If it came to the convention...

[Vote UKIP!]

I just want to get your thoughts on what might be the result of a brokered convention.

My choice would be Christie. Although he's not quite TEA Party, I believe he is the one Establishment candidate that they could stomach. His aggressive attitude would energize the base, and give both Ann Coulter, Bill Kristol, and Phil the candidate they originally wanted.  A TEA Party runningmate would further solidify the base, and create a formidable challenger to Obama in the general.

Your thoughts....

[California8429]

Couldn't be Jindal or Christie since they've endorsed in the race, especially Christie.

[Vote UKIP!]

Couldn't be Jindal or Christie since they've endorsed in the race, especially Christie.

Quite the contrary, I think Christie has an excellent chance simply because he DID endorse the Establishment favorite.

[Mr. Morden]

Most likely none of these.  What would actually happen is that Romney and Santorum (assuming they have the most delegates) would each try to make a deal with one of the people on this list to be VP, in order to try to win over Gingrich delegates.  Enough Gingrich delegates would break away in one direction or the other to give either Romney or Santorum the nomination.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

May not be anyone on this list. Technically, anyone can come forward and try to sway the delegates to them.

[Torie]

The delegates would be insane really to pick someone out of the blue who has not been tested having run the grueling circuit. Sure if Daniels had run, and proven that he had the right stuff, and so forth, under extreme pressure, he would be a fine choice. But he didn't, and certainly would not be prepared either to handle all the national issues, and all the curve balls that are out there.

I must say, even though I could never vote for him, and think he would not make a good POTUS, and may well end up being a disastrous one (in part because of his deep seated passions, including a seeming lust for lashing out at a long list of foreign evils, that he feels need to be made "right," and made "right" sooner rather than later, potentially leading to another ill considered war), that Santorum has considerably increased his statute by virtue of his running. He has shown he can think on his feet, think things out, and handle pressure well. Plus he has shown considerable  discipline, which is always a virtue, particularly for a POTUS.  

In a word, Santorum surprised me, in a way none of the other candidates did. The rest were, or are, almost entirely predictable.

[Mehmentum]

The problem with picking most of these choices is how do you know they won't be the next Rick Perry.  (Establisment favorite with conservative appeal who is thrust onto the national stage and flops because he isn't prepared for the flood of attacks and 24 hour news).

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

It would be insane if this trainwreck of a primary got any more flavors.

[Averroës Nix]

In a word, Santorum surprised me, in a way none of the other candidates did. The rest were, or are, almost entirely predictable.

Agreed. Santorum's the only Republican who looks better now than he did before he ran.

[Alcon]

In a word, Santorum surprised me, in a way none of the other candidates did. The rest were, or are, almost entirely predictable.

Agreed. Santorum's the only Republican who looks better now than he did before he ran.

Thirded.  I think of all the Republican candidates, Santorum has proven himself to have the most presidential temperament.

[Pingvin]

Ryan/Christie or Ryan/Jindal or Ryan/McDonnell.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I'd support Christie or Daniels.

Daniels/Christie or Christie/Daniels

[You kip if you want to...]

Jindal being nominated by the GOP? Serious elephant in the room.

[Vote UKIP!]

In a word, Santorum surprised me, in a way none of the other candidates did. The rest were, or are, almost entirely predictable.

Agreed. Santorum's the only Republican who looks better now than he did before he ran.

Thirded.  I think of all the Republican candidates, Santorum has proven himself to have the most presidential temperament.

Santorum has really matured from a whiner to a contender. He has as good a chance as anyone at this point.

I'd support Christie or Daniels.

Daniels/Christie or Christie/Daniels

It would have to be one or the other. Remember, neither are particularly popular in TEA Party circles, especially the latter. A TEA Party candidate (I.e. Rubio, Rand Paul, DeMint, etc) would be needed to balance the ticket ideologically.

[TomC]

Couldn't be Jindal or Christie since they've endorsed in the race, especially Christie.

Quite the contrary, I think Christie has an excellent chance simply because he DID endorse the Establishment favorite.

