[01LUGrad]

Okay, this is going to be hard to figure out, but I was wondering if anyone else had put some thought into how the Republican party will recover from this. I'm not saying they won't. Things work in cycles and the Dems will mess things up enough to eventually lose the power they have a strangle-hold on right now. What's the old saying? Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Thoughts?



By the way, has anyone thought about 2012 yet? I've got a name to kick around. Bobby Jindal, the 37 year-old governor of Louisiana. Do some research and let me know what you think.

[SumItUp]

The Republicans go back to the basics. Obviously, a centrist is not a direction the Republican party will seek for the presidency in the coming 3-4 elections. Now is not the time to be concerned about the Presidential election though.


Bobby (that's actually a nickname) Jindal is definitely a rising star in the Republican party. He has 2 terms of experience in Congress and is currently governor of his home state Louisiana. His parents are from India. He seems to be the real deal. Apparently, he seeks to root out the corruption in Louisiana state politics. If that is his true desire, it will take a second term (at least) as governor. He is young and has plenty of time to run for president.

[TDDance234]

I'd imagine the GOP will push Jindal. I just don't see Palin getting the opportunity to run again.

[RubberMallet]

they need to find the right candidate. giving us a 70+ yr old robot and a seemingly ditsy female governer as his running mate turned out to be a terrible mistake as repub's got decimated in this election...you can claim that it would of happened regardless but it would of been alot closer and i still think the republican party could of won this election....

the party also needs to go back to its small gvt ways. it won't but it should.

[belcherboy]

If the economy bounces back in the next 2 years, and there are not major terrorist hits than the GOP is dead. In my opinion, the Republicans have got to return to Reagan-omics. They've got to campaign on smaller government, less taxes, strong military, and be pro business and actually follow through on it once elected. The GOP had the power for 12 years (the big turnaround in '94 till they lost big in '06), and they didn't follow through on their promises during that time. Unfortunately the GOP is just reaping the consequences of not being tough enough while in office.

[Hold My Own]

My thoughts are I'm 24 years old right now, and I'll be 32 when Obama gets out of there. This is a force that is going to be near impossible to get out in less then 8 years. We dont have many options right now as Republican's. Hopefully someone will pop out of the woodwork....I was really hoping for Palin, but she has a lot of public scrutiny to over come from the media laughing at her for the way she was mishandled and prepped.

[4everfsu]

Palin will be back and run in 2012

[Fumblerooskies]

Palin will be back and run in 2012

Not a chance. If anyone watched the news shows last night...both FOX and CNN were just killing her. There is a lot coming out about how really clueless she is about civics and the role of government...as well as how much of a diva she is.

I am thinking Huckabee or Romney.

[TDDance234]

Bobby Jindal.

[LUconn]

Palin will be back and run in 2012

Not a chance. If anyone watched the news shows last night...both FOX and CNN were just killing her. There is a lot coming out about how really clueless she is about civics and the role of government...

She'll be taking Stevens' Senate spot. She'll run.

[4everfsu]

What is Jindal's stand on abortion? I heard he is pro choice

[ALUmnus]

Palin will be back and run in 2012

Not a chance. If anyone watched the news shows last night...both FOX and CNN were just killing her. There is a lot coming out about how really clueless she is about civics and the role of government...as well as how much of a diva she is.

I am thinking Huckabee or Romney.

There's a reason the media is killing her, they're scared to death of her. I heard somewhere (sorry, don't have the source) that she actually added about 13% to McCain's vote. They'll try to blame her for the loss because they want her out of the picture, but that's just not the case.

Anyways, I mentioned this in another thread, but I guess it's more appropriate here. We need to start at the bottom, the local level, first.

So someone mentioned that there are 18 Republicans up for re-election in two years. I hope that there are some outstanding new Republican challengers out there that can replace the stale candidates on the ballot. Like Ed Dantes. The primaries will be huge in a couple years, I hope the base pays attention.

[Sly Fox]

Palin will be back and run in 2012

Not a chance. If anyone watched the news shows last night...both FOX and CNN were just killing her. There is a lot coming out about how really clueless she is about civics and the role of government...as well as how much of a diva she is.

I am thinking Huckabee or Romney.

