"Mitt Romney's hopes of securing the Republican nomination for the 2012 US presidential election received a major boost today after the wealthy former governor of Massachusetts easily won a poll of delegates from his party who were asked who should take on Barack Obama.
Rivals from the right of the party, including Sarah Palin, finished well behind the more moderate Romney in the poll held at a meeting of Republicans in New Hampshire, which usually hosts the first in a series of state primary elections to sift through the field of presidential hopefuls.
Romney won 35% of the poll, trouncing Texas congressman Ron Paul, with 11%, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, with 8%, and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who took 7%.
20 names were listed on the poll, including Mississippi governor Haley Barbour, Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the US House of Representatives, and Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/ja ... shire-poll

I'm guessing Mutt is fairly conflicted about running in 2012, I think Obama is going to win and I don't think he wants to shoot his wad quite yet. I think for 2016 it's already scripted that a repug wins and that is what he really wants. Who ever runs and loses next year will be out of the running in 2016.

Also...
"Tea party candidate Jack Kimball snags N.H. GOP chair"
"...Jack Kimball, the CEO of a commercial and industrial cleaning company and chairman of the Granite State Patriots Liberty PAC, edged out Cheshire County Republican Party Chair Juliana Bergeron on a 222 to 199 vote by members of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee at their annual gathering in Dover.
Bergeron had secured the backing of most of the state's influential Republicans, including the outgoing party chairman, former governor John H. Sununu, who endorsed Bergeron earlier this month amid signs that Kimball's bid was gaining traction."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03917.html

eelj wrote:I'm guessing Mutt is fairly conflicted about running in 2012, I think Obama is going to win and I don't think he wants to shoot his wad quite yet. I think for 2016 it's already scripted that a repug wins and that is what he really wants. Who ever runs and loses next year will be out of the running in 2016.

I tend to agree. Especially if there are some tangible improvements to the economic situation plus increased optimism on the part of swing voters. But some kind of deepening crisis could just as easily make the sitting president seem vulnerable in enough in 2012 to motivate the leading candidates to take a shot 4 years early.

Honestly, nothing will divide the right better than a Mormon. The Evangelicals will not know what to do!

rglad wrote:Honestly, nothing will divide the right better than a Mormon. The Evangelicals will not know what to do!

Look for Romney to pick an evangelically acceptable southerner who spouts anti-federal government rhetoric as his running mate.

eelj wrote:I'm guessing Mutt is fairly conflicted about running in 2012, I think Obama is going to win and I don't think he wants to shoot his wad quite yet. I think for 2016 it's already scripted that a repug wins and that is what he really wants. Who ever runs and loses next year will be out of the running in 2016.

Yup.... I agree with this.

eelj wrote:I'm guessing Mutt is fairly conflicted about running in 2012, I think Obama is going to win and I don't think he wants to shoot his wad quite yet. I think for 2016 it's already scripted that a repug wins and that is what he really wants. Who ever runs and loses next year will be out of the running in 2016.

Romney turns 64 this year. He'd be 69 in 2016. I reckon 2012 is his last shot.

eelj wrote:I'm guessing Mutt is fairly conflicted about running in 2012, I think Obama is going to win and I don't think he wants to shoot his wad quite yet. I think for 2016 it's already scripted that a repug wins and that is what he really wants. Who ever runs and loses next year will be out of the running in 2016.

I think if Obama runs again in 2012 he'll lose. Unless the Dems come up with a solid candidate quick the repugs will take the executive in 2012. But honestly, even if the repugs do win, I think they'll screw it up so bad that we'll have a Dem again in 2016.

I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this, but I really think Hillary could win in 2012.

http://www.mittromneyisadouchebag.com coming soon. . .

Seriously, though, given the current crop of repubs I can almost see Mitt as the lesser of a whole big pile of crazy evil. He'll only drive our economy back into the shitter and move social progress back a few decades. I doubt he's capable of starting WWIII or causing the breakup of the US.

Love&A.45 wrote: I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this, but I really think Hillary could win in 2012.

If Obama stepped down voluntarily, I think you're right.

I've never missed voting in an election and never will, but given the dismal turn-out among Ds last fall, I'm still waiting to see the strategy the Obama team intends to use to re-enthuse their core supporters from 2008. Moving to the center is the normal tactic when you only expect to run in a general election and not a primary, but I just don't see independents who backed McCain in 2008 despite his demonstrably unqualified and often offensive running mate suddenly switching to back Obama in 2012, at least not in numbers that will make up for the drop-outs among the left. We'd all love to see the plan.

TxChinaman wrote:

rglad wrote:Honestly, nothing will divide the right better than a Mormon. The Evangelicals will not know what to do!

Look for Romney to pick an evangelically acceptable southerner who spouts anti-federal government rhetoric as his running mate.

