Does anybody here really think Jeb will be the nominee anymore?

[Bigby]

I was unimpressed with Jeb last night. I mean, I would say that he performed better than expected, but that might be because Trump was standing to his right. I've heard that Kasich is stealing his thunder from both local Ohio sources and big time internet sources, but that remains to be seen. I'm still shocked at how bright Kasich shined, especially in relation to Bush. Bush won't end up like Trump, I don't think, but I see his victory as less and less likely.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Its clear he's not the frontrunner; and cant spin his way through nomination. He can still win, but Trump is becoming more presidential.

[Donald Trump 2016 !]

Its clear he's not the frontrunner; and cant spin his way through nomination. He can still win, but Trump is becoming more presidential.

[heatmaster]

Trump, more presidential?  Give me a break! The guy came across as a snot nosed whiny brat, because bad old Megyn Kelly threw him a hard ball question on the issue of disparaging remarks on women. It's remarkable how Trump's words are coming back to haunt him. Doesn't the guy, understand that trying to prove he's not being politically correct has cost's. As Truman once said, "if you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, get out". If he wilts in the face of hardball questions. How can he stand up to Putin?  These debates are designed to whittle out the wall-flowers. On reflection, looking at Bush's debate performance with critical eyes. Jeb will have to up his game and put on his war face, he doesn't seem to have the eye of the tiger. Maybe he's not hungry enough. Marco Rubio had his mojo last night.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I agree with heatmaster that Bush has been off the debate stage for 13 years, so naturally he'd be a little rusty.  That said, I thought he came in third in the debate behind Rubio and Christie.  We'll have to see what the polling shows between now and the CNN debate.  I'm not a Bush fan, but I think he held his own at the debate.  It doesn't take much to outdo Trump.  Wasn't he also flanked by Huckabee on the left or was there one more between them?  It's not hard to outshine an emotional and gaffe-prone Huckabee (who also had a better-than-expected night, btw).

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

Unsure at this point. He honestly did well. He handled Common Core and the Iraq War question well. If the other candidates gang up on him like they did Romney, I think Jeb will not be the nominee. Walker is beyond boring in my honest opinion. He ability to play conservative-moderate is terrible. Rand does that better. I think Kasich will overtake Bush and Walker as the choice. But I do not see Jeb polling badly. Bush's are known for doing well

I kind of agree with this.

It's not like Jeb blew it to where he has no chance.  The bar is higher for him, however.  He's one of the establishment pack now, and while he's winnowed in, his aura of being the establishment front-runner is gone for now. 

[pikachu]

He has a chance, but I don't see what makes him so compelling for establishment. I find Rubio, Kasich, and Walker to be effective contrasts with Clinton, and more appealing to the Republican base.

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

He has a chance, but I don't see what makes him so compelling for establishment. I find Rubio, Kasich, and Walker to be effective contrasts with Clinton, and more appealing to the Republican base.

I see a Kasich-Rubio ticket as hard to beat, even for Hillary at her best.

[hopper]

It does seem strange, he's a relatively moderate (Tea Party wave standards) Governor from the 2000's who doesn't have much of a legacy outside of economic growth built on a housing bubble.

Yeah Jeb wasn't in office when The Tea Party was in vogue like Christie, Kasich, Rubio, and Walker were. That hurts him. Wasn't Jeb considered Hard-Right Wing in 1994 when he lost to Lawton Chiles(D) in his first run for Governor?

I do think he is still the front runner for the Republican Nomination. Its not like he made any mistakes last night so that's a good thing.

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

It does seem strange, he's a relatively moderate (Tea Party wave standards) Governor from the 2000's who doesn't have much of a legacy outside of economic growth built on a housing bubble.

Yeah Jeb wasn't in office when The Tea Party was in vogue like Christie, Kasich, Rubio, and Walker were. That hurts him. Wasn't Jeb considered Hard-Right Wing in 1994 when he lost to Lawton Chiles(D) in his first run for Governor?

Not quite.  He did have a hard right-wing running mate in State Rep. Tom Feeney.  Feeney's performance was considered a factor in Jeb losing the election.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

It does seem strange, he's a relatively moderate (Tea Party wave standards) Governor from the 2000's who doesn't have much of a legacy outside of economic growth built on a housing bubble.

Yeah Jeb wasn't in office when The Tea Party was in vogue like Christie, Kasich, Rubio, and Walker were. That hurts him. Wasn't Jeb considered Hard-Right Wing in 1994 when he lost to Lawton Chiles(D) in his first run for Governor?

Jebby was hard-right-wing in 1994, and still is. So he could still win the nomination. But I think the GOP would prefer someone younger and still in office, such as Walker.

[Xing]

Honestly, he's probably the best candidate Republicans can field, anyway. Kasich could surge, but I don't think he stood out enough in the debate to even come close to becoming a front-runner. If Republicans are going for electability, they'll choose him. If they don't care about losing, and just want to nominate someone as conservative as possible, they'll probably pick Walker.

