Republican Candidates – a desperate bunch indeed (updated 13jan2012)

George Rebane

On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, they’re all chucking mudballs at the pack leader Romney no matter how many principles they have to discard or sully.  Romney was once in the business of restructuring failing and/or underutilized companies.  This required at times for him to downsize and restructure business units which involved laying off people, and even shutting some operations down.  Now the pack trailers, avowed capitalists all, are braying that he was a heartless Scrooge who doesn’t care about the American worker.  What a sight, Republicans outdoing each other criticizing capitalism.

Then we have the interesting notion that says better debaters make better presidents.  There is no evidence that the ability to respond in a second with a good one-liner or zinger indicates that you will make better decisions in the Oval Office.  But we have now had ten such pitched podium battles, and then after each one analyzed the bejeezus out the candidates’ performance with the unstated conclusion that a fast lip marks a good leader.  And here I thought that the President of the United States always has the power and presence to say, ‘Hold your horses, this is important and I want to noodle on it some more.’  And then the horses would be properly held until the President was good and ready.

And heaven forbid that over the years a candidate has used subsequent information to change his mind.  That would make him an unreliable ‘flip-flopper’, instead of what? the inscribed granite monument that should always occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

We voters are a strange breed.

[13jan2012 update]  Ramirez nails it again, this time with desperate Repub candidates misrepresenting free market capitalism in order to try to bring down Romney.  N/T to RR reader.

Comments

[Brad Croul]

Since we are such a gun loving country and worship and emulate our cowboy actor heros I propose that, instead of debates and primaries, we determine our presidents based on the results of Police Pistol Combat/Competition matches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AorLP3VHLdw

[Russ Steele]

Politics is an ugly business and we are getting an extra dose of it this year with all the debates. We have reached saturation at our house and have start turing off the news and doing more reading.

[Todd Juvinall]

Even I, a political junkie, have started turning off the debates. It is the same as the legislators making sausage. Every little utterance or quirk is amplified for the whole world to see. I am hoping the sniping will stop but it won't. Obama sued his opponents in Illinois to keep them ff the ballot and won by default with his version of battle. It is a messy business. I give Romney lots of credit though, he is doing his best to stay out of the horse poo.

[Douglas Keachie]

No Brad, it should be based on your ability to land a jet on a carrier deck.

‘Hold your horses, this is important and I want to noodle on it some more.’ And then the horses would be properly held until the President was good and ready.

And I thought that was what the Repubbys were saying Obama was so bad for doing?

Somewhere recently a comment about changing your mind in the face of new evidence was presented by somebody, no?

[Douglas Keachie]

Huntsman will win, if the Repubbys are really trying to score against Obama.

[Douglas Keachie]

And the Repubbys may not be, as they see 4 more years of economic downturn, really have nothing that will fix it (as automation, possibly including household droids for gardening etc. MAKES EVERYTHING WORSE AND WORSE, except for those who own the them), and don't want the responsibility, and are willing to settle for 2016 by default. I frankly believe that half of what got Obama elected in the first place, the Bush debt overhang and the coming mortgage crisis. "How could have have known?" the biggest lie ever told. Trucks on the Interstates could be automated, and truck drivers reduced to in town maneuvering, etc.

[George Rebane]

DougK 802am - A search of RR with 'Keynes' will reveal that for many years my love for the Baron of Tilton has been limited to his repartee to the reporter on the railway platform. There I try to follow his counsel.

[billy T]

Politics is a bloody contact sport not for the faint of heart. Its bare knuckle brawling in its purest form, with a few below the belt punches thrown in just for fun. It is tackle football played with leather helmets and a few thumbs jammed into the opponents eye. Like Vince Lombardi said "Winning is not everything, its the only thing". Its the American way. George Washington was called The Tyrant, Andrew Jackson's wife was a harlot, Abe Lincoln was a buffoon and a homely buffoon at that. Ok, if you all have gone soft and become Renaissance Men, then so be it. The quickest way for all the politicians to play nice is for someone to go down to Arizona and put another cap in the sweet Congresswoman's head. That gets everybody to talk about civility and lowering the temperature, and even a few group hugs and some candlelight vigils. Yep, that always last for a couple of weeks, then back to the battle. Playing nice is just part of the half time show.

