Governor building huge Presidential operation...who is it??

[Reaganfan]

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS) doesn't want to talk about whether he'll run for president in 2012 but Politico notes Barbour "is discreetly building a complex political operation rivaling those of any other 2012 GOP presidential prospects."

The key is starting political action committees in states with no contribution limits to raise money for staff, travel and chit-collection.

"A Republican operative close to Barbour said the governor is strongly inclined to run for president because he sees weakness in the field of likely candidates and strength in his own political operation. Many of his advisers, however, have warned him against a bid because his profile -- as a Southern governor and former Washington political operative and superlobbyist with extensive ties to the tobacco industry -- is expected to be a considerable obstacle."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38943.html

[You kip if you want to...]

LOL, Haley Barbour. LOL. Gary Johnson probably has a better chance.

[SvenssonRS]

LOL, Haley Barbour. LOL. Gary Johnson probably has a better chance.

And I have no problem with that.

[You kip if you want to...]

LOL, Haley Barbour. LOL. Gary Johnson probably has a better chance.

And I have no problem with that.

Well, he's better than Barbour.

[Derek]

I'd love a guy like that in the White House.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

LOL, Haley Barbour. LOL. Gary Johnson probably has a better chance.

And I have no problem with that.

Well, he's better than Barbour.

Scary, that I have to agree

[California8429]

I'd see him running, he's always wanted the Presidency, I wonder why the wife changed her thinking, she's what kept him from running in 2008.

My dad is close to him...he's always in Mississippi, or Texas for that matter.

[milhouse24]

He'll run, but I don't see him winning the presidency. 

[Mr. Morden]

http://thehill.com/capital-living/in-the-know/106005-gov-haley-barbours-waistline-suggests-he-will-run-in-2012

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[Dgov]

He'd be an interesting choice.  The Man basically ran the 1994 GOP operation that won so many seats, so as far as organizational experience, he's set.

As for the overall message though, the GOP can do better in terms of a 2012 candidate.  Barbour is the kind of guy you would want running the RNC (again), not being the image of your party.

[Del Tachi]

Haley Barbour would be a wonderful candidate for president.

He is basically a Washington political machine who has friends in very high places and an exhaustable amount of money.  He also handled Katrina very well and is now handling the Gulf oil spill with ease.  Watch out for Barbour in '12.

[ajc0918]

http://thehill.com/capital-living/in-the-know/106005-gov-haley-barbours-waistline-suggests-he-will-run-in-2012

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Ahhh, losing weight. That's a sign he's gonna run.

[feeblepizza]

I would really love to see Daniels run, but I think the man itching at the chance is Haley Barbour. Of course, his wife stopped him from running in 08, so it could quite possibly be Pawlenty or a former Governor like Johnson.

[milhouse24]

He has a better chance at the nomination than the others.  Also, if I were him, I would starve the donors away from Romney, etc.  Haley has all the right connections and influence to prevent the GOP leaders from endorsing Romney.  Haley will do better than Huckabee, Thune, Daniels, and Palin (who won't run).

[Ameriplan]

He has a better chance at the nomination than the others.  Also, if I were him, I would starve the donors away from Romney, etc.  Haley has all the right connections and influence to prevent the GOP leaders from endorsing Romney.  Haley will do better than Huckabee, Thune, Daniels, and Palin (who won't run).

He has the governor's nod, which typically is more powerful in the GOP than the DNC. But remember, this is probably the last time he'd be a contender, since he'd be 68 in '16.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Barbour is the worst collection of GOP stereotypes: fat, white, Southern, a tobacco lobbyist - he'd crash and burn awfully.

[Derek]

He would be a really bad candidate I think but if things were the way they are now with Fort Hood, an oil spill not attended to, unemployment about 7%, and war fought based on Rolling Stone articles, I'd say anyone can beat Obama.

[milhouse24]

He would be a really bad candidate I think but if things were the way they are now with Fort Hood, an oil spill not attended to, unemployment about 7%, and war fought based on Rolling Stone articles, I'd say anyone can beat Obama.

