Why uninspiring 2012 GOP candidates can't win
By: Cahir O'Doherty | Published Wednesday, August 24, 2011, 2:37 PM | Updated Friday, September 9, 2011, 10:24 PM
A new Bloomberg poll released yesterday confirms what most of us already know: only 28 percent of Americans are 'mostly happy' with the current field of GOP challengers.
That leaves a whopping 58 percent hoping another, better, as yet unannounced, candidate will throw their hat in the ring.
But that does not mean Sarah Palin.
Reading the political tea leaves must be a depressing prospect for the current field and their supporters. In fact at times, at this point, the prospect is so bleak for the GOP field that it's almost enough to make Donald Trump take a second (or is that a third) look.
The poll also found that President Obama's favorability rate tops all the Republican candidates at 54 percent. Contrast that with the unfavorability rating generated by Palin - she's topped the list with 58 percent viewing her mostly or very unfavorably.
In an eye opening report by the Pew Research group this week it turned out 53 percent can't even name a possible GOP candidate for 2012 that's been talked about in the news.
And when they are able to name a GOP candidate, the person currently most associated with the GOP is Donald Trump.
Oh, dear. All that birtherism really did was bite them in their own rear ends.
So for all their bluster about making Barack Obama a one-term president, it looks like the GOP's gallery of the uninspired and the unelectable actually looks like they've conceded before the race has even begun.
26 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.michaelidaho | Jun 27, 2011, 08:58 AM EDT
Olovely, You seem to have the same problem with Cahir, babbling about Sarah Palin and other non-candidates (i.e. Oprah Winfrey ?!). You may have a point about Jon Huntsman but it was interesting that you or Cahir never mentioned Mitt Romney. I guess he is a fringe candidate in your world also. By the way, I am not sour, I just think Obama has not succeeded in getting the U.S. economy going again. Instead, he keeps babbling on about investing in clean energy and other pipe dreams with money we do not have.
michaelidaho | Jun 27, 2011, 08:58 AM EDT
Olovely, You seem to have the same problem with Cahir, babbling about Sarah Palin and other non-candidates (i.e. Oprah Winfrey ?!). You may have a point about Jon Huntsman but it was interesting that you or Cahir never mentioned Mitt Romney. I guess he is a fringe candidate in your world also. By the way, I am not sour, I just think Obama has not succeeded in getting the U.S. economy going again. Instead, he keeps babbling on about investing in clean energy and other pipe dreams with money we do not have.
seanomelbourne | Jun 25, 2011, 08:20 PM EDT
jaylee!therefore it's ok to post on Ireland and conservative poitics. Great post Tom Swinford.
seanomelbourne | Jun 25, 2011, 07:36 PM EDT
It has long been an unwavering expectation that, at the end of the day, our political parties will come together and do the right thing for the good of the country. The shocking reality is that this is no longer the case. While both parties share some blame for the current impasse re. debt and deficit, the GOP now seems bent on a path of either insane brinksmanship or government meltdown. To get America back on the right track they insist on massive spending cuts without any revenue increase - which means reducing social security and gutting medicare and medicaid. There is no other way, period. Bizarrely, many republicans and tea partiers scream out their anti-socialist credentials while also insisting (in several polls) that Uncle Sam keep its greedy hands off of their social security and medicare - the two all-American pre-eminent socialist programs. Go figure! What dunces we are! Sadly for us the GOP's highest priority is to defeat Obama and to hell with the country. Their problem: the country isn't with them on this. A little factoid here: Of all the industrialized countries, the U.S. has amongst the lowest income tax rates - third from bottom. And for our wealthiest folks, well they're at the very bottom in terms of income taxes paid.
maloney | Jun 25, 2011, 02:30 PM EDT
You seem to forget what happened in 2010. The 2012 outcome will be even more devastating to the liberal progressive movement. I predict the left will become violent after the 2012 elections. They will lose that battle too.
jaylynhayknee | Jun 25, 2011, 12:01 PM EDT
When I first joined this website, I thought it was going to be about Ireland. Now I see it is mostly liberal writings regarding the USA and its politics. We can get this from countless media in this country. I would like more about Ireland and less about liberal American policies. I am especially tired of Cahir O'Doherty's constant rantings against Republicans and conservatives.
hollabackgurl | Jun 25, 2011, 11:41 AM EDT
I'm actually surprised by the conservative commentators here. Either they're deluded or delusional. It's often hard to tell with them.
