2008 Conservative Presidential Candidates

With 2007 just around the corner and 2008 not that far behind, we must start turning our thoughts to the potential 2008 U.S. Presidential conservative nominees.

Note: Links lead to official campaign site, exploratory committee, or Wikipedia article:

Republicans

Rudy Giuliani - NY
John McCain - AZ
Mitt Romney - MA
Condi Rice - CA (she says no, but we're still hoping?)
Newt Gingrich - GA (another ?)
Tom Tancredo - CO
Ron Paul - TX
Mike Huckabee - AR
Sam Brownback - KS
Fred Thompson - TN
Duncan Hunter - CA

I've been updating it all the time. Please post others who might run as Republicans or in conservative-leaning 3rd parties and I'll update this post continuously until we have our nominees in 2008!

Video Resources:
Video: Mike Huckabee Interviewed on FOX News Sunday (8/26)
Video: Ron Paul on FOX Big Story (Conspiracies Discussed) (8/5/2007)
First Republican Primary Debate (5/3/07 MSNBC)
Conservative Candidate Videos 2008: Ron Paul Appears on FOX's Red Eye (4/20/07)
John McCain Appears on FOX News Sunday (4/29/07)
Fred Thompson on Hannity & Colmes (transcript)

If you are aware of a major upcoming appearance of a conservative candidate, please let me know via U2U so I can record it and post it here. Of course, if you recorded it yourself or know of another recording, U2U me so I add it to the list here.

Thanks!


added Tom Tancredo
[edit on 1/17/2007 by djohnsto77]

added Ron Paul
[edit on 1/23/2007 by djohnsto77]

added Mike Huckabee & Sam Brownback
[edit on 1/29/2007 by djohnsto77]

Changed URL for Rudy Giuliani to point to exploratory committee site
[edit on 2/6/2007 by djohnsto77]

Changed Romney's link
[edit on 2/17/2007 by djohnsto77]

Added Fred Thompson
[edit on 3/30/2007 by djohnsto77]

Added Tommy Thompson
[edit on 4/3/2007 by djohnsto77]

Added video interview section (more coming soon, processing now )

[edit on 5/1/2007 by djohnsto77]

Changed Fred Thompson's info

[edit on 6/5/2007 by djohnsto77]

[edit on 8/5/2007 by djohnsto77

Removed Tommy Thompson - he dropped out

[edit on 8/13/2007 by djohnsto77]

[edit on 8/27/2007 by djohnsto77]

Giuliani . . .to liberal for the conservative right, perhaps only if Hillary makes it.

John McCain. . .kiss to much up to Bush.

Mitt Romney. . . don’t know him

Condi Rice. . .won’t make it just as Obama would not either they are in the same boat.

Newt Gingrich. . . A loser, would not make it.

So if they were the only candidates to Republican and Giuliani makes it, I probably vote for him if the democrats can not bring any body else better.

Marg, I think you're pretty much right.

But there's really no clear right-wing social conservative out there and right now I think national security trumps any social issues, so actually Giuliani may have a chance. I don't think people trust McCain.

They all suck, but played correctly, McCAin would be unbeatable. It kinda sucks, but there it is. I don't see Obama or Clinton touching him. Hell I could even see myself voting for him, but then again, I don't think my vote would matter anyway. They tend to push the elections in the direction they want them anyway.

One of the problems I see with politics in our nation and political parties . . . is that the candidates are chosen even before we the people get to make a decision.

Many can try to qualify for their parties. . .but have you notice how the old candidates keep showing up over and over again.

Hardly any new clean candidates can take a shot to the primaries, usually they are stop before they get a chance.

Our political system is all control by the same people, we may chose the president and vote for one or the other when it comes to the two main party choices. . . but we practically have not choice when it comes to who make it in the primaries or not.

Most of the people in congress and presidential candidates has been around for ever, sometimes a life time of the same candidates with no new faces to chose from.

If that is not control I wonder what it will be.

Hillary is probably the chosen one for the Democrats.

Obama will be allow to play the game to show diversity.

Kerry is a loser

Then who else is out there for the Democrats anyway.

I fear for the state of our nations politics.

McCain is gambling that Iraq will reach a point where the coalition isn't involved any longer. McCain must know that more troops wont make a difference in Iraq instead he is playing skillful politics.

