Category: presidential

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Iowa Mitt Romney Newt Gingrich Politics presidential

My Kingdom For $10,000: Mitt Goes Gilded Age

So, how much damage did Mitt Romney do to his presidential campaign after offering Rick Perry a $10,000 wager on his health care position?  We’ll find out in the next few days after the pollsters have had a chance to wade through their data, but my sense is that it will do damage to what’s left of Romney’s standing as a regular guy who happens to be rich.

The damage control has already begun.

Political campaigns have turned on worse gaffes, as Perry, Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain can tell you, but this one will stand out as Romney’s low point. It also comes at a bad time, with voting set to begin in Iowa a day after you’ve returned that last questionable holiday gift.

Of course, Newt Gingrich has harvested the most media attention over the past few weeks, and this trend continued last night. This AP article described Newt as having a “steely calm” and as:

defending his most controversial stands without appearing to be the thin-skinned hothead his critics often describe.

The former House speaker seemed to accomplish that goal in Saturday’s debate in Iowa. His challenge will be to sustain the strategy while rivals attack him on the airwaves and the ground, and to convince conservative voters that he’s their champion despite his occasional departures from orthodoxy.

But Newt’s already had to backtrack on his comment describing the Palestinians as an invented people, which will do nothing to help his foreign policy credentials. And he did a bit of constitutional reinvention when discussing his views of the mandate that would require everyone to buy health insurance. It seems that he supported it in 1993 when he was fighting Bill and Hillary’s program, but explained it this way on Saturday:

“I frankly was floundering, trying to find a way to make sure that people who could afford it were paying their hospital bills, while still leaving an out so libertarians could not buy insurance,” Gingrich said. “It’s now clear that the mandate, I think, is clearly unconstitutional. “

So I guess the Gingrich constitutional test has an 18 year time limit. He’ll need to work on that one.

Overall, Mitt did not do poorly aside from the bet, Bachmann’s reference to Newt Romney was amusing, and Ron Paul’s message continues to be the most consistent of all the candidates. It won’t get him the nomination, but you can’t accuse him of flip-flopping. He’s my pick for second place in Iowa.

What now then? Thankfully, Donald Trump’s mega-disaster debate has been exposed for what it truly is: an opportunity for him to be the star in a political game that only he can win. The GOP field will continue to try and get their messages out while the rest of America goes shopping, and President Obama will try to paint each and every one of them as against the middle class. The latest polls show Obama ahead both nationally and ahead of Gingrich specifically in the key swing states of Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Six months ago, it would have been madness to predict the Republican state of affairs as it exists today. Six months from now, I think that Mitt Romney will stand as the eventual nominee. I don’t have $10,000 to back it up, though.

For more prescient predictions, visit facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives

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Donald Trump Donald Trump Politics presidential Republican

Trump May Cancel The Three Ring Circus

If no one wants to play with you, then why play with yourself?

That’s the question Donald Trump is trying to answer, as just about all the Republican presidential candidates have decided to take their marbles and run, leaving the Donald with Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Trump is now considering cancelling the debate all together.

WASHINGTON – Business mogul Donald Trump said Friday he might scrub a presidential debate that so far has drawn only Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum.

Trump, the reality television star who has not ruled out an independent White House bid, had hoped for all of the Republican candidates to join in a debate he would moderate Dec. 27 in Iowa. Most have decided not to, leaving only Gingrich, a former House speaker, and Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator.

“I have to look into it,” Trump told Fox Business Network when asked whether he would host a two-candidate debate.

Trump was most indignant about Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann skipping out.

“She came up to see me four times. She would call me and ask me for advice,” Trump said. “She said if she wins, she would like to think about me for the vice presidency. Most importantly, I did a two-hour phone call for her with her people. … And after all that, she announced she was not going to do the debate. It’s called loyalty. How do you do that? It’s amazing to me.”

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Domestic Policies Politics presidential

The Polling Report: December 6, 2011

This article was originally posted on my blog: www.anjfarmer.blogspot .com. If you like it, please visit and read more of my posts.

