Patterico's Pontifications

1/28/2015

Hot Air: Romney to Rebrand Himself As “Authentic”

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:29 am



Well. “The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you’ve got it made.”

153 Responses to “Hot Air: Romney to Rebrand Himself As “Authentic””

  1. Maybe he could borrow some flannel shirts from Lamar Alexander. With those, you never have the “blue suit / black suit” problem when you are dressing in the morning semi-darkness.

    carlitos (c24ed5)

  2. I like Mitt. Let’s see what he’s got. He tends to perform when his back is against the wall. He’s smarter than the other contenders, so maybe he can up his campaign game. We shall she.

    ParisParamus (af3337)

  3. I tried and tried
    To be authentic,
    But all I got
    Was more eccentric.

    LTMG (94c4c3)

  4. Mittens is an authentic RINO.

    he’s also an authentic loser, on purpose no less, having thrown away his chances in 2012 on purpose, not to mention an authentic fool for babbling about “global warming” BS.

    now if only he was an authentic patriot, he’s STFU and go away, instead of sticking his authentically doomed to failure face into the race again this cycle.

    redc1c4 (34e91b)

  5. Romney talking more about his Mormon faith will absolutely make happyfeet’s day. Mr. Feets just loves him some Mormons more than peabut butter.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  6. i love mormons more than beans just not this one

    he’s a terrible awful gross freaky stupidhead who keeps losing cause everyone hates his stupid guts

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  7. Mitt? You still here? Drop dead mmmK?

    DNF (7dc191)

  8. ooh listen the cluephone’s ringing

    **ring ring**

    **ring ring**

    hey mitt maybe you should pick up the phone and answer it for so you get a clue you stupid loser

    ok here’s a clue:

    what happens every time Mitt Stupidface Romney runs for president?

    he loses!

    It’s a pattern!

    Willard you’re the Susan Lucci of presidential politics

    at best you’re a joke

    at worst you’re Willard Stupidface Romney

    I. Can’t. Help. You.

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  9. I am assuming he does indeed have great business skills and is a caring person,
    but it is not translating into political savvy,
    maybe he has picked the wrong advisors,
    which itself is a reason not to entrust him with the presidency.
    Even if he believes the AGW line, I would think he would be willing to objectively look at what the environmental people say they want done,
    which is undoable,
    and what they are willing to shoot for,
    which even if it was doable,
    won’t make any significant difference.
    There is a video by Hayword over at PowerLine from a day or so ago which has a lot of good info,
    though he does tell too many jokes that sound like mine…

    He has made it easy to not consider him any further. May he and Bush take the wind out of each others sails.

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  10. He might be a good Sec. of something business related, though.

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  11. Secretary of the Interior.

    Leviticus (f9a067)

  12. Put down Palin, promote Romney. Go ahead. I wasn’t planning on voting in 2016 anyway.

    CrustyB (5a646c)

  13. Romney just might make a great Vice President in Scott Walker’s Administration.

    ropelight (adba44)

  14. Romney might also make a good roadie for when Savage Garden reunites for a year-long worldwide arena tour

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  15. i went to nauvoo on the way out here to Chicago and i saw the prophet’s grave there then i drove down this road right on the river called Sycamore Drive then i found myself in a kinda worrisomely backwoods area of Illinois but it was fun

    i was kinda aiming to scoot north to this abandoned army depot but i ended up staying the night in Burlington Iowa

    to get there i went over this weirdly antiquated bridge over the Mississippi in Fort Madison and then i went to Burlington and had pizza at Moto’s Public House and the next morning i went and walked up and down Snake Alley

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  16. I read speculation that Romney is doing this to run against Mike Lee in the Utah Senate race. I could see him wanting to do that, and I could also see Beltway Republicans wanting someone credible to challenge Lee.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  17. I’d rather have “Authentic” Mexican Food.

    mg (31009b)

  18. I’d rather have “Authentic” Mexican Food.

    with or without gastric distress?

    😎

    redc1c4 (4db2c8)

  19. The last time out Republicans were righteously indignant they lost 4 million conservative votes they picked up in 2008.

    That, remember, was “the most important election of our lifetime”.

    So what did we learn?

    DNF (7dc191)

  20. with out, but sometimes you pay for heat.

    mg (31009b)

  21. Is there some sort of prestigious but little known Harold Stassen prize that Mitt is vying for?

    Angelo (a53389)

  22. Ima going to swim 6000 and walk 10 this week alone yet Willard looks a decade younger.

    That much is admirable.

    DNF (5f4210)

  23. Let’s put Palin, Cruz, or Perry up as the candidate against Clinton and let’s see how one of them do.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  24. they would all lose to varying degrees Mr. Colonel

    that’s not a fun game

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  25. IMO, Romney would be a better president than anyone else, from either party, who is currently being discussed. Can Romney be elected, that’s the concern… especially given the idiocy of the voters – either casting votes or sitting on their asses at home – that brought us Obama, twice.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  26. why these last two matches have been like the Tyson fight in ’88, lets have a real contest,

    narciso (ee1f88)

  27. I’ll grant you that Romney cannot be bought. And yes, that is an implied slur against the Bushes as well as the Clintons and Obama-ding-ding. But that’s not enough.

    nk (dbc370)

  28. lookin’ for a home… gotta have a home… http://t.co/C5qZukYuQy

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  29. Romney would do his Romneycares up everyones butt then he’d jack up the minimum wage to where hamburgers cost $12 each without fries then he’d get rid of all the carbon dioxides and all the crops would fail

    i think he might could be the anti-christ

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  30. We have met the enemy and it is the Obama administration and his State Department… http://freebeacon.com/national-security/open-jihad-declared-in-egypt-following-state-dept-meeting-with-muslim-brotherhood-aligned-leaders/

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  31. Hot Air (linking Hugh Hewitt) says Romney isn’t running for President. I’m starting to believe that rumor about Romney running for Mike Lee’s Senate seat.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  32. If that’s true, I guess now we know what Jeb and Mitt talked about last week. Jeb is now the anointed one.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  33. nothing wrong with mike lee

    i’m starting to have a soft spot for those rare senators what are refreshingly free of the delusion they should be president

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  34. It’s been that way since 2009, Coronello. Obama’s been on the wrong side of everything since Honduras.

    What I find amazing is how Obama managed to assemble such a crew of suicidal imbeciles. No doubt Kerry will be praising the “mostly secular” (That was the Director of National Intelligence!!!) MB as moderates and reformers any minute now. Like he got Assad wrong.

