New Hampshire

The Republican Lies About The Obama Economic Record!

Ronald 1 Comment

The Republican Presidential debate in New Hampshire last night demonstrated the GOP ability to lie and deceive gullible voters!

You would think that Barack Obama walked into the Presidency in good economic times, and that George W. Bush left him a positive legacy!

Of course, George W. Bush left the worst economy to his successor of any President since Herbert Hoover left the Great Depression to Franklin D. Roosevelt!

The facts are as follows:

1. The economy has come out of the depths it was in in 2009, although the level of economic growth has slowed up in recent months.
2. Over 2 million private sector jobs have been added in the past 15 months, not enough certainly, but compared to the 750,000 jobs a month being lost at the end of the Bush Presidency and the early months of the Obama Presidency, it is certainly a good sign.
3. The stock market has improved, whereby half of the lost household wealth has been regained.
4. The auto industry has revived from its low point, when we almost lost the entire domestic auto market, which would have led to far worse conditions in the Midwest and South, where most of the auto factories are located.
5. Housing is the big area of lack of improvement, with home prices and home construction still declining. Of course, the nation’s leading banks are major culprits in this regard, refusing to give mortgage loans and trying to foreclose illegally on many properties!

The point is that there is no magic potion by government and the private sector to restore the economy quickly, and the Republicans have come up with no strategy or plan to create jobs or revive the economy, deciding that just attacking President Obama is enough.

And cutting taxes and spending is just the old Herbert Hoover concept, which only made the Great Depression worse!

Do we really want to go back to Herbert Hoover, as Tim Pawlenty proposes, and to believe that miraculously there will be five percent growth annually for the next decade?

It is time to put up or shut up, meaning that the GOP leadership in Congress must stop talking and attacking, and start producing results in cooperation with President Obama, instead of just working to undermine him and making the economy worse!

The Fading Of Tim Pawlenty As A Presidential Candidate And The Rise Of Michele Bachmann!

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Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was clearly the loser in yesterday’s New Hampshire Republican Presidential debate.

Coming off a Sunday interview with Fox News Channel host Chris Wallace, in which he made a poor defense of his economic plan for 5 percent growth every year while cutting taxes further and cutting the budget dramatically, Pawlenty came across as insecure, defensive, and unwilling to challenge the man seen as his greatest rival, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Having called the Romney health care plan in Massachusetts “Obamneycare” on Fox News Channel, he refused to look Romney in the eye and repeat that strong attack he had just issued on Sunday.

Already seen as bland and dull, Pawlenty is in deep trouble now, particularly by the fact that his own Minnesota colleague, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, put on a masterful performance, greatly improving her own image as a serious Presidential candidate!

Not only did Pawlenty decline in stature, but Sarah Palin now knows she has a REAL competitor, a woman who far outshines her intellectually and in accomplishments in Congress, as compared to her meager record as a partial term Governor of Alaska. If anything, Bachmann’s performance is likely to keep Sarah Palin from entering the race, and if that is the case, America is better for it!

Mitt Romney Looked Presidential In CNN Republican Debate

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There is no question that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney looked Presidential in last night’s CNN debate in New Hampshire.

He had clear, crisp answers, and defended RomneyCare in Massachusetts, while making it clear that in his view it should not apply to the national level in ObamaCare.

Romney was calm, cool, confident, relaxed and smiled a lot, even while standing next to Ron Paul, who is the antithesis of everything he represents.

One could imagine Mitt Romney being on the same debate stage with President Barack Obama.

No one in the White House should underestimate Mitt Romney, but one must realize that the real test will come when Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry, if he decides to enter the nomination contest, actually participate in debate with Romney.

But a great start for Mitt Romney, with great promise for the future!

The CNN New Hampshire Republican Presidential Debate: Michele Bachmann And Mitt Romney The Winners!

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This evening, CNN sponsored a New Hampshire Republican Presidential debate.

The seven candidates present all went out of their way to attack President Obama, and avoided attacking each other.

But some really gained from this debate, and others lost by their performance.

The major winners were Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney, with Bachmann coming across impressively, more than she has ever been seen before, and Romney doing a good job at keeping his stature as the frontrunner in the race.

The losers seemed to be Tim Pawlenty, who seemed weak and defensive in his answers; Newt Gingrich, who still seemed a bit gun shy after his earlier problems with his campaign; and Rick Santorum, who just came across as not a serious, legitimate candidate.

Ron Paul was simply Ron Paul, and Herman Cain was defensive over his statements about Muslims, and neither can be seen as a serious candidate.

So, in conclusion, Michele Bachmann, seemingly, came across as more legitimate than ever before, and as a real leader among social conservatives, which might help her win in the Iowa caucuses, which come before the New Hampshire primary.

What stood out is that she did better than Sarah Palin has ever done in a public forum, and one starts to realize that, even if one does not agree with Bachmann, she comes across as intelligent, well spoken, an accomplished person even before she came to Congress, as a tax attorney and small businesswoman, far more outstanding as compared to Palin.

