2012 U.S. Presidential Election

[ICantSpellDawg]

It would surprise me if the trend wasn't in that direction. I'm pretty sure gay marriage support has increased quite dramatically over the last few years.

Ideally the libertarians and religious groups would have a moderating effect on each other...

Agreed, the Religious Republican voters are the part of the coatlition who are worried about the health and souls of the forgotten. They have a balancing effect on the Ayn Rand types and help the party get votes with the majority of Americans. Superstitious twits, right?

Republicans need to work on their response to the allure of power. I wasn't a Republican before, now I am. I try to learn lessons from history and would like to see government's hand over the life of this country broken and money returned to the taxpayers. I need to resist the urge to support policies that sound awesome but are massively expensive.

[Strike For The South]

I like Nixon, I like Kissenger more

[PanzerJaeger]

I guess Santorum could not risk losing his home state. Congrats Mitt Romney! I hope he has prepared himself and his family, because Obama and the media will be merciless.

[Lemur]

Is this significant?

"He pointedly made no mention or endorsement of Romney, whom Santorum had derided as an unworthy standard-bearer for the GOP."

[a completely inoffensive name]

Is this significant?

"He pointedly made no mention or endorsement of Romney, whom Santorum had derided as an unworthy standard-bearer for the GOP."

He could just be a bitter man at the moment. Give him another month and see if he wants to rally around Romney to beat Obama.

[PanzerJaeger]

Is this significant?

"He pointedly made no mention or endorsement of Romney, whom Santorum had derided as an unworthy standard-bearer for the GOP."

I do not think Hillary endorsed Obama in her suspension speech. Wasn't it done later in an event of its own?

[Lemur]

I do not think Hillary endorsed Obama in her suspension speech. Wasn't it done later in an event of its own?

Nah, she endorsed him in her concession. I checked the transcript here. But there were some hard feelings, as I recall with the whole PUMA thing, and there were more events later in which Hil appeared onstage with 'Bama.

Anyway, if it's not a big deal then it's not a big deal. I just thought it was customary when it was down to two.

[rvg]

Okay, now it's time for Newty-boy to shine. He should come out strongly in favor of continuing the primary fight.

[Lemur]

Oh, right, Newt, I had forgotten him completely.

[Papewaio]

So out of the fire into the cauldron it's eye on Newt time.

[ICantSpellDawg]

Okay, now it's time for Newty-boy to shine. He should come out strongly in favor of continuing the primary fight.

Newt will drop out tomorrow, or fight on long enough to beat Santorum's delegate count, just in case Romney dies or something crazy

[drone]

Fun fact learned today. "Suspending" a campaign is not the same as dropping out. Dropping out shuts of the money, while a suspended campaign allows the candidate to continue collecting funds (which should go to pay off campaign debts, but who knows).

Newt will not drop out, but his campaign is so broke he is essentially suspended. Paul is angling for something, and he has the money to keep going.

[Lemur]

Even though he's no longer running, Herman Cain continues to release the best performance art of all. I got a genuine belly-laugh out of this one. Maybe that's the point? Seriously, what's with the man being eaten alive by chickens?

[gaelic cowboy]

Is that some kind of subtle southern joke about fried chicken and black people seeing as it's Hermain Cain performance art

[Lemur]

Newt Gingrich Assaulted by Penguin

ST. LOUIS — At least one penguin at the St. Louis Zoo appears to be a feisty opponent of Newt Gingrich.

The Republican presidential candidate is sporting a small bandage on his finger after getting nipped by a small penguin during his tour of the zoo on Friday. Gingrich was in St. Louis to speak during the National Rifle Association's annual meeting.

During his visit to the popular zoo in Forest Park, he was treated to a behind-the-scenes visit with two Magellanic penguins. One of them nipped Gingrich on the finger.

Zoo spokeswoman Susan Gallagher says a small bandage was all the medical care required.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Wrong link, I think.