    And Bowe Bergdahl served honorably according to Susan Rice.

    Despite the slogan absolutely none of these people have a problem doing and saying stupid stuff. You’d think every once in a while somebody would get embarrassed. But I suppose anybody capable of being ashamed wouldn’t work for Obama to begin with.

    Steve57 (a04df5)

  35. If that “not running” is true, DRJ, it’s America’s loss (IMO), but perhaps we’ll get to see how a “real” conservative will fare.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  36. I’m just glad Romney decided not to run. at least not to run for now.

    seeRpea (9a7f2e)

  37. Steve, I never, not once, in my wildest nightmares, ever thought we’d have a president actively working against America’s best interests and national security… but that is who we have.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  38. Hugh Hewitt says he got an email from Romney to his supporters that Romney isn’t running. Hewitt reprints the email at the link.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  39. Romney would make a good Senator. I’d hate to see him oust Lee because I prefer his politics, but I have a feeling Utah voters would rather have Romney.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  40. re #38: Manchurian Candidate

    seeRpea (9a7f2e)

  41. Thanks, Mitt.

    mg (31009b)

  42. DRJ – Romney held a press conference to announce he was not running. There goes one overused excuse for why we can’t nominate a more conservative candidate.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  43. Incidentally, I think that Romney’s statement proves yet again his class and professionalism.

    Despite all the naysayers, I think we missed out on an honorable man as President, who would have done many, many, MANY things differently than the current occupant of the Oval Office. This will become more and more clear as time goes on.

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  44. I don’t understand what you mean, daleyrocks.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  45. Simon Jester,

    I agree with everything you say about Romney, including that he would have been an improvement over Obama. George HW Bush was also an honorable man and Romney reminds me of him.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  46. The Jebster at 15% sans Willard.

    DNF (5f4210)

  47. Jimmah, hell carlitos woulda been better than SmegmaBreath.

    DNF (5f4210)

  48. I don’t really see that Mitt would want to be a senator nor do I see what either he or Utah would gain. Further, I don’t think he’d primary Mike Lee, and I’ve seen nothing to suggest Mike Lee is retiring to leave an open seat. Mitt’s a big picture guy. I do think Mitt might have opportunities to serve and benefit the nation in a high profile cabinet post in a Republican administration. I doubt he’d accept the vice presidency nomination from whomever the presidential nominee is, but you never know.

    elissa (3dc489)

  49. “I don’t understand what you mean, daleyrocks.”

    DRJ – I’m surprised you would say that. Conservatives seem to get as wee wee’d up about what Mitt Romney is doing as Democrats do about what Sarah Palin is doing. How many posts have there been on this site over the past few weeks trashing Mitt?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  50. just enough apparently

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  51. By the way, Hillary! has been off the grid for a little while and a website that shall not be named is also coincidentally reporting that she may postpone the “kick-off” of her campaign. I bet she’s off somewhere having work done–either internal medicine to try to improve her shaky health–or external medicine massive plastic surgery to improve her looks from the ravages of age–or both.

    elissa (3dc489)

  52. Now is the time for jboosh to settle down on the ponderosa.

    mg (31009b)

  53. Daley, I appreciate what you write, but I just throw up my hands.

    We had lots of people, here, who said that there was no difference between Romney and BO. Multiple times.

    Now, I have respect for people who thought Romney has statist beliefs (he does), but no difference?

    Really?

    I tried at the time to argue about SOTUS. Didn’t matter. The cutesy name calling and insults began about a man who genuinely has led an honorable life, and who was being personally insulted and caricatured from both sides of the aisle.

    This is, after all, quite different from Democrats, who support their candidate. Come hell or high water.

    But then, I have never, and I mean never, voted without holding my nose. It’s always the lesser of two evils to me. But one evil is always much, much worse than the others.

    No worries, though. The “Squish” and “RINO” and “my vote doesn’t matter” circular firing squads are already ready to make certain we have a President Warren.

    I hope not, but I’m worried.

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  54. I have a question for some of our commenters from the south or southwest. I know Jeb Bush was a two time Florida governor, but I realize I know next to nothing of his campaign style, charisma, charm, gravitas, media savviness, etc.,–in short that whole combination of things that makes any candidate able connect with voters. I’m asking any of you who have witnessed this to try to separate yourselves from whether you agree or disagree with his policies and politics, or how you feel about him running, and just key in and comment on how you view his ease and talent (or non talent) on the campaign trail.

    elissa (3dc489)

  55. Simon Jester, until GB2 I’d agree with you.
    But the silly ‘Conservative Compassion’ expansion of gov’t and the horrendous ‘too big to fail’
    made me realize that ‘none of the above’ can still be valid.

    I did not vote for Mcain even though Palin was on the ticket.
    Don’t really remember if I voted for Romney or not. If I had it would have been
    an anti-Obama vote that would have been meaningless in my State. There were many other
    items on the ballot in 2014 where i didn’t think my vote would be meaningless, so i simply don’t recall with confidence what my Presidential vote decision was.

    seeRpea (9a7f2e)

  56. It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
    It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
    It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
    I’m worried now and I’d best be worried long
    Got myself a candidate pollin’ twenty five points down
    Got myself a real Con makes the liberals all frown
    Tell myself my principles will not be compromised
    I’ll make my stand, ’til they cut me down to size

    Read more: Kingston Trio – A Worried Man Lyrics | MetroLyrics

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  57. re #52: elissa , that is sexist – you should know better!

    seeRpea (9a7f2e)

  58. Scotch and soda… bottle of wine…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  59. “Now, I have respect for people who thought Romney has statist beliefs (he does), but no difference?”

    Simon – That kind of crap came mostly from the snipers here who don’t have the stones to write more than one line comments and don’t have the stones to defend what they say.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  60. Hey, seeRpea–I’m total equal opportunity. I’ve mocked John Françoise Kerry for pretty much the same reason!

    elissa (3dc489)

  61. Stone free to say what I say…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  62. warning: this is total snark , but oh what the heck:
    so elissa , you saying you pick on feminine people from North and South equally?

    🙂

    seeRpea (9a7f2e)

  63. I have Romney fatigue. I agree he strikes me as a decent and honorable man, and I wish him well, but I’m glad I won’t be hearing about him. Because of Romneycare I had to hold my nose and vote for him the last time.

    Romney is like so many other Republicans; they lack a coherent political philosophy. I realize he had to deal with a Democratic legislature which made something like Romneycare inevitable. But he was too enthusiastic about it. A Republican should be able to articulate the case for reducing the size of government. Most can’t. And a lot of them think growing the nanny state shows that you care about people. The George Bush wing of the party and its big government “compassionate conservatism.”

