2008 Mock Republican primary (Republicans only for voting)

[Joe Republic]

This is a list of potential and/or likely candidates for the 2008 Republican nomination.  If you consider yourself as likely to vote for the Republican party in 2008, please make your choice.  Anyone can comment in this thread, but please only vote if you are a Republican.

If you feel that somebody has been left off this ballot, please feel free to write-in as a comment.

[Joe Republic]

Powell, although there is no chance that he will run.

Also, I doubt that only republicans will vote in this and only democrats will vote in the other

True, but I thought I'd try and see if we could get a fairly accurate look at how Republicans view their own candidates and likewise for the Democrats.

[Joe Republic]

Four Words: A Governor or ex-Governor.

If not Dole, then I agree with you.  No Senators and no Southerners.  Those are my only two rules.

Some good rules, which apply to both parties if the South/North is reversed.  Which is the first mistake the Democrats made with choosing John Kerry.

[Joe Republic]

Pawlenty is good
Kyl is very sharp

after that it gets might thin...

If Jeb had a different last name he would be the clear frontrunner.

Don't know enough about Pawlenty to comment.

Kyl has some unusual assets for a Senator.

His integrity is a byword in my state.

He also is very soft spoken, and he works well with others.

He's very hard working and highly knowledgeable.

Even better, he understands basic concepts.

Last time, the Democrats didn't even put up a sacraficial lamb against him.

Unfortunately though, given the choice of the two senators from Arizona, the ordinary Republican is bound to vote for the more well-known.  Kyl is being completely upstaged.

[Joe Republic]

Excellent candidate analysis, SamSpade.

The trick to staying in the White House for the Republicans is to nominate someone who:
1. Is not a senator.  Or even worse, a House Rep.  Governors are the way to go.
2. Is not from the South, or any other safe Republican states.
3. Will make the ticket a balance of moderate-conservative or vice versa.  A moderate nominee at the top of the ticket will help heal the current rift between left and right.
4. Is not the current Vice President.  I doubt he'll run, and he's said he won't, but unless the Republicans plan to crash and burn in November 2008, Dick Cheney would be a terrible choice.

[Joe Republic]

where is Snowe?

Probably somewhere in Maine

I guess I forgot about her.  But she won't run because she knows she won't win any primaries (except Maine I guess).  She's not very popular with most Republicans because she's a liberal RINO.

[Joe Republic]

Good grief, your primary's all over the place! No clear front-runner, I'm surprised

Dave

It certainly seems so.  The current front-runners with only 5 votes each (out of 60) are John McCain, which this thread has established is old and unpopular, and Dick Cheney, who......oh.