2016 US Presidential Race - Mod Warning in OP

Laois_Man

Brian? wrote: »

Rubio or Walker? No chance. It'll be Jeb with one of Cruz, Paul or Nikki Haley as a running mate.

I just don't think America is ready to vote for a Bush again and I think that will be in the heads of the Republican delegates at convention time.

Both McCain in 2008 and Romney in 2012 tried to disassociate themselves and their campaigns from George W. Bush and it's a huge leap from there to have another person named Bush on the ticket. Plus, Jeb is a divisive figure in that party in his own right.

It would be tantamount to FF selecting Barry Cowen or Celia Ahern to be the FF nominee in an Irish presidential election next year when they have spent the last 4 years trying to distance themselves from those surnames.

alaimacerc

Laois_Man wrote: »

I just don't think America is ready to vote for a Bush again and I think that will be in the heads of the Republican delegates at convention time.

It's a valid point, but... Rubio, Cruz? The mind boggles. The GOP have a tricky choice to make between compromised centrists (many of them not especially "centre") and rabid ideologues that the general won't elect in a fit.

Black Swan

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

What about the Governor from WI, Walker is it ?

How credible is he if he runs ?

Who? Oh... I am familiar with Walker, but few are in America, and he would need a political campaign like Obama had in 2008 to overcome the Clinton Machine. Not likely.

Laois_Man wrote: »

Biden will try to run against Clinton but he hasn't really got a hope.

Once again, doubtful that Biden will take on the Clinton Machine.

Laois_Man wrote: »

On the Republican side, Jeb Bush I don't think will get it.

The American voter quickly forgets, otherwise they would not have recently put both houses of Congress under Republican control.

Laois_Man wrote: »

I'd love it if they actually went for Sarah Palin.....just for the comedy effect!

I agree that she would provide comic relief, but she does not have a chance to win the GOP nomination, especially with all the late hour in-fighting that occurred between her and McCain's supporters. You will need a billion USD to win the presidency in 2016. Who would give Palin a billion?

Thargor wrote: »

Biden wont run will he?

Doubtful.

Brian? wrote: »

It'll be Jeb with one of Cruz, Paul or Nikki Haley as a running mate.

Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz, the latter to get Hispanic party cross-overs. Then again, there may be some anticipated problems with Cruz's Canadian place of birth, but who knows? I doubt that the birthers will challenge Cruz like they did Obama, but I would suspect that the Obama birthers would not challenge any Republican; i.e., it was a one-sided political ploy intended to influence the GE and failed.

Laois_Man wrote: »

I just don't think America is ready to vote for a Bush again and I think that will be in the heads of the Republican delegates at convention time.

GW Bush was a GOP disaster, but the American voter has a short memory.

Manic Moran

The Bushs are running about 500. JEb could still stand on his own merits.

FatherTed

FatherTed wrote: »

There will be a lot of talk and money spent between now and the election. We should just save ourselves the hassle and annoint Hillary now because she's going to win.

My yearly contribution to the thread. We'll go a hundred more pages but it still won't matter because Hillary is still going to win.

MightyMandarin

FatherTed wrote: »

My yearly contribution to the thread. We'll go a hundred more pages but it still won't matter because Hillary is still going to win.

She could f*ck it up still. I guarantee there'll be another controversy akin to the email account incident, which still hasn't gone away.

The Republicans are united in their hatred of her. They'll smear her with as much sh*t as possible and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she loses.

Because she is and will continue to be the enemy of every Republican for the next year, this may give someone the opportunity to slip under the radar, snatch an early primary, and then the momentum could well be with them.

Thargor

Looking forward to seeing her get chewed out over the ridiculous running across the runway with sniper fire pinging around them story but yeah, she has it won already. Who knows with the hatred levels directed at both houses maybe she'll have a Dem majority and might actually get something done?

alaimacerc

MightyMandarin wrote: »

She could f*ck it up still. I guarantee there'll be another controversy akin to the email account incident, which still hasn't gone away.

If it's "akin" to that, not a worry, then.

The Republicans are united in their hatred of her.

Thus she "merely" has the votes for Democrats, centrists and technocrats available to her. Oh, and women. Lots and lots of women.

It's impossible to realistically assess this until we know who her GE opponent will be, though. The GOP have the opportunity to make it difficult for themselves... or, to make it next to impossible. You wouldn't bet the farm against the latter.

Thargor

God all the foot in mouth sexism that's going to come from the republican campaign is going to be so hilarious, they wont be able to open their mouths without a scandal.

billy few mates

I'm currently on business in the States, in one of the 'Deep South States' and we were talking about this election recently and I couldn't believe how much they dislike her in this part of the world, she doesn't seem to appeal to anybody from any background, man or woman.

