* will not be the GOP candidate in 2004

[fizzana]

My bold prediction.

He won't be impeached because the GOP control the House and the Senate but by next year he, and his administration will be so badly damaged that he will be an LBJ in '68 and quit either right before or right after the New Hampshire primary.

McCain should start putting together a campaign team. He'll need it.

[baffie]

1. I think McCain is their only possibility right now.

I can't think of a single other potential repub candidate.

[RobertSeattle]

3. Interesting

While I don't necessarily share this prediction, it is an interesting consequence of putting so much GOP political capital "Mr. Honor and Integrity" George W Bush.

[caledesi]

10. McCain or Hagel.

[Jackpine Radical]

25. That was my prediction on another thread yesterday.

McCain or Hagel. Hagel, of course, has the Diebold vote sewn up for the primary (and General Election as well).

[caledesi]

43. JPR...great minds think alike. n/t

[Boom_cha]

2. McCain is a maverick

I don't think the GOP powers-that-be will support his candidacy, for the simple reason that he is beyond their control (and he still has some shreds of a conscience)

[blackcat77]

4. Frist is another possible replacement if Bush should fall nt

[Devlzown]

7. Now that would be interesting.

What if Dean won the Dem nomination and was running against Frist? Both are doctors -- it would be kind of like Marcus Welby vs. Josef Mengele.

[Boom_cha]

8. LOL

good analogy

[shanti]

13. bless his heart

but that avatar of kucinich makes him look like a little leprechaun. cute tho...

[leftyandproud]

5. ...

Bush is evil...and I'm afraid they will nominate someone even worse...Who could it be?

JEB!
Cheney!
or how bout Rumsfeld!!? Why not???


uuugh

[thom1102]

27. I was thinking about Jeb myself...

From what I've heard of Jeb and his politics, he is just to the right of Ghengis Khan, and makes W look like Marx (Karl that is).

[Aristus]

51. I always thought that * was like Harpo Marx. Same goofy grin,

only not the dazzling way with words.

[berry]

6. It's been suggested on other threads that Hegal (sp?) may be

positioning himself for just such an eventuality. And who better--with his control of the voting machines? AUGH

[grasswire]

9. Rudy

That's my guess. He's the most electable.

[Darth_Ole]

11. McCain would be the first alternate.

But my grandfather, a staunch Republican, wants Alan Keyes to run. I'm sure Alan still has somewhat of a fan base. The anti-abortion crowd.

[thom1102]

28. Rudy has a lot of post 9/11 charisma

but he is prochoice (I believe), that would sink him in the Bible Belt.

[Iris]

49. He could switch that

playing with women's lives seems to be a pretty average day for politicians.

[msanger]

12. draftmccain.org

tell your republican friends about this site. It's not very sophisticated, but it might start things rolling

[shanti]

14. excuse me

but why the heck do you think any dems would promote any repuke?

[FoxNewsIsTheDevil]

15. Because it would hurt Bush

[SyracuseDemocrat]

16. Might Jeb run if his brother is

tarnished from this? Or no?

[roguevalley]

17. if they support McCain

they will lose. The loony side won't vote and will work
against this candidate. Which means we win. :)

[ClintonTyree]

18. The Bush name............

has been forever tarnished. Jeb is as big or even bigger liar than his older brother. Americans, in my opinion, will have had enough of the Bush legacy and won't even consider voting the younger liar into national office.

[ButterflyBlood]

19. Jeb will never run

the family name will be ruined and known as the family of one term horrible presidents. Besides his record as governor is beyond atrocious.

[Quahog]

33. Unlike W's record as governor

Which was... oh, wait.

[newyawker99]

23. Hi SyracuseDemocrat!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[thom1102]

29. I wonder if he would be tanked by any anti Bush backlash?

nt

[caledesi]

44. SO...I think the opposite. No one wants to hear the name Bush again.

After this. Jeb will never get elected an governor again if * goes down.

[ButterflyBlood]

20. I'd say it's too late to put up another candidate

but I heard Clinton didn't announce until October.