[dudeabides]

I'm a loyal Republican and will be supporting the nominee unless it's Trump.

The problem with the Republican Party today can be summed up in two words. Tea Party. What I'm about to say does not apply to everyone in the tea party, but it does apply to the majority. The Republican Party was redefined in a sense in the 1980 election with Ronald Reagan. The party became the party that is pro-military, for free markets and limited government, and a party that was socially conservative. However, conservatives like myself recognized that there is always a give and a take. For example, conservatives like me believe that taxes should be low, regulations should be at a minimal, and the federal government should spend only on those things it is designated to be responsible for in the constitution, plus the safety net which is social security, medicare, and medicaid. My point being, we believe in limited government, but not no government. In response to Barack Obama and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush, the tea party was formed. In the beginning, the tea party was about opposing government over reach and out of control spending.

The tea party has become a joke. It's now not folks opposing big government, it's old white folks who buy into conspiracy theories, who believe that immigrants are taking over the country, and who oppose Common Core. They have these ridiculous litmus tests that if you disagree with them on one issue, you are automatically a "RINO." The tea party has recently become a parody of it's former self. They now are opposed to free trade and yet, they claim to be for free markets. The reality is, the majority of those in the tea party do not understand the world they live in. They don't understand trade policy or economic policy in general. They fear anyone who looks different than them.

In 2010, the GOP won control of congress because of Obamacare. The tea party prevented us from winning the U.S. Senate, and we lost ground in 2012 because of the tea party. By 2014, Republican leaders confronted the tea party and we did very well. In this election, you basically have four tea party candidates. The first is Donald Trump. He's old, angry, white, and stupid. He's everything the tea party is made up of. You then have Ben Carson. There are some in the tea party who want to prove that their dislike of Obama isn't based on race, so they support Ben and besides, they hate all politicians. Ted Cruz has sought tea party backing more than anyone else, and because he comes up with great talking points, he has been successful in gaining their support. Rand Paul has tea party support, probably less so than the other three, because his father's supporters who are libertarian are in the tea party.

So, here comes Jeb Bush. He's definitely a free market supporter, he reduced taxes and the size and scope of state government. He's pro-military, pro-life, and for traditional marriage. He wants the federal government to be limited and yet, he's for the safety net. Moderates like him, some conservatives don't completely trust him, and the tea party hates him. Why? Well, for many conservatives, his position on immigration is just not where they stand. For the tea party, his position means he wants more brown people in America and is for amnesty, despite him opposing amnesty consistently. Finally, he believes in Common Core. Look, I disagree with him on this, but to go crazy over one differing position? That's silly.

My point is not to rant here, it's to prove a point. Jeb's opposition does come from some mainstream conservatives, but it mainly comes from the crazies. The same can be said about multiple candidates. With the crazy vote divided, Trump, Cruz, and Carson have no chance at this nomination. Santorum, Pataki, Fiorina, Graham, Gilmore, Perry, and Jindal either aren't connecting with voters and or have no money. That leaves us with Bush, Christie, Walker, Rubio, Huckabee, Kasich, and Paul. Paul's base of support is very limited, most mainstream conservatives and moderates won't back him. Huckabee has the loyalty of many social conservatives, but that isn't as large a part of the party as it once was. Mainstream conservatives who are distrustful of Bush are likely to either go with Walker, Kasich, or Rubio. Ideologically, Kasich and Rubio are most similar to Bush. Therefore, Bush being in the race essentially hurts Kasich and Rubio the most, but the fact that moderates are backing him over Chris Christie hurts Christie as well. That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

I'm a loyal Republican and will be supporting the nominee unless it's Trump.

The problem with the Republican Party today can be summed up in two words. Tea Party. What I'm about to say does not apply to everyone in the tea party, but it does apply to the majority. The Republican Party was redefined in a sense in the 1980 election with Ronald Reagan. The party became the party that is pro-military, for free markets and limited government, and a party that was socially conservative. However, conservatives like myself recognized that there is always a give and a take. For example, conservatives like me believe that taxes should be low, regulations should be at a minimal, and the federal government should spend only on those things it is designated to be responsible for in the constitution, plus the safety net which is social security, medicare, and medicaid. My point being, we believe in limited government, but not no government. In response to Barack Obama and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush, the tea party was formed. In the beginning, the tea party was about opposing government over reach and out of control spending.

The tea party has become a joke. It's now not folks opposing big government, it's old white folks who buy into conspiracy theories, who believe that immigrants are taking over the country, and who oppose Common Core. They have these ridiculous litmus tests that if you disagree with them on one issue, you are automatically a "RINO." The tea party has recently become a parody of it's former self. They now are opposed to free trade and yet, they claim to be for free markets. The reality is, the majority of those in the tea party do not understand the world they live in. They don't understand trade policy or economic policy in general. They fear anyone who looks different than them.

