Mitt Romney

The Conservative Assault On Mitt Romney Grows: George Will And Erick Erickson

Ronald Leave a comment

As the conservatives in the Republican Party move from one candidate to another in their search for the ideal conservative nominee for President, Mitt Romney keeps on chugging along with about one fourth of the vote in every national and state poll.

There is absolutely no inspiration or excitement among conservatives for Mitt Romney, with the feeling that he has no principles that he will not abandon in his quest for the Presidency, if it will gain support for his candidacy.

This is a real weakness that Mitt Romney would have to face if he ends up as the GOP Presidential nominee, and more conservatives daily are indicating they would be unable to accept him.

It is also clear that a Romney Presidency would face major hurdles, as if he gains a dominantly conservative GOP majority in Congress, he will have troubles dealing with them, similar to Barack Obama’s troubles.

The irony is that Romney would probably have more support at times from Democrats, although they also would not be willing to give him too many victories, so as to defeat him for reelection.

But first things first, as now in the past ten days,. well respected conservative George Will, and today, conservative blogger Erick Erickson have made it very clear they cannot accept Romney, and think he would lose to Barack Obama in the Presidential Election of 2012, and would take the conservative movement with him down the drain, and that they cannot tolerate.

So one wonders if a third party effort would develop, or if conservatives would just stay home, unenthusiastic and unwilling to vote for Romney, therefore giving Obama the victory.

So with one year to go to the election, and with growing dissatisfaction with front runner Mitt Romney, the odds in favor of Barack Obama seem to be improving!

Will Newt Gingrich Become The “Anti Romney” Conservative Alternative?

Ronald Leave a comment

So the “Flavor of the Month” is rapidly losing support in the Republican Party!

With a woman coming out today with a statement that Herman Cain made inappropriate sexual advances toward her, the fourth such woman, and this one willing to show her face, we will soon see the rapid decline of Herman Cain as a Presidential candidate, no great loss, as he had proved to be inadequate in his preparation, and ill informed on one issue after another, and with a crazy 9-9-9 tax plan that would raise taxes on the middle class and help the rich avoid taxes more than now!

With Herman Cain on the decline, after Rick Perry last month and Michele Bachmann the month before, now it looks more likely that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich might become the new “Anti Romney” conservative alternative for the Republican Presidential nomination.

Gingrich has the intelligence, the knowledge, the skills that are needed, no doubt, to run for the Presidency. He is a very skilled debater who would make a confrontation between himself and President Barack Obama the best Presidential debates ever, since the Lincoln Douglas Senate debates in Illinois in 1858!

What he lacks is discipline, control of his rhetoric and personal behavior, and an absolutely horrific record of scandal, poor ethics, and low morals as Speaker, and in his personal life, having had three marriages and two divorces, and a reputation as a womanizer par excellence!

GIngrich has always been one of the nastiest campaigners around, and has made some of the most outrageous statements and issued some of the most disgraceful personal attacks on President Obama. He has no shame, and seems to be immune to anything but his own ambitions and desires.

The thought of a Gingrich Presidency is to imagine someone who would be more hostile to the press and more controversial in the Presidency than anyone we have ever had. It would be damaging to the institution of the Presidency, and lower the reputation historically of that office!

This shows the sad state of the Republican Party, that Mitt Romney is unable to move beyond 25 percent in any poll, and the reality that conservatives do not want him, and are looking high and low for any alternative to the former Massachusetts Governor.

So with rising public opinion poll support, expect Newt Gingrich to become the new “Flavor of the Month” for November!

Nate Silver Gives Odds For Republican Presidential Candidates A Year Before The Presidential Election

Ronald 1 Comment

Nate Silver of the NEW YORK TIMES on Friday explained, according to his statistical model, the odds of any GOP candidate for President having the opportunity to win the popular vote in the 2012 Presidential Election..

Note he does not say that any of these candidates will win the election, because, of course, the Electoral College will decide who wins the White House, and four times the popular vote loser nationally (1824, 1876, 1888, 2000) has won the election.

According to his model, the best candidate with the most opportunity to win is Jon Huntsman, the former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China, who has so far made no dent in the public opinion polls.

And yet, Silver’s argument is that with a 2.5% growth of the economy in 2012, a fairly tepid growth thought to be the most likely and best scenario, Huntsman has a 71 percent chance of winning the popular vote, as compared to 58 percent for Mitt Romney. No other candidate can win under this model, with Herman Cain having a 41 percent chance, Rick Perry a 30 percent chance, and Michele Bachmann having a 12 percent chance.

