Daily Thought Pad: Tic… Tic… GOP Toc… or Rather Talk

Does anyone else just want to scream: STOP!!!

What the GOP candidates should be focusing on is righting the economy; creating an environment to enable the creation of jobs; promoting freedom here and abroad without continuing to be the baby-sitter of the world; defeating the growing threat posed by Iran and other evil regimes and making Barack Hussein Obama a one-term president based on his abysmal record, anti-American and anti-free-market philosophies, lack of vetting in the 2007-2008 campaign, and his questionable decisions on policies, associations and connections.

Instead, what we have let happen is let the media and Team Obama manipulate us, the voters as well as the GOP candidates themselves into creating a soap opera of issues which has moved the discussion and the candidates themselves into a ‘mudfest’ slinging it in all directions instead of taking the high road by focusing on the real issues.

On the list(s) of most beloved American Presidents, ranging from one of the poorest to the richest, are: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, JFK, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton in varying order and depending who you are polling. (Although, President Obama in a recent speech has said he is the 4th greatest president of all time… no modesty issues there!) Another interesting observation is that Teddy Roosevelt whose head is one of the four at Mt. Rushmore, thanks to his cousin FDR, is never on the most beloved or most influential U.S. Presidents lists. On the Five last week, both the libs and conservatives on the panel agreed that if Newt and Obama end up being our 2012 Election candidates, by the time the election is over they will have parleyed themselves up on the same level as God?!?)

An interesting side note: in today’s money… George Washington was the richest American President we have ever had and Mitt Romney, although very wealthy, would not be the richest. Thomas Jefferson, FDR and JFK were also extremely wealthy; JFK lived off his trust fund almost exclusively. And John Kerry, had he have been elected would have been one of the richest. The Bushes are no pikers either! Even our “redistribute the wealth President, Obama, is a multi-millionaire”. So why so much focus on Mitt Romney’s wealth and taxes?

Before the South Carolina primary nationwide 63% of people polled (across the board) believe that Mitt Romney is the most electable in comparison to only 9% for Newt Gingrich… but the ads and a couple of good days of debates managed to convince Carolinians that Newt was the most electable… to the tune of 68% according to the exit polls. This could end up being the election cycle that breaks South Carolina’s record of picking the GOP nominee that has held since Reagan. Of course in every other election that candidate also either won Iowa or New Hampshire… where Newt came in 4th and 5th and with Santorum winning Iowa (in a virtual tie with Romney) and Ron Paul coming in 3rd and then Romney winning in New Hampshire decisively where Ron Paul came in second. This seems to be the year that nothing will follow previous norms.

John Fund of the American Spectator appeared on Fox the day after the South Carolina primary saying part of what catapulted Gingrich into his strong win in SC is the fact that the only entity that Americans hate more right now than Congress, President Obama or politicians in general is the mainstream media (MSM) and Newt, being handed two opportunities during the week before the SC Primary to lash out against the media, gave the voters an opportunity to vote against the MSM by voting for him. (Santorum commented jokingly on an interview on Sunday following the SC primary, “Whatever Newt paid those reporters to throw him those questions at the debates last week wasn’t enough!” and Karl Rove kiddingly suggested to Chris Wallace that perhaps Mitt needs to twist a few reporters’ arms to do the same, earlier that morning.

Gingrich was the big hero this past week because he took on the MSM after questions that look more like gifts... and right now the media polls lower than anyone in Washington... Congress, Obama or any of the GOP candidates, so many undecideds voted against the media instead of for Gingrich. Also many people mistook Palin's comment about voting for Gingrich to keep the contest going as an endorsement. (Palin also encourage Santorum to stay in the race.)

Greg Gutfeld, co-host of The Five and host of Redeye made one of the most interesting observations of Romney’s debate performance last week that I have heard:

Mitt Romney is an alpha-male in a religion that prizes humility… Newt is an alpha male that prizes the sound of his own voice… which often gets him in trouble.

Although Romney seems to be coming out swinging now:

A newly aggressive Mitt Romney charged in the campaign debate Monday night that Newt Gingrich "resigned in disgrace" from Congress after four years as speaker and then spent the next 15 years "working as an influence peddler" in Washington.

Gingrich shot back that Romney's attacks were riddled with falsehoods, and he referred to statements by two men who ran against Romney in 2008 in contending the former Massachusetts governor "can't tell the truth."

The clash occurred in the opening moments of the first of this week's two debates before the Jan. 31 Florida primary.

