The Republican Thread

[Chisoxfn]

Bush is my top choice and I actually think he'd have a shot at winning the general election if his last name wasn't Bush. However, since it is, I don't know if he'd get enough of the independent vote in a general election. For all the reasons I like him, smart, moderate, but progressive, he won't actually get the republican nomination. Too much of the party has fallen way too to the right because of how insane Obama is and it just drives me nuts cause a good moderate candidate would be able to win and would be a boon for this country.

 

The far wacky right drives me just as mad. They are creating the need for a 3rd party, but the problem is it just means while the 3rd party is created, the left can continue to do whatever they want.

[caulfield12]

Bush is my top choice and I actually think he'd have a shot at winning the general election if his last name wasn't Bush. However, since it is, I don't know if he'd get enough of the independent vote in a general election. For all the reasons I like him, smart, moderate, but progressive, he won't actually get the republican nomination. Too much of the party has fallen way too to the right because of how insane Obama is and it just drives me nuts cause a good moderate candidate would be able to win and would be a boon for this country.

 

The far wacky right drives me just as mad. They are creating the need for a 3rd party, but the problem is it just means while the 3rd party is created, the left can continue to do whatever they want.

 

You do realize Obamacare is way to the right of the Romney and Clinton versions...?

 

The Pacific Trade Agreement is liberal?

 

The majority of foreign policy in the Middle East has been following the so-called Bush Doctrine, other than the recent Iran move...so I guess the GOP would prefer a full-scale invasion, as sanctions definitely haven't worked?

 

If Obama was a candidate in the 60s 70s or 80s, he would have been considered a moderate/centrist.

 

He should have let all the banks and auto manufacturers go bankrupt? I didn't see any members of the GOP like Romney applauding that idea, although he did go down to defeat saying he would have let DET implode even when it turned out to be a great investment by the government.

Edited August 4, 2015 by caulfield12

[cabiness42]

You do realize Obamacare is way to the right of the Romney and Clinton versions...?

 

None of that matters. The far right tea party faction of the Republican Party has made Obamacare enemy #1. If you don't come out as 100% against every single provision of Obamacare and pledge to vote to defund it every single one of the 416 times it comes up for vote, you have no future in the party.

 

Kasich recently said that he would keep the Medicaid expansion portion of Obamacare and replace the rest. That sealed his fate right there. If he ever gets high enough in the polls to matter, he will get pasted with ads painting him as in favor of Obamacare.

[StrangeSox]

None of that matters. The far right tea party faction of the Republican Party has made Obamacare enemy #1. If you don't come out as 100% against every single provision of Obamacare and pledge to vote to defund it every single one of the 416 times it comes up for vote, you have no future in the party.

 

Kasich recently said that he would keep the Medicaid expansion portion of Obamacare and replace the rest. That sealed his fate right there. If he ever gets high enough in the polls to matter, he will get pasted with ads painting him as in favor of Obamacare.

That highlighted bit is one major reason why calling Obamacare a "conservative plan" or "way to the right" of the plan Romney put in place as governor while dealing with Democratic supermajorities in the state congress will always be silly. I know it's a bit of a derail but that's sort of a pet peeve of mine.

[NorthSideSox72]

Thanks for all the responses, guys. Good to think about some of these names.

 

Last cycle I was a fan of Huntsman (who by the way was the guy closest to Reagan's issue stances, despite protestations from the rest of the field), more so than Obama or any of the GOP'ers, but he wasn't going to win. If Kasich has a similar profile in some ways, plus he can carry one of the 2-3 most key swing states and might be able to actually get the nomination, that sounds intriguing. I'll have to research him a bit, I know very little about him.

 

The number of lunatics in the field is disturbing. I don't mean Bush or Paul or really the majority of them - I am not talking about issue stances per se. I mean guys who just seem to do nothing but throw temper tantrums - Trump and Cruz chief among them. I can't see how anyone would vote for those two, as they clearly have no actual interest in governing. That's not about issue stances.

 

[StrangeSox]

Thanks for all the responses, guys. Good to think about some of these names.

 

Last cycle I was a fan of Huntsman (who by the way was the guy closest to Reagan's issue stances, despite protestations from the rest of the field), more so than Obama or any of the GOP'ers, but he wasn't going to win. If Kasich has a similar profile in some ways, plus he can carry one of the 2-3 most key swing states and might be able to actually get the nomination, that sounds intriguing. I'll have to research him a bit, I know very little about him.

