Obama vs. Pelosi
Pollster Doug Shoen is quoted in the excerpt below warning the Democrats not to attempt to govern as if the Republican Party has vanished from the face of the earth. Bill Clinton & Co. tried it throughout 1993 and promptly got their little hands slapped by the voters in the 1994 mid-terms.
It is up to activists like the participants on this site to keep holding the feet of your respective Congressional delegations to the fire in order to limit the damage of the incoming administration. If they stray too far from the moderate path, it is up to us and many others across the nation to restore some balance to Congress in 2010.
~~John Cronin~~
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122609968752809797.html
Barack Obama obviously has thought carefully about mistakes made by previous Democratic presidential winners who wrongly believed a Congress controlled by their own party would help make them a success.
Pollster Doug Schoen, who helped Bill Clinton win re-election in 1996 over overwhelming odds after the 1994 Democratic debacle, recently warned in a Journal op-ed: “If the Democrats govern as if there is no Republican Party, they are likely headed to the kind of reaction that Bill Clinton faced when he made the same misjudgment after the 1992 election victory.” Mr. Schoen cites specifically a meeting in Little Rock after the election with Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and House Speaker Tom Foley, when Mr. Clinton agreed to defer to Congress on key elements of his legislative agenda. The subsequent lurch to the left did incalculable damage to his presidency.
That may be one reason why Mr. Obama has chosen Rahm Emanuel, a respected member of the Congressional leadership, to become his new White House Chief of Staff. Mr. Emanuel has a reputation as a tough partisan, but he has also exhibited impatience with left-wing members of his party who have overly ambitious ideological agendas. A likely first assignment for Mr. Emanuel will be reminding House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that, after only two years of Democratic control, Congress already has a lower approval rating than even President Bush’s.
To the extent Mr. Obama becomes a successful president, it will be because he remains his own man and trusts the brilliant political instincts that have gotten him this far, this fast.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Gingrich wants RNC Chair
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/11/09/gingrich_says_hed_serve_as_gop.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
November 10th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Schwarzenegger tells backers of gay marriage: Don’t give up
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-protest10-2008nov10,0,4939340.story
November 10th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Palin: GOP ticket was too ‘status quo’
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15474.html
November 10th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
If Gingrich gets RNC chair, we are really doomed. He’s a Mitt hater. When will we stop putting up folks that will only serve one faction of the electrote, and not serve everyone?
November 10th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Mitt and Fred Thompson news: NSS NR says that they both refused the RNC chairperson job, Mike Steel is next favorite, but word is also that Newt would accept. Vote at Intrade had Mitt leading, Huck a distant 2nd, Palin after him. Way to go Mitt!!!!!! Mike Steel, let’s hope for Mitt’s sake, RNC chairperson. Notice Huck was not considered.
November 10th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
A Must Read
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-11-10/sarah-palin-the-sequel/
November 10th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Chris, I didn’t know Newt Gingrich was a Mitt-hater?? How do you know this? I like Newt a lot.
Paulee, where did you read that both Mitt and Fred T. had already turned down the GOP chair? I haven’t heard that.
November 10th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Tami, He used to say that Mitt was not right for the position. Ok, hate might be a overstatement. But his is the same guy who thought Palin was well qualified for the top of the ticket as well.
I like Newt, but really think that he needs to get his retirement and move aside.
November 10th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Why would Mitt refuse RNC chair?? Ugh! He could do a lot of good there, especially with helping to fix the broken primary system, and getting the best candidates lined up for 2010. It would also help him build loyalty within the party, which would help a great deal with a 2012 run. I hope Mitt isn’t serious about never running again. Yeah, he got the shaft this time, but I’m fairly certain he would win the nomination next time, especially if he took this job.
On the topic of Newt, the guy isn’t perfect but he knows a thing or two about organizing and galvanizing Republicans. If Mitt doesn’t want it, give him a shot. Michael Steele is a good guy, but wasn’t he a Huck-backer? He’s also never been anything more prominent than a Lt. Governor.
November 10th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I’ve never seen Newt be anything but negative towards Mitt.
November 10th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Mitt told Kathryn Jean Lopez from National Review that he is not interested in the RNC Chair. And, yep, I remember Michael Steele saying he thought Huckabee would be a great choice for VP.
November 10th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Maybe he sees in implosion coming and does not want to be a part of it?
November 10th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Tami: Go to nyformittblog.com there is alot of info over there.
November 10th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Anyone see this?
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1108/Romney_in_lateOctober_said_another_run_.html
November 10th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
New Habits For Republicans
by John Andrews (Townhall.com)
Monday, November 10, 2008
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Did I hear that from Hallmark, my mom, or in Sunday school? Turns out the words are from Stephen R. Covey’s self-help classic on good habits. They hit me on election night. My Republican party needs self-help if anyone ever did.
Some of our gripe sessions about this year’s Democratic sweep feel like a sales meeting where everyone blames the customer. There are echoes of the East German party boss who said if the people didn’t like his regime, they needed to be straightened out. I mean serious denial.
Having been a highly ineffective party since 2004 in my state of Colorado, and since 2006 nationally, drunk on excuses and worse yet in 2008, maybe the GOP should check into detox. Supervising our rehab could be the stern Dr. Covey with his “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”
Bad habits such as credit card binging, entitlement, victimhood, and not practicing what you preach can entrap groups as well as individuals. Republicans better do an intervention on ourselves after Obama’s blowout of McCain and Colorado Dems’ pickup of two US Senate seats and three congressmen in four years. What would the Covey cure involve?
To maximize effectiveness, according to his 1989 bestseller, one should be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand and then to be understood, synergize, and “sharpen the saw.” Let’s talk about how these might apply to the party of Lincoln and Reagan. Eavesdroppers from other parties can snicker all you want. We’re too desperate to care.
To be proactive, we’ll quit whining about Bush’s blunders, the Messiah’s millions, media bias, or anything else in the rearview mirror. GOP congressional leaders will roll out a 2009-2010 Contract with America before the new president names his cabinet. Colorado conservatives will forge a cash-rich, hydra-headed counterpart to the progressives’ amazing Democracy Alliance.
To begin with the end in mind, we’ll write a Republican president’s 2013 inaugural address and post it on the Web this coming January 1. We’ll map the states our ticket must carry to make Obama a one-termer, then target the issues to win those states. Next write a game plan for taking back Congress in 2010, as we did in 1994.
Putting first things first means a laser-focus at all levels of the party on economic recovery, abundant energy, healthy families, fiscal integrity, and national security, period. The American dream was co-opted this year by a smooth talker with a European agenda. We can unmask that ruse. Retake the high ground, team.
Win-win thinking isn’t easy for Republican individualists, the so-called “leave us alone coalition.” But without it we’re toast. Our ethic of responsibility and opportunity has much to offer women and youth, blacks and Hispanics. Get better at communicating that or prepare to be a permanent minority.
Seeking first to understand, then to be understood, is crucial as a habit-breaker for the refusal to listen that undid both the Bush presidency and the McCain campaign. This doesn’t just mean polling. It means listening with the heart. Millions more “felt heard” in 2008 by their side than ours – and voted accordingly.
Synergizing sounds like Oprah babble, but we’ll be uncompetitive until we catch up with the Dems in using social networking and Facebook to make one plus one equal three. Sharpening the saw sounds like Huckabee cornpone, but we’ll be perennial losers until we commit to habitual self-improvement and the endless campaign ala the other Man from Hope, Bill Clinton.
The political pendulum has swung left. The right can either wait for it to swing back, or we can form new habits and pull it back. I’m for the Covey cure.
November 10th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I just read another article this morning that ‘Charley Manning, a longtime Bay State GOP operative and friend of Mitt Romney, said over the weekend that he doesn’t think the former governor will run for president again in 2012′.
