Might as well have some fun with this, even if we are on the Titanic and guessing whether it’s going down bow first or stern first — David Weigel has a must-read post up comparing the Romney road to the nomination with the path John McCain took four years ago. It’s called “Haven’t We Lived Through This Primary Before?” and it begins,
I’m thinking of a Republican primary. It starts with a candidate (John McCain/Mitt Romney) who ran once before, came in second place, and won over the party’s elite class without winning over its base. Other candidates, understandably unwilling to accept this, line up: An under-funded social conservative (Mike Huckabee/Rick Santorum), an elder statesman who’s walked to the altar three times (Rudy Giuliani/Newt Gingrich), a libertarian who wants to bring back the gold standard (Ron Paul/Ron Paul).
The BooMan takes the comparison further. Who will be this year’s Sarah Palin? Marco Rubio? Chris Christie?
In Weird News — Haley Barbour is retiring as governor of Mississippi. On his last day in office, he granted full and unconditional pardons to 193 criminals. In addition, last week he pardoned five convicted murderers who had been doing custodial work at the governor’s mansion. Some of the other pardoned convicts also had been found guilty of murder, although none were on death row.
However, he failed to pardon the Scott sisters. Go figure. At least they were both given early releases last year.
Anyway — just seems odd.
I thought Rubio was a shoe-in for the VP slot earlier this year.
But then he was caught lying about his parent’s coming here, running away from Castro to the USA, when, in fact, they came a few years BEFORE Castro took over from the Batista Organized Crime Family. I think that took him down a few notches with the money people in the GOP – and we all know how Mitt feels about liars and lying, don’t we? 😉
So, I’m not sure anymore.
Nikki Haley?
Steel-eyed Grandmotherf*cker Ryan?
Krispy Kreme Christie? I think chubs is hoping that it’s him.
If it’s indeed the MITT 3.0 Soulless Cyborg who’s the candidate, it’s going to have to be one hell of a Teabagging wingnut to make the crazies come out like they did for “The Whore of Babblin’ On” Palin, and hopefully get enough enthusiastic voters out there to keep the House, and gain the Senate. Glenn Beck? Nah – too cerebral.
I know – Bob McDonnell, VA’s Governor!
He’s like a Teabagger rock superstar, and he’s from a swing state.
And that’s a combination that has a good chance at winning.
I also have a real, out of the box, dark horse pick (no pun intended):
Former OK Congressman J.C. Watts
He’s a former College QB, is young at 55, and as a black Congressman, he held up his end of the devil’s bargain pretty well. He’s been out of politics for awhile, which is a plus. He’s got a bit of baggage in that in HS he got a white girl pregnant, they decided not to get married, but his Uncle did adopt the child. He’s got a family now, and does TV. He’s telegenic and pretty bright.
Like I said, waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of the box. But if it’s Mitt, Watts might humanize him and the party. The drawback – he may be insufficiently insane.