2012 Candidates NOT on Anyone's Radar

[JSojourner]

Keep in mind, I am asking who might run.  Not necessarily win.  Think Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson and Jim Gilmore in 2008.  Same idea...

[Mr. Morden]

Bob Kasten, lol.  Kasten hasn't done anything of note since losing to Feingold back in 1992, meaning that he will have been out of government for 20 years by the time 2012 rolls around.  Why would he come back to run for president after all this time?  If you're looking for extreme darkhorses, wouldn't, say, Don Nickles be more likely?  Nickles at least made it into the Senate GOP leadership, and left office voluntarily rather than being booted out.  Other extreme darkhorses would include Steve Forbes and Gary Bauer.  Hey, they ran before.  Maybe they'll run again.

Aside from Kasten, the next most unrealistic possibility on this list is Richard Shelby, as he'll be 78 years old in 2012.  The others are all unlikely as well, but probably no more unlikely than Gilmore and Hunter in 2008.  I voted for Mike Rounds as the most likely from this group.

[Keystone Phil]

Rounds

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Judd Gregg might run--at least he brings NH to the ticket. I hardly expect any of the others though.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Gregg would be nice.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

     Gregg would be nice.

Agreed.  He's a Republican I could consider supporting.

[Four49]

Gregg's not bad.  I'd say Rounds would be most likely to run.  If Obama fails, a small state Gov, other than Palin, might look appealing to a lot of independents.

[Daniel Z]

Carcieri wouldnt be bad other than his age and looks.

[paul718]

I am a Judd Gregg fan, and I think he'd do well, but for whatever reason I don't think he'll run.

I voted for Mike Rounds because:
(1) he's a governor
(2) he comes off well in front of the camera
(3) he's similar to Huckabee in his political makeup and could try to parlay that into becoming a "personality" and maybe a future run

[Person Man]

Rounds

[Reaganfan]

Rounds

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

No Pat Toomey? But J. J. said he would have a great chance!

[Keystone Phil]

No Pat Toomey? But J. J. said he would have a great chance!

We could try drafting him if the field is really weak. So he'll only be a Senator for a few months? Who cares? That stuff doesn't matter anymore. 

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Can Toomy defeat Specter and then the great Chris Matthews?

[JSojourner]

Bob Kasten, lol.  Kasten hasn't done anything of note since losing to Feingold back in 1992, meaning that he will have been out of government for 20 years by the time 2012 rolls around.  Why would he come back to run for president after all this time?  If you're looking for extreme darkhorses, wouldn't, say, Don Nickles be more likely?  Nickles at least made it into the Senate GOP leadership, and left office voluntarily rather than being booted out.  Other extreme darkhorses would include Steve Forbes and Gary Bauer.  Hey, they ran before.  Maybe they'll run again.

Aside from Kasten, the next most unrealistic possibility on this list is Richard Shelby, as he'll be 78 years old in 2012.  The others are all unlikely as well, but probably no more unlikely than Gilmore and Hunter in 2008.  I voted for Mike Rounds as the most likely from this group.

That was the whole point of the exercise -- finding the Jim Gilmores and Frank Keatings (who nearly ran).  And seeing who else gets named in the OTHER option.

Some odd bunnies appear in the lettuce patch in the very early going. 

[Keystone Phil]

Can Toomy defeat Specter and then the great Chris Matthews?

Yes and yes but both will be somewhat difficult.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Can Toomy defeat Specter and then the great Chris Matthews?

Yes and yes but both will be somewhat difficult.

Eh.. I'm a big Specter fan and I think he could easily defeat Matthews, but I don't much know about Toomy other than he's actually a conservative.

I'd hate to see Pennsylvania's two Senators as Christ Matthews and Bob Casey Jr in 2010.

[Keystone Phil]

Can Toomy defeat Specter and then the great Chris Matthews?

Yes and yes but both will be somewhat difficult.

Eh.. I'm a big Specter fan and I think he could easily defeat Matthews, but I don't much know about Toomy other than he's actually a conservative.

I'd hate to see Pennsylvania's two Senators as Christ Matthews and Bob Casey Jr in 2010.

As a big economic conservative, I'd expect you to really like Toomey. I guess you like Specter's liberal social stances.

Specter would probably easily defeat Matthews but I'm worried about age being a huge negative for Specter regardless of who he faces.

