2008 Republicans: Reason For Optimism

[Donny247]

There are three Republicans that could win the White House in 2008: McCain, Giuliani, or Scwarzenegger. Any one of these men would make decent Presidents, and would be vastly superior to Bush, and that's why they'd never win the Republican Primary. This leaves someone like Frist who we could destroy easily.

There are three Democrats that could win the White House in 2008: Bayh, Edwards, and Clark. Bayh would guarantee us the White House, and would bring the Democratic Party back from the grave. Edwards and Clark also would have a decent shot.

If, however, the Demorats go with Hillary, we're done. I think everyone here knows this. She would be destroyed in every Red State, and would send states like Wisconsin into the Republican fold. I really hope she doesn't run.

[WI_DEM]

1. I disagree that McCain, Giuliani or Arnold would make

decent presidents, they may be superior to the chimp, but that is not saying much. McCain is a hardline conservative. Rudy is a charlatan who has cashed in on 9/11 for all its worth and Arnold has yet to prove he is anything but a movie actor who used his popularity to become Governor.

As for the Democrats we have more than Bayh, Edwards or Clark. I don't necessarily think Bayh gurantees us anything except a much higher vote for the Green Candidate in 2008.

Edwards might be interesting, but he is too closely identified with the '04 ticket. Clark is a interesting idea, but I truly think he should be running for Governor of Arkansas in '06 to give him some political heft.

[roguevalley]

2. all three can kiss my ass. none of them have any integrity. they

are posturing goons. mccain has no core values, guiliani blames troops for admin's failure, making him a no brain opportunist and
schwartzennegger is the son of a nazi ss man. fuck them all.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

24. Lots Of Reasons To Rip Arnold But His Lineage Isn't One Of Them..

Arnold had no more choice of having a Nazi father as Barack Obama had of having a black father or John Kerry having a white father...

[Czolgosz]

3. Are you nuts? McCain has a 0% NARAL-rating (that means he's as

anti-choice as you can get). He has a 0% ACLU-rating (because he repeatedly voted against adding sexual orientation to the definition of hate crimes and to the list of the impermissible reasons to fire someone, but he's voted in favor of increased cell phone wiretapping, among many other reasons). He has a 0% SANE-rating (which he's insanely pro-military-industrial complex).

Just because he's better than Bush, doesn't mean he good. You'd rather have crabs than chlamydia, but that doesn't mean you want crabs!

[Donny247]

11. McCain Good Man

McCain is far from perfect, but he's a good man, and is liberal in key areas. He's a populist on patient's rights, has fought to get dirty money out of the system, and has recently blasted the administration for ignoring global warming. He also defended Kerry against the swift vet freepers. I think he would make a really good President.

[CanonRay]

23. I've lost some respect for him

since he started campaigning for Bush this year. Especially after what Bush did to him in 2000. He hates Bush, but campaigned for him anyway. Made me sick.

[pmbryant]

4. None of those 3 will get the GOP nomination

The religious right clearly dominates Republican primaries, and all three of those guys are anathema to them. So forget about McCain, Guiliani, or Schwarzenegger.

I disagree we would destroy Frist automatically, but I agree that he appears a very weak candidate. So weak, I doubt he would even win the GOP nomination.

Who does that leave? Jeb Bush? Chuck Hagel? George Allen? Bill Owens?

:shrug:

Peter

[Czolgosz]

6. Do not underestimate Frist. He is Rove's pick, which means he will

win the nomination. Rove picked him because he can do the one thing that Bush does better than anyone else. He's a HUGE corporate whore (so he gets that one-issue voting block who doesn't really care about social issues) and he's a SUPERCREEPY psycho-Christian (so he gets that one-issue voting block who doesn't really care about economic issues). Plus IGNORANT VOTERS LOVE DOCTORS which makes no sense but I promise you it's true (just ask anyone who watched last year's constitutional ballot fight in Texas over civil justice rights where people gave away their rights just because their doctors asked them to). Frist is the ONE candidate that can best hold together the coalition Rove built.

[TexasSissy]

12. I agree. Do not "misunderestimate" Frist. He was responsible

for the Medicare Reform Act, which apparently a lot of seniors like. Also, big pharma will foot the bill (they love Frist because of the Medicare Act).

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

10. the rw will make exceptons for their pro-choice stance

if the establishment picks them and hannity and the rw propaganda machine tell them to sign on

just like they let rush use drugs, bush snort coke and dodge the draft, republican actors speak out and run for office, billo'reill chasing after women other than his wife, etc

their religion isn't chritianity or fndie chriatianity. it's republicanism. if the party elite tells them a social moderate is fine, than they'll with it

[ArtVandaley]

5. What are some of Bayh's accomplishments?

What controversial moral stands has he made in the past? What vast foreign policy experiance does he have? Do you have any quotes from him about Iraq and terrorism in general that show the depth and perspective we need in a president? Does he have the ability to connect with people and command respect?
He's moderate/conservative and from a red state. Big deal, so's Zell Miller, are we gonna nominate him? Just because someone is moderate doesn't mean that voters will flock to him. Did that happen with Lieberman? It only happened with Clinto because he was so charismatic.


I do agree though, Hillary would be a disaster.








*Actually, Zell is quite conservative, not moderate, but you get the idea.

[Donny247]

13. TV!!!

What we've learned is that likeability is now key. The most likable candidate always wins. Bayh has stature, looks really good on TV, can communicate with voters, and is marketable in Jesusland. As for being too conservative, people always wrote off Clinton as too right wing and unaccomplished.

[ArtVandaley]

21. I've never been overly impressed with him

He seems dry and monotone, not especially charismatic. Seriously though, if you can find some clips of him clearly articulating issues I'll gladly study them, I've just never seen any.

