Public Opinion Polls

House Republican Standoff Against Bipartisan Senate Vote May Hurt Senate Majority Chances Of Republicans In 2012!

The refusal of the House Republicans, led by Speaker of the House John Boehner, to vote on the bipartisan Senate vote of 89-10 extending unemployment compensation, the middle class tax cut, and delay in cutting Medicare payments to doctors, is likely to boomerang on the party, not only in House elections in 2012, but also Senate Republicans facing tough reelection contests.

That explains why Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts, soon to be opposed by Elizabeth Warren in a tough race in which Warren is leading in public opinion polls, denounced House Republicans for their reckless, outrageous action.

Similar outrage and anger has also been expressed by Senator Dean Heller of Nevada, Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, and Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, all of whom face tough reelection challenges.

If these seats are not retained, the odds of a Senate Republican majority in 2012 is far less likely to occur.

So the Republicans are in the process of likely slaughtering themselves, and coming across as unconcerned about 160 million Americans, and that will be paid back by middle class voters when the vote comes for Congress and the President ten and a half months from now!

Ron Paul In Lead In Iowa Polls, But That Will Be His Peak, With Jon Huntsman In New Hampshire The REAL Story To Watch!

Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the libertarian favorite, and seen by some as a Tea Party original due to his libertarian views, now leads in Iowa, according to the Public Policy Polling organization, considered a reputable poll of public opinion.

It now seems likely that Paul might win the Iowa Caucuses, but before one gets “excited”, realize that Iowa is far from a barometer as to who shall become the Presidential nominee.

The better barometer, by far, is the New Hampshire primary, and latest polls indicate that Jon Huntsman, the former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China, is rising as Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are falling. This should be Romney’s state, but Huntsman has been predicting that he will win New Hampshire, which would catapult him into a position of leadership that so often has led to “momentum” to go on and become the Presidential nominee of either political party.

The most interesting development will be whether Huntsman, who has been ignored by just about everyone in political prognosticating, can “surge” at just the right moment.

If he does, he could be Barack Obama’s greatest nightmare, as he is still, by far, the best qualified candidate the GOP offers for President–a rational, reasonable, sane person in the tradition of the Republican Party of the past!

The “Last Stand” Of Jon Huntsman: New Hampshire Primary

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, seen by many political experts as easily the best candidate the Republican Party has to offer for President, has been languishing all along in the polls since his announcement in June of this year, usually with no more than three percent.

It is clear that he has little hope of doing well in Iowa or South Carolina, and is unlikely at this point to do well in Florida, but that reality COULD change IF Huntsman can follow through and win the New Hampshire primary on January 10, one month from now.

However, at present, in the latest polls from CNN, Huntsman scores only eight percent in New Hampshire, behind front runner Mitt Romney having 35 percent, Newt Gingrich having 26 percent, and Ron Paul 17 percent, meaning 78 percent of the voters are locked up at this point by Huntsman’s opponents.

It looks highly unlikely that Huntsman can recover, but if he does, it could affect Florida. If neither happens, Huntsman may as well look ahead to 2016, with him being the only candidate in the present race who could be seen as legitimate in 2016.

Newt Gingrich: Vitriol, Hatred, Confrontation, Tumult, Division, Distortion–The New Joseph McCarthy!

As former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich continues to surge in the polls for the Republican Presidential nomination, it becomes more obvious that the Republican Party “establishment” is horrified at his rise.

Former Congresswoman Susan Molinari of New York, Congressman Peter King of New York, former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu (who worked as Chief of Staff to the first President Bush), former Florida Congressman and MNSBC talk show host Joe Scarborough, and innumerable others are ringing the alarm bell about the dangers of Newt Gingrich as the GOP nominee.

They and those who know politics best see Gingrich as a disaster for the party, similar to Barry Goldwater in 1964, but in many worse worse than Goldwater.

Goldwater did not have the ethical and moral problems of Gingrich. Goldwater did not set out to be another Joseph McCarthy, as Gingrich has done in modern terms.

Why call Gingrich another Joseph McCarthy? Gingrich, similar to McCarthy, levels ridiculous charges and accusations; utilizes virtriol and promotion of hatred; promotes confrontation and tumult and division and distortion with a great relish; does not care how many corpses he leaves behind in his lust for power; and would make the stalemate and gridlock that exists in Washington even worse than it is now!

Newt Gingrich cannot unite the country; cannot solve any of the major problems we are facing; and likely would take us into more foreign wars; promote more wild spending leading to a greater national debt; cause more corruption and scandals (both in government and personally); create more centralization of the powers of the Presidency in dangerous, abusive ways; and would make us wish for the times of Richard Nixon, the most divisive President of the 20th century!

This man is reckless, dangerous, and does not work well with others of his own party, let alone the opposition and the news media. He is a danger to the nation’s future, and one would hope that he would lose massively to Barack Obama, and cause a reassessment of the right wing madness of the Republican Party!

Mitt Romney’s Attack On The “Entitlement” Society Speech Of Barack Obama

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, in trouble in the public opinion polls in the Republican Presidential race in Iowa, South Carolina, and Florida, states in which former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich leads by growing margins, is obviously very desperate!