In 2010, the GOP won control of congress because of Obamacare. The tea party prevented us from winning the U.S. Senate, and we lost ground in 2012 because of the tea party. By 2014, Republican leaders confronted the tea party and we did very well. In this election, you basically have four tea party candidates. The first is Donald Trump. He's old, angry, white, and stupid. He's everything the tea party is made up of. You then have Ben Carson. There are some in the tea party who want to prove that their dislike of Obama isn't based on race, so they support Ben and besides, they hate all politicians. Ted Cruz has sought tea party backing more than anyone else, and because he comes up with great talking points, he has been successful in gaining their support. Rand Paul has tea party support, probably less so than the other three, because his father's supporters who are libertarian are in the tea party.

So, here comes Jeb Bush. He's definitely a free market supporter, he reduced taxes and the size and scope of state government. He's pro-military, pro-life, and for traditional marriage. He wants the federal government to be limited and yet, he's for the safety net. Moderates like him, some conservatives don't completely trust him, and the tea party hates him. Why? Well, for many conservatives, his position on immigration is just not where they stand. For the tea party, his position means he wants more brown people in America and is for amnesty, despite him opposing amnesty consistently. Finally, he believes in Common Core. Look, I disagree with him on this, but to go crazy over one differing position? That's silly.

My point is not to rant here, it's to prove a point. Jeb's opposition does come from some mainstream conservatives, but it mainly comes from the crazies. The same can be said about multiple candidates. With the crazy vote divided, Trump, Cruz, and Carson have no chance at this nomination. Santorum, Pataki, Fiorina, Graham, Gilmore, Perry, and Jindal either aren't connecting with voters and or have no money. That leaves us with Bush, Christie, Walker, Rubio, Huckabee, Kasich, and Paul. Paul's base of support is very limited, most mainstream conservatives and moderates won't back him. Huckabee has the loyalty of many social conservatives, but that isn't as large a part of the party as it once was. Mainstream conservatives who are distrustful of Bush are likely to either go with Walker, Kasich, or Rubio. Ideologically, Kasich and Rubio are most similar to Bush. Therefore, Bush being in the race essentially hurts Kasich and Rubio the most, but the fact that moderates are backing him over Chris Christie hurts Christie as well. That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

tl;dr you hate Trump, tea partiers and libertarians you drool over Jebbo, we all know this...

[dudeabides]

I'm a loyal Republican and will be supporting the nominee unless it's Trump.

The problem with the Republican Party today can be summed up in two words. Tea Party. What I'm about to say does not apply to everyone in the tea party, but it does apply to the majority. The Republican Party was redefined in a sense in the 1980 election with Ronald Reagan. The party became the party that is pro-military, for free markets and limited government, and a party that was socially conservative. However, conservatives like myself recognized that there is always a give and a take. For example, conservatives like me believe that taxes should be low, regulations should be at a minimal, and the federal government should spend only on those things it is designated to be responsible for in the constitution, plus the safety net which is social security, medicare, and medicaid. My point being, we believe in limited government, but not no government. In response to Barack Obama and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush, the tea party was formed. In the beginning, the tea party was about opposing government over reach and out of control spending.

The tea party has become a joke. It's now not folks opposing big government, it's old white folks who buy into conspiracy theories, who believe that immigrants are taking over the country, and who oppose Common Core. They have these ridiculous litmus tests that if you disagree with them on one issue, you are automatically a "RINO." The tea party has recently become a parody of it's former self. They now are opposed to free trade and yet, they claim to be for free markets. The reality is, the majority of those in the tea party do not understand the world they live in. They don't understand trade policy or economic policy in general. They fear anyone who looks different than them.

In 2010, the GOP won control of congress because of Obamacare. The tea party prevented us from winning the U.S. Senate, and we lost ground in 2012 because of the tea party. By 2014, Republican leaders confronted the tea party and we did very well. In this election, you basically have four tea party candidates. The first is Donald Trump. He's old, angry, white, and stupid. He's everything the tea party is made up of. You then have Ben Carson. There are some in the tea party who want to prove that their dislike of Obama isn't based on race, so they support Ben and besides, they hate all politicians. Ted Cruz has sought tea party backing more than anyone else, and because he comes up with great talking points, he has been successful in gaining their support. Rand Paul has tea party support, probably less so than the other three, because his father's supporters who are libertarian are in the tea party.

So, here comes Jeb Bush. He's definitely a free market supporter, he reduced taxes and the size and scope of state government. He's pro-military, pro-life, and for traditional marriage. He wants the federal government to be limited and yet, he's for the safety net. Moderates like him, some conservatives don't completely trust him, and the tea party hates him. Why? Well, for many conservatives, his position on immigration is just not where they stand. For the tea party, his position means he wants more brown people in America and is for amnesty, despite him opposing amnesty consistently. Finally, he believes in Common Core. Look, I disagree with him on this, but to go crazy over one differing position? That's silly.

