# Cook up the most incendiary/polarizing Presidential race possible **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 21, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125 "2014-08-21T19:00:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/21 "2014-08-22T19:44:27Z")
Ted Cruz v. any Democrat. The GOP, Fox News, right wing talk radio, etc. turned cautious, consensus-seeking centrist Dem like Obama into a polarizing figure, and before that they did the same with Bill Clinton, the original DLC Democrat. If the Dems ran Joe Manchin and Joe Lieberman, they’d do the same with them. The actual Democrat doesn’t matter. The GOP will define any Dem as a polarizing figure. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/22 "2014-08-22T23:48:47Z")
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the duo I’m supporting for 2016: _Michele Bachmann and Glenn Beck_ I suppose in my early days at SDMB I came across as one of those namby-pamby centrists, but I’ve changed my opinion a full 360° and now want Bachmann-Beck to win. I think the liberals will explode and pave America’s way to a Final Triumph! I’ll let you leftists decide who you want to run against us for maximum humor. Bachmann and Beck are each super-qualified for the top spot, but I’m going with Bachmann-Beck rather than Beck-Bachmann because it has a better ring to it. I’m also hoping a few old hippies will confuse us with the Bachman–Turner Overdrive and vote us unwittingly. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/23 "2014-08-23T00:10:14Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I’m surprised no one has mentioned the duo I’m supporting for 2016: > _Michele Bachmann and Glenn Beck_ > > I suppose in my early days at SDMB I came across as one of those namby-pamby centrists, but I’ve changed my opinion a full 360° and now want Bachmann-Beck to win. I think the liberals will explode and pave America’s way to a Final Triumph! > > I’ll let you leftists decide who you want to run against us for maximum humor. > > Bachmann and Beck are each super-qualified for the top spot, but I’m going with Bachmann-Beck rather than Beck-Bachmann because it has a better ring to it. I’m also hoping a few old hippies will confuse us with the Bachman–Turner Overdrive and vote us unwittingly. Well, these were the rules: > [@Velocity](#): > > Rule: Presidential candidates can only be current or former senators, governors, or representatives. (No “Limbaugh/Beck vs. Maher/Colbert” races. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/24 "2014-08-23T00:45:57Z")
Doesn’t matter. Take any Democrat, and the Republicans will make him/her out to be a cross between Mao and bin Laden. And take any Republican. Really, take any one. They’re interchangeable. Given that the there will be only slight difference in vitriol no matter who is chosen, I think Feinstein v Cruz would take the cake. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/25 "2014-08-23T01:25:18Z")
I’m cheating by including a Cabinet member whose highest elected office was State Attorney. **Ted Cruz + Rand Paul** vs. **Hillary Clinton + Janet Reno** ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/26 "2014-08-27T11:17:24Z")
Cruz vs. Warren. In Florida it’s not entirely impossible that we’ll get Wasserman vs. West in 2018. That would be a hell of a wingnut slugfest. I don’t know why people name Clinton. She’s not nearly as polarizing as she used to be. Oh, and I have to name VPs? Fine. Cruz/Allen West vs. Warren/Alan Grayson. Florida love for my VP slots. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/27 "2014-09-01T05:11:11Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Rule: Presidential candidates can only be current or former senators, governors, or representatives. (No “Limbaugh/Beck vs. Maher/Colbert” races.)… I don’t like this rule, because I want Dick Cheney to run for Pres, along with the guy he shot in the head running for Veep. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/28 "2014-09-03T00:17:07Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Palin + Bachmann? Cutie Pie and Crazy Eyes '16! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/29 "2014-09-03T01:02:39Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I like the ticket Berkeley Breathed came up with several years ago in _Bloom County_ – > > Jesse Jackson and Jesse Helms — on the same ticket. > “Jesse and Jesse! Let’s outrage EVERYBODY!” Ha! That’s exactly what I thought of when reading the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/30 "2014-09-04T23:13:26Z")
Condoleezza Rice + Colin Powell vs Hillary and Bill (for VP) Clinton. Let’s see how the racist wing of the GOP handles that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/31 "2014-09-05T00:41:00Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > maybe Keith Elison to bring out the anti-Muslim hysteria vote. IIRC, atheists poll even lower than Muslims, so – Pete Stark? ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125/32 "2014-09-05T01:23:42Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Abraham Lincoln + Hannibal Hamlin v. Stephen Douglas + Hershal Johnson. I believe I’ll go wih this, the clear thread winner IMO… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cook-up-the-most-incendiary-polarizing-presidential-race-possible/696125.md?page=1)