Posted on 06/14/2011 9:41:26 AM PDT by jazusamo
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) on Tuesday closed the door to a run for president, saying he's not considering getting into the race.
Some conservative activists have urged DeMint to jump into the race due to their dissatisfaction with the current crop of candidates. But the conservative kingmaker said that he is starting to become impressed with the field, and even named one candidate who stood out to him.
"I'm not considering it, but [Rep.] Michele Bachmann [R-Minn.] does impress," he said on conservative commentator Laura Ingraham's radio show.
DeMint had made waves earlier this month when he told The Hill that he was weighing a presidential run out of respect for his supporters who want him to enter the field.
Even though DeMint won't be in the race, he is still expected to play a role in the GOP's presidential nomination process. The senator is a Tea Party favorite and many congressional candidates pined for an endorsement from his Senate Conservatives Fund during the 2010 midterms. He also hails from South Carolina, a key early primary state.
The senator stopped short of endorsing Bachmann, who stole headlines at the debate by officially announcing her presidential run, but praised her tenacity in opposing President Obama's healthcare law.
"She should not be underestimated," he said.
DeMint said that he is not ready to endorse a candidate yet, but said that he could come closer to making a decision in a few months.
"By the fall ... we'll see which ones have the courage to be president," he said.
That takes my top tier down to three: Bachmann, Cain, and Palin. I’d like to see Cain stronger in expressing his views, but he’s still on my list, for now.
I am feeling pretty good about the field...I’d like to see one more heavyweight enter...either Palin or Perry. Whoever surfaces from that group should be sufficiently tested to beat Obama. I pray to God it is not Romney. I am weary of his ability to campaign against Obama, and even if victorious, not real optimistic on his Presidency.
Jim wasn’t very impressed with Sarah, but seems to really like Michele. He knows that leadership is about hard work and fighting for your principles, rather than taking celebrity tours and signing autographs. Sarah’s destination is Hollywood, not DC.
Sarah will need a VP.
That seals it, then.
GO SARAH!
Hey. Check the post right after yours.
That'd sure work for me!
Possibly. It is possible to support a conservative of ones choice without tearing down other conservatives as a few former FReepers have come to realize.
Herman Cain makes a lot of mistakes and frequently comes across as unknowlegeable on major issues. It is a huge problem with him.
My guess is retread troll.
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