My point is not to rant here, it's to prove a point. Jeb's opposition does come from some mainstream conservatives, but it mainly comes from the crazies. The same can be said about multiple candidates. With the crazy vote divided, Trump, Cruz, and Carson have no chance at this nomination. Santorum, Pataki, Fiorina, Graham, Gilmore, Perry, and Jindal either aren't connecting with voters and or have no money. That leaves us with Bush, Christie, Walker, Rubio, Huckabee, Kasich, and Paul. Paul's base of support is very limited, most mainstream conservatives and moderates won't back him. Huckabee has the loyalty of many social conservatives, but that isn't as large a part of the party as it once was. Mainstream conservatives who are distrustful of Bush are likely to either go with Walker, Kasich, or Rubio. Ideologically, Kasich and Rubio are most similar to Bush. Therefore, Bush being in the race essentially hurts Kasich and Rubio the most, but the fact that moderates are backing him over Chris Christie hurts Christie as well. That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

tl;dr you hate Trump, tea partiers and libertarians you drool over Jebbo, we all know this...

I had so much fun watching Chris Christie mop the floor with Rand Paul last night. I'm not even for Christie, but it was classic.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

I'm a loyal Republican and will be supporting the nominee unless it's Trump.

The problem with the Republican Party today can be summed up in two words. Tea Party. What I'm about to say does not apply to everyone in the tea party, but it does apply to the majority. The Republican Party was redefined in a sense in the 1980 election with Ronald Reagan. The party became the party that is pro-military, for free markets and limited government, and a party that was socially conservative. However, conservatives like myself recognized that there is always a give and a take. For example, conservatives like me believe that taxes should be low, regulations should be at a minimal, and the federal government should spend only on those things it is designated to be responsible for in the constitution, plus the safety net which is social security, medicare, and medicaid. My point being, we believe in limited government, but not no government. In response to Barack Obama and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush, the tea party was formed. In the beginning, the tea party was about opposing government over reach and out of control spending.

The tea party has become a joke. It's now not folks opposing big government, it's old white folks who buy into conspiracy theories, who believe that immigrants are taking over the country, and who oppose Common Core. They have these ridiculous litmus tests that if you disagree with them on one issue, you are automatically a "RINO." The tea party has recently become a parody of it's former self. They now are opposed to free trade and yet, they claim to be for free markets. The reality is, the majority of those in the tea party do not understand the world they live in. They don't understand trade policy or economic policy in general. They fear anyone who looks different than them.

In 2010, the GOP won control of congress because of Obamacare. The tea party prevented us from winning the U.S. Senate, and we lost ground in 2012 because of the tea party. By 2014, Republican leaders confronted the tea party and we did very well. In this election, you basically have four tea party candidates. The first is Donald Trump. He's old, angry, white, and stupid. He's everything the tea party is made up of. You then have Ben Carson. There are some in the tea party who want to prove that their dislike of Obama isn't based on race, so they support Ben and besides, they hate all politicians. Ted Cruz has sought tea party backing more than anyone else, and because he comes up with great talking points, he has been successful in gaining their support. Rand Paul has tea party support, probably less so than the other three, because his father's supporters who are libertarian are in the tea party.

So, here comes Jeb Bush. He's definitely a free market supporter, he reduced taxes and the size and scope of state government. He's pro-military, pro-life, and for traditional marriage. He wants the federal government to be limited and yet, he's for the safety net. Moderates like him, some conservatives don't completely trust him, and the tea party hates him. Why? Well, for many conservatives, his position on immigration is just not where they stand. For the tea party, his position means he wants more brown people in America and is for amnesty, despite him opposing amnesty consistently. Finally, he believes in Common Core. Look, I disagree with him on this, but to go crazy over one differing position? That's silly.

My point is not to rant here, it's to prove a point. Jeb's opposition does come from some mainstream conservatives, but it mainly comes from the crazies. The same can be said about multiple candidates. With the crazy vote divided, Trump, Cruz, and Carson have no chance at this nomination. Santorum, Pataki, Fiorina, Graham, Gilmore, Perry, and Jindal either aren't connecting with voters and or have no money. That leaves us with Bush, Christie, Walker, Rubio, Huckabee, Kasich, and Paul. Paul's base of support is very limited, most mainstream conservatives and moderates won't back him. Huckabee has the loyalty of many social conservatives, but that isn't as large a part of the party as it once was. Mainstream conservatives who are distrustful of Bush are likely to either go with Walker, Kasich, or Rubio. Ideologically, Kasich and Rubio are most similar to Bush. Therefore, Bush being in the race essentially hurts Kasich and Rubio the most, but the fact that moderates are backing him over Chris Christie hurts Christie as well. That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

tl;dr you hate Trump, tea partiers and libertarians you drool over Jebbo, we all know this...

