It is quite extraordinary to watch the American political process up close. Now, I admit I have been busy and I don’t watch much of the television and do not read a lot of the press. But before I arrived the thing I did want to do was see more of Mitt Romney since from the distance of Australia he looks the best candidate.
But what is very surprising for me is that since the Florida primary at the end of January, I have hardly seen him a single time on the tele nor have I read slmost anything about him in the news. Gingrich has been in media overdrive, and there was a period in which I saw him every day for long stretches at a time. I saw him so much that my misgivings about how sound he would be either as a candidate and then as the president he would never become were reinforced each time I had to listen to what he said. A pompous blowhard with little appeal. I think others have felt the same since with this additional exposure he seems to have faded somewhat.
Now we see quite a bit of Santorum especially after he took the three caucuses the other day. He is less irritating than Gingrich but has few features that would seem to make him a standout as a presidential candidate. A big spending Senator that was blown away in Pennsylvania in 2006. As the nominee, he would be blown away for a second time.
Romney, though, has been near invisible any time I have been in a front of a TV. Whether it is his strategy – a very odd one if it is – or the media are avoiding him, who can tell? When I have seen him, he has seemed sound and sensible. A man of true achievement both inside government and out. He is articulate, and on the issues that matter to me, we are on the same side of the fence.
The others though, Gingrich in particular, seem like dogs in the manger. Gingrich, a man of bile and bitterness, appears to be doing all he can to feature in Obama’s re-election advertising campaign.
If you think other candidates are preferable to Romney, you have to ask yourself why you think that is. Because whatever the reason might be, it is what the American media want you to believe as well.
Romney is the best of the 4 left. However I just watched Rubio speaking at CPAC and saw what could have been.
Infidel Tiger
10 Feb 12 at 5:44 pm
Agreed, IT. Rubio wowed everyone with that speech. Link for anyone wanting to watch –> “Is America Still Exceptional?”
spot
10 Feb 12 at 5:54 pm
Rubio’s been wowing for some time now. Wish he was running for Prez now.
Gab
10 Feb 12 at 5:57 pm
Charles Krauthammer, Jan 05, 2012 WaPo:
“After every other conservative alternative to Mitt Romney crashed and burned (libertarian Ron Paul is in a category of his own), from the rubble emerges Rick Santorum. But he isn’t just the last man standing. He is the first challenger to be plausibly presidential: knowledgeable, articulate, experienced, of stable character and authentic ideology.
He’d been ignored largely because he appeared unelectable — out of office for five years, having lost his Senate seat in Pennsylvania by a staggering 17 points in 2006.
However, with his virtual tie for first in Iowa, he sheds the loser label and seizes the momentum, meaning millions of dollars’ worth of free media to make up for his lack of money. He’s got the stage to make his case, plus the luck of a scheduling quirk: If he can make it through the next three harrowing primaries, the (relative) February lull would allow him to build a national campaign structure before Super Tuesday on March 6.”
Steve Kates, self-admittedly uninformed:
“Now we see quite a bit of Santorum especially after he took the three caucuses the other day. He is less irritating than Gingrich but has few features that would seem to make him a standout as a presidential candidate. A big spending Senator that was blown away in Pennsylvania in 2006. As the nominee, he would be blown away for a second time.”
As Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd would say:
“Who ya gonna call?”
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 5:57 pm
The media focused almost completely on Romney and Gingrich in the lead up to the last 3 caucauses.
They were literally everywhere. Indeed, they are both considered (Romney moreso) establishment candidates.
Santorum has only just gotten a lot more press thanks to him clean sweeping the last 3.
If you consider the media is being silent on Romney, then I think you must not be looking at a lot of media.
Alan Grey
10 Feb 12 at 6:01 pm
I’m not sure Santorum would aprove of Ghostbusters and its supernatural imagery.
Infidel Tiger
10 Feb 12 at 6:02 pm
You’ret be silly for a second time today IT.
Give it a rest or try really hard to say something intelligent for a change.
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 6:04 pm
I doubt I’ve ever made a comment that wasn’t silly.
I find your belief that you are some kind of comment moderating “god” offensive. Rick would too. It’s commandment number 1, bro.
Infidel Tiger
10 Feb 12 at 6:11 pm
Too risky. The guy’s only been a senator since the start of 2011.
Alex Pundit
10 Feb 12 at 6:15 pm
Now ur doubling down on stupid, IT.
Not a good look.
Ur capable of making an intelligent comment on Steve Kates woeful piece of analysis.
Try again.
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 6:16 pm
I’m going with Dick Morris on this one. All three.. Newt, Romney and Santo.. can beat Rev. Wright’s buddy.
