Pawlenty drops out of race

[printdust]

Romney is fixing to burn. His poster-boy politician act the other day was ridiculous. Perry will kick his ass in a debate.

 

[exmediahack]

The disappointing element about Pawlenty leaving the race is that, now, the Republican field is down to a grand total of TWO people who could defeat Obama in a "heads-up" general election.

Romney and Perry.

That's it.

Pawlenty was at the point where he needed four plane crashes and two assassinations to win the Republican nomination but, in a heads up matchup against Obama, he, at least had a shot.

With Pawlenty now out, 94% of Straw Poll voters chose a candidate who either is now out (Pawlenty) or has zero shot of beating Obama in a general election (Bachmann, Paul, Santorum, Cain, Gingrich, etc).

That's why the Straw Poll doesn't matter much anymore.

Pawlenty had his opportunities to make himself known but he didn't take full advantage.

Republicans want to paint themselves as a party of ideas, where action and results trump eloquence. As we see with Pawlenty - who probably had the best ideas and results of the whole bunch - you need to have fire, rhetoric and guts as well. He didn't have enough of those.

Pawlenty could have damaged Romney last month and could have made Bachmann look like an embarrassment in last week's debate. He didn't. So now he's out.

If I'm Obama, I'm funneling some of that $1 billion re-election war chest straight into Bachmann's campaign.

Same reason, as a Republican, I sent $50 to Hillary Clinton in 2008. She would've been easier to defeat in November 2008 than Barack Obama.

 

[suburbia]

Can Romney get nominated without the support from cultural conservatives?

If the other GOP candidates don't get a lot more aggressive in attacking Romney, yes.

 

[suburbia]

The disappointing element about Pawlenty leaving the race is that, now, the Republican field is down to a grand total of TWO people who could defeat Obama in a "heads-up" general election.

Romney and Perry.

That's it.

Pawlenty was at the point where he needed four plane crashes and two assassinations to win the Republican nomination but, in a heads up matchup against Obama, he, at least had a shot.

With Pawlenty now out, 94% of Straw Poll voters chose a candidate who either is now out (Pawlenty) or has zero shot of beating Obama in a general election (Bachmann, Paul, Santorum, Cain, Gingrich, etc).

That's why the Straw Poll doesn't matter much anymore.

Pawlenty had his opportunities to make himself known but he didn't take full advantage.

Republicans want to paint themselves as a party of ideas, where action and results trump eloquence. As we see with Pawlenty - who probably had the best ideas and results of the whole bunch - you need to have fire, rhetoric and guts as well. He didn't have enough of those.

Pawlenty could have damaged Romney last month and could have made Bachmann look like an embarrassment in last week's debate. He didn't. So now he's out.

If I'm Obama, I'm funneling some of that $1 billion re-election war chest straight into Bachmann's campaign.

Same reason, as a Republican, I sent $50 to Hillary Clinton in 2008. She would've been easier to defeat in November 2008 than Barack Obama.

I agree with a lot of what you say. But how do you figure Hillary Clinton would have been easier to beat than Obama?

If anything, Hillary Clinton would have been the safer candidate. Plus blue collar Democrats would have had an easier time voting for her than Obama.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

The ONE guy who currently polls as being able to beat BO in national popular vote is, of all people . . . Rudy.

And he's yet to be seriously heard from.
.
But if he wants to give it a go, he's going to have to amble off the bench and get his hands dirty.
And given the money he's making, he may not be hungry enough to do that.

 

[printdust]

The disappointing element about Pawlenty leaving the race is that, now, the Republican field is down to a grand total of TWO people who could defeat Obama in a "heads-up" general election.

Romney and Perry.

That's it.

Pawlenty was at the point where he needed four plane crashes and two assassinations to win the Republican nomination but, in a heads up matchup against Obama, he, at least had a shot.

With Pawlenty now out, 94% of Straw Poll voters chose a candidate who either is now out (Pawlenty) or has zero shot of beating Obama in a general election (Bachmann, Paul, Santorum, Cain, Gingrich, etc).

That's why the Straw Poll doesn't matter much anymore.

Pawlenty had his opportunities to make himself known but he didn't take full advantage.

Republicans want to paint themselves as a party of ideas, where action and results trump eloquence. As we see with Pawlenty - who probably had the best ideas and results of the whole bunch - you need to have fire, rhetoric and guts as well. He didn't have enough of those.

Pawlenty could have damaged Romney last month and could have made Bachmann look like an embarrassment in last week's debate. He didn't. So now he's out.

If I'm Obama, I'm funneling some of that $1 billion re-election war chest straight into Bachmann's campaign.

Same reason, as a Republican, I sent $50 to Hillary Clinton in 2008. She would've been easier to defeat in November 2008 than Barack Obama.

Pawlenty intrigued me but it's not about ideas or getting things done in D.C. It's about money and the same mindset shirt that once was about the Student Council elections these people ran in.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

The disappointing element about Pawlenty leaving the race is that, now, the Republican field is down to a grand total of TWO people who could defeat Obama in a "heads-up" general election.

Romney and Perry.

That's it.

Pawlenty was at the point where he needed four plane crashes and two assassinations to win the Republican nomination but, in a heads up matchup against Obama, he, at least had a shot.

With Pawlenty now out, 94% of Straw Poll voters chose a candidate who either is now out (Pawlenty) or has zero shot of beating Obama in a general election (Bachmann, Paul, Santorum, Cain, Gingrich, etc).