I believe to a certain extent it might be true. I think it depends on the political environment. If Obama completely fails or is an average to mediocre president; Mitt might run. If Bobby Jindal decides not to run and field is only Palin, Huck, and Gingrich; Mitt might run. If we as his supporters start an online petition now and comMITT to getting 1 MILLION unique individuals to sign it; Mitt will run. Now is the time for us to rally the troops.
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.politickerma.com/jeremyjacobs/1878/manning-i-d-be-surprised-if-romney-ran-again
Also, on the right hand side of article is a poll to see “Who is likely to win a special election to replace U.S. Sen. John Kerry should he work in the Obama administration?” Right now Mitt is tied with Martha Coakley, our Attorney General, at 27%. If Mitt were to run for this seat it would be his personal litmus test to run in 2012. No Republican will return to the White House without being able to win Blue States
November 10th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I just read another article this morning that ‘Charley Manning, a longtime Bay State GOP operative and friend of Mitt Romney, said over the weekend that he doesn’t think the former governor will run for president again in 2012′.
I believe to a certain extent it might be true. I think it depends on the political environment. If Obama completely fails or is an average to mediocre president; Mitt might run. If Bobby Jindal decides not to run and the presidential field consists of only Palin, Huck, and Gingrich; Mitt might run. If we as his supporters start an online petition now and comMITT to getting 1 MILLION unique individuals to sign it; Mitt WILL run. Now is the time for us to rally the troops.
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.politickerma.com/jeremyjacobs/1878/manning-i-d-be-surprised-if-romney-ran-again
Also, on the right hand side of article is a poll to see “Who is likely to win a special election to replace U.S. Sen. John Kerry should he work in the Obama administration?” Right now Mitt is tied with Martha Coakley, our Attorney General, at 27%. Coakley is highly unlikely to run for the seat since everyone in MA knows that she has her eye on the Governors’ office for 2010. A poll like this albeit an internet one shows that he is still well a head of any competition here in MA. The Senate seat is pretty much his for the taking. There is no heir apparant for the Democrats.
If Mitt were to run for this seat it would be his personal litmus test to run in 2012. No Republican will return to the White House without being able to win blue states. If Mitt ran and won then he would be the default leader of the Republican Party. The first Republican Senator from Massachusetts in over 36 years. It would be huge. Especially if Obama campaigned for the ‘nobody’ democrat that Mitt goes against. In the Senate, Mitt would then be able to join the foreign relations committee to burnish his foreign policy credentials. Thus making a full-spectrum conservative in 2012.
If he runs and loses. Then Mitt will know that its not meant to be and he’ll enjoy the rest of his life with his family.
However, it is looking more than likely that Mitt is going the Gingrich route and will make speeches, write books, and come up with new ideas for the party. He appears to be disinterested in the RNC position. He also is not likely to run for Governor of California. So these are the options and we will know fairly quickly what the future holds for Mitt Romney, I imagine.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Manning: I’d be surprised if Romney ran again
By Jeremy P. Jacobs, PolitickerMA.com Reporter
November 10, 2008
Charley Manning, a longtime Bay State GOP operative and friend of Mitt Romney, said over the weekend that he doesn’t think the former governor will run for president again in 2012, as political analyst Seth Gitell notes on his blog Gitell.com.
Gitell appeared on 96.9 WTKK-TM with Manning, who worked on Romney’s 1994 U.S. Senate campaign and 2002 gubernatorial campaign, over the weekend. Asked if he sees Romney running in 2012, as many news sources are already speculating, Manning said he doesn’t see it happening.
“I’d be surprised if Mitt ever ran again for president,” Manning said. “I sure don’t think it was the best experience of his life.”
November 11th, 2008 at 2:21 am
Anti-semitic leader Louis Farrakahn, who once referred to caucasians as “potential humans” now says that the election of Obama (once called “the messiah” by Farrakahn) has energized the entire world of man and mankind in a way that has never been seen before in the history of political elections in the United States of America or anywhere else where they are committed to the principle of Democracy.” Farrakahn also stated that he remained silent about Obama’s campaign for nine months so he wouldn’t be caught up in the controversy swirling around Father Pfleger and others.
Now that president-elect Obama’s position is signed, sealed, and delivered, the lure of “I-knew-him-when” will compel more of Obama’s radical friends to creep out from under the floorboards to share the Obamanipotent spotlight.
The delirium continues… A movement for an “Obama National Holiday” has begun.
I’m so glad I didn’t vote for this guy.
Planning under way for Obama holiday
The Capital-Journal
Published Sunday, November 09, 2008
http://special.cjonline.com/stories/110908/loc_353922770.shtml
.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Change in Washington
How about cutting spending. That would be real CHANGE, no pun intended.
Let your voice be heard. Call your leaders and let them no that if congress is going to have another stimulus package, NO PORK and cut SPENDING. The debt will break America, if they print money the value of the dollar will go down. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:32 am
No one said this would be easy. I just hope it will be worth it.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:08 am
How grateful I am this Veteran’s Day for the valiant men and women who have our nation and are currently serving America. “The land of the free and the home of the brave” owes its very existence to them. God bless our veterans!
Take a moment today to send a “thank you” email to a military member.
http://www.usafns.com/email.shtml
OperationDearAbby.net (http://anyservicemember.navy.mil): “Dear Abby, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of the Navy’s LifeLines2000 Services Network in association with SPAWAR SCC (National Capital Region) is providing this private and secure on-line resource that will allow you to send a Sailor, Marine, Soldier, Airman, or Coast Guardsman a holiday greeting or message of support.” The message is delivered to ‘Any Service Member’ in the branch selected by the sender.
IT’S THE SOLDIER
It’s the Soldier, not the reporter
who has given us the freedom of the press.
It’s the Soldier, not the poet,
who has given us the freedom of speech.
It’s the Soldier, not the politicians
that ensures our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
It’s the Soldier who salutes the flag,
who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag.
If you care to offer the smallest token of
recognition and appreciation for the Military,
please pray for our men and women who have served
and are currently serving our country.
And pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
(posted by Irish Member – VAJoe.com)
November 11th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Hi all,
Later tonight I’m probably going to set up an online petition calling for Mitt Romney to run in 2012. The goal to present a million signatures to Mitt as a vote of confidence.
I wanted to gauge your interest in it and whether it should be Romney/Jindal ticket petition calling for strong executive leadership and an eye towards the future.
Please let me know your thoughts.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:08 am
SED,
Count me in. I will definitely sign your petition, and my husband will as well. My kids will, too, but they’re only 6, 8, and 10, so that may not be permissible. They are major Mitt fans, though!
As for Jindal, though I like what I’ve heard about him, I just don’t know enough about him yet to have an opinion one way or the other. I guess he has to be a better choice than Huckabee or Palin.
Thanks for your work!
November 11th, 2008 at 11:18 am
The Most Popular Person Here [Kathryn Jean Lopez]
is in Anchorage: Sarah Palin.
This is from the Corner at the National Review. When an journal, of some sophistication, starts peddling the wares of Sarah Palin you can gauge the depth of the hole the Republicans are in, not to mention some who write for, the National Review.
Much has changed within the party and unfortunately the push for the everyman or every woman candidate that Republicans have been flogging its voting bloc this past decade. I have mentioned before that I do not see Obama being a pushover and the majority of voters 4 years out may be looking for more substance in the Republican arena. A question worth considering is, will enough core Republicans, or will Obama’s margin increase even more?
November 11th, 2008 at 11:21 am
An analysis by John Derbyshire, at the National Review of Obama’s IQ. (He is a writer — novelist, pop-math author, reviewer, and opinion journalist — living on Long Island, New York)
Inside Obama [John Derbyshire]
Much interesting email on my speculations about Obama’s IQ and Big Five scores.
Wellnigh everyone takes issue with my having pegged the President-elect’s IQ as “maybe over 140,” which would put him in the 99.62 percentile. (To put it another way, it would mean that he was in the top 1.14 million of Americans by IQ.) This is all guesswork, of course, but I was going by:
(1) His academic record, even after discounting for affirmative action.
