The 2012 US Election
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Another one of the most talked about potential GOP candidates, Mitch Daniels, has announced that he is not running. I believe that he would have been a fairly strong candidate. A fiscal conservative who has gone on record and saying that the next president facing economic crisis "would have to call a truce on the so-called social issues." But he decided (or at least so he says) that a run for the presidency would have put too much strain on his family (he and is wife were divorced in 1993, she remarried, than got divorced and remarried him again in 1997).
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Meanwhile:
Gingrich presidential campaign implodes
Gingrich presidential campaign implodes
Former House speaker Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign imploded Thursday afternoon with his entire senior staff resigning en masse, according to multiple sources familiar with the moves.
“When the campaign and the candidate disagree on the path, they’ve got to part ways,” said Rick Tyler, a longtime Gingrich spokesman who was among those who left the campaign.
Tyler as well as Rob Johnson, Gingrich’s campaign manager, Dave Carney and Katon Dawson, senior strategists to the effort, media consultant Sam Dawson, Iowa strategist Craig Schoenfeld, South Carolina operative Walter Whetsell and Georgia-based adviser Scott Rials have all stepped aside. Much of Gingrich’s early state operation was also headed for the exits, according to a one senior campaign source.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Not surprising. For someone so incredibly smart, his mouth sometimes goes off before his logical brain process sets in...
Heh, maybe thats not so surprising either.
I would have loved watching him and Obama debate however.
There is some rumour that he was offered the campaign manager position for Rick Perry last week, so that may have someting to do with it.
Last edited by Infidel on Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Túrin Turambar
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Voronwë the Faithful
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I think Perry would be a strong candidate. I can't think of anyone else who would appeal as much to the Tea Party and more established wings of the GOP. I think if he runs, there is a good chance he will win the nomination. And I think he would have a better chance of beating Obama than any of the other announced candidates (except maybe Huntsman, who I don't think can win the nomination, but would be a real wild card if he did).
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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Primula Baggins
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Perry's got weaknesses. He doesn't even poll near the top in Texas as a presidential candidate, according to a May 24 poll of Texas voters.
Perry polled near the back of the field among a slate of possible GOP contenders, coming in at just 4%, tying him with former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Sarah Palin came out on top at 12%, while Newt Gingrich trailed at 11%, and Mike Huckabee -- who announced last week that he wouldn't run -- and Ron Paul tied at 10%. Mitt Romney and Michelle Bachmann both garnered 7% of the vote, and Donald Trump earned 6%.
...
Perry's problem is less that his constituents don't see him as presidential material, but rather it's that they're pretty lukewarm to his job performance overall. Forty-one percent of registered voters think he's done a good job as governor, while 42% think he's fared poorly at Texas' helm.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Cenedril_Gildinaur
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I watched most of the Monday debate. It wasn't spectacular.
Romney's performance was adequate enough to establish that he's still the front runner. He neither gained nor lost ground, and that technically counts as a victory for him.
I still have a hard time telling Santorum from Pawlenty. Is the word 'Santorum' safe for our TOS?
They left out Johnson. He is a former two term governor, like Pawlenty. They included a former two term governor, a former two term senator, and a congresswoman who has just started her third term and hadn't even officially declared yet - she declared AT the debate. I think they should have included Johnson. He provides a very nice counter-point and backup to my favorite.
Gingrich did little to advance himself, I think he won't last long given that his whole staff just quit. Some muddled answers about whether he likes or dislikes the Ryan plan. He's the most hawkish candidate, but that's not a huge achievement since the GOP has mellowed on wars.
Cain is starting to give disturbing answers. He really is in favor of having no muslims on his cabinet unless he knows for sure they are loyal, but insisted he was misquoted on loyalty tests. Then he said he would restructure Social Security they way it was done in Chile. That's a person dislike of mine, since free market libertarians are always given broad-brush blame for what monetarists (not libertarians) did there in cooperation with dictator Pinochet. He really turned me off with that.
Bachmann was a surprise. I had never heard her speak before. Not once. I didn't watch her "tea party reply" to the state of the union address. Given what is commonly said of her I expected guttural grunts as her means of communication. Instead she not only used complete sentences, she seems smarter than Palin with whom she is commonly compared. Not that I agree with Bachmann on several issues, but it was just a little surprising that she was so smooth and coherent.
On gay rights issues there were two questions.
First, would you interfere if a state passed gay marriage, would you support a constitutional amendment against gay marriage. Some said they would interfere and would support such an amendment. Ron Paul of course said he wouldn't interfere and went even further and said get the government out of marriage.
Second, DADT is going away. Would you overturn the repeal or would you leave it as is. There were several who said they would overturn it. Ron Paul is good with DADT being gone. Two for two, he is good on gay rights, and that is certain to annoy a few progressives.
I don't have my notes in front of me to see who else answered which way. I think T-Paw and Bachmann both are pretty strongly anti-gay from my memory instead of my notes.
Most of them, except Newt, have seriously mellowed on the war, making hat tips to Ron Paul on that. There were also a few hat tips on economic matters such as the bailouts. He is very much the second place candidate against Romney.
But then he goes and discusses "Keynesian bubbles" and "monetary theory", and the press tells me that the public doesn't like all those technical terms and thinks they're boring. I don't think that, but I'm often told I'm far outside the mainstream.
Romney's performance was adequate enough to establish that he's still the front runner. He neither gained nor lost ground, and that technically counts as a victory for him.
I still have a hard time telling Santorum from Pawlenty. Is the word 'Santorum' safe for our TOS?
