Next Republican Presidential Candidate?

Interesting... Because I once had great respect for him which I recently lost when he began back peddling and pandering to the religous right. I about puked when he said he no longer considered evangelist Jerry Falwell to be one of the "agents of intolerance".

(link with quotes if you don't believe me: http://www.themoderatevoice.com/posts/1144039484.shtml)

I just wanted to scream at him: DUDE Jerry Falwell is a mean spirited frikin nut and everyone in the entire country except a few hundered thousand people with their heads up their asses knows it. STICK TO YOUR PRINCIPLES.

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If Colin Powell were younger and interested in running for president or Barack Obama were more experienced and interested in running I believe that you would see them elected long before you would see Rice or Clinton elected.

Particularly someone like Colin Powell with military and statesman experience.

I also believe that the primary block of voters who would vote against a female candidate will be female. That's what worries me about the DNC running Clinton.

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No, no,I saw that-on Fox even-and I completely agree. He's moving all over the place which just make him disingenuous.

What people in the forums don't seem to understand is that I am a Conservative-not a Republican. I am more likely to vote Republican because they are likely to field a candidate more in line with my views. I am registered Republican so that I can vote in their primaries, but frankly, I would love to see some viable alternative parties. I don't want a parlimentary system-just more choice.

-Kiamat Dusk

this is very true about women voting against a woman candidate.

i also think that Older americans largely wouldnt vote for either a black or a woman

I don't see Rice as a viable candidate. She's never been elected to anything. We have no idea what her views are on any subject. Her tenure as Secretary of State has only had one real success, with Libya, and a number of major failures, Iran, North Korea, Palestine/Israel, Venezuela, Russia, Syria, Iraq. I'm not sure I want a President whose only success has been to recognize Qaddafi. Yes, he now claims to have given up on supporting international terrorism, but he's still an oppressive dictator in a one party socialist quasi-islamic state. I'm sure the political prisoners in Libya are thrilled that Qaddafi can now come to the USA on official state visits. Must make them very happy.

Due to the simple fact that we don't have any idea what her real views are, I'd say that the only reason Republicans are even talking about Rice is because of her race and gender. Rice is the Republican response to Hillary. I love Hillary, but don't see her as electable. The problem is both parties are controlled by their fringe elements. Democrats see Hillary as too conservative. Clinton was a success because he forced the Democratic Party into the middle. Bush has been a failure because he's allowed the far right wing to pull the Republicans too far from the middle.

We need a third party in the center. It wouldn't have the zealots that the other two parties have, but it could get the support of independents.

I have a BETTER idea!

I've said it before, but I'll do it again.

There is a strong hatret for washington insiders today, even worse than it has been in the past. Running a VP or a senator or even a cabinet member is unlikely to get you a win. You really *almost* need a candidate who is a governer to win. George HW Bush won by riding the popularity of Ronald Reagan. You have to go back to Nixon to find another non governern who won and his election is '68 occured at a time when the Democratic party had imploded.

Governers have several advantages: They can demonstrate that they can handle an office in the executive branch. They are not part of the Washington "system" in many people's minds (regardless of the reality).

So, for the next Republican candidate... I expect Mit Romney to make a strong showing. Surviving the primary cycle is a crazy business, though. Who else is making noises?

Exactly how my household is Kiamat.

Briana Dawson

I completely agree. Soooo....what about Jeb Bush for the dynasty!?

-Kiamat Dusk

keep an eye out for Sonny Purdue, the governor of GA, he is trying to make noise for '08
if it isn't him it may very well be a southern governor

oh and Jeb turned down the thought for now..........

Do you have a sister!?

-Kiamat Dusk

Because, of course, we don't already have enough evidence to support the notion that a political dynasty isn't all that great an idea, primarily in the form of a certain clan of Irish descent residing in Massachusetts...

And, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the US kinda break away from that sort of thing (families handing down national leadership) about 200-odd years ago?

Oh, agreed, agreed. The Jeb was a jab-just poking fun. In all seriousness, I would rather we not have another Bush in office despite my support for the current one.

..well maybe Laura....Condi/Bush '08!

-Kiamat Dusk

with a couple of exceptions ---

John and John Quincy Adams

Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt

As you mentioned John F Kennedy , Robert Kennedy was a strong Favorite for 1968. (if youve read "13 days" he was also quite intelligent)

Geroge the first and second Bush

interesting note there is a TAFT who is governor of Ohio, hoever his administration is so scandal prone he wont make it to president - that would have been the longest seperation if by some twist of fate he had.

