Mitt Romney has taken the Illinois Republican primary this evening and making it much harder for Rick Santorum to stay in the race for the GOP nomination.
With 94% of the vote counted, Mr. Romney has 47% of the vote compared to Mr. Santorum at about 35%. Ron Paul is ahead of the former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich with about nine percent to Mr. Gingrich's eight percent.
Some quick hits on the result.
First, while this seems to help Mr. Romney, once again he is winning without breaking 50% of the vote. But he is now consistently in the high 40s. Meaning voters are beginning to see the writing on the wall. That Mitt Romney will have enough delegates to win the Republican nomination in Tampa in August outright.
Second, so long as he is not ugly, there is no reason for Mr. Santorum to throw in the towel. He will win some more states. This Saturday Louisiana has it's primary and Mr. Santorum should win that one with possibly the same number Mr. Romney had in Illinois tonight.
Third, the one-time rationale of Mr. Gingrich staying in the race is now gone. Although it will be too late no matter what now, the honorable thing Mr. Gingrich could do is leave and support Mr. Santorum. But one thing about Mr. Gingrich is that he is one serious narcissist and that is why he will not leave this race with any shred of honor.
Fourth, Ron Paul is not any kind of factor except to keep his ideas out there. But now that the leftywhore media sees him going nowhere and is pulling their reporters from his campaign, it gets harder for him to get those ideas out there. Mr. Paul is not even getting double-digits in votes and is battling with Mr. Gingrich for the bottom of the barrel.
Clarity is now the way this race is heading.
But there are signs both Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum need to pay attention to.
As this map shows, the urban/suburban and rural divide is very clear here. Mr. Romney took Crook, er Cook county, home of Chicago and the surrounding counties. Mr. Romney also took Sangamon county, home of the state capital Springfield and Peoria county, home of the iconic city of Peoria. Mr. Santorum took everywhere else. And everywhere else while impressive on the map color-wise makes no difference when the other guy is taking the big prizes.
But it continues to hold out the open sore of the more conservative parts of any given state going with Mr. Santorum and Mr. Romney taking the less conservative areas. It continues to paint Mr. Santorum in a corner that he will more than likely not get out of. And it just gets more difficult for Mr. Santorum to have the kind of wins that he had several weeks ago on a Tuesday when he won Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota.
But again, Mr. Santorum does not need to leave. He has issues he wants out there. And while sometimes he is not the most articulate, he is bringing the issues in the race. And they are not just social issues. It is how the current economic decline has hurt Blue-collar America.
And it could help make Mr. Santorum a serious candidate for vice-president.
Laugh all you want folks.
But who thought Mr. Santorum would be the last opponent standing against Mr. Romney? And again, his ability to connect with the Blue-collar voter that Mr. Romney will desperately need in November could bring his star rising to Team Romney.
And speaking of Mr. Romney, I think that this encounter with a young freeloader yesterday may have breathed amazing life to him and his campaign. See the linked video because reading the words do not it the same justice. But I will show the freeloader and Mr. Romney's retort:
Freeloader:
“You‘re all for like ’yay freedom and all this stuff and yay pursuit of happiness,’” the student said. “You know what would make me happy? Free birth control.”
Mr. Romney:
“Let me tell you something, if you‘re looking for free stuff that you don’t have to pay for, vote for the other guy. That‘s what he’s all about.”
It will take that and iron steel to go up against Team Obama and all of their surrogates. It will take a couple of adults. And both Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum are the adults in the room.
The Illinois primary makes that clear and it is looking more and more that Mitt Romney is on the way to the top for the GOP. And his running mate may already be there in Rick Santorum.
Showing posts with label Crazy Uncle Ron Paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crazy Uncle Ron Paul. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
So Who Will The Big Super Tuesday Winner Be For The GOP?
As I write this, voters will go to the polls in 10 states to determine the lion's share of 410 delegates for the Republican presidential nomination.
Today voters in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia will vote as to who they think should be the GOP presidential nominee and who should get the delegates.
So, a scorecard is needed as to who can win, where and why.
Lets start with Mitt Romney and the following states he should win today:
Idaho, Massachusetts, Vermont and Virginia.
Mr. Romney should win Idaho with ease as it in the Mormon trifecta-Nevada and Utah being the other heavily-populated Mormon states. Massachusetts is his current home state. Vermont because he is a New Englander and Virginia by default.
