Mitt versus Jeb 2016 – If forced to pick one (Reader Poll)
Establishment or establishment? The choice is yours. And you MUST vote.
Alright Team Insurrection, it’s time for another reader poll.
Philip Rucker and Robert Costa of the Washington Post are speculating about a political collision between Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney if they both run in 2016:
For Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, a history of ambition fuels a possible 2016 collision
Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney have much in common. Both were pragmatic as governors, mild-mannered as candidates and more comfortable balancing budgets at their desks than clinking glasses at a political dinner.
The two Republican leaders’ personal rapport is cordial. But they are hardly chummy — and at moments their relationship has been strained, with each man’s intertwined political network carrying some grievances with the other’s.
As Bush, 61, and Romney, 67, explore presidential campaigns in 2016, they are like boxers warming up for what could become a brutal bout, sizing each other up and mulling whether or when to step into the ring.
Their early maneuvering reveals a level of competitiveness and snippiness that stems from a long history following similar career paths in business and politics prescribed by their dynastic families.
“We’re seeing the first shots of the war between clan Romney and clan Bush,” said Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist who has worked for both men. “Both bring to the battle incredibly powerful fan clubs as well as wounds they have to heal. How ugly could it get? You’re only competing to lead the free world.”
This is a fight for money as much as politics and the hunt for big donors is already on.
Bush has been trying to consolidate support among establishment donors, leaders and operatives since announcing in December that he would begin laying the groundwork for a likely campaign.
“The Bush connection is a centrifugal force, and it’s drawing back a whole generation of public servants and politicos,” said former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, one of Romney’s 2012 opponents.
But on Friday, Romney sought to slam the brakes on Bush, telling about 30 powerful donors that he, too, was seriously considering a 2016 bid. “I want to be president,” he said, adding that his wife, Ann, was supportive.
Romney has begun methodically calling donors, staff members and endorsers from his two prior campaigns to measure how deep his reservoir of support would be if he runs for a third time, his advisers said.
Michael Barbaro of the New York Times seems to be on team Jeb, even giving him the “evolving views” treatment on political issues:
For Jeb Bush, Evolving Views Over 2 Decades
Jeb Bush once called for building prisons and emphasizing “punishment over therapy” for juvenile offenders. Today, he supports reforming the criminal justice system, arguing that incarceration can harden low-level lawbreakers into career criminals.
In the past, he stressed using deportation to rid the United States of unauthorized immigrants. These days, he describes crossing the border illegally as “an act of love” by migrant parents and supports a path to citizenship for those who have done so.
He used to emphasize the rights of big landowners who felt cheated by environmental programs. Now, he is a champion of state-sponsored conservation, celebrated for his $2 billion program to restore the Everglades.
Mr. Bush, 61, the former governor of Florida, insists that he will not contort himself to satisfy the ideologues of the Republican Party as he lays the groundwork for a possible presidential run in 2016.
So if it came down to Jeb or Mitt, who would you pick?
You do not have any other choices.
Imagine you were held hostage in the voting booth and the only way you could get out was to pick one. Killing yourself in the voting booth to avoid choosing is not an option.
Poll open until Midnight Eastern on Monday, January 12, 2015
[Featured Image via CBN News]
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Comments
I leave it blank.
nobody can force me to vote for someone no matter how much authority they think they have to do so.
One thing is for sure – No More Clinton Bush!
Geesh, they might as well just try running as a team” Clinton Bush!
I have not voted in this poll. That is my response.
in other words, you cast your vote for president warren.
Perhaps … But the feckless ruling-class @GOP “leadership” could consider taking effective action to actually EARN my support.
Both of these guys might SOUND like they could agree with my principles and policy preferences to the extent of 75%-80%, but if their ACTIONS will be more on the order of 30% agreement on critical matters that’s no longer good enough.
Yes, possibly one of the 5%-agreement witches could end up the next President, but it won’t be the doing of li’l ol’ me. There’s this “second” national party that would prefer to pi$$ on me than listen to us and change their paths – and improve their prospects. Eff’em if the @GOP cannot or will not adapt to accommodate 30%-40% of their theoretical voters.
I have not voted in this poll. That is my response.
No disrespect to Aleister, but the GOP has gotten it’s last “But, if you don’t vote…” vote from me. If they don’t respect my conservative opinion, they won’t get my conservative vote.
in other words, you cast your vote for president warren.
And there you go. Mr. Nocaps thinks that not casting your vote, is a vote. I’ll tell you what, Mr. Nocaps, I’ll convince one Democrat to refuse to vote for Lizzy, so his vote will be for the GOP’s candidate. That will cancel my vote for Lizzy.
Killing yourself is not an option?!
I vote for … natural causes.
In the primaries leading up to the 2012 election, the NYT sang the praises of Mitt Romney above all others. IOW, he was doomed.
If the NYT is now hot for Jeb (eww, I just made my own skin crawl), put me in the Anyone But Jeb™ camp.
Yeah awful options…no thanks.
Romney has shown himself to be a dead fish candidate and the Bush name will lose a Presidential ticket for anyone in the next 20 years.
romney has shown himself to be RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING. yeah…wouldn’t want to vote for that.
Walker (Scott type, not Bush type…), Cruz, Perry, Palin even…..
Please give me someon that can lead….
or even spell….”someone” 🙁
You gotta be shittn’ me. Palin can “lead?” What??????????? I’d bet ya she can’t lead herself to the shitter
Your screen name is perfect (emphasis on the dumb part)
We’ve got the name right and will probably find his or her photo here:
https://www.pinterest.com/paulakay65/you-just-cant-fix-stupid/
Haters gunna hate. Go ahead. You hate her because you ain’t her. Ain’ters gonna ain’t as well.
Out of respect to Mr. Palin, leave your hate out of this.
Screw that. If that is the choice, I will buy more ammo. The Institutional Republicans believe that they can always force us into that dilemma. We are moving outside their box. After they go the way of the Whigs we may have real choices again.
