Showing posts with label GOP-Tea Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GOP-Tea Party. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Ex-Governor Jeb Bush: Running for President?

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Ed.


From Time Magazine, May 1, 2014: "Former President George W. Bush gave his younger brother Jeb his endorsement Thursday should he decide to run for the White House in 2016.
"'I hope Jeb runs,' Bush told CNN. 'I think he would be a great president. I have no clue what’s on his mind and we will talk when he’s ready. I noticed he’s moving around the country quite a bit.' 
“'Hey Jeb, if you need some advice, give me a call,' Bush said."
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Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Romney Campaign: it could be worse. No wait. Could it?

By Mona Goldwater, G.O.P.-Tea Party Editor

Sure, there are non-stop headlines about the implosion of the Romney-Ryan campaign, the brisk gaffe-a-day pace they've set, dwindling confidence ratings, and their plunging numbers in polls in the critical battleground states.  But looking at this illustration of the candidates that lost in the primaries, and bailed out, you realize that things could possibly be even worse for the GOP than they are today.

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Sunday, September 16, 2012

Mitt Romney's greatest enemy is in his mirror

By Pablo Fanque
National Affairs Editor

This headline/front page keeps reappearing on blogs and websites, reminding us daily that while the GOP-Tea Party has not mounted a respectable candidate since--probably--Dwight D,. Eisenhower, they have rarely put together such a pathetic assemblage. . .well, except maybe, last time around.



Copyright (C) 2012 by All This Is That. All This Is That contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make these materials available to advance the understanding of political, economic, literary, artistic, and social issues. In some cases we satirize, parody, or lampoon materials from other sources. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of copyrighted material as provided for by section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit for research, educational, and entertainment purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', please read and follow our Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license and attribute the work to All This Is That, along with our URL (http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com). 
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Friday, August 31, 2012

The Clint Eastwood speech train-wreck

By Jack Brummet, Arts Editor

OK.  I thought Clint Eastwood's speech was the best one I'd ever seen at a GOP (now GOP-Tea Party) convention, and I've been watching them since 1968.   The content was pretty predictable, but the rambling and half-baked facts fit right in with the general tenor of the convention and this slate of candidates.  Was Mitt Romney cringing as badly as he was during Chris Christie's speech?  At least Clint did mention Romney.  This was a great speech because it was so deranged.  I like deranged.  I like Clint Eastwood as a fellow jazz fan, as a masterful director, and pretty decent actor. As a political analyst?  I am guessing he probably garnered more votes for BHO than for the Romney-Ryan ticket.  Did Romney himself give a speech tonight?  Probably.  But I won't remember it tomorrow.  And neither will anyone else.  But we'll never forget Clint's shambling, rambling train-wreck.  I think the Romney speech writers must have been pretty coked up last night or something. Onward to the Dems convention next week.  This is Jack writing because Pablo was apoplectic after tonight's meat parade, and refused to write anything at all.  But he is working it in Tampa, trying to get a couple of minutes with Clint in the spin room.


Copyright (C) 2012 by All This Is That. All This Is That contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make these materials available to advance the understanding of political, economic, literary, artistic, and social issues. In some cases we satirize, parody, or lampoon materials from other sources. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of copyrighted material as provided for by section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit for research, educational, and entertainment purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', please read and follow our Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license and attribute the work to All This Is That, along with our URL (http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com). 
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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Nuggets from Paul Ryan's GOP-Tea Party stemwinder last night

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Editor
Illustration by Jack Brummet

Paul Ryan delivered an energetic and interesting, but troubling speech, full of inspiration for the base, with virtually no substance. Ryan never talked about what the Romney-Ryan team will do, just that it will be different.





“We’re a full generation apart, Governor Romney and I. And, in some ways, we’re a little different. There are the songs on his iPod, which I’ve heard on the campaign bus and on many hotel elevators. He actually urged me to play some of these songs at campaign rallies. I said, I hope it’s not a deal-breaker Mitt, but my playlist starts with AC/DC, and ends with Zeppelin.”  
“College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life.”  
“After four years of getting the run-around, America needs a turnaround, and the man for the job is Gov. Mitt Romney.” 
'“With all their attack ads, the president is just throwing away money — and he’s pretty experienced at that. You see, some people can’t be dragged down by the usual cheap tactics because their ability, character and plain decency are so obvious — and ladies and gentlemen, that is Mitt Romney.” 
“It went to companies like Solyndra, with their gold-plated connections, subsidized jobs and make-believe markets. The stimulus was a case of political patronage, corporate welfare and cronyism at their worst.”  
“So our opponents can consider themselves on notice. In this election, on this issue, the usual posturing on the left isn’t going to work. Mitt Romney and I know the difference between protecting a program and raiding it. Ladies and gentlemen, our nation needs this debate, we want this debate, we will win in this debate. (On Medicare) 
"Obamacare, as much as anything else, explains why a presidency that began with such anticipation now comes to such a disappointing close.” 
“It all started off with stirring speeches, Greek columns, the thrill of something new. Now all that’s left is a presidency adrift, surviving on slogans that already seem tired, grasping at the moment that has already passed, like a ship trying to sail on yesterday’s wind.” 
“These past four years we have suffered no shortage of words in the White House. What’s missing is leadership in the White House. And the story that Barack Obama does tell, forever shifting blame to the last administration, is getting old. The man assumed office almost four years ago. Isn’t it about time he assumed responsibility?” 
“[Mitt] turned around the Olympics at a time when a great institution was collapsing under the weight of bad management, overspending, and corruption— sounds familiar, doesn’t it? 
“None of us have to settle for the best this administration offers, a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next, a government-planned life, a country where everything is free but us.”
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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Paul Ryan—the man on horseback—rides in to save a moribund and faltering Romney campaign

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Editor 



Mitt Romney introduced Paul Ryan this morning as the "next President of the United States."  He later corrected himself, but, who knows?— he may have been right the first time.