By sheer coincidence yesterday morning I was in the local Barnes & Noble book shop and I found an autographed copy of her biography in a bargain bin and decided to get it. When I took it to the counter you'd think I was buying Fifty Shades of grey the way the sales assistants giggled, the manageress then announced I could have it at a further 15% discount as she jokingly told me it saves them having to throw it out or something like that. I then walked out and got into my car and switched on the radio and they were reporting she'd just announced her candidacy.
Do you think a signed copy of her book might be worth something in our part of the world in years to come...?

MightyMandarin

alaimacerc wrote: »

If it's "akin" to that, not a worry, then.

Thus she "merely" has the votes for Democrats, centrists and technocrats available to her. Oh, and women. Lots and lots of women.

It's impossible to realistically assess this until we know who her GE opponent will be, though. The GOP have the opportunity to make it difficult for themselves... or, to make it next to impossible. You wouldn't bet the farm against the latter.

Well if stories keep coming out where she looks like she's hiding stuff, dark clouds could begin to form over her and she might lose a lot of trust from potential voters.

Not necessarily. If you repeat something long enough, people will start believing you, and if the Republicans team up and constantly use smear tactics, she'll start losing swing voters. It's happened too many times in history, and I don't see her bucking this trend. Negative politics is popular because it's successful.

I think her biggest opponent will actually be a Democrat. Bush is the frontrunner for the GOP at the moment, and I just can't see him shaking off the stain from his brother's presidency. Hillary's biggest battle will be to stop other Democrats from running and taking advantage of the fallout from the inevitable smearing she will receive. She has to look as solid as possible and there'll be a lot of behind closed-doors deals going on to stop others from running.

alaimacerc

billy few mates wrote: »

I'm currently on business in the States, in one of the 'Deep South States' and we were talking about this election recently and I couldn't believe how much they dislike her in this part of the world, she doesn't seem to appeal to anybody from any background, man or woman.

Sure, if you just asked people in Alabama and on Fox News which Democrat they won't be voting for anyway would they like to vote for, they certainly won't say Hills. Don't think that has particularly large strategic implications, though.

Amerika

What has Hillary Clinton accomplished that would make her a good president, and somebody worth voting for? And I'm not talking about job titles.

billy few mates

I just wondered how you could be so universally unpopular in one large swathe of the country and still expect to win....

MightyMandarin

Amerika wrote: »

What has Hillary Clinton accomplished that would make her a good president, and somebody worth voting for? And I'm not talking about job titles.

It's more of what she hasn't done.

She hasn't caused a totally unnecessary Government shutdown or made comparisons with gay rights activists in Indiana and Arkansas to jihadists.

She hasn't consistently changed her opinion on issues such as Iran, Israel or cutting defense spending, simply because it became the new conservative 'flavour of the month'.

And she also didn't oversee electoral oversight as Governor which can, at best, be categorised as 'questionable', in an election involving none other than your own brother.

Hillary mightn't be the best candidate for President imo, but she's certainly a lot better than the clowns put forward by the GOP.

MightyMandarin

billy few mates wrote: »

I just wondered how you could be so universally unpopular in one large swathe of the country and still expect to win....

'The South' isn't representative of the entire country, I'd hope that you'd know this by now.

And it's not necessarily her that is hated; anything associated with the word 'Democrat' is hated down there.

Amerika

MightyMandarin wrote: »

It's more of what she hasn't done.

She hasn't caused a totally unnecessary Government shutdown or made comparisons with gay rights activists in Indiana and Arkansas to jihadists.

She hasn't consistently changed her opinion on issues such as Iran, Israel or cutting defense spending, simply because it became the new conservative 'flavour of the month'.

And she also didn't oversee electoral oversight as Governor which can, at best, be categorised as 'questionable', in an election involving none other than your own brother.

You can say the same about a toothbrush, but I wouln't want to make one our president.

Hillary mightn't be the best candidate for President imo, but she's certainly a lot better than the clowns put forward by the GOP.

How so? I think Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and Carly Fiorina are far more qualified for the job because of their executive experience, which is the branch of government the POTUS falls under.

Amerika

MightyMandarin wrote: »

'The South' isn't representative of the entire country, I'd hope that you'd know this by now.

It does seem to be somewhat representative of much of the country not associated with urban areas, or the northeast and west coast.

And it's not necessarily her that is hated; anything associated with the word 'Democrat' is hated down there.

I don't believe that to be true... I'd say it's what Democrats represent that is disliked in much of the south.

MightyMandarin

Amerika wrote: »

You can say the same about a toothbrush, but I wouln't want to make one our president.

How so? I think Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and Carly Fiorina are far more qualified for the job because of their executive experience, which is the branch of government the POTUS falls under.

A toothbrush would probably make a better President than Ted Cruz, Rand Paul or Bush.

You can say the same about *ahem* Sarah Palin, yet it's pretty clear that she couldn't even run a bath, let alone a country.

MightyMandarin

Amerika wrote: »

It does seem to be somewhat representative of much of the country not associated with urban areas, or the northeast and west coast.

