2012 - Barbour is out

Haley Barbour is one of the individuals I was considering. Not anymore.

From the AP

ACKSON, Miss. – Republican Gov. Haley Barbour bowed out of presidential contention Monday with a surprise announcement just as the 2012 campaign was getting under way in earnest, 18 months before Election Day. The Mississippi governor said he lacked the necessary "absolute fire in the belly" to run

That could be good or bad. Good that the more well known retreads will be dividing up their votes and the darkhorse types have less votes dividing them up. Bad in the fact that Barbour is a very competent governor who can credibly rip the poor mismanagement of the current idiot-in-chief.

I won't be making any decision until at least after Mackinac Conference, but as of now, I'm looking more and more at Daniels, Johnson, and Pawlenty. Don't expect me to jump on the Trump bandwagon either. If I liked "celebrity politics", I'd support the current idiot there.

Haley Barbour in 2012?

It's early to think about 2012. Back in 06 and 07, I was hoping Mark Sanford was going to run, and look what happened to him. He became a joke.

Anyway, Politico floated this today in its "Arena" section where talking heads give their take.

I'd definitely vote for Barbour over Romney, Palin, and Huckabee. Romney won't be getting my vote at all for several reasons, not the least of which is Massachusetts care, gun grabbing, flip flops, and the way many of his national leadership trashed Palin before the election was over in 2008. Palin lost me when she quit as Alaska governor, along with the cult of personality that is so prevalent in politics these days. Huckabee's fiscal issues are my main problem.

I'd rather not see a 2008 crowd in 2012. McCain beat all of them except Palin. That says a lot right there.

I'll consider Barbour if he runs, a lot more than the 08 crowd.