1) Mitt Romney 35%
2) Ron Paul 11%
3) Tim Pawlenty 8%
4) Sarah Palin 7%
5) Michele Bachmann 5%
6) Jim DeMint 5%
7) Herman Cain 4%
8) Chris Christie 3%
9) Rick Santorum 3%
10) Mitch Daniels 3%
11) New Gingrich 3%
12) Mike Huckabee 3%
13) Mike Pence 3%
14) Rudy Giuliani 2%
15) Judd Gregg 2%
16) Gary Johnson 2%
17) Other 2%
18) Donald Trump 1%
19) Haley Barbour 1%
20) Jon Huntsman, Jr. 0%
21) John Thune 0%

I'm absolutely thrilled Palin and Newt did so terrible. I'm stunned Gary Johnson pulled even 2% with Ron Paul in the running... perhaps he can expand the Ron Paul R[evol]ution after all. Ron Paul finished second, and had this been an open straw poll he would have blown the doors off everyone. This was a closed straw poll to GOP state delegates. Ron Paul pulling 11% of the GOP establishment is surprisingly high.

Fact is, Romney is the early leader and the media is giving in attention. That's a huge problem.

(01-24-2011 11:12 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Fact is, Romney is the early leader and the media is giving in attention. That's a huge problem.

Do you realize how stunning it is Ron Paul finished 2nd among GOP state delegates in any state? I was a state delegate to the SC GOP convention in 2008. Lemme tell ya ... it's not easy to get in. It's one big establishment buddy-buddy circle jerk on naming delegates. The only reason I became one is there were so many buddy-buddies they decided to go to half vote delegates, and I was an alternate, and was seated when some didn't show.

Ron Paul should perform THE WEAKEST among that crowd of any demographic. He pulls more from progressives and liberals (who agree on transparency, military, civil liberties with Paul) than he does neoconservatives (who agree on NOTHING with Paul). And the soul of the GOP party leadership is still very neoconservative.

(01-24-2011 11:12 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Fact is, Romney is the early leader and the media is giving in attention. That's a huge problem.

Romney gets nominated I don't vote republican this time around...

I swallowed my pride and voted for McCain but Romney is as authentic as the music you buy on a Beijing Street corner..

Republicans may find themselves in the position where they could beat Obama--if only they didn't have to run someone against him to do it.

I'm thinking the appropriate republican strategy may be to focus on holding the house and taking the senate. I think Obama may prove to have very short coattails. There are a lot more vulnerable democrats than vulnerable republicans among the senators up for re-election. I think Americans have seen enough of one-party rule from both sides to conclude that divided rule is better, even if it means gridlock. Republican efforts to hold the house will be helped because the states losing seats are generally blue, the states gaining seats are generally red, and the legislatures and governors supervising the redistricting are largely R's.

(01-24-2011 11:55 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Republican efforts to hold the house will be helped because the states losing seats are generally blue, the states gaining seats are generally red, and the legislatures and governors supervising the redistricting are largely R's.

I understand that districting plays a big role in this, but I can't help but think this is somewhat fallacious.

In simplest terms, the people moving will vote the same way, and thus the seats effectively stay with the party. The only thing that changes is which state gets the representation.

In short, population redistribution does little to change the party divides.

Now, a more detailed analysis can provide evidence that there is an effect. But, I've yet to read any commentary that provided any analysis to justify this assertion.

I know it's NH and to be expected, but it's still frightening to see Mittens in that much of a landslide.

It's too early to speculate. After all this is NH. Funny, I don't think Paul even went to NH.

(01-24-2011 01:15 PM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  It's too early to speculate. After all this is NH. Funny, I don't think Paul even went to NH.

He didn't.

Lots of crazy people on that list. The top two I can deal with.

Romney looks like the president in a movie where the president is a villain.

Ron Paul has no shot at getting the nomination. It's pointless to even speculate like he might.

Romney, Newt, Huckabee are the most likely at this point, and Romney is probably the most likely out of those 3.

Frankly no one that is likely to be in the field gets me excited. Christie jumps in and I'll get interested.

Keep the House, get the Senate. I like that approach.

GTS...I see nothing here unexpected. Paul gathered 9% in the last election in NH and the state is FULL of Massholes that want nothing more than to make NH an extension of their former locale.

I'm sorry....The only candidate I have worked for and donated a dime to is RP. Still...I know damn well he has absolutely zero chance of becoming POTUS. If he runs again...I will again donate..but I still will do so knowing the outcome is futile. The odds are stacked so firmly against him that Satan would have a better chance of being elected Pope than him leading America.

(01-24-2011 06:22 PM)Ninerfan1 Wrote:  Ron Paul has no shot at getting the nomination. It's pointless to even speculate like he might.

Romney, Newt, Huckabee are the most likely at this point, and Romney is probably the most likely out of those 3.

Frankly no one that is likely to be in the field gets me excited. Christie jumps in and I'll get interested.

Keep the House, get the Senate. I like that approach.

Romney...NO, Newt...NO, Huckabee?...Hell NO Please tell me that this is not the best the GOP can offer America.

