Jackson Free Press

"I will not be a candidate for president next year.  This has been a difficult, personal decision, and I am very grateful to my family for their total support of my going forward, had that been what I decided.

"Hundreds of people have encouraged me to run and offered both to give and raise money for a presidential campaign.  Many volunteers have organized events in support of my pursuing the race.  Some have dedicated virtually full time to setting up preliminary organizations in critical, early states and to helping plan what has been several months of intensive activity.
 
"I greatly appreciate each and every one of them and all their outstanding efforts.  If I have disappointed any of them in this decision, I sincerely regret it.
 
"A candidate for president today is embracing a ten-year commitment to an all-consuming effort, to the virtual exclusion of all else.  His (or her) supporters expect and deserve no less than absolute fire in the belly from their candidate.  I cannot offer that with certainty, and total certainty is required.
 
"This decision means I will continue my job as Governor Mississippi, my role in the Republican Governors Association and my efforts to elect a new Republican president in 2012, as the stakes for the nation require that effort to be successful."
 

Previous Comments

ID

163272

Comment

Well, his numbers were looking terrible--scoring only 2 points against other GOP contenders in last week's Gallup poll, so he knew winning the nomination would be somewhere between a long shot and impossible. I'd still bet on Romney taking the GOP ticket but of course the idea of a Trump-Obama matchup would certainly be interesting.

Author

ed inman

Date

2011-04-25T16:54:22-06:00

ID

163273

Comment

It's remarkable to me that anyone ever thought Barbour could win national office; shows the echo chambers some people exist in. And the idea that someone in such (public at least) denial over his own state's race history would run successfully against the nation's first black president is simply absurd. However, I'm kinda bummed. Would have been great for our journalism. ;-) But his dropping out frees us up to do other things, so ultimately it's a good thing for us, selfishly speaking. The idea that anyone would take Trump seriously makes me sputter in disbelief -- kind of like Palin. Romney, I could see intelligent people voting for. Trump is a joke, and maybe even a worse one than Palin. Or at least on the same plane. Definitely shows the work the GOP needs to do to get back into the mainstream.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2011-04-26T08:37:27-06:00