# 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:** 74
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1462 "2015-05-10T06:29:10Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > So a pro-life Democrat is just a hard right conservative? Can you tell the difference between an example and the point? Although I have to admit that I would have been more than happy to kick Bob Casey Sr to the curb. Junior has managed not to give in to his more Catholic instincts yet. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1463 "2015-05-10T09:06:39Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Even Republicans seem to accept the George W. Bush presidency was a failure. [Not all of them.](https://cowboypress.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/george-w-bush-miss-me-yet.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1464 "2015-05-10T14:26:26Z")
I just saw Carly Fiorina interviewed on Meet The Press, and she had an American Flag lapel pin, so she’s got that going for her. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1465 "2015-05-10T18:25:25Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > [Not all of them.](https://cowboypress.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/george-w-bush-miss-me-yet.jpeg) [![](https://i.imgur.com/eSTVnz0.gif) ](https://i.imgur.com/eSTVnz0.gif) Anyway, of all the many people who miss GW, Jeb certainly isn’t one of them, since he and George share a brain: > [@](#): > > Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) would have authorized the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, putting the likely 2016 presidential contender on the same page as his brother George W. Bush, the president who actually did so. > > “I would have [authorized the invasion], and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody. And so would almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got,” Bush told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly in an interview scheduled to air Monday. > > But he acknowledged that the “intelligence that everybody saw, that the world saw, was faulty,” adding that after the invasion, the U.S. ought to have focused on securing and stabilizing Iraq in order to shield its people from sectarian violence. > > “By the way, guess who thinks that those mistakes took place as well? George W. Bush. Yes, I mean, so just for the news flash to the world, if they’re trying to find places where there’s big space between me and my brother, this might not be one of those," Jeb Bush said. It’s cute how he ignores the way that all the “intelligence that everybody saw” was cooked up by his own people. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1466 "2015-05-10T20:33:49Z")
Hillary voted for the resolution, yes. A resolution that was marketed as being something that would strengthen GeeDubya’s hand in _negotiation_, thus contributing to a possible peaceful outcome. If Jeb had just flat out said, yeah, that was a clusterfuck disaster, and my brother shouldn’t have let himself be hoodwinked by the Cheney Commandos, I could muster a small measure of respect for that. Alas, no. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1467 "2015-05-11T00:55:50Z")
Give Jeb credit though, he’s giving straight answers to all the questions, even when they aren’t popular answers. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1468 "2015-05-11T01:02:49Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Give Jeb credit though, he’s giving straight answers to all the questions, even when they aren’t popular answers. Is that how Republicans win primaries? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1469 "2015-05-11T01:20:58Z")
Nope. But Jeb’s no idiot. In order to beat Clinton, he has to a) seem closer to the center than her, which she’s making pretty easy, actually, and b) has to appear more forthright and honest than her, which she’s also making easy. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1470 "2015-05-11T01:31:05Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Nope. But Jeb’s no idiot. In order to beat Clinton, he has to a) seem closer to the center than her, which she’s making pretty easy, actually, and b) has to appear more forthright and honest than her, which she’s also making easy. c) Win the Republican nomination. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1471 "2015-05-11T01:32:34Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > It’s cute how he ignores the way that all the “intelligence that everybody saw” was cooked up by his own people. Many of our own allies did not see that either. And neither a lot of the American people too. Even though it is a preview, this coming documentary on the deception made to ignore what many demanded (peace) is a good reminder of what took place then: "We Are Many tells for the first time the remarkable story of the biggest protest in history," I participated in the San Francisco and East Bay protests. It was one of the many experiences that made me realize how fake that idea is that insists that American journalism is liberal. Even with all that the narrative in the mainstream media was that we should go to war. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1472 "2015-05-11T02:24:39Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Give Jeb credit though, he’s giving straight answers to all the questions, even when they aren’t popular answers. What questions has he been asked? > [@adaher](#): > > Nope. But Jeb’s no idiot. In order to beat Clinton, he has to a) seem closer to the center than her, which she’s making pretty easy, actually,… There’s still time for her to move back to the left. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1473 "2015-05-11T10:25:27Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I participated in the San Francisco and East Bay protests. It was one of the many experiences that made me realize how fake that idea is that insists that American journalism is liberal. Even with all that the narrative in the mainstream media was that we should go to war. Personally I suspect this has less to do with political leanings and more to do with business interests: war gets people watching the news, so the news media have an unconscious bias at best - and a blatant financial incentive at worst - towards reporting the inevitability of war before it happens. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2015, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1474 "2015-05-11T12:04:19Z")
