2016 elections - because it's never too early

[Viking]

none of them look good to me.

Of course not

Look, I am taking your list seriously. I'd hope you would take my response seriously. None of them look good as candidates. Bush and Christie would probably make good presidents and to the best of my knowledge are closer to me politically than Obama.

Rick Santorum still polls better than all but Rubio, Bush and Christie.

That's not very meaningful yet.  Besides, Santorum has had the benefit of actually campaigning within fairly recent memory so that skews things a bit.

But I hope Santorum does the right thing and stays the hell out.  On top of his other baggage, giving the nom to the last primary's runner up just doesn't seem to be working too well

I doubt Santorum will stay the hell out. He has too much to gain personally by being the representative of faith and truth against the corrupt party machine by running and failing. If he doesn't run he becomes irrellevant. As long as he can run with no expectation of success and overperform then he will continue running.

[derspiess]

Look, I am taking your list seriously. I'd hope you would take my response seriously. None of them look good as candidates. Bush and Christie would probably make good presidents and to the best of my knowledge are closer to me politically than Obama.

I just think you're letting your own bias get in the way.  Tea Party Taint isn't quite as strong a factor as you think it is, for example.

I doubt Santorum will stay the hell out. He has too much to gain personally by being the representative of faith and truth against the corrupt party machine by running and failing. If he doesn't run he becomes irrellevant. As long as he can run with no expectation of success and overperform then he will continue running.

You may be right on that.  Hopefully he can be persuaded/bought off somehow.

[Viking]

Look, I am taking your list seriously. I'd hope you would take my response seriously. None of them look good as candidates. Bush and Christie would probably make good presidents and to the best of my knowledge are closer to me politically than Obama.

I just think you're letting your own bias get in the way.  Tea Party Taint isn't quite as strong a factor as you think it is, for example.

The Taint I was referring to was the Bush Taint

Am I wrong in my understanding that the Tea Party Taint cost the Republicans up to 5 senate seats this last election?

I doubt Santorum will stay the hell out. He has too much to gain personally by being the representative of faith and truth against the corrupt party machine by running and failing. If he doesn't run he becomes irrellevant. As long as he can run with no expectation of success and overperform then he will continue running.

You may be right on that.  Hopefully he can be persuaded/bought off somehow.

The problem here is that with his integrity schtick (well, I'm reasonably convinced he believes what he says, the schtick is about how he presents himself) he won't be able to be bought off once he starts running until his campaign is hopeless. In addition, just like with all blackmailers, he can only get his pay-off if he makes a reasonable show of running. Buying him off in the magic 20 seconds between his show of running being made credible and his campaign being real will cause me to be impressed if they manage it.

[merithyn]

I just think you're letting your own bias get in the way.  Tea Party Taint isn't quite as strong a factor as you think it is, for example.

I know that you'll disregard my thoughts on this, as well, but I think you're wrong there. I'm one of the middle-of-the-roaders who votes for the individual, not the party. Until about six years ago, I voted Republican almost as much as I voted Democrat.

That "Tea Party Taint" is pretty bad, imo.

And fwiw, despite what you might think, I'm not a die-hard Liberal Democrat. I do try to vote on the issues and the best options for the Nation as a whole. Sometimes, that's voting for Democrats. Sometimes that's voting for Republicans.

That being said, I'm inclined to agree with Berkut on how things have gone lately. There are some good Republicans who seem to be voting for the Nation rather than for their party, but you have to look hard to find them.

[derspiess]

Am I wrong in my understanding that the Tea Party Taint cost the Republicans up to 5 senate seats this last election?

Yeah, probably.

[derspiess]

I know that you'll disregard my thoughts on this, as well, but I think you're wrong there. I'm one of the middle-of-the-roaders who votes for the individual, not the party. Until about six years ago, I voted Republican almost as much as I voted Democrat.

That "Tea Party Taint" is pretty bad, imo.

And fwiw, despite what you might think, I'm not a die-hard Liberal Democrat. I do try to vote on the issues and the best options for the Nation as a whole. Sometimes, that's voting for Democrats. Sometimes that's voting for Republicans.

I can buy that you're more or less in the middle of the road.  I just wouldn't say you're a *typical* centrist.

[merithyn]

I can buy that you're more or less in the middle of the road.  I just wouldn't say you're a *typical* centrist.

I'm not even sure what that means.

[Viking]

Am I wrong in my understanding that the Tea Party Taint cost the Republicans up to 5 senate seats this last election?

Yeah, probably.

Just Colorado, Nevada, Delaware and Indiana? So 4 then within the latest senate cycle.

[derspiess]

Just Colorado, Nevada, Delaware and Indiana? So 4 then within the latest senate cycle.

I'll give you Delaware, but mind you that was 2010 when the Tea Party was pretty successful overall.

[garbon]

Just like there was perfectly objective thought that resulted in hating what the Dems were doing during the Shrubbery's term.

And during the Pelosi-Reid connection.

I still struggle with not automatically disliking anything Pelosi does because of that whole mess.

[garbon]

I can buy that you're more or less in the middle of the road.  I just wouldn't say you're a *typical* centrist.

I'm not even sure what that means.

Who knows? He also told me that I like handout policies.

[garbon]

Btw, as much as it pains me to say so, I pretty much agree with what Viking listed in his appraisals. I was also thinking that Scott Walker seems the best of that bunch which doesn't say much.

[Neil]

Tea Party Taint isn't quite as strong a factor as you think it is, for example.

Not in a Republican primary, but can you imagine a guy like Rand Paul running for President, and how poorly he would do?

[katmai]

What is the Dem list looking like?

[Viking]

Btw, as much as it pains me to say so, I pretty much agree with what Viking listed in his appraisals. I was also thinking that Scott Walker seems the best of that bunch which doesn't say much.

Why does it pain you?