seanomelbourne | Jun 24, 2011, 11:35 PM EDT
It's the stupid ecenomy left gift wrapped on Obama's desk by the GOP
mrkennedy | Jun 24, 2011, 11:30 PM EDT
I am an independent and voted for Obama because I believed that Gold would rise under him. Invested in Gold and will be selling in March/April 2012 because I now believe Obama will loose and Gold will drop considerably.
ciarrai | Jun 24, 2011, 11:22 PM EDT
Biggest thumping in history will be dished out by President Obama to whomever the Repubs send up.
maloney | Jun 24, 2011, 09:51 PM EDT
Cahir's fairytale hour. Enjoy it while you can. Yes Cahir, even you would beat obama in 2012!!
penn2000 | Jun 24, 2011, 06:26 PM EDT
it's the economy, stupid. Obama was a big mistake and you dems are whistling past the graveyard. any republican (other than Palin) will defeat him. and we will have a solid nominee in a few months. take it to the bank.
seanomelbourne | Jun 24, 2011, 06:04 PM EDT
The no party have no chance of unseating Obama,they have abandoned the middle class and gained the teahadists and birthers. The Fox/GOP channel has exhausted it's lies, even some republicans can now see through it's thin soup of edited bull.
Woodman | Jun 24, 2011, 04:30 PM EDT
A lot can happen before the election. But if Obama doesn't run, I hope that Wiener dude runs.
olovely | Jun 24, 2011, 03:39 PM EDT
Oprah Winfrey has more chance of winning the GOP nomination than Mitt Romney does. Palin will announce her candidacy (and will probably quit before the election). No one knows who John Huntsman is. The fringe now defines the Republican party. I had to laugh at michaelidaho's sour comments.
AngelPrecious | Jun 24, 2011, 03:08 PM EDT
LOL, Cahir, dream on. I know plenty of people that voted for Obama last time and they deeply regret it!
michaelidaho | Jun 24, 2011, 03:00 PM EDT
First, why do you keep talking about Sarah Palin and Donald Trump at least three times in every article you write (FYI Trump and Palin are NOT Republican candidates for the Presidency)? Second, are you aware that President Obama has been dropping in the polls since he stepped into the Oval office (with the exception of a bump after the killing of Osama Bin Laden)? Third, I am an independent voter and I voted for Obama in 2008 and I will not vote for him again. Instead of focusing on fringe elements in the Republican party you would do well to take a more balanced analysis of Republican candidates such as Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman.
hollabackgurl | Jun 24, 2011, 12:35 PM EDT
The GOP are so desperate now they will even sabotage America's economic recovery if it benefits President Obama. They are coming out against business tax cuts (read that again) the Democrats happen to support. They want to retard our economic recovery for short term political gain - and looking at this lineup you realize they're the perfectideological reflection of the extreme Fox News/Tea Party noise machine that cannot tolerate anything but its own views.
pflynn70 | Jun 24, 2011, 11:23 AM EDT
Cahir better re-check your poll numbers, and don't use the ones run by the Liberal Left. People are now wise to Obamas B/S and empty promises. He has no idea as to what to do and his collage of idiots who surround him offer no solution as well.He's finished, he knows it and I just hope and pray to gos that there is something left of our country when we kick his arse out of the White House. P/S You really need a heavy dose of true reality!
johhnyb | Jun 24, 2011, 10:42 AM EDT
Wishful thinking.
francisquinn | Jun 24, 2011, 10:26 AM EDT
some corrections in my comment...
francisquinn | Jun 24, 2011, 10:24 AM EDT
Cant win...what are you smoking ? Her is BO...95 unempoyment....a 4 14.4 tri debt....we take in $ 2 tri but now spending $3.5... an annual debt per yr of $ 1.5 trillion...a Lybian war and aft war....and you say the Rep cant win...??/ this ia a no brainer....BO is unfit for duty and office..
mikehoulihan | Jun 24, 2011, 10:19 AM EDT
What poll are you looking at regarding Obama? President Obama's own approval rating stood at 43%, according to a Thursday Gallup poll, with his disapproval hitting 50%. Sorry Cahir darling, you got it wrong again, your column is nothing but left wing propaganda you twit.
shamrock99 | Jun 24, 2011, 10:12 AM EDT
O'Doherty, you have it all wrong. The republicans could run Donald Duck and he would win handily.
olovely | Jun 24, 2011, 10:06 AM EDT
I was walking past Madame Tussaud's this week when it suddenly hit me - I know what these wax work dummies remind me of...
wjb1tex | Jun 24, 2011, 09:57 AM EDT
Dream on.