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John Thune (R-SD) has been rather publicly examining a potential 2012 presidential run for a while, but today, the Republican Senator announced he will not seek the nomination. Thune was viewed as the preferred choice among several party insiders and therefore a “legitimate candidate,” despite the fact that early polling had him trailing most other nominees.
From Johnthune.com:
For months now, my wife Kimberley and I have received encouragement from family, friends, colleagues, and supporters from across South Dakota and the country to run for the presidency of the United States. We have appreciated hearing their concerns about where the country is headed and their hopes for a new direction.
During this time, Kimberley and I and our two daughters have given a great deal of thought to how we might best serve South Dakota and our nation. That process has involved lots of prayer.
Along the way, we have been reminded of the importance of being in the arena, of being in the fight. And make no mistake that during this period of fiscal crisis and economic uncertainty there is a fight for the future direction of America. There is a battle to be waged over what kind of country we are going to leave our children and grandchildren and that battle is happening now in Washington, not two years from now. So at this time, I feel that I am best positioned to fight for America’s future here in the trenches of the United States Senate.
I want to thank those who have encouraged us and prayed for us during the past several months. We are forever grateful for all the support.
John and Kimberley
55 Comments
A historic moment…a prominent Republican has chosen not to enter the 2012 Goat Rodeo.
Hmmmm. The list of Rs who are not running is a lot shorter than the list of those who are, it strikes me.
This guy has the same candle power as mike pence, and was never a serious contender. It is amazing to me when the villagers postulate on these dim bulbs.
So what did he do, or forget to do, to lose Fox/Murdoch/Koch support?
John Thune saw the GOP landscape and ran for the hills! :)
John Thune must have not been willing to get on his knees and kiss Rush and Beck hands.
like eCAHN says a lot of Rs are going to run in 2012, because they all know beating OBAMA will be very, very, easy.
He knows the teahaddists would never nominate him. At least he shows more awareness than Mittens.
Clearing the field for this guy:
TV host Donald Trump also trailed Obama by just two points, 43% to 41%. That’s well within the poll’s 3.5% margin of error.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/poll-obama-barely-leads-trump-in-2012-mathcups.php
Somebody tell me this is an Onion joke. Our celebrity obsession on steroids. Tiger Woods!
There was an item on rawstory a couple of days ago, citing Huckabee about how destructive 12 R primaries are going to be in 2012. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch.
Does it really make a difference? They’re all just meat puppets anyway.
zzzzzzzzzzzzz… huh??!!?? Didn’t know Thune was thinking about running. Maybe he’s brighter than he seems?? Get out out while the gettings good ‘n all…
I’d kinda like to see Insane Comb-Over run just for the entertainment value. Perhaps us f*cking r*tardz could chip in and pay The Donald to scream “You’re Fired” at Obama during a debate!! I’d definitely be *very up* for chipping in to watch The Donald do that! Worth every cent.
Looks as if Huck is going to decline the honor as well.
I truly can’t wait until they all start actively running. Will be buying popcorn by the barrel.
I’d contribute to that!
Really? I think cHuck would have a chance with the ‘baggers. Wonder why he’s staying out of it?
We can dream! Would be highly amusing to watch that!
They’re trying to pretend that the 2012 GOP nomination isn’t going to be a bloodbath fraught with hard feelings between Romney and some Bircher/’bagger favorite.
It’s smart for Thune to sit this one out. His best hope is if a ‘bagger gets nominated and goes down in flames against Obama in 2012; he can then step forward again.
Bear in mind that Thune just turned fifty last month. He can afford to wait until 2016 or even 2020 should either Huckabee or Romney manage to pull it out next year. In fact, it’s actually better for him if they don’t, as he can then step forward for 2016 as someone unmarred by the Primary Wars.
Thune has been considered presidential candidate material on the GOP side for the better part of a decade. But with the Bircher/’baggers screaming for raw meat, and with Romney having the not-quite-as-crazy vote and money largely locked up, Thune’s apparently decided he doesn’t want to degrade his value for 2016 by risking the Stassen “perpetual candidate” route that Pawlenty is taking. He’s not going to try and barter his way onto the ticket the way Pawlenty will (and has tried in the past). He’s going to sit this one out and hope that there’s a post-2012 purge of the Birchers that would open the way for someone untainted by the 2012 primary wars, which are going to be ugly.