    I recall reading Jonah Goldberg describing a mistake that liberals always make, libertarians never make, but sometimes Republicans make. And that is thinking a government can love you.

    Mike Pence is one of those Republicans. And he just disqualified himself as far as I’m concerned. But I’m liking Scott Walker more and more.

    http://www.wxow.com/story/27972823/2015/01/29/gov-walker-stands-firm-and-largely-alone-on-rejection-of-medicaid-expansion

    …On Tuesday, Indiana’s Republican Governor Mike Pence announced plans to expand Medicaid coverage there to 350,000 uninsured people. Indiana worked out an agreement with the federal government that allows them to charge monthly premiums for the coverage ranging from $1 to $27.

    Republican governors in Ohio, Michigan and Iowa have also worked out arrangements to expand Medicaid in their states, leaving Gov. Walker as the lone remaining holdout in this region….

    This isn’t free money. States have to pay their share of administrative costs for Medicaid. And expanding Medicaid means expanding the bureaucracy that administers it. So the taxpayers in the states that take this “free money” get saddled with that. Plus the feds are going to reduce the amount of money they’re going to spend on the benefits over time. Eventually the taxpayers in Indiana are going to have to pick up at least 10% of that. I say at least because the way Obama is rewriting the law there’s no guarantee the feds will even pay 90%.

    Also Medicaid isn’t health care (the libs are accusing Walker of “denying” medical care to the poor). It’s barely even insurance. As a matter of fact, outcomes are better for the uninsured than those with Medicaid.

    I wish there was another word besides “benefits” to call what Medicaid supposedly pays for. It’s hardly even insurance. A lot of doctors won’t accept Medicaid patients, and hospitals lose more money on Medicaid patients than they do on the uninsured.

    It’s a bad deal all the way around. To me it’s sort of a bell weather issue. If a Republican can’t or won’t make the case against Medicaid expansion and Obamacare in general then they will never deliver on any promise to even hold the line on federal spending. Or make the case we shouldn’t go the way of Greece.

    Romney never was the kind of Republican who could make the case. Neither or Pence, or Kasich, or any other governor that took the money.

    But as I said Walker looks to be that kind of guy. So are Jindal and Perry.

    Steve57 (a04df5)

  64. elissa – I too have had no reason to become familiar with Jeb Bush.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  65. Jeb Bush is stupid and fat and he’s famous mostly cause of his daddy – he’s a lot like Carnie Wilson really, just dumber

    he thinks he deserves to be president but the truth is he does not deserve to be president at all

    but he thinks if he can raise enough money he can smear all the other candidates like how sleazy sleazy Mitt Romney did in 2012

    well I for one will not stand for this

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  66. you vented but did not fulfil the assignment, feets.

    elissa (3dc489)

  67. yeah he’s done a good job of flying under my radar til now

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  68. “I have Romney fatigue. I agree he strikes me as a decent and honorable man”

    Steve57 – I have Romney bashing fatigue. Some people just have to hate.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  69. It’s all about drinking the H8r-ade these days. Taking the ele-H8r all the way down.

    But we had better circle our wagons and keep from doing the DNCs’s job for them.

    I think Walker is great.

    The Hate Brigade will on him like a duck on a junebug, and some Rs will help.

    Can’t sit out anything. ABDs in office, folks. ABDs.

    At least until they quit acting like lunatics.

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  70. Maybe we’ll both be happy now that Romney is out of the running.

    It looks like Walker did a solid job in Iowa last weekend. Hopefully he has a good shot at getting the nomination.

    http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150130/NEWS02/150139987/what-people-dont-get-about-boring-and-bland-scott-walker

    Steve57 (a04df5)

  71. Steve, you should hear all my academic folk about Walker. Get ready for the attempt to make him radioactive.

    Sooner or later, he will say or do something he shouldn’t, and then it will be 23/7/365 character assassination.

    The hypocrisy is maddening (think Biden on any topic), but we can’t do anything about that.

    Still, the “he has no college degree” is all over the place, and ramping up.

    Heck, when Romney was running, I had smart female students weeping (for true) that Romney was going to “take away my reproductive rights.” I don’t discuss politics at work, but I was amazed.

    A student I admire the heck of told me how impressive “Hillrod” is…so I asked her, specifically, what HRC had done that impressed her. She hemmed and hawed.

    It’s all Idiocracy and Jon Stewart. Except I repeat myself.

    I’ve always been a Walker fan. But he is a politician, and I won’t agree with him on everything.

    We’ll see. I have fingers and toes crossed.

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  72. “Because of Romneycare I had to hold my nose and vote for him the last time.”

    Steve57 – Romneycare is a facile negative talking point for lazy people. Romney gave the people of Massachusetts Romneycare. So what?

    Barack Obama gave the whole country Obamacare, something substantially different. Romney pledged to repeal Obamacare day one if elected. That action would have been perfectly consistent with the repeated actions taken by the spineless Republicans in the House since retaking control in 2011.

    Why did Democrat and Republican detractors of Mitt Romney come up with the simplistic talking point that Obamacare was based on or substantially the same as Romneycare? That’s just another one of those head scratchers you find from time to time in politics and that a lot of lazy people are predisposed to accepting.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  73. Let the leftwing-style Victory Mincing begin!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  74. Chester A. Riley in 2016!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  75. daleyrocks-it’s fascinating how very smart people can accurately recognize -and call out –a dishonest manufactured prog “talking point” from a mile away. But the same folks can fail to see a dishonest talking point manufactured by factions of their own side when it is staring them smack in the face.

    elissa (3dc489)

  76. Elissa, I live in Florida, and I can not answer your question. He certainly has charm, but rather low key. I suspect he takes after his mother in that. Hus campaigns certainly seemed well organized. Beyond that I can not answer your question.
    Substantively, my impression of him is that he is more conservative than people here give him credit for. The msin departure from conservative dogma is immigration, and on that I think he is being realistic, and the mainstream not. His main negative is being the son and brother of previous POTUSes. I can accept not voting for him because of that… it is something that gives me pause. But those who think he is a RINO are I think not as familiar with him as they think they are.

    kishnevi (294553)

  77. The problems I had contemplating another Romney run were (I thought) explained in some detail and they can be summarized along the lines that, IMHO and in retrospect, Mitt was “all hat and no cattle.” I thought he ran a second-rate campaign. I’ve also been concerned with Walker, but I had not heard him speak about things in general until recently, and I have been impressed. The Left was all over Reagan, and they discounted him intellectually. Eureka College and radio broadcaster (sports at that) were presumed to be sufficient indictments that nothing he did or said could change their minds. It really didn’t matter. He was confident in his own skin, and the only thing the media could do was complain about his Teflon armor. I think I see a little of that in Walker.