(2) The fact that he won’t release his test scores. There are two possible reasons why he would refuse: (a) they are embarrasingly low (dolt!), or (b) they are embarrasingly high (elitist!). I’m going with (b) because of (1).
(3) Heritability of IQ, a well-established fact, with current estimates 40-80 percent heritable. Barack Obama senior, though cursed with a self-destructive personality, was a very smart guy indeed. Econometrics ain’t tic-tac-toe. His Mom I’m not so sure about, but she completed a Ph.D., which is more than I managed.
On the Big Five, I’m being told my guesses are off. All right: way off. Here’s a reader who really knows his Big Five … and should: he’s a professor of psychology.
Openness to Experience: As commonly measured, this factor is driven substantially by “liberal” values such as tolerance. Persons higher in O also can be daydreamy and idealistic (versus hard headed and realistic). They also sound to most people like they know what they are talking about. Successful homicide investigators are very low in O — they deal with facts and don’t go around dreaming up fantastical alternative scenarios (e.g. Columbian drug dealers killing a famous athlete’s ex-wife).
Conscientiousness: The higher Conscientiousness, as you suggest, is a given; I doubt anyone ever graduated from Harvard Law without the advantage of high Conscientiousness (people low in Conscientiousness are satisfied with St. John’s Law, and the Harvard application was too long, anyway). He dresses high C. And Conscientiousness correlates with IQ.
Extroversion: The higher Extroversion reflects Obama’s desire to be in the spotlight and his taste for leadership. High extroverts make a good first impression. They are affable — but that doesn’t mean they think much of you.
Agreeableness: Here’s the juicy part — very low Agreeableness. He is guarded and reluctant to trust others. He is competitive, even ruthless. Other people are just pawns in his game. He often feels superior to others. He is cynical about others’ motives, because he knows that his own motives are impure. He cannot tolerate disagreement.
Neuroticism: Finally, … high Neuroticism. He is more sensitive than others to the pain that is life. Having Dad abandon you at age 2 will do that, as will having Mom abandon you at age 10. His tobacco use is a sign of high N — smoking calms the nerves (expect ex-President Obama to develop cancer like U.S. Grant?) And so, paradoxically, is his compulsive fitness — there is a weak, self-indulgent fat man inside of Mr. Obama struggling to be unleashed, and who is flagellated daily in the gym. I suspect that there is deep unhappiness beneath the flawless exterior.
[Me] Wow. Stuff to watch out for there. My own Big Five (there are tests you can take on the internet, just google “big five”) come out as:
Openness to Experience: Average, “indicating you enjoy tradition but are willing to try new things. Your thinking is neither simple nor complex. To others you appear to be a well-educated person but not an intellectual.”
Conscientiousness: Low, “indicating you like to live for the moment and do what feels good now. Your work tends to be careless and disorganized.”
Extraversion: Low. I am an introvert, “reserved, and quiet. You enjoy solitude and solitary activities. Your socializing tends to be restricted to a few close friends.”
Agreeableness: Low, “indicating less concern with others’ needs than with your own. People see you as tough, critical, and uncompromising.”
Neuroticism: High, “indicating that you are easily upset, even by what most people consider the normal demands of living. People consider you to be sensitive and emotional.”
Which I guess makes me a disagreeable, disorganized, neurotic, un-intellectual introvert. Yeah, sounds right. Gnothi seauton.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Stephen,
If Palin is the top or bottom on natioanl ticket, I see an even BIGGER margin of loss. We need braincells, not beauty queens. I seriously think the GOP needs to the way of the do do bird, if this is the best we can get.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
SED Count me in. I want to know where I can sign this petition and I will make my neighbors aware of the petition.
The republicans seem to be going for FLUFF and NO SUBSTANCE.
Palin appeals to the “it has to be one of us” faction in this party and those who feel she “speaks from her heart”. Well Palin may be a popular dinner guest but our country needs more. We need competent, skilled, proven leadership.
Romney may not run, but even he does not he by signing the petition we are sending a message that the republican party needs to pick someone of SUBSTANCE.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
2012 is so far away its silly to think about…I also think romney would be foolish to run for Kerry’s senate seat if it opened up since the political scene in MA is so toxic to any repub, let alone romney, ie a big time repub who libs in the state would love to knock off and given their #’s in MA it wouldn’t be that hard…if he wants to run for anything in MA, he should wait till 2010 and try to get a second term as governor…yet if things are so bad in 2010 that MA votes him in again, he should instead run for president in 2012. As for other places he could run, pretty much the same thing in CA, why go to deep blue states and run against the tide? better off, just running for the white house again if your gonna put yourself up for an office + i’m not sure its legal for him to run for governor in CA since in MI and utah, you need 5 years of residency in the state to run… not so for federal offices ala hillary clinton, you can jump in the same year. The only state that might make some sense other than utah is new hampshire since he has lived there. However, the gov there is very popular and he probably runs for senate in 2010. As for utah, i don’t know if bennett will retire in 2010 or if huntsman would want romney to jump in the state given that he also has big ambitions. Yet, the odds are bennett and or hatch retire in 2010-2012 cycles, so huntsman can’t block romney out of both spots…Bottom line, if the opportunity is there for the utah senate seat in 2010, he should jump at it and see what happens from that spot.
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2008/11/11/why-obama-could-be-a-one-term-president.html
November 11th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I think it is a good idea to send a message out to Romney.
I am not sure about the timing. But I want to sign that petition.
November 11th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Sed: Count us in, whatever, even if it is just a validation of how we feel about our loss, and how we know it should have been Mitt. Go to Facebook, they are suppose to have lots of names going over there. Let me know. Thanx, Paulee
November 11th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122610558004810243.html
The Perils of ‘Populist Chic’
What the rise of Sarah Palin and populism means for the conservative intellectual tradition.
November 11th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
a paragraph from the above article:
“The die was cast. Over the next 25 years there grew up a new generation of conservative writers who cultivated none of their elders’ intellectual virtues — indeed, who saw themselves as counter-intellectuals. Most are well-educated and many have attended Ivy League universities; in fact, one of the masterminds of the Palin nomination was once a Harvard professor. But their function within the conservative movement is no longer to educate and ennoble a populist political tendency, it is to defend that tendency against the supposedly monolithic and uniformly hostile educated classes. They mock the advice of Nobel Prize-winning economists and praise the financial acumen of plumbers and builders. They ridicule ambassadors and diplomats while promoting jingoistic journalists who have never lived abroad and speak no foreign languages. And with the rise of shock radio and television, they have found a large, popular audience that eagerly absorbs their contempt for intellectual elites. They hoped to shape that audience, but the truth is that their audience has now shaped them.”
November 11th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Facebookmittromneyforpresident2012. They have a sign up over there.
November 11th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
“I’m like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I’m like, don’t let me miss the open door,” she said. “And if there is an open door in ‘12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I’ll plow through that door.”
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081111/D94D0AS00.html
November 11th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Here is the link to an online petition that I put together for a Romney/Jindal ticket in 2012.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/romneyjindal/index.html
November 12th, 2008 at 6:11 am
Now that the GOP has lost, I suspect the media are trumping up Palin for a future ticket (kinda the way they trumped up McCain until he got the nomination) because they know that will guarantee Obama another 4 years in office. Palin is a decent woman but does not have the brains/experience/knowhow/widespread backing to pull the GOP out of it’s slump.