Otherwise just enjoying the spectacle.
JC
10 Feb 12 at 6:17 pm
I agree JC.
I think it’s liklier than not to be a blowout victory for the Republican nominee
Santorum and Romney have pro and cons.
I think Santorum is the best bet with the lowest risk
Gingrich is the likeliest to self-destruct.
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 6:21 pm
Who to believe on the US economy?
This guy?
or this guy?
Alex Pundit
10 Feb 12 at 6:23 pm
Good work Odumbo.
Dick Morris reciting Pew Reserach polling.
Non-latino catholics 15 point turn to the GOP. GOP up 8
WASPS was 50/50 now 12 points ahead for the GOP
Jews.. 52 in favor of Demolitionists. That has now fallen to 36.
Party affiliation counts.
All this since 08. Heck of a job Barfield.
http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/big-trend-toward-republicans-dick-morris-tv-lunch-alert/
I continue to predict that Barfield will lose New York and more likely is Romney is the candidate.
JC
10 Feb 12 at 6:24 pm
I suspect that Obummer’s cake has been long baked.
The American people don’t want to be disrespectful to their first black President who is good looking with a beautiful family but they know he’s a radical lefty and they know he’s in over his head.
He definitely hasn’t helped to unscramble that omelette this week.
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 6:32 pm
Rubio is the future; just not the immediate future.
I suspect Romney will ultimately take the nomination; but he is going to suffer a media keen to crucify him because of the nature of his faith.
A recent trip to NY gave me a read on just how disappointed people are with the incumbent.
Brett
10 Feb 12 at 6:50 pm
Barry into $1.52 for the second term now
Santorum GOP nom is now into $6 against Mitt at $1.17 – JK I hope you had a little wager on your boy at the spec odds – but please layoff some action now.
The “bedroom regulator” has firmed from $40 into $6 on the back of a couple of “flyover states” voting for him (for undoubtably pure reasons) and his kite is flying to the sky at the expense of Newt.
Me – I’m just entertained by the faux tension and excitement around a true dead heat.
Mitt is in “dead girl or live boy” territory for the nom
Don
10 Feb 12 at 6:50 pm
Dead rubber, not heat…
Don
10 Feb 12 at 6:51 pm
hahahha as against Odumbo, Rev. Wright’s buddy or Conroy who wanted to ban small breast being displayed on media.
You ledftarded fools make me laugh.
JC
10 Feb 12 at 6:53 pm
Leftard?
Fuck you – I am a libertarian
I don’t make the market, I just quoted it – you need to stop fighting it…
Santorum is a throwback loser
Don
10 Feb 12 at 7:01 pm
You lost your mind and credibility last night defending a government subsidy to private enterprise – fucking communist
The parties mean nothing to me. They are all equally worthless.
Don
10 Feb 12 at 7:04 pm
Don
No you’re not. Every single comment from you comes from the left. Stop fooling yourself as we’ve had our fill of hi-alans here.
Left libertarian doesn’t work either.
Fuck you for being a dishonest turd.
And Rev Wright’s buddy is a sure fire winner, yea?
lying nimrod.
JC
10 Feb 12 at 7:05 pm
Donald:
Dickhead, a tax break is not a subsidy, you dishonest sack of shit. Don’t even try and play these games here, pretending you’re some sort of libertarian because you’re not, so piss off.
JC
10 Feb 12 at 7:07 pm
Happily for Steve Kates, he need no longer feel alone in the farcical analysis stakes after reading Don’s contribution.
And Kates can’t be accused of being easily influenced by leftist anti-catholic bigotry.
Unlike Don
Or did the leftists merely tweak a bigotry already nascent in Don?
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 7:09 pm
Either Don’s a lefty or an abusive Paultard.
No difference. Same ideology.
Alex Pundit
10 Feb 12 at 7:10 pm
So someone with a taxable income of $0 gets 30% off their health cover – and you think it is a tax break?
Someone pointed this out you last night.
James – I resent you feel that only leftists have no interest in Jesus.
I am as disinterested in communists as I am in religious zealots. And why focus on Catholics?
I just voiced my opinion that Santorum’s type of nuttery isn’t going to get him into the White House and I think the numbers at this point are on my side. Does not liking Barry make you a racist? I don’t think so
You blokes just can’t help yourselves
Don
10 Feb 12 at 7:27 pm
I’m not a ‘Paultard’ – the Gold standard is nonsense
Don
10 Feb 12 at 7:29 pm
‘Resent’ Don?
Well its far more honest than your pathetic “no interest in Jesus’ claptrap.