So Romney kept his stature as the front runner in the race, but Bachmann gained the most from tonight’s debate. The others all were weakened by their performance, or at least, did not gain by their performance in relation to the other candidates.

Of course, Jon Huntsman was not in the debate, nor Rick Perry!

Is Rick Perry The Savior Of The Republican Party?

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Texas Governor Rick Perry, a strong social conservative, has not been willing to enter the Republican Presidential race before now, but with the decision of Mike Pence, John Thune, Haley Barbour, Mike Huckabee, Mitch Daniels, and Donald Trump to avoid the race, and with Newt Gingrich disintegrating and Sarah Palin flirting with, but unlikely to enter the race, he is being courted to run.

Perry has been the longest serving Governor of Texas in history, having served more than ten years, after succeeding George W. Bush in December 2000.

Perry is Governor of the second largest state in population, but his position is also the weakest Governor constitutionally in the nation, although that did not hurt George W. Bush.

Perry has spoken up for the concept of secession; has flirted with religious leaders of the far right, and condemned abortion and gay rights; has a tremendous state debt which he is solving by ruthless cutting of spending, and refusing to raise taxes; and has seen his aides who went to Gingrich a few month ago decide to abandon the former Speaker and make themselves available to Perry for a Presidential run.

Perry is seen by many as a lightweight intellectually, but that is not necessarily a bad thing for the Republican Party.

Many think that if he enters the race later this month, that he will automatically become the major challenger to Mitt Romney, and surpass Tim Pawlenty and Jon Huntsman.

He would be likely to win support away from Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain, and Rick Santorum, and could become the surprise candidate who becomes a major threat, not only to Romney, but also to Barack Obama.

No one should underestimate his appeal to the caucus voters in Iowa and the primary voters in New Hampshire@

Sarah Palin: Ignorance Of American History Reaffirmed!

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Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who has just finished a so called Heritage Tour of historic sites, and in the process stole the thunder of Mitt Romney on the day of his Presidential candidacy announcement in New Hampshire, has proved once again what a fool and idiot she is, and how poorly educated she really is!

Having already made many statements in the past that are totally false, including that the Russians won the space race for the moon in the 1960s, now Palin has claimed that Paul Revere conducted his famous ride in April 1775 to warn the British of the patriots being ready to fight for their freedom!

What a preposterous statement, totally untrue, and verified by historians, including Douglas Brinkley, and yet she continues to insist that she is correct, and knows her American history!

One has to wonder how such an individual, who comes across as a moron, has any possibility of winning the GOP nomination, when even if one disagrees with Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, and Jon Huntsman, the serious candidates in the race, at least one can respect their views and knowledge, even if one cannot see supporting them for President. At least one can imagine any of the above three as potential Presidents, which cannot be said for Palin, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum, all of whom have made preposterous, loony, crazy statements that are, factually, totally incorrect!

If Sarah Palin claims to understand American history, then it might be a statement on how history is taught in Alaska!

Census Revelations: Upper New England And West Virginia Replace Florida As Oldest Population

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The 2010 Census reveals that Upper New England and West Virginia have replaced Florida as the oldest population states.

Maine is now the oldest state in average age, followed by Vermont, West Virginia and New Hampshire.

What this also reveals is that these four states, all of which are among the most “Anglo white” states, have aged due to lack of reproduction by whites in the general population nationally. This is connected to the reality the country at large is becoming less Anglo and white as a whole, with the reproduction rate of minorities much higher, along with the immigration of people of Hispanic and Latino heritage seeing a dramatic increase.

America is becoming more diverse every year, and by 2040-2050, the Anglo white population will be less than a majority.

All this affects the Republican Party in a detrimental way, and if they continue their present policy stands, they will be “dinosaurs” in thirty years, as the Democrats will have the edge in most states, although maybe not in these states that are less diverse!

The Collapse Of The “Bully” Governors In Public Opinion Polls

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2011 will be remembered as the year of the “Bully” Governors, who declared war on public service employees, and took away long held union collective bargaining rights, and promoted disrespect and lack of appreciation of the role that police, firefighters, nurses, teachers and others have in our lives every day.

But now, public opinion polls demonstrate a rising public reaction against these governors, with all looking at statistics that make it clear that were they to face the voters just months after being elected, they would be soundly defeated!

Scott Walker of Wisconsin has only a 43 percent rating, while the “dean” of the “Bully” Governors, Chris Christie of New Jersey, who has been in office one year longer and has had people in his party clamoring him to run for President, has only 40 percent behind him.

Meanwhile, John Kasich of Ohio is down to 33 percent, and Rick Scott of Florida is at the lowest with 29 percent in favor of his performance, as compared to 57 percent against!

And, as reported earlier, Christie was ordered by a state Supreme Court decision to provide an additional $500 million for funding of poor school districts.

Meanwhile, Walker’s anti union legislation has been declared unconstitutional by a state judge!

