“The Fix” is in for Thune in 2012
Washington Post columnist Chris Cillizza of “The Fix” fame thinks US Senator John Thune could be the guy in 2012:
For months — if not years — the Republican/conservative smart set has been looking for a fresh face on which to hang their hopes and dreams.
South Dakota Sen. John Thune may be that person.
Witness a conventional-wisdom setting column penned over the weekend by the New York Times’ David Brooks — the Fix’s favorite conservative commenter — that touts Thune as the Next Big Thing.
Writes Brooks of Thune:
“He is a gracious and ecumenical legislator, not a combative one. When you ask him to mention authors he likes, he mentions C.S. Lewis and Jeff Shaara, not political polemicists. The first person who told me I had to write a column about Thune was a liberal Democratic senator who really likes the guy.”
Brooks casts Thune as the antidote to the ongoing civil war within the GOP between establishment types and the conservative base of the party. “Republican pros are attracted to Thune because he could rally the hard-core conservatives without scaring away the suburbanites,” writes Brooks.
and…
Thune is keeping his own re-election race in 2010 front and center despite the fact that the only Democrat mentioned is Matt McGovern whose claim to fame is that he is the grandson of former South Dakota Sen. George McGovern (D).
I notice some of the Democrats and looney liberals are snuffling about the refuse lately trying to tell people that “John Thune isn’t all that.” Our advice to them – bring it. Or just consign yourself to the mediocrity of critics who complain, but don’t act.
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Comments
To quote my kid’s favorite toy “Slow down little fella!”
I would whole-heartedly support a Thune run in 2012, but for two reasons want hime to slow down. First, keep focusing on your current job, then getting reelected, then finally what comes next. Second, the quicker he is seen a a major adversary to fellow Reps and to the Admin, the quicker he will start getting hammered. Better to keep the low profile for a while.
Having said that, he seems to be doing that. You don’t see him too much on the national shows (any more than anyone else anyway). Not his deal that others are starting to pay attention.
I think John is staying focused on his current job and his re-election, at this point.
His position in the GOP leadership as head of the Senate Republican Policy Committee gives him a higher profile, but as he said in a recent interview with Dana Bash (CNN):
“ask Thune about a White House run, and he won’t go there. “Now, I’m very focused on re-election,” said Thune, whose Senate term is up in 2010. “I may go across Iowa, but it will be to get somewhere.”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/10/john.thune/index.html
Bill: I don’t think there’s any way that Thune would degregate himself enough to align with Palin. Eye candy yes. GOP Leader, no way.
I read Newquist’s blog. I can’t believe that a liberal democrat who clearly supports President Obama would have the gall to complain that a Republican reads a “script”. Ever seen John Thune with a teleprompter?
Ron: No surprise here. The liberals on Blogmore are breathlessly “alarmed” about Thune’s so-called K-Street Connections and are calling on the media to look into them….while the current occupant of the White House has more nefarious connections than anybody can count, and the media (most of them) totally blew it off.
Thune’s a smart and likeable guy. He’s one Republican who could put up a real fight against President Obama, and for that reason I’m pulling for Sarah Palin.
Braden:
I would be careful what you wish for. Sarah Palin debating the great BHO? No teleprompter? Other than the exaggerated claims of her ineptness, I believe she can be a strong candidate if she can lower her negatives.
John Thune would be interesting as a candidate. I like some of the others I have seen as well. Matt Blount or Mitch Daniels would be good as well. All really too early.
It amazes me that there are people out there like duggersd who still think Palin is more electable than, say, Ralph Nader. She’s an idiot.
This will enrage young Mr. Epp into coming out of his BA-imposed exile. And my friend Mr. Fleming is clearly supressing his irk and angst, with a flourish that shines much in the way Blake Curd’s head outshines Sibby’s.
“Or just consign yourself to the mediocrity of critics who complain, but don’t act.”
Much like yourself? And dream on about a Thune presidency, especially when he comes from a state that doesn’t tolerate its elected officials getting too big for their britches.
I think a lot of people have to not run for Thune to get the nomination.
Palin will be solid. Gingrich will be solid. Jindal will probably pass. Pawlenty will get his. Huckabee and Romney will get there’s.
The guy I really think Thune would hurt is Huckabee. JT would take away huckabees thunder.
I have 2 questions for JT… I think these are two of his hurdles.