I agree. If the GOP establishment tries to force a RINO down our throats, it will be the end of the party. I’m convinced that 5 million or more Republicans will sit out the election and then become independents.
regardless, buying ammo is a good choice!
🙂
P.S. I think the poor phone solicitors for the NRC/GOP are getting anti-GOPe fatigue. Once upon a time, I was a fairly generous contributor. Now, every time I get a call from them, after they ask me whether they can put me down for {the average annual amount my family gave back in the day}, I start in to my set-piece, “I’m sorry, but until you start supporting the candidates I like, I’m not supporting you.” Sometimes they hang up as soon as they hear “I’m sorry, but…”
I’ve been giving to individual campaigns instead lately, most recently in the Congressional mid-terms. I reasoned that electing the right people to set our laws and hold the purse-strings is at least as important as electing the executive.
Ditto.
I don’t start out with “I’m sorry”, I start out with FU, you are dead to me.
She’s from the South, they’re lucky she doesn’t start off with a “Bless your heart.” Because that NEVER leads ANYWHERE good. With just the right inflection, it can be more devastating than an upright “FU”.
LOL! Yeah, I know. That “Bless her/his heart” crap is ALWAYS followed by a shiv in the back. ALWAYS check your kitchen drawer for missing knives after southern ladies visit your house. 🙂
<3
I haven’t heard from them since last summer. I had been hearing from them weekly. During those calls I politely declined, stating that I was dissatisfied with our congressional leadership and to please remove from their calling list until they removed John Boehner from his speakership. They continued to call. They finally quit after I told them that Boehner should be horsewhipped and castrated in the town square with the rest of the GOP brain trust and to stop calling me because I’d eat ground glass and crawl over burning coals before they ever see a dime from me again. That one did the job.
I refuse to vote for either.
An interesting historical note will be the percentage vote given that exactly one person has admitted to voting.
The poll results right now show that so far, 127 have voted.
So you’d rather have Hillary or Liz Warren as president. You’d rather have them appoint the next few Supreme Court Justices. You’d rather have them fight Islamic terrorism.
I’ll assume you’re a conservative. Unfortunately, a liberal troll couldn’t have written a better post to serve his cause. Don’t vote. Stay home. Let the libs win the next election.
That’s okay. Just as long as you remain pure in your conservative beliefs.
Sorry, but from the amount of anger I’ve seen on many sites, the establishment’s cajoling no longer works. This one is on the establishment: they’re either doing it OUR way, or the base will sit out.
The anger, disappointment and disgust are palpable, and now override any sense of guilt.
That phony guilt trip didn’t work in 2012 and it won’t work in 2016.
The GOP cannot simultaneously tell conservatives to get lost and then expect their vote. Such an incredibly obvious thing and yet it goes right over the heads of the GOP and the likes of you.
Golly, how are we going to sleep at night without your approval?
I don’t see how we could get anyone worse than obola, so I’m finally almost in agreement with you folks. Even Hitliary would not have been as bad as obola.
The only thing holding me back from embracing your stance wholeheartedly is the nagging question of, “Okay, don’t vote. But when does the shooting start? If we don’t vote, and we end up with obola2, are people finally going to organize and put a stop to it, or just sit and bitch another 4-8 years?” If it’s sit and bitch another 4-8 years, I’m not on board and most won’t be.
My stance is that nobody has to justify their vote to any damn body. Many in the GOP refused to vote for the GOP candidate in 2012. The GOP blames this on… the voters? All that does is confirm that not voting GOP was the right thing to do.
I vote my principles and damn the torpedoes.
Henry,
And how are you going to sleep at night if Iran gets the bomb under Hillary or Warren or whoever’s the Dem candidate? Do you really think they will be tougher than Romney?
Not enough. Israel will handle the Iranians, though I’d prefer it with US assitance.
Your way is slow death. Might as well cut to the chase.
We’d have it made right now if the GOP leadership wasn’t corrupt and instead followed the will of the people who just elected them.
Even Mia Love voted for Boehner. Enough of this b.s.
Here’s who you can trust:
Aside from Ted Cruz and Mike Lee in the Senate, here is who else you can trust: a list of the Republican lawmakers who voted against Boehner:
Justin Amash (R-Mich.)
Brian Babin (R-Texas)
Rod Blum (R-Iowa)
Dave Brat (R-Va.)
Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.)
Curt Clawson (R-Fla.)
Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.)
Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.)
Scott Garrett (R-N.J.)
Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.)
Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.)
Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.)
Walter Jones (R-N.C.)
Steve King (R-Iowa)
Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)
Mark Meadows (R-N.C.)
Richard Nugent (R-Fla.)
Gary Palmer (R-Ala.)
Bill Posey (R-Fla.)
Scott Rigell (R-Va.)
Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.)
Randy Weber (R-Texas)
Daniel Webster (R-Fla.)
Ted Yoho (R-Fla.)
I’m proud to say that my Congressman is on that list. I wrote him specifically to urge him to vote against Boehner. He pisses people off, but in exactly the way I would if I were in Congress.
Cut to the chase? What does that mean? Until we unite, stand, revolt and attack, as in insurrection, we suck it up. We’ve done nothing thus far. NOTHING. Not a damn thing. Conservatives are too nice, too polite, too conventional, and too civilized to feed the fire in the belly, if they have any, to actually physically take our country back from the insidious communists that are in control now. The window of opportunity to even form defensive actions closes a little more with each passing day.
You CANNOT trust Brian Babin. He voted PRESENT, which under the rules of the House, was a vote FOR Boehner.
Among those two I can’t even figure out which one is the lesser evil . No. I refuse to be bullied into voting for someone I truly do not want.
I will not vote for an establishment republican. Why bother. They aren’t any different than the Democrats.
People getting snotty and proclaiming that if they couldn’t get exactly the Republican candidate they wanted, well then they wouldn’t vote for any of them, is how we got Obama-Biden 2012.
