Iowa

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 Implosion Of Herman Cain: Arrogance, Egotism, And Sexual Harassment!

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So the Herman Cain candidacy was “fun” while it lasted, even though it lacked any principle, consistency, or substance!

How anyone could have seen Herman Cain as qualified to be President, when even his business background has been less than Wendell Willkie in 1940, the only businessman with no political experience to be a Presidential nominee, is beyond understanding!

The man has no concept or understanding of what it means to be President, as shown by his 9-9-9 plan, his abortion statements, his comments on a border fence to keep out illegal immigrants, his thoughts on dealing with terrorism, and refusing the idea of any Muslims in his cabinet.

For Herman Cain to believe he was qualified to be President shows a high level of arrogance and egotism, and it is just further proved by the revelation of charges of sexual harassment by two female staffers at the National Restaurant Association back in the 1990s, who were paid financial settlements and signed agreements not to talk about the incidents publicly.

Herman Cain refused to answer when asked four times by a reporter from Politico, and yet it is known such financial arrangements did occur, so it means Herman Cain’s campaign, while it might go on for a while, is not going to survive long term. The issue will dog him on the campaign trail, and it should turn evangelical Christians in Iowa and elsewhere against his candidacy.

To blame liberals for the reports is hypocrisy personified, as it is well known that many liberals have been exposed for sexual harassment, and this is not an issue of ideology. It is an issue of honesty, integrity, ethics, and responsibility for personal behavior, and Herman Cain cannot be allowed to claim he is a victim, what could be called the Clarence Thomas card!

Instead, just as much as John Edwards, Bill Clinton, and others have been pursued, personal behavior for public figures DOES matter, and it has nothing to do with politics!

The Republicans On The Road To Self Destruction Over Religion!

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The Republican Party, in theory, has a fantastic opportunity to win the 2012 Presidential Election, considering the bad economic situation we are in, with no likelihood of the unemployment rate going down below 9 percent over the next year.

But in the midst of this hopeful sign for the party, it is religion that looks as if it will divide the GOP, and help to cause their defeat.

It is the same issue that we had with Al Smith in 1928 and John F. Kennedy in 1960, because of their Catholicism.

It is now the issue of the Mormon Church and the candidacy of Mitt Romney, and also, Jon Huntsman, both of whom have the best opportunity to overwhelm Barack Obama in next year’s election, were either of them to become the nominee of the party.

But with evangelical Christians in the South and border states having prejudice against not only Mormons, but also Catholics. Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, there is a real barrier to Romney or Huntsman being able to win enough support in the primaries and caucuses, many of the early states (Iowa and South Carolina as examples) dominated by the evangelicals.

And if either were to, somehow, win the nomination, there is a good chance that someone would form a third party and divide the Republican vote, helping Obama to return to office.

As if the Republican Party does not have enough trouble with its inability to attract African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, gays, and educated women, they add the burden of using religion as a disqualifying factor that may destroy any chance of them regaining power in the White House!

The “Dark Horses” Of The Republican Presidential Race: Ron Paul And Herman Cain

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It is still nearly three months to the first voting in the Iowa Caucuses on January 3, followed by the vote in the New Hampshire Primary, the Nevada Caucuses, the South Carolina Primary, and the Florida Primary, all within the month of January!

The Republican Presidential race has gone from one favored candidate to another, including Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Mitt Romney, with three other well known candidates floundering–Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich.

Meanwhile, two other candidates–Ron Paul and Herman Cain–ignored by the mainstream media and many political experts–are suddenly surging and drawing attention, and makes one wonder could either of them actually win the GOP Presidential nomination to oppose President Barack Obama in November 2012?

Paul has certainly been gaining more support, and his views on social and foreign policy issues resonate with many more voters than when he ran four years ago.

Herman Cain, who is African American and the CEO of Godfather Pizza, has been an even bigger surprise to many, and seems to arouse support in an emotional manner.

Today, at the Values Voters Summit in Washington, DC, a group of social conservatives, Ron Paul won 37 percent of the straw vote, with Cain second with 23 percent, way ahead of the other candidates.

Can this really happen–either one being the next nominee of the Republican Party? It seems highly unlikely, but after Barack Obama winning the Democratic nomination and the Presidency in 2008, who can be so sure that it could not happen in the Republican Party, and in the right (or wrong) circumstances lead to one of them in the White House in 2012?

The Crazy Presidential Caucus-Primary System Shows Up Again!