How is Romney better than Haley?  Most of the past presidents have been from the South and the Northerners who've run have all lost.  Romney will lose big time, just like Kerry, Dukakis, Clinton, etc.  Its just a fact of life that the political power is in the south and midwest.

The Christian Conservatives and Military Conservatives ran away from Romney as fast as they could, and Haley will be there to pick up those voters. 

[Yelnoc]

He would be a really bad candidate I think but if things were the way they are now with Fort Hood, an oil spill not attended to, unemployment about 7%, and war fought based on Rolling Stone articles, I'd say anyone can beat Obama.

How is Romney better than Haley?  Most of the past presidents have been from the South and the Northerners who've run have all lost.  Romney will lose big time, just like Kerry, Dukakis, Clinton, etc.  Its just a fact of life that the political power is in the south and midwest.

The Christian Conservatives and Military Conservatives ran away from Romney as fast as they could, and Haley will be there to pick up those voters. 

Romney and Barbour won't be the only two that run, so why would they go to Barbour?

[milhouse24]

He would be a really bad candidate I think but if things were the way they are now with Fort Hood, an oil spill not attended to, unemployment about 7%, and war fought based on Rolling Stone articles, I'd say anyone can beat Obama.

How is Romney better than Haley?  Most of the past presidents have been from the South and the Northerners who've run have all lost.  Romney will lose big time, just like Kerry, Dukakis, Clinton, etc.  Its just a fact of life that the political power is in the south and midwest.

The Christian Conservatives and Military Conservatives ran away from Romney as fast as they could, and Haley will be there to pick up those voters. 

Romney and Barbour won't be the only two that run, so why would they go to Barbour?

Barbour would be the most appealing to Southern Christian Conservatives.  Thune or Daniels might get some, but he's not as charismatic as Barbour.  I don't think Daniels really wants the nomination as badly as Barbour, nor does Daniels have the network or influence that Barbour wields in the RNC.  Who are the other strong Southern Candidates?  Huckabee won't be running, Palin won't be running.  its wide open for Barbour.

[nhmagic]

I hate Romney, yet I would still vote for him over Barbour (R-Tobacco).

As stated in an earlier post, he is a collection of the worst GOP stereotypes.  His slurred southern accent wont help either and paired next to Obama he'll be portrayed as a racist plantation owner as opposed to just a subtle racist as the other candidates will be.

His southern-ness is also a reminder of Bush.  We need a midwestern or western republican paired with Chris Christie to knock off Obama.  If Gregg hadn't pushed TARP so much, I would have been pulling for him.

[milhouse24]

I hate Romney, yet I would still vote for him over Barbour (R-Tobacco).

As stated in an earlier post, he is a collection of the worst GOP stereotypes.  His slurred southern accent wont help either and paired next to Obama he'll be portrayed as a racist plantation owner as opposed to just a subtle racist as the other candidates will be.

His southern-ness is also a reminder of Bush.  We need a midwestern or western republican paired with Chris Christie to knock off Obama.  If Gregg hadn't pushed TARP so much, I would have been pulling for him.

As I've said before it doesn't matter what elitist yankee northerners think, the political power will always reside in the south and midwest and west.  Bill Clinton and GWB won for a reason, and that had to do with their geography.  You may think Barbour is a southern redneck, but people in Iowa and SC will love him, and he'll win their hearts.  I believe most voters choose someone they are comfortable with in a familial sense.  McCain was way too old to be taken seriously, but Barbour would make Obama look like a liberal socialist elitist, and Barbour could make the issue of family values and small town country economic values.  People didn't dislike Bush because he was from the South, they disliked him because he messed up on Iraq.

[nhmagic]

I hate Romney, yet I would still vote for him over Barbour (R-Tobacco).

As stated in an earlier post, he is a collection of the worst GOP stereotypes.  His slurred southern accent wont help either and paired next to Obama he'll be portrayed as a racist plantation owner as opposed to just a subtle racist as the other candidates will be.

His southern-ness is also a reminder of Bush.  We need a midwestern or western republican paired with Chris Christie to knock off Obama.  If Gregg hadn't pushed TARP so much, I would have been pulling for him.