Do you really right now think that a Romney presidency would have been worse that the second Obama term the conservatives who stayed home in 2012 delivered us?
Snotty? Maybe you could give people a little more credit? Or at least tone down your own attitude?
(Just for disclosure, I voted for Mitt in 2012 but I have lots of sympathy for people who were not able to hold their noses as well as I (barely) managed to do).
Sorry, but it’s hard for me to be especially kind to the “conservative purists” who not just handed Obama-Biden a second even-more-disastrous term, but are proud of it. Proud intransigence for intransigence’s sake is childish and — yes — snotty.
Purists? Because they don’t want to vote for someone who will make things worse? One more time: Give people more credit for actually thinking about their decisions instead of just insulting them.
Really? Do you really think a Romney-Ryan administration would have been worse than this second Obama-Biden term has turned out to be? Really?
You seem to have misunderstood what I was saying. I’ll try one more time before giving up. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the quality of life in the country on a scale of 1 to 10 is at 7.
Maybe re-electing Obama would bring it down to a 5 (or 4. Or 3. Whatever). Maybe, electing Romney instead would only bring it to a 6. Relatively speaking, Romney is the better choice, which seems to be your argument. But what I meant by making things worse was that Romney’s 6 score is still lower than the 7 the country had previously.
Therefore, while he might be good relative to the alternative, it is still reasonable for some people to see him as a poor choice in absolute terms. That you would rather have a better relative choice is your prerogative, just as other people have the prerogative to choose differently.
Now, if you still have the urge to call people names for this simple disagreement, please stop anyway.
I have voted every Republican ticket since Reagan and I am done. The GOPe does not represent me or my conservative principles. I will find an avenue that does.Neither Romney nor Bush remotely embody the rebublican (small r) principles I embrace.
In a way, your ‘false choice’ poll embodies the Republican approach to elections–present the base with a fait-accompli of a miserable slate of candidates and act as if this is the only viable means of effecting change.
Its gotten old, there is a bright future ahead and the vehicle for getting there is not the GOP.
Being an adult is about dealing with what life hands you, which is usually less than perfect choices. To stay home or to vote for a candidate who has zero chamce of winning as a form of protest is the height of of a sort of juvenile narcissism. It’s akin to those in the politically correct crowd who crow about how moral they are because of the opinions they mouth rather than the concrete way they reach out to treat fellow human beings.
Good grief. America is not a Dickens novel and I will not be bound by false choices. If A or B doesn’t cut it, then dammit, I will work my ass of to get C and damn those who insist only A and B are available.
Being an adult means shrugging off the chains that other attempt to bind you with and forging a worthwhile life for yourself and your children.
For cripes sake, grow up.
Any time any party fails to gain the vote of a particular voter, no matter why that voter voted as he/she did, the failure belongs to the party not the voter.
Name the losing candidate who couldn’t say he’d have won if only more people voted for him. This is all this argument amounts to: we’d have won if only certain people had voted like we want them too. Well, if you can’t get them to vote for you, if your fault, not theirs.
NOBODY owes ANYBODY a justification for how they voted.
Agree. You go to the election with the candidate you have, not necessarily the one you wished for. David Axelrod thanks every conservative who refused to pull the lever for Mittens in 2012 and the Cranky Old Man™ in 2008.
How dare you blame this nightmare on conservatives. What good did it do to vote in the republicoms, huh? In what way are they any different from the commiecrats? How many times are you going to fall for it?
Romney is no different than Obama? You’re either being sarcastic or you’re nuts.
Your logic has it backwards. If you don’t like, don’t support a RINO who will lose, and instead support a conservative who will win.
As bad as things are with the ‘pubs, I’m still in agreement with you unless or until conservatives grow a spine, unite, and physically take this country back. I detest Jeb’s positions and I detest Romney for being a weakling in ’12, but I think I’d still vote if for no other reason than that a win would be a small reprieve from what we’ve seen for eight years. We wouldn’t gain any ground with either Jeb or Mitt, but we wouldn’t lose nearly as much, either.
I’d take Mitt over Jeb – detest them both.
Already swore I would never vote for a “Tame Republican” again. Not McCain. Not Dole, and definitely Not either of these two idiots.
So if the choice is between these unacceptable morons, I will focus on down ticket races.
And you have created how much wealth and success in your lifetime? You call these two men morons? Please tell us who you think are the real bright lights that we should support. Both of these men were successful governors. Both have written books and both are very wealthy men through intelligent work. Romney especially has devoted a large part of his earlier life to public work with no pay and supports his church with a true tith. What in the hell have you done?
I’m on board with Mitt, but if Jeb has come out for a “pathway to citizenship” as claimed by the NYT writer, it’s of recent vintage. He was opposed to any process that let anyone get citizenship outside the established channels. He was for legalization and work permits for those with no criminal records, but not citizenship.
It will take more than the NYT before it’s believable. It’s possible, but you need a credible source for it. The main problem with Jeb on immigration has been his insistence on “comprehensive” action, doing it all at once. We’ve found through experience that it doesn’t work out that way, the illegals are made legal but the enforcement never happens. Which is why “enforcement measures passed and IN PLACE & WORKING before the rest of the reforms will be passed is the only sane approach.
This is from (conservative news source) CNS in March 2103:
So now he doesn’t, again?
He does…
He doesn’t…
He does…
He doesn’t…
All since 2012?
This is not the kind of man I could vote for.
As a national candidate, Mitt is s…. (rhymes with Mitt.)
I would have liked a refresher on Romneys views, but given these are my only choices…..And Romney sure has called some things right on the nose, hasn’t he?