He’s only just turned fifty last month. He can afford to wait another four to eight years.
Much as I’m not fond of the Huckster, he strikes me as being pretty smart. I’m wondering if the Huckster doesn’t want a dust-up with the Snowbilly Grifter… figuring he’ll wait ’till 2016 when Palin’s not quite so youthful and quite so cougarish anymore.
Of course, my speculation and $2.50 will buy you a cuppa joe… and I wish I could hand ya that $2.50 right now, Margaret. But cheers from across the virtual distance…
Looks like Cantor was more prophetic than even he thought. Walker is doing the full Mubarak now:
Thanks for the insight. Confess a lot of ignorance about this; good to know just for the heck of it. Agree that Thune is young and can afford to wait, and your analysis of what’s potentially upcoming is probably spot on.
But, but….he’s so pretty!
The Huckster would have the best chance by far against Obama (Romney to me sounds like Steve Forbes with better hair in terms of charisma), but the things that would make him attractive to the general public — especially his willingness to raise taxes — are the very things the ‘bagger-ridden GOP primary voter base does not want.
I loath cHuckabee but I agree with you: he’s smarter than the average Repug.
Not that this is relevant, but every time I see references to prayer or religion in statements by public officials speaking to whether or not they’re going to do or support something….it makes my skin crawl. It’s just so stupid I get overloaded and can’t handle it.
I believe I read that Huck feels that Obama is unbeatable. He also is happy doing his radio and tv thing and making lots of money.
Maybe his faith is in conflict with the lies he would have to tell in order to win the nomination. that’s not so much a problem for Gingrich and Palin. Gingrich has no compunctions against anything and Palin doesn’t know any better.
Heh! I knew this was coming. I’m actually surprised Walker hasn’t tried to block all cellphone reception on the Capitol grounds. It’d be illegal as hell, not to mention stupidly self-defeating, but he’s dumb and mean enough to try it.
Hurray! anyone heard from Justin Bieber or Kristol Palin?
LOL. From the Think Progress item at your link, an amusing typo:
Boy, he’s going too far cutting off wife access!! (That whole sentence needed a proofreader.)
Geez… that’s really something. Time will tell if this backfires on Walker or not, but I certainly hope so.
There was a ton of drivel in this morning’s NY Times, unsurprisingly, including some propoganda about support for the WI unions and govt workers is on the wane (which I think is bullshit):
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22union.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper
There was also a *somewhat* informative article about the Koch brothers and how they’ve completely bought off Walker:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22koch.html?scp=2&sq=koch&st=cse
This latter propoganda tries to spin it that poor benighted victimized conservatives really “need a voice” against the ever-powerful but dastardly unions (we could only wish the unions were that strong).
Oh, the Huckster has no problem at all with lying to secure a political goal. Just Google “Wayne Dumond“.
I agree with you on that. I do think the Huckster enjoys his shows, and fwiw, he seems to probably be pretty good at that with the audience he plays to… plus it’s probably lucrative and a *lot* less stress and pressure than being in office. Which just goes to my original point, that Huckabee seems to me to be rather intelligent…
Assuming you saw this…
The Fortune Behind Scott Walker’s Union-Busting Campaign
The right wing
justicescorporate cronies on the Roberts Court decided citizen united based partly on the idea that union money was overpowering in elections and the citizens united ruling was intended to “level the playing field”. Hands up, everybody who thinks they would revisit the ruling if all unions in the country were broken and disbanded…No, not that particular article, so thanks. Albeit I have been hearing about how the Birchers, esp the execrable Koch spawns, have gone all out to fund this bastard. So it stands to reason that Kochs are funneling Walker lotsa ca$hmoney to go all Mubarak on the populace of WI.
This is a big battle in the ongoing CLASS WARFARE for sure. Koch money pushing to pit the serfs v. serfs. Hope some of our masses can wake up and smell the coffee.
Power to the People!!
Both of Thune’s supporters will be disappointed.
Ah yes, thanks for that reminder about the alleged “reasoning” behind Citizens United… yet again more victimizing of the vaunted private sector to us ever-powerful serfs, most of whom have never been in a union, esp since they’ve been busted up from the early 1970s and onwards….
Load of crap, and NO, if every union gets ground under by the bootheel of the corporations, Citizens United will still stand…
I’ll bet most baggers don’t know who he is.
More Democrats leave a state to block a union busting bill:
Make no mistake, this is a coordinated effort by Republicans on a national scale to bust unions once and for all.
