George Will Narrows the GOP Field

[Appaholic]

I wouldn't worry too much about Daniels in the current economical & political climate....

"During Daniels' 29-month tenure in the position, the projected federal budget surplus of $236 billion declined to a $400 billion deficit because of an economic downturn and concurrent tax cuts initiated by the Bush administration.[14]

Conservative columnist Ross Douthat has argued that Daniels "carried water, as director of the Office of Management and Budget, for some of the Bush administration’s more egregious budgets [and] made dubious public arguments in support of his boss’s agenda." [17] In 2002, Daniels was involved in a controversial attempt to discredit a report by Assistant to the President on Economic Policy Lawrence B. Lindsey estimating the cost of Operation Iraqi Freedom at between $100–$200 billion. Daniels called this estimate "very, very high" and stated that the costs would be between $50–$60 billion.[18][19] As of February 2010 the cost of the invasion and occupation of Iraq exceeded $700 billion , and the Congressional Budget Office in August 2007 estimated that appropriations would eventually reach $1 trillion and likely much more...."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Daniels

tl;dr.

(actually i did read it) thing is, that's a level of detail most voters don't get to when choosing a candidate - right or wrong.

take a guy like Chris Christie - now he has stumbling blocks that voters will care about - namely, supporting the ground zero mosque. (is it beyond retarded that the very real issue you presented wouldn't matter and something so frankly trivial would? you bet your ass... but them's the raspberries)

I agree about the typical voter not caring in most years, but if I got down to brass tacks, don't you think this would be pointed out by a challenger? Especially someone like Huckabee who has Tea Party cred and he points out how Daniels is part of the same regime & mindset that got us into this financial mess? The typical washington "insider" label....out of touch with the common man....

[bluehenbillk]

2012...it's more would Obama lose versus would Republicans win.

2016 will be Christie time.

[Ivytalk]

tl;dr.

(actually i did read it) thing is, that's a level of detail most voters don't get to when choosing a candidate - right or wrong.

take a guy like Chris Christie - now he has stumbling blocks that voters will care about - namely, supporting the ground zero mosque. (is it beyond retarded that the very real issue you presented wouldn't matter and something so frankly trivial would? you bet your ass... but them's the raspberries)

I agree about the typical voter not caring in most years, but if I got down to brass tacks, don't you think this would be pointed out by a challenger? Especially someone like Huckabee who has Tea Party cred and he points out how Daniels is part of the same regime & mindset that got us into this financial mess? The typical washington "insider" label....out of touch with the common man....

Saw an op-ed piece by the head of the American Baptist Convention that trashed Daniels for emphasizing economic issues over the culture wars. Sounds like he wants the GOP to lose another Presidential election in the name of "principle."

[TwinTownBisonFan]

2012...it's more would Obama lose versus would Republicans win.

2016 will be Christie time.

you think a New Jersey politician can survive 5 years??? no chance in hell...

[SuperHornet]

TTBF: Quit stealing material from Vince. He'll find a way to fire you.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

tl;dr.

(actually i did read it) thing is, that's a level of detail most voters don't get to when choosing a candidate - right or wrong.

take a guy like Chris Christie - now he has stumbling blocks that voters will care about - namely, supporting the ground zero mosque. (is it beyond retarded that the very real issue you presented wouldn't matter and something so frankly trivial would? you bet your ass... but them's the raspberries)

I agree about the typical voter not caring in most years, but if I got down to brass tacks, don't you think this would be pointed out by a challenger? Especially someone like Huckabee who has Tea Party cred and he points out how Daniels is part of the same regime & mindset that got us into this financial mess? The typical washington "insider" label....out of touch with the common man....

Oh, he'll get ripped for it... right wing talk radio is already throwing haymakers at the guy... so is fox news... it's why i think he's DOA in the GOP primary... what I'm saying, is that as a Democrat - he's the one who, if he gets past his own party, would scare me.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

TTBF: Quit stealing material from Vince. He'll find a way to fire you.

what the fuck are you talking about, Willis?

[SuperHornet]

no chance in hell...

[youtube][/youtube]

[TwinTownBisonFan]

no chance in hell...

[youtube][/youtube]

oh good lord... wrasslin'? SH... wow

[BDKJMU]

2012...it's more would Obama lose versus would Republicans win.

2016 will be Christie time.

you think a New Jersey politician can survive 5 years??? no chance in hell...

Its not that. It would be UD isn't elite enough for liberal donk and blue blood republican elites...

[GannonFan]

you think a New Jersey politician can survive 5 years??? no chance in hell...

Its not that. It would be UD isn't elite enough for liberal donk and blue blood republican elites...

Well, both campaign managers for Obama and McCain in '08 were UD grads. Just saying.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Its not that. It would be UD isn't elite enough for liberal donk and blue blood republican elites...