Well, half the commenters on this blog made the same calls as did Romney and many more. It doesn’t make one presidential material. There are many necessary attributes, but penultimate to the presidency, one must know how to run a campaign, how to be a great candidate. Romney doesn’t. Romney’s the guy they’re talking about when they say nice guys finish last. Romney has run for office four times and won once, as Governor of Massachusetts. He unfortunately comes off as a little plastic and gives the impression he wears suits in the shower and during sex. He can’t do populist and has failed three times running as a business whiz. By November 2016 those Americans with group policies are going to get kicked in the teeth by Obamacare rules just like those of us with individual plans already have. There will be ten times more victims and the rage will be palpable. And Romney still can’t run against Obamacare, having assembled the team that designed it while Massachusetts governor. The GOP would once again forfeit a major political issue.
Scott Walker/Marco Rubio (or Rick Perry) 2016
By your requirements you must be ecstatic with obama. He met everyone of your requirements and of course was and is our president. Think maybe being a little bit too good or not making vulgar comments or constant racial remarks is something that we all miss? Romney is to me what I would be like if I ran for a top office. I would answer questions honestly and try not to put my foot in my mouth everyday. He proved he was dead on on just about everything that came up that obama was dead wrong on. He has also made a fortune legally through hard work and has maintained his good reputation on Wall Street. Not many have done that. I too wish he had called out obama on many things the liar in chief said during the campaign but that is not his style. If ever I have seen an honest man run for office it was Mitt Romney.
“By your requirements you must be ecstatic with obama. He met everyone of your requirements and of course was and is our president.”
‘Every one’? I listed almost none of my requirements. Obama meets none of them, except the penultimate one, the one that if you don’t have it makes the rest of the requirements/attributes irrelevant: running a great campaign. Obama ran a winning campaign, obviously. Romney and the GOP did not, obviously. I ignore your logical comedy that this somehow makes me ecstatic that Obama won.
“Think maybe being a little bit too good or not making vulgar comments or constant racial remarks is something that we all miss?”
Strawman to assign any of this to me based on what I wrote. The typical pathway for those without an argument is not to post it.
“Romney is to me what I would be like if I ran for a top office. I would answer questions honestly and try not to put my foot in my mouth everyday. He proved he was dead on on just about everything that came up that obama was dead wrong on.”
Most of the GOP and/or conservative media, punditry, bloggers, and blog commenters held the same positions of Romney. He isn’t prescient, lol, and skill at reading the political field is common.
“He has also made a fortune legally through hard work and has maintained his good reputation on Wall Street. Not many have done that.”
Millions have done that.
“I too wish he had called out obama on many things the liar in chief said during the campaign but that is not his style.”
Alas, he was running for US president, not for a seat on some Comity Commission. Calling out one’s opponent is necessary in a presidential election. But you’re right. Romney won on style points. Enjoying his victory and all it’s done for you?
“If ever I have seen an honest man run for office it was Mitt Romney.”
Honesty is not a virtue. It’s the baseline expectation in modern society that we be honest. Or at least it ought to be. I’m honest. Would I make a good president?
So, Romney’s an honest man (among millions of others) who made an honest buck (among millions of others) and is too nice to properly fight for the presidency (among millions of others). This is why he’s not president (among millions of others).
Present.
Could you add a “anybody but these two” option?
Maybe not anybody. I mean, suppose John Boehner decided to run? Or Mitch McConnell? I can think of lots of other candidates who would not improve the field!
No, they can’t add that option because a huge majority would take it.
What does it tell you when you have to add “You can’t kill yourself to avoid voting for either”? to the poll?
Looks like starvation.
I’d take Romney over Bush, but I don’t trust either of their campaigns to run it the way they should to win.
The one person I would truly fear if I were the Democrats is Scott Walker. Three wins in nationalized races in four years in a swing state means he is probably ready for primetime.
Hellsbells. Romney could get 0bamacare to work, even if it killed us.
Why do you say that? Romneycare in Mass doesn’t work without massive infusions of federal money.
“…even if it killed us.
As a technocrat administrative wonk, killing us to get it to work is a price he would pay.
He needs to work on projecting his leadership skills–when he shut down a multi-million dollar operation to find an employee’s missing daughter. Or how he is willing to fire people who simply aren’t getting the job done. He needs to focus on how he could balance making the country work by letting the people work by getting government out of the way. Romney has some potential but he has got to stop listening to pundits and pollsters and show some character.
Where is his vision for making America better?
Romney was/is on record having said that Romneycare would NOT work on the national scene. How much clearer does he have to say it to get it in your head? He said that the only thing that saved it in MA was the federal infusion of money.
Don’t push your luck, Judy. Gushing over Romney is nauseating. I agree he would have been what day is to night over obola, but the next coming of Christ he is not. he ran for gov of MA for one reason only, and that was as a stepping stone to the White House. He waffled on abortion which, even though it’s a non-starter legislatively speaking, says a lot about his character. He sold himself out in order to win the governorship in MA. He tore down the wall for socialized medicine. You are technically correct about him saying socialized medicine won’t work nationally, but he fully opened that door and showcased it as acceptable, and claimed it was working financially but had actually gotten into bed with the hiccup killer, Ted Kennedy, to rob the federal government to pay for it. He’s also a weak campaigner and was scared to death of obola because of the black thang. So Mittens doesn’t have the strongest spine in the book. You would do better to sell him not on what he’s said, but what he’s actually ever done, if anything, to advance conservative causes and positions in a MEANINGFUL way.
All that said, I’d still choose him over Jeb, who’s an even more spineless, bought-and-sold waffler than Romney is.
If this was a true hostage situation, I would rather die on my feet than vote for either of these two.
They’re both RINO’s….and NO I don’t have to vote and I’ve got plenty of “stores” to ensure that. 🙂 🙂
Scott Walker in a heart beat unless he sells his soul to the electoral process – and that is something that they all seem to do. 😀 😀
Have you heard Walker give one of his fiery speeches? Nor have I!
If it had to be a forced choice, I’d take Bush over Romney. Bush was far more conservative then Romney and it wasn’t just that Florida is a more conservative state than Massachusetts. Bush wasn’t educated in the Ivy Leagues and doesn’t have that I am the smartest person in the room thing going one. Nor can I see being taken in by the likes of academic experts like Jonathan Gruber.
