IN 1980, the insiders were divided.
1980 Bush vs. Reagan.
1988 Bush vs. Dole.
1996 Dole vs. the field. Dole almost lost it, even with full support of the insiders.
2000 Bush vs. McCain
2008 McCain vs. Romney
2012 Romney alone. Insiders united.
2016 ?
2016 is shaping up as a race with serious divisions among the insider crowd ... which provides an opportunity for grassroots to be the decider among the top few competitors. An opportunity that will be lost if the right is fractured into numerous candidates in most states.
2012 was hopeless from the start because the insiders were largely united around Mitt, especially after Perry imploded. Perry was the only one who could have pulled it off, in retrospect. But Mitt was ready to pulverize him with his specialized destroyer commercials.
Here's a nice map. Hopefully, some conservative candidate will hire a real campaign team for NH this year. Unlike Forbes2000 Huckabee2008 RS2012 Newt2012 ... all hired teams that were in over their head.
http://sos.nh.gov/2012RepPresPrim.aspx?id=12945
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/10/map-new-hampshire-primary-2012-results_n_1195374.html
good links.
. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday announced the hiring of a campaign manager for his likely 2016 presidential bid, part of an aggressive effort to build a national political team as the race for the White House heats up.
The hiring of strategist Chip Englander, who recently guided a gubernatorial candidate to victory in Illinois
Englander, 33, who spent much of his early career working in California politics, last year managed Republican Bruce Rauner’s campaign for governor in Illinois
Michael Biundo, who was campaign manager for former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum’s 2012 presidential campaign, which won 11 primaries and caucuses, is another senior adviser set to run Paul’s New Hampshire campaign.
On Wednesday, Paul will travel to New Hampshire for a series of meetings and events. Later this year, he will release “Taking a Stand: Moving beyond Partisan Politics to Unite America,”
One Romney adviser, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, said, “Mitt’s a very restless character. He is not the type to retire happily, to read books on the beach. .. He believes he has something to offer the country and the only way he can do that is by running for president again.”
Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the GOP presidential nominee in 2008, was skeptical of a Romney candidacy and endorsed the idea of a “dark horse” run by his longtime friend in the Senate, Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.).
Romney moves to reassemble campaign team for ‘almost certain’ 2016 bid.
we always cannot speak candidly on here. Santorum’s Biundo. Words cannot describe him.