bedsitter23 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bedsitter23) wrote2012-08-30 08:01 pm
bedsitter23) wrote2012-08-30 08:01 pm
2016 Election Starts Now
The Des Moines Register's Kathie Obradovich has been covering the convention and if you didn't get the idea from Chris Christie, well, this might be about 2016.
A lot of focus has been put on Rand Paul, but it is apparent that he might not end up being the beneficiary of his father's supporters down the line.
I think it's fair. He's got a bit of a Julian Lennon vibe to him. I can't get excited by him.
Ryan, Scott Walker, and Ted Cruz were singled out as faves with the Iowa conventioneers. Cruz (despite not yet being elected) seems to be the big winner, driving an hour to meet with the Iowa delegates. Indeed, one gets the early impression that he might be the next Tea Party banner carrier. Well, he already is, I suppose, but will he pull a Christine O'Donnell, if he is not successful.
Iowans bemoaned that the strong Paul support scared a lot of big names away, though to be fair, it's unseemly to look too ambitious, when ostensibly you are supporting a Romney second term in 2016.
New convention rules were put in place which should have an effect on 2016. Most importantly, it appears Iowa's first-in-the-nation status looks secure. The convention rules don't give the candidate the ability to reject delegates (as was discussed), but it does more strongly bind delegates to the actual winner (i.e. you won't get a third place finisher taking 22 out of a possible 28 delegates, because of post-caucus work).
In another bit of GOP-affecting news, Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson will be on the ballot in Iowa. There was a protest that invoked the law which says you can only be on the ballot if you have had a convention. The protest stated that the Libertarian convention was more petition-signing than actual conventioneering. The bipartisan group that makes such decisions held up the decision to put Johnson in the ballot (Yeah, I was bit surprised that a Republican and a Democrat decided in favor of the 3rd party guy).
Of course, though, many think Johnson will draw away from the GOP (Johnson ran in the caucus as a Republican). Still, Johnson only got 8 caucus votes, so maybe that fear is overstated.
A lot of focus has been put on Rand Paul, but it is apparent that he might not end up being the beneficiary of his father's supporters down the line.
I think it's fair. He's got a bit of a Julian Lennon vibe to him. I can't get excited by him.
Ryan, Scott Walker, and Ted Cruz were singled out as faves with the Iowa conventioneers. Cruz (despite not yet being elected) seems to be the big winner, driving an hour to meet with the Iowa delegates. Indeed, one gets the early impression that he might be the next Tea Party banner carrier. Well, he already is, I suppose, but will he pull a Christine O'Donnell, if he is not successful.
Iowans bemoaned that the strong Paul support scared a lot of big names away, though to be fair, it's unseemly to look too ambitious, when ostensibly you are supporting a Romney second term in 2016.
New convention rules were put in place which should have an effect on 2016. Most importantly, it appears Iowa's first-in-the-nation status looks secure. The convention rules don't give the candidate the ability to reject delegates (as was discussed), but it does more strongly bind delegates to the actual winner (i.e. you won't get a third place finisher taking 22 out of a possible 28 delegates, because of post-caucus work).
In another bit of GOP-affecting news, Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson will be on the ballot in Iowa. There was a protest that invoked the law which says you can only be on the ballot if you have had a convention. The protest stated that the Libertarian convention was more petition-signing than actual conventioneering. The bipartisan group that makes such decisions held up the decision to put Johnson in the ballot (Yeah, I was bit surprised that a Republican and a Democrat decided in favor of the 3rd party guy).
Of course, though, many think Johnson will draw away from the GOP (Johnson ran in the caucus as a Republican). Still, Johnson only got 8 caucus votes, so maybe that fear is overstated.