Or alternately, if we can’t get a squish like Romney by way of the primary process, we’ll figure out a way to install one of our own at the convention!
Al Cardenas, head of the American Conservative Union, has said that Republican turmoil might lead to a brokered convention in which Jeb Bush, former Florida governor, would emerge as a “possible alternative” party nominee.
Mr Cardenas, who is running this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a gathering in Washington of some 10,000 conservatives, told MailOnline that it was not certain that one of the four current Republican candidates would emerge victorious.
[…]
Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and younger brother of President George W. Bush, has repeatedly said he will not run in 2012. He is one of a number of senior figures who disappointed activists and party officials alike by staying on the sidelines.
“We’ll know more in the next few weeks,” said Mr Cardenas. “The pressure’s already been on Mitt Romney to close the sale… and he hasn’t.” A split verdict on “Super Tuesday” on March 6th, when 10 states vote, could lead to a surprise at the Republican convention in Tampa in August, he suggested.
[…]
“March 6th is really the telling date as to whether we have a chance of a brokered convention or not,” said Mr Cardenas. “If Mitt wins Arizona and Michigan at the end of February and runs with the vast majority of delegates on March 6th, I still think he could end it early.
“If there’s a mixed bag, if he loses Michigan or Arizona and he wins one or two [on March 6th] and the other states are spread around you might just as well get into a convention where nobody has a majority of delegates.
“And then you might see the possibility of two of the four candidates making a deal, a ticket, things of that nature. It starts getting exciting.” If no deal could be struck then a dark horse could step in on a second ballot, when delegates pledged to candidates would be free to vote as they wished.
“That’s when you start thinking of a Jeb Bush or someone like that could maybe come in as a possible alternative,” said Mr Cardenas, who also hails from Florida.
Cardenas also mentions as possible Party saviors — should, say, some Republicans be put off by the name Bush, or by being told by the former Governor and latest in the line of GOP establishment Bushes that their rejection of illegal immigration marks them as anti-Hispanic nativists — the likes of Chris Christie, or Mike Huckabee, or Mitch Daniels.
Noticeably absent from the list offered by Mr Cardenas? Sarah Palin.
Suggesting to me that Mr Cardenas has no idea what’s happening inside the conservative movement as it exists outside of the GOP media cheerleading squads, and that he has no conception of what a Jeb Bush or Chris Christie or Mike Huckabee candidacy would do to finally shovel that last scoop of dirt atop an already moribund Republican party.
Personally, I’m fine with Santorum, and can even get behind Newt if it comes to it. If I’m given Jeb Bush to vote for, I might seriously consider voting for Obama in protest. Just get it over with so we can maybe begin again fresh.
With the bees, probably.
(thanks to guins)
****
update: Palin’s full speech at CPAC, from TRS (h/t jdw)
ACU head Al Cardenas was born in Cuba in 1948…
Is it possible that there’s a little election year identity politics pandering going on? Or just a longtime supporter reaping the rewards of years of loyalty.
Sarah Palin.
March 6th as the drop dead date according to Mr Cardenas? Chuckle-chuckle. All primaries are proportional till the end of March. I fully expect that barring dropouts due to funding no one will drop till into April and that there will not be someone with a majority till at least into April if not later.
Many of the caucus States don’t really choose their delegates until into may and June even though they may have run the local caucus events much earlier. It is at the District and State caucuses/conventions where the actual delegates get selected and bound if that is called for in their rules.
This is just the bleat of another Rino wanting anyone but a conservative for their own reasons.
you don’t understand “the politics of generosity”
keeping the base satisfied
link
I’m getting the sense this is what was like when they were building the Tower of Babel.
Speaking about building moon colonies, and half the people don’t
understandcare what the other half means when they say “conservative”, or “liberal”, or “here Boy!”.The bees know.
“Personally, I’m fine with Santorum, and can even get behind Newt if it comes to it”
i think newt’s 1st 30 days agenda is the best. the congress repeals a lot of baracky before the next president is sworn in. that rocks.
It’s like the RNC is living in a Hitler parody video, pushing little models of nonexistent candidates arounf the table and locking the base outside the bunker…
As soon as it starts to look like the notRomney question has been settled, suddenly the notnotRomney question reopens.
The nonexistent Republican establishment is worried.
“Cardenas also mentions as possible Party saviors — should, say, some Republicans be put off by the name Bush, or by being told by the former Governor and latest in the line of GOP establishment Bushes that their rejection of illegal immigration marks them as anti-Hispanic nativists — the likes of Chris Christie, or Mike Huckabee, or Mitch Daniels.”
maybe newt sez rick: what then? catholics against baracky
Oh, and I see the Romneyrrhoids are talking up how His Electable Inevitableness won the CPAC straw poll.
How many delegates does he get for that?
Ask Jim Geraghty —he should know.
Romney won a CPAC poll? Well, then it’s settled: he is a ‘conservative’ — I mean, it’s right there in the freakin’ name and everything.