As I've said before it doesn't matter what elitist yankee northerners think, the political power will always reside in the south and midwest and west.  Bill Clinton and GWB won for a reason, and that had to do with their geography.  You may think Barbour is a southern redneck, but people in Iowa and SC will love him, and he'll win their hearts.  I believe most voters choose someone they are comfortable with in a familial sense.  McCain was way too old to be taken seriously, but Barbour would make Obama look like a liberal socialist elitist, and Barbour could make the issue of family values and small town country economic values.  People didn't dislike Bush because he was from the South, they disliked him because he messed up on Iraq.

Wow guys - Ive moved up in the world "elitist yankee northerners".  It only took a month after moving from AZ to NH, but wow, what a difference.   I would be fine with everything you mentioned, except I know that if we run a southerner on the ticket we will lose in 12.  Its not that Barbour isnt good on the issues for the most part, it is that he is so southern that he will serve as a reminder of Bush and Obama will exploit the weakness.  Obama is shrewd we need both someone who looks and is intelligent so they can run circles around his lies and deceptions.

[milhouse24]

I hate Romney, yet I would still vote for him over Barbour (R-Tobacco).

As stated in an earlier post, he is a collection of the worst GOP stereotypes.  His slurred southern accent wont help either and paired next to Obama he'll be portrayed as a racist plantation owner as opposed to just a subtle racist as the other candidates will be.

His southern-ness is also a reminder of Bush.  We need a midwestern or western republican paired with Chris Christie to knock off Obama.  If Gregg hadn't pushed TARP so much, I would have been pulling for him.

As I've said before it doesn't matter what elitist yankee northerners think, the political power will always reside in the south and midwest and west.  Bill Clinton and GWB won for a reason, and that had to do with their geography.  You may think Barbour is a southern redneck, but people in Iowa and SC will love him, and he'll win their hearts.  I believe most voters choose someone they are comfortable with in a familial sense.  McCain was way too old to be taken seriously, but Barbour would make Obama look like a liberal socialist elitist, and Barbour could make the issue of family values and small town country economic values.  People didn't dislike Bush because he was from the South, they disliked him because he messed up on Iraq.

Wow guys - Ive moved up in the world "elitist yankee northerners".  It only took a month after moving from AZ to NH, but wow, what a difference.   I would be fine with everything you mentioned, except I know that if we run a southerner on the ticket we will lose in 12.  Its not that Barbour isnt good on the issues for the most part, it is that he is so southern that he will serve as a reminder of Bush and Obama will exploit the weakness.  Obama is shrewd we need both someone who looks and is intelligent so they can run circles around his lies and deceptions.

For some reason, no one trusts or likes northern politicians outside of the north.  It would be difficult for Haley to win Ohio and Florida, but I am intrigued by the dichotomy of Haley and Obama.  The liberals would unite for Obama, but would the Independents appeal to Haley?  The nascar dads and suburban moms are swing voters.  The Catholics and Hispanics are swing voters.  A lot of people wrote off Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter as rednecks, but they won.  I don't remember Obama going against Bush, he went against McCain.  Meaning, that there is still strong affinity for Bush amongst the Christian Conservatives, military vets, and wall streeters.  McCain was only pretending to be a Bush-lite.  Bush as a compassionate conservative personality was not the problem, it was the puppetmaster Iraq policy.  I don't think its fair to tie every Southerner as a Bush-clone, just like thinking that a Northerner is going to suddenly appeal to the midwest and rural communities.  I also think that Haley is not dumb, he is far smarter than GWB, and I'm sure he would give a better stump speech.  You will be really surprised how much power and influence southerners have, just look at what Huckabee did in 2008.

[nhmagic]

Bush has a residual negative effect that has lasted - and unfortunately, no matter how different a candidate is from Bush, being a southerner is a negative in 2012 because it reminds people.  The accent, the swagger, the whole thing.  Bush's problem was not Iraq so much as it was his FDR-lite approach to everything else, which gave way to the second coming of FDR (except with a pansy foreign policy) in Obama.

We need a Calvin Coolidge type candidate - one who's not afraid to slash taxes and spending, but sounds and looks intellectual.  Christie is attractive for that reason, but because of his social views, it will be difficult for him to make it past a primary, so he should be vice president.