John Huntsman

[_ajax18]

Who can deny that voters didn't stay home simply over the Mormonism issue as well.

[_beastie]

I think Huntsman would have done better than Romney, at the very least. I think Romney's willingness to shape-shift, be pretty openly dishonest in his ads, and refuse to stand up EVER to the extremes in his party but instead try to appease them resulted in a loss of possible independent votes. Maybe I just haven't seen enough of Huntsman, but I got the impression from him that he wouldn't engage in those sort of tactics. I know my staunchly democrat Mormon parents would have actually considered voting for Huntsman, but voting for Romney was completely out of the question.

[_beastie]

If he had, could he have won the election?

No. In part, Romney wasn't conservative enough and so voters weren't excited and stayed home. Huntsman would have been worse. Plus, if you want liberalism, why vote for other than the real deal? Hence no Democrats would have been peeled off.

It will be interesting to see which course the republican party takes. There are many who agree with bcspace, and Romney wasn't conservative enough. They said that about McCain, too. If that idea wins, then what sort of candidate will we see from the republicans in 2016?

Outside this bubble within the ideologues of the right, like bcspace, I think most people recognize that nominating uber conservatives will result in even more catastrophic losses for the republican party, but it's very possible that is what their response will be.

I mean, really. Romney adopted very conservative stances throughout the election, with the exception of his turn toward moderation at the first debate. So just what kind of candidate would be MORE conservative? Todd Aiken? Someone who'd like to give law officials the right to shoot illegals on sight?

[_ajax18]

Right now it looks like their best bet is nominating a brown guy or gal with fiscally conservative policies.

Just opening border won't be enough. Latinos, single women, old people... they all want their welfare. Whoever is nominated by either party, he sure can't represent the interests of working people and hope to be elected.

[_beastie]

Right now it looks like their best bet is nominating a brown guy or gal with fiscally conservative policies.

Just opening border won't be enough. Latinos, single women, old people... they all want their welfare. Whoever is nominated by either party, he sure can't represent the interests of working people and hope to be elected.

If you think that simply having a minority candidate will solve this problem, you don't understand the problem.

[_ajax18]

I don't think just having a minority candidate will win the election. I don't even think just being sensitive to the "takers," by not talking about it will enchant them into voting for a Republican. You have to strip the wages of the working and give it to those who won't work to win an election.

[_beastie]

I don't think just having a minority candidate will win the election. I don't even think just being sensitive to the "takers," by not talking about it will enchant them into voting for a Republican. You have to strip the wages of the working and give it to those who won't work to win an election.

So you think people who refuse to work all voted for Obama, and that's why he won?

[_EAllusion]

He seems to think that 47% of the country doesn't pay taxes and that they all voted Obama. From reading his posts, I imagine him thinking that half of the United States are a bunch of welfare queens refusing to work in preference for a passable living on the government dole. Which is insane, but there you have it.

Ajax - Many of the people you are calling "takers" paid out a higher percentage of their net increase in worth in taxes than Mitt Romney did. Just because you don't pay income tax doesn't mean you aren't on the hook for FICA, sales taxes, etc.

[_EAllusion]

The fact that Huntsman couldn't get more than a trickle of support in the Republican primaries despite having way disproportionate coverage from the media acting as a wind in his sails suggests we weren't looking at someone capable of putting together a Juggernaut of a political campaign.

[_moksha]

No. In part, Romney wasn't conservative enough and so voters weren't excited and stayed home.

Is there any way the GOP could entice a Rush Limbaugh/Glenn Beck ticket for the next election? That should bring them out of woodshed and compounds.