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The Spectacle Blog
Quin: I agree that Jen Rubin’s post hits the mark; this was indeed “not a day to be proud of the GOP field.” But I feel you aren’t sufficiently succumbing to despair. I hate to break it to you, but this is the GOP field, and neither Bobby Jindal nor anyone else is going to ride to the rescue. There’s a key phrase missing from your feature urging Jindal to jump in: filing deadlines.
The deadline to get on the ballot in Florida is October 31; in South Carolina, November 1. Unless a candidate has literally already begun the process, it’s too late to jump in. And if a candidate had begun the process, we’d know about it — staffers and lawyers would already have been hired. This Politico report from a couple months ago (which focused on Sarah Palin’s non-candidacy) went over this; here’s the key quote:
“It isn’t inconceivable that somebody could get into the race as late as the first or second week in October and manage to get it all done,” provided they knew what they were doing, said Matt Seyfang, a Democratic lawyer who’s handled ballot-access and delegate issues for five presidential campaigns, including Bill Clinton’s 1992 effort - which didn’t get started until October 1991. But any later than that, he said, would probably be impossible.
So Republicans are stuck with the current crop of remarkably weak candidates. And incidentally, this also means that Obama — unlike all three presidents who lost their reelection bids in the past three quarters of a century — won’t be facing a primary challenge.
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More Blog Posts by John Tabin
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/10/25/this-is-the-republican-field
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Martin Owens| 10.25.11 @ 11:23PM
Both Obama and the Republican field will be hit by sheer campaign fatigue.
It's MORE THAN A YEAR to the election, and the pundit/spin/prediction machine is in full force. Enough already!
A few more months of this and I'll write in for Vladimir Putin- but only on his solemn promise he'll shoot all the other candidates before taking office. Next week would be fine.
hook| 10.25.11 @ 11:25PM
I think last election the GOP was weak also, and I think Obama is so incompetent that he will lose to Romney. The single asset he has is a compliant media and I cannot see things getting anything but worse in the next year both domestically and abroad.
Obama is not such a novelty anymore. If Romney picks someone acceptable to the base, I think he will win pretty easily. No one is crazy about Obama anymore except the hard left.
RJ| 10.25.11 @ 11:48PM
People always think the field of candidates are weak. No one seems to measure up to being a president. I suspect that once the race gets underway, the someone who pulls away from the pack will suddenly look presidential.
Having said that, I have to add that as an American, I have been embarrassed by the choices we have had for the last twenty years - 1992 - Bush who seemed not to care about domestic policy versus Clinton, a crook; 1996 - Clinton, a confirmed crook versus Dole, a man lost in the 1940s; 2000 - Bush Jr., not up to the job versus Gore, a man living in his own delusions; 2004 - Bush Jr., now a confirmed big government type who was even more not up to the job versus John Kerry, a traitor to Vietnam veterans and also delusional; 2008 McCain, (see Bob Dole, 1996) versus Obama, an unknown, inexperienced man who hangs out with radicals, but the crease in his pants gave the media a tingle up their legs, so it must be OK. What has happened to our country that we chose modern day Neros as our chief executives?
Peppermint Tea| 10.26.11 @ 3:11PM
What happened?
We became dependent on big government and big media.
We dismantled the family and local government in decision making.
We wanted too much.
Mark J. Goluskin | 10.26.11 @ 1:42AM
What bothers me about all of this hand-wringing is what do you or we want. I mean, we could have a candidate a la Obama. No experience yet a true beliver. We could have a competent candidate like a Mitt Romney. Please, tell me who would be better than these candidates? And FWIW, the dark-horse to look out for is Newt Gingrich. I have my own problems with Newt but he is well known, a solid conservative and not afraid to take the fight right to the Dear Leader, President Obama's grill. I just am not certain that Mitt Romney has that passion we will need. And while I like and admire Herman Cain, I just have problems with the 9-9-9 plan. I think that this is a good crop and other than Huntsman or Paul, anyone can, if done right, beat the Dear Leader, President Obama.
Clint| 10.26.11 @ 7:46AM
" Harris Poll: Romney, Ron Paul Best Obama
While survey participants gave Romney a 53 percent to 47 percent edge over Obama in a general election race, they said Paul could also beat Obama by 51 percent to 49 percent."
Jack in Wi| 10.26.11 @ 12:31PM
No pro war, pro bankster, pro bailouts for the rich Republican can win. It is Ron Paul or ruin. He is the only one who can get the necessary Independent and Conservtive Democrat votes to win. The Brain Dead Bush Cheney crowd is down to less then 25% of the population.
Jeff Powell| 10.26.11 @ 5:19AM
I felt that McCain got the nod in 2008 because better candidates (e.g., Giuliani and Thompson) detected the Democrat wave, and decided not to end their public careers as losers.