I had so much fun watching Chris Christie mop the floor with Rand Paul last night. I'm not even for Christie, but it was classic.

Cause we all know you're an elitist and a statist who'd rather just endlessly search people's records without due process, we get it.

[dudeabides]

I'm a loyal Republican and will be supporting the nominee unless it's Trump.

The problem with the Republican Party today can be summed up in two words. Tea Party. What I'm about to say does not apply to everyone in the tea party, but it does apply to the majority. The Republican Party was redefined in a sense in the 1980 election with Ronald Reagan. The party became the party that is pro-military, for free markets and limited government, and a party that was socially conservative. However, conservatives like myself recognized that there is always a give and a take. For example, conservatives like me believe that taxes should be low, regulations should be at a minimal, and the federal government should spend only on those things it is designated to be responsible for in the constitution, plus the safety net which is social security, medicare, and medicaid. My point being, we believe in limited government, but not no government. In response to Barack Obama and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush, the tea party was formed. In the beginning, the tea party was about opposing government over reach and out of control spending.

The tea party has become a joke. It's now not folks opposing big government, it's old white folks who buy into conspiracy theories, who believe that immigrants are taking over the country, and who oppose Common Core. They have these ridiculous litmus tests that if you disagree with them on one issue, you are automatically a "RINO." The tea party has recently become a parody of it's former self. They now are opposed to free trade and yet, they claim to be for free markets. The reality is, the majority of those in the tea party do not understand the world they live in. They don't understand trade policy or economic policy in general. They fear anyone who looks different than them.

In 2010, the GOP won control of congress because of Obamacare. The tea party prevented us from winning the U.S. Senate, and we lost ground in 2012 because of the tea party. By 2014, Republican leaders confronted the tea party and we did very well. In this election, you basically have four tea party candidates. The first is Donald Trump. He's old, angry, white, and stupid. He's everything the tea party is made up of. You then have Ben Carson. There are some in the tea party who want to prove that their dislike of Obama isn't based on race, so they support Ben and besides, they hate all politicians. Ted Cruz has sought tea party backing more than anyone else, and because he comes up with great talking points, he has been successful in gaining their support. Rand Paul has tea party support, probably less so than the other three, because his father's supporters who are libertarian are in the tea party.

So, here comes Jeb Bush. He's definitely a free market supporter, he reduced taxes and the size and scope of state government. He's pro-military, pro-life, and for traditional marriage. He wants the federal government to be limited and yet, he's for the safety net. Moderates like him, some conservatives don't completely trust him, and the tea party hates him. Why? Well, for many conservatives, his position on immigration is just not where they stand. For the tea party, his position means he wants more brown people in America and is for amnesty, despite him opposing amnesty consistently. Finally, he believes in Common Core. Look, I disagree with him on this, but to go crazy over one differing position? That's silly.

My point is not to rant here, it's to prove a point. Jeb's opposition does come from some mainstream conservatives, but it mainly comes from the crazies. The same can be said about multiple candidates. With the crazy vote divided, Trump, Cruz, and Carson have no chance at this nomination. Santorum, Pataki, Fiorina, Graham, Gilmore, Perry, and Jindal either aren't connecting with voters and or have no money. That leaves us with Bush, Christie, Walker, Rubio, Huckabee, Kasich, and Paul. Paul's base of support is very limited, most mainstream conservatives and moderates won't back him. Huckabee has the loyalty of many social conservatives, but that isn't as large a part of the party as it once was. Mainstream conservatives who are distrustful of Bush are likely to either go with Walker, Kasich, or Rubio. Ideologically, Kasich and Rubio are most similar to Bush. Therefore, Bush being in the race essentially hurts Kasich and Rubio the most, but the fact that moderates are backing him over Chris Christie hurts Christie as well. That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

tl;dr you hate Trump, tea partiers and libertarians you drool over Jebbo, we all know this...

I had so much fun watching Chris Christie mop the floor with Rand Paul last night. I'm not even for Christie, but it was classic.

Cause we all know you're an elitist and a statist who'd rather just endlessly search people's records without due process, we get it.

We all get that you care more about the civil liberties of terrorists than the security of American citizens.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

I'm a loyal Republican and will be supporting the nominee unless it's Trump.

The problem with the Republican Party today can be summed up in two words. Tea Party. What I'm about to say does not apply to everyone in the tea party, but it does apply to the majority. The Republican Party was redefined in a sense in the 1980 election with Ronald Reagan. The party became the party that is pro-military, for free markets and limited government, and a party that was socially conservative. However, conservatives like myself recognized that there is always a give and a take. For example, conservatives like me believe that taxes should be low, regulations should be at a minimal, and the federal government should spend only on those things it is designated to be responsible for in the constitution, plus the safety net which is social security, medicare, and medicaid. My point being, we believe in limited government, but not no government. In response to Barack Obama and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush, the tea party was formed. In the beginning, the tea party was about opposing government over reach and out of control spending.

