2012 Elections
Oh My! Newt’s South Carolina Miracle?
I’ve been sitting back quietly watching the campaign trail. After the crumble of Herman Cain’s campaign…I’ve been a little shy about thumping my chest for the man that I think can save this country…Newt Gingrich. I haven’t put up ”Go Newt Go!” posts every day. I wanted to take a wait and see approach. I’m starting to feel a little different as of this morning. It’s beginning to look like Mitt Romney’s carefully built house of cards is starting to sway in the warm South Carolina coastal breeze and Newt has his sail tilted in just the right direction to catch the lift. It’s amazing really… considering seven months ago his entire campaign staff walked out on him (I bet they’re regretting that move). He’s survived several media attacks and polling slumps. Now that he’s back on track with his positive message about what he can do to save this country…the sky’s the limit.
I’m beginning to be cautiously optimistic.
And….it appears that the little interview with his whining ex-wife Marianne seems to have helped him instead of hurt him….that tickles me pink!
Newt is a survivor….he’s one tough son of a gun.
I guess that’s why Chuck Norris is endorsing Newt.
I wouldn’t argue with Chuck.
The Iowa Caucus: Picking Presidential Candidates Through Chaos and Ineptitude
Rick Santorum has now belatedly been announced as the winner of the Iowa Caucus, beating Willard “Mittens” Romneycare (Mittens for short) by 34 votes.
The Iowa GOP says that “we’ll never know” an accurate vote count because some of the precincts in Iowa lost or deliberately destroyed their Caucus vote totals.
There is a good case to be made for conspiracy buffs out there that the Fifth Dimensional imp known as Luap noR! actually won the Iowa Caucus but that Iowa’s Republican Party knew what a disaster that would be to the state’s “first in the nation” voting — so vote counts were doctored to slip Dr. Paul down to third place.
After witnessing first hand the chaos and ineptitude of the Iowa Caucus back in 2008 on the Democrat side where non-residents were allowed to vote for Barack Obama and all sorts of thuggery and fraud were employed to secure him a Caucus win there, I have no doubt in my mind that Cocktail Party officials attempted to rig the Caucus for Mittens.
The fact is: Caucuses are fraud-prone and chaotic. The two political parties like them because they are so easy to rig. Republicans probably didn’t like that Mike Huckabee won the Caucus in 2008 when no one was paying attention…so, four years later, the Cocktail Party decided to keep Luap noR! or Rick Santorum from winning and engaged in all sorts of tricks and games to make that happen.
The agenda-driven media will never report on any of these shenanigans because it got the result it most wanted: a win for Mittens that began the process of making him the man who will lose to Obama in the general election.
Iowa should not have a Caucus but should vote with a secure primary like other states — and it should no longer vote first.
Aren’t you sick and tired of chaos and ineptitude kicking off the presidential race every four years?
A better question is “What can we do about that?”.
Is Debbie Wasserman Schultz still blaming the Tea Party for the Gabby Giffords shooting?
For some unknown reason…this morning I stumbled onto the Media Matters website. I think I was following a link that I found on the Fox site about Debbie Wasserman Schultz and before I knew it…I was there. I’ve never been on this site but…let me tell you…it’s worth visiting if you need a good chuckle. Do any of you watch “The Five” on Fox? I watched it yesterday and one of the topics was about DWS and how she is a complete disaster for the DNC but a great asset to Republicans. Four of the five (not Bob Beckel) were laughing about the fact that every time DWS opens her mouth, it turns people away from the Democrat party. It was a really funny segment. Anyway…one of the things discussed was the comment she made this week while she was speaking in New Hampshire. An audience member asked her about the lack of civility in Congress and DWS’s answer contained remarks about the Tea Party. The left is highly insulted that Fox is claiming that DWS is (once again) blaming the Tea Party for the Gabby Giffords shooting. Media Matters claims that her statement was taken out of context.
Here’s the transcript of the question….
AUDIENCE MEMBER: The American people are losing faith in Congress. [inaudible] because of the lack of civility. What do you think can be done to bring that faith back and then we can start thinking that they’re doing their job instead of just fighting with each other?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well, as someone who spent 19 years as a member of a legislative body, I really agree with you, that we need to make sure that we tone things down, particularly in light of the Tucson tragedy from a year ago where my very good friend, Gabby Giffords, who is doing really well by the way, and I know everybody is so thrilled, as I am, to hear that, making tremendous progress.
But the discourse in America, the discourse in Congress in particular, to answer your question, very specifically, has really changed.
And I’ll tell you, I hesitate to place blame, but I have noticed it take a very precipitous turn towards edginess and a lack of civility with the growth of the Tea Party movement.
After the 2010 elections, when you had the Tea Party elect a whole lot of their supporters to the United States House of Representatives and you had town hall meetings that they tried to take over and you saw some of their conduct at those town hall meetings, you know, in the time that I’ve been in my state legislature and in Congress, I’ve never seen a time that was more divisive or where discourse was less civil.
It’s one thing — I’ve always had people come to my town hall meetings, for example, and say that they don’t agree with me on something. And that’s fine. And you know, that’s what those town hall meetings are about, they’re for civil discourse and give-and-take. And I learn something when I hear from a constituent who doesn’t share my view, and hopefully they do also because we’re listening to each other and there’s a back and forth.
