Decision 2012

I'm neither Democrat or Republican, so I'll give a different perspective. I used to be a republican, but I left the party. I feel the republicans No longer represent true conservatism and the current president, though i suipported many of his policies, killed it for me. If the republican party wishes to regain the base and those it lost, it must return to it's traditions, state's rights, minimal government, fiscal and social conservatism, minimal international involvement, among many others. Unless they do this, they are going to be eventually pushed to the margines as other real conservative parties emerge. I want to see the playing field opened to more parties anyways. The media has a monopoly on influence and being supported by the 2 main parties, the have a vested interest in not giving the others more time or exposure. I urge everyone to write media outlets and demand more, we are only a tow party system because we allow it. As to international interest in our elections. Yes, some things in our elections affect other nations, however, they are OUR elections. Anyone using the opinions of people outside the U.S. to influence their vote in my mind, is guilty of sedition. The U.S. election process is for the U.S alone and though some things effect other nations in some ways, it effects us a thousand fold more and THAT should be our first and only consideration in choosing our elected servents.

I just about fell over when I saw "DECISION 2012" on the TV screen earlier today but I guess I didn't dream it, did I? Let me try to answer your questions to the best of my ability. 1)I'm not a Republican so I really don't have the "right" to speak for them, but if I was looking to help them out I'd have to say "None of the above" regarding the ones you listed. Palin is too divisive and combative and, in my opinion, not informed enough at least at this time. I actually LIKE Huckabee personally but I think he's too conservative and too likely to really bring religion more into politics than it should be. Some on the far right will love that but too many other voters will not. Gingrich - old news, and not such good news at that. He's also very divisive and carries a lot of baggage. Mitt Romney is too much of a flip-flopper; one can't really go from being the Governor of one of the nation's most liberal states to getting the GOP Presidential nomination as a conservative. If he were to run as a moderate he would have a better chance, maybe. I think they need some truly new blood, possibly Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. I'm sure there must be some other young, up-and-coming Republicans on the state and local level with whom I'm not familiar who may burst onto the scene within the next four years but for now I can't think of anyone else. 2) I'm not sure what you mean by "campaign limits"; do you mean as far as how long a campaign lasts? If so, I'm all for some limits! I'm a political junkie from way back but this campaign seemed to have gone on for 100 years. However, that's not likely to happen and judging by the way the pundits are already talking about 2012 we can probably expect the next campaign to start right after Christmas. Annie

I am not sure who will run. They will need to find someone who appeals to a broad base of people and will be a good candidate to put out there. I think only time will tell on who they can bring out.

I can't believe people are already talking about this. How insane! And Sarah Palin as president? Whatever... I know more about most things than she does!

I haven't even thought about it yet. However, what I have been wondering is whether Obama will take two years plus again to campaign. He pretty much ignored his duties as a senator for that time-frame. Illinois people should be quite angry about that. They only had half the representation in the senate, lol. So, will he ignore his presidential duties, too, to win re-election?

I think it is ridiculous for the Republicans to be talking of 2012 at this point. A lot depends on how Obama performs and what happens in the mid terms in 2010. The names mentioned don't seem to me to offer an easy road back for the Republicans. As Xfactor has said, the Repubicans will need to return to traditional Republican values and select a candidate that best represents these values if they want to have any chance in 2012, and even then they will also be dependent on Obama making a mess of things, which is far from certain.

I think Mike Huckabee would be the best choice. I do like Sarah Palin and I think that she has been unjustly attacked. Those staff members who said she did not know Africa was a continent, and talked about her clothing budget, were discontented and just plain lied. I think that fake call was a put on by someone to make her look bad and it is amazing how many idiots here believed everything bad about her. If she really was that incompetent and ignorant it would have been in the Christian news articles as they give the truth. I think that the Republican party went too far to appease the secularists, and it has to get back to its roots, and have a traditional value, strict right from wrong. It can no longer be a faux Republican party, it has to be what it was in Ronald Reagan's term.

Yes, we are already talking about it. I do not believe all the lies about Sarah Palin so I am in her court. The only people who believe those lies are the ones who want to. I think candidates should not be able to use to so much money for elections. Obama bought his with all that money...not saying that it is the only way he got in, but it goes hand in hand.

It doesn't really matter - I'm sure all of the Obama supporters that voted for him this year will undoubtedly vote for him again in 2012 and he'll be in for another term.

There is no way that the republican party is going to elect Sarah Palin after Fox news claiming that she thought Africa was a country and that she didn't know what countries were a part of NAFTA... and that she had temper tantrums after watching unfavorable news reports about her. There is just no way. I honestly think that Mike Huckabee is probably the best choice, although, I'm an independent and will have absolutely no say.