I believe it was Eric Bowling of The Five who said that Newt Gingrich has never had an un-uttered thought and Rick Santorum intimated the same. That is not necessarily a good trait for a president.

Team Obama and their Progressive army, which includes the mainstream media (MSM) plan on Stealing Election 2012 by whatever means necessary including voter fraud, keeping the GOP fighting amongst themselves and trying to create a 3^rd party candidate run to divide the anti-Obama electorate. They know Obama cannot win on his record!

Other than the Progressive far left, more and more Americans are realizing that the hope and change they voted for was an illusion created by Obama and the elites, including puppet master George Soros, that were behind his election. Those that really listened to what he was saying or not saying and did their homework in 2007 and 2008 already knew it was a lie. Now it is Team Obama’s job to re-build that false hope and demonize the GOP field. If you haven’t read The Obama Nation, you should!

Obama has been in full campaign mode since summer 2011, rather than governing, and his Team has been in full attack mode behind the scenes, going after each GOP candidate as they rose to the top of the field. Unfortunately from my vantage point the American people have allowed them to get away with that starting waaay back with Sarah Palin, in the last election. And like with Sarah, the tea party and other conservatives did not vehemently back the candidates, Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain, who most reflected their views with the steadfast and financial support they needed… so that ship has sailed.

Conservatives talk a lot about their values, but often don’t support the candidates with those values with financial contributions. And when you look at the fact that married women in a socially conservative state like South Carolina voted in droves for philanderer Newt Gingrich right after his wife released in an interview that he had asked her for an open marriage… you have to wonder how strong their convictions are…

“What we would have considered taboo and a fatal nominee flaw a few years ago, is suddenly okay evidently. Sex in the White House? Not a problem… Cheated on your wife and divorced? Not a problem… Buddy around with known radicals and Marxists? Definitely not a problem… And the Overton Window slides inexorably to the left. What has happened to us? We were once the greatest nation on the planet. We had a robust economy, a strong military, a Christian ethic, strong morals, a rich history and leaders of whom we were proud. Now? Well, we have an economy that is close to a Weimar moment. Our leaders have gutted our military. Christianity is being systematically destroyed and vilified. Morals seemed to have been replaced by an entitlement mentality. Our history is being rewritten and erased. Our leaders are corrupt, gutless, spineless, knee scrapers, who only care about themselves and their personal pocketbooks.” …TMH of the NoisyRoom from her recent piece Revolution Moves into the Overton Window

We are now left with a field of 4 (alphabetically): Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum who stand between us and the United ‘Socialist’ States of America… so perhaps it is time to start focusing on the issues, the candidates’ plans and attacking Obama’s record instead of excoriating each other. It is time that we, as voters, do our own homework as to the real facts and on stage and in public have the candidates focus on the big issues that will matter in the general election.

Newt Gingrich - A Nation Like No Other

Gingrich is not the great conservative savior... He is as much of a flip flopper as he likes to accuse Mitt Romney of and has personally been anything but a social conservative. (Newt has a long history of philandering and although he seems to have had a recent religious conversion and has now embraced Catholicism, Santorum, Romney and Paul have all been married to the same women for their entire adult lives, were great and present fathers and I don't know about Ron Paul, but Santorum and Romney are and always have been very involved in their faith.) Newt has been involved in lobbyist type of activities and is definitely a Washington Insider that was almost removed as Speaker by his own party after being brought up on ethics charges. He is really more of a Rockefeller type Republican than the Reagan-style Republican he likes to make himself out to be. After all, Reagan’s 11th commandment was thou shalt never speak badly of a fellow Republican, yet if you honestly look back over the past two months, Newt has been the biggest mud-slinger of all.

Also check out: Unbelievable?! Newt Love FDR, Models Himself After Woodrow Wilson and Admires SEIU’s Andy Stern…

There is no question that Newt is the best debater and is brilliant, but many who have worked with him, including fellow GOP candidate and former Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum, have claimed that Newt’s ideas are non-ending and grandiose, but never get completed. He would be great in the debates against Obama, but debating and leading a country are two different skills! Plus, let us all remember that no matter what Gingrich would like, there will only be two to three 1 to 2-hour debates between the GOP nominee and Obama in the general election, not seven or eight - 3-hour Lincoln-Douglas style debates, where Newt’s debating skill would be at a premium. And if Monday’s NBC debate is a warning, the audience for those debates will no-doubt be kept from applauding, let alone giving a standing ovation.

