The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Brutal nomination fight ahead for Republicans
WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
41 Comments
Login to comment
The Truth Matters
You know, I disagree with almost everything that comes out of his mouth, but I can understand Santorum's popularity in the South. He's very socially conservative as are the southerns. And that's the crux of it. He REALLY is conservative. He actually believes the stuff he peddles.
Then there's Mitt.
Romney will do anything or say anything to get elected. If I told Mitt Romney, I'd vote for him, I could get him to eat a bug. There just simply isn't a sincere bone in his body. He went down there to Mississippi and Alabama and fit the perfect stereotype of a Yankee huckster. "I just LOVE me some grits, Y'ALL." It was so incredibly contrived. I'm surprised he beat Ron Paul!
Obama had to have peed himself a little laughing at the whole thing.
yanee
"Obama had to have peed himself a little laughing at the whole thing."
Only because it's like seeing himself in the mirror..
Zen student
Um, forgive my ignorance but I just found that Puerto Rico is a self-governing Commonwealth in association with the United States. Here I was thinking all these years that it was a completely autonomous and independent nation. Learn sumptin' every day. It will be interesting to see how someone who is ultra-conservative will go down there.
Madverts
This circus is turning into America's version of the Eurovision Song contest.
A group of no-hopers battling it out, with the eventual winner being irrelevant and forgotten about a very short time after.
Heh, well - with the added plus that this is by far superior if albiet un-intended entertainment.
SushiSake3
This race is just amazing - Romney's campaign is starting to feel the financial pinch - he spent 2 days this week fundraising in New York while the other candidates were grabbing hands and hugging babies in the South.
Romney's advisors had hoped he'd have the nomination in the bag by now but as it stands he has to spend even more money, money that he won't have to fight the general election against a president who is going to totally whip his a*se.
Newt Gingrich is in serious trouble. I think a new precendent was set when one of Santorum's strategists said yesterday that Santorum and Romney should have a 1 on 1 debate. That's like having a party and not inviting Newt.
Newt's going to be reduced to - personally - knocking on doors before long.
It's probably sad the GOP candidates are all unelectable, the only differences are which one is more unelectable than the others.
combinibento
What are you, ten?
sailwind
Biden directed much of his fire at Romney, criticizing him for saying he would have let the auto industry go bankrupt and predicting the bailout would turn the car companies into the “living dead.”
“The president didn’t flinch,” Biden said. “This is a man with steel in his spine.”
Did he tell that to the 1,300 workers that were just laid off after the bail-out.
General Motors said on Friday that it planned to halt production of the Chevrolet Volt for five weeks beginning later this month because dealers had more than they needed. The suspension, which will result in temporary layoffs for 1,300 workers at the Detroit plant that builds the Volt. is another troubling sign for the plug-in hybrid, whose sales fell short of G.M.’s targets in 2011.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/business/gm-suspends-production-of-chevrolet-volt.html
Vast Right-Wing Conspirator
People seem to forget that the Democrats in 2008 drew their nomination process along until June of that year. It's only March, people. Give Mitt a month or two to bury the competition, then he can get on to burying President Obama. During the primary he has to tack to the right and peddle to the base. Much as the Democrats all had to tack to the left in 2008, and then swing back to the center for the general election.
I mean really, there is little difference between Obama and Bush on foreign policy these days. Obama has approved the murder of American citizens overseas if they are seen as a potential threat. Not on the battlefield, but anywhere. He has literally granted himself the power of life and death.
I only wish that Romney would run as himself and stop listening to his handlers so much. A message of "yeah, I'm rich. Nothing wrong with that. I got this way by being successful and smart and making good decisions. Now, I'd like to do the same thing for the country."
Pandering to the electorate is a sad disease that all politicians suffer from. That and shameless self-promotion at the expense of the truth on occasion.
smithinjapan
Vast Right-Wing: "People seem to forget that the Democrats in 2008 drew their nomination process along until June of that year."
Between two very good, very qualified candidates. What we're talking about in the case of the GOP is the public voting for the best of an awful lot. All of the candidates are extremely weak AT BEST.
It's quite laughable, all told. Especially watching Santorum's ignorance and gaffes (ie. Puerto Rico), Romney's extremely vapid and transparent 'appeals' to the locals ("Get me some grits!", really?), and Gingerich crying that "No one understands me!". Pathetic has been redefined. The Republicans have zero chance in the next federal election.
Laguna
Really. Except for that whole war-starting thing, and that go-it-alone exceptionalist hubris, and the creation of that extra-legal limbo Guantanamo - cleaning up his predecessor's mess is taking a very long time. Some might say that as president he could end the Afghan war and shut down Guantanamo with the stroke of a pen, and they'd be right but totally missing the point: America is not Japan; i.e., its commitments do not end simply with a change at the top.