[PanzerJaeger]

Wow. Right off the heels of a damaging primary, a very damaging 'war on women' that he did not ask for, and the persistently damaging GOP problem with the Latino vote, Romney led Obama in Gallup's inaugural general election poll by two points yesterday and by five today.

I did not expect Romney to even pull even with the president until the convention, where voters will get a proper introduction to his life story and achievements. This polling probably reflects Obama's weakness more than Romney's strength, but this is a surprisingly strong starting point for Romney as we move into the general and supports the assertion that he will be stronger with the general electorate than he was with the GOP base.

[rvg]

Wow. Right off the heels of a damaging primary, a very damaging 'war on women' that he did not ask for, and the persistently damaging GOP problem with the Latino vote, Romney led Obama in Gallup's inaugural general election poll by two points yesterday and by five today.

I did not expect Romney to even pull even with the president until the convention, where voters will get a proper introduction to his life story and achievements. This polling probably reflects Obama's weakness more than Romney's strength, but this is a surprisingly strong starting point for Romney as we move into the general and supports the assertion that he will be stronger with the general electorate than he was with the GOP base.

Let's wait and see what happens once the attack ad war revs up.

[Major Robert Dump]

So are the Republicans actually trying to get a candidate who is the most unlike most Americans? McCain was a better candidate than Romney, the dude is filthy rich, completely detached from the middle class and small businesses, and he not only lives on another planet but will apparently be going to another one when he dies. If the Dems nominated a Mormon he would be crucified. I mean, this is effin hilarious that it came down to Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney.

Romney campaign motto thus far: I am not Obama,

When his wife said in the tv interview "it's our turn now" I LOLd.

This is why I really keep going to war, so I dont have to be smothered in idiotic american politics. God I can't wait to move to another country.

[Major Robert Dump]

All it takes a brief visit to some of my old Army buddies' facebook profiles to see that many Americans see Obama (for whatever reason) as the second coming of <insert whatever great evil you can think of here>.

I don't get it. It just makes me think of Southpark. Rabblerabblerabblerabble.

Yeah I like how Obama can increase military spending each year but it's still considered cutting it.

I will say that the Obama's rehab and employment initiatives that have been ongoing (with more being implemented) have been a pretty successful, as I have seen this stuff firsthand. Any injured soldier who leaves the service today with no sort of plan or future job or higher education ignored ample offers and opportunities. You cannot save everyone, as there will always be the kids who would rather spend their convalescence time playing xbox and drinking rather than going to interviews at federal agencies and doing internships at fortune 500 companies. LEt's just say that it is so effectively executed (at least at this base) that those of us who have jobs and plans are really getting annoyed at all the crap shoved down our throats.

Anyway, the point of the previous paragraph is that GWB did nothing even remotely at this level

The republicans don't have nearly the stranglehold on the military voting scheme as they used to. It is pretty close to 50-50 I would be willing to bet, thanks in no small part to women and more minorities and, um, the internet where you can learn that the jerk who says "thank you for your service" is also sitting on a congressional committee that fields defective vehicles manufactured in his state. Here's looking at you, MATVs.

This is not to say the military has a lot of liberals, because I don't think it does. For the most part the military is full of middle aged swing voters and young knee-jerkers on both sides. I just always get a good LOL when Repubs talk like they own the very concept of all things military when the sad fact is that the Repubs today are as big of pussies as they accused the non-serving Democrats of the 90s as being. I expect another shift in about 15-25 years when the young soldiers start running. Right now the bulk of the soldiers who run for office are older JAG-off types or field grrades who try to run on their military record and make fools of themselves doing it.

[gaelic cowboy]

Is this the first election where neither side has served in the millitary??

Seeing as Obama is now running a couple of wars he would surely have the greater millitary experience, and funnily enough he can get the nod from the Anti-War person because he was opposed to Iraq.

Romney on the otherhand seems to have been off fighting secularism in France during his youth.