Virginia is by default because two of the three others left in the race, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, failed to qualify for the Virginia ballot. Only Crazy Uncle Ron Paul will be on the ballot with Mr. Romney in the Old Dominion state.
For Rick Santorum, he should win the following states:
Oklahoma and Tennesee.
A win in both states is a huge boost to Mr. Santorum's claim that he is the last viable conservative standing between Mr. Romney and the Republican presidential nomination.
Ron Paul, yes Crazy Uncle Ron, has a chance to win two states because they are caucus states and they are:
Alaska and North Dakota.
Crazy Uncle Ron has a better chance in Alaska than North Dakota. But one can never rule out a win for the libertarian in North Dakota.
Newt Gingrich will only win one state:
Georgia.
It will not be much of a win because it is his home state. A loss there and it is totally over for the former Speaker of the House.
And that leaves one race that I do not have a prediction on.
And that is Ohio as Mr. Santorum's once solid lead has evaporated and Mr. Romney is closing in.
If I had to get out of a room and only could choosing one of the two, I will give the edge to Mr. Santorum. But not one with a great deal of confidence.
And that is because like it or not, Mr. Santorum has been knocked off message and some of it is his own doing.
I like the fact that he is unabashed about being a true so con. But to win Ohio, one must know that it is all about the economy, the economy, the economy.
And yes, I do know that the leftywhore media has amped up the coverage of Mr. Santorum on social issues. But there is no reason to take the bait. Mr. Santorum has to realize that the leftywhore media is going after him on these issues. And he must learn how to force the conversation back to the economy. That is why I think Mr. Romney has gained ground and might, might just pull off the win in Ohio.
But please fellow conservatives and Republicans, it will not end tonight.
Unless Mr. Romney wins six or more states, it will continue to be a race of attrition and no one has to drop out just yet.
So tonight the results will be a mixed bag and a lot for us to chew on in the upcoming days and yes, weeks.
Today voters in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia will vote as to who they think should be the GOP presidential nominee and who should get the delegates.
So, a scorecard is needed as to who can win, where and why.
Lets start with Mitt Romney and the following states he should win today:
Idaho, Massachusetts, Vermont and Virginia.
Mr. Romney should win Idaho with ease as it in the Mormon trifecta-Nevada and Utah being the other heavily-populated Mormon states. Massachusetts is his current home state. Vermont because he is a New Englander and Virginia by default.
Virginia is by default because two of the three others left in the race, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, failed to qualify for the Virginia ballot. Only Crazy Uncle Ron Paul will be on the ballot with Mr. Romney in the Old Dominion state.
For Rick Santorum, he should win the following states:
Oklahoma and Tennesee.
A win in both states is a huge boost to Mr. Santorum's claim that he is the last viable conservative standing between Mr. Romney and the Republican presidential nomination.
Ron Paul, yes Crazy Uncle Ron, has a chance to win two states because they are caucus states and they are:
Alaska and North Dakota.
Crazy Uncle Ron has a better chance in Alaska than North Dakota. But one can never rule out a win for the libertarian in North Dakota.
Newt Gingrich will only win one state:
Georgia.
It will not be much of a win because it is his home state. A loss there and it is totally over for the former Speaker of the House.
And that leaves one race that I do not have a prediction on.
And that is Ohio as Mr. Santorum's once solid lead has evaporated and Mr. Romney is closing in.
If I had to get out of a room and only could choosing one of the two, I will give the edge to Mr. Santorum. But not one with a great deal of confidence.
And that is because like it or not, Mr. Santorum has been knocked off message and some of it is his own doing.
I like the fact that he is unabashed about being a true so con. But to win Ohio, one must know that it is all about the economy, the economy, the economy.
And yes, I do know that the leftywhore media has amped up the coverage of Mr. Santorum on social issues. But there is no reason to take the bait. Mr. Santorum has to realize that the leftywhore media is going after him on these issues. And he must learn how to force the conversation back to the economy. That is why I think Mr. Romney has gained ground and might, might just pull off the win in Ohio.
But please fellow conservatives and Republicans, it will not end tonight.
Unless Mr. Romney wins six or more states, it will continue to be a race of attrition and no one has to drop out just yet.