So he lashed into President Obama today for his Osawatomie, Kansas speech, in which Obama invoked the New Nationalism and Square Deal concepts of Republican President Theodore Roosevelt, who made progressivism fashionable at the beginning of the 20th century.

Romney, who was born to wealth, and is estimated to be worth at least $250 million dollars, certainly feels “entitled” to use his wealth and privilege to run for President, even though he has never had to struggle for anything in his life!

Not everyone is so fortunate to be born into such good circumstances, and one would think that Romney would feel like many other wealthy people, that he needs to “give back” to those less fortunate, rather than take a hard hearted attitude toward those who don’t have the advantages that he and his wife and five sons have!

For a man of religion, who is proud of his Mormon faith, he seems unconcerned about the struggles of those on the lower end of the social scale, which is ironic, because Christianity broadly teaches that we must come to the aid of others, and Romney says he is a “good Christian”, even though many consider the Mormons to be a religious cult.

The point is that with his good fortune since birth, and his supposedly strong religious convictions, Romney should wish to help others get some of the “entitlement” that he was born to, but NO, instead, he appeals to the selfish, self centered nature of someone who is arrogant and looks down on the poor, all for political advantage in a party which has sold out completely to religious hypocrites and wealthy people and corporations!

What are all Americans entitled to?

1. A decent educational opportunity to achieve all that one can in pursuit of a better life and job career.
2. A decent health care system which allows everyone to get appropriate, quality attention from doctors, nurses, and hospitals.
3. A decent housing situation, which promotes a sense of security and safety from harm.
4. A government which treats everyone on an equal basis, not victimizing those who are different in race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation.
5. Respect for the elderly, and proper treatment of them in their twilight years.
6. Protection of the childhood of the younger generation, and encouragement of the accomplishment of their goals to grow up happy, secure, and pursue their dreams.
7. Respect for and protection of the disabled among us, giving them maximum opportunity for as normal a life as possible.
8. Protection of the environment, and promotion of consumer rights to avoid harm to the population.
9. Enforcement of the civil liberties of all Americans, preventing an oppressive government over our private lives and our public activities.
10. Protection of our nation from the abuse of corporations who are more concerned about profit than people.

These points above are “entitlements” that should come with being an American, not just based on how much money one has or inherits! Equality and justice are essential to keep the “American Dream” alive!

The Growing Surge Of Newt Gingrich, And The Growing Likelihood Of Independent Presidential Candidacies Of Ron Paul And Jon Huntsman!

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich looks more than ever the likely Republican nominee for President as a result of recent events and likely scenarios.

He received the endorsement of the Manchester Union Leader in New Hampshire.

He received the backing of two major Iowa newspapers this week.

It is thought likely, with the removal of Herman Cain from the race, that Gingrich will receive most of his support.

It is also thought likely that Cain will endorse Gingrich before the Iowa caucuses.

It is also likely that Donald Trump will endorse Gingrich after the December 27 debate to be moderated by Trump.

And Gingrich is ahead in the Iowa polls, and if he wins that race, we may see some of the other candidates withdraw, and it seems certain that such candidates as Rick Santorum, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann would prefer Gingrich over Mitt Romney as the GOP nominee, and would endorse him.

Only Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman would be unlikely to back Gingrich, and both might be considering third party or independent runs for the White House.

Interestingly, ONLY Paul and Huntsman are refusing to take part in the charade, the circus, the farce known as the Trump debate on December 27. This says a lot about the GOP race, that only these two men can really be seen as principled and consistent in their views, whether one likes them or not! They are not going to spend time flattering the ego of Donald Trump!

Mitt Romney: Starting To Show Testiness At Being Challenged, And By Fox News Channel Yet!

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, long seen as the frontrunner for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012, has been having a rough time recently, after having performed well in the Republican debates.

Suddenly, Newt Gingrich has surged to first place in many polls, despite the many shortcomings the former House Speaker has It is clear that a majority of conservatives and Republicans have problems with Mitt Romney, and all along it has been clear that the search was for the anti-Romney alternative–first Donald Trump, then Michele Bachmann, then Rick Perry, then Herman Cain. Now it is Gingrich’s turn, and his years of experience and contacts make him a tougher opponent for Romney.

But beyond this bad news, Romney is now being challenged by Fox News Channel, which also is not thrilled by his candidacy. So when Bret Baier interviewed him this week, and asked tough questions and challenged him aggressively, Romney was taken aback and lashed out at Baier, and made it clear that he was dissatisfied.

Unfortunately, Romney needs to get used to strong challenges and tough questions, and from all kinds of media, not just conservative media. Romney has avoided major interviews shows, trying to ride on his 20-25 percent, mostly first place, standing in the public opinion polls.

If Romney thinks he can coast into the nomination and election, he has something he needs to learn. This is not going to be a “cakewalk”, and all his nasty attitude does is make one think that he thinks he is “entitled” to the nomination! He comes across as elitist and aristocratic, and that is not what the American people are looking for right now!

