WI: Ric Flair runs as Republican in 2015

You know, before this election cycle I would've put this admittedly amusing thread in the ASB forum, but here we are, with The Donald himself. So you know what? I don't think I'm ready to call this impossible anymore. So here's the scenario:

Donald Trump doesn't run for any number of reasons, but in his place, Richard M. Fliehr, better known as 16 time wrestling champion Ric Flair, enters the race for the Republican nomination. Politically, he has many of the same positions as Mike Huckabee, whom he has supported in the past. He brings with him, however, his unique charisma and ability to excite a crowd, and a more populist stance. He is also much more relaxed than Huckabee on social conservatism.

He enters the race perhaps not sincerely believing he can win, and so he plays it up. He adopts many of the stylistic mannerisms of his in-ring persona, giving them a taste of how a stylin' and profilin' son of gun runs for President.

Do you think it'll be receptive, as he is certainly not a part of the establishment, or will he fizzle out as many incorrectly predicted Trump would do?
 

Minty_Fresh

Banned
His alignment with Huckabee was probably based off of cultural affinity and personal liking him. Huckabee after all is a charismatic and charming politician who has no issues forming relationships with people vastly different from him. He alienates some with his social strident conservatism (this may be overstated however based off of his solid figures with young voters in 2008) but in general, people who have worked with him like him.

Wrestling is treated with arms length by the majority of the population. Linda McMahon ran into this when she ran for Senate and actually had a decently funded and directed campaign, but was treated with distrust and hostility by both party brokers in New England as well as the Conservative grass roots.

I don't think this would work. Flair is also getting up there in age and has had a really bad last few years. He's struggled with alcoholism, drugs, and the death of his son due to drugs. He has as colorful a private life as Trump did, albeit probably worse for a socially conservative base.
 
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"I'll put the economy in a head lock, and make it say that the Nature Boy IS ITS DADDY!! WOOOOOO!!"

I'd pay good money to see this happen.
 
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