No. Don’t assume anything. We take for granted how many people stay informed on the issues. The reality is a majority of people just care who wins American Idol and for President, is just as popular to vote for.
No, I don’t think you can assume that. Especially if Romney is at the top of the ticket. He won’t inspire centrist voters, he will repel conservatives, and he won’t be liberal enough to draw liberals away from Obama, however much they may complain about Obama right now. You can only hope for a Republican win if the ticket is rather conservative but still exciting and inspiring, as Reagan was. Rubio would certainly be a good addition; so would West. There should be no assumptions when facing Obama’s corrupt and frighteningly well-financed machine; they are quite capable of stealing an election.
According to the latest polling data, you only need a good and stiff wind.
No. And Rubio is ineligible.
Nice list of RINOS. I would not vote for any of them.
I’d like a Marco Rubio/Liz Cheney ticket!
They are both well equiped and unafraid to punch reporters and debate opponents right in the mouth!
(verbally, of course...)
They know the facts on a wide range of issues, and very capably dismantle the lies of the liberals.
Palin/Rubio
See my tagline, spoken as a Texan well-acquainted with Perry.
By next Nov we could run Larry the Cable Guy and win in a landslide.
No.
Assume absolutely nothing about what ticket would beat 0bama in 2012. I very clearly remember many FReepers “assumed” inaccurate polling, the PUMAs and the “Bradley Effect” would prove the pundits wrong and push the McCain-Palin ticket past 0bama-Biden in 2008.
And now...
Obama has the power of incumbency and will be able to control the argument on many fronts. He also has a near-100% alliance with the “media,” and a lot of voters’ minds are still made up late in the game by their decidedly progressivist propaganda.
Plus, let’s not forget he’s going to have more than $1 billion in campaign funds, dwarfing anything a challenger will be able to garner.
No matter the condition of the country... high unemployment, crime, housing issues, border problems, etc... Obama is still going to be very difficult to beat. His baseline of support is going to be minimally in the mid-40% range. More than 47% don’t pay a cent of income taxes, and they LIKE it that way. Plus, several millions of voters just simply like him. It can’t be explained other than “it’s just a feeling” they have. And, c’mon... as for the minorities... they’re not going anywhere.
We like to think this or that development will certainly lead to Obama’s being wiped out in an electoral tsunami. Because the dems have a guaranteed lock on the Northeast (save for maybe NH), the West Coast states, Illinois and several others, the GOP nominee is going in with a distinct disadvantage. The GOPer will have to engage in a state-by-state strategic slugfest through the swing states to assemble the necessary numbers to get over the top.
Of course, it’s possible to win against Obama, but let’s face reality... America is NOT the kick-ass, conservative nation anymore that propelled Reagan over Mondale by a 49-state blowout. Wins against the dems in the general elections (which bring a much broader turnout vs. the mid-terms) are going to be tortuously close.
So the only assumption we should have is the GOP nominee has his or her work cut out to win on Election Day.
“we need Rubio more. Marco Rubio=65% Of Hispanice Votes.”
You’re dreaming, my FRiend.
I’ll make a fearless Grumplestiltskin prediction right here and now:
In 2012, Republicans will be lucky to get 25-30% of “the Hispanic vote”, even with Rubio on the ticket.
His “Hispanic-ness” will make about as much difference as Herman Cain’s “blackness” would make if _he_ were to be the Republican candidate - which is very little indeed.
And one other thing that you can be SURE of — If Rubio is nominated as VP, watch for a barrage from the left and [even moreso] from the media, challenging his qualifications as “a natural born citizen”. It WILL happen. There is considerable disagreement as to whether he meets the Constitutional qualifications for the presidency, even amongst those right here on FR. I’m not going to take sides either way. But to deny that this won’t happen is a-whistlin’ past the political graveyard...
Just sayin’...
For the dems, yes.
It may be that by Nov 2012, neither party wants to win, and the positions and platforms may look surrealistic, even more than the surrealistic show going on right now with debt ceilings and borrowing and spending, and ....lying.
I’m all for a Perry run. I think he would knock the socks off Obama, and while Perry has his flaws, he is dependable for states rights, anti federal government, and conservative financial measures. He is also pro life which for me used to be the first level of decision making although now with Obama, it seems we have all sorts of things we need to be concerned about at the same time.
I would hate to see Perry and Mitt Romney together. First of all, too much “hair upon the head” there. Secondly, as much as I like Perry as a candidate against Obama, picking Romney as a running mate would tell me Perry doesn’t have any sense... or taste for that matter. I don’t think Perry would pick Romney anyway. While Perry fits the bill for most of the Tea Party values, he has flown the coup a couple of times with some of his stands (understandable in context for the most part but surely still a little odd), and he will be fighting to prove his worth to the Tea Partiers. If he got in bed with Romeny, he would lose all ground with them, I think.
I like the Perry / Rubio combo. Is it true Rubio isn’t a natural born citizen and would therefore be ineligible? Sad if so. That would be a great combination.
Palin and Perry would go nicely together too, quite nicely, and their hair styles actually compliment one another. (JK)
Personally, I would love to get Ohio governor John Kasich as a VP candidate with Rick Perry or even visa versa — Perry from Texas and Kasich from Ohio... two big states, and you never know with Ohio how they’ll go on the national level. I don’t think anyone is talking about John Kasich, and maybe he is too busy with Ohio right now, but I sure just like that man both politically and personally.
Going by polls at this point is close to useless. People are responding mostly on name recognition, a little bit on basic resume.
But that’s not how they vote. They vote on the likability of the candidate, how closely they’re aligned with them on issues, how the handle the rigors of the campaign, whether they want to see them in their living rooms for the next four years, etc..
Romney is winning everywhere right now. If Perry gets in it, Romney is still winning everywhere except the south. Romney is neck and neck with Obama with a slight edge at this point. The other candidates are behind Obama in most polls at this moment, but I think it’s going to get worse for Obama, not better.
I really don't think he will, though. His record is Massachusetts should be enough to sink him.