Presidential Race 2016

triggercut · 2016-02-03T08:13:05.000Z

MrGrumpy:

And Paul is out:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rand-paul-suspends-2016-presidential-campaign/story?id=36674666

When Rand declared, a whole lot of folks thought he was the odds on favorite to take the nomination. His and Jeb!'s camapign failures will be interesting post-mortem case studies.

TimJames · 2016-02-03T08:48:47.000Z

triggercut:

When Rand declared, a whole lot of folks thought he was the odds on favorite to take the nomination.

Were these the types of folks to have their heads in the clouds? I can’t see how any reasonable observer would have pegged him as more than a promising dark horse, and that would still require hoping for a sea change within the Republican Party.

Stepsongrapes · 2016-02-03T09:07:08.000Z

Tim James:

Were these the types of folks to have their heads in the clouds? I can’t see how any reasonable observer would have pegged him as more than a promising dark horse, and that would still require hoping for a sea change within the Republican Party.

Agreed. I have a hard time believing that many serious sources were calling it for Rand. “A whole lot of folks” sounds like a bunch of random people on the web.

Jeb is a different story.

Scuzz · 2016-02-03T09:19:06.000Z

I always thought this was Jeb’s Nomination to lose?

RichVR · 2016-02-03T09:23:23.000Z

Scuzz:

I always thought this was Jeb’s Nomination to lose?

In the very beginning this is what I thought as well.

HumanTon · 2016-02-03T09:25:18.000Z

Yep, likewise. Who knew that someone who was a governor of such a large state could fail so hard on the national stage?

… OK, there was Rick Perry. Fair enough.

RichVR · 2016-02-03T10:00:44.000Z

The Bush name just ran out of manna. And the JEB! signs didn’t help at all.

Timex · 2016-02-03T10:02:22.000Z

Jeb bush just seems to have totally lost his charisma and ability to present himself… From previous clips I’ve seen of him, he seemed to be pretty slick when he was in Florida.

But now he’s just chronically awkward.

RayRayK · 2016-02-03T10:06:59.000Z

triggercut:

When Rand declared, a whole lot of folks thought he was the odds on favorite to take the nomination. His and Jeb!'s camapign failures will be interesting post-mortem case studies.

I can’t think of a single serious Republican that believed Rand had a chance.

BiggerBoat · 2016-02-03T11:02:22.000Z

Timex:

Jeb bush just seems to have totally lost his charisma and ability to present himself… From previous clips I’ve seen of him, he seemed to be pretty slick when he was in Florida.

Oh, I don’t know. I think he’s still got it…

NYTimes:

Speaking to a crowd at the Hanover Inn near the Vermont border during his final stop of the day, Mr. Bush finished a fiery riff about protecting the country as commander in chief — “I won’t be out here blowharding, talking a big game without backing it up,” he said — and was met with total silence.

“Please clap,” he said, sounding defeated.

The_Bitter_Cynic · 2016-02-03T11:05:14.000Z

I can almost hear the sad trombone that would come after “Please clap”.

ShivaX · 2016-02-03T12:18:22.000Z

Timex:

Jeb bush just seems to have totally lost his charisma and ability to present himself… From previous clips I’ve seen of him, he seemed to be pretty slick when he was in Florida.

But now he’s just chronically awkward.

Trump threw him off his game. He expected to be a room of adults and when that didn’t happen his balance was thrown. His name didn’t help him, I know very conservative people that have said, “Not another Clinton or Bush,” and it seems like that mentality was fairly strong in the party.

Enidigm · 2016-02-03T12:24:10.000Z

He may be in too deep now but originally I think the party pushed him to run, and he was very reluctant. I’m sure they were saying “Christ Jeb look at them. The other GOP candidates. Think of the children, swallow your pride, and save us.” He still seems convinced by that logic; like the logic of the situation is forcing him to run, but his heart just isn’t in it.

Also, of course, he might just be spending the rest of his campaign money ala Governor Goodhair and the Forgetful Surgeon.

HumanTon · 2016-02-03T12:29:18.000Z

And now Santorum is out as well.

Timex · 2016-02-03T12:33:09.000Z

I honestly forgot Santorum was still running.

Timex · 2016-02-03T12:34:27.000Z

Enidigm:

He may be in too deep now but originally I think the party pushed him to run, and he was very reluctant. I’m sure they were saying “Christ Jeb look at them. The other GOP candidates. Think of the children, swallow your pride, and save us.” He still seems convinced by that logic; like the logic of the situation is forcing him to run, but his heart just isn’t in it.

Also, of course, he might just be spending the rest of his campaign money ala Governor Goodhair and the Forgetful Surgeon.

Honestly, what he should do is say, “You know what? I like Marco. We were friends before all this bullshit. Fuck trump right in the face, I’m spending my money to ruin Trump.”

Papageno · 2016-02-03T12:34:46.000Z

HumanTon:

And now Santorum is out as well.

<SirGalahad>God be praised!</SirGalahad>

(Michael Palin was Sir Galahad, right?)

Tim_N · 2016-02-03T13:05:10.000Z

BiggerBoat:

Oh, I don’t know. I think he’s still got it…

Video (it’s entertaining): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5J8RRXnUjk

BrianRubin · 2016-02-03T13:38:39.000Z

Oh god, it hurt to watch that.

espressojim · 2016-02-03T13:44:33.000Z

Tim N:

Video (it’s entertaining): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5J8RRXnUjk

The crowd was being polite and absolutely making sure he was done so they didn’t interrupt him. Even the woman behind him to the right gave a single half hearted clap at the right time, then was like…“whoa…nobody else is clapping. Single golf clap for you sir!”