    And I think (or at least hope) that Simon’s concerns over the campus climate are a bit overstated. This week the sororities at UVA were circulating a petition to their national organization asking that they be treated like adults. For every whining little ninny that makes a fool of herself over something like free birth control pills, there are probably a dozen young women who have enough self respect that they are offended by the foolish little girl. But they don’t feel the need to make a public statement about their feelings, and given the prevailing campus attitude that Simon describes so accurately, they wisely withhold any comment. They probably also vote absentee and just once, so there is no way of recording their opinion, whereas the whining ninny probably votes at as many community polling places as she can locate using provisional ballots and all possible forms of false IDs, knowing that the Democrat machine that counts the votes will use them if they are needed. I think the university system in the U. S. is a bleeding sore that will eventually be forced to respond to market forces that are beyond their control. Namely the disgust of two or three generations of parents who are becoming more and more disillusioned with the false promises of a generic college degree.

    bobathome (f208b6)

  78. daley, the fact that Romneycare is different than Obamacare is beside the point. The point is we need to shrink the nanny state, not grow it. A Republican, especially one who postures as a conservative, should be able to make the case for that. The federal bureaucracy is out of control. Entitlement spending is also out of control. We are already cutting the military because we can’t afford it and entitlements, too. One or the other has to go, and unfortunately it’s going to be the military.

    I brought up Medicaid expansion because that to me provides a useful gauge to see who can walk the walk. There are lots of Republicans who talk the talk, but their hearts aren’t really in it. I recall during the run-up to the government shut down quite a few Republicans insisted we all agreed on objectives, but we just differed on tactics. I think the fact that so many GOP governors couldn’t resist the temptation of “free” federal money shows that we don’t all share the same goals. But to get my vote, they’ll insist we do. Then when they get elected they do something else.

    Kasich is probably the worst. The legislature refused to expand Medicaid, and then he pulled some stunt with a commission to get a temporary Obamacare federal grant. Now he’s trying to bully the legislature into passing a law and permanently accept Obamacare cash.

    …God, so far as anyone here knows, has issued no decrees on Obamacare, but the governor cites a divine dispatch from a higher power to make his appeal. “When you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter,” he warned, “he’s probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small, but he is going to ask you what you did for the poor.” The message to dissenters was clearly, “expand Medicaid with Obamacare help, just in case.” Mr. Kasich is traveling the country now as an evangelist for expansion, urging other governors to follow his lead…

    Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/28/editorial-john-kasichs-pushes-obamacare-expansion/#ixzz3QKru9ybv
    Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

    Republicans like Kasich are willing to spend this country into poverty just so he can feel good about himself. I despise him. Yet his name gets tossed around as a potential 2016 presidential candidate.

    Walker, on the other hand, has a good track record as governor. More importantly perhaps is he seems to be able to articulate the small government conservative message in a way that appeals to people who aren’t already true believers. Which is no doubt due to the fact that he’s demonstrated he believes it.

    I’m willing to bet that if Kasich runs he’ll pander to conservatives. But what he’s doing now shows that’s just empty talk.

    Steve57 (a04df5)

  79. “daley, the fact that Romneycare is different than Obamacare is beside the point.”

    Steve57 – You are the one who brought it up so it is obviously not beside the point. D’oh!

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  80. It sounds like Romney had 75% or more committed to running, when he changed his mind, and he seems to have changed it by accepted the argument that somebody younger and unknown might be a better candidate and even a better president.

    It is not clear if he has someone or two in mind, or the person(s) are unknown to him.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  81. “The point is we need to shrink the nanny state, not grow it.”

    Steve57 – Wow! Thank you. I did not know that. I learn something new here every day.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  82. Dropping this here because it is about another Massachusetts politician…
    http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/01/city_fine_gives_john_kerry_lesson_in_snow_diplomacy

    kishnevi (294553)

  83. It seems like it would be an obvious point, daley. But somebody needs to tell Republicans like Kasich. It eludes him.

    Steve57 (a04df5)

  84. Excepting Reagan, Romney was the best potential President either party has put up in my lifetime. Sad to hear people cheer his withdrawal. It is unlikely we will do better. It is likely we will do far worse.

    The Presidency, as the current occupant demonstrates, is not just about ideology. You have to be able to manage, to decide, to make cold, rational judgements, to tell BS from fact, to change course when needed, and to appoint people who can carry out your mission. This takes a lifetime of experience to learn and few ever do.

    Too many people see the President solely as an advocate, but he is RUNNING a $4 trillion enterprise and it really helps if he knows what he is doing.

    Perhaps Walker can do this. The other governors (Jeb, Perry & Christie) maybe, too, but Perry is a goner the first time he flubs a line, Christie has too many negatives and Jeb is just wrong. Can Walker hold out against the full power of the Deep State? Hard to say.

    After that we get down to the Senators, few of whom have any management experience at all. It does us no good to elect an incompetent President.

    I’m sorry to see Romney go.

    Kevin M (56aae1)

  85. Kasich has the charisma of uncooked seasonal root vegetables for example turnips

    plus he’s a filthy medicaid-expanding obamawhore

    happyfeet (a037ad)

  86. bobathome–to your point about the sororities’ petition at UVA, Huffpo has a surprisingly informative article about it. It looks to me like the National Panellenic Conference representing the national governing bodies of 16 sororities on that campus has gotten some kind of strong arm message or threat from the UVA administration which is scaring them. Knowing that UVA president Teresa Sullivan already unilaterally banned all Greek activity during the fake scandal “reported” by Rolling Stone, it is possible Panhel’s concerns about crossing the UVA admin are rational. I hope the students at UVA are getting the message and also a practical first hand education about all this.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/29/uva-bid-night-sororities-ban_n_6573270.html

    elissa (3dc489)

  87. kishnevi–I saw and appreciate your response to my question. Thanks.

    elissa (3dc489)

  88. I think we need to separate Gov J Bush from candidate J Bush. As Governor he oversaw a cut in taxes and some would say an actual decrease in gov’t size.
    But since? So far he has come out for amnesty of illegal alians and for Common Core. I consider being Common Core the litmus test for whether or not you support home schooling. So that is 3 strikes. Add in that he is anti Tea Party sentiment and his domestic views leave me wanting.

