Posted on 02/02/2011 7:21:05 PM PST by pissant
Jon Huntsman's planned resignation as ambassador to China this spring seems to be a clear indication that former Utah governor is planning on running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.
He'll be far from alone.
There are currently 18 Republicans mentioned as 2012 candidates and the vast majority of that group is doing the sorts of things -- visiting Iowa and New Hampshire, writing books etc. -- that people who want to run for president do.
Assuming even two-thirds of that group runs, it will match the largest field in presidential history and create a decidedly chaotic primary season. But will it help or hinder Republican chances of winning the White House?
Let's take a look back at history first. (The Fix should have been a history major in college.)
Since the 1968 election, the largest number of candidates to run for a party's nomination is 12, which has happened four times: 1972 (Democrats), 1976 (Democrats), 2000 (Republicans) and 2008 (Republicans). (The last presidential election holds the distinction as the largest combined field with 20 total candidates seeking their respective parties' nominations.)
The reasons for these large fields are relatively obvious: no incumbent president or even an heir apparent to hold down the number of ambitious pols willing to jump into the race. In other words: opportunity.
(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...
I predict it will be MUCH smaller now that Obama’s numbers have gone back up.
And get much bigger if several states pass the proof of birth legislation.
I thought Michigan had a pretty good selection of Republican candidates for Governor going into the primary. They ended up splitting the votes and we ended up with a pretty liberal candidate. At least he beat the really liberal Dem though, and handily.
Skip Romney.
Guyis definitely touring everywhere and he is running but I hope he runs out of gas first.
Hmmmm....
I had thought she was taller but who cares?
Beautiful, witty, charming and smart.
Mom, Business Woman, Wife.
What the hell would you want in a candidate?
I thought Napolean was dead?
This could be bad for Romney—Huntsman could split the Mormon vote. But it’s hard to imagine Huntsman becoming as well known as Romney. Does he have as much money? Does he have good hair?
I’ll take that list.
Weed the other Poseurs out soon.
I’m thinking Huntsman will blunt Romney and they both fail the primary but, I hope they do it before Christmas.
Genie is out of the bottle now though, the R’s will find their own overseas pipelines of campaign cash.
Sadly this is like an arms race, once one side does it and gets away with it, the other side will have to do the same or be left behind.
And at the end of it all, that is squarely the American People’s fault, “if’ Joe and Jane paid more attention to politics and the state of the nation, or even their State, such mounds of campaign cash would do no good as people just would not buy the lies and distortions.
They don’t, for most part people believe what they see and rely on their instincts rather than their thoughts.
At the very least, we have to have the second spot on the ticket.
My prior sentiment was "confused" because I thought we were discussing JH Sr. I know nothing about Jr.
No to Huntsman. Anyone who served with The Rookie should be immediately disqualified and drummed out of the party.
“Junior” was former Gov of Utah, and served as Ambassador to China in The Rookie’s administration. The only reason he’s so high on the media’s list is because he served in the Obama administration.
Yeah, and Pawlenty is a big government RINO like Myth Romney.
Well the Tea Party is one of the reasons for the strength and weaknesses of the R ticket this time around, a sort of Constitutionalist Sensibility meets what I’ll call the “Gucci Loafer” faction of the Republican Party.
Wonder who they would put in the #2 part of the ticket?
Palin/Cain looks pretty good at this point.
I agree. Skip Pretty Boy and the guitar player.
And THAT is why NEITHER is in the real picture...
except as GOP spoilers for their own buddies, Obama and Reid.
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