[TheGlobalizer]

1. Daniels
1a. Christie

[Insula Dei]

I'd hate for a (very) hypothetical GOP brokered convention to pick Christie. Not because he'd be their strongest candidate (he is, but at that stage the GOP would probably already have lost the election), but because he is one of the most despicable, inferior in all possible meanings of the word human beings to have ever disgraced my conciousness and I really think I couldn't stand 3 months or more of media omnipresence for someone that revolting without sustaining at least some psychological damage.

[Whacker77]

Anyone who's read what I've written for 15 months knows I think Jeb Bush would be the best choice.  In fact, I think we might be seeing the first hints of that this past weekend when Al Cardenas, head of CPAC and Jeb confidant, said a contested convention would likely produce Jeb as the nominee.  Cardenas even gave a time frame for when a new candidate might enter, June.

I think Jeb would be the choice for the convention because Romney, realizing he can't win, would throw his support behind Jeb.  Jeb's also reliably conservative and popular with Hispanics.  I think Christie would then become Jeb's running mate and they would make a powerful combination.

Alas, I think Romney will grind down the will of voters and win prior to the covention.  I hope that doesn't happen though.

[Likely Voter]

the whole notion (and Sarah Palin's fevered dream) that the nominee would not be one of the candidates currently running is ludicrous. What are the chances that Santorum + Romney wont add up to 50.01%? And who thinks that those two wouldn't strike a deal?

[Mr. Morden]

the whole notion (and Sarah Palin's fevered dream) that the nominee would not be one of the candidates currently running is ludicrous. What are the chances that Santorum + Romney wont add up to 50.01%? And who thinks that those two wouldn't strike a deal?

Why would they strike a deal?  One of them would get to be the nominee and the other one wouldn't, so they don't have much to bargain with.  The only scenario I see where they strike a deal is if Romney has many more delegates than Santorum, but just barely short of a majority.  Then maybe Santorum guesses that Romney will peel off enough delegates from someone to reach 51% anyway, and he'll try to cut a deal to be VP.  But otherwise, I see them just going after each other's delegates to switch sides, plus going after Gingrich's delegates.

Of course, I could see Santorum striking a deal with Gingrich for his delegates, giving Gingrich the VP slot.  Gingrich has enough bad blood with Romney now that he might relish denying Romney the nomination.

[Cory]

Believe it or not i'd say Jeb is the best shot of these. I'm not sure he's as 'burdened' by the Bush name as some seem to think. Looked at objectively he's actually a pretty solid candidate. He satisfies both the GOP Establishment and the the Tea Party types. Not to mention he would have a built in advantage in Florida, and could win back states like NC and VA and I don't see anyway he looses states won by McCain in 2008.  

[tpfkaw]

the whole notion (and Sarah Palin's fevered dream) that the nominee would not be one of the candidates currently running is ludicrous. What are the chances that Santorum + Romney wont add up to 50.01%? And who thinks that those two wouldn't strike a deal?

Exactly.  The last time a candidate was drafted at the convention was 1896, I believe.

[Likely Voter]

Obviously it all depends on the deleagate totals going into the convention. I am assuming that Romney just comes up short so he can get over the top by striking a deal with anyone.  

Something like
Romney 45%
Santorum 25%
Gingrich 15%
Paul 15%

...now things would be different if it were more like...

Romney 40%
Santorum 30%
Gingrich 21%
Paul: 9%

Any scenario that has Santorum+Gingrich>50% would probably result in a Santorum/Gingrich ticket (with who ever has the most delegates on top)


...but my larger point was that i find it absurd that the presidential nominee would not be one of the candidates going into the convention with pile of delegates.

[Lief 🗽]

I think Paul will be lucky to get more than 100 delegates, which would only be 4%. Same with Gingrich, at this point.

[Whacker77]

the whole notion (and Sarah Palin's fevered dream) that the nominee would not be one of the candidates currently running is ludicrous. What are the chances that Santorum + Romney wont add up to 50.01%? And who thinks that those two wouldn't strike a deal?

Exactly.  The last time a candidate was drafted at the convention was 1896, I believe.

This where people get it wrong.  A drafted candidate is one who doesn't want to run.  If a new candidate decided to throw his hat in the ring in June, he would be an interested candidate.  He wouldn't be "drafted" at the convention because he would have thrown his name in the hat already.