Ranking the GOP Field
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on June 10th, 2011 4:39 am by HL
Ranking the GOP Field
Larry Sabato takes a close look at the current Republican presidential field and provides a must-read ranking that includes just a handful of candidates that have not yet officially declared an interest in running.
Highlights: “Leading the first tier of contenders is former Gov. Mitt Romney (MA), who is an exceptionally weak frontrunner, perhaps the weakest GOP frontrunner since 1964… Nipping at his heels is the only other front-line contender, ex- Gov. Tim Pawlenty (MN). Pawlenty has been on the trail for months and months, despite only officially announcing his campaign recently… Iowa is where a fellow Minnesotan, Rep. Michele Bachmann, could torpedo Pawlenty’s chances… If Bachmann is Pawlenty’s kryptonite, then former Gov. Jon Huntsman (UT) could be Romney’s.”
Beshear Way Ahead in Re-Election Bid
A new cn|2 poll in Kentucky finds Gov. Steve Beshear (D) with a 21-point lead over challenger David Williams (R), 51% to 30%.
“Nearly 30% of respondents didn’t have an opinion of Williams, indicating that he still can define himself for a large chunk of voters. But the numbers also show that at least for this snapshot in time, Beshear has accrued goodwill among likely voters.”
Huntsman’s New Hampshire Gamble
Jon Huntsman has publicly declared that he won’t compete in the Iowa caucuses and now he seems on course to scuttle his bid at the New Hampshire primary as well, according to Politico.
“Huntsman’s decision to skip the first New Hampshire presidential debate on Monday has Republicans in the state confused — and predicting that he’ll suffer politically for it… Huntsman’s aides say the decision not to participate was simple: He’s not yet a declared candidate… The other argument: It’s a long campaign, and many voters still aren’t tuned in… But the media are already paying attention — and by skipping an event sponsored by state ABC affiliate WMUR and, more critically, the Union Leader newspaper — Huntsman could risk angering the paper’s powerful publisher, Joe McQuaid, and the paper’s editorial page editor, Andrew Cline.”
