Posted on 11/16/2011 5:40:28 PM PST by SeekAndFind
So here's the game we're playing this week.
GOP primary voters see Romney (26 percent) and Cain (25 percent) as the most likeable Republican contenders. They view Paul (15 percent) and Bachmann (12 percent) as the least likeable. Cain ties with Bachmann as the second least likeable (12 percent), putting him in the unique position of making the top three in both likeable and unlikeable groups.
When asked who they would trust most with nuclear weapons, nearly twice as many primary voters say Gingrich than Romney (30 percent and 17 percent respectively). Those voters would least trust Paul (13 percent), Bachmann (11 percent) and Cain (10 percent) with nukes.
What about electability? GOP primary voters overwhelmingly see Romney as the Republican with the best chance of beating Barack Obama in the general election. Thirty-seven percent of primary voters think Romney is the most electable candidate. That’s double the number that says Gingrich (18 percent) and Cain (17 percent). Three percent of GOP primary voters think none of the Republicans can beat Obama.
Fully 60 percent of primary voters say they might still change their minds, including nearly seven in 10 Romney supporters(!). The good news for Cain is that 52 percent think the women who accused him of harassment are being motivated by money or politics versus just 25 percent who think they’re telling the truth. The bad news is that 23 percent say the charges are enough to disqualify him and another 43 percent say they need more information to decide. He’s down nine points overall this month. As for Perry, he was at 19 percent in September, 10 percent last month, and … seven percent this month, just one point ahead of Bachmann. Seven percent is where he is in Iowa right now too. Barring a total collapse by both Gingrich and Cain, remind me again how he wins the caucuses and catapults himself back into a two-man race with Romney.
Actually, here’s a freaky deaky scenario for you via the Daily Caller, but one which I’ve been thinking about myself: What if Ron Paul wins Iowa? He’s already at 19 percent in one poll, a single thin point behind Cain. If he’s close the last week before the caucuses, Paulnuts in Iowa will be turbo-charged to turn out for him and pull the upset. If that happens, he’ll get a bounce heading into New Hampshire — and he’s already second there too, albeit a very distant second to Romney. New Hampshire famously loves dark horses and mavericks so maybe he pulls the upset there too, and before you know it Ron Paul’s the nominee and we’re suddenly the party of “friendship” with Iran. No no, I kid. A Paul win in Iowa would, I take it, be Romney’s dream come true because it would finally break down the last resistance among Mitt-hating mainstream Republicans to voting for him. If there’s a viable Not Romney to vote for in New Hampshire, South Carolina, or Florida, that’s a tough call; if there’s just Mitt and Ron Paul, well, we’ll have to suck it up. Exit question one: Will Team Romney quietly send the Mittheads out to caucus for Paul on January 3? Exit question two: Did I read that blockquote correctly? The most likable candidate in the Republican field isn’t Herman Cain but … Mitt Romney? Good lord.
“The guy just doesn’t have a clue outside of 999. He says what he thinks conservatives want to hear, he may even have excellent instincts, but he doesn’t know the material and would never pass the test of a national general election.”
Yeah-I’ve always had reservations about electing a guy without any elective experience (even dog catcher) going straight to the most powerful elected position in the world. But the thing is-he’s got a core of supporters that will excuse anything he says (no matter how incoherent) simply because he’s “authentic.” This could take him a long way in the primary. But you’re right, in the general election, I think he would struggle.
Not sure who is going to win, but by God, I hope its not Romney.
Ten years ago, I’d have agreed that your concerns were valid. But times change, and people change. Newt has changed his life, and I think has grown up. His long term conservative ideals and his grasp of the subject matter necessary for the Presidency make him our best shot.
And he has explained or apologized for just about all of the baggage and criticisms I’ve heard around here.
I have come to see that the tea party is not united. And that it has become too confusing to know who to trust. Conservatives attack each other. So it is a mess.
I like opinions of various commentators and conservative politicians and candidates. But then people try hard to knock them down and I find things that I can’t agree with that they said or did or support. So then I am confused a little.
Right now I am with Cain and Bachmann. If not these two, I’ll have to go for someone else with a negative upside.
