Had the strangest dream last night about a 2016 GOP primary field shakeup

[Del Tachi]

No lying, I legitimately dreamed this last night.

Trump was surging.  Throughout the fall of 2015, he solidified his leads over all of the other candidates in the GOP field - regularly topping polls with over 30% of the vote while the establishment's favorites (Bush, Rubio and Walker) all languished in the single-digits.  What were the establishmentarians to do?  It was obvious that their preferred candidates, Bush and Rubio, were not connecting with voters despite heavy advantages in fundraising and name recognition.  They needed a new candidate.  They needed an anti-Trump.  The answer:  Condoleeza Rice.  She enters the race in mid-September, and immediately polls even with frontrunner Trump.  The race becomes a Trump/Rice battle.

Now, its pretty much established political fact that Condoleeza Rice has no presidential ambitions at this point.  However, as a hypothetical candidate, could she coalesce and clear the establishment side of the field were there a need to?  Would she immediately be established as a frontrunner, and could she take down Trump?

Discuss.  Possible TL in the works.     

[eric82oslo]

According to Princeton Economics (Martin Armstrong) political forecasting, a possible third party ticket is likely to receive more than 30% of the vote in 2016: http://www.armstrongeconomics.com/political-analysis

"The future appears one of rising political discontent. A return to fiscal conservatism and the right wing has become as nuts as the left. Americans will rise once again to a Third Party. To the shock of most, this will exceed the old highs of 30% and 2016 looks like the YEAR FROM HELL!"

Martin Armstrong is said to have predicted the 1987 stock market crash, the 1989 Nikkei stock market top/crash, the 1998 Asian crisis & Russian rouble crisis, the dot com bubble of 2000, the 2007 housing bubble, the 2009 government debt crisis among other economic happenings. Now, apparently he's predicting another government debt meltdown starting around October 1st this year.

Also, there's a an Austrian documentary about him called The Forecaster:
http://inmoviestream.com/play/play.php?movie=4103404
or: https://tv.nrk.no/program/KOID22006615/oekonomens-dystre-spaadom#

(For reviews: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4103404/?ref_=nv_sr_1 )

[dudeabides]

I'll be honest. I think Jeb Bush is the best candidate the GOP has had since Ronald Reagan. But, enter Condi Rice, and I have a dilemma. Rice is a guaranteed general election winner. I'd still probably support Bush, but I'd be almost as happy with Rice.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Isn't Rice pro-choice?

[Wrong about 2024 Ghost]

I'll be honest. I think Jeb Bush is the best candidate the GOP has had since Ronald Reagan. But, enter Condi Rice, and I have a dilemma. Rice is a guaranteed general election winner. I'd still probably support Bush, but I'd be almost as happy with Rice.

Rice is barely Republican by today's standards. Combine that with her being black, female and single and the rightwingnuts will bail on the party, staying home or running Trump, Cruz, or some Tea Party darling as a third party.

[Ljube]

The first part of your dream has already come true.

[Ljube]

There is a way for an establishment candidate to win the Republican primary.

The Establishment should embrace Trump as their candidate.