Never has a winner looked so beaten (Mitt)

New York Post ^ | January 11, 2012 | John Podhoretz

[greyfoxx39]

Romney's select six lobbyist-bundlers were:

• Patrick J. Durkin of Barclays, who bundled $167,800. Durkin was also a top fund-raiser for President George W. Bush. He was one of the famed "Pioneers" in 2000, who bundled at least $100,000 for Bush, and during the 2004 election, he earned Bush's "Ranger" status, bundling at least $200,000. Durkin did not contribute to Romney's 2008 presidential bid, but he did give the then-legal maximum of $2,300 to Republican John McCain, the eventual party nominee.
  
  
• T. Martin Fiorentino of the Fiorentino Group, who bundled $102,900. Fiorentino was also a Bush Pioneer in 2000 and Ranger in 2004. Like Durkin, he also did not back Romney during the 2008 GOP presidential primary. And he, too, donated $2,300 to McCain during the 2008 election cycle.
  
  
• Wayne Berman of Ogilvy Government Relations, who bundled $101,600. Berman was also a Bush Pioneer in 2000 and a Ranger in 2004. During the 2008 election, he did not donate to Romney's campaign, but he did serve as one of McCain's national finance team's co-chairs.
  
  
• Drew Maloney, also of Ogilvy Government Relations, who bundled $56,750. During the 2008 GOP presidential election, both Maloney and his wife donated the legal maximum of $2,300 to Romney. He donated the same about to McCain.
  
  
• David Beightol of Dutko Worldwide, who bundled $54,200 for Romney. He donated $2,300 to Romney and $1,000 to McCain during the 2008 election. His wife also gave Romney $2,275 during Romney's 2008 run.
  
  
• Judi Rhines of the Rath Group, who bundled $34,200. Rhines also donated $2,300 to Romney during his presidential bid four years ago.

Combined, these six lobbyists steered $517,450 into Romney's campaign coffers. Overall, Romney's presidential campaign reported raising $18.38 million during the second quarter.

[Osage Orange]

Nope...I won't.

I went that way....with McCain. Not going to do it again.

I will be voting....but I'll just write someone in for POTUS.

[Salvation]

Gingrich-Santorum

 

or

 

Santorum-Gingrich

[SENTINEL]

Above all else, RINOs must be punished ! We are in a war for the survival of our country and Mitt Romney is the Benedict Arnold of 2012 ! This filthy, insidious, back stabbing, turn coat behavior must be dealt with BEFORE we can win against our more honorable OPEN enemies.

I intend to write in George Washington for president and vote conservative on all other ballot measures.

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton

[SENTINEL]

"I think that Obama with a hostile Congress would do less damage to our nation than Romney with a compliant Congress. Even a strongly-conservative Congress would have difficulty contending seriously with a President of their own party. Besides, the Republican establishment needs to hear us once and for all: NO MORE RINOS."

Amen Brother ! We must clean our own house first, come what may !

[Elsie]

Romney's comments that "He loves to be in a postion to fire people" is not going to play well in the general election that will be about jobs and the economy.

Oh?

I happen to know that a LOT of us want to be in that position!

We did in the 2010 elections!

[Elsie]

Occupy WHO?

[Graewoulf]

” - - - Paul will certainly stay in it with Romney all the way. Somebody has to.”

How about Dr. Paul for Veep?

Willy and Paul are currently the top vote getters after Iowa and New Hampshire, and each has different skills. “The Vulture and the Doctor” - - - - a very scary movie title for the lovers of Obamanation.

Konrad Adenauer in post WW2 West Germany did very well as their chancellor from 1949 to 1963. He was 87 when he retired and lived another 4 years.

Ron Paul is a medical doctor, in good health, and realistic about the LONG length of time required to downsize the Medical Entitlements of Medicare, Medicaid, and the illegal Obama”Care.”

The medical doctor as Veep could in just ONE year set up the blueprint to downsize the medical entitlements, and still have 3 years to ram it down the libs throats. ( Say “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,” libs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The odds are that the libs, (in “both” parties), will rally in 2016, and mount a massive reaction Campaign against President Willy Rom-Rom RINO.

But if Willy holds up his end of the “Vulture” bargain, and picks the bones clean on ALL the rotting crops in THE ENTITLEMENT PLANTATION, then he may be able to stay in office for a full eight years. Otherwise, the RINOs will be served Willy-Rom toast, and the cancer of Obamanation will again pollute our Republic.

BTW, Ron Paul would probably step down in 2016 and allow his son Rand to replace him as Veep AND continue the DAILY, thankless, ( except by us), task of keeping BIG Government RINO Romney on the Conservative side of the GOP Establishment RINOland. A DAILY “check and balance” system on BIG Government Willy Rom-Rom RINO. (Sort of a “Paul” cast over the flaming-lib tendencies of Willy Rom, the “Massachusettes Moderate.”)