Since our last episode, on November 6, one year before the national elections, much has changed in the race for president. We are currently in the middle (end? beginning?) of the Gingrich ascendancy, and there is some evidence (from this CBS News poll) that Newt could pull off a stunning comeback win in Iowa, which would put him in terrific position for New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada later in January. So with that appetizing thought in our heads, let’s move on to the main meal.

Obama Job Approval

The latest RealClearPolitics Index of Obama’s job approval is here. Since last month, Obama’s approval has dropped from 45.3% to 43.8% and his disapproval has risen slightly, from 50.7% in November to 50.8% today. A look at the main 3-day averages that RCP uses, Gallup and Rasmussen, shows almost no change in Obama’s improvement. Further, this article puts Obama’s approval lower than Jimmy Carter’s at the same stage in their presidencies. Clearly, this is not good news for the President’s supporters.

Head-To-Head Match-ups

These number tell a much different story. While more Americans disapprove of the job the president is doing, they favor him over every other prospective Republican nominee.

He’s also slightly ahead of Mitt Romney in the swing state of Florida, but only by 1 point.

The Republican Field

It’s the Newt show at this point, and that’s a very recent phenomenon, coming on the heels of, and in some ways caused by, the implosion of Herman Cain’s campaign. The numbers are stark and solid, but the real question is, how long will they last?

Perhaps more troubling for Mitt Romney’s campaign are these results from pollsandvotes.com showing Romney’s support actually dropping in the first four states to hold votes next month. If Mitt doesn’t watch out, he might be in a position where a less-than-solid win in New Hampshire could be seen as a failure or a “he’s supposed to win” moment that doesn’t pay off in the long run.

My sense is that Romney will win most of the January states simply because, at this point, Gingrich doesn’t have a presence in these states that would allow him to conduct the retail politics necessary to corral votes. It’s even more uphill for Newt in Iowa, where getting your people to the caucuses is the main concern.  Still, he does have money and is beginning to air TV ads that will reach far more people than getting out and shaking hands.

But Romney also has to be concerned. Conservatives will show up in droves this year, and he could find himself third, behind Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann. That would be quite a fall. Romney didn’t think he would have to fight hard for Iowa since he’s been in the state for the past two years, but that’s changed now.

The Ballots

The Electoral College map hasn’t budged since November.

And neither has the Generic Congressional Ballot, which shows Democrats leading Republicans by 1.2%

Although it’s very early in the campaign, Obama’s strategists have mapped out his electoral college strategy, and it looks something like this:

First, the president is aiming to win all the states John Kerry won in 2004. That would bring him to 246 electoral votes, including Pennsylvania’s mother lode of 20. Add New Mexico, which the president won in 2008, and that’s five more electoral votes. Now he’s at 251.

Then it gets hard. The final 19 electoral votes would come through a process of mix and match.

North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, and even Arizona are in the mix, with each showing both promise and peril for Obama’s reelection chances.

That’s it for now. Before I push-off for the holidays (I’ll post another polling report on January 3 for Iowa), let me suggest some gifts for the political junkie in your household. Or in your shoes.

From Amazon, if you’re one of those people who still reads (how 2009!)

Obama curios

Gag gifts.

The best free gift!

Cheers.

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Donald Trump Donald Trump Politics presidential Republican

Donald Trump Calls Ron Paul A “Joke Candidate”

Ron Paul said no to a Donald Trump moderated debate, and Donald Trump fires back.

 “Ron Paul’s not going to win. He’s got no chance. You have a better chance right now of winning, and you’re not running, and so he’s not going to win. He’s a joke candidate.”

Oh the wonders of the Republican party!

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Herman Cain Newt Gingrich presidential Republican

Birds Of A Feather Flock Together – Cain May Endorse Newt

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Herman Cain recently “suspended” his presidential ambitions because of allegations of sexual misconduct from various women. And Newt Gingrich is a known womanizer, cheating on his first two wives, even serving one of them divorce papers while she laid in a hospital bed battling cancer.