So tonight the results will be a mixed bag and a lot for us to chew on in the upcoming days and yes, weeks.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Can Santorum Go Up The Middle For An Upset?
As Newt Gingrich slams Crazy Uncle Ron Paul and Mitt Romney, Crazy Uncle Ron slams Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney slamming both, is there someone that can rise above it all and win the Iowa caucus scheduled for next Tuesday?
That is the question posed by National Review's Rich Lowry.
However, Mr. Lowry does not provide an answer.
So, I will.
And I think that this could be the opening one Rick Santorum may be looking for to pull off an upset in the Iowa caucus.
Yeah, Mr. Santorum is not burning up the poll numbers according to the Real Clear Politics averages. But if you look at the graph closely, Mr. Santorum's numbers are moving up. The closest to him would be Congressman Michele Bachmann at nine percent and going down. Then there is Texas governor Rick Perry at a flat-line 12%.
When you consider that there are six announced candidates and one, Jon Huntsman, Jr. is all but writing off the Hawkeye State, It can take as little as 25% to win the caucus.
And when you think about the fact that Mr. Santorum's numbers are going up and he is the only candidate to visit all 99 Iowa counties, there is something potentially going on.
And again, if caucus goers don't like what they see as The Three Stooges in Messrs. Gingrich, Paul and Romney, many may take that second look at someone like Mr. Santorum.
John McCormick at The Weekly Standard does a great job explaining why Mr. Santorum could pull off a win in Iowa. And radio talker Hugh Hewitt, a known Romney supporter in 2008 and leaning his way now is fair. He is pointing out how the Leftywhore media is writing about Mr. Santorum as they write about Mr. Romney. All negative, all the time.
But I want to respond to this Mr. McCormick wrote in the negative about Mr. Santorum and the Leftywhore media GOP establishment Axis:
There are reasons why pundits say Santorum can’t win. One is that he’s washed up—having lost his Senate seat by 18 points to Bob Casey Jr. in 2006. Santorum counters that he won two of his three statewide races as a conservative running in Democratic Pennsylvania—first in the 1994 Republican revolution and again in 2000, when he won by 6 points while George W. Bush was losing the state by 5 points.
UGH! So what that Mr. Santorum lost his senate reelection bid in 2006. By 18 fricking points. The 2006 election was a Democrat massacre against the Republicans. And one of the scalps big on the Democrat mantle was a Pennsylvania senator named Santorum. Funny how the same Axis of Evil never went after some dolt named Lincoln Chafee. He ran as a Republican the same year for the Rhode Island senate seat. And he lost. In 2010, he ran as an independent for the governor's office in Rhode Island. And won. Even Ronald Reagan lost a couple of runs at the presidency.
And that somehow, Mr. Santroum is overly polarizing. Really? More than Mr. Polarizing himself, the Dear Leader, President Obama? Because Mr. Santorum actually believes what he says? As long as he can articulate it and back it up, he will not have a problem in any way.
The problem for Mr. Santorum is that he may not have peaked right to make a difference in Iowa. That is a real concern for Team Santorum.
But maybe all the fighting at the top of the field is the opening that Mr. Santorum needs to pull of the Iowa Upset.
That is the question posed by National Review's Rich Lowry.
However, Mr. Lowry does not provide an answer.
So, I will.
And I think that this could be the opening one Rick Santorum may be looking for to pull off an upset in the Iowa caucus.
Yeah, Mr. Santorum is not burning up the poll numbers according to the Real Clear Politics averages. But if you look at the graph closely, Mr. Santorum's numbers are moving up. The closest to him would be Congressman Michele Bachmann at nine percent and going down. Then there is Texas governor Rick Perry at a flat-line 12%.
When you consider that there are six announced candidates and one, Jon Huntsman, Jr. is all but writing off the Hawkeye State, It can take as little as 25% to win the caucus.
And when you think about the fact that Mr. Santorum's numbers are going up and he is the only candidate to visit all 99 Iowa counties, there is something potentially going on.
And again, if caucus goers don't like what they see as The Three Stooges in Messrs. Gingrich, Paul and Romney, many may take that second look at someone like Mr. Santorum.
John McCormick at The Weekly Standard does a great job explaining why Mr. Santorum could pull off a win in Iowa. And radio talker Hugh Hewitt, a known Romney supporter in 2008 and leaning his way now is fair. He is pointing out how the Leftywhore media is writing about Mr. Santorum as they write about Mr. Romney. All negative, all the time.
