Title: Roemer to launch independent bid for President (50 state ballot access - American Elect & Reform parties) Source:
Hot Air URL Source:http://hotair.com/archives/2012/02/ ... independent-bid-for-president/ Published:Feb 23, 2012 Author:Ed Morrissey Post Date:2012-02-23 12:29:01 by Hondo68 Ping List:*The Two Parties ARE the Same*Subscribe to *The Two Parties ARE the Same* Keywords:the American Elect party, the Reform Party, former governor & congressman Views:12257 Comments:41
We soon wont have Buddy Roemer to kick around in the GOP any longer if we ever did. Today, Roemer will announce his withdrawal as a candidate for the Republican nomination for President, and instead campaign for the American Elect party. If you havent heard of the American Elect Party, well
Frustrated and largely ignored, Buddy Roemer is ending his bid for the Republican nomination and will instead seek the presidency on a third-party ticket.
The former Louisiana governor will make his plans official Thursday at a news conference in Santa Monica, within hours of another Republican debate that hes been excluded from.
Its that fact that is driving his decision. The party and the major television networks have turned their backs on the democratic process by excluding him, even though hes a former governor and congressman, he said in a statement.
Roemer has been waging a campaign based in part on ending the influence of special interests in American politics. He capped donations to his campaign at just $100, and raised about $340,000 from individual donors.
He says he will now run for the nomination of Americans Elect, an independent group seeking ballot access in all 50 states that plans to hold an Internet primary to choose a bipartisan ticket.
Roemer will also seek the nomination of the Reform Party, the legacy of H. Ross Perots largely self-funded independent runs for President in 1992 and 1996. It hit its high-water mark in Minnesotas 1998 gubernatorial election when Jesse Ventura narrowly won a three-way race. Unfortunately for the Reform Party, Ventura was singularly uninterested in both reform and governing. His single term ended in embarrassment as Republicans and Democrats crafted budgets without him after Ventura spent a season while Governor as an announcer for the XFL football league. In 2000, the party nominated Pat Buchanan as its presidential nominee, who had no impact on the race at all. By 2004, the Reform Party ended up endorsing Ralph Nader on the Green ticket, and in 2008 nominated that household name Ted Weill to lead their ticket. Thanks to a dispute over control of the party, Weill only appeared on the ballot in his home state of Mississippi and got only 470 votes.
That is the unfortunate track record of the most significant third party in modern American electoral history.
Independent bids usually have almost no impact on presidential elections, unless the candidate has the money and the inclination to spend millions of his own money or can find substantial funding elsewhere. Perot is an example of the former in the 1992 election; he changed the outcome of the race, but never won a single electoral vote for himself. Nader is an example of the latter, but even that might not have been true in 2000 had it not been for an extraordinarily close race in Florida. He only took 2.7% of the national popular vote, as opposed to Perots 19% in 1992.
Roemers GOP bid has always been a puzzlement. Roemer has never won office as a Republican; he switched parties during his term as Governor in Louisiana and ended up third in the open primary when he ran for re-election. Until this election, Roemer hasnt been an organizing or philosophical voice in the GOP, either. Hes a charming candidate to be sure and has much to contribute on ideas for reform if hes serious, but the move to court the American Elect and Reform Parties strongly suggest that hes less serious about those efforts and more interested in making himself the point. Nevertheless, its impossible not to like Roemer and cheer him on a bit, even if you cant quite take him seriously.
I actually take Roemer pretty seriously for a few reasons:
1.) America's Elect is a serious organization, with some powerful bi-partisan support. They will be on the ballot in all 50 states.
2.) Every poll shows that the bulk of Americans are sick and tired of both parties.
3.) Roemer is a credible candidate and fiscal conservative -- he was both a Congressmen and Governor. He's a down to earth guy that people can relate to.
Some of his positions:
Economy
- Reduce the size of federal government to about 18 to 18.5 percent of GDP currently it is at about 25.5 percent.
- Income taxes would be simplified to a flat tax, with an individual exemption of $50,000. A flat tax of 17 percent would be paid on all income beyond that. This means that individuals making $50,000 or less would pay no income tax, while those making more than $100,000 would have an effective tax rate of 8.5 percent.
- Elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax, the Earned Income Credit and most deductions would be key to this plan, to simplify and standardize complicated tax laws.
- Reduce the corporate tax from 35% to 15% and eliminate special interest loopholes.
- Modify social security and Medicare by slowly raising the eligibility age by one month each year for 24 years.
- Cease all energy subsidies, including oil and ethanol, to level the playing field for energy innovation
Healthcare
- Buddy Roemers healthcare reform would eliminate Obamacare, but keep insurance coverage of preexisting conditions.
- Any healthcare reform package has to include tort reform, which Buddy achieved as governor of Louisiana to successfully lower healthcare costs.