This would be the first election so where this voodoo doll culture war has no meaning for either candidate, Romney apparently according to his wiki never even noticed it was going on and Obama was too young.

[Major Robert Dump]

It may very well be, although I don't think anyone seriously ever considered GWBs "military service" seriously, considering he did it amidst a brutal war.
Bush's record vs Kerry's military record was really quite the debacle

On a similar note, one cannot walk around a military base in the US without seeing every other E-7 or O-4 and up without a deploymen patch. There is no excuse for that in the regular army, and I can promise you that that will not stop these people from saying they served during time of war were they to run for office. I would say that in the brigade I just deployed with, 25% of the aforementioned ranks fell into a never deployed category, and really there is no excuse for that in my state considering we get deployed every two years like clockwork since 2004.

Nevermind that to be in 12 years amidst 2 non stop wars that add up to 20 years and not get deployed takes a whole lot of effort on your part. I am also a big fan of the big HOOAH "I served!"s who retired as soon as the war started. I knew a few of those personally, argued with them about Iraq, and of course I was the unpatriotic one. They got their deployment notification, one resigned, one got pregnant at 39 and one ETS'd whereas he was previously planning on doing another 4 years to hit 20, and he came back in recently to get his last 4 in and got good ole boyed into an Egypt mission which is like a vacation. Real class acts.

I'm totally off topic now, ignore me ranting

[Greyblades]

No go on, its alot more interesting than the should-be-one-sided-fight between obama and romney.

[gaelic cowboy]

It may very well be, although I don't think anyone seriously ever considered GWBs "military service" seriously, considering he did it amidst a brutal war.
Bush's record vs Kerry's military record was really quite the debacle

It still amazes me how Karl Rove managed to protray John Kerry as the coward and Bush the hero.

[Lemur]

It still amazes me how Karl Rove managed to protray John Kerry as the coward and Bush the hero.

Yah, and the general acceptance that it was okay to mock a combat vet's service and purple hearts. That quickly got filed in my "never forget" category.



P.S.: I know we are in the campaign's "silly season," but even so I find cookiegate a bit much. I mean, really? Really?

[Lemur]

I did not expect Romney to even pull even with the president until the convention, where voters will get a proper introduction to his life story and achievements.

I wasn't aware of it, but apparently there is a post-primary bounce (for when a pol wraps up a nomination) that is more common that not. Huh. Learn something every day.

[W]e will see some improvement in Mr. Romney’s favorability numbers over the next month or two. It has not been uncommon in the past for a candidate’s numbers to decline while he is actively engaged in a primary, but for him to go through a honeymoon period once he begins to wrap up the nomination.

We’ll have a better sense for where Mr. Romney’s numbers are likely to settle in [...] once the general election campaign has become more substantive a couple of months from now.

[Kralizec]

It still amazes me how Karl Rove managed to protray John Kerry as the coward and Bush the hero.

It was so bad that John McCain distanced himself from those ads and stood up for Kerry. I wouldn't go as far as saying that I'd pick McCain over Obama in 2008, but I definitely would have preferred him over Bush (or Gore, for that matter) in 2000.

[PanzerJaeger]

Yah, and the general acceptance that it was okay to mock a combat vet's service and purple hearts. That quickly got filed in my "never forget" category.

Well, he kind of started that fad himself. IMO, and I know it is not a popular one, Kerry got exactly what he deserved. He structured his whole campaign around being the war hero who was going to fix Iraq. As partisan and outrageous as the Swift Boaters were, they did remind the public of what he called his fellow veterans - in his own words. If he wanted to call himself a war criminal for his own aggrandizement that was his business, but to call his fellow veterans war criminals was pretty awful. It took thirty years for karma to catch up with him, but when it did, it was spectacular.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

P.S.: I know we are in the campaign's "silly season," but even so I find cookiegate a bit much. I mean, really? Really?

I prefer the competing "doggie-gates"

[PanzerJaeger]

Great speech tonight. He finally brought out the venerable 'are you better off today than you were four years ago?' And