If Obama/McCain loses, the 2012 candidates

[Sulaco]

Republican ticket four years from now if Obama wins - Romney/Jindal. Palin and Rice both will have their chances - Palin because four years from now the media will be feeling surprisingly gulty over this cycle (I suspect). All this is predicated on a fusionist victory within the Republican party of course.

I suspect objectivist and fusionist conservative intellectuals are going to have a lot of currency given the ridiculous manner in which McCain ran his campaign, and the way the Rockefeller republicans have thrown their lot in with Obama.

The wildcard will be this growing social conservative populism a la the Huck, and the support of that wing for the Rockefellers.

Still - Romney/Jindal in 2012.

Obama isn't going to lose so the analysis for the dems is pointless and I don't plan to invest any energy in it.

[Mr.Canada]

Republican ticket four years from now if Obama wins - Romney/Jindal. Palin and Rice both will have their chances - Palin because four years from now the media will be feeling surprisingly gulty over this cycle (I suspect). All this is predicated on a fusionist victory within the Republican party of course.

I suspect objectivist and fusionist conservative intellectuals are going to have a lot of currency given the ridiculous manner in which McCain ran his campaign, and the way the Rockefeller republicans have thrown their lot in with Obama.

The wildcard will be this growing social conservative populism a la the Huck, and the support of that wing for the Rockefellers.

Still - Romney/Jindal in 2012.

Obama isn't going to lose so the analysis for the dems is pointless and I don't plan to invest any energy in it.

I was shocked Romney stepped aside. Must have been some sort of one shot deal for McCain.

[BC_chick]

Huissien Obama will be the last President of the USA we will ever need. I'm sure he'll feel the same way. Should we call him El Presidente yet?

He will ban all gun ownership so as to have a disarmed society. Then there will be no resistance to the plan.

He will then start having sit downs with the likes of Kim jong-Il and the Iranian President not to mention the Libyan ruler.

After that President Hussein Obama will then start socializing the USA at the tune of 3 Trillion dollars.

Scary scary scary.

[Liam]

Republican ticket four years from now if Obama wins - Romney/Jindal. Palin and Rice both will have their chances - Palin because four years from now the media will be feeling surprisingly gulty over this cycle (I suspect). All this is predicated on a fusionist victory within the Republican party of course.

I suspect objectivist and fusionist conservative intellectuals are going to have a lot of currency given the ridiculous manner in which McCain ran his campaign, and the way the Rockefeller republicans have thrown their lot in with Obama.

The wildcard will be this growing social conservative populism a la the Huck, and the support of that wing for the Rockefellers.

Still - Romney/Jindal in 2012.

Obama isn't going to lose so the analysis for the dems is pointless and I don't plan to invest any energy in it.

Not a bad prediction on the GOP side, didn't think of Jindal. One problem, though, is that Romney is going to need to do a lot of work at getting southern evangelicals to support him. If he can do that, he may have a shot at the nomination.

Someone else reiterated the strength of Palin in 2012 -- I think that's something we need to see play out. There are four major problems facing a Palin 2012 nomination.

First, I think Palin has a steep incline facing her in terms of reassuring the American public that she's a serious, substantive candidate. Fair or not, she has not been able to put forth all that much credibility in this election cycle and once public perception sets in, it can be like cement. I'm not saying she can't do it, but I don't see the public suddenly thinking, "hey, we were wrong about her".

Second, the governorship of Alaska will not serve as tall enough a soap box from which she will be able to project her national credentials. Unless a US Senate seat for Alaska opens up, I don't see how Palin can go any higher or become a bigger, more national figure (unless she completely gets out of elective politics and strikes herself a major national figure on the talk circuit).

Third, party regulars almost always shun prior election cycle losers. Kemp went nowhere after '96, Quayle went nowhere after '92. Edwards didn't make a comeback in '08, nor did Lieberman in '04. When there is a prior losing VP candidate, people put the emphasis on "losing" not on "VP candidate".

Fouth, how the McCain campaign manages the post-election day period could be a major determinant in how Palin is perceived within the party power structure. Let's face it, if McCain goes down and the broad perception within the Beltway is that Palin played a role in that loss (again, fair ot not), I see it as very unlikely that the power structure of the party will rally 'round her in 4 years.

Edited October 27, 2008 by Liam

[Sir Bandelot]

I think Joe the Plumber would make an excellent choice to run for the GOP Presidential ticket next time around.

Eminently qualified...

[Liam]

I think Joe the Plumber would make an excellent choice to run for the GOP Presidential ticket next time around.

Eminently qualified...

Palin-Plumber '12?

[blueblood]

He might not be able to find you in your parent's basement if you have your tinfoil hat on.

HA, tinfoil and toaster comments for everyone!!!

Obama will be like any other US president. He does have an election in 2012 to win (if he gets in, probably will) and his legacy to worry about and party brass. I'm not scared if he gets in.

[BubberMiley]

I think Joe the Plumber would make an excellent choice to run for the GOP Presidential ticket next time around.

THe only thing is I think most Republicans will be wincing at the mention of his name after Tuesday.

[Topaz]

A few of us know this. That Obama is not a natural born American citizen. Everybody is quietly aware of this. This total and utter contempt of the American constitution up to now would never have been imagined as legitimate and lawful. Still they plow on. To elect Obama would be to say that America has no constitution and America no longer exists as we know it. This is the most fantastic event in American history - and not a peep out of the greedy internationalist globalist lunitics that call themselves congress...Odd!

I was watching a TV program about people finding their ancestors and the program said that the 21st president of the US was a born Canadian from Quebec, his parent moved to the US when he was very young. Chester A. Arthur, from 1881-1885.