The long-derided Iowa Straw Poll has gone belly-up: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/12/politics/iowa-straw-poll-canceled-killed/index.html
See? I said up there a few pages that this was going to happen. 
I think it’s a little early to be declaring Jeb Bush’s candidacy over since it hasn’t actually started yet.
If there was any support for Bush, it would show up merely because of his name recognition. Candidates with universally known names don’t get more popular as a campaign goes on. They usually peak right at the beginning.
Which explains why Mitt Romney was the frontrunner and he won the nomination.
The Republican Party has a long and rich tradition of promoting the next guy in line. Romney came in 2nd in '08, McCain came in 2nd in '00, Dole came in 2nd alongside Ford in '76, Reagan almost caught up with Ford in '76. The party just does not reach into the lower ranks very much. Frothymix might have the inside track this time around, but then, he might step in something slippery.
“Step”? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
I think shtup was misspelled…
Romney was polling much better than 10%. And he faced no one with even close to his money drawing power.
The once and future Candidate. hashtag DraftRomney! The momentum builds!
Which doesn’t change the fact that he was the frontrunner with name recognition and whose subsequent nomination means that this:
Is wrong.
Scott Walker said that UK Prime Minister David Cameron confided in him that he was worried about the direction that Obama is taking the US. Cameron said that never happened.
Sorry, John, but Joe Lieberman and Rudy Giuliani were better frontrunners than JEb. They at least commanded 20%. Jeb has 10.6% in the RCP average, and the latest poll had him at 9% with Ben Carson in 1st place.
MITTmentum…
Jeb! is in. Had his official announcement this afternoon.
Addressed the Miami audience in English and Spanish including addressing Dreamer protesters that he WILL deal with their issue once and for all if elected.
Apparently the JEB! logo is the exact same logo he used when he was running for governor. Saving money on consultants, I guess.
That’s another issue which makes me scratch my head. We’ve got Democrats telling us that we’re going to nominate Jeb, but that no Republican can win the nomination without catering to the rabid base. But Jeb is being who he is. He supports Common Core, he supports a liberal immigration policy, and he doesn’t even really seem to dislike Democrats all that much. He’s tossing no partisan red meat.
So will he win because he has the name and the money despite his relative moderation? Or will the base reject him because he’s out of step with them? I think it’s the latter, not so much because a moderate candidate can’t win, but because if we are going to get one it will be a new face, someone young and charismatic enough to create excitement without having to resort to extreme partisanship.
His best bet may be to not pander and to bet that the base stays divided between the many who will cater to them … leaving a minority who vote for him but enough to give him a plurality.
Uh, addy? Charisma? Jeb Bush? Charisma? Well, OK. I mean, if you say so…
And if it had happened, it would suggest that Walker is unfamiliar with the meaning of the word “confided”.
Remember when Mitt went to London and announced to the press that he’d had a SEECRET meeting with British intelligence? What is it with these guys?
I just assumed that he was using it to avoid putting the other half of his name on signs.