Meet The Candidates: 2012 GOP Thread

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

Gov. Mitch Daniels
Gov. Chris Christie
Rep. Paul Ryan
Gov. Haley Barbour
Sen. John Thune
Gov. Mike Huckabee
Gov. Sarah Palin

That's a pretty good list of candidates that don't think they can beat Barack Obama. Within GOP circles, I would consider them hitters.


Jon Huntsman still in single digits in every poll, he'll be out of the race in a couple of months if not before. #fail
Rick Perry is fading faster than a pair of Levi jeans.

Your nominee will be flip-flopping Mitt Romney.

That's not quite true. Apart from perhaps Haley Barbour (it's debateable if he's a "hitter"), the people you listed didn't run because they didn't want to. In the case of Mitch Daniels, it was his family that persuaded him not to make a run for it. Others, like Ryan and Christie believe they have to fulfill their commitment to serve the remainder of their terms. Palin and Huckabee don't want to take a pay cut.

Campaigning for president is a life-altering event that takes enormous time away from your family. Sometimes winning the presidency doesn't even make it worth running.

It's quite a stretch to claim that they refused to run because they don't think they can beat Barack Obama.