Patterico's Pontifications

10/16/2011

Obama Fundraising Overhype

Filed under: 2012 Election — Karl @ 9:43 am



[Posted by Karl]

Team Obama hyped its third-quarter fundraising and the “watchdogs” of the establishment media lapped it right up.  The WaPo’s Dan Eggen, in a story headlined “Obama far outpaces his GOP rivals in third-quarter fundraising,” was typical:

The campaign said it raised $43 million from July through September, plus $27 million for the Democratic National Committee, which can accept much larger donations. That brings the campaign’s total to more than $90 million, plus $65 million more for the DNC, since Obama formally began his reelection bid.

The numbers put Obama comfortably ahead of his leading GOP rivals, who together appear unlikely to match his total for the third quarter.

USA Today’s readers were told that Obama is “racing ahead of his Republican rivals.”  The Hill reported that “Obama’s campaign continues to dwarf the challengers.”  NPR claimed “the president appears to have raised more than all the Republicans combined.”  At the New York Times, Michael D. Shear and Nicholas Confessore wrote that Obama is “once again outpacing his Republican rivals despite the country’s economic woes and his low poll numbers.”

Are these so-called watchdogs really that bad at math?  In another WaPo piece claiming “Obama dwarfed his GOP competition,” T.W. Farnham reports: Rick Perry raised $17 million; Mitt Romney raised $14 million; Ron Paul raised $8.3 million (including a $500,000 transfer from his congressional campaign); Michelle Bachmann raised $4.1 million; and Herman Cain raised $2.8 million (including $175,000 personal loan to his campaign).  The Hill reports Jon Huntsman raised $4.5 million (half of which was a personal loan) and Rick Santorum raised $700,000.  CNN reports Newt Gingrich raised $800,000. 

Those outside the establishment media will recognize that the GOP candidates’ total — excluding personal loans and campaign transfers — is $49,725,000, which is higher than the $43 million raised for the Obama campaign.  Obama also raised $27 million for the DNC, but the RNC raised $23.4 million in the third quarter without having a presidential nominee (one might say Obama helped raised that money also).  The GOP/RNC haul becomes $73,125,000 — again, higher than the Obama/DNC total.

Moreover, as only some of the media noted, the Bush/Cheney 2004 re-elect campaign raised $50 million in the third quarter of 2003.  That’s considerably more than Obama, even before adjusting for inflation.  On Twitter, GOP fundraiser/consultant Nathan Wurtzel noted that in 2003, the contribution limit was 25% lower and candidates did not raise general election money (taking public funds instead).  Nathan added that at this point in 2003 Bush/Cheney had over $70 million in cash on hand, while Obama/Biden now has only $61.4 million cash on hand.  As Nathan further noted, the Bush/Cheney $50 million total really did dwarf his DNC rivals who raised ~35.8 million.  In short, Obama is going to have more than enough money to get his message out, but so far it appears he will not have the vast fundraising advantage he had in 2008.

The establishment media’s coverage of third-quarter fundraising is the worst sort of spin.  It is the sort of self-delusional happytalk losers give themselves on the road to losing elections, much like “People will really like ObamaCare after it is passed,” and “Democrats won’t lose a raft of House midterms because the GOP is soooo unpopular.”  Ironically, if the media reported this story more honestly, it might spur more Democrats to donate to Obama… so shhh.

–Karl

108 Responses to “Obama Fundraising Overhype”

  1. Ding!

    Karl (37b303)

  2. Ding!

    What the hell?

    DohBiden (d54602)

  3. Karl has been making a comment “Ding!” to let people know there is a new thread. It works (obviously).

    To the point, if you could count the MSM spin that cheerleads for President Obama as an in-kind contribution, those numbers would be much higher. 😉

    Stashiu3 (601b7d)

  4. Yes, I was advised to leave an opening comment by other commenters, including carlitos (and he’s pretty smart).

    Karl (37b303)

  5. The ding is like the short order cook putting a blog post on the counter.

    Karl (37b303)

  6. ‘we were told no math would be involved’

    ian cormac (0fc95f)

  7. We were told on math was involved

    👿

    DohBiden (d54602)

  8. Cain’s 999 plan will raise taxe son some people admits Cain.

    -_- Aw man another one bites the dust.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  9. People who haven’t paid taxes now will.

