# The 2016 Republican candidates **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 9, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444 "2015-01-09T22:38:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 22
**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:** [January 30, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/421 "2015-01-30T21:16:20Z")
“Why, I do declare…!” :: fans self :: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/422 "2015-01-30T21:24:12Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Lindsey Graham is in: > > [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/01/29/lindsey-graham-officially-launches-presidential-exploratory-committee/](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/01/29/lindsey-graham-officially-launches-presidential-exploratory-committee/) > > Not sure where his niche is in this race, but I’m a fan. [You really had better think again.](http://www.salon.com/2015/01/30/americas_biggest_genius_why_lindsey_graham_is_a_huge_threat_to_einstein/) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/423 "2015-01-30T21:25:58Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > “Why, I do declare…!” > > :: fans self :: I recall **Colbert** doing that . . . ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/424 "2015-01-30T21:31:09Z")
Maybe Lindsey Graham’s entry into the race frightened Mitt out of it? Nah, there isn’t any alternate universe, no matter how remote, where this could have happened. Anyhow, I’m starting to think that Scott Walker, “the goggle-eyed homunculus hired by Koch Industries to manage their midwest subsidiary formerly known as the state of Wisconsin,” per Charles Pierce, is looking like the early favorite. The base regards him as a True Believer, the Brothers Koch own him, so they’re all for him, and he’s as adroit a hippie-puncher as the GOP, which loves hippie-punchers, has. Plus he seemed to be the hands-down winner at the Freedumb Summit last weekend. He may be even more soulless than Richard Nixon, but that’s never stopped anyone from winning the GOP nomination before. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/425 "2015-01-30T21:36:10Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Anyhow, I’m starting to think that Scott Walker, “the goggle-eyed homunculus hired by Koch Industries to manage their midwest subsidiary formerly known as the state of Wisconsin,” per Charles Pierce, is looking like the early favorite. > > The base regards him as a True Believer, the Brothers Koch own him, so they’re all for him, and he’s as adroit a hippie-puncher as the GOP, which loves hippie-punchers, has. Plus he seemed to be the hands-down winner at the Freedumb Summit last weekend. > > He may be even more soulless than Richard Nixon, but that’s never stopped anyone from winning the GOP nomination before. Plus he’s [a college dropout with a high school diploma](http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/article/2013/dec/18/scott-walker-early-years/), so he really appeals to the base. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/426 "2015-01-30T22:06:17Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Kilgore (again) points out the following from the poll results: > Bolding mine. Maybe half of Republicans think something should be done about global warming, but it isn’t that important to most of that half. > > And since the moneymen of the GOP are in the ‘do nothing about global warming’ camp _and_ deeply care about it, backing that up with their ample checkbooks, nothing’s any different in the GOP on this issue than it was yesterday. You didn’t provide a link, but [here’s](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/31/us/politics/most-americans-support-government-action-on-climate-change-poll-finds.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0) the article I read, which is pretty clear about the percentages. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/427 "2015-01-30T22:21:41Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Plus he’s [a college dropout with a high school diploma](http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/article/2013/dec/18/scott-walker-early-years/), so he really appeals to the base. What base? In the 2012 Presidential election, voters who had some college (like Walker) were evenly split between the two parties 49-48. Much the same for those whose highest educational level was a high school diploma, 51-48. Where you really see a difference, by a margin of nearly 2-1, was in the category of high-school dropouts. Guess which candidate they voted for? The one with a (D) after his name. > **[How Groups Voted in 2012 | Roper Center for Public Opinion Research](https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-2012)** > >   Demographic Group Obama Romney TOTAL All Voters Pct. 51% 47% SEX Men 47 45 52 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/428 "2015-01-30T22:44:50Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What base? > > In the 2012 Presidential election, voters who had some college (like Walker) were evenly split between the two parties 49-48. Much the same for those whose highest educational level was a high school diploma, 51-48. > > Where you really see a difference, by a margin of nearly 2-1, was in the category of high-school dropouts. Guess which candidate they voted for? The one with a (D) after his name. > > [How Groups Voted in 2012 | ROPER CENTER](http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/elections/how_groups_voted/voted_12.html) OTOH, people with graduate degrees appear to lean Dem. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/429 "2015-01-30T22:53:46Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What base? > > In the 2012 Presidential election, voters who had some college (like Walker) were evenly split between the two parties 49-48. Much the same for those whose highest educational level was a high school diploma, 51-48. > > Where you really see a difference, by a margin of nearly 2-1, was in the category of high-school dropouts. Guess which candidate they voted for? The one with a (D) after his name. > > [How Groups Voted in 2012 | ROPER CENTER](http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/elections/how_groups_voted/voted_12.html) From your own link: > [@](#): > > EDUCATION Group Obama Romney > Some HS 3% 64% 35% > HS graduate, some college, college grad 79% 49% 49% > Postgraduate study 18% 55% 42% Since only 3% of voters are HS dropouts, but 18% are postgrads, the latter outweighs the former hugely and gives Democrats their victory. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/430 "2015-01-30T22:55:16Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > OTOH, people with graduate degrees appear to lean Dem. They do, but not nearly as much as the high school dropouts. 😃 ---
**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:** [January 30, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/431 "2015-01-30T22:58:23Z")
The Democrats tend to get voters on both educational extremes - high school dropouts and the extremely well educated, such as PhDs, etc. The Republicans score better in the education range in between. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/432 "2015-01-30T22:59:02Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Since only 3% of voters are HS dropouts, but 18% are postgrads, the latter outweighs the former hugely and gives Democrats their victory. Look at the middle three groups, which comprised 79% of the voters. They were split pretty evenly, which matches up with the actual election results wherein the Democrat got 51% of the vote. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/433 "2015-01-30T23:17:15Z")
It’s not the education level of the voter, it’s the perceived intelligence level of the candidate. Republicans hate egghead, know-it-all, snobby professor types. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/434 "2015-01-30T23:44:09Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > The Democrats tend to get voters on both educational extremes - high school dropouts and the extremely well educated, such as PhDs, etc. That is probably because HS dropouts are poor and PhDs are smart. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/435 "2015-01-30T23:58:46Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > They do, but not nearly as much as the high school dropouts. 😃 But we don’t encourage them to run for President. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/436 "2015-01-31T05:11:38Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > But we don’t encourage them to run for President. Walker isn’t a high school dropout. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/437 "2015-01-31T13:35:19Z")
CNN on Romney’s thought process in deciding not to run: [http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/30/politics/romney-exit-ticktock/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/30/politics/romney-exit-ticktock/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/438 "2015-01-31T15:53:27Z")
Yeah, you can’t assume that a person’s own education level will reflect the education level they want from their candidates. A dropout could be someone who thinks that education is a waste of time, and who thus values other dropouts for coming to the same conclusion… or a dropout could be someone who didn’t have time for school what with working desperately to support their family, and determined to give their children the educational opportunities they missed out on, and such a person certainly is not going to support a dropout politician. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/439 "2015-01-31T17:06:57Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > CNN on Romney’s thought process in deciding not to run: [http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/30/politics/romney-exit-ticktock/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/30/politics/romney-exit-ticktock/index.html) I love the line in there about Jeb Bush being “mild-mannered” - followed immediately by a description of a ruthless campaigner cutting the legs out from under his presumed main opponent. Anybody who thinks Jeb is mild-mannered has only ever seen him on tv or met him in a social setting. He’s as bloodthirsty as they come. And if the GOP thinks Obama’s administration was an “Imperial Presidency”… ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/440 "2015-02-01T05:18:36Z")
There’s public persona and then there’s the kind of team he builds around him. The Bushes are mild-mannered. The campaign teams they hired tended to be the most ruthless around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=23)