What type of Republican do you think can win the presidency in 2016?

clownboy said:

Whether or not your a democrat or agree with them on other issues, you've bought their BS about the republicans. The nation is right of center and that wasn't as much a factor this time as the economy. That's why the incumbant won.

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mate there's a radio in my car. i have access to talk radio, which is 100% republican. republican heroes like rush limbaugh. so no, they're not center, not now, and that's why they lost.

Kandahar said:

The GOP has now lost two presidential elections in a row, so I'm curious as to what kind of candidate you think it will take for them to win the White House in 2016. I'm not asking about specific candidates here, I'm talking about general attributes of a candidate.

I think that a relatively charismatic candidate with a George W. Bush-like domestic policy could still probably win elections for the GOP...pro-immigrant, "compassionate conservatism," generally moderate on economic policy, etc. If they can pair that kind of domestic policy with a less destructive foreign policy (e.g. George H.W. Bush's...or hell, even copy Barack Obama's), I think they'd be back in business.

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So, basically domestic policy neoconservatism without the foreign policy neoconservatism.

-Must be totally anti-war in the name of drilling at home.

-Making the case of China is the "economic enemy" with plans to get even more jobs over here

-A charismatic southerner

-Has been in the DC loop for a short time or not at all as most past presidents in my life time

-cant seem like a cartoon villain

That really is all that is needed to get me interested.

Kandahar said:

The GOP has now lost two presidential elections in a row, so I'm curious as to what kind of candidate you think it will take for them to win the White House in 2016. I'm not asking about specific candidates here, I'm talking about general attributes of a candidate.

I think that a relatively charismatic candidate with a George W. Bush-like domestic policy could still probably win elections for the GOP...pro-immigrant, "compassionate conservatism," generally moderate on economic policy, etc. If they can pair that kind of domestic policy with a less destructive foreign policy (e.g. George H.W. Bush's...or hell, even copy Barack Obama's), I think they'd be back in business.

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What is George Bush domestic? The tax cuts will fix everything stuff is not likely to sell.

I agree with many of your points. They have got to drop the anti- immigrant stuff. Also, they need to moderate on abortion a bit and not quite so pro war. They don't have to be Ron Paul but they cannot be eager for war.

Einzige said:

Absolutely. The only difference is that I don't think you'll have as many obvious joke candidates like Michelle Bachmann or Herman Cain. The majority of candidates will be hardliners, but they'll probably have learned enough from the last two cycles to at least be presentable.

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If you are absolutely convinced you don’t have bad breath you aren’t going to use mouthwash. You actually think Santorum groks, and more importantly accepts as something he should change, what makes him decidedly unpresentable to the general public? I am entirely convinced that in his heart of hearts he knows he right and, bless his heart, he just cannot accept keeping that inside. It is what makes him tick.

Maybe Perry could but after the money his campaign spent crashing and burning in a matter of weeks this cycle, is he going to get the backing?

No, I really think Chris Christie or Jeb Bush gets it. Too early for Jeb? Not for winning the Primaries, I expect, and frankly he is he guy (not Rubio) that has the best chance of mending the fences with hispanic voters. The GOP burned through a lot of ‘joke’ candidates this year, I’m not sure they have much in the way of reserves there.

Mitt Romney could have won this election if he had run from the beginning as the Mitt Romney who was governor of MA, or a slightly more conservative variation. The problem is that a moderate Republican can't win the primary -- at least without pretending to be a "severe conservative."