politics and politicians
See other politics and politicians Articles
Title: Expect a three-way race after this evening
Source:
nj.com
URL Source: http://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshin ... ct_a_three-way_race_after.html
Published: Jan 21, 2012
Author: Paul Mulshine
Post Date: 2012-01-22 10:08:36 by We The People
Keywords: None
Views: 8211
Comments: 30
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Looks like we’ve got a new “top tier.” New Jersey’s own Jon Stewart had great fun with that term after the Iowa straw poll last summer. He compiled a clip of all the talking heads announcing authoritatively that the crowded 2012 presidential primary field had a “top tier” consisting of Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry. The point to the joke was that Texas Congressman Ron Paul had finished in what would have been called a dead heat in any other poll. Yet he was being treated like the political equivalent of “the 13th floor in a hotel.” Even back in August, it should have been obvious to any political observer that Paul was going to have staying power in the race, for two reasons: money and ground troops. Paul put together the sort of operation that is usually associated with a front-runner like Romney. Not only that, but he was running a type of campaign that is both very old and very new. In the old days, state parties used to support “favorite son” candidates. Voters would choose their own governor, for example, to go to the convention and bargain their delegates for the best deal possible for the state. Paul is running as a sort of favorite son candidate for his ideology, which is also both old and new. He wants to return the Republican Party to its small-government roots in the pre-New Deal era. He doesn’t have to win to do that. If Paul can show up in Tampa this summer leading a big block of delegates, then he will have major input into key platform issues and will enjoy exercising it. At least that’s what his people told me after the debate here Thursday evening. That would be a huge improvement over 2008, when he was shut out by a vindictive John McCain. The likely winner this year is taking an entirely different tack. Romney has been solicitous toward Paul during the debates, even going so far as to defer to his superior expertise on constitutional matters and complimenting him for his role as an ob/gyn doctor. That sets up an interesting dynamic within the new top tier to which both belong. If the polls are borne out, the result of this evening’s vote will be to create a final top tier of Romney, Paul and Newt Gingrich. Those two will fight it out for mainstream support while Paul caters to an entirely different crowd that includes a lot of youthful supporters. As for Rick Santorum, barring some sort miraculous last-minute surge this evening, he can be expected to go the way Rick Perry went this week. His money will dry up and he will drop out. If he does and three-man debates ensue, Paul will have a more prominent position. He will use it to sock Gingrich. If you’ve been watching the attacks ads in this race, you’ve no doubt noticed that Paul’s attacks on Gingrich are indistinguishable from Romney’s. Paul has a personal disrespect, even a dislike, for Gingrich going back to 1996, when the then-House Speaker backed a Democrat who had just switched parties instead of backing Paul. Paul won anyway and went on to become a vocal critic of Gingrich’s wheeler-dealer antics. Three-way debates would be a two-on-one contest, with Gingrich getting the worst of it. Gingrich’s strength has been his debating skill, but in a small group he’ll have to listen to Paul critique his flip-flops on key issues like global warming and the individual health-care mandate. Romney’s vulnerable on those issues as well, but Paul clearly takes delight in exposing Gingrich’s lack of principle. Meanwhile Gingrich lacks both funding and organization. He didn’t even have the ground troops to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in Virginia, where only Romney and Paul will compete. And when it comes to family values, Gingrich’s behavior brings to mind that Oscar Wilde quote “To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.” Substitute “wives” for “parents” and you’ve summed up Gingrich’s marital history. He ducked it down here, but his character will catch up with him. All of which puts us back where we were in August. Romney was the favorite then and he’s the favorite now, even if Gingrich ekes out a victory this evening. He has looked so bad in the debates that some people are talking about finding some last-minute substitute. These people know as little about political reality as the people who keep suggesting that Paul will bolt the GOP for a third-party run. Expect instead that this race will grind down with mathematical inevitability. Expect also that Romney will welcome Paul and his many youthful supporters to celebrate his triumph in Tampa. This time around, it’s likely to be Gingrich who has a hard time getting into the hall.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: We The People (#0)
Hi Jeffrey(Goldberg) - I'm working on (yet another) piece about the CAP-anti-Semitism controversy. Could you confirm whether, when you joined the IDF, you took this standard oath: "I swear and commit to pledge allegiance to the State of Israel its laws, and authorities, to accept upon myself unconditionally the authority of the Israel Defense Force, obey all the orders and instructions given by authorized commanders, devote all my energies, and even sacrifice my life for the protection of the homeland and liberty of Israel." Much appreciated - Gingrich keeps 'lacking an orgamization' yet keeps on getting 100% more air time than any other. Likewise, the career of Newt Gingrich has long since peaked, with many mainstream political pundits even categorizing him as ‘unelectable’, but his recent record-breaking PAC donation from the Israeli lobby establishment figure Sheldon Adelson now begins to make sense. Note that Adelson is also an active financial supporter and media arm for Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career in Israel. Ron Paul is the only GOP candidate who is not overtly ‘pro-Israel’ in the popular neoconservative sense. On January 13, in the run-up to the pivotal South Carolina GOP primary, the Emergency Committee for Israel, run by neoconservative thinker William Kristol, released an ad in which its Director Gary Bauer makes a plea to voters – not endorsing any candidate, rather, telling conservatives that they must reject Congressman Ron Paul as their GOP candidate, deriding his foreign policy views with respect to America’s ‘special relationship’ with Israel, and fighting the War on Terror – concluding that, “We can do better than Ron Paul”.
