Is there a viable Republic Candidate?

[HopeHoops]

I know, I know - that's funny, but seriously - is there?

[lumberjack_jeff]

1. Define viable. Diebold is a viability machine. n/t

[HopeHoops]

2. "Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

[Scuba]

3. +1

[asjr]

4. I am afraid Diebold will elect our next

president taking all the glory away from SCOTUS.

[Proud Public Servant]

5. Yes

It's all well and good to laugh at them, but Obama's numbers are in a place where incumbents traditionally lose, and the economy is in a place where the electorate tends to look for a new leader. I think only Romney or Perry have a realistic chance, but suppose it's one of them. I've laid this out before, but here's what it comes to, I think:

It's all about the electoral college. Last time Obama won 365-173. But demographics have shifted with the 2010 census, so that today, carrying all the same states (plus the NE-1), his 2008 margin would be 359-179. That's a margin of 89 votes. Now, bearing in mind that Obama hatred runs most rampant in the South and in rural areas, ask the following:

a) Is he going to pick up any states he didn't carry in 2008?
b) Is he going to carry Florida again? (29 votes)
c) Is he going to carry Indiana again? (11 votes)
d) Is he going to carry Virginia again? (13 votes)
e) Is he going to carry North Carolina again? (15 votes)
f) Is he going to carry Ohio again? (18 votes)
g) Is he going to carry Pennsylvania again? (20 votes)
h) Is he going to carry Nevada again? (6 votes)
i) Is he going to carry New Hampshire again? (4 votes)

I would say, realistically, the answer to "a" is "no"; if a state stayed red at the height of Obama's popularity, it'll be red again next year.

Now look at b-i; that list represents 116 votes, of which Obama needs to retain 27, plus everything he took in 2008, to get to 270.

Do you see any sure things up there? I don't. In fact, I'd say b-d are almost certain red states this time around, which could mean the whole election will turn on his ability to retain most of e-i. If it's Perry, I think he's in better shape; I don't think Perry's going to play all that well north of the Mason Dixon and East of the Mississippi. But Romney could easily challenge him in every one of those states. He's got a hell of a fight on his hands, and we'd be foolish to be complacent about it.

[L0oniX]

6. Oxymoron. n/t

[zbdent]

7. with the current "liberally biased media"?

any of them.

[applegrove]

8. Romney does not 'pop'. Obama does. Plus Obama can run on trying to create jobs.

Plus Obama is real and not running on pie in the sky theories which are really just propaganda to get people to vote against their own best interests. Romney is a phony. People know that (especially in repuke circles). Americans hunger for someone who is real and will really help the economic crisis. That is not Romney.