Crist is still a Republican. He’s just not the Republican nominee for Senator.
He’s a stereotype, and the two of them (Bush II and Perry) are very appealing to a certain demographic.
It gets SOME coverage, but not nearly as much as I’d like to see.
“It’s just a rumah!”
But there’s no way he’d be on the Republican ticket as president or VP. He’s pissed off too many people.
Scratch New Hampshire. Democrat John Lynch has been governor since 2006.
Also, you can add Arizona to the ones that have subsequently flipped. Not that I see Jan Brewer as a conceivable GOP Presidential candidate.
Uh, unless I’m completely misreading this question, Hawaii?!? 
If this happens, I’ll be the happiest man in the world when he’s nominated, then so incredibly pissed if he wins. Fuck Governor Good Hair with a red hot porcupine. Sideways.
That should’ve been Vermont, not New Hampshire. Jim Douglas is a Republican. We were up there about a year and a half ago and heard campaign commercials for and against him every five minutes. Looks like he’s not running for re-election this year. Arizona didn’t go for Obama. It’s McCain’s home state. Hawaii should have been on the list, though. So
And somehow I don’t think The Hair is going to be a candidate. I think it’s going to be a while before people would think about voting for another governor of Texas.
He did run in 2008; he just didn’t stay in the race for very long. And there was certainly some grumbling on the ground in his district (that’s where my family is) that the Presidential race was taking time away from his duties, but I have no idea how big a factor that was in his decision to withdraw.
On the governors question, the real reason for the question is, of course, that the Republicans would have to flip several of the states Obama won, and running a local might be one way to do that. But from what I hear, Pawlenty’s popularity in his state is pretty low, compared to other governors, and no matter what they do, I don’t think the Republicans have any hope or expectation of flipping Hawaii. What can we say about the others on that list? Do any of them look like good prospects?
I believe elections sometimes teeter on the shallowest of reasons therefore I don’t believe Kucinich has any chance.
First of all he is ugly as sin. Presidents have to be somewhat dashing and handsome, two words that don’t belong anywhere near the name Kucinich. This is not a judgment of his character. I’m sure he’s a great guy… who bears an unfortunate resemblance to a half-melted Cabbage Patch Doll.
Second, his name. It doesn’t roll off the tongue. Barack Obama is a great name, even if it’s not the most common name in the world. It sounds strong. Ba-ROCK Oh-BOMB-ah! That’s a name with some strength to it! Kucinich? Kook-in-itch? Sounds like what happens when you accidentally drop tobasco sauce in your shorts.
These same criteria apply to any Republican candidates. Looks matter. See Sarah Palin’s naughty librarian look for example. It got her a long way until she opened her mouth. Names matter as well. It should be easy to remember, easy to spell and it should sound good when preceded by the word President. President Jindal? I doubt it. President Pawlenty? You’ve got to be joking.
Forget the shallow reasons. Most of the voting public does not agree with his political positions. Maybe he’s right about everything, but he gets support from a small minority of Democrats on most subjects, and approximately zero percent of Republicans. Even if he were a handsome guy with a nice name, that would be kind of a problem.
And add Indiana. (Seriously, I’m only good for one thing around here…)
Oh - and sorta add Nebraska. Republican Governor, and Omaha’s electoral district went to Obama.
I’ve observed that the Republicans tend to pick the person who’s turn it is, the person who’s next in line. Sometimes this works (Reagan, George H.W. Bush) sometimes it doesn’t (Dole, McCain). Obama will, IMHO, be very beatable in 2012, but I think going with the old strategy of the next in line will not work. I don’t see Palin or Romney winning. Someone outside of the last batch of candidates needs to surface in '12.
I think Paul Ryan is gradually setting himself up to be that person.
Missed the edit window.
Ryan says he’s not going to run, but let’s see what happens in 2 years. I can at very least see him on a ticket as VP.
And then there’s Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana, but what are his stances on some major issues?
The guy who introduced a bill to eliminate Medicare (Ryan)? Not on your life.
I don’t think McCain was selected because “it was his turn”. He benefited by not being as polarizing or inexperienced as Romney or Huckabee, and slipped through the primaries by standing in the middle of the circular firing squad and having the other nominees knock each other out.
He’ll toe the party line on most stuff, and focus on his economic strengths and CEO background. He’ll get labelled a W. Bush man, opponents will point to his Iraq War estimate of $50-60 billion, snide “off the record” jokes will be made about his Kucinichesque height and he’ll be relegated to a VP consideration.
It’s pronounced Coo-SIN-itch. And his smoking hot wife makes him seem a little less ugly somehow.
I know it’s just your opinion, but on what do you base it?
He and Russ Feingold should explore a joint run. If they won it’d make Joseph A. Craig High School the most influential high school in the free world, and that’d be good news for Janesville at least.
Who would move out of the state to do so? You can’t have two people from the same state on the ticket. (Oddly, I’ve dated two people from Janesville, and a friend married a guy from there.)