November 12th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Jon. Is it THAT obvious? And every redneck from here to Anchorage is glomming on to it. I get several e mails a day from this weird organization that now has a full page ad out for her! It’s some pac about saving america or something like that. Palin’s door is shut. Now is the time for us to nail it shut. She might be fine for AK, but the rest of the country found her to be not only offensive to thinking woman, but totally WRONG in her way of thinking. I can’t believe the Rassumussen poll. Something screwy there, that’s for sure. Most conservatives stayed home or voted for someone else. That’s why they lost. It’ was not Bush’s fault 100%, it was not McCains fault 100% and it was not her fault 100%. But she needs to take come credit for the failed bid.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:08 am
In these times, we had an excellent CEO, proven and tried. Our economy was already showing trends of recession, but everyone talked about it, and turned the other cheek. it was more important for the GOP to reward the next in line then reward our party with a solid vibrant candidate that thinks on his feet. This was the most atrocious, pitiful election,and they love this country. NO, they love themselves and wanted the power, I know and believe as the global economy took it’s turn, had it been Mitt on the ticket, we would have won!!!!!! The talking points would have played right into the GOP’s hands.Someone needed to look into that camera and said to all of us, with conviction, I dedicate with every bit of my being, to keep America Number one in the world, and mean it. A pledge, with conviction from a worldly experienced person, that was Mitt!!!!!………………..Okay, we can be heard, sign and send all you know to SED’s petition. We have a Mission.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Okay, Chris - people who like Palin are rednecks? Give me a break. You sound just like Jack Murtha.
You called me nuts the other day? You are an elitist with a capital “E.”
You know, I am a CPA with an MBA - what many people would call highly educated. And I LIKE Palin. While I don’t think she is as qualified to be president as Mitt - and I will work my heart out for Mitt if he runs in 2012 - I think she’s been dragged through the mud enough.
Please stop sniping at the woman and the people who like her. It makes you and this site look VERY petty. We need to rise above it.
If we are going to beat Obama and his minions in 2012, we’d better define ourselves better as conservatives and stop eating our own. The Dems are counting on it, and you’re playing right into their hands.
Or maybe since you voted for Obama, this is what you want.
November 12th, 2008 at 9:00 am
I personally could see a Romney/Palin ticket or a Romney/Jindal ticket in 2012.
Either one would be formidable, in my very humble opinion.
November 12th, 2008 at 9:36 am
In any event, 2010 is crucial. We MUST wrestle control of either the House or Senate from the Dems in that year.
In addition, for us to win the presidency in 2012 we will have to have a VERY convincing landside win in order to counteract all of the voter fraud we know occurred this election . . . and the vote of illegal aliens that Obama will give amnesty to.
That is going to be a tall order. We need to start NOW. And we need to unite to do this.
A healthy airing of differences in policies & philosophies is great. Trashing one of our own is disastrous.
Did anyone see that interview MSNBC did with Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal yesterday? The anchor tried to trick him into sandbagging Palin. But Jindal wouldn’t take the bait. He said that our Republican governors are the ones who are following and attempting to implement conservative principles. And these governors are meeting in Miami today to talk over these very things . . . Palin included.
You can disagree with McCain for putting Palin on the ticket. You can say she is not as qualified as Mitt. You can say she doesn’t have a lot of experience. I believe that is true.
Neither has Obama, by the way, but that didn’t stop Chris from voting for him.
United we stand, divided we fall. This election should have taught us that. We were not able to unite behind a candidate. (Added to that, it was “McCain’s time” to run for President - a stupid unspoken GOP tradition.)
Having said that, I don’t want us to be Democrat-lite, as moderates in this party want. I see how well that worked for us in this election. People’s thinking will be, why vote for Dem-lite, when I can vote for the real thing? Conservative values have been a winner just about every time.
We have to be united, but as Ronald Reagan said - “Not with pale pastels, but with bold colors.” People with convictions that live them are so much more attractive than people who try to run down the middle of the road. Generally, these kind of people get run over in presidential elections - think Gerald Ford, Bob Dole, & John McCain.
In a genial way, Reagan was able to state his conservative values and therefore attract thousands and thousands of Americans to embrace his philosophy and his presidency.
Like it or not, Sarah Palin has strong conservative convictions and she lives them. She is not a mean-spirited anti-Mormon social conservative like Huckabee. That’s the kind of person I can work with in the Republican party.
Did any of you watch Palin on Greta Van Susteren’s show on Fox the last 2 nights? She reminded me of me in a lot of ways - guess I’m a real redneck.
As I’ve stated, she and her enthusiastic supporters will be around for a LONG time - whether you like it or not. It will be best to find a way to work with her. I know Mitt understands this. I hope we all will.
November 12th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Marybeth
Why do you like Palin? She is an appealing personality, indeed. But she hasn’t done anything to show she is qualified to be POTUS. If she’s anywhere near the ticket in 2012 or beyond, we lose in a landslide because the majority of Americans rightly see her as incapable every which way from Sunday.
I can’t read one sentence that she’s uttered over the past 2 months that didn’t make me cringe. She is death to the GOP. We have got to get over this nonsensical desire for “one of us” to lead the most powerful nation on earth.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Marybeth,
Palin is not as conservative as everyone assumes. She is pro-amnesty, pro-more gov-regulation of Wall Street, for controling CEO pay, she spoke favorably of Obama’s stimulus package, she was a huge porker as mayor and gov, she imposed the lartest-ever tax on oil companies at a time of rising prices so that she could give Alaskans bigger checks. She loves to talk about walking across the aisle to “get something done”. She said it about 10 times in the Greta interview. McCain picked her because she mirrors him in many ways. Certainly, she is pro-life. But I don’t think conservatism is what drives her — political ambition motivates her, not necessarily philosophy. She’s proved that already.
I thought the portion of the interview where she was trying to cook and talk at the same time was hilarious and tortured. It was the most uncomfortable interview I’ve ever seen. I kept think about that old bring home the bacon, fry it up commercial. That’s Palin in a nutshell!
November 12th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Palin’s done three “just a regular down-home mom cooking at home” interviews in the last couple days. These interviews are so obviously staged to endear herself further to the “I don’t really care about her qualifications because she’s just like me” crowd.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Pamela, I didn’t say she is a huge conservative on all issues. I said she is a person with strong conservative convictions and lives by them.
She was NOT a huge porker as mayor and is not one as governor. Where do you get your information from? There have been many rumors out there in the MSM that have been debunked.
Did it occur to you that, as the VP candidate, she had to mainly promote the Presidential candidate’s message? In that position, you can’t go renegade all the time. She did publically express her disagreements with McCain on drilling in ANWR, which I very much enjoyed seeing, by the way.
Yes, she may be ambitious, but what politician isn’t? I wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t want the job or has to be dragged into it.
Like I said, she reminded me of me last night - cooking and talking business at the same time. I guess if you saw me doing this, you’d say I was hilarious and tortured at the same time, too.
Having said all of this, I supported Mitt wholeheartedly for president in 2008 and will again in 2012, should he choose to run.
I am simply trying to state that trashing the GOP’s VP candidate - who did her best to save McCain from an even more disastrous defeat - does no one except the Democrats any good. Believe me, they are enjoying the heck out of this.
I think we should find a way to work with Palin and her supporters. Like it or not, she will be a force to be reckoned with in the Republican party. I’m sure Mitt will work with her. I don’t see or hear HIM trashing her.
Palin has an optimistic view of America. She has not tried to foist her beliefs on all of us. She has not bad-mouthed people like us - everyday Americans who want nothing more than the best for our country. She hasn’t bad-mouthed Mitt or the other Presidential candidates. She doesn’t deserve the garbage being spewed at her.
Trash those who deserve it.
Huckabee truly deserves to be. He damaged our cause this election. He helped split the conservative vote during the primaries and, along with the open primaries & the media, pushed John McCain and his Dem-lite policies on us.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Agreed that Huckabee truly deserves to be trashed. The problem is that many of Huck’s bigoted supporters are now ardent Palin supporters as well, and are right back at it using the same old tactics to try to squelch Mitt’s political future. If Palin decides to run, will she condemn these tactics? I doubt it.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Marybeth, yes, she was a big porker. You can look it up, I did, and it was not debunked. It’s true.
And she was a loud proponent for the bridge before it became so unpopular. She kept the 400 mil anyway!
