Free Republic

Yeah, and the Gingrich and Santorum supporters can continue their Michael Moore-ish attacks on free market capitalism. Hell, Obama doesn’t even need a campaign, now he’s got Republicans making his class warfare attacks on “the rich” who happen to have made the wealth honestly and paid their income taxes in accordance with federal statute.

The GOP primaries are a disgrace. There are no conservatives in this race. They are all shameless opportunists who will not tell the American voters what they need to hear about free markets, putting capital at risk, maximizing opportunities and increasing the overall size of the pie. It’s all about jealousy and greed now: people don’t like to see a successful person anymore because it makes them feel bad about their own lot in life. But maybe that person is smarter, studied harder, worked harder, took risks.

President Barack Obama got a free pass on Keystone XL this week without a peep from a single Republican; it’s all about Newt’s failed marriages and Romney’s legally paid taxes - which, by the way, the Ron Paul crowd should be screaming are nobody’s business, but that’s for another rant.

I would agree, if it were a single outlier poll (a POS poll, as you say) that showed Obama with a double digit lead over Gingrich.

But it is the Real Clear Politics Average that has Obama up by a 11% margin over Gingrich. This ranges from +7 (PPP) to such Left wing polls as Rassmussen (+ 9) and FOX (+14) and as much as Reuters (+15).

Of course, I expect given the collective attack on Romney his numbers against Obama will plummet as well.

So we end up with Obama. Beautiful. Just freaking beautiful.

Current consensus of polls show Obama vs. Romney head-to-head = too close to call (within margin of error).

Current consensus of polls show Obama vs. Gingrich head-to-head = landslide, double digit Obama victory.

I’ve been here since 1998 and honestly, I’m scratching my head. I have to ask myself: Why does the Free Republic founder want to see President Obama re-elected in 2012? Because Jim Robinson is a smart guy, he knows that Newt’s negatives are off the chart. Even if I conceded that Newt was the more conservative candidate (and I don’t), can someone explain to me how he is going to get people who voted for Obama in 2008 to change their vote to Newt in 2012? It is nonsensical on its face. And Obama is still on the ticket last time I checked and his voters haven’t died - which is more than one can say about many McCain 2008 voters.

For whatever bile folks may spew on Romney, the polls indicate he is far more likely to convince Obama 2008 voters to vote for a moderate Republican this go-around.

Dealing to a inside straight is no way to play, and this is FAR more important than poker.

I am not a Republican in name only; I will crawl over broken glass to vote for the GOP nominee in November 2012. Seems to me anyone who won’t is the REAL definition of a RINO.

I am both a big R and little r Republican. I despise big D and little d Democracy, because it is tyranny and antithetical to freedom. Candidates who are capable of enacting moderate conservative legislation, even if it moves the conservative needle only one tick to the right, are preferable to pointless conservative ideological blather that, while defensible, have no chance of being enacted - because at the end of the day the needle doesn’t move to the right. The defeat of Obama by any GOP candidate will result in a GOP Congress in 2012, and that will be infinitely preferable to an Obama re-election.

I can’t believe this conversation is even ongoing.

Ann Coulter could be the second coming of Nancy Pelosi, but it doesn’t challenge the notion that Newt Gingrich is simply unelectable.

Lack of positive, loving role models (mothers and fathers) who exude and project confidence and self-respect, yet retain their perspective and humility.

Everything in moderation, including moderation. Real men, real women.

That’s somebody’s little girl in the gutter, and the bloody wanker is probably more tanked than his kid.

“My old man is drunker than a barrel full of monkeys and my old lady she don’t care...”

Vote for me: I can actually win 270 electoral votes against Obama.

The Washington Compost may become interested, however, if they conclude early enough that President Obama is unelectable.

The Tea Party should not be the enemy of the Democratic Party, only they are too stupid to realize it.

The enemy of the Democratic Party is the conservative wing of the Republican Party - aka “the base”. These “broken glass Republicans” - and I am proud to be one of them - will trudge out and vote for the GOP, whether it be John McCain, W., or Dole.

The Tea Party, OTOH, provided the margin of victory for Obama in 2008 - some of them voted for Obama (especially in big suburbs like Bucks County, PA) - but mostly by not getting out the vote for McCain. Their DNA contains traces going back to George Wallace, the Reagan Democrats, Joe Sixpack, Ross Perot, and Pat Buchanan. Their Santelli rants eschew social issues and focuses on an economy rigged worse than a street corner three card Monty game.

People forget that the Tea Party was equally furious in 2008 at Bush, and the lapdog corrupt Congress that bought off the financial criminals that socialized their losses after years of amassing huge privatized gains. The game was rigged, and Obama got a free pass while he sat back shooting hoops while McCain led the TARP bailout.

The Tea Party is only your enemy if they don’t vote for you. They are not - or at least they WEREN’T - part of any party’s base. They were up for grabs, to either party that could show some basic financial discipline and honest American greenback integrity. The elite Democrats decided they would rather not have the Tea Party provide their margin of victory.

