Kill Newt's Chances of Winning the Republican Nomination for President of the US

[oxcoug]

Newt can't win a general election

http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-...eTdfCA.twitter

[Clark Addison]

It has been fun reading about this the last few days on CUF. It seems a lot of Mitt's supporters are in a bit of panic mode. I am not a huge Mitt supporter, though I may vote for him in the general election (I would not vote for Newt), but if I were, I don't think I would be too worried. I think the chances are very, very large that Newt's campaign will go up in flames. I guess Mitt's greatest concern is that it doesn't go up in flames until August, rather than February, but were I a betting man, I would bet on Mitt getting the nomination (and then losing in the general election). If you doubt my prognosticational powers, just remember that I am the guy who predicted Obama would be president back in like 1999.

Of course, I also predicted McCain would win in 2000, so what do I know.

[Sleeping in EQ]

Mormon death squads:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...=feeds-newsxml

[TripletDaddy]

It has been fun reading about this the last few days on CUF. It seems a lot of Mitt's supporters are in a bit of panic mode. I am not a huge Mitt supporter, though I may vote for him in the general election (I would not vote for Newt), but if I were, I don't think I would be too worried. I think the chances are very, very large that Newt's campaign will go up in flames. I guess Mitt's greatest concern is that it doesn't go up in flames until August, rather than February, but were I a betting man, I would bet on Mitt getting the nomination (and then losing in the general election). If you doubt my prognosticational powers, just remember that I am the guy who predicted Obama would be president back in like 1999.

Of course, I also predicted McCain would win in 2000, so what do I know.

It is a combination of sore loser and panic mode. You aren't the only one that senses it.

[YOhio]

Mormon death squads:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...=feeds-newsxml

Great find. I loved this pic snapped at the Gingrich rally.

[oxcoug]

http://mittromney.com/news/press/201...million-reward

Romney press team: ""No amount of bluster will hide the fact that Newt had his hand in Freddie Mac..."

[Surfah]

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/ging...ol-free-speech

Gotta love Newt. Wants the debates on his terms. He railed at King for his inappropriate questions and now says that Brian Williams for restricting the freedom of speech of those in attendance who were asked to withhold their applause and cheers.

I have also read numerous comments and posts by Newt supporters today that NBC didn't allow the cheers and applause because they want Romney to win because Newt would kill Obama in a debate.

While Newt is silver tongued and can pivot quickly on most questions that he doesn't have good answers for, his defense is always the same. Attack the elite media, which conservatives lap up. Or he'll list all of the prominent conservatives (along with dates to feign legitimacy) that he may have ever been in the same room as. But the net effect is the same. People believe that he developed supply-side economics. Newt is an amazing politician really. That he has now cast himself as the anti-establishment candidate and has people believing that is something to behold.

[YOhio]

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/ging...ol-free-speech

Gotta love Newt. Wants the debates on his terms. He railed at King for his inappropriate questions and now says that Brian Williams for restricting the freedom of speech of those in attendance who were asked to withhold their applause and cheers.

Is Newt admitting that he can't win the debate format that will be used in the general election?

[Moliere]

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/ging...ol-free-speech

Gotta love Newt. Wants the debates on his terms. He railed at King for his inappropriate questions and now says that Brian Williams for restricting the freedom of speech of those in attendance who were asked to withhold their applause and cheers.

I have also read numerous comments and posts by Newt supporters today that NBC didn't allow the cheers and applause because they want Romney to win because Newt would kill Obama in a debate.

While Newt is silver tongued and can pivot quickly on most questions that he doesn't have good answers for, his defense is always the same. Attack the elite media, which conservatives lap up. Or he'll list all of the prominent conservatives (along with dates to feign legitimacy) that he may have ever been in the same room as. But the net effect is the same. People believe that he developed supply-side economics. Newt is an amazing politician really. That he has now cast himself as the anti-establishment candidate and has people believing that is something to behold.

Maybe I'm wrong, but a debate without a crowd would seem like a better debate. I'm more interested in ideas and records and less interested in political rhetoric and political rhetoric is what gets crowds whipped up in a frenzy.

[oxcoug]

Rubin: What the hell is the rationale for nominating Newt anyway?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...LFMQ_blog.html

[Moliere]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-...an-111988.html

So Newt's tax plan would reduce capital gains tax rates to 0% for everyone. This has to have some millionaires and billionaires (except for Buffett) extremely excited. Of course, this is par for the course for Newt who, in 1997, pushed for a capital gains tax rate reduction from 28% to 20%.

