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Thursday, October 8, 2015

FEATURED QUESTION: 2016 Election


If you could have your druthers, whom would you choose as the GOP candidate for President of the United States? Explain the reason for your choice(s).

77 comments:

  1. To answer this, I have to do a bit of an end run. I don't really want a GOP candidate for POTUS....but I accept that for the foreseeable future it will either be such, or a worse option...a Democrat. But since my current ideal candidate did run as a GOP candidate in 2011...I think he's fair game. Gary Johnson.

    Given that our electoral circus is more representative of American Idol, than a job interview as the CEO is the nation.....my ideal candidate steers the ship of state, on a fiscally conservative course....with strong, unyielding support for civil liberties and Constitutional rights.....without pandering to the entitlement class or the self-promoting 'victim/persecution complex'....and without playing the game by the media's rules.

    Wishful thinking? Sure.......but since Trump is polling ~30% among likely GOP voters....there really can't be any out-of-bounds answers to this question.

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  2. The electoral circus may look like American Idol because of media spin. But I believe that many middle-class Americans are taking this cycle very seriously.

    My vote? Trump. Hands down. Jobs and immigration enforcement. Period.

    I believe that Trump will follow through on campaign promises. Americans are infuriated with the political coitus interruptus. The hope and change we have sought are just so many promises spilled on the ground. Satisfaction? We want it.

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    Replies
    1. Prince,
      Jobs and immigration enforcement. Period.

      Those issues are the reason that Trump has been polling well, IMO.

      I don't know if Trump would -- or could -- follow through on campaign promises.

      BTW, your term political coitus interruptus is an accurate one.

      Delete
  3. Who is not nearly as important as "who not". And anybody who believes that the status quo economic approach is sufficient, is a "who not".

    Radical changes are needed to rebuild the middle class. And that means, a strengthened private (not government) sector.

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    Replies
    1. Thersites,
      Okay. Point taken. Go with who not.

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    2. Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley, Chris Christie, Lindsay Graham, John Kasich.

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    3. I agree with Thersites on the who nots for his reason and sense of entitlement they all share. I would also vote for any GOP nominee remaining although I would find Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio a strain.

      I wish Ted Cruz would get the nomination but I could be enthusiastic with Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina or Donald Trump.

      I'm not looking for a micromanager, I want someone willing to hire the best person(s) for the job then letting them do it.

      Delete
  4. Well, its gotta be somebody who won't take the dive like McLame and Kitt Romney.

    Is it a rigged game? I don't know, but I'm startin' to feel my poor, departed papa's cynicism kickin' in.

    If we're talkin' electability, Rubio's probably the sweet spot.

    Let's face it, Carson ain't a politician, and at the biggest prize in the world, that's a disadvantage. Same goes for Fiorina. Trump's gonna flame out at some point. I'm sure it will be noisy and ugly, but he'll be gone.

    That leaves us with yet another Bush and Rubio pulling the biggest numbers.

    That's what I see the GOP nomination coming down to.

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    Replies
    1. Jack,
      If we're talkin' electability, Rubio's probably the sweet spot.

      Despite his views on immigration?

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    2. To quote some famous philosophers from the 60's, everybody's got something to hide but me and my monkey.

      They all have their good and bad points. I'd pull the lever for any of the GOP candidates, including the much-despised Lindsay Graham.

      Would people stay home in droves on Rubio they way they did on Romney? Dunno. That's a question for the prognosticators, I guess.

      I don't favor Rubio. I base my statement on the facts as they now stand and what I believe will happen. Look, they're gonna make mincemeat of Carson. His religious beliefs alone area rich vein to mine.

      Fiorina and Trump may hang in there. Who Knows?

      Senator Cruz is polling pretty good, but I can't see him appealing to anyone outside the hardcore base.

      Look, I could be all wet. Polling has Trump leading, with Carson and Fiorina closing in. Right behind are Rubio, Bush and Cruz, with the others struggling, so assuming Trump blows up and Fiorina and Carson fade, what are we left with?

      Too many things could happen between now and then. As I said, I'd happily vote for any of them. Good people all.

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  5. I would like to see Trump but do not want to write him off ye,t just because the left wing media is suggesting that.
    He is a fighter. Exactly what we need for the Republican side for a change.
    Tired of wimps.
    I really do like Ben Carson and I wish the fact that he isn't a politician is an issue because even though he is soft spoken,someone said this last night on FOX,he is like the the soft spoken guy picking up the girl in a bar,you lean in to listen to him because you want to hear what he has to say.

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    Replies
    1. Lisa,
      So, you believe that the next POTUS has to be "a strong man"?

