The GOP establishment always looks to poor or unqualified candidates that don’t motivate the base. Thune isn’t right.
Can't they find someone who is and was anti the banker bailouts?
There's clearly a movement underway from the Inside-the-beltway crowd to puff up Thune and sell him to the GOP base as an alternative to non-establishment friendly conservatives they can't control. Thune's been mediocre since all the hoopla died down from his victory over Daschle. He votes the "right way" 90% of the time when something reaches the Senate floor, but he's hardly a principled conservative warrior in public life. He's an establishment hack and would never get my support in the primary, especially after betraying conservatives on some high-profile fights. Sadly, many freepers don't realize this, the pro-Thune puff pieces seem to be working. Do really want this in the White House?
Bob Bennett’s TARP vote defended by John Thune
GOP says bipartisanship still possible (Thune) (BARF)
As for the polls, they're pretty much meaningless at this point. All the Republicans mentioned besides Gingrinch and Palin were in a statical dead heat with Obama. If I was a sitting President, I wouldn't get too cozy knowing I'm polling dead even with an unannounced challenger.
I like Palin, but we do need to consider other dark horse choices as well. Back in 2000, no one would ever guessed Barack Obama would succeed Bush as President, he was best known as a state Senator who just got his butt kicked in a Congressional primary against black panther Bobby Rush. Or for that matter, no one would have guessed in 1992 that the guy who would succeed Clinton would be the son of the guy he just trounced. For all we know, the next GOP president could be someone currently seen as a has-been like Marilyn Musgrave.
I would have picked Gary Johnson as my favorite of the "dark horse" choices, I really liked his governing style when he was in office and he was one of the very few statewide GOP officials to buck the trend and endorse Steve Forbes over Bush in 2000. But then someone mentioned on this forum that Johnson is pro-choice on abortion, pro-open borders, and a Paulite. In that case, I'm scratching him off the list.
But let's keep our options open. If Palin doesn't emerge as the best contender, we really shouldn't go with another Washington-establishment annointed "conservative"