Can an "Eisenhower Republican" Candidate win the GOP Nomination?

[DevotedDemocrat]

By "Eisenhower Republican", I mean a candidate who doesn't want to get rid/drastically change Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, public education or neutralize/destroy Unions.

Could a moderate to center left Republican (in the vein of Dewey, Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford) ever hope to get the nomination at this point?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

While Dewey was recognized as a "moderate-to-liberal" Republican, Eisenhower was considered a moderate conservative - kind of American "one nation Tory". Nixon and Ford were not liberal even by context of their days, esspecially Dick, who had some "one nation Tory" traits, but, for the love of God, he was one of fathers of the new conservative tide.

Stop trying to place dead politicians in modern context, that's dumb.

[Brewer]

Hell. No.

[barfbag]

I hope so, but probably not. Chris Christie is as close as we'll get. What this country needs is more Republicans like Tom Ridge and less like Ted Cruz.

[Maxwell]

Colin Powell endorsed Obama twice, so no.

[TDAS04]

Nope. 

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The Hell does that even mean?

[Indy Texas]

"It is the responsibility of the federal government to take the lead in making certain that the productivity of our great economic machine is distributed so that no one will suffer."
—Dwight Eisenhower

No.

[Pessimistic Antineutrino]

No, because they would not run for the GOP nomination. Anyone like that would probably be a Moderate D or an independent.

[Reaganfan]

I hope so, but probably not. Chris Christie is as close as we'll get. What this country needs is more Republicans like Tom Ridge and less like Ted Cruz.

Hell even though I'll get flamed for this, I can see a Romney 2016 candidacy doing better in the general election than a Rand Paul 2016 nomination.

I definitely am partial to Bush and Christie. Whether that makes me a new segment of the Republican Party or not, I don't know.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

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Not a chance.

[RogueBeaver]

The Hell does that even mean?

That, plus whenever the Dems nominate a Cleveland Democrat.

[roadkill]

I hope so, but probably not. Chris Christie is as close as we'll get. What this country needs is more Republicans like Tom Ridge and less like Ted Cruz.

I think Christie will win the GOP nomination, but it's unclear how bad will he get beat up in it and how much money will he have to spend.

Christie is also probably the closest to an Eisenhower Republican will get out of the major candidates.

[Pessimistic Antineutrino]

I hope so, but probably not. Chris Christie is as close as we'll get. What this country needs is more Republicans like Tom Ridge and less like Ted Cruz.

Hell even though I'll get flamed for this, I can see a Romney 2016 candidacy doing better in the general election than a Rand Paul 2016 nomination.

I definitely am partial to Bush and Christie. Whether that makes me a new segment of the Republican Party or not, I don't know.

I would say otherwise only because Romney might still be considered damaged goods from 2012, but other than that I would agree.

I would definitely prefer Christie over all other candidates right now-I would certainly take him over an obstructive Tea Partier like Cruz. The Republican Party seems to have gone over the edge from no-compromise conservatism into full-on obstruction. Some of us seem to think that everything Democrats do is pure evil and most be stopped, when in reality blocking everything is much worse than actually compromising and finding a viable solution. Unfortunately, this seems to be the mentality certain wings of the GOP have adopted.

[H. Ross Peron]

No, but he or she can and probably will win the Democratic nomination.

[Lief 🗽]

All the Eisenhower Republicans are Democrats now.

[barfbag]

All the Eisenhower Republicans are Democrats now.

Good point and it's for good reasons too. The parties are half different compared to when Eisenhower was in office. The New England moderates are now Democrats and the socially conservative Democrats are now Republicans.

[badgate]

All the Eisenhower Republicans are Democrats now.

That's funny, 'cause all the Eisenhower Democrats are Republicans now. If they're still alive.

[barfbag]

All the Eisenhower Republicans are Democrats now.

That's funny, 'cause all the Eisenhower Democrats are Republicans now. If they're still alive.

Ted Cruz would be an Eisenhower Democrat along with former senators Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond.

[badgate]

I meant the voters tbh

[Miles]

Pat McCrory calls himself an Eisenhower Republican.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I can see a Romney 2016 candidacy doing better in the general election than a Rand Paul 2016 nomination.

That'd be brutal.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

While Dewey was recognized as a "moderate-to-liberal" Republican, Eisenhower was considered a moderate conservative - kind of American "one nation Tory". Nixon and Ford were not liberal even by context of their days, esspecially Dick, who had some "one nation Tory" traits, but, for the love of God, he was one of fathers of the new conservative tide.

Stop trying to place dead politicians in modern context, that's dumb.

Mostly true.

And what must be remembered is that there are things other than policy to look at. While you can be like "OMG, progressive hero Nixon signed so much liberal legislation", fact was Nixon didn't gave a damn about domestic policy, and anything liberal he signed was in order to help secure his re-election. He helped push the national debate to the right even while governing to what some might call the left. Look at how he demolished McGovern in 1972 for God's sake. Nixon would likely be able to fit in with the Republican party of any time because that's the type of person he was.

Soon, the left will be praising Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush as progressive heroes because they had deficits and Reagan even raised taxes. Meanwhile, the Republicans will look back with nostalgia on the grand old days of pragmatic--even conservative--Democrats like Barack Obama, who knew what the heck they were doing unlike the Democrats of what will then be the modern era. Just look at the way the GOP is willing to view FDR, Truman, Kennedy, and Clinton, and the way Democrats like to talk about Ike and are starting to discuss Nixon and George H.W. Bush.

[hopper]

Pat McCrory calls himself an Eisenhower Republican.

Yeah maybe when he The Mayor Of Charlotte not now definitely not.

[hopper]

I hope so, but probably not. Chris Christie is as close as we'll get. What this country needs is more Republicans like Tom Ridge and less like Ted Cruz.

Hell even though I'll get flamed for this, I can see a Romney 2016 candidacy doing better in the general election than a Rand Paul 2016 nomination.

I definitely am partial to Bush and Christie. Whether that makes me a new segment of the Republican Party or not, I don't know.

I can't see Rand Paul doing worse in terms of the popular vote than McCain did in 2008 receiving 46% of the popular vote. In terms of the electoral college I don't know if Rand would do worse than McCain though.