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  10. Does that include Geithner?

    DohBiden (d54602)

  11. “We were told no math was involved.”

    When talking about the Barbie-MSM, that statement is entirely accurate; as they are totally incapable of using math…totally!

    “Gee, math is hard!”

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  12. Better be some grits kissed, Karl. Just sayin’…

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  13. No one knows whether or not Mr. Timothy Keebler will ever pay his taxes, biden.

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  14. Cain’s 999 plan will raise taxe son some people admits Cain

    Mostly on those that have no skin in the current game….
    the 47% who pay no Fed Income Tax!

    “I am the 53%!”

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  15. exactamente, AD.

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  16. About “that math thing” –
    http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/
    🙂

    Sue (40062f)

  17. Obama at MLK monument: ‘Our work here are not done’..

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  18. O/T, but….
    On FNS this morning, Diane Feinstein (Chair of the Senate Cmte on Intelligence…gasp…gasp) in response to a query from Chris Wallace as to the veracity of the intell about the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador replied that is was “Dead Bang on”!

    I guess “Dead Bang” has replaced “Slam Dunk” in Intell circles?

    FBI Director Mueller was unavailable for comment.

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  19. NBCNEWS’s Sharpton: ‘If you won’t get jobs bill done in suite, we will get done in street!’

    in a better world
    reverend al would have been
    “Missile to Da Moon”

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  20. If you count the contributions in kind by the in-the-tank media, Obama did raise more money.

    Seriously, I do wonder at the mindless enthusiasm for Obama by educated people in the media. I saw a comment in a review of the new George Clooney move that there was not a word about economics in it. That may explain it.

    Mike K (9ebddd)

  21. Excellent, Sue!

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  22. if job doesn’t fit
    it ain’t worth sh*t and they want
    free room and board, too

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  23. Comment by Mike K — 10/16/2011 @ 10:20 am

    Right, and JJ-Jr, is going to be sending me that check in 10…9…8…7…

    I wonder if it comes with a “brown shirt”?

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  24. But palin is so dumb we will be in a nuclear war with iran according to the ultraleft.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  25. It was a Chevy Chase line, back when he was funny, around 1978

    ian cormac (0fc95f)

  26. Speaking of the Sarahcuda….
    Mark Shields Friday on PBS NewsHour, had the audacity to claim that she is the source of the comment about seeing “Russia from her door“.

    With accuracy like that, who needs fact-checking?

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  27. Re: post #16… that was excellent, Sue! It’s reminded me that it has been too long since I’d seen Chris Muir’s stuff… it’s now bookmarked.

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  28. Karl, I think you’re leaving one important fact out of the mix–that all those Republican candidates are, at this point, raising money to use against each other. So I don’t think you can at this point make a valid comparison between what the GOP candidates are raising versus what the Democratic candidate is raising, since everything he’s now raising will be used in the general election, but what they are raising now is for use in the primaries.

    The comparisons of DNC/RNC fundraising and Obama/Bush fundraising are on point, of course.

    JBS (38f6c3)

  29. DBD?
    Was it on the older version of PowerLine, or Captain’s Table, that used to daily run Muir’s stuff?

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  30. Yeah you see if Obama had said he can see russia from the white house the ultraleft would defend his crap.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  31. Hey Jessie Jackoff Junior can see brain death from his backporch.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  32. JBS raises a good point; but, the Money Clock for the GOP-candidate resets when they finally have a candidate.
    All of those Primary donars will be hit again to “max out” for the General.

    Any bets on whether or not the GOP candidate will, unlike McCain, forego Public Financing?

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  33. Captain’s Quarters, AD.

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  34. Thanks, Col!

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  35. __________________________________________________

    ‘If you won’t get jobs bill done in suite, we will get done in street!’

    Damn, that’s lame. At least something along the lines of “if the glove don’t fit, you must acquit” had a better resonance.

