So who will be the Republican Presidential candidate in 2016?

[Hamlette]

I can't imagine anyone who ran in 2012 being given much press or money this time. Herman Cain, Bachmann, Santorum, Newt, Romney, Rick Perry? All too crazy or just losers. Huntsman is too liberal. Seems Ron Paul is out of politics altogether.

Christie is dead. So who is out there? Rand Paul, Ted Cruz? Too crazy. Rubio seems like a lightweight, I'm not impressed. They say Scott Walker but really? After all the bad press he got at the beginning of his term? Plus he has no charisma, which is usually important (not so with Nixon obviously, but most everyone else).

Who am I missing? Is the bench really that shallow? We won't get the clown car parade like last time, I'm thinking the GOP will hold fewer primary debates to keep the crazies off the TV machine. But who will be in the debates? Who will get it?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I have NO idea. I too am curious! n/t

[JaneyVee]

2. Ben Ghazi.

[Hamlette]

3. lol

[madinmaryland]

37. And his Veep, Dick Hertz!!

[fredamae]

4. Walker/Rubio? n/t

[yeoman6987]

53. Won't be Rubio

They hate Rubio now because of his Amnesty position. I think it will be Scott Walker (even though DU says he is boring and had bad press). I can't think of anyone else. It would be funny if it was Sarah Palin.

[tridim]

5. I'm pulling for Jindal/Trump. nt

[SoCalDem]

6. The primaries will be fun..

Huckleberry (Huckabee)
Santorum
Mr 999

and the others should produce many hours of fun

[RoverSuswade]

7. Sarah Palin.

They will want a woman to run against a woman.

[FSogol]

8. Paul Ryan or Jeb Bush. n/t

[cthulu2016]

16. probably so

[FSogol]

17. Plan for a circus at any rate. Anyone know how many debates the clowns will have?

[CTyankee]

64. they sound the most logical at present time...we'll see...

[LonePirate]

9. Huckabee, Kasich, Ryan or Walker

I suppose Rand Paul might be able to sneak in there as he could cobble together a coalition of his father's supporters and the Tea Party nuts.

I do know Christie never stood a chance to win the Republican nomination, even before the current scandals. The right wing extremists that control his party hate him almost as much as we do.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

10. Alfred E Neuman

[TeamPooka]

32. He ran in 2012

[Scuba]

11. Well, they've got this guy, a proven winner ...

A successful fundraiser ...




A protector of the priviledged ...




Who's loyalty is unquestioned ...

[Drew Richards]

12. Ted cruz will start and Jeb Bush will ride in to save the day...god help us. nt.

[AlinPA]

13. Cruz. The right amount of crazy for the GOP base, and his name is out there already. Crazy rules the

GOP now and teabaggers are in control.

[Solly Mack]

14. It's going to be....

Someone I'm not voting for....as usual.

[Gothmog]

15. Mitt Romney

Don't laugh. He may be their only person left after all of the scandals are sorted out

[bklyncowgirl]

23. You know, some of Christie's problems could be due to Romney payback

It's pretty clear that the Mittster really hated Christie. Maybe this could be Mitt's way of clearing the field.

[madinmaryland]

38. I have to agree with you. This time, he will not pander to the crazy wing of the party. IOW,

he will flip-flop once again. What the hell does Mitt believe in today, other than the almighty dollar???

[Gothmog]

55. The 47% line will still haunt Romney

Romney may be the closest thing to a viable candidate

[Ligyron]

63. That's what I'm starting to think. eom

[Brother Buzz]

18. Paul Ryan will be the stalking horse...

Until Jeb Bush comes riding in on his white horse to save the day. Bank on it

[yellowcanine]

19. Easier to say who it WON'T be. Bob McDonnell or his wife Maureen

For starters.
And I would add: Chris Christie

[bklyncowgirl]

20. Some midwestern or southwestern governor type no one's ever heard of--or Jeb Bush

I'm thinking, unless something dramatic happens, like all of the wronged NJ mayors simultaneously shout "APRIL FOOL" and saying that whole GWB/Pay to Play thing was all a great big joke, Christie's toast. The fat man would have been their best shot but he pretty much shot himself in the foot with the bridge scandal. Ditto Governor and Mrs. 'Gimme Gimme" from Virginia. Done, Done and Done, Federal Prosecutors start your engines.

Just about any governor from the south is also toast. Rick Perry, you had your chance and you blew it. No one, but no one is going to forget "Ooops". Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz. Not gonna happen.

What they need is someone who doesn't immediately repel anyone who is not a white man over the age of 65 or a raving young Randian. Someone who can cite the conservative line gospel and verse to satisfy the base but who does not immediately raise the hackles of those few American who are still "persuadable". Someone who has the ability to sell Republican policies with an aw shucks manner and a smile.

Huckabee comes to mind but I don't think the 1%ers totally trust him. Jindal's too Indian and too Catholic, Martinez too female and too Hispanic. Scott Walker too controversial. Actually, I think their best shot is with someone who's reasonably competent, eats with a knife and fork and is capable of talking to normal people without looking like he knows he just stepped in dog poop--I'm talking about you, Mitt Romney.