      Delete
    2. unfortunately to fight of the nastiness of the lefties. But like I said AOW I also like Ben Carson. His approach can be well received as well

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    3. FT,
      I will not disagree with you in principle as it the strength of Dr. Carson, I am concerned, however, that his serene and soft spoken ways do not present the IMAGE of a strong man. You know how the world is today. Image matters a great deal, particularly when the world is on fire. Remember Winston Churchill?

      Delete
    4. Erratum : "as it" should read "as to."

      Delete
  6. I'm still Tea Party, and I'd prefer to see Ted Cruz be the nominee.
    It's got to be someone who still loves the Constitution!

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    Replies
    1. Is there even a smidgen of a change that Cruz could be the nominee?

      And if he were to become POTUS, could he work well with Congress? He seems to have alienated Congress. At this point, anyway.

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    2. No, AOW, it is CONGRESS that has alienated ITSELF from the few remaining American citizens who love liberty as envisioned by our Founders.

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  7. When I ask people, bloggers and others, what they would do if Jeb Bush were the nominee, almost every single one of these people exclaims, "I'll stay home!"

    Do others visiting this thread feel the same way?

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    Replies
    1. I will vote or whoever the nominee is. The republicans had better stop with this staying home nonsense.

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    2. Republican party is d.o.a. Both parties are wings on the same bird.
      We're on the Titanic...where's the Carpathia ? It's sure not Jeb!
      Vote...stay home...what's the diff? Same outcome. We go down.
      Cruz is my choice.

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    3. Barbar Cat: Sounds good until you realize the next president will most likely appoint at least one Supreme Court Justice.

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    4. I think I would prefer President Hillary's Brain in a jar to the Jebster. I don't want to fight with any of my fellow patriots but truthfully I wouldn't vote for another rino. Look at all that we've given them, and what do we have to show for it? Cruz is my guy followed by Mr T and Dr C as folks who I would vote for. A few more could make that list as time goes by. I want someone the establishment is forced to work with, not the other way around.

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    5. Great point SF,Muy importante'

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    6. Sounds like the last election to me, where 'smart conservatives' thought Romney just wasn't conservative ENOUGH...and look what we have done to our country.
      There's nothing I'd rather NOT do than vote for McCain, but if we're going to get rid of this ridiculous leftwing toystore where they don't understand THE MONEY'S SPENT, we need to vote for any Republican

      Delete
    7. Z,
      I understand what you're saying, but, for a variety of reasons, the sense of betrayal is worse this time around.

      Voters really will stay home again -- this time, in greater numbers -- if the GOP again nominates a RINO. I'm not sure that the GOP leadership recognizes that reality.

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    8. And maybe they don't realize that we will p robably have at least two new Supreme Court Judges in the next administration IF we're lucky enough that one doesn't die next week or in six months..
      I strongly doubt any Republican would have the guts to nominate a leftwinger to put the final nail in America's coffin.

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    9. Bernie Sanders WILL be America's favorite undertaker. And if Jeb is the nominee, I'll hold the nails for him as he fashions America's coffin.

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    10. A passage a l'acte will be required if America is ever to reverse its' present course

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    11. Thersites,
      if Jeb is the nominee, I'll hold the nails for him as he fashions America's coffin.

      And he'll lose the election, too. Beyond that, his loss will destroy the GOP.

      Delete
    12. If only. The GOP has an almost endless supply of "Jeb Bush" wannabe's drinking Establishment Kool-Aid as theypatiently await the return of the spaceship hiding behind comet Hale-Bopp's, or the next election cycle, whichever comes first.

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  8. BEN CARSON is the ONLY one who impresses me favorably. Carly Fiorina would make an excellent running mate for Dr. Carson.

    If Dr. Carson's considerable virtues are not readily apparent to you, anything I might have to say in support of his candidacy would be wasted on you.

    My advocacy of a Carson-Fiorna ticket is partly tactical.

    Such a rare wise move n the part of the RNC would do much to spike Hillary's guns, since it would remove the traditional D'Rat non-argument that Conservatives are Racists, Misogynists and completely averse to change of ANY kind.

    Any D'Rat who still held on to that stale, worn-out, fake position would be left looking like a gibbering idiot. The leftist lice would be left without a leg to stand on –– not that they'd ever ADMIT it, of corse. };-)>.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You really want a president who, every time he open his mouth, sounds like Michael Jackson?

      Face it the guys a tyro.

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    2. well the left can do that and claim it isn't racism

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    3. It's never racist when a leftwinger does it, Lisa's right.