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It is amazing to the outside world and to many Americans how this nation goes about picking its presidential candidates of the major political parties,and it cries for reform pronto!

Just as in 2008 with the Democrats, now the Republicans in the state of Florida have decided they want an earlier date for their primary, and in so doing, they lose some convention delegates, and force the four earlier states that traditionally have voted first in the presidential caucuses and primaries to move them earlier to January, rather than February.

So Iowa’s caucuses will occur at the beginning of January, followed by New Hampshire’s primary approximately a week later, and then by South Carolina’s primary and Nevada’s caucuses, finishing up January with Florida voters participating in the GOP primary there on January 31.

This will force all of the candidates to increase their campaign time in these five states, as they lose at least a few weeks by the earlier dating of the beginning of the nomination process.

With many of the primaries and caucuses scheduled as regional events on March 6, it is still likely that by the “Ides of March”, March 15, that one Republican will have enough delegates to be the nominee of the party.

But the idea that rural, unrepresentative states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and to some extent, South Carolina, have such a major influence on the nomination, calls for massive reform of the whole system, but this is brought up every four year cycle, but never leads to change.

Florida, by breaking the rules and scheduling their primary earlier, and with them being the fourth largest state, and soon to be third, still seems ultimately the most important early state.

But there is no need to be envious of those who run, whether Democrat or Republican, as the whole nomination process is a mess and makes the seeking of the White House a true chore and challenge that wears many candidates out, including in support and financing!

Sarah Palin On Third Anniversary Of VP Nomination: Don’t Forget Me As I Exploit My Celebrity And Gain Attention!

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Former Vice Presidential nominee and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin showed up in Indianola, Iowa, on Saturday, on the third anniversary of her becoming a national figure.

Reading from a text, she issued attacks on Barack Obama, saying he had not been fully vetted, an interesting statement, since she herself had not been fully vetted, and had John McCain done so, he would have chosen someone who was qualified in an emergency to become President of the United States.

Palin has exploited her brief moment on the national stage for all it is worth, demonstrating she is a good capitalist, while at the same attacking “crony capitalism”, implying her criticism of Republican front runner Governor Rick Perry of Texas. It seems as if she is jealous of Perry having a lead, when every poll shows only a very small percentage, including the adoring fans who showed up at the political rally, interested in her running for President!

The odds of her running are slim, as she well knows she has no chance to be our President, but she seems unwilling to drop the idea altogether, so kept the crowd wondering if she would announce for President by the end of September, which is really the deadline if one is to build a campaign organization, which she has taken no steps toward creating.

Palin gave her own prescription for economic recovery, showing she has no clue to the reality of our economy. She called for the following:

1. Repeal the Obama Health Care plan.
2. Cut back federal regulations.
3. Increase domestic energy production.
4. Give more spending authority to state governments.
5.Eliminate all corporate income taxes.

Palin also criticized Establishment Republicans who attack the Tea Party as a group of “hobbits”, which meant she was attacking her former running mate, Senator John McCain, without mentioning his name!

She also attacked the “permanent political class”, referring to those who have held public office a long time, including Rick Perry, and by implication, John McCain.

Apparently, the fact that she had LESS political experience than Barack Obama in public office, and quit as Alaska Governor in the middle of her one term, even evoking surprise this week from former Vice President Dick Cheney, is seen by her as a plus, but by no one else who has any brains in their head!

So Sarah is basically just saying she does not want to be forgotten, and is exploiting her celebrity, and gaining attention from those who have no clue as to how to run a government and take responsibility for serious problems and issues!

The Anti Science, Anti Knowledge Political Party: The Republicans!

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The Republican Party race for the Presidential nomination in 2012 is revealing just how ignorant, how dim witted, and how opportunistic all of the candidates are, with the one exception of former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.

Only Huntsman is willing to speak up for science, for global warming, climate change, and evolution. All of the rest of the field, except Mitt Romney, prefers to point out that they are “good” Christians, and therefore allow theology to trump science, and put their heads in the sand!

What a model for America’s children, who are being encouraged to let religion dominate their brains, rather than science!

And Romney, who privately has the same views as Huntsman, is starting to hedge on it publicly, because he has no guts or courage, and wants the GOP Presidential nomination so badly he will sell his soul, and act as if he totally agrees with the rest of the ignorant crowd competing against him!

So we have six candidates out of eight who do not accept science, one (Romney) who has no willingness to stand up for what he knows is factually correct, and Huntsman, the only true, sincere, EDUCATED candidate, also with more foreign policy insight than all seven of his opponents combined, competing to run against a man (Barack Obama), who is highly educated, understands science, respects the scientific method, and speaks for knowledge and education!

