« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Some Birds Say ‘Drop In.’ Other Birds Say ‘Drop By.’ We Vultures Say ‘Drop Dead.’

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  January 12th, 2012 at 03:12 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

I have been accused of giving Rick Perry the term “vulture capitalist.” I’ve used it on CNN a few times to say that’s how the Democrats would describe Mitt Romney.

Rick Perry has used the term of late too. It is a description Americans can relate to and while it does not affect our cold, capitalist hearts, it works mighty effectively with independent voters.

If you don’t believe me, ask Mitt Romney. It is Mitt’s own consultant who made the term quite popular in an attack on Republican Meg Whitman in the 2010 California gubernatorial election leveled by her primary opponent Steve Poizner. It was too little, too late for Poizner, but the Democrats picked it up and ran with it in the general election.

What goes around comes around circling in the air.

Tags: ,

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • barleycorn

    Excellent. I think the conservatives who have their knickers in a knot over the attacks against Romney need to take a powder.

    So far this cycle Romney has eviscerated Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum. Its about time someone uses the same tactics on him.

  • tyman

    Erick, as you have filled in for Boortz I have hoped that you would take over after he retires.

    Now, I have higher aspirations for you: sitting in the Attila the Hun chair behind the golden EIB microphone.

    I wish that Rush had your ability to look at this as something other than a criticism of capitalism and free markets.

    When Rush was building up Rick Santorum, I couldn’t believe that he didn’t see the fact that Santorum and Bachmann didn’t have the organization or funds to go against Romney. You did.

    I’m sure others can say better than what I’m trying to say (while keeping the other side of my brain on making a living).

    I heard Martha Zoller say that she didn’t know who she was going to vote for. I told my daughter that if she’s that way, she hasn’t looked hard enough. In terms of record, I think Rick Perry is the clear choice and I will stick with him all the way.

    It’s such a shame that Mitt’s record and pro big-government are being overshadowed by a legitimate criticism of his business practices. If I knew that Mitt would appoint conservative judges/justices, overturn Obamacare and a variety of executive orders that the Marxist in chief has put in place, it would be a lot easier to take his nomination. But his record does NOT lie.

    I see Mitt as a very hands on kind of person. He will have his hands in everything, if he gets elected.

    If he starts a Department of LBO’s, will that be okay as long as it makes a profit? The point is, he’s a big government lover.

    For all of Rick Perry’s faults, I believe he is the only one in the race that truly wants Washington as inconsequential to my life as possible. For that reason, I will continue to support him, and vote for him on Super Tuesday.

  • redcal

    As little as I think of Ari Fleischer, he’s right here:

    http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/11/opinion/fleischer-newt-gop/index.html

  • Samsara

    If it looks like a vulture, and swoops like a vulture, and it squaks like a vulture?.it?s a vulture.

    Just made a donation to Winning Our Future.

  • baracksolyndraobama

    …I’ll take your word for it. I can easily picture you, CNN’s anti-Romney Republican, using the term “vulture capitalist” on a broadcast.

    There’s been a lot of gnashing of teeth here about how “stupid” conservatives are in primaries and, in general, politically. Well, this type of comment lends credence to the idea of stupidity.

    Question: when was the last time a Begala-type referred to Barack Obama as a welfare pimp or any similar charge? Dems don’t do such things.

    I guess we are stupid.

  • circlegranch

    Sept. 12, 2011, Real Clear Politics ran an article about Sarah Palin making the accusation that Rick Perry ‘has participated in crony capitalism’ over the HPV nonsense. Bachmann piled on in comments made Sept 13, 2011, to HuffPo.

    It appears there’s at least ONE form of capitalism, the crony type, which is quite acceptable to launch an attack against someone about; never heard a peep out of Limbaugh, Hannity or the rest of the wolf pack running to Perry’s aid. There was not one voice to defend him and denounce those ‘non-conservatives’ for daring to utter a word against capitalism. Maybe somebody will spell out each and every kind of capitalism that exists, divide them into “OK to Attack” and “How Dare You Attack” categorical lists so going forward, at least we have a play book.

    When Perry asked simple questions about Mitt’s one claim to financial fame–his Bain affiliation, its become nothing short of a circus. Maybe the candidates have bailed out of the clown car and the talk show hosts have hopped in.

  • sethellis

    I don’t really care much who is consulting who. Ultimately it is the candidate that chooses to go forward with any particular attack.