    As for fundraising, if one looks up the definition of “limousine liberal,” one will see a photo of the people responsible for the phenomenon described below. Even more so in this moment of “Occupy Wall Street.”

    Hardly surprising, because just as a high percentage of black America is liberal first, African-American second (or into legitimate aspects of race), many of those in the financial sector are New Yorkers first (ie, in which Manhattan oozes with “we adore sophisticated-wonderful-and-generous” liberalism), capitalists second—at least legitimately and sanely.

    washingtonpost.com, July 2011: About a third of the money [Obama’s] top fundraisers have brought in this year has come from the financial sector, suggesting that strained relations with Wall Street have not hurt the president’s ability to attract donations there for his reelection campaign, according to data released Friday by the Center for Responsive Politics.

    The numbers represent a notable increase from 2008, when bundlers in the investment and banking arena accounted for about 20 percent of the total brought in by top fundraisers for Obama.

    I also read that no other president in the past 20 years — which therefore includes the two Bushes and “Slick Willy” — has raised as much money from Wall Street as Obama has.

    Speaking of ultra-liberals (or to be fair, in regards to ultra-ultra-liberals), Joseph Stalin apparently understood one dynamic of human nature quite well — referring to fake compassion, humaneness and sophistication (easily inculcated in big and supposedly trendy cities) mixed together with desperate and decadent forms of self-entitlement and greed — when he made the infamous quote of “when we hang the capitalists, we will sell them the rope.”

    Mark (411533)

  36. Comment by Another Drew – Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! — 10/16/2011 @ 10:16 am

    O/T, but….
    On FNS this morning, Diane Feinstein (Chair of the Senate Cmte on Intelligence…gasp…gasp) in response to a query from Chris Wallace as to the veracity of the intell about the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador replied that is was “Dead Bang on”!

    I wouldn’t doubt this except for one thing: There was never any danger that such a plot would be carried out.

    Had Iran contacted a real active member of the Zetas, instead of an informer, the Zetas would never have agreed to carry this out, certainly for this small a sum of money. The Zetas have avoided doing anything in El Paso, Texas, even though right across the border there’s murders going on all the time, because that could risk closing the border, or greatly slowing down legal crossing. It’s not because they can’t. They do some things in other cities.

    Still less would the Zetas have agreed to carry out a major act of terrorism in the United States where their role wouldn’t necessarily be kept secret, nor would the Iranians be very concerned their role should stay secret after the deed was done.

    This isn’t the first time Iran has tried to use people in the USA to commit an act of terror, although this is the first time the investigation was not ended prematurely.

    Four and half years ago The J.F.K. Airport Case; 4 Men Accused of Plot to Blow Up Kennedy Airport Terminals and Fuel Lines by Cara Buckley and William K. Rashbaum June 3, 2007

    As the article says, this plot never would have worked. (The recent plot is maybe even more hapless as the restaurant where they were going to kill the Saudi Arabian Ambassador plus up to 100 other people, didn’t actually exist, and neither were there any explosives of course)

    There is a connection with Guyana and Venezuala in the 2007 plot.

    The conection with Iran is here:

    http://www.justice.gov/usao/nye/pr/2011/2011feb17.html

    “A federal jury convicted Russell Defreitas and coconspirator Abdul Kadir in July 2010 after a 9-week trial. The evidence at trial established that Russell Defreitas, a naturalized United States citizen from Guyana, originated the idea to attack JFK Airport and its fuel tanks and pipelines by drawing on his prior experience working at the airport as a cargo handler. In 2006 and 2007, Defreitas recruited Kadir and others to join the plot during multiple trips to Guyana and Trinidad. Between trips, Defreitas engaged in video surveillance of JFK Airport and transported the footage back to Guyana to show Kadir and their co-conspirators. Kadir, a trained engineer with connections to militant groups in Iran and Venezuela, provided the conspirators with links to individuals with terrorist experience, advice on explosive materials, and a bank account through which to finance the terrorist attack….According to the trial evidence, Defreitas and his fellow plot members attempted to enlist support from prominent international terrorist groups and leaders, including Abu Bakr, leader of the Trinidadian militant group Jamaat Al Muslimeen, and Adnan El Shukrijumah, an al-Qaeda leader, as well as the Iranian revolutionary leadership. During cross-examination at trial, Kadir, a former member of the Guyanese parliament, admitted that he regularly passed information to Iranian authorities about sensitive topics, including the Guyanese military, and believed himself bound to follow fatwas from Iranian religious leaders.

