President in 2008?

[Reaganfan]

It seems as I heard on Hannity and Colmes, rumors are starting to buzz that MA Gov. Mitt Romney may run for President in 2008.
Also, rumors are and have been buzzing that NY Gov. George Pataki is gearing up for a run.

Time will tell...President Romney...President Pataki...all sound better than President Kerry.

[qwerty]

Also, rumors are and have been buzzing that NY Gov. George Pataki is gearing up for a run.

You must be lying. I haven't heard this before.

[Reaganfan]

New York Gov. George Pataki will introduce President Bush for his acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention next week. But NEWSWEEK has learned that Pataki would love a little role reversal. Sources say the governor recently held a strategy meeting with key advisers to discuss a possible presidential campaign in 2008. The session took place at the Water Club, a New York City restaurant, says one person with knowledge of the meeting. Attending with the governor were top political advisers Arthur Finkelstein and Charles Gargano, Pataki's economic-development chief. They said that Pataki was "Definitely thinking."

[YRABNNRM]

Also, rumors are and have been buzzing that NY Gov. George Pataki is gearing up for a run.

You must be lying. I haven't heard this before.

You must be lying...

George Pataki has got my vote.

Anyway I think that right now we can't even guess who will be President in 2008, did anyone know that Kerry would be the dem nominee now in 2000?

Sure we can speculate but...

[A18]

Is Romney pro-life?

[Keystone Phil]

Is Romney pro-life?

No

[A18]

Is he pro- gay unions?

[Blerpiez]

No

[Nation]

If Romney runs, he's got my vote.

[A18]

If Romney runs, he's got my vote.

How come?

[George W. Bush]

 I guess Pataki would be good. I was Hopeing for Jeb or Cheney, but thats not going to happen, And I think Mcain Will be too old.

[angus]

pataki and romney are snowbelt republicans.  only sunbelt folks have been elected, starting with Johnson (I'm counting the Bushes not as newenglanders but southwesterners, and reagan as a californian not an illinois person).  given our national preference for sunbelt folks, I'd venture a guess at Dianne Feinstein or John Edwards as reasonable choices for a challenger to the GOP nominee next time.  Maybe up against Governor Rick Perry.  Oh, he's a sexy man, don't ya think?  But so is Edwards.  How'd that be?

[minionofmidas]

pataki and romney are snowbelt republicans.  only sunbelt folks have been elected, starting with Johnson (I'm counting the Bushes not as newenglanders but southwesterners, and reagan as a californian not an illinois person).  given our national preference for sunbelt folks, I'd venture a guess at Dianne Feinstein or John Edwards as reasonable choices for a challenger to the GOP nominee next time.  Maybe up against Governor Rick Perry.  Oh, he's a sexy man, don't ya think?  But so is Edwards.  How'd that be?

But isn't Romney a Utah native? (I think I heard that once...)

[angus]

But isn't Romney a Utah native? (I think I heard that once...)

Hmmmm.  Ich weiß nicht Herr Trondheim.  But it's interesting.

maybe you thought that 'cause Romney is a mormon.  I met quite a few mormons when I lived in Boston, and there's a huge tabernacle in Cambridge, but as I recall many of the mormons I met (identifiable in the many pubs in Beantown by their beverage of choice, usually not ale) were from Utah or Out West somewhere.  But I'd count Romney as "being from massachusetts" the way I'd count reagan as from CA, George I & II from TX, Jeb from FLA, Hillary from NY, etc.  That's what I meant. 

[angus]

Perry, though, is a real texan.  Like LBJ and Hank Hill.  But without the glasses and big ears.  Very tall and very sexy.  A sure winner.  We Americans are profound, and consider only the important stuff when selecting a president.  Like who's taller.  Who's sexier.  What they did 30 years ago in Vietnam.  Important stuff like that.

[CollectiveInterest]

Kerry will be elected in 2004.

I expect he will be dogged by foreign policy challenges and a weak economy. He will stay in Iraq too long. He will be challenged in the Dem primary by Howard Dean or a Dean-like figure.

The Republican primary will be huge in 2008. It will offer a choice between a no-sh**t fascist candidate (somebody that makes Bush and Buchanan look moderate and reasonable) and someone more from the McCain/Hagel/Pataki/Schwarzenegger/Giuliani wing of the party.

Political violence will come back after the 2004 election. Media figures will be targeted more. There will be an attempt on Michael Moore's life in Kerry's first year as POTUS.

[TomC]

The Republican primary will be huge in 2008. It will offer a choice between a no-sh**t fascist candidate (somebody that makes Bush and Buchanan look moderate and reasonable) and someone more from the McCain/Hagel/Pataki/Schwarzenegger/Giuliani wing of the party.

Bob Dornan? Senator Alan Keyes??? Any GOP Rep from Texas?

I see these:

Rudy Giuliani or George pataki (conservative enough???)
John McCain(conservative enough???)
Bill Frist (conservative enough, but majorly boring insider)
Tom Ridge (conservative enough??? methinks a good VP pick)
Bill Owens (conservative enough)
Steve Forbes (he's not dead or broke is he?)

