It’s Gonna Be A Big Republican Field

Posted by | January 14, 2015 21:00 | Filed under: Contributors Opinion Politics Stuart Shapiro Top Stories


The Republicans have gone to great lengths to avoid the circus that was the 2012 primary season.  But (fortunately for liberal bloggers) it doesn’t seem to be working.  The field looks very crowded.

Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, Rick Perry and Santorum have been included in the vast majority of polls, have said they are exploring a run, or have made visits to the early states. They seem more likely to run than not. That’s especially true of Paul, Perry and Santorum, who are already hitting the campaign trail hard.

I’m not sure about those just below this top group. Chris Christie and Scott Walker seem the most likely to run; they’re reportedly assembling campaign teams. Ben Carson, Ted Cruz and Bobby Jindal have been making visits to the early states, so we should take them seriously.

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Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.

37 responses to It’s Gonna Be A Big Republican Field

  1. Obewon January 14th, 2015 at 22:05

    The same 15 leftovers need all of your money now RWNJ’s! Pence & Portman are so unknown they lose money by paying to advertise for donors (The Dick Morris school.)

    Jeb Bush / Cheney & SoS Palin until 2016~

  2. Foundryman January 14th, 2015 at 21:14

    Somebody really needs to tell Palin and Bachmann to jump in this thing. What kind of carnival sideshow would it be without the two leading ladies of Baggerville?

    • tracey marie January 14th, 2015 at 21:33

      a penis convention is what it will be, a bunch of dicks

    • burqa January 14th, 2015 at 21:45

      YES!
      And where’s Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani (R. 9-11)*?
      Is Trump too busy boarding up that Trump Plaza in Atlantic City to get out on the hustings?**
      The only one who concerns me is Perry.
      He can explain away his “Oops!” gafffe with a self-effacing chuckle and get it out of the way early as piffle. Otherwise I think he could be a pretty strong candidate. Plus he’s a big guy with jet-black hair, which the GOP swoons over. You’ll know he’s serious about running when he has his hair stylist put in a spray of gray at the temples to show “seasoning.”.

      * (R. 9-11) – Alan’s line.
      ** hustings – always a gas to have a chance to drop “hustings.”

    • rg9rts January 15th, 2015 at 01:47

      You got Phyllis in the wings too

    • Pilotshark January 15th, 2015 at 08:37

      Well Bachmann is probity still trying not to go to jail for her escapades last time she ran. she might be luck and not be in jail by next election.

      • Foundryman January 15th, 2015 at 09:31

        We can hope her luck runs out…it would be fantastic if she had to stand trial…

    • burqa January 19th, 2015 at 03:45

      I need to see Palin working on a corn dog at the Iowa State Fair…..

  3. Foundryman January 14th, 2015 at 22:14

    Somebody really needs to tell Palin and Bachmann to jump in this thing. What kind of carnival sideshow would it be without the two leading ladies of Baggerville?

    • tracey marie January 14th, 2015 at 22:33

      a penis convention is what it will be, a bunch of dicks

    • burqa January 14th, 2015 at 22:45

      YES!
      And where’s Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani (R. 9-11)*?
      Is Trump too busy boarding up that Trump Plaza in Atlantic City to get out on the hustings?**
      The only one who concerns me is Perry.
      He can explain away his “Oops!” gafffe with a self-effacing chuckle and get it out of the way early as piffle. Otherwise I think he could be a pretty strong candidate. Plus he’s a big guy with jet-black hair, which the GOP swoons over. You’ll know he’s serious about running when he has his hair stylist put in a spray of gray at the temples to show “seasoning.”.

      * (R. 9-11) – Alan’s line.
      ** hustings – always a gas to have a chance to drop “hustings.”

    • rg9rts January 15th, 2015 at 02:47

      You got Phyllis in the wings too

    • Pilotshark January 15th, 2015 at 09:37

      Well Bachmann is probity still trying not to go to jail for her escapades last time she ran. she might be luck and not be in jail by next election.

      • Foundryman January 15th, 2015 at 10:31

        We can hope her luck runs out…it would be fantastic if she had to stand trial…

    • burqa January 19th, 2015 at 04:45

      I need to see Palin working on a corn dog at the Iowa State Fair…..

  4. neworleans878 January 14th, 2015 at 21:55

    In the last go around it was enormous fun to watch candidates rise to become darlings of the RW media only to be dropped quickly for the next belle of the ball.

    Fickle crew, that RW media.

    • mea_mark January 15th, 2015 at 14:03

      They all need a turn to try and sell some books, it’s the GOP way.

    • burqa January 19th, 2015 at 03:43

      Yeah, remember when they were counting on Fred Thompson?

  5. nola878 January 14th, 2015 at 22:55

    In the last go around it was enormous fun to watch candidates rise to become darlings of the RW media only to be dropped quickly for the next belle of the ball.

    Fickle crew, that RW media.

    • mea_mark January 15th, 2015 at 15:03

      They all need a turn to try and sell some books, it’s the GOP way.

    • burqa January 19th, 2015 at 04:43

      Yeah, remember when they were counting on Fred Thompson?

  6. Dwendt44 January 15th, 2015 at 00:52

    Any more candidates in the Republican field and we’ll have to trade the clown car in for a short bus.

  7. Dwendt44 January 15th, 2015 at 01:52

    Any more candidates in the Republican field and we’ll have to trade the clown car in for a short bus.

  8. rg9rts January 15th, 2015 at 01:46

    Always room in the clown car for one more…besides it fun to watch them savage one another in the primaries

  9. rg9rts January 15th, 2015 at 02:46

    Always room in the clown car for one more…besides it fun to watch them savage one another in the primaries

  10. Pilotshark January 15th, 2015 at 08:34

    Didn`t Ryan say he is not running?

    • mea_mark January 15th, 2015 at 14:04

      He hasn’t written any books, no need to run.

  11. Pilotshark January 15th, 2015 at 09:34

    Didn`t Ryan say he is not running?

    • mea_mark January 15th, 2015 at 15:04

      He hasn’t written any books, no need to run.

  12. fancypants January 15th, 2015 at 09:43

    its comical all the gop network people are bragging about Romney as president who’s almost at the bottom of the list with 45% in the polls with zero events and a statement score @ 3
    Now that’s good comedy

  13. fancypants January 15th, 2015 at 10:43

    its comical all the gop network people are bragging about Romney as president who’s almost at the bottom of the list with 45% in the polls with zero events and a statement score @ 3
    Now that’s good comedy

  14. burqa January 19th, 2015 at 03:41

    Seems to me I heard there would be 9 GOP debates.
    I’m going to need more.

  15. burqa January 19th, 2015 at 04:41

    Seems to me I heard there would be 9 GOP debates.
    I’m going to need more.

  16. Detected_as_spam January 19th, 2015 at 17:49

    Can we have Herman Cain back too? I liked him.

    • red-diaper-baby 1942 January 23rd, 2015 at 09:39

      Yeah, he was always good for comic relief — along with Allen West and a few others. Some of them, on the other hand, were quite scary; especially Bachmann.

  17. $129617082 January 19th, 2015 at 18:49

    Can we have Herman Cain back too? I liked him.

    • red-diaper-baby 1942 January 23rd, 2015 at 10:39

      Yeah, he was always good for comic relief — along with Allen West and a few others. Some of them, on the other hand, were quite scary; especially Bachmann.

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