Paying off the debt in a losing campaign through donations long after you lost is hilarious.

Shockingly enough, if you end your time period in 2010, you pick up census workers and get a really stupid article like this.

RE: Gov Jobs

http://www.politicalmathblog.com/?p=1590

Census worker-hiring does not explain a surge in government jobs over a 3-year period.

Wynton, the post is completely wrong and basically unsourced. It's also highly suspicious that they cut off in 2010 when there's plenty of data available for 2011.

you understand that if i hire nobody for 3 years and then hire 100 on the 365th day it works out the same as hiring 33 a year... if you measure at the end?

With the news that Paul Ryan is considering a run, does anyone else like me believe is would be far and away the best candidate and would likely blow away Obama in the general (assuming the economy does not miraculously turn around)?

Congressmen typically don't end up doing too well.

No. Hey, you asked.

Yeah, okay, so there are probably some Republicans who'd like to see a Ryan candidacy. But I'm guessing that at least as many Democrats would love to see it too. Obama would likely blow him out of the water, the NY-26 race writ large.

Nate Silver hinted as much a few weeks ago that Obama's best idea would be to run like Truman in 48 against the "do nothing Congress". If he lines up a jobs bill that gets voted down, and combined that with a negative attack on Romney, he can get to 48-49% of the vote, and probably lock down the Midwest, coasting to reelection.
Even if Perry's jobs claim is bs, it just wont stick as well on him as the former CEO of Bain Capital.

Anyone have any thoughts on a Perry/Palin ticket?

Romney might not get past Perry. Romney obviously has the best chance in the general, even though I still think he loses. Ugh.

Wow.

Yeah, that really shows how he's...wait, what?

This would be a fair criticism if his point was that Republicans are unique in attacking the other side, because that would be false.

However, since his point was actually that Republicans act like it's only liberals that do this, when in fact they do it as well (I mean, jesus, you could watch the ****ing clip and listen to the Hannity quote right before Stewart did the book thing, where Hannity says "it's so vicious, it's so mean, it's so vicious, and I don't hear this coming from conservatives about liberals"), you're completely wrong.

You really have no ****ing clue what you're talking about.

I think Ryan would be crazy to run. He's on the fast track to a leadership position, and has plenty of time to run in the future (for a variety of jobs, including president).

Ryan doesn't have the resume, charisma, fundraising ability, name recognition etc to make a serious run as president or even position himself as a vice presidential candidate. If he does run it seems the best outcome for him would be a cabinet position. I have a hard time believing he will run but if he does it would indicate to me that the R's think they have more than a good chance of winning the election.

Who exactly does Paul Ryan appeal to? He seems like he'd have no chance at all but i don't listen to talk radio and all that

Fiscal conservatives that want a not-Romney other than the terrible not-Romneys in this thing atm. I know he's got voting record issues and probably couldn't beat Obama in the general because of them but I'd rather give him a shot at the job than anyone else that has a chance right now. Including Mittens and Obama, my second and third favorite turds.

Perhaps.

On economic issues, however, there is no better spokesman for fiscal conservatives (except for perhaps Chris Christie). And economic issues are what are going to control this election.

I disagree regarding charisma. I think he has tremendous energy and enthusiasm. Nobody speaks with the clarity and wisdom as him, in my opinion.

Romney is nice but he is so stale and its incredibly clear he has doesn't have the fire in the belly; Ron Paul's view of our military, together with his unconventional style, as good as some of his libertarian notions may be, will never allow him to win the nomination; and Michele Bachman's past statements regarding gays and submissive women, as well as her reputation as being unable to compromise, will stall her efforts for the nomination. Perry I don't know enough about but I'm not optimistic based on what I've seen (he seems like a preacher to me and the country's seen enough of a preacher in the last 3 years).

Also obviously his budget proposal was a scaremongerers wet dream, so no, he can't win.

His budget proposal was the only one that would have prevented our credit rating downgrade (or at least he can make that argument). And the fact that the Repubs lost one election because the Repub was not prepared to deal with the scaremongering tactics of the Dems does not mean that strategy will work again.

Paul's view on the military is that soldiers should be kept at home, where they are safe, unless they are needed to defend America. This is a view that resonates with most Republicans and the American public. There is a reason why he has more support amongst the military than any other candidate. Neo-conservatism is dead. Paul is the only GOP candidate who can win in the general and he has a very good shot at the nomination. He is polling very well in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Paul Ryan is no where near as good an advocate for fiscal conservatism as Ron Paul, nor does he have Paul's proven voting record over 30+ years in Congress.

It is impossible to claim fiscal conservative bonafides without also opposing the military industrial complex.

YT- Did you see Steve Hayes and Krauthammer on Ryan tonight? If not Hayes was all giddy about the prospect of a Ryan run and was pointing to a lot of insider support (like Mitch Daniels). Krauthammer wasn't as excited, to say the least.

Except for the fact that Paul Ryan is comprehensible.

Ron Paul has been, is and always will be a fringe candidate. He could beat Obama but he'll never get that far. Its frustrating to me to see so many people on these forums put so much hope and effort into him because there is absolutely zero chance he will get the nomination.