Pundits and strategists weigh in on the significance of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ decision not to run in 2012.
George Will on ABC’s This Week:
This caps an excellent week for one person, and that’s Tim Pawlenty. Huckabee out puts in play the evangelical Christian vote, which is almost half the vote in Republican primaries. So Tim Pawlenty is well-positioned.
Video here.
GOP strategist Matthew Dowd on This Week:
This is indicative. These candidates are making more news not running than running at a time, actually, when the president is as vulnerable as any president has been going into a re-elect in recent memory. His numbers are in the high 40s, he is immensely beatable right now and all of these credible candidates are not running…I think it’s really indicative right now of a Republican field not quite knowing where to go with this…
I think what you’re going to see in the next four or five months is suprising candiates who are going to get in who are not mentioned right now. I actually think that Gov. Perry in Texas is probably going to reconsider this. It seems to be a good moment for a guy that is very popular among [the] Tea Party, he’s very states-righty, very anti-federal government, can raise a ton of money. I think Gov. Christie in New Jersey is going to be pushed to reconsider this. I think there’s going to be some surprising entries into this race.
Video here.
GOP strategist Mike Murphy on Meet the Press:
For real voters, it hasn’t even begun yet, and I think there’s only one last Hamlet question, which is Christ Christie of New Jersey, who is a big Republican star. Will he take another look at a late entry, which I think is possible. That would shake up the race. If not, I think you’re going to have a lot of noise candidates around. But it’s going to be down to Romney, Huntsman, Pawlenty and then a kind of entertaining candidate who won’t get nominated — maybe Herman Cain.
Any candidate for the republicans has to support:
tax cuts for the richest 2% (mandatory)
medicare cuts (that's how it will be played)
endless "war on terror" and its huge defense budgets
opposing abortion (even though it would be a state issue)
It just isn't going to work. Obama will win in a landslide.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNow that the puditry class's hero is out it looks like the push begins for Christie, Jeb Bush, and Jon Huntsman. Good heavens.
Lord help us all if the chatterers have their way with this field.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRomney's going to be the last man standing. Yeah, he's flip-flopper with no principles. So what? You knew that years ago. Wait till you see Pawlenty and Company do the Tea Party shuffle on Medicare. You'll be pining for Newt. At least Romney's not going to take his eye off the ball.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRight now this looks like a two-man race: Romney v. Pawlenty. Unfortunately, Romney's money and organization make him the heavy favorite even though Romneycare and his "rich Republican" personna would make him a very weak candidate against Obama. But frontrunners almost always win and the top alternative to the frontrunner tends to fall apart early. I hope Pawlenty has what it takes to pull this out, but I thought Daniels or Huckabee had much better chances.
But there are a few possible candidates out there who could yet leapfrog Romney as frontrunners: Sarah Palin, Jeb Bush, and probably Rick Perry. I sure hope one of them decides to run.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFunny how Daniels surrendering is somehow a big deal. He was polling withing the margin of error of ZERO percent in every primary poll I saw. He was not a threat to anyone, and his miniscule support base is insignficant.
Trump and Huckabee had at least decent levels of popular support.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMaybe Pawlenty, or Romney -- or perhaps Perry.
But NO WAY to Huntsman or Christie. Both support mass amnesty for illegal aliens which would grow government, increase taxes, kick American workers in the gut, and cement Democrat power.
Huntsman is also "repulsed" by secure borders, i.e., fencing?! What planet is this character living on?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm surprised Ohio governor John Kasic hasn't shown any interest of yet. Perhaps he's laying low and biding his time?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHere comes Sarah Palin
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseShe Who Must Not Be Name. That's who/what.
Amazing, it's almost like she never existed now among the punditry.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRomney's the one! the only GOP candiate that can beat Obama in 2012.......
Join the fastest growing team in America, Team Romney....
Because in November 2012 we are going to beat the snot out of Obama.....