    On June 1, 2007, Defreitas was arrested in New York, and Kadir was arrested in Trinidad aboard a plane headed to Venezuela, en route to Iran. He was subsequently extradited to the United States.”

    The story goes , the FBI was afraid he would never come back from Iran (why?) so they never traced that to Iran.

    Sammy Finkelman (9ab1e5)

  37. The ding is like the short order cook putting a blog post on the counter.

    Comment by Karl — 10/16/2011 @ 9:52 am

    That’s exactly how I’d been picturing it.

    Dustin (b2fb78)

  38. Mark, that statement is more accurately attributed to Lenin, who said that when it comes time to rid society of the capitalists, they (the capitalists) will sell the Party the rope that is used to hang them with.
    Which is why they were labeled: Useful Idiots!

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  39. cold weather coming
    sewer grates for protesters
    in short supply soon

    frozen digits on
    Wall Street or winter in dad’s
    warm basement with joint?

    elissa (c316c0)

  40. The FBI in 2007 was interested in arresting someone, not finding out what was going on.

    In this case, after arresting a conspirator, they turned him and got some incriminating information on one or two people inside Iran via telephone.

    Sammy Finkelman (9ab1e5)

  41. Sammy, I accord to all denials of Zeta cooperation with the Iranians, the same level of accuracy as to the denials that a Secular Baathist such as Saddam Hussein would ever enter into any endeavor with the Sunni dominated al-Queda:
    Absolutely None!

    Money talks, and BS walks;
    and the Enemy of my Enemy, is my Friend!

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  42. Anyway, you ran from my point:
    Is “Dead Bang”, the new “Slam DunK”?
    And, how dense is Feinstein for using such a term after the denigration by the Left of Bush for accepting the “Slam Dunk” verification of Hussein’s WMD?

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  43. Mr. Karl I think it could be more explicit that the Dem total was the 43 + 27 = 70.

    again, higher than the Obama/DNC total of 70 million.

    I had to go back and figure it out cause the extraneous 90 million figure through me off cause I’m not a careful reader sometimes

    no really

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  44. “Dead bang” doesn’t sound much like the new civility to me

    Icy (still a Texan -- until the end of the month) (f2895f)

  45. The democraps are like the nazis only practicing religion when it suits them.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  46. I was devastated to find out my wife was having an affair but, by turning
    to religion, I was soon able to come to terms with the whole thing.
    I converted to Islam, and we’re stoning her in the morning!
    ————————————————–
    The wife suggested I get myself one of those dick enlargers, so I did….
    she’s 21 and her name’s Lucy.
    ————————————————–
    Went to the pub with my girlfriend last night. Locals were shouting “pedophile!”
    and other names at me, just because my girlfriend is 21 and I’m 50. It
    completely spoiled our 10th anniversary.
    ————————————————–
    My son was thrown out of school today for letting a girl in his class give
    him a hand-job. I said “Son, that’s 3 schools this year! You’d better stop
    before you’re banned from teaching altogether.”
    ————————————————–
    Question – Are there too many immigrants in Britain ?
    17% said yes; 11% said No; 72% said “I am not understanding the question please.”

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  47. Sorry Saddam was no friend of israel.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  48. Two Rednecks, Larry and Doug, are sitting at their favorite bar, drinking beer.

    Larry turns to Doug and says, “You know, I’m tired of going through life without an education. Tomorrow I think I’ll go to the Community College and sign up for some classes.”

    Doug thinks it’s a good idea and the two leave.

    The next day, Larry goes down to the college and meets the Dean of Admissions, who signs him up for the four basic classes: Math, English, history and Logic.