"On a different note: both Jeffrey Goldberg and David Bernstein have posts about my arguments on the smearing of CAP that rest on the same premise: namely, that to point out that someone has "dual loyalties" is an accusation of disloyalty to their own country or even worse. As I explain here, that premise is false." -greenwald " 'Dual loyalty' is an outrageous insult to any Jew. How could sumpremacists be loyal to anyone other that(n) the supreme group? There is nothing 'dual' about the loyalty of the Jews." 8D
It's been a 3-way race since Perry dropped out, no one ever took Ron Paul seriously. He's just a dingleberry hanging on the fringe until the convention's over. But don't let me discourage you, send him some money. Paultards are like the occutards, good entertainment to keep around for a laugh.
Are you a Bill Kristol fan? Because I would like to see him swing from rope.
Not really. Believe or not, not everyone that doesn't like Ron Paul is a member of the country club. Ron Paul blames Americans for the 3000+ Americans that died on 9/11, not Osama bin Laden. He's to the Left of Barry Hussein Obama on national defense. He's naive enough to trust Pakistan, he said all we needed to do to get bin Laden was ask them for him. I was at the MB debate, I heard him say this with my own 2 ears when he was babbling some nonsense about The Golden Rule.
In all liklihood it was an inside job. Why did Andrews Airforce Website change on sept 12 to say it wasn't supposed to protect DC? Why did they happen to be on a training mission on 911 out in the atlantic ocean? Why did the "hijackers" take a scenic route over Ohio if they didn't know they were safe? Why did the Janitor see bombs going off in the basement? Why did the tower that had less jet fuel hit it crash down first? Why did the BBC report collapse of building 7 before it happened? Why did building 7 collapse anyways? Why did Jamie Macentire report that there was no evidence of a plane hitting the pentagon? Why did the staff that puts out the pentagon magazine say there was no evidence of a plane hitting the pentagon? Why is the hole to small at the Pentagon to have been hit by an the alleged plane? Why did the anthrax cases come about the same time? That is just off the top of my head. If you believe the government fairy tale you probably believe in the Easter bunny too.
LOL! You leftist Republican death worshipers are a riot! Unfortunately for you, history exists and words have meaning. With the exception of the very, very late 20th century and early 21st century, war in this country has been started and championed by the left. WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, all began by the left AND OPPOSED by the right. Even Nixon ran as an anti-war candidate you moron. Man the fuck up and embrace your leftist beliefs comrade. Perpetual war, big government, and the police state. Those are your core beliefs and those beliefs are NOT conservative. Have no fear though lefty, you will get your war, big government, and police state because you and the Democrats share the same beliefs and without Paul voters your side of the two party fraud is going to lose the election.
Troofers & other miscellaneous wingnuts comprise the entire Paulista base, that's why the movement is viewed as a Kool-Aid kook cult good for nothing but mocking & LOLing @.
Yet you can't refute anything I said.
I don't attempt to change Troofer minds, it's way above my pay grade. People pay deprogrammers big bucks to rescue family members who've been brainwashed by a cult.
So you are a cult member if you point out that a boeing isn't big enough to make the purported hole in the Pentagon? Now who is in the cult?
That is a funny hat you wear. Keep putting your hands over your eyes.
Come on..... your Zionista amigo won in your state. You should be at least show gratitude to your fellow military/foreign interventionist loving government tit sucker voters there. But I would prefer to call them and their candidate of choice.....traitors.
Almost every country in the Middle East is awash in oil, and we have to side with the one that has nothing but joos. Goddamn, that was good thinkin'. Esso posted on 2012-01-13 7:37:56 ET
I don't have my hands over my eyes, and neither did the people who saw the plane go into the Pentagon, and the security cam lense wasn't covered over either.
Your second video shows that the plane is to small. Measure it against the known size of the Pentagon.
Where is Barbara Olson? What happened to the rest of the people that were known to have been in on Flight 77? Have they all been hiding in their basements for the last 10 years & 5 months? An airplane isn't a drill bit, the hole size has nothing to do with fuselage diameter.
She is dead. She probably would have talked.
They are dead too. Why is the hole to small? Why no wreckage in Pennsylvania?
The hole doesn't have to be a perfect circle. Just as big as the plane that wasn't there. How long do you think it took to write the patriot act?
Planes now are made to vaporize on impact? Certainly the FAA has taken steps to stop plane manufacturers from building planes that so easily vaporize.
