Who does the GOP have as presidential material?

[Erika]

A pretty pathetic bunch.

[Lautremont]

1. Well, there's the crazy guy... the racist... um, the Furbee,

the metrosexual and the grump.

[tblue]

2. Well, there's.....

[lvx35]

3. I like the drag queen!

ad the guy who says we should send more troops into Iraq when the whole country is against it! he's cool too!

[DonkeyInChinaShop]

4. Tommy Thompson and Mike Huckabee

[Erika]

27. You got to be kidding?

They have no charisma.

[illinoisprogressive]

5. the freepers were trying to warm up to guillianni last week. lol.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

30. I posted this under another thread...but this is what I have on Rudy...

Does America really need another defense tycoon in the White House?

GIULIANI CAPITAL ADVISORS LLC ANNOUNCES SECURITY AND DEFENSE INVESTMENT BANKING TEAM

snip>>>

April 5, 2006 - New York, NY. Giuliani Capital Advisors LLC ("GCA") today announced the establishment of a Security and Defense Investment Banking Practice with the addition of two nationally-recognized bankers in the industry. GCA's Security and Defense team will focus on providing strategic advisory, merger and acquisition and financing placement services to the industry’s leading companies.

snip<<<

snip>>>

"Given Giuliani Capital Advisors' affiliate relationship with Giuliani Partners LLC, our expansion into the Security and Defense sectors is a logical extension of our industry-focused investment banking practice. By hiring two of the established leading bankers in this rapidly expanding sector, we are well-positioned to advise Security and Defense companies on their transaction and capital needs," said Steven D. Oesterle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Giuliani Capital Advisors LLC, a boutique investment banking firm.

snip<<<

http://www.giulianicapitaladvisors.com/n_press5.aspx

[beltanefauve]

32. I don't see it happening

Guiliani is a little too "New York" for "Middle" and "Rural America", I think.

[Psephos]

6. Giuliani will be a formidable candidate

And he can be positioned as "not Bush" without much problem. We'd better take him seriously.

The rest of the repug field looks pretty weak, especially because they are too far right. Repugs don't understand that the Gaussian distribution of voters is clustered around the middle.

[Erika]

18. Guiliani makes Bill Clinton look like a choir boy

as does Newt. The religious right won't vote for him.

[Psephos]

23. I agree about the Clinton comparison

I think that numerically, centrists and center-rights outnumber far-rights by a large margin, and they won't care as much about Giuliani's social views and "interesting" biography.

My $0.02 worth...

[Just-plain-Kathy]

7. Jeb.

[Erika]

16. Most people are sick of the Bush name

Sick, sick, sick.

[HughBeaumont]

25. Said this in another post regarding the balloon-headed legacy:

Particularly those thinking about nominating him in the GE:

Fooled you once, shame on them.
Fooled you twice, shame on you.
Fooled you thrice, well, you're just a dumbass that needs a lobotomy and voting rights revoked.

[Initech]

8. Chances are very good that the one guy scarier than Bush will get the nom:

Newt Gingrich.

:scared:

:nuke:

[Psephos]

11. Not a chance, IMO (and in nearly every pundit's opinion, too)

He is as polarizing as Hillary, with far less support.

[Initech]

35. But the thing is - Newt's just crazy enough to appeal to the Focus On The Family crowd.

They are attacking Guiliani and even Jeb left and right because otherwise they wont get the fifth justice they need to overturn Roe V. Wade. Newt is the only one who could do it as far as I know.

[napi21]

17. Newt is the one who scares me too! I live in Ga. and I've heard this

snake quite often. DO NOT UNDERESTIMAte the "Newt"! You do of course realize that newts are lizard like creatures that are very capable of a lot of different things!

I remembermy kids had some in their aquarium many years ago. They were fine in their, and even though I had a lid on the damn thing, those sneaky creatures managed to get out! I often found them in time to get them back in the aquarium, but I also found a few dried up on the floor.

Lets all HOPE we find Newt Gingrich dried up on the floor too!

[Initech]

21. Read this, this would silence any chances he has:

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2006/nov/28/gingrich_in_new_hampshire_lets_re_examine_free_speech_in_age_of_terror

[Imagevision]

9. They have nothing to brag about -- Dems should have a landslide!!

[Erika]

12. The Dems will have a landslide

Our weakest candidates shine when compared to the GOP, and that's just in the presidential race!

[saltpoint]

10. The stage is set, ladies and gentlemen, for Alan Keyes.

Alan Keyes actually looks halfway good compared to the rest of this sorry pack.

[Erika]

14. He's way too socially conservative

Plus he's got his own set of family value problems. He refuses to have contact with his gay daughter.

[saltpoint]

19. O I know, Erika. He's one of those people who just isn't going to

go very far. And you're right about where he stands on issues, and his behavior toward his daughter is repellant. He should learn from the example of the Dick Gephardt family.

