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Primary 2012


Valin

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Hot Air: Pew poll: Republicans aren’t sure this long primary is good for the party

Tina Korbe

March 15, 2012

 

Last month, a majority of Republicans — 55 percent — said they thought the ongoing primary and caucus process is good for the party, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. Just 36 percent said they thought it was harmful. This month, the same poll showed a slim plurality of Republicans saying the process is positive. Just 47 percent said they think the long primary benefits the GOP, while 43 percent said they think it’s harmful. Political Ticker explains that, not surprisingly, voters’ opinions depend in part on which candidate they’re supporting:

 

 

(Snip)

 

Consider me in the camp that would have switched my response from last month to this month. But I’ll be completely honest: It’s because I’m panicked, too apt to give the Obama campaign more credit than it deserves. I’m afraid to give Obama more time to hone his magic act while Republicans are squabbling amongst themselves. I’m worried the Obama machine will trounce the GOP nominee — whoever that nominee proves to be — in November.

 

So I buy the conventional wisdom and the CW goes like this: While it’s technically still possible for Rick Santorum or even Newt Gingrich to capture the nomination, it’s highly unlikely. If Santorum and Gingrich do manage to keep Romney from securing a majority of delegates before August, Romney will likely still win on the first ballot at the convention. At that point, anti-Romney Republicans would have a couple months to muster enthusiasm for him. It’s not going to be easy for conservatives who’ve spent the last six months or so pounding Romney into the ground to be able to approach independents with compelling arguments for him. The more time they have to come around (because they know for a fact their choices are Romney or Obama), the better.

 

(Snip)

 

A long primary makes it hard on congressional candidates, too: Donors and voters are too focused on the presidential election to be of much help to other candidates. Yet, the House and Senate are arguably more important than the White House.

 

(Snip)

 

 

Comments? This is Good, Bad, Quite caring?

 

Quit caring. Is anybody really paying any attention anymore? I think most people have shifted to watching gas prices skyrocket.

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What Do Tuesday's Results Mean?

Pat Sajak

3/14/12

 

Why lie? I have no idea.

 

 

 

Someone tells the truth.


 

Probably the most useful political commentary I've read in a long time.

 

I thought so. Must be because he's not a talking head.

 

Just once I'd like too see one of these talking heads answer a question....I haven't the faintest idea...ask me next year, my hindsight is 20/20.

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WestVirginiaRebel

Santorum: 'I Don’t Care What the Unemployment Rate’s Going to Be'

“We need a candidate who's going to be a fighter for freedom. Who’s going to get up and make that the central theme in this race because it is the central theme in this race," Santorum told a crowd of about 200 voters during a rally here on Monday. "I don't care what the unemployment rate's going to be. Doesn't matter to me. My campaign doesn't hinge on unemployment rates and growth rates. It's something more foundational that's going on."

 

Regardless of the context, this isn't going to help him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9UOXjvwS-I

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@WestVirginiaRebel

 

Gov. Inevitability Attacks Santorum

 

The clip comes from Team Mitt, which has taken enough cheap shots from the Democrats and media quoting Romney out of context (most infamously when he said he liked being able to fire people) that apparently it felt it was justified pulling this edit on Santorum. The full quote, conveniently omitted here:

“We need a candidate who’s going to be a fighter for freedom. Who’s going to get up and make that the central theme in this race because it is the central theme in this race,” Santorum told a crowd of about 200 voters during a rally here on Monday. “I don’t care what the unemployment rate’s going to be. Doesn’t matter to me. My campaign doesn’t hinge on unemployment rates and growth rates. It’s something more foundational that’s going on.”

(Snip)

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FROM RICK SANTORUM: Past Performance Indicates Future Results

 

Mitt Romney highlights his business experience in the private sector but tries to hide his economic record in the public sector. He was a failed one-term Governor of Massachusetts, and by any objective measure, he would receive an F for his faulty fiscal stewardship there. Indeed, his economic record would not put him in the ring as a featherweight — let alone a lightweight — in any contest.

 

As heavyweight champ Joe Lewis once said, “He can run, but he can’t hide.” And in Mitt Romney’s case, past performance really does indicate future results.

(Snips)

 

 

FROM NEWT GINGRICH: Yes, Past Performance Does Indicate Future Results

 

Rick Santorum makes an excellent point that “past performance really does indicate future results.” I completely agree—but not just “in Mitt Romney’s case.” Rick Santorum became the third-highest ranking Republican in the Senate in 2001 at a time when Republicans inherited balanced budgets, surpluses, and conservative, pro-life majorities. Senator Santorum and his big spending GOP allies proceeded to squander this inheritance.

 

(Snip)

 

I don't believe Gov. Inevitability posts anything at Redstate, why would he want to reach out to "Those" kind of people.