The tea party has become a joke. It's now not folks opposing big government, it's old white folks who buy into conspiracy theories, who believe that immigrants are taking over the country, and who oppose Common Core. They have these ridiculous litmus tests that if you disagree with them on one issue, you are automatically a "RINO." The tea party has recently become a parody of it's former self. They now are opposed to free trade and yet, they claim to be for free markets. The reality is, the majority of those in the tea party do not understand the world they live in. They don't understand trade policy or economic policy in general. They fear anyone who looks different than them.

In 2010, the GOP won control of congress because of Obamacare. The tea party prevented us from winning the U.S. Senate, and we lost ground in 2012 because of the tea party. By 2014, Republican leaders confronted the tea party and we did very well. In this election, you basically have four tea party candidates. The first is Donald Trump. He's old, angry, white, and stupid. He's everything the tea party is made up of. You then have Ben Carson. There are some in the tea party who want to prove that their dislike of Obama isn't based on race, so they support Ben and besides, they hate all politicians. Ted Cruz has sought tea party backing more than anyone else, and because he comes up with great talking points, he has been successful in gaining their support. Rand Paul has tea party support, probably less so than the other three, because his father's supporters who are libertarian are in the tea party.

So, here comes Jeb Bush. He's definitely a free market supporter, he reduced taxes and the size and scope of state government. He's pro-military, pro-life, and for traditional marriage. He wants the federal government to be limited and yet, he's for the safety net. Moderates like him, some conservatives don't completely trust him, and the tea party hates him. Why? Well, for many conservatives, his position on immigration is just not where they stand. For the tea party, his position means he wants more brown people in America and is for amnesty, despite him opposing amnesty consistently. Finally, he believes in Common Core. Look, I disagree with him on this, but to go crazy over one differing position? That's silly.

My point is not to rant here, it's to prove a point. Jeb's opposition does come from some mainstream conservatives, but it mainly comes from the crazies. The same can be said about multiple candidates. With the crazy vote divided, Trump, Cruz, and Carson have no chance at this nomination. Santorum, Pataki, Fiorina, Graham, Gilmore, Perry, and Jindal either aren't connecting with voters and or have no money. That leaves us with Bush, Christie, Walker, Rubio, Huckabee, Kasich, and Paul. Paul's base of support is very limited, most mainstream conservatives and moderates won't back him. Huckabee has the loyalty of many social conservatives, but that isn't as large a part of the party as it once was. Mainstream conservatives who are distrustful of Bush are likely to either go with Walker, Kasich, or Rubio. Ideologically, Kasich and Rubio are most similar to Bush. Therefore, Bush being in the race essentially hurts Kasich and Rubio the most, but the fact that moderates are backing him over Chris Christie hurts Christie as well. That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

tl;dr you hate Trump, tea partiers and libertarians you drool over Jebbo, we all know this...

I had so much fun watching Chris Christie mop the floor with Rand Paul last night. I'm not even for Christie, but it was classic.

Cause we all know you're an elitist and a statist who'd rather just endlessly search people's records without due process, we get it.

We all get that you care more about the civil liberties of terrorists than the security of American citizens.

American civil liberties come first, not the endless fear of being attacked.

[Donald Trump 2016 !]

That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

I don't know. After what happened with Todd Akin in 2012 the Republicans learned a lesson about avoiding candidates (particularly and perhaps unfairly, male candidates) from representing the Republican Party with extreme abortion positions. This, combined with the high likelihood of Clinton being the nominee, means that Scott Walker's abortion answer at the debate really dimmed his prospects for even being on the Republican ticket.

I'd say Rubio and Kasich are bigger threats to Bush than Walker is at this point.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

I don't know. After what happened with Todd Akin in 2012 the Republicans learned a lesson about avoiding candidates (particularly and perhaps unfairly, male candidates) from representing the Republican Party with extreme abortion positions. This, combined with the high likelihood of Clinton being the nominee, means that Scott Walker's abortion answer at the debate really dimmed his prospects for even being on the Republican ticket.

I'd say Rubio and Kasich are bigger threats to Bush than Walker is at this point.

I always thought Kasich would be the dark horse in this race, while yes he is behind in the polls I could see him rapidly rising to the top under the right circumstances.

[dudeabides]

I'm a loyal Republican and will be supporting the nominee unless it's Trump.