    We must send a message that we will not elect anyone that chooses to pursue a strategy that throws capitalism under the bus.

  • Adjoran

    Barry Wynn, Greenville money man, is dumping Perry over his anti-capitalist rhetoric.

    And NO, there is not some rational “critique” of Bain going on. NO ONE is saying, “They did this and that when the other would have been better” and no one really can, because NONE of you have a clue what they do OR how they do it besides what someone else tells you.

    Instead of rational, reasoned criticism, then, Plan B is leftist anti-capitalistic sloganeering worthy of OWS or the Socialist-Workers Party. I don’t hear much qualifying of those Marxist sentiments from those spouting them.

    Interestingly, the reporting is that Perry is backing off his socialist name-calling. Spin THAT, Doctor!

  • sethellis

    They aren’t even comparable. The same goes for Newt’s Fanny/Freddy work. The attacks on Bain are attempts to mischaracterize an entire industry to make it seem evil. The issues you refer to are complaints about politicians using their corrupt influence to benefit companies at the expense of the people they were meant to represent.

  • acat

    After all, he certainly has not been a reliable friend to capitalism…

    Mew

  • baracksolyndraobama

    Welcome to RedState. Unfortunately, home to more dead-enders than I would have imagined.

  • sethellis

    After all, it was Streiff that started the anti-Bain bandwagon here at Redstate. This was all long before the candidates picked it up. All it shows is the uphill battle we have to fight in protecting free market capitalism from overzealous politicians.

  • baracksolyndraobama

    …and halleluia!

  • sethellis

    It was ultimately Poizner that made the decision to attack Whitman. That he and Romney used the same advisor is inconsequential. The advisor involved, Stuart Stevens, is nothing more than an expert hired to do a job. It is the candidate that approves a strategy, and it is the candidate that must take responsibility for their decisions.

    The connection is irrelevant. In fact, the ironic thing here is that Romney actually endorsed Whitman during that primary.

  • acat

    I meant Erick’s diary over here in which Erick dug up this little gem:

    ?There are some, if you will, classical Republicans, and I don?t want to be political here. The classical Republican approach is to say you know what makes America so great is our great corporations. And if we just clear the decks so that corporations can be more successful and give them more money, and make it easier for them to succeed. Well, then we will do even better on the world stage. I don?t happen to subscribe to that traditional Republican caricature.?

    Seems to me, sethellis, this is pretty clearly not a capitalist view.

    Mew

  • Scope
  • barleycorn

    How a person does business is a reflection on their character. When people blast Gingrich for having three wives they are not simultaneously making the case to make divorce illegal.

    Criticizing an action is not the same as saying it should be illegal.

    You (and a bunch of others including apparently Rush Limbaugh) are missing the nuance here.

    Gingrich is not suggesting that what Romney did was or should be illegal, he’s suggesting is shows that Romney isn’t a nice person. That he is a cold blooded creep.

    Its not illegal to fire an employee the day after their mother died and their husband left them and they totaled their car, but it certainly would not be a very nice thing to do.

    The vacuousness of much of this “debate” astounds me.

  • Scope

    Check out Whitman’s investments I guess when Romney goes to CA to fundraise, he isn’t hitting up the local GOP fundraisers. It would be very interesting to know who is funding his PAC. He also has major ties to fundraising from Goldman Sachs, Bank of America etc.

  • jgge

    Erick Erickson. Your analysis is 100% correct and you summarized it very well in this statement:

    “…It is a description Americans can relate to and while it does not affect our cold, capitalist hearts, it works mighty effectively with independent voters.”

    As a staunch capitalist I do not like companies like Bain Capital because they do not represent capitalism and we must not associate them with capitalism.

    I think someone summarized this whole Bain Capital issue in extremely wise words:

    “Capitalism can defeat Obama but Bain Capital cannot”.

  • Aaron Gardner

    That said, it must be hard for people like Seth to keep it all strait, what with it changing all the time.

  • acat

    Willard Romney is our master now.

    Mew

  • burke

    Romney said he created jobs at Bain. How is it anti-capitalist to ask exactly how he created them?

    How and when government gives money to companies is a concern for conservatives who believe that the market should be left alone in most cases. How is it anti-capitalist to ask if, how, and why Bain accepted government money?

    Rommey may be leading our country soon. We need to know what he’s about. Why aren’t Republicans allowed to ask about or critique any aspect of a big part of his past leadership experience just because it was in the private sector?