But I play the game too. I am dead set against Perry and said some of what people are saying against Cain about Perry.
I thought I made it clear. My barometer is fund raising not polls. I guess you missed that in my very short post.
If Cain wins Iowa, which he is currently poised to do, he could very well win the nomination.
The only thing you made clear is, you are no expert on American politics.
Cain surged for no real reason other than voter panic, in the first place. He was launched to the top first and then the fools who made that possible started seeing how inept he truly is.
Cain also blew it on his own accord. Don’t expect his fund raising to go much higher than it is now. His 15 minutes of fame is 1 hour over.
In fact, no candidate has ever won Iowa who is polling nationally with less than 30%, prior to the actual primary.
Cain will not go over 20% from here on out and will probably go back down to where he came from in single digits.
Hey, I like Herman Cain. I think he would be a great VP, or SecTreas, or any other national level role dealing with fiscal and regulatory policy.
But for the top of the ticket - no way I'm voting for him unless Mitt is the only other name on the ballot. Cain just hasn't done his homework, particularly on foreign policy.
My nightmare is him getting a 98 mph fastball in the debate with Zero....
"Ahhhhh....... how about you go first, Mr. President?"
Cain is the latest beneficiary of the Angle/O'Donnell/Palin mindset which is very, very strong on FR. It's the mindset which holds that naivete and artlessness are not only acceptable in a candidate, they are downright required. Even a hint of scholarly attainment in a candidate is despised.
This is an understandable reaction to the we-know-better-than-you hyper academicism of the Obama administration. But it's an overreaction, and in my opinion it's gone way too far.
RE: “I cheated on my wife because I love America”
Did he really say that?
Watch this EDITED video of that fateful interview of Newt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3OsVY5OHZA
Notice that the context of the quote was NOT SHOWN on that clip. They just assumed he said and the key statement was simply not shown.
Here is another video from MSNBC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmdvRu1eCDY
Notice again, the key sentence was NOT SHOWN.
Here is the ENTIRE CLIP ( not edited out by the MSM ):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-_BuvIe8uQ&feature=related
The fact is he said I WAS DOING THINGS THAT WE’RE WRONG.
He also said that he felt COMPELED TO SEEK GOD’s FORGIVENESS.
Adn here’s the point — If you won’t forgive him for what he did ( and for which he believes he was wrong and for which he seeks mercy ), then obviously, forgiveness is not in your vocabulary.
Only 370 Registered Voters?
Any sample less then 800 likely voters is a worthless media push poll being spun to drive the story line, not a serious poll.
I expect these sort of sleazy tactics from the Leftist media. I thought Fox was better then this.
Only 370 Registered Voters?
Any sample less then 800 likely voters is a worthless media push poll being spun to drive the story line, not a serious poll.
I expect these sort of sleazy tactics from the Leftist media. I thought Fox was better then this.
Only 370 Registered Voters?
Any sample less then 800 likely voters is a worthless media push poll being spun to drive the story line, not a serious poll.
I expect these sort of sleazy tactics from the Leftist media. I thought Fox was better then this.
Be interesting to see what happens now that all the current baggage in Newt's Lobbying history is being aired out in the media to see how well this current push polls stand up over time. Newt got $1.6 million from Fanniee/Freddie. Newt was paid to lobby for Bush's Medicare part D bill.
Just what else is lurking under the surface to bite Newt?
But go ahead an worship at the shrine of McCain 2.0 GOPbots.
I have to laugh seeing the same Freepers are busy pimping Newt the same way they pimped McCain. Funny how you all learned NOTHING from 2008.
The same Freepers, Jerk?
Trust me, I was NOT pimping John McCain.
There was ans is nothing for them to learn. They are RINOs and do what RINOs do. What were seeing now is a last ditch effort by the RINOs to preserve the disguise calling themselves Republicans all these years.
RINO-led and demrat-controlled GOP is going critical mass to assure continued RINO control and maybe even the survival of the Pubbie Party as a relevent political entity.
The contrived nonsense coming from the Newt, Perry and Romney camps are gross manifestations of the efforts being made to save the Titanic.
Yes, you are quite right. I keep seeing people claim Cain is an "authentic conservative". Since when does ignorance make one authentic?
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