Finally: 2012 GOP brackets
posted at 5:10 pm on March 27, 2009 by Allahpundit
Something stupid from NPR to tide you over until tonight’s games. Final Four picks: I’ve got Mitt crushing Ron Paul and surviving a gutty performance by a game Jon Huntsman in the regional final; Sanford blowing out Whitman and winning a nailbiter against superfrosh Bobby Jindal; Pawlenty squeaking through in the “none of these other guys could ever get elected” region; and Jeb shocking Palin, Laettner-style, with a buzzer-beater to cut down the nets. You can vote at the link, but there’s little point. The Paulnuts have already been there and made their mark.
Update: Belated exit question: Is Sanford the only candidate with a realistic chance of beating The One in 2012? Lately I’ve started to think so.
Blowback
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You’re becoming redundant, Allah.
HornetSting on March 27, 2009 at 5:13 PM
Ron Paul beat Haley Barbour. I like Haley Barbour.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on March 27, 2009 at 5:14 PM
Maybe the Romney voters should read this:
National Health Preview
The Massachusetts debacle, coming soon to your neighborhood.
joey24007 on March 27, 2009 at 5:14 PM
Here we go with the anti-Romney/anti candidate I don’t like for 2012 BS….
therightwinger on March 27, 2009 at 5:17 PM
What…….
…………. no John McCain?
(I kid…….. I kid!)
Seven Percent Solution on March 27, 2009 at 5:17 PM
Poptech will be posting the resumes of all the above shortly, followed by 347 posts trying to trash Palin.
ddrintn on March 27, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Yeesh… I think we all know who’s going to win.
As with any internet-poll with his name, Ron Paul is a foregone conclusion.
Lehosh on March 27, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Crud, that photo of Palin will surely attract PopDreck.
carbon_footprint on March 27, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Oh, and I would have preferred George P. Bush over Mitt in round 1.
Lehosh on March 27, 2009 at 5:20 PM
I wish John McCain would run again. Such a great guy. Maybe make his daughter VP.
Darth Executor on March 27, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Looks like the Paul Internet Blitzteam is still intact.
Christian Conservative on March 27, 2009 at 5:20 PM
No more friendly fire for me.
I’ll take anyone that pops out the top. A winner.
faraway on March 27, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Changes to MA care came after Romney left. But I’m sure you knew that.
lorien1973 on March 27, 2009 at 5:22 PM
P.S. Go Sanford. :-)
therightwinger on March 27, 2009 at 5:22 PM
What is NPR doing putting the big players next to each other (Romney and Paul), that’s a sure way to get Romney out…the internets is where (so I hear) the Paulbots breed and google with OCD like reliability.
StoutRepublican on March 27, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Palin/Allahpundit ’12 !!!!!!!
darwin on March 27, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Yeah, noticed over 100k votes in the Ron Paul bracket with a lot of the others barely squeeking by at 15,000. I was surprised that Huckabee was losing so badly to DeMint, even though I wouldn’t vote for Huck either.
Kelligan on March 27, 2009 at 5:24 PM
it has to be solid poll when one guy with a buffoon for a brother beats one who is a buffoon as a mother!
Monkei on March 27, 2009 at 5:26 PM
WE know you don’t want Palin to win AP. Quit acting like the DPM (dem propagand machine) by posting stories to try and turn (R) against her. If people turn against her it will be of Palin’s (and Palin alone) own doing. We already know what the DPM is trying to destroy her credibility. There is no reason for you to join their effort.
lwssdd on March 27, 2009 at 5:26 PM
I still think if Sanford were his nominee, it would be so awesome if he made his son his runningmate. Then you’d already be set for an official campaign song!
frankj on March 27, 2009 at 5:27 PM
After Nobama, Jimmy the blind, one legged man, pervert, at the Jiffy Mart is going to look good
Offshore_Drilling on March 27, 2009 at 5:28 PM
I reject your premise AP.
conservative pilgrim on March 27, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Before Poopdeck gets here, I think we need to huddle up and make a game plan. When he posts, just say ‘Poop’.
HornetSting on March 27, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Get Real AP. Ron will CRUSH Mitt. Don’t you remember the fanaticism of his supporters? I glanced at the numbers and Paul has more votes in his bracket than the combined votes in any other one. People are coming out just to vote for him.