    Romney and his surrogates’ response has been to try to shame people with questions about Bain into silence. Bain is not an important issue for me at all, but I really don’t like that response. It strikes me as an insult to our intelligence. Saying that the attacks are anti-capitalist is not an answer to them. If I ask questions about or critique one novel, that doesn’t mean I’m anti-novel. It COULD mean I don’t like novels (probably someone who only likes poetry or nonfiction would have a lot of critiques of a given novel), but it doesn’t necessarily mean that. I might just not like one particular novel, even though I like novels in general, because, say, it’s too melodramatic. Similarly, a real lover of capitalism might not be impressed by the specific character of Romney’s private sector experience upon closer examination (say, if he really didn’t produce that many American jobs after all).

    I agree that some of the language used in this discussion has been extreme, and is unnecessarily hurtful. But the core idea that Romney’s selling is that we can’t talk about or critique his private sector experience without being called a socialist or an OWS-er (and no Republican or right-leaning independent wants that shame). And I think that’s basically encouraging anti-democratic suppression of the marketplace of ideas.

  • hls87

    Bain’s business model worked because, and only because, the government badly distorted our capital markets. Starting in the mid 80′s the government showered money on the economy in the hope that this would secure permanent, uninterupted growth. As a result, firms like Bain had access to capital that never would have been available to them in anything resembling a free market economy. PE firms were in the business of catching a share of the money that was coming from the government gusher. Bain did it well. It wasn’t illegal. It was also distastful, often destructive (and not in a creative way) and an illustration of crony capitalism at its worst.

    The attack on Bain isn’t an attack on free markets. It’s an attack on the unholy alliance between government and Wall Street that has done so much damage for such a long time. Romney is the perfect poster child for the Washington/Wall Street axis. Defending him and Bain is a fool’s errand. You might win the argument in a Republican primary. If so, you’ll lose it in the fall. Give it up.

  • Justin Spagnolo (standardcandle)

    *they* could be listening…

    :D

  • Common_Cents

    CNN just ran a story on the “cult” of Mormonism. I have seen few references to Romney’s faith.

    You know the mean stream media and obama surrogates will double down on this if Romney is the nominee. Of course obama will be “above” (obama god cult reference ;) it all.

  • acat

  • tailfins1959

    Someone must have REALLY p*ssed off Haley Barbour! 200 rushed pardons! I feel his pain! Does anyone know what set him off? You rarely see an elected official get THAT angry. WOW!

    http://www.news4jax.com/news/AG-Mississippi-may-order-nationwide-manhunt/-/475880/7849584/-/8o4oot/-/

  • Scope

    On his last day in office, he pardoned 199 criminals, including 14 convicted murderers. The one guy he pardoned shot his wife in the head while she was holding their 6 week old baby. He didn’t even care that the baby fell to the ground with the mother. The family is now in fear for their lives with him already out on the street. Pardoned meaning he is free to buy guns, vote everything for him is restored as though he never committed a crime.

    The Atty. Gen. got an emergency injunction to halt the release of those not yet released, but many of the murderers are already out, and no one can locate them.

    Barbour obviously flipped his lid on the way out the door. There is pardoning someone like Mark Rich, but it is totally different to pardon admitted and convicted murderers.

  • tercel

    Mitt Romney is no conservative. Never has been, never will be. Can’t believe we are eating our own because everyone wants to be the most “pure” capitalist. Bet Obama is just rubbing his hands and licking his chops.

    Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich are the true conservatives in this race. Perry’s record in Texas can not be assailed.

    Wish Rush et al would get a grip. The point is we don’t want Romney (RINO – Big Government, no convictions politician). Not who doesn’t agree about the role Venture Capitalist play in our society. Morticians are necessary too but nobody wants to hang out with them.

    Gee people. Keep you eye on the ball!

  • texabama

    will continue to be the problem. The American public hasn’t forgotten that it was bailing out the banks (and then GM) that started the whole fiscal meltdown. And after bailing out the banks, CEOs were stil getting bonuses while others lost their jobs. Bain just reinforces that image. Then add the picture of Bain personnel with money coming out of their pockets and stuffed every which way…

    This is not just class warfare rhetoric. It’s the perception that some aspects of business are a rigged game and we the middle-class workers (taxpayers) are being taken advantage of . When we are sitting at more than 10% real unemployment these are important things for republicans to consider. It makes Romney very vulnerable.

