How Ron Paul Might Win Iowa and STILL Get No Hawkeye Delegates

-By Warner Todd Huston

My friend Michael Bates has raised some interesting — if technical — points. He notes that Ron Paul could very will win Iowa but still come away with few or even no Iowa delegates. After looking over Bates’ points, I think he has it right. But one thing he said is really trenchant when he noted that journalists don’t bother to read the party rules of correlate past history to see if Paul’s win in Iowa would really mean anything at all.

But first, we should note that the winner of the Iowa Republican caucus rarely becomes president. Many others have noted that the Iowa caucuses don’t pick winners. In fact, over the last six GOP presidential contests, only one Iowa winner became president (George W. Bush). Two others won the caucuses in Iowa but did not win the White House (Bob Dole and Gerald Ford).

That aside, Bates makes some important points in the delegates process. He finds that Ron Paul might win a plurality in Iowa and still come away with no delegates. The most important point he makes is to remind us all that the Iowa Caucus is not a primary election. It is only a straw poll and what happens there is not binding. This is a point that the media almost never make.

As the popularity polls are telling us, Ron Paul is neck-and-neck with Mitt Romney with Santorum have a last minute surge. But this shows that Paul will not be running away with it all, here. This also means that his support will be spread all over the state in numbers that will not commandingly control too many districts. This leaves the door open for the other candidates to band together to prevent Paul delegates from getting any traction and just might result on Paul have few or even no delegates at the state convention.

As Bates has it:
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How Ron Paul Might Win Iowa and STILL Get No Hawkeye Delegates”


Mitt Romney: My Mass. Healthcare Plan Is ‘Fundamentally Conservative’

-By Warner Todd Huston


Romney did it again. On Fox News he linked Romneycare to conservative principles, an outrageous act in the eyes of any conservative. But hold the boat, people, because Romney didn’t exactly say that Romneycare itself is a conservative policy. And therein lies the weasel words that Romney has used to describe the Massachusetts healthcare plan he was so proud to pass when he was the Governor of the state.

To the video…

Transcript:

I’m happy to stand by the things I believe. I’m not going to change my positions by virtue of being in a presidential campaign. What we did was right for the people of Massachusetts. The plan is still favored there by 3:1 and it is fundamentally a conservative principle because the people take personal responsibility rather than turning to the government for free care.

Now, let’s look at what Romney said here. He didn’t exactly say that Romneycare itself is “fundamentally conservative.” He said the concept that people should take responsibility for their own healthcare is a fundamentally conservative idea.

Such as it is, he’s right. That IS a fundamentally conservative idea.

But as Romney has repeatedly done since he signed that disastrous, socialist, far from conservative piece of legislation, he has weasel worded his description of that law. As he’s done before, in this clip he illicitly linked conservative principles to Romneycare by focusing at a micro level on the single idea that we should take care of our own healthcare and linking that real conservative principle to his actions as if conservative principles are the guiding forces behind Romneycare. The problem with Romney’s characterization of the issue is that his legislation is fundamentally not conservative. It is big government, socialist, authoritarian nonsense. It’s not conservative at all. Romney tries to us that one tiny conservative idea buried under miles of socialist ideas as misdirection for the ills that Romneycare forces on the people of the Bay State.
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Mitt Romney: My Mass. Healthcare Plan Is ‘Fundamentally Conservative’”


Yes Virginia The Internet Does NOT Replace Old Fashioned Politics

-By Warner Todd Huston

When Howard Dean became a surprise front runner in the Democrat primary of 2004 doing so on the basis of a strong Internet-based campaign effort, tongues began to wag that the Internet might replace old fashioned retail politics. This time ’round Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich served to get people to question the old way of organizing a campaign.

But this week we’ve seen in Virginia why these airy claims of the Internet’s new dominance is a bit chimerical. We see that old fashioned, boots on the ground politics is still the best method to election.

By all methods of measure, Texas Governor Rick Perry is still a strong candidate in the 2012 GOP Primary race. He sometimes comes in second, third or fourth in polls, but is still considered a top contender for the nomination. Yet as the time came to file his petition signatures in Virginia, it turned out his campaign could not collect enough to get his name on the ballot. So, a reputed front running candidate for the nomination, Rick Perry, will not even appear on the Virginia primary ballot.
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Yes Virginia The Internet Does NOT Replace Old Fashioned Politics”


Political BS: But… But… That Super PAC Doesn’t Speak For Me!