Yeah... unfortunately for you and your ilk, that happens to be a much larger portion of the population, with a lot more electoral votes.

alaimacerc

Amerika wrote: »

How so? I think Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and Carly Fiorina are far more qualified for the job because of their executive experience, which is the branch of government the POTUS falls under.

Oh look, Florina's old job title had the word "executive" in it. The one she was sacked from. Thus "far more qualified" to be President. Hrrrm.

This isn't remotely an argument against the assertion they're a bunch of clowns. It's just an expression of your preference for the particular colour of clown car it is they're all riding around in.

Amerika

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Yeah... unfortunately for you and your ilk, that happens to be a much larger portion of the population, with a lot more electoral votes.

I don’t know about my “ilk” but I would have to agree with you about the geographical power and electoral votes. But the results of the previous elections that gave control of the House to the GOP and to a lesser extent the Senate indicates that we might be witnessing a shift of power. And luckily we still have states rights and why abuse of executive authority should be challenged at every level.

Amerika

alaimacerc wrote: »

Oh look, Florina's old job title had the word "executive" in it. The one she was sacked from. Thus "far more qualified" to be President. Hrrrm.

This isn't remotely an argument against the assertion they're a bunch of clowns. It's just an expression of your preference for the particular colour of clown car it is they're all riding around in.

I believe the only person associated in many minds with the word "clown" right now is Joe Biden. And even though I like Fiorina, I don't believe she would be the top choice for POTUS, I'm just saying she appears to be better qualified for the job over Hillary Clinton.

PopePalpatine

Maybe if you switch off Fox News and the rabid right-wing talk show hosts like Beck and Limbaugh you might learn that vast swathes of people would use the term "clown" to describe the likes of Ted Cruz, whose bible-thumping father thinks God will anoint him as a "king" of the USA.

Amerika

PopePalpatine wrote: »

Maybe if you switch off Fox News and the rabid right-wing talk show hosts like Beck and Limbaugh you might learn that vast swathes of people would use the term "clown" to describe the likes of Ted Cruz, whose bible-thumping father thinks God will anoint him as a "king" of the USA.

I don't watch Fox News (although I do occasionally catch O'Reilly's "Talking Point" segment which opens his show). When I go the the TV for political information, it's usually MSNBC. I do hear some negativity about Cruz, but usually it is from those who have no real clue about him or have never actually heard his positions... and just parrot the musings of the rabid left.

MightyMandarin

Amerika wrote: »

I don't watch Fox News (although I do occasionally catch O'Reilly's "Talking Point" segment which opens his show). When I go the the TV for political information, it's usually MSNBC. I do hear some negativity about Cruz, but usually it is from those who have no real clue about him or have never actually heard his positions... and just parrot the musings of the rabid left.

Like the comparison between gay rights and jihadism?

or his sworn enemy 'Obamacare' which he thought was perfectly fine to use for his own purposes?

I've heard what he has to say, and I can categorically state that this guy is a clown of the highest order. You could say he's Canada's answer to Sarah Palin.

Amerika

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Like the comparison between gay rights and jihadism?

or his sworn enemy 'Obamacare' which he thought was perfectly fine to use for his own purposes?

I've heard what he has to say, and I can categorically state that this guy is a clown of the highest order. You could say he's Canada's answer to Sarah Palin.

Here’s where Cruz either stands on the issues or his past actions indicate where he might stand. I like some, mostly in the budget & economy, education, and government reform, and don’t like some. I doubt (or at least hope) people won’t be voting on hyperbole.

http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Ted_Cruz.htm

Irishguy16

Are there many people following the latest developements?

It's looking like Hillary Clinton will lead the Democratic party, and nobody has really come forward to challenge her yet! Is America ready for a first woman president? Without trying to sound sexist, is the presidency job a bit too physical and demanding for a woman? Will it be a bit weird to see Bill Clinton back at the White House?

It's strongly rumored that Jeb Bush will be running for the Republican Party. Is another Bush the right thing to do? Have people become cautious after the last one or two became a mess?

More names in the running, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Jesse Ventura, a bit of a distant one, but hoping to run as an independant.

Should be an exciting wait.....

The Black Oil

Will there be any Republican women on the ticket, say as possible VP? I don't mean for gender balance, btw. Who are the successful high profile GOP women?

MightyMandarin

The Black Oil wrote: »

Will there be any Republican women on the ticket, say as possible VP? I don't mean for gender balance, btw. Who are the successful high profile GOP women?

Other than the Palin and Bachmann circus acts, and the trainwreck of a CEO, Fiorina, there's very few women candidates high up in the party.

Honestly, It'd be nice to see the first female President get elected, but I prefer to look at their actual policies before I think about their gender. Undoubtedly Hillary will beat the feminist drum for the next 18 months, but I'd rather see a good candidate get elected, regardless of whether they're a woman or not.