# Does Haley Barbour have a serious chance of becoming president? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 22, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612 "2011-03-22T15:28:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/41 "2011-04-26T03:56:27Z")
He’s 63. I guess he could run in the 2016 cycle, but he’d be what, 69 on taking office? That’s not insuperable but it is a handicap. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/42 "2011-04-26T04:56:02Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > He’s 63. I guess he could run in the 2016 cycle, but he’d be what, 69 on taking office? That’s not insuperable but it is a handicap. Reagan did it. So did William Henry harrison. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/43 "2011-04-26T05:56:29Z")
Harrison died a month in, so I don’t know that he’s the best example. I’ll give you Reagan. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/44 "2011-04-26T06:08:37Z")
But wasn’t president Reagan already in the early stages of Alzheimer’s? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/45 "2011-04-26T06:27:44Z")
There’s some speculation he was at the end of his second term. I don’t think anybody asserts he was when he became President. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/46 "2011-04-26T13:07:44Z")
He was showing signs before his 2nd term. His first debate with Mondale was painful to watch. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/47 "2011-04-26T15:58:04Z")
Reagan looked healthy. Not young, but healthy. Barbour looks like a stereotypical heart attack waiting to happen. I’m not talking about their actual health, but the appearance. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/48 "2011-04-26T16:04:25Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Well, my prediction is there for all to see. I’m not inclined to back it with a wager. Experience has shown that I’m not very good at prognostication. So we’ve got that settled. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/49 "2011-04-26T16:30:36Z")
[CNN.com](http://CNN.com) discusses the impact on the rest of the likely GOP field by Barbour not running: [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/25/what-does-barbours-exit-mean-for-the-gop-race/](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/25/what-does-barbours-exit-mean-for-the-gop-race/) ---
**Author:** ![Whoo69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Whoo69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whoo69)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/50 "2011-05-27T07:20:42Z")
I really pity Haley Barbour. While I am not one of those childish folks on the Left who’s obsessed with race and calls anyone even remotely ‘wrong’ on race relations or ‘insensitive’ “racist”, I think Barbour is truly conflicted, deep down. He may be a little ignorant due to his upbringing, but he’s trying damn hard (or at least it appears that way) to be more colorblind and atone for his sins of the past (whatever they may be). Maybe the guy’s just a good con artist, but his demeanor certainly doesn’t seem indicative of someone who’s a big racist, especially one who would dare join the KKK. I think he also just wants to forget racist history from his and other surrounding communities and pretend like he and his friends were all big integrationists, partly for political gamesmanship but also because he wants to do the right thing and not bring up the shameful actions and Jim Crow, leaving them in the past and moving forward. Even if he is a little racist, so what. Unless he tries to enact a really Jim Crow-like law or commits a hate crime or says something really bad in public (like “nigger”), I’m not gonna hold it against him. As bad as it may be, we all have a right to be biased or colorblind deep down because of the First Amendment, and as long as it doesn’t affect others adversely, it’s no skin off my back. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/51 "2011-05-27T13:18:10Z")
> [@Whoo69](#): > > I really pity Haley Barbour. While I am not one of those childish folks on the Left who’s obsessed with race and calls anyone even remotely ‘wrong’ on race relations or ‘insensitive’ “racist”, I think Barbour is truly conflicted, deep down. He may be a little ignorant due to his upbringing, but he’s trying damn hard (or at least it appears that way) to be more colorblind and atone for his sins of the past (whatever they may be). Pretending racism isn’t happening (or didn’t happen in Jim Crow fucking Mississippi) doesn’t make him color blind. It makes him blind to stuff that he doesn’t like because, in this enlightened age, it make him and his look bad. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/52 "2011-06-01T16:12:56Z")
I think he’s a real player. And as far as corporate lobbying goes, I’m pretty sure a former Senator from New York turned Secretary of State was a corporate lawyer - not so far of a stretch. (: I rather enjoy this guy’s honesty, should it be proved true. I’m going home in a few weeks for a visit. I’m curious to listen to him (in person Iowa meets are 100000x than the news) even if I’m not a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/53 "2011-06-01T17:05:49Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > I think he’s a real player. And as far as corporate lobbying goes, I’m pretty sure a former Senator from New York turned Secretary of State was a corporate lawyer - not so far of a stretch. (: > > I rather enjoy this guy’s honesty, should it be proved true. I’m going home in a few weeks for a visit. I’m curious to listen to him (in person Iowa meets are 100000x than the news) even if I’m not a Republican. To what honesty are you referring? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/54 "2011-06-01T17:11:29Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > To what honesty are you referring? > > -Joe And who? Just to reitierate the thread, Barbour isn’t running for President, and probably won’t be doing anything in Iowa anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/55 "2011-06-01T17:21:03Z")
Barbour hinted that he wanted Mitch Daniels to run, that’s not happening. Barbour’s endorsement is up for grabs and all the wannabes will be vying for it and the donors that go along with it. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/56 "2011-06-01T17:28:57Z")
I’m glad he’s not running. I wouldn’t say I enjoy his honesty (since I don’t really enjoy it and it’s not really honesty), but I do find myself almost getting sucked into whatever little parallel world he’s creating when he speaks. He has this odd charming quality and I think he would have been more formidable than the skeletons in his closet make it seem. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/57 "2011-06-01T23:09:58Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > To what honesty are you referring? > > -Joe In which he talks about himself. If he runs and comes through IA again, I’d like to see him. Nothing wrong with Obama keeping on his toes. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/58 "2011-06-02T15:57:22Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > In which he talks about himself. > > If he runs and comes through IA again, I’d like to see him. Nothing wrong with Obama keeping on his toes. Boss Hogg ain’t the one to do it. He’s honest when he talks about himself? The part where he says he didn’t seen any evidence of racism in Mississippi in the 60’s? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612/59 "2011-06-02T16:57:35Z")
Maybe his eyesight is poor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-haley-barbour-have-a-serious-chance-of-becoming-president/575612.md?page=2)