Mitt Romney Kicked-Off His Presidential Campaign

Although he isn't yet the official nominee, Mitt Romney kicked off his presidential campaign in earnest today, effectively accepting the Republican nomination for president this evening after easily winning all five GOP primary contests over Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul as he said, “A better America begins tonight”.

(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Romney looked like a new man… a man to beat, not a man catching-up with an incumbent. “It is still about the economy and we’re not stupid” Romney said with the sound and look of a solid presidential candidate to the cheers from visibly encouraged supporters.  Ann Romney did the introductions for her husband, as has become customary before his speeches and she also looked confident as she shared how grateful she was for the support and prayers of so many she has heard from.  She also looked ready for the journey; and looking and sounding like someone who loves and is proud of America instead of someone, like Michelle Obama, who stated in the 2008 campaign the election of her husband was the first time in her life that she was proud of America.

Romney added that “tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years” .  He urged everyone to hang on just a little longer… until he was elected.

After sweeping all five primaries tonight and no longer having a serious opponent after Santorum dropped out, Romney’s shift to focus on the general election makes sense.  Since Santorum exited the contest earlier this month, Romney has assumed the mantle of presumptive GOP nominee. Santorum’s endorsement is considered imminent by most.

Rep. Ron Paul (TX) will hang in to the end.  He is $2 million in the black and continuing to collect delegates.  Former Speaker Gingrich (GA) is barely hanging on with a near $5 million debt looking for a way to make a graceful exit and still try to have some input at the GOP convention.  The former Massachusetts governor made clear in his address this evening that he is embracing victory, even if some of his opponents refuse to concede defeat.

From the sound of Romney’s speech tonight he intends to run a campaign on real hope and change and focus on the positives of his vision and experience for America and the negative details of Obama’s abysmal record, while Team Obama has already shown their hand and plan to run a negative campaign using Alinsky-style mud-slinging since President Obama can’t run on his record or his former slogan of hope and change.

Tonight’s speech and shift to the general election was expected when earlier this week Mitt Romney began to pivot to swing voters -- ever so slightly as he campaigned with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at stops like Mustang Expediting on April 23, 2012 in Aston, Pennsylvania, where he said he was open to “studying” Marco Rubio’s DREAM Act alternative as an option. But, he has endorsed Paul Ryans’s budget plan and is reaching out to the tea party as well as American’s of all affiliations and walks of life for their input.

Jessica Kourkounis / Getty Images

Romney also sharpened his attack on Obama saying the past few years were the best Obama can do but not the best America can do. A line Juan Williams seized on during the after-speech quarterbacking on Fox News.

Here are some highlight from Romney’s ‘A Better America’ Speech:

The address included the unveiling for a number of themes likely to re-emerge throughout the campaign against Obama. Romney attempted to turn the president’s “fairness” message against him, arguing that the commander in chief’s dismal record has led to a condition of “unfairness” for millions of Americans.

Among the more memorable lines from Romney’s speech were “A better America begins tonight” and “It’s still about the economy, and we’re not stupid.” as mentioned above.

The Obama campaign  quickly responded with a statement charging that Romney wants to return the country “to the same policies that got us into the economic crisis in the first place.”

“Tonight is the start of a new campaign to unite every American who knows in their heart that we can do better,” Romney said. “The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it’s not the best America can do. Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years and the start of a new and better chapter that we will write together.”

“In the days ahead, I look forward to spending time with many of you personally,” Romney continued. “I want to hear what’s on your mind, hear about your concerns and learn about your families. I want to know what you think we can do to make this country better and what you expect from your next president. And I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I’ll probably start out talking about my wonderful wife, Ann — I usually do — and I’ll probably bore you with stories about our kids and grandkids.”

The Obama campaign, meanwhile, moved to their favorite trick in an attempt to tie Romney to President George W. Bush and charged Romney with misrepresenting the president’s record.

“The title for Gov. Romney’s speech tonight should have been ‘Back to the Future,’ because he has proposed a return to the same policies that got us into the economic crisis in the first place,” Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said. “We have tried those policies before. They didn’t unleash growth, they didn’t spur job creation and they didn’t boost the middle class. And while Mitt Romney praised those policies in 2004, they led to a recovery that produced seven times fewer private sector jobs than the president’s policies, despite a significantly milder recession compared to the one the president faced coming into office.”

I’ll get a transcript of the speech up when I find it; it’s not yet up on Mitt Romney’s campaign site.

We now have the candidates for the 2012 Election and we have a clear choice of candidates and for America’s future.  This election will be a choice between two candidates, two records and two visions for our country!

Santorum Suspends Campaign… Romney Clear To Be GOP Standard Bearer… Game on for General

After 3-year old daughter Bella’s illness Santorum suspends campaign for his daughter's health and family.

Rick Santorum, the only real possible challenge to Romney, suspended his campaign just minutes ago after a 309-day campaign.

Stephanie Strasburg for The New York Times

Rick Santorum has suspended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, bowing to the inevitability of Mitt Romney’s nomination and ending his improbable, come-from-behind quest to become the party’s conservative standard-bearer in the fall.

"We made the decision over the weekend that while this presidential race for us is over for me and we will suspend our campaign effective today, we are not done fighting," Santorum said during a speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. "We will continue to fight for those voices for those Americans who stood up and gave us that air under our wings."

Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, said the past weekend was a "time of prayer and thought" as he and his family cared for his daughter Isabella.

Santorum's organization announced they were halting campaign events on Friday because the candidate's three-year-old daughter Bella was admitted to the hospital. Bella, the youngest of Santorum's seven children, suffers from a rare chromosomal disorder called Trisomy 18, which causes severe medical and developmental problems.

Before the official suspension, Santorum held a conference call with his wife, Karen, campaign manager and staff, according to a source. He said the decision was based on personal and political factors, according to a Santorum source.

He also spoke with Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney, according to a GOP source.

Newt Gingrich was not given a heads-up before Santorum’s speech.  He immediately jumped in after Santorum’s speech to say he was not dropping out, but he had already appeared on TV the past few days saying he knew he could not win and was just in to be part of the platform decision making process.

(CNN) – Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney released a statement shortly after opponent Rick Santorum announced a suspension to his campaign on Tuesday, praising Santorum for his presidential bid.

"Senator Santorum is an able and worthy competitor, and I congratulate him on the campaign he ran. He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation. We both recognize that what is most important is putting the failures of the last three years behind us and setting America back on the path to prosperity," Romney said in the statement.

It is now time for the party to heal and come together.  Time to change focus… game on for the general!!  Time to focus on beating Obama and turning our country around.

Is It Time for Conservatives, Moderates, Independents and the GOP to Come Together? Especially After Super Tuesday?

Charles Krauthammer says, “The long primary process has ‘Diminished’ the GOP Brand”

In a recent interview:

Megyn Kelly, FOX News: Charles, a lot of Republican voters have been uncomfortable watching this primary contest so far with all the barbs being exchanged between the candidates and in Michigan, as we've seen in some of the earlier states, it got a little ugly in the end. Your take now at this point in the process on whether this extended primary process that was a choice by the GOP is working to the GOP's advantage?

Charles Krauthammer: No. I think it's hurting them terribly. And you're right about the fact that it is a Republican choice. And I think it was a really stupid choice. They decided that in 2008 they had gotten a candidate too early. A weak candidate in McCain and they got slaughtered. So they were going to undo that and have a long, drawn out process. Almost all the contests would be proportional, and let the voters decide over time.
The flaw in the reasoning, and it was pretty obvious, they'd be running against an incumbent president, unlike in 2008. The Democrats would not have any early contests. They wouldn't have any negativity. They wouldn't have all this expenditure in trying to decide who is going to be the nominee.

So they should have had a shorter race, but they designed it for a longer race in a year in which the Democrats have no race at all and therefore have an advantage. Nonetheless, I think the way Obama has performed as president is so disappointing that that will even out, and I think it is now an even contest between Democrats and Republicans as to the general election. But, it shouldn't be. Republicans should be way ahead, given how badly Obama has done and how weak the economy is. But this process has certainly hurt all the Republican candidates, and unfortunately diminished the brand.

The case for Mitt Romney

There are an awful lot of "true conservative" types dumping on Mitt Romney these days... some are saying that he is no better than Obama, and some are even threatening to not vote if Romney is the nominee. I don't get it... I know that Romney isn't perfect, but I don't understand the hatred of him.

Here was Mark Levin in 2008 arguing that Romney was the most conservative choice:

Let’s face it, none of the candidates are perfect. They never are. But McCain is the least perfect of the viable candidates. The only one left standing who can honestly be said to share most of our conservative principles is Mitt Romney. I say this as someone who has not been an active Romney supporter. If conservatives don’t unite behind Romney at this stage, and become vocal in their support for him, then they will get McCain as their Republican nominee and probably a Democrat president. And in either case, we will have a deeply flawed president.

