The Tweedledum, Tweedledee Ticket
Daniels out. Pawlenty in. Cain in. Gingrich in… pieces. Bachmann ready to jump. Christie hiding in New Jersey. Palin still on the fence. Romney still spinning. Huntsman still delusional. Johnson, Santorum, Thune, Fiddle and Faddle, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and would somebody please tell Ron Paul to sit down and shut up.
I think that about covers it.
Unfortunately, my boss would have my guts for garters if I handed in such a pithy but descriptive article on what’s happening with the Republican candidates for president as we swing into the last months of “the year before” the primaries and approach the “less than a year” designation. So, I guess I’m going to have to actually work for my bread and explain how the GOP is going to find a presidential candidate in this gaggle of ideologues, kooks, bomb throwers, party traitors, flip-floppers, and non-entities.
Way back when it was “two years before the election” there was a lot of conventional wisdom that said the GOP race would be among Romney, Huckabee, and Palin. Where are we now? Huckabee out. Palin a question mark. And Romney? If he ever stops doing back flips, handstands, and double somersaults to distract us from the fact that he embraces an individual mandate for health insurance, I’ll be sure to ask him.
So much for conventional wisdom.
The problem today is there’s no conventional wisdom to fall back on. There’s absolutely nothing conventional about the GOP field — and as for wisdom, well, that got off the bus years ago. Prudence, probity, frugality, truthfulness — all those civic virtues the Romans believed were necessary for the leadership of a republic are hard to discover when examining this bunch of Republicans.
Now don’t get me wrong. Some of the candidates have a lot on the ball. Herman Cain appears to be an immensely talented man, although why he would want to run for president is a mystery. Sarah Palin is a born politician, although why that would recommend her as chief executive, I am at a loss to say. Newt Gingrich is a very bright fellow who took a wrong turn in life 30 years ago and ended up on the hustings instead of in the classroom where people would have enjoyed his lectures rather than resent them.
There’s not much wrong with Tim Pawlenty. There’s not much right about him either. He is a colorless non-entity — a dollop of vanilla ice cream covered with vanilla frosting. If he ever wore a gray suit, he would blend in with the background. Presidential material he is not.
The Libertarian contingent of Ron Paul and Gary Johnson is the designated comedy relief for the campaign. Count on them to say something so outrageous that even ideologues in the Republican Party have to disavow it. Safe to say, they will be a non-factor except at debates where Paulbots and Johnson Zombies will try to stuff the online ballot boxes in order to give their man a “victory.”
Given the paucity of talent, experience, and ability, the GOP might do better holding a “cattle call” for candidates. They do the same thing on Broadway to cast musical comedies and it seems to work out OK for them. Send out a notice to every agent in the city or simply put an ad in Variety about an open audition and hundreds of starving actors show up with dreams of glory in their heads.
Something similar could be figured out to find a decent GOP presidential candidate. An ad in the National Enquirer ought to bring in a few hundred applicants at least.
Wanted: Candidate to Run for President on the Republican Ticket. Experience in government desirable, but not required. Ability to communicate a must. Should be sensitive to right-wing social issues, hate taxes, despise government spending, and not like Muslims very much. Establishment types need not apply.
Who knows what a “cattle call” like this might drag in. Perhaps a rustic Reagan or some other diamond in the rough that, with a little polishing, a few minutes learning how to use a teleprompter, and some fine tuning, we might get ourselves a winner.
Mr. Moran; I think there is one candidate who can bring us back from the brink and navigate our ship of state into safe harbor; Sarah Palin. She has the courage, the fire in her eyes and most importantly she is concerned about her…our..country and not about party affiliation, ideology or pandering to special interests. Palin has already been through the fire, has been attacked and demonized from every possible angle by every progressive taking head and magazine and has shown that she can stand up to the attacks. No wimpy air headed maiden, Palin is willing and able to fire back with both barrels. Combine her with say an Alan West and I believe we would have an unbeatable team.
So, your studied conclusion is that a dimwit alaskan housewife, with no military or international experience, should be made the most powerful person in the world? To clean up the commie-moslem vomitus spewed by the obamanites?
Yes, exactly, other than the insult, “dimwit”, which gives you away.
I have observed Gore, Kerry, Biden, and Obama for the duration of their national service, and have seen no indication of great mental ability on any occasion from any of them.
Given who the opposition is and how well Obama has run the country, she will be a great improvement.
No international experience, except addressing a huge business convention in Hong Kong where they took her very seriously and respected her. Oh, and except India, where she was warmly received. Oh, and Israel, where she was a smash hit! Bibi LOVED her, which is NOT how he feels about Obama.
I think it is time for her to go visit the Queen of England and show how it’s done. I bet the Queen would love this Thatcher-like woman.
Actually white SKUNK, she has a trackload of a military and international experience.
As a Governor of Alaska, the state which is located on the front-line of the defence against the Russian ballistic missiles, Sarah Palin has been in charge of all the Alaskan infrastructure that served the needs of military and has been receiving the detailed reports from the army on a dailly basis, for which she has received the highest possible clearance.
She has also been a head of the Alaskan civil defence and a titular Commander In Chef of the local National Guards.
As such, she has been highly praised by Alaskan military commanders as a particularily effective colaborator and supporter.
In that case, Sarah Palin is the highest quallified among the potential GOP candidates.
It was to be Commander In Chief, of course. Sorry for typo.
“Titular” says it all. She has zero military command experience and less knowledge of military strategy. Making speeches,(with notes on her palms), in foreign locations has zero connection with dealing with adverarial, rogue heads of state.
Maybe some are so far down under that they need a mama to protect them and wipe their noses- hopefully, thats not a widespread,(no pun intended), problem.