Sure.
Might just as well ask us to vote for either Domitian or Commodus to succeed Nero.
Get real.
Mirrors the results at Althouse. And as I said there, the primaries for both parties will be interesting to watch. I don’t think the eventual nominees have yet thrown their hats in the ring. If you were to add a third name, let’s say Palin, even though the media would crucify her, she’d win a 3-way poll with the Republican base. Throw Governor Walker in the 3-way mix, and the Republican moderates and base could get together. Throw Chris Christie in, and watch the base lose its stomach contemts.
I have only 2 criteria to give any candidate a serious look: 1) A governor of any state, with a record of meaningful executive experience and 2) Not Bush/Not Clinton.
Romney. I sure hope Bush is tossing a few “exploratory committee” dollars into the Legal Insurrection kitty. Honest results at a fraction of the price.
Laugh or cry. So far, approximately 300 votes cast and 40 comments saying the can’t or won’t vote. Do the math. Sounds like the 2012 election when conservatives stayed home pouting and let Obama win a second term. Ms Clinton, it’s in the bag.
When I (most likely) vote for a third party candidate, it won’t be pouting. It will be a small step toward fixing the problem.
And FRAUD had nothing to do with it, right? And tell me how the republicoms are doing, standing against the commiecrats. Oh yeah, they are in agreement with and complicit in the destruction of this country. But sure, blame conservatives that won’t play the insane game anymore.
I would spontaneously combust.
I think the drummers in This Is Spinal Tap all spontaneously combusted because of polls like this, so you are in famous company. Say hi to Nigel if you see him.
I could hold my nose and vote for Romney again. His interests are sufficiently aligned with my interests that he could muddle through four years and only do superficial damage (and possibly some good if there is a sufficiently Conservative congress to poke him). Further, he seems to have learned his lesson regarding “Romneycare” and an overreaching federal government.
I WILL NOT vote for Jeb Bush. I will not vote for President if he is the candidate. He falls squarely into the RINO TRAITOR camp. At every recent opportunity, he has stepped forward and put forth a nearly PROGRESSIVE agenda (“pathway to citizenship”? check; “common core”? check; refuses to rule out tax increases? check).
Neither are my first choice, but Romney is preferable to someone who champions Common Core and thinks illegal immigration is “an act of love”… whatever the hell that means.
I could not vote for either one.
We do not need someone who will keep things going in the same direction – sure, more slowly, but the same direction. We don’t need someone who will “manage the decline” of the US. We need someone who can start to turn this thing around. It has a lot of inertia, but it can be turned.
I’m afraid that if either Mitt or Jeb is the nominee – or if Christie is the nominee – the Democrat nominee will be the next president. And I don’t think that will be Mrs. Clinton…
The writers of The Simpsons nailed this years ago: Throw Your Vote Away
Mitt is not a serious candidate, he never was – even in 2012. His only purpose is to suck up what ever money Jeb can’t. They are working together dry up funds for conservatives candidates. Any one who gives money to Mitt thinking he is really running is deluded.
Eventually Mitt will toss the race to Jeb.
My vote was for Romney. Both, I think, would do a decent job. The thing, in my mind, that Romney has is more executive experience. One of the problems that the next Republican President is going to have to address is rooting out the politicization of the Executive Branch. The IRS is only the tip of the iceberg there. For example, the DoJ has apparently applied a hard left litmus test to hiring attorneys over the last 6 years, and they need to be weeded out. Esp. in the Civil Rights division. The FEC and EPA have also been highly politicized – the latter by ecological zealots, using fraudulent AGW research to kill the coal industry, etc. Likely, the top levels of management throughout the Executive Branch need to be cleaned out. And, I think that Romney would do a better job there than most anyone else. This is a hard job – this was one of Reagan’s biggest failures, with the bureaucracy essentially triumphing in many cases.
Mitt had his chance and proved that he didn’t have the guts to run a campaign against a minority. Apparently he saves all of his hatred for his conservative competition. Bush – no way. “Act of Love” Get real. One of the things I don’t like about the obama administration is the way they ignore the law – we don’t need another anarchist in the Oval Office.
What a lousy choice. How do the money donors forget two known facts. 1. Romney is a loser of elections par excellence. And he is incapable of campaigning against Obamacare. 2. Both prior Bush presidencies ultimately destroyed the republican party. Bush 1 destroyed the Reagan Revolution and with it the republican party was decimated. Bush 2 ultimately decimated the republican party as well. Bush 3 would likely be the cause of a split in the republican party where conservatives split off to a third party dealing a death blow to the GOP from which republicans would never be able to recover.
Romney is slightly less likely to screw up immigration so that plus the prior Bush presidencies he would get my vote in this hypothetical. In real life I would probably make a write in vote even if that meant Warren or Clinton were elected as a result.
“I would probably make a write in vote even if that meant Warren or Clinton were elected as a result.”
Cutting off your nose to spite your face. Yeah, that’s REAL grown up. Sheesh. You want to punish THE WHOLE COUNTRY because BOOOOSH.
By the way, if the republican party was twice decimated by the BOOOOSHES, who are all these guys (and gals) who are running both the House and the Senate this year?
I will always vote for the most conservative candidate OFFERED. Even a Romney or a BOOOOSH would be better than a Warren or a Clinton!
Anyone who doesn’t bother to vote Republican DOESN’T GET TO COMPLAIN about the LIBERAL government we might get because of it.
Sorry if you don’t like it Murphy but a time has to come for the GOP establishment to understand that they can’t take conservative votes for granted the way democrats take black votes for granted. We have to be willing to make the GOP feel the pain or they will never change.
LI is doing a grave disservice to its readers by forcing such a biased poll. If you want to know THE TRUTH, then include the option of not voting.
The results would be illuminating.