    It also concerns me that I have no idea what his views on Russia, Israel and the various South American’s countries in economic turmoil are.

    And does he follow his father’s belief in ‘compassionate conservatism’?

    seeRpea (9a7f2e)

  89. 76.daleyrocks-it’s fascinating how very smart people can accurately recognize -and call out –a dishonest manufactured prog “talking point” from a mile away. But the same folks can fail to see a dishonest talking point manufactured by factions of their own side when it is staring them smack in the face.

    I’m getting my talking points confused. Is this a reference to the talking point that Romneycare = ObamaCare? Or is a reference to the talking point that GOP turnout cost Mitt the 2012 election?

    On another topic, the Bush family fascinates me. I like George W and I’m glad I voted for him because foreign policy and national security are my foremost concerns, and I think he was right on those issues. I’d like to know where Jeb Bush stands on those issues. I think they will be hard issues for him for many reasons.

    I don’t live in Florida and can’t address what kind of politician he is or what kind of campaign he might run. I believe his family thinks he’s the smartest of the politicians in the family. There are similarities between the father and oldest sons, although Jeb probably isn’t as outgoing as his father and elder brother. The attitudes of their wives and mothers are interesting because most of them are more liberal than their husbands/sons, but it’s not apparent because they act apolitical. I don’t know if the women have an undue influence on their husbands or sons — maybe they have no influence — but it’s fascinating to me that some seem more liberal than their husbands and sons.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  90. Another fascinating point to me isn’t about Romney but about Ryan. I think Romney’s a good man. Ryan is, too, but I wonder if it would have helped Romney more to pick someone who would energize the base the way Palin did.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  91. 90. the first one you mentioned.

    elissa (3dc489)

  92. “I’m getting my talking points confused. Is this a reference to the talking point that Romneycare = ObamaCare? Or is a reference to the talking point that GOP turnout cost Mitt the 2012 election?”

    DRJ – You would have to ask elissa since it is her comment which you cut and pasted, but I believe she is referring to Romneycare=Obamacare.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  93. What Kevin said in #85…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  94. That 2011 link from Forbes that DRJ put in #90 on Romneycare=Obamacare is hilarious given what we have come to learn about honest broker Jonathan Gruber. Avik Roy has published numerous other pieces at Forbes outlining the differences between Romneycare and Obamacare which Mike K, Kevin M and I have each linked at various times. I saw no reason to repeat information previously posted again on this thread.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  95. 91. DRJ, “Was Ryan the right VP choice” is an interesting question and one that I’ve thought about quite a bit with the benefit of hindsight. What I always end up with is that Romney truly believed (as I think most of us who are sane also thought) that President Obama looked so clumsy and incompetent, had made so many pitiful and dangerous mistakes, and was so clearly not the brilliant speaker, constitutional law professor and racial healer who was sold to America, that voters would be looking for sober, technically competent, adult leadership to turn the country around. Additionally, I think Romney was looking beyond the election and saw Ryan as someone with whom he really could work well in full partnership to attain his economic goals. So if Mitt went into the campaign with those seemingly quite reasonable calculations, even though it turned out to have been a bad assumption that enough of the American voting public saw through Obama and wanted to right the ship, then I think Ryan was probably an excellent choice. No. I don’t think Ryan was a detriment to either the base or to the ticket as a whole.

    What are your thoughts?

    elissa (3dc489)

  96. Mitt Romney will not go down in history as a great man because all he did was invent the Romneycares and something about the Olympics and put a dog on his car like some sort of sick sad puppy sadist

    and that’s all there is to it

    buh-bye, loser

    happyfeet (831175)

  97. I absolutely believe Romney picked Ryan so they could govern together. It was a good choice from that perspective.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  98. It was a bad choice from the standpoint of winning the election. I don’t think Ryan added anything that would make people vote GOP who weren’t already going to vote GOP.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  99. You don’t need to post links, daleyrocks, because I’ll concede there are differences between Obamacare and RomneyCare. In addition, as Romney said throughout the 2012 campaign, there are good reasons to try something like RomneyCare at the state level that don’t translate (and, in fact, make no sense) at the federal level. But the comment and my response was about talking points, and it’s a fact that ObamaCare = RomneyCare is a talking point debated on both sides of the aisle.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  100. Ryan lost a debate to Joe Biden

    ergo he was a bad choice quid est duh

    happyfeet (831175)

  101. Vice President picks are difficult. Being Vice President is unimportant unless something happens to the President, so it’s a choice that has no meaning but nevertheless has to be serious to cover the “what if something happens.” At this point in our history, I think the best choice is one that tries to balance the ticket ideologically. Palin did that for McCain, George HW Bush did that with Reagan, and Mondale did that for Carter.

    Ryan would have been much better on the cabinet but I think Romney liked Ryan, could see himself working well with him, and wanted him to have the title to be his surrogate in dealing with Congress. That all makes sense but none of it matters if you don’t win.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  102. 100. You don’t need to post links, daleyrocks, because I’ll concede there are differences between Obamacare and RomneyCare. In addition, as Romney said throughout the 2012 campaign, there are good reasons to try something like RomneyCare at the state level that don’t translate (and, in fact, make no sense) at the federal level. But the comment and my response was about talking points, and it’s a fact that ObamaCare = RomneyCare is a talking point debated on both sides of the aisle.

    DRJ (a83b8b) — 1/30/2015 @ 5:02 pm

    Yes, there are differences. But Romneycare did not rein in health care costs. So they’re already talking about rationing care in the state.

    http://healthcare-economist.com/2012/08/21/rationing-comes-to-massachusetts/

    A lot of doctors aren’t accepting new patients. They’re overwhelmed with the patients they already have. Wait times are outrageous. So emergency room visits are up, and the point of Romneycare (like Obamacare) was to reduce expensive emergency room use. The problem is compounded by the fact that Medicare and MassHealth (their version of Medicaid) underpays doctors and hospitals. Like I said, hospitals actually lose more money on Medicaid patients then on the uninsured.

    So when Romney would talk about the differences between Obamacare and Romneycare, and how Romneycare makes sense at the state level I have to question his judgement.

    The most recent poll I read on the subject shows that more people think Romneycare increased costs and reduced access then people who think it reduced costs and increased access. It pounds home the lesson that health insurance is not the same thing as health care. When you add people to the insurance rolls but the supply of doctors and hospitals remain the same costs will go up. And doctors can only see so many people in a day. So wait times increase.