  • kamiller42

    The very first defense of Romney defenders say is all Bain’s business was legal and therefore legit and off limits. They don’t bring up whose money is whose.

    What Newt did was legal and between two enterprises. Therefore, all okay. Right?

    Even if you move the argument to Bain not involving government funds, eventually it does when the unemployed go on the government dole. And if Bain was profited from pensions and stuck the government with the bill, that would also involve government funds.

    I can’t speak for Newt or his side, but I know Perry has not mischaracterized an entire industry. If there is any mischaracterization, it has been Perry’s words. Calling the governor of the #1 economy in the union and one of the most business friendly states a anti-capitalist is extreme rhetoric of the demagogic kind, speech you usually hear from the left.

    Romney is running on his private sector experience, and it’s being examined. It’s part of the vetting process. Or, would it be better to outsource this to the democrats and do this in October?

  • Scope

    Here is a copy of the mailer So, we are not to attack Romney, because we will destroy his chances against Obama. It makes no difference if Romney’s goes as far as sending a mailer filled with lies against Perry, and is running a scorched earth campaign against him, but hey, don’t attack the animal abuser Romney.

  • texabama

    n/t

  • texabama

    argument the best I’ve seen so far. I don’t think anyone really believes that Romney worked at Bain because he wanted to “save” viable companies and provide jobs to as many people as possible. He wanted to make money. We all want to make money, but some of us have other goals as well. The sad fact is that Romney hasn’t articulated anything he wanted to do, BUT make money.

  • Green_Lantern

    Anyone who has ever sought funding for a business knows that term has been around for at least 20 years. I’ve been using it for 10, at least.

  • http://www.timothy-bladel.com/ center77

    so clich? , I do not have any hope for Newt, and I am ok with this line of attack on Romney, its if Newt benefits that worries me. Newt is a disaster waiting to happen for the Republican Party. My Girlfriend’ sister works for a Union, and she is about as left wing as they come, and she keeps telling me that her and her Washington Union buddies where she lives, are hoping Newt wins above all else, and I see why.

  • pttx333

    be truly desperate! He will do anything to WIN and get the POWER that he feels is due him. SCUM is what he is … a bottom feeder.

    Besides all that, he is insulting seniors by assuming we’re so damned stupid that we’ll fall for his line of BS. Well, do I have news for him … I may be a senior, but I’m not stupid. I’ll roll with Perry all the way – bottom line, he is dead right about SS. So even though I’m on SS, I wouldn’t trust Romney to take out my trash!

  • http://www.timothy-bladel.com/ center77

    I do not remember anyone calling for the government to come in and break up or buy Bain, in fact, what people are saying is that all businesses are not the same. Would it be any different if someone call into question the person who owned lagal porn stores, if that person was running for president. I do not think so, and those who claim that attacking the way Bain does things is attacking capitalism are wrong. It is just wrong.

  • duramater

    for ANY of the GOPers should some knuckleheaded newser try to broach this topic ( instead of national security, the economy or jobs, jobs, jobs) and attempt to get the candidate to bloody the waters.

    Respondent: Interesting you should bring up the topic of religion at this time, Steph/ Dianne/ Charlie/ (whoever) as the media scrupulously avoided examining the poisonous rhetoric which flowed in the church to which Obama belonged for some 20 years. I suppose it’s not too late to delve into that issue during this campaign; however, don’t you think the public is better served by addressing the challenges facing our country today?

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    … it was seen as the desperate attack that it was and it killed off the remaining support for Bachmann.

    These new desperate attacks are only helping David Axelrod, save him money by pre-airing his attacks.

    Nobody else is helped. Perry is hurt by this.

  • tyman

    Scope,

    I saw that and was absolutely sickened by it. Romney can dish it out but he can’t take it (Anderson, Anderson, can you help me…this dumb Texan’s about to make a fool of me!).

    They picked a picture of Perry that they must’ve thought, “Oh, let’s use this one, it really does make him look dumb”.

    Romney has told so many lies about Perry it disgusts me. I don’t remember McCain lying to get the nomination so, from that standpoint, I didn’t have that particular problem in voting for McCain. Besides, I knew he had served his country honorably. I can’t say the same thing about Willard.

    But he does NOT have the nomination yet!