The "Odd Couple Strategy". It could work, but it could also lead to some bitter clashing within the two camps. Sure would be interesting to watch.

I think Obama will win in 2012. Not that I'm thrilled by it ( I can't wait to see how bad his commission tears up Social Security ), just making a prediction. Either way, we end up with a Republican in the White House.
BTW, where was Huckabee in all of this? Is he to busy with his FOX buddies too run? Seems like he is trying hard to appear moderate.

Love&A.45 wrote:I think if Obama runs again in 2012 he'll lose. Unless the Dems come up with a solid candidate quick the repugs will take the executive in 2012. But honestly, even if the repugs do win, I think they'll screw it up so bad that we'll have a Dem again in 2016.

That’s what I used to think, but I’m not so sure now. The Republicans have left a very bad taste in America’s mouth, and I don’t think America has forgotten yet. Also, I think Obama has a few tricks up his sleeve. The next two years will force Obama to move toward the center, which is what America has been asking for from both parties, so doing so will put him in good standing with the centrist votes; whom really decide the election anyhow. The die hard left will be offended, but at the end of the day, they’re not going to vote for a Republican.

As a liberal, if I have to be saddled with a Republican, I sure hope it’s Romney. I’m even an evangelical Christian, and I’m not offended by Romny’s choice of religion whatsoever; as long as he keeps his religion to himself.

Still, I don’t see much that’s inspiring about Romney, so I think Obama has a wider appeal. What’s more, Obama has two more years for the economy to rebound, and I think it sorta will. And since American’s vote with their wallets, that puts Obama in a position that will be hard to beat.

It’s too bad Obama shot his wad the way he did, because his golden opportunity is behind him now. I would have much rather seen him use his political capital to transform America’s energy platform than on an entitlement like healthcare. In a time when we’re down and licking our wounds, what America really needed is vital infrastructure as an asset; instead Obama chose to blow all his political capital on a financial liability. Don’t get me wrong, healthcare has to be done at some point, but doing it while we’re in such a deep recession was just a fool’s errand. And in the end, what he got was a shell of what they really wanted; what a waste.

FrontSight wrote:

Love&A.45 wrote: The next two years will force Obama to move toward the center, which is what America has been asking for from both parties, so doing so will put him in good standing with the centrist votes; whom really decide the election anyhow. The die hard left will be offended, but at the end of the day, they’re not going to vote for a Republican.
.

Obama is going to move from the far right to the center right?
Also, this quest the American people are on to find the " center" is such a blind alley. The " center" has been moving towards right- wing extremism since the days of Reagan. Our " moderates" make Britain's Tories look like Kuccinich liberals.
Getting a " centrist" elected guarentees that the revolutionary steps needed to keep the majority of our citizenry out of poverty and serfdom will not be taken.

the comedian wrote:

FrontSight wrote:

Love&A.45 wrote: The next two years will force Obama to move toward the center, which is what America has been asking for from both parties, so doing so will put him in good standing with the centrist votes; whom really decide the election anyhow. The die hard left will be offended, but at the end of the day, they’re not going to vote for a Republican.
.

Obama is going to move from the far right to the center right?
Also, this quest the American people are on to find the " center" is such a blind alley. The " center" has been moving towards right- wing extremism since the days of Reagan. Our " moderates" make Britain's Tories look like Kuccinich liberals.
Getting a " centrist" elected guarentees that the revolutionary steps needed to keep the majority of our citizenry out of poverty and serfdom will not be taken.

Not since reagan, since goldwater.

Love&A.45 wrote:

eelj wrote:I'm guessing Mutt is fairly conflicted about running in 2012, I think Obama is going to win and I don't think he wants to shoot his wad quite yet. I think for 2016 it's already scripted that a repug wins and that is what he really wants. Who ever runs and loses next year will be out of the running in 2016.

I think if Obama runs again in 2012 he'll lose. Unless the Dems come up with a solid candidate quick the repugs will take the executive in 2012. But honestly, even if the repugs do win, I think they'll screw it up so bad that we'll have a Dem again in 2016.

I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this, but I really think Hillary could win in 2012.

I am in that camp of thinking Clinton wouldn't do well overall in the US. She's a bit TOO aggressive for the Conservative moderates, and the extreme left does not think she's hard enough on certain issues. I think she's very heavy handed, but that has always been her nature and what made her and her husband a good team.

I honestly think that Napalatano would've had a great shot if it weren't for the TSA body scanner controversy. It's all been dumped on the Department of Homeland Security, which is in shambles and was before she got there. As a Democratic Governor who held Arizona and saw it through it's biggest economic growth in history, she was on the short list for VP in '08, and has the experience to run for Pres I think. But, with her current appointment it might hurt her.