With an overnight change of heart, Tim Pawlenty becomes the first to leave GOP presidential race

MinnPost ^ | August 14, 2011 | Doug Grow

[MNJohnnie]

Cain is on most people's list because he is the only candidate offering real solutions to serious issues. Those who realize this election is vitally important to our children's future value that about him.

Hoepfully people are starting to finally wake up to this "politics as sport" mentality in the US Political/Media class is a large part of the reason we are currently in such a mess as a Nation.

[Bigg Red]

I agree with you, and there is no way I would ever vote for Newt. But I must say that I was cheering for Gingrich when he smacked down Wallace over that stupid question regarding the resignation of Gingrich’s campaign staff members. And Wallace looked like an even bigger fool when he tried to claim that such a question was about Gingrich’s “record”.

[Freedom4US]

Well, why shouldn’t they?

[Pan_Yan]

The blue is for those officially in the race. The red is for those I will never vote for. However, I never accounted for those who are in both categories. Let me try again:

Michele Bachmann
Haley Barbour
John Bolton
Herman Cain
Mitch Daniels
Newt Gingrich
Rudy Giuliani
Mike Huckabee
Jon Huntsman Jr.
Gary Johnson
Fred Karger
Thad McCotter
Roy Moore
Sarah Palin
Ron Paul
Tim Pawlenty
George Pataki
James "Rick" Perry
Buddy Roemer
Willard "Mitt" Romney
Rick Santorum
Donald Trump

To make 2ndDiv feel better I added Fred Karger. If I get banned it's all his fault.

[Prokopton]

but Paul is a Libertarian not a Republican.

Seems like he has been elected an awful lot as a Republican...

[Georgia Girl 2]

Buh bye TPaw. Miss ya.

[Bigg Red]

Because it is but one group of people. Why should they get to decide for the rest of the voters in the country?

[scrabblehack]

A number of observers have noticed the poor correlation between the straw poll and the nomination. I am surprised he is giving up so easily.

I was trying to figure out who might have dropped out sooner:
Gary Hart: May 8, 1987
Howard Baker: March 2, 1987
He hadn’t actually announced but in accepting White House Chief of Staff he said he would not be seeking the nomination.

[Billthedrill]

Hart had a little problem on the Monkey Business that wouldn't go away IIRC. The idea of a philandering Democrat in the Oval Office was just too preposterous. Before the Sinkmeister came along, that is.

[Freedom4US]

Well that’s not really an answer. What one group of people do you want?

[ken21]

santorum should get lost too.

[Bigg Red]

What? Of course, it is an answer. My point is that here we have one small group of people deciding for the rest of the Republican party all over the country which candidates will continue in the race.

[Freedom4US]

No, it’s really not. What small group do you want to decide?

I agree, it’s a flawed system, and the media likes to choose the candidates, and neither party likes a “populist”. Basically it doesn’t seem to matter what candidate ultimately wins, America loses.

[fortheDeclaration]

Agree.

The early States have way too much influence.

[Sola Veritas]

“Seems like he has been elected an awful lot as a Republican...”

So??? A whole bunch of people are in Washington elected to the Senate and House that are Republican in name only. Paul IS NOT a Republican...he is a Libertarain and has run so in the past for POTUS. While most conservative Republicans have a “liberatarian” (little “l”) streak they are NOT big “L” Libertarians like Paul. He doesn’t merit the title Republican anymore that leftest like Snow of Maine does.

Most big “L” Libertarians like Paul are borderline anarchists and would best be called “Libertines.”

[fireman15]

I once went to a local Libertarian meeting during the Carter years. My concern was trimming the size of government. The only strong concern expressed by the others at the meeting was their preference for legalizing marijuana which I couldn’t have cared less about. I was college age but working in a family business so my options were limited and there were a few cute pot head girls there... So I made the mistake of giving them my name and address. Soon afterwards I found a sweet little Baptist girl to date. But for years I received mail trying to get money for legalizing marijuana. I don’t know what the mail man thought of all the pot leafed correspondence I received.