There is a huge tendancy on the part of Palin supporters to automatically assume the best about her. I think her record should be seen for exactly what it is, mixed and short.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Palin is a threat to Romney. In the event that they step onto the political stage in 2012, Palin will say when speaking of Romney “he was for abortion before he was against it.” She will be a pit bull and Romney may have to hold back just like Biden did in the debate so he does not appear to be the bully in the race.
So, I fail to realize why we should have to stop pointing out Palin’s weaknesses. Of course, I am baffled by the fact that we even have to point them out as they are so glaringly obvious.
I know Romney will want the best with him. He sets the bar very high and I just don’t see how Palin could make the cut.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Marybeth,
“Having said that, I don’t want us to be Democrat-lite, as moderates in this party want. I see how well that worked for us in this election. People’s thinking will be, why vote for Dem-lite, when I can vote for the real thing? Conservative values have been a winner just about every time.”
Actually, conservatism wasn’t accepted for some time at the Presidential or even state level in America. It took decades to bring about a conservative movement that over time elected Reagan. After Reagan two terms, conservatism slowly faded from politics, at the Presidential level, starting with Bush 41. President Clinton, which may come as a shock to many, actually implemented some of the conservative economic principles, in his 2nd term, similar to Presidents Reagan’s, which were then later abandoned by Bush 43.
The 1994 Republican congress, for a time, brought back some conservative issues and ideas with Gingrich at the helm, and then the movement morphed, or was replaced, moreover, by social conservatism. A watered down feel good religious / political philosophy, unlike the classical liberalism philosophy espoused by Hume, Burke, Locke, to Hayek, Friedman, Von Mises and others that is known in modern context as conservatism that Reagan advocated.
Much of the debate now centers on the strategic direction that the Republican Party will move in. Is the party for more intrusive governance, vis a vis the social conservative movement, or for less government, in line with classical liberalism / conservatism? Will the party faithful ascribe to one, or even two issues, and ignore whatever else accompanies the R party’s bundled offerings or demand a more comprehensive and detailed approach?
Regardless of how nice Gov. Palin may be I do not believe from what I have seen or read about her, or what she has said, that she has the acumen and innate intelligence for the highest office. Now some may argue this point and all I can offer is that you would please point me to an example of where she shows such intelligence. And please, don’t mention energy policy. I know far too much about the Alaska pipeline that has been ongoing for many years, long before Palin entered her 18-month stint in Alaska, to be that easily fooled.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Ok. Let’s beta test this. Let’s start a recuit Huntsman (not my fav, but fits the mold) site. He governs more folks than Palin, has a more stable family, has had a job in both government and private sector, has a stay home wife who is helping raise the younger ones.l. And he’s been gov longer than Palin, just winning re election by a overwheliming margin! If he gets trashed, then it is an LDS thing. Period.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Okay, Chris - I’m with you on Huntsman. LOL
Seriously, though, let’s agree on principles, find the right messenger (whom I happen to believe is Romney in 2012) and full-steam ahead. Let’s not trash those who don’t deserve it, but put the blame squarely on those who really deserve it:
Huckabee - for trashing Mitt even as recently as October and for the despicable games he played against during the primaries - especially in West Virginia
McCain - for lying about Mitt in the primaries and for running a mushy campaign where he trashed conservatives for showing Jeremiah Wright ads, but told supporters that they shouldn’t be afraid of an Obama presidency. UGH!
The RNC chair - for being invisible and for poor organization
Tom Cole, the RNCC chair - for pulling funding from coservative candidates like Michelle Bachman.
David Brooks/Christopher Buckley/Peggy Noonan/Kathleen Parker - “conservative” writers for supporting Obama and trashing us common folk.
Sarah Palin - for not being experienced enough to be the VP candidate.
And I will blame Mitt a little . . . for pulling out of the race a little too early and throwing his support behind McCain, even though McCain treated him like dirt.
It wasn’t a good year for the GOP in any event . . . but it was made more disastrous by all of the above, plus the unwillingness of the media to do its job by truly vetting Obama.
Okay . . . is all of the blame out of the way?
Now can we move forward to elect more conservatives to Congress in 2010 . . . and to elect Mitt in 2012?
November 12th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Oh, and can we focus on who the real enemy is - Obama and the new Congress? And put our energies into being and building up the loyal (to America) opposition?
November 12th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Good for you on the MBA. My degree is in Music. I majored in Violin. Then, took that degree (only one college to get) and went into the Navy, where I became a Cryptologist. I retired, went to work for private sector. Met husband, came home to be a wife and mom. Adopted kids, some with special needs. You can like Palin all you want. I feel that she is not only NOT ready for prime time, but is not smart enough to know she’s not ready. So she was interviewed making mac and cheese. Whoppie. My 6 yr old makes a mean mac and cheese.
Real enemy is not obama. I voted for the guy, along with many other conservatives who found McCain and Palin offensive to our common sense. I have more faith in my country than you must have. I think we’ll be fine. And I promise you right here, right now. I will work hard to ensure Palin stays in AK. I also promise to support ANYONE running against her.
http://outsidereport.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-palins-radical-ties.html
November 12th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
The real enemy is ourselves. This party is fractured and split. Unless we find a real leader, and not a Eliza Doolittle that we can dress up and pretend is qualified (man or woman, here) we will not progress at all. Crazy smart is good. Crazy dumb is not.
November 12th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Romney’s Heroes: Dedicated to helping elect Governor Mitt Romney as President of the United States.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
http://romneysheroes.blogspot.com/2008/11/anne-coulters-thoughts-about-primaries.html
Ann Coulter’s Thoughts About the Primaries:
After showing nearly superhuman restraint throughout this campaign, which was lost the night McCain won the California primary, I am now liberated to announce that all I care about is hunting down and punishing every Republican who voted for McCain in the PRIMARIES [emphasis added]. I have a list and am prepared to produce the names of every person who told me he was voting for McCain to the proper authorities.
We’ll start with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Then we shall march through the states of New Hampshire and South Carolina — states that must never, ever be allowed to hold early Republican primaries again.
For now, we have a new president-elect. In the spirit of reaching across the aisle, we owe it to the Democrats to show their president the exact same kind of respect and loyalty that they have shown our recent Republican president.
I’ve had these same thoughts in my mind for months now.
So lets elaborate on who’s to blame for this fiasco.
Ann is obviously distraught that Mitt didn’t win the Primaries. There are so many places he could have won. First the Iowa fluke with voting stations in Evangelical churches and pastors bringing their entire flocks to “vote against the Mormon”, yeah, real Christian of you people. Now you’re stuck with a closet Muslim who has ties to terrorists! I’d like to add Iowa to the never hold an early primary again club. After Iowa, the next big primary was New Hampshire with moderates/liberals voting across party lines for McCain. This also included Giuliani wasting 50 million dollars of donor money on an insane campaign strategy in Florida rather than trying to compete with McCain for “Mavericks” in New Hampshire.
Thankfully, Wyoming, Nevada and Michigan got it right and kept Mitt relevant. Then the insanity resumed in South Carolina who nearly chose Huckabee, and the only place Mitt finished 4th or even 3rd despite Fred Thompson’s lackluster desire to be there. Evangelicals, don’t you find it the least bit ironic that Mormons continually turn the other cheek and you don’t? This discrimination should be a two way street against you if Mormons really are as bad as you say they are! The Primaries topped off with Florida and the late endorsement of Gov. Crist (R-FL) and Sen. Martinez (R-FL) boosting McCain who admitted he doesn’t know anything about the defining issue of our time!!! (the economy) California was a foregone conclusion after Florida unfortunately. Problematically, the charlatan Huckabee continued on for months afterwards and pretends he placed second. He NEVER got second. Mitt asked Michigan’s delegates to support McCain for party unity, like Huckabee should have done but he selfishly withheld them after paling around with McCain during the earlier primaries and pretending to care about keeping B. Hussein Obama out of the White House. What he really cared about is something called “Priestcraft.” I’ll let you look it up if you care to do so.
