I predict a Palin/Huckabee ticket next election cycle...

[sfam]

The good part of this, aside for a crushing Obama win in 08 of course, is that this will mean the traditional Republican party has split apart. The Wall Street wing will be booted to the sideline if this ticket wins. And really, given the power of the religious conservatives in that party, I don't see how it won't.

Palin will spend the next 2 years studying up, and then will lay the groundwork for a nice run. She will have money and support from strong red states. I think Huckabee will do just fine, but might lose out in the sexy "aw shux" contest they will inevitably have.

I don't know what the country will look like in 4 years, but I'm thinkin Obama will be able to dust that ticket.

[cyr330]

1. Who would be at the top of the ticket?

That would be hilarious to watch, but frightening too because of all the loonies in this country!

[sfam]

3. Honestly, I think Palin will. Look at how the crowds go batshit for her...

If she spends the next two years in the US economic/global affairs-SAT cram course, and keeps the doggone sexy eye wink, the base will be in orgasm mode for her.

[MiniMe]

8. Are you asking who will be on top?

ewwwww, I don't want to think about that. And where would Tahd be?

[SteppingRazor]

2. That would be a huge disaster and even the GOP knows it. My take...

is that if it takes a while for the economy to turn around under Obama, then look for a Gingrich ticket in '12.

[sfam]

4. You really think the base will vote Gingrich over Palin? I don't...

Again, intellect doesn't seem to be a valued commodity on that side of the political spectrum...

[SteppingRazor]

20. I think if Huckabee couldn't pull it out in 2008, he won't in 2012.

The Jesus freak wing of the Republican Party is, more and more, taking a back seat to the corporate and nat'l defense wings (those three being, imho, the main three bases of the party). I think as long as Gingrich says the right pro-Jesus crap, the religious right will get behind him as usual. To the poeple who actually run the party, it's one thing to have all of those snake-handling votes. It's quite another for someone who actually comes from their ranks to run for president.

And mind you, I say this as a man who, way back in Dec. 2006, wrote that the 2008 election would be between Huckabee and Obama. I give myself a little credit for predicting Huckabee's ascendance when the man was at something like two percent in the polls, but the fact is I was dead wrong and I overestimated the ability of the religious right to get its chosen candidate into national office by a huge margin.

A candidate like Huckabee does great in the Gulf Coast and Plains states, but will invariably lose a primary by losing the populous West and East coasts. The religious right is doomed to irrelevance, particularly as "nonreligious" is the fastest-growing religious choice in America.

[Marsala]

27. Huckabee didn't have the name recognition to compete well

If he had had a better start, he would have won. As it was, he did well enough to cancel out Romney and so make a path for McCain to somehow grab the nomination.

The Jesus freaks are the future of the Republican party, unless the Wall Street wing can somehow subdue them.

[sfam]

29. or the money for that matter. Huckabee has time to prepare now...although...

my guess is he gets a gig on Fox instead. He would probably get massive ratings over there.

[SteppingRazor]

34. Um ... he already has his own show on Fox. It premiered last weekend. n/t

[SteppingRazor]

31. Then the Republican Party will soon go the way of the dodo.

Republican voters in the big states, like NY and CA, are not the same as GOP voters in SC and OK. Generally speaking -- very, very generally speaking, so please forgive the broadbrush -- they tend to be more from the free-market, Romney wing of the party than the praise-the-Lord wing. And that makes it extremely difficult for someone like Huckabee to get through the primary.

And in any case, like I said in my last post, while it's still only a small sliver of the population, "nonreligious" is the fastest-growing religious preference in America. If the GOP becomes the Jesus Party, it goes the way of the Whigs within 50 years.

[ps1074]

5. Palin will never win a national primary

She is not too bright. Republicans know it but pretend to not care right now. They will care though 4 years from now.

[sfam]

6. Republicans don't vote for dumb candidates?????? Really???

Surely you jest...

[Bake]

10. The Pukes were just thrilled she didn't crap herself last night.

But a PRESIDENTIAL candidate? I don't see that one.

Bake

[crazylikafox]

7. That's OK with me. They can have their 27% base

I watch the financial channels a lot, and one thing I've noticed is that they finally seem to realize that most of the Pubs are idiots. They're no longer spouting the talking points. The traditional Republican business class may be evil, but they're smart and pragmatic. Most are socially liberal. And they're mad as hell about the pub vote against the bailout bill. They may just move to the middle next time around. Many will vote independant. But others will go Dem. Our only issue will be to make sure they don't get too much power along with their votes.