In fact, the second leading vote getter seems to be Mitt and he is LOSING 36-63.
Paul does draw the internet crowd if not real voters.
OBQuiet on March 27, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Sorry, but there’s no Kennedy in any bracket.
ddrintn on March 27, 2009 at 5:33 PM
I’m there! ; )
thomasaur on March 27, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Palin FTW!!
jencab on March 27, 2009 at 5:33 PM
You should be reporting that the Thomas Paine youtube guy was summoned to the whitehouse for making disturbing videos.
http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92999
Mercy4Me on March 27, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Looks good for the President’s second term.
getalife on March 27, 2009 at 5:36 PM
Yes, what this man said. That is a creepy story.
carbon_footprint on March 27, 2009 at 5:36 PM
AP, delusional (post 2008), as always.
Conservatives will have a HEALTHY group from which to choose.
WE ARE PREPARING. TIME TO MOVE. NOW.
Lockstein13 on March 27, 2009 at 5:38 PM
As of right now, I’m still bettin’ on Sarah.
jimmy2shoes on March 27, 2009 at 5:38 PM
If it was even remotely, faintly credible that the president would summon some “disturbing” opponent to speak with him personally at the WH instead of sending the Secret Service to check him out, I’d write about it.
Allahpundit on March 27, 2009 at 5:38 PM
Down with Paul nuts…leaving in TX I am suprised more and more at his national appeal…most of us Texans think he is an id. dee. ot. Please stop the madness!!!! ~B
Brian on March 27, 2009 at 5:39 PM
living not leaving…gezzzz.
Brian on March 27, 2009 at 5:40 PM
Better yet – say dreck
Entelechy on March 27, 2009 at 5:41 PM
To quote Jackie Gleason, “And awaaaay we go!”
Right now, I’m leaning towards Palin, but I’m willing to hear everyone out–there’s plenty of time yet.
Matt Helm on March 27, 2009 at 5:41 PM
semi- OT:
since you like Palin-bashing posts AP, here’s some red-meat courtesy of KBH in TX.
conservative pilgrim on March 27, 2009 at 5:41 PM
DeMint/Palin in two ott twelve.
oakpack on March 27, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Yeahhh!
Entelife
Entelechy on March 27, 2009 at 5:42 PM
My picks:
Elite Eight Matchups:
Palin vs Ryan. Palin wins.
DeMint vs Pawlenty. DeMint wins.
Paul vs Huntsman. Paul wins.
Sanford vs Jindal. Jindal wins.
Final Four Matchups:
Palin vs DeMint. Palin wins.
Paul vs Jindal. Paul wins.
Championship Matchup.
Palin vs Paul. I don’t have the guts to call a winner on that.
LORDs_angellos on March 27, 2009 at 5:43 PM
They left off Megan McCain, because she could get elected to office next year and then have as much experience as President Obama in running. :-)
JeffinSac on March 27, 2009 at 5:43 PM
and here it begins…
becki51758 on March 27, 2009 at 5:43 PM
How does Mark Sanford stand on immigration?
chunderroad on March 27, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Full Ron Paul robo-voting instructions here
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2s0hely&s=5
hanzblinx on March 27, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Huck hits a THREE at the buzzer to crush the soul of the radical, liberal, America-hating, freak – OBAMA! Suck it Barry.
marklmail on March 27, 2009 at 5:47 PM
This NPR ‘contest’ has been trolled contaminated: Palin, Romney and Huckabee are all losing by wide margins. Get real AP, these results are as bogus as your claim that Sarah Palin will not run for POTUS in 2012.
technopeasant on March 27, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Does Mark Sanford support the death penalty?
chunderroad on March 27, 2009 at 5:51 PM
I will admit this. I voted for Ron Paul this past primary, but only because it was between Ron Paul and maverick, on June 3rd.
I don’t care who it is, as long as they are a REAL conservative, not just one that plays one on t.v.
HornetSting on March 27, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Barbour lacks the blank-eyed, cult-like followers it takes to rig wins in such polls.
It's Vintage, Duh on March 27, 2009 at 5:51 PM
HA!
The DNC ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuAstDdFA2M&feature=player_embedded
Hilarious.
getalife on March 27, 2009 at 5:53 PM
I would not really want to see Palin and Pence competing, but Pence is a conservative both fiscally and socially. I think he would be a good addition to any ticket and he might very well put Indiana back in the R column.