It’s a pity Don actually did have “no interest in Jesus” because then he wouldn’t have had cause to put at least some of his nasty ignorant bigotry on display.
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 7:37 pm
And you are uninterested in the actual meaning of disinterested.
wreckage
10 Feb 12 at 7:47 pm
Bigotry ?
You go for your life on that them
I am only commenting on the popularity of your version – I couldn’t give a fuck what you do/worship in your bedroom.
Don
10 Feb 12 at 7:49 pm
Theme
Don
10 Feb 12 at 7:49 pm
Don: “A bigot? Who? Me?!!!!”
Ur a clown Don and a nasty one at that.
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 7:53 pm
I’ll stick with lefty then.
Alex Pundit
10 Feb 12 at 8:03 pm
The ‘actual’ meaning wreckage?
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disinterested
Having no stake or interest in the outcome; free of bias, impartial. [from 17th c.] [quotations ▼]
Uninterested, lacking interest. [from 17th c.] [quotations ▼]D
I am un/disinterested in these battlefields
Boring
Don
10 Feb 12 at 8:08 pm
So good to see Steve’s blinkers are back in place.
Four candidates are left. Romney, Gingrich and Santorum.
Driftforge
10 Feb 12 at 8:08 pm
Hmm yes it’s nonsense to tie the Government to spending within it’s means?
.
10 Feb 12 at 8:09 pm
Hmm yes it’s nonsense to tie the Government to spending within it’s means?
What had that got to do with tying the global money supply to a pretty shiney rock?
What price should we peg it this time?
Don
10 Feb 12 at 8:15 pm
The gold standard isn’t nonsense, it’s just old. Neither is it perfect or any sort of panacea for the problem of government overspending. What we’ve currently got is not better, and is fortunately coming to an end.
Driftforge
10 Feb 12 at 8:15 pm
Mitt lacks a bit is the fiesty department – like the ticker issue that Howard raised about Kimbo.
Jim Rose
10 Feb 12 at 8:15 pm
No good at this formattin stuff!
Don
10 Feb 12 at 8:15 pm
Get out of the 19th century. There will be no peg.
As to the shiny ‘rock’. Physical. Does not corrode. Value dense. Lots of it in possession. Pretty. Consistent. Divisible. Formable.
As of this day, no better generational store of value exists. Better currencies, yes. Gold should not be used as currency.
Driftforge
10 Feb 12 at 8:20 pm
He does Jim.
But that is not the main concern.
He’s regularly put in knots by lefty interviewers and makes himself the issue.
He also recurrently proves he is not conversant with small-government libertarian conservatism.
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 8:21 pm
Value dense? Only to gold bugs
Copper will have greater value than gold if the survivalist wish comes true
Don
10 Feb 12 at 8:25 pm
BTW: I am long gold and gold equities
Don
10 Feb 12 at 8:27 pm
Thanks jamesk,
Newt lacks executive experience, such as at the state level, which is why he is ill-tempered, over-sensitive, and has 100 ideas per day.
When you are CEO, only the next election tempers you.
If there is no one to stop you because you are the CEO, you learn self-discipline.
If you are outside the tent pissing in, which is Newt’s life-story – even when speaker – you do not learn the vital traits of temperament, judgement and self-control. CEOs have rock-hard egos immune to attack ads.
Jim Rose
10 Feb 12 at 8:29 pm
Gold is not about surviving. It is about storing wealth.
If you want to read about where rational thought on a gold standard has gotten to, go read Antal Fekete’s works.
If you want to work through ‘what is being put in place for when this current parasite dies’, read FOFOA.
Either way lies a worthwhile journey of thought.
Driftforge
10 Feb 12 at 8:32 pm
2016 is shaping up as a stellar competition though, isn’t it. Rubio. Christie. Rand Paul. Just to get things moving…
Driftforge
10 Feb 12 at 8:34 pm
I like Rubio, Ryan and Rand.
The three R’s of the GOP future.
Christie is a moderate Republican no different at best but more likely to the left of Romney.
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 8:49 pm
Rand Paul at CPAC:
“I have a question, a question for the president: Do you hate all rich people, or just rich people who don’t contribute to your campaign?”
Do you hate poor people or do you just hate poor people with jobs?”
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 8:58 pm
You really are thick Donald.
I perhaps mentioned several times that you can’t receive a rebate unless one is earning incme and paying taxes.
This was explained to you several times and you still persist. So it’snot a subsidy ou ignorant moron. It’s a tax break.
Furthermore the discussion revolved around the fact that the union party wants to eliminate the tax break on higher income earners who happen to be the people paying the most tax and in fact actually subsidizing those below.