They left out Johnson. He is a former two term governor, like Pawlenty. They included a former two term governor, a former two term senator, and a congresswoman who has just started her third term and hadn't even officially declared yet - she declared AT the debate. I think they should have included Johnson. He provides a very nice counter-point and backup to my favorite.
Gingrich did little to advance himself, I think he won't last long given that his whole staff just quit. Some muddled answers about whether he likes or dislikes the Ryan plan. He's the most hawkish candidate, but that's not a huge achievement since the GOP has mellowed on wars.
Cain is starting to give disturbing answers. He really is in favor of having no muslims on his cabinet unless he knows for sure they are loyal, but insisted he was misquoted on loyalty tests. Then he said he would restructure Social Security they way it was done in Chile. That's a person dislike of mine, since free market libertarians are always given broad-brush blame for what monetarists (not libertarians) did there in cooperation with dictator Pinochet. He really turned me off with that.
Bachmann was a surprise. I had never heard her speak before. Not once. I didn't watch her "tea party reply" to the state of the union address. Given what is commonly said of her I expected guttural grunts as her means of communication. Instead she not only used complete sentences, she seems smarter than Palin with whom she is commonly compared. Not that I agree with Bachmann on several issues, but it was just a little surprising that she was so smooth and coherent.
On gay rights issues there were two questions.
First, would you interfere if a state passed gay marriage, would you support a constitutional amendment against gay marriage. Some said they would interfere and would support such an amendment. Ron Paul of course said he wouldn't interfere and went even further and said get the government out of marriage.
Second, DADT is going away. Would you overturn the repeal or would you leave it as is. There were several who said they would overturn it. Ron Paul is good with DADT being gone. Two for two, he is good on gay rights, and that is certain to annoy a few progressives.
I don't have my notes in front of me to see who else answered which way. I think T-Paw and Bachmann both are pretty strongly anti-gay from my memory instead of my notes.
Most of them, except Newt, have seriously mellowed on the war, making hat tips to Ron Paul on that. There were also a few hat tips on economic matters such as the bailouts. He is very much the second place candidate against Romney.
But then he goes and discusses "Keynesian bubbles" and "monetary theory", and the press tells me that the public doesn't like all those technical terms and thinks they're boring. I don't think that, but I'm often told I'm far outside the mainstream.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."
-- Samuel Adams
-- Samuel Adams
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Steven Colbert has identified the GOP candidate with the best chance of beating President Obama (though he has one potential flaw).
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colber ... republican
(Of course the real reason that I posted this here at this supposedly Tolkien-related site is ... .)
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colber ... republican
(Of course the real reason that I posted this here at this supposedly Tolkien-related site is ... .)
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Because he can recite Tom Bombadil's description at the drop of a hat?Voronwë the Steadfast wrote:(Of course the real reason that I posted this here at this supposedly Tolkien-related site is ... .)
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
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Voronwë the Faithful
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oh my god. I totally missed that!Voronwë the Steadfast wrote:He did. He said: "Elen síla lúmenn' omentiëlvo" quoting Frodo to Gildor ("a star shines upon the hour of our meeting.")
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
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Primula Baggins
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How I love that guy.
Jon Stewart, OTOH, completely does not get Tolkien; he's one of those people who are far too hip to bother trying.
Jon Stewart, OTOH, completely does not get Tolkien; he's one of those people who are far too hip to bother trying.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Me too!Inanna wrote:oh my god. I totally missed that!Voronwë the Steadfast wrote:He did. He said: "Elen síla lúmenn' omentiëlvo" quoting Frodo to Gildor ("a star shines upon the hour of our meeting.")
I wanna love somebody but I don't know how
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists
Colbert also had this riff on the Eye of Mordor in Iraq, back in 2006
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colber ... -the-rings
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colber ... -the-rings
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Rick Perry is in fact running for President in 2012:
Spokesman: Gov. Rick Perry running for president
I continue to believe that he is potentially a very strong candidate, both to win the nomination, and possibly in the general election as well, despite the weaknesses that Prim noted above. I think he has the best chance of capturing both the Tea Party and more mainstream GOP vote. It should be interesting.
Spokesman: Gov. Rick Perry running for president
I continue to believe that he is potentially a very strong candidate, both to win the nomination, and possibly in the general election as well, despite the weaknesses that Prim noted above. I think he has the best chance of capturing both the Tea Party and more mainstream GOP vote. It should be interesting.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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Cenedril_Gildinaur
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The media is hopping from candidate to candidate on giving coverage. They've actually tired of Bachmann and started focusing on Gingrich.
I suspect it is because there has to be somebody other than Paul to be Romney's opponent in the primary. Otherwise Paul will be Romney's opponent. But Bachmann, and before her Cain, couldn't hold it together once they were in. Now all the focus in on Perry. All because Huckabee said he wasn't running, leaving Romney to run "unopposed," and because Trump turned out to be a ding-bat.
The field is very divided on "who will be Romney's opponent". Perry might be the one the Republicans are looking for to save them from Paul.
I suspect it is because there has to be somebody other than Paul to be Romney's opponent in the primary. Otherwise Paul will be Romney's opponent. But Bachmann, and before her Cain, couldn't hold it together once they were in. Now all the focus in on Perry. All because Huckabee said he wasn't running, leaving Romney to run "unopposed," and because Trump turned out to be a ding-bat.
The field is very divided on "who will be Romney's opponent". Perry might be the one the Republicans are looking for to save them from Paul.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."
-- Samuel Adams
-- Samuel Adams