How I View The Horse Race

Finrod

Personally, I’m hoping that Sarah Palin either enters the race, or endorses Herman Cain.

Bill S

LibertarianHawk

And just after I was prepared not to, too!

The last couple days have been really rough on Romney. There’s a lot of discussion about whether he can navigate these troubled waters — and I think the answer of the last couple days has been a resounding “no.”

He’s already gone to the “I was wrong then” well one too many times. So, rather than do that with Romneycare, he’s doubling down and relying on what are ultimately nuanced distinctions between his plan and Obama’s (while, of course, cursing Obama’s).

– Huck seems poised to bow out here shortly. Even Ed Rollins, his former campaign chief, said he expects that Huck won’t run. But nobody seems to have an idea, so the possibility is there.

– Nothing against the Cains, Pauls, Santorums, Gingriches, and Trumps…but I just don’t think they’re in position to actually win the nomination.

– I agree that Palin isn’t running.

So, if I had to lay money down today, I’d say it’s a race between Daniels and Pawlenty — who just so happen to be my two favorite candidates.

And I don’t think conservatives should be dismayed by the prospect of either one being the Republican standard-bearer.

I know enough about Daniels to feel confident in my support of him. And I’m heartened by what the Powerline boys say about Gov. Pawlenty to feel confidence there, too.

gawken

1. Daniels announces he’s running. . Soon after, Cristie, Barbour, and let’s see..maybe Haley, Scott and a few other GOP governors endorse him. The race is effectively OVER. It works…however, highly improbable…so, more likely theory

2. Huckabee says tmw that he not running (for now). Sit back..enjoy the good life, collect the Fox big $$$. If nobody in the GOP field catches fire, he could eneter as late as Oct..and still easily win Iowa..I think that’s his plan..don’t look for a Shermanesque statement from him…watch how carefully he words it..it’ll be telling.

acat

Palin as Herman Cain’s cheerleader (especially since the media can’t ignore her) would be a very potent combination.

Mew

http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

Carter of the GOP and that would be a good thing that the grassroots conservatives finally picked a candidate since the Reagan aberration.

acat

I got over wanting to like him after 2007.

Mew

Castor

Erick, did she tell you she?s not running?

Castor

Erick, did she tell you she?s not running?

chihank

A clear indication of Palin not running, look at how Fox News treats Palin.

Fox terminated Santorum and Newt without much of a thought. They gave Huck and Palin some time to think things thru. Now Fox is pressing Huck to make a decision aobut 2012. Yet Fox is not pressuring Palin at all. Probably, Palin told Fox that she is going to take a pass, but wants the attention on the “Will She or won’t she” drama.

LibertarianHawk

You think a candidate could do that this day and age?

I’m skeptical myself. There’s just so much needed to mount a run — money, staff, organization, messaging, endorsements, all the rest….

But it’s an interesting theory. Because I do agree that Huck could, in the right circumstances, make a splash. And it seems that he’s going to bow out here shortly.

But maybe he will leave the door slightly cracked to jump in at a later date.

20jan2013

Taking off my partisan hat for a moment, that was some spot-on analysis. I don’t disagree with any of it. I really do see it the same way from what I’ve seen and heard, which isn’t as much as you’ve seen and heard granted.

I’m sitting here stunned getting ready to put on my sackcloth and ashes for Huckabee’s presumed no-go announcement tomorrow night. I am eagerly awaiting your post on that topic, Erick.

http://redmeatconservative.blogspot.com/ Daniel Horowitz

She will definitely have a big role is kingmaker. If she doesn’t run, my list would go something like this:

1. Bachmann
2. Cain
3. Pawlenty

All others have way too many infractions that span across the spectrum of social, fiscal, and foreign policy issues.

Mike Ferguson

http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

Cain doesn’t want to audit the Fed; this is highly-problematic for any putative supporter, notwithstanding any other criterion.

http://dailypaul.com/153575/herman-cain-2012-hopeful-theres-no-reason-to-audit-the-federal-reserve

Mitt is “abel” to beat BHO with greater likelihood than anyone else; as noted on another blog-site [via multiple entries]–
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/05/13/former-candidate-mitt-romney/
–Mitt has what no other candidate has [and Rush appeared today, to concur]:

“think outside the box”:

If the GOP nominee is to attract voters from all three categories [Republican, Independent and Democrat], and if Mitt gets the Prez nod?

He will get virtually all of the Conservative vote,
He will be able to attract most of the Independent vote ["It's the Economy, stupid!": gas-prices, unemployment, etc.].
He won?t be subject to D-arguments against the Individual-Mandate, for this would violate its own mantras!

Thus, his reliance on the federalism-argument [which he also invoked when I asked him about this a year ago, when he endorsed Toomey] survives critique AND is politically astute.

lineholder

will have the same influence that they have had in past elections. It just strikes me that more people, particularly grass-roots conservatives, could be a bit reluctant to having their minds made up for them and will choose of their own accord who they see as being the best candidate.

LibertarianHawk

I don’t really see Herman Cain going very far in any circumstance (which is not to say I have anything at all against him) — simply because I’m relatively realistic about the importance of the political establishment and what it means in nominating contests.

True, that was upended (to my delight!) in some state contests last year. But that’s child’s play compared to a 50-state primary — where connections mean a great deal.

If I’m right about Romney’s healthcare albatross not relenting on him, then I think we’ll see it come down to Daniels and TPaw.

And that ain’t bad.

Goldwater_Conservative

except I cant believe you would support our own Bidenlike walking gaffe machine in Palin. Yes the media tries to create stuff on her, but she does a pretty good job of it herself with what she says.

It might get fun if Can can catch fire.

http://redmeatconservative.blogspot.com/ Daniel Horowitz

“Tim Pawlenty

If Mike Huckabee does not get in, Pawlenty could shine as the anti-Romney, evangelical. He?s a good guy. His support for ethanol is going to hurt him with fiscal conservatives. The Club For Growth could damage him. If Mitch Daniels does not get in, I suspect Pawlenty gets the nomination.”

This is spot on. Assuming that no other conservative like Bachmann enters the race and Huck takes a pass, Pawlenty would win at this point. The only thing I would add is that even if Daniels gets in, I think Pawlenty would win.

http://glennstrumpetnotes.wordpress.com glennled

Wanta learn more about these guys, and we will, but at this moment, it looks to me that it will be a governor–and of those, it’s either Daniels or Pawlenty.

LibertarianHawk

Let’s not forget: we’re talking about a Republican Party that, 2.5 years ago, nominated the one prominent Republican politician that grassroots conservatives love to hate — or at least wince at with some regularity.

Some things have changed between then and now, granted. But not that much.

Of course endorsements mean a lot — always have, always will.

smitch61

But I think Palin may very well run.. I guess we will see, as one commenter above stated: “Palin, or her endorsement or backing of Cain would be nice”… I will say in regard to the horse race, I will for the first time in my adult life vote ‘anybody but Obama’.. even if I have to hold my nose. … forget it… we are consistently holding our noses.

lineholder

in the choice of candidate this time around. Which is really exciting in its own way. Not sure it would end up being Cain though. We’ll see.

lineholder

LibertarianHawk

I don’t think we could go wrong with either one of them. To my eyes, they’re clearly the cream of the crop (assuming Daniels runs, that is). So it stands to reason they’d rise to the top.

I hope it’s Daniels — I think he has the makings of being an outstanding president. But I’d be almost as happy with a Pawlenty nomination.

http://redmeatconservative.blogspot.com/ Daniel Horowitz

One thing is certain regarding Palin more than anybody else. If she does in fact run, she will enter much later. She has 100% name ID and doesn’t need to get in early. Quite the contrary, the earlier she gets in the quicker she becomes a target.

romeg

I like the analysis and the way you appear to be thinking about our team.

acat

more Establishment guys in the race than Conservatives – look at 2008 for a recent example – and the Establishment guys fold their tents early and endorse one another.

The last time the Conservative nominee was quite clear early in the process was 1980. You could make a case for 2000, but you’d end up arguing that Bush 2.0 was a conservative… and while I think he was a good President in the most important ways, he was no three-legged-stool of conservatism…

Anyway, the point is that with Romney, Daniels, Gingrich, Giuliani, Roemer, etc. – the Retread Clown Posse – in the act, there’s an opportunity for a fight on the RINO side, which could benefit a Conservative who does well in the first couple primaries…

If Cain can get enough money to place or show in Iowa, and can win or place in South Carolina, he’s suddenly formidable.

Mew

briefsynopsis

Trump got punked by Zero with the O announcement. Just when he was gaining traction with the right on several major issues he was introduced to hardball politics,.. Trumps reaction? nadda.

Cain is interesting in that he has immediate appeal to all who listen to his words. A Cain/Palin or Cain/West ticket would be interesting.

Newt, Huck, Romney, Pawlenty and Daniels will make good Field Generals for shaping message.

Paul could be interesting if the economy tanks.

Santorum needs to make amends for his Spector spectacle, and bang the drum of fiscal responsibility,..

Huntsman will be the press darling, much like McCain was. He will be useful until such time as he comes head to head with the Socialists Choice.

What happens if civil disruptions, rising food prices and a tanking economy cause crime to soar?
Which of these candidates gets the Security Vote??????
Palin seems to be positioned to occupy the press and keep them off guard while the others coalesce.

Defeating Soros and the Socialist agenda will take an organized effort from both the grass roots and the GOP establishment.
The Grass Root is up to it,.. but I suspect that the GOP is more interested in their fifedoms then they are in America.

So, First we defeat the GOP, then we defeat the progressive socialists and their minions.
….were gonna be busy.

the_invisible_hand

I know Rudy got killed in 08, but really, Romney got blanked and he has a bigger albatross around his neck than Rudy.

Most of what you say rings true to me, but I think you’re blinded by your affection for Cain and can’t see how long of a shot he really is.

Cain’s support on RS reminds me of this site’s support of Fred Thompson in 2008. Thompson was the overwhelming favorite of most here and he never made a dent in the primary. I see Cain as being the same type of candidate.

acat

and at least show up in New Hampshire… and suddenly Cain can’t be ignored.

And if Palin backs him early enough to make a difference in Iowa …

This could begin to feel very much like 1980.

Mew

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

You’ve said this at least three or four times, that Cain’s refusal to audit the Fed is an absolute disqualifier.

With the Executive departments/executive orders out-of-control regarding energy development and taxation, unions, political donations – not to mention out of control spending, dangerously flawed foreign policies, bailouts and intimidation of businesses, wildly proliferating regulations – for starters…

Please explain how it is, in view of all these matters, that auditing the Fed become THE litmus test for Presidential viability. Frankly, outside of the Ron Paul cultists, scattered libertarians,and the conspiracy addled left and right fringe groups, I don’t see anybody else who cares about this issue.

acat

Ron Paul! Ron Paul! Ron Paul! Ron Paul! Ron Paul!

Look, it’s not that I think the Fed is anything magical, but .. I’ve never met an auditor who didn’t come with a preconceived notion of what controls they expect to find broken or missing, and I don’t see how Ron Paul is any different.

I hear his call for an “audit” as nothing more than a call for an immediate change in the way the Fed does business – and with Ron Paul’s history of wanting to return to the gold standard, his end game is quite obvious. His arguemnts around this are disingenouous, to be kind. Outright lies also fits.

If that’s really the only thing you’ve got to bash Cain with, it’s weak tea at best, and to me it smells more like “used” weak tea.

Mew

Doc Holliday

I would say Daniels might be something, but he hasn’t done anything yet. Pawlenty seems competent in a Mondale kind of way, he should get a strong 46 percent in the general. Cain is the only one with charisma, but he is a huge wild card. Bachmann seems to have gone AWOL.

