pawlenty (4)

Pawlenty Red Flags: Right Online Minnesota

Former Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty gave a great Tea Party conservative speech at Right Online this afternoon.  I am from Colorado so all I know about Pawlenty I have learned within the last 6 months or so.  I applauded loudly and whooped as he SPOKE all the right words.  He is fiery, he is smart, yada yada.  The problem is that his constituents in Minnesota, the real Conservative constituents, don't trust him.  An unnamed source who had worked on campaigns at different levels in Minnesota described him as a compromiser, a RINO, a politician by nature, one who talks the Tea Party talk but does not walk the Tea Party walk. 

 

I asked the unnamed source about Michelle Bachmann, the US Rep from Minnesota.  This seemingly well versed and credible Minnasotan described Bachmann's rise through the political ranks, first as a business owner, tax litigation attorney, pro-life activist (Phyllis Schafley)and education reform advocate.  Bachmann was asked by many supporters to run for public office, which, initially she did not want to do.  But she ran and beat a RINO in her primary race, and beat an establishment dem to win a seat in the Minnesota State Senatenational race.  She then went on to run for the United States House of Representatives and beat an extreme-left dem. Michelle Bachmann, it is said, is hated by the RINOs and the Dems in Minnesota, which in the mind of most Tea Party members, makes her imminently qualified for high office.  I love a woman who makes enemies of corrupt, dishonest, musty, dusty establishment politicians.  Thank you (name withheld)

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The GOP Field: An Educational Debate

I'm not a real big fan of debates but the GOP debates in New Hampshire have been a good showcase of Conservative thought.  We don't have a perfect candidate, and we will never will.  But the combination of Constitutional conservatism, economic savvy, historical context, and fresh Patriotic fervor is like a symposium on the role of government, and what it means to have faith in freedom and the free market.

Pawlenty seems a little stiff.  Newt is still a great intellect and, although he will hang up his campaign coat soon, adds a comprehensive understanding of aspects of American government.  Romney is a little redundant, rehashing many of his recent speeches.  But he appears to be the solid "fix the economy" candidate.  Michelle Bachmann looks strong.  I would like to hear more from her.  Santorum is passionate and unwavering, a fresh face.  Herman Cain is an audacious advocate for capitalism.  He has a certain "elder statesman" quality.  He is the experienced one in the house.  Cain has detailed ideas plans to answer the questions about Obamacare, Medicare insolvency, and jobs creation.  Cain is unequivocal about his opposition to allowing Sharia law to influence American law. 

The audience seems very in tune with the economic issues.  The debt limit is being discussed in-depth.  Every one of the GOP contenders has something to offer.  And as Mitt Romney has asserted several times, "Obama has no plan."  I feel proud as I watch this.  This, as I said, is an imperfect field.  There are a range of ideologies among the GOP candidates.  But the quality of the debate has risen out of pop-culture, sound bites, and mainstream media news flashes.  These candidates are debating with a depth of Constitutional knowledge that a few years ago was not present.  

I give credit to the Tea Party for pulling our candidates back in the direction of our founding roots.  I hope Americans, young and old alike, watch this and other upcoming debates.  The GOP candidates are giving us a good education about limited government and its enumerated roles in the Constitution. 

 

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The GOP Field: An Educational Debate

I'm not a real big fan of debates but the GOP debates in New Hampshire have been a good showcase of Conservative thought.  We don't have a perfect candidate, and we will never will.  But the combination of Constitutional conservatism, economic savvy, historical context, and fresh Patriotic fervor is like a symposium on the role of government, and what it means to have faith in freedom and the free market.