[Paul Emery]

The astonishing thing about the NH primaries is that Ron Paul has nearly 25% support from the Republicans running on the most radical anti war platform of any major candidate in any recent election. This is the year that the Libertarians, after sowing their oats in the Repup primaries finally break away from the party and become a viable third party. Most Libertarians I know see little
difference between Romney and Obama and the mainstream Republicans and Democrats. With a little careful crafting they can also lure progressive Dems especially on social and antiwar positions. Keep an eye on Gary Johnson as the emerging Libertarian. Look for a sucking sound from the Republican party once Romney, the flipper nails it down.

[George Rebane]

PaulE 850pm - According to your lights, what if anything should we see Ron Paul do with the emerging Gary Johnson? Do you see Paul quietly folding his tent after the Republican convention and fading into a Texas retirement?

[Paul Emery]

Excellent question. The real question is whether the Libertarian movement has a life of it's own or is just a weird cousin of the Republican family. Paul is responsible for most of the new voter registration in this election and he's been treated pretty badly by the other candidates. The Romney platform will in no way reflect Libertarian values any more than Obama's on core issues so I see Paul not endorsing Romney or running himself in a third party. What I see is a tremendous opportunity for the Libertarians to expand their base as a party by supporting Johnson who is qualified to be President and has a tempered message that may attract defectors from the Republicrat esablishment and some Democrats as well as lots of independents. Remember, the Libertarians have lots of money and can raise a fuss.

The primaries are over as far as the selection process is concerned. You will now see Romney move to the middle like they all do but without passionate support. IT must be discouraging to the TP's of conviction to see it come to this.

At this point it's Obama in a walk no doubt.

[George Rebane]

Latest Gallup poll shows head-to-head preference: Romney 47%, Obama 45%.

No doubt the Long March is still ahead, and it will be anything but a "walk" for Obama.

[Paul Emery]

That's head to head and doesn't take into consideration the emerging Libertarian third party that in my opinion will be a significant factor and could poll up to 20% and drain the Repub independent pool much more than the Dems.

Again, Gary Johnson will be a credible candidate with a remarkable record as two term governor of New Mexico. He will be a serious candidate. Paul may wimp out and support Romney as support for his son ambitions as a Republican before he rides into the sunset but I'd be surprised. The astounding fact that Paul's foreign policy is supported by at least 20% of the Republicans makes him the most radical anti war candidate in modern history to gain major support and he's coming from the right which shows the Repub party is ready to crack open. Add to that disgruntled TP's who in no way see Romney as the leader to the promised land and Obama's money and ability as a campaigner and Romney will have a tough road indeed. The Dems will be rested, united and ready to go.

Perry's 1% in SC shows the Repubs appetite for returning to Iraq. No doubt the worst candidate in modern history considering his pedigree.

Perhaps the influence of the TP's is highly overrated. The rise of Romney sure seems to show that.

[George Rebane]

PaulE 752pm - you may be right. My hope stands on Paul's draw (if he decides to contend) being from both Repubs and Dems each liking Pauls fiscal responsibility and anti-war (foreign policy) stances. I do understand that your point gains strength if it becomes a three way race.

[Paul Emery]

The two party system, which serves as a collection agency for special influence money, must go. It would take only one election cycle where voters pledged to vote for anyone but Republicrats to completely change this country.

[Douglas Keachie]

"considering his pedigree." Pit Bull and Toy Poodle mix?

[Russ Steele]

Gallup:

Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S. Overall, the nation has grown more polarized over the past decade.

Political ideology in the U.S. held steady in 2011, with 40% of Americans continuing to describe their views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This marks the third straight year that conservatives have outnumbered moderates, after more than a decade in which moderates mainly tied or outnumbered conservatives.

[Paul Emery]

So Russ if that's true why don't the Republicans nominate a conservative for President. If Romney isn't a moderate Republican who is?

Where do you categorize Libertarians in this poll?