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

Which is precisely why the Republican strategists were worrying about their McGovern moment yesterday. They're afraid they're going to gift Obama a reelection by bringing forth a loon.

Also, they are still trying to pressure Ryan and/or Christie to enter the race. Both are still firm "no"s, however.

Bill Bennett, from somewhere in the West, e-mailed me: “There are many talented candidates in the race already, but there is always room for a man of Paul Ryan’s intellectual depth, temperament, talent, and conviction.” Washington Post

In an interview Friday with Charlie Sykes, a Milwaukee talk show host, Ryan remained ambiguous about his intentions to run, marking a shift from his outright denials in the past.

“Looking at the Republican field right now, are you confident that the candidates there are able to articulate the issues of the debt and the deficit and the need to reform entitlements in the way that you want to see done?” Sykes asked.

Ryan sensed what was coming, demanding lightheartedly, "Why did you ask me that?”

“You know exactly why I asked you that question,” Sykes responded.

“I know. We’ll see," Paul said. Slate

“He’s coming around,” says a Republican source close to Ryan, who has been urging the 41-year-old to run.

“With Paul, it’s more about obligation than opportunity,” says another Wisconsin Republican. “He is determined to have the 2012 election be about the big things. If that means he has to run, he’s open to it.”Weekly Standard

I don't think that Ryan has a shot in hell of winning

The relationship between top Republican strategist Karl Rove and Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been a frosty one dating back to the 1990s. And if Perry enters the presidential race, as now appears likely, the animosity between the two could have a major impact on how Republican money is doled out for next year’s election campaigns, Politico reports.

Rove is leading a Republican effort to raise millions of dollars to defeat President Barack Obama and other Democrats. He was instrumental in building outside fundraising groups such as American Crossroads and Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies (Crossroads GPS).

But wealthy Texans, including some big-time Perry donors, have played a major role in bankrolling Rove’s cause. So what happens if Perry jumps into the presidential fray?

One donor to both American Crossroads and the Texas governor told Politico that if Perry wins the presidential nomination, his donors will stop giving to Rove. “Perry winning would be a deathblow for Rove,” the person said.

hehehehehe

Quote:

Tweet from MPOTheHill
Bachmann: "Under President Bachmann you will see the price of gasoline come down under $2/gallon again. That. Will. Happen." 17 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

Bedford, New Hampshire (CNN) – Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry chided President Obama Wednesday, saying "actions speak louder than words" during a speech notable for its sustained criticism of the president's economic policies.
Perry was responding to Obama's comment Tuesday that the Texas governor has "got to be careful" now that he's on a big stage.

"I think that everybody who runs for president probably takes a little bit of time before they start realizing that this isn't like running for governor, or running for senator, or running for Congress," Obama told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in Iowa. "You've got to be more careful with what you say."
Speaking at a salon of New Hampshire politicos at the Politics and Eggs breakfast in Bedford, Perry acknowledged the president's snub.
"I just want to respond back if I may," he said. "Mr. President, actions speak louder than words. My actions as governor are helping create jobs in this country. The president's actions are killing jobs in this country."
Perry also brushed aside critics who charge his oft-touted record of job creation in Texas is largely due to luck.
"There have been some over on the left that said the fact is that those 40 percent of the jobs created in America ... since June of 2009 was just luck," Perry said. "Mr. President, America's crisis is not bad luck, it's bad policies from Washington, D.C."

There has been sustained job growth in Texas for 20 years and more. Long before Pistol Pete Perry showed up.

I don't make forecasts of future petroleum prices, but the best way to ensure OPEC maintains control of the price is to cut back on domestic exploration and production. Our current idiot Administration has certainly done a good job at that.