Since the Prez Candidate thread is getting quite large...

 

This thread for GOP candidate talk.

I feel almost like a parent at Christmas time telling the kids to go back to bed when it's 4am. This is too early for elections! Or at least it feels like it. Start too early, give yourself too many opportunities to put foot in mouth.

 

Having said that, I don't like any of the candidates so far. If we could make a Frankenstein monster out of them all, cherry-pick things from each, you would have something. Not sure what, but something. Fred Thompson intreges me the most. Any old fart that can bag a hot wife like his is ok in my book.

McCain makes a policy speech of sorts on energy and environmental policy. This added to his speech on fiscal discipline have done a lot to make me see him in a better light. This is again the John McCain who I'd like to see get the nomination.

Republican presidential contender John McCain dismissed a demand by a prominent House Democrat that he apologize to U.S. troops in Iraq for making a joke about an explosive device, saying critics should "lighten up."

 

In an appearance Tuesday night on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," McCain joked that he had brought a gift for Stewart back from a recent trip to Iraq.

 

"What do you want to start with, the bomb Iran song or the walk through the market in Baghdad?" Stewart asked McCain, referring to two recent controversies involving statements by the Arizona senator.

 

"I think maybe shopping in Baghdad," McCain responded. "... I had something picked out for you, too — a little IED (improvised explosive device) to put on your desk."

 

On Wednesday, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., demanded in a speech on the House floor that McCain apologize to troops for joking about the explosive devices that are responsible for many of the casualties in Iraq.

 

"Imagine a presidential candidate making a joke about IEDs when our kids are getting blown up," Murtha said.

 

"I don't know how to respond to that kind of hysteria," McCain said when asked about Murtha's demand during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday. "When I was in combat and tough situations we used humor all the time, and all I can say to Murtha and others is lighten up and get a life."

Link.

Link.

His statements about his walk in the market (which were wholly unbelievable) bother me a lot more than the joke on the Daily Show.

Until someone knocks him off, McCain is still my fav on the GOP side.

This race will only be interesting if Fred Thompson gets invovled. Outside of McCain and Guiliani, no one else really has a chance.

This race will only be interesting if Fred Thompson gets invovled. Outside of McCain and Guiliani, no one else really has a chance.

Romney still does, but, he's already flip-flopped more than his Massachusetts buddy John Kerry ever did.

 

Plus Giuliani is a slime-ball. And Brownback is scary-social-conservative.

 

McCain still my fave too, despite his poorly reasoned Iraq stance.

Romney still does, but, he's already flip-flopped more than his Massachusetts buddy John Kerry ever did.

 

Plus Giuliani is a slime-ball. And Brownback is scary-social-conservative.

 

McCain still my fave too, despite his poorly reasoned Iraq stance.

 

No matter how much money Romney has raised, he will get crushed when things get serious. He has gotten a lot of money from a small base, but the whole mormon thing will hold him back, big time.

 

Brownback doesn't have a chance to advance, as he has zero recognition, and with all of the big name candidates, he will get lost in the shuffle.'

 

McCain would be my bet, if I were forced to do so. I would have picked him in 04 out of all of the primary candidates from the R side of the slate, today I am not so sure.

 

No one else is really worth mentioning IMO...

Romney still does, but, he's already flip-flopped more than his Massachusetts buddy John Kerry ever did.

 

Plus Giuliani is a slime-ball.

 

personal attack!!!

 

i like Giuliani. why do you think he is a slime-ball?

Ask a firefighter.

personal attack!!!

 

i like Giuliani. why do you think he is a slime-ball?

Hm. You're right, that was a personal attack. I'm giving myself a 30 second suspension.

 

...

 

OK, so I think he's a wee bit slimey because of his rampant affairs, the way he has treated spouses, the way he handled fire, EMS and police after (and even before) 9/11, and his business dealings. The things that aren't out there and heavily exposed yet (outside of NY). But they will be. He has, I believe, the far and away lead among candidates in both parties in skeletons in the closet.

I used to like McCain, but he just seems to be a two-faced pandering politician to me now. He'll do anything to get support, even if it directly contradicts what he's said in the past. I don't want someone like that in the oval office. None of the Republican candidates jump out at me right now.

Edited April 27, 200718 yr by StrangeSox

David Huckabee, a son of Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, was arrested at an Arkansas airport Thursday after a federal X-ray technician detected a loaded Glock pistol in his carry-on luggage.

