Day: November 9, 2011

The CNBC Republican Presidential Debate: Perry And Cain Big Losers; Gingrich And Huntsman Big Winners!

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The CNBC Republican Presidential debate tonight on the economy really separated the “men” from the “boys”!

The big losers were Rick Perry, who could not remember the Department of Energy as one of the government departments he wants to abolish, coming across as totally inept; and Herman Cain, who gave a poor performance regarding his ethics, and kept on referring to his ridiculous 9-9-9 plan constantly!

The big winners were Newt Gingrich, who came across as what he was: thoughtful in ideas, intelligent, knowledgeable, but also very demagogic in many of his statements; and Jon Huntsman, who appeared to be stronger than he has been, and has a shot at becoming a serious candidate.

Mitt Romney did not do anything disastrous in his performance in the debate, but did not strengthen his case either, so Gingrich and Huntsman now appear to be his chief competitors.

Ron Paul was. . . . . well, Ron Paul, a curmudgeon with ideas totally impractical, but strong as usual in his assertiveness.

And Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum are not worthy of spending time discussing, as neither improved their position in the race.

So the main story of this debate is the collapse of the Perry and Cain campaigns, and the strengthening of Gingrich and Huntsman.

We shall see in a few days whether the author’s judgments show up reflected in the polls, but we have learned that polls do not necessarily relate to reality, and the audience at this debate acted just as insensitive and outrageous as at earlier debates.

The performance of the debaters does not bode well for the GOP, on top of their weak performance in yesterday’s key issues decided by the voters in Ohio, Mississippi, Maine, and Arizona.

Major Blow Against Nativism: Russell Pearce, Author Of Illegal Immigration Law In Arizona, Is Successfully Ousted In Recall Election!

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Yesterday was not only a great day for labor rights, women’s rights, and voter rights, but also for the fight against the bigotry and prejudice and nativism of those who have forced through state legislatures, including Arizona and Alabama, draconian laws on illegal immigration.

Russell Pearce, the author of the infamous Arizona law, was defeated by 53-45 percent in a recall election, in which his opponent, Jerry Lewis, a notice in politics, but also a Republican, ran against Pearce’s hateful, bigoted stand on immigration.

Lewis saw what Pearce and others are doing as wrong and politically damaging to the future of the Republican Party in Arizona and elsewhere, and thank goodness, common sense and common decency prevailed, and sent a warning to other bigots that their time of influence is fast coming to an end!

Mitt Romney, His Auto Bailout Opposition, And The Midwest In The 2012 Election

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Mitt Romney, when all is said and done, is likely to be the Republican Presidential nominee, but he will have a great deal of trouble winning the “swing states” in the Midwest and even in Pennsylvania, because of his strong stand against the auto industry bailout pursued by President Barack Obama in 2009.

Romney, whose father was an auto executive and Governor of Michigan in the 1960s, strongly opposed any bailout and called for bankruptcy in very clear cut terms.

This will come back to haunt him in the campaign, and tonight, at the CNBC debate in Michigan, the state in which he was born, Romney will be confronted with the issue of the auto industry revival, with more than 1.4 million jobs saved, not only in Michigan, but also in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota, all “swing states” which are appreciative that Obama did not give up on the industry.

It was not only the auto industry itself, but satellite industries that supply parts and service for the auto industry, that won out by Obama coming to their aid.

The auto companies are paying back the loans, and the American economy, as bad as it is, would be far worse off if Barack Obama had not had the courage to do what he did.

Mitt Romney’s stand, which he cannot revoke, unlike other issues that he flip flops on regularly, will ultimately defeat him in the Presidential Election of 2012!

The Effects Of The Ohio Vote Against John Kasich Sponsored Attack On Organized Labor

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The victory of public sector workers in Ohio against the law taking away labor union rights to collective bargaining yesterday is a blow to Governor John Kasich and a warning to other Republican governors in Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine and other states who had seen their 2010 victories as license for attacks on the middle class.

This is an issue which can help Democrats nationally and in the states to win back control of the House of Representatives, retain control of the Senate, and gain control of state legislatures and, eventually, the governor’s office.

It is also a sign that Ohio, the crucial state for Republicans nationally, with EVERY Republican President winning it on the way to victory since the beginning of the party in 1854, is open to a second victory by Barack Obama in 2012.

A win in Ohio would be a major step toward an electoral vote victory, and would likely mean that other “swing states” would join in reelecting Barack Obama. The odds of an Obama victory have been increased by what has happened in Ohio!

Commemoration Of Two Events On November 9: One Wonderful, One Tragic!

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Today, November 9, marks two events, both in Germany, which changed the world–one in a positive way, the other in a very tragic way!