-By Warner Todd Huston

Since the Citizens United decision emanated from the U.S. Supreme Court politics has seen the growth of the Super PAC. This would be the political action group that is ostensibly unconnected from any particular candidate’s campaign but will push their candidacy anyway. We’ve also seen the growth of the political BS of candidates claiming that they neither have any influence over these PACs nor that they represent what the candidates stand for.

Political Action Committees come in two varieties, those connected to a candidate or party or those not connected. Often PACS are 501(c)(4) groups that fundraise for issues as opposed to particular candidates. But with the rise of the Super PAC we find groups formed specifically to push a particular candidate. The Super PAC is classified as an “independent-expenditure only committee” and can raise cash from corporations, unions, and other large, deep-pocketed groups as well as individuals but are supposed to lie outside the control of the candidates themselves…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.


Eating Our Own & Providing Strategy

-By Frank Salvato

One cannot turn on the television or radio without some talking head or so-called political analyst pontificating about how Newt Gingrich is grandiose, how Mitt Romney isn’t really a Conservative – and how they both have flipped on several issues – or how Ron Paul’s foreign policy is isolationist. Glenn Beck, to many people’s extreme disappointment, even went so far as to call Speaker Gingrich a Progressive (I guess ratings are down as GBTV). It makes for good news show content, to be sure. In certain respects there is truth to the critiques. But this hyper-critiquing and self-immolation also does two things that Conservatives and Republicans fall prey to each and every time the General Election cycle comes calling: It deflects from addressing the differences between the GOP field and the opposition; and it provides the opposition with talking points, opponent research and the luxury of hiatus.

Make no mistake, the primaries are where each party – when not in incumbency – needs to critique and evaluate their prospective candidates. A hard-fought primary, when devoid of “it’s my turn” establishment national party politics, usually results in the fielding of the best candidate, and a candidate who is sufficiently prepped to engage in the “main event.” But there is a difference between an intellectual meeting of the minds, where policy differences and a juxtaposition of experiences are proposed, examined and debated, and the childish, nonsensical “braggateering” (to coin a word); of trading insignificant insults; of executing a campaign of personality-based mudslinging.

As we approach the actual start of the primary cycle – yes, we haven’t begun the cycle just yet – this act of political stupidity is coming into play, yet again, among the front runners for the 2012 Republican Presidential Nomination.

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Eating Our Own & Providing Strategy”


VIDEO, Romney’s New Hampshire Ad: I am a Steady Leader

-By Warner Todd Huston

Mitt Romney’s new ad being aired in New Hampshire is a not so subtle slap at Newt Gingrich for Newt’s several marriages.

I have to say, when I think of Mitt Romney, “steadiness” is not the first word that comes to mind. Oh, sure he may be a faithful husband, but he’s hardly been a steady leader in politics. With his million flip flops he’s been on every side of every issue. That isn’t very “steady” if you ask me.
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VIDEO, Romney’s New Hampshire Ad: I am a Steady Leader”


Romney, Newt, Bachtorum, Ron Puntsman: Who Cares?

-By Warner Todd Huston

Like nearly every conservative in America today I am unimpressed by the current crop of GOP nominees for president and feel they all have major flaws — especially the two frontrunners Newt and Romney, both of whom have major deficits as far as staunch conservatives are concerned. But at this point I’ve come to realize that I don’t think I care which one of them is nominated. In fact, I think the White House is not where we should be focusing our intensity in 2012.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying we shouldn’t vote for whichever GOP nominee wins the game show plaudits. We should absolutely pick one of them and then we all, conservatives and Republicans alike, should vote for him (or her).

So, what am I saying? I am saying that the White House is less important than people are saying it is. Instead, we need a two-point focus for 2012 that doesn’t include the White House. We don’t need 999 points. Just two. 1). Gaining control of Congress and 2). turning Obama out. The identity and purity of our presidential nominee is the last thing we should be worried about at this point. It is a bit late for that anyway.