Pawlenty seems a little stiff.  Newt is still a great intellect and, although he will hang up his campaign coat soon, adds a comprehensive understanding of aspects of American government.  Romney is a little redundant, rehashing many of his recent speeches.  But he appears to be the solid "fix the economy" candidate.  Michelle Bachmann looks strong.  I would like to hear more from her.  Santorum is passionate and unwavering, a fresh face.  Herman Cain is an audacious advocate for capitalism.  He has a certain "elder statesman" quality.  He is the experienced one in the house.  Cain has detailed ideas plans to answer the questions about Obamacare, Medicare insolvency, and jobs creation.  Cain is unequivocal about his opposition to allowing Sharia law to influence American law. 

The audience seems very in tune with the economic issues.  The debt limit is being discussed in-depth.  Every one of the GOP contenders has something to offer.  And as Mitt Romney has asserted several times, "Obama has no plan."  I feel proud as I watch this.  This, as I said, is an imperfect field.  There are a range of ideologies among the GOP candidates.  But the quality of the debate has risen out of pop-culture, sound bites, and mainstream media news flashes.  These candidates are debating with a depth of Constitutional knowledge that a few years ago was not present.  

I give credit to the Tea Party for pulling our candidates back in the direction of our founding roots.  I hope Americans, young and old alike, watch this and other upcoming debates.  The GOP candidates are giving us a good education about limited government and its enumerated roles in the Constitution. 

 

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               “Besides the ignorant things he said, however, Gingrich suggested that the G.O.P. symbol might be an elephant riding on a magic carpet which (if you look closer) proves to be a paycheck; while the Democrat’s symbol would be a Donkey living in a food stamp book teepee.  Gingrich also said that it was wrong for Republicans to talk about cutting Medicare since it left them open to being demagogued for the next decade and Medicare had only increased 14% under Obama while the federal side of Medicaid had risen 54% and food stamp costs had risen 60% under Obama, then he cited a food stamp increase from 33 million to 47 million Americans now on food stamp rolls an amazing 39.4% jump” in just two years.

 

 

Trump, Huckabee Drop-outs and Ex-Speaker’s

Implosion Puts Romney in Catbird Seat

For 2012 G.O.P. Presidential Nomination

 

 

               In a dramatic turn of events, the last three days marked climactic upheaval in the ranks of the Republican presidential candidates to replace Barack Obama in the Oval Office starting January, 2013.

               ITEM:  Mike Huckabee cited “spiritual reasons” for deciding NOT to contest the 2012 primary waters in an announcement made at the end of his Huckabee show on FOXNews channel Saturday.  With no effort at all, Huckabee was #2 in the polls among all candidates.  This is a huge game-changer among Republican and many other conservative voters.

               ITEM:  Pressured by his television network, NBC, Donald Trump announced today that he would NOT be running for president either.  Trump said “Business is my greatest passion and I’m not ready to leave the private sector.”  He also cited all the money that his hit show “Celebrity Apprentice” had been making for charity as a reason NOT to run.  Most pundits do NOT believe the Trump announcement changes much in the battle for 2012.  Most conservatives believed “The Donald” was moderate or even liberal; and had very little to offer conservative voters.  Especially after his recent foul-mouthed tirade, he’d lost a lot of his standing as a potential “statesman.”

               ITEM:  Only short days after announcing his decision to be a candidate for 2012 -- saying the election was the most important in America since Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860 -- Newt Gingrich seemingly committed political suicide and greatly muddied the waters of the debate on Capitol Hill over raising the national debt ceiling and the Ryan Budget.  Gingrich (imitating Joe Biden??) offered not one but two terrific gaffes:

1)      He appeared to say that Obamacare was not so bad and that he personally supported something like it.

2)    He criticized Paul Ryan’s budget.  The Ryan budget which passed in the House with 238 Republican votes, Gingrich said was “radical.”  He continued, “I don’t support social-engineering from the right anymore than I support social-engineering from the left. 

               Unless Gingrich’s ploy will be to run as a Democrat and contest Obama in the primaries, his candidacy can no longer be regarded as valid.