But I want to respond to this Mr. McCormick wrote in the negative about Mr. Santorum and the Leftywhore media GOP establishment Axis:
There are reasons why pundits say Santorum can’t win. One is that he’s washed up—having lost his Senate seat by 18 points to Bob Casey Jr. in 2006. Santorum counters that he won two of his three statewide races as a conservative running in Democratic Pennsylvania—first in the 1994 Republican revolution and again in 2000, when he won by 6 points while George W. Bush was losing the state by 5 points.
UGH! So what that Mr. Santorum lost his senate reelection bid in 2006. By 18 fricking points. The 2006 election was a Democrat massacre against the Republicans. And one of the scalps big on the Democrat mantle was a Pennsylvania senator named Santorum. Funny how the same Axis of Evil never went after some dolt named Lincoln Chafee. He ran as a Republican the same year for the Rhode Island senate seat. And he lost. In 2010, he ran as an independent for the governor's office in Rhode Island. And won. Even Ronald Reagan lost a couple of runs at the presidency.
And that somehow, Mr. Santroum is overly polarizing. Really? More than Mr. Polarizing himself, the Dear Leader, President Obama? Because Mr. Santorum actually believes what he says? As long as he can articulate it and back it up, he will not have a problem in any way.
The problem for Mr. Santorum is that he may not have peaked right to make a difference in Iowa. That is a real concern for Team Santorum.
But maybe all the fighting at the top of the field is the opening that Mr. Santorum needs to pull of the Iowa Upset.
Monday, December 26, 2011
More Dirt On Crazy Uncle Ron Paul
As much as I do not want to, I have to share this from a former Crazy Uncle Ron Paul aide.Now, I do not want to psychoanalyze this too much.
But this is not some low-level flunky but Eric Dondero and he writes how close he was on the post heading.
But a couple of take aways.
One, Crazy Uncle Ron talks a great game about wanting to "leave people alone". And that is all well and good.
And maybe he does not publicly have a problem with homosexuals. But in several instances, well he is not all that comfortable being around them.
And, here is a big shock.
Crazy Uncle Ron not only does not support Israel, but hates the very existence of the State of Israel.
But, he has no problem with the Joos, per se.
Kind of like he has no problem with homosexuals. So long as he does not have to be around them. Maybe the same is how he feels about. . .the Joos!
What this shows is that if this is the leader of Libertarian thought in the United States, they need a new leader.
More will come from this, I am certain.
But this is not some low-level flunky but Eric Dondero and he writes how close he was on the post heading.
But a couple of take aways.
One, Crazy Uncle Ron talks a great game about wanting to "leave people alone". And that is all well and good.
And maybe he does not publicly have a problem with homosexuals. But in several instances, well he is not all that comfortable being around them.
And, here is a big shock.
Crazy Uncle Ron not only does not support Israel, but hates the very existence of the State of Israel.
But, he has no problem with the Joos, per se.
Kind of like he has no problem with homosexuals. So long as he does not have to be around them. Maybe the same is how he feels about. . .the Joos!
What this shows is that if this is the leader of Libertarian thought in the United States, they need a new leader.
More will come from this, I am certain.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Does Crazy Uncle Ron Paul Support Traitors?
Well, of course Republican presidential candidate Crazy Uncle Ron Paul supports an alleged traitor in the person of one Bradley Manning.
Mr. Manning is the linchpin of the WikiLeaks saga that made Julian Assange a hero of the left.
But Mr. Manning handed classified information that only emboldened our enemies. All in the name of the armed forces policy of dealing with homosexual soldiers known as "Don't ask, don't tell".
Yet in the eyes of Crazy Uncle Ron, this makes Mr. Manning a "patriot" and a "hero" rather than the traitor and snake that he is.
That is what is reported in Accuracy In Media in this story.
If so, this should end the Crazy Uncle Ron presidential candidacy.
It will not, but it should.
I get it.
Crazy Uncle Ron is so against the War Against Islamofacsist Terror that he would support an unbalanced, troubled man, Manning, over his own national security.
While Crazy Uncle Ron is accusing fellow Republican presidential candidate and Congressman Michele Bachmann of "hating" Islamics, why is there any media coverage about Crazy Uncle Ron and his anti-Black and clear anti-Semitic writings?
