Posted by
Bill Crawford on Friday, July 01, 2011 8:51:15 PM
And for your entertainment pleasure, a Daily Racing Form guide to the Republican Presidential field. I will start with the ones that don’t have a ghost’s chance.
Rudy Giuliani: blew it up in 2008 with his failed genius strategy. His executive experience serves him well, but his stance on
terrorism has been shadowed as a side issue by the economy.
Ron Paul: there are some serious libertarians out there who love the guy, but more understand that his foreign policy positions
are global economic suicide.
Jon Huntsman: trying for the gentleman’s niche in a time when the incumbent needs to be beaten about the head and shoulders. Ask Bob Dole how he was treated by the Clinton people in ’96, when he tried the same thing.
Herman Cain: I love the guy, but he’s a little short on his foreign policy convictions. Also, his exec experience is private sector,
at a time when the public sector is more dysfunctional than ever. It’s like a businessman going from running a non-union company to a union shop, he’d end up pulling his own hair out and overdosing on ulcer medicine.
Newt Gingrich: the formaldehyde has not spread completely through his bllod stream yet, so he is still talking.
There are two decent margin candidates still out there, Rick Santorum and Tim Pawlenty. They are aiming for niches that are already traveled by players with more money and better organizations.
The four that own the road:
Mitt Romney: Trying to play the front runner part, which is probably the smartest strategy for him at this point. He has talked
his Massachusetts record to death. He should set himself up so all his press uestions are on why he said something else about Obama. He may be acting the part, but his people know he still has some competition.
Michele Bachmann: enjoying a brief respite from the Palin style chorus about her self evident vapidness, which will return shortly. She knows how to hammer the incumbent, and can raise money. There are many in the party who are not happy with Romney and are seeking a serious alternative. If she can stay focused, she might pull this off.
Rick Perry: same niche as Bachmann, but also Governor of a state with one of the healthiest economies in the recession. He has
another month at most to continue playing Hamlet. If he enters the race, his positions and fund raising abilities could cannibalize Michele’s and pave an easier path for Romney.
The ubuiquitous Sarah Palin: whatever her chances a year from now, this nomination is still hers for the asking. She doesn’t have to seek the Tea Party vote (with all the independents attached)- she owns it. She holds veto power over every name on this list, and her endorsement could put any of the previous three over the top. She holds that power whether she declares or not.