- Individuals must be allowed to buy insurance policies across state lines, eliminating pocket monopolies and increasing competition among providers. -
- Pharmaceutical companies must be exposed to competition to lower prices.
Education
- School choice is central to ensuring the continuous improvement of educational institutions around the country.
I could vote for this program.
Irans main drive for acquiring atomic weapons is not for use against Israel but as a deterrent against U.S. intervention -- Major General Zeevi Farkash, head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate
- Buddy Roemers healthcare reform would eliminate Obamacare, but keep insurance coverage of preexisting conditions.
It sounds all nice and stuff.
But someone gets a disease that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat. They had no health care coverage. So now they can go buy a policy for a thousand bucks a month or whatever to cover those costs. That sounds like a forumla to bankrupt the insurance providers.
I think pre existing things should be covered. Buy how?
They had no health care coverage. So now they can go buy a policy for a thousand bucks a month or whatever to cover those costs. That sounds like a forumla to bankrupt the insurance providers.
That's definitely an issue.
Maybe the policy should be that you can switch between insurance companies (for example when you switch between jobs) and have your preexisting condition covered. But you can't go from having no insurance, get a condition, and then sign up to have it covered.
Irans main drive for acquiring atomic weapons is not for use against Israel but as a deterrent against U.S. intervention -- Major General Zeevi Farkash, head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate
Maybe the policy should be that you can switch between insurance companies (for example when you switch between jobs) and have your preexisting condition covered. But you can't go from having no insurance, get a condition, and then sign up to have it covered.
Yeah .....after all why would anyone want a health insurance policy that might actually might help cure a condition that created the need in the first place.
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
They had no health care coverage. So now they can go buy a policy for a thousand bucks a month or whatever to cover those costs. That sounds like a forumla to bankrupt the insurance providers.
That's definitely an issue.
And still countries with universal health insurance manage to spend less on health care than the US, and have longer life expectancy.
American insurance companies have done an amazing job convincing people that spending more to get less is a good thing.
Anyone claiming to be an expert is selling something. I brandish my ignorance like a crucifix at vampires. Aaron Bady
"And still countries with universal health insurance manage to spend less on health care than the US, and have longer life expectancy."
Please, if you don't mind, humor me this one time! Show links with documented proof to what you are saying!
("Every fetus that DOESN'T go on welfare in 18 years because he/she was aborted yesterday... brings a smile to my face today" ~ GrandIsland - LibertyPost)
WOW! I'm impressed, wikipedia...NOT! Cherry picking the parts you like best does not give you the whole picture, try looking a little deeper, but you probably did and didn't like what you saw.
Myth 6: Life expectancy is longer in other countries because they have universal tax-funded medical coverage, and the U.S. does not.
The longest-lived people are probably the Japanese. They have good genes, are seldom overweight, and eat lots of fish. They have had a government-funded medical system since 1927and they also have a robust private medical sector.
Japanese, like all people except Canadians and North Koreans, are not restricted to a single (government) payer. How do we know they wouldnt live even longer without their government medicine?
International comparisons are tricky because of ethnic diversity in the U.S. While Japanese men in Japan live longer (mean 78.4 years) than the average American man (74.8 years), Asian-American men live still longer (80.9 years). (Bureau of the Census, cited by John Goodman)
If we look at illnesses in which aggressive, timely medical care makes a difference, Americans live longer. For example, American women have a 63% chance of living five years or more with cancer, compared with only 56% for Europeans. For men, the figures are 66% for Americans, and 47% for Europeans, writes Betsy McCaughey.
Some European countries with universal coverage have better life expectancies than the U.S. They also have less gang warfare, less racial diversity, fewer traffic deaths, and a different diet. Americans who dont die from homicide or car crashes outlive people in every Western country (David Gratzer, IBD 7/26/07).
Problems like gangland wars, drug abuse, and unhealthy lifestyles are not caused by lack of universal tax-funded health coverage, and would not be eliminated by enacting it. The suggestion that U.S. life expectancy would increase with universal coverage is faith-based or hope-based, not evidence- based or logic-based. In fact, such an increase is neither sought nor expected by advocates of radical reform such as Tom Daschle, who urge Americans to accept the infirmities of old age and the inevitability of death.
Universal access to a ticket in a waiting line is not a way to improve life expectancy; quite the contrary.
******************************************
If there is a lesson which U.S. policymakers can take from national health care systems around the world, it is not to follow the road to government-run national health care, but to increase consumer incentives and control.
Universal health insurance does not necessarily mean universal access to health care. In practice, many countries promise universal coverage but ration care or have extremely long waiting lists for treatment. Those countries that have single-payer systems or systems heavily weighted toward government control are the most likely to face waiting lists, rationing, restrictions on the choice of physician, and other barriers to care.