Right now, I think Bill Richardson is the man for the nomination. He's intellectual, articulate, experianced, well respected and popular in a region we can win but no one seems to pay any attention to (the southwest). Bayh just doesn't seem to have any depth to me, perhaps I'm wrong. But Richardson seems to have a lot of perspective when it comes to foreign policy. He's also did a very good job at running the convention last summer, so he could run a good national campaign. In Congress, UN Ambassador, Secretary of Energy, a Governor of a swing state in an untapped swing region, Hispanic, former athlete (almost went pro in baseball), what more could you ask for?
I say he should run with a runningmate with experiance and no presidential ambition, so as to clear the way for Obama's rise to the office in 2016 (after serving two full terms).

[Comicstripper]

7. The GOP have no heavy hitters in 2008, so here' s their strategy:

1)Pick either a woman or a minority member (Ain't gonna happen-hopefully. Although, might they be prepping Condi as we speak?)

2) Shame the Democrats into picking Clinton, who they think will lose. ("What, are the Democrats afraid? What's so bad about Hillary that the Dems won't run her? Is it because she's a woman?")

3)Money, money, money.

Face it: McCain would be too old, Giuliani would be old AND inexperienced AND have personal baggage, and Powell is too old AND has no interest. That leaves Frist, Owen, and Hagel, a fairly weak spread (Allen, too). Jeb ain't gonna run, guys. Sorry.

Assuming we play our cards right (and pull the rug out from under them in 2006), we win 2008.

And don't give me that "rigged voting" stuff. It's only barely feasible in a VERY close election, and 2008 won't be that close.

[driver8]

20. Condi

Oh God, I hope they put up Condi...she has the personality of a piece of toast!

What is all this talk about Shwarzenagger? Why in the hell would anyone want this guy as our president? What has he ever done that even remotely shows that he is qualified for this job, beside marry into the Kennedy family. I live in California and I am sick and tired of hearing about this dipshit.

Giuliani doesn't have a prayer either, in my opinion. 9/11 was the best thing to happen to his career in politics. These guys can't run on 9/11 forever...or can they?

[blue america]

8. If it's true that 04 was decided on "morals"

Then Giuliani is TOAST

Forget about the fact that he'll get crushed in the primaries (although he could conceivably take New Hampshire by a nice margin, he's destroyed in South Carolina).

He's pro-choice.
He gave employment benefits to same-sex couples.
(Both commendable, but not to the GOP Base)

And let's not forget his marriage shenanigans. He makes Clinton look like the patron saint of matrimony. Openly parading his mistress around town on the upper east side. His wife finds out they're getting divorced when he holds a press conference to say so? Man, part of me would LOVE to have him run just to bury the asshole. But he doesn't escape the primaries.

However, he's a perfect running mate for a more conservative nominee, and that could be trouble.

[rockymountaindem]

9. Owens is not an option.

He has no record to run on from his time as CO governor, and there may be some personal baggage as well.

He's going to have a rough time now that the Democrats have captured the entire General Assembly.

[Mike L]

14. You left out Mark Warner, Democratic Governor of Virginia

[leesa]

15. Are you nuts? McCain, Giuliani and the Gropinator DECENT??

McCain is a traitor to his country as is Giuliani who was likely involved in 9-11 along with Bush and Cheney. Arnold was involved with Enron stealing 9 billion from California and is generally a sexual pervert?

What is your definition of decent?

[GRLMGC]

16. hmm

"Any one of these men would make decent Presidents, and would be vastly superior to Bush, and that's why they'd never win the Republican Primary"

That's pretty funny.

Seriously though, they probably WOULD get trounced in the primaries (Arnold probably won't even be a problem considering how xenophobic so many people are. It's not exactly easy to pass a Constitutional amendment, but I digress) Sad part about McCain, is that he sold his soul to the BFEE in order to secure the nom in 08 and they probably won't even support him. Politics is nasty business isn't it?

[JHBowden]

17. I expect the Republicans to run either Ehrlich or Owens.

I agree that we're toast if we pick Hillary.

[Onlooker]

18. Moderates excite no one

Moderates just "lost" two elections in a row to an idiot. How many times do we need to put up moderates and lose before we realize we have to find a fresh voice, someone who can capture the imagination.

[orpupilofnature57]

19. ASSHOLES LIKE BUCHANAN SPEAKING FOR DEM'S, ANTI LIBERAL F-CK

[CanonRay]

22. I agree

As much as I like Hillary, and think she would make a great President, the reality is she'll energize the right like no one else could. Hopefully, the Regugs will have a huge primary fight, the far right will win, nominating some wacko, and McCain/Chafee/Barr/Giuliani will form a second moderate Republican ticket, allowing us to win.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

25. Out Of The Three Schwarzenegger Has The Most Political Integrity...

He is what he is.... A moderate Republican who has never trimmed his positions for domestic consumptions...


He can't run cuz he wasn't born here but if he could I wouldn't vote for him nor would I dread his winning like I would dread a Guliani or Frist presidency..... Frist because he is a wingnut and Guliani cuz he's a despicable human being...

[Kahuna]

26. I fear, Frist and Jeb more than those three.

:scared: On the Dem side, I don't agree about Edwards. I say, Warner, Bayh, Biden and maybe Clark.

[zulchzulu]

27. You forgot Hagel, who has ties to Diebold

Hagel could get the GOP nom and he is good pals with the Diebold fellas.

McCain will be too old, Ahnuld won't be able to run and Guiliani is a twit.

Bayh is not going to do it (wrong name), Edwards has yet to prove he is capable of anything by provig he couldn't help with the South or even his home state and Clark said he's not going to run. Hillary, as you indicated, is a guaranteed loss.

That leaves Kerry, Gore, Lieberman (ugh), Warner and perhaps others...