 

               At this early stage these three key recent developments seem to put Mitt Romney in the driver’s seat.  He’ll presumably emerge with somewhere between 30-35% of the G.O.P. vote in upcoming polls.  He could have a lead of 2 ½ to 1 over his next closest rival presumably Gingrich (who had 15-16% in recent polls but hurt himself recently.  Rajjpuut believes that Mitch Daniels, Indiana Governor; Michelle Bachmann, Minnesota Representative; and businessman Herman Cain would benefit even more than Romney will from the three news items mentioned above.  The big winner, however, might just be the TEA Party.  Let’s look a bit closer at Romney and Gingrich and the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party . . . .

               Discussing Romney, DickMorris.com put it this way, “Romney was having a terrible week.  His speech on health care was terrible.  With Massachusetts up in arms over Romney-care and Republicans dead set against the individual and employer mandate, his failure to repudiate his program would have cost him dearly.  But now he is sitting on top of the world.”  Much truth there but perhaps a bit too rosy a picture painted for Romney . . . .

               Morris later made a personal appearance on the Hannity show on FOXNews and opined that Gingrich had not actually hurt himself, but rather that people just got the out of context version from the mainstream media.  NOT HARDLY, Richard!  However, in Gingrich’s favor these things must be said.

               Besides the ignorant things he mentioned, Gingrich suggested that the G.O.P. symbol might be an elephant riding on a magic carpet which (if you look closer) proves to be a paycheck; while the Democrat’s symbol would be a Donkey living in a food stamp book teepee.  Gingrich also said that it was wrong for Republicans to talk about cutting Medicare since it left them open to being demagogued for the next decade and Medicare had only increased 14% under Obama while the federal side of Medicaid had risen 54% and food stamp costs had risen 60% under Obama.  Then he cited a food stamp increase from 33 million to 47 million Americans now on food stamp rolls an amazing 39.4% jump in 28 months.

               Michelle Bachmann, Morris told Hannity, would benefit because she might get a lot of the social-conservatives favoring Huckabee.  Since Bachmann is a TEA Party favorite and the emphasis of the TEAs is on fiscal- and Constitutional-conservativism, that does not compute . . . . Rick Santorum and possibly Sarah Palin would be more likely to gain in Rajjpuut’s not-so-humble opinion, with Bachmann and Herman Cain getting some lift as well.

               Morris said that “for Daniels, the withdrawal of Trump opens the way for him to become the main establishment business community rival to Romney.  And Huckabee's withdrawal opens the door for conservatives to support him as well.”  Morris thought that both Daniels and Bachmann needed to enter the race very soon.  Pawlenty, already in the tussle, was another one who Morris said would benefit greatly . . . but he left no doubt that in his view Romney might right now be the presumptive nominee.  Rajjpuut believes there’s a huge long way to New Hampshire not to mention the Oval Office and he doubts that Romney will get 30% of the Republican vote in Iowa or 25% in South Carolina.  Besides, who knows . . .  Chris Christy might just wind up running.

 

               Mitt Romney is the unquestioned early leader, that’s obvious.  But, the millstone of the Romneycare program in Massachusetts hangs heavy upon him.  His biggest worry has to be the TEA Party.  Romney has already pleaded with some TEA Party leaders for the TEAs NOT to run a third party candidate in 2012; some TEA Party folk recently took the opportunity after Romney’s weak Romneycare speech to call him “a walking hypocrite.” Surely  1) Michelle Bachmann, 2) Herman Cain, 3) Mitch Daniels and 4) Tim Pawlenty (after the three shake-ups this weekend) have to be considered far more compatible with the TEAs than Mitt Romney who is at best a moderate Republican and may because of his failure to repudiate Romneycare be looked upon by some as progressive (like Obama).  We’ve a long hot summer ahead of us . . . if one of these four separates himself or herself from the pack, Romney may be in jeopardy . . . then there’s the specter of a locked convention choosing Chris Christy as everyone’s favorite dark horse . . . we do live in exciting times.

 

Ya’all live long, strong and ornery,

Rajjpuut

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