On one hand Newt invokes the class warfare debate in trying to paint Romney as an elite and on the other hand his record and policies show that he is the reason people like Romney pay a low tax rate.

FTR, the capital gains rate is theoretically low because taxes have already been paid on the income at the corporate level.

[byu71]

Maybe I'm wrong, but a debate without a crowd would seem like a better debate. I'm more interested in ideas and records and less interested in political rhetoric and political rhetoric is what gets crowds whipped up in a frenzy.

Totally agree. Maybe it was too long ago, but I don't remember any of the debates (debate team) against other schools where the audience cheered.

That is why I eventually got off the team. I was used to the cheers I got when on the athletic field.

[beefytee]

Maybe I'm wrong, but a debate without a crowd would seem like a better debate. I'm more interested in ideas and records and less interested in political rhetoric and political rhetoric is what gets crowds whipped up in a frenzy.

What? You don't think a Jerry Springer Show environment is better?

The biggest problem with these debates is that all the candidates had one syllable names and so the chants of their names don't sound as good.

"Willard! Willard! Willard!"

[NorthwestUteFan]

Bill Clinton was a big government liberal when he had a democratic congress. He supported a single payer system (Hillarycare) and my guess is would have supported cap and trade (as he does now) if it was an issue back then. Some look back fondly on those days now, but Bill Clinton was dragged kicking and screaming into the whole "the era of big government is over" thing. But hey, he finally went along with welfare reform and spending cuts, so good for him. He's better than Obama, I'll give him that.

He tried to gut the 2nd ammendment. Assault weapons ban, putting the screws to S&W, all sorts of propsed regulations, 500% ammo taxes, Janet Reno, etc., and just a general hostile tone. With the constitution, it doesn't need to be ammended anymore, just "reinterpreted". Viola, rights gone. Bill Clinton nominated SC judges who are hostile the the 2nd Ammendment.

I agree with your Reagan comments, I was initially responding to your statement that we hadn't had a good GOP candidate in your lifetime. Unless you're under 25 I disagree, Reagan was a good one, not perfect or always right, but as good as we could've hoped for IMO.

Please tell me the difference between a 'Big Government Liberal' and a 'Big Government Conservative'. I sincerely wish the 'era of big government' was over, but GWB's 'kinder, gentler' brand of conservatism grew the government far more than most of the so-called 'big government liberals' of the past century and has left us with the diminished and stagnant economy we now endure. GWB grew the government in ways that Clinton couldn't even dream.

Obama has driven it more into the ground, but it was already crippled and toppling before he was even sworn into office.

In listing the bad Republican Party nominees during my lifetime, I mentioned that Reagan was NOT the preferred candidate in the eyes of the R Party 'elite'. He was a grass-roots nominee. It is ironic that he won two enormous victories, considering the national party considered him to be a 'weaker' candidate than their choice (GHWB, who likely would have lost to Carter).

IIRC, Clinton and Gingrich were perfectly in lock step on some of the biggest historical pieces of legislation of the late 90s: NAFTA/GATT, PNTR for China, S-CHIP (biggest expansion of Medicare in history at the time), etc. He effectively silenced the more conservative members of his party and forced them to toe the line on a number of their core issues, including the Contract With (On?) America. He came into power promising to eliminate a large number of government agencies, but between 1994 and 2000 most of them had their budgets INCREASED by more than 10%.

Newt and Gingrich are to the Right of Clinton in multiple areas: taxes, big military, restricting abortions, restricting access to welfare, etc. But the recent rhetoric of both Gingrich and Romney reminds me of actual policy positions from Clinton when he was president. Both have been in favor of domestic partnerships for gay couples, a position mentioned by Clinton.

Romney claimed he was a 'tax cutter' in Mass, but all he really did was transfer the burden back to the cities who were forced to raise property tax rates, licensing fees, and other 'unseen taxes' to cover the shortfall from the state.

Either way, I am sick and tired of getting spam emails from them both every day and can't wait until the campaign season is over.

[NorthwestUteFan]

What? You don't think a Jerry Springer Show environment is better?

Of course Newt wants an environment with a raucous crowd. He is a silver tongued master debater with a gift for generating one-liner, bumper sticker soundbite quotes on the spot.

In his 'thanks for electing me, now I am quitting' speech he also called fellow Republican house members 'cannibals', and said he wanted to leave congress to avoid 'overshadowing' his successor.