters of 2012 Presidential Candidates that fear her.”

This is what's scary. Palin supporters who won't, even at the slightest, acknowledge the elephant in their living room.

Sarah quit, you can spin it any way you want, but it will be hammered home every day by her opponents, the dims and the MSM. It will be a factor for many of the swing voters she would need to win a general election.

People on FR say she is damaged goods not because they don't like her but because they are realists and understand how the game of politics is played. But many Sarah supporters have blinders on and will continue to spin it or ignore this fact like it doesn't exist and denigrate people who bring it up until the train crashes.

I believe Sarah knows this and I think she is going to spend her time writing books, doing speaking engagements, maybe some television or radio, a website, etc. She's going for the gold and I although I don't blame her for me she jumped the shark when she quit her post while on active duty.

We needed Sarah to lead the revolution from WITHIN the game. She now is on the outside and while she can be a formidable proponent for conservative causes, she has taken herself off the main board for good.

And if she doesn't understand this then I will lose even more respect than I lost when she quit.

[Combat_Liberalism]

United we stand. I agree with waiting until we learn more from the 2010 midterms. “I won’t vote for this one or that if he/she is the nominee” is a prescription for Jackass control of the White House and government at all levels for a generation. You may have purist principles to stand on but your beliefs will never gain power, even after a national catastrophe should bring the right/center to power. Why? Ronald Reagan’s coalition remains too fractured to recover power. You can hold on to your beliefs but still vote pragmatically. Not one single belief needs to be compromised. Ronald Reagan could have selected Malcolm Wallop or Jessie Helms for his veep in 1980. Instead, he chose to unite the party by choosing GHWB. Any one of the names mentioned for the 2012 GOP nod would be hugely superior to Obama. But none of them have the prestige, charisma, or coherence of Reagan. Let the Democrats attack the field of nominees. Keep your powder dry. Remember who the real enemies are, and how much damage they are doing to the USA. Let the pain of that reality dictate your choices.