Just checked and there’s nothing so far on the Huckster’s allegedly planning to drop out. In fact, a new poll shows him giving Obama a rough time in 2012: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/145423-poll-romney-huckabee-within-striking-distance-of-obama
Abso-friggin-lutely! I wonder if the Koch’s were behind this one as well? If not them, then for sure some other Robber Baron. Any insights on this one?
Power to the People!!
Stay strong, everyone!
And where are the unions leaders? Are they speaking out at all? They should be at all these demonstrations LEADING!
Can there be any doubt that the Kochs and the Waltons are all up to their eyes in this?
I seem to remember a certain candidate for President vowing to put on comfortable shoes and march with the unions.
So, where is he?
Presumably in the same undisclosed location as my fierce advocate…
I have no doubt what you say is true. However, from what I’ve seen and heard of him he is a bag of rocks. There were a number of speeches in the Senate that were just laughable, and he doesn’t fare too well on his feet with pundits like tweety. Further, the analogy to pence is intended, he is shockingly empty. I certainly won’t argue in favor of a republican brain trust.
Given how disappointing the present President is, he is the least of the republican evils.
I just hope we get the house back in two years.
I think we will find in the days and weeks to come that the WI unions made a tactical decision NOT to put elected union leaders publicly at the head of the demonstrators, especially in the earliest days. In that way, media coverage would be forced to focus on Walker and the grievances of the rank and file, rather than turn the story into a Walker vs Union Boss narrative.
And union leaders are speaking out. Trumka was there over the weekend and was on teevee yesterday. A bunch of of other union president are issuing statements of support. Other unions are also providing some logistical support.
I agree with the decision to de-emphasize the elected union leaders. Gerald McAntee is not particularly attractive on teevee. Neither are the leaders of teachers unions.
Thanks. Glad to hear this. The unions could also use this as a way to start re-building. It’s time.
The unreported news of the day.
Ron Paul’s Liberty PAC raised $725,000 in a one day money bomb on
President’s Day.
He will run thuner or later, but still play the same old elite-lovin’ tune.
The rethug nomination would probably go to either Huck or Romney because of what was said here. Oddly both of them seem to actually have a bit of intelligence. Whereas other republicans have none at all. And a bit of personality.
The real question though is who is going to primary the current scumbag in chief so that us progressives dont have to vote republican to make sure he doesnt get reelected?
I dont think Paul has enough appeal to enough people to really have a serious chance. During the runup to the last election i was reading some site, maybe this one, where there were Paul supporters telling everybody why they should vote for him. The problem is on one or two issues hes “ok” but on endless others hes simply terrible. Thats putting aside that he comes across as a creepy old guy.
2012 is a mess and anybody with two brain cells to rub together can figure it’s less opportunity than disaster. If you’re of an age, better to wait for 2016. Build support over the interim and see what develops. My money is on Jeb Bush for 2016–and he’s been noticeably laid back publicly. He’s a very shrewd politician and I’m betting 2012 looks too dicey to him.
I don’t think beating Obama will be at all easy. Unless the economy collapses again between now and then. I’m sure there are people quietly employed by the administration doing dances around idols to prevent that, as we speak. If Obama can slide thru to the election without another econ blowup, he’s almost certain to squeak in for a second term. Obama is ill regarded here, but we’re not the average.
The really funny part is that Mitt, who is despised by the primary type Republican voters, could beat Obama, IMO. I’m not sure how that would roll as a reality, but I would certainly go back to his record as MA gov and give him serious consideration. The problem in both parties is the engine driving the agenda further and further right. None of the candidates and neither party has any clue, or inclination, how to effectively oppose it. The office holders aren’t driving this train, they’re back in the caboose and terrified.
Concur, but the zealots aren’t going anywhere.
Jonathan Turley is, I believe, a progressive leaning lawyer and I heard him, on Keith’s show I think it was, say he would have voted with the majority in the United case. He was regretful but firm. Citizens United, he thinks, is unconstitutional. Nobody has yet taken up the issue of badly written law, which seems to be the case in this case.
After the OJ Simpson debacle, Angela Davis made the very cogent remark that instead of being angry at the defense for “getting Simpson off,” people should be angry at the prosecutors for blowing it. Right on! So, who’s responsible for a law that didn’t stand up even to Turley’s sympathetic scrutiny?