 

The number of lunatics in the field is disturbing. I don't mean Bush or Paul or really the majority of them - I am not talking about issue stances per se. I mean guys who just seem to do nothing but throw temper tantrums - Trump and Cruz chief among them. I can't see how anyone would vote for those two, as they clearly have no actual interest in governing. That's not about issue stances.

 

FWIW I think Michelle Bachmann is still touring around the country on the money she raised during the 2012 primaries. For some of these guys, it's definitely about building their own brand and bringing in dump trucks full of cash. But that was probably 95% of the GOP field last time whereas this time around there are some more legitimate candidates.

[caulfield12]

FWIW I think Michelle Bachmann is still touring around the country on the money she raised during the 2012 primaries. For some of these guys, it's definitely about building their own brand and bringing in dump trucks full of cash. But that was probably 95% of the GOP field last time whereas this time around there are some more legitimate candidates.

 

 

 

Alan Keyes, that was definitely about branding and books and speaking engagements, same with Huckabee now, Gingrich, Santorum, Trump and Fiorina.

 

What is Herman Cain up to now, btw?

 

 

[caulfield12]

That highlighted bit is one major reason why calling Obamacare a "conservative plan" or "way to the right" of the plan Romney put in place as governor while dealing with Democratic supermajorities in the state congress will always be silly. I know it's a bit of a derail but that's sort of a pet peeve of mine.

 

Obama didn't have a single vote from the opposition and still barely got it through only when they gave away a lot of pork to Ben Nelson/Neb.

 

I'm not sure there is a better word for Obama than pragmatist. Definitely not liberal...

[Chisoxfn]

You do realize Obamacare is way to the right of the Romney and Clinton versions...?

 

The Pacific Trade Agreement is liberal?

 

The majority of foreign policy in the Middle East has been following the so-called Bush Doctrine, other than the recent Iran move...so I guess the GOP would prefer a full-scale invasion, as sanctions definitely haven't worked?

 

If Obama was a candidate in the 60s 70s or 80s, he would have been considered a moderate/centrist.

 

He should have let all the banks and auto manufacturers go bankrupt? I didn't see any members of the GOP like Romney applauding that idea, although he did go down to defeat saying he would have let DET implode even when it turned out to be a great investment by the government.

Let me make one thing clear. This is a republican thread. I didn't come in here to defend my thoughts on Obama to a lefty and don't need to. I am talking about the primary with other republicans. I was giving my perspective on my views as a republican amongst other republican voters.

[Chisoxfn]

Alan Keyes, that was definitely about branding and books and speaking engagements, same with Huckabee now, Gingrich, Santorum, Trump and Fiorina.

 

What is Herman Cain up to now, btw?

Fiorina has spent massive amounts of her own money. It has nothing to do with her branding and if it did, she was an idiot. Same with Newt and others.

[Jenksismyhero]

http://imgur.com/gallery/LK8sE

[Big Hurtin]

Won't the Demos be mad if Biden runs? Like he's taking the thunder from Ms. Congenality; Ms. Entitlement (forgive me for being bitter about Hilly; I just don't want somebody that rich to be President when we are all so poor as a country).

 

Wow, you really do live under a rock.

[StrangeSox]

Presidential candidates' net worth, data from here

 

trump 10B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fiorina 59M

chafee 50M

clinton 21.5M

bush 20.5M

carson 10M

santorum 5M

huckabee 5M

webb 4.6M

christie 4M

cruz 3.1M

perry 3M

jindal 2.7M

kasich 2.5M

paul 1.3M

graham 1M

rubio 443k

sanders 330k

 

 

 

walker -71k (???)

 

 

[Balta1701]

FOX NEWS DEBATE LINEUP

 

1 Trump

2 Bush

3 Walker

4 Huckabee

5 Carson

6 Cruz

7 Rubio

8 Paul

9 Christie

10 Kasich

[Chisoxfn]

I am excited for this thing. Should be, if anything, entertaining. I can expect two things. 1, Bush will be polite and on point the whole time. 2, Trump will get flustered. I think if anyone goes swinging at Trump, it will be Walker who is losing momentum and needing the big swing.

[greg775]

Everyone's arguing that Bush (by simply being reasonable and articulate) has been helped the most by Trump...and I've never met a single person who wanted Cruz to actually be president.

