Who would be the easiest Republican to defeat, that could still win the primary?

[LoZoccolo]

I know it's easy to say that Roy Moore would be easy to beat, but I don't think he'll make it. Now if Rudolf Guiliani ran, I think he could grab the nomination but lose the general. Which of the Republican candidates do you think we should be pulling for...to go down in defeat!

[Olney Blue]

1. McCain

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. If they keep up the present course of bullshit, they could run any of

them unopposed & still lose.

[Cobalt-60]

3. Let them place Jeb Bush on the ticket

I want this turd to bask in the warmth generated by his brother while it is still hot and fresh.

[Initech]

4. Romney - the fundie assholes are the easiest.

Then of course, you get just plain assholes like Bush and Reagan and those are the guys who wind up winning.

[KingofNewOrleans]

5. They all look easy to beat right now

Though I'd still give the edge to McCain, maybe because he's the one I'd most like to see beaten.

[ShortnFiery]

6. Duncan Hunter?

:rofl: Sorry, he's not viable but I just love the comedy of "Duncan Hunter for President!"

The man has totally forbidden himself from EVER putting the IC on Democrat. :P ;)

Send in the clowns? Indeedy!

http://www.gohunter08.com/Home.aspx

[Spirochete]

19. We've had a Drunken Hunter for Vice president

for 6 years. No way we're electing another one for president. hehe

[knight_of_the_star]

22. You mean pres for 6 years, right?

There's no way Bush is really running the show.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

23. I am afraid he is viable

Duncan Hunter has always been something of a punchline for me, but it the Republicans decide to go the red meat route (as their base is all they have left) Hunter could get the nomination.

He has paid his dues in the Republican Party by any standard and he isn't as polarizing a figure as McCain is.

Many of the more fiscal conservative elements don't like him, but the angry white dudes would love him.

[aquart]

7. Not our business.

[jobycom]

8. I don't know. It's all looking too easy right now. Problem with a party being as low as Republicans

are right now is that they can only go up. Which runs the risk of them rising just in time to look like they have momentum in 2008.

I think the candidate with the best chance of catching an updraft is McCain. Guiliani has skeletons, and is gruff. I think our top five can beat him. McCain has been charming in the past, and has made people, even Democrats to some degree, trust him. He's the danger.

It's hard to imagine any of them as president. But it was hard to imagine Bush as president backin 98. Especially if you were in Texas and had followed him at all.

[Colobo]

9. Hunter

McCain or Romney.

[fuzzyball]

10. Newt....... amongst Rudy, McCain & Mitt..... eom

[Meldread]

11. At this moment in time, any of them.

We're going to have a Democratic President in 2008 and our control over congress will also expand. If Obama wins the nomination I think he will do for us what Reagan did for the Republicans, and we will have effectively locked the right out of the government for the foreseeable future. All of it will be thanks to George W. Bush.

McCain might have been a threat, but his constant support of Bush and the radical right has destroyed his chances. I predict that whoever we run will win by a 10 to 15 point margin. Giuliani might be able to close that gap if he runs against Hillary, since they are similar on many of the issues and if Nader runs he might also siphon off some of her votes.

The Religious Right is unhappy with the Republicans over the loss of congress, because their social issues were never passed. (No Constitutional Amendment making gay people second class citizens, and no overturning of Roe vs Wade.) They are apathetic and feel that the party "blew their chances". They won't be very inclined to go out and vote for a nominee, especially if it looks like either McCain or Giuliani have it tied up. Even though they are both courting the right wing of their party now, they have long memories and won't easily forget how they've been spurned by them both. McCain would be the "best" choice for them, but it would be a hard pill to swallow, simply because Giuliani is pro-gay rights and pro-choice (even if he is backtracking - it doesn't make a difference to them).

[Bonobo]

12. I say McCain.

[Alcibiades]

13. Newt followed by Romney

I don't think anyone who has been out of office for as long as Newt has has ever been a successful presidential candidate. Plus, he really is an extremist, ans still has sharp negatives. Romney's also bad for them, as he's from Massachusetts, the losingest state for nominees, he's only held elected office for four years, and he's flip-flopped badly, most notably on abortion.

McCain's the most credible candidate, but lots of conservatives are under the impression he's a liberal Republic. Also, he's a senator, and, although every senator seems to think they are qualified to be President, when is the last time that the electorate agreed with them?

I'm most afraid of an unknown, southern governor. Mike Huckabee is too far right, thankfully, to win a general election, and, because so many folks are already concerned about the influence of evangelicals in politics, I don't think a freaky creationist like him can win. Jim Gilmore of Virginia I know less about. He's held elected office off and on (mainly on) for twenty years, and is a former RNC chair. Tommy Thompson is also a little scary.

[ThoughtCriminal]

14. Cheney

Seems absurd, but remember - these are Republican Primaries.

... And he can just tell them that they aren't allowed to run against him.

[Meldread]

15. LOL! Cheney / Rumsfeld '08!

I'd sign a petition to draft THAT Republican Ticket.

[Superman Returns]

16. Romney

He is the best compromise candidate the GOP has as far as appeasing social conservatives and moderates. However, he is the most beatable. For the record, I don't think Brownback, Hunter, and Tancredo can win the primary. As far as who I think can win: McCain, Guiliani (barely barely can), Romney, and Huckabee.

[Doondoo]

17. Giuliani - The dirty laundry in his personal life is just unbelievable.

[cali]

18. They are ALL- every last one of them-

eminently beatable. It's ours to lose. Truly. Even with the media stacked against us, barring something extraordinary, the repukes face a climate more hostile to them than anytime since 1976.

[CK_John]

20. All the GOP announced candidates are just place holders, They run

because its good for business. Their business. The party elders have not decided yet on their front person. They know they need a new image. Pro green, non military, pleasant personality, non crazy, mainline church goer, long marriage, and most important boring.

Why? Because this is not win cycle for them, just a beat Hillary movement. So how will they do this? Easy, make it a New York election. Sort of send in the clowns. They will run Pataki on the GOP line. Bloomberg on the IND line. And hope for the lowest turnout on record. "Make it boring" will be their meme.

[knight_of_the_star]

21. Newt Gingrich

He will run on family values and we can pull out his marital record, his arrogance, him shutting down Congress, he's an easy target. That and he has the nostalgia appeal and would have an easier time appealing to the hard right to win the primaries.