I have to admit however, the whole Ron Paul thing kind of makes the entire exercise seem a tad silly.
Terrye on March 27, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Most of the non-politically obsessed folks I’ve asked don’t even know who Sanford is. In three years we might be able to get half of those informed if we’re lucky.
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 5:54 PM
getalife:
Consider the source. You moron.
Terrye on March 27, 2009 at 5:54 PM
Remember when Bush vetoed that big fat farm bill with all the earmarks and the Democrats called him singy and over rode it? Ahhh, those were the days when the Republicans were supposed to be the party that refused to spend money. Now to hear getalife and its cohorts one would think the Republicans had to drag those poor Democrats kicking and screaming all the way to tripling the national debt.
Terrye on March 27, 2009 at 5:56 PM
Sarah Palin will win in 2012, I can’t believe you really think otherwise. Even if the RINOs don’t like her, there’s no way they’re going to succeed in nominating some nobody like Romney or Sanford in that year. It’ll be Sarah or Obama.
joe_doufu on March 27, 2009 at 5:56 PM
I agree. It’s time to tell the rinos to sit down and shut up. We tried it their way in ’08 and they failed miserably.
HornetSting on March 27, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Terrye on March 27, 2009 at 5:56 PM
He had the veto pen.
He made the policies.
Man up and own it.
getalife on March 27, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Ignore it.
HornetSting on March 27, 2009 at 5:59 PM
Need to put our energy and money into 2010 in my opinion. At least lets take the Senate back and make some inroads into the House. I’m going to especially hate that election since I fear Judd Gregg will not run and we’ll end up with that obama sycophant Paul Hodes. Have been giving whatever and whenever I can to the GOP coffers with this goal in mind.
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 6:04 PM
Newt Vs Romney in the Final round… or so I can dream.
E L Frederick (Sniper One) on March 27, 2009 at 6:05 PM
Wish Romney were in the WH now. Maybe I could sleep nights and stop this obsessive posting.
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 6:08 PM
George P. Bush? Come on – he’ll just BARELY be old enough to run in 2012.
uncivilized on March 27, 2009 at 6:08 PM
The GOP has an amazing number of boring, milk toast potential candidates. Anyone who thinks most of those Walter Mittys will appeal to voters apparently hasn’t paid attention to todays voters. A bunch of unknowns to most people other than political groupies.
katiejane on March 27, 2009 at 6:10 PM
Well obama is a boring candidate and he got elected.
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 6:13 PM
Could not of said better
KBird on March 27, 2009 at 6:14 PM
Slight change of subject: Who gets more hits on HA? Sarah Palin or Meghan McCain?
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 6:17 PM
Please God, no more Bushes.
Just because we’re living through the Obamination,
doesn’t mean we need anymore Bush mediocrity.
There isn’t a Republican party for Jeb to kill.
His brother took care of it.
Mister Ghost on March 27, 2009 at 6:17 PM
Not so. Whatever else he was, vapid, shallow, pandering etc – he was not boring. All he had was charisma. Most of the GOP guys may have substace but they have NO charisma and right or wrong, IMO that will no longer win elections.
katiejane on March 27, 2009 at 6:20 PM
Your opinion. I find him boring.
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 6:21 PM
Oh you Palin groupies.
Boo hoo hoo.
Allah didn’t have her coming out on top.
Oh, teh tragedy.
PS: She won’t even be the hottest world leader if she’s elected.
That’s reserved for Uzbekistan’s Gulnara Karimova,
whenever she replaces Daddy Islam.
Or, as we say, only in Uzbekistan could a guy be named Islam and be half-Jewish.
Mister Ghost on March 27, 2009 at 6:24 PM
2013- we can all finally say “Madame President”
alexraye on March 27, 2009 at 6:26 PM
I’ve got Palin winning in a squeaker, but then she’s disqualified for wearing her Arctic Cat jacket during the convention; Romney wins by default.
Erich66 on March 27, 2009 at 6:34 PM
Yup, still a lot of us Paul supporters. He says he’s not likely to run, however. In the same manner that he said he wasn’t likely to run 3rd party. Maybe he’ll endorse Sanford.
