The Republicans, to be sure, could have picked better candidates to fight over oil.

I completely agree about the picking a candidate we actually like thing.

There is no primary before a special election, so party leaders have the main voice in picking candidates.

So the crucial thing is picking a candidate who can win in November.

"I did not consider this a serious challenge," he said, adding that it was too soon for him to pick a candidate to back.

But the Republicans have picked a candidate with mainstream appeal.

So far, he had not been able to pick a suitable candidate from among the patrons.

They put on loads of events at universities, and pick candidates from there.

Yet the party has picked a candidate who has never run for office before.

He let party leaders pick candidates and go into local elections without help or meddling from the President.