Rep Marsha Blackburn considering a run for President in 2016 [not running]

[Matt Collins]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...n_to_test_the_waters_for_2016_bid_122242.html


30 seconds looking at her voting record will tell you that she will have some serious problems...

http://www.thenewamerican.com/freedomindex/profile.php?id=B001243
http://congress.freedomworks.org/legislators/marsha-w-blackburn-0

 

[Tywysog Cymru]

Maybe more candidates in the race will mean that the non-Rand vote is split?

 

[MichaelDavis]

Jacob Brimm for Congress: http://jacobbrimm.com/

He's a big neo-con, but if he wins the primary, Blackburn won't be a serious candidate in 2016.

 

[Matt Collins]

Jacob Brimm for Congress: http://jacobbrimm.com/

He's a big neo-con, but if he wins the primary, Blackburn won't be a serious candidate in 2016.

He is not a serious candidate.

 

[anaconda]

I hope she runs. We need more women to run. Also, she'll be like a Michele Bachmann, and will underscore Rand Paul's cross party platform that includes less war and more civil liberties. Blackburn appears to be pro war, pro Patriot Act, pro Israel, pro warrantless wiretaps, pro police state, blah blah blah..I welcome her entrance into the dinosaur/establishment diluting crop of candidates.

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Marsha_Blackburn.htm

 

[MichaelDavis]

I hope she runs. We need more women to run. Also, she'll be like a Michele Bachmann, and will underscore Rand Paul's cross party platform that includes less war and more civil liberties. Blackburn appears to be pro war, pro Patriot Act, pro Israel, pro warrantless wiretaps, pro police state, blah blah blah..I welcome her entrance into the dinosaur/establishment diluting crop of candidates.

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Marsha_Blackburn.htm

She might be grouped into the "very conservative" and "tea party" categories. That would hurt Rand Paul and help RINOs like Chris Christie and Jeb Bush.

 

[Matt Collins]

She might be grouped into the "very conservative" and "tea party" categories. That would hurt Rand Paul and help RINOs like Chris Christie and Jeb Bush.

Exactly.

She plays a conservative on TV and she is a damn good actress.

 

[anaconda]

Exactly.

She plays a conservative on TV and she is a damn good actress.

I think Rand will be able to dramatically distinguish himself from the authoritarian Santorum-Blackburn-Huckabee types, even to socons. And Rand will suffer THE LEAST among this demographic for the very reason that it will be split up by the authoritarian socon candidates, and those candidates will rely more heavily on this demographic. PLUS it will draw independents and crossover Democrats to vote for Rand in the states with open primaries.

 

[anaconda]

You would think all 50 state Republican Parties would want their primaries closed, due to Rand's potential appeal to independents and crossovers from other party registries. Can they still do this or is it too late? Anybody know about this?

 

[MichaelDavis]

You would think all 50 state Republican Parties would want their primaries closed, due to Rand's potential appeal to independents and crossovers from other party registries. Can they still do this or is it too late? Anybody know about this?

I don't know if closed primaries would help them much. Ron came in a close third in Iowa (closed) and second in New Hampshire (open). Rand Paul has lead in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

 

[anaconda]

I don't know if closed primaries would help them much. Ron came in a close third in Iowa (closed) and second in New Hampshire (open). Rand Paul has lead in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

Recent article discussing Rand's potential in open primaries..

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/04/rand-pauls-secret-weapon-hillary-clinton/360409/

 

[CPUd]

She may be trying to raise her profile to make a run for the Senate in the future. It would be for Lamar Alexander's seat, whenever he decides to retire. I could see the other Senator, Bob Corker, trying for POTUS one day.

 

[MichaelDavis]

Recent article discussing Rand's potential in open primaries..

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/04/rand-pauls-secret-weapon-hillary-clinton/360409/

 

[TaftFan]

She just spoke in New Hampshire: http://www.redstate.com/diary/marshablackburn/2014/04/12/remarks-freedom-summit-manchester-nh/

I take Neil Stevens to task in the comments:

Are only "great speech" comments permitted?