I still think Bush will run but if this blows up BIG and they have to replace him, I'm not sure it'll be McCain since I don't know if he has it in to run again he's up for reelection too. Rudy would be the most electable but he's also way too liberal to be accepted by the nationwide GOP. Same applies to Powell, also anyone in this administration would be tainted. Maybe they'll get some Republican governor somewhere.

[Bandit]

41. I think Pataki would probably be the guy before Rudy

Orrin Hatch has run before and so has Arlen Spector. They may both jump back in.

[ButterflyBlood]

55. Pataki is another possibility

but also too liberal to win a nationwide primary. Orrin Hatch could never win a nationwide election (come on, you think we'd elect a Mormon?). Specter has the same problem as Pataki and Rudy. But in the end we'll either get a candidate totally unelectable, or liberal enough to bear.

[DemPopulist]

21. I don't know

I suspect it'd be Frist, because as the others have stated, McCain is too much of a maverick. They'd want someone not part of the administration but "controllable." Frist comes the closest. Not that I think Bush won't run...

[Quahog]

35. Yup. McCain has refused to toe the line for too long

He's a thorn in their side, and he's not going to be rewarded with the nomination.

Given that the GOP just wants a puppet that the corporations can manipulate and who looks good dangling from a string to the AvAm, I'd have to put my money on Frist. He saves dying people by the side of the road, and is a good Christian man. As a pol, he is neither seasoned enough nor smart enough to say no to the GOP power brokers. He'd make a fine sock puppet.

[wellstone_democrat]

54. boy, that is a nice analysis

with which I agree--although I still think the Chimp will go to the bitter end and take everyone down with him. And good riddance.
But, if His Glorious Majesty were to bow out, Frist is the man they'd go for.

Nice, btw, to see such fine political analysis come out of RI. Don't ALL the best thinkers originate there? The ones in my house do...

[DoveTurnedHawk]

22. McCain Could Still Win

Even if Shrub's pResidency crashes and burns, McCain would be a (scarily) strong candidate for the Thugs.

Still, even if our guy lost to McCain, which would suck...even McCain would be tons better than Bush, IMO.

DTH

[tom_paine]

24. Disagree. (not that I don't wish it were so)

When did you ever see an Emperor that voluntarily relinquished power?

I tell you, the steps of the Imperial Senate would be slick with blood before the Emperor* is forced from the throne.

More accurately, we would have to have umbrellas to dodge all the small plane crashes.

But of course, even if it did get that close, after the first couple "accidents", the rest of the herd would get the message and shut their pieholes.

I wish what you were saying would come to pass, but it sounds like wishful thinking to me, I'm afraid.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

32. Yes, Bush would hang on, thinking that God has a plan for him

and that all people who oppose him are just evil people trying to thwart God's will. Or however it is that narcissistic religious fanatics rationalize these things.

[Aristus]

52. Well, Diocletian relinquished power voluntarily.

Of course he was a strong, brilliant leader and a matchless military commander. Unfortunately, he was a persecutor as well, with hundreds of thousands of dead Christians to his name. He didn't want power anymore. He just wanted to watch the cabbages in his garden grow.

[tom_paine]

53. Touche! You got me, Aristus

Open mouth, insert foot.

I'm a big fan of Roman history. Got so carried away that I failed to check my accuracy here.

You are right about Diocletian.

But as you said, Diocletian, whatever else he was, was also a self-made man of great accomplishment...born in Dalmatia, I believe. And not a spoiled man-child as our Emperor.

Spoiled Man-Children, such as Smirky, such as Caligula and Nero and Commodus, do not relinwuish power.

But the Imperial Succession, at least, will be in 8 years terms. A tip of the hat to the Old Republic, just like the Caesers kept some vestiges too.

[buddhamama]

26. i want him to be the candidate

any one of our DEM candidates would be seen as far better than * come 2004.

[Dulcinea]

36. So do I.

I want Boy George to get the trouncing he deserves. His day of reckoning is coming, & it should be on the public stage.