      Odd he didn't mention someone else soft spoken, huh? Or maybe not. Imagine the hatred from Ducky were Carson Black and Jewish? GAD

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    4. The left wishes they had someone as intellifent as Carson as the democrat nominee because all they have is Hillary in all her criminality and feigned anger,and I love this, to quote Thersites is "Sanders the Undertaker".(perfect depiction)
      And look at the amateur they voted for,a nobody with a zero resume and they have the audacity to begrudge such a brilliant man like Carson

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  9. “Clinton may go to jail but is still running for president? 99% of people would be in jail for what she did,” Trump tweeted Sunday.

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  10. Face it.

    You don't have anyone running who represents much of a change from the status quo.
    Build a fence? Mose illegals just come in on a legal visa a stay. The fence talk is just another way to game the suckers.

    Strengthen the middle class? Yeah, little more supply side.
    It's called scamming the chumps.

    The only ones who are going to get any legitimate satisfaction are the wealthy and the ones who can't stand having a black man in the WH.

    Although if you're dumb enough to want to bomb Iran I think Carly's your candidate. Just hope she doesn't do to the country what she did to HP.

    It might be more interesting to speculate on the extremist coup of the speakership.

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    Replies
    1. Powerful, mature and Christian commentary there.....

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    2. Ducky you feigned racism doesn't work here. Go preach it to your own choir

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  11. Hey! I am a Christian and I talked about political coitus interruptus!

    Did everyone watch Trump in Dallas? He made a significant statement. He said that the best negotiators that he knows are not nice people. In fact, they are "horrible people". But - they make great negotiators. He promised to use these depraved individuals on behalf of America's interests.

    Perhaps, what he says is in line with a quote attributed to Henry Kissinger:

    America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests.

    EXACTLY!

    Better a few cut-throats working for the good of American than wuzzies like Kerry who acts like he is wearing an estrogen patch.

    Woof! Bow wow! Trump makes politics fun again!

    The Last English Prince

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    Replies
    1. Hey! I am a Christian and I talked about political coitus interruptus!

      Yep, but the difference is, you didn't insult another commenter. And for all of my disdain for Trump....I heartily agree, he makes politics fun.

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  12. I'm leaning Carly. She hasn't always said the righ thing, but she is saying them now.
    She appears electable.

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    Replies
    1. Ed,
      That's a change in your take on Fiorina, isn't it?

      Delete
    2. Yep. I can't get enthused about the rest of the crowd.

      Delete
  13. FOR DISCUSSION:

    Is there some kind of rebellion going on within the GOP right now -- a rebellion resulting from who the front runners are in the field of GOP POTUS candidates?

    I'm referring to Kevin McCarthy's stepping down from running for Speaker of the House yesterday.

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    Replies
    1. Just woke up to hear that. I think he just realized that he shot himself in the foot on Benghazi and is unrecoverable.

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    2. The media rumor mill is speculating that he's had a romantic [and adulterous] affair with Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.). I suppose we'll find out within a few days; if true, one of them will fess up.

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    3. Ed,
      he shot himself in the foot on Benghazi and is unrecoverable

      Yes, he did. And he helped Hillary's bid, too.

      The statement he made was stupid beyond belief.

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    4. CI,
      I hadn't heard that one.

      False flag operation?

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    5. Interesting.....makes you think about who has the most to gain from a McCarthy scandal. But Wikipedia entries [editable by nearly anyone] are an amateurish tactic.

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    6. Who has the most to gain, would probably have to be answered by someone who is in tune with internal divisions within the GOP. Editing Wikipedia entries is such an amateurish action...that I'm led to believe it's some sort of a screen for something else. If a party apparatchik is foolish enough to not only attempt wiki-subversion, but to do it from a tracable, government IP.......the party has bigger issues than McCarthy. This of course, pre-supposes it's internally directed. I'm not really sure what the Democratic Party would have to gain by the removal of McCarthy as Speaker.

      Delete
  14. Uhhuh. Scandal or fatigue. Don't care why, just that he's gone. Maybe, just maybe, the looong process of getting us back on track is starting? I can be optimistic. Boehner's glass of Scotch is half full.

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    1. DaBlade,
      Maybe, just maybe, the looong process of getting us back on track is starting?

      Could be. I have reasons for believing that, but I can't reveal those reasons right now -- other than to say what happened yesterday rocked the GOP establishment. Hard.

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  15. About the turmoil in choosing a new Speaker of the House...

    From the WaPo:

    Kevin McCarthy’s implosion signals a full-blown Republican revolution

    ...There is a revolution happening within the Republican party right now. The establishment's hold on power is more tenuous than it has been at any time in recent memory....

    [...]

