Perry's talking about running again, and I suppose Herman Cain is available. (-:
Seriously, the problem will be that a guy like Rand Paul is taken seriously on things like getting rid of the fed, and letting rates rise or fall on whims of the markets. He's actually selling this as "good for growth." It's akin to snake oil salesmen: you feel bad, take this and don't worry what's in it, it'll fix you right up.
The problem for Republicans is that non-credible candidates like Paul and Cruz will stay in the campaign spouting their extreme rhetoric up until the convention.
Like in 2012, they will tar the eventual winner with positions that won't fly in the general election
Cruz is a nut. He's a bully too. The cruzathon and the shutdown was his last gasp. Sure, he'll make some noise and gum up the primary, but in the end, he's Rick Perry with a hispanic name. I think Rand Paul's more dangerous. He spouts crazy shit with a very sincere smile. Somebody with facts actually point out stuff like .... ah before the fed reserve we had recessions where PEOPLE ACTUALLY STARVED. He'll just smile with a knwoing grin, "well you SAY so."
A person can say, "Rand, Milton Friedman the father of Reaganomics, won a noble prize showing how the reduction in monetary supply and failure of the fed to expand credit in 1929 led to the Great Depression." Knowing grin, "well, you SAY so."
I don't know. I think that crap can win a nomination. LOL It did in 2012. A dem will be running on a campaign of "I can fix obamacare." And that's really a terrible thing for the country, because ... by and large ... Obama's fiscal policies (WHICH BEGAN AT THE END OF BUSHII'S TERM) have brought us back to moderate growth, and the unemployment rate should be back to around 6% ... which historically ain't so bad.
Would I prefer a sensible goper, who'd advocate stuff like containing costs on medicare by putting higher copays on stuff like pedicure or more than six yearly visits because of urinary incontinence. Hell yeah. But I think sanity left town and aint' coming back for awhile.