Experts Expound

Experts Expound

OK, so who’s the Republican front-runner now in the race for the presidential nomination? Why?

OK, so who’s the Republican front-runner now in the race for the presidential nomination? Why?

Romney, but only until Saturday. Then the winner in S.C. takes over as front-runner.

Nobody. The GOP convention is going to deadlock, anyway, and turn to someone we don’t even see on the horizon at the moment. Someone like Dick Cheney. Did I just write that?

John McCain. He’s the only one with a demonstrated appeal to independents.

There isn’t one. This is the most muddled GOP field in recent times, and all the candidates have large flaws that are impeding their progress toward the nomination.

If it were a line on the ballot, the clear winner at this point would be “none of the above.” The GOP field is so flawed and unsatisfying that their base can’t seem to settle on anyone for any sustained period of time. It’s the political equivalent of choosing the best-tasting Brussels sprout.

Mitt Romney, now that Michigan saved his behind. It’s also quite obvious that the Republicans wish they had other choices, which is why no one can hang on to the front-runner tag.

Chuck Norris is never wrong — Huckabee and his rock-hard abs in ’08!

OK, so if we eliminate all the obvious losers, there is no one left. Huckabee gets the red-meat Reep vote and won’t survive much longer, Rudy is down for the count with a flawed-from-the-start strategy, Fred and Ron, well they’re Fred and Ron, and that leaves us with Mitt and McCain. This is the year the Reeps are going to do the wrong thing and lose the general unless there is an independent spoiler so the real question is, will Obama be able to pull it off, or will we really get stuck with (string of expletives deleted).

Depends on the time of day that you ask the question and through which state lens you view it. There is no “front-runner,” which is a beautiful thing for democracy, though likely something that’s scary as all get-out for the party stalwarts.

Republican voters have deep subliminal shame for what their party has done to this country. They are confused and disheartened, betrayed and bamboozled. So they naturally can’t pick a front-runner. Their inner guilty selves actually WANT to lose this election.
McCain because he has gravitas and the voters are sensing it.

John McCain is the clear choice. He is also the best chance for Republicans to win in November.

At this point you’d have as much accuracy of predicting a front-runner if you flipped a coin. Clearly the GOP voters have many serious issues with this group of candidates, as there’s something to dislike about each of them. In a year in which their dislike for Hillary should unite them around one candidate, it’s just not going to happen. Whoever ends up with the nomination will do so with a plurality and not a consensus majority. This will lead to sniping, underhanded tactics and other attacks on the nominee by disgruntled (fill in the blank here) supporters who won’t come together like they’re supposed to. This has all the makings of a classic train wreck. Will make for interesting kabuki theater though — that’s about the only guarantee.

Does it matter? The field is pitifully weak and will be easy pickins’ for the Democrats. Romney’s win means he’s going to spend the rest of his fortune to crush Giuliani in Florida.

Romney just won Michigan, so that’s three primaries with three different winners. Romney is probably the de facto front-runner because he has the most money, and therefore perhaps the most staying power.

Romney, because he has the single most important donor (Romney) and because he made it clear that religious differences aren’t nearly as important as hating them pesky heathens.

The people from whom we sought opinions: Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Mark Bogetich, Barry Brokaw, Morgan Crinklaw, J. Dale Debber, Peter DeMarco, Jim Evans, Kathy Fairbanks, Jeff Fuller, Rex Frazier, Ken Gibson, Evan Goldberg, Deborah Gonzalez, Sandy Harrison, Bob Hertzberg, Jason Kinney, Mike Madrid, Nicole Mahrt, Steve Maviglio, Adam Mendelsohn, Barbara O’Connor, Bill Packer, Kassy Perry, Jack Pitney, Adam Probolsky, Tony Quinn, Matt Rexroad, Matt Ross, Roger Salazar, Dan Schnur, Will Shuck, Ralph Simoni, Sam Sorich, Ray Sotero, Gary South, Kevin Spillane, Rich Zeiger.

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