The Internet Should Kill 2012 Talk

 The GOP nomination is traditionally bestowed upon the candidate who is "next-in-line."  To suggest that no one could have predicted McCain's nomination three months before the primaries is only partially accurate - one could have accurately, with an eye on history, predicted this result right after South Carolina in 2000.  Now, a lot can happen between now and 2012 (a massive understatement), however, if we follow the GOP model of "next-in-line," 2012 promises to be an interesting study in the definition of that term.  Unlike in past election cycles, several candidates could have a claim on the "next-in-line" mantle and all of these candidates will need to articulate and frame this debate over the next couple of years.  Mitt Romney could claim next-in-line by virtue of his showing in the primary relative to McCain, but so to could Huckabee legitimately claim the title.  Add to that the fact that Palin was VP and has huge name ID and a loyal following from the base and Newt Gingrich who has acted as Party elder and ideas man and this could get interesting fast.  Now, I tend to think that the "next-in-line" title is a double-edged sword, especially in the general election and some candidates transcend their earlier "loser" status (see Reagan) and others don't (see Dole).  So what if the GOP totally eschews the "next-in-line" model in 2012 - that will be the question.

that McCain, perhaps because he won the nomination with a weak organization and fundraising appratus, found himself far behind the eight  ball as opposed to the well wired Obama.

We don;t want our nominee to be like the proverbial dog who catches the car, and then has no idea what to do with it.

We also may want to pay attention to while names may be interchangable, political sweet spots may exist simply awaiting a candidate.  Barack Obama got his entry to the big time since he was the one clearly anti-Iraq candidate in the 2008 Democratic field; Hillary and John Edwards had voted for the AUMF.  Someone was going to fill this void and it was Obama.

Perhaps the astute blogger will ascertain what that "sweet spot" is for the 2012 GOP race, and then figure out what candidate "fits"?

in a few years.

Locking up the best and the brightest, David's Plouffe and Axelrod were critical to Obama's victory. I am not sure the RNC has them matched in terms of strategic talent yet. Having a inspirational candidate that minimizes gaffes and a deep bench worked out well for the DNC. I also see this trifecta being a major force in 2012.

the moment he walked into the Senate?  People talked about him running for president the moment he concluded "the greatest speech of all-time" at the 2004 DNC convention.

I agree though with your point that we shouldn't promote the idea of candidates for 2012 just yet.  However, the media will surely do it for us because that is the type of stuff that drives ratings.  The political discourse has been changed forever by this race.

One thing that will be interesting for the governors that are the top of the speculation is whether they can do enough to stay in the national spotlight given the media's overwhelming focus on Washington, D.C.  It will be easier for a Senator to run for president from hereon out after a completely unaccomplished Senator became president.  The greatest challenge may be for Palin given the location of her state as she will not be able to do morning shows given the time-zone difference but presumably, it won't matter given the media's obsession with her.

So, I implore you, quit focusing on 2012, and focus on 2010 and on showing the Republican Party can rebuild at the state legislative, Congressional, and statewide levels in 2010. (That's where we're starting with Rebuild the Party.)

Absolutely. 2012 talk should be ignored/stopped/discouraged/banned. Just dont do it. Waste. Of. Time.

We have

#1. Next 2 years to survive and we need to stop Obama's socialism or slow it down.

#2. We have GOP races to win in runoffs NEXT MONTH (Saxby Chambliss), then in 2009 and 2010.

Priorities Folks.

I'm amused you conservatives are fearful of us Obama supporters posting on "your" web.  I'm certainly NOT a "paid Obama supporter."  One of the reasons you guys lost was because you now fail to understand what really happened in this election.  You need to STOP and reset your political watches.  If you continue to play the same game and bring your same conservative, religious, out of touch candidates to the process, you will continue to lose. 

  This country is in a huge mess and partly BECAUSE of the conservative movement.  We need to address our problems (which include health care, energy, infrastructure and education) NOW.  

You should not fear us, but join us in the conversation.  We can learn from eachother. 

There simply aren't enough races for us to win in 2010 to seriously make improvements in our standing. The best we can do is stop the bleeding, and maybe add a seat or two.

What we really need to do is develop a plan to have a major revival in 2012, when we can make progress at all levels of the government.

I would add that technology is evolving so fast that even YouTube and social networking were not factors in the 2004 election. (MySpace had just emerged, and Facebook would come to the fore in 2005). YouTube's domain was activated in 2005. Twitter: October 2006. Meetup.com was a tad earlier, but it was Howard Dean that really capitalized on it (and some other Democrats).

It's not enough to bring the GOP into 2008 technology; there has to be a playfulness, a willingness to experiment with new technologies for 2010 and 2012.

The Internet Should Kill 2012 Talk by Patrick Ruffini http://thenextright.com/

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