Mississippi governor Haley Barbour has just announced that he will not be running for president in the 2012 election. Barbour’s decision may influence Indiana governor Mitch Daniels, who is good friends with Barbour.
UPDATE: From Barbour’s statement about why he made this decision:
A candidate for president today is embracing a ten-year commitment to an all-consuming effort, to the virtual exclusion of all else. His (or her) supporters expect and deserve no less than absolute fire in the belly from their candidate. I cannot offer that with certainty, and total certainty is required.
I find this statement depressing and likely true.
So basically the only people who can become President in this country are the people who truly want nothing else than to become President. I prefer my President's more of the Washington persona rather than the Obama persona (I'm really out on a limb there).
Or am I overreading this statement?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI can't say much for what his chances might've been, but given the way THIS field is shaping up, who can say he wouldn't have brought some quality to it?
Looks like Southern conservatism is sitting this one out.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGov. Barber has much of substance and style to contribute to the conservative cause, and I'm glad he'll be continuing to do that. The day will come when bigotry will subside to the point that someone with his accent can again win the White House, but it won't be before November 2012, so his withdrawal is wise and I applaud his decision.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAck! "Barbour," not "Barber." My apologies, Governor (although I'm sure I'm not the first to have made that mistake).
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI respect Barbour but this is the right decision. America is simply not going to elect a guy who sounds like Foghorn Leghorn.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNow if we can get the same from The Donald perhaps then the MSM will begin to treat the election cycle/Obama's 2012 defeat seriously :)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCan we have Paul Ryan, please?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm really sorry to read this. Haley Barbour would have brought a lot to the debate and he would have made a fine president. I think he's far and away the best of the current crop of candidates and candidate-wannabes. Mitch Daniels spells loser for the GOP.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHe seems to have a generally good track record as Gov, but I don't see how conservatives, Tea Partiers, and Libertarians could get excited by him given his past as a big time lobbyist.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI sat next to Barbour at dinner on a national Review Cruise. He is an imprerssive 100% American. The problem is that the marxists who are the true racists sin this country would paint this guy as a raicist which he is not.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is good news. Barbour was the absolute wrong candidate to run against someone like Barack Obama. Fair or unfair, the image of a southern good old boy, complete with drawl and all, running against the first black president would have been shamelessly exploited by the Obama camp. His dumb statements regarding his memories of the segregated South also would have been used to distract from the real issues. And in the age of the Tea Party and populist conservatism, is a former lobbyist and RNC chairman really the guy we want carrying our banner in 2012? There's a lot to like about Haley Barbour, but he did conservatives a big favor today. Let's hope Donald Trump does the same real soon.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGood...nuff said.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt is time to summon the dark lord. I shall only support the one who's name must not be spoken....Darth (I mean Dick) Cheney
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@Fred Ammendolea:
You hit the nail right on the head except for one thing: Haley's dumb comments weren't really dumb until they were intentionally mirinterpreted by our ever-loving friends in the MSM. Other than that, you're right.
Haley, you've done the best the thing you could do for the party and the country. Good luck to you in whatever endeavors you opt for instead.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt is time to summon the dark lord. The one who's name must not be spoken.....Darth (I mean Dick) Cheney... He can defeat the pretender....
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWe, the U.S. as a whole, are badly served by the MSM who denigrate candidates on any pretext, simply to avoid the real debate.
Only the strongest Republican candidates (i.e., the strongest threats to the Democrats) get this shameful treatment. For example:
-- Barbour, regarding his accent and home state (cf. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, neither of them criticized for their manner of speech)
-- Palin, regarding her hunting and fishing and (most shamefully on the part of the MSM) her son Trig
It's too depressing to go on, but if the Republicans allow the Democrats to decide who survives the first round of campaigning in this fashion, we will indeed have no one to run except Foghorn Leghorn himself.
Those the Democrats attack the most strongly are those the Democrats most fear. Those individuals should be our candidates.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDoes anyone remember the British member of European Parliament that delivered a ferocious rhetorical assault against PM Brown a few years ago? We need someone just like that. Someone that direct, that eloquent, and that fearless. Instead, we get MSM coverage of folks like The Donald that the MSM selects as our nominee before we have spoken.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@Andy D
You are exactly correct.
They throw the liberal Republican or the Doesn't have a chance Republican way out front and in many states Democrats can also vote in Republican Primaries, so they actually do vote for our candidate in the primary process more often than Republicans pick their own candidate.
Bush was not supposed to get passed McCain, as they wanted McCain knowing he would lose to Gore. Likewise we ended up with McCain in 2008, due more to Democrats voting and MSM than anything Republicans wanted.
If you allowed ONLY Republicans to vote in Republican Primaries there is no way a McCain goes anywhere. Nice guy, but one or two steps to the right of a Democrat, might as well vote Democrat.
Likewise they throw Trump way out front, do you really think Republicans have Trump way out front?
My worry with Trump is he might be another plant just like Obama. For all we know the guy is the backup Terminator. I don't recall him ever being a Republican myself. He has always thought every President was a moron. (Maybe not Clinton, not sure).
Trump better come up with a policy plan real quick and not just his tough Captain America routine. Whoever gets taken serious is due to them stating their ideas first, not Obama II.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCan't understand why Hermann Cain isn't getting more serious consideration. Only negative seems to be that he hasn't held elective office. That actually is both a negative and a positive. Also has great executive experience, something a lot of hopefuls lack.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat are the odds someone - Hillary comes to mind - attempts to pull off what Ted Kennedy could not against Carter during the Democrat primaries in 78/79? I'd charge there is at least as much disgust towards Obama from his own leftist flanks as what we on the right are accused of fostering.
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