Let me assure you that I don’t have a favorite in this GOP race. And I have three real dislikes: Romney, Huntsman, and Ron Paul. This article is no stealth shilling for any particular candidate. I really do have big problems with all of them. But, again, I don’t think it matters which of them we pick if we focus on the two points I note above.

First of all, any of the GOP candidates (yes even the cranky uncle of the GOP, Ron Paul) would be better than Obama. But that goes without saying because I am a conservative that votes Republican. No surprise there, really.

But there are reasons besides blind partisanship that any of the GOP nominees is better than Obama. In fact, it can really be boiled down to but one issue that makes getting rid of Obama imperative: the courts. He has been thoroughly destructive to this country with his judicial picks.
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Romney, Newt, Bachtorum, Ron Puntsman: Who Cares?”


Mitt Romney on Amnesty: Once a Liar…

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last night’s debate gave us all a perfect example of why Mitt Romney is the single worst candidate the Republican Party could put up for consideration. The incident arose when Newt Gingrich brought up his point that we simply cannot deport millions of illegals back to Mexico. Romney leapt to demagogy on the issue and pretended he was against amnesty. Well, at least he’s against it this year.

Romney puffed himself up and slammed Newt for offering amnesty to those that broke our laws to get here. “Look, amnesty is a magnet,” Romney retorted to Newt’s discussion of the immigration problem. The former liberal Massachusetts Governor then stood firm that amnesty is a bad idea.

So, last night Mitt was against giving illegals the right to citizenship, he said they shouldn’t be allowed to “jump to the head of the line” just because they were already here in contravention to our immigration laws. But that was last night. Once again we see a past Mitt Romney singing a different tune…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.


Political Baggage: Establishment and Media Manipulation

-By Frank Salvato

As the 2012 Election primary seasons begins to ratchet-up, we had all better get ready for a onslaught of talk about “political baggage.” Whether it’s Mitt Romney’s “Louis Vuitton baggage” of having hired illegal aliens to manicure his lawn or Rick Perry’s “Cabela baggage” of having not painted over a racial epitaph on a rock outside a family hunting lodge or the “Bebe baggage” leveled at Herman Cain in the form of as of yet unsubstantiated accusations of sexual misconduct against disgruntled, Democrat operative represented, former employees, the political baggage angle is one that has toppled solid political candidates in the past and, if left unaddressed, will topple solid Republican candidates in the 2012 election.

As with all political baggage, there is always some truth to the matter. Mitt Romney’s landscaping company did, in fact, break the law by hiring illegals to work on their crews. Gov. Romney, after warning the company that he could no longer employ their services should they continue the practice, terminated their services when it was found that they continued to employ illegals. And while it may have been true at one time that a rock outside of a family hunting lodge owned by Gov. Perry’s family did offer-up a racial insensitivity, the offending label was painted over years ago. And Mr. Cain? Well, to date no substantial evidence has surfaced but for a Gloria Allred represented repeat complaint filer’s word…you make that call.

The constant in each of these instances is a bloodthirsty media all too anxious to bring to trial in the court of public opinion those who possess an alternate political philosophy, regardless of fact or evidence. Today, unless you live in the squalid “utopia” that is an #Occupy encampment, it is universally recognized that but for a very few mainstream news media outlets the global community of journalists – and I use the word “journalist” for lack of a better term, although propagandist would be more appropriate – leans so far Left that they have to crane their necks just to see where Ché Guevara once stood. That acknowledged, these “journalists” target Conservatives, Libertarians, Constitutionalists and all others of a non-Progressive (read: neo-Marxist) bent. And one of their favorite tools is being able to define the “electability” of candidates.

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Political Baggage: Establishment and Media Manipulation”


Mitt Romney Stealth Promotion of Gay ‘Rights’ And Gay Marriage in Mass.

Friend to the blog John Biver sends along an interesting press release about a new book about Mitt Romney’s “stealth promotion” of Gay “rights” and gay marriage when he was Governor of Massachusetts.

+++++

Just released: Amy Contrada’s blockbuster book on Mitt Romney’s stealth promotion of the homosexual agenda in Massachusetts.

MassResistance pro-family activist Amy Contrada has just released her definitive study of Mitt Romney’s role in implementing ‘gay marriage,’ promoting GLBT ‘rights,’ and supporting the sexual-radical agenda in the Massachusetts schools while Governor.

