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GOP Worry: 2016 Field May Be Too Big to Succeed
Monday, May 18, 2015 10:52 AM
By: Melanie Batley
Republican Party chiefs are concerned that the sprawling size of the 2016 GOP field could compromise its chances to win the presidency.
"We're in a danger zone," Doug Gross, a top Republican establishment figure in Iowa, told The Washington Post. "When the party poobahs put this process together, they thought they could telescope this to get us a nominee who could appeal to a broad cross-section of people.
"What we've got instead is a confederation of a lot of candidates who aren't standing out — and in order to stand out, you need to scream the loudest."
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was seen as the front-runner at the beginning of the year, but his recent stumbles on the question of the Iraq War has put his standing in question.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker also enjoyed a surge early in the year, ranking at the top of a number of polls, but his star has faded somewhat as other candidates have jumped into the race.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz enjoyed a bounce after his announcement in March, as did Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in April. And Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has consistently performed among the top contenders in the polls.
According to the Post, activists are enjoying the wide field of candidates, but party officials are already struggling with the practicalities of a crowded field.
"To win in a presidential election year, the Democrats have to be good," RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said, according to the Post. "As Republicans, we need to be about perfect in order to win."
Some say, however, that the large field could be an advantage.
Sean Spicer, the RNC's chief strategist, told the Post, "The attention's going to be on our side, the horsepower's going to be on our side, the enthusiasm's going to be on our side."
But the concern remains that while the large field could stir conservative voters, it could turn off mainstream voters.
"To have a baker's dozen and a few more as our candidates is impressive, enabling and exciting," former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating told the Post. "But it's problematical, because if it looks like total chaos, people will switch the channel."
A number of candidates are also sounding a warning.
"This whole process is to elect a Republican nominee," former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee told reporters, according to the Post. "It's not to provide a media circus. It's not to provide entertainment to the masses and to create a show that would be delightfully pleasant for the opposition to watch."
"If we go back to the old way of fighting amongst ourselves and saying, 'You're not righteous enough, you're not perfect enough, you're not this enough,' we're not going to win," Bush said in a speech to RNC members recently, according to the Post.
Meanwhile, the issue of structuring the debates has become a matter of intense discussion at the RNC. Officials may end up squeezing 10 or more contenders onto the debate stage when the debates kick off in August, and it remains to be determined how potential contenders will make the cut.
Officials have considered various criteria to qualify for debates, such as poll numbers or fundraising, but have yet to make a decision.
"It's a very tough question," Spicer said recently.
Whatever the decision, the field is expected to grow again Monday with the expected announcement by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham that he is throwing his hat into the ring.
Republican candidates in the race:
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, to announce Monday
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, announced May 5
Retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson, announced May 4
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, announced May 4
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, announced April 13
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, announced April 7
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, announced March 23
Potential Republican candidates yet to announce their intentions:
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, expected to announce no sooner than June
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, may announce as late as June
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, an announcement sometime in the spring
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, expected to announce a bid on June 4
Former New York Gov. George Pataki, to make an announcement on May 28
Business mogul Donald Trump, expected to announce intentions in May or June
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, to announce intentions May 27
Other Republicans who may still be in the running include Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