Lastly you said you were okay with giving it away despite the fact that there would be no compensating drop in the tax rate. This is usually a leftie giveaway.
Bado commented,but the idiot confused payment methods and the rebate itself.
You really are an obtuse leftwing imbecile,
No it just appears you’re a bigot, you bigot.
Youve been silent over views about odumbo.
The polls suggest he’s eminently beatable, but of course you know different.
Fuck off, and drop the pretense as to whom you really support, you bigot.
Jc
10 Feb 12 at 9:08 pm
Christie is a bomb-thrower, and an effective one at that. It’s satisfying to watch him at work. I don’t think he’s presidential material, however. Rubio, on the other hand, impresses the hell outta me. That guy is a big bright shining star.
Oh come on
10 Feb 12 at 9:22 pm
JC, Dick Morris is an amoral whoremonger and widely loathed by decent people of all political persuasions. He also has no credibility as a pollster because he has appalling judgment and always gets it wrong.
Romney’s problem isn’t lack of ticker – it’s lack of a soul. He too is widely loathed by decent people of all political persuasions.
Paul is a word class nutbag.
Santorum seems a sincere fellow but not the sharpest knife in the drawer and he has nothing to say on any topic other than the two or three narrow social issues evangelicals care about.
Gingrich is just swine. A truly appalling specimen.
The GOP field is pathetic from the electability point of view. Atrocious.
No one cares about Rev Wright.
Barry is going to win in 12 and hopefully HRC keeps it together for another 8 until Chelsea, Sasha and Malia are old enough to take over.
Les Majesty
10 Feb 12 at 9:25 pm
Fuck off, Les. Dick Morris has called the Obama presidency train wreck pretty much play by play since he was elected.
Oh come on
10 Feb 12 at 9:28 pm
Perhaps…. but nobody cares because it’s Dick Morris.
I mean, even Bill Clinton thought Dick was shady and a bit of a sleaze. When Bill thinks your raunch is getting out of hand then most people would realise it’s time to tone it down a notch. But not Dick.
Les Majesty
10 Feb 12 at 9:31 pm
Les is useful in the same way that a broken compass that always points south is useful.
Oh come on
10 Feb 12 at 9:34 pm
No
Yes they do.
.
10 Feb 12 at 9:36 pm
Ok then Mark
anyone who cares about rev wright already voted GOP in 08 and it wasn’t enough to get them over the line
there is no one who voted Obama in 08 who is all of a sudden worried about Rev Wright and decides to vote for the magic underpants guy instead.
So Wright is a total non-factor in 2012.
And yes, Ron Paul is a total loon. That’s a well known fact.
Les Majesty
10 Feb 12 at 9:42 pm
Where you define ‘nutbag’ as someone prepared to take positions that are true to their principles but out of step with any current political thought, this is true.
Driftforge
10 Feb 12 at 9:43 pm
Democrat senator: Obama a bone head.
Politico reports that other Democrats are distancing themselves from Obama’s crazy-ass Islamist war on Christianity.
What a loser. What a BONE HEAD.
Worst president ever.
C.L.
10 Feb 12 at 9:44 pm
No. Ron Paul is not “a total loon”. You just believe this made up fact. This is a figment of your imagination, pal.
Obama attended a black supremacist church that believes in CIA invented AIDS and other horseshit.
Now the result of a man of such low intellect being President has come to fruition and Americans are very pissed off.
.
10 Feb 12 at 9:44 pm
Fixed that.
Driftforge
10 Feb 12 at 9:44 pm
This on the other hand, is not a meme, but a FACT.
.
10 Feb 12 at 9:45 pm
Les
Bill had to get rid of him. The story came out right in the middle of the Lewinsky scandal that Dick had a toe fetish and while he was sucking on a hooker’s toes he allowed her to listen to a conversation with Bill. That’s a no no. Suck toes but you can’t have the hooker listen to a conversation with the prez. I’m sure Bill didn’t really give a shit, but it looked bad at the time.
Dick was with Bill for over decade and if the best political operator in our lifetime (Bill) thought so highly of him to keep him for that length of time and only went separate ways after it was absolutely necessary (toe sucking) I’ll take Bill’s word he’s a pretty decent political analyst.
There’s another funny story about those two when Bill was governor. They got in a fight ended up scraping on the floor and Hillary hearing the commotion rushed into the room and broke it up.
Dick may have a toe fetish, but he’s also a pretty decent political analyst.
JC
10 Feb 12 at 9:46 pm
This op-ed in the WSJ seals Obummer’s fate.
