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

Huck, yes. I was amused by Donald Trump's response to Huckabee's "dramatic" announcement last night. One showman to another: "Great career move."
And it is. Huckabee gets big bucks for the next five years second guessing Obama and Congress. He keeps his name out there for 2016 and, for the next few months, he gets to have a few socially conservative Republican candidates slobbering on his shoes like a bunch of golden retriever puppies, eager for attention.
If you look at Nate Silver's images below and cross out those who are out of the race, there is a big gap where Huckabee was.
It seems to me, as I suspect it does to most here, that the next presidential election should be on the economy and what should be done about some of the structural issues.
The Tea Party movement tries hard to keep the focus on the economy.
Perhaps the stars will allign for Obama. Unemployment may drop from 10% to 8%; housing prices may seem to have hit bottom (I doubt it) and the Fed will keep inflation under control. The wars may wind down a bit.
Both parties will see it in their interests to postpone the hard issues, such as exactly where spending will be cut or whether taxes on some must be raised.
If I were a Republican consultant (I am neither), I would be concerned about where the party is headed on social issues like abortion, gay issues, immigration etc.
Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses in 2008 with 34% of the vote. His suitors for an endorsement may try to go for that same crowd, alienating others whose votes will be needed to defeat Obama.

One would think that being employed by Fox News would be the kiss of death even for a Repub, but ... .

What makes Huckabee an outsider, RJB?

How are Bolton's chances looking?

Huckabee was an outsider in that he was a governor of a southern state who did not have the connections that many politicians developed over years in DC. Haley Barbour was also a southern governor but, as head of the Repub Natl Comm he was very much an insider. He had, has, a bunch of political IOU's in his files.
Huckabee, despite being an outsider, has strong support from the evangelical movement. That is what the others hope to tap into, I think.

Bolton, who is a smart guy, ain't going nowhere in this horse race. Same goes, in my little mind, for Johnson and Cain.
I think it will come down to Romney and Pawlenty with Daniels deciding not to run.

We'll have to disagree on this. I think that he is a slimeball. Smart guys don't run a bout telling all manner of lie.

I was just joking about him anyway. He's got about as much chance as Ronald Reagan.

I was joking about him, also. It seems that every election cycle in the states, and perhaps in Amsterdam also, there are a handful of folks who charge into the fray, ala Don Quixote. Egos in action.

It looks to me that Cain is the best bet to become the Republican nominee.

Cain? What's his background?

Look HERE

He had a radio show...his write-up looks a bit small-minded and short-sighted. He panders to nationalism in a way that makes me uncomfortable. I'll look at H2O's site, though. Maybe just a bad site.

Funny. The site I refer to had a write-up about each of the ten or so GOP possibilities. Guess the sole guy who was referred to as articulate....

Funny how that happens, huh?

I couldn't accept him for his position on abortion, alone . . . never mind the rest of his baggage.

Planning on an unwanted pregnancy?

Speaking of pandering, Obama panders to Marxism in a way that makes most Americans uncomfortable.

Jeez you make me laugh!

plz don't take criticism of cain personally, dude. but do keep that good stuff comin...

pols suck so bad that i can't afford to pick up or drop a guy on one issue.

As i mentioned, that's the clincher for me, but that is one among others. He has said (in his senate run) that he opposes abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. That's carrying it way too far. His next most odious stated position, in my opinion, is his support for the gold standard. The gold standard, for chrissake. That would make Canada and Russia the world's economic powerhouses, with South Africa not far behind. That's a troglodytes economic position.

Now you're cookin'. Like Lash, I can't let one single issue cause a write off. They do tend to stack up, though, and like I said, I had never heard of the guy before today.

19? 19 republicans running currently? Holy cow.

Yeah. How can we miss with a herd like that?