How old is Ellizabeth Dole???
Is JC Watts completely out of politics?

Who thinks they'll still talk about Jeb2008 even though he's ruled it out? Isn't that part of the game?

[angus]

 Any GOP Rep from Texas?

Ron Paul.  My GOP nominee for 2008.    boioioioing!

[swampdude]

......  Maybe up against Governor Rick Perry.  Oh, he's a sexy man, don't ya think?  But so is Edwards.  How'd that be?

Gov. Rick Perry is in deep trouble among even Republicans in Texas.  I feel quite sure he will be defeated by another Repub in 2006.  They are already lining up.

[shankbear]

Carol Keyton Rylander will beat Rickie in the primaries in Texas.  Count him out in 2008.  I cannot seriously think anybody had considered him anyway.

[tkwrinklefiber]

If Orrin Hatch gets his thing through, maybe we'll end up with President Schwarzeneggar.  How depressing.

[raggage]

If Orrin Hatch gets his thing through, maybe we'll end up with President Schwarzeneggar.  How depressing.

Not likely. He doesn't (at least by 2008 he still won't) have the credentials for the oval office. (That didn't stop Bush though).

[Erc]

The Republican primary will be huge in 2008. It will offer a choice between a no-sh**t fascist candidate (somebody that makes Bush and Buchanan look moderate and reasonable) and someone more from the McCain/Hagel/Pataki/Schwarzenegger/Giuliani wing of the party.

Bob Dornan? Senator Alan Keyes??? Any GOP Rep from Texas?

I see these:

Rudy Giuliani or George pataki (conservative enough???)
John McCain(conservative enough???)
Bill Frist (conservative enough, but majorly boring insider)
Tom Ridge (conservative enough??? methinks a good VP pick)
Bill Owens (conservative enough)
Steve Forbes (he's not dead or broke is he?)

How old is Ellizabeth Dole???
Is JC Watts completely out of politics?

Who thinks they'll still talk about Jeb2008 even though he's ruled it out? Isn't that part of the game?

The Five (Serious) Candidates for the Republican nomination in 2008:

Rudy Guiliani
John McCain
Tommy Thompson
Bill Owens
Jeb Bush

McCain and Jeb have denied any interest in running (Jeb more explicitly, but I say he'll declare an interest eventually.  He's already got my vote in the primaries...)

Of the others:

If Keyes wasn't dead after 2000, he'll be dead after he loses to Obama by 50 points.  He's the national laughing-stock, and would lose to Hillary in a Goldwater-esque fashion (without any of the AuH2O goodness).

Forbes:  no way.

Liz Dole has a shot, in my opinion, if a lot of the candidates above (ie McCain and Jeb) pull out.  But she'd be 72 (ditto with McCain, which could really hurt him)--both older than Reagan when he was inaugurated.

Bill Frist is ugly and a kitty-killer.  He'll either be the Daschle or the Bob Graham of '08.

Tom Ridge is in a dead-end job.  He might consider it, but I don't think he'd make it.  Again, maybe VP.

Pataki wouldn't have a shot unless Rudy isn't running.  And even then he wouldn't have much of a shot barring an absolutely disastrous slate of candidates.

Perry:  No chance.

Romney:  might win the NH primary, but he's got no chance outside New England.  I doubt he'll run.


Bill Owens has a mighty good shot at the nomination at this point...


For the Democrats, I haven't looked at it as much...

It really depends on how they react to their loss in 2004 (if they win, barring an Extremely disastrous Kerry presidency, he won't have a renomination battle).   If they thought they were too out of touch with the center, they'll pick a Clintonesque centrist.  If they thought they lost because they didn't get the base, they'll pick a Deaniac liberal.

As for the Democratic field:

I heard Dean talk about a month ago...it sounds like he's interested, but wouldn't really have a shot unless there's no other liberal out there.

John Edwards...because he's got nothing better to do.  Like Lieberman, he'll probably get smushed in the primaries after a poor showing as veep candidate.

Hillary.  Appeals to both the Liberal and to the "we want Clinton back" sides of the party.  Likely to win the nomination if she tries unless there are too many concerns that she's unelectable.  In which case the race goes to...

Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA).  Moderate from the South.  Although he looks a tad bit like Kerry.

Other possibilities:

Bayh.  Dunno if he has an interest though.

Russ Feingold, Bill Richardson--now I'm just picking names out of a hat.
 

[Colin]

The Republican primary will be huge in 2008. It will offer a choice between a no-sh**t fascist candidate (somebody that makes Bush and Buchanan look moderate and reasonable) and someone more from the McCain/Hagel/Pataki/Schwarzenegger/Giuliani wing of the party.

Fascist? Who in the entire Republican party is a fascist? Or do you think anyone to the right of John McCain is a fascist? In that case over 75% of the Republican party is "fascist" and I'm a "fascist" but to say that would be like saying that anyone to the left of Joe Lieberman is a Stalinist. It makes no sense and is a slanderous accusation. Tell me who is a fascist in the Republican party? Who wants to replace democracy with dictatorship and send Jews to the camps? No Republican would ever do that.

[Josh/Devilman88]

L. Dole vs H. Clinton