    “Logic?” Larry says. “What’s that?”

    The dean says, “I’ll give you an example. Do you own a weed eater?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Then logically speaking, because you own a weed eater, I think that you would have a yard.”

    “That’s true, I do have a yard.”

    “I’m not done,” the dean says. “Because you have a yard, I think logically that you would have a house.”

    “Yes, I do have a house.”

    “And because you have a house, I think that you might logically have a family.”

    “Why yes, I do have a family.”

    “I’m not done yet. Because you have a family, then logically you must have a wife. And because you have a wife, then logic tells me you must be a heterosexual.”

    “I am a heterosexual! That’s amazing, you were able to find out all of that because I have a weed eater?”

    Excited to take the class now, Larry shakes the Dean’s hand and leaves to go meet Doug at the bar. He tells Doug about his classes, how he is signed up for Math, English, History, and Logic.

    “Logic?” Doug says, “What’s that?”

    Larry says, “I’ll give you an example. Do you have a weed eater?”

    “No,” Doug replies.

    “Then you’re gay.”

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  49. trust fund babies and
    smelly hippie anarchists
    movement of bowels

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  50. will obama get
    ninety percent of Wall Street
    cash this time around?

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  51. Col, you’re one sick puppy.

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  52. JBS (28),

    We can argue whether it’s a valid comparison — but the MSM is widely making it… and getting it wrong.

    As for whether it is a valid comparison, the MSM is presumably looking at the basic fundraising capacity of both sides, which I think can be useful, even if the GOPers are spending most of theirs right away. However, your point is implicitly why I also looked back at 2003, where we had the last similar election. As an incumbent, Obama is underperforming Bush, not outraising his rivals like Bush did, and isn’t banking as much as Bush did for later (despite the fact that Bush didn’t raise genl election funds, and Obama is/will).

    Karl (37b303)

  53. Thanks, AD. That’s what my wife tells me.

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  54. When someone goes ding an angel gets their wings

    Can’t we all be friendsy friends?

    Sorry just letting my inner happyfeet out with that 2nd one.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  55. The left including Omoron love to say the repubs wanna do away with labor laws even though we do not.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  56. Comment by ColonelHaiku — 10/16/2011 @ 12:19 pm

    A very observant woman, who must believe in charity;
    after all, she married you (Right?).

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  57. the internet!

    powered by hugs

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  58. Obama is a not so cuddly marxist masturbator he is not my friendsy friend.

    Aaaaaaaaaaaah.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  59. She recognized a true “diamond in the rough”, AD.

    35 years later, she’s still polishing.

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  60. Btw romneybots romney is not a conservative.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  61. Comment by Another Drew – Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! — 10/16/2011 @ 11:08 am

    Sammy, I accord to all denials of Zeta cooperation with the Iranians, the same level of accuracy as to the denials that a Secular Baathist such as Saddam Hussein would ever enter into any endeavor with the Sunni dominated al-Queda:
    Absolutely None!

    Nobody else is denying it possible, except me , and I never thought there was any kind of a problem with secular Baathists co-operating with Sunnis or Shiites. In the first place,m, the religion means nothing to the top people at Iran or at Al Qaeda. Nobody could possibly believe that what they are doing is moral.The thing that would stop co-operation is them not trusting each other.Being Sunni or Shiite or secular doesn’t mean very much. Being immoral and having no ethics is what counts.

    As a matter of fact Saddam Hussein actually tried to work together with numerous terrorist groups, but the problem was neither of them really trusted the other. So not much happened.

    Saddam Hussein was always doing favors for terrorist groups, like providing IDs, the Ramzi Youssef ID, for example, without getting much in return.

    Saddam Hussein was also kind of incompetent at terrorism. He sent many terrorists to the United States in the 1980s (the Abu Nidal organization.

    You may have heard of this – one of these terrorists murdered his daughter, Palestina (or Tina) Isa, age 16, in Missouri in 1989, while FBI agents were listening in, maybe not live, but I’m not sure. His wife participated in the murder.)