IF there is a stalled economy with no growth, Huntsman’s chances rise to 90 percent, Romney to 83 percent, Cain to 70 percent, Perry to 59 percent, and Bachmann to 34 percent.

If GDP grows only 2.3 percent instead of 2.5 percent, Huntsman has a 73 percent chance of winning, Romney 60 percent, Cain 44 percent, Perry 32 percent, and Bachmann 14 percent.

If the economy grows by the unexpected amount of 4 percent GDP growth, then Huntsman has a 55 percent chance, Romney 40 percent, Cain 25 percent, Perry 17 percent, and Bachmann 5 percent.

Notice that Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum are not even considered in this model drawn up by Nate Silver.

It ultimately comes down to what the author has said many times; that Jon Huntsman, despite his poor performance in polls so far, is by far the best bet for the Republican Party against Barack Obama, BUT the Tea Party does not care for him; evangelical Christians will not like him for being a Mormon; and unless he can win New Hampshire, he will have no opportunity to move ahead, and right now it seems unlikely.

And since Romney has many of the same problems as Huntsman, as listed above, and has actually less of a chance than Huntsman among key GOP groups, it looks likely that the Republican Party will blow the chance they theoretically have to win the White House!

The Further Deterioration Of The Presidential Candidates: Can’t We Find Qualified Candidates?

Ronald Leave a comment

The deterioration of the Republican Party continues, and it is amazing that whenever one thinks we have reached the “bottom of the barrel”, the situation gets worse.

Many have criticized George W. Bush as not very bright, not very qualified to be our President, and some have unfairly said he is the worst President in American history, a totally inaccurate statement.

But when one looks at all of the faults of George W. Bush, and then examines Sarah Palin who considered running; Michele Bachmann; Rick Perry; and now Herman Cain, honestly it gets worse all of the time and makes George W. Bush look like a genius!

Palin had little knowledge of any subject, but at least had SOME experience in public office.

Michele Bachmann came across as more looney and nutty, but at least had a few terms in the House of Representatives.

Rick Perry came across as making George W. Bush look brilliant, and has proved to be a terrible candidate, but at least he has been Governor of the second largest state for eleven years.

And then we have Herman Cain, with NO qualifications other than having been the head of Godfather Pizza, with NO experience in government at all, and totally coming across as a fool! And then he has sexual harassment charges lodged against him, and he and others start to compare him to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who had similar charges against him in 1991, but overcame them and went on to the Court, where he remains after 20 years.

The point is that Herman Cain is actually far worse than George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Perry!

it is also true that Herman Cain is no Clarence Thomas, who at least has intellectual qualifications, even if one does not agree with his jurisprudence!

So the GOP gets worse and worse and worse, while Mitt Romney flounders with a consistent one fourth of the party for him, and three fourths against him.

And Jon Huntsman, the best candidate the party has to offer, is “dead in the water” with one or two percent!

What a great tragedy for the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Reagan!

The Herman Cain Phenomenon And Public Opinion Polls: A Parallel Universe!

Ronald 1 Comment

Herman Cain has had one hell of a week, and yet, unlike Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, he goes up in public opinion polls, while Mitt Romney stays stagnant in his numbers, still only about one out of four Republicans supporting him.

Herman Cain does not know China has had nuclear weapons since 1964.

Herman Cain does not seem to care that his 9-9-9 plan would raise taxes on 84 percent of the people, while lowering taxes on the wealthy.

Herman Cain suggests that we build a fence between Mexico and the United States which is electrified, and also wants a moat with alligators in it to stop illegal immigrants.

Herman Cain says he is against abortion completely, but wants the woman to have the choice on ending pregnancies.

Herman Cain does not know anything about foreign policy, and makes fun of the name of an important ally in the Near East in the war in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, saying he does not know who its leader is and does not care.

Herman Cain believes that it is alright to sexually harass women in the workplace and that no one should be disturbed by this.

Herman Cain has made so many other inane statements and shown a tremendous lack of interest in details on public issues, and seems more interested in selling his book and improving his chances to make money on motivational speeches.

Through all this, apparently, many Republicans either do not believe the sexual harassment charges or think they are no big deal, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, so Cain’s ratings have improved.

It does not matter to these Republicans that Herman Cain has no knowledge or experience in government, and they seem to be willing to “wing” it and let an incompetent, stupid man become the leader of the free world, whose best credentials is that he headed a pizza corporation!