Of course that was before Levin suddenly decided to hate Romney's guts. In 2008 he was calling Romney a conservative... maybe an imperfect conservative, but still a conservative. And now Romney is some sort of ultra-liberal who should be hated like poison?

Well, I don't see any perfect conservatives this time around either. I initially supported Rick Perry, but he just wasn't able to sell himself... so now that Perry is gone, Romney has become my second choice. Who else am I supposed to vote for? Rick Santorum may yet win the nomination, and I will vote for him if he does, but I don't see how he could possibly beat Obama in the general election. (I don't think that Newt Gingrich could beat Obama either, but I don't see him winning the nomination at this point anyway, so the question is probably moot.)

As our nominee, Mitt Romney would keep the focus on Obama's failed policies... Romneycare is a problem for Romney, but not an insurmountable one. I think Romney will do a much better job of exposing Obama as a radical leftist than Santorum ever could, mainly because Santorum is too eager to let himself get lured into lecturing us about things like Satan, sodomy, pornography, contraception, and whether or not Protestants are real Christians.

I've been fairly impressed with Mitt Romney's performance in the debates so far, and I think he would do just fine against Obama... but you don't have to take my word for it, here is Santorum himself endorsing Mitt Romney in 2008:

Posted by Crazy Bald Guy – Cross-Posted to the Watchers Council

Romney is a much more generous, outgoing, personable and relatable in person than he appears in debates or on TV.  He also does not toot his own horn as do both Obama and Gingrich… who love to toot theirs.  In one of the debates Romney said he did not inherit his money, that he is a self-made man and that is true.  What he didn’t tell us is that he did inherit money from his parents and gave it all away in their honor.  He gave much of it to develop the George Romney Management Institute at BYU and the rest to charity.

Romney also took no salary when he was the Governor of Massachusetts.

And because Romney does not sound his own horn and is steady and calm instead of boastful and grandiose a lot of people like to say that he isn’t tough enough and doesn’t show enough feelings. You really need to read this story to see another side of him.

And in the end, ROMNEY’S EDGE IS ELECTABILITY, which seems to be proving out as Romney is gaining momentum in Ohio.  In yet another bizarre twist to this roller coaster 2012 GOP Primary race, Rick Santorum's lead in Ohio has all but evaporated. What once was a double digit lead is now down to 2 points. Mitt Romney is making a late surge for the ever important electoral state of Ohio - but will it be enough to overcome Santorum? Why is Romney surging anyway? Could it be the bizarre interview of Santorum that Glenn played a portion of? See HERE.

When recently asked about a brokered convention Romney said: “That’s just not going to happen!”  However, if it does according to a Fox News online poll: Sarah Palin is the overwhelming choice if there is a brokered convention.  It would be a Game Change that many of us can believe in!

It is time for us to decide… Go with Romney who moderates and independents like and can vote for… or go for the real conservative who will really brings us hope and change and mesmerizes those who listen. If you have ever heard and seen Sarah Palin speak live, especially to a large crowd, and if you really know what she has done and what she stands for… not the Sarah Palin that Katie Couric, Tina Fey and the Progressive left have fed us… you know that she could win, if any true conservative can win!!

Conservative Super Star Sarah Palin: Brought the Red Meat to CPAC and They Loved It… Loved Her!

Video: Full Speech – Sarah Palin at CPAC 2012

Video: Game Change We Can Believe In

But perhaps in honor of the memory of a man who many called the the spiritual leader of the modern conservative, libertarian movement and ‘the’ conservative warrior by others, Andrew Breitbart, we should consider his words as he warned at CPAC:  "Unite or Perish!"  Or we draft the gal that will bring us real change and excites the conservative base… especially with his recent wins.  Why settle for Sarah light?

Strategist and author Dick Morris said, if there ever was a reason to pull together and vote for Romney, unless you are hoping for a brokered convention, it is the Michigan experience of last weekend.  Romney won by a large margin in both Arizona and with a large margin of Republicans and Independents in Michigan.  But 100,000 Democrats voted in Michigan against Romney, on cue from a combination of a robot call put out by the Santorum campaign and a movement organized by Team Obama (of unions and operatives).

Morris says if Democrats, Team Obama, start interfering and trying to change the outcome of the GOP primary to their preference, Rick Santorum, at least in this case, it tells us who they fear to run against most, Mitt Romney. And if the GOP lets this go beyond May or June without a clear chosen candidate, and worse yet all the way until September, after the Republican convention, Obama will win a second term. The GOP will not have enough time to mount a campaign against Obama between September 1st and  November 6th… and Team Obama knows that!

Wake-up, America… eyes on the price, which is defeating Obama. After Super Tuesday, if not before, unless there is a miracle and someone breaks out, if Santorum and Gingrich split the south and Romney takes  the rest or most, it is time to pull together or we will end up out foxing ourselves into losing our country because we played the wrong game for too long.

*Since this was originally written Mitt Romney won in Washington state (today) on Saturday, with Ron Paul predicted to come in at second at this time.  In the post election analysis, Charles Krauthammer said if Santorum and Gingrich have a weak showing on Super Tuesday, the Republican Establishment will start putting pressure on them to step aside, at least one of them, because they are damaging the GOP brand and are harming the outcome of the bigger goal… beating President Obama in the Fall.  Mitt Romney also appears to have had his best debate/forum performance ever on Saturday night from Wilmington, Ohio sponsored by and by and featured on Huckabee.

Mitt had a very personal and relatable moment with small business owner David McArthur from St. Louis, when he talked about his son. Romney was outwardly emotional during his response to a question from McArthur who is the father of a soldier experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and a traumatic brain injury after being wounded in Afghanistan. Governor Romney was obviously very moved by David’s story and clearly grateful for the sacrifice; Romney’s voice broke, crackling with emotion for a moment, as he responded. It was a great chance for people to see Romney’s humanity at a time when many voters say they have been unable to connect with him. Romney also did a great job explaining his economic plan in a simpler fashion yet in greater detail and was even funny during the forum... when Romney forgot to leave the stage for the next candidate, Santorum, to come on and give his final comments. Romney laughed, lightly grabbing Santorum at the shoulders saying, “I’m not leaving!” (All three candidates did well at the Huckabee Forum, focusing on jobs… Ron Paul opted not to continue campaigning in Washington State and not to participate in the forum, but Romney definitely came out on top!)

Final GOP Debate Before Super Tuesday and 3 Other Primaries - Updated

The CNN Arizona Debate is over and so are the GOP debates until after Super Tuesday, after about 14-additional primaries are over.

As with all of the debates, there were winners and losers. Who won, who lost and what’s next?

Debate Video: Republican Presidential Debate (CNN/Arizona Republican Party) - February 22 2012

Video: Highlights From CNN GOP Debate in Arizona

Debate Transcript

First the winners.

Whether Mitt or Newt won depends on who you listen to.

Gingrich was in top form tonight and was able to hold the position he loves to operate from. He was able to swoop in on certain questions and do really well, answering in a sly superior fashion. If Newt had nights like this in every debate, he would be much closer to being the nominee. Newt probably built up his vote share last night with his quips and insight, but every vote he gets back comes from Santorum not from Romney.

Mitt Romney also fell into the winner circle. Romney is not as good a debater as Newt but was prepared. Preparation can overcome a multitude of sins and what ever else you want to say about Romney, he does prepare well for debates, plus he is getting better at it. One of Romney’s advantages is that he comes across as presidential.

Former Clinton political advisor (now a Republican) and author Dick Morris wrote:

In last night's debate, Romney showed how he has grown through this contest and has developed into a presidential figure. By contrast, Santorum's performance was distinctly congressional. I found myself agreeing with Santorum on much of what he said, but willing to follow Romney. In sync with Rick, but trusting

Mitt.Santorum's replies were pedantic, tactical, and detailed. No inspiration there. He was like a lawyer advocating his case or a congressman battling for a bill. But Romney came across as a real leader - charismatic, bold, strong, and, ultimately, inspiring. See his full post HERE.

Ron Paul could have been a winner if he could have stayed away from foreign policy issues. Foreign policy, specifically Iran, is his Achilles heel. Iran is a threat to America. Radical Islam is a threat to America. We are not threatening Iran. Iran is threatening America and Israel; the big and little Satans as they call us. Ron did have some humorous moments last night. And what I do agree with Ron Paul on is that we need to formally declare wars before entering into them!.

CNN is a winner too. CNN did not hit any of the Republicans with any really bad gotcha questions and the really stupid questions, like describe yourself with one word, were kept to a minimum.

The Republican Party, with twenty some debates has also scored big with the Debates. They have been a big draw for the networks that have carried them so have been a good showcase for all of the Republican candidates. A year ago, who would have believed we would have had this many debates?