I have deep doubts as to whether Romney even has a core. He got rich by setting out to get rich - hey, bakers make bread and teachers educate people and the litany of other professions take pride in what they produce, but investment bankers and their ilk make money; all else is secondary. They don't set out to get rich by producing something better than anyone else; they just set out to get rich.
Now, I'm sure he's a decent guy and all, but the idea that he can "do the same thing for the country" is not only impossible, it's undesirable.
The_Pope
@smithinjapan:
1) Obama was barely a senator for two years, never held a job in the real world and got into Harvard because of his ethnic background. The local ministers in Chicago refused to let him be a "community organizer" until he joined a church -- and we all know what church he joined... 2) Hillary Clinton was basically a housewife before she was offered a senator job in NY in exchange for not leaving her husband and I don't have to mention why...
If this was the end of Obama's second term what "highly qualified" candidates in the Democratic party would be vying for the nomination: Barney Frank? Nancy Pelosi? Charles Rangel? Anthony Weiner?
yanee
@ombinibento: No not ten. A realist. All these presidential candidates AND Obama are the same people. Does nobody understand? They are all the same people. The president can move the country in a general direction but it takes Congress and the Senate to really screw things up. You can go back an forth between Obama and Bush and this silly "Brutal Nomination Fight" but it's all senseless BS meant to take up your time while Congress and the Senate just keeps passing laws that mess things up more and more everyday. Nobody is screaming about them though...
Vast Right-Wing Conspirator
I could never figure out the "two highly qualified candidates" thing either. Not to disparage either Obama or Hillary- both are obviously extremely intelligent and well spoken. But in terms of "qualified", Santorum at this point is MORE qualified than 2008 Obama, Gingrich has far more legislative experience, and Romney has executive experience both in government AND in the real world.
The "war thing" is true. Normally, Democrats are the ones who get the US into wars, not Republicans. Plus, I remember when ALL candidates thought of Afghanistan as the "right" war. My, how things have changed in just a few years.
Laguna
Ha ha! - interesting point, yanee.
Still, a good president can blunt a bad congress (as Gingrich can attest), while a bad one can acerbate things (see Hoover). Please don't succumb to cynicism. It is true that the hoops one must leap through to achieve the office have serious strings attached; and, as mentioned above, certain issues are too long-term to be effected by any one president. The ship of state turns slowly, and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but who captains the helm is nonetheless important.
Lieberman2012
Brutal.
yeah. If the media say so.
Madverts
Poor Republicans getting picked on by the evil media.
Lieberman2012
Poor Republicans getting picked on by the evil media.
Poor traditional media, with advertising losses these last ten years counted in the billions.
I wonder which party they are gonna back.
Think it would be the one that introduced legislation and means allowing the gov to shut down the internet ? Think it would be the one that introduced legislation demanding subsidies for party organs like the NY Times ?
Former Carter and Clinton speechwriters are working for MSNBC. I'm quite certain they are neutral in the face of all this.
I mean, its not like Obama's 08 presidential campaign was run by a newspaper/ publishing exec or anything, right ?
.
DentShop
I have a funny feeling that there is another BIG twist in the tail of this nomination. After April 3, there are 3 weeks until New York/Pennsylvania and the other Yankee states. Between now and then, the remaining Republicans will continue to beat up each other while humiliating themselves and draining their fundraising.
Then a new name will be announced, with much fanfare and the new nominee will win New York and Pennsylvania. By the time we get to Texas, Mitt and Newt will have withdrawn and Santorum will become the new nominee's VP running mate.
Anybody else thinking who I am thinking?
combinibento
yanee, fair enough. I thought you were making a comment about Obama's looks with the mirror comment. Never mind.
Serrano
"a fight that could weaken whichever candidate who wins the nomination"
Like the fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama weakened Obama?
"I disagree with almost everything that comes out of his ( Santorum's ) mouth"
You disagree with fiscal sanity?
Santorum: "English would have to be "the main language" if Puerto Rico were to become a state"
Heck, how about California? lol
The Truth Matters
CHEVY VOLT!!!
The Truth Matters
I think it's a media conspiracy.
Laguna
And just like those nuts, too! No wonder the newspaper business is going like gangbusters!
Madverts
"Anybody else thinking who I am thinking?"
C'mon then Dent, clue us slower ones in!
Laguna
Maverts, aside from that obese Jersey governor or that Cuban from Florida, the Republican cupboard is bare. It really doesn't take a lot of imagination here.
Madverts
Well, heh, we all saw how the last Republican surprise candidate burned their fingers.
The Truth Matters
You're not thinkging noun + verb + 9/11 Guilliani are you?
Madverts
Well, with candidates wheeled out by the GOP - and the economic misery apparently easing, I'm not really surprised we're back to the Chevy Volt.
Not as finely honed as Obama's "ties to terrorists" or the Birther numbness, but I'm expecting things to degenerate much further before November....