On this day in 1989, the Berlin Wall, which symbolized the horrors of Communism, came down spontaneously in East Germany, leading to the downfall of the Soviet Union two years later, and the end of the Cold War between Russia and the United States led alliance of NATO.

The collapse of the wall gave the world hope for a peaceful future, no one being aware that the Persian Gulf War just over a year later helped to lead to the new age of terrorism, which had already begun, but accelerated after US forces were stationed in Saudi Arabia, the home of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in the Islamic faith.

Fifty one years earlier, in 1938, in Nazi Germany, we had the tragedy of Kristallnacht, the Night of the Broken Glass, when the Nazis unleashed an attack on Jewish citizens and property, including synagogues ransacked and set on fire, along with businesses, shops, and the destruction of cemeteries, and the arrest of thousands and the death of many Jews in a vicious manner. This is now seen as the beginning of the Holocaust, and sadly, while there was condemnation of the actions on November 9 and 10, the international community did little more than condemn verbally.

So the later date marked the end of Communism in Eastern Europe, while the first marked the growing menace of Nazism and anti Semitism, and the horrors of anti Semitism are still a reality in the world today!

The Two Sides Of DC: The Vastly DIfferent Worlds Of Maryland And Virginia!

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The District of Columbia is surrounded by Maryland and Virginia, and the differences between these two states are vast!

Back in the Civil War period, Maryland remained loyal to the Union, although having slavery and secessionists, while Virginia, with vastly more slaves and more rebels, became the leader of the Confederacy, and had the Confederate capitol at Richmond.

Now, Maryland is one of the most loyal Democratic states, very liberal and progressive, and has Governor Martin O’Malley, who is seen by many as an early favorite competitor for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2016. The legislature is heavily Democratic as well.

Meanwhile, Virginia has a possible future competitor for President in 2016 in Governor Bob McDonnell, who also may be a possible Vice Presidential nominee for Mitt Romney, if he is the GOP Presidential candidate in 2012. Also, the state legislature is heavily Republican, and now after yesterday’s election, that party will control both houses of the state legislature for only the second time in a century. Social conservatives will wish to promote their agenda as a result, although the northern part of Virginia tends to be very liberal as a bedroom community for the national capital’s work force.

Could two states be more different? That is hard to imagine, and yet it could be, in theory, that O’Malley and McDonnell could be competing against each other’s philosophies and visions and agenda in the Presidential Election of 2016!

Michele Bachmann And Socialism: The Ultimate Socialist!

Ronald 1 Comment

Michele Bachmann loves to attack government programs and socialism, and has now called Mitt Romney a “Frugal” Socialist, and Barack Obama an “out of control” Socialist.

While attacking Socialism, however, in reality, Michele Bachmann is the most “Socialist” candidate in the race for the Republican nomination for President, based on actions!

She and her husband have a family farm, and have accepted agricultural socialism or subsidies worth a quarter of a million dollars without complaint, and even by a thank you note to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack!

Also, her husband runs a counseling service to help gays become straight, supposedly, and this is also federally funded!

Hmm, so Michele Bachmann is an “out of control” Socialist, based on actions rather than words!

Which means Michele Bachmann is an “out of control” HYPOCRITE, big time!

Political Experience, Public Office, And The Presidency

Ronald 1 Comment

One would think that to be President of the United States, one should have political and governmental experience, and have been voted into office by American citizens. That is, the Presidency is NOT a place to learn how government works, and experience of some type electorally is essential!

And yet, Herman Cain is running without ANY government credentials, and having never been elected to any office by any part of the American population!

What gall to think that he is qualified because he is a businessman, when government is NOT a business, and business experience is greatly overrated, and does not train one to run a government, on the scale that being in elective office DOES qualify someone to lead the American people!

The question arises as to how many Presidential candidates or Presidents have had no government electoral experience.

There have been two businessmen who ran for President–Wendell Willkie in 1940 as a Republican and Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996 as an Independent candidate for the White House. Both had a much more distinguished business career than Herman Cain could ever even dream of!

We have also had military generals who have run for office without political experience, with three being elected President–Zachary Taylor in 1848, Ulysses Grant in 1868 and 1872, and Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956, with only Eisenhower rated highly by scholars of the Presidency.

Three other generals ran and lost the Presidential race–Winfield Scott in 1852, George McClellan in 1864, and Winfield Scott Hancock in 1880.

Also, there were two cabinet members who never served in elective office, other than the Presidency–William Howard Taft in 1908 after serving as Secretary of War; and Herbert Hoover in 1928, after serving as Secretary of Commerce. But neither is rated very high among the Presidents.

So the best way to look at it is: If you wish to run for President and lead our nation, you MUST have electoral experience, particularly in the modern era when the job requires political experience as crucial, not business experience as head of a corporation whose only aim is PROFIT!