I might not be a Matthews fan but I'd rather see him than Schwartz. Casey and Schwartz as my Senate delegation and Obama as President. We'd be pretty close to Phil's Political Axis of Evil (Gore would have to be President to complete it). That being said, as much as I'd prefer Matthews to Schwartz, it won't happen. Unless there is some huge Schwartz scandal, she's beating Matthews in the primary.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Can Toomy defeat Specter and then the great Chris Matthews?

Yes and yes but both will be somewhat difficult.

Eh.. I'm a big Specter fan and I think he could easily defeat Matthews, but I don't much know about Toomy other than he's actually a conservative.

I'd hate to see Pennsylvania's two Senators as Christ Matthews and Bob Casey Jr in 2010.

As a big economic conservative, I'd expect you to really like Toomey. I guess you like Specter's liberal social stances.

Specter would probably easily defeat Matthews but I'm worried about age being a huge negative for Specter regardless of who he faces.

I might not be a Matthews fan but I'd rather see him than Schwartz. Casey and Schwartz as my Senate delegation and Obama as President. We'd be pretty close to Phil's Political Axis of Evil (Gore would have to be President to complete it). That being said, as much as I'd prefer Matthews to Schwartz, it won't happen. Unless there is some huge Schwartz scandal, she's beating Matthews in the primary.

About Pennsylvania senators...who is in that picture in the middle? Rick Santorum?

[Keystone Phil]

About Pennsylvania senators...who is in that picture in the middle? Rick Santorum?

Yes.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Can Toomy defeat Specter and then the great Chris Matthews?

Yes and yes but both will be somewhat difficult.

Eh.. I'm a big Specter fan and I think he could easily defeat Matthews, but I don't much know about Toomy other than he's actually a conservative.

I'd hate to see Pennsylvania's two Senators as Christ Matthews and Bob Casey Jr in 2010.

As a big economic conservative, I'd expect you to really like Toomey. I guess you like Specter's liberal social stances.

Specter would probably easily defeat Matthews but I'm worried about age being a huge negative for Specter regardless of who he faces.

I might not be a Matthews fan but I'd rather see him than Schwartz. Casey and Schwartz as my Senate delegation and Obama as President. We'd be pretty close to Phil's Political Axis of Evil (Gore would have to be President to complete it). That being said, as much as I'd prefer Matthews to Schwartz, it won't happen. Unless there is some huge Schwartz scandal, she's beating Matthews in the primary.

I just like to have moderates in the party. We can't be a part of just hard line conservatives. I am a big economic conservative and more apathetic towards social issues, so I can live with Toomey. I just would hate for Swartz/Matthews to beat Toomey and the GOP lose another seat in the Senate. Plus, the more moderates we lose, the harder time the GOP will have coming back. No party can win nationally without the moderate wing.

[Keystone Phil]

I just like to have moderates in the party. We can't be a part of just hard line conservatives. I am a big economic conservative and more apathetic towards social issues, so I can live with Toomey. I just would hate for Swartz/Matthews to beat Toomey and the GOP lose another seat in the Senate. Plus, the more moderates we lose, the harder time the GOP will have coming back. No party can win nationally without the moderate wing.

Specter isn't a moderate. I have no problem with a moderate wing. My problem is with the RINO wing.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I just like to have moderates in the party. We can't be a part of just hard line conservatives. I am a big economic conservative and more apathetic towards social issues, so I can live with Toomey. I just would hate for Swartz/Matthews to beat Toomey and the GOP lose another seat in the Senate. Plus, the more moderates we lose, the harder time the GOP will have coming back. No party can win nationally without the moderate wing.

Specter isn't a moderate. I have no problem with a moderate wing. My problem is with the RINO wing.

That may be, but it's all about perception. If Arlen loses, then the media goes all crazy about another moderate losing, and then independents get convinced we are moving more rightward.

I'm no fan either of the media, but it's sad that the Democratic Party is known as the party of moderates when they are moving just as far left as they ever have before.

[Nixon in '80]

I just like to have moderates in the party. We can't be a part of just hard line conservatives. I am a big economic conservative and more apathetic towards social issues, so I can live with Toomey. I just would hate for Swartz/Matthews to beat Toomey and the GOP lose another seat in the Senate. Plus, the more moderates we lose, the harder time the GOP will have coming back. No party can win nationally without the moderate wing.

Specter isn't a moderate. I have no problem with a moderate wing. My problem is with the RINO wing.

The only real RINO of the last ten years is Lincoln Chafee.

That guy bugged even me.

[Padfoot]

Governor Linda Lingle (HI)