Those countries with national health care systems that work better, such as France, the Netherlands and Switzerland, are successful to the degree that they incorporate market mechanisms such as competition, cost-consciousness, market prices, and consumer choice, and eschew centralized government control.
In France, for example, co-payments run between 10 and 40 percent, and physicians can balance bill over and above government reimbursement rates, something not allowed in the U.S. Medicare program. On average, French patients pay roughly as much out of pocket as do Americans. The Swiss government pays a smaller percentage of health care spending than does the U.S.
As Richard Saltman and Josep Figueras of the World Health Organization put it, The presumption of public primacy is being reassessed. Thus, even as the U.S. debates adopting a government-run system, countries with those systems are debating how to make their systems look more like the U.S.
But they have not solved the universal and seemingly irresistible problem of rising health care costs. In many cases, attempts to control costs through governmental fiat have led to problems with access to care, either delays in receiving care or outright rationing.
In wrestling with this dilemma, many countries are loosening government controls and injecting market mechanisms, particularly cost-sharing by patients, market pricing of goods and services, and increased competition among insurers and providers. As Pat Cox, former president of the European Parliament, put it in a report to the European Commission, we should start to explore the power of the market as a way of achieving much better value for money.
("Every fetus that DOESN'T go on welfare in 18 years because he/she was aborted yesterday... brings a smile to my face today" ~ GrandIsland - LibertyPost)
...try looking a little deeper, but you probably did and didn't like what you saw.
I did, and pinged you to the article.
BTW, I've been to Europe and seen the ethnic diversity with my own eyes, also the smokers.
Have you heard of the French paradox? It refers to the longevity of the French people in spite of their drinking, smoking, and diet of, well French food.
Anyone claiming to be an expert is selling something. I brandish my ignorance like a crucifix at vampires. Aaron Bady
WOW! I'm impressed, wikipedia...NOT! Cherry picking the parts you like best does not give you the whole picture...
That's how liberals work.
They see what they want to see, and believe that good intentions triumph reality. Religious fanaticism cannot be overcome with facts.
This, in turn, is why socialism is so dangerous; when they don't get their way, they'll resort to violence- as ~100 million dead in the last century demonstrates.
To: mcToejam, rat-boy, drippy, Alzheimer Fred, whitesands, t-bird, loonymom/ming, e-type jackoff, goober56, wreck, cal-CON, rabid dog, dummy DwarF, biff, harrowup the communist, and meguro. You're on the "a waste of human flesh" list. Piss off.
Some European countries with universal coverage have better life expectancies than the U.S. They also have less gang warfare, less racial diversity, fewer traffic deaths, and a different diet. Americans who dont die from homicide or car crashes outlive people in every Western country.
Exactly right.
Take blacks out of the equation and U.S. life expectancy rates isn't that different than the typical European country.
Americans are also by far the most obese people in the developed world. The only country that rivals the U.S. in obesity is Mexico.
Irans main drive for acquiring atomic weapons is not for use against Israel but as a deterrent against U.S. intervention -- Major General Zeevi Farkash, head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate
The Swiss government pays a smaller percentage of health care spending than does the U.S.
As does Singapore, which has by fat the least expensive and one of the most effective healthcare systems in the world.
Irans main drive for acquiring atomic weapons is not for use against Israel but as a deterrent against U.S. intervention -- Major General Zeevi Farkash, head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate
While the United States has had above average total spending, its public expenditures are in line with other countries. At 7.4%, of GDP public expenditures in the U.S. on health are only 0.2% above the 15-country average (Exhibit 9).
In Singapore, which is not an OECD country, the government share of healthcare spending is about 1.5% of GDP.
Leftist lunatics would have us believe that other government's spend more tax money on healthcare than the U.S. It's just not true.
Irans main drive for acquiring atomic weapons is not for use against Israel but as a deterrent against U.S. intervention -- Major General Zeevi Farkash, head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate
After you deleted Eric and HQ from my ping list while in a snit about me putting threads by you on ignore, I waited to ask Neil McIver about this before mentioning it.
He said that you could turn the bozo function off and on which would clear it, but it would have the same affect on everyone's bozo list.
So, what did you do, dummy? Run a common hacker piece of software to hack my account? You are the only one here who has the complete lack of common sense, extreme sense of self righteous hubris and a desire to control what is on or not on the bozo list.
You have serious mental problems; you really do. You don't deserve one iota of trust or respect, and thus I have neither for you. Not in the least bit.
After you deleted Eric and HQ from my ping list while in a snit about me putting threads by you on ignore, I waited to ask Neil McIver about this before mentioning it.
He said that you could turn the bozo function off and on which would clear it, but it would have the same affect on everyone's bozo list.