[NicRic]

40. Any of the Dems are better!

However the question is which one of them can win ? I think we really have to make the right desision here ,or this nightmare will continue ! I still strongly believe that Al Gore would be a uniting factor so badly needed ! He will be in even a stronger position to win against bush ,via a draft ! You ask why ,well him accepting a call to duty by the people , plus the fact he actually sreved in the milatary. Then the exprience , of being VP under a very suceessful President Clinton. The reasons for a Draft Gore ,go on and on ! If we keep following the DNC ,it will be 2000 and 2002 all over again , I'll bet ya!!!!
NicRic

[azrak]

48. This is scary

"I still strongly believe that Al Gore would be a uniting factor so badly needed ! He will be in even a stronger position to win against bush ,via a draft ! You ask why ,well him accepting a call to duty by the people..."


Do you still beleive in genies?

[noonwitch]

30. That thing on McCain's neck/cheek isn't getting any smaller.

I saw him on tv over the weekend and he looks very ill. I don't know if he's up for a campaign.

[caledesi]

45. Agree about McCain not looking well. n/t

[leesa]

31. How anyone could possibly vote for any one of these traitorous idiots

is beyond me. McCain, Hegel...they are all supportive and heavily involved in this travesty. ALL Republicans, with the exception of Ron Paul, are traitors.

[Hubert Flottz]

34. They may as well go ahead and run the one who truly represents them!

SATAN!

[AntiCoup2K4]

42. Believe it or not...

I saw a slogan somewhere, can't remember if it was actually on a bumper sticker or not, that said...

Why settle for the lesser of two evils? SATAN for president 2004!! :evilgrin:

[arendt]

37. Thanks for the book-making odds on alternate GOP candidates

I have this thread - "Getting rid of Bush the wrong way"
which is based on the assumption that this media blitz
is orchestrated to let the GOP toss Bush overboard while
keeping all his hideous agenda intact.

This assumption requires that there be a credible alternative
candidate.

From what I read here, McCain is out due either to health
reasons or a burned-out right-wing fringe.

Hegel seems to be the man to beat - hopefully with a stick!
If that vote-rigging SOB is the nominee, we need to get
Bev Harris on TV every day.

Frist doesn't stand a chance. Cat-slasher, HMO crook.

Thanks again,

arendt

[morstyranni]

38. Very Interesting Speculation.

Ain't gonna happen though, most people shrug off that stuff about WMD.

[NicRic]

39. YES he will !!!!

I wish you where right , however do you really think that any repug would commit politicial death by going up agaist bush in 2004 ? Not a chance in h e doulble hockey sticks !

[robbedvoter]

46. Yeah, right! BFEE is fundraising gazillions right now

for someone else to take the cake!

[midem]

47. Bush WILL run.

He will not pull an LBJ, because bush does not make his own decisions. PNAC types call all the shots and they know bush is their best chance in 2004. LBJ made his own decisions and called all the shots as far as his political life was concerned. LBJ pulled out to save himself, not his party, from the 1968 election mess. Keep in mind, the dems still got blasted in 68, it was just not LBJ who had to take it.

GOP advisors, who call the shots, know bush is their best chance and he is STILL running at above 50% with all his screw-ups. So he will run even if things get much worse. THey will campaign on fear and terrorism and hope voters goes along with that agenda.

[fizzana]

50. I'm betting on the Uranium story eventually exploding

and taking down a few people in the administration. The press are all over this and some people who know what's going on will start talking.

What will make it worse is that this administration will stonewall and try to defect blame everywhere else. In the end it will be the cover-up that sinks them. If Rumsfeld & Rice's performance on the talk shows on Sunday is any indication they are not handling this well. Hopefully as things start falling apart, the media will also then start looking into all the intelligence failures from 9/11 as well.

I'm basing this hunch on this happening and on the fact that by early next year all the fundraising and all the influence of the GOP powerbrokers cannot save Bush.

Maybe it's wishful thinking but it's become a lot more possible in the past couple of weeks.