    As insurers try to keep costs down they end up dropping coverage that those who use the system most often find desirable. Such as dropping the coverage for a live-in nurse. They also narrow the networks. So you end up with something ridiculous such as (in Kali) people who buy insurance on the individual market have networks only 1/3 the size as those who get insurance through their employers.

    But then the rising cost of health insurance forces many companies to drop coverage. That is a problem in Massachusetts.

    http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/07/18/firms_cancel_health_coverage/

    So while there are differences, it doesn’t make Romneycare anything to brag about. Yet Mitt Romney does.

    Steve57 (a04df5)

  103. Walker opened a Jobs and the Economy series sponsored by the American (Freedom?) Forum in honor of some Illinoisan moderating named Malek on CSpan2 tonight.

    I continue to be very impressed. This may be easier for him than I anticipated.

    DNF (00dbcc)

  104. Rush today zeroed in Romney’s expectation aired in his withdrawal “that an individual just beginning his likely run, one less well known than himself, stood a better chance of winning in part because they are more conservative.

    Jindal perhaps?

    DNF (00dbcc)

  105. “Yes, there are differences. But Romneycare did not rein in health care costs.”

    Steve57 – Of course not, the parts Romney vetoed were put back in by Democrats and then the mess was implemented by them after he left office. Seriously, do a little homework.

    “So when Romney would talk about the differences between Obamacare and Romneycare, and how Romneycare makes sense at the state level I have to question his judgement.”

    Let me know how that works out for you, mkay?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  106. == the parts Romney vetoed were put back in by Democrats and then the mess was implemented by them after he left office. Seriously, do a little homework. (daleyrocks (bf33e9) —1/30/2015 @ 7:43 pm) ==
    daleyrocks, Steve57 might have been out on a ship and missed it when all that happened. Doing homework to catch up on what one might have missed is always smart, though, so that’s very sound advice you gave him, I think

    elissa (3dc489)

  107. elissa (if you’re still reading this old thread):

    Let’s look at the Romney-Ryan choice a different way. Assume that Ted Cruz is the nominee. Would it make sense for him to pick someone like Jindal or Perry as his running mate, because they have similar ideas and would govern well together? I don’t think so because they are too much alike to attract other voters, just as Romney Ryan were alike. I think it would make far more sense for Cruz to pick someone like Walker or Christie — governors from other regions who might attract different kinds of voters to the ticket.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  108. This is also true if Christie or Bush is the nominee. They both appeal more to the moderate wing of the GOP so if one of them is the nominee, I think he would need to shore up his appeal with the base by picking someone more conservative as a running mate.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  109. Walker is an interesting alternative because he appeals to moderates and the base. I think it’s why his campaign may have more success, but he could also flame out like Perry. (In fairness, any of the candidates could. It’s one of the perils of a modern campaign.) Nevertheless, I worry about the more conservative candidates like Cruz, Jindal, and Walker because the media targets them more. Walker was relentlessly targeted in Wisconsin but that will only get worse on the national stage, and the media has a lot of ammunition to use against him because of what happened in Wisconsin.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  110. if we can set the record straight on romneycare maybe Mitt will change his mind and run!

    it’s all just a big misunderstanding like what happened in Romeo and Juliet where Romeo was all like oh well I guess I’ll just not run for president after all

    and then Juliet wakes up and she’s all like hey Romeo let’s go get some tasty chicken n waffles

    but Romeo, he says nothing

    and Juliet’s all like hey goof-asss I’m hungry get up

    but Romeo, he says nothing

    so Juliet goes without him and Romeo misses out and Juliet even pays extra for real maple syrup (so worth it)

    so the moral of the story is that Romneycare is awesome

    happyfeet (831175)

  111. Mr. Feets – I get it. You just don’t want no damn dirty Mormons in the White House. You don’t have Romneycare and never did so that makes no difference to you. You’re all about the smoke and mirrors.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  112. DRJ – My recollection is that Paul Ryan was very well received as a choice of running mate for Romney at the time. He had been a vocal thorn in Obama’s side in Congress and his selection was viewed positively by the various “bases” on the right. If you have a different recollection I would be interested in hearing it.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  113. I absolutely think Ryan’s selection was welcomed … by Republicans, both by moderates who saw him as someone who could complement Romney’s management experience and by the base who believed he might be more conservative than Romney.

    But Ryan wasn’t and isn’t a conservative in the Tea Party mold, so his selection wouldn’t motivate the conservative base the way Palin’s did. In addition, he wasn’t and isn’t someone who might generate a significant appeal with independents or liberals. Ryan is a technocrat, not an inspiration, and I think that fit with Romney’s theme. They made a good governing team but not an inspiring campaign ticket.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  114. DRJ @8:14 am
    Good morning. I may be misreading the whole deal but I am going to say that I honestly used to think the VP running mate was more important than I now believe it is after years of watching elections won and lost by both parties. Being a good campaigner and having some kinetic energy is definitely a plus. I think having some geographic diversity is likely desirable for a variety of reasons, as well. But, for example–There are some watchers of politics who say that the choice of Sarah Palin cost McCain the election. Others say that Sarah’s youth and energy and appeal were the only things that kept McCain in it as long as it did. In hindsight, I can see some merit to the spirit of either or both of those observations. So let’s agree to agree that Sarah as the VP nominee had an impact of some indeterminable sort on the ticket. Let’s also agree that McCain was a dud candidate. But let’s also understand that the standard bearer on the other side was Barack Obama and that a Dem (and especially the “historic” one) was going to win that year regardless of who ran against him, or who his own running mate was.

    These every-four-year calculations about running someone second on the ticket who has some magic and support in their own right and is different enough to help win the election, but is also someone who would be able to complement the president’s style and agenda when they win, or take the reins of government after a catastrophe, are part of what makes politics so interesting to me. But I think it’s the presidential candidate who makes the most difference in voters minds at election time.

    elissa (370505)

  115. “But Ryan wasn’t and isn’t a conservative in the Tea Party mold, so his selection wouldn’t motivate the conservative base the way Palin’s did.”

    DRJ – Was there commentary to that effect?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  116. Mr. Feets – When was the last time you voted for President and who did you vote for?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  117. Mormons i would like to see in the White House are include

    um

    not Mitt Romney

    not Harry Reed (sp?)

    not Jon Huntsman or his obnoxious children

    not Marie Osmond – she’s darling but c’mon she’s such a trainwreck

    not Mike Lee – his social views are too freaky but I don’t mind him as a senator from Utah (these are the losers what keep giving us more more more of the insipid and cloying Orrin Hatch)

    but I’m definitely open to several as yet unidentified mormon people with respect to the presidency particularly maybe after Mr. Governor Scott Walker finishes up his stint

    We can talk more then about this idea Mr. daley.

