Just because he indicates he might contend for the nomination doesn't mean he would get it. Look how many GOP candidates did that this time. Moreover, hand wringing about specific candidates now is exceedingly premature. It is an eternity in political terms, and a long way up the greasy pole yet.mamabearCali wrote:JALLEN wrote:This is why Republicans lose. They believe that the perfect is the enemy of good, pretty good, darn good, and everybody else. "Boo, hoo, hoo, hoo! I didn't like Romney, he was to dull, too rich, too Mormon, too blond, too this, too that, not tough enough on immigration, not tough enough on taxes, spending, abortion, etc. for me, so I just sat home and glowered!"
The Communists formerly known as Democrats, OTOH, are so enthusiastic, even after cutting each others throats over the nominations, that even their dead guys get up and vote, and some of the live ones vote 2,3,4 even 6 or 8 times!
All your ideas, values, principles, hopes and dreams are WORTHLESS if your guys aren't in office, control the House, the Senate, the White House, the State House, as many as possible.
Do you think for one second that this country will vote for another Bush?! I don't care if he is perfection on every issue. The media has so completely destroyed that name that there is no way he would be elected. It is precisely because of this that I do not want another Bush. We cannot win with him. Is that pragmatic enough for you?
I am a big fan of George W, and his father. To me, they are the kind of men we need to encourage to serve in office. They bring with them the Cheneys and the Rumsfelds, and other solid performers, intelligent patriotic experienced men and women who can deal with the really tough situations thrown at us constantly.
Jeb is the guy who told his big brother it was OK to park Dad's car on the front lawn, and little brothers cannot be trusted.
Seriously, the people of this country are too stupid, too self-satisfied, too easily duped, too vapid, to be able to pick candidates, and wouldn't recognize it if Jeb turned out to be the perfect man for the job. Frankly, after what that family has endured, I wonder why they would bother.All of us will watch, listen and decide who might be the one, and our conclusions will necessarily be spread amongst a variety of contenders. But, once the decision is made, according to the rules of the party, etc. everyone needs to row the boat in the same direction, rain or shine, sickness or health, or the Commies will take over more and more, appoint more judges, make more rules, spend more and more money, buy more votes, let the borders flow and more besides.
The "perfect" conservative GOP candidate probably cannot win. Presidents win and execute by stitching together big coalitions of voting groups, not just libs or conservatives. Reagan won by emphasizing the 11th Commandment and the Big Tent, and was a tremendous communicator, but measured by conservative principles, was rather a bust. Government grew, the budget expanded, he spent, and did so to bribe the Speaker of the Democrat controlled House into going along with other things he wanted to do.
I realized some time ago that the battle over small government has been lost. Whether the war has been lost or not I can't say, but we have lost every big battle so far, the Wilson battle, the FDR battle, the LBJ battle, the BJ battle, and now Obama. Maybe we will be like the British who lose every battle but the last one!