Thad McCotter, a Republican House member from Michigan, will announce a presidential run Saturday in his home state, reports USA Today.
McCotter has been in the House since 2002 and served as chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee from 2006 to 2010.
McCotter, who has spent the past few days in Iowa, told the Des Moines Register that he sensed Republicans weren’t happy with the current field. “Republicans may be prepared at some point to settle, if that’s how they view it, but they’re still viewing it as, ‘Why should we have to? What else is out there?’” he said. “It doesn’t mean it’s me. The reason I was here was to find out are they even asking that question, ‘What else is out there?’ And they clearly are.”
Last week, a representative for McCotter, who tried to allow his client to remain anonymous at first, paid $18,000 to get the second-best location at the Ames Straw Poll.
Oh heck yeah! Love the man. Americans should be so lucky.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGreg Gutfeld should be happy.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseConsidering that he does not appear to have any support from Michigan's RNC, I would say that he does not understand this game very well.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFINALLY someone we can get behind! Go, T-Mac, go!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI would support my congressman in a race for POTUS. Welcome McCotter. ;)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFirst reaction: who is this guy and why should we care?
Second reaction: do we really need another Representative from the Upper Midwest?
Third and final reaction: let's hear what the man has to say before we dismiss him as noise or as a veep contender.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is great news. T-Mac is a very sharp guy, will definitely help elevate the debate, and will probably have zero chance of winning. He is a relative unknown (save those who watch Red Eye on FNC) so he may be excluded from debates, etc., based on polling percentages. But from the conservative, Tea Party, sensible wing(s) of the Republican Party he certainly has a stronger following than Huntsman. And he will be a bit of a media darling (I hope) in that he is that unknown, and he's a smart and funny guy. I don't give the candidacy much chance, but if forced to choose a favorite right now it would have to be the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. McCotter.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRed Eye hardest hit :-)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI don't know much about his legislative record, but I have heard this guy speak at some length dozens of times: Charlie Rose, Dennis Miller, Huckabee & he's even a staple on Red Eye (very funny, but dry sense of humor).
Without question, he's a very bright, capable guy with a remarkable ability to speak about issues in a thoughtful and coherent manner.
Does he have a shot? No, because he's a very bright, capable guy with a remarkable ability to speak about issues in a thoughtful and coherent manner. He's not a bomb-thrower in a bomb-thrower's year. McCotter speaks in paragraphs and complete thoughts. That's going nowhere this year. And unfortunately, Romney already has the "English as a first language" wing of the Republican party tied up.
It's too bad. McCotter would add a lot to the debates, substantively. But, I doubt he'd make it far enough into the race to get to the debates that actually matter.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think I'm getting a bad case of Unknown Republican Presidential Candidate Fatigue.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnyone who doesn't know about McCotter hasn't been watching enough Red Eye. (Not often I'm up at that hour either!)
I don't think McCotter is that interested in playing a 'game' -- at the very least he will be a substantial and focused addition to the primary debate; in other words, his candidacy has far more relevance than the Romneys of the world.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI've seen him on Redeye and know a little about him. His humor is so deadpan he makes Steven Wright seem bubbly!
LOL...the only thing this guy does in announcing is provide Gary Johnson with some company in the green room of every debate.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWho?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCrickets
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGreat, more ambition, little CEO experience or a sense of reality. Although the other half of me likes to see more voices.
Running for POTUS will grow in the Future - very soon to be like California, where many who are just in desperate need for attention, will join many who are seeking a potential career boost. In the end, maybe as soon as 2016, we will see hundreds all trying. Everyone wants to be a Celebrity, book-tv deals are all the rage.
It will be quite entertaining...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhy doesn't Gutfeld run too? Or heck, anyone here should give it a go. Seems like the only barrier to announcing a candidacy these days is the ability to pay for the microphone. If there wasn't enough argument for the end of the endless campaign season and the insanely early start that gets earlier every 4 years...or 3...or 2...then this season's mob of candidates surely is it.
A suggestion for the Rules Committee at the upcoming RNC Convention---make ineligible henceforth and for all time in future contests for the nomination anyone who announces their candidacy more than...let's say 10 months prior to the convention, and ineligible for consideration the votes won in any primary or caucus held earlier than 8 months prior. Sure, it'll cut down on the various news networks' debate ad revenues, but otherwise really, what would be the harm? There's some benefit beyond the reduction of clutter, too:
Consider---if we didn't have umpteen people actually running, talking about running, rumored as running, etc. etc. then ALL of our discourse at this time would be about the only person left we KNOW is running: Obama. And wouldn't THAT be a GOOD thing?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLike how some are dismissing him without even listening to him for his reasons for running; don't know who he is so cannot be any good or whatever. Why not wait and give him a chance. Look him up on you tube for his comments on floor of house. He is principled conservative and quite different from anyone else in the running. I say the more choices we have the better. Do not want to be forced to take candidate who's turn it is next which is what usually happens in repub primaries.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHe's my congressman, actually. If he wants to make himself useful, he should take on Stabenow for Senate.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHe has no chance of winning and is smart enough to know it - so the questions we should be asking are, who is he trying to help by running, and why?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBrilliant analysis. He is an establishment republican and can take Romney down a peg. The answer: Pawlenty.
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