Um, whiners? If you want conservative votes you need at least a semi-conservative candidate. Yet all we’ve seen is a parade of RINOs. And the GOP leadership literally telling conservatives to get lost and purging conservatives from committee leadership. Oh sure. Blame the voters. The sure path to continued losing.
At least the Dems are smart enough to know why they can’t get conservative voters.
From this poll, it is clear neither Mittens or Jughead will win, because they won’t get the support of the base.
Screw these two RINO hacks, and the Michelle Obama they rode in on.
Must vote?
ok, I wrote in Ted Cruz. Done.
i haven’t voted in the poll, and won’t, because i’ve held my nose for the last time… i voted for Mittens, and for nothing, since he threw the election.
this year, when the GOPe forced #CashAndCarry on us here in #Failifornia as the candidate for governor, i voted for him…
and Moonbeam, rather than leave the office blank, thus making it possible for someone to “fix” my error down at the registrar’s office.
in fact, having watched the disgusting re-election of Boner, i need to re-register as “Independent” the GOPe can go attempt aerial intercourse with a rotating pasty: i’m done with them.
It’s funny because in 2012 I was with the folks that said Mitt is better than Obama.
I went ahead and voted for him rather than who I should have voted for because I figured Mitt at least had a shot at winning.
How many people made the same mistake I did???
I learned two important lessons:
1. I realize now that it was a doomed strategy to hope enough people would rally behind a dead fish RINO prop like I reluctantly was. The other side was selling hopes and dreams and $$$ promises like they always will. The only way to beat that is to rally enough real Americans that like their job, their health care, and their core values to DIRECTLY COUNTER-ATTACK the government nanny state party.
2. The party aristocrats are like spoiled children, and they won’t learn until you punish them enough to teach them not to do the same thing again. It’s already starting again for 2016 with this Jeb/Mitt crap talk because these spoiled children turned grown up political crooks weren’t punished enough last time to learn their lesson.
Agreed. I did it in both 2008 and in 2012–voted for a crap candidate that wasn’t quite as crap as Obama. I’m not doing it again. The GOP apparently can’t do simple math or understand basic numbers.
After Mitt lost in 2012, he actually said that it was because he didn’t reach out enough to Hispanics. Hispanics!? 3 million plus who sucked it up and voted for McCain in ’08 against their better judgment stayed home in 2012, and Mitt’s worried about Hispanics? It’s just too surreal.
And stupid.
Whites still make up 70+% of the electorate, but the GOP is worried about what the electorate will (might) look like in 25 years or more and trying to compete with Dems on leftist policy for Dem votes. It makes zero sense, and I’m not doing it again.
You know, there already is a third party: it’s called the RINO party, and while it has a majority of the Senate and House, it does NOT have a majority of voters. WE do!
I will vote for Mitt. Hands down. Best qualified candidate either party has put forward since Reagan. Possibly more qualified than Reagan on many issues.
I don’t like the bait on your fishing pole, so I won’t bite. My vote can’t defeat the Democrats but it can defeat the Republicans, so I’ll use my vote where it has the greatest impact.
I doubt the Republicans are capable of learning, but a guy has to do what a guy has to do.
great plan. destroy the republicans and ‘enjoy’ eight years of a warren presidency ! …and many years after that of god-only-knows-what marxist/communist/islamic dictator. yep, great plan.
Our nation’s politics are controlled by two major parties, neither of which represent me. Your accusation that I’m going to ‘destroy the Republicans’ is entirely up them.
I’m seeking representation and the only way I can do that is by voting. Voting for Republicans does not offer me any solace. Voting against Democrats is pi**ing into the wind. My only hope is to usurp the Republican party and redirect toward my purposes.
Nope, not doing that again. Jeb, Mitt, Mitt, Jeb . . . six of one . . . they’re both big spending, big government regressives. Better than Obama or Hillary? Slower destruction rate, so yes, but they’re just not good enough for this country, and neither is equipped to dig us out of the multiple ditches into which Obama has driven us.
I think the middle debate between Romney and obama showed what Romney was about in that if you were looking for brains he was the hands down winner. If you were looking for clever gotcha one liners then obama was the hands down winner. He promised things that everyone knew were impossible but got away with it because the msm was on his “Minority” side. Also. if you look at McCain and how he handled obama you can see that both he and Romney were unsure how to attack obama the black. They had ALL of the msm defending obama and anything Romney or McCain said that could be misconstrued was, over and over again. Remember how long Sean Hannity had to beat the Rev Wright drum to get any notice? That is what Romney had to face. Do you remember the woman who died because Romney took her healthcare away? All of the stories that the Demorats spread were proven to be inaccurate or totally false. Do you remember the “He ate a dog” story from the msm about obama? I think it was mentioned one time. Have any of you ever seen a man run for the presidency and seal all of his childhood records? Romney had to fight that because once again the msm wouldn’t do their jobs. This was not like a normal campaign. Even GWB didn’t have to contend with what Romney had to. Call him what you will but he is a good and honest man.
Not going to choose anymore between a douche and a crap sandwich.
NOT. GOING. TO. DO. IT.
No more. For almost 50 years now I’ve held my nose and voted.
And where are we? How much does the tide of socialism an bureaucracy ebb when Republicans are in?
In my view and in my experience; NONE. Sure sometimes they stem the TIDE but it never recedes. NEVER.
> Not going to choose anymore between a douche and a crap sandwich.
Heh. I really like this turn of phrase for some reason. But which one is what?
I have been thinking about this for a few hours now. I have decided if the nominee is one of these two I will either leave it blank or vote for the Democrat. If this is the best the party can do it means they have learned nothing.
“forced to choose”? is this Russia? Is some one going to MAKE me vote? There is no difference between either of them and a Democrat, so I will not vote. What does it take to get politicians to listen to the people? They don’t think it will happen but it will.
Please, LegalInsurrection, write an article about the results of this poll and all these comments.
This.
Perhaps a blogger symposium on the severity of the split.
