whats you honest opions on the 2012 field?

[RedBloodConservative]

I am not talking bout callig them gop moneydogs, or warmongers, or names, put some thought into this post please. What's your opinions on the following?

Herman Cain
Palin
Huckabee
Romney
Mitch daniels
Mike pence
Gingrich
Thune
Jim demint
Haley barbour
Pawlenty
Santorum

I will post mine in q few... on phone right now

 

[Kludge]

Herman Cain - Not familiar with.
Palin - Will probably have a strong run in the primary, but lose to Huckabee or Romney. Her policies are typical of modern conservatives, so of course her positions on foreign policy & domestic social policy are repulsive.
Huckabee - I'd guess Huckabee will win the GOP primary in 2012 - may lose to Romney, though. His policies are almost identical with Palin on issues I care about.
Romney - Will have a tough time winning the primary given how almost everyone knows of his MA healthcare system, but he has the credibility, personality, and physique of someone the GOP would like.
Mitch daniels - Unfamiliar with.
Mike pence - Ditto.
Gingrich - Same as Palin. Has less grassroots support but more establishment support. I think as far as numbers go, his run would be similar to Giuliani's.
Thune - Unfamiliar with.
Jim demint - Above-average conservative with hypocritical foreign policy ideas. He is loved by conservatives for his fiscal conservatism, but supports a foreign policy which will require current or increased war spending, which currently takes up roughly half the US budget when "emergency" funds are included.
Haley barbour - Unfamiliar with.
Pawlenty - A poll recently came out favoring Obama to him in his home state by over 10 points. My opinion on him doesn't matter.
Santorum - Was a huge loser in his senate race. Typical Republican policies... Terrible on foreign policy with restrictive ideas on domestic policy (one of the few remaining anti-gay crusaders)

 

[thasre]

Herman Cain: ??

Palin: I loved her for about a week in 2008, after having been really optimistic about her for a long time before that (I was telling my family in May 2008 that she would be McCain's pick for VP). But, um, I pretty much can't stand her anymore and I'm pretty sure she's entirely just a puppet of the Bill Kristol wing of the Republican Party.

Huckabee: Is the devil. I literally cried when he won Iowa in the last go around because I thought he might win the nomination. Yes, I literally cried. It's embarrassing. I would actively campaign for Obama's reelection if Huckabee won the nomination.

Romney: Is an empty suit. He seems like a nice enough person, but he reminds me of this girl I went to high school with who was a complete idiot that managed to do really well in school because she was hot and had wealthy parents. No one was interested in allowing her to fail at anything, so everyone else took up the slack and let her take credit for accomplishments she didn't really achieve.

Mitch daniels: I don't know much about him, but he seems more like someone who would make potentially good cabinet fodder than presidential material.

Mike pence: Same as Mitch Daniels.

Gingrich: I actually find Gingrich to be very reasonable and a good debater who really does carefully way different ideas and what people with different convictions can bring to the table to work together. I doubt he has any chance of actually winning the Republican nomination (and it would be a bit disappointing if he did), but I hope he'll run because I do think he'll heighten the tenor of the debates.

Thune: Same as Daniels and Pence.

Jim demint: Demint is someone we want as an ally, but not someone I consider particularly consistent or trustworthy in his defense of liberty.

Haley barbour: Barbour simply represents the Republican Party's past. Competent enough and better than most politicians, but totally entrenched in the good ole boys' club of the Republican Party. Nobody really cares about him, they just want his endorsement.

Pawlenty: Boring. He doesn't bring anything of merit to the race that other people don't represent better.

Santorum: Santorum is repulsive enough to most people that he has the rare distinction of having the product of gay anal intercourse named after him. The only people I know who like Santorum are a particularly heinous brand of extreme-Catholic neocons who think he'll somehow make America a Catholic nation or something. That those are the people who most support him is itself indicative of the fact that he has no chance of winning anything and if he did it would be awful.

