Mitt Romney left everyone else in the dust tonight in the GOP debate on economic issues.
The big loser was Rick Perry, who needed a strong, convincing performance, but didn’t deliver. He fell back into the rest of the pack as just another dwarf.
Extra credit to Mitt for using his opportunity to ask another candidate a question to serve a softball to Michelle Bachmann, trying to help her take tea party/social conservative votes away from Perry.
The Republicans are always bellyaching that Democrat plans to cut domestic spending are never real cuts, they are just cuts in the rate of growth.
Now comes Mitt “I’m Also Unemployed” Romney, in his foreign and defense policy speech in South Carolina yesterday, declaiming that “As President, on day one, … I will reverse President Obama’s massive defense cuts.”
Except that there haven’t been any defense cuts, massive or otherwise. There have been reductions in the rate of growth in defense spending, which you would expect as we wind down two wars. And any Republican will tell you that reductions in growth rates aren’t cuts.
Also, Mitt said he would put pressure on Iran by sending an aircraft carrier task force to the Persian Gulf. Great idea, Mitt, except that we already have one there.
Mitt is either ignorant or dishonest. Either way, he shouldn’t be commander in chief.
Following up on Sen. Marco Rubio’s assertion that Social Security and Medicare have “weakened us as a people,” now Michele Bachmann says that she’s not a big fan of the federal minimum wage law, which has been around since 1938. Instead of a new vision for the 21st century, the GOP seems nostalgic for the 19th. At this rate, the platform adopted at their 2012 convention will take a firm stand against indoor plumbing.
National polls, which currently show Rick Perry quickly taking a big lead, are interesting, but meaningless. The polls to watch are those in the early states. I would especially keep an eye on Florida, where Mitt “I’m Also Unemployed” Romney currently leads. If Perry opens up a lead in Florida, Mitt’s in trouble.
In 2008, Rudy Giuliani chose to pin his hopes on Florida, and his strategy failed. This time, Mitt may not choose Florida as his battleground state, but it may choose him.
Mitt is expected to win New Hampshire, Nevada, and Michigan. That’s already built into his narrative. A successful challenge to him in one or more of those states would be a huge blow to him, especially New Hampshire because of all the attention it gets as the first primary and his strong ties to that state.
While people talk about the power of the first three (Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina), I give special significance to South Carolina because of the momentum it inevitably creates for Florida. Romney came in fourth in South Carolina last time, then second in Florida after John McCain, and dropped out soon after. McCain’s good buddy Fred Thompson stayed in the South Carolina race solely to play spoiler, helping McCain narrowly defeat Mike Huckabee, giving McCain the buzz he needed to win Florida and the nomination.
Mitt needs a thick enough cushion in Florida that his expected loss in South Carolina won’t have a dramatic spillover effect. The more the South Carolina vote is split (as between Perry and Michele Bachmann), the better off Mitt is. If anyone rides a steamroller out of the Palmetto State, Mitt’s the one who will be flattened.
Enjoyable as the Rick Perry-Karl Rove fight is, save some popcorn for Rove’s feud with Sarah Palin (who campaigned for Perry in his primary fight against Kay Bailey Hutchison, who had the backing of Rove and assorted Bush family members and aides). If Palin doesn’t run herself, she will support Perry. Rove is calling Palin “thin-skinned,” and — horrors — even saying so on Fox.
Meanwhile the new Pew Poll shows that 41% of GOP voters and GOP leaners say Palin has “no chance” of getting their vote. Not even if she personally stocks their freezers with moose. Poor Newt does even worse — his “fuhgeddaboudit” is 48%. My faith in humanity is a little restored today.
Back in June, Mitt “I’m Also Unemployed” Romney said that we should reduce carbon emissions because of climate change. On Wednesday, at a New Hampshire town hall, Romney said that if he becomes president, he will not seek to limit such emissions.
Mitt has obviously been studying new data. No, not data on climate change. Rick Perry’s poll numbers.
I know the White House believes Mitt “I’m Also Unemployed” Romney would be their toughest opponent of the current top contenders, but they’re overlooking a very significant factor. In presidential races, the less preppy-seeming guy usually wins.
Notice I said preppy-seeming, not preppy. You can be a prep-school grad (as is Obama, from the Punahou School) as long as you don’t come across as one. And Mitt (Crandbrook School) sure comes off as one.
That’s why Bush 43 (Phillips Andover) was able to beat both Al Gore (St. Albans) and John Kerry (St. Paul’s). Of course Kerry didn’t help himself by saying things like, “Who among us doesn’t love NASCAR?” Who among us says “who among us” — only preppies. And Bush helped himself enormously by channeling West Texas rather than New England with his pork rinds and dropped g’s.
That’s why Bush 41 (also Phillips Andover) lost to Clinton. Bush 41 did win against Michael Dukakis, but the country wanted a third Reagan term, and Dukasis was a dufus. As long as Obama doesn’t climb in a tank, the rule should hold.
What about Obama’s vacations in Martha’s Vineyard? Oh, please, Muffy, the man is renting.
Brent Budowsky over at The Hill has quite a provocative headline up: “Rick Perry = Rod Blagojevich.”
But his story goes beyond that headline to argue that Rick Perry>Rod Blagojevich, asserting that Perry makes Blagojevich “look like an amateur” when it comes to pay-for-play fundraising.
He claims, “I hear national reporters are all over Texas right now” to expose campaign contributions from companies that got state funds and individuals who got state jobs.
I assume Karl Rove is delighted to take those reporters to the rock pile and watch as they turn them over.
So will it be White House or Big House? Don’t mess with Texas, but especially don’t mess with Rove.
No Candidate Forum for you! That’s what Jim DeMint has told presidential contenders Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum about his South Carolina candidate event on Labor Day. But while he’s not inviting some candidates to his candidate forum, you apparently don’t have to be a candidate to be included because he has invited Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin.
Both Santorum and Huntsman are planning a big push in the Palmetto State, so the snub has to hurt.
I wonder if DeMint is now higher on Santorum’s Enemies List than Dan Savage.
Asked about Libya on Neil Cavuto today, Mitt “I’m Also Unemployed” Romney replied, “Well, we’re gonna see the results of what occurs.”
I don’t know about you, but such rhetoric gives me a thrill up my leg. Can’t you see him as our commander-in-chief?
Embattled Farmers 