I dont think Jeb could win now -

It would have required George to be Extremely popular, and even then people probably would have had to have a break from the Bushes for a term or two.

There have actually been some groundswells in the GOP about naming Jeb as their next candidate. He doesn't strike me as having a Presidential bearing, but then I thought the same thing when GW was nominated. It doesn't mean anything before the race begins and the spinmasters get hold of their candidate.

Accoring to Pollingreport.com (taken in March), McCain leads possible GOP candidates right now with 25%, followed by Giuliani with 23%. Newt Gingrich has 7%, followed by Frist with 5% and Mitt Romney with 4%. Jeb's not mentioned.

What I'd like to see myself -- from EITHER party -- is someone who is actually in touch with the mainstream voter for a change. Bush won in '04 simply because he was more in touch with people than Kerry was. But that doesn't mean the GOP has any kind of advantage in '08. If the Dems nominate Hillary, watch them lose again no matter who the GOP puts up. A lot of money has been spent since '04 to pre-empt her future election and it will be time to cash in. And if the Dems don't figure out how to distance themselves from the radical fringe in their midst, led by Sorros and Moore, they're not going to get anywhere either.

Mainstream voters: We're the folks who are concerned about the taxes we pay, the economy (including oil availability and alternative energy), educating our kids and jobs. Security is important to us, but if GW's as successful for the next 2 years as he's been in the last 5 in preventing domestic attacks, that issue will recede from public consciousness. And by '08 I expect the Iraq War will be much lower on the list of concerns as troops begin to come home. That leaves one remaining major issue: our wallets. Not abortion, not gun control, not terrorism. Money.

Jeb would have a decent shot, if he could show that he's not just "taking over" for his brother. But if he shows up with his own people and his own ideas (that are clearly his own), I wouldn't count him out.


The democrats would benefit more from a southern (or even midwestern) governer, since its really middle/southern america that they've lost touch with.
On the other hand swing voters are going to be a little more wary of a southern republican because of the perception of the south as being under the 'control' of the religious right. It worked for Bush, but just barely. Of course he had a boost from being up against some pretty uncharismatic opponents.

Really? A southern Democrat? How unusual. Let's review, Clinton-Arkansas, Carter-Georgia, Johnson-Texas. The last democratic president who wasn't from the south was 4 decades ago.

W is the only Republican president from the south in that same time period. Unless of course you count his father. But he was about as Texan as I am. LOL.

I imagine that both Bill Frist and John McCain will make bids for the presidency. There is also a good chance that George Allen will toss his hat in this ring. I don't think any of them will be able to carry the nomination though.

I do agree that Governors are better candidates with the public.

I would expect to see Mike Huckabee from Arkansas rise up to the top of the field. He is a pretty popular guy. He has charisma. Lovely wife. He would be a solid candidate against a Hillary Clinton especially.

Mit Romney is a good choice, but he is also a Mormon. Most people think Mormons are wackos who wear funny underwear. That doesn't bode well in a presidential run.

People will want George Allen to run, but he won't have the appeal needed to make it past South Carolina. Plus, he lost the Virginia Governorship to a Democrat. If he were the current Governor of Virginia, he would be the man to beat.

In the VP arena, I would expect for Elizabeth Dole to be on a lot of short lists. Newt Gingrich would be another solid choice for VP.

Amerikkkans tend to vote for small-minded jingoistic intolerant fascists (or their sock-puppets) who wrap themselves up in the flag. The rest is entertainment: like watching turkeys vote for Xmas.

< Takes out a tofu kebab to grill on the coming flames. >

Watch for him in a few more years - I think we will be seeing and hearing a whole lot more from him. He's a future mover and shaker in my book, and I am definately OK with that.

Yup. Pretty much . well said BTW.

Maybe even as a VP earlier than that. Barak's strength is his ability to reach over the aisle.
I'm not crazy about his voting record so far and Id be inclined to vote for a Feingold --But Obama is a definite future.

I think it's hysterical that Republicans think it will be Hilary Clinton running in 08. At this point Kerry or Gore is far more likely. (and they're not even all that likely)

My guess is that it will be a race between Wes Clark and John McCain. It'll be the most tame Moderate race of all time.

Feingold is the person I'd most like to see on the ballot. I'd actually vote FOR him and not just against the Replublican ticket.

Certainly the most actually patriotic of the bunch.

The Aljazeera logo in your signature is insulting. Aljazeera knowingly interviews terrorist who hold international and American hostages and airs the execution of these people.

It's a mockery that you have an Aljazeera logo with an Anti-war logo.

Briana Dawson