 

"I removed the bag and asked Mr. Huckabee if he knew what he had in the bag," Little Rock police officer Arthur Nugent wrote in a report after he was summoned to a security checkpoint. "He replied he did now."

 

Huckabee, 26, later pleaded guilty in Little Rock District Court after being charged with a misdemeanor count of possessing a weapon in a prohibited place.

 

District Judge Lee Munson gave Huckabee a one-year suspended jail sentence and ordered him into 10 days of community service - which Huckabee can avoid by paying $100. Huckabee will be on probation for a year. Fines and costs totaled $855.

maybe we should stop hearting Huckabees. They might hurt us.

Romney's a mormon from Taxland. That's why he won't get elected, more than anything.

 

I can't believe people fall for McCain's act. He's hard Right with a good PR staff. He's Barry Goldwater, if he gets nominated.

I can't believe people fall for McCain's act. He's hard Right with a good PR staff. He's Barry Goldwater, if he gets nominated.

I'd suggest the opposite. He's soft right, with PR helping him reach the far right. He's far right on certain issues, not others.

I'd suggest the opposite. He's soft right, with PR helping him reach the far right. He's far right on certain issues, not others.

 

Exactly. He has played with the far right on some issues, but mainly it is just pandering. So far I am happy that all of the religious right candidates are pretty well buried in the polls. The guys out front are a little more moderate socially, which appeals to me.

I'd suggest the opposite. He's soft right, with PR helping him reach the far right. He's far right on certain issues, not others.

 

He's a little all over the place - and frankly I'm not interested in nominating someone that claims to be a conservative and winks at you.

 

That happened in 2000, and frankly - a lot of the country would take back that vote today if they could.

 

McCain panders and he seems tired and sometimes just this side of Stockdale.

I'm looking for someone who will balance the budget, raising taxes if necessary to accomplish that, but I would prefer they look at spending less first. I would also like someone who respects everyones religious beliefs. I would like someone with a plan to exit Iraq that doesn't involve us handing Iraq a blank check for the next two decades. A pro Constitution candidate who doesn't wish to trample on my rights.

I'm looking for someone who will balance the budget, raising taxes if necessary to accomplish that, but I would prefer they look at spending less first. I would also like someone who respects everyones religious beliefs. I would like someone with a plan to exit Iraq that doesn't involve us handing Iraq a blank check for the next two decades. A pro Constitution candidate who doesn't wish to trample on my rights.

Kucinich is your man. He even had a pocket sized version of the Constitution at last night's debate. Plus, if he's elected we would have the hottest first lady ever (I wasn't alive when Jackie O was the 1st lady ).

Edited April 27, 200718 yr by BigSqwert

It's not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person.

 

Mitt Romney on Osama Bin Laden.

Mitt Romney on Osama Bin Laden.

Buch and Co. must feel the same way seeing that they gave up on the search for Bin Laden and shifted efforts to the imminent threat known as Saddam Hussein. Must be that Republican theory of being able to protect America better than the Dems....just ignore the person/people that actually attacked our country and spend billions on people who did nothing to us.

Edited April 27, 200718 yr by BigSqwert

I'm actually going to see McCain at a forum over lunch hear. I'll see if there are any impressions that I get that I can share.

On the likability front and the "which candidate would I want to watch my kids for a weekend" I'm leaning towards McCain. I really liked him in 2000, my only worry is the years have not been kind.

Well, McCain sounded pretty good at the forum I was at today. He made some promises that I would like to see if he would actually deliver on.

- He talked about shutting down Guantanomo Bay, Cuba to help with how we are viewed around the world.

- To go with that, he stated that there will be absolutely no torture no matter what with prisoners (It is always the non-military people who want that, not the military).

- Stated that Global warming is true, and needs to be dealt with, but we will not join Koyoto protocol without China and India.

- Stated that the tax code needs to be written because it is too messy and complicated. Americans spend $140 million(billion?) each year on getting taxes prepared.

- He will cut the pork out of bills that come through. In the 50s a heavily porked bill had 200 tags on it. Now there are bills coming through with 6,000.

- Health Care needs to be looked at and fixed. He did not seem to favor a universal health care, but more of a competition between health care providers.

- No Child Left Behind started out on a good track, but needs to be fixed now that we know what some of its flaws are.

- The war in Iraq has been mismanaged.

 

Those were the main points that I took away from it anyhow.