    None of these terrorists ever did anything except personal crime.They were opening up small grocery stores and engaging in manufacturers’ coupon fraud, and other crime, but they weren’t committing any acts of terrorism. Dewey Claridge of the CIA discovered how much Saddam Hussein distrusted people and he arranged for many ofthem to be called back and basically destroyed the organization:

    http://www.amazon.com/Spy-All-Seasons-Life-CIA/dp/0743245369

    From Publishers Weekly

    …..after Abu Nidal terrorists killed 19 people in the Rome and Vienna airports in 1985, CIA operatives penetrated the Libya- and Lebanon-based group, sowing paranoid distrust that led Nidal to murder 330 of his own hard-core disciples….”

    In Iraq, after 2003, what you really had was regimes united against democracy. Any kind of co-operation came from personal contact.

    Money talks, and BS walks.

    This is a great misconception (possibly held by Iran, too. Money alone is not enough. There has to be a previous working relationship. there has to be trust. Especially in illegal activities like this.

    Real Zetas would not have done this./ At least for the paltry sum of money Iran was offering. A mere million and a half Dollars

    and the Enemy of my Enemy, is my Friend.

    How are the Zetas the enemies of Iran’s enemies? They are not even enemies of the United States. They want the United States to prosper and lots of border crossings and trade to go on.

    Sammy Finkelman (9ab1e5)

  62. Saddam Hussein murdered Abu Nidal in 2003.

    Sammy Finkelman (9ab1e5)

  63. Maybe it would make sense to lump all the contributions to GOP candidates together, if not for the fact that supporters of each potential GOP candidate didn’t hate all the other candidates so much that they’d never think of donating money to them (even if they’d hold their nose and pull the lever). After all, only X is a true conservative; Q,R,S,W,Y, and Z are all RINOS!!

    Leviticus (7acba2)

  64. I’m voting for X

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  65. Well, how could you not? X is [Y]!

    Leviticus (7acba2)

  66. Seriously, though, ever since W supported [A], I haven’t trusted him as far as I could throw him. That bastard.

    Leviticus (7acba2)

  67. No, he shot himself in the back twice, ‘that’s their story and he’s sticking to it’ this operation
    doesn’t seem up to the standards of the Quds force

    ian cormac (0fc95f)

  68. Jon. Huntsman.

    tifosa (7f7500)

  69. What’s funny is we can just reply to Tifosa that the democrats are going to nominate Barack Obama.

    I thought he was supposed to be The One, and after eight years of Bush, Obama would be a great success and have solved everything. Instead, I don’t think democrats are excited that they are stuck with this loser.

    Dustin (b2fb78)

  70. Some interesting commentary on Herman Cain…

    “I’ve taken Herman Cain to task in the past for his appalling ignorance of foreign policy issues. He promised to brush up on these matters, but it appears that one of his greatest strengths — his unflappability and imperviousness to criticism — can also be a great weakness. As his appearance on “Meet the Press” this morning showed, rather than study up to fix an embarrassing shortcoming, the Godfather Pizza executive hasn’t done much to correct his lack of knowledge about war and peace issues which are, after all, a president’s first responsibility.

    When pressed for answers today on Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq, the best Cain could do was to repeat his mantra that he would consult experts and then figure it out. Which is to say, he knows he hasn’t a clue but hopes no one will care. During the program, Cain admitted he had no familiarity with the neoconservative movement. While being a subscriber to COMMENTARY isn’t a requirement for the presidency, that someone running for that office has not even heard the term suggests Cain is not only bereft of foreign policy experience, he apparently has never even read much about it.”

    http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/10/16/cain-foreign-policy-ignorance-neoconservatism/

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  71. Here’s another, more positive take on Cain’s performance this morning:

    http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/10/herman-cain-how-did-he-do.php

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  72. It is better to remain silent than to speak and give away your plans. Remember Patton on Rommel – “I read that SOB’s book.” We ask too many foreign policy questions of our prospective leaders – it is a weakness that our opponents exploit.

    Michael M. Keohane (996c34)

  73. and some say no one has a foreign policy until he has a need for one.