Jimmy Liberty on March 27, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Absolutely. Support good policies, not politicians. There’s less difference between the policies of Ron Paul and Mitt Romney than there is between either of them and Obama.
JohnJ on March 27, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Worry about Sarah though. Do not think I will be able to stomach any more of the slander she will undoubtedly be exposed to(and her family). I suppose she knows that this would be ahead. She’s braver than I will ever be.
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 6:36 PM
LOL@@ Sad but true. that guy really has it in for the ‘Cuda.
Dritanian on March 27, 2009 at 6:37 PM
Here’s my call this early, and it’s something I just shared with my wife.
These next four years will be hard on Obama and will wear him down on all levels, mainly because his is so completely unprepared and is letting Reid/Pelosi drag the country into liberal hell. He’ll end up going against them and their base on so many things, and that will piss them off. He’ll be too worn down to have an effective campaign when he runs again.
That said, the enthusiasm so many had for Sarah Palin kept the Republicans from getting completely steamrolled this past election. That enthusiasm will return stronger in a few years. And no one will care at all about an out-of-wedlock grandchild.
She will get the nomination. Jindal will be her choice for a running mate. She will win in 2012 and 2016, and Jindal will win in 2020. Beyond that, I can’t tell.
Of course, I reserve the right to be wrong. . .
Gottafang on March 27, 2009 at 6:37 PM
Yeah, I’m afraid the mavericky maverick department is lacking. All I’m seeing is a bunch of conservative thugs that everybody hates. You can’t win without a moderate. (apparently can’t win with one either, but hey, it’s still fun to say)I say we nominate Specter as our darkhorse (or dark maverick) nominee? This way, we can lose, blame the conservatives, and feel really superior about ourselves. Yay moderates!
austinnelly on March 27, 2009 at 6:37 PM
Who gives a rat’s ass about world leaders being hot? This isn’t Playboy. Grow up.
RepubChica on March 27, 2009 at 6:40 PM
Sanford, Jindal, Palin, or Romney are all fine with me. Even Ron Paul as a doctrinaire zealot to undo the Obamateur hour.
I could care less what Allahpundit’s stupid take is on a horse race in 2012.
Right_of_Attila on March 27, 2009 at 6:43 PM
The Paulbots are spamming the question skewing the result. Paul shouldn’t have been put on the board.
Kaitian on March 27, 2009 at 6:44 PM
katiejane on March 27, 2009 at 6:20 PM
It occurs to me, all the way down here, that we may be talking about two different aspects of obama’s style. When I said I find him boring, I was referring to listening to him not talking about him. I LOVE maligning him–becoming one of my favorite indoor sports. I have never yet been able to sit through one whole speech or presser of his. I wander upstairs, fix myself a cup of tea and toast points and wander back and he is still emoting, complete with hand gestures and sincere glances. Mostly, he is still on the same subject which could have been covered in 100 words or less if it weren’t incessantly interspersed with fine phrases and stirring body language. Perhaps to many that is charisma, I find it boring and predictable.
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 6:45 PM
Why is Allah still beating this dead horse?
Sanford is not a viable candidate for 2012.
1. He has no money and no PAC
2. He has no national name recognition
3 He has no charisma
4. He is below 50 approval rating in his own state
5. He is the governor of the state with the second highest unemployment rate in the nation
6. There has been 4 national GOP preference polls done for 2012 since the last election; Sanford’s did register in a single one of them.
The race in 2012 will be between 3 candidates: Sarah, the Huckster and Flip-Flop Romney. Choose wisely.
Norwegian on March 27, 2009 at 6:45 PM
Has Kaus released the names on the JournoList yet?
Stephen M on March 27, 2009 at 6:46 PM
Correction: Sanford’s did’nt register in a single one of them.