It is also not acceptable if a President Romney decides that because he does not like criticism, therefore he is not accountable to the media and the American people!

So Mitt Romney needs a major “reality check”!

An Embarrassment How Low Congress Is Rated!

The United States Congress has become highly unpopular this year, with its inability to get ANYTHING done, including the Debt Ceiling debacle, and now the failure of the Super Committee of Twelve to bring about a budget deal by today.

A poll issued this week demonstrates the embarrassment that the 112th Congress faces, often considered now the worst Congress in American history!

This comes after the 111th Congress was the most productive since the 89th Congress of 1965-1966.

Congress rates at 9 percent popularity, but more than that figure is the reality of what else is unpopular in the poll, and the numbers involved.

The Internal Revenue Service has a popularity rating of 40 percent; the Airline Industry is at 29 percent; Lawyers also at 29 percent; Richard Nixon during Watergate at 24 percent; Banks at 23 percent; the OIl and Gas Industry at 20 percent; British Petroleum during the Oil Spill last year at 16 percent; Paris Hilton at 15 percent; if the United States were to go Communist at 11 percent; Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez at the same 9 percent as Congress; and Fidel Castro at 5 percent!

This is bound to have some effect on the Congressional elections in 2012, and since the House of Representatives majority are Republicans, and the entire chamber faces election, it seems likely that the GOP will lose seats, and probably, control of the majority, while the US Senate only has one third of its seats up in 2012, and so the Democrats might actually keep control of their thin majority in that chamber, and maybe even gain a few seats.

Jon Huntsman And Ron Paul Shine At CNN National Security Debate, And Newt Gingrich And Rick Santorum Have Some Sensible Thoughts!

CNN held a National Security debate in Constitution Hall in Washington, DC this evening, and it is clear that two laggards in the public opinion polls, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, shone brightly in the Republican debate.

Both Huntsman and Paul came out against the Patriot Act as a denial of civil liberties, with both warning that losing liberty for security is a bad bargain!

Also, both came out for withdrawing from Afghanistan as soon as possible, and focusing on America’s needs, with Huntsman saying intelligence gathering, special forces, and the use of drones could resolve the problems in Afghanistan, and that having large numbers of troops in a foreign country in the modern world was counterproductive. Paul, of course, came out for American withdrawal from the world, an isolationist nation, which as great as it might sound to many, is totally impractical! Huntsman did not go that far in his comments.

Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum also had moments of good thoughts, with Gingrich arguing that we cannot deport illegal immigrants who have been here for a long time and been lawful, and that children of illegal immigrants who wish to serve in the military should be given the chance to become citizens, in effect supporting the DREAM Act. Meanwhile,Rick Santorum backed foreign aid as important to continue, while Ron Paul called for an end to all foreign aid, not a great position making any sense in the modern world, particularly when foreign aid is only less than one percent of the national budget.

By comparison, Mitt Romney did not do as well as he has in the past, coming across as very hawkish, and hardline on illegal immigration, both views probably part of his plan to attract more support from right wing Republicans and conservative talk show hosts.

Rick Perry, Herman Cain, and Michele Bachmann continued their downward spiral, none of them making any impressive statements during the debate.

So, if all things are equal, we might see the rise of Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul in the public opinion polls, as they both stood out dramatically from the other six candidates!

The Re-emergence Of Newt Gingrich: A Nightmare Scenario!

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich of Georgia has suddenly catapulted into a front runner status in some polls for the Republican Presidential nomination.

This comes after the various “flavors of the month”, Donald Trump, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Herman Cain, have all imploded after a flirtation with front runner status.

The polls this last six months have been notorious for proving absolutely nothing, except the clear cut desire of Republicans NOT to nominate Mitt Romney!

Gingrich has a lot of “baggage” in his background. Has there been a Congressional leader since World War II quite as controversial and divisive as Newt Gingrich was in the 1980s and 1990s, even before his four tumultuous years as Speaker?

Has anyone else left an image of poor ethics and morality as much as Newt Gingrich with his three marriages and two divorces, and pontificating on morality when Bill Clinton was facing impeachment?

It is often forgotten that Newt Gingrich was facing ethics charges as Speaker in 1998, after seeing his party margin in the House of Representatives dwindle dramatically, and that he was forced out as Speaker by his own party!

It is forgotten that Newt Gingrich has benefited from government, and has always utilized his fame to sell books and DVDs, get high lecture fees, and be a lobbyist for various organizations while denying that, and yet he denounces government as evil!

Can anyone believe ANYTHING coming out of Newt Gingrich’s mouth? He has been very inconsistent and often reckless in his rhetoric and behavior, and has been willing to utter ridiculous character assassination charges at Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and anyone who challenges his veracity or honesty in the news media, as he has no principles that he will not change for his maniacal ambition to be President!

Gingrich has the advantage of being more knowledgeable and informed than most of his GOP opponents, but the thought of a Gingrich Presidency is enough to vomit over, as it would be easily the most divisive Presidency since Richard Nixon declared “war” on liberals and the news media and promoted “law and order”, while presiding over the most unethical administration in American history!