What the Tea Party has done is they have taken it to a different level, and so when they come and disagree with you, you’re not just wrong, you are the enemy. I mean, that’s really a place that politics in America shouldn’t go. And you know, when they disagree with you on an issue, you’re not just wrong, you’re a liar. Rather than just have a difference of opinion, accusations like that get hurled, and it brings the entire discourse down to a level that I think none of us want to see remain there.
So, I have done my part. I’ll tell you that President Obama, you’ve seen, he’s tried so hard to get the Republicans to work with him, to bring them to the table, to try to get them to compromise and find common ground, but when you have someone like Mitch McConnell, for example, the minority leader of the United States Senate, say at the outset of this Congress that his number one goal is not turning the economy around, not creating jobs, but to defeat Pres– Barack Obama, well, then how are we going to reach compromise if that’s the goal that drives them and all their decisions? Because then — we won’t.
Because if that’s their goal, then anything that they do to compromise gives President Obama a win, a success, and makes it less likely in their minds that they would defeat him. Unfortunately, I think what has driven the Republicans in Congress is their interest in only one job, Barack Obama’s, when Democrats have been fighting for American jobs.
And that’s the difference. And that’s going to be the choice that people have to make.
So…what do you think? She doesn’t come right out and say “The Tea Party is responsible for Gabby’s shooting.” but I believe that the insinuation is there. There is one thing that is obviously missing in her statement. Not one time does she mention the Occupy Wall Street movement and their monstrous behavior. Not one time does she mention the Wisconsin teachers union thugs and their monstrous behavior. Not one time does she give an example of any case of violence or uncivil behavior from the Tea Party.
Greg Gutfeld has such a way with words so I think I’ll let him sum it all up…
GUTFELD (co-host): So, in my mind, which is made of felt and potatoes, Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the best thing to happen to Republicans since Ronald Reagan. Seriously, I’ve had wedgies less irritating than her. And that can only chafe the Democrats. Case in point: Once again the DNC chair links the Tea Party to the Tucson mass murder. So, Frizzilla, I bet you think the discourse in America, the discourse in Congress in particular, has really changed. [Fox News, The Five, 1/12/12]
So true!
Open Thread: Wednesday January 11th, 2012
Welcome to South Carolina….home of the Palmetto tree, the beautiful low country, the Sea Islands and the South Carolina Primary. The brutal battle for the GOP nomination has moved south…to my home and it is getting very ugly. It appears that winning South Carolina is tantamount to winning the nomination so no one’s holding any punches. Since 1980, the winner of the South Carolina primary has gone on to win the GOP nomination.
For those who live in SC…please give everyone updates on what’s happening around you. Any interesting conversations? Interesting campaign flyers?
A lot can happen in 10 days.
What else is going on in your neck of the woods?
Former Obama Field Organizer: Ron Paul Can Bring Blacks To Republican Party
This former field organizer for Barack Hussein Obama who has been “working his butt off” for Ron Paul, warns the GOP to stop marginalizing Ron Paul supporters, because only Ron Paul has the potential to fundamentally transform the demographics of the GOP by pulling more black voters away from the Democrat Party.
The video is discussed here, in the Washington DC Examiner:
Could Ron Paul be the best thing to happen to the Republican Party?
“In this video, Mr. Harlan has just met Ron Paul at a campaign event and admits that he was quite star-struck upon meeting Dr. Paul. Chris wanted him to know that he has a lot more support within the Black community than he may think. What is really profound is that he expresses that Ron Paul has the potential to change the demographics of the Republican Party for years to come.
For anyone that has studied the facts and history behind the beginning of the Republican Party, one would find it hard to believe, given today’s demographics of the Democratic Party, that it was actually the “Radical Republicans” as they were once called that led the charge against racism.”
Todd Palin gives Newt a Thumbs-Up
Todd Palin has thrown his hat in the ring…for Newt Gingrich. It may not be as explosive as an endorsement from Sarah but it’s the next best thing and some people are saying that Todd may be speaking for the entire Palin family so it could go a long way in helping Newt’s numbers…especially in South Carolina.
I am still baffled by the silence of the Tea Party. I read several articles today that said that the Tea Party wasn’t well organized on a national level and was fractured on who to throw their support behind. Most felt like Herman Cain was the man but, obviously, many were disappointed by how that turned out. There isn’t one central “leader” of the movement so different Tea Party groups are supporting different candidates. Some like Rick Santorum…some Rick Perry…some Newt Gingrich but none are publicly behind Mitt Romney. Perhaps the Tea Party, at this moment in time, will function best on a local level…helping to elect conservative candidates to the House and Senate. Who knows?
I think that having at least one Palin behind Newt will draw in some of the Tea Party crowd…hopefully.
I really like Todd Palin….a lot.
Rats Jumping Ship? Daley resigns as Obama’s Chief of Staff
This couldn’t be good news for Obama and his team. The LA Times is reporting that William Daley gave Obama his letter of resignation last week and will be replaced by Budget Director Jack Lew. Daley has only been Chief of Staff for one year. The change will take place by the end of this month and according to White House staffers….Daley’s resignation took Obama completely by surprise. Daley has stated publicly that he wanted to return to Chicago but would stay by Obama’s side until after his re-election.
So…why the sudden change of heart? Daley is a very smart man and a very seasoned politician so it stands to reason that he wants to jump ship before it sinks. I wouldn’t want my name associated with a losing team. I’m not buying the “I’ve just got to get back to Chicago… the city that I love.” If things were all hunky-dory in Washington then Daley would be all over Obama’s re-election campaign.
So why the extremely sudden departure?
In the middle of a very tough election year?
What do you guys think?