(01-24-2011 06:22 PM)Ninerfan1 Wrote:  Keep the House, get the Senate. I like that approach.

Get the White House. Repeal Obamacare.

I'd like the Republicans to grab another 40 seats in the House in 2012 which is very "do-able" because of Re-Districting. Get out some pencils and draw!

Honestly... there is no way Obama is going to be re-elected if unemployment is still above 8% in 22 months. And I don't see unemployment dropping anytime soon. I see it increasing as the upcoming stagflation wave kicks in.

If the economy collapses (or even stays the same) between now and November 2012, the Republicans could Nominate Ron Paul and he could be elected.

After all, anything could be an improvement.

(01-24-2011 08:04 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  

(01-24-2011 06:22 PM)Ninerfan1 Wrote:  Keep the House, get the Senate. I like that approach.

Get the White House. Repeal Obamacare.

I'd like the Republicans to grab another 40 seats in the House in 2012 which is very "do-able" because of Re-Districting. Get out some pencils and draw!

Honestly... there is no way Obama is going to be re-elected if unemployment is still above 8% in 22 months. And I don't see unemployment dropping anytime soon. I see it increasing as the upcoming stagflation wave kicks in.

If the economy collapses (or even stays the same) between now and November 2012, the Republicans could Nominate Ron Paul and he could be elected.

After all, anything could be an improvement.

I can not imagine the horror we are going to go through if RP can be elected due to the economy.... I'm going to leave the country ASAP.

(01-24-2011 08:07 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(01-24-2011 08:04 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  

(01-24-2011 06:22 PM)Ninerfan1 Wrote:  Keep the House, get the Senate. I like that approach.

Get the White House. Repeal Obamacare.

I'd like the Republicans to grab another 40 seats in the House in 2012 which is very "do-able" because of Re-Districting. Get out some pencils and draw!

Honestly... there is no way Obama is going to be re-elected if unemployment is still above 8% in 22 months. And I don't see unemployment dropping anytime soon. I see it increasing as the upcoming stagflation wave kicks in.

If the economy collapses (or even stays the same) between now and November 2012, the Republicans could Nominate Ron Paul and he could be elected.

After all, anything could be an improvement.

I can not imagine the horror we are going to go through if RP can be elected due to the economy.... I'm going to leave the country ASAP.

The Republicans could nominate Dick Cheney and he'd beat Obama.

In other words, Obama will have his 30% minority/ hard core leftist base and everyone else would be voting Republican.

(01-24-2011 08:03 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(01-24-2011 06:22 PM)Ninerfan1 Wrote:  Ron Paul has no shot at getting the nomination. It's pointless to even speculate like he might.

Romney, Newt, Huckabee are the most likely at this point, and Romney is probably the most likely out of those 3.

Frankly no one that is likely to be in the field gets me excited. Christie jumps in and I'll get interested.

Keep the House, get the Senate. I like that approach.

Romney...NO, Newt...NO, Huckabee?...Hell NO Please tell me that this is not the best the GOP can offer America.

There is better out there, but they have to run. I want Christie to run in a major way. But he seems adament that he won't.

WMD the republicans won't nominate Paul, regardless if he could win a general against Obama. If Paul could win a general, any of the other candidates could as well.

Mitch Daniels is intriguing as a candidate.

Bottom line, Christie is the only candidate that could get people really talking. Palin is the other, but she it too awful to even comtemplate getting the nomination.

Bottom line, the economy needs to still be in the tank for a republican to win. If it's on the upswing Obama wins in a walk. Not because he's better in so much as the GOP offers nothing better.

(01-24-2011 08:22 PM)Ninerfan1 Wrote:  

(01-24-2011 08:03 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(01-24-2011 06:22 PM)Ninerfan1 Wrote:  Ron Paul has no shot at getting the nomination. It's pointless to even speculate like he might.

Romney, Newt, Huckabee are the most likely at this point, and Romney is probably the most likely out of those 3.

Frankly no one that is likely to be in the field gets me excited. Christie jumps in and I'll get interested.

Keep the House, get the Senate. I like that approach.

Romney...NO, Newt...NO, Huckabee?...Hell NO Please tell me that this is not the best the GOP can offer America.

There is better out there, but they have to run. I want Christie to run in a major way. But he seems adament that he won't.

WMD the republicans won't nominate Paul, regardless if he could win a general against Obama. If Paul could win a general, any of the other candidates could as well.

Mitch Daniels is intriguing as a candidate.

Bottom line, Christie is the only candidate that could get people really talking. Palin is the other, but she it too awful to even comtemplate getting the nomination.

Bottom line, the economy needs to still be in the tank for a republican to win. If it's on the upswing Obama wins in a walk. Not because he's better in so much as the GOP offers nothing better.

Yes...As Carville told Clinton...."It's the economy stupid"
All the GOP needs to do is bring in the independent and moderate dem. voters. They totally screwed up with Palin on the ticket last time. If she is there again...Obama will have a second term. I still maintain if Joe Lieberman had been the running mate...the GOP would have given Obama a run for his money.

I'm surprised Palin is as high as she is and Christie is as low as he is. Trump? Give me a friggin break.