One would think that the obvious battle for President should be between Huntsman and Obama, an intelligent competition!

Instead, it seems pretty certain that one of the others will be the nominee of the party for the leadership of our country, and responsibility for world affairs. This is due to polls (Public Policy Polling), which indicate that only 21 percent of Republican voters in Iowa believe in global warning, and only 35 percent believe in evolution!

The anti intellectualism of Republicans is absolutely mind boggling and troubling for the future of America in the 21st century!

The Iowa Straw Poll: The Triumph Of Illusion Over Reality!

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The results of the Ames Iowa Straw Poll is proof that those who participated in the straw poll, a total of about 17,000 people, are living on hallucinatory medication!

The fact that Michele Bachmann won about one out of four voters, and that Ron Paul was a very close second, demonstrates that those who participated are far from the norm of America, as there is NO POSSIBILITY that either Bachmann or Paul will be the Republican nominee, and were either to be so, it would be the suicide of the Republican party!

Ron Paul’s libertarian view has no chance at all to carry the country, and his isolationist foreign policy, while appealing to many emotionally, would never gain the support of most Republicans in a nationwide race.

Michele Bachmann, who says God speaks to her, and tells her what to do, and that she believes in being “submissive” to her husband, is clearly someone who alarms those who believe in separation of church and state, and those who believe in gender equality, with the vast majority of modern women refusing to consider a candidate with her religious views of the role of women in 21st century America!

Yesterday was a day quite depressing for mainstream Republicans who are alarmed at what is happening to the party of Lincoln, TR, Eisenhower, and Reagan. But should, or will the votes of 17,000 right wingers in Iowa be enough to cause the party to commit suicide? That is extremely hard to imagine!

Margaret Hoover And The Future Of The Republican Party: Eliminate Social Conservatism And The Religious Right Influence

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Margaret Hoover is the great granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover, and has written a new book entitled AMERICAN INDIVIDUALISM, in which she promotes the ideas of her great grandfather as the way for the Republican Party to grow and succeed in the future, by drawing the support of voters under 35 with their often expressed view of economic conservatism mixed with social liberalism.

Hoover says that social issues have damaged the Republican Party, and that they have become tied to the evangelical Right on such issues as abortion and gay rights and school prayer, and that these issues should not be connected to the party platform, as they cause the loss of support among those under 35.

Separation of church and state should be promoted, as it was until the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the party was influenced and captured by the Christian Coalition of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and other evangelicals who have become influential factors in Iowa and elsewhere, and have a tremendous influence on the Presidential nominating process and the Congress.

Even if one does not agree with Margaret Hoover’s promotion of economic conservatism, one can sympathize with her view that the Republican Party needs to stop being captive to the religious Right, liberate itself, and if it does so, it will have a better, long term future competing for the younger more socially liberal voting population, which has grown dramatically in recent years.

And as far as the evangelical Christian right is concerned, they have every right to run a third party candidate, but their influence over the major parties should be eliminated, and we should return to the concept of separation of church and state in American politics.

Iowa: Rapidly Becoming Insignificant In The Presidential Nominating Contest!

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The state of Iowa has the first vote in the Presidential contest of 2012, as it is the host of the first caucuses on February 6, 2012. Tons of publicity and media coverage are being given to that state, but it is hard to believe that what happens in Iowa will have any real impact long term on the Election of 2012.

Since the caucuses began in 1972, only two Presidential winners running in a non-incumbent year have won Iowa–George W. Bush in 2000 and Barack Obama in 2008. Ronald Reagan ended up second in 1980 and George H. W. Bush was third in 1988. Jimmy Carter ended up second in 1976 and Bil Clinton fourth in 1992.

The problem with all caucuses, which about one third of the states use instead of primaries, is that only activists are involved, rather than the masses of the population, and they tend to be more extreme–with the Republicans being more to the RIght of center, and the Democrats to the Left of center.

So when it seems that Michele Bachmann is in the lead in Iowa, but that Rick Perry, if he enters, would compete for the evangelical Christian vote, and that Tim Pawlenty will be left “in the dust”, and Herman Cain has some support because of his statements about Muslims and Mormons, and that Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are not seen as serious candidates–all this should tell us that once Iowa has done its part in the nominating process, we are very likely to look back and say Iowa AGAIN had little impact on the ultimate nominee of the Republican Party in the Presidential Election of 2012!