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In Search of a GOP Presidential Candidate
David Brooks scans the horizon for a potentially winning GOP presidential candiate in 2012 or 2016. In the process, he discovers Sen. John Thune (SD). The money lines, in my opinion, are these …
[Thune] is a gracious and ecumenical legislator, not a combative one.
And …
The first person who told me I had to write a column about Thune was a liberal Democratic senator who really likes the guy.
In these respects, Sen. Thune seems to stand in stark contrast to many of his peers, whom Brooks describes as “people who appear to have gone into government because they saw it as a steppingstone to talk radio.”
11 Responses to “In Search of a GOP Presidential Candidate”
[...] In Search of a GOP Presidential CandidateThe Moderate VoiceJohn Thune (SD). The money lines, in my opinion, are these … [Thune] is a gracious and ecumenical legislator, not a combative one. The first person who told … [...]
I think people have been looking at Thune for some time now. I grew up in South Dakota, and for most of the time he was a household name. He had a tough go running against Tim Johnson, but then he took down Daschle, which many folks thought was impossible. I believe he is a pretty staunch conservative on social issues, which may turn him off to some folks on a national level.
He's a decent guy and it would be neat to have “one of our own” back on the national stage, but he's going to have to do some heavy pandering, i.e. sell out, to get past some of the crazies the right currently has on display.
I nominate Sarah Palin. For obvious reasons..lol..
He's tall and nice, plays basketball, but is only a junior senator and he has no business or administrative experience.
How could anyone vote for him. Seriously, Gov. Pawlenty of Minn. is a better choice.
I like Thune a lot, but at this point, the biggest obstacle he has to overcome is that David Brooks likes him. That's not a plus in today's GOP.
Palenty and Thune appear to be the best at this time, so very early as it is at this time(!).
David Brooks as an authority is about the same as CNN, advertising programming this week on the new, young, rising, bright future stars of the GOP — at six in the morning! ([snicker] Why not four or five AM?)
I just hope Cassandra Palin doesn't like him or Pawlenty.
Conservative writer Daniel Larison disagrees about Thune.
My money is on a Huckabee / Romney ticket.
If Huckabee runs, he'll get my vote. Otherwise, it'll be the Constitution Party candidate.
That's the way the tea leaves look right now.
Always lurking is the 2012 or 2016 run of Jeb Bush, of course. Note that he'll be a desperation “brand-name” “designer label” “family name” default candidate if the field is otherwise weak — as it was in 2000.
I have a wish. Please, someone, give Palin a TV job. Anything, to keep her out.