Overnight we are hearing that Gingrich is the the electable candidate but Ann Coulter, Dana Parino, Glenn Beck, Pat O’Brien, Greg Gutfeld, Bob Beckel, Kirsten Powers, and a long varied list of others from both parties have in the past 24-hours said that choosing Gingrich as the GOP nominee will not only guarantee that Obama is re-elected but that the GOP loses the Congress. Chris Christy, a Romney supporter, says Gingrich has often embarrassed the Republican party.

His character flaws—his impulsiveness, his grandiosity, his weakness for half-baked (and not especially conservative) ideas—made him a poor Speaker of the House. Again and again he combined incendiary rhetoric with irresolute action, bringing Republicans all the political costs of a hardline position without actually taking one. Again and again he put his own interests above those of the causes he championed in public. …National Review

Gingrich has also just released his company’s 2006 consulting contract for services to Fannie and Freddie and has already raised new questions. It appears that his function in that matter might not technically qualify as lobbying, but that it definitely qualifies as influence peddling… not work as a historian, which is how Gingrich explained his services.

Ron Paul - The Revolution

Ron Paul would love to be president but when you really listen to what he says in his speeches, in my opinion he is appears more focused on getting out his message and collecting delegates to affect the outcome of this election and have influence over the next administration than really believing he can win. Many believe that getting a position for himself, like overseeing the Federal Reserve or getting his son Rand a V.P. slot and/or then continuing his organization for a future Rand Paul (who was today detained by the TSA) for President may be his goal.

Ron Paul is a Libertarian and an expert on the Constitution and his economic policy and fight against the Fed is right on, believe most people. Some of this other ideas scare some people. But his followers are loyal to a fault and he has not only the largest following of all the candidates of young people but also the strongest military following, which is interesting because his ideas on foreign policy is what scares a lot of people off.

Paul has pledged to cut 1 Trillion dollars in the first year if he is elected, while the other 3 candidates plan to make cuts but in a much more timid fashion, at least from what we have heard so far. We should note that Ron Paul is one of the founders of the tea party, yet he does not necessarily get the tea party vote because of some of his foreign policy opinions and his stand on legalizing things like drugs and prostitution.

However some suggest that if Ron Paul’s Libertarian handlers and his more radical supporters could soften their ideology a bit he might even have a chance to win the nomination.

Mitt Romney - The Real Romney

Romney, now that Cain is out of the race is ‘the’ only businessman, saved and led the Olympics and has been a Republican Governor in a Democratic state where he had to compromise to get things done. At a time where we need jobs, need to open new trade markets and must rebuild our economy, that is experience we need in a president.

The attack on Romney’s wealth… which he did not inherit but made on his own; the type of business he was in which is totally legal and taught as part of MBA programs throughout the U.S.; the percentage and amount of taxes he pays (which is higher than what 97% of Americans pay plus his additional tithe of 10% back to his church) and his account in the Cayman Islands which is totally legal, and the on-going attacks on his faith and even his eligibility… are an afront to free-market economics, freedom of religion and the American Dream. The fact that there is even a question about eligibility or the religion of any of these candidates while Obama is still not being vetted is amazing! Although at least at this moment, Obama is to Appear at an eligibility Hearing: Attorney Taitz Says It Will Be ‘100 Times Bigger than Watergate’. If he really does, things might just start getting interesting.

I really think Mitt is getting an unfair wrap from a so-called free-market Capitalistic country and society. Everything he appears to have done is within the law, it makes him a good capitalist, not a crook, and the loopholes are the government’s fault. Maybe America will be richer again if he is in-charge and he manages our money like he has managed his own. So far Newt hasn’t even proven he can even manage his own campaign. He allowed his advisors to steal all his funds at the beginning of this campaign?!?

Mitt has donated millions to the Mormon Church (his 10% based on his religion)… as we all should be doing to our respective churches if we are Christians based on our income, and whether he is a Mormon, a Catholic or a Protestant he should be praised not punished for his tithing. And he did release his taxes earlier than anyone other than Gingrich’s 1 return, but many including Lou Dobbs and Mike Huckabee suggested he should have told everyone to stick it or that he will release them when he is ready. See Hedgecock’s: Obama is a Culture Socialist

And as far as Mitt’s flip flops… he has answered everyone of these questions, including in his book No Apology He, like Newt, at one time favored global warming legislation, but after learning more about it, has changed his mind. He has always been personally pro life, but thought he could follow the pro choice mandates of Massachusetts, where he was governor, (just like Santorum explains he is a pro work candidate, but voted to follow is state’s union leanings while in the Senate as their representative), but then Romney could not sign a bill that came before him on stem cells that were to be created and then destroyed, so then governed as a pro life governor. He has also explained in some detail about his reasoning behind RomneyCare and that it is a state issue, about the differences between RomneyCare and ObamaCare and the changes that have been made since he left office. And he has vowed to do what it takes to get rid of ObamaCare as soon as he gets into office as President, like all four candidates have. And if you do your homework, you will see that it is Newt Gingrich who has supported an individual mandate up until just one year ago… and it was Gingrich who helped blow out Paul Ryan’s popular economic plan and appeared in an ad with Nancy Pelosi to promote global warming legislation.