The problem with the Republican Party today can be summed up in two words. Tea Party. What I'm about to say does not apply to everyone in the tea party, but it does apply to the majority. The Republican Party was redefined in a sense in the 1980 election with Ronald Reagan. The party became the party that is pro-military, for free markets and limited government, and a party that was socially conservative. However, conservatives like myself recognized that there is always a give and a take. For example, conservatives like me believe that taxes should be low, regulations should be at a minimal, and the federal government should spend only on those things it is designated to be responsible for in the constitution, plus the safety net which is social security, medicare, and medicaid. My point being, we believe in limited government, but not no government. In response to Barack Obama and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush, the tea party was formed. In the beginning, the tea party was about opposing government over reach and out of control spending.

The tea party has become a joke. It's now not folks opposing big government, it's old white folks who buy into conspiracy theories, who believe that immigrants are taking over the country, and who oppose Common Core. They have these ridiculous litmus tests that if you disagree with them on one issue, you are automatically a "RINO." The tea party has recently become a parody of it's former self. They now are opposed to free trade and yet, they claim to be for free markets. The reality is, the majority of those in the tea party do not understand the world they live in. They don't understand trade policy or economic policy in general. They fear anyone who looks different than them.

In 2010, the GOP won control of congress because of Obamacare. The tea party prevented us from winning the U.S. Senate, and we lost ground in 2012 because of the tea party. By 2014, Republican leaders confronted the tea party and we did very well. In this election, you basically have four tea party candidates. The first is Donald Trump. He's old, angry, white, and stupid. He's everything the tea party is made up of. You then have Ben Carson. There are some in the tea party who want to prove that their dislike of Obama isn't based on race, so they support Ben and besides, they hate all politicians. Ted Cruz has sought tea party backing more than anyone else, and because he comes up with great talking points, he has been successful in gaining their support. Rand Paul has tea party support, probably less so than the other three, because his father's supporters who are libertarian are in the tea party.

So, here comes Jeb Bush. He's definitely a free market supporter, he reduced taxes and the size and scope of state government. He's pro-military, pro-life, and for traditional marriage. He wants the federal government to be limited and yet, he's for the safety net. Moderates like him, some conservatives don't completely trust him, and the tea party hates him. Why? Well, for many conservatives, his position on immigration is just not where they stand. For the tea party, his position means he wants more brown people in America and is for amnesty, despite him opposing amnesty consistently. Finally, he believes in Common Core. Look, I disagree with him on this, but to go crazy over one differing position? That's silly.

My point is not to rant here, it's to prove a point. Jeb's opposition does come from some mainstream conservatives, but it mainly comes from the crazies. The same can be said about multiple candidates. With the crazy vote divided, Trump, Cruz, and Carson have no chance at this nomination. Santorum, Pataki, Fiorina, Graham, Gilmore, Perry, and Jindal either aren't connecting with voters and or have no money. That leaves us with Bush, Christie, Walker, Rubio, Huckabee, Kasich, and Paul. Paul's base of support is very limited, most mainstream conservatives and moderates won't back him. Huckabee has the loyalty of many social conservatives, but that isn't as large a part of the party as it once was. Mainstream conservatives who are distrustful of Bush are likely to either go with Walker, Kasich, or Rubio. Ideologically, Kasich and Rubio are most similar to Bush. Therefore, Bush being in the race essentially hurts Kasich and Rubio the most, but the fact that moderates are backing him over Chris Christie hurts Christie as well. That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

tl;dr you hate Trump, tea partiers and libertarians you drool over Jebbo, we all know this...

I had so much fun watching Chris Christie mop the floor with Rand Paul last night. I'm not even for Christie, but it was classic.

Cause we all know you're an elitist and a statist who'd rather just endlessly search people's records without due process, we get it.

We all get that you care more about the civil liberties of terrorists than the security of American citizens.

American civil liberties come first, not the endless fear of being attacked.

Thanks to the policies of George W. Bush, 60 terrorist plots were stopped since 2001. Under the Patriot Act, civil liberties are balanced with security. Obama has done things outside the scope of the Patriot Act, but that doesn't mean we should get rid of the NSA and repeal the Patriot Act.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

This is a difficult election for the GOP. In what was assumed that Dems would lose in a 3rd term reelect; due to what happened in 2014, is doing well enough, by voters to earn another victory; as the SW is growing faster than Appalachia; and states like Va still votes Democratic in presidential years. As Fairfax; is a suburb of DC now.

[Blair]

They have these ridiculous litmus tests that if you disagree with them on one issue, you are automatically a "RINO."

Dude

Christie on style and substance. Paul sounded more like a Democrat.

Cruz should ask Paul why he's so similar to Obama on foreign policy and criminal justice issues.

Your neo-con slurping is unnecessary. We get that you are a big government moderate

Your RINO comments are what is unnecessary. I get that you are a tofu eating, Volvo driving, Michael Moore loving leftist.

I love how the libertarian RINOs love to call everyone who believes in American leadership globally a neo-con.

