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I find the GOP debates & endless caucus coverage marginally more bearable if I turn down the volume and use the Benny Hill theme song as a soundtrack instead. Here’s a 10-hour loop (!) which might come in handy as Super Tuesday looms…
N.B. Works equally well as an accompaniment to Australian Parliamentary Question Time coverage.
Which Republican presidential nominee?
Having just spent an hour or so watching the New Hampshire GOP Republican debate, having gleaned various tidbits over the internet since a while back, I can honestly say I don’t know.
Yet.
In comments at that link, Ron Paul’s supporters come across as a tad too fervent, as does Paul himself. He just comes across as a bit whiney. Quick to complain about a problem but a bit wishy washy with any solutions.
Romney arguably won, but he comes off as Obama-lite+religion. He’s big government but I will say he’s tending to own his opponents. He does look presidential and has the establishment’s backing… not necessarily a good thing when up against Obama who REALLY has the Establishment’s backing and REALLY (at least) talks presidential (except here where he sounds about as formidable as Julia Gillard). Read the rest of this entry »
If you get your news from any American paper that subscribes to the Associated Press feed (such as the Washington Post), you might be thinking right about now that the Team Elephant presidential primaries have resolved into a two-man race: “front runner” Mitt “Presidential Hair” Romney, and Rick “Bomb the shit out of Iran!” Santorum.Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has won most of the delegates in the Iowa Republican caucuses, edging former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Romney won a projected 13 delegates and Santorum won 12. Texas Rep. Ron Paul was shut out.
Wow, it doesn’t get any clearer than that. It looks like Dr. Paul and the remaining warm bodies still running are shit outta luck.
Just one problem: it’s a complete lie.
The fact is, Romney and Santorum TIED Ron Paul with seven delegates each. Newt Gingrich and Governor Perry Gardacil are still alive with two delegates each.
So why do you suppose that the AP and WaPo are reporting factual untruth? I mean, aside from the fact that Big Media (the BM for short) generally tends to side with Big Government politicians?
I’ll leave that to you to decide. My opinion is that it is part of an intentional push to eliminate the “anti-Romney” candidates who actually stand a chance of beating “The Hair”. “The Warhead” doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning this or any other election, so he’s safe (from the perspective of the Elephant elites) to leave in the race.
The BM doesn’t just report on the presidential races. It influences them as well. On purpose.
And here I was worried that the media, the Team Elephant establishment, and the other GOP candidates were going to take down Ron Paul. It appears he’s pretty good at it himself.
Ron Paul is taking “no comment” to a whole new level.
The Republican presidential candidate walked out on a CNN interview Wednesday following a heated discussion over racist newsletters that were sent out in his name more than two decades ago.
The usually mild-mannered, Texas congressman – who’s leading in some Iowa polls – became irked when network reporter Gloria Borger pressed Paul about the newsletters.
Paul said he was sick of being “pestered” by reporters about the issue.
*face palm*
He can’t seriously believe that he can withstand allegations of racism and bigotry by running away, can he? I admire the guy, to be sure, but even I have issues with the way he handled this.
*sigh* I guess I’d better get used to the term “President Romney” in 2013.
The pattern has been played out over and over. A potential Team Elephant presidential candidate starts to rise in the polls. A bulls-eye is affixed to that candidate. A combination of Republican elites, their allies in the punditocracy, and Big Media (the BM for short), which simply can’t help itself when an opportunity to dump on a Republican presents itself, begin hammering on any and all perceived defects of said candidate. Next thing you know, the new frontrunner is cast on the scrap heap, either to quit (like Herman Cain) or to flounder haplessly trying to regain momentum (like Michele Bachmann and Governor Perry Gardasil).
Now that Newt Gingrich is dropping faster than shares in Freddie Mac, Ron Paul has surged into a virtual tie and perhaps even the lead in Iowa.
That’s bad.
“Vulture, WTF? I though you were a Paul guy.” I am. Which is why I’m dreading what awaits. A decent and honorable man is about to be dragged through the slime, called everything but a child of God, and accused of all sorts of thought crimes ranging from racism to anti-Americanism.
Think I’m kidding. The threats have already started from the faux conservative media.
The establishment Elephants will NOT tolerate any attempt by the American people to choose a candidate other than Mitt Romney (and his presidential hair). They don’t care who they wreck in the process.
