Romney is a failure...and Ryan is not happy

[Badger]

So just to make sure, Ryan in fact did not refer to Romney as "stench"?

The author's afterward indicates the article was satire.

Which is, of course, precisely what Politico magazine is known for.

[Badger]

If we're debating 2000, it's definitely worth noting that McCain was running as the moderate alternative to Bush. (I don't remember the also-rans well, so I don't know if there ever was a plausible Republican nominee to the right of Bush.)

I seem to remember a race between Bush, McCain and Alan Keyes.

Alan Keyes was a candidate in the same sense that Michelle Bachmann was a candidate. Not exactly an important factor in the actual process of choosing a nominee.

The more interesting question is what kind of campaigns candidates like Dole, Alexander, and Hatch were running before each withdrew, and why they failed. (Along with the question of who could have declared, but decided against running.)

IIRC, Michelle was the first of the conservative anti-Romneys to take the lead from him in Iowa. But I digress...

[Badger]

If we're debating 2000, it's definitely worth noting that McCain was running as the moderate alternative to Bush. (I don't remember the also-rans well, so I don't know if there ever was a plausible Republican nominee to the right of Bush.)

I seem to remember a race between Bush, McCain and Alan Keyes.

Alan Keyes was a candidate in the same sense that Michelle Bachmann was a candidate. Not exactly an important factor in the actual process of choosing a nominee.

The more interesting question is what kind of campaigns candidates like Dole, Alexander, and Hatch were running before each withdrew, and why they failed. (Along with the question of who could have declared, but decided against running.)

IIRC, Michelle was the first of the conservative anti-Romneys to take the lead from him in Iowa. But I digress...

Oh, Bachmann was ahead in the polls for most of the summer. So what? Cain, Gingrich, and Paul lead in Iowa as well. Hell, Trump lead national polls at one point. It's hardly sufficient reason to take candidate seriously.

Au Contraire. This was a unique campaign in that sense.

And for purposes of comparison, the words "leading for most of the summer" (or ever) and "Alan Keyes" were never even dreamt of in the same sentence.

[Badger]

The only way you could view 2004 Bush and Dole in 1996 as 'not conservative' is if you view governing in any proactive way at all as inherently not conservative

Big government conservatism is bit oxymoronic.

Not in practice, unfortunately.

[Badger]

Has anyone pointed out the disclaimer on the article that this is satire?

So just to make sure, Ryan in fact did not refer to Romney as "stench"?

The author's afterward indicates the article was satire.

Which is, of course, precisely what Politico magazine is known for.