Titled, “Mitt Romney’s Deception: His Stealth Promotion of ‘Gay Rights’ and ‘Gay Marriage’ in Massachusetts,” it is a fascinating and thorough record of the sexual-radical activism that took place during that time, whether for same-sex ‘marriage’ or school programs promoting GLBT ‘rights.’ It contains a lot of information never published before.

The book is a rare combination of political history and analysis, enlivened by uncompromising commentary from a front-line activist. Contrada documents how Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney actively supported the homosexual and transgender agenda on same-sex ‘marriage,’ sexual-radical indoctrination in the schools, and societal transformation – while posing as a defender of the Constitution and traditional family values.
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Mitt Romney Stealth Promotion of Gay ‘Rights’ And Gay Marriage in Mass.”


If Not Romney, Who?

-By Alan Caruba

Generally overlooked in the midst of the many debates and the usual competition between Republican candidates for the Party’s nomination is the fact that a rather impressive number have thrown their hats in the ring. It is testimony to the health, depth, and diversity of the Party. Compare that with the Democratic Party’s lone candidate, a President already ceded the title of worst ever.

As campaigns proceed toward the on-rushing primaries, Republicans are increasingly focused beyond the usual circus atmosphere, including the latest problems encountered by Herman Cain and Rick Perry’s gaffs. Selecting the GOP candidate has now reached the critical stage.

That is why a lengthy editorial in a recent Wall Street Journal is noteworthy. “Romney’s Fiscal Awakening” was a thorough analysis of a November 4th Romney speech on the subject of reversing the nation’s economic problems. The Journal said “his remarks deserve more attention than they’ve received as a guide to how he might govern.”

Romney has run a smart campaign to this point, not attacking the other candidates and waiting for them to exhaust themselves while he maintained a fairly constant 25% of support to this point. Unlike the boxer who spends all his energy in the first or third round, Romney has tended to the grassroots kind of effort necessary to succeed in the early primaries.
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If Not Romney, Who?”


Romney Shoves RoBamneyCare in Our Faces, Slickly Hiding Behind the 10th Amendment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Romneycare was “the right thing,” proclaimed Mitt “the flip flopper” Romney on a recent Fox News interview with Neil Cavuto. Wouldn’t you know it, the only thing conservatives want him to flip flop on he refuses to do so.

I guess we can’t expect Romney to own up that Romneycare is a disaster for Massachusetts and that it was a major mistake, one that makes him look exactly live Obama any time soon. He’s steadfastly refused to say that Romneycare was a mistake in the past and today he’s doubled down on that insistence…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.


ENOUGH of GOP ‘Debates’ Where Mediots Show Us How Tough They Are

-By Warner Todd Huston

In the upcoming Republican primary I am not voting for Brian Williams, Brett Baier, Scott Pelly, Wolf Blitzer or any other member of the Old Media. I am trying to figure out which Republican nominee for president I might want to support. So why has every so-called debate featured mediots trying to prove to their mediots pals how tough they can be on Republican candidates instead of the Republican candidates actually debating each other?

Lately every one has been harkening back to those Lincoln-Douglass-styled debates of yesteryear and there is a reason that the famous debates between GOP Senate candidate Abe Lincoln and incumbent Democrat Stephen Douglass held over 150 years ago come so easily to mind. It’s because we aren’t getting that these days!

What we are getting instead are media personalities trying to make reputations for themselves instead of debates that tell us what the GOP candidates know, if they can articulate it, and if they can defend same.

I wish the candidates would stop going to these worthless excuses for debates forthwith. We need real debates and that means substance. The candidates should stop worrying that they might look “afraid” to debate and demand some format changes for any future outings before they show up again.
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ENOUGH of GOP ‘Debates’ Where Mediots Show Us How Tough They Are”


One Chance That a President Mitt Romney Wouldn’t Be So Bad

-By Warner Todd Huston

I cannot support Mitt Romney in this coming GOP primary. The one reason why can be summed up simply as this: he flip flops. Romney has more flip flops than a California beachfront. Mitt has been proven a man without anchor adrift in a sea of issues that push him and pull him with the tides. Even worse, maybe, is that he jumps from one ship to the other on those political tides with the sole purpose of scoring a political win. So, how could I say that such a rudderless sailor could be an OK president?