    I’m looking forward to it in fact.

    happyfeet (831175)

  118. But let’s also understand that the standard bearer on the other side was Barack Obama and that a Dem (and especially the “historic” one) was going to win that year regardless of who ran against him, or who his own running mate was.

    I don’t agree. McCain’s decision to suspend his campaign in response to the financial crisis is what made the difference in that election, because it put the public spotlight on McCain at a crucial point in the election (the polls were virtually tied then) and he punted. Palin’s spot on the ticket meant the base still turned out so the loss wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  119. Mr. daley Mr. governor Scott Walker can count on my vote

    he’s the only one

    I kinda voted for Meghan’s cowardwhore daddy and that was the last time i voted for president but it didn’t really count cause it was on a “provisional ballot” that doesn’t get counted in California, which in retrospect I’m rather glad of, because I’m absolved I think of what I can clearly see now was a rather silly and impulsive decision

    I did not vote for weirdo willard cause of I was on an adventure

    happyfeet (831175)

  120. DRJ–Bush fatigue. Historic chance to elect a black man and heal all wounds. Slobbering biased media. You do the math.

    elissa (370505)

  121. I guess we disagree about what Tea party support looks like. Most Tea Party folks (including me) liked Ryan more than Romney, but do you think he was as big a draw as Palin had been? My point is he didn’t generate as much enthusiasm as Palin but maybe he did in your part of the woods.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  122. I did the math. It’s all in the polls.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  123. But if you’re right, elissa, then concede to Hillary now and save a lot of time and money.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  124. ==concede to Hillary now and save a lot of time and money.==

    Concede? Oh hell, I’m not even convinced she’ll run. So let’s not get all ahead of ourselves, here. Besides, the 2008 election was unlike the 2012 election, which will be unlike the 2016 election. Rs have a new generation of candidates at the forefront and the midterms proved there is Dem fatigue in the land.

    elissa (370505)

  125. “I guess we disagree about what Tea party support looks like. Most Tea Party folks (including me) liked Ryan more than Romney, but do you think he was as big a draw as Palin had been?”

    DRJ – I think Ryan and Palin were both good choices. I think McCain was a weaker candidate than Romney and Palin a lesser known and more exciting addition than Ryan and may have given McCain’s campaign a bigger boost than Romney’s got from Ryan.

    I have no idea what you mean by disagreeing about what Tea Party support looks like. Tea Party types hated Romney are you saying they also hated Ryan?

    What I am saying is I am hard pressed to recall negative reaction to the Ryan pick except from Democrats. Ryan was considered conservative among the spineless Republicans in the House and the intellectual leader in attempting to restore fiscal responsibility to the government.

    Ryan’s performance since 2012 has been less impressive, but at the time of his selection he was considered a rock star.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  126. What I meant by different support is hinted at in your response. My point is Palin was more energizing to the base than Ryan. I’m not saying they didn’t like Ryan because they did, only that they liked Palin’s charisma more. It’s a matter of degree, not polar opposites.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  127. elissa,

    Your points are based on your observations and they’re certainly valid. My belief is charisma and enthusiasm have a lot more to do with who gets elected than I used to think. I should have learned that lesson after JFK’s election but I didn’t.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  128. I have to run off to a memorial service now, but someday I’d like to see a thoughtful blog thread here on who “the base” is, because I am quite sure that word means different things and has different connotations to different people.

    elissa (370505)

  129. Good idea. Maybe Dana or Patterico will oblige.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  130. I think Gallup is right that the GOP base is largely white, religious and conservative (63% of Republicans identify themselves as such, while 23% are white but not conservative). To me, I think the real divide is what do Republicans mean when they call themselves “conservative”? Does it mean family-values, balanced budget/economic issues, limited government, religious values, or some combination of all of these?

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  131. Typo! 26%, not 23%.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  132. Incidentally, if you go over to Althouse’s blog, and read about the latest Jeb Bush kerfluffle, you will read precisely what I have been talking about: people saying that Jeb Bush and Hillary will make exactly the same Supreme Court picks, there is no difference between them, etc.

    What the hell is wrong with people?

    This is why I use that term “Purity of Essence” so much.

    What is the goal? If the goal is to keep a Dem out of the White House, let’s do it.

    If the goal is to put a conservative in the White House, then show me the statistics that proves the majority of the electorate agrees with you.

    If the goal is to be super super proud of your own purity, while letting people who are worse than the folks about whom you are so insulting and snide, well, I just don’t know what to say. Ditto if you want to elect someone perfect. The latter is impossible, and the former is very, very narcissistic. Snark is cheap.

    If you want to work toward promoting conservative principles, I am happy to stand with you. But can we please dispense with the silly circular firing squad business?

    Personally, I don’t think HRC is running. I do think Warren will. And she will win if we are not very careful.

    Simon Jester (cb2d56)

  133. “My point is Palin was more energizing to the base than Ryan.”

    DRJ – I have no disagreement with that for the reasons I explained, but enthusiasm for the ticket did increase after Ryan’s selection so what I have difficulty assessing, apart from your personal opinion which I am not questioning, is that Ryan did not generate support from the conservative base.

    Like elissa, I struggle with that term “base”, which is why I put in quotes in an earlier comment and have mentioned it before here. It seems to me we have various groups of people who believe they are voting “bases” of some type or affiliation or other. I don’t agree that people who constantly claim they are being alienated and are going to withhold their votes can be considered the base of anything. They are at most a coalition of like-minded voters, fickle butt hurt whiners, but what the heck can they can be considered the base of?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  134. we can’t allow America to become a depraved bushtrash aristocracy where only bushvermin are allowed to rule

    we owe this to everyone who came before and to everyone who will follow

    we have to stand together, united as one people (except for the fascists who vote for Hillary and her quasi-historic breast-like appendages they don’t really count)

    and together we can secure an America free of the debilitating sickness and malaise Jeb Bush represents

    si se puede I tell you what

    happyfeet (831175)

  135. we have to stand together

    Except for those damn, dirty Mormons and their silly ideas and funny underwear.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  136. nonono they can stand too it’s a big tent

    happyfeet (831175)

  137. daleyrocks,

    Whether we need to define the word “base” or the word “conservative,” I think the point is who represents the majority of the GOP. I view moderate Republicans as people who favor limited government (what I consider the libertarian wing of the GOP), people whose focus is economic issues like a balanced budget, or a combination of the two. I view the base as people like moderate Republicans who also care about religious/family value issues. There are also people who, for instance, vote GOP based on religious issues but who aren’t conservative on other issues. I think they may be part of that 26% I linked above.