Chris Christie (RINO-NJ) obviously has no respect for state's rights.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I've seen that trick before. Complain about their own credentials being questioned within the big tent, then proceed to through their own undersirables out of said tent.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I'm a loyal Republican and will be supporting the nominee unless it's Trump.

The problem with the Republican Party today can be summed up in two words. Tea Party. What I'm about to say does not apply to everyone in the tea party, but it does apply to the majority. The Republican Party was redefined in a sense in the 1980 election with Ronald Reagan. The party became the party that is pro-military, for free markets and limited government, and a party that was socially conservative. However, conservatives like myself recognized that there is always a give and a take. For example, conservatives like me believe that taxes should be low, regulations should be at a minimal, and the federal government should spend only on those things it is designated to be responsible for in the constitution, plus the safety net which is social security, medicare, and medicaid. My point being, we believe in limited government, but not no government. In response to Barack Obama and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush, the tea party was formed. In the beginning, the tea party was about opposing government over reach and out of control spending.

The tea party has become a joke. It's now not folks opposing big government, it's old white folks who buy into conspiracy theories, who believe that immigrants are taking over the country, and who oppose Common Core. They have these ridiculous litmus tests that if you disagree with them on one issue, you are automatically a "RINO." The tea party has recently become a parody of it's former self. They now are opposed to free trade and yet, they claim to be for free markets. The reality is, the majority of those in the tea party do not understand the world they live in. They don't understand trade policy or economic policy in general. They fear anyone who looks different than them.

In 2010, the GOP won control of congress because of Obamacare. The tea party prevented us from winning the U.S. Senate, and we lost ground in 2012 because of the tea party. By 2014, Republican leaders confronted the tea party and we did very well. In this election, you basically have four tea party candidates. The first is Donald Trump. He's old, angry, white, and stupid. He's everything the tea party is made up of. You then have Ben Carson. There are some in the tea party who want to prove that their dislike of Obama isn't based on race, so they support Ben and besides, they hate all politicians. Ted Cruz has sought tea party backing more than anyone else, and because he comes up with great talking points, he has been successful in gaining their support. Rand Paul has tea party support, probably less so than the other three, because his father's supporters who are libertarian are in the tea party.

So, here comes Jeb Bush. He's definitely a free market supporter, he reduced taxes and the size and scope of state government. He's pro-military, pro-life, and for traditional marriage. He wants the federal government to be limited and yet, he's for the safety net. Moderates like him, some conservatives don't completely trust him, and the tea party hates him. Why? Well, for many conservatives, his position on immigration is just not where they stand. For the tea party, his position means he wants more brown people in America and is for amnesty, despite him opposing amnesty consistently. Finally, he believes in Common Core. Look, I disagree with him on this, but to go crazy over one differing position? That's silly.

My point is not to rant here, it's to prove a point. Jeb's opposition does come from some mainstream conservatives, but it mainly comes from the crazies. The same can be said about multiple candidates. With the crazy vote divided, Trump, Cruz, and Carson have no chance at this nomination. Santorum, Pataki, Fiorina, Graham, Gilmore, Perry, and Jindal either aren't connecting with voters and or have no money. That leaves us with Bush, Christie, Walker, Rubio, Huckabee, Kasich, and Paul. Paul's base of support is very limited, most mainstream conservatives and moderates won't back him. Huckabee has the loyalty of many social conservatives, but that isn't as large a part of the party as it once was. Mainstream conservatives who are distrustful of Bush are likely to either go with Walker, Kasich, or Rubio. Ideologically, Kasich and Rubio are most similar to Bush. Therefore, Bush being in the race essentially hurts Kasich and Rubio the most, but the fact that moderates are backing him over Chris Christie hurts Christie as well. That is why I believe Scott Walker is Jeb Bush's biggest challenger for the nomination. If it comes down to a choice between them, I can tell you anyone who wants to win should support Bush because Walker is Romney 2.0

Were it not for the Tea Party, the GOP would be languishing in the wildness unlike any other time since the Great Depression, and it would entirely be because of Bush 43's time in office.

The rebellion against the GOP establishment began with the Immigration issue in 2007. We had passed a comprehensive bill before, but the enforcement never came to pass and there was never the firm desire to make it successful by enforcing the laws thereafter. There were legitimate concerns that one amnesty merely begets another either through intentional inaction or lack of concern for the matter. Either way, there was no desire to trust the same people who broke the system in the first place when they came back with the same promises. However, the real animating factor was the notion that Wall Street got rewarded for destroying the economy whilst middle class Americans who had not had a raise since the Clinton years, got left high and dry. The Tea Party in its first two years allowed for the running against both the Democrats who failed ot fix the economy and the Bush era GOP. The problem is that fringe, peripheral and perenial joke candidates like Angle and O'Donnel hopped on the bandwagon and hijacked the movement in several primaries costing us seats we should have won. The very thing that destroyed the Tea PArty was its inherent anger and mistrust of the people who got the country into the current mess.