I think we need to skip this generation and go right to the next generation. Rand Paul, Marco Rubio or even George Allen would be a lot better.

Ok, Rand won’t run against Ron. But why not? Ron doesn’t care he is screwing up his own kid’s name.

victrola

My biggest criteria is simply “Who can beat Obama?”

Every candidate has their flaws, and everyone of them will disappoint us at some point, but I think we can all agree that just sending Obama home in 2012 will be a monumental victory for Conservatism. Of that list, there’s only three that can really win: Pawlenty, Romney, and maybe Daniels (I think he’s the weakest of the Big 3) I’m personally hoping Daniels stays out because I think that would strengthen Pawlenty.

I’m pulling for Pawlenty right now, but I think Romney has the most plausible path to win the nomination. The GOP rank and file will overlook RomneyCare because we have such a weak field, they’ll simply have to. If Mitt just admitted it was mistake, explained what his intentions were (to stop the free-rider problem with health care), the nomination would be his to lose, but he just keeps doubling down.

I do think endorsements will be a big deal this cycle, with figures like Chris Christie and Sarah Palin being kingmakers (if they want to). If Chris Christie endorses Mitt Romney (which seems likely from the chatter) that would easily put him over the top, imo.

LibertarianHawk

I’m not sure I buy the premise that the two camps are divided between “Establishment/RINOs” and “Conservatives.”

One can be in the establishment and still be a great conservative in good standing.

I agree that there are ideological differences there — and I also agree that there are establishment candidates and “outsider” candidates.

But I wouldn’t say that no conservatives are in the establishment — and all the outsiders are thoroughly conservative. How would one explain Gary Johnson and Ron Paul? While both have held elected office, neither would be considered establishment Republicans. But neither are they fairly classified as down-the-line conservatives.

My point is simply that we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of the political establishment in the nominating process. It means a lot whether we like it or not.

If it didn’t, there’s no way we’d have ended up with McCain in 2008, as just one example.

More than likely, we’re going to end up with a candidate blessed by the establishment. And that’s fine, but we should see to it that they’re sufficiently conservative…

…which is why I like the prospect of Daniels and Pawlenty being the front-runners.

gpclaw

Cain has nothing to lose, and everything to gain from this. He doesn’t need to win the nomination to come out a winner, because everything from here on just ups his profile for any future endeavors.

Unless he is otherwise occupied, I would imagine this experience will allow him to graduate from radio, to TV. Maybe he gives Saxby Chambliss a primary challenge in 2014? He would probably make a darn good RNC chair someday.

volunteerstate

But of my three most desired conservative candidates…. where is MIchelle BACHMANN ? PALIN, BACHMANN, CAIN …..

One of the three, I think , I hope , the Lord will give the American people a clear cut choice in 2012. We need an articulate individual, a person of steel backbone , one who stands for liberty , against government control , against the slavery (as Rand Paul articulated today) of required mandates, regulations, government controls., goverment run doctors, hospitals, nurses, janitorial services, schools….

What happened to Bachmann ?

lineholder

I’m not sold on any candidate yet, but there are things about Cain in particular that I find intriguing, such as the pro-business emphasis that he might offer.

At the very least, I’d be looking for a small-government type who will put the emphasis on cutting spending. But if we found ourselves with a leader who would not only go after spending reductions but revitalizing the private sector at the same time….hey, it could give us a chance to get ourselves out of this financial hole we’re in that much more quickly and it could compensate for fiscal risks incurred by some of the albatross social programs that we may not be able to just toss in the blink of an eye.

On this point, I see Cain’s business experience in a positive context.

LibertarianHawk

…why do you think Daniels is the weakest of those 3 (and I’m not even ready to call them the “Big 3″ — let’s face it, Pawlenty and Daniels are still unknowns on the national stage)?

Is it just a physical thing? He’s short and bald, ergo he’s not a strong candidate?

Is it the truce? His marital past?

I’m just curious as to why you think that. A lot of people do — and I think they’re underestimating him quite a bit. But maybe that’s normal with candidates who haven’t been on the national stage much.

lineholder

oldbird77

Has anyone gone straight to the Presidency from the House in the last 150 years? She probably needs to be a VP, Gov, or Senator 1st.

Viator

Balls to the wall. Lest you think that’s a swear word it actually refers to the throttle or ball on a jet fighter. Hence, balls to the wall, push the throttle all the way in. Not that Palin doesn’t have cojones.

The Huckster, it seems, has some real money for the first time in his life. He looks like he’s going to skip the meat grinder.

lineholder

Too much of our GDP is tied into this Obamacare and at least half the states in our nation have filed suits against Obamacare.

Fair or not, people will make the association between Obamacare and Romneycare, and it is likely to be the milestone hung around Romney’s neck.

And with Romney continuing to defend it….

snowshooze

She will cost us money.
She is not a cheap date.
She expanded spending and taxation both as Mayor and Governor.
Oh, I like her alrighty, but she is in her element where she is.
We Alaskan’s saw this, and we are still trying to straighten out a few things.
Would I vote for her? Maybe, but I need to see the menu first.
I’d say Cain may have more to offer, but I still don’t feel I know enough about him.

ffc99

I know Christie said something nice about Mitt’s speech from yesterday (specifically I think he praised Mitt’s “candor”), but I haven’t seen anything else to suggest that Christie would endorse Mitt. Frankly, a review of Mitt’s record, especially when compared to that of Pawlenty’s and Daniels, would suggest that Mitch or Tim are much more likely to get his support. In fact, earlier this week he said this with respect to Daniels:

“He’s certainly somebody who I have enormous respect for and would give real consideration to supporting.”

acat

Ron Paul and Johnson are footnotes, similar to Pat Paulsen and John Anderson respectively – they both have a following and issues but neither are going to win. Their presence has the effect of changing the nature of the conversation… I would also point out that I did not name either Johnson or Ron Paul as Establishment.

I would say, though, that having a three-legged-conservative as part of the establisment just about never happens. Jim DeMint appears to be the proof that it’s possible, but .. show me any others… especially who are or who could be running. Just sayin’, if we want an actual solid conservative, we usually need to look outside the beltway.

Pawlenty and Daniels both look .. adequate. I like that both have had to fight democrat-run statehouses, and – in Daniels case – he’s also had to fight a GOP-run one… I would like to see some more charisma there, and Cain brings that to the table in abundance.

I would be very happy with a Pawlenty/Cain ticket, and reasonably happy with a Daniels/Cain ticket… but a ticket with Cain on top could really cause some heads to explode… and more importantly, some ideas on what race means to be re-evaluated. I think there’s a value-add there, especially if Palin throws her weight behind Cain, that’s worth considering.

Mew

Viator

“Mitch Daniels is waiting for his wife’s okay on a presidential run.

She’s long been reluctant to give her blessing, because a presidential bid would publicize already-known but not often talked about facts about their marital history. And, while no one can know the complete facts — no one knows what the hell goes on inside a marriage, even the husband and wife — it appears that, for once, the more innocent party is the male politician, and the less innocent party is his wife.

So she’ll get an awful lot of bad attention and jokes about her on Leno and Letterman and general sniggers from our awful liberal media.

And Daniels, dutiful husband that he is, is allowing Cheri Daniels to make this decision.

Here’s the thing: That’s what a husband is supposed to do, right? When women imagine dream husbands, that’s the sort of thing they’d claim they really respected, right?

But I don’t think people will respect this. Even though this is what he supposedly should do, and we’re all supposed to praise him for this, almost no one will actually praise him. They’ll go through the motions of saying “It’s nice to see someone deferring to his wife” right before writing about how weird and weak it makes Mitch Daniels.”

http://minx.cc/?post=316137

acat

Someone whose campaign is very well-funded – either personally (The Donald) or from prevous races – and with a suitably Roveian campaign manager, could blow up out of nowhere just as the squishy middle are tuning back in after summer break….

Mew

acat

Iowans pretty much demand to be pandered about corn… and Iowa is the first race, so it’s necessary to do well there .. and that means some amount of a corn pander, or settle for a mid-list finish in Iowa and make it up somewhere else.

Mew

http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

Civil truth and acat have asked why this problem is a disqualifier.

First, I would advise reviewing Glenn Beck’s programs/writings.

Second, I would ask why he would not want to acquire relevant info.

Third, I would posit that the Fed’s debt-monetization aids/abets BHO.

Fourth, I would note that The Fed had consistently denied this intent.

Fifth, as an initial reference, I would ask that these “Fed Deniers” critique this:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/ben-bernanke-to-make-history-tomorrow-with-fedapalooza-spectacle/

We will then be able to discern how to rationalize-away direct a modicum of scrutiny towards this silent-hand that has printed Obama-Money for two years, unchecked.

And then we will be able to probe why a former Fed Commissioner wishes to write-off how government controls individual [fiscal] conduct….

LibertarianHawk

I could go down the list of current establishment Republicans, in office, and the bulk of them are ones that I would very much consider to be good conservatives.

Yes, they’ve had to engage in compromises, deal-making, etc. in order to be part of that establishment — and some conservatives consider that to be apostasy.

But it isn’t. And it’s a point I’ve been stressing in these parts for a while. As a movement, we’ve come to frequently confuse the virtue of pragmatism with the vice of apostasy.

To the point where you can’t think of anybody beyond Jim DeMint that you’d consider both “establishment” and “conservative”.

This is not a recipe for advancing conservatism in policy. It’s a recipe for following the lead of the Libertarian Party — which is absolutely pure in philosophy and absolutely fruitless in enacting it in the form of policy.

I am most certainly not advocating nominating moderates or, heaven forfend, liberals. I want us to nominate conservatives. I want conservatism to advance in policy — just as, I’m sure, you do.

And I’m entirely in favor of ridding ourselves of true apostates. But if we don’t start doing a better job of distinguishing between apostates and pragmatists, our movement has a dim future, IMO.

redneck_hippie

Daniels, Cain, Pawlenty, and either (or both of) Palin / Bachman are interesting to me. Until I know who is in and who isn’t, my 2, 3, and 4 positions are open. Daniels still at the top.

Daniels is loved by the establishment, but I see that as no reason to discount him. Nicki Haley, Mike Pence, Haley Barbour, Richard Mourdock, Gov. Walker, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie have all said very complimentary things about Mitch. Not because he is establishment, but because he would make an excellent president. What solidified my support of him was 1) the speech he gave at the Oaks Academy (google it) and, of course, his CPAC speech. Then there’s the small thing of turning his state around with Dems in the legislature, etc. etc. etc.

sandbun

We need less corporate welfare and govt interfering in the free market, not more. Can’t support him unless he changes that stance.

I’m confused by the Bachmann comments, I get that she posts on here and is a fighter, but in a general election? “I repeat obviously untrue blob rumors to the press” Bachmann? (http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-05/politics/obama.asia.cost_1_hotel-rooms-trip-amy-brundage?_s=PM:POLITICS) “The founders didn’t rest until slavery was abolished” Bachmann? (http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/25/kth-bachmann-flubs-history/) She better hire a good team of fact checkers if she decides to run.

Of realistic candidates I’m hoping for a Daniels victory myself, followed by T-Paw.

acat

Cain is well suited to answer your third and fourth points.

Please don’t confuse the Fed with the Treasury. Not the same. Turbo Tax Timmy Geitner is the one with the printing presses, not Bernanke.

I also note that you did not respond to my statement that Ron Paul is poorly placed to demand an audit of the Fed as he has stated, publically and repeatedly, that it is his intent to put us back on a gold standard.

