Who will the Repugs run in 2008 ?

[RadiDem]

Assuming the Kerry victory of course, will the Repugs run Rudy or Arnold in an attempt to reach out to 'moderates' ( which of the two is more likely ? ) or will they run a hard core ideologue like Frist and lose in a landlide ?

Thoughts ?

[terrya]

1. Jeb. The Bushes want that dynasty, after all.

[RadiDem]

7. The 'Bush' name will have as much cachet as 'Manson' after Nov

I doubt Jeb will ever be allowed to run.

[Dudley_DUright]

18. I sincerely hope not

It is bad enough to have to suffer under Jeb as Governor. I would leave the country if he ever became president.

[Claire Beth]

8. the public won't go for that n/t

[phillybri]

2. They'll go moderate...Hagel is a possibility...

But don't count out Jeb!

:puke:

[On the Road]

3. It Will be Interesting to Watch

Personally, I'm not the GOP has any good future candidates. Maybe a governor of a medium-sized state somewhere.

[Kilroy003]

16. Governer of MN, Tim Pawlenty.

Pro: Nice enough guy. Makes sense when he speaks and comes off sounding like a fair fellow.

Con: I would never vote for him. His wife is a federal judge and cannot be seen with him in a campaign.

My take: The GOP is too stupid and will run a knuckle dragger like Frist.

[expatriot]

4. McCain...

would be the obvious "reinvention" of the post-Bush Republican Party.
His voting record is conservative as hell but he has a maveric image, the moderate myth that middle america likes.

Arnold can't run... he is foreign born.

[stevedeshazer]

19. I agree, McCain

After everything the Bushes did to McCain in 2000, from the allegations of an illegitimate black child, that he was crazy, that his wife was an addict, he still is giving a keynote speech at the RNC. What other possible motivation could he have?

He knows damned well that Bush is going to lose, and he's positioning himself to pick up the pieces in 2008.

[2Design]

24. won't go with McCain...he is not a stepford brainless twit like GB

[beyurslf]

5. Running Arnold requires a constitutional amendment and passing one

in less than 4 years is highly unlikely.

Rudy is too liberal and has a lot of baggage from a very messy divorce.

McCain or Pataki--a little too liberal maybe-- (assuming he doesn't go for the Senate seat in 06)seem like more likely choices.

[RadiDem]

9. Isn't Orin Hatch already working on an amendment ?

to allow Arnold to run ?

[GiovanniC]

10. That Is a Pandora's Box They Don't Want to Open

Not to say that they're smart enough to realize it. But opening the door for Jennifer Granholm to clean their clocks in the future would be a bad move overall.

[GiovanniC]

6. Frist.

n/t

[Leilani]

11. The Frist rocket has already plunged to earth

His failure as Majority Leader has doomed him.

[GiovanniC]

14. What Republican DOESN'T Have a Collossal Failure On the Ol' Resume?

We haven't seen the last of this guy, I guarantee it.

He didn't spend his youth twisting the heads off of cats for NOTHING.

[Leilani]

15. You may be right...

wishful thinking on my part.

Frist reminds me of an updated Trent Lott...same smarmy babble, disguised as a caring physician.

[onehandle]

12. Trent Lott.

After Bush loses, they will run to their racist base.

[onehandle]

13. oops, please delete.

[calico1]

17. Assuming a Kerry victory

it depends on how wide the margin is. If Kerry wins by a landslide it will be evident that the public rejects the Party's dictatorial rule and I think they'd run a Moderate. Guliani or Pataki would be my guess. Hagel is another possibility. Although I think Jeb is the more intelligent of the Bush brothers, I think he will be rejected by the public. I think he might run but be rejected in favor of one of the above. He won't be able to shake off the corruption of the Fla. election--especially if there are more problems this year. If on the other hand the race is tight and Kerry still wins, then who knows what might happen? But I think it is more likely that the public will reject the far right extremism rather than embrace it.

[FightinNewDem]

20. The Long List

Bill Frist
George Pataki
Rudy Guiliani
Chuck Hagel
Mitt Romney
Tom Ridge
George Allen
Elizabeth Dole
Alan Keyes (hey, he has to keep busy somehow)
Jeb Bush
Mike Huckabee

[Tweed]

22. Chuck Hagel would be very interesting

He would get 100% of the moderates especially if Kerry was in office and did some very liberal things. But would he get enough support from the conservatives?

[Granite]

25. Agree that Romney is a real possibility

He's been awfully high profile recently, and the Boston Globe has been speculating on his possible national aspirations.

As far as I can tell, Romney appears to be a Bushbot, so if there is a true moderate revolution of sorts in the national GOP, he would probably be out in '08. Plus he's a Mormon, and I'm not sure how that plays out with the fundie base of the party.

[Cuban_Liberal]

21. Arnold can't run.

He's not native-born.

[adamrsilva]

23. Someone like Bill Owens from Colorado

They won't run Jeb, especially if George loses. Frist may run, but I hear he has lost favor, and Republicans are smarter than to run a Bush Republican. McCain would never get the rod. Lott would be suicide. No, the Repubs will run a "populist" like Owens, Guiliani, Patacki, etc.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

26. Im thinking Chuck Hagel is their best bet.

of course Guliani would be even better, but since hes a RINO, he isnt going to win any nomination the GOP has to offer.