There was a front page story in yesterday’s Washington Post, “For Romney and Paul, a strategic alliance”. Moreover, this was no hit piece or structured, so far as I could see, in a negative direction. It was simply about how Mitt Romney and Ron Paul like each other personally.
Despite deep differences on a range of issues, Romney and Paul became friends in 2008, the last time both ran for president. So did their wives, Ann Romney and Carol Paul. The former Massachusetts governor compliments the Texas Congressman during debates, praising Paul’s religious faith during the last one in Jacksonville, Fla. Immediately afterward, as is often the case, the Pauls and the Romneys gravitated together to say hello.
This is how politics on the same side of the fence needs to be done when the enemy awaits. But I suspect that it is deeper still. They both represent similar values and on domestic policy there may not be a dime’s worth of practical difference between them.
Meanwhile the ducks are falling into line. Donald Trump’s endorsement today carries I suspect few votes. Its signifcance is in the recognition that you should not mess with someone who may very well be the president a year from today.
So what are you suggesting Steve?
A tag team – mitt Prez, the barking mad one VP?
Rabz
4 Feb 12 at 12:33 am
BTW, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
If the regrublicans condemn the planet to another four years of bollocks hussein osama, they are finito.
For infinito.
Rabz
4 Feb 12 at 12:41 am
It is always so refreshing seeing intellectual commentary that represents more the bogan than someone whose has actually opened a book in their life time. Thoughtfully stimulating, akin to banging one’s toe forcefully with two bricks.
Christian J
4 Feb 12 at 12:55 am
G’day,
Rabz, the support for Romney is born from desperation. I’m unconvinced Mitt amount to much. Have a listen to Mark Levin today.
http://www.therightscoop.com/mark-levin-goes-nuclear-over-romneys-inability-to-explain-conservatism/
I have been working on the assumption little will change in November even if Romney wins. My plan is to keep a well stocked pantry and invest any spare cash in precious metals.
ta
Ralph
Ralph Buttigieg
4 Feb 12 at 12:55 am
Here we go: conservative Americans refusing to vote for a guy because he’s not a proper conservative. I swear they’d sit at home and watch Stalin get elected.
wreckage
4 Feb 12 at 1:34 am
“This is how politics on the same side of the fence needs to be done when the enemy awaits.”
Great. He’ll score the racist jew-hating barking-mad cray-cray vote then … but Newt supporters are still well and truly pissed off. How’s he going to get them gee’ed up enough to get out and vote for him, after the tens of millions of dollars he’s spent using Alinsky tactics to trash their guy?
Lots of fence-mending to be done there. Hop to it, Mittens.
spot
4 Feb 12 at 1:41 am
“Trump and Romney dupe media with unimportant story, says media”
spot
4 Feb 12 at 1:46 am
Like most Romney endorsements, it’s probably more for the endorser than endorsee.
The non-endorsement endorsement by Rubio in Florida was however very significant for Romney.
Gingrich’s carcass will swing in the wind for a time yet out of bitterness but Santorum is the only viable non-Romney but it’s probably – if not quite yet certainly – too late.
JamesK
4 Feb 12 at 2:05 am
This is the most clumsily transparent planted story I’ve ever seen. Romeny the socialist needs Tea Party/libertarian street cred.
Lo, it turns out he and Ron Paul are really good buddies (say ‘informed’ campaign staffers).
Please.
C.L.
4 Feb 12 at 2:28 am
“Getting right with the Right: Conservatives on how Mitt Romney can woo them”
Some good advice there. And yes, I think it is do-able. But he’d better get cracking.
spot
4 Feb 12 at 2:32 am
I don’t believe he can woo conservatives.
They don’t believe what he says.
C.L.
4 Feb 12 at 2:41 am
Sheez and I thought I was cynical.
CL, were any of your parents or grandparents or even great grandparents from Missouri?
JC
4 Feb 12 at 2:44 am
I don’t believe he can woo conservatives.
No, they’ll never like him. But they might could be bothered to get out and vote for him – and against Obama – if he tries.
“Romney will never be the movement conservative’s favorite. And he shouldn’t try to be,” said one noted political consultant. “For conservatives we can enter the alliance eyes wide open. But together as allies we can preserve our differences and triumph over Obama’s left wing agenda that is our mutual opponent.”
spot
4 Feb 12 at 3:21 am
People can have sharp differences of opinion and still be friends. I’m pretty convinced there is a warmth between Ron and Mitt. However I don’t agree with Steve that this implies there are no significant differences on domestic policy between them. Romney will not be ending the war on drugs. I have not heard Mitt talk about repealing the sixteenth amendment or closing the federal reserve. These are things the president can’t do alone but they can certainly give a lot of voice to the idea. I don’t think Romney would work to repeal the patriot act.
And of course on foreign policy the two candidates are very different. Foreign policy is actually an area where the president has a lot of power. Romney seems likely to keep the US involved in policing every corner of the globe.
