With no clear leader of the pack, the race for the Republican nomination for president in 2016 remains "wide open," says Newsmax CEO and Editor in Chief Christopher Ruddy.
"I believe what the voters want in '16 is a solution. They want a Mr. Fix-It to come in," Ruddy said Sunday on
"The Cats Roundtable" on AM 970 in New York. Those he finds most suited to the challenge: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and real-estate mogul Donald Trump. He said he also could see retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson doing well.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is running on the theme of generational change, but that was tried in 2008 with Barack Obama without success, Ruddy told host John Catsimatidis. Republican voters really want an outsider to come and act as a reformer, he said.
"I think if Herman Cain had not had some of the issues he had personally last time, he could have won the whole nomination," Ruddy said.
The "apparent front-runner" right now is Scott Walker. "He has a good shot at winning Iowa" and seems to be leading nationally, Ruddy added.
"Jeb was supposed to be the front-runner, but he has been fading," said Ruddy, noting that Newsmax is based in Florida. "I think he was a fantastic governor. He was a very serious conservative governor, cut taxes, cut spending, very pro-business. Had one of the best jobs records as governor."
Bush's problem, though, is that he is not connecting with the base, Ruddy said. "In fact, he seems to be going out of his way oftentimes to pick fights with the base about things like Common Core and immigration."
Bush "has some points to make on those issues," he said, but advised that, like in business, it's important to find common ground before talking about disagreements.
"So, I don't know exactly what his strategy is there," Ruddy said.
Ruddy also talked about the expansion of
Newsmax TV, which now operates 24/7 on the Internet and on DirecTV, Dish Network and Verizon FiOS.
"We felt the Internet is becoming more and more a TV platform," he said. "We're getting a huge reception for it. And the country needs to have more alternative voices, we believe, to the liberal media in this country, and Newsmax is filling a real void."
Ruddy also discussed his friendship with former President Bill Clinton, which was sparked by a 2007 lunch set up by their mutual friend the late Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York.
"I had been a big Whitewater critic of Bill Clinton in the '90s, and we ended up having a one-hour lunch that turned into almost a three-hour lunch," Ruddy said. "And we became friends, and I have supported his foundation's work."
Ruddy said he remains conservative and a Reagan Republican, but added, "I do like what Bill Clinton does with his foundation."
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