Real men do NOT send their women either to lead or to fight for them.
White Tiger,
I will violate Mr. Bonaparts dictum of “never interrupt the enemy when they are making a mistake” and respond to your nonsence:
Military Strategy is fairly simple…Strength, and projection, and the ability to gauge your enemy…Sara Palin has that in SPADES. As for any individual tactical matters, if you are SMART, you leave to your expert subordinates who have the skill and experience to execute….In other words, you dont HAVE to be an expert marksman yourself, to effectively COMMAND a batallion of riflemen.
As for Sara jotting a few notes on her hand, its an indicator of the ability to:
THINK QUICKLY and DELIVER THE GOODS…
No prepared, rehearsed script studied for hours on end, no telepromter supplying…
EVERY. Single. Word.
Just a fast reminder of a few key topics, and the rest is genuine “thought and conviction” that most others in the field represses and/or sugarcoated with lies and doublespeak.
Finally, my niece has 4 combat tours in the middle east, racking up more than a few KIA’s with her .50 cal on top of a duce and a half, on the roads from Mosul to Bagdad, and Kabul to Kandahar.
She is definitely more of a man than you.
‘Real men do not send their women to fight or lead..’
F- you.
- From a ‘real woman’.
Yeah, I said it. F- you. Go ahead, call me out. At 5’2 I may not win you – but I sure as h@ll will put up a fight. For me – and for @ss kicking women fighters and leaders everywhere.
The tone and language of your comment suggests you have yet to pass your 12th birthday. If so you would have noticed that a person without military experience, without executive experience OF ANY KIND, his cheerleaders and supporters of his political career (and recall he has had no other) have in the main been Chicago gangster/politician ilk. His provenance otherwise is at best questionable. Except of course his recent finding that he is of “Irish” extraction, as befits the “New Kennedy”. A man questionably – the proof has yet to be established, refusal by law officers responsible, in Congress and Judiciary to examine his claims of lawfulness. Claims buttressed by his Executive Order to secrete documents from disclosure to interested Americans.
That he is a pet of the political establishment and bien pensants in showbiz/media-showbiz and “elite” intelligentsia is NOT proof of his being lawful. Yet your sneering comment about Sarah Palin is “par for the course” for people who consider themselves “better than” WITHOUT Proof, ordinary, i.e. “common” Americans.
white tiger:
When you wrote “dimwith Alaskan housewife with no military or international experience” were you not really describing the Marxist, Barack Hussein Obama?
Everything fits exact the fact that without a real birth certificate we still don’t know if he was born in Kenya, Hawaii or now, perhaps Alaska.
“Dimwit” fits Obama, but he can hardly qualify as an “alaskan housewife”.
Oh, boy do I agree.
And I am telling everyone I can my favorite ticket would be Palin/Toomey in 2012. I would just love to see those Toomey/Biden debates.
The problem with this essay is not the lack of truth in it, there is some, maybe even more than some.
The problem is, it is myopic and sniveling.
The leftists circled around a cipher, built him into a demi-god and have tried to prop him up while he collapses in a heap under the weight of reality, each and every day.
The problems that have been exacerbated, created, invented and thrust upon us by the hippie-hopey-changey imbeciles who seized our government and turned it into a shambles…needs a hero who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, and nobody fits the cape in that comic book fairy tale.
Unless we are willing to erect a knockoff of the fraud that is Obama, there is no mortal man (or woman) who can “cure” the disease …the plague… that Typhoid Barry and his band of diseased leftists have coughed into our airways.
No, I don’t believe Sarah Palin is the answer. Or Newt Gingrich. I don’t take Ron Paul or Johnson seriously as candidates.
Chris Christie isn’t hiding anywhere. He simply isn’t running. Paul Ryan is not running at the moment. Eric Cantor isn’t running. Mitch Daniels isn’t running. Marco Rubio isn’t running. Bobby Jindal isn’t running. Nikki Haley isn’t running. Kristi Noem isn’t running. John Thune isn’t running.
But, the above names are all that is right with the current state of the Republican Party. They don’t hate gays and they don’t hate Muslims. So the sniveling toadies pretending to be the grand arbiters of what is wrong with the Republican Party can pack that can of agitcrap in a hermetically sealed suppository and implant it as directed.
There is very much to like in a Herman Cain. He has some foreign policy homework to do, let there be little doubt of that. So does every governor in his or her first bid for national office.
There is much to like in Pawlenty. We are not electing a prom king or queen. Maybe if we valued substance a bit more we wouldn’t be suffering the fools and jesters who make up the far left of the Demoratic Party….and we certainly would not have fallen for an unvetted cipher who wants to punish the country for it’s “past sins” and who thinks balancing the checkbook means grabbing more money out of other people’s wallets and purses.
I would take vanilla any day over being force fed the poison pill of racial and class warfare.
The issue is not so much about the quality of who is out in front, the issue is the quality of those who are sniping from behind. Look, on THIS team…we don’t believe in “leading from behind”. Those who have the courage to pick up the banner and carry it forward deserve a fair look. Pick the best, circle around them and let’s fix these problems together. No one person can do this, it will take all of us. The hero…is we the people.
["The hero…is we the people."]
Yes, the ‘peoples’ vote should be the resolve. However, in reality, it is the problem. We are no longer a national society of people bound together by a ‘traditional’ common fabric of national interests. In fact, the reality is that we’ve become an ideological society of which the overwhelming majority leans towards socialist affirmation, however strong their denials. The confrontation and debate is the affirmation of socialism verus its unsustainability and consequences. The people want the nation to be its once greatness but, they are not willing to give up their myraid of direct and indirect government benefits driving the nations economic unsustainability.