Oh, well he tries the defense that he did not write clearly racist articles. Yet they were under his moniker "Ron Paul Political Report" or "Ron Paul Survival Report".
But hey, I have one for you.
This is my blog. I am responsible for everything that I write here. I write and edit the whole thing. And I have been around a newsroom and the production end. And an editor is responsible for his or his section and or page. And they read what goes in.
But this is a digression from the dangerous point.
That Crazy Uncle Ron sees Mr. Manning as little more than a garden variety whistleblower.
Even the Obama administration does not see him in such a heroic light.
For a major party candidate to support the criminal activities that will put our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines at greater risk is the defination of insanity.
I have never thought much of this ol' codger. And now, his open support of a traitor as Bradley Manning makes me think even less of Crazy Uncle Ron Paul.
Mr. Manning is the linchpin of the WikiLeaks saga that made Julian Assange a hero of the left.
But Mr. Manning handed classified information that only emboldened our enemies. All in the name of the armed forces policy of dealing with homosexual soldiers known as "Don't ask, don't tell".
Yet in the eyes of Crazy Uncle Ron, this makes Mr. Manning a "patriot" and a "hero" rather than the traitor and snake that he is.
That is what is reported in Accuracy In Media in this story.
If so, this should end the Crazy Uncle Ron presidential candidacy.
It will not, but it should.
I get it.
Crazy Uncle Ron is so against the War Against Islamofacsist Terror that he would support an unbalanced, troubled man, Manning, over his own national security.
While Crazy Uncle Ron is accusing fellow Republican presidential candidate and Congressman Michele Bachmann of "hating" Islamics, why is there any media coverage about Crazy Uncle Ron and his anti-Black and clear anti-Semitic writings?
Oh, well he tries the defense that he did not write clearly racist articles. Yet they were under his moniker "Ron Paul Political Report" or "Ron Paul Survival Report".
But hey, I have one for you.
This is my blog. I am responsible for everything that I write here. I write and edit the whole thing. And I have been around a newsroom and the production end. And an editor is responsible for his or his section and or page. And they read what goes in.
But this is a digression from the dangerous point.
That Crazy Uncle Ron sees Mr. Manning as little more than a garden variety whistleblower.
Even the Obama administration does not see him in such a heroic light.
For a major party candidate to support the criminal activities that will put our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines at greater risk is the defination of insanity.
I have never thought much of this ol' codger. And now, his open support of a traitor as Bradley Manning makes me think even less of Crazy Uncle Ron Paul.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
What Is So Bad About The Republican Presidential Field?
I ask the question because a lot of the bloggers and the punditry are suggesting that somehow, this Republican presidential field is "weak", "ineffective" and will lose badly to the Dear Leader, President Obama.
First, I think it is fair to say that not all the candidates are top-tier. In fact, one can make the case that there is a three-division breakdown of the candidates.
What prompted me to give this any time is this post of John Tabin's in the American Spectator blog.
Mr. Tabin suggests that there should have been a conservative candidate to come in on the white horse to save the day.
I would have really liked former Alaska governor Sarah Palin to get in the race. But for good reason she chose not to.
But that aside, I will try to evaluate the field from top-tier to bottom-feeders. Yeah, there are a couple of those.
Here is the caveat.
Every one has a black mark so to speak on their record. They are not perfect. But I am not going to deal with those issues. I am going to cite best to the worst in no particular order.
Top-tier Republican candidates:
Mitt Romney:
Say what you want about the former Massachusetts governor but he remains the guy to beat. And he learned from the last presidential run. He has a better organization and looks to be taking every state seriously. One of the problems is trying to convince conservative primary voters that he is one of us. All I can suggest is to look at the overall record as governor of Massachusetts. Take RomneyCare out of the equation. It is a bad law no matter what he says to defend it. Of three previous Republican governors, Mr. Romney had the most conservative record. And considering the Democrat party controlled well over 75% of the seats of the state legislature, that has to be looked at as an accomplishment. But many are rightfully suspicious and feel he may not know how to govern with a Republican congress. But the important question is can he stand toe-to-toe with the Dear Leader, President Obama? One thing the endless debates are showing is yes. And he is beginning to show a passion that I really think he needs to win the whole thing.