Well, both campaign managers for Obama and McCain in '08 were UD grads. Just saying.

as a guy who has run campaigns for a living one of things that has bugged the crap out of me since '08 was this notion that somehow David Axelrod was anything special as a manager... guy didn't do anything new, inventive or particularly remarkable... he took a popular and well liked guy and ran him in an election that it was nearly impossible to lose - and won. all they did was the basics... they did them well, and that's commendable - but in reality this guy gets talked about like he discovered fire, when all he really did was what any half-decent manager would have done in a cycle and environment that was already favorable for his candidate.

/

[Ivytalk]

Well, both campaign managers for Obama and McCain in '08 were UD grads. Just saying.

as a guy who has run campaigns for a living one of things that has bugged the crap out of me since '08 was this notion that somehow David Axelrod was anything special as a manager... guy didn't do anything new, inventive or particularly remarkable... he took a popular and well liked guy and ran him in an election that it was nearly impossible to lose - and won. all they did was the basics... they did them well, and that's commendable - but in reality this guy gets talked about like he discovered fire, when all he really did was what any half-decent manager would have done in a cycle and environment that was already favorable for his candidate.

/

And Axelrod's TV performances as an Obama spokesman were painful to watch. He couldn't string two sentences together without tripping over ummms, ahhhs, and outright gibberish.

I see TTBF as more of the Stephanopoulos type of campaign director: profane and urbane at the same time. Plus, you could get a sweet gig on GMA and reinvent yourself! (Now don't start in with that "sellout" stuff -- I mean it as a compliment!)

[Skjellyfetti]

[Skjellyfetti]

Well, both campaign managers for Obama and McCain in '08 were UD grads. Just saying.

as a guy who has run campaigns for a living one of things that has bugged the crap out of me since '08 was this notion that somehow David Axelrod was anything special as a manager... guy didn't do anything new, inventive or particularly remarkable... he took a popular and well liked guy and ran him in an election that it was nearly impossible to lose - and won. all they did was the basics... they did them well, and that's commendable - but in reality this guy gets talked about like he discovered fire, when all he really did was what any half-decent manager would have done in a cycle and environment that was already favorable for his candidate.

/

He was talking about Plouffe, not Axelrod.

[Rob Iola]

Its not that. It would be UD isn't elite enough for liberal donk and blue blood republican elites...

Well, both campaign managers for Obama and McCain in '08 were UD grads. Just saying.

And David Plouffe's a St. Mark's grad...
And Lunchbox Joe Biden is from Wilmington...

[TwinTownBisonFan]

as a guy who has run campaigns for a living one of things that has bugged the crap out of me since '08 was this notion that somehow David Axelrod was anything special as a manager... guy didn't do anything new, inventive or particularly remarkable... he took a popular and well liked guy and ran him in an election that it was nearly impossible to lose - and won. all they did was the basics... they did them well, and that's commendable - but in reality this guy gets talked about like he discovered fire, when all he really did was what any half-decent manager would have done in a cycle and environment that was already favorable for his candidate.

/

He was talking about Plouffe, not Axelrod.

was talking primarily about Axelrod. I like Plouffe, I've worked with him, back when he was a nobody. He was likely the guy pushing the "block and tackle, no drama" approach... nothing revolutionary - just sound fundamentals - also not really the one touted as the one who came up with everything... even if he did write a book (which, incidentally professes the same thing - do the basics, do them well, repeat)

he comes off the Rahm managing tree IIRC (same tree I'm on) - which stresses these values

Axelrod on the other hand vastly overrated.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

as a guy who has run campaigns for a living one of things that has bugged the crap out of me since '08 was this notion that somehow David Axelrod was anything special as a manager... guy didn't do anything new, inventive or particularly remarkable... he took a popular and well liked guy and ran him in an election that it was nearly impossible to lose - and won. all they did was the basics... they did them well, and that's commendable - but in reality this guy gets talked about like he discovered fire, when all he really did was what any half-decent manager would have done in a cycle and environment that was already favorable for his candidate.

/

And Axelrod's TV performances as an Obama spokesman were painful to watch. He couldn't string two sentences together without tripping over ummms, ahhhs, and outright gibberish.

I see TTBF as more of the Stephanopoulos type of campaign director: profane and urbane at the same time. Plus, you could get a sweet gig on GMA and reinvent yourself! (Now don't start in with that "sellout" stuff -- I mean it as a compliment!)

what's funny is, on campaigns - I'm more... abrasive - occasionally profane, a tough fucker to work for - but i only demand as much of the people who work for/with me than i demand of myself - part of the Rahm management tree philosophy... however, I scream a LOT less than other guys who came up the same way... I don't think it works unless used sparingly.