The losers:

Rick Santorum. Santorum needed a knock out punch today to beat Romney. He did not get it.  He stumbled.  Not only did he not get his knock out punch, he was back on his heels most of the debate. He stumbled and fumbled in dealing with all of the candidates. Santorum did not have the worst debate performance ever. He did not forget which departments he would abolish. But his performance was not one of his best nights.

If Santorum had delivered with some of the strong points he had in previous debates he might have continued doing better going into Michigan and Arizona. This debate could have the same consequences as did the bad debates for Gingrich in Florida.

The Republican Establishment is also a loser of sorts. For years they have allowed the liberal media to call the shots on their debates. The Republican mainstream voters are tired of it. Blogs ranging from the Tea Party Nation to Red State and on have called the GOP establishment on this; even the National Review addressed this today.

Santorum started with momentum tonight, but he needed to have a debate strategy. Romney had  his debate strategy down. He was going to get in someone’s face and push them back on their heels. Gingrich was in his preferred position and he had the strategy of being the Republican wise man, which he pulled off well and relished in.  And Ron Paul was his independent self and really went after Santorum.

Santorum seemed to have no strategy other than to just showing up, and neither he nor Newt came across as presidential

We will know in the next few days how badly this debate hurt Santorum, since the voters have been so fickle this primary season. One thing is certain. Romney can probably breathe a little easier tonight and the polls in Michigan should keep tightening. Donald Trump appeared with Greta on the Record after the debate and Trump said he just saw that Romney have pulled into the lead in Michigan where Santorum had been leading. If Romney wins Michigan and Arizona he has a decided advantage on Super Tuesday.

The outcome of the upcoming primaries may shift the entire ebb and flow of the GOP race again and could end the talk of a brokered convention, one of the ongoing side stories in this roller coaster of a race.  Some feel it could be the best thing that ever happened to the GOP, but most feel it would be a nightmare.  And some still think there could be surprises ahead on both sides.

But if the American people don’t wake up as to the importance of this election… America and everyone in it is the loser. Only 4.5 million people watched last night’s debate, in probably the most important election of all our life times. That is a travesty! And truly if you are not paying attention you are not equipped to vote!

Another side story is the question of whether Ron Paul has been keeping his Mitts off Mitt in order to get his son, Rand, on the ticket?  Ron or Rand Paul will at least get a speaking position and input at the convention if Ron keeps picking up delegates.

Like Father Like Son?  Maybe but smoother around the edges?

Many feel it’s all coming down to this: Ron Paul is staying in this race, no matter what, in order to assist Romney, because he wants his son to be on the Presidential ticket with Mitt Romney.

As he travels around stumping on the basis of his limited government position, he is also fishing to get his son on the ticket with another candidate in this race.  In tonight’s debate on CNN, the elder Paul had every chance to criticize Romney, but he didn’t, and instead spent his time hammering Santorum. Coincidence???

I like many of the things Ron Paul stands for in the domestic arena, but can the younger Paul effect policy changes as part of the Romney team, or will virtually none of Ron Paul’s positions be adopted in the end?  It could be interesting if they can pull it off!  As they say, politics make strange bedfellows and Romney’s presidency would be the antithesis of much of what Ron Paul has advocated.

At the conclusion of the debate on CNN, Anderson Cooper came on as the stage emptied of the candidates, and I watched with interest as Mitt Romney got up and directly went to shake Ron Paul’s hand and exchange a few words with him.

This is definitely season full of surprises!

Related:

BREAKING: Did Sarah Palin Just Announce She Would Accept The GOP Nomination if Drafted?

A Path to a Brokered GOP Convention Emerges…. Bush verses Palin?

Expect Costly Lawsuits With Voter Photo ID Says ACLU of MN

Breitbart to Conservatives: "Unite or Perish!"

Conservative Super Star Sarah Palin: Brought the Red Meat to CPAC and They Loved It… Loved Her!

Audio: Santorum’s Right on Religion - Religious Liberty… ObamaCare’s First Casualty

Rubio’s Mormon Past Revealed - There is a definite question as to Rubio’s eligibility to be president/VP but on this issue… Obama’s father and step-father were Muslims and his mother and grandparents were progressive atheists… Obama himself, questionable and we are worried about Mormons? Really??

Breaking: Did Sarah Palin Just Announce She Would Accept the GOP Nomination if Drafted? – Updated

BREAKING: Did Sarah Palin Just Announce She Would Accept The GOP Nomination if Drafted?

Oh man, what a day this has turned out to be. Sarah Palin has been all over Fox News today, including making a surprise appearance on The Five, setting between Bob Beckel and Eric Bolling, who has been teasing her appearance on his Fox Business News show Follow the Money, which brings us to what currently has everyone buzzing.

This is a supposed transcript from the interview she did with Eric, from Time Magazine:

BOLLING: Governor, a lot of people are saying it can’t happen. I don’t necessarily agree with them. If one of the nominees, one of the GOPers, doesn’t get enough delegates, it could go the a brokered convention.

If it does get to that and someone said, Governor, would you be interested, would you be interested?

PALIN: Well, for one, I think that it could get to that. And I — you know, if it had to — if it had to be kind of closed up today, the whole nominating process, then we would be looking at a brokered convention.

I mean nobody is quite there yet. So I think that months from now, if that’s the case, then, you know, all bets are off as to who it will be willing to offer themselves up in the name of service to their country. I would — I would do whatever I could to help.

BOLLING: That’s — that’s fantastic.

Putting this in the context of Sarah’s Fox interviews with Greta, the gang on Fox and Friends, and Martha MacCallum, where she is clearly displeased with how the current candidates are handling themselves, as well as going after President Obama full speed, it seems she has decided she may have to take matters into her own hand!

Of course, this could be nothing more than a huge shot across the bow of all of the campaigns, and the GOP, warning them to get their act together. Or it could be she’s been listening to all of us who wanted her to run from day one.

Of course, I’m quite biased, as I have thought she would make a great president since 2007!

It also seems Sarah may be appearing on Red Eye [with Jedediah Bila] in the wee hours of the morning! [they actually tape the show earlier] Stay up late or set your DVRs! Red Eye airs 3 AM eastern.

All I know is the next few days are going to be a bit crazy!

By Gary P Jackson

Related:

Breitbart to Conservatives Unite or Parish

A Path to a Brokered GOP Convention Emerges…. Bush verses Palin?

Conservative Super Star Sarah Palin: Brought the Red Meat to CPAC and They Loved It… Loved Her!

· Sarah Palin a surprise guest on The Five   -  Wednesday, February 15, 2012 8:31:04 PM · by Southnsoul · 15 replies

The Right Scoop ^ | February 15, 2012

This is just fun. Sarah Palin was a surprise guest on The Five, which apparently was even a surprise to The Five. Watch to the end though to see Palin kick Bob Beckel for a few of the things he’s said about her: Video at the link.

· Palin on brokered convention "do whatever I could to help." -  Wednesday, February 15, 2012 8:38:29 PM · by cdchik123 · 22 replies

time ^

Essential reading: Palin, on Fox Business Network, says a brokered convention could happen and, if it does, she would "do whatever I could to help." Read the transcript below. BOLLING: Governor, a lot of people are saying it can't happen. I don't necessarily agree with them. If one of the nominees, one of the GOPers, doesn't get enough delegates, it could go the a brokered convention. If it does get to that and someone said, Governor, would you be interested, would you be interested? PALIN: Well, for one, I think that it could get to that. And I -- you...

· Sarah Palin, could she be ... -  Wednesday, February 15, 2012 9:39:38 PM · by 2ndDivisionVet

Nolan Chart ^ | February 15, 2012 | Mark Vogel

If Sarah is flirting, I was seduced a long time ago! For everyone who doesn't want Romney, this is huge! It's only in the modern era that Presidential nominations have been locked up before most American voters even tuned in. So this year, for the nation, the Republican Primary is kind of a return to older times, when all Americans counted, not just the few power brokers. The race has been a very rich blue blood from New England ( where he would not carry one state in the general election ) and a group of three, Newt, Rick and...

· Palin’s star may have faded, but her grass-roots influence persists  -  Wednesday, February 15, 2012 8:58:59 PM · by 2ndDivisionVet · 10 replies

The Washington Post ^ | February 14, 2012 | Stephanie McCrummen

It was a Sarah Palin crowd. At a conference of conservative activists last week, there were stacks of Sarah Palin books and Sarah Palin posters. A special screening of a film about Palin was planned. And after skipping the gathering for four years, Palin herself had agreed at last to give the keynote address. Having traveled from Buffalo, Jason Benner was there to see the one who made his heart soar. “Wayne LaPierre,” he said with gusto, referring to the head of the National Rifle Association. He named the rest of his top five speakers — Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney,...