I'm good with this choice. He's great for "the base" and ensures there will be exactly zero bleedthrough from the Democratic middle.  Isn't it funny that we don't have a good term for more conservative democrats?  Blue Dog Democrat probably comes closest.  The phrase "Moderate Republican" used to actually mean something.

Moderate Republicans unfortunately became extinct sometime around the time of the Millennium.   I now believe the Democrats can and will win this election (up to, and including, The Senate).  The GOP/Tea Party, and especially their candidate, keep lobbing incredibly sweet cream-puffs at the Dems. Sadly, I don't think any Veep candidate can much help the Ex-Governor's chances of taking the White House. . .unless they seal the candidate's mouth with duct tape until November 6th.


Mitt Romney has cashed his check.  The time of the Democrats has come.   Virtually every Romney supporter I've met is not really so much for Romney as they are against Obama.  BHO needs to get his message out there: the auto companies are booming and repaying the money he loaned them, with interest; Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are profitable again; the TARP money has mostly proven to be a very good investment.  A little bit of health care reform went down on his watch too, on top of winding down wars on two fronts, ending Don't Ask/Don't tell, and (finally!) coming out in favor of same-sex marriage.   This could be a rout.

 
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Friday, August 10, 2012

Notes on Ex-Governor Mitt Romney banging his head against the wall

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Editor

-1-

I suspect this is mild compared to what we will see in September and October.  It really feels like the longer he bobs and weaves around the issue of his tax returns, the more steamed up the opposition becomes.

Let's face it, even The Republican-Tea Party members are cringing and having second thoughts as the Democrats declare open season.

 

-2-

In 2004, Mitt Romney had this to say about John Kerry’s tendency to change his mind.   He starts off telling the audience that it's "standard operating procedure" in campaigns to "look at your opponent's record, you find someplace where he or she has changed positions and you say they're a flip-flopper."  He goes on:
"For those who don’t understand how he can be so vacillating, it stems from the fact that he is very conflicted, that he is drawn in two different directions very powerfully. If he’s with an audience, he wants to identify with and satisfy that audience, and will say what he thinks they want to hear. And if that audience, for instance, is on one side of an issue he’ll follow that, on another, he’ll follow another."



-3-

His numbers are sucking:

a) A recent Fox news poll (click on this link to see very detailed analysis of the poll) lists Obama pulling 49% of the vote and Romney 40%.  If the election were held today. Obama's lead in that poll comes from an 11% lead among independent voters.

b) Cnn:



-4-

The Ex-Governor is running scared.  

While his band of surrogates keep hectoring BHO, Mitt himself sounds like he'd just like us to just drop it.  He doesn't want to talk about his record anymore.  Early in the campaign, he brought up Bain in every single speech and appearance.  But he would now prefer to not discuss his time with Bain 

Romney said on Friday that both campaigns would benefit if they agreed that “attacks based upon business or family or taxes or things of that nature — that this is just — this is diversion.” Instead, he said in an interview with NBC News, he would prefer a setting where he and BHO could talk about issues and differences in their positions. Really?  This wouldn't seem so disingenuous had Mittens not spent the last year trumpeting his success at Bain, and how he planned to implement the Bain model nationally.  And as for the tax mess--both his proposed taxing schemes, and his own shadowy personal tax record--the less Mitt talks about taxes, the better he will be.  By not releasing his own tax information, The Ex-Governor has almost given up the right to talk about taxes at all. 


Mitt Romney is still allowing "members" of his team like Donald Trump to hammer away on the birther and Muslim non-issues, continuing to imply that the President is not an actual U.S. citizen, and that even if he is, he is really a Muslim who will implement Sharia Law as soon the instant he is sworn in for his second term.

As Republican strategist David Gergen said recently:  "I think the Obama campaign is outmaneuvering the Romney campaign. They've kept him on the defensive on his taxes and on Bain, which is a key foundation for his campaign," Gergen said. "This rat-a-tat of advertising, this avalanche of advertising has taken a toll."

Finally, Gergen said "It's now clear that Romney can't win this election by default. It's not an apple that's going to fall into his lap because the economy is weak. He's got to take it away from (Obama)."

-5-

Paul Ryan

Ex-Governor Mitt Romney was pretty much forced into selecting Paul Ryan has a running mate.  Paul Ryan will appeal to the "base" and even to the Tea-Party/Birther fringe.   But as to grabbing voters in the middle, or chiseling a few Dems into a Democrats For Romney movement?  Stillborn.  His choice for Vice President nets him nothing.  Nothing at all.  No votes, no momentum (a/k/a "The Big Mo"), and no gravitas. Romney's selection nets him zero votes--no one from the middle, and no one from the left.  And, as for the right/the base?  It leaves Mitt with a VP that most of his base would prefer was on top of the ticket
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