Because (apparently) all true conservatives want themselves a moderate northeastern big-government Republican who loves ‘fixing’ things. And has good hair. What could be more conservative than that?
Same way (and reason) all those ‘anarchist’ groups invariably come out in support of bigger government.
Let’s face it. All the GOP candidates have mud on their shoes. http://evilbloggerlady.blogspot.com/2012/02/warning-to-gop-candidates-no-nanny.html NO NANNY STATERS NEED APPLY! Conservatives to the GOP: Okay, in the words of Ronald Reagan, “Trust but verify!” And fight back when the lies start coming from the left.
Whether it is Mitt, Rick, or Newt, we need to get them elected and we need to watch them all the time. As Grover Norquist noted at CPAC: the real work will be in Congress. All we need the President to do is sign conservative bills when they cross his desk, pick conservative judges, and not screw up foreign policy. We need to get the GOP nominee elected then we need to watch him like a hawk and make sure he does not screw it up. Santorum is the best out of these three. Jeb Bush (God forbid) would be a huge mistake.
I would take Mitt over Jeb Bush anyway. But that is not saying a lot.
Wait, I thought them meant he was Ron Paul.
Add Andrew Breitbart to the list of people who can go fuck themselves.
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2012/02/must-read-transcript-breitbart-at-cpac.html
On the flip side, Breitbart stood full-face in front of an OWS crowd and shouted them down. “Filthy freaks”, he called ’em.
That is so damned cool.
This too.
Santorum 38%, Romney 23%, Gingrich 17%.
Mr. Cardenas is one reason I’m less than smitten with using his organization’s rating system as a yardstick on how “conservative” a candidate is.
No dynasties. I don’t care if Jeb is the second coming of Ronaldus Magnus, it runs contrary to my vision of an equal opportunity America for one family to hold the reins of power across generations. I know my extreme distaste for GWB in the 2000 primaries was as much about him as a legacy as it was for “compassionate conservatism” (and what a fucking disaster that turned out to be).
Plus, Jeb is more like the 5th coming of Bob Dole.
The Bushes have been globalist client statists since forever. Herbert Walker didn’t say ‘one world order’ not knowing what it meant.
It’s uncanny how three years ago various nods toward Sarah Palin’s conservatism around these parts has by now morped into her being the only hope of all the possible next presidents from the true right. Remarkable.
I’ll reassert here that we need to look to the function of the US federal dollar and all of its operatives, agencies, policies, corruptions, beneficiaries, and stooges if we’re going to get a handle on our problem. What we’d do with that knowledge is entirely another thing.
Like a piss in a gale I am that way.
I freely admit I thought Jeb Bush would be a great candidate, at one time, a few of years ago.
Then, someone pointed out the very same thing Motionview mentioned. Hell, it may very well have been Motionview. Anyway, I had to agree a Jeb Bush candidacy and presidency was a really bad idea.
Here in Georgia, early voting for the March 6 primary starts tomorrow. I usually prefer to avoid early voting but this time I’m sorely tempted.
Now I’m seeing a few people intimating that Santorum is receiving affirmative help from His Electable Inevitableness as a way of newtralizing Gingrich.
Except, I’m pretty sure Gingrich has been newtralizing himself. The complainers are themselves representing themselves as Gingrich supporters.
Genetic dynasties are way over rated. Weren’t Caligula and Nero related to Julius Ceasar?
Under that theory, Ronnie Reagan Jr. should be the GOP nominee.
Sudden and relentless reform.
Sunday Morning FNS Wallace Watch. Wallace: Establishment? ¿Qué es eso
The lack of self-awareness can be stunning.
Wallace: You said yesterday we need an “instinctive conservative” SP: Romney is coming from a liberal past to conservatism. Evolving.
SP: Don’t do the left wing media’s job for them by destroying each other.
Wallace; Compare Gingrich and Santorum. SP. Respect Santorum’s social conservativism. Newt. Good historical understanding.
Wallace: Game change. Let’s watch. SP: Must we?
Wallace: I am going to drive home the thesis of the HBO movie by showing selected clips.
Wallace: relentless badgering on the movie. SP: Bite me.
Anyone doubt that this movie was part of the TOJAP strategy, part of their “out-reach” to the artistic community
organizers, part of shaping the narrative battlefield? Just in case. Just like OWS is part of shaping the narrative battlefield for Mr. Electable. Expect a ton of Lifetime movies in the near future about how abortion and access to birth control is SCIENTIFICALLY proven to save lives, in heart-warming persnal stories at about a 6th grade reading comprehension level. They did not expect Santorum to be this competitive and will need to whip some content out quickly.Could someone please write “Establishment” in red lipstick over Wallace’s make-up mirror? Just as a little aid in understanding.
