tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post4082173967299546633..comments2024-03-26T05:22:08.256-04:00Comments on Frontloading HQ: Obligatory Brackets Post: 2008 Presidential CandidatesJosh Putnamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301836432446874997noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-54952598676445447172009-03-22T01:09:00.000-04:002009-03-22T01:09:00.000-04:00Josh, Gravel is overrated as a #7, but no seed rea...Josh, <BR/><BR/>Gravel is overrated as a #7, but no seed really fits him. He hung around longer than anyone not named Obama or Clinton, even though he kept losing to candidates that left the race. He didn't even drop out of the race, instead going to the Libertarians and trying to win that nomination. <BR/><BR/>I mean, what can you do with a guy who loses the "Play-In" Game, then turns around and loses in the NIT? <BR/><BR/>And a Vilsack-Dodd match-up makes sense, since Vilsack was the former governor of Iowa, while Dodd moved his family to Iowa for his campaign. In essence, it's an Iowa play-in game that Dodd wins, getting the honor of losing to Clinton by 40. <BR/><BR/>And actually, I think Paul is underseeded as a #5. He did win more votes and delegates than Giuliani and raised more money than Huckabee or Thompson. I probably would have given him the #4 in a weak field. <BR/><BR/>Besides, Giuliani would be the perfect #5. Team overrated because of the name ("America's Mayor") and the conference ("Big State") who goes down to a tough but fundamentally flawed underdog with no chance of actually winning the whole thing ("The rEVOLution").Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-16727305422853125792009-03-20T15:17:00.000-04:002009-03-20T15:17:00.000-04:00Trying to seed Ron Paul is interesting; he'd lose ...Trying to seed Ron Paul is interesting; he'd lose to any of these candidates in a head-to-head matchup, but in a field of 32 he'd finish ahead of many of them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-18989374344653865872009-03-20T15:14:00.000-04:002009-03-20T15:14:00.000-04:00Oh, I didn't see that you could vote. My only "ups...Oh, I didn't see that you could vote. My only "upsets" are Whitman over Thune, Brownback over Daniels, Barbour over Paul, and, because I've heard (I'm no basketball fan) that you're supposed to pick one big upset, Cantor over Newt.<BR/><BR/>They should really do things this way, actually. Palin-Steele would be a lot of fun, and Newt-Cantor would be very interesting. So would Flake-Paul, if they had it.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04365194237710177589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-36987742066112055612009-03-20T11:30:00.000-04:002009-03-20T11:30:00.000-04:00Oh, and somewhat hypocritically, I picked Haley Ba...Oh, and somewhat hypocritically, I picked Haley Barbour over Paul on the NPR bracket.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-19254170687886035512009-03-20T11:26:00.000-04:002009-03-20T11:26:00.000-04:00Yeah, that's really the problem with doing this po...Yeah, that's really the problem with doing this post hoc. Memories of how things turned out pervert to some extent the reality.<BR/><BR/>Here's how I would justify the Gravel-Dodd decision. Dodd was interchangeable with a few other candidates. Gravel was not. Both were in the lower tier, but because of the presence of other candidates, Dodd got knocked down some. So I treated them as similar and then made the executive decision that Dodd-Vilsack was a nice pairing to fill a particular area on the bracket. Plus, I couldn't justify a Gravel over Vilsack scenario. So he got slotted in a first round spot where he would definitely lose.<BR/><BR/>From a winning standpoint, yeah, Ron Paul is perhaps overvalued here. That 5 seed is based on his presence. He and Fred Thompson were really tough to place. Thompson was a wildcard and Paul was a monkeywrench. Their placements are based on the fact, like above, that the other candidates had strengths that were better addressed by the top tier or were Tom Tancredo.<BR/><BR/>I'll try and put some thought into those 8 for 2012. Like I said, 32 is a stretch. A condensed version is probably more ideal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719252574677567989.post-73253332900940487112009-03-20T02:22:00.000-04:002009-03-20T02:22:00.000-04:00Gravel ahead of Dodd? Seriously?And both you and M...Gravel ahead of Dodd? Seriously?<BR/><BR/>And both you and Mr. Rudin overrate Ron Paul.<BR/><BR/>Even though he posted a bracket with 32, I'd still like to see your eight.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04365194237710177589noreply@blogger.com