Mew

LibertarianHawk

….reasoning hatched together as a plausible substitute for something else.

In other words, it’s not really a very good explanation for why he’d be a weak candidate.

But I can totally believe there are a lot of people — including, at this point, Republicans — who would want him to be viewed as a weak candidate for other reasons.

I know a lot of SoCons are thoroughly put off by his truce thing. And I can completely understand that — and they should absolutely vote accordingly.

But I don’t think it makes him a weak candidate — and I certainly don’t think the situation with his wife does. To me, that’s a non-issue.

Anybody who thinks that Daniels is a weak-kneed sissy should call up Pat Bauer and ask his opinion.

http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

so he won’t answer any of my points…which is why you are invited to do so.

And the Fed is BUYING what the Treasury is generating, complicit.

PLUS, critique his support of TARP….

lineholder

the good doctor is in Romney’s corner, not RPs.

carolina

Pawlenty was ‘limp’ in the SC debate. He will need to do better if he is going anywhere.
Cain has the energy, but Daniels has the solid expertise, imo.

LibertarianHawk

In 2006, I worked on an unsuccessful campaign for State Rep. We spent a lot of our time fundraising, of course. And I had an interesting conversation with a very successful businessman (his company does about $500M annually in sales) who we were hitting up.

He told me, to my surprise, that until 2004, the last time he had donated money to a political candidate was in the 70s. He was not politically active at all — and had a reputation as neither a Republican or Democrat. And, what’s more, he’s in the heavy civil construction business — so you’d think he’d be all over politicians.

I asked him what happened in 2004 and he said “I met Mitch Daniels, who was campaigning for governor. And he and I spoke for nearly an hour about a range of topics I know something about and it occurred to me that this was a rare politician. He was smart, not at all an empty suit, and had a palpable aura of competence.”

I don’t know what kind of candidate Daniels would make. But I have a good idea what kind of president he’d make. And that’s why I support him.

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

They are trying with monetary policy to protect us from the fiscal irresponsibility of the Obama administration. They’re running out of ammo, though.

Besides, I’m not even sure what it means to “audit the Fed” or the relevance thereof.

But I don’t think you’ve really addressed the gist of my question. I was not asking as to whether auditing the Fed is a necessary or even a good idea – but rather why this rather below-the-radar issue should be the qualifying/disqualifying issue above all the pressing issues I sampled in my second paragraph.

http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

[I fear Paul's un-muscular foreign policy.]

lineholder

Go back and read his other posts. Pick up on the reference to Mitt Romney as “Abel”? See the comments following?

Maybe Cain is being seen as a threat???

acat

The only candidate who has been pushing for an audit is crazy uncle Ron Paul… and his reason is pretty obvious – he intends to find enough reasons to move us back to a gold standard.

The good doctor may be in Romney’s corner, but he’s using Ron Paul’s cudgel, and I’ll expect him to explain it.

Mew

http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

“They are trying with monetary policy to protect us from the fiscal irresponsibility of the Obama administration. They?re running out of ammo, though.”

If you hate TARP/Stimulus and you KNOW the Fed has helped BHO sustain these albatrosses, then you would WANT to know how $$$-shifting is transpiring, right?

Change Jar Conservative

aside from your snark about Daniels, of course.

I think Daniels or Pawlenty CAN win it and that makes me feel better about America’s chances.

I think Huckabee is a fourth straight big government president so I’ll support him in the general but not until then.

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

and am agnostic about someone supporting TARP, given the apocalyptic conditions under which is was put forward. The financial people I respect have stated that this action was necessary to prevent meltdown. The bigger problem was what Obama did with the program.

It’s their votes or statements about all the stimulus bills, etc. that followed the TARP bill that I would score.

acat

I do not regard either the existence of Fed or the lack of a gold standard as the problems that you apparently do. Therefore, I’m not worried that Cain doesn’t want to waste time and “roll the dice”, as the saying goes, by throwing open the internal workings.

As you pointed out, Cain is well positioned to know what goes on inside the Fed. Your argument is that Cain is somehow covering for Bernanke. I find this to be on the fringe of conspiracy-theory-nuttery, and find it at best a weak reason to not support Cain – and at worst an attempt to slander his name.

I note, doctor, that you have trouble capitalizing it. Let me help you. Cain.

Mew

http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=175657

“The new language of the Sanders Amendment requires a one-time disclosure from the Fed of 13(3) facilities, foreign currency swaps and mortgage-backed securities,” Paul explained. “Basically, their sins of the past would be revealed and Americans would know more about who got bailed out by the Fed and under what terms. This would be good, but it’s not nearly enough.”

Read more: Look who flip-flopped on ‘Audit the Fed’ vote http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=175657#ixzz1MGsHmG1m

tonydepalma

I do not get where anyone thinks she is not running. Trips to India, Israel, the Madison speech, constantly on social media taking on Obama she is clearly going to run and win. Daniels is McCain anyone the liberal media promotes we don’t want. BTW, Eric you have to say she isn’t running you mistakenly said she was done with electoral politics when she stepped down as Gov to take on a National role we needed her in.

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

…but Mitch Daniels is totally lacking in the charisma department and, unfortunately, from JFK onward, one must be at least somewhat telegenic to win the White House.

I would add to Erick’s take on Huckabee that, while the MSM may rake him over the coals for the released felon, etc., the real reason they despise him is that, before he was a successful 10-year governor (rated one of the top 5 most effective governors in America, even) — which they NEVER mention — he was a Baptist minister. MSM never, never, never referred to him as “former 2-term Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee” — no, it was always “former Baptist minister Mike Huckabee.” Atheism is the de facto state religion in America now, and has been for quite some time. I happen to think Huckabee is an extremely smart guy, and one of the few who really “gets it” about the threat from militant Islam. But the MSM will always crucify a former Baptist minister.

Back to Daniels. Erick says Daniels is great with numbers. But if that’s issue number one — and I agree it’s important — then why not PAUL RYAN for president (and yes, he COULD be talked into running — or we could draft him)? Ryan’s the greatest “numbers” person in the country AND he’s more telegenic than anybody out there. Plus, thanks to all the budget work, he knows his way around the Executive branch of the federal government better than most Congressmen do. Heck, better than President Tee-Off does!

I’m totally with Finrod et al. that Sarah Pain as cheerleader for Herman Cain could mean…. GOP wins the White House.

acat

The Fed is exchanging long-term bond yields for embargoing short-term inflation.

If Bernanke weren’t buying bonds, we’d likely already be in hyperinflation.

Mew

lineholder

Sorry, my apologies. I thought you believed the doctor to be a RP supporter.

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

see my comment above. Do you really think it’s a good idea that the Fed should being stepping aside and allow us to be hurled into a deflation. They’ve been buying us time for sanity to raise its head, and now that we have regained the House there’s a chance if the leadership will step up to the plate. The “helping” is because of what Obama has been doing in response, not Fed intent.

But again, why is auditing the Fed your litmus test?

acat

Men who go to D.C. in their middling years, who are – as the Bismark quote has it, Conservative – and who subsequently become less so.

I’m not objecting to Daniels so much as I’m objecting to the idea that some of the GOP fossils who may have been as rock-ribbed or firebrand-wielding conservatives as any on Red State could wish for, still deserve the title.

In short, I don’t have a problem with Daniels running. He’s in my top four. I don’t think he’s the best we can do, but he’s far from the worst.

Mew

http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

We are looking for a candidate with business experience, who knows how the economy works, who knows how to create jobs the old-fashioned way, who can go toe-to-toe with the Democrats.

Cain is the man. He got his political start questioning President Clinton over the 1994 healthcare bill. Onward and upward.

We are looking for a candidate who is articulate and more importantly, articulates clearly the problems and solutions. In his 1 minute answer on immigration, Cain cut to shreds the last tens years of misearable amnesty-hunting, feeble incompetence and outright lies from the ‘establishment’ on illegal immigration.

Cain will stop Obama on immigration. Cain will stop Obama on jobs. Cain will stomp Obama on fiscal responsibility… the list goes on.

We want an outsider who is ready to clean out the stables and is not beholden to the political class. Cain is the man.

We want a fiscal conservative, a prolife pro-family conservative, a small-government cut-the-spending conservative and tea-party-style dont-spend-money-you-dont-have American patriot. Cain is the man.

Cain won me over in the debate and the run-down on the candidates only convinces me more that Cain is the MAN. Palin wont run IMHO and would have electability problems even if she did, which might ironically throw the nomination to the establishment candidate, since she will suck the oxygen out of the room for any other populist conservative candidate.

If our choice on the traditional candidate side is Daniels, TPaw and Romney, I’d go with TPaw. Romneycare kills Romney, Daniels emits the Bush clan vibe, but TPaw has the right tenor to go up against Obama.

BTW, one litmus test for a candidate like Cain is that they are well-rounded and not one-issue obsessives or have proposals that are too far out there. When I heard that Cain was a former Fed bank chairman, I considered it a QUALIFIER not disqualifier. Opposing the Paulite Jihad against the Fed is a GOOD THING. Cain knows the real job of the Fed is managing the money supply, and he has the know-how to get the right leadership in there, to do it right and no debauch the currency (as Bernanke’s QE2 has been doing). The Fed is not the cause of deficits, over-regulation, over taxation, etc. Bills passed by Congress and enforced by presidents are. So let’s focus on the REAL problem, the REAL issues and get someone how brings some real solutions to the table.

Cain is the MAN.

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

Nobody, but NOBODY, would annihilate Barack Obama in a one-on-one debate the way Paul Ryan would.

Is there anyone here who doesn’t remember this?
http://youtu.be/zPxMZ1WdINs

Viator

I just put it forth as an example of what’s coming. On the other hand it’s from Ace of Spades HQ.

There is this:

“Aside from all of the personal and political issues that will be weighed, one thing recommends Daniels: he doesn’t want to do it. “What sane person would?”, he has said. Politicians are all slightly psychopathic, and most more than slightly vain. Daniels by personality might actually be more like Calvin Coolidge–someone who doesn’t want the constant spotlight, who doesn’t want to be in our faces every day. His wife won’t be telling us to eat our vegetables. In other words, he’s the one person I can imagine conducting the presidency more like the way the Founders intended it, and not as most modern presidents have done in our mass media age.

Maybe that model can’t or shouldn’t be brought back. Perhaps we need a president capable of a daily, sustained public argument about how our government needs radical reform (that would be someone like Paul Ryan, as I’ve argued here before, or Gov. Chris Christie). But having Daniels in the field at least offers the potential for Republican voters to ponder an alternative mode of doing presidential politics.” Powerline

I am a member of all kinds of conservative think tanks. They are staffed with very smart, educated, earnest, good people. They have big beautiful buildings in Washington, DC and send out all kinds of nice thoughtful studies, beautifully printed and immaculate. The left in the US is eating their lunch. This country is at a tipping point, soon more people will be supported by the government than support the government. Soon the public sector will consume the private sector like a run-a-way lamprey eel.

Do we need Neville Chamberlain or Maggie Thatcher?

Mitch Daniels seems like a very nice guy. Thoughtful, smart, considerate, you name it. Is he Churchill, Thatcher, or Reagan?
The time is getting late.

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

Just askin’.

There’s a movement afoot to draft him — and a group called Allen West Nation that is collecting signatures online to petition the constituents of FL-22 to “release” him from his commitment to them in order to serve the nation in its time of crisis.

http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

Hate to say “I told you so”, but maybe you’ll start believing that cats do have a sixth sense. Where do you go when Cain gets out?