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  74. OBAMA OFFERS MORE SUPPORT, EMBRACES TERM ‘99%’

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/052226f8-f80c-11e0-a419-00144feab49a.html

    ColonelHaiku (a4b693)

  75. Well, the AP seems pretty proud that the protesters managed to raise a few thousand dollars for their protests:

    http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111017/ap_on_bi_ge/us_wall_street_protest

    How many children could be fed for that money? Actually, a lot.

    These people could care less about what they say they are doing. If they did, they would be working to help the poor in countries that actually need the help. But, it’s a lot more fun to stick it to their parents and the man.

    Because we’re imperialists and all.

    Ag80 (bae7ed)

  76. SF, I do think that the Zetas are not the best of friends of the U.S., in that we (through the ATF’s F&F programs) are arming their enemy, the Sinaloa Cartel.
    A band of killers such as Zetas don’t particularly care who they kill, as long as they get paid for it.
    Their evil is something that most Americans have a great deal of difficulty in processing.
    (not ignoring you, have been busy with some remodeling)

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (4fd205)

  77. When pressed for answers today on Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq, the best Cain could do was to repeat his mantra that he would consult experts and then figure it out. Which is to say, he knows he hasn’t a clue but hopes no one will care.

    i don’t see a huge problem for Cain on foreign policy.

    He’s got good principles. He says what he means. I can’t recall a single flip flop. I disagree with those upset about his electric fence ‘gaffe’. Cain is right that we need a sense of humor sometimes. I feel like folks are hunting for an excuse to claim he’s a moron now that he’s the big threat to the establishment guy.

    The nasty attacks have followed whoever is in that slot.

    Cain is really unusual in that he is a relatively normal human being, and not jamming everything he thinks and does through the filter of the long running politician. So I cut him a lot of slack on his comments.

    George HW Bush was average at best on foreign policy, letting the UN run his war, dooming us to fight it over again, yet he had more foreign policy experience than his son, who was simply better mainly because he was principled.

    What we definitely don’t need is the foreign policy direction of a man who thinks only about his political ambitions when figuring out what he believes. Imagine if Bush 43 thought like that.

    Cain has some experience with the Navy, and his company also had interactions overseas. I also like that Cain is a self made man with humble roots. Call it class warfare, but it’s impressive to me.

    Perry governed a huge state bordering a foreign country with more exports than any other state and any American company, and he served in the military and commanded the national guard in several emergencies with very strong performance. Perry’s only problem is Perry, in my opinion.

    Plenty of time for either Perry or Cain to really impress folks as the right nominee, but I would be happy with either of them.

    Dustin (b2fb78)

  78. Tifosa is like an anal ulcer.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  79. Ron Paul is right Bushs runaway spending got us into this mess and now Obama is making it worse.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  80. 78-You all seem to like to talk about male genitalia (and parts used in homosexual relations) a lot in reference to politics.

    Billiam (ae6b6f)

  81. Sorry.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  82. Hush, fool. How many different names have you used now, “billiam” ?

    JD (0b8a2b)

  83. Oh joy, Yelverton again?

    I like how he cites a single comment to condemn “you all”.

    Sorry for replying to Haiku in this thread. I keep doing that when he bashes one of Romney’s opponents with something I disagree with, and it always leads to the thread being nothing but an off topic debate.

    I just thought that stuff about Cain was pretty unfair.

    Dustin (b2fb78)

  84. It was my fault.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  85. It was my fault.

    Comment by DohBiden

    He came here to find a reason to condemn all of us. He’d have said basically the same thing no matter what he found.

    Dustin (b2fb78)

  86. “The 1%: paying their fair share…and yours, too.”

    navyvet (db5856)

  87. 99% of the OWS protesters are the same people who make $265,291

    DohBiden (d54602)

  88. Sure to sweep the nation after the President’s hesitant performance at a joint press conference with the South Korean president yesterday. Right click on the file to download:

    http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/hewitt/Obama_Uh_File.mp3

    http://www.hughhewitt.com/blog/g/b98c95d1-466a-4abe-bd67-a8a6c609bfce

    ColonelHaiku (75566b)

  89. “Politico reported that on Friday, CNBC’s John Harwood sat down with White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley and asked about President Obama’s remark the previous day to Ed Henry of Fox News. Henry, you’ll recall, asked the president a question which included a critical comment of Obama by Mitt Romney, to which Obama said, “I didn’t know you were the spokesperson for Mitt Romney.”

