There was a point in 2007 when it looked like John McCain’s campaign was dead. He had no money. His staff was leaving. He wasn’t doing great in the polls. But he had one thing going for him. The competition was ludicrous. There was no way that the people were going to make Tom Tancredo, Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter, or Mike Huckabee the president of the United States. Mitt Romney was far too moderate (as Massachusetts governor) to win the nomination. And Rudy Guiliani couldn’t expand his oratory beyond a noun, a verb, and 9/11. When Fred Thompson almost literally couldn’t wake up, McCain wound up winning the nomination by default.
I think that the same formula might work for Romney this time around. I can’t see how else he could win. He certainly isn’t going to be the first choice of any tea partiers after having imposed the health insurance mandate on the people of the Bay State. But he looks the part, and has the connections and money and support of the Establishment that you need to make a serious run at the presidency. You can’t really say that about any of the other prospective candidates on the Republican side.
Somebody has to win. It’s not gonna be Palin. So, who? The Huckster?
I just don’t think that Romney is going to get it. Between the fact that everything the right-wing currently hates about health-care reform is based off of what he did as governor of Massachusetts and the fact that he’s a Mormon and has never managed to get the evangelicals to cuddle up to him, I just can’t see it.
That said, none of the other “contenders” are even out of the gate at this point. So I suppose despite the fact that he’s widely hated by most of the factions that make up the GOP voting base he might just pull it out.
That said, I’m waiting for one of the crazy nutters to decide they’re running for President. Glenn Beck is going to feel the need to ramp up the crazy again soon, and running for President might just be the ticket to get his adrenaline going.
To add, since I apparently dropped it – being widely hated by all of the factions but not deeply hated by any one of them was how McCain got the ticket in ’08. But Romney was deeply hated by the evangelicals and I predict will be widely reviled by the ‘baggers because of his ties to “Obamacare” (no matter how much he ‘refudiates’ it these days). Which is why I can’t see him pulling it out the way McCain did.
Huckabee is apparently out in front. At least for the moment.
I’d be the field right now. The game right now is whether the establishment is going to lock arms early with one of the “respectable” candidates like Thune, Romney or Pawlenty or let them hash it out to be the anti-Palin or the anti-huckabee. But if i had to put money on it, the prospect of it being somebody we haven’t even thought about seriously seems like a decent bet to me.
I wouldn’t dismiss Palin so easily. The GOP base has reliably shown itself to be insane and/or profoundly dumb. And America has become the world’s primary supplier of those qualities. Look again at who got elected governor around the country — after some of us thought Arnold was surely the low point.
Sans The Bimbo, my bet would be on Huckabee, though an end run by the smarmy little dick from Wisconsin, Paul Ryan, is on the radar, as well. It will all depend on how strong Obama looks at that point, and whether they want a symbolic ranter to spread the idiot message or if they have serious hopes of winning.
I think the fundamental beauty of a Romeny pick; it gives the President a chance to make the election about Romeny.
The MA health care bill.
His previous support of LGBT rights.
His previous support for abortion.
He’s flipped and flopped all over the place; and that’s not something anyone would appreciate.
And the fact Republicans DON’T want him means he’ll have the same issues bring the base together that McCain did too.
I think the only one who could beat Obama is Jeb Bush. but he doesn’t want it. Huckleberry can’t get the indies, Palin is unelectable, Romney has the Mormon thing going on, Pence is nuts as is Bachman.
I just don’t think the repigs have anyone right now who can take on Obama and win.
How depressing is it that the Bush name isn’t an albatross to end all albatrosses around his neck?
Still sticking with my prediction, especially after what happened in the midterm election.
“…the lunatics truly are starting to run the asylum.”
Well, no matter what else happens, I don’t think anyone can hope to dispute your prediction on that score.
What? No love for Michelle B. the other half of inane Republican wingnut sexual fantasies?
Pawlenty might be able to pull something off. Thune, Pence, Perry will be fun until he burns out, if he throws his hat in. I wonder who Rove is close to. Haley Barbour (sp)….
I got it….Michael Steele.
We should start up a facebook page promoting his candidacy!
LOL…..did you see him on Rachel Maddow. Wow, it would be really fun to watch.
Flipping Mitt definitely wants it, but it’s the Mormon thing.
period.
My parents voted for Huckabee in the primary. Look for him or Palin to take it.