Ron Paul is an exciting candidate. Mitt Romney is totally uninspiring. Mitt will probably neaten up a few deck chairs as the titanic enters icy waters. Ron would focus on changing it’s course.
TerjeP
4 Feb 12 at 6:54 am
There’s still no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama.
Poor old Mitt Romney, he’ll just have to wait!
Paul Williams
4 Feb 12 at 8:39 am
Sure is. He was even a loon as far back as 1988 accusing Bush senior of dealing in drugs with the CIA.
Terje, you seem to be attracted to loons. First there wanniski who loved to break bread with Saddam’s representatives in New York while blaming thems jews for mid east problems and now there’s Paul.
JC
4 Feb 12 at 9:18 am
The only ‘warmth’ is that it is mutually advantageous for both men for Paul to remain in the Primary campaign.
Romney has Paul to take votes away from the real anti-Romney competition and Paul wants to be the last alternate standing when the go to the convention so he has the runner-up speech at the convention and he advances his ‘movement’ within the GOP.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they made this arrangement in advance.
It’s clear Romney has never seen Paul as a threat.
That TerjeP has denied reality so many times in the recent past is consistent with the Paul accolyte pattern.
JamesK
4 Feb 12 at 10:02 am
“Ron Paul is an exciting candidate.”
Exciting for people waiting for their next Xanax or Thorazine.
Alex Pundit
4 Feb 12 at 10:04 am
I’m not sure why Donald Trump feels the need to publicly endorse Romney. What did Romney ever do to him?
Adrien
4 Feb 12 at 10:53 am
I’m not sure why Donald Trump feels the need to publicly endorse Romney.
Romniac friends of mine are certain that Newt put him up to it. lol
spot
4 Feb 12 at 10:58 am
Jon Stewart, of course.
m0nty
4 Feb 12 at 10:59 am
“What did Romney ever do to him?”
Refuse to participate in the debate hosted by him.
Alex Pundit
4 Feb 12 at 11:00 am
Perhaps in RL, just never on a blog!
Paul was never a threat in the Republican race, as the Republicans voting in the caucuses aren’t in any way attracted to a libertarian or as Paul would put it, a “strict constitutionalist” like him. (the constitution being a pesky document that prevents the effective governing of the country apparently)
Polling has indicated that Paul and Romney could beat Obama, but Romney is the only one of the two that could win the nomination. Gingrich is considered unelectable even by many in the GOP as he is too divisive. Santorum is a religious conservative who could start a holy war against Islam, and nuke Iran. Whilst some would welcome this, I remain unconvinced it forms the basis of sound foreign policy or would make the world safer over the long term. Not surprisingly, starting a war with Iran seems popular with the same people who believe bringing the troops home is unpatriotic and would be disastrous foreign policy.
With the exception of Paul, there is a distinct lack of new ideas as to how to handle the crisis, or how to prevent future problems. I am not saying Paul is right, but most other candidates are tinkering at the edges of the economy in the same way the last 10 presidents have, and hoping for a better result. (Definition of insanity?)
Paul has many good ideas. There are some of his ideas that are considered fringe, and which the mainstream consider downright scary (abolish the FED, bring the troops home, etc.). Another term of Obama… Now THAT is scary!
Paul is not going to win the nomination unless something drastic happens, but he has got some people thinking about why America faces some of the problems it does. That is something the other three politicians standing have not done.
Poida
4 Feb 12 at 11:15 am
Straight-Shooter Jon Stewart: I Can’t Believe Mitt Romney Makes $57,000 Per Day. That’s So Much More Unbelievable Than My Own $41,000 Per Day.
http://minx.cc/?post=326045
C.L.
4 Feb 12 at 11:36 am
Glad to see you’re attacking rich people, CL.
m0nty
4 Feb 12 at 12:33 pm
Good grief, mOnty, that was, in context,
the worst non-sequitur ever on this site.
wreckage
4 Feb 12 at 12:41 pm
Glad to see you’re attacking people who like sequins, wreckage. Also, kittens.
spot
4 Feb 12 at 12:45 pm
Oh, wait.
spot
4 Feb 12 at 12:46 pm
The weird thing about this is that the Tea Party was going to return the GOP to the good ol’ days but now the GOP is running the most moderate of candidates. Got me stuffed how that came about.
John H.
4 Feb 12 at 12:55 pm
Attacking hypocrites, Monty.
Like 1 percenter Jon Stewart.
C.L.
4 Feb 12 at 12:57 pm
Not everyone thinks as selfishly as you do, CL.
m0nty
4 Feb 12 at 1:00 pm
spot, you one-upping bastard, can’t you let mOnty have his glory?
wreckage
4 Feb 12 at 1:01 pm
No, seriously – Stewart actually earns $43,000 a day but he runs a Common Man schtich for his lapdog audience.
Truly pathetic.
C.L.
4 Feb 12 at 1:16 pm
Truly pathetic.
Yes indeed, another partisan liar and hypocrite who twists facts and words for his political masters with every breath he takes. You can’t get much lower. The only thing more pathetic would be if you did all the time for free.