And we wonder why we have the caliber of candidates we have. Only the bravest, the most foolish, or the most power-mad need apply. Decent people need not apply.
During the 2008 presidential election cycle, I wrote over 60 posts — including extensive analysis of the primaries and conventions — at my personal blog, The Vulture Lurks (recommended by 4 out of 5 curmudgeons). So far this election cycle I’ve written a handful of minor posts. Why the drop-off? That’s easy. This isn’t an election we’re witnessing. It’s a coronation, at least on the Team Elephant side of the ledger.Why would I call it a coronation? How could I call it a coronation when there is no clear front-runner and the first primary hasn’t even occurred yet? Follow along as I read the tea leaves.
Conservative media: Fox News (“fair” and “balanced”) is in the tank for Romney. Big time. Some of Fox’s so-called analysts are so far up Romney’s butt that they taste his lunch mere seconds after he does.
Fox has proclaimed Romney winner of nearly all of the debates. Yet after one of the debates, Michele Bachmann surged into the lead in the polls. After another, it was Herman Cain. After yet another, it was Newt Gingrich. You should be getting the idea by now. No matter Romney’s showing, he’s the winner.
Every time Fox gets on the subject of the “Primary front runners”, Romney’s name is first on their lips. No matter where he is in the latest polling, first, second, even FOURTH, he is always “a front runner”. Meanwhile, if he is first or second, NO ONE beyond second place gets a mention. Hell, when he was in fourth place in an Iowa poll recently, the candidate ahead of him, Ron Paul, was omitted from mention in the front runners discussion. But not Mitt.
Talk radio isn’t quite as blatant; in fact, many talk show hosts are reluctant to be seen as endorsing anyone, such is the general distaste for Romney among the listening public. But almost without fail, all talk show hosts assert that no matter who the Republican nominee is, no matter how much they might deviate from conservative principles, we HAVE TO vote for them – ANYONE but Obama. Never mind that a vote for Romney is a vote for “Obama-lite”. You gotta do it!
Columnists of various stripes have wandered hither and yon regarding Romney. But two powerhouse conservative pundits have lined up foursquare behind him: Ann Coulter and Charles Krauthammer. Both of these two alleged conservatives have shelved principle and gone with “electable” as be-all/end-all for their candidate. Never mind that it was said of Ronald Reagan in 1980 that he was unelectable. This is different.
Bang the war drums: Every candidate still in the race, with the exception of Ron Paul, is obsessed with proving their warrior bona fides. “I would go to war with Iran NOW!”, one after another will thunder. The audience (God help us!) eats that shit up. It would appear that so-called conservatives have bought into the propaganda that never-ending pre-emptive war is “defense”. Again, God help us!
One is left in amazement that a candidate can spew vitriol with regards to all of the wasteful spending in Washington, and yet opine that the military, estimated to hit around $1.4 TRILLION in spending in 2012, needs to be beefed up. We’re drowning in debt, but without war-without-end and the trillions of dollars it requires, we’re going to be overrun by cave-dwelling terrorists, and conquered.
The military-industrial complex lives and thrives.
The Team Elephant elite: They’ve made it clear for over a year – Romney is their guy. I suppose they’d settle for Gingrich in a pinch (much as they settled for McCommie last cycle, when Rudy Giuliani was their preference). But they’re adamant. It WILL be Romney or an equally conviction-free statist. Period.
Do you really think the attacks on Governor Perry Gardacil, Herman Cain, and Michele Bachmann happened because Big Media (the BM for short) hates “real” conservatives and wanted to destroy them? Those attacks were friendly fire. Those attacks were orchestrated. Don’t be surprised if Newt succumbs to something similar to what happened to Cain between now and mid-January.
“Okay, Vulture. You believe there’s a coronation afoot. What do you say we do about it, smart guy?”
What CAN we do? Truthfully, we in the West have gone so far down the slippery slope to ruin that I don’t think it matters any more who we elect.We might crash and burn and start to recover sooner with one candidate over another.
But crash and burn we shall.
I’ve made no secret of my loathing for “The Hairdo”, AKA Mitt Romney. He’s the poster child for RINOs. He’s a gigantic flip-flopping fraud. And now, once again, he’s running for President.