Looks like Republicans will have to nominate Christie in order to win usually reliable red state [Arizona.](http://www.politicususa.com/2015/05/09/republican-map-shrinking-hillary-clinton-puts-red-state-arizona-play.html) If Democrats can compete in Arizona, what’s next? Texas? Utah (gasp)? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1475 "2015-05-11T23:57:51Z")
She’s at 44%. She’s not winning Arizona. In a race between a known and an unknown, if the known is under 50%, she’s in trouble. That’s how Democrats lost all those Senate seats in 2014, by consoling themselves that their incumbents were all leading up until around September. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1476 "2015-05-12T00:04:27Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > She’s at 44%. She’s not winning Arizona. In a race between a known and an unknown, if the known is under 50%, she’s in trouble. That’s how Democrats lost all those Senate seats in 2014, by consoling themselves that their incumbents were all leading up until around September. Naw, the 2014 results were due to Democrats who rode Obama’s coattails in marginal states in 2008 coming up for election in 2014. Just like in 2016, those Republicans who won because of the ACA lies in 2010 will be coming up against a Hillary surge in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1477 "2015-05-12T00:39:02Z")
yes, but due to name recognition, most Dem incumbents had leads until very late in the game. Clinton’s 44% support in Arizona isn’t going up much. She won’t get to a majority there. She has to start out at least 47% or so to even have a chance to win a majority in any particular state. There just aren’t enough undecided voters about her to gain her much more support than she has right now. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1478 "2015-05-12T00:43:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > yes, but due to name recognition, most Dem incumbents had leads until very late in the game. Clinton’s 44% support in Arizona isn’t going up much. She won’t get to a majority there. She has to start out at least 47% or so to even have a chance to win a majority in any particular state. There just aren’t enough undecided voters about her to gain her much more support than she has right now. It’s easy to say you don’t support Clinton (Hell, I’ve said it myself) in a poll 18 months out, but then sure as shoot vote for her when she’s running against a modern Republican. You don’t have to be an “undecided” to reject a Cruz or Santorum presidency (for example). If any Republican gets the nomination, and I’m guess one will, then Mrs. Clinton will start looking a whole lot better to a whole lot of people in Arizona and elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1479 "2015-05-12T01:00:41Z")
That’s a possibility. It was also a possibliity in several different Senate races, and in every single one the Republicans nominated a respectable enough nominee to win. If you’re counting on Cruz or Santorum, you’ll be disappointed. The Republican that emerges with the nomination will likely be quite electable. And up against a flawed and wounded, and old Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1480 "2015-05-12T01:02:24Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Looks like Republicans will have to nominate Christie in order to win usually reliable red state [Arizona.](http://www.politicususa.com/2015/05/09/republican-map-shrinking-hillary-clinton-puts-red-state-arizona-play.html) If Democrats can compete in Arizona, what’s next? Texas? Utah (gasp)? The link to the Public Policy Polling website in your link paints a different story. Their story is titled “ **Clinton Close** to Most Republicans in Arizona” and includes Rand Paul (who doesn’t have the bridge issue) as a candidate with a lead outside the ± 3%. Everyone else is in that essentially meaningless error margin. That’s big news. It’s in play against most of the field early. Hillary can make a case that she can swing some states in seeking the nomination. It’s different than the idea that there’s only one chance for the GOP to win it. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444/1481 "2015-05-12T02:04:52Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > c) Win the Republican nomination. But seriously, isn’t that what is gong to happen? For years the crazy right has been saying the nominee just needs to be further right and it hasn’t happened. The Republicans _always_ pick the most sane sounding, moderate option. The nutjobs in the Republican primaries in 2012 seemed like they would be hard to out-crazy but so far it looks to be happening. Unless someone who can sound sane and centrist (paging Mitch Daniels!) jumps in, this is as much a lock for Jeb as it was for Mittens. Actually, I will be more surprised if Jeb isn’t the (R) nominee than if Hillary isn’t the (D) nominee. After all, she’s already managed to blow it once before. Barring some unexpectedly lurid scandal, I don’t see how any of the other clowns manage to beat him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=73) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-republican-candidates/709444.md?page=75)