Former McCain and Huckabee supporters, get ready for a slew of Obama Executive orders that fly in the face of everything you believe in. You’ve worked hard to make sure the viable alternative wouldn’t be there to stop him, so please sit back and relax, your work is done for now. There will be time enough later to lament the costs of your actions.
November 12th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
You Can’t Get There From Here
by Kathleen Parker
Election Day has produced fresh fury from self-proclaimed “conservatives” promising never again to read me or fellow apostates who criticized the Republican ticket.
This is, of course, their right, but is this really the way to go about salvaging the Republican Party?
Yes, absolutely, let’s start censoring people who entertain ideas and opinions that make us unhappy. Now there’s a sure path to enlightenment!
http://townhall.com/columnists/KathleenParker/2008/11/12/you_cant_get_there_from_here
November 12th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
By supporting Palin, I think that person is essentially weakening our greatest argument for supporting Romney…only the BEST should rise to the top of the republican ticket. Palin is simply to simple. Her popularity is based on support from a group of evangelicals who feel it is most important to have one of their own on the ticket vs. one who is most competent.
Palin is the ENEMY as far as I am concerned.
Thank you Ann Coulter. I can only hope that such discussions will to continue to take place and I hope that people like Kathleen Parker will continue to have the courage to speak out against the path the republican party took in the 2008 election.
November 12th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Kathleen Parker is a . . . well, I’m a lady, so I won’t say what she is. But you get the picture.
And Chris . . . Obama IS the enemy of what America is. You should read David Freddoso’s well-documented book “The Case Against Barrack Obama.” Freddoso is a writer at National Reveiw. What Oama has in store for America is downright frightening.
Socialized Health Care . . . ask my Canadian husband how well THAT has worked out in his home country
FOCA - Obama voted against the ban on Illinois legislation identical to the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. This legislation would have protected babies who survived abortions.
On January 20 Obama will sign the mis-named Freedom of Choice Act, which will immediately legalize partial-birth abortion across the United States.
Obama and the Dems will enact legislation taking away the secret vote of people in the workplace when a company’s employees vote on whether or not to unionize.
Obama and the Dems wish to institute the Fairness Doctrine, which will silence talk radio . . . the biggest vocie of opposition he will have.
Obama and his henchman have already instituted secret talks with Hamas and Hezbollah, the terrorist organziations in the Middle East who are sworn enemies of Israel. Unless you are interested in seeing Israel destroyed, this should be very disturbing.
Obama and his thugs funded ACORN, who fraudelently registered thousands of voters, some of whom may have tipped this election in his favor.
Obama lied about a tax cut for 95% of Americans. That is impossible to do, as 30% of Americans already don’t pay any income tax at all. He will also let the Bush tax cuts expire which means an immediate 50% increase for the first $7,825/$11,200/$15,650 of taxable income for everyone. Also, he wants to lift the payroll tax limit on Social Security wages, which will mean an additional 12.9% increase in self-employment tax - in addition to the income tax increase.
Sounds like a real American agenda to me.
Shall I go on?
November 12th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
So Tracey, after reading what I just wrote, do you still think Sarah Palin is a greater enemy of the state than Obama?
November 12th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Rush Limbaugh predicts there will be much buyers’ remorse from those who voted Obama and who have little knowledge of his radical agenda.
Obama certainly waged a good marketing campaign. Now he has to govern. I hope he will do right by the country, but I’m not encouraged by what I have seen since the election.
What makes you all think he will be good for this country? I am REALLY curious.
November 12th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Heros for Romney??
What can we do to help Romney?
Sign the petition
Donate to free pac
leave comments
Let our neighbors know about the petiton.
Any other suggestions?
November 12th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Yes, Tracey . . . let’s follow Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment
November 12th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I have no buyers remorse about voting for Obama. it has had the desired effect in making our party reassess where it is going, and why. If we take advantage of this time wandering in the Wilderness (glad to hear Laura A and others using my term!) then we we come back a stronger and better party. If we blow it, then it’s our own fault.
November 12th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
So, Chris, you would sacrifice babies, our health care, and possibly ever having free and fair elections again, just so you can teach the Republicans a lesson?
Wow. Just . . . wow.
Let me know how that works out for you.
November 12th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Marybeth. I did not vote scared or unimformed. I’ve read pretty much everything about everyone. I did not want Palin or McCain and feel both would have taken our country to places we did not want to go. I don’t agree with the bush doctrine at all, and Palin’s foreign expert sits on a board that activly promotes that, with William Kristol at the helm. Ok, now I see his connection to her. I also have more faith in our country and it’s decision, than I do with the GOP as it is presently constituted.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
And you voted for Obama still, after all you know about him?
Chris, I am simply astonished. You have special-needs children. Did you know they and the elderly are the first to be denied medical treatment under socialized health care?
Like in Oregon . . . a woman who has cancer was denied treatment her physician prescribed - by the socialized medicine in the state. However, to soften the blow, they did say they would pay for assisted suicide. Aren’t they wonderful?
Obama????? I could never bring myself to vote for a Marxist.
I do indeed pray & hope true patriots in this country will fight this man tooth and nail.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Obama had momentum and the republicans failed to promote and candidate who could have beat him. Don’t try to blame the results of this election on people who didn’t like McCain / Palin. Instead work to make sure that the republicans don’t make the same mistake twice. As far as I am concerned Palin was a mistake and if she is the nominee in 2012 I will not vote for her.
I wrote in Mitt Romney’s name and Utah was red and McCain got our electoral votes. Chris may have voted for Obama but Utah electoral votes were counted for McCain.
As long as Palin is a “Christian Rock star” within this party then I view her as a threat to Romney just like Huckabee was a threat to Romney in 2008.
As far as Obama goes, I think he lacks experience to be President but McCains selection of Palin took experience off the table and frankly I think a lot of people thought Obama sounded more intelligent. By the way, did you ever see that Katie Couric interview. Whew!
November 12th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
My great-grandparents sacrificed and suffered A LOT to get to the United States 90 years ago . . . because of the freedoms we enjoy.
They escaped people like Obama, Pelosi, & Reid. They would never have embraced these thugs and what they stand for. They would turn over in their graves at what happened this election.
I really hope you’re right and that we can turn out this bum in 4 years. Or will you vote for him again if he enacts all of the policies I listed above.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Tracey, I don’t fault anyone who wrote in Mitt in a state where it did not matter.
In Florida, where I live, it indeed mattered. Guess I’m in that swing-state mindset.
Anyone who voted FOR Obama, however, I fail to understand.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Well, Marybeth I have to hand it to you for taking on all of us who our not big Palin supporters.
Romney is lucky to have people like you.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Tracey, thank you. I hope to be a big help to Mitt in the next couple of years.
This is good practice for my running for Republican state committeewoman in Florida!
November 12th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
You all give as good as I give, too. Worthy adversaries indeed!
Seriously, though, let’s work to change this party from the grassroots. It’s going to be a long couple of years.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Oh, and the Dow dropped another 400 points today. People are taking their $ out of the market in anticipation of Obama wrecking the economy further. This is by far the biggest drop in the Dow a week after a new president is elected. Bodes terribly for the future.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
If I had been in FL I would have felt the passion and concern that you have expressed.
I think people like Obama’s demeanor. McCain did not have a good demeanor.
I believe Romney should be the new face of the republican party and I hate to see a repeat of 2008. Hopefully, the grassroots effort could grow so strong that the primaries would be an easier road this time around. Let’s work to make it happen and I will try to ease up on my name calling with Palin but only if I know that she will not hurt Romney chances. Thanks!
November 12th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Marybeth,
Try not to confuse economic and political conditions . . . and good luck with your State Committee run in FLA.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Hey Marybeth, I have relatives there who supported Romney in the primaries. They are in the Jacksonville area.
Good luck in running for office. I will my relatives know about you if it would help.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Tracey, I am not a fan of McCain AT ALL.