There is definite “buyer’s remorse” by voters who either failed to vote in many of these state elections, or did not realize what they were doing when they did vote.

And a state representative in Alabama, outraged over the attack on teachers and public education, has switched from the Republicans to the Democrats in protest of what has happened. And in Jacksonville, Florida, usually a Republican city, a Democrat was elected mayor for the first time in 20 years, along with a Democrat winning in a special legislative election in New Hampshire for an open seat. All this comes at the same time that a Democrat was elected in a NY 26 special House election, as reported earlier.

So the tide is turning, and it gives the Democrats hope of winning back the House of Representatives in 2012, needing only 24 seats to win control!

The Internal Struggle In The Republican Party: Minnesota Vs. Mormonism!

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With the announcement today that Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will not run for the Republican Presidential nomination, the race seems more than ever to be one of FOUR who are likely to dominate vote getting in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, the early primary and caucus states next winter!

As one looks at the field, it seems clear that Newt Gingrich has self destructed in his first week as an official candidate. Rick Santorum seems unlikely to take off as a candidate, based on his own past crazy statements and walloping defeat for re-election in Pennsylvania in 2006. Herman Cain, Gary Johnson, and even Ron Paul, will make noise, but are unlikely to poll many actual votes.

So unless someone such as Chris Christie or Jeb Bush suddenly enters the race belatedly, there seem to be four major contenders for actual popular vote support in the primaries and the caucuses early on–Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman, and surprisingly, Michele Bachmann!

Bachmann is the favorite of the Tea Party people, more even than Ron Paul, who is seen as too old and flaky to be much of a vote getter. Even though she is outrageous in her statements and actions, Bachmann is likely to have a serious following in Iowa at the least, and could affect who of the other candidates benefits by her candidacy.

Bachmann, being from Minnesota, and therefore from the Midwest, poses a real challenge to former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who has been very careful to avoid outrageous statements and actions, and yet is competing for the Tea Party support and for the backing of Midwesterners. Iowa is a crucial state to both, so they are therefore at loggerheads as Bachmann could ruin Pawlenty’s chances. So expect the beginning soon of sustained attacks by each on the other, and increasingly so, as the campaign gets closer to the first vote test in Iowa, which has many evangelical Christians and Tea Party people, and will likely kill off either Bachmann or Pawlenty. So it is the battle of Minnesotan vs. Minnesotan!

But the 2012 race is also of Mormon vs. Mormon, as Jon Huntsman, former Governor of Utah, and seen as a moderate to some extent, is challenging Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, who is also often seen as a moderate. Both are working very hard to wipe such ideas out of voters’ minds, as both oppose health care and support Medicare reform along the lines of the Paul Ryan Budget plan. Both are much more electible on paper, but being Mormons and having the old image of moderation could harm both, and certainly, one will be hurt by the success of the other.

What is likely is that the nomination will come down to Pawlenty vs. one of the two Mormon politicians, with Huntsman being newer and fresher and more interesting a candidate.

So the final struggle is likely to be Pawlenty vs. Huntsman, and it would seem likely that Pawlenty would have the edge, but only if he can overcome the influence of Bachmann with Tea Party faithful.

For the election, Huntsman or even Romney would be a better bet to win than Pawlenty, but the Tea Party influence is such that the bet would be that Pawlenty will be the sacrificial lamb, with the likelihood that Barack Obama would win a major victory, possibly on the level of George H. W. Bush over Michael Dukakis in 1988!

Michele Bachmann’s Ignorance Of American History And The Constitution!

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Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, a potential Presidential candidate for 2012, has made a total fool of herself recently, displaying her total ignorance of American history and the Constitution.

It makes one wonder what kind of staff she has in her House of Representatives offices, that they did not stop her from making the tremendous blunders she committed, which make her look ridiculous and ignorant, dangerous for a potential Presidential candidate.

We would have thought that Sarah Palin was the only ignorant Republican considering a run for the White House. But Michele Bachmann, at least on paper, is more educated, including a law degree from Oral Roberts University! However, it has not helped to make her an informed person!

But that may be the problem. Having a degree from an evangelical religiously based law school would seem to many to be suspect, that they make up their own history and concepts of what the law and the Constitution is!

Bachmann has claimed that the Founding Fathers ended slavery, even though the Constitution includes two slavery compromises, and the Civil War was waged under Abraham Lincoln on the issue of slavery and its expansion.

She most recently went to New Hampshire, the site of the first primary in March 2012, and congratulated them on being the site of the first shots of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord, failing to recognize that these sites are located in Massachusetts!

It is obvious she had a poor legal education, has a poor historical knowledge base, less than immigrants who have to pass a test to become citizens, and an inferior staff that lacks the knowledge and ability to protect their boss by being able to inform her of the truth and the facts before she speaks anywhere, and proceeds to make a total fool of herself!

It is not just her extreme right wing views that are a problem for Michele Bachmann; it is also her stupidity and ignorance!