    “I want to ask you about the thinking within the White House,” Harwood said to Daley. “Yesterday at a press conference one of my colleagues asked the president to respond to something Mitt Romney said. The president said, ‘I didn’t realize you were a spokesman for Mitt Romney.’ Is the White House — you feeling — the president feeling under siege from events right now?”

    http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/10/17/obama-bitter-media/

    ColonelHaiku (75566b)

  90. That’s just part of his greatness, y’all!

    Please judge the man by the content of his character, and not by the thinness of his skin.

    Icy (f2895f)

  91. The dems would rather cut funding for police and parks rather than cut their slush fund.

    DohBiden (d54602)

  92. That’s just part of his greatness, y’all!

    Please judge the man by the content of his character, and not by the thinness of his skin.

    Comment by Icy — 10/17/2011 @ 7:40 am

    I find it amusing that Obama used to actually go out of his way to praise Romney, and now acts like Romney’s name can’t be mentioned.

    The guy is one of the front runners to compete against Obama. Obama should expect to be asked about these different political views. What does he think these press conferences are for?

    Dustin (b2fb78)

  93. Why, he thinks they are an excuse for the sycophant lamestream media to build up his crumbling image, of course!

    Icy (f2895f)

  94. Why, he thinks they are an excuse for the sycophant lamestream media to build up his crumbling image, of course!

    Comment by Icy — 10/17/2011 @ 7:54 am

    It is so funny how Obama reacts when the media isn’t exactly this ‘sycophant’.

    Funny is perhaps the wrong word, actually, given the way the MSM has handled Fast and Furious.

    But for the most part, the media accepts their role in Obama’s campaign. In 2012, I suspect they will be even worse than they were to Palin in 2008.

    Dustin (b2fb78)

  95. What I don’t understand is who would contribute to Huntsman, and why?

    Kevin M (563f77)

  96. Big repub W$$ is going to Huntsman. go figure….

    tifosa (a6a092)

  97. Ahh, tiffy, the fount of absolute knowledge…
    Who knew?

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (35c310)

  98. Playing coy with Huntsman. The wink, the nod. Make him work for it! After the front-runners chew each other up, spit each other out, who looks like the adult in the room?

    tifosa (a6a092)

  99. But the real appeal?

    tifosa (a6a092)

  100. wait for it…

    tifosa (a6a092)

  101. wait for it…..

    tifosa (a6a092)

  102. ok, yes, you hate him 😀

    tifosa (a6a092)

  103. Tiffy is manic, again.

    JD (4e46ba)

  104. Things don’t sound that good for Huntsman: Only $327k in the bank and $890k in debt, and that’s after loaning his campaign more than $2M.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  105. Please, JD, “manic” would require some advanced (or actual) intellectual capability.

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (35c310)

  106. DRJ, it’s like the bumper-sticker on the back of a motor-home:

    “I’m spending my kid’s inheritance!”

    Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (35c310)

  107. There will never be a single moment between now and Election Day 2012 when the Obama Campaign has less money than it wants.

    They’re expected to raise $2B for the campaign itself to spend. Supposedly uncoordinated expenditures for him and other Dems will be probably four or five times that. Then factor in the unacknowledged, uncoordinated, but undeniable in-kind contribution-value of all the adulation the MSM will give Obama. (Ignore their current case of the sours; they’ll buck up and fall in line as soon as the GOP has a single nominee to demonize, and Obama will be their new BFF again.)

    They will have all the money they want. The only interesting questions are whether (a) the GOP can raise enough to be modestly competitive and (b) whether a superior GOP message can prevail despite being outspent by a considerable multiple (worse than 2008’s 5-to-1).

    Beldar (f40b25)


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