However, I have a personal interest in being AGAISNT Obama & his thugs. A member of my extended family has been harrassed and under investigation by the US Special Counsel simply for speaking Obama’s middle name at a Sarah Palin rally:
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081006/NEWS0107/81006002
Obama may not have been directly involved in this, but it’s a sure bet his thugs - whom he supports - are.
I despise Obama and his minions with every fiber of my being.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I hope Chris will understand why I hate Obama after reading the above link.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
WOW!! Lots of great debating going on here. Marybeth - I gotta hand it to you. Well done, my friend… oops, did I just say my friend? LOL (I sound like McCain)
Anyhoo… I don’t like Palin a lot but I don’t dislike her either. I wish everyone would quit trashing her and just keep to the business at hand.
I’m all for supporting Mitt Romney in 2012 and if he is to run, I have faith he will choose a good running mate. Jindal maybe? Maybe.. I don’t know a whole lot about him but haven’t heard anything bad about him so I could vote for a Romney/Jindal ticket!!
As far as Obama as President?!?! *sigh* I will not be a hater like the far-left has been with President Bush. I hope he doesn’t ruin our country too much. I am very proud to say I didn’t vote for him. There’s no way I would’ve ever voted for a man who plans on doing all that Marybeth listed in a previous post.
I have this feeling that Romney WON’T run again. I hope I’m wrong there but it wouldn’t surprise me. If so, then who are we going to get behind?!?!?
And yeah, the DOW dropping immensely this week!! That is scary!! Doesn’t say much about the people’s confidence in our High and Mighty President Elect Obama eh?
November 12th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Mike, his wife Christa, and his two daughters have really suffered because of this. You have no idea.
Luckily, he easily won re-election as our sheriff.
Obama wants anyone who even says ONE LITTLE THING that could even be possibly construed as negative to be SHUT UP. And the fact that he wants to use the power of government to do it is FRIGHTENING.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Thank you for your kind post, Tami.
And yes, I LOVE Bobby Jindal. I’d LOVE to see him & Mitt team up in 2012.
I’m afraid Jindal’s going to get trashed on the national stage because he participated in an exorcism (he’s a staunchly pro-life Roman Catholic). It’d be best to get that all aired out NOW if he plans to run for national office some day.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
If we are going to win people over to Romney, we may need to point out the differences between Romney and Palin. Just like Romney had to point out the differences between himself and McCain.
What are those differences and how can we keep it constructive? Any thoughts?
November 12th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Maybe Jindal could go exercise those demons out of Wash.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I have a few - IQ, GMAT, LSAT, scores . . . being able to speak in complete sentences, and attending elite academic institutions, for starters.
The business background and the rest of Romney’s story is well known.
November 12th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Stephen, just because someone has a high IQ doesn’t make him/her a good person. And have you seen what hotbeds of Marxism those schools have become?
Clinton & Carter have VERY high IQs and went to prestigious elite institutions - Clinton to Yale & Oxford, Carter to the Naval Academy. Look how they turned out.
Conversely, Reagan went to a very small liberal arts college - Eureka College in Illinois - and was by all accounts a “C” student.
Would you have disregarded him as President because of he didn’t go to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, etc?
Perhaps you would.
I guess you’d look down on my son, too - who, incidentally,is a National Merit Scholar, had a perfect SAT score, & graduated in the top 5% of his class - but chose not to go to Harvard, Stanford, Duke, etc. He’s going to the University of Florida, because he got a full ride there and he figures he’ll wind up with enough debt after going to medical school.
But, according to your standards, my son can’t be intelligent because he’s not attending an “elite institution.”
I’m not impressed with someone just because he/she went to an Ivy-League school.
I’m impressed with Mitt because he is a successful businessman with a wonderful family . . . who has vast experience and would have made an excellent President. Perhaps still may.
November 12th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I for one am impressed by someone who can speak in something beyond a “sound bite”.
I loved the way Mitt always informs his listeners with details etc. Because it tells me that he is very well informed and up to speed on the issues. He really understands what is going on in today’s world. Today things are even more complicated and therefore I think we should only promote candidates within this party that have a good understanding of today’s economy,world etc.
I think Mitts IQ as well as training in college and through his career as made him an excellent candidate. I think we need to get away from this idea that we can pick someone based on the fact that we think they would make a good dinner guest. I think we should only support candidates who are bright and accomplished. Obama is bright and accomplished and in 2012 it will be ever more important to have a nominee on the republican who is bright and accomplished.
Bottom line, if McCain/ Palin supporters want to beat Obama next time around, then they need to view this ticket at a different angle and recognize that if Palin is the nominee in 2012, she will loose.
November 12th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Here’s how Sarah Palin could help the Republican party, make Huck look like even more of a schmuck, and redeem herself in my eyes (which I’m sure is an important item on her agenda!)
During the primaries, she had nothing but praise for Mitt. Wouldn’t it be great if she could become the voice of reason that convinces her evangelical fan base that the world will not end if they vote for a Mormon? Now, I’m sure this will never actually happen because she’s got her own political ambitions, but I can dream, right?
I posted about this on HotAir today and was promptly told that I was making it up that Palin was ever a Mitt supporter. Here’s a little bit of video proof:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6o6y8×5jGg
November 12th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Marybeth
I don’t think that Stephen meant that having a high IQ makes Mitt a good person. I think he views Mitt as being the more qualified person when compared to Palin.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Marybeth,
It’s not just the school issue, it’s a combination of factors that make Palin seem very unqualified. Grades and schools are just one piece of the puzzle. Reagan was smart, and showed it. He was a writer and visionary. He was well-grounded in conservative thought for many years before he ever became president.
Palin wants to ride in on a wave of personality. She wanted to be VP for at least a year, but failed to do ANYTHING to prepare. That tells me so much about her. She really does represent the anti-intellectual movement in the GOP, and that’s not a good direction. She’s not a bad person, I admire her in many ways, but we can’t set the bar so low for the most important job in the world.
I also don’t think telling the truth about her is trashing her. When you run for office, you are fair game — not for ridicule necessarily, but for you life and record to be scrutinized.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Kathleen Parker - I admire her. What did she do to deserve the vitriol? Spoke the truth about Palin. I hope she keeps doing it.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Marybeth,
Again, you resort to assumptions and continue to project your own inner workings, onto what I have written. The subject I commented on was the differences between Palin and Romney, not what constitutes or defines a good person.
What I think matters, as far as explaining Mitt’s credentials to others, is found by listing what he has accomplished in his academic, personal life, and professional achievements. (Remember the comment was what are the differences between Romney and Palin – and I will assume that this question was meant to embark beyond the male and female designations)
- Marxism - I do not have the time to really address that subject.
- I would not disregard Ronald Reagan as a President because he was a President, academic credentials aside. Again, you assume. I would however, list Reagan’s credentials that I believe were pertinent, even Eureka College and his numerous writings for starters. By the way, some small liberal arts colleges are considered to be elite institutions.
- As for your son, I think it is wonderful your son is attending the University of Florida and plans to go to medical school. Again, I have not inferred through my writing that your son, or anyone else for that matter, isn’t intelligent. Just because I wrote that Mitt Romney attended elite universities, appears to have a high IQ, joint Harvard Law / MBA. In fact, I am surprised you would project your thoughts about your son into your response regarding my comment. (The comment describes the differences in qualifications, between Romney and Palin. Of course, I only suggested a few of Romney’s qualifications for starters)
- Just because someone excels at an extraordinary high level, in one or more areas, doesn’t implicate others as being inferior, or of moderate intelligence, or not within reach of obtaining undergraduate scholarships at vaunted academic institutions.
You do not have to be impressed with someone that attended an Ivy League or another elite institution / school or scored 760 or higher on the GMAT, or 160 on the Stanford Binet test. These are merely numbers, credentials, and not Mitt’s, I might add.