    If the Romney supporters are sure that he’ll appoint conservative judges, overturn Obama and rule as the conservative he’s pretending to be to get the nomination, I’d like to know what has convinced them of this. A caller into Rush’s show today remarked about how he thought that Romney was going to go hard left after he gets the nomination. I can just see him saying to himself like Ralphie in “A Christmas Story”, “I had pulled it off!”.

    Until then, I’m going to keep fighting for Perry.

    His record in Texas is no gaffe.

    I heard some guy on Martha Zoller (here in ATL) saying that when Perry took over as governor, Texas was NOT a Red State. It was in a transitional phase and Perry CONVINCED a lot of conservative Democrats to switch parties, since that had happened to him. What other great Republican does that sound like? Then in the same conversation, Martha said she didn’t know who she was going to vote for…she might not have said because she’s running for Congress and didn’t want to turn anyone off. I just can’t imagine anyone not having an opinion that has studied the candidates.

    I will NOT support Romney until I absolutely have to! Yeah, honest free market capitalist my foot!

  • happyhistorian

    Perry, Rick, Ron etc. to me is a GOD SEND! If Mitt can’t have an answer to the HARDBALL issues which will surely be coming to him in September/October 2012 if he is the GOP nominee, then he will not have a CHANCE against the Bamster.

    He is just another NE Liberal Republican who if elected would appoint judges in the mold of David Souter (remember John Sununu and George HW Bush’s appointee in 1990s) and how this “conservative” from New England became a Liberal overnight? Another Scott Brown conservative or Olympia Snowe conservative, Susan Collins conservative or Jumpin Jim Jeffords or Rhode Island Lincoln Chafee conservative or Pennsylvania Arlen Specter conservative!

    So, if the GOP establishment is going to force the “chosen & annointed candidate” on the conservative voters, let’s have it all out in the OPEN now and make old “New England Conservative (not) Liberal/Moderate come up with his ANSWERS now so he can be preparing for the skewering he will face in the Fall!

    Let’s hold the House and get 60 votes in the Senate and forget about the Executive Branch this cycle!

  • BrendanW

    I’m 99% you are just utterly wrong. It would be nice if you could support this argument other than telling a nice story.

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

    I used to do it. And my only problem with Romney’s association with Bain is that I didn’t make as much money as he did.

    I won’t question the experience or motives of some of the frontpagers who’ve taken shots at him for Bain, but I certainly would take exception to many of the commenters who obviously don’t have a clue.

    The only good thing for Romney is that this gets aired out now and he’ll have his talking points lined up for the general (assuming he gets that far).

  • acat

    You’ll find Scott Lee Cohen running for Lt. Gov.

    While his ownership of a pawn shop and a personal fortune made in real estate weren’t optimal, the Dems didn’t force him off the ticket over those .. instead, it was a charge that he’d had violent altercations with his ex-girlfriend.

    Go figure.

    Mew

  • texasroots

    Florida against Perry and people bought it. Romney is already toast. The GOP lives in a fantasy world of how it should be in politics. Job creation is a critical election issue, so they are pushing a “vulture” or corporate raider who fired thousands and made millions. Only a person with no soul would do this. Truthfully, Perry is too good to be in the GOP. He should leave the GOP like he left the Democratic Party and start the People’s Party,

  • acat

    (if Romney is our nominee, that is)

    Mew

    p.s. – no sarc tag, cat is serious.

  • redcal

    More specifically — an attack on Romney is not an attack on conservatism, and an attack on Bain Capital is not an attack on Capitalism.

  • WillWong

    when Newt was brutally assaulted with negative ads in Iowa, including one that said he earned $30,000 an hour from working with Freddie Mac and giving money to support abortion in China? Deafening silence……and they are all out in force and in unison shouting down any questioning of Bain Capital!!!!! Just sheer baloney!

  • texasroots

    Been praying for you and your son. How is he doing?

    Pttx, Romney is mistaken, if he thinks that with the millions he raided from the corporations, he will be able to buy the election. Don’t worry, because he will never be president with his 25% approval,

  • oldlady

    Bain used Government loans to help fund many of their deals. Don’t you think we conservative voters have a right to examine just how much of our money was usesd by them over the years to institute their business deals?

    Also remember that Goldman Sachs, who is Romney’s biggest donor was one of the firms who continue to make billions because of TARP.

  • shinglejim

    Capitalism doesn’t have to be a zero sum game with one winner and one loser. I used to think that was impossible. Then I heard the most vigorous defense of capitalism in my life from John Mackey of Whole Foods.

