Potential 2012 Candidates To Cover?

[Imperial]

Howdy people,

if anybody remembers my blog, the Liberty Ticker (http://libertyticker.blogspot.com), I used to do political roundups on Ron Paul Republicans or RPR leaners. As the cycle wore on I got too busy to really give it enough work. Coupled with a new gig at Independent Political Report, and I had no time to really post on it.

Now that the midterms are over and things are slowing down, I have more time to build up readers and get some good material going again. My first plan is to profile all potential Ron Paul style or libertarian-leaning candidates for President. They have to have shown 1) some interest in elected office and 2) be potentially aligned with our issues. Thus far my series is going to cover:

Mitch Daniels
Chris Christie
Ron Paul
Gary Johnson
Nikki Haley

But I know there are probably more. So, any ideas on who I should take the time to profile? [Note: Profiles include electability + positions analysis].

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Chris Christie is nothing like Ron Paul or libertarianism. I don't know enough about Daniels, or Haley.

[Imperial]

Chris Christie is nothing like Ron Paul or libertarianism. I don't know enough about Daniels, or Haley.

I know there are a lot of flaws with Christie- Paul Mulshine in the Star-Ledger has done a lot to show that. He has made a couple of good points, and I am focusing on people who are touted as aligning with us. (IE, even if Christie is not really a Ron Paul Republican, I will cover him and within the article critique what shortfalls exist).

Daniels is a mixed bag too. He proposed a 'truce' on social issues for the Republican Party a couple of months ago, is an avowed fan of Henry Hazlitt and other Libertarian economists, and has done a lot of good work in Indiana on that state's budget.

However, he has also talked about VAT in the abstract. In addition, when he was director of the OMB there may be some issues that will come up. He left quickly after the Iraq War started.

[speciallyblend]

anybody outside the gop?? The only way i am voting gop in 2012 is ron paul or gary johnson!

[wormyguy]

I've heard Nikki Haley talked about as a Ron Paul Republican - but I can't find any statements by her espousing libertarian viewpoint (i.e. on foreign policy, monetary policy, nullification etc.) Am I missing something?

[Imperial]

anybody outside the gop?? The only way i am voting gop in 2012 is ron paul or gary johnson!

I am planning to do more of that on IPR. I can't really think of any Independents right now in our camp for a 2012 presidential campaign unless they defected from the Republican Party.

Jesse Ventura sometimes aligns with us and has expressed interest. He will likely warrant a post after the others. Right now the series will focus upon the Republican Party.

[Batman]

I doubt Haley would run for President so soon.

[speciallyblend]

I am planning to do more of that on IPR. I can't really think of any Independents right now in our camp for a 2012 presidential campaign unless they defected from the Republican Party.

Jesse Ventura sometimes aligns with us and has expressed interest. He will likely warrant a post after the others. Right now the series will focus upon the Republican Party.

kewl

[Chieppa1]

Chris Christie, at the federal level, would be a Neo-Con warhawk. And he loves wire-tapping.

[speciallyblend]

Chris Christie, at the federal level, would be a Neo-Con warhawk. And he loves wire-tapping.

The more i see the choices of candidates inside the gop other then Ron Paul or Gary Johnson! The better the chances of an obama 2nd term become in my eyes!!!

I guess the gop can afford to throw away votes like in 2008! I guess they can use the argument that a dem is running you must vote gop but i do not buy that crap anymore or ever!

[AlexMerced]

I've heard Nikki Haley talked about as a Ron Paul Republican - but I can't find any statements by her espousing libertarian viewpoint (i.e. on foreign policy, monetary policy, nullification etc.) Am I missing something?

I wouldn't say she's libertarian, but she's a fairly principled and smart conservative from what I can tell, I think she's the obvious VP pick but she shouldn't run for POTUS for the same reasons Rubio shouldn't, they'll look like they never served their office before running.

[AlexMerced]

Nikki Haley on the Issues http://www.nikkihaley.com/issues

She's alright, but she can definetley appeal to moderates and moderate conservatives while a ROn Paul can appeal to staunch conservarives and independants

Ron Can pull off miniscule pieces of anti-war and anti-fed progressives while Nikkia can pull a little from the Blue Dog dems who've seemed to jump ship to GOP based on the results of this years election.

[bwlibertyman]

I don't know. I think Chris Christie could work at the federal level. He has said that he has no plans of running for president in 2012 so this point is mute. I do think that Christie could be okay. He understand fiscal situations. I'm not so sure he would want to start another war unless we could pay for it.

Now, Daniels isn't a libertarian but I'd put him in the same group as Christie. I think they are both staunch fiscal conservatives. I think they'd like to put gays in concentration camps but it's not on the top of their list of things to do. It seems that their number one priority is spending. Daniels has run a surplus here in Indiana. Well we had a surplus until our unemployment insurance fund ran dry.

So again. I think they're good but they are not Ron Paul Republicans.

[Imperial]

Now, Daniels isn't a libertarian but I'd put him in the same group as Christie. I think they are both staunch fiscal conservatives. I think they'd like to put gays in concentration camps but it's not on the top of their list of things to do. It seems that their number one priority is spending. Daniels has run a surplus here in Indiana. Well we had a surplus until our unemployment insurance fund ran dry.


Chris Christie, at the federal level, would be a Neo-Con warhawk. And he loves wire-tapping.

I am very skeptical of Christie on the federal level as well. Daniels I know has been vague when questioned on foreign policy in the past. The only real answer I have heard out of him is 'peace through strength'- just like the Pauls talk about strong national defense. I think both Christie and Daniels are less ideological than some members of the Republican Party.



I wouldn't say she's [Nikke Haley] libertarian, but she's a fairly principled and smart conservative from what I can tell, I think she's the obvious VP pick but she shouldn't run for POTUS for the same reasons Rubio shouldn't, they'll look like they never served their office before running.

Right, if she ran it would be 2016. More important is where her endorsement goes. I think she will end up endorsing Romney- he funnelled $42k directly into her campaign, and I bet helped her fundraise more as well. She was intimately involved in his South Carolina campaign as well. But she has also attended CFL events and was a known Mark Sanford ally.

By the way- The Liberty Ticker has a Facebook page here (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Liberty-Ticker/110903412283803). Thanks for the input everybody!