If Palin wants it, and she does, who could stop her from the Iowa Caucus in '12?

[Lunar]

She'd be like a super-charged, super-well connected, super-popular, beloved Huckabee.  Piss off the WSJ-type she might here and there, but she would raise insane amounts of money relative to her opponents.  Her grasp of national issues will only be better after this election and four years of prep-training.

I think she might be unbeatable in the '12 GOP primary, depending on what the country does in the next four years.

Jindal couldn't beat her in Iowa.  Romney couldn't any more than he could beat Huck.  I think Huck is done running for president himself.

We'll see, but I'd bet money that she'll take the caucus in '12, depending on the odds.

[Lunar]

Jindal could do it - maybe.  Crist - no.  Romney - lol.  Huckabee isn't interested, I agree.  And besides, he doesn't get the same type of enthusiasm she does among the same crowd.

Let's see who else has been talked about.  The Republican party will be so decimated in the Senate, I don't see anyone coming from there.

Huntsman?  Rossi if he gets elected, wouldn't play well there.  Pawlenty?  Somehow, I suspect he's not interested.  Sanford isn't smart enough.

Am I missing anyone?

I suppose it depends on who is willing to get behind the Palin train.  Ed Rollins would, but I don't know if he could muscle the entire operation himself. 

Jindal *might* be able to do it because the top brass, depending on the country's mood, might realize that Palin is not the one that could defeat Obama.  However, everyone knew that Huckabee wasn't the right one to win the '08 election but Iowa *still* went for Huck! 

I'm not sure if anyone could muscle out the amount of volunteer enthusiasm and money that Palin could for the Iowa caucus.  Jindal seems to me to be more of a New Hampshire type of guy, haha. 

I didn't say that Palin would get the nom, or that she would beat Obama, I'm just not sure if anyone could beat her in Iowa. 

Maybe there's someone like Haley Barbour that could give her a run for her money. 

[Lunar]

Jindal maybe could win, but could he win the Iowa Caucus against Palin is the question. 

[Lunar]

Jindal in 2012 would have more experience than Palin had this year- surely that at least qualifies him to be a veep candidate in the eyes of the Republicans (especially if they get desperate).  As far as a presidential candidate, well- look at Obama!

I think if anything 2008 taught us it's that image beats experience in terms of party selection any day.  Of course, if Obama's presidency turns out to be bad, then maybe we'll all be wiser in four years.

It's a question about Iowa.  Clearly Huck didn't have game-clenching credentials but he still won the Iowa caucus.

[Lunar]

I don't think winning Iowa holds as much weight as it once did.  Look at Huckabee. 

That's kinda the point of the thread.  But not the inherent question.

How could Palin be worse positioned than Huckabee?  She's come out as pro-Ethanol, has mad connections, and has even more base appeal.

[Lunar]

Jindal would have a good chance of skipping Iowa and going for New Hampshire though, no?

Or could the religious appeal of Sarah Palin be blunted by Jindal's devout Catholicism in Iowa?

[Lunar]

That social conservatism and economic libealism will really help the GOP expand their base to expand into that critical region of Kentucky and West Virginia.

National party...?

[Lunar]

Oh yeah, you might earn Zell Miller's endorsement, totally forgot.

Miller does have a righteous wind at his back when, in 2004, he accused the Democrats of giving up on the South.  Now the Democrats can almost say the same for the Republicans for the Midwest, Southwest, and especially New England.

Anyway, the Republicans cannot win with that Southern White vibe anymore.  I think Palin has star potential and Huckabee won't run.  Why would Huck run when he has before against mediocre competition and was destroyed by sniping from the business-wing of the GOP party?  Huckabee is a great guy on a personal level and I don't think he thinks he's competitive anymore.  I kind of hope he runs for senate -- I wouldn't cry if he beat Lincoln. 

I don't think Palin has the... bureaucratic talent to run a great campaign, but I don't think Huckabee did either (Rollins only joined his team AFTER Iowa).  The key decisions one makes as a successful candidate are your appointments for top positions.  I kinda think Jindal is one of the more favored candidates in my own books partly because I suspect he has tremendous bureaucratic intelligence and management skills.

It all depends on how vulnerable Obama is, of course.  Typically, and ironically, [obviously] strong incumbents scare away [obviously] strong contenders.  1992 would be a good example of my brackets