When 2008 comes along McCain will say " Well if we had sent more troops this wouldn't have happened. " With that kind of line thinking McCain will be able to appease the voters who supported the stats quo in Iraq. He may take less of a hit from the "I told you so crowd. "

Personally I like Giuliani because I'm not a social conservative.

Why no mention of Jeb.

Qualified
Smart
Sober
Very little dirty laundry
Name recognition

[edit on 1-1-2007 by whaaa]

I don't think it's the right time for Jeb. He might have a chance in later years, but nobody really wants another Bush at the moment. Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton-Bush might work though, although I really don't want to see Hillary in the White House.

The 'stink' of the Bush43 administration is going to be hard for anyone connected to it to beat. Giuliani is the least connected person you've mentioned so far in this thread. Even so, I don't think he would have the political muscle to have it out with Hillary and win.

Giuliani, definately has the political muscle for the office of President of the United States, don't believe me ask the Gotti's.

Giuliani in my opinion is the best choice for the country, conservative enough on issues like terrorism but liberal enough not to be a religious fanatic and to come across as an ordinary guy.

I like McCain but he is peaking too early. It will be difficult holding the lead throughout the entire race, think of it as a horse race where it is nearly impossible for a horse to hold the lead the entire time.

Personally, I believe Giuliani is the only conservative candidate for President in '08 that can beat Hillary regardless of what the polls say.

If I had it my way Id have a Giuliani/ Condi ticket.

[edit on 7-1-2007 by Low Orbit]

I do think that Giuliani would perform better than McCain against any of the Democrat contendors. I do think the GOP will choose McCain for the Presidential pick, and we'll get to see Bob Dole all over again. The Republican party has this thing for seniority that gets them in trouble every time.

A Giuliani-McCain ticket would stand a better chance than a McCain-Giuliani ticket. Kerry and Edwards suffered a similar problem in 2004. Any of the 'real' Democrat contendors will be too young and energetic for McCain to keep up with. He will suffer the same fate as Bob Dole. Looking old is a bad idea in today's media-driven culture.

We should all remember that the Dems are sharpening their blades. As I type this, they are preparing to launch a barrage of House and Senate investigations that will do a lot of damage to the conservatives. Even if they aren't guilty of what will be charged...they'll look bad for simply being on the wrong end of the subpoena. Those of us who have worked in D.C. knowthat it's not what it is...but what it looks like...that matters.

Bear in mind just one thing as you reach for that keyboard. President bush is getting ready for a throw-down with the Democrats. Negroponte is moving to State so that Rice can leave. Patraeus is taking over on the ground in Iraq so that his predecessors can sanitize the war record and move on to other things. Kalilzad's nomination for the U.N. is obvious for what it is. The next six months will tell the tale for the Republicans. If they can't win the war of perceptions, McCain or even Giuliani his own bad self will be doomed at the polls.

I believe Giuliani would make a good candidate for the Republicans. I have no trust in McCain at all there is something about him that gives me chills. Giuliani has shown that he can lead and is more mainstream then most. The ideal ticket imho would be Giuiani/Rice I believe they could beat the Dems.

All of the current field of Republican hopefuls appear to be damaged goods in some manner or another. Perhaps the Republicans should draft Ron Paul. He is more distanced from Bush than any other Republican, he is economically conservative, he opposed Iraq on constitutional principles and he will attract libertarian voters to the polls.

[edit on 8-1-2007 by df1]

I would like to see a Giulliani/Rice ticket as well. As a New Yorker, I must support Giuliani, he did wonders for this city, even though I disagree with him on abortion.

I think he may be the candidate, he's getting a lot of traction out of his leadership during 9/11 that seems to be negating his liberal social views, even among southern evangelicals.

I hope he can do it, I actually trust him more than McCain.

edit:

I think a lot willl ride on what Mitt Romney is able to do in the social conservative community. As a Mormon, he's at a disadvantage, but says he has pretty conservative social issues policies, although there are apparent contradictions with his previous statements.

[edit on 1/9/2007 by djohnsto77]

Bush clan will not have a chance in the next elections, like Dj said is not the right time, plus the present administration legacy may mar any chances to Jeb in the future.