So is it any surprise that Herman Cain may endorse Newt Gingrich? Nope. It is expected.

A top adviser to Herman Cain says the former presidential candidate plans to endorse one of his ex-rivals, most likely New Gingrich, this month in order to have an impact before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3.

“He wants to play ‘who to endorse’ for a while,” said the adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak bluntly. “Then he’ll probably be endorsing somebody in a couple weeks — before the caucuses…. I’d say he’s going to endorse Newt Gingrich,” the adviser said.

Five women with Cain and three with Gingrich. Eight women between these two men. Yep, keep an eye on these two birds!

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Herman Cain presidential

Herman Cain Drops Out – “It Hurts My Wife, It Hurts My Family, It Hurts Me”

Herman Cain went on television today, hand in hand with his wife Gloria. He stood on a stage and talked about the reason he decided to run for president in the first place, which was  “…because the people in Washington refused to do their jobs.”

Cain began his speech by dropping one-liners that got his supporters cheering. One-liners like “people are  more powerful than the media and message is more powerful than money.” And it was these type of statements that gave viewers the initial impression that Herman was about to announce the continuation of his candidacy.

Then Herman he dropped the bomb.

“I’ve made mistakes in life, everyone has.” Cain said, as he began laying out the disappointing path for his supporters. He called the four recent sexual harassment claims against him, and his 13 year extra-marital relationship “false and untrue accusations,” saying that  “false and untrue allegation continues to be spin in the media and the court of public opinion.”

Mr. Cain continued…

“That spin hurts. It hurts my wife, it hurts my family, it hurts me and it hurts the american people because you’ve been denied solutions.”

It hurts because my wife, my family and I…, we know that these false accusations are not true.

And, “I am at peace with my God. I am at peace with my wife”,  this followed by the crowd  chanting “Gloria!, Gloria!”, “…and she is at peace with me. And I am at peace with my family and I am at peace with myself.”

“As of today, with a lot of prayer and soul-searching, I am suspending my presidential campaign. I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distraction, because of the continued hurt to me and my family.”

But like we all suspected, Herman Cain’s candidacy was never about winning the White House. Like Newt Gingrich, Cain was more interested in making money through book sales and donations. So what better way to ensure the continued stream of donations, than launching his new endeavor –  The Cain Solutions, a new website, launched after Herman dropped out of the race, where visitors to the site can continue donating to the Cain Train wreck.

[cincopa AoHA-yaMnNyW]

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Abortions Newt Gingrich Politics presidential Republican

A Stroll Down Memory Lane – Gingrich On Abortion

As Herman Cain falls off the leader-board for the Republican nomination, we now turn our attention to the new flavor of the month, Newt Gingrich – a man who has perfected the art of the flip-flop,  and who has paved the way for other indecisive Republican “leaders” like Mitt Romney.

One well documented issue that is now causing Gingrich a major headache among his base, is his support for abortion. Of course, he has already flipped on this issue, but this is a vetting process, so let’s take a stroll down memory lane…

TAXPAYER-FUNDED ABORTION

The New York Times on April 10, 1995, reported, “House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Sunday supported the availability of federally financed abortions for poor women who are victims of rape or incest and expressed opposition to organized school prayer, positions that are at odds with many conservatives in his party.”

Also asked that year on CBS’s “Face the Nation” whether he agrees with Republicans who oppose federal abortion payments in cases of rape or incest or to protect the life of the mother, Gingrich answered: “No. First of all, I think you should have funding in the case of rape or incest or life of the mother, which is the first step.”

Later that year, Gingrich urged his colleagues in the U.S. House to accept language in an abortion bill that would not completely ban abortions under federal employee health plans, leaving in place exemptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother, the Washington Times reported on Aug. 7, 1995.

TAXPAYER-FUNDED EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH

Bill O’Reilly on “The O’Reilly Factor” asked Gingrich on July 19, 2001: “Stem cell research, should President Bush approve some federal funding for that?”