It’s written by three Dem female senators including the vile Barbara Boxer.
(If ever there was evidence that California lacks a moral compass and is on a fast-track to financial oblivion it’s that Barbar Boxer beat Carly Fiorina in the election of 2010 for her 4th term of nastiness and viciousness)
Boxer has now boxed the overly clever Obummer in.
He desperately needs to back-pedal but can”t.
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 9:59 pm
Barbara Boxer believes children can licitly be murdered because it’s a woman’s right to choose.
Thank you, Rick Santorum for exposing the evil bitch.
C.L.
10 Feb 12 at 10:04 pm
Barbara Boxer believes children can licitly be murdered because it’s a woman’s right to choose.
Thank you, Rick Santorum, for exposing this evil woman.
C.L.
10 Feb 12 at 10:05 pm
Barbara Boxer believes children can licitly be murdered because it’s a woman’s right to choose.
Thank you, Rick Santorum, for exposing this evil woman.
C.L.
10 Feb 12 at 10:06 pm
I thought Bill also had James Carville.
.
10 Feb 12 at 10:15 pm
boxer and co show why perfect justice is the enemy of adequate justice.
by insisting on getting the last 10%, they risk the 90% they have by making Obama more unpopular and increasing the chances of a republican president and Congress after 2012.
no one has to work for a catholic church related employer. when there are countless other employers, people are free to choose.
the catholic church narrows its recruitment pools and must pay higher wages to offset its offering of less generous health insurance and other fringe benefits.
Jim Rose
10 Feb 12 at 10:17 pm
Carville is married to a conservative.
James Carville opines on Romney: “he just not a very good candidate. And by the way, he doesn’t understand conservative doctrine. I mean, I happen to live with it in my house. They say they really care about the poor and these kinds of programs actually hurt the poor. Not only does it come across as sort of [for] voters in the middle as kind of callous and that’s after saying corporations are rich people. To real conservatives, it comes across as just dumb and doesn’t represent what they say they think.”
I rather suspect Carville could better espose small government libertarian conservatism than Romney
JamesK
10 Feb 12 at 10:26 pm
I like Gingrich because he is interesting, original and bright.
The others are not.
(excepting Uncle Ron – another authentic character).
Genuine characters have visible flaws. Gingrich’s contempt for Romney is perfectly understandable to me. Unfortunately when you are playing for big stakes you can’t afford to show that kind of emotion and have to start learning how to stop being authentic. Romney has at least learned that lesson well.
Viva
10 Feb 12 at 11:16 pm
So let me get this straight. Les agrees that Dick Morris has been right about Obama’s catastrophic presidency from day one, but this should be ignored because Dick Morris is Dick Morris.
Hilarious that Les is asserting that others have a credibility gap when you consider the paucity of logical faculties he demonstrates when attempting to prove this.
Oh come on
10 Feb 12 at 11:27 pm
An obtuse leftist!
Nice one JC – my opinion on Obama? He is fucking useless.
As was/is Rudd, Gillard, Howard, Costello, Bushx2 etc etc
Fucking imbeciles and pathetic ideologues
Grow up fuckwit – you may as well get a tattoo on your neck – you have chosen your team and stopped thinking. At least James gets an imaginary friend out of it.
Don
10 Feb 12 at 11:56 pm
Oh yea, you’re right, Donny. The old .. they’re all the same routine. Lol.
You really are a fucking imbecile.
So tell us, you’re forced to vote Knowing what you know now, you would pull the lever on a toss of the coin for either the lying slapper or Howard… Swan or Costello.
What an obtuse, no nothing dickhead you are.
What hell is supposed to mean? Are you sober?
Donny is the moron who supports the government’s removal of the insurance rebate on himself because he thinks he’s also subsidizing others.
JC
11 Feb 12 at 12:10 am
LOL
Don swears he has “no interest in Jesus” despite evidencing lotsa “interest in Jesus”
Don’s interest and intellect is such that he knows Jesus is an “imaginary friend” to christians – like teddy bears are to some young children presumably.
When and how was the Truth revealed to you Don?
Pray tell.
JamesK
11 Feb 12 at 10:23 am
Barry is a very clever politician. Mitt? Not so much.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2012/02/10/obama_riled_up_republicans_on_contraception_and_then_delivers_a_knock_out_punch_.html
Les Majesty
11 Feb 12 at 12:38 pm
The only proposition I agree with is that you have a reading comprehension problem. Dumbass.
Les Majesty
11 Feb 12 at 12:39 pm
Ahahahahaha.
Slate commenter:
Another:
Another:
C.L.
11 Feb 12 at 1:43 pm