Posted on 11/08/2014 6:33:23 AM PST by Pinkbell
Rob Portman is continuing to weigh a presidential run even as he leans toward running for reelection, he said in an interview on Friday afternoon.
The Ohio Republican senator doesn’t have a precise timeline for his decision, but with his party’s triumph on Tuesday behind him he said he’s finally got some time to think about whether to seek the presidency or commit 100 percent to running for reelection in the swing state of Ohio in 2016.
He’s currently “planning to run for reelection” but declined to rule out a run at the White House.
“I am going to take a look at the opportunity of the presidential race. But you know, right now, I’m excited about these results Tuesday night. I’ll be talking to family, talking to friends and some who’ve been encouraging me and analyze the situation. But I’m not planning at this point to change my approach, which is legislating,” Portman said in a telephone interview.
Several of his colleagues like Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida are also considered top 2016 contenders as is Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who was just reelected. Asked if the 2016 decisions of others would affect his decision-making, Portman said no.
“You decide, in my case, what’s in the interest of the country,” he said. “The question is: ‘What’s the most effective role that I can play?’”
Portman emerged as a deal-making Republican player over the past two years, helping hammer out a bill to extend expired unemployment benefits that passed the Senate, building a bipartisan energy efficiency bill with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) that sputtered over procedural warfare and ultimately voting against the Senate’s immigration reform legislation after trying to receive a separate roll call vote on his amendment.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo not rob portman, nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Portman was my congressman from the 2d district of Ohio before he became senator.
He was VERY conservative, and this is a very conservative district.
His days with Bush and then his son’s coming out either changed him OR he’s playing rope-a-dope until he gets in office.
He’s a very smart guy, a little withdrawn, and possibly a sleeper in the gop-e. He used to be very conservative. Seriously.
John Boehner, when he was first elected, was supposed to be a conservative radical challenging the establishment. There was a newspaper report on it. My, how they turn.
John Kasich ran an intense campaign against the Tea Party this past election cycle. He personally recruited moderates to run against incumbent state representatives who objected to the way Kasich overrode the state legislature, in an Obama-like “I have a pen and phone” action - and simply declared Medicaid Expansion done. Then after this imperial declaration that went against the wishes of the majority of the citizens, Kasich personally planned the elimination of the state representatives who fought him on his illegal Medicaid Expansion. He got big union support in this scorched earth campaign against the Tea Party. My state rep, Matt Lynch, an excellent representative, was one of the targets of this anti-conservative campaign by Kasich.
Katich is good as a Republican in the same way John McCain is good, or Susan Collins is good or Arlen Specter is good.
Please run!!! his oters will dilute the RINO/GOPe scum vote.......and we can narrow down to a couple of conservatives.
This isnt an accidently plant story...he knows he cant win as does Graham of SC...but if the can get enough votes away from conservatives and GOPe candidate walks away with the nom........rememeber that folks!
No one supporting homo marriage will ever get my vote. No matter what office, big or small. Any candidate even slightly wobbly on it (like Romney, the first GOP candidate in my voting life to not get my vote) is totally off my list.
Another trial balloon.
We will continue to see these for nearly every wannabe until late next year.
The big problem for the next election is the capability of the wannabes to attract big money contributors. If they announce too early, they could run out of steam and become ‘old news’ too soon. If they announce too late, they may have missed the big money, as it may already be allowed to other announcees.
Estimates are that each major party will spend around $1Billion for the next presidential election. Considering that over $100 million was spent in the senatorial election in North Carolina, that $1Billion for each party is not surprising.
So far, we have about a half-dozen Pubbie wannabes ‘almost’ saying they will run. We have another half-dozen who would like to jump in. The primary debates stages are likely to be crowded in the early debates.
Speaking of debates, having more than four to six contenders limits the amount of time each has to state their positions. It also leads to more of the ‘raise you hand if ...’ questions.
The big money or lack thereof will do more to thin the herd than the debate results will.
It really depends who is better known during the Primaries, and who gets the big blocks out of GOP support. He may not be one of those individuals. Then again, he or a liberal GOP could get nominated if we have too many conservatives crash and burn. Hopefully Cruz turns out better.
Rob Portman recently donated about $30,000 to the Mississippi Thad Cochran campaign which included the commercials that branded the Tea Party as being very fond of the KKK. The Portman money also helped with the purchase of inner city Democrat votes in the Republican primary so the wishes of true Republicans could be overcome. The Cochran campaign, which Portman supported in a big way, was the triumph of Alinsky style smear and deception against a good conservative. It was vital for Republicans like Portman that the people of Mississippi not get the candidate they wanted but rather the candidate Mitch McConnell wanted.
I live in Ohio. Rob Portman is anything but a conservative.
An even bigger question is “WHY”.
Could be ego or could it be that its very lucrative to run for POTUS and then get to keep the leftover loot that fools give ya?
I would encouage Mr. Portman and a dozen or so of his best friends in the moderate wing of the party to toss their hats in the ring for the Presidential primaries. But one bit of campaign advice: in order to give the voters a chance to have all of your voices of moderation heard, you really need to stay in the race until May or June of 2016. Even if you are only drawing 10%, 5% or even 1% of the primary vote, remember that you represent a special group of moderate voters whose voice needs to heard, and a special group of moderate donors whose money needs to be spent. So don’t get discouraged if you don’t succeed early on, or if others call on you to drop out because you are drawing votes away from other moderate contenders. Hang in there and make your voice heard. Moderates will thank you someday, just like us conservatives are grateful for Huckabee in 2008 and Santorum in 2012.
Really.
Portmann can go to hell. I will never vote for him. Being Pro-gay marriage makes him dead to me.
He is just a garden variety consummate insider now. I do not care what he used to be.
NEVER FORGET that Rob Portman donated $100,000 from his war chest to fund the race baiting in the Mississippi run-off for Cochran. Although he is a nice guy, he IS an UBER RINO.
Don’t all these people running for office get paid back their salary by the campaign for time off from their regular job? I seem to remember Betsy Markey (CO)when she lost her house seat got paid back her lost wages....
Sounds like a pretty good gig. Get to travel, free food and drinks, lots of partying, plus get paid too! No wonder these old losers keep running...
Portman has been the MOST ineffective Senator Ohio has ever had.
A total wimp. Much more so that Poppy Bush or Romney. Just a warm bucket of spit.
As a Buckeye, I couldn’t agree more with your assessment of Portman. He turned his back on the Tea Party, has accepted the pro gay movement, and sought to undermine Chris McDaniel in Mississippi. I’ll never vote for him in the primary or the general.
I live in Ohio....in Portman’s old district.
I have watched countless democrats pretend conservatism until they get to Washington, and then, bam, the were always a liberal.
I keep hoping that some day from our side a sleeper will show his colors. I can’t tell you that’s Portman. In fact, if we could say it was anyone, then they will have failed at their strategy to infiltrate the system.
He has at least 2 other GOP Senators openly keeping him company on approval of homosexual marriage.
1. Susan Collins, ME
2. Lisa Murkowski, AK
... and possibly a 3rd in the closet.
3. Mark Kirk, IL
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