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

It’s so early in the season, but here goes…

I remain very skittish about Romney because 1) I saw him last cycle as being opportunistic in his position shifts and thus a subsequent lack of clarity regarding his core values; 2) he’s seems a bit too much of the McCain mold to offer a clear contrast that will give people a reason to switch products; and 3) he only has four years as MA governor, did not seem reelection, and has out of elective office since then, which leaves him open to the inexperience and “quitter” critique (same weakness that Palin has).

We’ve got a watershed election in 2012 to determine if we’re going to devolve into a socialist/Marxist state or if we’re going to get some breathing room to demonstrate the conservative alternative.

Daniels and Pawlenty seem to have the best qualifications at this time to sell conservatism to the American public that can reach the swing voters – if blandness is a plus in the 2012 season. Otherwise they may have an uphill battle.

Cain is an exciting speaker (having heard him at the RedState Convention) and has a good business story as head of Godfather’s Pizza, but I don’t know his underlying core convictions and his approach to a host of political issues, especially foreign policy. And of course he’s never held elective office. He may actually have the tools to be able to regain control of the Executive branch from the bureaucrats who will undermine his programs, but his negotiating skills with Congress are unknown. And he’s a total unknown regarding his views on jurisprudence and judicial appointments.

I’ll be open to hearing him out, but right now color me skeptical.

Gingrich, Huckabee, Santorum are unacceptable. Palin needs to keep on doing what she’s doing – she’s much better as a grizzly mom, whereas her record as AK governor was disturbingly poor. Huntsman is a fox guarding the hen house. Paul, Johnson, Trump hopefully will not be serious candidates.

http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

Cool.

Cain won the first debate hands-down.
TPaw a runner up.

Cain and TPaw will be the 2nd and 3rd biggest threats to Romney.

The biggest is his own record.
Dead Frontrunner Walking, just shot himself in the foot with his speech.

liveforadrenaline

Pawlenty is like the default candidate. Not particularly inspiring nor accomplished but is not mistake-prone (aside from cap and trade).

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

I have some insight here.

My email is my screen name at yahoo.com

acat

And Paul Ryan would make a much more formidable candidate in that race.

Mew

redneck_hippie

at the beginning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE4uSk5EKuw

I’ve seen some of Cheri Daniels’ slide show from her presentation at the GOP dinner speech she made yesterday, I’ve decided that he’s in.

The slides included a rear view of her milking a very tall and long-legged tan colored cow.

Naqamel

Herman Cain – Yes.
Mitch Daniels – Maybe
Newt Gingrich – No
Mike Huckabee – Oh, hell no.
Jon Huntsman – Who?
Gary Johnson – No
Sarah Palin – YES, YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES
Ron Paul – No
Tim Pawlenty – Meh.
Mitt Romney – NO!
Rick Santorum – No
Donald Trump – Maybe for the Dem nominee.. but Trump’s no Republican.

Outside of Palin, my pick right now is Herman Cain. I can stomach Pawlenty.

Though I really want Paul Ryan to run (and win), if Palin’s not running.

acat

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

Cain and Pawlenty seem to be the best.

However, I’d like for someone to give me a good argument for why Paul Ryan shouldn’t be our nominee. Ryan knows his stuff, has a sunny disposition and quick wit that are worthy of Reagan, knows his way around the Executive Branch (thanks to all the budget work), and is one of the few individuals in Washington who is absolutely not the tiniest bit intimidated by the Don Corleone in the Oval Office.
http://youtu.be/zPxMZ1WdINs
Scary-smart, gaffe-proof, MatineeIdol-telegenic. What more do you want?

20jan2013

I was educated about Cain very recently; he has been bumped way down the list as a result.

I will have plenty of sackcloth and ashes to hand around when Daniels announces that he’s not running, either.

That pretty much leaves Palin or Bachmann if Huckabee isn’t running. Actually, it leaves whoever the Kingmaker (as Huckabee shall heretofore be known effective Saturday night) endorses.

http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

now that the Wisconsin seat is open. And we did away with the draft after the Vietnam War. Sorry it’s all volunteer now.

20jan2013

gpclaw

He advocated, and signed into law, the Next Generation Energy Act of 2007. This law implements renewable energy standards, and requires all energy companies in the state of Minnesota to produce 25% of their energy from renewable sources, by 2025.

The energy bill rumored to to get a vote in last years lame duck session, was a less aggressive version of the Minnesota bill, and is similar to what Obama proposed in his State of the Union address.

I don’t see how this makes Pawlenty any different from Romney.

20jan2013

Paul Ryan will be Wisconsin’s next senator or I’m Toonces the Cat.

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

Try this on for size:

All the GOP candidates (both announced and unannounced) get together, divvy up the responsibilities, pick which one will run for the top spot AND which individuals will fill all the Cabinet positions, i.e., Treasury, Defense, HHS, Interior, Attorney General, along with National Security Adviser, OMB director, Press Secretary, etc.

We’ve got some incredible talent in the GOP, we just don’t see all the gifts that we need wrapped up in one person. So why not announce a SLATE that everyone can get behind?

I’m dead serious. Is there anyone here with high-level connections that could get this ball rolling?

20jan2013

We need Paul Ryan to run for Herb Kohl’s open seat in 2012. That’s why.

burbmom

this morning for the Austin Economic Club. There were so many standing ovations the moderator joked it seemed like a State of the Union speech. Mr. Cain laid out a specific plan for how he would take on the economy. And it made sense! Minutes later he gave an interview with the local AM station about his faith and the role race should not play in the election. I appreciated his candor and would not hesitate to take the risk and put his bumpber sticker on my car in ultra-liberal Austin.

20jan2013

http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

So consider this responsa to his opening ‘graph, initiated by a quote from the EE-essay about Mitt: “The guy we all want to like, but just have such a hard time liking.” If so, then consider….

1. Opportunitistic…aren’t they all?
2. Position shifts…key was abortion, which was years ago, and nothing during past half-decade.
3. He has been talking core-values rather consistently and I like what he has said…and how he’s said it.
4. I don’t see the overlap with McCain on the key-concerns raised earlier [immigration, etc.].
5. There is no identifiable issue which doesn’t contrast with BHO’s positions, domestic and foreign.
6. “It’s the Economy, Stupid!” will provide sufficient motivation, just as occurred last November.
7. His executive-narrative has been solid, and I never heard the “quitter!” charge [a la Sarah].
8. This is attributable to his having (a)–completed a term, and (b)–”saved” the Olymphics.
9. He provides a crisp delivery, an attractive smile, and an impeccable family-narrative.
10. He is independently wealthy [thus, beholden to no one], and is “next in line” within the GOP.

Has this alleviated your angst?

20jan2013

I’m the last one to support Ron Paul, and this audit the fed thing is way down the list of my priorities. I say, what does it hurt, and I’m a little suspicious of anyone who says no no no dont do that. Far from a disqualifier.

Ron Paul erased what little chance he had with me when he came out against taking OBL out without getting a permission slip from Mom I mean Pakistan first. The Constitution is not a suicide pact. Kill or be killed.

20jan2013

http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

“If you hate TARP/Stimulus”

What’s there to hate? It was done 2 1/2 yrs ago and ended up costing us a tiny fraction of the total spending of the last 3 years ($100 billion or so cost, out of spending of $10,000 billion, or 1%).

” and you KNOW the Fed has helped BHO sustain these albatrosses, then you would WANT to know how $$$-shifting is transpiring, right?”

Um, WE DO KNOW! Most of the books of the Fed are open and known. We know about QE2 and Fed operations because the Fed publishes minutes. We know the Fed’s balance sheet and we know the Governments spending and deficits (HUGE).

Here is some of the public information:

http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/bst_fedsbalancesheet.htm

Herman Cain’s problem with the Paulites will be that he is very knowledgeable on these things, knows how it REALLY works, and will be trying to talk to people who are frankly misinformed in a ‘its-a-conspiracy’ way to believe the Fed is hiding something, when in fact there is quite a bit of transparency.

Auditing the Fed *IS* valuable when you find some hidden gotcha’s, not dissimilar to an audit of a public company that reveals a mistake on the 10-K… but it’s NOT the big enchilada.

Monetary policy is. Cain knows this, and his position is simple and direct: Get back to the gold standard. That standard is the one that provides most assurance to a stable and inflation-resistant monetary value. Cain has criticized the Fed over the QE2 loose money policies:

”
The Fed?s decision to designate $600 billion to buy Treasury notes from the U.S. Treasury, a move known as quantitative easing, was ?not sound fiscal policy,? he argued. ?The reason the Fed did that, to prop up the Treasury, was because the economy is not recovering . . . To prop up the Treasury because the fiscal and economic polices have failed is not the role of the Federal Reserve,? he said. “The Fed should focus on monetary policy,? Cain argued.
”

http://www.newsmax.com/KenTimmerman/hermancain-japan-plannedparenthood-president/2011/03/16/id/389651

Cain’s defense of having a Fed, though, gets him in trouble with some on the ‘fringe’ who want to abolish the Fed. The “End the Fed” movement is actually a DANGEROUS idea, because it will give Congress the leeway on money supply; by putting politicians in charge of money supply, you open up the risk to political manipulations, of the kind you see in the third world.

Whether dollar dilution happens by Bernanke or Reid doesnt matter, what matters is policies that resist dollar dilution that give a short-term ‘pop’ for long-term misery.

So, in the end, Cain has the correct position on Fed policy, and his correct position will hurt him.

20jan2013

acat

20jan2013

That’s the first I’ve seen on here of someone being that strenuous in their dislike of Huckabee while being super strenuous in their like of Palin.

I guess we’re going to be on the same team soon.

Aaron Gardner

20jan2013

I don’t trust Romney any farther than I can throw him.

Say, I know, let’s take 2010′s resounding rejection of Obamacare, and run a Republican for president who launched its predecessor! Yes! That makes perfect sense!

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

…though she gives great speeches and writes great op-eds, she does poorly in the one-on-one stuff, whether interviews or debates.

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

Who decides this stuff anyway?

Can’t the RNC force some changes in our wacko primary system?

acat

I’m of the “personnel is policy” school – that is, the Executive is one part picking agency heads or judicial nominees who will decide policy, and one part bully pulpit – the actual impact on the day-to-day lives of the citizenry is remarkably thin.

That said, go forth and plug the string “Kjellander Kass Combine” into Google – or Bing, if you’re that way, and read up. Kjellander was also Romney’s Illinois campaign chair last time around.

If this is the caliber of personnel Mitt is going to pick, his policy won’ t matter.

Mew

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

…because Sarah would lose the general.

Let her continue to do what she does best. Speak out, fund-raise, rally the troops.

sandbun

I’m willing to consider those who back away from it and say they made a mistake, although I’ll look at them suspiciously, but not someone who refuses to even do that.

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

…our opponents will gleefully do so in the general election.

Not quite sure what you mean by your one-liner here, but I would think it difficult to find in what I’ve written an endorsement of the “establishment” favorites. We’re 18 months out from the general; this is the time we ask the defining questions.

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

20jan2013

It’s interesting you call me out for identifying civiltruth for what he is. My contribution to the discussion was to share my opinion that he supports a slate that places him squarely among the establishment Republicans. This is a legitimate exchange of opinions. As unfortunate as it is that he chooses to espouse establishment ideology, even I do not consider that a bad word such as one would think would be involved in a genuine “name calling.”

I do refer you to mbecker908′s posts about me and everyone he disagrees with who isn’t a moderator if you would like to patrol the name calling on this site. I do have a thick skin, but it is kind of annoying.

20jan2013

“Gingrich, Huckabee, Santorum are unacceptable.”

Also your support of Daniels and Pawlenty. Throw in Romney and you have the Three Establishment Musketeers.

http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

Call it the “Dole Strategy”.