Gingrich answered: “Well, I agree with Senator Bill Frist, as the only medical doctor in the Senate and as a world-class heart surgeon. I think that there are ways to have appreciation for life, to recognize the sanctity of life, but nonetheless to look at fertility clinics where there are cells that are sitting there that are not going to be used to create life. They literally today, they’re unregulated, they can be thrown away. And I think the president, I hope the president, will find a way to agree that there ought to be federally funded research.”

On ABC News’ “This Week” on July 8, 2001, Sam Donaldson asked: “So he should approve stem cell research on embryos?”

Gingrich answered: “On embryonic cells that, that are pre-fetal.”

PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION

Gingrich helped quash an effort to deny Republican Party funds to candidates who opposed legislation outlawing so-called partial birth abortions, a Jan. 21, 1998, article by the Associated Press said.

The Republican National Committee at its winter meeting that year wanted to deny party campaign funds to Republican candidates who opposed banning most late-term, or partial-birth, abortions.

Gingrich addressed the RNC meeting on Jan. 16, 1998, calling for tolerance of candidates who support partial-birth abortion, saying he would campaign for them: “It’s the voters of America who have a right — in some places they’re going to pick people who are to my right, some places they’re going to pick people who are to my left and in both cases, if they’re the Republican nominee, I am going to actively campaign for them, because when they get to Congress, whether they are a moderate Republican from the northeast, whether they are a very conservative Republican from the south or west, whatever their background.”

With Gingrich leading in the Republican nomination process and about five weeks remaining before primary voters head to the polls, the Gingrich campaign will be in high gear, trying to distance Newt Gingrich ‘Version 2’ from Newt Gingrich 1.0.

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Mitt Romney Politics presidential Wall Street

Huntsman – Romney Is In The Hip Pocket Of Wall Street

“Anyone who is in the hip pocket of Wall Street because of all the donations they are picking up, like Mr. Romney, is in these days not going to be the change agent who is going to fix the too-big-to-fail banking system.” Per MSNBC,  Huntsman’s comments were delivered to an audience of about 80 people.

Huntsman went even further in his attack on Romney. Presumably referring in part to endorsements that Romney has received from Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Congressman Charlie Bass (R-N.H.), Huntsman said, “You should be wary of any candidate who carries the endorsements of every member of Congress, because it means they’re going to be a status quo president.”

And I totally agree with you Jon Huntsman. Being in the hip pocket of Wall Street is about the only thing consistent with Mitt Romney.

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Mitt Romney money Politics presidential Republican

Poor-Man Romney Says Government Employees Making More Than He Is

With all you government workers making hundreds of millions of dollars a year, you will expect the economy to be a lot better than it is now. You will also expect everyone to drop their present jobs and flock to the government for jobs.  After all, why would anyone settle for anything less than $35 million a year!

According to Mitt Romney, who made up to $37.5 million in 2010,  government employees are making “a lot more money” than he is. Speaking at a fabrication plant on Monday, Romney targeted government employees, saying that if he becomes president, he will reduce the work force by 10%.

Wearing his best plaid work shirt and Tommy Bahama blue jeans, the candidate explained to workers at Giese Manufacturing that he would slash the number of federal employees if elected.

“We have to cut back on the scale of the federal government,” Romney declared. “And for me that will start by reducing federal employees by 10 percent. You do that through attrition.”

“And then something else that is just as important, and that’s to make sure the people who work for government don’t get better pay and better benefits than people that work in the private sector.”

He added: “The tax payers shouldn’t have to have money taken out of their pay checks to pay people in government who are our servants who are making a lot more money than we are.”

It’s a good thing we have the poor-man Romney looking out for us, having his finger on the pulse of exactly who is bringing down the economy – at last check, Romney was worth over $250 million. But that was about two hours ago. We’re sure a few more millions were added since then.

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death row Politics presidential Texas

In Rick Perry’s Texas, D.N.A. Evidence May Not Be Enough

His life is scheduled to end next week through lethal injection, but DNA evidence could prove that Mr. Hank Skinner did not commit the crimes he is condemned to die for.