    Each person puts their own emphasis on different combinations of issues, so they may put different issues first, second, third, etc. I bet some moderate Republicans don’t like my definition because they view religious/family values as needlessly divisive issues that aren’t part of a winning formula. Maybe they’re right but I think they’re wrong.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  138. DRJ – Where do I fit?
    Build the fence, North and South.
    Drill Baby Drill
    Quit giving money to other countries. PERIOD
    Rid are soldiers of the current R.O.E.
    Term Limits

    mg (31009b)

  139. “Whether we need to define the word “base” or the word “conservative,” I think the point is who represents the majority of the GOP.”

    DRJ – That’s fine. What I take issue with is when I see what I consider some off the wall statement by somebody claiming some statement or position is alienating “the base” and I find myself asking what planet they are from.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  140. I don’t know, mg. Where do you think you fit? You seem to have mostly economic issues, although I think immigration borders (heh) on family issues. Unrestrained illegal immigration costs a lot of money that takes away resources from our schools, hospitals, etc. I view that as a family values issue. It’s not just about abortion, you know.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  141. Never thought of building the fence as a family values issue, but I see how it can be.
    Abortion is a subject, I must confess, is not in my top 20 reasons why I vote.

    mg (31009b)

  142. I think liberals have done a great job (for their side, not for conservatives) of making family values about reproductive rights, but I think there are many important issues that fall under the rubric of family values.

    Immigration is one example. Businesses worry (appropriately) about having enough workers at the best price, so immigration is a plus economically from that standpoint. It’s a reasonable view and one I believe is embraced by intellectuals, who worry about fairness, and residents of states that aren’t yet bearing the costs of illegal immigration. But I’m a resident of a border state that has to educate, house, feed, and provide health care for many, many illegal immigrants and it’s incredibly expensive. As a result, our infrastructure and lifestyles are suffering because there isn’t enough money to pay for them and for our roads, colleges, disabled Americans, and so forth. There’s also the issue of crime. It’s not like there’s a quote on crime and Americans will commit the crimes that deported immigrants aren’t here to commit.

    We need a nominee who can explain why it makes sense to secure our borders so we can provide for our citizens, and to refocus the immigration system so it is possible for skilled workers to come here legally.

    There are other family values issues like homeschooling, charter schools and vouchers. These values appeal to many people who are disenchanted with the schools, but it requires courage to take on vested interests like school boards and teachers unions. I think someone who is willing to give this issue more than mere lip service would appeal to the base, conservatives, or whatever you want to call the majority of the GOP. I could be wrong but I think such a nominee would energize many voters and prompt the kind of turnout Obama was able to generate in 2008 and 2012.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  143. Scott Walker may be that nominee. He has the background and the ability, and we’ll see if he can articulate his values and connect with voters. I know Ted Cruz can do it but I’m open to Walker because I know the media is afraid of Cruz and will continue do everything it can to attack him, perhaps even more than Walker. In addition, Rubio can articulate his vision but I’m waiting to see which vision he decides to support. Finally, Jeb Bush can talk the talk. My concern is that he won’t walk the walk.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  144. Also, the reason I think family values matter is these are the emotional issues that people stay up at night worrying about. Yes, we worry about our nation drowning in debt, but not with the same immediate concern that we worry why little Johnny’s education is poor or why it takes hours for a family member to be seen in the hospital ER after a car accident.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  145. Regarding Jeb, see my comment about him in the open thread last night. Reviewing his time here as governor, I think he is more talk than walk. He did not shrink government, but merely outsourced some of it.

    kishnevi (a5d1b9)

  146. As you say DRJ, we will see if Mr. Walker can articulate his values and connect with the voters.
    Mr. Walker may not be flashy, but his common sense is genius.

    mg (31009b)

  147. At risk of being monotone, a successful GOP candidate needs to be able to overcome character assassination.

    “Occupy the Wisconsin State Capitol” did about as bad against Walker as anyone has suffered, except Palin.

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  148. The welfare state is a destroyer of family values. Like Esau, selling his inheritance for a plate of lentils, too many “mothers” and “fathers” fail in their responsibilities — to their children, to society, to their own human dignity — because the welfare beans sustain them and their shiftlessness is not an apparent clear and present danger.

    nk (dbc370)

  149. True, nk.

    Years ago I remember thinking the plight of the black family had its origin in slavery, as certainly family structure suffered at that time.
    That was before I moved into the “inner city”.
    But since then I have come to realize that whatever destruction slavery and segregation and Jim Crow had done,
    the problems of today have their origin mainly in public policy and social conditions starting in the 60’s.
    MLK and Medgar Evers and others won an important battle against institutionalized/government sanctioned bigotry,
    only to have human dignity itself eroded by those who would make them “vote slaves”.

    But to make that case, one needs to stop being apologetic and instead tell the truth forcefully and clearly.

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  150. I don’t think Ben Carson would be a good president, and I don’t even think I want him for a VP,
    but I think I do want him on the stage of every repub debate, explaining why conservative views are what black America needs.
    Then make him Sec of HHS or Surgeon General, if he wants it.

    I think he should team up with Palin to get the Tea Party People motivated for the election. That should get some talking heads a bit apoplectic talking about the racist and war on women tea party extremists.

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  151. well other than a seeming blind spot about the 2nd Amendment, what is your quarrel with Dr, Carson,
    some poorly researched book chapters. I still think the choice of staff, has a lot to do with the direction of the campaign, as it was with ‘Norma Desmond’ and ‘Dr. Evil’ which should be shibboleth, most of the Romney staff showed short sidedness verging on myopia

    narciso (ee1f88)

  152. I didn’t like his instinctual reaction to bringing Ebola pts to Atlanta, especially being a doctor.
    But even aside from that, I don’t know how he would approach or be able to deal with foreign policy and military issues.

    Now, unless one has some military background or served as commander of an active national guard group, like gov Palin in AK with a fighter squadron or whatever,
    the only foreign diplomacy background most governors have is with their state university systems,
    and that rarely includes military involvement (but WI circa 1970 qualifies).

    So I guess the thing to see is what his instincts are and who he looks to as advisors.

    MD in Philly (f9371b)


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