Sarah Palin: ‘I’m Game’ to Run for Future Office & ‘All Bets Are Off’ in Event of Brokered GOP Convention

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin isn’t one for divulging the tactical details of her (potential) future political plans. In fact, the 2008 vice-presidential contender is known for leaving much to the imagination when it comes to future electoral prospects. Last year, she made fans wait quite a while before announcing that she wouldn’t be seeking the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

On Wednesday, on FOX Business’ “Follow the Money,“ Palin told Eric Bolling she ”would do whatever [she] could to help,” leaving the door open to any and all possibilities should a brokered convention take form later this year.

Breitbart to Conservatives: "Unite or Perish!"

Video:  Breitbart to Conservatives: "Unite or Perish!"

Andrew Breitbart on The Victory Sessions with host Stephen K. Bannon on KABC - http://www.kabc.com/showdj.asp?DJID=59651

"Conservatives must Unite or Perish". "The Occupy Movement was created to get Obama elected.

Video: Andrew’s Unity Speech at CPAC

Earlier to day… There was tweet from Fox News’ Eric Bolling saying:

ALERT! Palin breaking big news... the 15 minutes with Gov Sarah that may change everything.. stay tuned 10p FBN

There are many people out there praying that she will still jump in!!

But whoever the GOP nominee ends up being, we better unite, sooner vs. later, or the America we knew and loved is done!

**  I just read an exclusive alert from Reuters –Exclusive: Clinton in talks about possible move to World Bank.  This is frightening because it is a possible sign that the global elite are much closer to their New Economic World Order than we wanted to believe.  There will not be a second chance to save freedom, America or turn back the clock (and definitely not in our lifetimes).  If we do not unite and put our individual preferences aside to fight like Hell to save the Country our Founders gave us between now and Election Day 2012 (if we have that long), we are done!  Please wake-up America… It is almost too late! Third parties, not voting and endless in-fighting are just not acceptable this time around… because if we take that path, there won’t be a next time around! **

Related:

A Path to a Brokered GOP Convention Emerges…. Bush verses Palin?

GOP Candidates Still Swinging

A Path to a Brokered GOP Convention Emerges…. Bush verses Palin?

Photo:  Real Clear Politics

For many conservative Republicans, the dream outcome of the 2012 primary season is a brokered convention. Disappointed in the four remaining choices, they hope to change horses in August, at the end of the primary stream. drafting their preferred candidate, be it Jeb Bush, Mitch Daniels, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, or ???

But as sure as Jeb Bush will be proposed, so will Sarah Palin. She is now and always has been the singular Reaganesque super-star voice in the original Tea Party phenomenon; the only one who can bring it to the mainstream. Her absence from the primary race has left a vacuum and no substitute has been found. Every other possible or potential leadership hopeful has risen and receded in this already seemingly long Republican primary season. 

All reports from the CPAC conference, the former Alaska governor received far and away the most spirited and enthusiastic reception at the convention of about 10,000 conservative activists. She drew the audience to its feet more than a dozen times during her keynote address on Saturday. “The cheers for Palin were so loud that they drowned out her remarks again and again,” he writes. “Conference organizers had to set up three overflow rooms to accommodate the throngs of supporters eager to hear her words.”

Sarah Palin bated clean-up at CPAC and hit a home run!  Her appearance reminded CPAC’s attendees how much they missed her. Palin was/is the conservative super-star.  She brought the red meat to CPAC and crowd loved it… as they loved her!  Palin repeatedly said the door was open for a conservative victory, but the door that seemed to be open the widest was the one to her political future as the leader of the conservative movement and as heiress to the Reagan legacy.  Sarah once again proved her conservative relevancy… It was her party on Saturday, and it could be for the foreseeable future. The only questions remains, could that include a place for here on the party ticket in a brokered primary?

Remember… Palin has already been there once for a dress rehearsal.

Photo: McCain Election Album 2008

Many have been adamant that the outcome of a brokered convention is extremely unlikely. For it to occur, there has to be an almost perfect storm of events; the GOP elites can’t just declare shenanigans on the primary season and select a new nominee. Instead, something has to prevent any of the current candidates from clinching a majority of the delegates; if one of them amasses that majority, he will be the nominee on the first ballot at the convention in Tampa. But has anyone else noticed how often they ask Mitt Romney about this possibility?

It is looking more and more like the the GOP fight could eventually degenerate into an ideological battle between the very conservative and somewhat conservative/moderate wings of the party, with Romney on one side and a single alternative on the other. Unless there was a late entrant or Ron Paul caught fire in the caucus states, someone was virtually assured of claiming the requisite number of delegates in that scenario. (However, there are signs that the Romney and Paul camps may have already brokered a deal.)

Something else to remember, the GOP does have super-delegates of a sort, in the form of the 63 RNC members. They aren’t as numerous as they are in the Democratic Party, but they are still there. While many of them have already declared allegiance to one candidate or another, those commitments can evaporate quickly, as Hillary Clinton learned all to well to her sorrow in 2008.

Additionally and perhaps even more importantly, demographic and geographic splits are beginning to surface in the GOP that resemble the splits in the Democratic Party in 2008. That year, Hillary Clinton laid claim to working-class whites and Latino voters, while Barack Obama laid claim to college-educated whites and African-Americans. This divide continued throughout the primary, right up to the last day of voting.

The GOP split is still speculative at this point. But to see the possibility, examine the map of U.S. counties and how they have voted so far. Blue counties backed Romney, red backed Gingrich, green are for Santorum, while white have gone for some other candidate (or not yet voted).

Map:  Real Clear Politics

Romney has done well in New Hampshire and south Florida; the latter is basically the North transplanted to the South. This suggests continued strength in the Northeast. He’s also done well in the Mountain West: Nevada was in his camp, as was a large portion of the Western Slope of Colorado. Note also the handful of counties in southern Colorado that went for Romney; they are heavily Mexican-American, and Romney has run well with Latino voters in the GOP contests thus far.

Next, Gingrich. There is continued resistance to Mitt Romney in the GOP among evangelicals. These voters are concentrated largely, but not exclusively, in the South. And as we see, the former House speaker ran well in South Carolina as well as in northern Florida, and is expected to do well in Georgia. This caused many to conclude that Gingrich was on the verge of emerging as the definitive not-Romney.

But now we have to consider that Santorum has won Iowa and Minnesota in the Midwest, and won Colorado largely on the strength of his showing in eastern Colorado (which is basically the Great Plains). He also won Missouri -- which is culturally more southern than Midwestern -- but Gingrich wasn’t on the ballot there. For now at least, he is the "anti-Romney" in the Midwest. Santorum is getting a bit of boost from the Catholic birth control mandate issue, but some aren’t so sure about his fiscal conservatism.

If this split continues -- Romney in the West and Northeast, Gingrich in the South, and Santorum in the Midwest -- we could easily find ourselves in a scenario where no candidate crosses the 1,144-delegate threshold by the time voting ends. Consider this: Right now, Romney barely has a majority of the delegates. If Gingrich successfully contests the winner-takes-all allocation in the Florida primary (based on the RNC’s rule against such a format before April), no one would have a majority of the delegates as of today.

We will find out how viable this path is in the next few weeks. In the lead-up to Super Tuesday, we’ll probably see Romney win Arizona, Michigan and Maine. Arizona and Maine are in his demographic wheelhouse, while he is a native Michigander and his father was governor of the state (Although in a recent survey 67% of the people living in Michigan were not born or did not live in Michigan when George Romney was Governor). Washington is a coastal state, where Romney’s strength hasn’t been tested, so it is up in the air.

Super Tuesday will likely be tougher for him. Four of the five largest states -- Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Georgia -- are Southern (or in Oklahoma's case, culturally Southern). Romney will likely win Virginia by default, but he will probably fare poorly in the remaining three. If Gingrich can stay in the race and maintain his strength in the South, he will likely win them.

On the other hand, Romney will probably do well in Massachusetts, Idaho and Vermont. Santorum seems well-positioned to win North Dakota. But let us remember, Santorum is fourth in delegates, behind Ron Paul.

So the viability of a three-way split probably comes down to Ohio, which has a fair number of evangelicals, though not to the degree that Tennessee, Oklahoma and Georgia do. Santorum has some strengths he can draw on in the Buckeye State, as his blue-collar message could play well even among Republicans there. If he wins, it means that we probably do have a deeply divided GOP, with Gingrich taking the anti-Romney vote in the South, and Santorum taking the anti-Romney vote in the Midwest.

The key is that neither Gingrich nor Santorum can begin to do so well that the other drops out. Both must remain effectively regional candidates. If Gingrich’s support collapses in the South, it might leave an opening there for Santorum. We’ve seen some potential evidence of this, as Gingrich’s support in Gallup’s tracking poll is down about seven points since the Florida primary (although it isn’t down in the wake of Santorum’s wins Tuesday night). If that were to occur, we would be back to a two-person race. There is also now word that Gingrich’s financial supporter, Adelson, has pulled out.  Most feel he will stay in the race, but that his star has faded.