Romney declared to cheers on a sunny farm in southern New Hampshire, “I’m Mitt Romney and I believe in America. And I’m running for president of the United States.”
The former governor and business executive aggressively challenged Democratic President Obama while trying to pitch himself to the coalition that makes up the modern GOP: fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, evangelicals and libertarians. Romney included nods to all as he sought to make himself the candidate with the broadest appeal and best shot at sending Obama home to Chicago as a one-term president.
Yeah, he’s trying to appeal to everybody. He certainly appeals to the Elephant Elitists, who have all but anointed him as The Chosen One. But if you really examine who he is and what he represents, he certainly won’t appeal to YOU.
Anyone who purports to be a “conservative” who supports this tool is a waste of oxygen and should be forcibly prohibited from voting.
The irony of the situation is mind-blowing. Ron Paul is “extreme” and “unelectable”. But Mitt Romney? Why, he’s everything a “conservative” could ever wish for!
Except conservative.
More at The Blaze.
If you’re on Twitter, follow THE Herman Cain & the Cain press office.
Go, Citizen Cain!
UPDATE: And in case anyone’s interested, the rest of the potential field: The 2012 Candidates Not Named “Herman”
UPDATE 2: Lots of good stuff at Citizens4Cain, including 5 reasons not to dismiss him as a serious contender.
So we see over at Bolt’s Palace this morning that the Donald has pulled out of the US presidential Republican nomination.
Well, it’s doubtful anyone’s surprised. And yeeees, this certain blogger did like what Trump was offering, even whilst knowing most conservative bloggers (libertarian here) didn’t want a bar of him. A lot of it was that breath of fresh air factor he brought to the debate. And I still think no other Republican that has been offered up will be capable of beating Obama.
Happy to be proved wrong, but there you go.
And I still think a successful businessperson would be ideal for the US’ top job, especially considering the deficit and debt. So I guess that leaves me favouring Romney, however, lately, one’s ear hasn’t been kept that close to the political – let alone the US political – ground.
Who’s been looking good lately, folks, and why?
PS Thanks for all the email updates JM even though there wasn’t any time to use them.
x-posted
UPDATE
Sneaky edit under the fold….
Are you a Democrat or a Republican? Here’s a little test to help you decide:
You’re walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, a man with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you. You are carrying a Glock .40 cal, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.
What do you do?
Democrat’s Answer
Well, that’s not enough information to answer the question! Does the man look poor? Or oppressed? Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack? Could we run away? What does my wife think? What about the kids?
Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand? What does the law say about this situation? Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it? Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?
Is it possible he’d be happy with just killing me? Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me? If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me? Should I call 9-1-1? Why is this street so deserted?
We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.
This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.
Republican’s Answer
BANG! BANG!
Extra Credit: Southern Republican’s Answer:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click…..(sounds of reloading).
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click
Daughter: “Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silvertips or Federal Hydra-Shoks?”
UPDATE: A typical rational Australian Lefty replies – 
There’s James Board’s unedifying man-crush on Trump*, and then there’s reality…
Levin points out many things about Trump that show he is no conservative, but a few of the glaring ones are the fact that he support Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio twice, as well as calling for the impeachment of George W. Bush, accusing him of lying to get us in the war. Oh yeah, and he supported Universal Health Care in America, the Canadian style.
And there’s more. This is a must listen.
And where the hell was he during the last few years of the Tea Party’s birth and rise, and the battles it was fighting?
President Trump? Not. Gonna. Happen.
*LOL. You know I still love ya, man 😉
UPDATE: Shy retiring type @DanRiehl has a word in the Trump fanbois’ shell-likes. Heh.
via The Right Scoop and Mark Levin
A bunch of Lefties at the California State University have sifted through Sarah Palin’s trash to find out the details of her speaking engagements contract, handed it to a local Democrat pollie, who dutifully handed it to their propaganda department the media. And now Democrat California Attorney General, Jerry Brown is investigating.
Gee, nothing desperate going on there.
And as for Palin’s speeches, shock horror, she makes some decent coin from them – and with a few perks thrown in. We’re talking $100,000 bucks a speech.
OMG, it’s “embarrassing” writes Tim Reid at The Times and reprinted in The Australian.