Almost every country in the Middle East is awash in oil, and we have to side with the one that has nothing but joos. Goddamn, that was good thinkin'. Esso posted on 2012-01-13 7:37:56 ET
Planes don't vaporize. It was an inside job. There is no reason on earth the "hijackers" would take a joy ride over Ohio before hitting their targets. They must have known they wouldn't be intercepted.
Now you're saying the government rubbed out all the passengers and crew on 4 planes? The government couldn't waterboard 3 terrorists at Gitmo w/o the world finding out, believing they could pull off a conspiracy as massive as 9/11 lacks any logic whatsoever. That's why I avoiding discussing 9/11 w/ true believing Troofers, they are totally devoid of commonsense.
Not at all. I think planes hit the twin towers and I think a plane was shot down in the sky over Pennsylvania. The plane that allegedly hit the Pentagon. I don't know. Mabye the took it to a base somewhere and killed them. Or maybe the blew it up at Wright Patterson AFB. There was a huge explosion here that day in the afternoon. It is all speculation what happened to the "Pentagon plane".
I would say you are lacking common sense sometimes. Why would the pilots feel they have the time to take a joy ride over Ohio instead of going straight for their target? That defies common sense. Unless they knew they wouldn't be intercepted (inside job). Why did Bush say he saw the first plane hit the WTC live when that wasn't on TV. Common sense would tell you he saw it on CIA tv.
Why would the Janitor Rodriguez make up a story about the basement blowing up? What does common sense tell you? Common sense tells me he is telling the truth.
Why wasn't there a mass remodeling effort in New York City to prevent similar buildings from exploding and pancaking after an airliner impacts them? There was no followup to prevent future mishaps.
Almost every country in the Middle East is awash in oil, and we have to side with the one that has nothing but joos. Goddamn, that was good thinkin'. Esso posted on 2012-01-13 7:37:56 ET
You are a dingleberry hanging on the ass hair of this forum. But don't let me discourage you, send him some money. OK. I've got another $500.00 I can spare. Paultards are like the occutards, good entertainment to keep around for a laugh. What are neotards like? Newt Gingrich? LOL!
No, he doesn't. You're either a dumbfuck, or a liar. He blames your neoconservative/leftist endless war foreign policy, just like the DoD and the CIA does. You neo's say the dumbest things. Maybe you can provide us all a link that proves Ron Paul blames Americans for 911? Of course you can't, cause you're so FOS your breath stinks.
LOL!
#2. To: All (#1)
#3. To: We The People (#0)
#4. To: Happy Quanzaa (#3)
#5. To: A K A Stone (#4)
(Edited)
#6. To: Happy Quanzaa (#5)
. Ron Paul blames Americans for the 3000+ A
#7. To: Happy Quanzaa (#5)
He's to the Left of Barry Hussein Obama on national defense.
#8. To: A K A Stone (#6)
#9. To: Happy Quanzaa (#8)
Troofers & other miscellaneous wingnuts comprise the entire Paulista base, that's why the movement is viewed as a Kool-Aid kook cult good for nothing but mocking & LOLing @.
#10. To: A K A Stone (#9)
Yet you can't refute anything I said.
#11. To: Happy Quanzaa (#10)
#12. To: A K A Stone (#11)
#13. To: Happy Quanzaa (#12)
#14. To: Happy Quanzaa (#12)
#15. To: A K A Stone (#13)
#16. To: Happy Quanzaa (#15)
#17. To: A K A Stone (#16)
#18. To: Happy Quanzaa (#17)
Where is Barbara Olson?
#19. To: Happy Quanzaa (#17)
What happened to the rest of the people that were known to have been in on Flight 77?
#20. To: Happy Quanzaa (#17)
An airplane isn't a drill bit, the hole size has nothing to do with fuselage diameter.
#21. To: A K A Stone (#19)
(Edited)
Why no wreckage in Pennsylvania?
#22. To: mininggold (#21)
Certainly the FAA has taken steps to stop plane manufacturers from building planes that so easily vaporize.
#23. To: A K A Stone (#19)
#24. To: Happy Quanzaa (#23)
Now you're saying the government rubbed out all the passengers and crew on 4 planes?
#25. To: Happy Quanzaa (#23)
That's why I avoiding discussing 9/11 w/ true believing Troofers, they are totally devoid of commonsense.
#26. To: Happy Quanzaa (#23)
#27. To: A K A Stone (#25)
Why would the pilots feel they have the time to take a joy ride over Ohio instead of going straight for their target? That defies common sense. Unless they knew they wouldn't be intercepted (inside job).
#28. To: Happy Quanzaa (#3)
He's just a dingleberry hanging on the fringe until the convention's over.
#29. To: Happy Quanzaa (#5)
Ron Paul blames Americans for the 3000+ Americans that died on 9/11
#30. To: mininggold (#14)
Come on..... your Zionista amigo won in your state. You should be at least show gratitude to your fellow military/foreign interventionist loving government tit sucker voters there.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]