Alternatively, Santorum’s support could turn out to be confined to caucus states and/or states where Romney failed to spend money. Remember, Colorado and Minnesota are small state caucuses, virtually ignored by the candidates. Santorum’s win in Minnesota was large enough, however, that it could indicate broader support among the general electorate (as was his showing in eastern Colorado). This might allow Gingrich to step in, or Romney to wrap up the nomination. But Santorum says he has a plan to beat Mitt in Michigan.

But in the event this scenario does unfold through Super Tuesday, we would then begin a long slog. But unlike 2008, where Obama’s states were frontloaded and allowed him to gain an air of inevitability early on, here the states are spread out. The remainder of March contains Northern caucuses in Wyoming and Kansas. There are Southern states: Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. At the same time, areas with heavily Latino population such as Puerto Rico, and states with relatively liberal Republican parties (Illinois) will cast their ballots. The fact that these contests award their delegates proportionately will prevent any candidate from breaking out.

In April, Gingrich would have a great chance in Texas, Maryland and Delaware (increasingly de facto Southern states in the GOP primary electorate), while Romney would receive large delegate hauls in Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York. Santorum would have primaries in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

In the end, we could end up in California in early June with no clear nominee. While that state is nominally winner-take-all for a whopping 172 delegates, in fact it allocates the overwhelming majority of those delegates by Congressional District. Who is voting in a Republican primary in Nancy Pelosi’s or Maxine Waters’ district? I honestly have no idea, but if they’re different from the voters in the Latino central valley districts, and if they’re different than the voters in Orange County, and if they’re different from the voters in the Sierra districts, we really could have a situation where the state doesn’t produce a winner for the GOP.

If this occurs, and Ron Paul wins around 100 delegates along the way, we have a situation where no candidate has more than 900 delegates, and three have more than 400. In that situation, no one would be able to lay claim to the mantle of presumptive nominee. The convention would eventually deadlock, and an outside candidate could emerge.

The Bush family secret agenda has been a subliminal theme for months with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as the favored proxy and pitchman. But at CPAC it broke through to the surface: Al Cardenas, head of the American Conservative Union, says that Republican turmoil might lead to a brokered convention in which Jeb Bush would emerge as a “possible alternative” party nominee.  (Cardenas is already walking back his comments and his speech is disappearing from the Internet… but the cat is out of the bag.) It made Drudge this past weekend.

This would not be without its difficulties. We’ve seen the problem with sudden, late entrants before. The nominee would have to be able to put together a platform, a fundraising organization, prepare for debates, select a running mate, and hit the campaign trail, all in a manner of weeks.

And the candidate would not be fully vetted. There might be some skeleton in his closet, or his family’s. One wing of the party might not be satisfied. Chris Christie’s name is frequently mentioned, but he believes in climate change and favors civil unions. How will the religious right react when that is in the spotlight? Mitch Daniels may bore Tea Partiers looking for a fighter, and his past as Bush’s budget director is a black mark waiting to be exploited by his opponent. Jeb Bush is a Bush. And so forth. And then there are the the new, independent, states-oriented, freedom-seeking constitutional conservatives… a ticket of the Western states, a Palin/Perry ticket ticket from Alaska and Texas. Now wouldn’t that be interested?

Conservatism is at the shore of a new awakening but is afraid to cross the river. It goes back to Gov. Rick Perry’s Texas primary race. From Quigley’s Pundits Blog of Jan. 21, 2010: “The Austin Statesman reported that former President George H.W. Bush will endorse U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican primary for governor in her race against Rick Perry. Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Margaret Spellings and Karen Hughes [W.’s agent] also support Hutchison … But Sarah Palin supports Rick Perry and will appear with him at a rally on Super Bowl Sunday. Does one Sarah Palin equal a Bush, a Rove, a Spellings and a Hughes? In Texas, I believe it does.”  …Bernie Quigley

Perry won in a landslide. But why would the Bush establishment pull out all the stops to support Hutchison, who was sure to lose? Because they saw a new conservative movement building with Perry and Palin and were determined early on to stamp it out. They still are.
Bush/Christie or Christie/Bush as “establishment” representation is bound to bring muffled chuckles (“Hey Abbott!!!”) and Obama would win in a landslide. But Bush/Christie vs. Sarah Palin/Rick Perry positions coming head to head at the Republican Convention would pit the storied worlds of Dexter and Paulie Walnuts; the most notoriously corrupt, burned-out, busted-up, used-up, dangerous, underwater and broke Eastern states, against the new, independent, states-oriented, freedom-seeking constitutional conservatives like Palin of the Western states, Texas and Alaska. Now that would be interesting.

The path to this outcome is still a very narrow, precarious one. But for the first time, I can see it.  A Jeb Bush/Christy fight against Palin/Perry with maybe even a Romney/Santorum or Romney/Rand Paul option still sitting out there… or a Palin/Santorum option?  Can you see it? I am beginning to!

h/t to Real Clear Politics and The Hill’s Pundit’s Blog

Related Reading:

The Lost Majority: Why the Future of Government Is Up for Grabs - and Who Will Take It

The Road to the White House 2012

Trump to Endorse… Romney, Although Some Say Himself

After news and leaks going back and forth today that Trump is endorsing Gingrich, which was quickly pulled back and then followed by leaks that he would be endorsing fellow businessman Romney… many are saying, “As usual in true Trump style, Donald Trump has endorsed Donald Trump; creating a media swirl around himself all morning.

The associated press released the “so-called” leak this morning that Trump would be endorsing Newt Gingrich later today in Las Vegas which was in-turn picked up by pro-Gingrich NewsMax and sent out as a  correction piece, but with a very misleading title:  Trump Intends to Endorse Gingrich, Source Tells AP.

This little NewsMax article ploy today is a perfect example of media manipulation and bias.  It is no different than the left taking Mitt’s words about his focus for the economy being on the middle 90% of America out of context and trying to make it sound like he hates the poor.

And in a interview yesterday with Soledad O’Brian Romney said, “I am not concerned with the very poor because we have a safety net for them. And I am not concerned with the very rich because they are doing fine. I am concerned with the very heart of America, the 90 to 95% in the middle. And if there are holes in the safety net for the poor, I will repair them!”

Of course the leftist media and Newt are playing and repeating Mitt’s statement leaving out the last line: “If there are holes in the safety net for the poor, I will repair them.”. (This is a man who gave over 4 million dollars to charity and his church last year… he cares about the poor!).

For all those that keep accusing Romney and his people of negative campaigning… I say stop it!  This seemed like a pretty obvious ploy on the part of NewsMax to help Gingrich… at least temporarily or with those who might hear the news and not follow the outcome too closely.

Add to that Newt is still playing his ad about the Kosher Food: HERE, making it sound like Mitt was denying Holocaust survivors their rights and now that Newt has lost complaining that Florida should not have been a winner take all primary.  And how about sore loser Newt not even acknowledging Romney’s win in his post Florida primary speech or not calling Mitt to congratulate him for any of his 3 primary/caucus wins (Iowa eventually went to Santorum).

From Fox News:

Donald Trump plans to endorse Mitt Romney at an event Thursday in Las Vegas, multiple sources close to the campaign confirmed to Fox News.

The endorsement comes after Romney soundly defeated Newt Gingrich in the Florida Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, and ahead of Nevada’s caucuses this Saturday.

Polls show Romney with a significant lead in upcoming contest.
Despite earlier reports that Trump planned on endorsing Gingrich, sources close to the Romney campaign confirmed the real estate mogul will back the former Massachusetts governor.
It’s not clear whether the endorsement can yield a bump for Romney. A Fox News poll last month suggested the reality TV star and businessman could do a candidate more harm than good.

In the poll, 27 percent said his endorsement would make them less likely to support a candidate. Only 10 percent said Trump’s support would make them more likely to vote for a candidate. For most people, the endorsement would make no difference.

How influential really is Donald Trump’s endorsement… or anyone’s for that matter? Who really knows?

Romney Wins Florida Primary by Double Digits - Time for the GOP Mudfest to Stop!?! Plus Florida Showdown ‘Watchers Council’ Nomination Edition

The major double digit blowout in the Sunshine State’s Primary with Mitt Romney crushing Newt Gingrich 46.4% to 31.9%, with Rick Santorum taking 13.4% and Ron Paul bringing up the rear with 7% reflects a basic underlying fear that voters have of nominating former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Rick Santorum or Ron Paul) and a realization that no matter what else, ROMNEY'S EDGE IS ELECTABILITY

Many agree that Newt is brilliant, has creative ideas (although some will argue too many and often not realistic), as well as his way with words and ability to debate are all positives and alluring but in the end they worry that he will come across as too vociferous to voters and will cost the Republican Party the presidency and more importantly the opportunity to make Barack Obama a one-term president as well as our only opportunity to over-turn ObamaCare, which is too much of a gamble.