Go look at 1996. Dole ran. Clinton ran against the GOP in Congress. he made dark pictures of newt and Dole and ran negative ads – real early – to lock in the ‘narrative’. Bad GOP Congress needed a swell guy to stop the extremists. It worked. … and get this – The GOP Congress survived, the Presidential candidate did not.

Nominating Ryan is a BAD IDEA. It will give Obama an opening to run against the GOP Congress’s budget plans.

The Ryan “roadmap” is fine policy but has been bad politics. Bad politics because instead of having a debate about how Obamacare will kill old people and bankrupt our nation, the Ryan medicare changes got the Democrats a shot at changing the subject to REPUBLICANS WANT TO KILL GRANDMA BY GUTTING MEDICARE!

It doesnt matter if its true or not, by making the Ryan plan the issue, we let the Democrat run their old playbook.

In fact, ANY Congressional-based candidate, like Dole was, will be behind the 8-ball and will NOT be our best shot. FAR BETTER WE RUN AN OUTSIDER NOT TIED DOWN TO THE SQUABBLES IN DC. EVEN BETTER IF WE HAVE A SHUTDOWN IN THAT SCENARIO.

A shutdown will make both the Congressional Republicans, Congressional Democrats AND President Obama look bad. “See, these squabbling kids cant get along.”

FAR BETTER TO GO WITH THIS PLAN:
1. let he GOP Congress go to the mat on cutting spending. No debt limit increase with a BBA and strict spending caps and real, immediate spending cuts.
2. If Obama balks, hell breaks loose, govt shutdown city.
3. Promote Ryan to the Senate, let him get some experience and consider running in 4-12 yrs.
4. Run a Governor (TPaw) or outsider (Cain) who can go after Obama’s incompetence and bad economic record.

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

So whom do YOU favor of the current possibilities?

http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

what did Mitt do and when did he do it…to cause you to reject his ability to judge character and executive ability?

i come up dry when i add “romney” to your string; why is that?

please be explicit

http://theheartlander.wordpress.com/ heartlander

just saw your answer further down in the thread

renny

I doubt there is anything they could still do to her, but they are so nefarious and relentless, she would need the hide of a rhinocerous just to wake up every morning.

Pair her with Herman Cain as veep. Do I hear birds’ chirping?

Daniels has some impressive endorsements. He killed Planned Parenthood on his own, but he pulled the union bill. Palin probably has more sheer guts. Trump sunk of the f-word. You cannot participate in public discourse and swear like a longshoreman on a St. Patrick’s Day holiday. No aspersions. I am Irish myself.

lineholder

that’s let people know who are responding to.

acat

1) No other candidate except Ron Paul wants the audit. If it isn’t Ron’s cudgel, it’s definitely been seen in his posession, and has his fingerprints all over it.

2) Cain has experience with the Fed Reserve, and therefore would be in a position of more knowledge than either of us. (Unless you’re moonlighting as Bernanke’s conscience… then you’d have the inside scoop) With that in mind, it becomes a question of whether you choose to trust Cain’s assertion that it’s a waste of time.

3) Ron Paul doesn’t want to audit the fed. He wants to use the audit of the fed to find reasons to move us back to the gold standard. This is the worst kind of dishonest reason for wanting an audit – not to find the truth, but to fish around for evidence to support an existing goal.

4) As you say, 20jan2013, the audit-the-fed thing is far down the list of priorities… it’s actually below disliking the Fair Tax for me .. so I find it odd that it’s the only cudgel Doctor Sklaroff is using here… especially given point 1.

In short, even if the doctor does not intend to hand Ron Paul a victory, calling for the audit would have that result – and worse, it puts Cain in a bad position over a minor issue.

Mew

lineholder

was that your first exposure to Cain?

Bill S

At the time, it was absolutely the right thing to do. No backtracking required.

acat

Doctor, if you had actually put the string “kjellander kass combine” into google and hit search, you would get a series of links.

In short, Kjellander was Romney’s Illinois campaign chair last time around, and is part of “the combine”, a bipartisan political machine that has made reform almost impossible in Illinois.

If Kjellander is someone Mitt is willing to give a position of prestige within his campaign, I hesitate to think who he’ll want in his cabinet.

Mew

gpclaw

The one glaring concern I have with Pawlenty, is the energy bill he passed in 2007, and how Obama can flip the issue on him, in the same way he flipped ObamaCare on Romney.

The latest clean energy proposals from the Dems, have involved renewable energy mandates, instead of cap and trade. If Pawlenty gets the nomination, I can already see the dems in the Senate propose a clean energy bill, copied almost word for word from the Minnesota bill, put it up for a vote in September or October, and then run around telling everyone that their proposal is the exact same thing Pawlenty championed when he was governor of Minnesota.

How could any Republicans come out against it, with out making Pawlenty vulnerable to attack? Maybe it’s not enough to prevent Pawlenty from beating Obama, but the cost may be a clean energy bill.

sandbun

Govt interfering in the free market is not something we need more of. It’s the entire justification for all the new regulations that they’re added and want to add since. Either you believe in the free market and that businesses should be allowed to fail, or you don’t. If you don’t then you might as well believe everything else that the Dems want to do will be good too. They all have noble sounding purposes too.

Making sure people keep their jobs even when they don’t deserve to is a union strategy that I want nothing to do with.

acat

I was in the “Let them fail!” camp…

I don’t see where backing the original premise is a deal-breaker.

I don’t think, though, that what We The People were promised bore any resemblence to the crap sandwich we were eventually served… and I would be looking for candidates to grasp that distinction.

Mew

sharp

Having heard from all of us, I want to hear from Sen. DeMint.

Does the likely nomination of Gov. Daniels cause DeMint to want to enter the race, or is he OK with Mitch? DeMint’s dissatisfaction with the establishment is what motivated him to remake the Senate.

DeMint is a “winner” and is the most effective politician we have.

Although, in the past, I wanted him to stay in the Senate and lead the charge; today, I think we need him in the race, and lead the takeover.

powertothepeople

Ron Paul gets, or Donald Trump. Nice idea, but I would rather the others fight this out and put these jokers in the trash bin where they belong.

20jan2013

Try “unlikely”

But yeah, maybe it’s time for DeMint to consider jumping in there, especially if Huckabee and Palin leave a void on the right.

acat

Seriously, there is a logic to having smaller States in culturally different parts of the country as the “litmus tests”. Remember that Howard Dean went into Iowa as a front runner, his self-destruction didn’t hurt the Dems. Small State, only important to expose any canaries in the candidates’ coal mines.

What bugs me more are open primaries, where we let anyone who bothers to get off their sofa and get to the polls select the GOP (and Dem, to be fair) candidate. The Dems got a taste of their own medicine in 2008 with Limbaugh’s Operation Chaos .. but because the Dems give a big chunk of control over their candidates to the party apparachiks, they also can afford some chaos in the open primaries. We can’t.

Mew

(cat will be on the roof with his fiddle…)

Bill S

Or did you mean “candidacy”? At this point no one is “likely” for the nomination.

Aaron Gardner

Thanks for not answering my question and pointing to the bad behavior of others as an excuse for your pot shots at civil truth.

As far as your questions about the moderators, I suggest you take their instructions and hit the contact form if you have a problem with how they moderate the site.

Now to civil truth, I must say, Civil is one of the best commenters on the site in my book. The name says it all and the signature block tops it off.

Have a good weekend Mr 20Jan2013, if that is your real name. I’ll check Monday to see if you still exist.

Doc Holliday

Also he seems to have left the grid. I am open to hearing him out though, we do need somebody.

cordpt

There’s no establishment in national politics any more. Warren Harding being picked in a smoke-filled room was almost 100 years ago. Primaries killed the political party establishment.

Why the heck do you think Daniels, Pawlenty and Romney are more establishment than Gingrich (!!!), Huckabee and Santorum? A former Speaker of the House, a former governor and Fox News contributor and a former Senator in DC aren’t establishment? While freaking Tim Pawlenty, who’s spent his entire political life in Minnesota, is part of the establishment?

That dichotomy doesn’t make sense any more. It’s just something folks use as a slur. But let me be honest with you: it’s not particularly powerful. It just doesn’t stick.

20jan2013

You asked if I had a point. My answer is yes. If you want details, re-read my explanation above.

You assume I made a potshot. I did not make a potshot at anybody. I characterized another commenter’s view as establishment. No disrespect intended, just disagreement.

You actually state that I made plural potshots. Could you please point out to me what else you are referring to that there was more than one so I can understand you?

I didn’t have any questions about the moderators, so I don’t know what you mean by “as far as your questions about the moderators.” What are you trying to do to me, Aaron? What instructions are you talking about that I am supposed to take? Why are you saying “if I have a problem with how they moderate the site?” I don’t have a problem with how they moderate the site. I was telling you that it is interesting you would jump on me for having a respectful political discussion with civil truth but I don’t hear a peep from you when mbecker908 and a couple others hit the “idiot” hotkey at people they disagree with, unless said people are moderators.

I’m sure you’re right that civil is one of the best commenters on this site. I’m not here to rank order anybody. I am just blown away at your federal casemaking out of my characterizing his views as establishment. You are welcome to disagree; I am often wrong about a lot of things, and I could be wrong about this, too.

Why so ominous about my screen name and if I still exist?

sandbun

Do you believe that the govt should pick winners and losers or not? That’s what the bailout was, the govt deciding that the big banks should be the winners, not those that didn’t act irresponsibly. And once you believe that you are essentially saying that the dems are right – govt should have greater control over businesses to make sure they are doing what the govt wants them to do. I don’t want anyone who believes that the govt role is to determine which business should succeed anywhere near the White House, not even as a guest.

But even beyond that, the crap sandwich you mentioned – all entirely predictable. Was there any doubt once Congress agreed to bail out the banks that the Dems wouldn’t insist that it also bail out their union car making buddies? Or the regulations they’ve added? In fact given the bailout creating regulations makes sense! It’s no different that requiring drug tests for people to get welfare – if you’re on the governments teat they have a responsibility to make sure you’re using their money correctly.

As I said, if they’re willing to walk back from supporting it – and there was a lot of pressure on them to do it – I’ll be suspicious about what they truly believe and if they have any foresight at all. But I’ll live with it. But if in hindsight, given time to consider what the bailout did and was and the way it was used, if they still think it was a good idea, well then I have to wonder if they’re even that much better than Obama.

Aaron Gardner

As far as the rest of your drivel, sorry you haven’t familiarized yourself with the site enough to know where the posting rules are.

See you Monday.

Menlo

I’m not sure how that would go over with primary voters.

http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

When you started posting tripe here, several of us, me included, responded to your posts with factual information that labeled as fact and opinion that was labeled as opinion. You’ve taken significant liberties with your use of polling data that you clearlly don’t understand and a couple of people have corrected your misaprehensions in detail.

You have yet to respond with anything other than whining. It’s beyond tiresome. You’ve demonstrated over and over that you don’t understand history, you don’t have a clue about the effect of third parties and you clearly don’t understand the lay of the land with respect to several candidates who’ve run before nor do you seem to understand the purpose of the primary season.

Deal with facts, understand something of electoral history, learn something about how the primary season works and why and focus on the pluses and minuses of the potential candidates with an understanding that the next four to six months is nothing more than a weeding out process for the potentials to see how they deal with the heat that comes from a national campaign and how their views line up with the way issues are rolling out. Then maybe you’ll be able to have a reasonably intelligent conversation focused on candidate performance and issues. Until then, not so much.

http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

[i did the search, but couldn't ID the linkage and discern a problem.]

skorrent1

A defence of the Fed on “long term monetary policy”. How can you consider their performance since ’14 to be anything other than abysmal? The dollar has lost about 99% of its value, we’ve gone through periods of depression, inflation, stagflation, recession, and we’re on the verge of either a double-dip or another stagflation. The little banks are in about the same shape as when FDR closed them, and the Fed decides which are “Too big to fail.”