Is it real?
How serious is it?
If it is real, can the GOP do anything about it?
Should it? (many here say the hell with the “childish”, “petulant” non-voters)
What would heal the split? (my answer–results, no more words)
As bloggers, you have a story staring you right in the face. You may want to capitalize on it.
Good luck.
Reading through the comments I noticed something. Many people in the USA consider voting as serious business, and they will not waste a vote, even in a hypothetical survey. 🙂 That being said, it might have been easier to give the two choices either a thumbs up or thumbs down. I voted only because Aleister said that I had to, and I generally follow rules, but IRL I could not and would not vote for either Jeb or Mitt.
I did the same in this poll and chose Jeb begrudgingly. I’ve already seen Romney try to pander way too much to the middle road RINO platform to even give him another shot.
Like I’ve said above, in real life, neither one have earned my vote.
I didn’t have to hold my nose to vote for Romney in 2012, I would in 2016. His time has come and gone. But I would vote for him over Jeb Bush and any Democrat. That’s me because I always vote. But I suspect if one of these two men is on the ticket a whole lot of conservatives will stay home.
Someday perhaps the “where will they go” thinking will wake up to the fact that they don’t have to “go” anywhere. They can just decide not to vote if you don’t give them good candidates. And I don’t mean MSM approved candidates.
In my book, Jeb Bush is disqualified for his views on illegal immigration and Common Core. He has some other stands that are just to progressive for me so I would prefer a RINO over a Democrat-lite any day.
I agree and I base my vote on qualifications, integrity and record. Last time around, Romney was very clear as to where he stood on the issues and he mirrored my thoughts nearly perfectly.
Hot topics such as getting rid of Obamacare, restoring the strength of the military and supporting the private sector to allow for real growth of the economy all rang my bell.
In my view, only Romney or Scott Walker reflect these values while the rest of the crowd just do not make the grade…
Please, we need new blood. Is the GOP trying to self-destruct??
The GOP leadership is stuck in the past, hasn’t recognized the deep changes in the party over the past 6-10 years or so. Extending their losing streak through 2016 should help.
Next LI Reader Poll:
It’s a sunny afternoon and you’re heading towards a cliff at 90 mph. The choice is yours and you MUST vote: Thelma or Louise?
From the looks of the comments on this subject, it appears that the GOP is already done.
Just received my updated Voter Registration card. For the first time in my 68 years I’m now registered “Independent” instead of “Republican.” Feels strange, but I’m getting used to it.
Yeah, Romney isn’t a bad man. Probably Jeb Bush is kind to dogs and children. So? Neither has remotely what is needed to get this country back on its feet, let alone undo the tremendous amount of damage this Muslim imposter has done while in the White House.
I’ll vote for Tea Party candidates, never again RINOs.
We’ll never know about Romney, I guess… But I feel very differently. Not only a good man, but succeeded at everything he did and would not have taken us down the path we are currently on.
I get sad sometimes, for the country, that he wasn’t elected.
With the exception of Massachusetts where Scott Brown did better than Mitt Romney, Romney did better than the Re3publican Party in general. The years of coming across as scolds finally came home to roost with too many young people and single women. I partially fault Romney during the primaries trying to come across as Santorum, Jr. for that problem.
I’m certainly not an establishment republican. But I do believe in two rules :
1) The Reagan rule – don’t speak ill of fellow republicans
2) The Buckley rule – nominate the most conservative who can get elected.
I’d make two observations regarding 2012. Please tell me who had a better chance of beating Obama in 2012? By that, I mean someone actually running. I want a name. There wasn’t one. Santorum? Please. Gingrich? Really?
Second, elections matter. You purists who didn’t vote gave us Obama II. It’s true. You can blame the establishment for not nominating another, more conservative candidate. How has that worked out for the country? No matter what you would say, there is a HUGE difference between Romney and Obama. Both in competence, and in the direction the country would be moving in right now, had Romney been elected.
And I’ll say again (though it matters a BIT less, with a Republican senate)… I hope that you guys who stayed home in 2012 say prayer daily for the health of Thomas and Alito.
I guess I need to add that Obama also won because the media truly and disgustingly was his biggest cheerleader and protector, which provided a huge advantage to him And we have a bunch of stupid voters.
Sorry but that argument is dead. Chief Justice Roberts shot you in the foot!
If Etch-A-Sketch, THE AUTHOR OF SOCIALIZED MEDICINE IN THIS COUNTRY, got his butt kicked in 2012 we wouldn’t be getting more corrupt crony capitalists shoved in our faces now. It is YOU who is pushing the country LEFT because you vote for this corruption.
Those of us who refused to vote for him knew he lied about Shamnesty. And those of us who work in the financial markets knew he was going to shove Crap & Tax down your throat.
He did not get his butt kicked in 2012. It is true that he lost but Obama got his winning percentage halved in comparison to 2008.
You are delusional if you think that we would not be headed more to the right if Romney had been elected. Or that not voting and thus ensuring Obama gets a second term moved our country further to the right than it would have if Romney had won. Look at the policies, that likely won’t be able to be reversed. Thank you very much.
And as for Roberts (Or Alito for that matter)… Do you think the rulings of the USSC would be as conservative if a Pres Kerry had gotten to replace O’Connor? Or Rhenquist? I don’t like the Obamacare decision any more than you do, but to suggest that Roberts is just like a Dem nominee (Ginsberg, Breyer, Sotomayor -sp -, or Kagan) is just as delusional as thinking that your imaginary pure conservative would have won the general election.
The hard core actually think that someone such as Herman 9-9-9 Cain, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum (aka Pius IX), and Sarah Palin actually have chances of winning.
The soft core actually think that someone such as Dole, McCain, and Romney actually have chances of winning.
So, for 2012, who had a better chance of beating Obama than Romney? I want a name, of someone who was running. WHO?
