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

I'm inclined to agree, but not overwhelmingly so.

Sorry Johnny, I had read these posts from the bottom up, and came under the impression that you had concentrated on the issue of illegal immigration. It was Roger that had done so.

Ok--in a general, nondescript way.

Opens him up to a LOT of Independent interest - and takes away the smell factor for progressive Republicans. Yay!

Infrablue: I have largely steered clear of getting involved in the "immigration issue." I certainly follow it closely but I have somewhat avoided pulling on the loose thread of a wool sweater, knowing that if I do...
I think that the economy will be at the top of the issue list for the next election cycle, of course, but it does seem to me that "social issues" like immigration, abortion, and gay rights will play more of a role then I thought they would a year ago.

Those are the only issues emanating from the GOP; they talk a good game about job creation, but they have offered nothing to make it happen. They just harp on Obama, because that's all they know how to do. Voters still have not wised up to the GOP games.

I'm not even sure when the GOP works to destroy social security and Medicare, if voters understand what is happening to their security. Some 35% still support the Ryan budget plan.

Rumor has it that Huckabee may be thinking about getting back into the race.

Well yeah! Indecisiveness is exactly the quality we're looking for.

Cycloptichorn

We still have 17 months to go until the 2012 election. If I remember correctly---and maybe I don't---Obama's official position 17 months before the 2008 elections was that he was not running? Does the Republican party really stand out as indecisive by historical comparison? And if they are, should that really worry them? That would surprise me.

If you are referring to my use of the word, I was specifically addressing Huckabee's reentry to the race.

My bad.

Perry is a States rights conservative.

More conservative than W.

He jogs every morning with his dog. One morning a coyote came out of the brush and attacked his dog. Perry pulled out a revolver and shot the coyote dead. This enhanced his image here in Texas.

I don't think the country is ready to elect another Texan.

Huntsman is a prime specimen of the Rino species.

Getting through the GOP primaries is going to be very tough for him, unless all he talks about is how he was wrong when he supported liberal policies...but then that sort of talk didn't help Mitt much in 2008.

Very very unlikely.

Let's see...

The Republicans have held the House for less than one year, but you are expecting them to solve the unemployment problem.

However, in this short period they have shown considerably more leadership that Obama and Harry Reid's Senate.

We all know that something must be done about SS and Medicare so what has the White House and the Senate offered? Nothing but castigation of Paul Ryan.

BTW, what have they offered in terms of job creations beyond the disasterous Stimulus Package?

Try as Democrats will, they will not be able to blame Republicans for the economy. It belongs to Obama and the Democrats.

If it miraculously revives before 11/12, then they benefit. If it doesn't, they crater.

Unfortunately there are no signs that it it will revive anytime soon and it will probably get worse before it gets better. Can you say "Double Dip?"

Not at all.

It's amazing how the same drama plays out every four years.

We can thank or blame the News Media, and our own penchant for jumping to conclusions.

Before long there will be a committed field of declared candidates. Not long thereafter the field will narrow considerably.

Who ends up in the final leg of the race is anyone's guess at this point.

Will everyone who knew Jimmy Carter would win the Democratic nomination in early 1976 please raise their hand.

Likewise for those who knew all along that Clinton would win his party's nomination.

The most informed commentary on that one was "Jimmy Who?".

I recall, early in the primaries, Jimmy was asked by a MMS talking head if he didn't realize that no one believed he could win the nomination. The Georgia peanut farmer replied with a toothy grin,

"Oh, but I shall."

In those days I probably would have voted for anyone the Democrats nominated but I recall being very impressed by his confidence.

I also thought that after Nixon, a candidate who considered God a higher power than himself was what we needed.

Boy was I wrong, and I will never make that mistake again.

The mistake, of course, was not to vote for someone who believed God was a higher power than himself, but to believe the candidate who said he did.

It's ironic, but in retrospect, I wish I had voted for Gerald Ford. He was a truly decent individual who didn't suffer from the egomania of people who actively seek the presidency.

In any case, he could not have been any worse than Carter.

Only Obama can make that claim.

Impressed that with the confidence you show given how wrong you were that you won't be wrong again.

In my opinion, Republicans and Democrats alike are not doing much about jobs.