Rick Perry:
OK, I am not overly convinced why Texas Gov. Perry is running for president. I mean, it seems in a way like he was pushed into the race. And until his tax proposal on Wednesday, I thought Gov. Perry was a goner and going lower in this category. But, his 20/20 flat-tax plan is a serious attempt to reform the federal income tax code. And that alone brings back his candidacy. Anyone that wants to make serious reform to this so-called "progressive" tax system needs all the support or she can get. But, Gov. Perry, you need to be more articulate about where you want to take the United States. Your passion is there, but a tightening-up on how you explain your policies is important. I think that his governance of Texas, which has created one of the few strong economies in the United States deserves a look. and that makes him in the top-tier of GOP candidates.
Herman Cain:
I would not have written this a month ago. But Mr. Cain has caught fire. To many of us, he is a real deal. Not a politician but someone that wants to help the United States recover from the economic doldrums and assert leadership sorely missing in the world. But, he too has a problem. He needs to make some serious foreign policy appointments and speeches. The now famous 9-9-9 tax reform plan, not my favorite, is again a stab at serious federal tax reform. I applaud this serious effort. The fact that Mr. Cain does not always know the answer and says so is refreshing. Again, if he can get good people around him as advisers, he should have serious staying power in the caucus/primary season.
Newt Gingrich:
Here is the guy that will surprise all, including myself. I think that he is underestimated at our own peril. Mr. Gingrich, the man who all but single-handidly won Republican control of the House of Representatives in 1994 is back. Not that he went anywhere. But in a strange turn of events, he is the senior-statesman of the field. In debates he is calming candidates down. He is the one making the most articulate points. And people watching those debates come away impressed. I am one of them. And he is constantly bringing up fresh, conservative ideas. Do not count him out.
OK, the next category is a category of one. Sorry to do this, but I am writing the truth as I see it.
Fading, And Fading Fast
Michele Bachmann:
Maybe we put way too much in her candidacy. The fact that she was running when Mrs. Palin was not. The family story. Whatever. But whatever is all I can say about a promising candidate. I believe that she has the problem Newt usually has. Discipline. And making some indefenisble comments. Won't get into that here, but suffice it to say, it puts some serious doubts for her in the long run. I hope that she gets back to running for her congressional seat and keeps being a conservative leader.
The next is a sad one because both are serious men but have no chance and should pull up the stakes now.
The Bottem-Feeders
Rick Santorum:
The former Pennsylvania Republican senator has been more or less swinging for the fences in the debates and is the social conservative favorite. But the fact of the matter is that he is reminded of a glaring and unfair fact. He lost his senate reelection bid by 20 points. And people do not like a loser. No matter how much he or she is a candidate that is more right than wrong, we want a winner. And Mr. Santorum does not look like a winner.
Jon Huntsman, Jr:
Why is he running? He is trying to run a general election campaign and ignore the conservative base. Shows a poor lack of judgement. Also, why if he wanted to run for president would he choose, as a Republican, to serve this Democrat president as ambassador to Red China? He needs to leave and leave now.
Ron Paul:
Crickets chirping. There is not much I can write except I like Sen. Rand Paul much more than the old man. Period.
Out of eight candidates, there are at least four that are very good and serious about what the United States needs to get back economically, govenrnance and it rightful standing as a leader in the international community.
I will argue that it is a strong field overall and there is not a magic candidate. Nor should there be.
That is why we are having caucus and primaries.
I will take almost any of these candidates, even the weak ones, over the current president, the Dear Leader, President Obama.
And that is what we need to keep our eye on that ball!
First, I think it is fair to say that not all the candidates are top-tier. In fact, one can make the case that there is a three-division breakdown of the candidates.
What prompted me to give this any time is this post of John Tabin's in the American Spectator blog.
Mr. Tabin suggests that there should have been a conservative candidate to come in on the white horse to save the day.
I would have really liked former Alaska governor Sarah Palin to get in the race. But for good reason she chose not to.
But that aside, I will try to evaluate the field from top-tier to bottom-feeders. Yeah, there are a couple of those.
Here is the caveat.
Every one has a black mark so to speak on their record. They are not perfect. But I am not going to deal with those issues. I am going to cite best to the worst in no particular order.