I've seen the bashing the McCain handlers are serving up to the media (who are more than happy to pass it along). I'd take some of that with a grain of salt as they are clearly trying to swing blame for their own campaign's failure on her. She now has star power and GOP is in short supply of that right now. She'll be a factor in four years in some fashion whether atop the ticket or otherwise.

Thompson earned a great deal of respect among the Republican faithful with his convention speech showing the type of fire that was nowhere to be found in his ill-fated primary run. I wouldn't discount him either.

But I agree that we will see somebody emerge in the next couple of years and I'll bet it will be someone who leans more to the right as the GOP learned that playing to the center can be fatal to White House hopes.

[LUconn]

WOW. All of that coming from "anonymous" sources. Is there any question they aren't trying to destroy her?

Palin did not know Africa was a continent.
She did not know who the parties to NAFTA were.
She threw dramatic temper tantrums over bad press.
She refused to prepare for the Gibson or Couric interviews.

Yes, this all sounds very plausible. I mean I can see her being ignorant on certain national issues that she hasn't had to deal with, but not knowing Africa is a continent? She's not retarded.

[Baldspot]

These anonymous sources are the same good old boys who told McCain to proclaim the economy is in great shape in mid-October. Told him to not bring up Jeremiah Wright, had no answer when McCain's clip proclaiming the economy is not his strong suit was produced and on and on. They produced a candidate with no cohesive message compared to Obama's one word "Change" message. No wonder they are trying to cover themselves.

If Joe Biden's career can be resusitated after the plagiarism charges of his first candidacy caused him to drop out, Palin's career resurrection will be easy. That being said there are others as well.

[JDUB]

I would like to see Huck run again. I think we will see some new younger faces as well. A return to Reaganomics is the only answer for the the GOP.
In 4 years look for a giant push by the GOP and an overhaul of congress similar to the Contract with America. The candidates are already being picked and groomed for the job

[PastorZack]

I'm putting the Republican candidates in order of who's going to run: Palin,Jindal,Pawlenty,Sanford, Crist, and maybe Thompson.

[JDUB]

Fred Thompson is too old. He won't run, he isn't exciting enough

[SuperJon]

Absolutely no way Palin runs. If she does, the Republicans will get killed even worse.

[RubberMallet]

they made such easy work out of palin it wasn't even funny. i dont' think she could lead this country now and i'm pretty certain that she won't be any closer in 4 years.

i'd like to see a little more pawlenty and jindal in upcoming years.

[LUconn]

they made such easy work out of palin it wasn't even funny.

Same story. Different year. Palin is stupid. George W Bush is stupid. Dan Quayle is stupid. Ronald Reagan is stupid. How is it that such seemingly unintelligent people consistently make it to the highest leadership position in the world?

[thepostman]

Absolutely no way Palin runs. If she does, the Republicans will get killed even worse.

I disagree and I don't even like her that much...I have read a lot the past 2 days...more then I think I have ever read..and if it were not for her being on the ticket with McCain the conservative turnout would've been a lot worse then it was...and it was pretty bad...McCain just didn't get very many conservative americans much to get excited about...the way the McCain campaign handle Palin is what hurt her the most...the McCain campaign was probably one of the worst run campaigns ever...

would Palin win?? probably not...but she would do better then McCain

just my opinion

[SuperJon]

They killed her only having a few months. Imagine if they had a couple years to find stuff on her.

In my opinion, no one connected to this election should be the nominee in four years.

[thepostman]

that is all on the McCain campaign in my opinion...and they killed W. and he still got re-elected, because he appealed to the conservative base...

[RubberMallet]

because they weren't as stupid looking or sounding as palin. Those guys profited from bad competition, and besides reagan, noone knew those other guys were stupid until they were in office. (i don't think they are stupid....just bad orators)

and i like those other 3, palin just seems out of her element. could that be some terrible deep sexism that subconsciencely runs inside of me? i don't know. but you keep defending this mistake by the GOP. did she get more votes? yeah, but they looked at the wrong woman. i thought it was a grand idea initially too, but then i learned about here and wasn't too impressed.

i think she's nice, i think she does a great job as the governer of alaska....she just isn't presidential....but we'll see i guess....maybe it will change...i'm not optimistic but who knows