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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
Do you think they will care? Obama was attacked over Hussein being his middle name. Then again they might quiet down a little to avoid alienating Hispanics.
Rubio vs. Castro would certainly be fun to watch. Although I'd feel kind of bad for the racists that refuse to vote for someone who's not white. There probably aren't too many of them but I'm sure they're out there.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:05:10 PM by Kostya
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It's not for them, it's for the same people who think that Barack Hussein Obama is somehow related to a deposed Iraqi dictator. It's the "angry white male" demographic that is so beloved of the GOP.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:04:26 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"The recent GOP campaign strategies have demonstrated virtually no awareness that they are supported by any minorities. That may change for 2014, in a desultory sort of way, but I doubt that there will be any kind of fundamental shift towards expanding their base unless they lose another Presidential election.
Remember that the party's primary system has been hijacked by the same crazies who opposed Boehner's "Plan B" in the House.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:09:43 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"If they do lose another election they'll be in big trouble. Unless the next Democrat really screws up they'll probably win a second term and inherit a rapidly recovering economy. Being out of the white house for 16 years would hurt the GOP even more than their current problems.
edit: I have doubts about whether Rubio would make it to the top spot even if he was running in the primary. Now if by some chance it was Rubio V. Castro I'd be very curious to see how the Hispanic vote swings. If the Republicans soundly lose that they might have to finally acknowledge they have bigger problems than not having enough racial minorities in power.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:12:40 PM by Kostya
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Its not just that, Its that they seem to assume that the same tactics and hollow platitudes and sweeping generalities that work on an uneducated midwest rural voter will translate exactly to a minority voter then are mystified when it doesnt. And even usually manage to piss off the loyal voters from those minorities they already have in the process.
Throwing a black guy out there and spouting talking points about lazy welfare check takers doesnt make the message more appealing, it makes the GOP look cluelessly racist.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:15:13 PM by Midgetsnowman
They do? So far they have Rubio, Ryan, and the various failures from this year. Those first two could be dangerous but the Democrats have Biden, Warren, and possibly Hillary and Castro (if they change their minds obviously). With enough support I think either of those four could win.
edit: There's also the other people on this list I didn't mention.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:20:05 PM by Kostya
Biden? He'll be too old. Warren? I dont think she can win. She is too liberal and wont get enough campaing contributions. Hillary? She already said she will retire plus she doesnt seem to be in good health. Castro? Maybe, but who is he?
Reps have Ryan, Rubio, Christie, Jindail, Guilliani (maybe not him), Huckabee, etc...
I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.Baff, the danger for the GOP in 2016 is the same thing that happened this year: the primaries become a crazy march to see who can sound the most like what the Tea Party wants to hear. There's no room for sane candidates in that morass of intellectual vacuousness.
From what we've heard in the aftermath of the election, the lesson hasn't been learned at all.
Edit — To get nominated in the Republican Party requires one of three things: that you honestly believe the evangelical, anti-government, anti-women, anti-minority craziness; that you can pretend to believe it long enough to get nominated; or that you're so cynical that nothing you say can be trusted. As we saw with the 2012 crop, any of those things makes you toast in the general election.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:27:11 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"@Midget: You mean like that Republican ad with a black Republican that turned out to be a stock photo put up for anyone to use, which basically torpedoed the entire ad?
The problem is 2014, since all indication is Democratic voters simply aren't paying that much attention and voting in non presidential elections. Which is terrible.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:24:55 PM by AceofSpades
Ryan and Rubio seem likely possibilities.
Christie...to be blunt he's too fat. It sounds shallow but I can't see a man that's not good looking winning that easily. Given the current Latino problem I could see Jindal's border fence idea being problematic. The gun rights thing could bite him in the ass if this newest shooting makes control popular. Huckabee is just too moderate for the current GOP.
As for the Democrats we shall see.
Let's see if they can change that.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:27:04 PM by Kostya
I think that if the GOP successfully continues their campaign of legislative terrorism through this session of Congress, Democratic voters will turn out in record numbers for 2014. Their campaign structures are unbelievably strong; it's a good part of what won 2012.
Remember that nobody knew who Obama was before 2011. It's too early for any prospective 2016 candidates to start making serious noise on the Democrats' side, lest they distract from Obama's agenda.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:30:00 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"He's skinner than Taft!
Obama had been a presidential possibility since his Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He was still a darkhorse, but far less of one than most people think.
edited 30th Dec '12 9:36:15 PM by DeviantBraeburn
Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016Only since television, really, has a President's physical appearance mattered that much.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"Repubs (I refuse to call them the GOP,they haven't been Grand since Eisenhower and they are the youngest lasting party): Rubio,Ryan,Pawlenty, Mc Donnell, and maybe Christie
Dems: O'Malley,Biden,Warren,Castro and maybe Deval Patrick.
Nah I'm sure the Dems have a better line-up.
I think Christie is the most likely to be the next president.
He's got a great bipartisan record. America has enough fat people now that his weight shouldn't disqualify him. He's sane. Plus he's got the Sandy thing going for him.
Assuming the Republicans reform their primary system a bit, Christie should win. He's the smart bet for a corporate backer.
Ryan's possible, but has the stigma of defeat attached to him now. Rubio's the definition of a Token Minority, and as a Cuban may not even attract large numbers of Hispanic voters.
The Democratic options, meanwhile, are terrible.
Frankly, I can see Elizabeth Warren winning and getting slaughtered in a general election.
Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.

Castro is a more or less common latin name.
Making fun of, or attacking a candidate, just because he has the word "Castro" in his name, could not fly very far with the latin vote.
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edited 30th Dec '12 9:02:12 PM by Baff
I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.