I honestly suspect that it doesn't matter whom we nominate. Despite the 2010 midterms, I fear the voting public will give O "one more chance" rather than admit they were fools in 2008. Voters may even convince themselves that by dividing the government (Rep Congress, Dem executive) it is "safe" to re-elect O.
Some of the sharper potential Republican candidates may detect this vibe, and are sitting out this election rather than go down in history as the new Thomas E. Dewey. We are stuck with the candidates whose egos are so large they can't see the disaster coming at them.
martin j smith| 10.26.11 @ 7:51AM
Let me repeat a point I made in other posts. If Obama is standard by which we measure the capability of our candidates then even the ones who I will not vote for are more capable than Obama this is how little I regard Obama. Now at this point the whiners still need tissues to cry over the "remarakably weak candidates>>" Are you saying Tobin that Obama is a wonderful competent President that can do everything and play golf while eating burgers and fries with one
hand ?
Tobin, I am ashamed of you and for you. Your thinking is so warped you might as well join the Occupy crowd. we a group of very talented people one of whom is going to be our standard bearer.
So instead of giving the Socialists fodder to use against our side ( I assume you are on our side but have a funny way of showing it ) why don't we vett and vett and vett and then chose. And by the way, Chris Christie who I am guessing you wanted in the race decided not to. I wonder why ?
But if some one else has the guts to get in let them. They too will be given the business as they they all should. But its piss or get off the pot.
Ken (Old Texican)| 10.26.11 @ 8:05AM
Everyone in the field knows Perry is the man to beat. That's why they have made him "the pinata at the party".
The liberal "moderators" have also thrown him to jackals.
He won't quit.
Bob Grant| 10.26.11 @ 10:54AM
As I've stated before, and you are in a state of denial, Perry's maxed out his political effectiveness as governor of a weak governorship state.
The governorship of Texas suits Perry's hands off, laissez-faire style. Nothing wrong with that but not necessary a platform for higher office.
Perry is a case study for the Peter Principle.
L A Stich| 10.26.11 @ 11:26AM
Who really cares what Jenn Rubin 'thinks'?
Simon Templar| 10.26.11 @ 12:11PM
Well, Tabin, I guess you are just as dim witted or dishonest as Quin. Take your pick..
The following is a summary of a recent poll.
“Ohio voters are not happy with the president’s performance and don’t think he deserves a second term. But elections are about choices,” Brown said. “At this point, none of the Republicans are able to take advantage of these presidential negatives. The next year will determine if the GOP is able to nominate a candidate who can do so.”
It is not rocket science. We can not beat this poser because you idiots can not restrain yourself from self destruction, eating your own candidates, and keeping the focus off Obama.
You do not seem to even posess the ability to not buy into the oppositions tricks, smears, and narratives. The biggest weakness is this, you can not do anything other than what has always been done, said, and thought. This is why Cain, bad or good, is resonating. He CAN think out of the box. He is attacking the opposition, he is keeping the focus on Obama.
There was never been a time more important where conservatives take control of their message, image, and narrative and not engage in self destructive and wasteful infighting, speculation, and political distractions.
The criteria by which we judge their capability is paramount. Solutions, ideas, and and a clear contrast to the opposition is what people want.
We are not getting it because you are more interested in taking bets, odds, sensationalism, listening to liberal smears, distortions, what and who painted or did not paint rocks, the latest sound bite, debate brawl, and what magazines they have read lately. I am not interested in some self absorbed hack thinks at a suspect magazine or newspaper.
I want to know these candidate's solutions, ideas, political and business backgrounds, the history of their choices and decisions, successes, and mistakes. I want honest and accurate accounts not spin, speculation, and downright lies. Too much to ask?
Simon Templar| 10.26.11 @ 12:13PM
Tabin, I make it simple for you. We are going to lose because you and the GOP establishment can not show the ability to lead.
People want leadership.
Casey Abell| 10.26.11 @ 12:25PM
All this "weak field" whining is just conservative pundits realizing their only chance to beat Obama is Romney. They can read the poll numbers. And those numbers really get their knickers in a twist.
I'm no big Romney fan myself. But the pundits should come clean. The "weak field" stuff isn't fooling anybody.
Occam's Tool| 10.26.11 @ 1:30PM
Anybody but Paul or Obama.
Hook| 11.16.11 @ 1:55PM
Obama is going to lose. The country isn't going to give him "one more chance," and the enthusiasm for him is gone. I believe OWS has sealed the fate of this incompetent and far left wing president whose only asset is the MSM idiocy.
I disagree with Mr. Tabin which I rarely do on this. He appears to think Obama has a pretty decent chance.