Top-tier Republican candidates:
Mitt Romney:
Say what you want about the former Massachusetts governor but he remains the guy to beat. And he learned from the last presidential run. He has a better organization and looks to be taking every state seriously. One of the problems is trying to convince conservative primary voters that he is one of us. All I can suggest is to look at the overall record as governor of Massachusetts. Take RomneyCare out of the equation. It is a bad law no matter what he says to defend it. Of three previous Republican governors, Mr. Romney had the most conservative record. And considering the Democrat party controlled well over 75% of the seats of the state legislature, that has to be looked at as an accomplishment. But many are rightfully suspicious and feel he may not know how to govern with a Republican congress. But the important question is can he stand toe-to-toe with the Dear Leader, President Obama? One thing the endless debates are showing is yes. And he is beginning to show a passion that I really think he needs to win the whole thing.
Rick Perry:
OK, I am not overly convinced why Texas Gov. Perry is running for president. I mean, it seems in a way like he was pushed into the race. And until his tax proposal on Wednesday, I thought Gov. Perry was a goner and going lower in this category. But, his 20/20 flat-tax plan is a serious attempt to reform the federal income tax code. And that alone brings back his candidacy. Anyone that wants to make serious reform to this so-called "progressive" tax system needs all the support or she can get. But, Gov. Perry, you need to be more articulate about where you want to take the United States. Your passion is there, but a tightening-up on how you explain your policies is important. I think that his governance of Texas, which has created one of the few strong economies in the United States deserves a look. and that makes him in the top-tier of GOP candidates.
Herman Cain:
I would not have written this a month ago. But Mr. Cain has caught fire. To many of us, he is a real deal. Not a politician but someone that wants to help the United States recover from the economic doldrums and assert leadership sorely missing in the world. But, he too has a problem. He needs to make some serious foreign policy appointments and speeches. The now famous 9-9-9 tax reform plan, not my favorite, is again a stab at serious federal tax reform. I applaud this serious effort. The fact that Mr. Cain does not always know the answer and says so is refreshing. Again, if he can get good people around him as advisers, he should have serious staying power in the caucus/primary season.
Newt Gingrich:
Here is the guy that will surprise all, including myself. I think that he is underestimated at our own peril. Mr. Gingrich, the man who all but single-handidly won Republican control of the House of Representatives in 1994 is back. Not that he went anywhere. But in a strange turn of events, he is the senior-statesman of the field. In debates he is calming candidates down. He is the one making the most articulate points. And people watching those debates come away impressed. I am one of them. And he is constantly bringing up fresh, conservative ideas. Do not count him out.
OK, the next category is a category of one. Sorry to do this, but I am writing the truth as I see it.
Fading, And Fading Fast
Michele Bachmann:
Maybe we put way too much in her candidacy. The fact that she was running when Mrs. Palin was not. The family story. Whatever. But whatever is all I can say about a promising candidate. I believe that she has the problem Newt usually has. Discipline. And making some indefenisble comments. Won't get into that here, but suffice it to say, it puts some serious doubts for her in the long run. I hope that she gets back to running for her congressional seat and keeps being a conservative leader.
The next is a sad one because both are serious men but have no chance and should pull up the stakes now.
The Bottem-Feeders
Rick Santorum:
The former Pennsylvania Republican senator has been more or less swinging for the fences in the debates and is the social conservative favorite. But the fact of the matter is that he is reminded of a glaring and unfair fact. He lost his senate reelection bid by 20 points. And people do not like a loser. No matter how much he or she is a candidate that is more right than wrong, we want a winner. And Mr. Santorum does not look like a winner.
Jon Huntsman, Jr:
Why is he running? He is trying to run a general election campaign and ignore the conservative base. Shows a poor lack of judgement. Also, why if he wanted to run for president would he choose, as a Republican, to serve this Democrat president as ambassador to Red China? He needs to leave and leave now.
Ron Paul:
Crickets chirping. There is not much I can write except I like Sen. Rand Paul much more than the old man. Period.
Out of eight candidates, there are at least four that are very good and serious about what the United States needs to get back economically, govenrnance and it rightful standing as a leader in the international community.
I will argue that it is a strong field overall and there is not a magic candidate. Nor should there be.
That is why we are having caucus and primaries.
I will take almost any of these candidates, even the weak ones, over the current president, the Dear Leader, President Obama.