[Erika]

24. Keyes is a very articulate man

Who shows kindness and understanding to everyone except his own. I've known many of them.

[snowbear]

13. Well... in my opinion....

I kinda sorta think that Hagel may ride in on the GOP elephant in another couple of months and the problems with Rudy's DINO tendencies, McCain's INCREDIBLE flip-flopping & Bush-butt kissing, and Mitten's Mormon Concerns..

I have a feeling that Chuck Hagel may emerge late and do well in a short amount of time.. He'll do well because he differs so much from the rest of them in regards to Irag...

[Erika]

15. The conservative right are backing W's war completely

Hagel would lose their vote.

[snowbear]

20. Huh..

So.. If Hagel (a veteran) opts to get in.. and he's been critical of Bush.. wouldn't a portion of R's find that appealing?

He's conservative.. but he hates what they're doing in Iraq.. so I was always under the impression he'd have some appeal to the righties that don't agree with this war?

I suppose we'll see.. (if he jumps in)

[Erika]

22. The religious right believe in a twisted strong defense

Like all show blow each other up for Armageddon.

[snowbear]

26. LOL.... I see what'coo mean!

[beltanefauve]

33. I'm concerned about Hagel

There are people who knew in 2004 that Iraq was going terribly wrong yet simply "couldn't" vote for Kerry. The 2006 election may very well have sent a message but I'm still not convinced that that can be equated with conversions to our side of the aisle. An anti-war Republic may be more palatable to the unwashed masses. Of course our candidates are better, but by no means do I think its a slam-dunk. It's the kitchen table issues: health care, minimum wage, the populist issues which make us more attractive. They need to be addressed, over and over and over again. Most people in this country only seem to get fired up when something hits them close to home, otherwise, their attention goes to American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. As for the war, the more that keeps hitting closer to home, the more likely we'll see outrage.

And I can only hope the Republics keep up with their attempt at false populism. Y'know, gay marriage, flag-burning, etc.

[longship]

28. Watch out if Chuck Hagel jumps into the race.

He's the only Republican who would make 2008 an interesting race, IMHO.

The rest of them are just a bunch of bellicose lunatics.

[Prophet 451]

29. Newt, McCain and Guilliani

Of those, McCain is too insincere, too far to the right (admittedly, compared to Bush, he's a communist but the general public knows more about him than they did about Bush in 2000) and too attached to the war in the public memory.

Newt is a possibility but I think memories of him shutting down the government effectively over spite are still too fresh. Also, he tends to substitute bluster for substance and he doesn't even have Bush's charm.

Guilliani is the only one I would consider a threat. Granted, he's got an interesting biography but the Religious Reich will vote for him anyway simply because he's a Republican; he has that image of being the saviour of NYC from 9/11 (I'm not disputing that's bullshit but that's the perception of him in some quarters).

Of the rest, you can probably discount anyone currently closely associated with Chimpy on the grounds of public revulsion (although the R's might be able to Diebold a few races). You can probably discount Jeb for the same reason, at least for the time being.

Giulliani is the only one that I would call a serious contender with Newt a distant second. Up against either of them, Hillary would struggle; Obama would easily win outside the Bible Belt and Mid-West but it's debateable if he'd be able to convince enough of them to vote for a black man (let's not mince words, it will matter to some); Gore could go through Newt like he wasn't there and would probably have a comfortable edge on Giulliani; Kucinich, much as I love him, doesn't seem willing to get vicious enough to counter what will undoubtedly be the dirtiest campaign we've ever seen and for some reason, I don't see Edwards getting the nod. No real reason, just a hunch.

[HughBeaumont]

31. Frankly, they got NUTHIN'!

No name recognition, no one who isn't an overly-religious bag o' cashews, no closet fascist they can sell as a moderate like they did the Simian, no one whose ideas aren't going to turn off more than 60% of this country . . .

I mean, think about it. Their candidate is going to HAVE to prolong the worthless oil conflicts; the betters wouldn't allow a candidate that talks of withdrawl. There isn't going to be any of this "commie leftist pinko" talk of "not gettin' th' JAWB dun!". People are flat out sick of this war and the majority of the country wants out before more citizens and soldiers die. Even the freepers are embarrassed at this lameness; they showed up in the tens at the last protest even though it was a 55-60 degree day.

But sorry, that's what the Pukes do: they make money for the betters that own them at the expense of everyone else. Their bread-n-butter ideas (tax cuts, free trade, government small enough to drown but big enough to spy on you) are middle-class and poor killers. Unfortunately for them, because they sold the country out, they purchased the rope to hang themselves with. People are flat-out tired and are ready for hope again.

Our best bet would be to get new blood in there. President Gore or Edwards will do just fine, thanks.

[recoveringdittohed]

34. Taft/Fletcher or Fletcher/Taft

Why worry about the uncertainty that your ticket might do something stupid & get indicted. Why not nominate the quintessential Republic party ticket pre-indicted and certifiably scandal ready.