Notice that all Republican "rising stars" this century have been massive duds?

[they don't love you like i love you]

Think back to the early part of the century. I remember the two "rising stars" in my state, Coleman and Pawlenty. They were turning Minnesota Republican! Future Presidential ticket candidates! And then one loses to Al Franken and one turns out to be a boring trainwreck of a national candidate who quickly faded into obscurity. Oh around the same time frame you had Rick Santorum as proof that a staunch socon could win a blue (Atlas red) state...yeah.

And think of everyone hyped up after that. Bobby Jindal! Chris Christie! Remember future House Majority Leader or Speaker Aaron Schock? Remember how Bob McDonnell was just the guy needed after proving a hard right candidate could win an increasingly Democratic swing state? Remember when Paul Ryan was a media darling? Oh hell even Eric Cantor got some hype and VP buzz in 2008.

And that's not even getting into that reformist and independent-minded Governor of Alaska elected in 2006...

Yeah it's not surprising they're on the verge of nominating Donald Trump, and quite amusing.

Also amusing is Mitt Romney was never some hyped up rising star, yet he's shaping up to be the most successful Republican to ever have ran a Presidential campaign after George W. Bush.

[VPH]

I feel like Ayotte and Rubio definitely aren't duds.

[Senate Minority Leader Lord Voldemort]

I don't know what's more embarrassing: the fact that Democratic rising stars all got knocked out in 2010 and 2014, or the fact that GOP rising stars turn out to be complete jokes.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Barack Obama just set the bar too high. Nobody will ever find a candidate that can match him. McDonnell was purged. Christie was attacked by first his own and then the media. Those two could have been great. Rubio is as dull as Pawlenty and Walker though being Cuban is a major help in electoral ability - still no BHO, and may fall yet. Susana Martinez seems smart enough not to get involved and Paul Ryan knows it's best to operate behind the scenes (perhaps hope for him way down the road a la FDR)

Jindal is pretending to be something he's not and is 4 years too late.

[dead0man]

Barack Obama just set the bar too high. Nobody will ever find a candidate that can match him. McDonnell was purged. Christie was attacked by first his own and then the media. Those two could have been great. Rubio is as dull as Pawlenty and Walker though being Cuban is a major help in electoral ability - still no BHO, and may fall yet. Susana Martinez seems smart enough not to get involved and Paul Ryan knows it's best to operate behind the scenes (perhaps hope for him way down the road a la FDR)

Jindal is pretending to be something he's not and is 4 years too late.

I agree with most of that, but Christie was never going anywhere.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Barack Obama just set the bar too high. Nobody will ever find a candidate that can match him. McDonnell was purged. Christie was attacked by first his own and then the media. Those two could have been great. Rubio is as dull as Pawlenty and Walker though being Cuban is a major help in electoral ability - still no BHO, and may fall yet. Susana Martinez seems smart enough not to get involved and Paul Ryan knows it's best to operate behind the scenes (perhaps hope for him way down the road a la FDR)

Jindal is pretending to be something he's not and is 4 years too late.

I agree with most of that, but Christie was never going anywhere.

Christie would've given Romney a serious run for his money in '12. I think he would have actually taken it as the angry conservative alternative. It's a shame that he try to moderate himself and even more so that the base vilified him. You're right that even when he led polls this cycle that his chance was quite small, but first term was magical. Certainly some home state bias in there, but there was always a lot of charisma there.

[bedstuy]

To be fair, Democratic rising stars haven't done all that well either.  You could say the only real star has been one Barack Hussein Obama. 

[they don't love you like i love you]

I feel like Ayotte and Rubio definitely aren't duds.

Ayotte is either going to lose next year or be a bland backbencher Senator for at least another term, Rubio might be the one exception if the establishment realizes he's a much better Stop Trump candidate than Jeb...but there's no guarantee of that happening.

[Blue3]

Rubio still has a chance.

I don't know what's more embarrassing: the fact that Democratic rising stars all got knocked out in 2010 and 2014, or the fact that GOP rising stars turn out to be complete jokes.

Which Democratic "rising stars" got knocked out? I don't recall having any.


And for those saying "the Democrats only had Obama," yeah we've "only" had the guy who was elected two terms to the presidency (both with over 50% of the popular vote, a first since Reagan), passed healthcare reform after a century of attempts, helped guide the economy back after the worst financial crash since 1929, killed Osama bin Laden, helped greatly increase our energy independence and clean energy production, reopened an embassy in Cuba, is trying to get us out of war with Iran, used executive orders to help promote a variety of issues that are dear to Democrats, helped oversee the shift in gay marriage, etc.