That's why the Straw Poll doesn't matter much anymore.

Pawlenty had his opportunities to make himself known but he didn't take full advantage.

Republicans want to paint themselves as a party of ideas, where action and results trump eloquence. As we see with Pawlenty - who probably had the best ideas and results of the whole bunch - you need to have fire, rhetoric and guts as well. He didn't have enough of those.

Pawlenty could have damaged Romney last month and could have made Bachmann look like an embarrassment in last week's debate. He didn't. So now he's out.

If I'm Obama, I'm funneling some of that $1 billion re-election war chest straight into Bachmann's campaign.

Same reason, as a Republican, I sent $50 to Hillary Clinton in 2008. She would've been easier to defeat in November 2008 than Barack Obama.

Pawlenty intrigued me but it's not about ideas or getting things done in D.C. It's about money and the same mindset shirt that once was about the Student Council elections these people ran in.

Pawlenty's sustained ability to stir juices was low, and it did him in.

 

[suburbia]

The ONE guy who currently polls as being able to beat BO in national popular vote is, of all people . . . Rudy.

And he's yet to be seriously heard from.
.
But if he wants to give it a go, he's going to have to amble off the bench and get his hands dirty.
And given the money he's making, he may not be hungry enough to do that.

And do you think the GOP base will accept a pro-choice, socially-moderate (if not liberal) Republican?

If a Republican wins next year, I could definitely see Giuliani being appointed to head Homeland Security or maybe even the Justice Department. But he's never going to be President.

 

[Beaker]

I know a few relatively moderate Republicans who might just be tempted not to vote if Perry wins the GOP nomination.

 

[HejiraHenry]

The disappointing element about Pawlenty leaving the race is that, now, the Republican field is down to a grand total of TWO people who could defeat Obama in a "heads-up" general election.

Romney and Perry.

That's it.

And that will be enough.

 

[exmediahack]

The disappointing element about Pawlenty leaving the race is that, now, the Republican field is down to a grand total of TWO people who could defeat Obama in a "heads-up" general election.

Romney and Perry.

That's it.

Pawlenty was at the point where he needed four plane crashes and two assassinations to win the Republican nomination but, in a heads up matchup against Obama, he, at least had a shot.

With Pawlenty now out, 94% of Straw Poll voters chose a candidate who either is now out (Pawlenty) or has zero shot of beating Obama in a general election (Bachmann, Paul, Santorum, Cain, Gingrich, etc).

That's why the Straw Poll doesn't matter much anymore.

Pawlenty had his opportunities to make himself known but he didn't take full advantage.

Republicans want to paint themselves as a party of ideas, where action and results trump eloquence. As we see with Pawlenty - who probably had the best ideas and results of the whole bunch - you need to have fire, rhetoric and guts as well. He didn't have enough of those.

Pawlenty could have damaged Romney last month and could have made Bachmann look like an embarrassment in last week's debate. He didn't. So now he's out.

If I'm Obama, I'm funneling some of that $1 billion re-election war chest straight into Bachmann's campaign.

Same reason, as a Republican, I sent $50 to Hillary Clinton in 2008. She would've been easier to defeat in November 2008 than Barack Obama.

I agree with a lot of what you say. But how do you figure Hillary Clinton would have been easier to beat than Obama?

If anything, Hillary Clinton would have been the safer candidate. Plus blue collar Democrats would have had an easier time voting for her than Obama.

Not saying McCain would have beaten Hillary as the "Republican Brand" in 2008 was at Enron-levels. He ran a horrendous, Bob-Dole-in-96ish campaign.

However, Hillary had really high "negatives" as Obama really was treated with kid gloves for nearly all of the campaign. Hillary was skewered for crying in New Hampshire. Obama's thin resume was overlooked for his eloquence.

From a, purely, political end, Hillary wouldn't have energized minorities and people "18-to-25" to vote in all of the swing states that Obama won (VA, NC, FL, IN, IA, NV, OH).

No way an indifferent college kid, in 2008, was going to stand two hours in line to vote for Hillary Clinton. Yet millions did for Barack Obama. There's your difference.

That's why, if I'm a Democrat, I'm sending a check to Bachmann. Even if she doesn't win the nomination, that means she will stick around longer...meaning Romney or Perry have to spend more money to finally knock her off.

As for the Bachmann Crazies, they need to understand the difference between "sticking up for your principles" and winning an election that can help further your cause. What's the good in "sticking up", only to win 38%.

Just look at Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell. Both Nevada and Delaware were ripe for Republican takeover in the Senate. But...nope.. Republicans didn't look at the big picture. And, now, they really wish they had those two votes in their back pocket.

Every time Bachmann wins something like the Iowa Straw Poll, that only brings in more money for her...which means it will take Romney or Perry that much more money to "knock her off"...which means Obama has a better chance at winning next November.

 

[Moderator1]

There's news here so we'll let this go a while, so long as it stays civil. We've proven we CAN discuss politics as adults. Sadly, we've proven more times that we can't. So let's prove me wrong on this one. Please.

That said - wake me up in March. What is going on now is like getting jacked up because the Nats are up three on the Phillies in the first inning. LONG way to go and by the time the seventh rolls around, the Phils will be up 10 and nothing that happened two hours ago will matter.

See who's standing in March and let's start the talking. And while I'm a Dem and an Obama supporter, I could be convinced to go another direction. Nothing I've seen thus far has made me even think about it.

Maybe in March. Right now, it's all noise.