Yes, it is. Even I’m embarrassed that the Left is getting so desperate nowadays. Noteable also is that the Australian places Reid’s article in the “news” section.
Bollocks his article is “news”.
SARAH Palin faced embarrassing revelations yesterday about lavish demands that she makes before speaking engagements, including first-class air travel or large private jets, suites in hotels and even bendable straws in her water bottles.
…
The latest revelation will do little to damage her reputation among the party’s grassroots activists, who view her as a straight-talking hero, but it undercuts her claim to be a down-to-earth “hockey mom” who is fighting for ordinary working Americans.
Sounds more like Leftist opinion to me, and a media beat-up, Chris Mitchell.
Anyway, let’s just have a look at who earns the big bucks for speaking engagements. There’s Al Gore who gets over $250,000 to peddle speculation. Australia’s Tim Flannery get’s $50,000 to do the same.
And here’s a tidy list from the website whose company drew up Palin’s contract.
The following receive upwards of $40,000 per engagement. Is Palin’s deal out of the ordinary?
OK, see if you can discern the logic here. This morning, Apple sent out invitations for an unveiling event of a new product on January 27th, which is almost certainly going to be the long rumored tablet; the most anticipated Apple product since the iPhone. More anticipated than the iPhone, in fact.
Then, this afternoon, President Obama announces that he’s going to give his State of the Union Address, also on January 27th.
Now, the Apple event is scheduled for 10AM California time, which is 1PM Washington D.C. time, while Obama’s SotU speech will be at 9PM Washington time – eight hours after the Apple event begins.
Now, I had to ask myself, “Self, why would Obama announce, on the same day Apple announced, an event eight hours later, on the same date, January 27th?” Could he and his handlers be so stupid as to not know that the intertubes will be cooking with Apple Tablet talk when Obama and his Teleprompter take the stage?
mmmmmmmmNo. Probably not.
Then I had to ask myself, “Self, why does Obama want his SotU speech to be buried beneath an avalanche of Apple buzz?”
Could it be that, Obama’s Approval Index sucks, and he wants his SotU event to be off the radar?
Could it also be that, Scott Brown’s polling rocks, and he seems poised to pull the upset of the century by pulling, “Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat” out from under the DNC-anointed Martha Coakley, and that would be a slap-in-the-face referendum on the Obama administration?
mmmmmmYeah, that’s what I suspect.
Unbelievable.
In an absolutely overwhelming defeat for California Republican-In-Name-Only Governor Arnold “The Governator” Schwarzenegger, California voters defeated all but one of his ballot initiatives. The one that passed? That would be the one that caps pay for politicians whenever there is a budget deficit: All of the tax increase initiatives – and disguised tax increases – were defeated by about a 2/3 to 1/3 margin.
“While all of this was going on, Schwarzenegger, one of the most disappointing Republican governors of my lifetime, was biding his time in Washington, D.C. He refused to be in the same time zone during the certain bloodbath, and even cast a “last-minute absentee ballot.” He’s back in Sacramento today, holding closed-door meetings with the leadership of both parties on how to fix this mess. That’s the same leadership, mind you, that gave us this massive special-election failure.
Proponents of the measure, backed by teachers unions, spent $30 million to ensure its passage. They outspent those opposed 10 to 1.
California taxpayers did the right thing yesterday. They sent a loud-and-clear message to Schwarzenegger and the legislature. Public hearings on how to fix the budget begin on Thursday. Grab some popcorn — this is going to get very interesting.”
That is truly seismic: Opponents were outspent 10 to 1 and the opponents still won the day.
Now, you might be forgiven for thinking that California will now have to start eliminating entire government agencies that do nothing other than spend taxpayer money and provide welfare-to-work programs for lazy morons with inflated senses of entitlement, but don’t bet on it. Expect Obama to say something along the lines of, “California is too big to fail” in 5… 4… 3… 2…
That’s right, Obama is going to spread California’s anti-wealth around, so we in states with sound fiscal management will have to bail them out. That you can bet on.
“Schwarzenegger has called for cuts that would hit every corner of the state. He announced plans to lay off 5,000 of the state’s 235,000 workers and has proposed slashing education by up to $5 billion, selling state properties, borrowing $2 billion from local governments and potentially reducing eligibility for healthcare programs.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa predicted that the city’s budget could take a hit — but he vowed a fight: “I’m going to do everything I can to protect the city coffers.”