Until the ‘people’ take an honest inventory of themselves, effecting a difficult and sacrifical change is not going to come through the people….I don’t care how much they publically advocate to the contrary.
You dissmiss Sarah Palin too easily cf. What about allowing her to compete in the Primaries and then make a judgment? Nobody of her supporters demands the nomination to be handed to her on the plate. Those are her detractors like yourself who are demanding that Sarah Palin should refrain from running.
Not sure Bogdan,that I would consider myself one of her detractors, nor would I take from what I have said here that she should not compete.
I don’t believe she can win the general election and I do believe that her highest and best use is helping to coalesce the base, drive home key issues, keep up the pressure.
She has a solid base, but she does not have the reach needed to defeat Obama as I see it. My position is based upon that and not upon anything else to be read into it than that.
CF,
I have to agree with you on Palin. I like her, and I’d trust her to be President, but I think the viceral hateful disrespect thrown at her by the left (and the quieter, smug contempt of the center left) makes her un-electable in the general.
You’re pretty clear on that, and I do wish people would stop making the assumption that NOT chosing her as the nominee equals condemning her thoughts, positions and ideas. They dont.
I think she has much greater value to us by her overall impact on helping to define the dialog…changing the conversation to an honest discussions of real issues, what works, what doesnt and WHY…..Exposing the naked emperor(s), and taking away more “carved in stone MSM predispositions” about the role of government, taxes, Islamism, defense, and all the other common sense items that have been turned upside down by the P/C police in the last 40 years.
However much I would like to see a Palin/West ticket, (or a West/Palin one for that matter) I’m more interested in the IDEAS they have becoming more and more mainstream. The more people that see, hear, and agree with our principals, the better off we are.
And I think she’s does that very effectively these last few years…what other unsuccessful VP candidate in our lifetime has ever held court in the arena of ideas like she has? We just need to find a way of keeping her active and involved and relevant in the idiological war, without allowing the war to be about HER….
Which is what will happen if she runs.
I have a lot of “center field” friends who tell me they actually like Palin, and agree “in principal” with alot of her positions, but wont vote for her because she’s PERCEIVED as being devisive.
Get that?
THEY dont believe she is, but they accept (for now) the reality of the unfair deck stacked against her, and fear the backlash against her will simply doom the ticket.
Obviously getting rid of Typhoid Barry (props to you) is the top priority.
But Palin is Young. We can use this solid, salty talking NCO as the backbone of our combat operations for a while, as we build a better army. Rather her be the role model for other Platoon Leaders and Comany Commanders to emulate and aspire to, while we ALL bitch about how f’d up they are back at HQ.
Because once she’s “the general”, retirement comes quick (just two terms).
I think she serves is better in the trenches at the moment.
Excuse the Military metaphors, its done with respect on the eve of Memorial Day.
Semper Fi.
Of yet-to-declare candidates who might realistically choose to run, my favorites are Sarah Palin and Rick Perry. Palin has shown that she “gets it” when it comes to the challenges our country faces, both economically and internationally. Perry has shown he knows how to create jobs, and despite a misstep here and there, he is a tireless advocate for limited government. Although Giuliani lacks credibility with socons, he also knows the proper limits of government, he understands law and order, and he wouldn’t be afraid to defend America’s interests – and he certainly wouldn’t bow to tinpot despots.
Of the candidates already in the race, Romney would force me to vote third party, Pawlenty is too slick, managed, and boring to inspire anyone, and Newt’s criticism of the Ryan plan and his stint on the couch with Nanzi Pelosi make him a non-starter. Huntsman is a Democrat in all but name. If we wind up with one of these second-rate candidates as our nominee, we lose.
Hopefully, our nominee has yet to declare. I’m crossing my fingers for Palin or Perry, but I’d even settle for Giuliani over the current field of hucksters, flip-floppers, and backbenchers.
I agree with everything you say and I’m “socon”.
Well, I could not vote for Giuliani. If I want a Democrat, I’ll vote for a real one. He got 0 (zero!) delegates in the last election for a reason. The republican candidate has to be at least pro-life and pro-gun, or not bother wasting our time. It is not that high a bar to clear, and Giuliani cannot.
Perry is not the guy, either. First, he’s a Texan. Another one? Because the last 3 worked out so well? Ugh. Secondly, he is not even that popular in Texas. I have family there. The last election should not even have been a contest, except that Perry just ain’t all that. He was just less bad than the wingnut Democrat.
Pretty much, that just leaves Palin, for whom I would be happy to vote. I do not expect her to fix all this. I just expect her to stop the car before we go off the cliff. If in 4 years, she just brings the unemployment down to 7% or less, and has long enough coattails to get the Dems out of control in the Senate, so we can start to get a grip on the deficit, then she’ll be a rock star in my book. I do not expect miracles, just real progress. That is miracle enough for me.
I think she can do it, because she is truly a skilled politician, without being sleazy. She will either lose badly, or win in a landslide. We need a landslide to carry the Senate by a large enough margin. No one else can give it to us, and we MUST have 55+ in the Senate.
Mr. Moran, the only thing more tiresome than the current crop of people running for the GOP nomination is the endless stream of tripe written about how tiresome this field of Republican candidates is.
I suspect that if you go back and look, most people who ended up being president were pretty bland/unknown/boring/anonymous 2 years ahead of the election that they ended up winning. Especially those running for the first time. Perhaps the time your boss is paying you for would be better spent on introducing voters to these candidates to see if one of them has to potential to go on and win. We’ve surely had enough time wasted on articles like this already.
I’m getting awfully tired of the GOP “doom and gloom in 2012″ meme. You’d think all our columnists and pundits are on work release from HuffPo, as much as they seem to enjoy bashing the candidates and the GOP’s chances against, of all people, Obama.