 

[JohnEngland]

Herman Cain - Could be a surprise 2012 underdog
Palin - Used to be cool, until she started declaring war on everyone
Huckabee - Seems like a nice guy
Romney - Plastic hair
Mitch daniels - Boring
Mike pence - Boring
Gingrich - Unlike most, he's thoughtful and articulate
Thune - Boring
Jim demint - Should stay in the Senate. The presidency is over-rated
Haley barbour - Seems like Bush
Pawlenty - Boring
Santorum - Boring

 

[Aratus]

jim demint and mike huckabee feel like 2016 to me...
sarah palin could give mitt romney a run for his money...
ron paul could be given his determined anti-FED due...

 

[LoneWolf]

No one thinks Ron Paul will run or maybe Rand Paul?

 

[Kludge]

No one thinks Ron Paul will run or maybe Rand Paul?

Ron's subtly expressed interest. Just about everyone here expects him to run. Can't see Rand running, though, after just making it to Washington.

 

[nayjevin]

They would all lose to Obama. The establishment would hope Romney can Rico Suave his way in but too much baggage. Huckabee has been shown to be a liberal convert for political expediency.

Only Ron Paul has the proper foreign policy, budget solutions, and principled record to win. The GOP establishment will choose Ron Paul, or they will choose Obama.

 

[Sola_Fide]

2012 is an unconventional year, and there will be an unconventional candidate. It won't be any of the people we are talking about in the polls now.

1. The Tea Parties will determine the Republican nominee in 2012. There will be any number of candidates that the GOP establishment will offer us, but they know nothing is possible without the Tea Party. The eventual nominee will have to appeal to the Tea Parties.

2. Romney, Huckabee, Gingrich were all establishment Republicans before the Tea Parties came to prominence. This is why I don't think they can appeal to them now.

3. Who does appeal to the Tea Parties? It will be a candidate who is: Christian, interventionist, seen as a "Constitutionalist", and pro-life. So who fits the bill? Palin, but I don't think she will run. Pence, but he may run for governor. DeMint, but I don't think he will run. Herman Cain won't get anywhere. The field is wide open, but I predict that the nominee will be christian, interventionist, and pro-life.

4. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I think the effect that Ron and Rand will have on the debate about budgets and monetary policy will be HUGE. History is coming around to Ron Paul. The grass roots is growing. Even if Ron doesn't win, his influence in 12 will produce a groundswell of liberty brushfires just like it did in 08.

IMO.

 

[speciallyblend]

i have one tag line for them all , I would be forced to vote 3rd Party

 

[speciallyblend]

They would all lose to Obama. The establishment would hope Romney can Rico Suave his way in but too much baggage. Huckabee has been shown to be a liberal convert for political expediency.

Only Ron Paul has the proper foreign policy, budget solutions, and principled record to win. The GOP establishment will choose Ron Paul, or they will choose Obama.

^^^^^^^^^^ can i pick a thread winner this early

 

[Ninja Homer]

They would all lose to Obama. The establishment would hope Romney can Rico Suave his way in but too much baggage. Huckabee has been shown to be a liberal convert for political expediency.

Only Ron Paul has the proper foreign policy, budget solutions, and principled record to win. The GOP establishment will choose Ron Paul, or they will choose Obama.

This is pretty much how I see it, except I think it will be Hillary, not Obama.

I think this may be a perfect storm for Ron Paul. There are a lot of apathetic former Obama supporters that are ripe for recruitment to the liberty movement. Even if they don't become full-on Ron Paul Republicans, many of them could be persuaded to vote for Ron Paul in the primaries.

I'd like to see the 2012 Republican field flooded with liberty candidates... Ron Paul, Gary Johnson, Judge Napolitano, Rand Paul, etc. Control and direct the positions and talking points of the debates, and as the field narrows down, the ones not polling as high give their support to the others. This is how neocons kept control for so long, and it's time we do the same. This affects the Democratic debates as well... if liberty candidates turn End the Fed into a major issue, then Democrats will be expected to answer on it.

In the end, it will come down to 2 major issues; foreign policy and economic policy. The peace candidate almost always wins the general election, but this time economic policy may play the bigger part. Ron Paul wins on both.

 

[Working Poor]

Gingrich - Unlike most, he's thoughtful and articulate

Yea and he thoughtfully worked hand in hand with Clinton to send our jobs overseas.

I think I would kill myself if he got the nomination.

 

[Nic]

Really, if it's not Ron Paul, I'm voting Libertarian regardless of who wins the GOP nomination.