To be honest the only one who I think could do it is Jeb Bush. The question is does he have the fire in the belly? I'm thinking he doesn't but of course I could be wrong.

[Hamlette]

21. I completely forgot about Jeb

and agree with you analysis of him and the others. In addition to the fire in the belly, not sure America is ready for another Bush.

Has it ever been this bad before?

McCain and Romney looked like reasonable candidates when their races began. McCain might have even pulled it out had he not picked Palin and had ne not been running against a superstar. And Romney was a moderately popular governor in a blue state. Then he opened his mouth.

I hate almost all republicans but the 2012 field was a joke. I'm reading This Town and everyone in Congress hated Santorum, even all the republicans and the press. And Herman Cain? President of the US? What were they thinking?

I guess when your platform starts off with "we hate the government and don't want it to do anything (except pay me and start wars)" you are left with a strange bunch to choose from.

[bklyncowgirl]

25. I still think it will be someone we haven't really thought about.

The question is can anyone unite the disparate and frankly in some cases whacky elements that make up the modern GOP? Could the neocons support Rand Paul? Could the Koch brothers and their moneyed brethren embrace the likes of Mike Huckabee?

It would be fun to watch except that it's entirely possible that one of these yahoos could very well be elected President which makes it rather less amusing than it otherwise would be.

[Prophet 451]

22. I still think it will be Christie

Republicans like corrupt bullies, they want to nominate the biggest asshole in the room.

[oldhippie]

24. Jeb Bush. nt

[exboyfil]

29. Agreed I wonder if Rubio will get a look for VP

Will Jeb suddenly discover he is from Maine?

[randome]

26. No one should give a damn who is President.

The office is the weakest branch of our government.

Focus on this instead:

[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]

[exboyfil]

28. Scalia and Kennedy beg to differ

Reagan has been out of office for 25 years but his legacy remains.

[SummerSnow]

27. Of course these guys will be the Prez and Vice Prez nominees handsdown

[Blue Owl]

30. Some poor fuck

n/t

[spin]

31. Dr. Ben Carson comes to mind. ...

Ben Carson

Benjamin Solomon "Ben" Carson, Sr., (born September 18, 1951) is a columnist and retired American neurosurgeon. He is credited with pioneering work on the successful separation of conjoined twins joined at the head. In 2008, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. After delivering a widely publicized speech at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, he became a popular figure in conservative media for his views on social issues and the federal government.

***snip***

Political affiliation, activities and views[edit]

Carson has said he is not a member of any political party. "If I were part of one, it would be called the 'Logic party', and it would be dedicated to commonsense approaches we all should be able to see."[19] In his book America the Beautiful, Carson explained why he decided to get involved in politics: "I believe it is a very good idea for physicians, scientists, engineers, and others trained to make decisions based on facts and empirical data to get involved in the political arena and help guide our country."[20] He also said, "… we [physicians] should be concerned not only about the health of individual patients, but also about the health of our entire society."[21] Despite largely expressing conservative viewpoints, Carson has also expressed some views at odds with most conservatives, such as supporting banning semi-automatic weapons in large cities. He has also stated, "There’s a reason for the Second Amendment; people do have the right to have weapons."[22]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carson

[Walk away]

36. Ah yes, the logic of Creationism...Ben's world is only 6,000 yrs old...

how logical! He is a complete ding dong.

[spin]

41. Interesting. I wasn't aware of that. ...

It strikes me as highly unusual that a brain surgeon would believe that the world was only 6000 years old.

For one thing the Bible never states the age of our planet.

Archbishop Ussher of Armgah published a paper in 1650 detailing the date of Earth's creation deduced from Biblical record. Since that time, many people now use his and similar works as a basis for their claims of an earth much younger than determined by other processes.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120605102231AAXOqlC

The Bible does say this:

2 Peter 3:8
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Still, I don't believe that Ben Carson is a "complete ding dong" as you suggest.

Carson is a member of the American Academy of Achievement, and the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. In 2000, he received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.[11] In 2008, the White House awarded Carson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.[12] In 2010, he was elected into the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine.[13] Carson has been awarded 38 honorary doctorate degrees and dozens of national merit citations.[14]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carson

Obviously he must be a religious person who accepts very conservative religious views based on faith and has never bothered to question them.

I'm not supporting Ben Carson or his beliefs. I feel he is a potential Republican candidate that has some appeal to the very conservative base of the Republican Party. One factor that may hurt him with this group is his views on gun control.

[Walk away]

43. You weren't aware he was laughed off the national stage....

Because he is a creationist who doesn't believe in evolution http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/ben-carsons-creationist-views-spark-controvery-over-commencement-speech/2012/05/08/gIQAi0vsBU_blog.html

and he likened homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia?
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/07/10/ben-carson-officially-joins-right-wing-media-wi/194802

But you are right about one thing. He would appeal to the dregs of their base but he was an embarrassment to the republican party when he was their "Great Black Hope" last time.