Women, in particular, worry that Gingrich’s personal baggage may impair his ability to defeat Barack Obama in November.  Instead, both genders are coming to feel that it is better not to take a chance and to vote for Mitt Romney, the more electable of the two.  Women overall abandoned Gingrich for Romney by a 22 point spread, and married women dumped Newt by an almost two-to-one margin in Florida, Gingrich 28% to Romney's 51%. 

Among Hispanics, Romney crushed Gingrich, taking 54% of that vote to Gingriches' 14%.

When asked which candidate had the best chance to defeat President Obama, according to the exit poll data Romney got 58%. Only 33 percent of those voters said they supported Gingrich.

Newt Gingrich barely managed to hold on to Evangelicals, 39% to Romney's 36%.

It is becoming increasing evident that voters are right in judging that Romney would have a better chance to defeat Obama than Newt would.  But they are probably wrong in thinking that Newt couldn't win.  Either man - or even Santorum for that matter - could and would defeat Obama in November (see Gallup poll below).  The basic Party shift (minus 8 for Dems and plus 3 for Republicans) pre-ordains Obama's defeat. (Some polls even show Ron Paul beating Obama.)  Voters should not hesitate to support the nominee they want for fear that Obama might win.  However once the primaries are over, it is essential that everyone comes together and votes for the GOP nominee.  Not voting or voting for 3rd party candidates will guarantee 4-more years of Obama and the end of the hope to have ObamaCare overturned.

The Romney nomination would, however, make the general election a much easier road for the GOP, for clearly, Romney would have the better shot at the presidency.  His record and what right-wing conservatives consider flip-flops encourage independents, moderates and disenfranchised Democrats that he can and might reach across the aisle and that he knows how to compromise and bring people together; the lack of which being what they see as what is wrong with Congress and politics in general.

Politicians and pundits in both parties divide between those who feel the best way to win is to rev up the base, which is what Sarah Palin has been doing by telling voters to vote for Newt to keep the race going, and those who want to maximize their appeal to swing voters.  Dick Morris recently discussed this from his experience in the Clinton White House, where he faced just such battles with the liberals -- like Leon Panetta, George Stephanopoulos, and Harold Ickes -- who insisted that ideological purity and fervor were the ways to come back after the Democratic defeat of 1994.

Morris, like most campaign advisors and operatives, disagrees with the purity argument and feels the swing voter is almost always the key to victory.  He says Obama's election in 2008 was not a product of ideological extremism.  On the contrary, it was marked by a decided ‘cover-up’ of ideology and a showcasing of a phony sense of moderation and bi-partisanship which were the last things on Obama's mind.

Romney will repeal Obamacare and will appoint pro-life judges.  But his past moderation gives independent voters the feeling that he understands their points of view and will moderate his pursuit of both objectives.

Of course, that is precisely Newt Gingrich's point, and on that Newt is right.  If a voter wants to be absolutely, one hundred percent sure that a new Republican president will walk the tea party line, he or she would do better to vote for Gingrich or Santorum.  But could either get elected?  Many voters obviously wonder.

The safer vote is for Romney.  He has the best chance of beating Obama and of wiping out his policies.  The ideologically pure vote is for Santorum.  The candidate who can best energize the base and wage an aggressive head-on campaign is Gingrich. And the candidate of change in this election is Ron Paul, not Obama.  Obama will now just take us further down the Progressive rabbit hole to European style socialism… or worse.

So now the question is, if Romney wins in Nevada, Arizona and Michigan as expected and perhaps a few others, will the GOP start to coalesce around a single candidate or continue the food-fight, draining everyone’s coffers needed to fight Obama and damaging the ability of the party to heal.  So will Newt do what is best for the party… as he has previously asked Perry and Santorum to do?

If the speeches after yesterday’s primary are an example, it is questionable:

Newt Gingrich's reaction was to promise a scorched earth campaign no matter what the cost, and to continue to have the nerve to call for the other candidates to get out of the race so that "Newt Gingrich, the conservative alternative can defeat the Massachusetts moderate." (Course earlier he was calling Romney a Massachusetts liberal… so I guess that was Newt’s concession.) And yes, he's talking about himself in the third person now... at least for that bit of grandiosity. (I hope Rick Santorum, a far better man takes over Gingrich's number two spot fairly soon.)

Governor Romney, on the other hand, attempted to repair some of that damage in his victory speech, focusing on President Obama, calling for unity in the battle ahead and graciously giving a shout out to his rivals. (Gingrich never even congratulated Romney in his concession speech and from what we have heard never called him after his victory in Iowa, Florida, or New Hampshire.)

Santorum mad a short but positive speech at his headquarters in Nevada telling supporters that his young daughter, Bella, is doing better and thanking everyone for their good wishes. He then went on to reiterate that he will not be entering the candidate food fight, although several observers said he might have to stay in the race.  For after all, campaigns run negative ads because they work.

Ron Paul, as always, was very positive about the change his movement is making and the effect his followers were having.  For Paul, although he’d love to win, it is the message and the movement that matters.  Paul hopes to help the country move back to the Constitution and limited government. He barely participated in Florida so didn’t expect to do any better.

Both Ron Paul and Mitt Romney have had a presence in Nevada since the 2008 Election so there is a possibility that Romney could win with Paul coming in at #2 and Rick Santorum just picked up an endorsement from Dr. Dobson, which should help him!

The craziness from the leftist media and Newt Gingrich has already started again…

Mitt Romney is again being hit by a sound bite taken out of context and a replay of Newt’s Florida ads:

Newt is still playing his ad about the Kosher Food: HERE

And in a interview earlier today Romney said, “I am not concerned with the very poor because we have a safety net for them.  And I am not concerned with the very rich because they are doing fine.  I am concerned with the very heart of America, the 90 to 95% in the middle.  But if there are holes in the safety net for the poor, I will repair them!”

Of course the leftist media and Newt are playing and repeating Mitt’s statement leaving out the last line:  “But if there are holes in the safety net for the poor, I will repair them.”.  (This is a man who gave over 4 million dollars to charity and his church last year… he cares about the poor!).

**My husband I have just gone through a year of Hell trying to get a new business off the ground.  Many of the issues were caused by problems in the system and never ending new government regulations.  We have invested all we had to make this business go, and there were a couple times this past year that we almost ended up on the street.  Mitt is right… there is a safety net for the very poor but there really is no safety net for middle class people without small children temporarily in need.

After losing in Florida yesterday, sore loser Newt now has filed a memo with the RNC to go back and change Florida from a winner take all primary to a proportional (delegate split) primary.  (More whining and crying from old Newt… the debate audience was too quiet, the debate audience was too loud and now after the fact… Florida should have been a proportional primary, blah blah blah, wah wah wah!)  I was a Sarah Palin supporter when this entire process began and I have not endorsed anyone since she decided not to run… but after the past few days, although I do feel that anyone is better than Obama, Newt is now my last choice!

Take your pick.  Despite the negative mud-slinging, the GOP has four very, very good men that provide voters a definite choice between each other and Barack Obama.

Charles Krauthammer said as part of the Florida primary wrap-up on Hannity for Fox, “Ann is Mitt’s Greatest Asset!”

Ask Marion~

Watcher's Council Nominations - Florida Showdown Edition

Ah, primary season is in full swing…

Welcome to the Watcher's Council, a blogging group consisting of some of the most incisive blogs in the 'sphere, and the longest running group of its kind in existence. Every week, the members nominate two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. Then we vote on the best two posts, with the results appearing on Friday.

This week's contest is dedicated to Isabella Santorum and little Elli - get well soon, we're pulling for you sweethearts.

Council News:
This week, Ask Marion, The Independent Sentinel and Capitalist Preservation took advantage of my generous offer of linkage and earned honorable mention status.  You can, too! Want to see your work appear on the Watcher’s Council homepage in our weekly contest listing? Didn’t get nominated by a Council member? No worries.

Simply head over to Joshuapundit and post the title a link to the piece you want considered along with an e-mail address ( which won't be published) in the comments section no later than Monday 6PM PST in order to be considered for our honorable mention category, and return the favor by creating a post on your site linking to the Watcher’s Council contest for the week.

It's a great way of exposing your best work to Watcher’s Council readers and Council members. while grabbing the increased traffic and notoriety. And how good is that, eh?
So, let's see what we have this week....

Council Submissions

• The Colossus of Rhodey – If you didn't know this was coming by now, you're living in a cave
• Joshuapundit-The New Egypt - Bankrupt And Sinking Fast
• The Noisy Room – Tantrum on the Tarmac
• Simply Jews – Wayne Madsen drops another... bombshell: Barack Obama outed as CIA creation
• New Zeal – Russia Today Hires WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange- Will the Kremlin Be Pleased?
• The Political Commentator – In a debate would John King ask Obama about this...? (Video)
• VA Right - Senator Janet Howell ‘Rectal Avenger’
• GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD – The Saudi Persian War
• The Mellow Jihadi – Parading Vets: St Louis Vs. New York
• Bookworm Room – ObamaCare, the Catholic Church, and mandatory abortion payments
• The Razor – The Twisted Memory of Newt Gingrich
• Rhymes With Right – Presidents Are Not Kings; Americans No Obliged To Appear When He Beckons
• Right Truth – What's In A Name?
• The Right Planet – GOP: On Whose Side?
• The Glittering Eye -The History of Spaghetti and Marinara

Honorable Mentions

• The Independent Sentinel - Obama Signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty & Ceded Our Internet Rights to the UN
• Ask Marion - Hillary Leaving as Obama’s Eligibility Trial(s) Move Forward… Coincidence?
• Capitalist Preservation - A hiss is just a hiss, a lie is just a lie...