BTW, BTW, REALITY knows no loyalty. Paul is the best AVAILABLE reality check to Willy Rom. So suck it up FReepers, and make the best of the cards that are being dealt, and DOWNSIZE the US Federal Government!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mountain Mary]

And it is admirable of you to stand on first principles like I do.

I admire and applaud it.

But that doesn’t alter the possibility that to not vote at all in the general could have serious consequences resulting in the reelection of Hussein.

I have a number of GOP friends right now, supposed Conservatives, who say things like “Mitt isn’t my first choice but I can live with him”..Those are the voters, however many they number, who will hold their noses and vote for Mittens, if he is their choice.

This is a pivotal and crucial time for Conservatives but it would help to have the backing of the GOP. I’m all for Newt mounting a successful surge if he is able to pull it off. Just contributed. Many more need to do the same.

If I have to look at Ron Paul’s face anymore or hear from some how he can win...
But Laura I. correctly points out that a study of why and how he has so much support would be a good idea...

[Antoninus]

He looks beaten because he is. For all the time, energy, money, and proximity he had invested in New Hampshire, he only scored 36% of the vote. That is pathetic.

Steady, people. NH was Romney's high-water mark. South Carolina will be his Waterloo--and all these handwringers in the media will act astounded.

Wait and see.

[Antoninus]

But in the end, I think many Conservatives will hold their nose and vote for Mitt if he is the candidate.

The GOP establishment is counting on that.

They are behaving like the Stupid Party. We won't stay home. We will be actively supporting another candidate.

[Antoninus]

Not me. I won’t compromise and vote for light socialism under the GOP banner.

Me either. If the GOP establishment wants to elect a liberal, they can do it without my vote.

[Jim Robinson]

Yup that’s an example of Romney’s view on “free-market” capitalism. He believes Obama’s takeover of GM was a great idea. He also still says TARP and the bailouts were absolutely necessary and that Obama’s stimulus was the right idea. And he does believe that government is going to have to do something about global warming. He is without a doubt a big government solutions guy. Not an ounce of free-market conservatism in his body. Repeal ObamaCare (his own bastard brainchild)? Riiiight.

[cynwoody]

I will not vote for Paul, Romney or Huntsman if any where to win the nomination - Period!!

And the President will thank you for your support.

What do you have against Huntsman? He's perfectly sane (unlike the good doctor), has a reasonable conservative track record (unlike Romney), is largely free of baggage (unlike Gingrich). And he's on an upward trajectory in the polls.

Utah is a red state. Huntsman won his first term as governor with 58% and his second by 78%.

Some have expressed dismay at his ambassadorship to China. But, if David Petraeus had thrown his hat in the ring, would you hold it against him that he had been Obama's DCI? The fact is, Petraeus was well qualified to be DCI. And Huntsman was well qualified to be ambassador to China, knowing the language and having already been ambassador to Singapore under GHWB, at 32, the youngest US ambassador in 100 years. Would you rather Zero had appointed one of his czar types to either of those posts? Huntsman's ambassadorship to China is just another resume item in his favor.

[gunsequalfreedom]

Oh? I happen to know that a LOT of us want to be in that position!

I've been in that position my entire life. I like being at the top even with the other challenges it presents. You and I understand the obvious. The problem is politics and like it or not, stating the obvious is not going to play in peoria, as the saying goes.

[cynwoody]

“In the general election I’ll be pointing out that the president took the reins at General Motors and Chrysler – closed factories, closed dealerships laid off thousands and thousands of workers – he did it to try to save the business,” Romney said Wednesday on CBS.

That sort of pabulum sure as hell is not how you take the battle to the current enemy.

Interestingly, Romney sang a more critical tune in 2009, as the GM bailout was going down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F70dnHfWcTk

But, then, tune versatility is Romney's true forte.

[svcw]

Huntsman is so boring I would need Paul's legalized drugs to live.

Huntsman wrote a love letter to BHO - nuff said.

Utah may not be a "red" as you think"

[Elsie]

Utah is a red state. Huntsman won his first term as governor with 58% and his second by 78%.

And a heavily MORMON one.

What religion was Huntsmans opposition?

---

Roughly 2% of Americans are Mormon, and they reside overwhelmingly in the West. Two in three Utah residents are Mormon; Mormons settled Utah in the mid-19th century and the headquarters of the church is in Salt Lake City. The data suggest that one of every three Mormons in the United States lives in Utah. Idaho also has a rather large proportion of Mormons, as more than one in five Idahoans affiliate with that religion.

U.S. States With Most Mormons

State	% Mormon
Utah	67
Idaho	21
Wyoming	9
Nevada	9
Arizona	5
Montana	4
Washington	4
New Mexico	3
Oregon	3

---

Gallup Poll

[editor-surveyor]

Podhoretz is just an establishment butt likker.

New Hampshire is a basket full of nut cases and defines nothing for real people. The GOP establishment is playing “Fish” for America’s future.

[Elsie]

The problem is politics and like it or not, stating the obvious is not going to play in peoria, as the saying goes.

I don't know....

Sarah did quite well with the obvious.

SOMEone is going to have to say the King has no clothes.