Well, there is one way that a shiftless Mitt Romney might be good for both the country and the conservative cause but it certainly isn’t because he cares at all about conservative issues. It isn’t that he’ll champion them himself, either. But think about this. What does an unmoored boat do but drift with the tide? This is where, if played correctly, Romney could actually work for conservatives.

In fact, a President Romney could be good for Congress no matter which side of the political divide is in control. And control is the word, too.

For far too long Congress has been slowly giving away its Constitutional powers to legislate. Through sloth and selfish re-election needs Congressmen have been allowing the courts to take an unconstitutional role in determining our legislation as well as standing aside as one president after another grabs power unto the executive branch that he wasn’t supposed to have — the latter of which both left and right have complained about for decades.
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One Chance That a President Mitt Romney Wouldn’t Be So Bad”


Michael Gerson’s Is The Weakest Case For Romney I’ve Yet Seen

-By Warner Todd Huston

Michael Gerson tried desperately to pen an op ed that explains why conservatives could be comfortable with a Mitt Romney for President. Unfortunately, it makes Mitt even less savory to principled conservatives. Worse, Gerson makes a few assumptions with his argument that doesn’t make even a tiny bit of logical sense no matter to who they are applied.

Gerson calls his Washington Post piece, “The conservative case for Mitt Romney,” and at least acknowledges that Romney’s main political vulnerability “is a serious one.” And that serious one is flip flopping– even though Gerson does not give it its proper name.

Romney’s main political vulnerability is a serious one. Running for Massachusetts’ governor in 2002, he was a pro-choice, economically centrist, culturally liberal, business-oriented Republican. Running for president in 2008, he was a thoroughly pro-life, orthodox supply-side, culturally conservative, Fox News Republican. Romney’s shape-shifting 2008 campaign only reinforced the impression of a consultant-driven candidate.

Calling Romney merely a “consultant-drive candidate” is far, far too kind. The truth is Romney is a man that has no principle from which he won’t run full tilt while hunting a campaign victory….

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.


More Than Winning – Can the GOP Candidates Mend the Divide?

-By Rev Michael Bresciani

No one has done more to divide the nation in its entire history than the incumbent, Barack Obama. The one who said America should drop all its divides including Democrat and Republican has pitted whole blocs of us against each other.

The Tea Party now seems to be running as the exact opposite of the Flea Party. (Occupy) The states with crippled economies are pitted against unions. The Border States have to defend against the dangerous influx of illegal immigrants, drugs and violence then must also defend themselves from the DOJ, DOJ Hotlines (Alabama) and a President who would take them to court rather than do his own part according to the law, to defend them.

The tax payers must continue to cough up their share even as they see the Fed spread it around to failed stimulus bills, bankrupt bailed out businesses and overseas help for corn-ball things like the rebuilding of sagging Islamic Mosques. (Started during Bush adm.) The taxed are beginning to see that ‘united we stand’ must be modified to, ‘united we stand against it.’
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More Than Winning – Can the GOP Candidates Mend the Divide?”


Herman Cain Leading in Palatine Straw Poll

-By Warner Todd Huston

A gathering of Tea Partiers in Palatine, Illinois held a straw poll of 38 attendees and Herman Cain came out on top. The group met to watch Tuesday’s GOP debate.

38 Republican primary voters attended a “viewing party” in Palatine, IL on Oct. 18, 2011 for the Republican presidential candidate debate in Las Vegas on CNN. Compare these results to the straw poll for a very similar group last week after the debate in New Hampshire. Herman Cain expanded his lead with this group. Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich remain close to each other, and Michele Bachmann picked up some support. Rick Perry continued to decline.

This poll of a small group of Tea Partiers may seem sort of meaningless. Maybe on its face it is but this poll seems to reflect what Tea Partiers and conservatives are feeling throughout the movement, so this is a pretty good snapshot of where we stand today.
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Herman Cain Leading in Palatine Straw Poll”


Flip Flop: Romney Now Accepting Occupy Wall Streeter’s Premise?