Adrien
4 Feb 12 at 1:48 pm
Romniac friends of mine are certain that Newt put him up to it. lol
Surely there’s some Gangsta Rappers who’re secretly registered Republicans. They should publicly endorse Obama to the max. Gangsta style.
Adrien
4 Feb 12 at 1:49 pm
Speaking of the tea party, how dumb are those SOBs?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/us/activists-fight-green-projects-seeing-un-plot.html?_r=1&hp&pagewanted=all
Les Majesty
4 Feb 12 at 2:57 pm
The US unemployment figures out overnight suggest maybe the stimulus is working, no?
Les Majesty
4 Feb 12 at 2:58 pm
Don’t beat yourself up, Adrien.
C.L.
4 Feb 12 at 3:02 pm
No.
C.L.
4 Feb 12 at 3:04 pm
I’ll say. 1.3mn Americans gave up looking for work.
Infidel Tiger
4 Feb 12 at 3:04 pm
Les
To be fair to the Yanks, their governments have given them a lot to be paranoid about over the years. I don’t think we fully appreciate just how shocked and betrayed a lot of them folks were over Vietnam. Many still haven’t recovered.
Peter Patton
4 Feb 12 at 3:05 pm
Record 1.2 Million People Fall Out Of Labor Force In One Month, Labor Force Participation Rate Tumbles To Fresh 30 Year Low.
Worst president ever.
C.L.
4 Feb 12 at 3:09 pm
Les, no. Monetary policy is working. fiscal policy is done and buried. The other thing that Uncle Ben did to help things along in terms of adhering to the dual mandate was to extend the period US interest rates remain at zero bound from mid 2013 and late 2014. This is why I told you aussie is likely to get to 1.15 at some stage.
If this doesn’t work, we’ll see QE3, so go buy risk with your ears pinned back.
JC
4 Feb 12 at 3:12 pm
Where’s that long-term underlying US unemployment graph you always love to trot out, CL? I’m interested in what it says now.
m0nty
4 Feb 12 at 3:38 pm
Or was that Dot’s graph. It’s hard to tell you lot apart sometimes.
m0nty
4 Feb 12 at 3:38 pm
Never mind, I found it.
m0nty
4 Feb 12 at 3:40 pm
Monster:
Monthly payroll data is just used to trade stocks, bonds and currencies by traders. It can’t be relied on until several months of revisions, you nincompoop.
Look at U6 data, which is far more accurate and around 16%.
And stop annoying people, you fat headed child.
JC
4 Feb 12 at 3:42 pm
I just linked U6, JC. You idiot.
m0nty
4 Feb 12 at 3:45 pm
“Labor Force Participation Rate Tumbles To Fresh 30 Year Low.
Worst president
eversince Ronald Reagan”FTFY
Jarrah
4 Feb 12 at 3:46 pm
I never saw you link it when I posted the comment, Monster. But so what?
Moreover why the fuck are you asking other people to link it when you you just did yourself. See what I mean about being annoying. The worst.
JC
4 Feb 12 at 3:52 pm
Jazza, stop trolling.
JC
4 Feb 12 at 3:52 pm
Great comeback, Joey – facts you don’t like = trolling.
Jarrah
4 Feb 12 at 3:55 pm
15.1% are unemployed or underemployed in the US.
That figure did not go down.
There is no increase in the number of new jobs but fewer people have been laid off.
However those actively seeking employment decreased and that was the major contribuotor to the drop in the employment rate
Moreover the percentage of the total US population that is employed or actively seeking employment is the lowest for many decades.
CBO projects the unemployment rate 9.2% by this coming December (the month after the election).
All in all, it’s no where near as good news as it might have seemed on the surface.
JamesK
4 Feb 12 at 3:57 pm
wait….
so… if you don’t agree on anything, a person can’t be friends?
It’s not like one’s a green and the other a mining magnate.
entropy
4 Feb 12 at 4:12 pm
How the heck could a stimulus rolled out in early 2009 work now?
Short answer, no.
Alex Pundit
4 Feb 12 at 4:30 pm
In all honesty, if Ron Paul had of spent less time running as a peacenik, he’d be taken more seriously. Other than that, he doesn’t really have any bold or fresh ideas. Sure, ending the Fed is appealing but really, it’s just a slogan at the end of the day.
Alex Pundit
4 Feb 12 at 4:31 pm
The problem is that some of Paul’s “fresh ideas” are at best fringe economics and at worst total lunacy.
wreckage
4 Feb 12 at 5:58 pm
Wow. Steve mentioned Ron Paul. There be icicles in hot places…
Yes, the two have maintained a measure of respect for each other throughout. They have always been the only two candidates of consequence; currently the process is still proceeding along normally.
How long the jihadist and the sociopath will continue to clutter up the contest between Romney and Paul is anyone’s guess.
Driftforge
4 Feb 12 at 11:43 pm
Ron Paul has been running for President since 1988, and never in those 24 years has he been a “candidate of consequence.”
spot
5 Feb 12 at 12:02 am