Insight On Barbour’s Decision Not To Run
When sending out a press release that he would not be a candidate for president, Haley Barbour cited the time requirements involved and said that he basically couldn’t give it his all. Others I have spoken with have backed this up, and said that Barbour just wasn’t fully in it.
Yesterday, we received more details into the thought process, and a couple of advisers “familiar with the governor’s decision making” stated that Barbour concluded that it would be too difficult to defeat Barack Obama in a general election.
Here is more of what they said: That Barbour wanted to run, “would have loved it” and saw a path to the GOP nomination by emerging as the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. But the task of defeating a sitting president, even one with relatively lackluster approval ratings, is not an easy one and it appeared the path to 270 Electoral Votes was not there. (And this, I believe, is true across the board for any GOP hopeful and not just Barbour).
Further, questions on racial issues- and if they could be overcome- were also raised. The conclusion was made that the campaign would turn into a debate about the South and race, and create a divisive and poisonous atmosphere. It would have turned into “a race about rac,” rather than a referendum on the incumbent.