[VPH]

If you think about it, Democratic rising stars like Seth Moulton, Scott Peters, and Tulsi Gabbard won. Also, among our ranks exist Cory Booker, Julian Castro, and even Kirsten Gillibrand.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Most "rising stars" are.

[tmthforu94]

Just a list...
- Kelly Ayotte
- Marco Rubio
- Susana Martinez
- Paul Ryan
- Nikki Haley
- Ted Cruz (arguably)

There's more. Many "rising stars" don't work out in either party. But there are also a lot who do.

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

I don't think it's true that Mitt Romney wasn't a rising star. I remember a few articles portraying him as an up-and-comer after he won the MA Governorship.

As for Democratic rising star duds, John Edwards ring a bell?

[Maxwell]

Wasn't Debbie Wasserman Schultz considered a rising star at a previous time? Chet Edwards was supposed to be Obama's VP, what happened to him?

[hopper]

I feel like Ayotte and Rubio definitely aren't duds.

Ayotte is either going to lose next year or be a bland backbencher Senator for at least another term, Rubio might be the one exception if the establishment realizes he's a much better Stop Trump candidate than Jeb...but there's no guarantee of that happening.

Ayotte could be a good VP candidate one day.

[hopper]

Wasn't Debbie Wasserman Schultz considered a rising star at a previous time? Chet Edwards was supposed to be Obama's VP, what happened to him?

Are you serious? I can't watch her talk.

[The Mikado]

Chet Edwards was supposed to be Obama's VP, what happened to him?

What? Seriously, what? The only names I remember hearing floated for Obama VP were Clinton, Biden, Warner, Kaine, and sometimes Bayh.

[hopper]

If you think about it, Democratic rising stars like Seth Moulton, Scott Peters, and Tulsi Gabbard won. Also, among our ranks exist Cory Booker, Julian Castro, and even Kirsten Gillibrand.

I could see Gillibrand or running for President one of these days as well as Booker.

Speaking of Dem Rising Stars wasn't Governor Bruce Babbit(D-AZ) supposed to be President one day back in the 80's? Remember the Gary Hart(D-CO) flameout in the 1988 Presidential Dem Primary and than basically his political career was over after that.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Chet Edwards was supposed to be Obama's VP, what happened to him?

What? Seriously, what? The only names I remember hearing floated for Obama VP were Clinton, Biden, Warner, Kaine, and sometimes Bayh.

Chet Edwards was apparently on the shortlist, you know, when everyone thought Democrats had to have Blue Dogs.

[Figueira]

I feel like Ayotte and Rubio definitely aren't duds.

It's too early to tell for both of them.

[Senate Minority Leader Lord Voldemort]

I don't know what's more embarrassing: the fact that Democratic rising stars all got knocked out in 2010 and 2014, or the fact that GOP rising stars turn out to be complete jokes.

Which Democratic "rising stars" got knocked out? I don't recall having any.

We have yet to witness all the side effects of the 2010/2014. Sure, people like Gabbard and Harris are still around in their deep blue states. But in states that should be winnable for Democrats (Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania) the state legislatures got wiped out and gerrymandering from 2010 means less Dems filtering up the ladder. This problem will be more apparent in the future.

Retreads like Feingold and Strickland, sure they're good candidates, but the fact that these are the best Dems can do in those states that should have a solid Dem bench is telling. Not to mention the lack of credible Dems in North Carolina or Pennsylvania.

[Sasquatch]

Don't forget to mention Sen. George Allen. He was supposed to be a strong favorite for the 2008 nomination before he opened his big mouth.

[BM]

Any moderately young, ethnic, attractive, or female Republican is automatically deemed a "rising star" because the party is so exclusive and bigoted these days, they need spokespeople like that to attempt to prove otherwise.  Then most of them turn out to be as vapid and diabolical as a generic 65 year old white male conservative.

It doesn't matter because the Republican Party of Hate is dead at the national level so state level offices are as far as they can "rise" anyway.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Rubio still has a chance.

I don't know what's more embarrassing: the fact that Democratic rising stars all got knocked out in 2010 and 2014, or the fact that GOP rising stars turn out to be complete jokes.

Which Democratic "rising stars" got knocked out? I don't recall having any.

Alison Grimes, Herseth Sandlin, Ed Fitzgerald (lmao), Wendy Davis, Kathleen Kane (LMFAOO), Anthony Weiner were all hyped up as future stars before their bubbles burst either through defeat or scandal. I think 90% of all rising stars turn out to be duds.

[Bigby]

Crab's post makes me wonder: Why do rising stars of both parties turn out to be duds?