Worst-case scenarios also call for the release from state prisons of up to 19,000 illegal immigrants, who would face deportation, and the transfer of up to 23,000 other prisoners to county jails.”
However, the back door leads here.
“The governor also wants to borrow up to $6 billion, but awaits word on whether Washington would guarantee those loans. The White House has never done so for the state but is considering the action as Wall Street expresses concern that California could become a deadbeat borrower.
In a bid to salt those prospects, Schwarzenegger met privately Tuesday in the U.S. Capitol with members of California’s congressional delegation. “We have a major problem in California, and I think if we work together, we can make it through this crisis,” he told reporters after attending the White House announcement on tougher vehicle emission standards. “We need assistance.”
Do you really think Barry O will let The United Soviet Socialist People’s Republic of California fail? Of course not. He’ll have the treasury print up some more Monopoly Money so Cali politicians can continue to live the profligate lives they’ve become accustomed to. Problem is, California is in such serious trouble – and Barry has the entire rest of the nation in so much debt – that such action could, literally, bring the entire United States down.
Here’s the Governator’s kicker:
“I didn’t come for any bailout. We’re going to make the necessary cuts.”
Um, Arnie, I think your constituents just said, “Fuck you, asshole” and they don’t want to hear any more of this, “I’ll be back” bullshit.
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is fucking awesome. This has to be the best goddam commencement speech ever!
“We Boomers were the children that the Second World War was fought for. Parents who had endured both war and the Great Depression devoted themselves sacrificially to ensuring us a better life than they had. We were pampered in ways no children in human history would recognize. With minor exceptions, we have lived in blissfully fortunate times. The numbers of us who perished in plagues, in famine, or in combat were tiny in comparison to previous generations of Americans, to say nothing of humanity elsewhere.
All our lives, it’s been all about us. We were the “Me Generation.” We wore t-shirts that said “If it feels good, do it.” The year of my high school commencement, a hit song featured the immortal lyric “Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today.” As a group, we have been self-centered, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and all too often just plain selfish. Our current Baby Boomer President has written two eloquent, erudite books, both about..himself.
As a generation, we did tend to live for today. We have spent more and saved less than any previous Americans. Year after year, regardless which party we picked to lead the country, we ran up deficits that have multiplied the debt you and your children will be paying off your entire working lives. Far more burdensome to you mathematically, we voted ourselves increasing levels of Social Security pensions and Medicare health care benefits, but never summoned the political maturity to put those programs on anything resembling a sound actuarial footing.
In sum, our parents scrimped and saved to provide us a better living standard than theirs; we borrowed and splurged and will leave you a staggering pile of bills to pay. It’s been a blast; good luck cleaning up after us.”
LOL! You really need to read the whole enchilada.
Now, you may be asking, “Beef, you’re a Texan, so what’s with the governor of Indiana stuff?” Well, mom’s a Hoosier, and we still own several farms up there. We’re going up this summer, in fact. Can’t hardly wait.
So argues Victor Davis Hanson.
The real cause of unhappiness with the Republicans was simply that they could not make a convincing case for conservatism to a changing electorate because so many of them were not acting as conservatives.
And just because I can. Liberals don’t own that song.
He’s raised $100m in just 100 days, kicking Bill Clinton’s butt by a long shot. It took Bubba over a year to get that much Moolah raised.
And all in the midst of a financial crisis.
I love being a Texan. Here’s one reason why. Texans are the first – but not the last, to be sure – to get fed up with our intrusive federal government.
“AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry joined state Rep. Brandon Creighton and sponsors of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 50 in support of states’ rights under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.”
Perry continued: “Millions of Texans are tired of Washington, DC trying to come down here to tell us how to run Texas.””
You go, Rick. More here, along with bracing video.
This is no small deal. The federal government has been pretending that the 10th Amendment doesn’t exist for almost a hundred years now – basically, since the end of the civil war. If governors start taking this to court, “The United States” could well become, “These United States” again – as they were pre-Lincoln – which would be nothing but good news. America was designed to be a federation of states, not a unitarian state. The US is just too big for that (As are Canada and Australia, for that matter).
The Tizona Group 