    Time permitting, I’ll write a diary about it soon as I think it is a very relevant topic.

  • pttx333

    and prayers! As for my son, he is so-so. He spent 4 days in the CCU at the heart hospital (he has a pacemaker/defibrillator that works 24/7) after being taken there by ambulance, but they ruled out new heart or pacemaker problems. There?s something else going on, so he has to see an endocrinologist, rheumatologist and yet another cardiologist. He has many health problems, most of them weird, and the finest minds can’t seem to get to the bottom of some of them. It is absolutely terrifying to me, and I’d give anything to see him really feel good for a change.

    Romney is a pig, bottom line. I’m beginning to think there isn’t a nickel’s difference between him and b.o. Romney is obviously out for the power and yet another mantle (President) to put on his mantle – this is an ego trip for him. So where’s the difference with b.o.? They both have the same values – none.

    All I know, roots, is that I will be hanging with Perry all the way to 1600 … period. No side tracking, no faltering, just steady as she goes. And I know that you will, too!

  • pttx333

    “yet another TROPHY” – these danged old fingers of mine! ;-)

  • sethellis

    It is true that something does not have to be illegal to be immoral. For instance, I do not think the tobacco industry is moral, and I definately would not support a tobacco executive running for office. However, that doesn’t mean that I think it should be illegal.

    I just don’t think that this is the case with Bain. They were an investor, and investments don’t always work out. It is an extremely complicated business, and failure is not uncommon. If only 60% of your ventures work out you’re a rockstar in the investing business. Sometimes they made business deals that did not work out for all the industries involved. In most of the cases people cite the industries were hit with trouble that neither Bain nor the company could change. This is simply how a functioning free market works. We cannot blame them for that.

    Basketball can be a physical game. Even if you tried your hardest you’ll end up fouling other players. Sometimes fouls are even committed on purpose. Sometimes mistakes happen and you injure someone. Again it is a physical game. That does not mean that all basketball players are bad people. Lots of them really are complete jerks, but some are good family men. If you don’t want to play a physical game then don’t play basketball. The players all know the risks and accept them.

    The same thing is true with capitalism. There is nothing wrong with being a tough competitor. It is an admirable thing. These companies all know what they are getting into in the first place. If you don’t want to play then head over to North Korea and play Communism instead.

  • sethellis

    If any company was the benefactor of government money or action that you disagree with, then you should be questioning your government not free market capitalism. Perhaps the government shouldn’t be giving out loans in the first place. However, I’m not going to blame a company for using what was available to them as long as it was not obtained in a corrupt fashion.

  • trickamsterdam

    Saying the R candidate is “crazy” has been a standard D tactic since at least Goldwater vs. LBJ (“in your guts you know he’s nuts”).

    This”crazy” charge has been used against Nixon, Reagan, McCain and others who never got that far. It’s usually the default position when they can’t make a plausible argument the candidate is stupid (their first choice). It hurts all Rs not just Newt because it keeps the stereotype going.

    Yet Romney and his surrogates went there shamelessly…Newt was “zany, mentally unfit, etc”…and they did it in ways that clearly would have damaged h in the general when he was the clear frontrunner.

    Now they want to play nice and worry about the general, when Romney’s ahead? Sorry android/android supporters, Romney’s the one who said Newt shouldn’t complain about negative ads because “it would be nothing compared to Obama’s Hell’s Kitchen”. Very true. Now let’s apply your own logic to you android.

    They also distorted Newt’s record as Speaker far worse than Romney’s Bain record is being distorted (although both are distortions).

    Anyway, this isn’t just about revenge…if Romney loses SC, it could completely stall his momentum. Even if it might be difficult for one of the other candidates to get him, a brokered convention remains a realistic, if difficult goal.

    Unlike others, who think that would result in a stiff, I think we might get sepne along the lines of a Paul Ryan…he’s a legitimate bridge between the establishment and the Tea Party.

  • hls87

    The federal government and the financial sector of the economy (of which Bain is a part) are so interpenetrated that it is impossible to tell where one starts and the other ends. To defend Romney and Bain is to defend systematic distortions of the free market, not the free market itself. It is jaw dropping to watch the conservative commentariat, led as always by Rush, rise to Romney’s defense without the slightest understanding of what they’re defending. It wasn’t enough that the same herd beclowned itself trying to defend the indefensible Herman Cain. Now they have to do the same with the equally indefensible Mitt Romney.