If any other government program had such a miserable record, every reputable conservative would be trying to end it. What has the Fed done that’s good?

20jan2013

Viator

Angelo M. Codevilla (Author), Rush Limbaugh (Introduction)

“In this profound and incisive work, Angelo M. Codevilla introduces readers to the Ruling Class, the group of bipartisan political elites who run America.”

Angelo M. Codevilla is professor emeritus of international relations at Boston University. Educated at Rutgers, Notre Dame, and the Claremont graduate university, Codevilla served in the US Navy, the US Foreign Service, and on the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He taught philosophy at Georgetown, and spent a decade at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. He has written 10 previous books.

runner12

I must admit that for me is probably between Cain and Pawlenty.

Finrod

.

Bill S

Learn to use the “Reply to This” button or don’t comment. It’s not that hard.

http://www.pawatercooler.com Redfox

So I’m comment #150 which means that most people will not read this, but what the heck.

Eric, sometimes I think you’re brilliant and sometimes I think you’re a fool, but I think you have this pretty much dead-on. I was privileged to listen to Tim Pawlenty speak at the Republican Committee of Allegheny County (PA) Lincoln Dinner. I was a *sort of* T-Paw supporter before I heard him, but afterwards I was a total T-Paw supporter. I really think this thing is going to come down to Daniels, Pawlenty, and Romney. Put simply, Romney has WAY too much baggage with Romneycare and Daniels has wounded himself with his “truce” comment. To be up-front, I have to say that I agree with Daniel’s comment (social issues are NOT the main issues for 2012), but his inability to see how damaging his comment is troubling. Moreover, his inability to see how easy it would be to walk that statement back and at least clarify it is even more bothersome. Pawlenty, OTOH, has the experience and the appeal both to beat Obama and be a good President. That’s an important distinction in my book. Frankly, I think a lot of people could beat Obama, but many of them would not make good Presidents. I don’t want to settle, and I don’t want the lesser of two evils. FWIW, I think Pawlenty is the guy.

Finrod

She’s expressed a dislike for running for office before, and I don’t see her changing that at this point. That said, if it was a strong conservative offering it to her, I’d be thrilled if she accepted.

nvrepub

nt

sandbun

then he did in 2008. Granted I haven’t paid him a lot of attention since last election, but it seems like every time I do hear him talk he makes it clear he wants increased war; he seems especially gun-hoe about starting one with Iran. Whatever you think of that idea, it’s not a popular position right now. I think he’s be a non-starter at this point.

Kyle-MI

She, at least, deserves to be analyzed as much as Cain.

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

Please try again.

It’s “civil_truth” with the underscore at “yahoo.com” (substituting @ for at)

I’m being a bit circuitous to keep bots from collecting my e-mail address.

lineholder

Sorry, didn’t include the underscore first time through. Look for “lineholder” in subject line.

onemovoter

I actually found a video of Cain talking to a decent group of citizens who were asking about auditing the Fed. Cain took the time to explain how the Fed is structured and operates. There are 12 regional offices and he was in KC, which my personal experience is that region has always tended to offer conservative views. He then described how the Fed at each region is audited on a yearly basis. He also said you can call up the Fed and ask to come down and have them explain their operation and that they would be happy to.

Towards the end he said he personally wouldn’t be against auditing the Fed, at least the NY Fed, but he would let the Congress which has the power, to conduct the audit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caeNXivEGEg&feature=player_embedded

I am still looking and digging into positions and statements by Cain, but so far of what I’ve seen he’s the one candidate out of all of them that I can support. The only thing he needs to work on is actually getting some ideas out there on some issues instead of saying, we’ll sit down with experts and work it out then.

aesthete

Recall that the US’ healthcare is rated very low by many orgs, as well.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

the GOP should move a bit towards what the Dems do because our criteria for love is much better on substance. We are stuck with the Iowa and NH paradigm with SC being a possible jump start, but the winner of SC is usually one of the winners of the first two. Cain could win Iowa esp after the SC debate and his own natural talent.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

aesthete

it hurts us. Now that I know that Pawlenty wasn’t just blabbing about global warming, but that he also passed a bill regulating that something be done about it, I’m rather more wary of him than I was before. ‘Cat, could you provide some specifics, or link to a site which succinctly provides specifics on *what* and *how* TPaw reduced government/did good things for conservatives? I want to like him (right now he’s my distant #2), but I haven’t found many specifics to back up that “like”.

aesthete

without the song!

aesthete

because both are actually some of the most value-adding posters on this site, and you would do well to emulate their fine example.

aesthete

Garbageman. For our embassy in China. Not a Cabinet position, you say? Well then, I’ll just refuse to vote for anyone who doesn’t promise to make it one upon taking office.

(Additionally, Ron Paul for SETI director.)

http://www.AmericanThinker.com Hammer2008

Erick,

You darn near cost me a clean up on my laptop screen. Here I was all seriously reading through when I guffawed aloud at
“Gary Johnson
Bawhahahahahaha. Um . . . no.”

I think I will remember that alone for the next year.

http://www.thepurpleheart.com/recipient/RecipientDetails.aspx?wid=7f39cbbe-5213-4983-9702-50132a1c73 rsmith7042

In general I am dissatisfied with the GOP field, with three exceptions. I am troubled that we have so few veterans in congress and none running for President in either party. I want a President with steel nerves, from outside Washington, with experience in any field that lends itself to solving unemployment, getting government out of the way of business, and de-regulating almost everything. I want a President who will kill terrorists and stop sending American money to people who hate us. I want a President who will drill everywhere, now. I want a President who will appoint constitutional purists to the Supreme Court.

Herman Cain-He is my first choice. Cain is the 1976 Ronald Reagan of 2012. I agree with everything said. This is the man that can beat Obama. He has actually created jobs, run corporations, he debated Bill Clinton at a town hall meeting on his socialized medicine plan and destroyed him. I say he is the 1976 Reagan, because the party failed to nominate Reagan and we lost. This man can win, has no skeletons, has command of numbers – BA and MS in Mathematics. Only candidate who sounds, believes, and acts like Reagan. First time since the 1980s that I have been this inspired by a candidate. A Cain-Rubio ticket would be formidable.

Sarah Palin- The establishments hate her. The Sr Bushes hate her; The media hates her; Liberals get rabid and foamy at the mouth at the thought of President Palin. That is enough reason to support her. My second choice.

Michelle Bachman-My third choice. Tough as nails. Speaks candidly. Understands the constitution. Lawyer. Tea Pary Caucus founder. Foster mom to 23 foster kids.

Tim Pawlenty-The wimp factor of 1988 returns. A house cat ? a mama?s boy from the suburbs. No toughness at all. I want a President who strikes fear in to the hearts of our enemies. Reagan?s candidacy in 1980 scared the Iranians, Soviets, etc. By the time he was elected, they released the hostages and a year after he left office communism was defeated. Pawlenty lacks this quality, in my view.

Newt Gingrich-He could get the nomination if he overcomes three marriages, adultery, being disciplined by the House while serving as Speaker for ethics violations, and the media who hate him. Doubtful. But, I would like to see him debate Obama.

Mitch Daniels-Too liberal for conservatives. Not media friendly at all. Physically unattractive in the media age does not win. Bad hair. No charisma.

Mike Huckabee-Raised taxes; Raised taxes; Raised Taxes; Soft on crime. Hosts The Lawrence Welk of news programs. A non starter.

Jon Huntsman – Who?

Gary Johnson-No.

Ron Paul-Never happen

Mitt Romney-Romney Care.

Rick Santorum-You’re right. Not gonna happen. Too bad.

Donald Trump-No, no, no. A bad idea. Flip flops like a cook at IHOP

http://www.AmericanThinker.com Hammer2008

I am still pondering over how no one candidate will have enough delegates to wrap up the convention on the first ballot. Then it becomes a matter of how the lesser rans release their delegates. With the differing 2012 caucus/primary system in place, second place (Erick: “Cain is the Mike Huckabee of 2012″) may well end up the nominee.

“…the question remains whether that difference will create a substantive change in who emerges as the nominee for the GOP next year.” (From: http://frontloading.blogspot.com/2011/02/update-on-2012-republican-delegate.html )

1976:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yPNUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RpIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4805,4360830&dq=split+republican+presidential+conventions+history&hl=en

1952:

Bill S

isn’t just to get votes in IA. It’s to get votes in MN, which is one of the largest ethanol-producing states. So no, big corn isn’t going to hurt him at all.

Bill S

That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the comment, too.

acat

I was in the “let them fail” camp. I still am. Government should not pick winners and losers.

This can also be stated as “government can’t afford to pick winners” .. and three of my top four have demonstrated that they can and will reduce the size of government. The third, Cain, has no elected executive experience, but has cut bloat in the private sector.

Mew

victrola

There’s several reasons why I think Daniels would be weaker in a general election than some of the other candidates, the big one he’s he has a very “reluctant” style, almost like he’s being forced to go through the motions. I don’t see that resonating with voters, the public wants someone who’s eager to grab the reigns and confident in their leadership. Maybe such ambition is a character flaw, but if I’m interviewing for a job, I want to hire someone who actually seems to want the job.

Daniels also doesn’t come from a state that’s really in play, if Indiana is up in the air, Obama has already won. At least someone like Pawlenty puts Minnesota in play (which is a game changer)

I also have some issues with his views on fighting the deficit, for a Republican to toy with the idea of a VAT tax is toxic, I could see small business owners and Chamber of Commerce-type voters running away with horror.

There’s other silly reasons that unfortunately may make a difference, Daniels is not exactly telegenic, he comes across more like an accountant and less like a leader of the free world. Also, I don’t think the situation with his wife will play really well with middle America.

There’s no perfect Republican, all have flaws, but to me Daniels seems like a pretty mediocre conservative that I see has very little strength in a general election.

acat

The Romney camp has never responded.

Mew

acat

The Minnesota climate bill passed the statehouse back in 2007. We may have known the Gaia-cult was a crock of crap in 2007, but the big fraud hadn’t been revealed. Pawlenty has rejected it.

As for the corn pander, I agree that it’s a problem. It goes, as I said, with Iowa being the first primary contest, though. The only way I see to remove the corn pander is going to be cellulostic ethanol… and in the meantime, like Iowa, it’s important once every four years.

Mew

http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

Reagan was a two-term Governor. Cain’s made pizzas.

Man, this is going to be a really long primary season…

acat

Perhaps Cain is Reagain in 1956?

Mew

aesthete

with a Governor of either political party passing economically damaging legislation which will amount to little more than a political statement. Even assuming the premises of the global warming crowd, global warming was an issue that could only be solved globally, not locally — IOW, state legislation in MN and CA was completely and totally worthless whatever your beliefs on the issue were. Even some Kossites knew that the CA bill was merely a “moral” statement. *That* is my problem with TPaw’s apparently instrumental role in this. He’s still my #2 guy (for now), but that’s just egregious. Previously, I thought that he had just spoken on the issue, but not acted on it — that I can forgive more easily. This is more problematic (though not unforgivable: I’m willing to see the rest of his record, albeit with a more jaundiced eye).