-By Warner Todd Huston

Only days ago Mitt Romney was saying that the Occupy Wall Streeters were dangerous. But, true to his penchant to “grow” in his opinion (“growing” is what the rest of us call flip floping), Romney is now beginning to accept the OWS theme of “the 99%.”

The OWSers — I call them the Occupy-Whatevers because they really have no idea what they want or what they are doing — have taken to calling themselves the “99%.” This class warfare battle cry casts anyone with a few shekels to rub together in the role of the eeeevil rich.

As I mentioned, during the first week of October Romney was pounding the Occupy-Whatevers as “dangerous.” He was right about these anti-Semitic, anti-American protesters, too. At the same appearance Romney also said that the whole series of protests were exercises in “class warfare.”

But that was then.
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Flip Flop: Romney Now Accepting Occupy Wall Streeter’s Premise?”


Video: Mitt Flops

-By Warner Todd Huston

So…. do we believe all the things Mitt Romney said then or do we believe that today he is suddenly Mt. Conservative?

This is why I cannot support Romney in this primary. I didn’t support him in the last one, for that matter.

This video was made by The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, but it also has targeted

The Hill had more info on that group recently:

The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama will launch a major ad campaign in Iowa accusing Mitt Romney for being a flip-flopping liberal in disguise.

The group has a long version of the ad, titled “Liberal Mitt’s greatest hits,” with clips of Romney taking positions that are anathema to many conservatives today.

Spokesman Ryan Gill described the initial video as a “roadmap” for the ads that will be aired, and said the group will run a six-figure ad buy in Iowa on cable and broadcast television to knock down Romney’s numbers there and damage his “inevitability argument.”…

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Video: Mitt Flops”


How Conservative Candidates Can Give Us a RINO Nominee

-By Selwyn Duke

While I certainly understand the frustration of those who complain of RINO primary rise, it’s important to accept the reality of how it happens. It is not, as some would say, a matter of the “Republican Party giving us another John McCain.” Nominees aren’t appointed; they’re elected. It is not the result of a New World Order conspiracy bent on keeping the Ron Pauls of the world from power. Voters may sometimes have chips on their shoulders; there are no controlling chips in their brains. Of course, the media can and do shape public opinion, but they only truly sing in unison when their candidate (read: any Democrat) has his hide on the line during the general election.

To truly understand why a RINO (Republican in Name Only) will likely win the nomination, we only have to consider the following poll numbers: Mitt Romney, 25 percent; Rick Perry, 16; Herman Cain, 16; Ron Paul, 11; Newt Gingrich, 7; and Michele Bachmann, 7. What is notable about this list? Romney, widely viewed as the most liberal of the major contenders, leads the pack. Is this because the Republican base now reflects the Massachusetts GOP?

Or is it because too many are dividing up the traditionalist-vote pie?
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How Conservative Candidates Can Give Us a RINO Nominee”


Polls Show Ohio and Penn. Voters Say Obama Doesn’t Deserve Reelection

-By Warner Todd Huston

CNN is reporting that Obama “has his work cut out for him” if he wants to get reelected in 2012 and a poll of Ohio and Pennsylvania is the evidence.

There has been a lot of speculation on how bad things are looking for The Obammessiah these days. Even Democrats are afraid that it is looking bad for Obama winning a second term…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.


Illinois GOP State Central Committee Meeting: Sound and Fury Signifying No Changes

-By Warner Todd Huston

In one of the most well attended yet contentious State Central Committee meetings for some time, the movers and shakers of the Illinois GOP met on Tuesday evening to attempt to decide if the system for certifying delegates for GOP presidential candidates should be changed. The short answer is that there was a lot of sound and fury from party members lower on the food chain, much debate from those on top, and questions all around all of which resulted in a failure of the proposal to make the change. In the end a resolution was passed to keep it all the same as it was in 2008.

Beginning at 5 PM the meeting at the Boilingbrook Country Club was well attended by both SCC members, concerned party members, a few county party chairs, committeemen, and Tea Party activists. House leader Tom Cross made an appearance as did long-time conservative activist Jack Roeser. Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford was also there, like many of the others, to speak about the proposed rules change.

