# 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:** 26
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/501 "2015-02-03T17:32:26Z")
Did you even pay attention to the 2008 campaign? What in the world would make you think that she is good at this? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/502 "2015-02-03T17:33:59Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [And Huckabee is winning.](http://www.salon.com/2015/02/03/jon_stewart_rips_into_mike_huckabees_outrageous_remarks/) [Not that Christie ain’t still in the running.](http://www.salon.com/2015/02/03/chris_christies_iowa_makeover_nj_gov_goes_full_heartland_culture_warrior/) ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/503 "2015-02-03T17:35:01Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Did you even pay attention to the 2008 campaign? What in the world would make you think that she is good at this? Because she almost beat a brilliant campaign, despite massive early strategic mistakes. Because she’ll have Bill Clinton and Barack Obama in her corner. Because she’s made massive mistakes in the past that she can learn from. Your certainty is amusing, but it’s grounded in nothing beyond your own wishful thinking. I’m not certain of anything, but hyperbole like yours is just ridiculous. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/504 "2015-02-03T17:37:13Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > LOL. God I love you. You never fail to top yourself with hyperbole and ridiculous predictions. I look forward to bringing this one back up in the future. He will take another sabbatical to lick his woumds after Hillary gets elected. I expect he will come back in time to preach doom and gloom for the 2018 midterm elections. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/505 "2015-02-03T17:40:33Z")
She almost won because she’s a Clinton and she had massive money. Her campaign was a huge mess and no, she did not respond to any of Obama’s attacks effectively. What she did instead was try to dig up dirt on him in response, and even there she did a piss poor job of it and it backfired on her. Clinton is a formidable candidate, to be sure. But it’s not because of Hillary Clinton the person. It’s the name and the money. I actually think Bush matches up poorly against her. The other Republicans will probably do a better job, because we know that the easiest way to beat Clinton is with something new and fresh. She should be even more vulnerable to that eight years later. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/506 "2015-02-03T17:41:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > He will take another sabbatical to lick his woumds after Hillary gets elected. I expect he will come back in time to preach doom and gloom for the 2018 midterm elections. Well, I’ll certainly be right about that. Even Democrats have no faith that they can win midterms anymore. And the 2018 map is really ugly for Democrats in the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/507 "2015-02-03T17:42:56Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Well, I’ll certainly be right about that. Even Democrats have no faith that they can win midterms anymore. And the 2018 map is really ugly for Democrats in the Senate. Your certainty about anything at all is amusing, but not convincing. I sincerely hope that the Republicans are as dismissive of Hillary’s campaign ability as you are. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/508 "2015-02-03T17:48:39Z")
As if. You think those two Bush wins over those Massachusetts ninnies were because they underestimated them? My point is simply that no one does negative better than the Bushes. Hillary Clinton is still a blank slate for most voters. They will try to define her. How do you think she’ll fight back? Hopefully not by crying. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/509 "2015-02-03T17:50:06Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Hillary Clinton is still a blank slate for most voters. You must be very young, and those people don’t vote. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/510 "2015-02-03T17:52:47Z")
All right, tell me first, is Hillary Clinton more like Chuck Schumer or Mark Pryor? ---
**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:** [February 3, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/511 "2015-02-03T17:57:18Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > All right, tell me first, is Hillary Clinton more like Chuck Schumer or Mark Pryor? If you stew apples like cranberries, they taste more like prunes than rhubarb does. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/512 "2015-02-03T17:57:45Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > As if. And monkeys might fly out of your butt? > [@](#): > > You think those two Bush wins over those Massachusetts ninnies were because they underestimated them? Dukakis and Kerry were significantly worse candidates than Hillary. And Kerry almost won. > [@](#): > > My point is simply that no one does negative better than the Bushes. Hillary Clinton is still a blank slate for most voters. They will try to define her. How do you think she’ll fight back? Hopefully not by crying. LOL at “blank slate”. Everyone knows who she is and has an opinion on her. We shall see. But I really love your confidence, and it gives me more hope than a worrying **adaher** would. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/513 "2015-02-03T18:00:57Z")
Does it bother anyone else that Scott Walker doesn’t have a a college degree? I’m not an education elitist or anything, but I don’t think a BA is too much to ask from a presidential candidate. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/514 "2015-02-03T18:01:16Z")
Everyone knows who she is. No one knows what she believes. Notice the dodge Fear Itself engaged in when I asked a simple question about where on the political spectrum she is. He doesn’t have any idea either. Maybe you’d like to answer? Chuck Schumer or Mark Pryor? By contrast, we know where every one of the Republican candidates stand on the spectrum before the campaign has even started. We know who the K streeters are, the neocons, the tea partiers, etc. So, which part of the Democratic Party does Hillary Clinton stand with? The progressives? The Blue Dogs? In fairness, I guess we know she stands with the corporate wing of the party, so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/515 "2015-02-03T18:03:02Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > Does it bother anyone else that Scott Walker doesn’t have a a college degree? I’m not an education elitist or anything, but I don’t think a BA is too much to ask from a presidential candidate. Doesn’t bother me at all. Experience is more important than education. If he was running for President without having been governor, then it would be important. Now that he’s been a governor, he should be judged on how well he did his job, not on where his head was at 25 years ago. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/516 "2015-02-03T18:06:06Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Doesn’t bother me at all. Experience is more important than education. If he was running for President without having been governor, then it would be important. Now that he’s been a governor, he should be judged on how well he did his job, not on where his head was at 25 years ago. It will make a devastating ad. Americans will be rightly horrified to think a presidential candidate has no more than a high school diploma. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/517 "2015-02-03T18:09:00Z")
I’m sure it will cost him among wealthier voters, but it’ll only increase his working class cred. That’s a matchup I like against the pampered, out of touch Clinton. In any case, I don’t think Clinton will go there. Too risky, and she doesn’t do risk. But I’m sure it’ll be quite the attack point on discussion boards. Much like McCain’s poor showing at West Point. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/518 "2015-02-03T18:10:07Z")
Or sorry, Naval Academy. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/519 "2015-02-03T18:11:42Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Everyone knows who she is. No one knows what she believes. Notice the dodge Fear Itself engaged in when I asked a simple question about where on the political spectrum she is. He doesn’t have any idea either. > > Maybe you’d like to answer? Chuck Schumer or Mark Pryor? It’s a dumb question. But I’ll answer anyway. On the issues, she’s much closer to Schumer. In terms of political ‘style’, she’s unlike either. > [@](#): > > By contrast, we know where every one of the Republican candidates stand on the spectrum before the campaign has even started. We know who the K streeters are, the neocons, the tea partiers, etc. There’s no “contrast” – we know that Hillary is a pretty mainstream Democrat, just like Bill. She’s a Clintonesque Democrat, not surprisingly. > [@](#): > > So, which part of the Democratic Party does Hillary Clinton stand with? The progressives? The Blue Dogs? In fairness, I guess we know she stands with the corporate wing of the party, so there’s that. She’s a Clintonista. Her approval in the party is sky-high. I don’t know what world you’re posting from, but I’d love to visit some day. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/520 "2015-02-03T18:12:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > In any case, I don’t think Clinton will go there. Too risky, and she doesn’t do risk. That’s what dark money is for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=27)