As for corn subsidies, I understand that many candidates feel the need to support them in order to attract votes in rural areas. Nonetheless, in the season of austerity, an unwillingness to put one of the most egregious examples of corporate welfare on the chopping block is extremely disappointing, and makes me wonder what TPaw *would* cut (especially given statements on foreign policy that seem to put Pentagon cuts aside). Again, not unforgivable, but I would *really* like to see what, exactly, TPaw has done in MN that is commendable from a conservative point of view from people whose opinion I respect, like yourself and LibHawk.

acat

Plug any of the following into google and dive in. This is Captain Ed, now Ed Morrisey over at Hot Air, in a longer, more informative form.

pawlenty 2007 global warming site:captainsquartersblog.com

pawlenty budget veto site:captainsquartersblog.com

Mew

ffc99

but he’d need to successfully serve a term or two as governor of say, Georgia, before I’m ready to vote to give him the keys to the White House.

ffc99

meant as a reply to acat above. Don’t know what happened there.

Bill S

septembergurl

more…
who wins Iowa? And, does it matter, since half the field (Romney, Daniels, Huntsman, Gingrich) won’t contest it?

I look at this from the other end of the telescope, that is, what kind of election is 2012?

My feeling, it’s a violent reaction to 2008. In other words, a non-change election. Obama can be beaten, yes, in fact I feel a large number of Americans would like to replace him.

But, Obama will not be replaced by another Obama. In other words, people will not be looking for another outside the box, unconventional, exciting, charismatic candidate. This is bad news for Bachmann, Cain, Palin and Trump. Though only Palin is smart enough to have figured it out.

Oh, she’ll be our President one day. Just not in 2012. This election favors someone with wide experience, a long track record, no surprises….yes, it does favor Daniels, Romney, and to some extent Pawlenty.

In 2008, the media and the Dems succeeded in making inexperience a virtue. As the least experienced person running, Obama won. I believe the voters have figured out this was a mistake, and they will try to correct it. We should be looking at this dynamic when we choose our candidate.

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil truth

Of course I’ve been rather scare myself in these parts.

http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

caucuses – and ALL caucuses for that matter – absolutely irrevelant.

powertothepeople

and I hate caucuses, I just love the fact that since 1980, whoever wins in my current home state and past home state prior to my stint in MI, South Carolina, has gone on to be our nominee. Makes it much easier to know what is coming once our primary has happened and the winner of our state goes onto the nomination.

So watch SC for the answer to who will be the next president of this country.

Adjoran

I don’t see Daniels getting in, and don’t see him as strong enough to contend for the nomination if he does. It would screw Pawlenty’s chances completely, though.

I see even less hope for Newt than you do. He’s brilliant, but far too enchanted with his own brilliance, and the personal stuff isn’t going away, nor the history of his egotistical behaviors.

Romney’s only hope after his Epic Fail speech on healthcare is that no one else catches fire and it becomes a long campaign. He can only win a war of attrition. Unfortunately, that sort of primary season usually leaves a lot of bitter casualties along the way, and would waste a huge chunk of campaign money on all sides while Obama keeps collecting untraceable money cards on the internet. So even if he wins, Romney won’t have the sort of united party, funding, and campaign he probably hoped for.

Palin doesn’t get in. Nor Huck. And both are making the wisest decision.

lineholder

What you’ve said about voters being hesitant to consider someone who is inexperienced may be true. At the same time, given all the end-arounds, behind closed door deals, corruption and top-down overriding of the Constitution on the part of the Dems, plus the promises then snubs then “go along to get along” coming Repubs…voters may not be in the mood for a status quo politician either. Where does that leave us? In uncharted territory where anything could happen?

Another element that wasn’t as prevalent in 2008 is a growing awareness of how the left and the MSM tries to control the narrative, even to the point of influencing who the chosen Republican candidate might be. How will this awareness change the dynamics going into the next election?

Plus, there is also the growth and development of a conservative network, through sites such as this, that is much stronger now than it was even two years ago. What role will these networks play regarding the outcome of the election in 2012?

It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds.

trapperjohn

and I live only 13 miles from Palin’s house. I think he has a better chance of winning the general.

Right now I think Palin is my second choice and I just can’t get excited about anyone else yet.

desertwanderer

stared down public sector unions and forced them to acquiesce, and fought for a more conservative government against a strong dem majority the whole time he was in office. He did more than Christie has done so far in NJ and the latter is held up as the gold standard. Oh, and BTW, Pawlenty was recognized as the “2009 Friend of the Taxpayer” by the Taxpayers’ League of Minnesota. The TLM is one of the most conservative organizations in MN.

desertwanderer

Michelle is my congresswoman and she is doing an awesome job in her current post. However, I do not want her to run for Prez because I think she does more good in what she does now than she could as the nominee. If you think Palin was mistreated, that would be a walk in the park compared to what Michelle would face.

redstatesuccess

Ryan says Daniels is the only one who gets it when it comes to fixing our fiscal mess: http://bit.ly/iU8zcy

redstatesuccess

Ryan says Daniels is the only one who gets it when it comes to fixing our fiscal mess: http://bit.ly/iU8zcy

redstatesuccess

I mentioned this on an earlier comment, but it’s worth noting that Ryan wants Daniels: http://bit.ly/iU8zcy

redstatesuccess

Yes, I am trying to reach every commenter who’s is trying to recruit Ryan. It’s not going to happen, but I like that he is going to bat supporting Mitch Daniels: http://bit.ly/iU8zcy

WillisNYC

Every time I hear something like this line I want to retch. THE biggest issue in this election is Obamacare and Christie has failed to join the other states suing the federal government over its constitutionality. WHY? He has a hundred lame excuses on this issue. There is absolutely no excuse there, not to be in the biggest, most important fight of our political lives!

Christie also allowed NJ to participate in REGGI, the regional greenhouse gas initiative. He could have held NJ out of this disaster that the White House would like to see enacted on a Federal level. Alas he has no excuse there as well.

Christie is the GOP governor of a blue state with a bulldog personality that ‘tells it like it is’ to the unions and other fans of bloated government. So why can’t he speak out just as forcefully on the other major issues of the day? He says he isn’t ready to be President and he is right.

Any candidate that fails on either of these issues cannot have my vote in the primary. I would hold my nose and vote for them in November, but these red flags indicate that they are not true conservatives. The liberals ran a liberal, they deserve to be run to ground by a true conservative, not by some half conservative like Christie. Or Pawlenty who also supported a crap and tax greenhouse scheme.

http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

but I would support any one of them if it meant we could get rid of Obama.

It is more important than any election since the civil war.

http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

but I can think of dozens of political reasons that an embattled Governor would want to pick his fights. There are probably lots of reasons that you just don’t see.

There are no perfect candidates out there, but listening to Christie speak is very inspiring. He has a factor that few politicians have, and none of the current pack running seem to have. That is an ability to inspire others to do what it takes to support him.

I think he is the real deal.

http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

will be nearly as effective against her.

I don’t want to speak poorly of Palin, but some of the attacks were partly her fault. You have to be prepared for media low blows, and you cannot mispeak unless you are an old white democrat like Joe Biden.

In which case you can say any old silly thing that pops into your senile brain.

WillisNYC

We have tons of candidates in this race or close to declaring themselves in this race. Thei

WillisNYC

They need to be bona fide conservatives or they will disappoint us just like Bush I and II disappointed us. True conservatives actually want to take a chainsaw to the budget and burn down whole swathes of our current big government. They MUST have something to say about the biggest issues of the day and they MUST come down on the small government side. If they do not, then they are suspect, no matter how much charisma they have!

If you like charisma so much, then Cain has it in spades without the ‘baggage’ that the ‘establishment approved’ candidates have. Romney has Romneycare, Pawlenty has crap and tax and Christie has both of these issues against him. The ‘reasons’ or excuses that you condone are political in nature and unacceptable on the biggest issues of the day. On minor issues I could let a poor position slide, but not on the major ones and there is no issue bigger than Obamacare. Most of the country hates it and I want our candidate to be able to make a full throated assault on this front to appeal to the vast majority of the US public who understand that it is a bad law that MUST be repealed!

WillisNYC

She is another ‘tea party patriot, true blue conservative’. However she hasn’t declared and even if she did, she is my 2nd choice behind Cain.

20jan2013

There are about 3 or 4 posters on here who post multiple times a day with missionary zeal who do the same.

http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

Christie is doing the most right now to actually fight big government, and cut costs. He is the one on the front line.

I also disagree with your assertion that he punted on the biggest issues. They are not the biggest issues facing his state right now which is where his attention and loyalty must be right now.

IF he were a Senator, then I would say you are correct but he is not.

Also, the certain something he has is not just charisma, it is more than that. It is hard to describe, he has it, Reagan had it, not many more I have ever seen have it.

I agree that Cain is a good candidate, but you must know that his chances are very slim. He jsut has not had enough time to establish name recognition. Granted that could change, but in a crowded field he will be competing for air time.

http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

benson1

which Bush thought he needed and who then trashed him as soon as they could. Every liberal Bush put on his team either wrote a book or went on TV bashing him or both or voted for Obama in the last election. Condi did a good job for Bush I’ll say that. She and Powell are black first, liberal second, American’s third and conservative not at all.

http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

the more I read about his ties with the Bush’s the more I am turned off by this guy.

In fact, I am more likely to support any candidate who disavows not only Obamanomics but also Bushonomics.

tea42

I am convinced after last election, that people take in the facts and decide for themselves. Media and pundits may want you to look at them for guidance but the “new” media has deminished the power of the MSM. No one cares who Charles Krauthammer, Karl Rove, Barrack Obama, the RNC or the DNC thinks should be the republican choice. All week we have heard of the great deed Obama did with Osama. Not hearing about the double dip in housing, the ever rising inflation, the national debt, the jobs market, the insolvency of Social Security and Medicare. To borrow a statement from the dems of yesteryear, ” It’s the economy, stupid!”

A great theme for a new country music song, The dreams of a trainee president and his father”

acat

Cain’s jacket is mostly private-sector, I’d also prefer to see him have some government experience, but I would actively support him in the general, and in the primary as well.

Let’s face it, Obama (and Biden) have conclusively proved that a jacket long on government experience doesn’t actually mean diddly squat… it’s the character of the man (or woman) that counts.

My guess is that Cain is elevating his standing and changing the conversation, and that whatever happens, his resume will soon have a new job title on it…

Mew

acat

Copy, paste, add some of your conclusions to it, and you’ve got a diary.

Mew

WillisNYC

of state government and need to be fought, just as well as the teachers unions, government unions in general and the generally socialist mentality of the Democrats in New Jersey. I admit that Christie is doing a good job of fighting the latter entrenched interests but the time to nip any government program is in the bud. Once it is well established, interest groups spring up to protect each and every government program and no one ever weeds the governement garden. If Christie does not fight these programs now, when will he fight them? Never because he won’t have a chance to change them once they are fully entrenched. It was a political calculation that I fail to understand that prevented him from taking on these fights. This is a failure of ideology that all of us should be willing to punish our own politicians for. Hew to basic conservative ideology or be voted out! I like his personality and his connection with the voters, but not his ideology. Herman Cain gets the same connection AND has the convictions of a strong ideology that I can get behind.

http://pocketchangeproductions.net/ anotherindyfilmguy

But I think Palin/Rice would both be an excellent choice and make some liberal heads implode, others explode… if you think the liberal media committed a form of hari-kari going after Palin before then you’re in for shock if that duo gets together on the ticket.

aesthete

I must have missed that.

burbmom

here in Austin in 2010. I was able to attend, so this was actually my second time in person. He was warmly received last time, but there seemed to be a different feeling in the air. Perhaps it’s carry over from the debates in SC. Also, the attendees yesterday paid admission to see him vs the gathering had numerous speakers.