Non-Council Submissions

• Smithsonian.com – Revisiting the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich submitted by The Colossus of Rhodey
• Alisina.org – What Is My Identity? submitted by Joshuapundit
• Michelle Malkin –For Santorum submitted by The Noisy Room
• Terry Glavin – It's Not Funny Anymore submitted by Simply Jews
• American Thinker – The Civilized Man vs. the MTA Savages submitted by New Zeal
• Caroline Glick -The Zionist Imperative submitted by The Political Commentator
• Investor.com – Media Act As Though Only Republicans Misbehave submitted by VA Right
• The Reserve Officer – New Defense Strategy submitted by GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD
• The Kitchen Dispatch –Aloha, Sarge Charlie. Until We Meet Again submitted by The Mellow Jihadi
• Bill Whittle-The Vote Pumpsubmitted by Bookworm Room
• Via Meadia –Beyond Blue Part One: The Crisis of the American Dream submitted by The Razor
• Frontloading HQ – I'll see your white knight and raise you a filing deadline. Why It's Too Late for Entry in the Republican Nomination Racesubmitted by Rhymes with Right
• Blogbat -The Moon Is Made of Cheese, You Know submitted by Right Truth
• Bob Owens/PJ Media – New Emails Suggest Eric Holder Perjured Himself submitted by The Glittering Eye
• American Thinker – Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis submitted by The Right Planet
• Gates of Vienna – Breivik: Al Qaeda’s Man in Oslo? submitted by The Watcher

Also See: Gallop State Approval Numbers Predict an Obama Loss

GOP Candidates Still Swinging

As I watch the non-stop mud-slinging fest (including all the articles below), the first thing that comes to mind is that Soros, Team Obama, and the Progressive left have got us right where they want us.  They have gotten us to do their bidding and destroy our candidates before Obama ever has to get to a debate with any of them.

The American Thinker ^: Perhaps Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum or Ron Paul are not the right candidates to face Barack Obama, but that decision should be up to the voters. While it maybe the role of the conservative pundit class to proffer their opinions of the various candidates, it is not the role of the overall Establishment to so marginalize candidates that there appears to be only one viable alternative.

Well perhaps Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum or Ron Paul are not the right candidates to face Barack Obama… and beating Obama is all that matters in this election cycle… so why have we have taken our eyes waaay off that goal? If Obama wins again America will not be around to fight another day or to right herself.  This is not the year, the election, to fight the establishment on principle if in the end you lose it all.

And what about the onslaught by the right against Romney?  As Glenn Beck asked today: What is up with all these people endorsing Gingrich?  Although Beck has said he’d vote for a shoe, if the shoe had the GOP nomination, and that he will vote for whomever of the final 4 that gets the nomination over Obama, his first choice is Rick Santorum and then his second choice would be Mitt Romney.

In a reliable swing state poll, explained by liberal Democrat campaign strategist and former Assistant Secretary of State Bob Beckel from The Five, Newt Gingrich polls 4th in beating Obama. Romney #1 and he beats Obama in a few. Paul and Santorum tie and Newt Gingrich loses, coming in 4th and not being able to beat Obama by a huge margin.

If Obama wins another term the America as we know is done and everyone will tell you that without a doubt, we will never be able to over-turn ObamaCare if it isn’t now.

I really feel that this Russian roulette game the tea party is playing, after not supporting Bachmann and barely supporting Cain and Santorum will be the final nail in the coffin of possibly the movement and the GOP if  we do not wake up quickly. I have spent a lot of time lately looking into Newt and Mitt (neither my first choice)… and of the two, my vote is for Mitt. And I think Palin (who has always been my first choice) by supporting Newt in continuing the circus is making a huge mistake.

To me it could not be more obvious that the left wants Newt to win because of all his baggage and because the moderates and independents will never vote for him. And from what I’ve seen, read, and know Newt is as big of a flip-flopper as Mitt; Newt is the Washington insider; and most everyone who has worked with Newt says he is a loose cannon (including Santorum) who has a million ideas but never follows through. Plus Mitt knows economics and has proven he knows how to get things done, which seems to be what we need most in this failing economy and road to economic crisis that we are on.

Several articles below: Note the one about Glenn Beck is a vanity - browsing through - people (and the Tea Party) evidently feel that they have no chance against the GOP establishment and must accept the candidates put before them, rather than looking deeper for candidates.
open that link about the Tea party on the verge of extinction

A month ago -when the Republican primary contest began to get ugly- it already seemed intra-party chasms that developed over this cycle would be taking some time to heal. We all still assumed that 'anybody but Obama' would get us together in the end, though... yet no longer:  there's simply no dealing with the self-serving syndicate that's re-written history and gang-raped Newt Gingrich just to stick us with some fake conservative scumbag. The TEA Party movement is on the verge of extinction if we fail to go on the offensive- and I mean now.  Or is it just the opposite and is the Tea Party destroying themselves as well as the GOP’s chance to beat Barack Obama?

With Romney riding a Florida surge brought about by a widespread RNC/MSM/Drudge/Coulter/Christy conspiracy against Newt, the damage is done... Mr Magic Underpants is suddenly pulling-away: apparently the ruinous (to the GOP) assault on Gingrich has succeeded in swaying just enough pudding-heads down there to hand him victory tomorrow, and thus sending fake conservative Romney along towards his long-planned coronation.

· WAR: If They Succeed in Forcing a Romney Nomination On Us, The GOP Establishment Must Be Destroyed

Monday, January 30, 2012 8:52:43 AM · by Reaganite Republican · 1 replies

Reaganite Republican ^ | January 30, 2012 | Reaganite Republican

Hey RNC, get this through your big fat skulls: I will never, ever vote for Mitt Romney... never Baloo A month ago -when the Republican primary contest began to get ugly- it already seemed intra-party chasms that developed over this cycle would be taking some time to heal. We all still assumed that 'anybody but Obama' would get us together in the end, though...yet no longer:  there's simply no dealing with the self-serving syndicate that's re-written history and gang-raped Newt Gingrich just to stick us with some fake conservative scumbag. The TEA Party movement is on the verge of extinction if we fail to go...

· Glenn Beck

Sunday, January 29, 2012 9:35:42 AM · by MSGT1 · 124 replies

Why is Glenn Beck lying to destroy Newt?? Glenn has voiced support for Santorum while his actions are pushing Mitt. On his propaganda page the blaze in one day he had 14 hit pieces on Newt, 9 puff pieces on Mitt and 2 stories mentioning Santorum {one of those could be considered negative}. The amount of dishonesty in those articles and his radio show is mind boggling. Glenn is abusing the trust people have placed in him and trying to get the most liberal candidate the nomination. Newt was surging in Iowa so Glenn went scorched earth and by catching...

· Sarah Palin accuses GOP of 'Stalin-esque' attack on Newt Gingrich

Sunday, January 29, 2012 5:21:56 AM · by 2ndDivisionVet · 17 replies

The Hill ^ | January 28, 2012 | Russell Berman -

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) sharply criticized the Republican Party “establishment” for using what she called a “Stalin-esque rewriting of history” to tar Newt Gingrich as he fights for the GOP presidential nomination. Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, posted a nearly 1,400-word statement on her Facebook page on Friday in which she accused Republican party elders of employing “tactics of the left” to derail the Gingrich campaign. “The Republican establishment which fought Ronald Reagan in the 1970s and which continues to fight the grassroots Tea Party movement today has adopted the tactics of the left in using the...

· Proof! Voters smarter than media, Washington elite

Monday, January 30, 2012 9:05:27 AM · by JSDude1 · 2 replies

WND ^ | 1/29/12 | Chuck Norris

I think the mainstream media, or MSM, and Washington elite think the majority of voters just fell off the turnip truck. But the South Carolina primary election and other current voting trends show otherwise. The MSM are working double time to get us to forget about the unprecedented results of the South Carolina primary election, but they are a sign of what could be in Florida, Nevada and beyond. They are also proof that American citizens will not be outwitted by the political shenanigans of the powers that be. Let me give you a few examples. Despite that ABC paraded...

Voters’ Idea: Replace Congress  -  By: malterwitty

• POLITICS/ELECTIONS/CORRUPTION

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, to be released this evening, asked registered voters what they’d do if their ballot included the option of replacing every member of Congress, including their own representative.