Watching Palin’s speech … what exactly what is needed, a full-throated advocation of “free men and free markets”
At about the 21:00 mark “When was the last time the EPA stopped the building of a new government building?”
heh
McGehee: self-newtralization – failure to thrive due to a complete and utter lack of humility ; antonym obamanation – meteoric success due to complete and utter lack of humility
Wallace panel: 3 journalists and one Democratic operative, who they tend to defer to due to his previous office.
Sarah Palin lives rent free in their heads:
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2010/05/hi-there-neighbor.html
[…] Party Ruling Class Contemplates Hara Kiri Posted on February 12, 2012 9:30 am by Bill Quick “Top Republican at CPAC: Jeb Bush could emerge as nominee at a brokered convention” Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and younger brother of President George W. Bush, has repeatedly […]
Keep in mind that when complaining about the “GOP Establishment” what you are complaining about is really the “DC Establishment”. Once a Republican or “conservative” sets foot inside the Beltway, the temptation is almost overwhelming to abandon his or her beliefs and core identity to the prevailing weltanshauung of DC. In many ways, Mitch McConnell likes better and is more comfortable with Harry Reid than the voters who elected him, and this is going to show in his conduct.
Think of it not as two political parties but as two police precincts in the same big city. There may be a rivalry, but in the end they are both beholden to the same higher interests and share the same mistrust and contempt of the citizenry they are supposed to ride herd on.
Sarah Palin making an observation about Mitt Romney for which she will be savaged:
Link
Speaking the plain, obvious truth is a terrible sin in these dark times; one that will be punished accordingly by both ‘sides’.
BURN THE HERETIC!
“On the flip side, Breitbart stood full-face in front of an OWS crowd and shouted them down.”
Plus, I hear he has a copy of the video the L.A. Times has kept hidden. I wonder if they are worried about being preempted?
Danger that is a different video. You refer to the Rashid Khalidi video, for which there is a sizeable outstanding reward. Breitbart is being coy so far, shaking the bushes a little, making the MBM dance like the scurrying little herd animals they are, but I would guess that he has some video from the Socialist Scholars Conference(s) in New York in the 80s.
Weren’t Caligula and Nero related to Julius Ceasar?
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, yes. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, no.
Just watched Sarah. Tell me again- why is she the radical unelectable one?
Shut up you ignorant hicktard
That’s why.
I don’t support Mitt Romney, not by a long shot. In fact, I don’t support anyone in this Republican field at all. However, I’m going to vote for whoever the Republican Party nominates because I don’t care about Romney or the not-Romneys, I only care about the not-Obamas. Any of the Republicans would be better than Barack Obama and for one reason: in an ideological discussion/battle (and in the one sure to follow the election), they all, unlike Obama, can be gotten through to. I mean, given that Obama’s constitution (pun intended) prevents us from getting through to him and he’s been this bad in his first term, how bad do you think he’ll be in a second term when his obviously unchanged constitution is unfettered by any public opinion whatsoever? No thanks. These Republicans may be bad, but at least you can talk to them.
Was that before or after he declared me on their side?
The king is a good king. It’s his ministers who are wicked.
From the this week’s Steyn column that’s already been linked a few times:
It helps to know who you’re talking to before you start talking, doesn’t it?
And many other? Is that the ubiquitous “them”?
Heh. I asked Mrs. Red the same- she said America is not ready for her.
link
“Under that theory, Ronnie Reagan Jr. should be the GOP nominee.”
EBL, if you watched Gladiator, there’s a reason Marcus Aurelius was going to disinherit Commodus and make Maximus his heir.
On Fox, just heard Jack Lew, new chief of staff to O. We need to rename him Bob N. Weave. Never answered Wallace’s questions. Followed by Sarah P., who didn’t have to look at the playbooks before answering.
There is a divide in this country that will not be lessened by compromise.
There’s also a reason why even good movies make for bad historical analogies.
B.Moe…nice & appropriate photo.
I admired Bush H for his WWII servive.
I admired Bush W For handling terrorist
I dispise the Bush family because of bitch mouth barbara
An open convention sounds intrigueing and I hope 1) Palin gets it or 2) Santorum does. But NO ROMNEY
“With the bees, probably”
David Warner in WarGames, wasn’t it?
Seriously, if we have to go third party, we’re gonna lose a few elections at first. Although the last major party to do so, the Republican Party, won its first Presidential election out of the box — as one of FOUR candidates.
So it can be done. Sure, there is a lot of suffering before the new party, Tea Party, Liberty Party, whatever, wins. Then some more while they try to fix everything.
But it seems to me there’s a lot more suffering than that tagging along in the GOP’s wake.
Lensmanx, the Republicans’ first presidential ticket, John C. Fremont and William L. Dayton, was soundly defeated in 1856.
MV,
What might happen if an organization that had something of value was worried that someone else had acquired a copy and was going to release it.
Are ya trackin me Mr.?
heh, Danger, the first rule of PsyOps is we don’t talk about PsyOps.
oops
5 by 5
Good catch, lensmanx!
‘cept it was the Falken character.