That is a pointless and unanswerable question. 2012 played out like it did. It’s impossible to play Monday morning quarterback with elections. Just because you demand a name, doesn’t mean we have to play along. Romney and Bush suck for 2016. Romney sucked in 2012. Sorry, but that’s the deal.
It’s hardly a pointless or unaswerable question. There are many on this and other sites going on and on about how terrible a candidate Romney was, but then can’t give a name of which candidate who was running had a better chance of winning the general election than Romney.
What is pointless is to scream “establishment”, RINO about the nominee when you cannot give me the name of the non-establishment candidate who would have had a better chance of being president. For that matter, tell me which of the 2012 candidates for the R’s who would have made a better president, much less be able to be elected.
By all means, work in the primary to get the most conservative electable candidate nominated.
You’re beginning to sound like the Florida/2000 crowd. Let it go. It *is* pointless and unanswerable. I’m not screaming “establishment RINO.” I’m just saying Romney sucked. Someone else may have sucked worse, but we’ll never know. Life doesn’t come with instant replay.
I only hope that people like you in the GOP stop blaming voters for not voting for your presidential candidates and instead try to figure out why they can’t get enough votes to win, even against a lame pony like Obama was in 2012.
Please remember the primaries when the GOP worked against anyone able to challenge the inevitable electable Romney. Snark intended.
Do any of you get it yet? This silly blame-placing game doesn’t work any more. If you want conservative votes, provide someone they can vote for, not these safe ‘electable’ (lol) RINOs.
Like it or not, ROMNEY got more Republican votes in the primaries than any other of the contenders (conspiracy theories aside, they had 18 + debates – which hurt Romney in the general election – but allowed people to make an informed decision).
I am 100% for your voting in the primary for whoever you think is the most conservative person / who aligns with your views the best. Go for it. But you’re shooting yourself in the foot if you take your marbles and go home / don’t vote because your more conservative candidate doesn’t win the nomination.
I will have to see who I vote for. I won’t stay home if it isn’t my preferred candidate
“But you’re shooting yourself in the foot if you take your marbles and go home / don’t vote because your more conservative candidate doesn’t win the nomination.”
No where did I say this. I said I won’t vote for someone I wouldn’t want for president. I realize conservative candidates struggle. That’s because they have to run against two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans – even if they’re a Republican. That will change and I can wait.
I am not a Republican nor have I ever been registered as a Republican, so arguments along the line of “but if you don’t vote for the Republican, the Democrat might win!” mean nothing to me. Registered as a Democrat first time in the 1970s, but only because my parents were Dems. I switched t independent/unaffiliated for 1976.
Both parties are driving the country over a cliff, the Democrats at 90 mph, while the Republicans, once in power, tend towards a more leisurely pace of 55 mph over the cliff. Advising me to choose get in the GOP car to listen to Rush while we go over is not a convincing thing, lol.
It boils down to ‘vote for my guy or the other guy will win!’ and that argument can be made by everybody in the country, regardless of party or politics.
Fair enough… But who wins DOES really matter, contrary to what many on this board seem to say.
Derf, on this issue I think it might be time for you to consider whether it is you who is out of step, not the rest of the band.
We’ll never know because we have no idea what voter turnout would have looked like with a real conservative.
A lot of people, myself included, don’t vote in the primaries because we don’t like registering Republican. I’d rather be independent than become part of the destructive two party oligarchy we have in this country.
Why did you post this poll? Romney will only use it, and NO WAY IN H*** do I want Romney (OR Bush) as the nominee.
Read what Carville said about Ted Cruz: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/james-carville-heaps-praise-on-ted-cruz-most-talented-and-fearless-gop-politician-of-last-30-years/
Cruz is a male Palin. Love him for policy, but not electable. Both have been painted and caricatured already, and it is extremely difficult to get past those initial caricatures. Don’t like it, but it’s true.
The odious Bush Family needs to be politically annihilated.
I don’t think I’d describe the family as “odious”.
Politically they are odious. They have their mafia – Rove, Scowcroft, Baker etc. who think they are king makers. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of the House of Saud.
I am not a Mark Levin fan but his comment about Jeb Bush “As a Republican President he would make a very good ‘moderate’ Democrat” were spot on.
So, Romney may run, making it 2008, 2012, and 2016. I guess we’ll see Jeb Bush run in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
I wouldn’t suggest that. I do believe that Romney would have been an excellent candidate but am also pragmatic enough to know that he’ll have a tough time winning the primary.
I would be despondent about (though would still vote for) a Huckabee nomination. Rand Paul is a bit too much like his father with regards to foreign affairs. Cruz is simply not electable (you have the canada thing, the media has successfully labelled him crazy – he’ll die at the start line – remember McGovern???). He’s more suited as a Senator and I WANT HIM THERE AND I WANT HIM TO FIGHT! Ben Carson is not electable either (though I really like him).
I like Walker. I would have a hard time voting for Christy because he high fives Jerry Jones and is a Cowboy fan. 🙂
I think Cruz is far more electable than given credit for, but I want him appointed to the Supreme Court, by President Scott Walker, when one of the old SC libs kicks the bucket.
🙂
I am a Cowboy fan and I would take any Texas team over a Michigan team.
I am a hopeless Redskins fan… uggh.
Nope. I have another choice. To NOT VOTE! And that is what I would do if RINO’s push either one of these onto the ballot. And in so doing, I won’t vote for down ballot R’s either. Or give them any money. I’d rather spend it on ammo.
Don’t have to answer, but I would ask if you voted in 2012? If so, was it for Romney?
If you didn’t vote for Romney, what specific issue(s) made him a RINO in your mind, unworthy of your vote?
Um, how about the way Romney has been a Democrat, Independent, and a Republican at different times in his political career? It’s a name, a mask, a robe he dons, chosen by his needs of the moment. In other words, he is currently a Republican in name only. A RINO.
I can go on if you like?
Says whom?
POTUS – Ted Cruz
VPOTUS – Ted Nugent
Really.