who do you THINK will win the 2012 Republican nomination?

[Frodo]

Huntsman is his own special case; he's never going to get anywhere near the nomination.

Not even in 2016?

[exopolitician]

I feel like the establishment will throw its weight behind Daniels and he'll ultimately win it, if he runs anyway.

Won't the establishment at least be split if Romney is in? Or do you think that he will crash and burn?

Most of the establishment doesn't seemed too thrilled with Romney right now anyways.

[Penelope]

T-Paw has no name recognition ...

The fact that his nickname is T-Paw is proof that he has name recognition.

[RogueBeaver]

Last I checked it was 45%, which doesn't hold a candle to Romney and Gingrich. Mostly the problem is his incredible blandness. He's been basically jumping up and down, waving his hands and yelling without anyone noticing or saying much more than "Meh." Even advocating DADT repeal caused barely a ripple, if one of the better-known contenders had done that it would've had a whole news cycle devoted to it.

[Penelope]

Last I checked it was 45%, which doesn't hold a candle to Romney and Gingrich. Mostly the problem is his incredible blandness. He's been basically jumping up and down, waving his hands and yelling without anyone noticing or saying much more than "Meh." Even advocating DADT repeal caused barely a ripple, if one of the better-known contenders had done that it would've had a whole news cycle devoted to it.

True enough, but sadly he's probably going to place second in the primaries.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Huntsman is his own special case; he's never going to get anywhere near the nomination.

Not even in 2016?

Not unless the Republican Party pulls a 180 on gay rights in the next five years and forgets that he worked for Obama.

[zorkpolitics]

I guess Romney

[milhouse24]

I'm sticking with the Romney conventional wisdom until I see a Republican candidate (who's likely to actually run) that doesn't fall into one of the two groups that all the current likely candidates fall into: boring (Daniels/Pawlenty) or unelectable (Gingrich/Barbour). Huntsman is his own special case; he's never going to get anywhere near the nomination.

why would you think Barbour is unelectable, because he is a governor who is a fat southern redneck, just like some other guy from Arkansas who won. 

Side note, christian conservatives hate Romney.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

I'm sticking with the Romney conventional wisdom until I see a Republican candidate (who's likely to actually run) that doesn't fall into one of the two groups that all the current likely candidates fall into: boring (Daniels/Pawlenty) or unelectable (Gingrich/Barbour). Huntsman is his own special case; he's never going to get anywhere near the nomination.

why would you think Barbour is unelectable, because he is a governor who is a fat southern redneck, just like some other guy from Arkansas who won. 

Side note, christian conservatives hate Romney.

Clinton wasn't a tobacco lobbyist, nor did he sound like Boss Hogg when he talked. And then there are Barbour's issues with race relations.

[Brittain33]

I'm sticking with the Romney conventional wisdom until I see a Republican candidate (who's likely to actually run) that doesn't fall into one of the two groups that all the current likely candidates fall into: boring (Daniels/Pawlenty) or unelectable (Gingrich/Barbour). Huntsman is his own special case; he's never going to get anywhere near the nomination.

why would you think Barbour is unelectable, because he is a governor who is a fat southern redneck, just like some other guy from Arkansas who won. 

Side note, christian conservatives hate Romney.

Clinton wasn't a tobacco lobbyist, nor did he sound like Boss Hogg when he talked. And then there are Barbour's issues with race relations.

There's also the factor of holding your own base and then making inroads into the other side. There's a reason Colin Powell was considered a dream candidate for Republicans in the 1990s, but Obama was seen as a great risk.

[milhouse24]

I'm sticking with the Romney conventional wisdom until I see a Republican candidate (who's likely to actually run) that doesn't fall into one of the two groups that all the current likely candidates fall into: boring (Daniels/Pawlenty) or unelectable (Gingrich/Barbour). Huntsman is his own special case; he's never going to get anywhere near the nomination.

why would you think Barbour is unelectable, because he is a governor who is a fat southern redneck, just like some other guy from Arkansas who won. 

Side note, christian conservatives hate Romney.

Clinton wasn't a tobacco lobbyist, nor did he sound like Boss Hogg when he talked. And then there are Barbour's issues with race relations.

There's also the factor of holding your own base and then making inroads into the other side. There's a reason Colin Powell was considered a dream candidate for Republicans in the 1990s, but Obama was seen as a great risk.

The Republicans need a maverick, someone who will buck the conservative party and reach out to women, pro-choicers, anti-lobbyist, pro-campaign reform, war hero, anti-religious.  If the republicans nominate someone like that, they will surely win.  I know someone like that exists, he is my hero and he will be president some day.  He would win in a landslide!  Duh!

[milhouse24]

I'm sticking with the Romney conventional wisdom until I see a Republican candidate (who's likely to actually run) that doesn't fall into one of the two groups that all the current likely candidates fall into: boring (Daniels/Pawlenty) or unelectable (Gingrich/Barbour). Huntsman is his own special case; he's never going to get anywhere near the nomination.

why would you think Barbour is unelectable, because he is a governor who is a fat southern redneck, just like some other guy from Arkansas who won. 

Side note, christian conservatives hate Romney.

Clinton wasn't a tobacco lobbyist, nor did he sound like Boss Hogg when he talked. And then there are Barbour's issues with race relations.

It depends who would be the VP for Barbour.  Also, I know all the Black voters will vote against Obama if just the right Republican candidate comes along and convinces them, duh! 
Maybe the liberal media can convince one of them is hitler.
The republican party will live or die with the southern evangelical vote.  They will win once they add the Perot-Tea Party Deficit voters.