There’s a quiet undercurrent of “If only.” If only this non-candidate or that would run. Well, Chris Christie’s not gonna, and most of the other dream candidates who, for one reason or another (responsible commitment to their current jobs, most likely) have not and probably will not throw their hats in the ring.
Let’s look at those we have, weed out the Pauls and the Romneys and the Gingriches, and focus on the Pawlentys and the Cains and others who have not already shot themselves in the foot in this or previous campaigns. You may want Superman or Wonder Woman, but you will have to be satisfied with someone a little less capable of miracles, with someone who instead works in practical solutions and common sense approaches.
And knock it off with the defeatists attitude, already! The Left is watching, and laughing at us! =>[.]<=
“Christie hiding in New Jersey.”
You know, Mr. Moran, I don’t know who you are, but SCREW YOU. I’m getting sick and tired of a bunch of beltway-type pundits taking pot shots at Christie simply because he has enough common sense NOT to run for president. Why? Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s because he hasn’t ACHIEVED anything yet? Maybe it’s because he would like to get a little bit more executive experience running a state successfully before trying to run the most complicated country in the world? Or maybe he just has one of those rare things in a politician today. Perhaps he IS a bit modest and thinks that you really need to ACCOMPLISH something to gain some credibility, thereby gaining the trust of people, before seeking higher office?
I know that these are all foreign concepts to a pundit like you, Mr. Moran. The last president this country elected with not much experience is now sitting in the White House, and how did that turn out for us? Not well, I see. So why would the Republicans want to copy that example? That is, of course, unless you simply want to get an unqualified person elected just so you can watch him (or her) crash and burn like Obama did. I guess that gives you guys something to write about.
Maybe it’s about time to take a moment and actually LOOK at the qualifications of the person running for president, rather than just listen to the media spin about him or her. Let’s stop voting for the image that is created for these politicians, as in the case of Obama, rather than the substance of their accomplishments. And maybe, just maybe, if a lot of you pundits actually said something positive about a candidate, ANY candidate, rather than trying to find reasons to tear them down, perhaps some other people might actually get into this race, people who you wouldn’t normally see enter a presidential race.
So when you so glibly say that people are “hiding,” don’t confuse character and integrity for cowardice. Shame on you for implying something like that. With people like you “supporting” the Republican cause, it’s certainly not surprising why people like Christie don’t want to enter the race.
So screw you. Unless you have some better ideas, like my son likes to say, keep your opinions to yourself.
Well said.
The current state of punditry in America is terrible. There are a few exceptions, but this article is another example of how low the commentariat has sunk.
Right On Ship,
Just because people think you have a buzz about you doesnt mean youre OBLIGATED to attempt the next jump…its the same “get it while you can’ mentality that fuels looters, theives and cheats of all sorts.
That Christie has the chucks to say no to it, says alot about him. I’m a former NJ resident, born and raised in that awfully corrupt place. I dont agree with him on everything, but the guys got guts.
2012 will be very interesting. What is needed is a GOP candidate that can look Obama in the eye and call BS on all of “the one’s” “work”. Line out the facts of the failures and then line out the way to repair the US.
McCain could not do that, he was playing nice. (Was it a setup? You be the judge.)
If this candidate has a plan that can be understood by Americans and does not solve all the problems but some, they have a great chance.
Topics: Just a few
Flat tax or something similar. Sound plan to ease into this within 4 years.
Term limits. Clean house.
Borders. Close them down.
Cutting gov’t spending. Line by line, cut the fat and the useless.
Obamacare repeal. Find what is truly good and keep it, cut the rest.
Who has the intestinal fortitude to be that candidate?
There is only one Republican who has consistently provided intelligent and principled criticism of the moronic policies of the Obama administration over the last 28 months. When she announces her candidacy in July, Moran will be one of those who will deride her.
Well put, Terry! My only thought after reading this piece was, “Who the hell’s side are you on?”
I enjoy this site and learn much of interest. However I am amused by the constant potshots at Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and now Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico. Politics is supposed to be about rational debate on the ideas, principles and policies that will direct the Government of Free people. Name calling as a means of debate is constantly derided on this site, at least when Democrats and the Left does it. Some questions: Why are the non-libertarian candidates so milquetoast? Are libertarians really allowed in the GOP’s “Big Tent”? Are the Pundits of Pajamas Media going to blame the “Paulbots” when the Republicans lose in 2012? and finally what do you have against Liberty and the Free expression of ideas?
“Moderate” Republicans are basically Democrats. Conservatives are Republicans. Libertarians are definitely NOT Republicans.
Actually, if Ron Paul were not so old and quirky, and if it were not for his isolationist (Libertarian) foreign policy, I would not be bothered at all. He just comes across as a nutcase, is all. Kinda tired of his shtick. I get tired of guys who run perennially for office, keep getting rejected, and do not have the grace to understand “No!” Stop means stop. To continue is political rape.
Johnson is the pothead. ‘Nuff said.
I have no problem listening to Rand Paul. He has some of his father’s views, but he is not so Froot-Loopy. No spittle being projected my way.
Any of these “lackluster” candidates is better than the incumbent.
Heard much about deficits lately? How’s that Social Security Trust Fund working for you? How about the wave of democracy sweeping the Islamic Brotherhood into power in the Middle East? How the Afghan War going? You know, the essential one. What do you think about ATF smuggling weapons into Mexico and getting our Border Patrol agents killed with them?
On to serious stuff affecting everyone. What do you think the real unemployment rate is? Do you really believe there is no inflation? How do you like $4 gas? Do you suppose I guy who hasn’t managed to fix this in four years is going to do it if you give him four more? Do you want to buy my bridge?
OK, let’s make it easier. Besides getting Bin Laden, what’s Zero done right?
