2012 Republican Race: The Field May Not Be Closed

Larry Sabato Crystal Ball ^ | 120811 | Rhodes Cook, Senior Columnist

[Howie66]

This what we get for allowing the Liberal Establishment Elites to hijack our GOP.

I am seriously looking for a possible third party. I’m fed up and finished with the DNC-Lites.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

There is a 5th way to vote for Obama. Vote for the RINO-of-the-week.

[Diogenesis]

There is a 6th way.

Team Romney and Team Rove are wedded to help Obama

. Romney for Obama in 2008

Late in October, The American Spectator's The Prowler revealed:
"Former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staffers…
have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters, seeking to diminish her standing after the election.
'Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won't be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012,'
says one former Romney aide…
'The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney.
"Some former Romney aides were behind the recent leaks to media, including CNN, that Governor Sarah Palin was a 'diva' and was going off message intentionally."

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The Palmetto Scoop reported: "One of the first stories to hit the national airwaves was
the claim of a major internal strife between close McCain aides and the folks handling his running mate Sarah Palin."
"I’m told by very good sources that this was indeed the case and that a rift had developed, but it was between Palin’s people and the staffers brought on from the failed presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney, not McCain aides."
"The sources said nearly 80 percent of Romney’s former staff was absorbed by McCain and these individuals were responsible for what amounts to a premeditated, last-minute sabotage of Palin."
… aides loyal to Romney inside the McCain campaign, said The Scoop, reportedly saw
that Palin would be a serious contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016, which made her a threat to another presidential quest by Romney.

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"These staffers are now out trying to finish her off ….hoping it would ingratiate themselves with Mitt Romney."

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"Who's the Palin Leaker from the McCain Campaign?
National Review Online The publication of a Vanity Fair profile of Sarah Palin
appears to have opened old wounds in the McCain campaign.
... the source of the “Diva” leak was Nicolle Wallace’s husband."

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"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"

"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"

"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"

"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"

"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"

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[Springfield Reformer]

The Republicans should be ashamed that this is the best group of candidates they can attract to this winnable race.

I'm not sure that's the real problem. I'm hearing that Cain dropping out was not primarily motivated by the sex allegations, but by death threats recently issued against his grandkids and Mrs. Cain caving to the pressure. There were similar issues with Palin. Agree or disagree with the quality of those candidates, this is a bigger problem than any one candidate. This is true bannanna republic thugocracy unfolding before our eyes. Dem candidates don't get death threats, and don't have the LSM working 25/8 to destroy their reputations. We will NEVER get the candidates we need under these conditions. I am open to suggestions.

[ctdonath2]

And if the opposition candidate is Obama Lite? who will be better able to garner right-wing support just ‘cuz there’s an (R) after his name?

We tried that in NY with Pataki. The results were ... ugly.

[andy58-in-nh]

The GOP is a mess right now, due in part to a plethora of weak candidates who have thus far failed to connect with the broader electorate. But also: the Republican Party suffers from an absentee leadership (do you ever hear a peep from them?) that in truth resents its own base voters for stubbornly refusing to shut up and get behind their preferred and preordained candidate: Mitt McCai... err...Romney

I believe that there is a real possibility that primary season may pass into summer without any candidate coming close to amassing enough delegates to win on the 1st ballot at the GOP convention. Or even on the 2nd. A brokered convention -- or the emergence of a "dark horse" is not out of the question - at least for the first time since 1968.

[campaignPete R-CT]

Rich,
altura don’t know what you mean.

[Chuckster]

...hopefully the Republican nominee will hit back twice as hard.

Newt might, unless the GOP has simply decided not to win this time (And I would not be a bit surprised). Mitt will pull a McCain.

[LibLieSlayer]

This is the worst set of candidates in my lifetime... all of them that are left... just awful.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

THAT is the thinking that gave us obama.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

HERE IS THE TRUTH. The America that we love lives within our minds and hearts... they cannot kill that... but the political America that we love is dead... it exists no longer. Our elections are a sham... our leaders are but followers... and I have heard from someone that I trust that these death threats are real and had much to do with Palin refusing to run.

HERE IS THE TRUTH. We are 300 million strong... at least 200 million of us are going to get real nasty when we get real hungry... and that day is coming.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

It is becoming clear that we are in real danger of anarchy before we ever see another election... and that is something that has not been a real possibility in my lifetime. I no longer trust our government or its word on any subject. I have no faith in our government. We have no leadership... we have no opposition party... all of these traitors are working together to bring down the world and rebuild it as a monolithic communist cabal.

If you doubt me... find anything that the government has stated in the last 3 years that is anywhere near the truth. Hell people... we don't even know the truth on bin laden... but we do know that many of those heroes that took care of that pos muzzie mf’er died in Afghanistan shortly after they killed bin laden. GOD bless those heroes and their families. Damn the government assholes that caused them to die. I will NEVER believe that the taliwackers just got “lucky”. No way in hell!

"None are as blind as those that refuse to see"

LLS

[RichInOC]

Oh, I think it’s pretty clear between the post and the tagline exactly what I mean. I think folks just don’t care for what that option says about the quality of the field.

Too bad.

[Howie66]

I completely agree.

[dforest]

Steve King would be most excellent.

[dforest]

I hate it that you are right here.

I keep thnking how much I hate it that we don’t have the world’s best candidates and how I may not vote.

But then.... I think of the fact that 4 more years of Obama and the country will never have a chance. SCOTUS picks will be made, Obamacare will kick in.

It will become almost impossible to turn the commie takeover back.

I care about my kids and grandkids too much to allow Obama 4 more years.

[altura]

Thanks for realizing that we cannot afford to give Obama any more time. He won’t fire Holder and he would appoint liberal judges that would ruin the court forever.

Who knows what they could do to the country with their decisions.

You are so right.

[Sun]

What bugs me is that some voters think the election depends on the first few states, and then vote accordingly. They forget we have 50 states. Early momentum, including open-primary states, is how we got McCain.