And that is what we need to keep our eye on that ball!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Crazy Uncle Ron Paul Wins Cali GOP Straw Poll
It is not a big surprise, really, that Congressman Crazy Uncle Ron Paul won the California Republican party straw poll at its twice a year confab in Los Angeles yesterday.
Part of the reason is that Crazy Uncle Ron at least showed up and spoke to the statewide convention crowd.
And the other reason is that there is still a strong libertarian stream of the California Republican party that has some strong influence at events like this.
But the real story is the performance of the second place finisher, Texas governor Rick Perry. Gov. Perry came in at 29% to Crazy Uncle Ron's 45%. And between those two, the rest were left in the dust in single digits.
One of those, the only other major candidate to address the convention, Congressman Michele Bachmann finished a distant fourth pulling in 8%.
The real problem is that no one else besides Crazy Uncle Ron and Congressman Bachmann bothered to show up. The largest state in the nation and no serious Republican presidential candidate bothered to show up at the semi-annual convention.
Would it really have hurt any these candidates to take one day out of their schedule to fire up the troops? To breathe some life in this moribund statewide Republican party?
Of course not. But trust me, these candidates will be here soon asking for money for their campaigns. And they will do nothing to get the California Republican party fired up for the 2012 election.
As I have noted, yes the state Republican party took a beating in the last election cycle. It is not an excuse, but a reality. While the Republicans were scoring win after win all over the rest of the United States, we got our clocks cleaned by Democrat retreads. The three words why this happened? Gov. Benedict Arnold.
But, he is gone and the party has to stop naval-gazing. It needs the leadership on down to say that we are back in business and will fight for every vote statewide.
But that means presidential candidates can not keep ignoring the once Golden State except for campaign cash.
These guys and gals have to come here now. And yes, often. Because I really believe that this is a year the GOP can actually win in California. The stars are lining up in a way we have not seen in many a moon. Democrat office holders from the Dear Leader, President Obama, down to Sen. Dianne Feinstein are tanking. "Confidence" in government is at historic lows. People are looking for a change.
The next California Republican party confab has to be more than what we just saw. We have to see Gov. Perry, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and even the also-rans here to get this state's party back from the brink. What more than a presidential election year? One that shows the Democrat incumbent on the ropes?
Crazy Uncle Ron Paul won the California Republican party straw poll in large part because he showed up. When will the other candidates show up?
Part of the reason is that Crazy Uncle Ron at least showed up and spoke to the statewide convention crowd.
And the other reason is that there is still a strong libertarian stream of the California Republican party that has some strong influence at events like this.
But the real story is the performance of the second place finisher, Texas governor Rick Perry. Gov. Perry came in at 29% to Crazy Uncle Ron's 45%. And between those two, the rest were left in the dust in single digits.
One of those, the only other major candidate to address the convention, Congressman Michele Bachmann finished a distant fourth pulling in 8%.
The real problem is that no one else besides Crazy Uncle Ron and Congressman Bachmann bothered to show up. The largest state in the nation and no serious Republican presidential candidate bothered to show up at the semi-annual convention.
Would it really have hurt any these candidates to take one day out of their schedule to fire up the troops? To breathe some life in this moribund statewide Republican party?
Of course not. But trust me, these candidates will be here soon asking for money for their campaigns. And they will do nothing to get the California Republican party fired up for the 2012 election.
As I have noted, yes the state Republican party took a beating in the last election cycle. It is not an excuse, but a reality. While the Republicans were scoring win after win all over the rest of the United States, we got our clocks cleaned by Democrat retreads. The three words why this happened? Gov. Benedict Arnold.
But, he is gone and the party has to stop naval-gazing. It needs the leadership on down to say that we are back in business and will fight for every vote statewide.
But that means presidential candidates can not keep ignoring the once Golden State except for campaign cash.
These guys and gals have to come here now. And yes, often. Because I really believe that this is a year the GOP can actually win in California. The stars are lining up in a way we have not seen in many a moon. Democrat office holders from the Dear Leader, President Obama, down to Sen. Dianne Feinstein are tanking. "Confidence" in government is at historic lows. People are looking for a change.
The next California Republican party confab has to be more than what we just saw. We have to see Gov. Perry, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and even the also-rans here to get this state's party back from the brink. What more than a presidential election year? One that shows the Democrat incumbent on the ropes?
Crazy Uncle Ron Paul won the California Republican party straw poll in large part because he showed up. When will the other candidates show up?
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