The Republican Nomination For President: The Race For The Race For The White House

You've got to be kidding. One of the most negative people I've seen. He is my Senator, btw. I'd love to see him in a debate with Obama. There'd be a lot of silence on his part. He is a figurehead only backed by all the wrong influences in the Repub party. Powerful, but wrong.

Here is the website I mentioned last night...

http://2012.republican-candidates.org/

There are some interesting names on there, so I will deal with a few of them right now.

Haley Barbour
He might be a good choice.
He has experience, he knows how to raise money, and he can bring a lot of southern democrats.

On the bad side, he is connected to some former repub presidents.
That might be bad.

John Bolton
No chance.

Scott Brown
I dont know enough about him to comment.

Jeb Bush
Interesting, but his last name is going to hurt him

Lindsey Graham
This is an interesting one.
He is known as a man that can get things done, he is a political moderate, and isnt afraid to compromise.

Ron Paul
No chance

David Petraeus
This one is interesting.
As a former military officer, he doesnt have the baggage od having been in office before.
However, as a military officer he is forbidden to make comments about politics or the administration in public, so very little is known about his political views.
IMHO, a potential dark horse

You can go to the website and read who else is on the list.
Later on I will list all of them in order, from best chance to no chance.

When Obama announced, I was absolutely certain that he didn't have a prayer.

At this point, when no one has even announced, I won't be making any predictions as to who will be the nominee.

The people who I find interesting and appealing
Mitch Daniels
Haley Barbour
Jeb Bush (Name just about rules him out though)
David Patreaus
Chris Christie
Gary Johnson

That site looks like an AIPAC front - otherwise there's no explanation for Bolton's mention in it: not even his mom would think he has a prayer. Even Donald Trump - also mentioned on that website - has more of a prayer than Bolton does, and that's saying a lot. Where did you get the link, btw?

Patreus would be great, the negative ad campaigns morphing his name to Betray Us would be worth the price of admission alone

It's foolish to suggest that liberals have no place in this thread. It is not axiomatic that someone who seems him- or herself as a liberal cannot form a cogent and well-informed opinion on the field of candidates. That doesn't mean that they can, either. I am not sufficiently well-informed about the likely candidates to comment on their prospects. I am interested in this thread nonetheless, and am just as willing to consider the opinion of a well informed individual who might be labeled liberal as that of someone who would be labeled conservative.

I would be surprised if Petraeus ran against Obama. I think they have a pretty good working relationship, and Petraeus doesn't strike me as being particularly opportunistic/ ambitious.

I think he's enough of a good military man that he'd be uncomfortable with the idea of running against his commander-in-chief, and I think he feels that he has enough of a voice right now that there is no need for him to wrest away the reins.

Mookbarking.

To the extent he has a voice, it is about one thing: The War in Afghanistan.

I don't think he will run either, but not because he likes Obama or would be uncomfortable about running against his Commander-in-Chief (he would retire first of course).

I don't think he'll run because his mission will not be complete by 2012.

If he should retire in the next 6 to 9 months though --- look out.

Of course liberals can form a well reasoned opinion of who will be the republican nominee, but they won't if they don't put aside their personal opinion of the individuals.

Besides, if A2K liberals don't chime in there will only be about 5 people participating.

He'd retire first if he ran, but he'd make the decision when he still thinks of Obama as his commander-in-chief. (I don't think he'd retire otherwise, unless there is some scandal or other precipitating factor.)

(I'm also not entirely sure he'd run as a Republican if he did run for president, down the line for example.)

I agree that he'd want to complete his mission.

I am not sure I understand what you are saying, but there is a lot of stuff I don't understand.
Among those on Mysteryman's cast of characters is Haley Barbour (Gov of Mississippi). Barbour has worked hard over the years in the Republican National Committee and the Republican Governors' Council. He has collected a lot of political IOU's which could serve him well if he decides to run.
I am not a big fan of cutting and pasting or linking to long articles. I prefer to write a couple or three paragraphs in my own words.
Barbour (born 1947; Yazoo City, MS) said last week "...(T)hey passed a resolution...(A)nyone who started a chapter of the Klan would get their ass run out of town."
That was true. But instead of uncouth rednecks in white sheets, there were white men in dark suits. Local men. The bankers, lawyers, doctors and merchants who ran the town. And they set up the White Citizens' Councils that had the same goals as the Klan.
In August, 1955, the local paper published a full page ad listing the names of some 50 blacks who had signed a petition to the school board asking it to desegregate the schools. They lost their jobs, business licenses, insurance policies etc.
I think Barbour stepped on his tongue. He seems to be backtracking from of his defense of the Council.

Anyway, thanks to all of you who have dropped by and to others who are just watching so far.

That's what I love about a2k and facts; somebody usually remembers something that completely refutes claims made today.

Also on Mysteryman's list is the Gov of VA, Bob McDonnell. I don't think he is viable in 2012. I think he may be looking towards a Senate race or perhaps towards 2016 nationally.
He has found himself in a bit of a pickle in my state of VA. We are leaning, ever so slightly, blue. But we also have a huge military presence with Navy bases in Norfolk and air bases, etc elsewhere.
He is somewhat opposed to repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT). Legislation has been proposed to have the state's National Guard opt out of accepting repeal, even though our guardsmen routinely serve along side national troops in Iraq and Afghan.
He seems to be looking across the aisle to state Dems to bail him out. His greatest fear is that the Attorney General, a fellow Repub, will file a lawsuit against DADT repeal as it might apply to states.

As already noted MM's list is a front for a special interest group with no association whatsoever with the Republican Party. Curious where he got it - hope he'll remember. Most names on it are camouflage (pseudo-white-noise) intended to obscure the real candidates - and promote a non-candidate.

How do you know that?

So, who are the real candidates, High Seas?

You'll know it too if you look up his link - the site duly carries the disclaimer about no connection whatsoever to the Republican Party.

You never saw me post that I have the full complete list of the Republican party. But since you ask, Petraeus is definitely on it as a possible; your objections ref. Obama being "commander in chief" would only apply if the general were to run for the Democratic party's nomination - not likely.

That's a part of why I think he won't run but not the main part or even the only part. (I don't have any particular objections.)

Petraeus is on the list that mysteryman provided.

Who do you think is a real candidate who is not on the list? (I'm not saying there are not any others, mind you, but you seem to not think much of the list and I'm curious who is on YOUR radar as being more "real.")