But we will find out, because they will be back is not doubt about it, and American people tends to have short term memories and they will forget about Bush and his administration in few more years.

I believe that is going to be a tendency by the Republicans to be a more moderate party and Giuliani may have a chance any time over Hillary and Obama..

I think that if you put in from of me Giuliani, Hillary, or Rice I definitely go for Giuliani anytime.

I still think McCain still holds a lot of credibility even in liberal democrat's eyes. It wold be foolish for the repubs to ener anyone else as their prime candidate. As republicans go, even if they don't completely trust McCain, they tend to follow the party line anyway.

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
I still think McCain still holds a lot of credibility even in liberal democrat's eyes.

Yup. Hasnt he been on the Daily Show and shown up on MTV a couple of times?
Idiot kids seem to love that stuff. They dont even listen, let alon understand, the words that come out of his mouth but their sage and master John Stewert smailes at him he suddenly gains all this "street-cred" with the kids.

That aside, McCain-Guiliani would stand up against anyting the Democrats could muster up.

Madame Hillary? Kerry? Obama?

A woman everyone hates and who hates everyone, an idiot who cant get his foot out of his mouth and a token "colored" nobody knows anything about. If I was Obama Id be pissed off by the obvious race parade theyre pushing him along in. Let the man stand on his own two feet! He could really be the best choice but we'll never know. They have to keep him an unknown, smiling black man. Damn I hate modern politics.

Damnit. I spelled Guiliani wrong, didnt I?

Giulliani has some serious baggage along with Gingrich.
They both left their wives for prettier, younger women. Even conservative lady Republicans hate that kind of thing and without the ladies vote you aint got nuttin.

Gingrich even left his wife when she was undergoing cancer treatment.
I doubt if he will ever get elected to any office ever again. Good thing he has the teaching gig.

posted by Justin Oldham

The 'stink' of Bush43 is hard for anyone connected to it to beat. Giuliani is the least connected. I don't think he would have the political muscle to duke it out with Hillary and win. I think Giuliani would perform better than McCain. I think the GOP will choose McCain for the Presidential pick and we'll get to see a “Bob Dole” all over again. The Republican party’s thing for seniority gets them in trouble every time.

A Giuliani McCain ticket would stand a better chance than a McCain Giuliani ticket. Kerry and Edwards suffered a similar problem in 2004. Any of the 'real' Democrat contenders will be too young and energetic for McCain to keep up with.

We should remember the Dems are sharpening their blades. As I type they are preparing to launch a barrage of House and Senate investigations that will damage the conservatives. Those of us who have worked in DC know that it's not what it is . . but what it looks like . . that matters.

President Bush is getting ready for a throw-down with the Democrats. Negroponte is moving to State so Rice can leave. Patraeus is taking over on the ground in Iraq so his predecessors can sanitize the war record and move on. Kalilzad's nomination for the UN is obvious. The next six months will tell the tale for the Republicans [in 2008]. If they can't win the war of perceptions, McCain or Giuliani will be doomed at the polls. [Edited by Don W]

Yes, Justin. I see a forthcoming constitutional battle - deadlock - gridlock- waged over Wednesday night’s expected Bush43 plan to “surge” 20,000 men into Iraq. The Democrats say it is “enlarging” our troop strength against the voters expressed will last November 7. Sen. Kennedy - patriarch of Senate Democrats - wants the Congress to withhold funds to send the 20,000 men to Iraq until there is a public debate and an up and down vote in Congress.


[edit on 1/9/2007 by donwhite]

There's a dirty little secret regarding that troop sure that nobody is talking about. the specifics of just HOW that surge wroks will damage the republicans even furhter, when the details come out. the idea seems to be to accelerate the current deployment schedule while at the same time extending the tours of troops already in theater by atleast five months.

The mechanics of such a move would negate the Congressional budget factor for this fiscal year, which has already been allocated. I have no doubts at all that the Bush team is planning an offensive in to the An-Bar province. Nice to see that it only took them three years to get around to that.

It's hard to make htese political predictions through a partisan lense. We've got to look at things in a more clinical way. Follow the money, and pay attention to the finer points of strategy being used by either side. I don't predict failure for hte GOP because I am against them. I am a conservative, and I hate to see my team lose. Non the less, I do see trouble for them because they are not playing the game very well at this time.