  • http://www.timothy-bladel.com/ center77

    its more that, how a person makes their money is fair game, and nothing close to attacking capitalism.

  • http://www.timothy-bladel.com/ center77

    its a perfectly valid question to ask how a person makes money, and to decide if that is a thing of character, we would do it to a Democrat that owned porn shops, or Whore Houses, so we should very well do it to our own. I think it is a valid question, no matter who is asking it.

  • acat

    because the Dems were far more worried about spousal abuse, not how he made his living.

    The thing to remember, though, is that .. Dems play by different rules.

    The lesson I take is that Obama will get a pass on shutting down auto dealerships, laying off workers, crushing job growth, etc. … but Romney won’t.

    This indicates that, maybe, we should run someone else.

    Mew

  • JSobieski

    I am reading a fair number of critiques based on investing with Christian values, etc.

    I ask the following questions honestly;;;

    How many people make investment decisions based on the number of jobs that are created or destroyed?

    How many people make investment decisions based solely on financial return?

    I avoid companies that attract bad PR, and I avoid companies that seem anti-American (cozying up to dictatorships, etc), but I don’t make investment decisions based on job gains or job losses.

    If an investment doesn’t pan out—I sell it so that I can free up capital for profitable investments.

    If there are good ways to track job information for investments, I wish that people would share the links with me.

  • JSobieski

    How many investors follow the job creation/destruction at the companies in which they invest.

    If someone bases their own investments solely on return, would you consider them to be hypocritical to attack someone else who makes investment decisions on that basis?

  • Juggernaut

    who else would have except the team that created its own Achilles Heel for 2012 while also putting their foot in their own mouth’s while flying in the air.

  • circlegranch

    The Right media, taking a page from their rivals on the Left, have spun this ridiculous conversation to a nation fever pitch; all because some very basic, legitimate questions were being asked of Mr. Romney. He had been repeatedly confronted to produce transparency and indisputable facts regarding his jobs creation claims. As with all other deep-seated questions surrounding his background (abortion, guns, identity of campaign bundlers, tax records) he has consistently been given a pass, both by the ruling class of the GOP that annointed him and the Right media.

    Instead of truly standing for conservative values which include a fair and thorough vetting process in this primary, the Right media has flipped and flopped its way from one candidate to another, trying to sway opinion based on their own. They claim us to be the most intelligent audience in the country, yet demean us by taking this specific situation and turning it into a street brawl in the name of who is the most conservate. Instead of saying, “Yes, we need some answers before we go further. Claims of being conservative and engaging in capitalistic business practices does not exempt someone automatically from scrutinty. We demand full transparency in government. We can do the same for the pillars of our ideology, as well. It is how we conduct business. Asking questions is not unpatriotic, but rather a duty.”

    Good to see that you and others here were moved to comment after reading my attempt to illustrate how ridiculous the political discourse has become in this country. Meanwhile, Congress continues to spend and indebt our grandchildren, Iran threatens and this Administration goes about business we can’t know. Yet, our thoughts are consumed about which conservative is the most conservative and which conservative might be a closet phony. It’s much like religion, we tend to think we have the power to see into hearts. To use a biblical comparison, we are told, ‘by their fruits, you will know them.” Regarding whether or not Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich or Rick Perry is the THE most conservative in this race, one needs to rationally look at their records. Their ‘fruits’ will reveal what you need to know, if you’re willing to look, ask questions and make sure that we get this particular election right.

    Mr. Romney’s PAC’s and campaign team must surely feel the so-called attacks regarding him and capitalistic endeavors must carry credibility. A host of TV and radio ads have been unleashed in SC in response. If this were all nothing but silliness, would his team need to invest millions to counter it? If he truly is the only person able to defeat the president, he will emerge stronger and ready for the fight to come in the fall. There is a baptism by fire underway, so calm your fears rest in the knowledge that you’ve picked the most electable candidate according to your criteria.

    Call me a ‘dead-ender’ if you will. My own self-analysis would include saddened, disheartened, ashamed of our processes. As for assigning labels and name-calling, you’ll have much more success in spreading your message, selling your candidate and inspiring others to buy into your way of thinking if you use restraint, be civil, be patriotic, be aware that yours is not the only opinion and just plain show some good manners. Those qualities and practices will take you alot further in life as we go toward Nov. God bless.

  • romansdaughter

    nt

  • panzerbenz

    I was no fan of Haley Barbour, but I didn’t know he was that bad!