His lawyers have requested the DNA be provided for testing, but the prosecution is refusing.

Welcome to Rick Perry’s Texas!

With just days to go before Hank Skinner is set to die by lethal injection, his lawyers are battling to persuade the federal and state courts to intervene to delay the execution and force prosecutors to hand over the materials for testing. The legal fight over the items has already lasted a decade, but time is now running out.

Skinner, 49, was put on death row in 1995 for the multiple murders of his live-in girlfriend Twila Busby and her two adult sons. He has consistently maintained his innocence, saying that he was virtually unconscious on the night of the murders having consumed a mixture of vodka and codeine.

I though Republicans were pro-life.  If  DNA evidence could prove someone’s innocence, why would they be against him living?

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Barack Obama Politics presidential Republican

Michele Bachmann Agrees To Impeach President Obama

For no apparent reason, Michele Bachmann joined in on a discussion and agreeing with a suggestion that President Obama should be impeached. At a campaign stop in Iowa, Bachmann was asked by one of her supporters, “When will we impeach him and get him out of the way? We should be.”

Never missing an opportunity to appear insane, the Republican presidential hopeful replied, “Well, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you, I agree, I agree. Some people are really upset.”

After the incident, campaign spokesperson Alice Stewart told CBS News: “She was not saying that she agrees that Obama should be impeached. She agreed with the man on what they were talking about before- that people are frustrated.”

The incident came after she gave her standard stump speech at Uncle Nancy’s coffee shop, a popular stop for presidential candidates courting voters in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. About 60 people turned out to hear Bachmann.

Now that Chris Christie has finally managed to convince Republicans that he is not running in 2012, Bachmann will easily fill that void the Christie supporters were looking for in a candidate – someone who speaks their mind, no matter how stupid or ridiculous that mind appears.

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Politics presidential Republican Sarah Palin

In Case Anyone Is Interested, Sarah Palin Calls It Quits…Again!

This time, she quits even before trying. Not that this is really news, but yesterday, while the world mourned the loss of Steve Jobs – the man who made Apple what it is today with the creation of Apple’s Ipad , Itunes and  more – Sarah Palin, the quitter from Alaska, made an announcement: she was quitting again! “After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States.”

For some strange reason, and we believe it was to scam more donations from the unsuspecting Teaparty loyalists, Sarah Palin pulled a Newt Gingrich, forming a Political Action Committee and asking for donations as she “explored” the path forward. We all knew there was no path, especially after maintaining her job at Fox News when other potential presidential candidates were asked by the network to resign their positions. For the record, Newt actually used the donations he received and had the courage to enter the Republican Presidential race.

Sarah Palin will now continue doing what she does best – looking for the media spotlight and rambling on about… nonsense.

Here’s an example of the nonsense – her “I-am-not-running”  Statement.

October 5, 2011
Wasilla, Alaska

After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States. As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision. When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order.

My decision is based upon a review of what common sense Conservatives and Independents have accomplished, especially over the last year. I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office – from the nation’s governors to Congressional seats and the Presidency. We need to continue to actively and aggressively help those who will stop the “fundamental transformation” of our nation and instead seek the restoration of our greatness, our goodness and our constitutional republic based on the rule of law.

From the bottom of my heart I thank those who have supported me and defended my record throughout the years, and encouraged me to run for President. Know that by working together we can bring this country back – and as I’ve always said, one doesn’t need a title to help do it.

I will continue driving the discussion for freedom and free markets, including in the race for President where our candidates must embrace immediate action toward energy independence through domestic resource developments of conventional energy sources, along with renewables. We must reduce tax burdens and onerous regulations that kill American industry, and our candidates must always push to minimize government to strengthen the economy and allow the private sector to create jobs.

Those will be our priorities so Americans can be confident that a smaller, smarter government that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people can better serve this most exceptional nation.

In the coming weeks I will help coordinate strategies to assist in replacing the President, re-taking the Senate, and maintaining the House.

Thank you again for all your support. Let’s unite to restore this country!

God bless America.

– Sarah Palin

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