Why must you badger him when he is trying to connect with his elected representative? He was not being rude, and was looking at record rather than rhetoric. And realizing that the rhetoric is occurring in the very real prospect of a presidential run. HotAir reported she was considering it, and this speech was in NH for a reason.

I don't get it. One the one hand, I'll see RedState blast moderate Republicans to oblivion. On the other hand, I've seen a front and center post promoting John Cornyn for Senate (posted by Leon Wolf I believe) and now a mod carrying water for Blackburn.

Now is it not the time to be confused about our principles. Now is the time to fight.

 

[thoughtomator]

Santorum's showing in the last Presidential primary season showed that there aren't too many genuine so-cons left, maybe 5% of the GOP primary electorate, tops.

That group of near-so-cons is really best handled under the name "neocons". Their vote is what we want to split into as many tiny factions as possible.

The other major voting block in the GOP is the corporatist group, which contains all the moderates and the elderly they con into voting for them.

Everyone else in the GOP is voting for Rand. He is far and away the best option for everyone not in the above factions. And for the so-cons in particular, Rand isn't a terrible choice, either - he'll have a good chance of being the one to benefit when the top so-con candidate folds.

So-cons aren't our problem. They are potential allies because of the value they place on religious liberty. Neo-cons and corporatists are the problem that we must overcome electorally inside the GOP.

 

[compromise]

I hope she runs. We need more women to run. Also, she'll be like a Michele Bachmann, and will underscore Rand Paul's cross party platform that includes less war and more civil liberties. Blackburn appears to be pro war, pro Patriot Act, pro Israel, pro warrantless wiretaps, pro police state, blah blah blah..I welcome her entrance into the dinosaur/establishment diluting crop of candidates.

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Marsha_Blackburn.htm

Blackburn's voting record is significantly worse than Bachmann on economic issues, though she's a little better on NSA surveillance. Bachmann took a ton of Tea Party support that might otherwise have gone to Ron, her supporters weren't really the establishment crowd. I know a lot of Rand supporters who were in the Bachmann camp in 2012, even Lee Bright used to be state chairman for her.
http://congress.freedomworks.org/legislators/michele-marie-bachmann-0

She might be grouped into the "very conservative" and "tea party" categories. That would hurt Rand Paul and help RINOs like Chris Christie and Jeb Bush.

I think there's a huge difference between Blackburn and Bachmann. Bachmann was a national figure and there were a lot of her fans pushing her to run. Blackburn is by comparison a nobody and I highly doubt many Republicans outside Tennessee even know who she is. I'd be more worried by Allen West, Steve King or Trey Gowdy being drafted in than Blackburn and even then I don't think they'll stand very much of a chance in 2016 with all the big players with huge name recognition moving in for the open Presidential seat. Will anyone really take much notice of Blackburn in a field consisting of Bush, Perry, Christie, Huckabee and Rand?

 

[RonPaulGeorge&Ringo]

Just another bogus candidate recruited by the RNC. They'll get a woman on the stage, which looks good; and she'll get a book deal eventually for a cool $500k or so.

 

[Rocco]

You know, that's actually a really good point. When looking at the early polling I see very few women ever being included in polls, and with the exception of Sarah Palin (who will not run) there is not a woman in the field who could gain traction that seems to be seriously considering it. If the RNC cannot recruit Palin I think Susana Martinez, Blackburn and Ayotte will become heavily recruited by the RNC just so they won't have to sit through 2016 "War on Women" ads that show 12 men and no women on the debate stage. I know it's asinine, but this is how the establishment thinks we win elections.

Just another bogus candidate recruited by the RNC. They'll get a woman on the stage, which looks good; and she'll get a book deal eventually for a cool $500k or so.

 

[Matt Collins]

She is not running:

http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postpolitics/2014/4/14/blackburn_no_presidential_ambitions

 

[Hyperion]

I grew up in her district. She use to be an awesome state legislator and courageously fought against attempts to implement a state income tax. I'll forever be grateful for that. Unfortunately she has become more establishment the more she's been in DC.