 

In the end, would want Walker because that's the classic argument of these times....labor unions vs. outsourcing, DC vs. states' right, the protection of the 1% (Koch, etc.) and corporations to the disadvantage of the middle class and poor, wealth gap widening, rejection of Federal Aid at the cost to weakest and most vulnerable and implicit desire to push those people out of state.

 

You've now known one. I currently want Cruz.

[caulfield12]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-need...lker-1438730749

 

Red meat for the base, but what else can Walker do?

 

Will enough members of the middle class be left to buy/consume products when the last remaining unions and public pension plans are dismantled or promised benefits are cut back for the 47% who will never vote for a Republican?

 

Then what? Sell mostly to China, India, Indonesia and Brazil?

 

[caulfield12]

According to this metric, Marco Rubio is leading the G.O.P. race, with a net positive rating of sixty-one per cent. Walker is in second place, with fifty-five per cent, and Bush is in third place, with fifty per cent. Of course, if Trump performs well in the debates and avoids any major slip-ups, his numbers could improve. But the reason that political professionals monitor this figure closely is that it often indicates the amount of upward (and downward) potential a candidate has. Once negative impressions get entrenched, they are tough to shift, and, relative to most of the other candidates, Trump already has fairly high negative ratings among Republican voters. (Among the electorate as a whole, his negatives are much higher—the highest of any candidate in either party—but that’s not the point here.)

 

Likeable vs. unlikeable among GOP voters

[NorthSideSox72]

Presidential candidates' net worth, data from here

 

trump 10B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fiorina 59M

chafee 50M

clinton 21.5M

bush 20.5M

carson 10M

santorum 5M

huckabee 5M

webb 4.6M

christie 4M

cruz 3.1M

perry 3M

jindal 2.7M

kasich 2.5M

paul 1.3M

graham 1M

rubio 443k

sanders 330k

 

 

 

walker -71k (???)

 

A lot of those numbers seem far too low to me. Something odd there.

 

FOX NEWS DEBATE LINEUP

 

1 Trump

2 Bush

3 Walker

4 Huckabee

5 Carson

6 Cruz

7 Rubio

8 Paul

9 Christie

10 Kasich

 

Interested in watching Kasich. But it really is sad that the candidates numbered 1, 5 and 6 in the current polling aren't even real candidates.

 

[StrangeSox]

A lot of those numbers seem far too low to me. Something odd there.

 

Everyone but Rubio, Sanders and Walker are millionaires and most are multi-millionaires. Federal politicians aren't paupers, but they don't make huge amounts of money either and some of these guys are still relatively young. Walker reportedly has something like $50k in credit card debt and another $100k in student loan debt for his children. The only two that really surprise me are Chafee (born into a ton of wealth, I guess?) and Huckabee (would have thought a few million more given his heavy media presence over the last 8 or so years).

 

I think the numbers come from their legally required campaign disclosure forms.

Edited August 5, 2015 by StrangeSox

[caulfield12]

A lot of those numbers seem far too low to me. Something odd there.

 

 

 

Interested in watching Kasich. But it really is sad that the candidates numbered 1, 5 and 6 in the current polling aren't even real candidates.

 

How is Huckabee a real candidate the third time around?

 

Isn't he more interested in his media properties? He wasn't worth $5+ million eight years ago.

[Jake]

Scott Walker seems to do pretty well with Republicans of various stripes, both the far-right and the more typical ones. With that said, he is not at home in situations like a debate where he has to ad lib responses to things. I could see him blowing up in popularity as time goes on or really flopping and falling by the wayside.

[caulfield12]

Scott Walker seems to do pretty well with Republicans of various stripes, both the far-right and the more typical ones. With that said, he is not at home in situations like a debate where he has to ad lib responses to things. I could see him blowing up in popularity as time goes on or really flopping and falling by the wayside.

 

Doesn't come across as very charismatic to me...his wife was livelier in the interview I watched with the entire family together.

 

That whole $71,000 in debt issue doesn't strike me as an astute financial manager.

[Balta1701]

That whole $71,000 in debt issue doesn't strike me as an astute financial manager.

That doesn't sound like very much?

[caulfield12]

That doesn't sound like very much?

 

Well, he doesn't have a university degree, right? When's the last time we elected a president without that minimum level of education?