[spin]

48. No. I really had heard little about him except to watch a couple short interviews with him. ...

I was most impressed with the fact that he was very soft spoken which is somewhat unusual in a politician. I had no idea he was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church until after your first reply, I did some research on him.

I had a somewhat humorous experience with this church when a friend of mine who was dating a member dragged me to a meeting to meet her sister.

After the meeting, I asked my friend why he was dating this girl. I said, "Sure, she's good looking but she doesn't believe in dancing, drinking or going to the movies. Why fun can she be?"

He smiled and replied, "True, she doesn't do a lot of things normal people enjoy but that leaves only one thing that she seems to really enjoy and that's having sex. Plus a date with her is inexpensive."

If true, I doubt that his girlfriend was a "good" Seventh-day Adventist but merely typical of a number of children that are raised in a restrictive environment and break loose once they leave the nest.

I never did date her sister, nor did I attend any more Seventh-day Adventist Church meetings.

In passing, it is my view that most politicians act like they are religious, but few are. That's probably best. Mixing religion and politics is a lot like combining oil and water.

[Enthusiast]

58. All creationists fall into the category of complete ding dong.

I'm just saying.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

33. Scott Walker nt

[mnhtnbb]

34. Jeb Bush. Mommy will be gone...and Jeb will "offer" himself.

[Walk away]

35. Jeb Bush's son, daughter and wife have all been arrested...

but that won't stop him from running. In fact, if he could get himself arrested he might even up his chances with the crazy GOTPs.

[madinmaryland]

39. George Pataki?? I don't know if his puppet master "Pothole Al" D'amato is still alive, though.

[11 Bravo]

40. Palin/Limbaugh ... The twit and the shit ticket is a sure fire winner!

[jmowreader]

42. It'll be Donald Trump and Susana Martinez

The purported reason: the combination of proven business acumen (Trump) with a Hispanic female governor (Martinez) will appeal to the broadest possible constituency and give business people, Hispanics and women who are alarmed by America's lurch into socialism a credible alternative.

The real reason: because the Republicans have been so successful in thwarting everything Obama has tried to do over the past few years, the economy isn't in good enough shape for a Republican president to devastate again. Hence the need to throw the 2016 election...and if you really want to drive voters to the Democratic candidate, there are few choices better than Donald Trump.

[flamingdem]

44. I'm hoping it's

Daryl Issa!

[Coyotl]

45. A bunch of money grubbers will show up for the fancy bus rides.

I expect a field of twelve or so since it is such a lucrative scam to just run.

[femmocrat]

46. Jebbie.

I have predicted him all along.

[davidpdx]

47. I think with Christie out the field is wide open

Who knows...

[Ikonoklast]

49. Some jerkface loser.

Not much of a guess, they all fit that description.

[cynatnite]

50. Surprised we haven't seen groveling in front of Jeb's house by now. n/t

[VanillaRhapsody]

51. My guess...and who I think will be the Republican response to the SOTU is Cruz...

[yeoman6987]

54. That is weird

I can't believe we have not heard who they are going to chose to give the response yet. Normally we know weeks ahead of time. Not that it matters because normally after the SOTU, people shut off the TV and then we hear little clips about it for days. But regardless, I wonder why they are being so secretive this time.

[VanillaRhapsody]

59. I think BECAUSE it is Cruz...

they are too stupid to switch....

Notice the Teaparty SOTU rebuttal is his little buddy Mike Lee. This would be another of Rinse Penis's schemes to unify the party.

[yeoman6987]

60. How stupid are these people

Why on Earth are they putting people up like Cruz and Mike Lee who are in their first term. They haven't even accomplished anything yet. Nobody should be eligible for President in their first term in office. Plus we need to have a say in who the Republicans put up in case for some ungodly event they are elected. I know that is impossible but we should at least hope that if a Republican were to become President again someday, we cannot afford to have another Bush II. Cruz especially would be Bush III or worse.

[VanillaRhapsody]

61. Well Huckabee just said that the Republicans

"empower" women by telling them that they don't need "govt" birth control because they can just "control their own libido"!

This is how they want to "change the message" and attract women....its not about preventing unwanted pregnancy...its about telling women to just "close their legs"

THAT stupid!

[yeoman6987]

62. Huckastupid

He always reminded me of someone of limited intelligence but thinks he is smart. I never found him to be impressive. I always found him to be a slick car salesman. I hope he keeps running his mouth all the way to another Democratic Presidential Victory.

[Angleae]

52. Most of the 29 current republican governors could be it.

Chances are it won't be a senator or representative but a governor.

[Walk away]

56. I think you're correct. They can't afford to run someone...

who has voted for any of their backward, anti-woman, anti-anyone but rich and white bills. Most governors do nothing for a living but make backroom deals. People don't know who they really are until they are indited for something. They can just run as icons and the press is no help.

[B Calm]

57. They'll probably put Scott Walker in the running.