[Marsala]

30. But they vote their pcoketbooks, and Obama will tax the hell out of them

They're going to have to choose between higher taxes (and weaker influence due to Internet fundraising diminishing lobbyists) with the Democrats or total incompetence with the Repukes.

[crazylikafox]

35. Yea you're right. Probably just a moment of delusional hope on my part.

And I'm not being sarcastic :-)

But the next few years should be interesting. Maybe they'll all just vote for Ron Paul.

[hogwyld]

9. One flaw in your analysis

In 4 years, Bambi will be 48, and all she really has is her supposed looks. Once those start to go, she's got nothing left.

[sfam]

13. Aw doggone it, I betcha she can botox her way through the primary...nt

[Clio the Leo]

11. Palin/Liberman NT

[sfam]

15. That's an interesting call...and perhaps I have the wrong VP pick..

Perhaps they will take a neocon or Wall-street type for the VP. I just think Palin is more the type to double-down.

[Clio the Leo]

19. You're putting two conservatives on the ticket, you need a conservative and.....

... someone who's more of a turn coat ....... whoops, I mean someone who's more middle of the road. By the time 2012 rolls around, the demons that have latched onto Liberman's soul will be fully in control of him.

[Clio the Leo]

21. oh and two words for ya "Jew Vote.".....

...... although Jewish Americans aren't that stupid ...... not any moreso than American women are this year.

No Way, No How, No Palin/Liberman. ;)

[codjh9]

12. Ironically, for a 'religious' ticket, I'd view it as The Demons From Hell. n/t

[Uzybone]

14. Palin will be forgotten by February

book it.

She will not win reelection in Alaska let alone be GOP presidential pick.

[sfam]

16. I doubt that. She gives out $3200 checks each year...talk about bribing the electorate!

That alone makes her win. Plus, after this debate, my guess is lots of Alaskans will close ranks on her.

[Starlight]

17. ITA. She'll disappear back to Alaska, never to be heard from again.

[OmahaBlueDog]

18. Traditionally, losing Veep candidates don't fare well

Look back at the past bunch:

Ferraro, Bensten, Quayle, Lieberman

I think the Republicans, as we know them today, will put up either Jeb or Piyush "Bobby" Jindal. David Petraeus might also be in that mix.

Why I say "as we know them today": If they lose (and I'll say "if" until I see Barack take the oath and watch the Bushes fly home), there will be a battle royale for control of the Republican party.

[sfam]

24. Um, Nixon??? Dole also was a VP candidate...

[Spider Jerusalem]

33. Nixon was a losing Presidential candidate

Other losers who've gone on to win the Presidency: John Quincy Adams and William Henry Harrison. Losing VP candidates who've gone on to the Presidential nomination, and won: Franklin Roosevelt (and Sarah Palin is no Franklin Roosevelt).

[OmahaBlueDog]

36. Ummm, Nixon was veep on a ticket that won

You're probably too young to remember President Eisenhower

..and you're right, Dole belongs on the losers list, but he ran 20 years after being a losing veep, and he still lost.

[apnu]

22. Nope, Newt/Palin is my prediction. (nt)

[OmahaBlueDog]

38. Newtacuda

Have some Friday fun... go register on Free Republic, and suggest that McCain should be taken off the ticket and replaced with Gingrich on a Gingrich/Palin ticket. It'll be like watching a pond full of Coi juming toward food thrown in the water -- they'll have a frenzy.

[Spider Jerusalem]

23. Palin is probably going to be impeached over Troopergate

or have you missed the news about an important witness recanting under oath and testifying that the firing in question was done because of pressure from Sarah and Todd Palin and their friends and associates?

[SteppingRazor]

25. Yeah, she's toast. And Huckabee '08 showed me that a religious right candidate...

can't get out of the Republican primary alive. Like I said above, I think '12 will see the Return of the Grievous Gingrich, especially if it takes a while for an Obama administration to turn around the economy.

[sfam]

26. I see a slap on the wrist coming out of this, but would be happy to be wrong...

In terms of Alaskan corruption, this is fairly minor stuff.

[peace frog]

28. Palin/Huckabee

Now there's a ticket destined to go down in flames - but what tons of fun to watch 'em crash and burn.

[NatBurner]

32. there's no way in hell huckabee would pick palin

but i'd hope he would :)

[lolamio]

37. I see her getting run out of Alaska and then turning up on Fox as a talking head. n/t

[victoryparty]

39. She's Quayle in heels except she'll never be veep

How ironic that the Repubs talked so disparingly about the "cult of Obama," etc., then they go out and get someone whose face may well one day be used in textbooks to illustrate the concept of "cult of personality."

Obama's face, on the other hand, will be used to illustrate textbooks for entries about the 44th U.S. president.