The ability of Republicans and many Americans to live in a “bubble”, in their own version of the “parallel universe” is mind boggling!

Will the American people at large be moronic enough to put into office a businessman who is no Wendell Willkie or Ross Perot, both men having had an intelligent, accomplished career before running for President?

And remember, neither Willkie nor Perot WON, and if Herman Cain somehow becomes our next President, God save the United States and the world!

The Anti Romney Campaign In The Republican Party Faltering: From Trump To Bachmann To Perry To Cain And Beyond

Ronald Leave a comment

It is very clear to anyone with a political sense that the Republican Party right wing does not wish to see Mitt Romney become President, anymore than they wanted John McCain in 2008.

Both McCain and Romney have been seen as “next in line”, which is exactly why the conservatives in the party hated McCain and now Romney.

The Anti Romney movement has gone from Donald Trump to Michele Bachmann to Rick Perry to Herman Cain, and all have been found wanting in their abilities, their record, and often even their sanity!

The past few days have been a great time for Mitt Romney, with the collapse of Rick Perry and Herman Cain.

Perry put on a weird performance at a speech Friday night in New Hampshire, coming across as possibly drunk or on some kind of prescription pills, but his odd way of acting will certainly harm his campaign, which already is in its death throes by any reasonable standard.

Herman Cain is having problems with financial irregularities and sexual harassment charges, and seems unable to keep a straight story, or even seem aware of anything going on in his past or in his campaign, being a very undisciplined man.

This all benefits Romney, and also allows Barack Obama’s campaign to focus on Romney and his constant changes in position on every issue imaginable. While Romney may look presidential, and on paper is much better qualified than anyone the conservatives want, he will have major trouble in the upcoming campaign because, as David Plouffe, the campaign manager for the President says, if Romney could find a way to say the grass is blue and the sky is green, he would do it!

With the reality that Romney comes across as a fake conservative, much like McCain in 2008, the odds are that many conservatives will refuse to back him if he is the nominee, and will stay home, or look for a third party vehicle. But that would only help President Obama, leading to a divided vote among Republicans.

And then, the evangelicals might not back Romney on religious grounds, as he is a Mormon, and the only other reasonable candidate, Jon Huntsman, also a Mormon, would not be able to gain their backing for the same reason, and would be seen also as insufficiently conservative.

So it is clear many mainstream Republicans see the defeat of Obama as receding every day as their party goes through the disaster of a Tea Party Movement, evangelical Christian, dominantly Southern control of their party, which guarantees its defeat in 2012!

The Collapse of Rick Perry: The Disastrous Performance Which Improves The Image Of George W. Bush!

Ronald Leave a comment

Texas Governor Rick Perry started off his Presidential campaign with a roar, surging ahead of Mitt Romney in September with 23 percent, and in some polls even more that that.

By mid October, after disastrous debate performances, he fell to 12 percent, and now, after the rude, nasty, aggressive attacks on Mitt Romney at the Nevada debate last week, he has totally tanked to fifth place, with only 6 percent support, in the New York Times-CBS News Poll.

Herman Cain, the “flavor of the month”, is ahead with 25 percent, with Romney second at 21 percent, followed by Newt Gingrich with 10 percent, Ron Paul with 8 percent, and Rick Perry at 6 percent.

And now he has proposed a new tax plan which would make the rich even richer, and hurt the middle class and the poor. And he has embraced the “Birther” myth about Barack Obama, which has been revived by Donald Trump yet again. Perry has also come across as insensitive, divisive, controversial, and personally obnoxious competitor in so many ways, with his personality and viewpoints undermining his candidacy the more one examines him!

Perry is seen by many as a total disaster, and this has led to condemnations by many Republicans, who realize Perry is worse than George W. Bush ever was, and it is clear that the Bush family and its supporters, including brother Jeb Bush, the former Governor of Florida, and Karl Rove, the “Bush Brain” advisor, are working very hard behind the scenes to derail Rick Perry.

Perry, due to his large campaign chest, is going to be part of the race for a long time, but he is an embarrassment to many in the party who see a total calamity ahead!

Why The Republican Party Cannot Defeat Barack Obama In 2012

Ronald 1 Comment

The Republican Party is involved in an internal struggle, trying to find someone who can unite the party, and defeat President Obama, but it is all for naught!

Why is this so, despite many prognosticators who think Obama is eminently defeatable in 2012?