I should note that one reason this rules change was contemplated is that the national Republican Party is trying to get every state to change their system into one of proportional representation of delegates to the convention. The RNC gave Illinois the leeway to change its process and several activists took this opportunity to propose a major change to the system, a change that meets the law as well as state and national party rules.

Certainly the change being contemplated was extensive. Currently, the presidential candidates are awarded delegates via the ballot box, a method only three other states favor. Campaigns come to Illinois, build their Illinois machine, and solicit for delegates. These delegates then have to stand for election on the primary ballot. To do so they must each get 600 signatures of voters in their district so that they, the delegates, can get on the election ballot. Then, those elected are considered official delegates to the GOP nomination convention.
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Illinois GOP State Central Committee Meeting: Sound and Fury Signifying No Changes”


It’s A Weak GOP Field Facing Romney

-By Collin Corbett

Jon Huntsman, fighting to gain traction in his presidential bid, took a jab at frontrunner Mitt Romney in New Hampshire this week saying, in reference to the recent debt ceiling debate, “to dodge the debate or to wait until the debate is over effectively and to take a side, I don’t consider that to be leadership.” Huntsman is absolutely right, but when it comes to Romney’s Presidential campaign, he’s following the straightest possible path to the Presidency. Romney’s best strategy, running contrary to what seems logical, is to stay out of the Primary fray, mostly out of the news, and as far away from controversy as possible. He may not be creating as much of a buzz or leading on current issues as many would like, but right now he’s showing definite leadership in the one area that matters most to his campaign: the polls. Hovering above 20% and in first in all major polls, Romney does not need to stick his head out in a debate or attack his opponents, a stark contrast from where he stood four years ago.

Around this time during the 2008 primaries, Romney trailed Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and John McCain in every poll and was forced to run a momentum-based campaign: the same strategy many of the challengers have to employ today. Since coming up short then, Romney has essentially been running as the front-runner for the 2012 nod, all while avoiding the over exposure that could allow voters to outright reject him and move on to another candidate.

A majority of Republican Primary voters are looking for someone, anyone but Romney. Romney hasn’t even put much effort into energizing the base, knowing that eventually Primary voters will come home. Following the GOP South Carolina debate in May, a Fox News focus group hosted by Frank Luntz expressed some disappointment that Romney had decided to forgo the early debate. However, Romney pulled 24% of likely Primary voters in a PPP poll that same week, fending off Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin who polled second and third respectively. It is obvious that regardless of what Romney does, or doesn’t do (absent a misstep), he won’t see serious movement in the polls. He needs to let voters flirt with other candidates for a while before they eventually come home and marry him, or they’ll never be content.

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It’s A Weak GOP Field Facing Romney”


My Live Tweets of the August Fox GOP Debate

-By Warner Todd Huston

I usually live Tweet many events like this at my Twitter account: http://twitter.com/#!/warnerthuston. The Fox GOP debate is no exception.

As to the debate, who won and who lost?

I’d say Tim Pawlenty ended his run last night. His bickering with Michele Bachmann rattled him and made him look a bit silly. Tim lost but so did Rick Santorum who kept attacking Ron Paul for some crazy reason. Rick seemed like the queen of rage last night, not Bachmann.

As to Bachmann, she did not damage herself in the room, but a few of the things she said about Pawlenty’s past positions were a bit of a misrepresentation. Still, she could think on her feet and seemed in command of herself whereas Pawlenty was getting mad.
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My Live Tweets of the August Fox GOP Debate”


Romney’s ‘Mystery Donor’ Revealed

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week I wrote about a corporation that was formed merely to give Mitt Romney a one million dollar campaign donation, only to fold up shop not long after the donation was done. At the time that the incident was reported no one knew who this million dollar donor was. Now we do.

the mystery donor was a fellow named Ed Conrad, a former top-man in the famous private-equity fund Bain Capitol…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.


Group Gives $1 Mil Donation to Romney Then Disappears

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s a drive-by donation! A mysterious company formed on March 15, 2011, then donated one million dollars to the Romney for president campaign on April 28, and by June 11th the company filed papers to dissolve. The whole situation has raised many eyebrows about the legality — if not the morality — of the donation.

Various news entities have tried to find out information about W Spann LLC, the company that gave big cash to Romney then disappeared, but info is non-existent. So, what the heck is going on? No one has yet found out…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.