So, what did you do, dummy? Run a common hacker piece of software to hack my account?
I did nothing you moron. You're were probably just on drugs. Don't make false accusations against me.
Leftist lunatics would have us believe that other government's spend more tax money on healthcare than the U.S. It's just not true.
No, your so-called "leftist lunatics" have been saying the exact opposite - 60% of health care spending is publicly financed which means that taxpayers are footing the bill for universal health care coverage, just not getting it.
Anyone claiming to be an expert is selling something. I brandish my ignorance like a crucifix at vampires. Aaron Bady
Since rat-boy is still on my bozo list, it would seem his theory is... "lacking in substance," to be polite.
And given the quote you cited, I'm happy that he's still bozoed.
What a putz.
To: mcToejam, rat-boy, drippy, Alzheimer Fred, whitesands, t-bird, loonymom/ming, e-type jackoff, goober56, wreck, cal-CON, rabid dog, dummy DwarF, biff, harrowup the communist, and meguro. You're on the "a waste of human flesh" list. Piss off.
He's halfway there already, it's the 'logical' part he's having a problem with. If he can get the two together, he may have something....
("Every fetus that DOESN'T go on welfare in 18 years because he/she was aborted yesterday... brings a smile to my face today" ~ GrandIsland - LibertyPost)
To: mcToejam, rat-boy, drippy, Alzheimer Fred, whitesands, t-bird, loonymom/ming, e-type jackoff, goober56, wreck, cal-CON, rabid dog, dummy DwarF, biff, harrowup the communist, and meguro. You're on the "a waste of human flesh" list. Piss off.
The names came off without me removing them, but I did not directly accuse anyone by name. I don't have the proof for that hondo. it could of been him, but it could of been murron who is so infatuated with my posting activity all around the web, and has posted a fishing thread about people with names similar to mine who are on sex offenders lists. It could be anyone who takes the time to learn how to crack passwords; it's not hard to do. It's just amazing to me anyone would have so little use for their time they would bother, but bother to someone did.
And I did harden the new one so it would be more time consuming to do so, and I no longer keep old Pmail. I copy it and then delete it from the account now.
Far be if from me to say anything but what happened. I noticed one of banjo boy erica's posts and went in and had a blank kill file list.
As far as the dirty sock stink of erica's posts, they don't annoy as much as they are tiresome and a waste of time.
I had you on there for a while, and if you miss being there, just keep mis-speaking what I say; you'll be back there in no time.
I would say it's small, and not right or left winged a thing. Some insane idiot for their own private reasons cleared my kill file list.
It was right after I was telling stone I would put any of his posted threads on ignore, and at least him and I were logged in.
I didn't say anything in open forum about it, but I did mention it in Pmail to others about it happening.
I've posted in forums enough to know not to go off when that might be exactly the reaction someone might be trying to get me to do. And thats all I have to say to you in particular on the topic.
And no, I don't bozo people with strange senses of humor, so you're in no need for sending up the old bat signal for help.
What's the definition of insurance? Something you only need to pay for, if you don't need it?
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
What's the definition of insurance? Something you only need to pay for, if you don't need it?
Insurance is something you would buy in case you got sick. Not something you get once you get sick.
For example if you got in a car accident. You don't go get insurance after the accident and expect it to be honored for the accident you got in before buying the insurance.
"Insurance is something you would buy in case you got sick. Not something you get once you get sick."
Which is why it is required to be insured to drive. It does no one any good if an uninsured motorist can't uphold her or his side of the obligation in an accident.
Similarly, it is important that all Americans have health insurance. It does no one any good if people, when they eventually and inevitably fall sick or need medical attention can't get medical care, thus become a burden to us all as such people postpone health care quyite often to the point where treatment costs a great deal more then it would of had they gone to a doctor in a timely manner.
I was lucky enough to have the VA health care system before I went back to work full time and thus qualified for my employer's health care plan.
I was able to get health care having earned the benefit for serving the U.S. Military.
All Americans deserve the human grace and respect and be given health care should it be needed.
Which is why I support the President's health care plan, and want it expanded to include a single payer element that makes sure no one is ever without the health care they deserve as human beings. It simply is not humane, nor cost effective to do otherwise.
"Since when did being a half wit from hillbilly land make you an expert about anything"
Since I discovered 'half wits' really were 90% smarter than nit wit wiccan's who hump trees in Eugene, Oregon...
("Every fetus that DOESN'T go on welfare in 18 years because he/she was aborted yesterday... brings a smile to my face today" ~ GrandIsland - LibertyPost)
And pray tell how did you discover that; Through the Commonwealth of Kentucky's favorite sacraments of meth or whiskey?
You should check out real statistics that show we take better care in our children's health and education in Oregon, and rank far higher in many areas in that regard than your state.