One person can’t control gas prices

I’m hoping Barack Obama is a one-term President for a variety of reasons that I won’t regurgitate in this post. Defeating him is important, but I’m hoping the Republican nominee won’t use pie-in-the-sky predictions to gain favor with voters. Eventually, such tall tales will catch-up to him and undermine his credibility. The first potential pitfall to come to mind are promises to lower gas prices.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has often said that gas prices would fall below $2.49 per gallon if he were elected. He points out that such a fall would put money into the pockets of consumers, which would be pumped into the economy, corporate profits would be increased, fueling growth, and tax receipts would climb. These positive events would likely follow lower gas prices. The problem is that Gingrich thinks he can single-handedly bring down prices in the span of a single administration. This isn’t likely.
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Barack Obama’s disgraceful apology

President Barack Obama was quick to apologize for the United States...again.

Just when you think Barack Obama can’t sink any lower, he manages to break another depth record. This time, he apologized to Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, for accidentally disposing of copies of the Koran in an inappropriate fashion. This action led to massive protests in Afghanistan, along with the Taliban calling for death to America (what a shock!).

On any day, the apology would bother me, but on this day in particular, it angers me. An Afghan soldier shot six American soldiers, killing two. At this time, I haven’t heard about any apologies from Hamid Karzai, yet we have an apology from Barack Obama for throwing books away incorrectly, and in the past, an apology from George W. Bush for a sniper who shot a Koran. Maybe it’s me, but I think double murder of two soldiers is a serious matter.
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There should be only one Presidential candidate for the Tea Party

For Tea Party members, Ron Paul should be the only choice.

There has been a lot of talk about the Tea Party, and what effect its members will have on the Presidential race. So far, it has been much ado about nothing.

All of the candidates have attempted to court the Tea Party to some extent, but it should be a wasted of time, since only one candidate represents the group’s alleged philosophy. If you support a balanced budget, then how can you vote for someone who voted to raise the debt ceiling several times, and is a big spender? Santorum is bad, but Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are no better.

If one of them is elected President, I have no doubt they will spend less than Barack Obama. Unfortunately, the cuts proposed by them are miniscule, and would do little to reduce the deficit, let alone the National Debt. If you don’t believe me, check out the size of the deficit, then read their plans. Are they really going to right America’s ship?
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A brokered GOP convention is a real possibility

Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul at a Republican debate.

The GOP nomination is still very much up for grabs, and its fluidity seems to change the frontrunners on a monthly basis. While Mitt Romney is usually considered the favorite, it appears that a sizable majority of Republicans are looking for anyone but Romney. The pattern is to elevate a monthly favorite, then watch them collapse once the media picks them apart. To date, this has been the pattern for Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum.

With more than half the original field gone, and several primaries behind us, it looks like Romney is in real trouble. As other candidates have dropped out, there are fewer choices for their supporters, increasing each piece of the electoral pie for the remaining candidates.

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Newt? Are you still there?

After winning the North Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich implored fellow candidate Rick Santorum to drop out of the race and throw his support behind him. The thinking was that their supporters are both anti-Romney, and would form a coalition to defeat the former Massachusetts Governor, who reminds this blogger of an exceptionally smarmy used car salesman.

The idea made sense then, and still does. The only problem, for Gingrich at least, is that Rick Santorum has pulled ahead in the polls, and is now ahead of Mitt Romney.
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Donald Trump’s endorsement: Who cares?

Donald Trump with his wife, Melania Knauss Trump

Today, Donald Trump announced that he will be endorsing Mitt Romney for President. Some were surprised that Trump didn’t choose Gingrich, and right up until the announcement, there was suspense over what he would announce. For the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone would care who Trump endorsed.

Donald Trump is little more than a reality star. Does anyone care what the cast members of Survivor, Big Brother, or American Idol think about the election?
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Mitt Romney won Florida, not the country

Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich Debate

Mitt Romney has won the Florida Primary by a wide margin over Newt Gingrich, but the race for the Republican nomination is far from over.

The media has been portraying each win or loss as a make or break moment, but the truth is that four states have voted, and 46 remain. Florida Senator Marco Rubio seems to think that the winner of Florida will win the nomination, but I’m not so sure. If Newt Gingrich can pick up some wins, along with some strong second place finishes in states which assign delegates proportionally, we might be looking at a nominating convention that is very much up in the air. Is it likely that Republicans are heading toward a brokered convention? No. Is it possible? You bet!
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On the Couch with Newt and Nancy

Nancy Pelosi keeps hinting that she knows something that will derail Newt Gingrich’s Presidential run. I doubt she knows anything of any substance, but if she does, I’d expect it to become known in October. That would be the worst possible timing if Gingrich were to become the nominee.

As for Newt, a picture says a thousand words. This one speaks volumes.

Memo to Republican Candidates: You are no Ronald Reagan

Over the last few years, we’ve seen more and more candidates invoke the memory of President Ronald Reagan. I don’t blame them for admiring Reagan’s accomplishments, but I do often question their sincerity. Are these candidates simply sharing thoughts about their fondness for Reagan, or is it solely a transparent method of trying to ride the coattails of a man they may not really identify with?

