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If I remember right he was a pretty good governor. Its a bit late to think about running for this time around though.

biccat wrote:No.

Democrats (including the media) would freak the feth out about having someone named "Bush" on the ballot.

The Dems would love it: easy win

dogma wrote:

Archaeo wrote:
Romney - do not like, but would choke on my bile for having to vote for him over Obama. Basically he is Obama white in my opinion (which like everyone doesn't count for much)

This sort of confuses me. What are you basing this assessment on? The MA healthcare thing?

A little bit. To me even his mannerisms are even a lot the same, but that could just be me. There is just something about him that I do not trust at all. I just can't really put my finger on it.

George Spiggott wrote:Further it turns out that Jeb Bush's full name is John Ellis Bush. John is a nice sensible name.

Aw, man... I was hoping it'd be 'Jebediah'.


Boo!

Albatross wrote:Aw, man... I was hoping it'd be 'Jebediah'.


Boo!

So was I. I actually looked up Jebediah before I thought to check that is was his real name. Jebediah sounds like an excellent name for a Victorian Yorkshireman. John and George were good enough names for kings of England so by my reckoning he wins the best name competition by a country mile.

Perhaps it's Pete Postlethwaite's depiction of Obadiah Hakeswill (off of Sharpe) that's causing you to make the Yorkshireman connection? It did in my case.

It was actually this...



...but your example adds further proof.

The thinking here is that as the Republican primary meanders more and more towards picking the least unpopular candidate, it's becoming possible that the least unpopular candidate could be Rick Santorum. Santorum is more or less a non-starter in the general election, and will almost certainly lose very badly.

It's one thing for your side to a general election, it's another to get absolutely thumped, because that means the other side has got all these extra voters out there putting in presidential votes, and while those people are in the booths they're going to place their votes for all the other elections that are up on that day. This is why, in case you were wondering, Obama ran all those TV ads and made all those appearances in states that he' was guaranteed of winning in 2008, to help get senators and representatives over the line in those states.

There is an argument that it'd be too late in the day for a drop in candidate to get enough infrastructure in place, but this is countered by Santorum having almost no infrastructure in place anyway. (mind you, that in turn is a decent argument that Santorum is just the latest in a long line of temporary rivals for Romney's inevitable win).

All that said, the whole thing is still a mighty big stretch. I mean, you'd lose I don't know how many votes from basically telling the party faithful that their primary votes didn't count.

It's just that people have been speculating about this for a while, when an incredible number of things had to fall into place. People are starting to wonder because everything that's had to fall into place so far has done so. It's like needing to roll five 6s in a row to steal a game, even once you've rolled the first two there's bugger all chance of it really happening, but once those first two 6s get rolled everyone gets a little excited.

dogma wrote:

WarOne wrote:
Question: Do you think he has what it takes to actually do it if he so chooses?

Its too late in the primary cycle, and he has too little infrastructure.

I agree. But what about a brokered convention scenario? Oh what a delightful fantasy.

Plus, I don;t thinkt he Repubs want to win this one. I thought the CPAC line was that the Repub could rule through Congress and the Filibuster?

In a brokered convention it's entirely possible for a candidate to be nominated who was not previously in the field and be selected. Like Sebster said though the chances are slim and none.
If telling the primary voters they are fickle and easily swayed and caused a brokered convention makes them vote for Obama after all the vitriol aimed at him: they are fickle and easily swayed.
At this point if the Reps wanted to win a new, solid candidate would be the most likely way to do it. Obama and staff have been preparing himself against the obvious opponent: Romney. For them Santorum is a slam dunk, but pitted against moderate conservative voices like Jeb Bush, Chris Christy, or a heretofore unremarked candidate would be a more difficult task. In any possible outcome what should have been an easily political win for the Reps has become and uphill battle, good work dummies.

I think Jeb is doing the same thing Palin and Huckabee and the other big-name Republicans are doing: He's sitting it out, because he knows Obama is almost definitely going to win. Incumbent Presidents are almost always re-elected, it takes a MAJOR issue to arise for them to lose.

There's only been 8 incumbent presidents who lost their re-election: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Cleveland, Harrison, Taft, Hoover, Carter, George H.W. Bush

Obama has been president over the economy improving (or, at least, ending its fall), major victories in war, and dictatorships falling. He simply doesn't have a major weakness and will almost certainly win re-election.

So, the only Republicans running are the ones that know the most they can ever hope for is to be nominated and get a platform to talk about their issues for a few months. The real contenders are all waiting for 2016, when the Democrats are busy fighting over Biden vs Clinton vs other wackos and nobodies.