I’m hoping that in 2016 the GOP follows its tradition of nominating the man who lost in the previous primary season. It doesn’t happen 100% of the time (think of Dubya) but it happens often enough—consider Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney. So if they decide to adhere to this formula, next on the national turkey-platter will be:
Rick Santorum!
But it’s just possible that the GOP will be in such a dither over this year’s loss that they might turn to someone who, at least on paper, comes across as somewhat sensible.
Jeb Bush.
Now, it’s painfully evident to all progressives that yet another Bush anywhere near the Oval Office will merely mean yet another raid on the Treasury for the benefit of the rich. Who knows how deep the hole he might leave us in after four or (gasp!) eight years? It would certainly be beyond today’s worst nightmares. Yet if there are any sane heads left in the GOP hierarchy surely they are coalescing around the possibility of running Jezebel—er, Jeb—Bush in 2016.
If Bush enters the primaries we have to energize Tea Party opposition to him. If he’s going to win the nomination, bleed him dry in the primaries. (Ditto the Adelson-bots who would support Bush and those who would oppose him.)
If Bush wins the GOP nomination I hope we can instill a sense of urgency in the electorate about the dangers of yet another member of that clueless family at the helm.
NO MORE BUSHES!!!!
Curiously (but perhaps not) Newt Gingrich is once again beating the drum for a Hillary Clinton run in 2016. Of course anything Gingrich suggests to the Democrats provides a clear reason to go in the exact opposite direction. My guess is that Gingrich is counting on enough residual Clinton fatigue and also the ingrained Oldwhitefolks notion (as in Grumpy Oldwhitefolks Pity-party) that women aren’t capable of running God-Bless-America to make her defeat inevitable. He’d love to see her the nominee, but for his own purposes, not hers.
And who knows? Perhaps, if they juggle enough 47% slices of the electorate the GOP may come up with enough puzzle-pieces to somehow win.
I’m hoping there’s enough continuing Bush fatigue to ever allow another one in the White House. But the US electorate has a mighty short attention span, and they’re nothing if not fickle. Please remember that only six years passed from the moment of Nixon’s “last press conference” to his election to the presidency.