1. Why did you vote for TARP when you almost certainly knew OBAMA would win the presidency and you would dislike the way he chose to sit on the money? (Please don’t tell me you were naive about OBAMA’s socialist agenda cause the average gop primary voter was not)
2. What’s the difference between SD Farm Subsidies and AG Disaster money from the fed for our farm economy & the Auto Bailouts for someone elses constituents industry? Don’t they both represent government intrusion in our private economy?
Thanks!
I really can see him as a presidential candidate. GOOD chance to win also!
Thune seems like a practical, common sense conservative. He’s shown great timing in his political decisions and doubt that at his young age he feels any need to rush into anything unless he saw he could make a difference and have a reasonable chance at the nomination. I also like that none of this presidential talk comes from him. It’s the pundits and their horse-race mentality.
8:08, OK, Mr. Know-It-All. C and K. Neither of which is as insidious as the street Jeremiah Wright’s church is on.
Maybe the AP will send 11 reporters to South Dakota to investigate Thune like they did to Wasilla. Too bad they didn’t spend more time In Chicago and Hawaii.
Wait, made a mistake. The AP has 11 reporters fact-checking Palin’s book. Reporters from a gazillion news agencies went to Wasilla.
Fleming takes the usual approach of a liberal to accuse somebody of being a racist if they don’t fall in line with Obama mania. Very disappointing.
Detroit Lewis: I can’t stand your laugh. How about something with substance?
The initial excitement of Oblabla in 2012 will be long gone. If the idiots that Oblabla bussed to the polls can be kept out of the mix, he doesn’t have a chance. At that time, “Change We Can Believe In” will mean 10%+ unemployment, healthcare which is either DOA or doesn’t work and a military structure which is either inefficient or disrespected or both.
Ron, most if not all white supremacists are indeed both racist and sexist. And a lot of them live at C Street. Them’s just the facts, man. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_Street#Property_holdings
duggersd- Sarah Palin speaking without a teleprompter is simply one long, rambling non-sequiter.
“Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy– Oh, it’s got to be about job creation too. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions.”
-Sarah Palin, when asked why she supported the Wall Street bailout.
Only if you decipher that for me can you possibly claim that Palin could compete with President Obama in a debate. John Thune? Very much so, he can intelligently advocate his positions and explain reasons behind them. Sarah Palin- well, she can’t.
“And a lot of them live at C Street.”
And a lot of crooks and at least one terrorist lives in Obama’s upscale Chicago neighborhood.
Braden:
BHO speaking without a teleprompter is mostly a well, I am not sure what. We can, er, I mean, well, umm, and so, and this is just one quote. I’ll take her quote against his.
Many people believe she mopped the floor with Joe Biden. The only people who think Biden was better were those who do not understand the Constitution. It turned out she was right and he was not when he tried to correct her.
Anonymous 9:53, many people did not believe a person with no experience and only the ability to make a good speech when using a telepromter could not get elected either. Sarah Palin is not stupid, contrary to what some people believe. She would be a very good candidate and could indeed challenge BHO. This is not to say I plan to support her at this time, I am only saying she is better than most of you give her credit for.
And I believe she does have some people concerned. Look at the beating she takes in the media. She just wrote a book and the AP has 11 reporters doing fact-checking. Obama? 0. When she was running for Vice-President, her town was inundated with attorneys digging for dirt. Keep thinking it. You will be making the same mistake we did when we thought BHO could not win. Now we are paying the price.
BF, I haven’t been able to confirm much of any of it, at least as of yet. Not really all that much that doesn’t seem pretty mundane after a couple of searches. I don’t spend ALL my time at a computer =|;)
The worst thing I’ve found out, so far, is that Jimmy Carter was apparently involved in some way – lol
Ever notice how Obama says “aaaaaaaaannnnnnnnndddddddd” when there’s no teleprompter and he’s trying to think of what he should say that’s politically expedient?
The cool thing about an Obama-Thune matchup is that whatever the libs say about Thune, there will be something worse about Obama.
C Street, Thune — Wright et al, Obama
Car Salesman Dan Nelson, Thune — Slum Lord Rezko, Obama
It goes on and on.
Too bad the MSM glossed over Obama’s stuff the first time around.
“Ever notice how Obama says “aaaaaaaaannnnnnnnndddddddd” when there’s no teleprompter and he’s trying to think of what he should say that’s politically expedient?”
Haha. Yes, a man who’s thinks about what he says before he says it. How very elitist of him.
8:34 and Detroit will have to switch the Jumpshot Jesus snarkiness to Obama…since some people think he’s Jesus, and Thune just believes in the real one.
A lot of discussion about our guy.
First CNN, then David Brooks, now Washington Post.
This could get interesting…