Who Do The Republicans need to nominate to win in 2012?

[JerryBrown2010]

Who do they need to win the white house?

[Jayhawker]

If there is an economic crash, Mitt Romney is the obvious choice. If Obama has a great term, we'll just have to pray Jesus comes back and runs for public office. If Obama has a mediocore term, then I would go after Charlie Crist or John Huntsman Jr.

[YRABNNRM]

Right now, I don't see a savior in the probable candidates for the Republican Party. The GOP desperately needs to start breeding new stars. Perhaps they need a farm league?

[Lunar]

Joe Biden

[Jayhawker]

We need to start working on Aaron Schock. John Thune would be another decent candidate. Get them ready for the national stage. Palin would have been good, but she was thrust on the national stage so quickly, and didn't have time to adjust, which resulted in awful interviews making her look like an idiot. I mean, before those interviews, her approval ratings were higher than Obama or McCain's. I think she can still be a good candidate, if she puts herself around the right people and works on her interviewing skills.

[Frodo]

If economic growth picks up, and jobs start to become more prevalent again by the time Obama runs for reelection (and he accomplishes health care reform by the end of this year), it won't matter whom the Republicans nominate.  Though, if they want to at least perform respectably, they can't go wrong with Mitt Romney (esp. with Jon Huntsman, Jr. out of the picture until at least 2016...).  

[Senator Ben]

Charlie Crist seems like the best option, maybe John Hoeven.

[Mint]

Charlie Crist seems like the best option, maybe John Hoeven.

Crist doesn't have much appeal outside of pundits. Also there's the gay rumor that just won't go away.

[Senator Ben]

Charlie Crist seems like the best option, maybe John Hoeven.

Crist doesn't have much appeal outside of pundits. Also there's the gay rumor that just won't go away.

That's true.  If he could get through a primary, though, I'd say he's the best choice for the GOP.

[tonyreyes89]

Who do they need to win the white house?

Ronald Reagan.

[ShadowOfTheWave]

We need to start working on Aaron Schock. John Thune would be another decent candidate. Get them ready for the national stage. Palin would have been good, but she was thrust on the national stage so quickly, and didn't have time to adjust, which resulted in awful interviews making her look like an idiot. I mean, before those interviews, her approval ratings were higher than Obama or McCain's. I think she can still be a good candidate, if she puts herself around the right people and works on her interviewing skills.

Palin didn't just come off as an idiot by being unprepared, she proved herself to be an idiot by making idiotic statements. And not just throughout the campaign, throughout her career.

[Mint]

There's no one really.  We'll see if anyone comes up by then.  I'm still hoping for Romney, but I'm afraid the fabricated Romney created to destroy him is too much to overcome.

I don't think the flip flopping is as big of an issue as people think. Actually, given the trends in the base and country as a whole he may need to move further right on a few things (like guns) to be viable. That and do a better job addressing the whole Mormon issue than he did last time. With that said, I have a hunch he's going to be the compromise candidate given his run the last time plus his gains in the polls.

[Reaganfan]

Huckabee, Romney, Thune, Sanford.

[Aizen]

Huckabee, Romney, Thune, Sanford.

Did you misread where he said "to win"?

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

Mitt Romney, although I'm still hoping Chuck Hagel runs.

[Keystone Phil]

maybe John Hoeven.

Uh?

I can't imagine that guy being a great national candidate. This suggestion is very Naso-esque.

[VP Duke]

Mitt Romney, although I'm still hoping Chuck Hagel runs.

Can't think of a better attention whore. I hope he stays out of the public eye now that he's retired.


As for the GOP, if the economy turns around, it doesn't matter who they field, they lose. I hope it isn't either Palin or Huckabee, because if it is, we're doomed. Romney would be tolerable, as would Sanford and Gingrich. I'd love to see Rudy run again, but unless the primary order changes, he's toast.

[Meeker]

Charlie Crist seems like the best option, maybe John Hoeven.

What?

EDIT: Damn, Phil beat me

[ShadowOfTheWave]

If Palin runs it will be another election where intelligent people have no choice but to vote Democratic, even if they disagree with many of Obama's policies.

[Zarn]

Why does anyone think Romney, Huckabee, or Thune can win?

[Lunar]

Seriously, this is pretty silly to even guess at at this point.

I think even up into 2007 McCain's campaign passionately believed his support of the Iraq War would be by far his biggest liability going into the general election, when it turned out that McCain could actually use his support of the surge as a wedge issue against Obama.

[Padfoot]

I agree with the general sentiment that seems to be prevailing thus far; if there's a measurable economic recovery that your average voters feels, the Republicans will need the second coming of Jesus in order to win.  However if Obama's term is mediocre or downright bad, the Republicans could find success in a candidate who has strong credentials as a fiscal conservative to counter Obama's big spending.

Candidates like Huckabee and Palin may appeal strongly to the base the GOP has built for itself over the past 30-40 years but I doubt they'll have the nationwide appeal or credentials necessary to win.  Palin has proven herself to be completely incapable to such a degree that I think Obama could beat her even under the worst of circumstances.  And Huckabee's record as a "compassionate conservative" doesn't set him up very well to run a campaign of fiscal restraint.

I honestly don't think that any of the current "front runners" will make a significant mark on the 2012 campaign.  By the time the primaries roll around I think we'll be looking at a completely different field.  Some of the current players may still take a stab at it but I don't think any of them will make it past New Hampshire.  My feeling is that a new crop of candidates will have formed by then.  I think the 2010 mid-term is going to have a huge impact on the direction the Republicans take in 2012 so I'm not going to even attempt to speculate on who the GOP's savior might be until after that.

[Vasall des Midas]

Barack Obama?

[Badger]

We need to start working on Aaron Schock. John Thune would be another decent candidate. Get them ready for the national stage. Palin would have been good, but she was thrust on the national stage so quickly, and didn't have time to adjust, which resulted in awful interviews making her look like demonstrating she is an idiot. I mean, before those interviews, her approval ratings were higher than Obama or McCain's. I think she can still be a good candidate, if she puts herself around the right people and works on her interviewing skills.

Corrected

[big bad fab]

Michelle Obama