Republican presidential candidate ever win CA, NY, MA in the foreseeable future?

[Governor_Quinn]

@bordelond

I wasn’t trying to say in the OP that those three states have always gone Democratic in all past presidential elections. Just in the last few.

I misunderstood, then, and I drop that point.

As for the possibility of Bloomberg: the very fact that he’s planning on running for Mayor again in 2009 as an independent (here and here) would basically eliminate that as a possibility.

If one is looking anywhere, it should probably be in the ranks of the Governors, but none of the moderate Republicans holding Governorships at the moment strike me as likely candidates.

[E-Sabbath]

The reason I picked Bloomberg is that it would take someone with enough raw power to tell the Republicans to pound sand, yet the ability to win the election on his own, to drag the party far enough over to the middle to make the CA/NY/MA vote possible. You’d need a superstar. I can’t think of anyone even close to that status at the moment.
Basically, you’d need someone from CA or NY to do it, as well.

[bordelond]

@Governor_Quinn

If one is looking anywhere, it should probably be in the ranks of the Governors, but none of the moderate Republicans holding Governorships at the moment strike me as likely candidates.

Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal is the one being groomed. His only notable flaw (so far) is an article he wrote in the New Oxford Revew recounting his participation in an exorcism. Thankfully, he is a highly-educated policy wonk (Rhodes Scholar, M. Litt from Oxford) who represents the polar opposite of the anti-intellectual “Sarah Palin” wing of the party.

Jindal was supposed to speak at the Republican Convention, but he stayed in Louisiana to deal with Hurricane Gustav. That would have been his moment analogous to Bill Clinton’s speech at the 1988 Democratic Convention.

[E-Sabbath]

Mr. Creationist Jindal? Oh, that’s real polar opposite.

[bordelond]

@E-Sabbath

Mr. Creationist Jindal? Oh, that’s real polar opposite.

No, really :

A Catholic convert who grew up in a Hindu household, Jindal has made his name by aligning himself with the cultural conservative wing of the Republican Party, fiercely opposing stem cell research and abortion while favoring the teaching of Intelligent Design in public schools. The strategy has helped his standing among the state’s conservative Christian voters, and helped him overcome the twin liabilities (in some circles) of intellectualism and ethnicity — traits that arouse suspicion in some of Louisiana’s rural stretches, and that many say also helped tip the scales against him in 2003.

Personally, I like to focus on the word “strategy” above. I think the Intelligent Design stuff is/was calculated pandering and not a reflection of his personal views. Can’t prove it or cite it, but there you go. FWIW, he hasn’t tried pushing any of this stuff since he’s taken office as governor. I am keeping my eyes open, but I am hopeful.

[bordelond]

@bordelond

I think the Intelligent Design stuff is/was calculated pandering and not a reflection of his personal views.

MF! Jindal was spouting this off in June on Face the Nation:

I personally think that the life, human life and the world we live in wasn’t created accidentally. I do think that there’s a creator. I’m a Christian. I do think that God played a role in creating not only earth, but mankind. Now, the way that he did it, I’d certainly want my kids to be exposed to the very best science. I don’t want them to be-I don’t want any facts or theories or explanations to be withheld from them because of political correctness. The way we’re going to have smart, intelligent kids is exposing them to the very best science and let them not only decide, but also let them contribute to that body of knowledge.

:smack:

Unless he can mitigate the stigma of anti-creationism somehow, Jindal is sunk at the national level, IMHO. It’s a shame – he’s doing a lot of good in Louisiana.