I’ve watched him during TV interviews, too. He comes across as the adult in the room.

burbmom

here in Austin in 2010. I was able to attend, so this was actually my second time in person. He was warmly received last time, but there seemed to be a different feeling in the air. Perhaps it’s carry over from the debates in SC. Also, the attendees yesterday paid admission to see him vs the gathering had numerous speakers.

I’ve watched him during TV interviews, too. He comes across as the adult in the room.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

lack of tea intake

aesthete

And saying that Condi isn’t conservative, or that she is liberal (to the point where she affiliates with that identification over being American) is a claim that needs to be backed up by fact, as is the claim that Condi sees herself as black before any of those things. The only positions that I am aware of her taking a stand on outside of her duties as Sec of State are abortion (pro-choice for first trimester), gun control (hates it; pro-Second Am), and spending (for reducing it). That’s pretty thin gruel on which to either praise or castigate her.

acat

Some of the candidates get into the POTUS race just to raise their profile in an attempt to get a VP slot. This was, I’m pretty convinced, part of why Huck stayed in so long last time – he wanted McCain to pick him.

McCain wisely declined. About the only wise decision McCain made, in hindsight.

Mew

http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

he has a top ten list of simply atrocious positions on other issues that make him unacceptable for President.

acat

Cain has already gotten that out of his system.

I figure Cain is about where Reagan was prior to winning the Cali Governorship, but that a Veep or major agency head slot could be better starting point than the Georgia or South Carolina Governor slot.

No offense, GC.

Mew

http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

Please tell me your question and I’ll try and give my best answer. My conclusion about Daniels is based on the fact that he presumed to answer such a question. I admit that my conclusion about him is also informed my many of his other iterations of late. But please, yes, what is your specific question.

FTR, I am a huge fan of the Bush-Condi liberty project in Iraq, which I have called “Connecticut-east” for years. I think the Bush-Rice stay the course that made a surge possible and that planted seeds for a third way in the ME is one of the great accomplishment of our time and is a major factor in the upheavals of the Arab spring. I also think that Condi would be a great VP. I don’t think Daniels would be a good nominee for President, but I think a Republican yellow dawg will be able to beat the new Dem Hoover with big ears.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

In a perfect world we would have better GOP candidates who are strong on all three legs of the Reagan conservative stool and have experience to back that up, incl in elective office. Yes, I am a convert and the GOP will never be the needed default conservative majority party absent converts. I was for Romney before Fred in 2008 after all. I trust much of Mitt’s “conversion” esp on the life issue and I give him a bit of a pass on state office moderation due to the MASS environment and on the fact that at the state level my definition of conservative is more to the left given that they can’t print money.

I also loathe the FAIR tax for many reasons, but when I look at the field, I see Cain and Paws as the least flawed, and think the rave reviews by whites from SC after the debate as potentially quite significant in its effect and in what it says about what could happen in Iowa.

acat

I’ve been around kids enough – over a dozen nieces and nephews, not counting my own, or friends’ kids – and have never met one who’s a born conservative….

Mew

aesthete

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/05/13/how-i-view-the-horse-race/#comment-109180

The poster that I responded (benson1) to made a series of allegations that I believe are untrue, including that Condi “trashed” Bush. If you want to either rebut or support the allegations listed by benson1, I’m fine with that, but the question was initially directed towards him (and the response to my post thus confused me).

FTR, I’m on the fence regarding Condi: she did and believes some good things, but also bad. I just don’t find benson1′s characterization of her to be particularly fair.

Doc Holliday

born and bred baby

http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

when you are young, you have no heart?

Mr. Heartless, right here, I always thought liberalism was weird and selfish.

Doc Holliday

voted Repub in the school’s mock election. But I was hard core conserve long before that!

Doc Holliday

No heart and never liked the bleeding hearts.

acat

she’s recovered from whatever damage the State Department mind-worms did to her…

Seriously, State seemed to be a bad fit for Condi. There were no major explosions, but .. no major successes either.

Mew

earlgrey

I was riased in a Republican household, but I have always had conservative principles. I think it comes from never wanting to ask anyone for anything. It just forced me to be self reliant and I kind of thought everyone should be that way.

Reading the Little House on the Prairie books helped too.

aesthete

http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

is fiction.

Doc Holliday

I respect her for her service to the nation, but I would never support her in a political executive role. She is certainly to the left of Bush and more statist.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

rightwingmom52

Daniels took a big step forward with the recent pro life legislation and two steps back – at least for me.

gekster

http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Condoleezza_Rice_Civil_Rights.htm

student14

don’t listen to what Erick says/writes. No offense Eric, I respect you but you’re also hired by CNN. Hanging out with those guys does something I am sure.

I don’t understand where they get that either. I will not support anyone else. Luckily she’s running.

Palin/West 2012

student14

I know she has a LOT of work to do. There’s a 30 foot brick wall between her and that nomination. It’s going to take a lot of work trying to climb over it.

She can do it. After all, she climbed an challenging icy peak in one of our nation’s roughest terrains.

audax

She is the one who PLAYS Sarah Palin on TV!

audax

is obvious if you’d been reading for the last few years. Not so much the Huckabee” love”as the Palin hate (hate is too strong a word, let’s use….fear) You just got a small taste of it above. I just don’t bother reading the known name callers (i.e. mbecker, powertothepeople) anymore. Don’t need to, don’t want to. After the names they’ve called me, they probably feel the same way to….LOL.

powertothepeople

And yes, you must be correct. MBecker, I, and the rest of the crowd here who do not have a candle alter dedicated to Palin in our basement as you do must hate her, or as you now state, fear her.

Get over yourself.

audax

…held every four years and attended by elected precinct delegates who come from State Conventions, and before that that, District Conventions and before that County Conventions, who do the actual nominations and voting.

If you truely want to be part of the nominating process become an elected precinct delegate/committeeman.

audax
Delegate-At-large (MI) GOP National (Nominating) Convention 1976 (Reagan)

http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

First of all, your reading comprehension is less than that of a small rock. I have repeatedly said that Palin has a place in the process this time around, and an important one, just not as a candidate. She’s an excellent cheerleader, red meat & bomb thrower, very good at distracting the Democrats and a good fund raiser. Hopefully she’ll follow Huckabee’s lead and sit this one out and help get our candidate elected.

Now then, as to your new concern that I “fear” Palin, that’s the product of a small mind and a huge wet dream. There isn’t a politician in either party who raises the specter of “fear” for me. My only concern with Palin is that she’s about as unqualified to be President as your local Taco Bell manager. She was a marginal governor for half a term, is seeing most of her “signature” legislation run off the rails, is still potentially caught up in the “Yahoo email” ethics problem and the State of Alaska is supposed to release thousands of emails sent from private accounts related to the Troopergate thing this month. There won’t be any smoking guns, but there will be fodder for the media to keep her on the front page and in a well earned negative light for a month or two. And you can bet your SarahShrine™ that she won’t directly answer any media outlet that might ask her a hard question. She’s studiously avoided it for two years, no reason to start now.

With respect to her running a campaign in the general election, her F/U are consistently trending way underwater with Independents and she has the potential to not only give Obama a second term, but make Pelosi the Speaker again and keep Harry in the Majority Leader’s seat.

When you and the other SarahShriners™ can assemble a rational argument for her winning – like turning her F/Us around with Independents for starters – maybe somebody will listen and have a discussion with you. Up to now, you’ve studiously avoided facts, the political conditions on the ground and everything but pictures of SteSarah in her running shorts.

The problem sonny isn’t Sarah Palin, it’s you.

audax

http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

a real vote. Being in the bleachers doesn’t really affect the ball players.

Thank you.

ColdWarrior

audax

http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

And I don’t care if you read this. I’ll ban you whether you read it or not. The only thing that matters is your compliance.

http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

Bill,
I have used “Reply To This” many times in the past where it just doesn’t work. I suspect the problem might be caused by something like, for example, when a commenter is typing a Comment, and then another commenter in the same thread has posted a comment and the thread “refreshes” as a result, the Reply To This function gets thrown off and, hence, does not work.

Maybe, just maybe, that’s what happened in rsklaroff’s case.

Thank you,
ColdWarrior

cpaguy

I think a Cain Presidency would finally open up the door to other successful people running for office.

Right now, are political class are basically the cool kids from law school. People who have accomplished little, but are praised often.

I think Cain would get us back to a time where people who were successful at life ran for office.

Now, the people in office are only successful because they are in office, not because of anything else they did.

cpaguy

I think a Cain Presidency would finally open up the door to other successful people running for office.

Right now, are political class are basically the cool kids from law school. People who have accomplished little, but are praised often.

I think Cain would get us back to a time where people who were successful at life ran for office.

Now, the people in office are only successful because they are in office, not because of anything else they did.

http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

You have no idea how he would govern. I continue to be amazed at so many people that are willing to just take him at his word. Whether he was or was not a politician before, he is one now. There’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t just say what you want to hear and do something else. We don’t even have the benefit of a track record with him.

Goldwater_Conservative

or NBC, so no its the real thing that I have been listening too

surfcitysocal

You left out the GOP’s brightest star! She’s my #1. Smart. Savvy. A lawyer. A true conservative. Not afraid to take on the big dogs. No baggage. And, she has more experience than Obama did before he started campaigning for President. She represents me, and I’m half way across the country from her district.

Some additional thoughts regarding your list.

Cain: I like him, but he’ll never fly in business-hating California and other liberal business-hating states. The very thing that many believe is his greatest strength–his business background–is what the whacked-out uberliberals in California will seize upon as the biggest reason to vote against him. They will Whitman-ize/Fiorina-ize him and spend millions of dollars reminding this union-subservient state’s minions that he is an evil business person who (horrors!) made a profit.

Daniels: Mr. Let’s-not-deal-with-social-issues will NEVER get the conservative vote.

Gingrich: He just shot himself in the foot this morning on one of the Sunday shows by more or less endorsing the most reprehensible aspect of Obamacare–the individual mandate. Add Scozzafava and you have a repeat of 2008.

Palin: Toxic. Most importantly, she endorsed Carly I’m-a-conservative-because-I-say-I-am-even-though-I-haven’t-voted-in-decades Fiorina over tried-and-true conservative Chuck DeVore who had a spotless, irreproachable conservative record.

Pawlenty: Bachmann is the far stronger candidate, and two from the same state will never work, so cross him off the list. More importantly, Pawlenty engenders about as much excitement as a wet, sandy towel at the beach.

Santorum: (see Palin, above, minus the “toxic”)

Trump: All I need to know about Trump is the $50k contribution to the mayoral campaign of Rahm Emanuel, Alinsky’s biggest fan.

Remington_Steele

I like Sarah with what she is doing, but she doesn’t sway enough independents to win the general. I don’t see that changing through a tough fight with Obama, the master snake oil salesman.

Remington_Steele

I like Sarah with what she is doing, but she doesn’t sway enough independents to win the general. I don’t see that changing through a tough fight with Obama, the master snake oil salesman.

sowa1

Look what we got with Charisma, great speaches etc .We got a President who promised the world, gave us Socialism. How’s that working out for all of you? What is needed is a smart Conservative leader who will be on the peoples side and do what is right for the U.S.A., NOT BIG GOVERNMENT.

RS

EDITOR OF REDSTATE

How I View The Horse Race

Herman Cain

Mitch Daniels

Newt Gingrich

Mike Huckabee

Jon Huntsman

Gary Johnson

Sarah Palin

Ron Paul

Tim Pawlenty

Mitt Romney

Rick Santorum

Donald Trump

COMMENTS

ALL

COMMENTS

POPULAR

#RSRH

PICK YOUR STATE & GET LOCAL