This has been going on a while, but it has been Newt Gingrich’s frequent mentions of Reagan during debates that have annoyed me. To hear Gingrich tell it, he and Reagan were rather close, and shared credit for some of the accomplishments of the Reagan Presidency.

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The Republican rollercoaster continues

The Republican Presidential candidates after a debate. Who will be the next media darling?

Once the field of Republican Presidential candidates began to settle, Mitt Romney was anointed as the front-runner and favorite. While he has consistently led the field with support of 20% to 25% in most polls, that means there are 75% to 80% who are supporting someone else. There’s a desire to find the anti-Romney, but so far, none has been able to pull away.

This past summer, Michele Bachmann seemed to quickly gain headlines and support. Of course, this ended when Rick Perry entered the fray and instantly rocketed to the top of the field. Since then, Perry has shown that he’s ill-prepared for the national spotlight. After some strong debate performances, Herman Cain vaulted into the top-tier, but he’s seen his support erode a bit since sexual harassment accusations have come to light. » read more

Michele Bachmann supports limited government…sometimes

Presidential Candidate Michele Bachman

If Michele Bachman were to win the Republican nomination, I would definitely vote for her rather than Barack Obama. With that said, I hope Bachmann doesn’t win the nomination. There are certainly worse choices, such as Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich, but ideally you would get to vote for someone you like rather than the lesser of all evils.

Here’s one of my problems with Michele Bachmann: She criticized Mitt Romney for not signing the Susan B. Anthony List’s anti-abortion pledge. Here’s her rationale for the criticism:

“It is distressing that Governor Romney refuses to sign the SBA Pledge, even while claiming to be pro-life. The excuses for not signing clearly continue the doubts about his leadership and commitment to ending the practice of abortion – particularly for a candidate who ran as pro-choice for the Senate and Governorship of Massachusetts. Any Presidential candidate seeking our party’s nomination should sign the SBA Pledge and vow to protect life from conception to natural death. Governor Romney should reconsider his decision not to sign the Pledge just as he reconsidered his position on the life issue during the last campaign.”

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My guess: Rick Perry will run for President

Will Texas Governor Rick Perry run for President in 2012?

Several members of Newt Gingrich’s Presidential campaign have quit…at the same time. A few of these individuals have links to Texas Governor Rick Perry. Perry was mentioned as a possible candidate, but said he wouldn’t run…then said he might be considering it.

Who knows what Rick Perry will do, but it seems really coincidental that while he is thinking about a run (again), some former staffers suddenly quit the Gingrich campaign en masse. My guess? Rick Perry will announce his candidacy by the 4th of July, and many of those former Gingrich campaign employees will find their way onto his team. » read more

It’s official: Herman Cain will run for President

Herman Cain will be running for President.

Herman Cain has announced that he will be running for President. The former businessman, talk show host, and chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City made it official at a rally today in Atlanta, GA.

Unlike other definite and possible candidates such as Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, Newt Gingrich, and Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain has displayed intelligence, straight-forward answers, and a genuine belief in what he says. I don’t get that feeling from the other candidates. Ron Paul is my first choice, but Cain has quickly jumped up to number two.

It’s official: Ron Paul is running for President in 2012!

Ron Paul will run for President in 2012.

There are several Republicans who might run for President in 2012. There are some, like Newt Gingrich, that I could see myself voting for, while there are others, such as Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, that I wouldn’t vote for in a million years. With that said, there is only one candidate whose honesty is unquestioned, and whose views on limited government developed from well-researched, strongly held beliefs, not because it was the hot idea of the moment. That candidate is Ron Paul.

Today, Ron Paul announced that he will run for President in 2012. Now, Americans are assured of at least one candidate who truly understands the Constitution, and will put forth a unified plan, rather than some hodge podge of ideas grounded in the polling data.

My only concern with Ron Paul is the probability that he will run as a Republican. Getting by some of the establishment names will be difficult, especially for those who don’t fully understand or appreciate his libertarian views. Ideally, I’d like to see Ron Paul run as an independent. With his built in following, he would surely have enough support to assure himself a spot in the Presidential debates against the Democrat and Republican candidates. Once those who are unfamiliar with Ron Paul had the opportunity to hear his idea, I have no doubt that his popularity would skyrocket. Unfortunately, an independent run doesn’t seem likely.

It’s my hope that conservatives and Tea Party members realize that Ron Paul truly believes in limited government, unlike those who merely parrot the group’s talking points.

Who’s better than Sarah Palin? Lots and lots of people…

Sarah Palin in 2012? Let's hope not.

What do Ron Paul, Haley Barbour, Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney all have in common? They are all Republicans who will likely run or consider running for President, and they are all more intelligent and experienced than a certain former Alaskan Governor.

To many people in the Republican Party, it has almost become blasphemous to criticize Sarah Palin. Some consider this darling of the Tea Party movement to be one of the leading contenders for the Presidential nomination in 2012. If you’re one of these people, please get a reality check. Nominating Sarah Palin is the best way to guarantee a second term for Barack Obama. » read more