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pollyannaish

This sniping between candidates is really getting me down. And it's not just a Romney negative ad thing. Rick and Newt's whining is about to send me around the bend. I saw Rick on Greta last night and it brought out the toddler mom in me...I just wanted to send him on a time out. Good grief.

 

They all need to put on their big boy pants and stop this pettiness. Now. At this point, I don't even care about past performance. I just want them to perform decently right now for crying out loud.

 

/arrrrggggghhhhh exasperation

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Speaking of big boy pants, I'm ready to send an email to Mitt to tell him to ditch the jeans and put on a decent pair of slacks. With his comments about friends who own NASCAR cars (or whatever it was) and football teams and his wife's 2 Cadillacs, he's not kidding anyone and he would look a tad more presidential in better clothes. Even if they are designer jeans. Which they proabaly are.

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@nickydog

 

I know it's probably asking to much, but a candidate should be what he is. Do they think this pretending to be "Just One Of The Guys" really works? Treat us like adults.

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pollyannaish

I agree with both of you on this @nickydog and @Valin. I am GLAD to see him more relaxed (You know appropriately relaxed, lose the tie and untuck your shirt when you're out digging ditches for charity, etc), but being relaxed to try to fit in drives me nuts. And drop the sweater vests (he may have done that already) because they make Rick look like a poindexter!

 

That said, what I want most of all is for these guys to be their best authentic selves so I can actually get a good sense of who they are.

 

We don't need another basketball short, flip flop feet on the furniture president. We need a suit in the oval office respect the place kind of president.

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Exactly, @Valin and @pollyannaish!

 

Can you imagine the hue and cry if someone like Jon Voight had made a crack about the country being ready for a white first lady?

What is so sad is he and the audience probably didn't see anything wrong with his joke.

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WestVirginiaRebel

Election Snag: Ballots Won’t Fit Into Vote-Counting Machines

The issue centers on the fact that some of the ballots are too big, CBS 2 investigator Pam Zekman reports. The Illinois Review is reporting that the bad ballots have been delivered to 65 counties across Illinois.

 

Judges are being told to cut the ballots by hand, so that they can fit into the machines, Zekman reported. Some ballots will be shipped to county clerk offices where they will be cut and counted. All counties in Illinois, except Vermillion, have an option to ask voters to cast their ballots by touch screen.

 

WMBD-TV in Peoria shot video of judges cutting ballots to make them fit.

 

The dead voters aren't going to be pleased...

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Illinois Primary

March 20, 2012

 

15.0% reporting (1562/10448)

 

Romney 54.7% 33,205

 

Santorum 27.4% 16,659

 

Paul 10.4% 6,304

 

Gingrich 6.7% 4,040

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WestVirginiaRebel

Romney easily wins the Illinois GOP primary

Front-runner Mitt Romney won the Illinois primary with ease Tuesday night, routing Rick Santorum in yet another industrial state showdown and padding his already-formidable delegate lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

 

Romney triumphed after benefitting from a crushing advantage in the television advertising wars, and as his chief rival struggled to overcome self-imposed political wounds in the marathon race to pick an opponent to Democratic President Barack Obama.

 

Returns from 19 percent of the state's precincts showed Romney gaining 56 percent of the vote compared to 27 percent for Santorum, 9 percent for Ron Paul and 7 percent for Newt Gingrich.

 

 

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Illinois Primary

March 20, 2012

38.7% reporting (4041/10448)

 

Romney 51.4% 132,559

 

Santorum 31.2% 80,520

 

Paul 9.2% 23,666

 

Gingrich 7.3% 18,881

 

 

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pollyannaish

@WestVirginiaRebel

 

Amazing what a big bag of money 6+ years of constant campaigning and the ability to say nothing in 20 second sound bytes will get you.

 

I'm sorry, but I just don't think that's true. I am impressed with the growth that Mitt has made in this campaign. He is learning from his mistakes, he is learning to say things in a coherent, precise way that is helping him. I LIKE him MUCH more than I did last time, and that is huge for me.

 

He is coming across as a leader that believes in those he leads...not the answer to everything. I know you hate him, but I think your hatred is misplaced. Lots of people have plenty of money. A few people the ability to put together an effective organization and have a strategic vision. Lots of people make mistakes. Fewer people learn from them. And a very few people know how to work effectively within the constraints of a democratic bureaucracy.

 

Mitt has plenty of money because he is effective. You can disagree with whether or not he can articulate your values. But to hold his ability to make money rather than lose it is, in my opinion, anti-capitalist and anti republican.

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pollyannaish

PS. I REALLY liked his speech. He said the exact things that Santorum was trying to say...but in a way that didn't say "Your concerns are not my problem.:

 

Great job.

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