I’d settle for mediocre because that would be orders of magnitude better than what we have now.
There is a true and viable candidate -Sarah Palin ! She has the fire, and the determination to set this Country on the right path. Her view that this IS an exceptional Nation with Exceptional Patriotic Constituents is by far the most intelligent of any of the qualified so called ‘candidates’ for POTUS. LSM has continually denied her viability as circumstantial with an emphasis on their inability to publish the ‘known’ facts. They continue to publish dimunitive statement that give the general public a skewed, unintelligent, biased composite of blather that is neither truth or fact. The blinders that are apparently worn by many journalists do not allow for ‘fact finding’ and therefore keep the voters in the dark regarding the path of our Great Nation.
It is apparent by the statements of various lsm members these past few weeks – they want to trash anyone who will not fall under the socialist regime doctrine currently in control of the White House and Senate.
The “Silent Majority” has had enough – and the walls are coming down around those who are bankrupting and trashing Our Country! And creating a massive, over budgeted, and corrupt regime (Government). There is TOO MUCH Government and the People are tired of the freeloaders in DC and throughout this Great Land.
Sarah Palin may be sitting on a fence – but you can be sure that she is QUITE aware of where everyone stands, and has the Strength and Conviction to take it to those who are destroying AMERICA!
Well the Marxist Media Megaphone worked their hardest to elect the most empty suit to ever become president. He is the puppet and George Soros is the puppetmaster. Obummer has long associations with some of the most radical people in the U.S. (Rev.Wright, Fr. Pflegger, Ayres & Dohrn, Rashid Kahlidi,
Calypso Louie, and Tony Rezko (and just where did all that money go that he skimmed off the Illinois taxpayers). Plus his radical associations with ACORN and the SEIU union. And Obummer actually can be seen teaching Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. Not to be outdone, Obummer can be heard on tape saying that he sought out the marxist professors in college.
Any milk toast Republican can and will beat Obummer (except the hapless Juan McCain). What’s Obummer going to run on? 9% unemployment, deficits and debt higher than all the presidents before him accumulated, stopping oil drilling the gulf, shutting down farming in the Central Valley. Flogging us with the EPA, NLRB, FCC, Interior etal. Defying two court orders and staring a third illegal war? Stabbing Israel in the back?
What will obama run on? obama(yes, lower case noted), will run on deceptions:
Unemployment will be under reported.
Lots and lots of ficticious and dead voters will make it to the polls.
Handouts for all who vote “correctly” are readily available- at least until the printing presses at the Fed break down.
The Consumer Price Index will exclude energy and food prices, thus showing no increase.
Bookkeeping scams will show increased income, lowered expenditures and a reduced deficit and national debt.
Most of the evil will be done by administrative directive, and in flagrant violation of the Constitution and federal statutes. Since the media sides with the incumbent communist-moslem administration, we will never know about it.
AP no longer indicates “Associated Press”; but, “Altogether Perverted”.
Failure to deal with rogue atates and islamic jihad will be hailed as farsighted diplomacy.
Nationalization of private enterprise will simply be ignored.
Government intrusion into every aspect of our lives will be rationalized as necessary for our welfare and our security- whether we like it or not.
You voted the monster in- now live with it!
When the Repubs field a candidate who actually takes the Constitution seriously enough to declare openly that what we need is a national conversation on how to end SocSec, Medicare, the Dept of Labor/Education/HHS, OSHA, EPA, and the 95% of other grossly unConstitutional Fed bureaucracies/agencies/regulations, then they will deserve our respect. Until then they maintain their ‘lesser of two evils’ status. If they win, they slow down the hit-the-wall speed, or maybe only slightly decrease the rate of acceleration. If we’re lucky.
If we actually bothered to follow the Constitution, all these agencies that drag us down, throwing not sand but boulders into the gears of business, would disappear. Businesses of all sizes, from small to mega-corp, would boom. Wealth would blossom. Freedom would reign. If any of the states wanted to stay in the entitlement/micro-reg/business-killing business, let them; businesses and workers will vote with their feet.
But we are a wicked people, who can’t be bothered to read, understand, and follow our own foundational Law. This does not end well.
Amen! Fight and stand upon a real problem solver….like the constitution!
Here’s a simple fix… not complete, but it’ll help a lot. Departments and agencies should not be allowed to make regulations “in furtherance of the law”. Any regs they need must be passed by Congress. This way, the exec operates, but the Congress still legislates.
Marc…you are absolutely on the right track! For the past four decades congress has been busy surrendering their constitutional authorities to the Executive Branch. When they write criminal and civil tort law they do it precisely as intended by the constitution. But, when they legislate domestic policy law they fail miserably, giving to the Executive branch most all regulatory rules and policy authorities….much akin to children of today who dictate to their parents what the rules will be and how income is spent, etc.
I agree. Failure to follow the Constitution is the principal cause for our national problems. All of our national leaders have sworn to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. Just see which ones are honoring that oath before endorsing any candidate.
I do get very tired of these “Private Hudson” articles that simply say “Game over man, game over! We’re f-cked!” …. but with enough words to justify a page break.
The left won’t waste much time dithering over their paucity of options… hell, they glorified an empty suit in 2008. The Democrats do so thank you, Mr. Morran, for joining them in the tear down of the Republican ticket.
With friends like you who needs Democrats?
Joe, Moran makes the point that we have no viable candidate.
When we cancel out the stupid, the amoral, the inexperienced, the venal, the weirdos, we’ve got no one left. One reason might be that others are waiting for Oscumbos second term to run out before going for it. Sure as shooting, our scumbag electorate will continue him in office in 2012. Because the majority is what he is: selfish, self-delusioned, greedy, evil, ignorant, absolutely without virtue, hostile to all that is good and right, hedonistic, lazy, unloving, envious, perverted, cowardly. All who embrace the Demonrat platform so identify themselves.
