Hotshots of 2012

[AltWorlder]

Back in 2004, people were talking about Hillary's imminent run and Obama's future career already.  Who are the equivalents for 2012?

I think the GOP side is most interesting.  After 8 years of Bush and the old guard, if McCain loses, the GOP will redefine itself I think, try to emulate Obamessiah (no offense meant- I just like the pun) with their own new blood.

I think Huckabee will be important, assuming he doesn't pull a George Allen in the long four years.  Economic populism is the way to go, people, and Huckabee's media-saavy enough.  I'm just not sure if he'll be able to stay relevant.

And of course, I still think big things about Piyush "Bobby" Jindal and Sarah Palin.  There are young people in the GOP?  Who are conservatives, and minorities?  (Women are close enough to minorities in American politics, especially with the Republicans.)  That blows my mind.  If either of their anti-corruption governorships go well, they will be a very strong footing.

Heck, don't even think about presidential candidates yet.  What about Republican leaders?  Who will be the standard-bearers of the party?  If and when McCain loses in November, how will the GOP be able to wander out of the wilderness?

On the Dem side I think we'll see Mark Warner.  He's probably doing what Hillary did in '04- biding his time to emerge at the right moment to sweep the party by a storm.  Does anyone think that Edwards or any of the other '08 candidates (Richardson?) will run again?

[YRABNNRM]

Should Obama end up losing the nomination in someway and Hillary loses the general, I would be surprised if he didn't run again in 2012 after coming so close, despite what his wife may say about it being 2008 or never. I think he would be a much stronger candidate.

[Person Man]

Yeah, it will probably be:

GOPPERs
Palin
Jindal
Martinez
Owens

Dems
Warner
Bayh
Easley
Vilsack

[Mr. Morden]

Yeah, it will probably be:

GOPPERs
Palin
Jindal
Martinez
Owens

Martinez is ineligible, as he was born in Cuba.

[Meeker]

Owens is going through a nasty divorce last I heard, and I never got the feeling Colorado liked him that much... nor does he really have any sort of "it" factor in him

[Reaganfan]

2012 for Republicans:

(R-FL) Frm. Gov. Jeb Bush
(R-MN) Gov. Tim Pawlenty
(R-PA) Frm. Sen. Rick Santorum
(R-FL) Gov. Charlie Crist
(R-AR) Frm. Gov. Mike Huckabee

2012 for Democrats:

(D-IL) Sen. Barack Obama
(D-VA) Sen. Mark Warner
(D-NM) Gov. Bill Richardson

[AltWorlder]

(R-FL) Frm. Gov. Jeb Bush

Sorry, but the name is too strong, barring unforeseen circumstances.

(R-PA) Frm. Sen. Rick Santorum

Isn't he as old and tired as Tom DeLay, Bill Frist, and the other moralists who were at the forefront after the Republican victories of 2004?

(D-NM) Gov. Bill Richardson

Hm, I'm not too sure about being a presidential candidate (surely the Dems have someone who is even better than Hillary, Obama, or Edwards by 2012), but he'll be a solid VP, as always.  I must confess that I'm one of those people who didn't realize that he was Hispanic until being told, to be honest.

[Verily]

Yeah, it will probably be:

GOPPERs
Palin
Jindal
Martinez
Owens

Dems
Warner
Bayh
Easley
Vilsack

Vilsack will have been out of office for six years, and he couldn't even gain traction this year. Not happening. Similar goes for Easley unless he runs for Senate in 2010.

[pragmatic liberal]

Jindal's a possibility, although he may wait until 2016 hoping for a race without an incumbent. It's actually the exception, not the rule, for the party's nominee to be a small-state governor -- usually big or medium-sized-but-economically-significant (i.e. Massachusetts). Clinton was the exception in '92. However, Jindal's status as a rising star could well compensate for that.

I doubt Palin would, on her own, be considered a plausible presidential nominee -- governor of a state with under a million people may not be seen as a qualification. However, if she is picked as VP in 2012 or eventually gets to the Senate, she could be a very plausible Republican nominee.

Otherwise, I imagine Mitt Romney will run (though I doubt he'll do very well); the governor of Utah, Jim Huntsman, might run. Sen. John Thune or Sen. Richard Burr could run. As could Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota.

Honestly, the GOP has a somewhat poor bench right now. No big state governors (who are eligible) exc. Charlie Crist who is subject to rumors about his sexuality and is probably too moderate for the conservatives in the party, no high-profile senators outside McCain, no major cabinet members who aren't tainted by the Bush administration.

Dino Rossi (defeated 2004 Washington governor nominee) must really be ruing those 100+ votes that defeated him; had he won in 2004 and been reelected this year, he'd be a very strong prospect as a presidential nominee in 2012.

On the Democratic side, I'd expect to see Obama run again if he fails to win the nomination this year (and I could even see him running again even if wins the nomination but loses the election). Eliot Spitzer will probably run, assuming he can repair his approval ratings in New York. If Obama DOESN'T run, then Deval Patrick might (again, like Spizer, if he can bring his approval ratings back up). Chet Culver of Iowa may run, Bill Ritter of Colorado may run. From the Senate, soon-to-be-Sen. Mark Warner may run, Sen. Sherrod Brown may run, as may Evan Bayh.