Marybeth, in all seriousness, I think you are fighting a battle with yourself. Relax, and don’t get worked up. Your political future in Florida will stand a much better chance and you won’t jump to any false conclusions.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
REad this link (I am not he Chris who authored it, and the language is not what I would have used) to see one of many reasons I can’t support Palin. I have African American children.
http://outsidereport.blogspot.com/2008/10/palins-mob-modern-day-rebecca-felton.html
November 12th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Dow was dropping well before Obama was elected. This is nothing new, but a daily occurence. Markets go up, markets go down. This is a down time. It’s not Obama’s fault. In a few months, it might well be. But geeze. Let the dude take office first. I do admire him for making sure his mother in law is cared for. She’ll be moving in with the family. She’s 71, and helps with the kids a lot. It’s great to see a close family.
November 12th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Chris, I am not just going by what the Dow says in the last few days . . . I am going by history. Everytime a new president is elected, the market has gone up.
Except now.
I also have clients who are pulling their assets out of the market because they are very concerned about the huge increase in capital gains that Obama is planning. I am a CPA, and although this is anecdotal, watching this happen with very savvy business clients could be indicative of what the market as a whole is doing.
Personally, I am VERY concerned about leaving my 401k money anywhere where Obama might get at it. You do know that he and the Dems want to take your retirement plans and fold them into a huge government retirement plan, to which the government will “generously” contribute $600 per year. And you know they wish to take away the tax deferment character of retirement plan contributions that we currently have.
That takes away many people’s incentive to save for retirement. Therefore, many more people will be dependent on government.
But hey, Obama is good to his family . . . like his half-brother in the hut in Kenya, living on a dollar a month. And his aunt living in the US illegally - in a Boston slum no less - who had a deportation order that she has ignored for 4 years. Who was at Obama’s Senate inaugaration. Whom he talked about extensively in his books as someone he looked up to and admired.
If you admire that kind of devotion to his family . . . well . . .
And Stephen, i apologize . . . I misread your comment about the IQ thing. I have never said Palin is more qualified than Romney. I thought you were taking the measure of a person in general by how high their IQ is or what elite school they attended.
But please don’t be patronizing about my running for office in Florida. If we are to get involved to try and change things, we should be encouraging each other, not being sarcastic, which is what I am reading into your snarky comment. If I am wrong, please correct me.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Marybeth - I didn’t take his comment as snarky at all.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Is Palin making a huge play for 2012 or what? She’s everywhere, cooking up a storm and playing not so coy about 2012. Sheesh, wait a week or two girl!
I’ve noticed she’s making sure to blame 2008 on anyone/everyone but herself. That takes a certaim kind of hubris that is anything but attractive, especially in light of everything that happened. But she doesn’t care how inept she was. She knows she has guys like Ruhs in her back pocket.
I said months ago that this gal is one politically ambitious woman. She’s proving it, her VP run was just one step in her plan. She angled for it, got it and is moving on to the next gig — first woman pres. I wouldn’t have a problem with it if she didn’t have a little one who needs her, and if she were truly interested in being qualified for the job. I can’t imagine that she honestly believes she can be president! But, yet she does. That is pretty scary stuff.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Is she really too stupid to know that she’s not qualified?
November 12th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Dick Morris was just on Bill O’Reilly being Dick Morris-anti Mitt. Guess what? He says that these rumors are being spread by people in the campaign who want to work with someone else next election. I wonder who he means. He also said that none of the things that they were saying about Palin are true. Speaking of knowing her, Morris said,”I spent 3 hours with her. She knows Africa…” It sounds like they covered a lot of ground in 3 short hours.
A lot of what we read and hear about Palin are as true as all of the things we read and hear about Obama. Something to think about.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Pamela . . . like Obama
Now he’s president-elect. I don’t know about you, but having a Marxist as the president is much scarier to me right now.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Tracey, can you tell me what things you are talking about in regard to Obama that you have read or heard?
I can’t tell if you mean we should take these things seriously or not.
Dick Morris is a very frustrating person to me.
He likes Huckabee (GAG!!!)
He worked to elect Obama’s tribal cousin Odinga as President of Kenya - whose supporters went on a murderous rampage when he didn’t win.
He can’t stand Hillary (which is a good thing, IMHO).
He has turned out some pretty good columns about the election, and some that are just so far out in left field I wonder where he is coming from.
He verbally slapped Skeletor (aka Alan Colmes) around pretty good on hannity and colems a few weeks ago, which I thoroughly enjoyed, because I’d like to do the same thing sometimes!
He also thought Condoleeza Rice should have run for president - another GAG.
One week he was gung-ho on McCain, the next week trashed him.
I don’t know where he stands, except on national defense he is a hawk. So I’d have to peg him as a political opportunist.
Following that logic, it’s possible we will see him pop up in the Obama re-election campaign 4 years from now. *shudder*
November 12th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Pamela, are you sure you’re not really Obama or Biden blogging here under a different name?
/trying to be funny, but probably failing miserably!
In all seriousness, let’s say Mitt is the nominee in 2012, which I fervently hope and pray for, by the way.
If he should choose Sarah Palin to be his running mate, what will you do?
And don’t say he won’t do it. We don’t know what the political landscape will be 4 years from now.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Morris is almost always exactly wrong on everything, and he’s ALWAYS anti-Romney. I don’t give him any credence whatsoever. He’s a toe-sucking idiot.
Marybeth - We agree on Obama.
I don’t think Mitt would ever choose Palin for VP because she effectively killed her shot at VP once already. There’s alot of folks on the right who are still in love with her, but I think the reality of how destructive she was this go-round will catch up to her. Romney would have to be a dunce to choose her, and I don’t think he is one.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Pamela, politics have made stranger bedfellows . . . think Kennedy & Johnson.
I am not saying Mitt would choose Sarah . . . but what if he did? What would you do?
November 12th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
The stock market is down 1200 points since the Obamessiah won the election last week. Ugh.
Where is the media? This should be a major story.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
The media is too busy going gaga over Michelle O’s fashion sense and the future First Dog to cover a pesky little topic like the stock market plummet.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
JA, I’m not impressed with MO’s fashion sense . . . too many times it looks like she’s wearing a flower-patterned couch. Or my grandmother’s old drapes.
How many people here who saw what she wore election night thought it made her look like a black widow spider?
Why does she so often look as though she’s sucking on a lemon?
And when she does smile, it looks very forced & fake . . . like Hillary
I know - it’s all catty and superficial.
But she’s such a hate-filled person that I can’t compliment her on very much.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
More proof of voters’ distrust and perhaps some buyers’ remorse about Obama?
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/12/surprise-gun-sales-through-the-roof-since-election/comment-page-1/#comments
I’m buying a gun for the first time in my life, and I’m registered for a concealed carry weapon class this coming Monday.
If Obama’s Marxist Youth Brigade comes for my gun, they’ll have to pry it from my cold dead hands first.
/only half-joking
November 12th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Here is Reagan’s 64 Goldwater address - fantastic and fascinating at the same time, because it sounds like he’s addressing today’s issues - when you have a spare half-hour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt1fYSAChxs
November 12th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
I bet the White House staff will be sorry to see the Bushes leave. Can you imagine having to work for Queen Michelle? As nasty as she is, heads will roll on a regular basis!
I wonder if Oprah will have her own bedroom - maybe the one Barbra Streisand used when she visited Bill Clinton. Given the list of scary characters the Obamas associate with, who knows who will be parading through the White House.
How much better would we all be feeling if the ever-gracious Ann Romney was our new First Lady? Sigh…
November 13th, 2008 at 7:54 am
LOL, JA!
Ayers will be sliding down the White House banister with TNT in hand, Jeremiah will be jumping up and down on the Lincoln bed, Farrakahn will be mindlessly marching up and down the west wing, while Khalidi is busy covering all the security cameras.
November 13th, 2008 at 9:59 am
And McCain will be in the Senate.
November 13th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Article on Mitt and 2012:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/13/romney.future/index.html
November 13th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Palin gets cold shoulder:
http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/news/story/but-what-about-palin/