Romney/Rubio.......real Fiscal Conservative leadership
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusethe capcha for my post: ivory tower
The post: Those who feel Rick Perry would be a dynamite conservative and tea party candidate live in an ivory tower.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWe really need a draft Christie movement. I think we have to push him as hard as can be. His country needs him.
Jeb Bush? Please. People saying that can not be serious. The name Bush is still mud right now. There's no chance Bush would win. Jon Huntsman? An Obama admin guy? That's all people need to know.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI laugh every time I see Huntsman listed as a contender by these analysts. He served in the Obama admin and wrote Obama love letters. He's got zero support among the base and no name recognition.
Does the fact that Christie is not all that conservative matter to anybody? Is this guy a lock to win NJ and other northeastern states if he gets the nomination? I see no compelling reason why he should get into the race.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe "Washington insider"pundits are funnier than usual. It is waaay early! Yes, Chris Christie is a Republican star, but Republicans love his style, they won't like much of his politics. Rick Perry has some vulnerabilities of his own, the Trans-Texas Corridor being just one. The meme that this is a weak GOP field is garbage. Only those with the best name recognition are considered the "likely front runners". Romney has everything but a credible message and will bleed out. Zombie Newt is dead but doesn't know it and Pawlenty is a warmist. So the so-called second tier is where the action will be as they become known and get their messages out.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo take THAT, prissy, city-boy pundits!
I now that it looks murky right now and there's no one who stands out, but its to early in the process you know as soon as we have a GOP nominee the democrats with the help of there bedfellows-the liberal media will turn over every stone until they find some inuendo about the the GOP nominee whether it be true or false. I'm not a Tim Pawlenty fan, but I will put his record against Obama's record any day. WHOEVER the Republican nominee will be will be better than the alternative. RUN RICK PERRY RUN!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePicking just the one pres candidate is ok but the identifying a ticket helps. For me the pairing that would work best is Paul Ryan/John Bolton. And have the pres look inward and the vp own leadership on foreign affairs
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSure Romney's in there as an establishment favorite, an etablishment that refuses to accept the reality that Romney's Mormonisn makles him unacceptable to many Christians, & not just Evangelicals.
In addition, Romney, a draft-dodger during the Viet-Nam War fails to impress many of the nation's veterans with his non-explanation of why none of his several sons has ever served in the US armed forces.
The point there is most G.I.s & veterans are patriots & nationalists; for all borderless internationalism may be the rage among much of the nation's elite, it isn't to those of us who've worn Uncle Sam's uniform. And we want an American nationalist as president, not another Obama type contemptuous of the Constitution.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePaul Ryan should be our candidate. He is the true anti-Obama. From the first days of the Obama presidency, it has been Ryan - and only Ryan- who has effectively stood up to Obama. He has gone head-to-head with Obama beating Obama ever time with his intellect and good nature. Ryan embodies an America that is still young, hopeful, honest and entrepreneurial. In terms of image he is our JFK, with an intellect we have not seen in a Presidential candidate, for a long, long time. Ryan understands and constantly points out what the Democrats are trying to do to the United States, to turn us into just another western-European style welfare state. Daniels would have been close enough to Ryan to serve as a credible candidate, but now he is out. If we lose this next election, we conservatives will have let down the country terribly. We need Ryan, and we need him badly now.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHerman Cain is the only guy in the race so far who has any ability at all for generating excitement. If Pawlenty had any potential for the capacity for generating an inkling of excitemnet he would have done so by now since he has been running since sometime last year. And just as many Republicans if not more than those satisfied with a Daniels drop-out wish that Romney would have made the same decision because in comparison Romney governed far more liberal than Daniels ever did. This year the theme of the 2012 election needs to be something along the lines of promoting something unconventional for unconventional times... because all of the conventional candidates are... underwhelming.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMarco Rubio would send Barack Obama packing.
Please, join the draft Rubio effort now!
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