Norwegian on March 27, 2009 at 6:46 PM
There is a silent majority in this country that is not reflected by the views of Michael Steele and the RNC. That’s why the Republican establishment were horrified when Governor Huckabee ran for President. Huckabee isn’t one of these them. He’s one of you. He comes from you. He proposes eliminating the income tax and replacing it with something fairer so businesses and average working class people keep more of their own money. That’s eliminating massive bureaucracy and mass taxation something the Washington establishment don’t want. He’s talking about energy independence in ten years. He’s talking about all types of new initiatives to end our oil addiction. That’s why the Washington establishment, people including Fox News, Rush Limbo, Sean Hannity, Ingraham, and other conservative talk radio hosts supported Romney, because he’s one of them. Mitt Romney is part of that click. He was born into huge wealth. Into this political family dynasty. Romney’s part of the establishment. Huckabee is not. The Washington establishment hates and fears Governor Huckabee because he’s not one of them. These people are unbelievably evil people. If we don’t break their stranglehold on the Republican party we’ll never get decent candidates, and we’ll never get true conservatives values in Washington. That’s why we should be supporting Governor Huckabee to stop them before it’s too late. Huckabee represents “Real America”. He represents YOU – not Washington!
apacalyps on March 27, 2009 at 6:49 PM
The funny part is even after theprimaries had thinned down to just McCain, Huckabee and Paul, Paul got beat by “other” in many and only beat “other” by a couple points in the rest. His supporters are avid and certainly hooked up online but not so much in the real world.
goat on March 27, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Hillary Clinton had more name recognition than Sarah Palin could get in 50 years and she STILL lost her nomination. Its not everything.
Speedwagon82 on March 27, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Romney – Sanford 2012!
Romney because he has:
1) The name recognition
2) The fund raising ability
3) The debate and speaking skills to best Obama
4) The business success background – sure to be an attractive quality in the middle of a recession lasting into 2012.
5) He looks like he could be POTUS, and was thoroughly vetted in the last race.
Sanford to balance the ticket because:
1) He’s baptist
2) He’s southern
3) He’s always been pro-life
4) He’s pro-choice for education
5) He’s anti-earmark and anti-porkulus
This is the ticket that will destroy Obama-Biden (assuming Biden is still on the ticket). *note that every pro Sanford point, can easily be attributed to Bobby Jindal with the added one that he’s a minority.
joncoltonis on March 27, 2009 at 6:54 PM
Bush and the Republicans created the opening. They are totally responsible for our current predicament. Don’t give corrupt Republicans a pass.
True_King on March 27, 2009 at 6:55 PM
Winner of GOP nomination: Huckabee
GIRD YOUR LOINS
LibTired on March 27, 2009 at 6:57 PM
If by speaking skills you mean the ability to make people on opposing sides of an issue think you agree with them. Then I agree Mitt Romney is great at that.
terryannonline on March 27, 2009 at 6:59 PM
Savage/Huckabee 2012
TimeTraveler on March 27, 2009 at 7:01 PM
joncoltonis on March 27, 2009 at 6:54 PM
Romney: Heard him speak in person twice this last campaign and find him honest and sincere. Maybe he’s not always right, but he has integrity and that’s something the present WH lacks in spades. If someone has that quality, you can usually trust him.
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 7:02 PM
Well, Obama wasn’t exactly an unknown either. Both were in 90% when the primary season started in 2008. When there are two well-known candidates, other factors will play role.
My point is this: Sanford has no name recognition. He doesn’t have any money to promote himself. He doesn’t have the charisma to gain national prominence in a debate setting, etc. Ergo; he is not a viable candidate in 2012.
Norwegian on March 27, 2009 at 7:03 PM
Some people had the courage and integrity not to back Mitt Romney.
apacalyps on March 27, 2009 at 7:04 PM
First of all, the seeding in the brackets is entirely wrong. It has too many of the big names up against each other in the second round and some of the low visibility folks facing each other. That just isn’t right. You shouldn’t see a Romney/Paul match-up until at least the elite eight.
Second, the Paulites are already out in force rigging the vote. If you look at the voting it about double what any other choice has. That look suspiciously like the Paulites are stuffing the ballot. I feel that I can not just safely say, but unequivocally say, that there is no way in hell that Ron Paul defeats Mitt Romney in a real election across the nation.
Third, this bracket means nothing because the VAST majority of the people that vote in the primaries will not even realize it exists. It is not accurate or scientific any more than the voting for the last NHL All-Star game was. If you want to see a good example of how Internet votes are rigged, look at that.
Hawthorne on March 27, 2009 at 7:05 PM
Is Paul going to become the Ralph Nader of the GOP? complete with the eventual irrelevance?
jeanie on March 27, 2009 at 7:05 PM
What the hell are you going on about again? Can’t you guys ever get off your soapbox and just get real?
Hawthorne on March 27, 2009 at 7:06 PM
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