    That's a remarkable development since, for decades, the GOP was known as the party that, eventually, got in line. As in: Republicans tended to nominate the guy for president who was perceived as the runner-up the last time around. And, they might grumble but they eventually acceded to the wishes of congressional leaders like Tom DeLay and Denny Hastert. The Democrats were always the rebellious party; the GOP was the follow-the-rules party.

    No longer....

    [...]

    If you are Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio or John Kasich, what happened on Thursday in Washington should put a lump in your throat. The Republican establishment has been operating for months -- really since the rise of Trump -- under a belief that, eventually, things will return to "normal" and that the party will put forward an establishment candidate for president. That was the same wrong-headed thinking I heard constantly in the run-up to today's speaker vote: Yeah, sure, conservatives weren't sold on McCarthy, but the alternatives weren't any good or serious, and so he would win. Nope.

    This threat to the establishment from the conservative activist base is real. The sooner the establishment realizes it -- and the resignation of Boehner/demise of McCarthy should help them get it -- the better chance they will have to combat it. ...


    I'm not sure what's going on, but something is certainly afoot.

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  16. I listened to a potato head question Frank Luntz about this business of choosing a new speaker, and he was quite angry that “40” conservative house members have hijacked the entire House GOP ... which seems incredibly idiotic to me. How do 40 members hijack the process? What does make sense is that houses members who work for their constituents back home are fed up with the way Boehner and McCarthy pander to the interests of the President, Democrats, and the “good old boy” network —and prevent them from doing the work of the people. The unhappy fact is that any house member that does not “play ball” with the Speaker and majority leader, ends up on committees guaranteed to ensure that they’ll lose their seats in the next few election cycles. This may be orthodox parliamentarianism, but it is not what our founding fathers had in mind for the lower house.

    Luntz has also said that now that Boehner’s resigned and McCarthy has been chased away, the Democrats will re-take the House in 2016. It is a complete misreading of what is happening inside the House. There is a man right now qualified to become Speaker of the House. Daniel Webster from Florida’s Eighth Congressional district who served as Florida’s Speaker for several years. He was very effective in producing principled policies that allow every member of the house, regardless of party, to have a say; offer amendments, and a timely vote on issues. This is where we should be heading and Luntz proves himself a fool.

    On the issue of Wikipedia tampering, if you were proposing that a GOP radical somehow gained access to a DHS ISP, I would sure like a thumb nail explanation of how that is even possible.

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    Replies
    1. Mustang,
      Thank you for your thoughtful response, my good friend. I found myself nodding in agreement as I read what you wrote.

      I hope that others visiting this thread will make the time to read what you have written.

      PS: Does Luntz qualify as even a low-class moron?

      Delete
    2. One doesn't need to gain access to a DHS IP, but rather a person in DHS on the DHS domain. Republican or Democrat, it's not a stretch to think that there is a government civilian or contractor sympathetic [if not closely aligned with] either party or any faction thereof.

      The Wiki route is still an amateurish move.....I'm suspicious.

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    3. CI,
      The Wiki route is still an amateurish move.

      Need I say that some in the DHS are amateurish?

      Delete
    4. Although Webster appears to be a sound conservative choice supported by many conservatives, it appears his seat in Florida is in jeopardy, calling into question the stability of his speakership.
      And then there is the fact that he is a solid Jeb Bush supporter. That doesn't bother me, but it concerns others.

      Delete
  17. Replies
    1. Dent is typical of Pennsylvania politicians; he'd sell his own mother to the highest bidder. Dent is conservative in the same way that Murtha was honest.

      Delete
    2. We've had enough reaching across the aisle.
      That may have been OK when we had Jack Kennedy democrats, or Scoop Jackson.
      Pelosi and Reid? Reach across the aisle to strangle 'em.

      Delete
  18. Denthead is an idiot. To the victor belong the spoils. This is the way the game has been played and must continue to be played for there to be healthy competition.

    Dent's idea is as bad an idea as a wife swap. Policy monogamy may be a quaint idea, but the GOP needs to figure out what the hell they really stand for and then they need to commit to the process.

    The Last English Prince

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  19. I would chose the duck. Reason: I have a common mental disease known as liberal progressivism.

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  20. Replies
    1. Yes Nostradumbass, mentioning your nom de plume and mental disease in the same subject line is redundant.

      Next question?

      Delete
  21. After receiving orders to set my principles aside and vote for Romney, I am interested in nothing less than the utter destruction of the Republican Party and the removal of its agents from every level of government.

    So.... Trump.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beamish,
      I have a hypothetical for you.

      Suppose the GOP sincerely repented for that Romney sin. Whom could the GOP then offer as a candidate whom you would support?

      Not a snarky question, but rather a sincere one.

      Delete

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