Which potential GOP presidential candidate do you prefer?

[oxcoug]

The NJ governor is a rising star in the GOP.

He is - but I'm pretty sure he won't run in 2012 and that it's a good idea for him not to (he's committed both in politics and principle to NJ at this point, so I think he stays there through 2016).

Of the others -

Thune is interesting.
Daniels would be a fantastic VP pick for the right ticket - and he's got the technocratic management resume that I think Americans are going to crave in 2012.
Jindal looked green in cameos in 2008, but has promise, is damn smart and could also be a VP pick for the right ticket.
Romney has never lived up to his potential and hasn't done anything, as TD noted to address key issues.
Huckabee can suck it.
If Palin were nominated I would permanently leave the Republican Party.
Demint is the same story.
Pawlenty makes me sleep.

[happyone]

You like Pawlenty? Admittedly I don't know much about him, but he seems a little bland to me and destined to be an also-ran. I like Thune, though I don't think the GOP nominee will come from the Legislative branch.

From what I've heard and read, he's been a pretty good gov and won in a Democratic state.

I agree the nominee will probably be a recent gov. I hope in won't be Palin. IMO she would be a mistake, because she is too polarizing. Something like Hillary on the Dems side. You either love her or hate her, there seems to be no middle ground.

So far, noone has really excited me.

[Tim]

It doesn't matter who the GOP puts up. The economy will have continued to recover, unemployment will be lower, and we'll be on our way out of Afghanistan. Obama will select Hillary Clinton as his running mate and together they'll beat anyone the GOP puts up. Hillary will then win the presidential election in 2016. The GOP needs to focus on making sure they have a strong candidate ready for 2016. At this point there's no Republican ready* for 2012.

*by "ready" I mean capable of appealing to the majority of the population. Mitt will never win, and neither will The Maverick.

[woot]

I wish Ron Paul could win it. While he has some silly beliefs, he doesn't spend his time talking about them like Palin and the gain do. He'd be a good check to all the spending, and perhaps the only possible one.

[wuapinmon]

It doesn't matter who the GOP puts up. The economy will have continued to recover, unemployment will be lower, and we'll be on our way out of Afghanistan. Obama will select Hillary Clinton as his running mate and together they'll beat anyone the GOP puts up. Hillary will then win the presidential election in 2016. The GOP needs to focus on making sure they have a strong candidate ready for 2016. At this point there's no Republican ready* for 2012.

*by "ready" I mean capable of appealing to the majority of the population. Mitt will never win, and neither will The Maverick.

All of this makes me cringe. Obama is underwhelming me. I'd almost rather it were an open field. Hillary as President would not be a good thing. If I could pick anyone to be President right now, I kind of like Jindal, or Kucinich. But, I'd really like Bill Clinton back.

[Surfah]

It doesn't matter who the GOP puts up. The economy will have continued to recover, unemployment will be lower, and we'll be on our way out of Afghanistan. Obama will select Hillary Clinton as his running mate and together they'll beat anyone the GOP puts up. Hillary will then win the presidential election in 2016. The GOP needs to focus on making sure they have a strong candidate ready for 2016. At this point there's no Republican ready* for 2012.

*by "ready" I mean capable of appealing to the majority of the population. Mitt will never win, and neither will The Maverick.

God help us.

[woot]

All of this makes me cringe. Obama is underwhelming me. I'd almost rather it were an open field. Hillary as President would not be a good thing. If I could pick anyone to be President right now, I kind of like Jindal, or Kucinich. But, I'd really like Bill Clinton back.

All I know about Jindal is that he's from Louisiana and thinks it's silly to spend money researching natural disasters. That seems like the opinion of a very dim bulb. Kucinich seems similarly dim, what with his alien abduction stuff.

Of the realistic candidates, I might even say Romney, assuming he stops trying to fellate the evangelicals and assuming we can trust him when he says he won't take orders from SLC.

[Tim]

God help us.

Note that I'm in no ways suggesting that this is what I want. This is just what I think will happen.

[Tim]

All I know about Jindal is that he's from Louisiana and thinks it's silly to spend money researching natural disasters. That seems like the opinion of a very dim bulb. Kucinich seems similarly dim, what with his alien abduction stuff.

Of the realistic candidates, I might even say Romney, assuming he stops trying to fellate the evangelicals and assuming we can trust him when he says he won't take orders from SLC.

Unfortunately it's impossible to be a Mormon and not take orders from Salt Lake. When the Prophet speaks, the discussion is over. Sorry, Mitt, but if you want to A) keep your recommend, and B) not have your faith questioned by the folks on CougarBoard, you'll have to follow Salt Lake's orders to the T.

[Maximus]

All of this makes me cringe. Obama is underwhelming me. I'd almost rather it were an open field. Hillary as President would not be a good thing. If I could pick anyone to be President right now, I kind of like Jindal, or Kucinich. But, I'd really like Bill Clinton back.

Kucinich? Kucinich??

[Surfah]

Note that I'm in no ways suggesting that this is what I want. This is just what I think will happen.

And my plea was sincere in that I think the situation you describe can be a reality.

[woot]

Unfortunately it's impossible to be a Mormon and not take orders from Salt Lake. When the Prophet speaks, the discussion is over. Sorry, Mitt, but if you want to A) keep your recommend, and B) not have your faith questioned by the folks on CougarBoard, you'll have to follow Salt Lake's orders to the T.

While this is exaggerated, can you imagine if Romney came out in favor of women's rights or gay rights? Romney would be almost as hated by Mormons as Harry Reid.

[Maximus]

While this is exaggerated, can you imagine if Romney came out in favor of women's rights or gay rights? Romney would be almost as hated by Mormons as Harry Reid.

What women's rights does the church not support?

These kind of statements make me laugh.

[il Padrino Ute]

It doesn't matter who the GOP puts up. The economy will have continued to recover, unemployment will be lower, and we'll be on our way out of Afghanistan. Obama will select Hillary Clinton as his running mate and together they'll beat anyone the GOP puts up. Hillary will then win the presidential election in 2016. The GOP needs to focus on making sure they have a strong candidate ready for 2016. At this point there's no Republican ready* for 2012.

*by "ready" I mean capable of appealing to the majority of the population. Mitt will never win, and neither will The Maverick.

Thanks for that laugh, Tim. It's been a shitty day and this really made me feel better.

[wuapinmon]

Kucinich? Kucinich??

I think it's Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse....