I previously noted that Romney’s loss can be explained many ways, including an inability to connect with voters. But the primary reason Romney lost is because he lags behind the mood of his party.
The most successful politicians are always ahead of the electorate, but not too far ahead. Churchill, for much of the 1930s, was too far ahead of the British public, until circumstances caught up to his warnings. Reagan was ahead of the establishment when he characterized the Soviet Union as an evil empire. Leading the public into the future, with language that captures public sentiment before that sentiment has even matured, is what separates great political figures from the rest.
Romney’s language lags behind the mood of the country, and more importantly, the mood of Republicans. He has just recently begun to use words and images that reflect the congressional revolution of 2010, when the Tea Party re-popularized limited government.
Notice Romney’s lag from Saturday night’s speech in Columbia, South Carolina. President Obama has been “demonizing success and disparaging conservative values.” This assessment is both vague and late. “Conservative values?” Which? “Disparaging?” Most GOP primary voters suspect Obama doesn’t have “disparagement” on his mind, but destruction instead. What should be a rallying cry for Romney sounds instead like those first clues we detected in 2009 that Obama really wasn’t a centrist.
Worse, in something appropriate in the fall of 2008, Romney said Saturday, “President Obama has no experience running a business or running a state.” But in 2012 he has experience running the federal government. This language reinforces Romney’s fundamentally incorrect assessment that Obama is merely “in over his head.”
Republicans who presume that Obama is primarily incompetent are making a deadly mistake. I’ve appeared on Fox News to warn how dangerous it is to ascribe incompetence to this administration. Romney’s assessment lags behind the perception among Republicans that this is an ideologically driven presidency intent on fundamentally transforming America. After all, Obama plainly says so.
“Our president has divided the nation and engaged in class warfare,” said Romney Saturday night. Most Republicans realized this years ago. Now they seek a general to lead them into a titanic political battle against a president who, they believe, seeks to convert this country into something that was unimaginable a generation ago. They want a general who uses language to inspire them for the fight. And so far, Mitt Romney hasn’t found it.
They want a leader in the fight that does not lag behind them. They want a leader who says the things they believe.
Romney has exactly one week to find the right words, the inspirational language. Even presuming he does, the danger is that Florida Republicans may view it as another politically expedient Romney conversion. The biggest reason Romney lost in South Carolina is that he seems to lag behind the views of his own party. It is far more dangerous to lag behind the public than to be too far in front of it. As Churchill learned, it’s easier for the public to catch up to one articulate and inspirational voice, than for a lagging politician to catch up to the public.
THIS guy is inspirational?
http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/newt-gingrich-family-values.jpg
Your all’s bars must be set pretty low.
I’ve been married for 25 years.
My husband has made mistakes. I have made mistakes. It’s called being HUMAN. Do we both regret some things that have hurt each other? YOU BETCHYA. Are we glad we held out for each other through the rough spots? DAMNED STRAIGHT.
Gingrich wasn’t raping anyone or using his ‘stature’ to mack on some young, nubile thing. Sure, he was an asshole, like many men and women are assholes. How many women usually file for divorce FIRST and leave the father/husband high and dry and devastated?
Please.
Gingrich is a lovable asshole. Get used to it. He might just be your president.
What’s an “alls bar”?
Last I checked, Newt is running for president, not pope.
Just as the “race card” has become overdrawn, so has the “woman card.”
We aren’t interested in that any more. Besides, Newt’s second wife comes across as getting exactly what she deserved. After she cheated with him on his first wife, she turned out to be bitter, frumpy old hag who refused to support any of Newt’s career ambitions. Then she has the nerve to complain when he finds a woman who is gracious and a team player.
Mitt Romney is an example of the total amorality that should concern the voters. No, we don’t care whether he has been faithful to his wife (assuming he has been; for all we know, maybe she is content with his money and doesn’t care whether he’s faithful or not). The problem is that Mitt has not been faithful to the VOTERS.
His campaign launders money and buys endorsements. His reasons for perpetrating Obamneycare were truly despicable (and not what you probably think). He flip-flops on everything and will say and do anything to get elected. And he is not, never has been, and never will be, a conservative.
http://1389blog.com/category/politics/mitt-romney/
The author writes, “Romney has exactly one week to find the right words, the inspirational language. Even presuming he does, the danger is that Florida Republicans may view it as another politically expedient Romney conversion.”
*If* it occurs, we will view it as such because it *IS* that, and nothing more.
Romney’s committee of pollsters are working furiously to provide their PolitiBot with the proper, pre-programmed script lines they think will best “sell” their candidate…not that Romney himself necessarily believes it!
Heavens knows, “he’s got it all”…e.g. he’s pro-Life AND pro-choice!
Just don’t hold your breath waiting for us to take the bait.
UNLEASH GINGRICH IN 2012!
Nobody puts Gingrich on a leash!
Release the HOUNDS!
Gingrich 2012!
Best of the trilogy.
“primary voters suspect Obama doesn’t have “disparagement” on his mind, but destruction instead”
The words Newt uses to describe obama are “dangerous” and “radical”
Slam dunk. Case closed.
Unless McRomney finds some indiscretion in Newt that is much worse than those so far revealed or Newt makes some outrageous error, the election is over.
Despite all the rhetoric of the horrors of Gingrich’s life, think about them from a modern day American’s pov. Divorces? you mean like the multiple divorces in our own families? Sexual escapades? you mean like compared to JFK, or Clinton, or even Eisenhauer? Taking money for Fannie Mae? Fannie What? most voters have no idea what the GSE’s are. Being a lobbyist? So how exactly is that different from the other hundred thousand DC insiders? A censure from Congress? You mean the congress with 9% approval ratings?
People laugh at that stuff. There’s a marxist in the white house for god’s sake. What we want is a general who will stop him. We already know that general isn’t McClellan, excuse me, McRomney.
This. Just perfect.
At this point, we just want someone who will tear them all a new one.
On the evening of Dec. 16, 1944, the Allied Generals met to deal with the Battle of the Bulge. Patton said he could start counter-attacking in 3 days. Ike and Bradley chided him for making grandiose promises he couldn’t fulfill.
The scuttlebutt is that he bluntly told them, although the history books do not say it, “I can, and shall, do it. You gentlemen are the better politicians. I am the better General!”
Gingrich is the better political fighter. He matches the mood of the country. Vanilla Romney could never pull it off, even if he tried. Even Santorum is better than Romney in this regard. Even Crazy Uncle Paul is better.
Patton actually told Bradley and Ike that he could attack with 2 divisions in 48 hours and a third division 24 hours later.
General Truscot had the first two divisions on line in 36 hours and the third within the original promise of 48.
Patton had loads of Baggage, and none of the Establishment liked him much either. (especially Beddel Smith, who put a spy on him during the aftermath of the war.)
Even if he wanted to.
Therein lies his biggest problem.
We see no reason to believe he wants to.
People remember the last Republican nominee for president, who at rallies, implored the base to come fight WITH him, then when vox populi got a little to intense for him said that O-bah-muhh was a decent person, and a person that you don’t have to be scared of as president of the United States.
Romney is the next Stupid Party candidate who won’t fight against the Left.
I’m enraged at those who allowed Zero to even enter the White House when there were questions about his origins. Those questions still haven’t been answered. I’m enraged at those who continue to enable this criminal by calling him incompetent. He’s as incompetent as Satan. He’s collaborating with the Islamo-NAZI’s.
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/01/doj-docs.html
Many of us saw right through this puppet, muzzie-scuzz.
Sadly, the blinders are still full steam ahead aided by the commie Pravda media.
I get what Mr. Adams is trying to say. yes, we want a leader and a general who will stand athwart Obama and yell “Stop!” to paraphrase WFB. and yes, in a debate Gingrich would destroy Obama. but are we electing a Debater in Chief? we already have one of those.
I don’t think independents and conservative Democrats are going to vote for Newt. he’s also going to have trouble with women, and you can just forget about minorities. Ann Coulter had it right: South Carolina voters went for the candidate with the “snotty remark about the media” rather than the candidate who has a chance of defeating Obama.
yss, McRomney will be as polite to the media as he is to obama.
Above all else, we want to be civil to our democrat and media betters, We don’t want to give any of them a reason to call us racist.
Ann Coulter was right…On her prediction last year. And that prediction was that Mitt Romney will lose.
I had a reply to michiganruth already typed when Delia’s reply came online. 20 thumbs up, Delia. You took the words out of my mouth and added several really good ones.
Ann Coulter has a blind spot the size of Texas, to say nothing of her presumption. She needs to get out more.
I’d rather she just get out…. of politics.
1,000 Days Since the Democrat-Controlled Senate Has Passed a Budget
They don’t need no stinkin’ budget when they can just create money out of thin air.
BURN, BABY, BURN!
Newt largely won due to to his much needed smack down of the media again. We are tired of the way the Media has for years demonized and ridiculed conservative minded hard working citizen. Newt spoke this with the same passion we all feel. Romney can’t convey this passion if he doesn’t comprehend it. He along with the rest of the Rhino Establishment are the views of the Party. And that Party doesn’t represent the people either.
Agree, Romney is out of step with the mood of the country. Did Romney ever consider saying, “I think Americans should know more about the people elected to represent them. I’ll release my tax returns when Obama releases his ___(college transcripts, medical information, budget, etc.).”
If Romney is the nominee, I will vote for him. The country got a candidate shoved down its throat last election cycle and we’re still hearing how marvelous he is. We hear but we don’t see. The Republican party and its leadership would be wise to pipe down with the inevitability argument, or trot out another one, and let the people vote. Does neither party get why we are all so fed up with DC and elites deciding for us?
I see what happened in South Carolina as a warning to the Republican party. You may or may not win the election with Newt, but you sure will lose it with anyone that the Tea party dislikes. They consider Coulter and all the other conservatives who put down Newt as just another part of the MSM. before the decade is out the Republican party will either be controlled by the Tea Party or there will be a third party.
They both have flip-flopped. The difference is that Romney does it to please whatever group of voters he’s going after. Newt does it because a new idea has come into his head. Thus Mitt does it to pander while Newt actually believes what he’s saying, it’s just that what he believes sometimes changes. At least with Newt we have someone who is passionatly with the base 90% of the time.
Dems aren’t going to vote for a Rep no matter what, but some of them will stay home. Lot of unhappiness on that side. Newt won married women in S.C. There is stuff to not like about Newt, but there is even more to not like about The One.
Mitt seems like a nice fellow but voting for him feels to much like voting for McCain or Dole. How did that “We need a safe, bland guy to get the middle of the road folks” work out for us the last few times? Obama is out on his feet. I want someone who will punch.
John McCain used the fight language, but it came across as stupid. It looked like an angry geezer!
Plus, he was way too old too keep his collar that ‘military’ tight. He always looked like he was going to bust a neck-vein. Sometimes I swear I thought his head might pop off and blood spurting everywhere like a bad horror movie.
Romney’s afraid to declare battle-in-detail with Obama because, if he wins, he might actually have to keep the promises he made – and he doesn’t really want to. So he’s running as “Hopey-Changey” Romney.
Ask him if he’s going to support the repeal of Obamacare… or reduce taxes… or reduce bureaucratic “legislation”… or reduce the size of government and where… or eliminate federal interference in local education… or support pro-2A legislation… or investigate and prosecute the criminals in the current administration… or obey Federal legislation preventing government funding of abortions… or pushing for voter ID…
He’s lousy at attacking the current administration, but he’s great at attacking the other candidates. Before, he was letting his PAC do it and saying, “who, me?”
Now he’s showing his true character. I might be willing to overlook his arrogance if he had any sincere positions I could agree with, but I’m still looking.
I’m still waiting for any details from him besides “trust me.”
What conservatives want, and I’m talking about conservative voters not the pundits, is someone who articulates conservatism. We want someone who gives answers (or non-answers depending on the question) that explain the conservative position without apology or weasel-words. Right now that happens to be Newt. We are sick and tired of being vilified by all forms of media and by Democrat politicians with no rebuttal or comebacks from Republicans.
In anointing Mitt Romney, the Republican Party and its media pundits decided to throw out conventional presidential election wisdom which says you play to your conservative base in the primaries to get the nomination and energize them for the campaign, then you move toward the center in the general election to pick up the independents. When Romney started at the center, he has no where to go but left and that doesn’t motivate the ordinary conservative voter. This tells me that the Republican Party wants to focus on Congress and they think if they win Congress it doesn’t matter if Obama gets re-elected. I think this is nuts. A strong presidential candidate pulls voters to those lower level candidates he supports. Romney can’t do that because he’s a weak candidate. This is a prescription for losing the election. The candidate who successfully articulates conservatism can win both the primaries and the general election.
But what part of conservatism does Newt represent other than the anger of its base?
It’s not smaller government. It’s not capitalism (Newt’s been attacking Romney for being one). It’s not cap and trade or global warming (Pelosi and the couch). It’s not the individual mandate (which he used to support until it became politically expedient not to). It’s not social values.
All he offers is anger. That’s might fly with half the republican base, but it’s not going to work with the country as a whole.
Wouldn’t Congress be a moderating influence on Newt?
And I wouldn’t mind one bit if he scared the pants off the islamic world. It’s about time someone did.
If we’re going to have an irrational, off-the-cuff kinda guy in the White House, it needs to be Newt, not Paul or Ofumble.
And Mittens? He’s (milque)toast. Never ever ever got over 50% of the vote. Why bother with a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooser?
he can scare the pants off the Islamic fundies, that’s great. but Newt ALSO scares the pants off independents, women, minorities, and even social-conservative Democrats.
you may love what Newt is saying, but unfortunately nobody’s going to hear him say it after November, because Obama will beat him.
Bull caca! I’m a ‘woman’ and I adore Newt and my pants are firmly planted on my hiney with no chance of being scared off.
What world do you live in, ruth? Honestly!
I could give a flying fig what ‘minorities’ think and ‘Independents’ are only as ‘independent’ as their voting record and if they vote for four more years of the scuzzball DohBama, then, they are no more ‘independent’ than an amoeba on a tick on a flea on an itchy/scratchy old scruffy dog.
Delia,
Agree wholeheartedly. I’m female, a REGISTERED Independent up until 2008, and I totally ADORE Newt. In fact, he’s one of the main reasons I’m a Republican today. When Obama was running for the Democratic nomination I LISTENED to what he was saying and realized it didn’t make any sense. I also did my “due diligence” and looked into his background. Bill Ayres as a political godfather? A dedicated Communist father whose dreams he adopted? A white girlfriend he dropped for ‘expediency’? A history of voting ‘present’ in the state legislature–except, of course, when it came to voting yea for ‘late-term abortion? A history of dirty-dealings in campaigns? Sorry, but there was nothing there to attract me. I started to think I might be more Republican than I’d thought when John McCain had the good sense to pick Sarah Palin as his VP choice (and gotta admit, even if I hadn’t known she wss a SUCCESSFUL governor, she would have had me at her first “You bet’cha!” I mean, she’s REAL!) But I wasn’t really sure I was no longer an Independent (and no, we’re not just wusses who want to play it safe; we’re thoughtful voters who don’t want to be steam-rollered into supporting bad ideas), until I read Newt’s “To Save America”. You want good ideas? You want to see someone who loves this country and wants to save it? Someone who thinks we’re smart enough to be able to be once more what we were when we forged the greates country this world has ever known? Read Newt. Then vote for him and for the future.
And sorry if this is too long for a response like this, but this is the first time I’ve ever done this sort of thing.
Romney does come across like John McCain. Both men give off the aura of milktoasts who are too afraid to confront Obama directly. Remember McCain fought more against his own campaign staff for using disrespectful language towards Obama by which he meant they referd to Obama by his full name Barak Hussein Obama. McCain tried to project himself as the guest at the liberal cocktail party where he knew he must come across as one who can cross the aisle. Americans are angry and outraged at Obama’s dictatorial regime; they are disgusted by his followers posing as the great saviors of mankind. Give us a General Patton someone who is not afraid to attack and to attack over and over again. l’avance, l’avance toujours l’avance.
Mr. Adams…
I live where you live… complicated Beltway lives in wealthy successful Fairfax, Loudoun, or Prince William… County Republican Committees stocked with big time political operatives, Real Estate developer and sales kings, government contractors et al. We speak the same language, see the same things and are immersed in the culture of a place where the primary sport is Redskins football, and the rest of the year its Politics. Your observations are pretty spot on, but you really didn’t cut to the real meat (mush?) of the issue.
Mr. Adams, the reason that, with the exception of Deep Blue People’s Republics, Flyover Country doesn’t like Romney is that he’s really a Northeastern Limousine Liberal Democrat who pretends to be a Republican.
He’s a phony who will say whatever he and his handlers figure that he needs to say in order to get elected, and that hasn’t been too successful in the past.
People with actual common sense know this, and we are pretty tired of getting Establishment Ivy League fops using us to enable their power trips.
I was supporting Perry. Rick dropped out and endorsed Newt. Good enough for this old Hokie…
No more reaching across the aisle, equivocating, and hoping to win unattainable Democrat votes. You cannot surrender your way to the Presidency. It’s time to fight!
Go Newt!!! Take no prisoners!
Regards,
John – The Mighty Fahvaag
Romney lags because he is of the system. He can’t even imagine a choice of pills – let alone choose the red pill.
Watch Herman Cain deliver the Tea Party State of the Union at http://www.TeaPartyExpress.org ! The live stream starts on Tuesday, January 24th at 10:30 EST/7:30 PST.
First, I confess I’m quite a youtube-ster and love it more than the Tv, so…
Sorry to all the non Newt people here but Newt is the NEXT Youtube big thing
as he’s been songified by the GregoryBros:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whFBCIzwxp8&t=80s (part of a bigger vid)
Which just will produce lots of covers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY6SBUueEFI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSZy26RINgY&t=17s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DgGVupOqQ4&t=84s
Look out Bieber and Rebecca Black!
Now, seriously, I think Newt should keep the optimist message that was intrinsic in his talking about early work, getting money (so common sense!) specially if you are poor. Lots of people relate to that, and it just remind all of us about the basics, the American way.
“Republicans who presume that Obama is primarily incompetent are making a deadly mistake”
Wrong, wrong, wrong, and did I mention wrong? Republicans who say “Obama is in over his head” have no ideological disagreements with Obama’s policies. Those Republicans are merely saying “I would have implemented those policies better”. Do we really want yet another Republican who specializes in implementing Democratic Party Country Destruction? Is the country better off because a Republican Congress and a Republican President passed the largest expansion to Medicare since LBJ?
The media have been trying to make hay say “Newt is the angriest man in America” but that also is wrong. If you want to find the “Angry American” talk to the millions of unemployed and under-employed, talk to near retirees who’ve lost their savings, talk to the college graduates who have mountains of debt and zero job prospects, and channel your inner John Edwards and talk to the unborn who will spend their entire lives paying off the national debt. The country is angry, it’s angry about business as usual in Washington where no matter the issue spending rises and government increases.
It is a serious, dangerous error to state, as did Romney and many of the GOP establishment, that Obama is simply inexperienced, in ‘over his head’.
IF that were true, then a president who genuinely cared about America and Americans, would take the advice of Congress, would take the advice of his various Commissions. But Obama doesn’t do this.
Since his inauguration, he has thumbed his nose at Congress, which is the Will of the People, and operated as, essentially, a dictator. He has refused to allow Congress their duty and right to read and debate bills (his Stimulus, his Health Care). Instead he has insisted that Congress pass, based on their love/trust of Obama – these bills.
He has, on his own, misinformed and manipulated the public about both these bills. The stimulus was not for ‘shovel-ready projects’ (which he later laughed about) but was used to support his unionized supporters in the public service. He informed us that his health care bill was to prevent greedy doctors who lopped off limbs for money and that we could keep our old insurance – all lies.
He has rejected and gone after any pundit or people who have dissented or criticized him. These include his attacks on FOX, on Limbaugh, on Hannity – and the Tea Party, which he has called Tea Baggers. For a president to treat Americans as not having the right to criticize him – that’s not inexperience or naivete; that’s arrogance.
He has ignored Congress with his czar appointments. He rejected the will of Congress which rejected his cap and trade bill- Obama simply set up the non-accountable EPA to carry out those rejected tasks. He has rejected his duty to protect the borders and has sued those states, left with the burden of educating, housing, providing health care of these illegals, who have tried to deal with the influx of illegals.
The list is long. None of these are due to inexperience or someone over his head. They are due to his pathological narcissism, his arrogance and ignorance – and – his socialist agenda of depriving Americans of their independence and freedom.
Mitt Romney has all the qualities of a damp rag middle manager. He is running a Euro-style faux Conservative “I can manage the massive Welfare State better than the committed Social Democrat Marxist can. Small ball that already admits defeat in the big war of ideas. I call it Drum Dumb…rearranging the deck chairs on the USS Titanic as we head straight for the iceburg.
Conservatives in this country are finally angry, and need someone to embody and constructively direct that anger, to translate it into booting Obama & Co. out of office, and returning our country to the strength, confidence, and greatness–all now diminished under Obama, our apologizer and kowtower in Chief–it used to have, but Romney–the pin-stripe suited bank officer with the forced smile–just isn’t up to channeling that force, but rumpled old Newt can.
And yet, the bottom line is that Romney, Gingrich and Obama are all CFR members. Whoever cheats his way into office, we will still have a proponent of the New World Order at the cost of US sovereignty and our constitutional rights. I’m for some place far away- as far as possible. I don’t want to live in a country where the people are so stupid and amoral as to elect any of these three reprobates. Bye!
(PJMedia – Just spotted this something-or-other on the surprising net!)
EMPEROR AND EMPRESS OBAMA
The Old Testament has time-proven insights into professional vacationers like the Obamas:
Proverbs 19:10 (NIV): “It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury – how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!”
Also Proverbs 30:22 (NIV) which says that the earth cannot bear up under “a servant who becomes king.”
And Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 (KJV) advises: “let thy words be few…a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.”
Although Obama is not descended from slaves, he may feel that he’s destined to become a black-slavery avenger.
Or maybe an enslaver of all free citizens!
For some stunning info on Pres. Obama and his fellow traitors, Google “Imam Bloomberg’s Sharia Mosque,” “Michelle Obama’s Allah-day,” “Obama Supports Public Depravity,” “David Letterman’s Hate Etc.,” “Un-Americans Fight Franklin Graham” and also “Sandra Bernhard, Larry David, Kathy Griffin, Bill Maher, Joan Rivers, Sarah Silverman.” Also Google “Islam will purify Jews and Christians” and “Prof. F. N. Lee’s ISLAM IN THE BIBLE [PDF].”
Since Christians are commanded to ask God to send severe judgment on persons who commit and support the worst forms of evil (see I Cor. 5 and note “taken away”), Christians everywhere should constantly pray that the Lord will soon “take away” or at least overthrow all US leaders (including subversive, America-hating, Jesus-bashing Hollywood shmucks) who continue to sear their conscience, who dangle every unspeakably filthy vice before young people, and who arrogantly trample the God-given rights of the majority including the rights of the unborn. Do we need a second American Revolution?
After the Obamas are kicked out of the White House, there will be no place on earth where they can escape from scowling folks who wish to belatedly express their gratitude, in tangible ways, to the Obamas who tried to destroy the greatest nation ever.
For the record I’ll predict that after the Nov. 2012 election, Obama will try something so unthinkably insane that he will be physically restrained and locked up – and remember where you heard this first!