Rick Santorum - Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum is the last true social conservative in the field and if that is your priority then he is your candidate. He also has experience in the U.S. Senate in a blue collar Democrat state where he had to compromise, but he is not a pure conservative in other areas based on his Senatorial voting record.

Rick Santorum is brash and blunt, and proudly so. But it's a trait that will make it easy for Democrats to use his own words against him if he were to become the Republican presidential nominee. He wrote a book: It Takes a Family in response to Hillary Clinton’s book: It Takes a Village. The Democrats went after Santorum during his 2006 re-election bid for statements in his book claiming he was insensitive to the struggles of two-income families.

He is a great family man and true to his faith and God. And he is the son of an immigrant so brings with him that special love of America that comes from growing up in a family of legal immigrants from that era. Santorum is a specialist on Iran and speaks of it with passion.

He also showed us amazing tenacity as he campaigned in every county in Iowa with little money or support and eventually went on to win that Caucus.

Santorum may still surprise and turn out to be the conservative alternative choice to Romney over Newt. Santorum is relatively baggage free and Newt is baggage laden, which is why the Dems are salivating at the thought of his nomination.

“I look at the current crop of conservative candidates from which we have to choose and I can’t help but think, is this the best we can do? Really?? The most conservative of the lot that also believes in our military and protecting the US is Rick Santorum. He’s still my candidate and I pray fervently that he will prevail and win the nomination. But the odds are against him.” TMH of the NoisyRoom from her recent piece Revolution Moves into the Overton Window

Many have described the Republican race – in a year when President Obama is totally beatable with the question: Has it come to this: Newt Gingrich, serial philanderer, liar, hypocrite, secret Rockefeller Republican, back-stabber and megalomaniac versus Mitt Romney, the Supreme Panderer, the man-with-no-principles, an utter phony who will say anything and flip-flop at any time – and someone who was not a Reaganite until he ran for president in 2007 sandwiched between Rick Santorum an extreme social conservative in some people’s eyes, but not a true conservative by his Senatorial voting record and Ron Paul everyone’s crazy constitution reciting uncle, who has been talking about his Libertarian ideals for years but no one ever thought would make it this far… and now the country has changed and are coming around to his thinking. In reality, none of these 4 fall into the true conservative ‘right-wing’ confines of the GOP as measured by social, fiscal and ideological standards and both Mitt and Newt are considered RINO’s by the right wing of the party.

But I have chosen to take a more positive outlook. I say, “Is Progressive free-market-hating and America-hating Barack Obama the best the Democrats can do for a candidate? While the GOP actually has a clear choice of four uniquely individual candidates, all of which are better than Obama. And any one of them might not be ‘exactly’ what any of us want, but all of them will be better than what we now have and will put us back on the road in the right direction to continue the fight toward re-establishing the nation and Constitution that the Founding Fathers gave us. One of the best things all Americans can do is to work as hard as you can and vote for your choice of these 4-men in the primaries and then come together and vote for the GOP nominee to defeat Obama while making sure you elect a solid Republican House and Senate.

I really think that some of what we are hearing about all the candidates is just propaganda… from both sides, and much is exaggerated, skewed or unimportant. But the more I read about both Mitt and Newt, if I have to choose between them, at least at this point, I would vote for Mitt. Neither were my first choice. Sarah was my first choice, and then Cain and Bachmann, and I’m still routing for Santorum but the main goal is making Obama a one-term President. So I will vote for the GOP nominee; any of the 4 remaining candidates would be better for America than Obama. But from what I’m hearing through some inside connections… the WH is cheering over Newt’s present lead and SC win. And that SC win makes Florida’s winner-take-all primary more critical than ever, where Ron Paul is only participating in a limited way! Although he and all the candidates will participate in both Florida debates.

Tic Toc, Tic Toc, Tic Talk… Time to focus and talk about the big issues!