[HappyWarrior]

What does everyone think of my governor, Martin O'Malley?  Does he have any sort of shot?

[Person Man]

What does everyone think of my governor, Martin O'Malley?  Does he have any sort of shot?

Does he even want it?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Democrats:
Senator Mark Warner (VA)
Senator Barack Obama (IL)-Only if Clinton gets the nomination
Senator Evan Bayh (IN)
Senator Jim Webb (VA)
Governor Janet Napolitano (AZ)

Republicans:
Senator Lindsey Graham (SC)
Governor Sarah Palin (AK)
Governor Bobby Jindal (LA)
Senator Tom Coburn (OK)
Senator John Thune (SD)

[Person Man]

Democrats:
Senator Mark Warner (VA) Hey, Maybe.
Senator Barack Obama (IL)-Only if Clinton gets the nomination I think he is too modest to run again
Senator Evan Bayh (IN) A good chance
Senator Jim Webb (VA) If Obama is creamed, he will be chilled from running as a new senator, especially since he will be up for re-election
Governor Janet Napolitano (AZ) Too modest for her own and the country's own good to run?

Republicans:
Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) Isn't he a little old?
Governor Sarah Palin (AK) Hey. Maybe.
Governor Bobby Jindal (LA) Too radical
Senator Tom Coburn (OK)Too radical
Senator John Thune (SD)Hell, he might

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Republicans:
Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) Isn't he a little old?

He would be 57, which is the perfect age to run.

[Person Man]

Republicans:
Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) Isn't he a little old?

He would be 57, which is the perfect age to run.

Oh. That would be good. He is basically a cross between Bush and McCain...but will he run?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Republicans:
Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) Isn't he a little old?

He would be 57, which is the perfect age to run.

Oh. That would be good. He is basically a cross between Bush and McCain...but will he run?

I could certainly see him running, but I could also see him becoming a GOP force in the Senate.

[Bay Ridge, Bklyn! Born and Bred]

If the Dems want to win, party insiders should be quietly pushing for Warner, Bayh, and Vilsack for a run in 2012.   

Bill Richardson with his Fidel Castro beard and his tendency for saying really dumb things?   No way.

[The Hack Hater]

Democrats: Obama, Warner, Bayh, hell, maybe Feingold if the Dems lose their majority(I jsut like the idea of the more liberal Democratic candidates running, for some reason.

Republicans: Pawlenty, Jindal, Thune, Huckabee 

[jesmo]

Hillary Clinton.

If Obama or McCain get elected, a backlash will happen against their regime, and voters will quickly beg for Hillary to return and save us. Her and her associates are the Angels of Justice.

[Mr. Morden]

Hillary Clinton.

If Obama or McCain get elected, a backlash will happen against their regime, and voters will quickly beg for Hillary to return and save us. Her and her associates are the Angels of Justice.

McCain and Obama would both be extremely horrible. Hillary and her Angels of Justice will save us, in the post-mayan calender era, which will come to us in about 2012.

jesmo=texasleft?  Or do you just think remarkably alike?  I notice that you joined at about the same time, and you also seem to have posted in a lot of the same threads.

[Joe Republic]

Fezzy, That is water under the bridge.

For you, perhaps.  For everybody else, you'll always be remembered for your bizarre and melodramatic behavior and incessant harassment of Dave and the moderation team.

[Mr. Morden]

jesmo=texasleft?  Or do you just think remarkably alike?  I notice that you joined at about the same time, and you also seem to have posted in a lot of the same threads.

You don't know who they are yet?  Biggest forum drama of 2007..."delete my account, delete my account!!1!"

I ignore forum drama, and just concentrate on the political discussion. 

[Aizen]

jesmo=texasleft?  Or do you just think remarkably alike?  I notice that you joined at about the same time, and you also seem to have posted in a lot of the same threads.

You don't know who they are yet?  Biggest forum drama of 2007..."delete my account, delete my account!!1!"

No, it is quite clear we are different people. Fezzy, That is water under the bridge.

Go jump off that bridge

[SPC]

Frontrunners for 2012 (GOP):
Mitt Romney
Mike Huckabee
McCain's VP Nominee

Longshots:
Mark Sanford
Tim Pawlenty (assuming he's not the VP nominee)
Charlie Crist (assuming he's not the VP nominee)
Sarah Palin
Haley Barbour
Bobby Jindal
Chuck Norris
Matt Blunt

Frontrunners for 2012 (Dems) {Assuming McCain wins}:
Mark Warner
Barack Obama
Evan Bayh
Obama's or Clinton's VP nominee

Longshots:
Jim Webb
John Kerry
Deval Patrick
Mark Udall
Brian Schweitzer
David Paterson
Stephen Colbert

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

jesmo=texasleft?  Or do you just think remarkably alike?  I notice that you joined at about the same time, and you also seem to have posted in a lot of the same threads.

You don't know who they are yet?  Biggest forum drama of 2007..."delete my account, delete my account!!1!"

No, it is quite clear we are different people. Fezzy, That is water under the bridge.

True, but the floodwaters took out part of the bridge leaving a damage that reminds everybody of that event.