1. The Republican Party has come up with a list of candidates who are eminently outrageous and outside the mainstream of America, with the exception of Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman.

2. The party stands for making hard times worse for the average American and undermining our relationship with the world, as they take the wrong position on the mortgage crisis, education, infrastructure, first responders, taxation of the wealthy, the environment, illegal immigration, racial matters, Wall Street abuses, labor rights, women’s rights, religious toleration, international organizations, the Iraq War, health care, gay rights–is that list of SIXTEEN policies long enough for you?

3. Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, both being Mormons, have a problem in the primaries and caucuses, and among Southern evangelicals, an important portion of the Republican constituency, as they are seen by many as part of a cult.

4. Mitt Romney has such a reputation as a “flip flopper” on EVERY issue that he loses all credibility! Is there even one issue where he is consistent with his past? The answer is NO!

5. Jon Huntsman is counting too much on New Hampshire, and has so far flopped in public opinion polls, because he is so mainstream and decent, which the Republicans are not looking for this time around, so they are not smart enough, and he is not lucky enough, to be seen, at least at this point, as a serious candidate, and if so later, he is still a Mormon!

6. Since it still seems likely with all his faults that Romney may survive as the nominee, there will be little enthusiasm for him among Southerners and right winger Tea Party types, who will likely stay home, because they see Mitt Romney as not someone who would, in office, support their agenda.

7. In debates between Romney and Obama, Obama would shine, and assault the changing views of Romney, and Romney would wilt under the pressure, as he would be exposed as someone who the American people could not trust on anything he would advocate, and he would have to support ideas that a majority of people would not endorse, on many of the ideas mentioned above.

8. Therefore, the possibility does exist that Barack Obama could win a landslide victory, possibly greater than in 2008, because the American people would see that he has done much of what he wished to, has been stopped by Republican obstructionism on many other issues, and ultimately, can “feel their pain”, which Mitt Romney, the super wealthy corporate type, DOES NOT! The groups that backed Obama in 2008 will see the need to come out and vote, and that will make a dramatic difference in the results!

9. Barack Obama’s outstanding record on national security and foreign relations will have a tremendous effect on his campaign fortunes, just as they did for Harry Truman in 1948 during the Berlin Blockade!

So do not put betting money on the Republicans winning the White House in 2012!

“Bush Brain” Karl Rove Alarmed At Disintegration Of Republican Party Represented By Candidacies Of Rick Perry And Herman Cain

Ronald 1 Comment

Karl Rove, known as the “Bush Brain’, the man who was able to succeed in electing George W. Bush President twice, is alarmed at what he sees as the coming disintegration of the Republican Party.

Rove has denounced Rick Perry and Donald Trump for reviving the “Birther” conspiracy theory about Barack Obama’s birth certificate, and denial that he was born in the United States. He is also alarmed at the ignorance and rhetoric of Herman Cain, who he considers totally unprepared to be President.

Without saying so specifically, it is clear that Rove prefers Mitt Romney as the nominee, particularly since Jon Huntsman so far has not shown any ability to gain support in the polls. Rove is worried that the Republican Party could self destruct in congressional races, due to the image of the party being crazy, looney, and conspiratorial in nature.

And to top it off, conservative talk show hosts and spokesmen, including Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter, have bad mouthed Mitt Romney’s credentials, which along with “Birthers” and Tea Party activists, is a tremendous burden for those, such as Rove, who wish to keep the GOP in the hands of mainstream, rational leadership.

All this is great news for President Obama, as the opposition party tears itself apart.

Death of Moammar Gaddafi Another Foreign Policy Victory For Barack Obama!

Ronald Leave a comment

The death of former Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi today in his hometown is a victory for change in the Middle East, another sign of the impact of the “Arab Spring”, and a great moment for President Barack Obama’s image in being effective in executing American foreign policy!

This just adds to the justification of the American intervention through NATO in the Libyan Civil War, and it adds stature to Obama’s ability to be the most effective figure in fighting terrorism and dictatorship in the Arab world!

There is great hope for the future of Libya, and certainly, it is the final removal of a 42 year brutal dictatorship, at the cost of only $2 billion and not one American life lost!

Already, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, soon to be followed by other Republican Presidential candidates, have made an obligatory statement, trying to prove their foreign policy expertise, but it is Barack Obama who will gain the credit for a decision well crafted, and encouraged by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Ambassador Susan Rice!

This, on top of the death of Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists recently, is another victory for civilization against barbarism!