The 2016 Presidential Election Trainwreck

[Northwestcoug]

Haha. Stepped right into that one.

1968 wasn't much of a campaign, but point to shaka.

Mitt is no Reagan. Mitt is not as charismatic as his fan base thinks he is.
Good decision though. He's a good guy and he deserves to enjoy his retirement.

[TripletDaddy]

Looks like Jeb had a nice sit down visit with Mitt

[hostile]

Looks like Jeb had a nice sit down visit with Mitt

I suspect Ann had a nice sit down with him as well.

[Pelado]

I suspect Ann had a nice sit down with him as well.

Is that a euphemism?

[Pelado]

I think it would be really tough for any candidate to generate sufficient excitement and enthusiasm on a third presidential run.

Has anyone besides William Jennings Bryan lost three times as a major party candidate (sorry Ted, I'm not counting the Libertarian Party)?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Has anyone besides William Jennings Bryan lost three times as a major party candidate (sorry Ted, I'm not counting the Libertarian Party)?

Not sure.

A second campaign is fairly standard because the first one is typically to get your name out there and set up the second run. But to win the party nomination and then lose and come back again seems like it would be rare and a difficult mountain to climb. You have that stigma of being a loser that would be very difficult to overcome. Reagan did not win the primary in 1976 (and was a minor candidate in 1968), so those were substantially different circumstances.

http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2015/01/historical-re-election-odds-were-against-another-romney-bid/

Overall, 12 major party nominees who lost presidential races gained another nomination, and five were successful in getting in the White House.

Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, and Grover Cleveland did come back from a presidential campaign loss to win four years later. Cleveland’s win was in 1892; he was the last President to accomplish that feat in four years.

Nixon won the 1968 presidential race, after losing eight years earlier to John F. Kennedy. In fact, Nixon was the last defeated presidential candidate to make another major effort to win a presidential race as his party’s nominee.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Nixon also lost the 1962 California Governors' race. Obviously that doesn't count as another failed presidential run, but it was more embarrassing than Romney's loss in 2012.

There simply wasn't a reason for another Romney run. I thought that Romney could prevent Bush from getting the nomination, but I think Romney and Bush would have sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Each man would have a considerable number of supporters that didn't want to see the other guy get the nomination. Hopefully, everyone that doesn't want Bush will unite behind another candidate that doesn't have a toxic surname.

[Clark Addison]

Adlai Stevenson was the Democratic nominee twice, in 52 and 56, lost both, then ran again 60, but obviously didn't get the nomination. I think he is the latest two-time general election loser, isn't he?

[TripletDaddy]

I Like people debating candidates that have experienced more failure or embarrassment than Mitt. It is a short list but worth exploring.

[Applejack]

I Like people debating candidates that have experienced more failure or embarrassment than Mitt. It is a short list but worth exploring.

On a personal level, I am crushed by today's announcement. I was looking forward to another year of people in my ward jockeying to get called as the Romney's home teachers.

[old_gregg]

serious presidential candidate rand paul is a dumb dumb

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/rand-paul-vaccines-can-lead-mental-disorders-n298821

[SandYFan]

serious presidential candidate rand paul is a dumb dumb

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elec...orders-n298821

The Republicans have no one. For as much as Hillary is not loved, I don't think it will even matter come 2016.

[TripletDaddy]

The Republicans have no one. For as much as Hillary is not loved, I don't think it will even matter come 2016.

There is a difference between not having a candidate strong enough to beat Hillary and having lunatic candidates. The GOP current has Rand Paul, Sarah Palin, and Rick Perry, to name a few. How did these nuts rise as far as they did to be in a position to run for POTUS???

[SandYFan]

There is a difference between not having a candidate strong enough to beat Hillary and having lunatic candidates. The GOP current has Rand Paul, Sarah Palin, and Rick Perry, to name a few. How did these nuts rise as far as they did to be in a position to run for POTUS???

Can we blame the religious right? Anyone who isn't nuts on stuff like vaccines and gay marriage doesn't get the support they need to get very far.

[old_gregg]

at least they don't have to worry about rand's dad making him look crazy