Lieberman2012
Why the need to resort to racist dog whistles about Cubans or such "hurtful" messages directed at the many, many in America who are obese ? Laguna I though u were all about tolerance and inclusiveness.
sailwind
The Volt is the perfect example of Obama's economic policies in action and the end result. Total waste of taxpayer money down a sinkhole. His "green economy" has resulted in bankrupt companies, pathetic job creation (now tith lay-offs to boot) and a ten million prizes awarded to a company that makes a 50 dollar light-bulb and Obama's Government calls it affordable.
The U.S. government has awarded appliance-maker Philips $10 million for devising an “affordable” alternative to today’s standard 60-watt incandescent bulb. That standard bulb sells for around $1. The Philips alternative sells for $50.
Ten Million dollars that my taxes funded for a fifty dollar light-bulb, Thanks Mr. President.
Madverts
Cherry-picked examples Sail.
Investment (yes this costs money) into alternative fuel sources is requisite for this century. Anybody who claims otherwise needs theor head examining. All the major car manufacturers have looked into and abolished the electric car.
But I digress. The topic is the three candidates wheeled out by the GOP, not Obama or your Chevy Volt.
sailwind
Private investment into future technology by private citizens who are willing to take a risk and gain the rewards if they are correct in what tech they are willing to invest in will pay off and also willing to lose their own money if it doesn't work out is what will provide the ultimate alternative fuel source of the future. Government investment does not and will not ever accomplish that and in fact hinders it. Or as Milton Friedman famously said "If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand."
The Truth Matters
I can't believe we're back to the Chevy Volt.
Desperation has been achieved.
Honestly, how far are you going to stretch to find fault with this president?
The rat bastard doesn't floss either, you know!
I think that's grounds for impeachment. What do you think, sail?
Lieberman2012
I smile to think that in DC and across the country, the coming "austerity", for low level govt employees, will mean the older entrenched bureaucrats informing the schlubs that wages have been frozen but you can impress your "life partner" and friends by telling em the agency has bought you a nice new Chevy Volt to drive, and drive proudly. (Gonna have to supply your own fire extinguisher though. sorry bout that)
sailwind
I'll start "stretching" here. If after readin about his health care reform "success" below if you wish to discuss his promise to create 5 million "green” "We'll invest $15 billion a year over the next decade in renewable energy, creating five million new green jobs that pay well, can't be outsourced and help end our dependence on foreign oil," Obama said during the fall of 2008. I'll be more than happy to.......He's spent 38.6 billion so far and has created a whopping 3,545 new jobs, he's a bit short on keeping any of his promises, by a very long stretch.
President Barack Obama promised over and over during the health care debate that “if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.”
It turns out that, for a lot of people, that isn’t true.
A Congressional Budget Office report issued this week says that 3 to 5 million people could move from employer-based health care plans to government-based programs as the Affordable Care Act takes effect. And in the worst-case scenario, it could be as many as 20 million.
And it’s not the only hard truth Obama and the law’s supporters are facing. No matter what they said about rising health care costs, those costs aren’t actually going to go down under health care reform
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=163606BD-07A1-434B-B5CD-EF6825A7DA32
The Truth Matters
sailwind,
Are you upset about the bank bailouts? Obama didn't bail out the banks. Your boy, bush did.
Are you upset about the auto bailouts? Obama didn't bail out the auto industry. bush did. Granted, the Cash for Clunkers program the President Obama established did go a long way to aid the auto industry because it prompted new car sales but the loans to GMC and Chrysler were authorized by your boy, bush, and they were the right thing to do , and they have been successful.
Why you are so angry at that success is disturbing. Yeah, God Damn it that those Americans got keep their jobs. How dare they want to keep their livelihood when the almighty sailwind has determined that they should have been left out in the cold. Because you know, he kind of has a say over things apparently (at least he believes he does).
Why you would not want to help your fellow Americans is simply beyond me. But I'm a giver. It's in my nature.
sailwind
Taka, I mean Truth that Matters, Here is the result of your giving nature with the Cash for Clunkers program.
"Cash for clunkers" managed to get some 690,000 cars off the street and into junkyards.
The cars had to be junked. That was part of the deal.
Result: by removing 690,000 cars from used-car inventories at a time when cash-strapped buyers themselves were looking for a good used car, the price of used cars skyrocketed.
Taking the price higher than many of the working poor could afford.
So it's back on the bus. Missing the bus. Missing work. Losing the job.
Its been proven that having a car is key to one's ability to earn money. In fact, there's an assistance group called "Way to Work" who assists people to buy cars. Of the 353 people they assisted, 72% reported increases in income. And of those on public assistance, 87% were off that assistance after a year or two.
http://digg.com/newsbar/Politics/how_cash_for_clunkers_hurt_the_working_poor
DentShop
Lets just say that his Dad and older brother have already been presidents.
You read it first here.
YuriOtani
Nothing like 4 European heritage Male Republicans bash and slander each other for the opportunity to run against a African American Male. Only time will tell if the winner comes out stronger or just beat up and vulnerable. The Democrats are getting a lot of good material!