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Home Front: Politix
2008 GOP Straw Poll
2006-11-10
Posted by:.com

#18  Silly Kilowattkid! Politics is a sandpaper world made of diamond dust these days (and probably always, although they used to dress better, I think); I'd fare poorly indeed. I did try inhaling once, but it made me cough. It would be interesting, though, to bring over a5089 as assistent secretary of knife (and other) pron -- perhaps under Homeland Security or Health & Human Services. ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-11-10 23:50  

#17  From the main page at the GOP Bloggers site, a quote from Dick Armey:

"I've always wondered why Republicans insist on acting like Democrats in hopes of retaining political power, while Democrats act like us in order to win..."

That sure as hell rings true...
Posted by: .com   2006-11-10 22:56  

#16  Frank - DH does seem like the right kind of guy, IMO. The VP slot would, indeed, raise his visibility, win or lose -- excellent idea.

As for skeletons, lol.

KWkid - I'm like Frank... I inhaled... everything, lol... ;-)
Posted by: .com   2006-11-10 22:48  

#15  I have too many skeletons in my closet to run for the school board LOL
Posted by: Frank G   2006-11-10 22:44  

#14  Josesph M in '08

Romney or Rudi or Newt + Condi!
Santorum? Too far right?
McCain, Blah! To lib for me, but can get votes from both sides. I don't want votes for face value, middle of the road politics. I want straight shootin' as AP says. And no rolling over for a belly rub as GWB seems to be doing. No more "let's all feel good". Small Gov., Low taxes, security,take no prisonors attitude. Who will be the next Gipper. Stand up and be counted. I want a LEADER, not a polished up talking head.

Fred, Frank, Joe, .Com, Zen, Oldspook, TW, Steve, others. What are you folks doing between '08 and '12
Posted by: Kilowattkid   2006-11-10 22:43  

#13  Duncan Hunter is a definite power, but I see him as a VP for Giuliani or Romney to convince the base. He's a straight dude, but not high-profile enough to gain the big seat IMHO. I've met him in person several times, and he's a good man. Total pro-military, anti-illegals, and AFAIK no scandals...and they've tried hard after the Duke Cunningham scandal to paint him too....he was a Ranger in VN too... no lucky hats for him
Posted by: Frank G   2006-11-10 22:36  

#12  Well, Hunter's got two years to get on the radar... and now he'll have to do it from a minority position. I'll wager his invitations to be on the Talking Heads shows, never very high, will fall to almost nothing. So he'll need a very effective PR machine...

Can Frank identify how he'll raise himself above the swamp and generate the buzz?
Posted by: .com   2006-11-10 22:14  

#11  I know that this is a long shot, but a straight shootin' straight talking someone would be an unusual choice, given the preference of the parties for picking weak leaders. How about Duncan Hunter of San Diego. Commodore Frank G likes him.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2006-11-10 22:09  

#10  Heh, Jackal - it will take some doing, like a LOT of centrist-sounding speeches or similar Hillary-like BS. He's got the same massive negatives - as the poll shows.

That's one of the reasons I found this straw poll interesting - it's from the conservative bubble of the blogosphere, not from some asshole MSM "reporter's" spin machine, lol.
Posted by: .com   2006-11-10 22:07  

#9  It's McCain's "turn." The GOP always seems to nominate whoever came in second the previous time.

RR: Lost to Ford in '76, won in '80
GHWB: Lost to Reagan in '80, won in '88
Dole: Lost to Bush in '88, won in '96
GWB: I'll admit this one doesn't fit
McCain: Lost to GWB in '00, wins in ....?
Posted by: Jackal   2006-11-10 21:59  

#8  I note that, in every view of the result data, Romney is the sleeper, waiting just out of direct fire range, given the numbers. I have no doubt his "baggage" will focus on his being a Mormon.

For perspective, I am a bona-fide atheist - not a squishy one, either, but also someone who believes that I should let people's behavior be my guide, nothing else. What should I care what people believe if it helps them find peace, sleep at night, and they keep it to themselves? I don't - good for them. Where a belief's resulting behavior is tolerance of others and yields positive results, I'm the best friend of religion. Where it is destructive, divisive, intolerant, or barbaric - I am a sworn "reform or perish" enemy.

I know the Mormons rather well - having been drafted (dragged) into their world as a kid, before I escaped and left home - and have no serious issues with them in how they conduct their lives. Even in Utah, they kept their peculiarities to themselves when dealing with non-Mormons, which is both smart and something to be emulated by other religions. Only the ubiquitous polite and earnest young men in white shirts, black slacks, riding bicycles to "spread the word" to anyone willing to listen puts them on the "uh oh" radar. As far as I know, they are not harassers - except to extra-ex-Mormons like me, lol. I can assure doubters that there is no more patriotic "group" in the US outside of the service academies. Period.

It will be interesting to see if other Christian religious sects give them the same tolerance that was finally given to the Followers of Cathol when Kennedy ran. The focus, to me, should be on the positives, the similarities, the results, not the belief differences, large or small... but then history has shown us that the smaller the difference between two ideologies (yeah, yeah, I know - it's "religion" not ideology! - bullshit, lol -- here, pull my finger...), the greater the neurosis...

So I see fun times ahead and will find it interesting to see the reactions and how much paranoia Romney's private beliefs invoke. His intelligence, clear-eyed patriotism, and executive competence seem to be obvious, enough. I look forward to hearing what the Massaholics say, but with a grain of salt (think: cowlick, lol) since they live in The Cynical People's Republik of Beacon Hill, lol. That can't be good for the mental health, heh. Wiki offers this...
Posted by: .com   2006-11-10 21:49  

#7  Newt has too many ethical problems.

Rudi has had prostate cancer and a messy divorce.

Condi has never held elected public office.

McCain is a weasel.

Frist is dead-weight.

Romney is interesting but the Dems will be happy to use his religion to smear him. They're Dems, they can't be bigots.

Hagel, Huckabee, Pataki -- who?
Posted by: Steve White   2006-11-10 21:28  

#6  Maybe I'm nuts, but Rudy and Condi still seem the top choice to me; earlier posts about Newt's polarization seem to carry some weight; there is a lot of long term memory out thee surrounding him that is probably more of a liability than an asset. I think Condi has only been following orders as Sec State; Give her the VP seat and stand by.
Posted by: USN,Ret   2006-11-10 18:59  

#5  Have Rudy get elected an put Newt in as Treasury Secretary...
Posted by: BigEd   2006-11-10 17:06  

#4  Polarizing means Newt gave better than he got. His problem was he couldn't keep his wiener out of his congressional aide's pants. Should have been a Dem and been lionized for his "bravery".
Posted by: ed   2006-11-10 10:18  

#3  Most folks who hear me say it tell me I'm nuts, but Giuliani is the only candidate who can INSURE a Republican victory in 2008. I love Newt. I thought he was the most unfairly attacked and smeared political figure in decades. He's articulate, intelligent, and a true fiscal conservative as well as a social one. Having said that, he's far too polarizing a figure to prosper in a national race. I hate much of Rudy's politics, including his pro-choice stance and other issues, but the man is electable. If he wound up going against Hillary, she'd get her liberal ass handed to her in a hat.
Posted by: mcsegeek1   2006-11-10 09:51  

#2  The high votes Newt is getting in these polls leave me wondering what internet GOP folks are smoking: nominating him would be pretty much the only way to lose the next general election against the weakest Democratic field in eons.
Posted by: JSU   2006-11-10 09:17  

#1  Newt all the way.

Frist or McCain, NFW.
Posted by: BrerRabbit   2006-11-10 07:50  

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