Its not just the Psychopath-In-Chief we need to depose; its his 60 million plus supporters at the polls.
Speaking of Newt, why is it that Ms. O’Bama can wear, to a gala in the Irish Isles, all the latest, over-priced fashions and glittering jewelry but the journolisters are going off their sticky rockers over Ms. Gingrich’s jewelry bill? And which government employee is responsible for leaking this private business transaction to the wacky-left media.
Behold Ms. O’Bama in her royal finery, fit for a queen:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1390986/Michelle-shines-U-S-party-attended-David-Beckham-Colin-Firth-JK-Rowling.html
One of the lessons of greatest urgency in the training an officer receives for command or staff duties is this one: Thou Shalt Not Believe Thine Own BS. Right after that one comes another of equal urgency: Believe Thou Not The Enemy’s BS, Either!
Just now, BS is about all we’re getting. The principal conduits are the Main Stream Media and the most widely read political sites on the Web. But all these folks, without exception, have an axe or two to grind. Their opinions and evaluations are difficult to separate from their preferences. This is especially important as regards left-liberal commentators talking about the GOP’s field of possible candidates.
My opinion? Our declared candidates aren’t half bad, with the exceptions of Romney and Huntsman. Our undeclared candidates could pack some genuine populist punch, especially Palin, Bachmann, and Ryan. But the convention is more than a year away, there will be developments of many kinds, and really, why are we so anxious to jump the gun?
Give the process time to work. Sometimes, it actually does.
Francis…Surely, given your formal profession, you would have some appreciation for the hierarchy of process, as it might relate to one successfully gaining the office of the president.
Once in office, all candidates rhetoric of plans and promises, must translate and conform to constitutional, congressional and executive processes.
Thats the reality one must measure when advocating for and weighing one candidates rhetoric against another. Am I wrong?
I don’t see any candidates facing and addressing the realities of the congressional process they and their rhetoric of plans and promises will be confined to. I doubt the GOP will find themselves a super majority in the congress come 2013…..do you disagree?
Which one? The one I just retired from, the one before that, or the one I’m now practicing?
It’s way too early to have a firm opinion about any of the candidates, actual or potential. Rhetoric can cut both ways: unConstitutional proposals and Constitutional ones both can be smokescreens for actual intentions. What we have that’s objective are the records in power of these various men and women. All else is quite notional until we award the Oval Office to someone and watch what he does with it.
The old gag about how to tell when a politician is lying has much point:
1) They all do it; ours, too.
2) Sometimes in politics, lying is the right thing to do.
(Yes, a devout Catholic just said that. Make of it what you will.)
I believe I read somewhere you were once a military software designer….right?
There was a time when your criteria was valid. Candidates were more founded and grounded and their agenda was one around the constitutional business of the nation. Thus, the constitutional, congressional and executive processes were more ameniable to each other. That is not the case in more recent decades. The common constitutional business of the nation has long been replaced with the business of ideological warfare. Thus, the process of governance is not only more difficult but, it is also corrupted by special interests who not only influence but also writes legislation.
Ideally, the constitutional system in one of simple majority consensus except in specified instances. However, today rules have been instituted that allow for technical gimmickry used most often by the majority to block movement of legislation and by the minority party to block a simple majority vote.
A president today, had better be first and foremost, a polished consensus build within the congress and the nation at large if he/she wishes to advance their agendas successfully. What GOP candidate has the ‘best’ plans AND the needed concensus building skills needed, within the constitutional, congressional and executive processes of today?
Rev.21.8, Francis. Where do all liars end up? Catholic doctrine on that point, and many others, is demonic.My many relatives and friends who are catholic are “cafeteria catholics”. That is, they pick and choose from various doctrines, to fit their felt needs of the moment.
How about just following the Word, the Scripture, as per Dt.4.2?
Add nothing to it; take nothing from it. Just do exactly as God directs, period.
Think that might get it?
Mr. Moran – each and every time I read your columns (I skim actually) I come away with the feeling that you really don’t like this or that Republican. I’ve yet to read one of your columns where you actually praise a Republican.
Could it be that you are in reality a closet Democrat?
I don’t bother to read Rick Moran. The comments are where it’s at. Palin 2012. You Betcha! The Marxists and fellow travelers will freak when the Arctic Fox announces. Stock up on popcorn.
Modest correction: The Marxists and fellow travelers will freak when the Arctic Fox pounces. Go Sarah!
Wanted: Candidate to Run for President on the Republican Ticket. Experience in government desirable, but not required. Ability to communicate a must. Should be sensitive to right-wing social issues, hate taxes, despise government spending, and not like Muslims very much. Establishment types need not apply.
Found: Sarah Palin
I went back and read some of the MSM slander and hatred towards Ronald Reagan and it is no different than what Palin is encountering today and probably worse. Common sense and reality came through then as I think it will for Palin now. Even reading the comments from her fellow Republicans mirror that of the Reagan era, should be interesting, but don’t count her out.
May God bless Sarah Palin and the Americans who support her.
Its easy to get depressed sometimes. Liberals claim to believe that Obama’s reelection is certain, conservatives sound like unless we get another Reagan we are doomed. I think that virtually everything is on pace to destroy Obama’s presidency, simply because he has done everything wrong and his choices are coming home to roost.
Obama is mostly a media created and sustained president. In fact, imagine a lifesize cutout of Obama and have some “melodious” voice droning on reading a prepared script in the background and would we have a different president that what we have?
Unless we totally blow this thing Obama will be beaten. I wouldn’t even mind a Romney presidency (after Obama anyone would do). Let the race for our nominee begin, lets listen to what they say. Pawlenty may surprise many, I liked what I heard on Rush the other day. A quiet, competent, patriotic, intelligent GOP pick doesn’t sound that bad. If Cain, who I also like, generates a lot of enthusiasm, how about a Pawlenty-Cain ticket?
As a New Mexican I may be prejudiced but Gary Johnson was an impressive and effective governor whose record for financial restraint in the face of a spend-it-all Democratic majority in the Roundhouse matches or surpasses that of the former governor of Minnesota or the present governors of Indiana or New Jersey. His strongly libertarian position, the stance of “Who do you trust more to run your life–the government or yourself,” played well with most of us in the Land of Enchantment as I suppose it might if presented consistently and positively to the majority of Americans.
Mr Johnson is not only a genuine self-made man but, more importantly, he achieved that status honestly by hard work and careful thinking. His basic integrity is palpable even in the clothing he wears. He is, in short, not a joke nor humorous relief among the “serious” folks of the Republican candidates but a viable option with much to recommend him personally and politically.
Yes, Johnson has his shortcomings. In the areas of foreign relations and national security he is not well versed nor necessarily well oriented as to the realities of the game. But, he is not as off the wall as Dr Paul or his Senator son. In these critical areas of presidential responsibility Johnson has the willingness and capacity to learn, grow and alter his perspective.
Mr Moran, with all due regard to your experience as a political observer, may I suggest that you not be so quick off the mark in writing off a man with a set of positions which are rational and clear alternatives to some of the most sterile conventional thinking marring the Republican future.
Former Gov Johnson certainly did leave a great mark on NM during his terms! However, to be short, the federal process would eat him up. Having said that, if he were to be successful in gaining some experience in congress for a moderate period of time, I think he would have the foundation to be one heck of a great ‘fighter’ in the presidency.
Actually, I think NM could greatly benefit from his being governor again, bringing more industry, employment and again, cleaning up the corrupt brotherhood that has returned to its government.
So far, not one candidate has a central domestic an foreign relations theme supported by a chohesive plan that will stand up to the reality of congressional and executive processes. As usual for a long time now, a candidate will be selected on the basis of superficial personality, appearance and rhetoric.
The rhetoric of cut spending, deficit budgets, national debt reduction, balanced budgets, jobs, regulatory reduction, etc., has been the same for decade after decade, election cycle after election cycle.
Except by the executive order process, a president how no more absolute power on domestic issues than that supported by a simple or, in more recent times, a super majority congressional process.
The big question is whether the GOP will field a candidate who has realistic domestic and foreign realtions plans and who is a polished and proven consensus builder inside the government processes. If not it will be another superficial and spitting in the wind contest!
Funny that you whine about rhetoric when you yourself lead off with tripe like:
“So far, not one candidate has a central domestic an foreign relations theme supported by a chohesive plan that will stand up to the reality of congressional and executive processes.”
Empty and subjective words.
Who, in your sublime opinion, meets or has EVER met your lofty standard?
AF_Vet…maybe try tipping your arrows with a bit of substance! You’re presenting yourself as an Alinsky trained graduate of personal assination!
If your candidate wins the presidency, do you have some grand plan that will allow him/her to circumvent the constitutional, congressional and executive processes of government to achieve their rhetoric? If you do, you’d probably be happier over in Venezuela where that system already exists. If you don’t, you’d better be asking your candidate how she/he is going the get their rhetoric of promises and plans implemented through a simple ideologically divided congress.
The website above has the ideal candidate in General David Petraeus.I am surprised at all the complaining about the Republican field,considering Obama’s performance and it seems to me that it is the news and conservative media outlets that are playing into Democrats hands.To keep looking for a Superperson to run in any party is impossible,but if the journalists and “talking heads”,pundits whatever,can’t see a winner then why not one of the influential reporters approach General Petraeus and see if he may be persuaded to run for the GOOD of the country.Leadership and anti-terrorism are the survival points of most importance at this time in our countries history.Abortion,gay marriage and a host of issues can be ironed out later.We need a winning ticket next year,unless we want four more years of ? you can guess and it could change this country where it can’t change back!So… all the talk show hosts and right wing pundit/journalists,why not get a story on or an interview with,General Petraeus?Add Allen West and there is your ticket.
In my wildest dreams, I cannot imagine Allen West agreeing to affiliate with the always politically correct Petraeus.
#7 Gordo 12: “what’s needed is a GOP candidate that can look Obama in the eye……..if this candidate has a plan…..a few topics: flat tax or something similar; sound plan to ease into this within 4 years; term limits: clean house; borders;close them down; cutting government spending, line by line; Obamacare repeal: find out what is really good and keep it, cut the rest….” Well said. I agree with all except the borders. There would be no need to close the borders if there were no jobs here for illegals. Just enforce the laws and penalize big time the employers who hire the illegals.
#9 Collin: “are libertarians allowed in the GOP’s “big tent?” “what do you have against liberty and the expression of free ideas?” Sadly, the answer to your question is a big NO. Libertarians are allowed in only if they buy into the big government mandated imposition of fundamentalist Christian religious ideology; as in, you have to be anti-birth control, anti-abortion even in cases of rape and incest, you have to support teaching of creation “science” in our schools, you have to support use of vouchers to siphon off hard earned taxpayer dollars into support of private, fundamentalist Christian schools, etc. Surprisingly, those who advocate this stuff are called social “conservatives.”