Some 56% said they’d vote yes – the highest level recorded since the Journal poll began asking the question in March, 2010.

· DAILY/HOURLY Prayers for Newt Gingrich and Our Survival As A Free People

Saturday, January 28, 2012 8:44:38 PM · by Brad’s Gramma · 47 replies

Free Republic ^ | 1-28-12 | All Praying Freepers

Folks, we need to be on our knees, NOW, praying for Newt Gingrich and for our country. I don't want this to be political.....Newt was not my first choice, but after seeing what the press did to Sarah, then Mr. Cain, and what they're now trying to do to Newt, with of course the BLESSING of Romney....well, we need to stop this NOW. We can ALL agree that NONE of us wants O'Bama back in office, that is a given. I have children...lots of YOU have children. I have grandkids, lots of YOU have grandkids. I do NOT want them...

Is Newt Gingrich a True Reagan Conservative? Thursday, 19 Jan 2012 06:09 PM By Newsmax Wires
The video couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for Gingrich, whose critics have been questioning the relationship he actually shared with Reagan. Mitt Romney is now taking a lot of heat for leading what many are calling a “smear campaign” against the former House speaker.
Ronald Reagan Legacy - video - Must see.  No pause button  NARRATED by NEWT

· Is Newt Gingrich a True Reagan Conservative?

Saturday, January 28, 2012 12:24:45 AM · by RedMDer · 33 replies

Newsmax ^ | Thursday, 19 Jan 2012 06:09 PM | Newsmax Wires

A newly surfaced video shows Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is a true Reagan conservative. The video, called “The Ronald Reagan Legacy,” recently made its exclusive debut on Newsmax and is already making an impact in political circles. Is Newt Gingrich a True Reagan Conservative? Watch ‘The Ronald Reagan Legacy’ and Decide for Yourself! The video couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for Gingrich, whose critics have been questioning the relationship he actually shared with Reagan. Mitt Romney is now taking a lot of heat for leading what many are calling a “smear campaign” against the former House...

Perhaps Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum or Ron Paul are not the right candidates to face Barack Obama, but that decision should be up to the voters.  While it maybe the role of the conservative pundit class to proffer their opinions of the various candidates, it is not the role of the overall Establishment to so marginalize candidates that there appears to be only one viable alternative.

The Establishment could not have made a more strategic blunder.   They will, in all likelihood, succeed in securing the nomination for Mitt Romney, but the damage they have inflicted upon themselves is approaching irreversible.  The public now sees the length to which the Establishment will go to make certain their hand-picked candidate is chosen regardless of the dire circumstances facing the nation.

Average Republican or conservative voters are the same people that buy the books or magazines or subscribe to the websites, as well as buy tickets to hear speeches by the conservative pundit class.   These are the same people asked to open their wallets to support the Party every two years.   These are the same people asked to volunteer at the polls and get out the vote.   These are the same people who were told every election cycle to trust the Party and its attendant establishment to solve the nations' ills.

A number of them (how many is anyone's guess right now) will no longer be willing to support those factions within the Establishment and the Party or to believe what they are told.  These are the people suffering the consequences of the disastrous policies pursued over previous decades, while those in the Establishment live lives of relative ease and comfort, which seems to be their primary concern.

· The Republican Establishment's Strategic Blunder

Monday, January 30, 2012 3:08:01 AM · by Cincinatus' Wife · 58 replies

The American Thinker ^ | January 30, 2012 | Steve McCann

The RepublicanParty has a tenuous hold on the conservative movement in America. At present the only home for the 40 per cent of the electorate that identify themselves as conservative is the Republican Party, but it appears that those who are nominally identified as the "Republican Establishment" are doing all they can to alienate the vast majority of the current base of the Party. There is no office on ConnecticutAvenue in Washington with a sign reading "The RepublicanEstablishment" or the "The Democratic Establishment"; rather it is an amalgam of like-minded groups with one common interest: control of the government purse-strings....

The Republican Establishment's Strategic Blunder

By Steve McCann

The Republican Party has a tenuous hold on the conservative movement in America.   At present the only home for the 40 per cent of the electorate that identify themselves as conservative is the Republican Party, but it appears that those who are nominally identified as the "Republican Establishment" are doing all they can to alienate the vast majority of the current base of the Party.

There is no office on Connecticut Avenue in Washington with a sign reading "The Republican Establishment" or the "The Democratic Establishment"; rather it is an amalgam of like-minded groups with one common interest: control of the government purse-strings.

The Republican Establishment is made up of the following:  1) many current and nearly all retired Republican national office holders whose livelihood and narcissistic demands depends upon fealty to Party and access to government largesse; 2) the majority of the conservative media, including pundits, editors, writers and television news personalities based in Washington and New York whose proximity to power and access is vital to their continued standard of living;  3) numerous think-tanks and members thereof who are waiting to latch on to the next Republican administration for employment and ego-gratification; and 4) the reliable deep pocket political contributors and political consultants whose future is irrevocably tied to the political machinery of the Party.

The overriding interest of this cabal has been and continues to be: the accumulation of power through the control of the income, borrowing and spending by the Federal Government.   Thus, with the exception of the presidency of Ronald Reagan and the Republican controlled House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999, the Republican members of the Ruling Class have been content since 1952 to merely slow down the big-government policies of the Democrats while publicly decrying their tax and spend policies.

This insider apparatus has been the primary determining factor in whom among those choosing to run for office will receive the financial, media and logistical support so vital for any political campaign, but particularly for national office be it the Presidency or either house of Congress.   It is this cabal that has given the nation Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush and John McCain in the presidential sweepstakes and innumerable go-along to get-along members of Congress.

This scenario was tolerated and generally ignored as long as the nation was experiencing overwhelming and seemingly endless prosperity.   The one major accomplishment of Barack Obama has been to bring a sudden and abrupt end the people's ability to tolerate this tacitly understood game between the two major Parties.

The majority of the American people, but in particular those who identify themselves as conservative, are overwhelmingly aware of the true nature of the nation's problems and the crossroad the country is facing in 2012.   The grassroots rebellion that is the Tea Party movement was the first manifestation of this awareness.  Despite the success of the Tea Party working within the Republican Party in the 2010 mid-term elections, most of the Republican elites downplayed their success and fell-in with the mainstream media and the Democrats in their well-worn and gratuitous aspersions against those in fly-over country.

The rank and file members of the Party and conservatives throughout the country are now keenly aware of the opinion the Establishment has of them, as well as what has been going on behind the curtains in Washington.  The current Republican nominating process has further exposed the true nature of the Establishment and their self-centered concerns.

It has been apparent for over a year that Mitt Romney has been chosen to be the next Republican nominee for president.   He is next in line and has the track record and inclination to slow down but not reverse the downward spiral in which the nation finds itself; but above all to fall in line with what is expected of a Republican insider.  Perhaps coincidentally, he has spent many millions of dollars hiring consultants and beltway pros, and has the fundraising capacity and personal wealth to keep on employing them.  Thus he is the ideal candidate of the Establishment. 

However a major problem has arisen.   The machinations utilized in the past (with the exception of Ronald Reagan who was not the Establishment's choice) to maneuver the primary voters into choosing the previously anointed Mitt Romney has now come out in the open as the awakened silent majority is no longer willing to be fooled or taken for granted. 

There are six primary methods of eliminating potential challengers with the tacit cooperation of the mainstream media, and they have been in full display this primary season.   They are to portray unacceptable candidates as: 

• hypocrites in sexual matters (Herman Cain); or
• unstable (Michelle Bachmann); or
• ignorant and incoherent (Rick Perry); or
• a religious fanatic (Rick Santorum); or
• just plain weird and from another planet (Ron Paul); or
• dangerous and unelectable (Newt Gingrich).

Sarah Palin would have been placed in all of those boxes had she decided to run, as well as anyone else deemed not acceptable to the elites. (Read Full Post HERE)

I listened to an interview earlier on Monday on Fox by Bret Bair  with Newt Gingrich… and virtually everything Newt said about Mitt Romney was an exaggeration or an all out lie!

It appears more like the factions within the GOP are fighting for control of their party instead of the future of America which may spell out the end of both.  It also appears to many, after the Gingrich maneuvers, that the tea party or conservative right is no different than the Republican  Establishment they are attacking; just like Newt is no different or perhaps even worse than Romney’s Pacs that Newt complains about.  Whether the mud keeps flying and for how long it might continue just could be determined by Mitt Romney’s showing in Florida’s primary today.

In the latest poll I saw today (Monday 1.30.12)

Romney: 47%

Gingrich: 27%

Santorum: 13%

Paul: 13%

Related:

For Santorum

The 11th Commandment

Tic… Toc… GOP Toc…. Or Rather Talk

This Should Be An Eye-Opener

Romney Releases His Tax Returns

Talking Points About SOTU and Romney’s Taxes