Categories of 2012 GOP potential candidates

[big bad fab]

Well, what about those categories ?

Sure to run:
Romney
Huckabee
Palin

Sure to run, with more the VP slot in mind:
Pawlenty

If running, with only the VP slot in mind:
Santorum
Barbour
Hutchison
(Crist ?)
(Thune ?)

If running, with more 2016 in mind:
Thune
Cantor

If running, focusing on ideas and influence:
Gingrich
Paul
(Santorum ?)

Already dropped 2012 to concentrate on 2016:
Crist
Jindal
Huntsman
Jeb Bush
Ryan

Potential surprise runs:
Hoeven
Daniels
Bachmann
Rell

Already out:
Sanford
Ensign

[Mr. Morden]

I don't think any of them are sure to run, except maybe Romney.  Palin is sure as heck not sure to run.  I think the chances of her running are < 50%.  Pawlenty is probably the next most likely to run after Romney.

[sentinel]

I think Crist might run in 2012 although it would be hard to do as a new Senator. He has gubernatorial experience and now hes jumping to the Senate for more legislative experience. He's definitely VP material regardless.

[Alexander Hamilton]

My opinion on chances of running...

Pawelnty    90%
Romney     90%
Huckabee  60%
Palin          40%
Gingrich     20%
Barbour      20%
Everyone else less

Thiiiis is corrrecttt

[President Mitt]

I'm not sure Palin will run, she quit on her state 1/2 through her term. She has the EXACT same amount of experience as she did in 2008. I dont think she's that dumb.

[xavier110]

I really hope Palin runs. She wants it badly, but she might wait. I think Gingrich will run; he's a likely candidate, imo.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

If running, focusing on ideas and influence:
Gingrich
Paul
(Santorum ?)

Replace Gingrich with Johnson. Newt can talk a good game, but he's just a born-again neocon who doesn't have the record to back up his attempts to cast himself as a genuine man of ideas in contrast to Barack Obama.

[biggzcorey]

The GOP better hope that either Crist or Pawlenty run. Gingrich, Romney, and Palin are terrible candidates and Huckabee is Bush wrapped in a different package.

[big bad fab]

OK, I take into account. But what I'm more interested in is your opinion on "small" or unlikely candidates (put Mitt, Huck, Sarah and T-Paw aside).

Sure to run:
Romney

Quite sure to run, for the first slot:
Huckabee
Palin

Quite sure to run, with more the VP slot in mind:
Pawlenty

If running, with only the VP slot in mind:
Santorum
Barbour
Hutchison
(Crist ?)
(Thune ?)

If running, with more 2016 in mind:
Thune
Cantor

If running, focusing on ideas and influence:
Gingrich
Paul
(Santorum ?)

Already dropped 2012 to concentrate on 2016:
Crist
Jindal
Huntsman
Jeb Bush
Ryan

Potential surprise runs:
Hoeven
Daniels
Bachmann
Rell

Already out:
Sanford
Ensign

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Huckabee is Bush wrapped in a different package.

True, but then so was Obama and it seemed to work for him.

[biggzcorey]

How so? you may hate both equally, but they do not agree on the issues. You have to at least hate them for different reasons.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

How so? you may hate both equally, but they do not agree on the issues. You have to at least hate them for different reasons.

What issues do they disagree on? There's been no foreign policy change. Obama's economic policies just continue and expand the "stimulus" and "bailout" programs started under Bush. Spending is even more out-of-control. Bush and Obama have both sought to increase the role of government dramatically, including in the field of healthcare. Both administrations are shrouded in secrecy. Both have lied countless times.

I hate them both for the exact same reasons.

[big bad fab]

Errr... we are talking about electoral tactics and predictions here, not about... "ideas".

[biggzcorey]

How so? you may hate both equally, but they do not agree on the issues. You have to at least hate them for different reasons.

What issues do they disagree on? There's been no foreign policy change. Obama's economic policies just continue and expand the "stimulus" and "bailout" programs started under Bush. Spending is even more out-of-control. Bush and Obama have both sought to increase the role of government dramatically, including in the field of healthcare. Both administrations are shrouded in secrecy. Both have lied countless times.

I hate them both for the exact same reasons.

Oh god, you're one of those people

[nhmagic]

How so? you may hate both equally, but they do not agree on the issues. You have to at least hate them for different reasons.

What issues do they disagree on? There's been no foreign policy change. Obama's economic policies just continue and expand the "stimulus" and "bailout" programs started under Bush. Spending is even more out-of-control. Bush and Obama have both sought to increase the role of government dramatically, including in the field of healthcare. Both administrations are shrouded in secrecy. Both have lied countless times.

I hate them both for the exact same reasons.

And Obama is still contracting with Blackwater.

[Zarn]

I don't see much difference between Obama and Bush, either. Obama is just taking it to the next level.