#22 Dr. Mark Mercer “Gary Johnson was an impressive and effective governor…..” Dr.: I agree. From what I’ve read of Gov. Johnson to date, he is by far the best candidate running. I’m not fully convinced about his school vouchers ideas. But he supports a woman’s right to choose up to point of viability and opposes the wasteful war on drugs. He’s much more of a true conservative than Palin, Bachmann, Gingrich, Santorum; and unlike Palin, he actually finished his term as governor. And, he’s a mountain climber & tri-athlete. Don’t see any moose field dressing in his resume.
Dear Mr. Moran, please use the conditional tense when you are speaking conditionally. “…who wish there was someone else in the race…” I followed the link thinking there actually WAS someone else, as you implied by using the word “was” instead of “were”. “… who wish there were…”, states that there is NOT someone else, but if only there were.
Republican, Conservative, RINO, Democrat, Liberal, Fascist… WHAT exactly do these words mean other than appeals for jobs ? Do these people who put themselves forward to “represent the People” even know? If so, they have given little evidence, with rare exceptions, within living memory.
In their HOPE to gain perpetual power and wealth in public office to CHANGE their otherwise pedestrian lives into “royalty” and the comely interns willing to become their harem that seem to go with the job. To get the job they promise anything but fail to fulfil the contract of employment they “sign” with their oath to Uphold and Defend the Constitution of the USA.
Just look at those selected within living memory, examples of course All the Kennedys, both the Clintons, and the present CEO, called “Democrat” acts AND is treated as royal prince as the “New Kennedy” spawn of Kennedy the First of the royal court Camelot. Then there are the standard bearers of the soi- disant “Republicans”, e.g. N. Gingrich,both Romneys, M. Huckabee and countless others.
The USA, envy and example to the world of the potential of “ordinary” of “common people, who developed the richest, most generous and helpful nation based on Judeo-Christian principles in self governing can find none betterthan these opportunist, self-aggrandising examples to “represent” them and guide their nation?
Moran has it right!
We are fixing to send out Podunk Center High against the Patriots and Tom Brady. The debacle is predictable. Moran’s quasi-prophecy will come true.
Can we really count on the National Guard of Monaco to deliver us from the Armed Forces of China? Folks, we played that tune last time, with Dingbat McCain and Sarah Silly.
Some folks aren’t all that particular, but some of us want a man who hates abortion and homosexuality, will stop all deficit spending, will stay out of foreign entanglements and out of private enterprise, close our borders, and abide by a strict construction of our Constitution. And who will see to it that the current band of malfeasants spend the rest of their lives in prison.
And thats just for starters.
The lackluster candidates may all be better than the goof in office but I don’t think any of them can defeat him. I guess I’m still “looking for Mr. Goodbar”, someone who could appeal to independents and the wide variety of Republicans. As a fiscal conservative and a social moderate, I object to the Bible thumping candidates. I would prefer someone who could clean up much of the fiscal mess and reaffirm our long standing foreign policy. I think the government should just stay out of social issues. It’s none of their business and I am tired of the butinskies who feel compelled to interfere in medical issues. If some enormous social issue must be acted upon, submit it to a national referendum.
The Root ’83….["In other words, you dont HAVE to be an expert marksman yourself, to effectively COMMAND a batallion of riflemen."]
With all due respect….strategic blunders never come at the hand of a ‘battalion’ of riflemen. Also, I would have commanded in shame had my riflemen been experts and I was only a marksman.
Presidents/Commander-In-Chief’s have to have the analytical, intellectual and knowledge capacity to take in adversarial consultations and render an independent decision…hopefully, a right decision! Strategy and command decision making is not fairly simple! Strategies and command decisions always have consequences and what those consequences are, are always a crap shoot on the battlefield.
For me, I want the best equipped mind and most experienced in command to minimize any negative consequences to my real human battalion of riflemen….the nations security, the nations economy, etc.
Babies, An Endangered Species
A recent Gallup poll shows that, contrary to leftists’ contentions that Americans are pro-abortion and lily-livered Republicans who are fearful of taking a stand on the issue, fully 61% of adults oppose abortions and believe it should be illegal in most circumstances.
The poll further shows that the anti-abortion sentiment covers the spectrum, includes some “pro-choicers.” Only 27% told Gallup they thought abortion should be legal under any and all situations. See the full poll analysis of 1,018 adult Americans at http://bit.ly/lpQFrw
The Gallup results should and would have come as a major shocker to the pro-abortion liberal establishment who revere the rite and right of killing babies as a virtual sacrament, “would have” simply because they will ignore it as either right wing, pro-life propanganda or as irrelevant.
Pre-born babies have been an endangered species ever since the Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade in 1973 that a woman or young girl has a constitutionally-protected “right to privacy,” based on non-existent constitutional language, and therefore enjoyed the right to terminate the existence of her baby in utero and thereby deny those babies’, male or female, any rights.
The rest has been sad history–55 million abortions–far more casualties to a misguided principle than America has sustained in all the wars in our history by far.
The Gallup findings are perhaps due to that realization and recent advancements in neo-natal technology which clearly and graphically prove that women haven’t been excising mere blobs of tissue from their bodies but rather living, sensate human beings. . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=4608)
Romney – “If he ever stops doing back flips, handstands, and double somersaults to distract us from the fact that he embraces an individual mandate for health insurance, I’ll be sure to ask him.”
HOGWASH! Romney has done no such thing. He has been consistently against a federal individual mandate for years. His first order of business if elected is to repeal ObamaCare.
FYI – Conservatives thought mandates were just peachy until Obama tried them. Romney implemented a plan that is good for Massachusetts with consistently approval ratings. It is 1% of the state budget. Factcheck.org has a very good, even-handed summary of MassCare. Romney said it’s not perfect, but he stands behind it.
I call that principle, something they say he doesn’t have. If he didn’t, I think he would have already fallen for the apology trap his opponents set for him.
MassCare is a bonus for Romney.