
by: Bill Dupray posted: 2009-12-09 10:48:00
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Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) is not on a lot of people's lists of presidential contenders. His name doesn't show up in many straw polls of the GOP faithful. But that doesn't mean he won't be the guy who takes down Obama (or Hillary) in 2012.
Back in our November 13, 2009 podcast I made the bold prediction that John Thune would be the next president of the United States. Click the link to hear the excerpt.
You can hear Clyde's and my discussion about in the podcast starting at about the 28:38 minute mark.
David Brooks at the New York Times thinks there may be big things in Thune's future. And over at CQ Politics, they are thinking along the same lines.
While most of the 2012 GOP presidential buzz is focused on a group of former and soon-to-be former governors, Sen. John Thune is increasingly being viewed as the Capitol?s most likely White House contender.The telegenic first-term senator?s national profile is no doubt on the rise ? as evidenced by the South Carolina Republican?s increased leadership role this Congress and extensive fundraising for his non-competitive re-election race next year. . . .
When asked about any presidential aspirations, Thune said he was only focused on his re-election campaign ? even though he has not attracted a single Democratic opponent so far. But he has undoubtedly been more vocal and visible in recent weeks, appearing with some regularity on cable news shows and playing a key role in presenting the GOP response to Democrats? health care legislation through his role as Republican Policy Committee chairman.
Indeed, Sen. Thune has been very visible. We interviewed him yesterday in a blogger conference call (and yes, he was asked if he is running for president) to talk about the health care bill in the Senate. Here is the audio of that call. It runs just under 29 minutes.
We also interviewed him back on October 21, 2009 (audio at the link) when he laid out what he thought would be Reid's strategy to get the ObamaCare bill through the Senate. He predicted that the public option would not survive, and as we learned last night, he was proven correct.
Now it can't hurt any presidential aspirations he may be harboring to keep conservative bloggers in the loop, but as you listen to him speak, he's also very different from the 2008 GOP aspirants like Huckabee, Romney, and even Palin. He is a new face to most of the public and his common sense conservatism and disarming congeniality may very well make him a good bet to win the White House.
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John Thune is exactly what we need and it's too bad 2012 is so far away.By 2012 it will take a miracle worker to straighten it all out.
Concerned in Ohio,Harold tinker
Neither Mit Romney nor Mike Huckabe, absolutely NOT Sarah Palin will not be able to beat Obama in 2012.
But John Thune is fresh, has the looks, branis, intelligent conservative and experienced as well.
I'd definitely vote form him.
The problem is the sequence. Can the House vote to amend something that isn't the law, as the Senate bill will not be law before the president's signature? The Rules Committee meeting turned into mass confusion when Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman said, "We're not going to 'deem' the bill passed. We're going to pass the Senate bill?I would be against the idea of 'deeming' something -- we either pass it or we don't."
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Ranking Republican Paul Ryan responds to an NRO query about the news this morning: ?The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that there is currently no official cost estimate. Yet House Democrats are touting to the press ? and spinning for partisan gain ? numbers that have not been released and are impossible to confirm.Boy, a final official number that came in over a trillion bucks would really bite them in the a**.
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The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Arizona GOP Primary voters shows McCain ahead 48% to 41%. Three percent (3%) favor another candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided. Following the announcement that Sarah Palin would campaign for his reelection, McCain opened up a 53% to 31% lead over Hayworth in January. The two men were in a near tie in November.By my math, McCain's lead shrunk from 21 to 7 in two months. Hmmm.
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[House] leaders are mulling a rule that would allow the chamber to "deem" the Senate's version of health legislation as passed, without actually having to vote on it. Imagine how useful this trick would be in daily life. You could make unpopular decisions without actually appearing to make them. That excruciating Thanksgiving dinner at your brother-in-law's? You "deemed" that you attended. . . . It's understandable that some House Democrats wouldn't want to cast a direct vote on the Senate bill . . . before moving to change it. But a procedure this transparently gimmicky just adds to the cynicism surrounding the bill and opens it up to unnecessary court challenges.
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You might want to tell GC Thune is from South Dakota, not S. Carolina. Only half the country off.
I live in a border state to SD, but have watched Thune's rise. I think he is great. He was able to take out Daschle, which if he does nothing else going forward, was enough for me.