If what we hear about the framework of this deal is correct, I believe a significant majority of the House GOP will stand firmly against it. If this is what President Obama really wants, he should be careful what he wishes for.

There is no way this bill represents the sense of the GOP-dominated House. Any bill that passes with less than a significant majority of GOP House members onboard may be a tactical victory in the short-term for the President, but it will be a major strategic blunder for him.

And here’s why: Boehner 3.0 had 90% GOP support, and for that reason, it would have given the President the lifeline he desperately needed. Obama would have been viewed as the bi-partisan champion, the adult in the room, and the major Tea Party leverage would have been gutted going in 2012.

If they instead come up with a deal that passes the Senate, goes back to the House where they get 100% of Democrats and just enough GOP defectors to get to a one vote passage, the outrage will be unbelievable. The ensuing political tidal wave will make a Rick Santelli rant look like Mister Rogers Neighborhood by comparison.

It will energize the GOP base unlike anything we have seen since 1980, and as Obama proved in 2008, an energized base and GOTV is the key to victory. It will ensure Obama’s defeat.

The “cave” was Boehner 3.0. The Dems foolishly did not take that gift. Now, they give Boehner cover, and the House will be united.

I believe the House will stand firmly against this pig.

As for giving democrats and socialists what they wanted, they should be careful what they wish for.

There is no way this bill represents the sense of the GOP-dominated House. Any bill that passes with less than a significant majority of GOP House members onboard may be a tactical victory in the short-term for the President, but it will be a major strategic blunder for him.

And here’s why: Boehner 3.0 had 90% GOP support, and for that reason, it would have given the President the lifeline he desperately needed. Obama would have been viewed as the bi-partisan champion, the adult in the room, and the major Tea Party leverage would have been gutted going in 2012.

If they instead come up with a deal that passes the Senate, goes back to the House where they get 100% of Democrats and just enough GOP defectors to get to a one vote passage, the outrage will be unbelievable. The ensuing political tidal wave will make a Rick Santelli rant look like Mister Rogers Neighborhood by comparison.

It will energize the GOP base unlike anything we have seen since 1980, and as Obama proved in 2008, an energized base and GOTV is the key to victory. It will ensure Obama’s defeat.

The “cave” was Boehner 3.0. The Dems foolishly did not take that gift. Now, they give Boehner cover, and the House will be united.

Good example re: Romney. I am WAAAY more to the right of him ideologically. But elections are about choices, pick one or the other. If Romney’s objective is to simply preside over a slower growth in government, doesn’t make him a “no-brainer” against Obama? Even if I personally believe that it’s time to roll back government, I don’t believe we are near that point as an electoral consensus, particularly against an incumbent President who amassed 365 electoral votes, will have about a billion dollars to spend, and has no primary opposition.

We may need a 50 state candidate who can first show how he can build a consensus by presiding over a slower growth before the American people trusts the GOP to cut back.

RINOs and Tea Party members are both critical components of an emerging GOP majority, without which conservative ideology - and this board - (however noble, decent, and right it may be) becomes irrelevant. Obamacare is the Law of the Land precisely because the Democrat Party emerged with total dominance of the Executive and Legislative branches and the GOP became irrelevant. It isn’t going away anytime soon if ever. “Extremism in the defense of liberty” might not be a vice, but we are where we are today precisely because of the mammoth 1964 GOP defeat caused by the foolish notion that ideology matters more than elections.

And what is a RINO, anyway? A Republican In Name Only? Exactly what does that mean? Who is the RINO Definition Czar, anyway? If 90% of the GOP members and 100% of its leadership are going in one direction pushing their proposed legislation, and a member elected as a Republican chooses to side with the unified Democrats and vote with Nancy Pelosi, what are we supposed to call them? Principled Conservatives? Fair enough, but doesn’t that still make them RINOs?

I am a broken-glass Republican. If Pelosi is against it, then I am for it. Period. Ideologically, I am probably more Conservative (especially on military matters) than many on this board. But I am even more pragmatic than conservative, because losing is for losers.

The House of Representatives has already passed legislation: the world’s greatest deliberative body has chosen not to deliberate. Fine. Enough with the “bring me a rock” game. They brought them their rock, they didn’t like it. Memo to Boehner: enough with the rocks already. You’re undermining your position. You’re not Dr. Phil, you’re the Speaker of the House of Representatives and your chamber overwhelmingly passed its legislation. Act like it.

John Boehner should say: Harry Reid, call me when you pass your Senate version of my bill, we’ll participate in Conference committee ASAP. Until then, I don’t want to talk to you. No more votes in the House until then. As for you, Mr. President, with all due respect, Senator Reid and I will let you know when it’s time for you to sign our bi-partisan bill into law. Until then, please don’t tell us what we should or should not be legislating, because we already get it: you were the most liberal member of the Senate during your brief tenure, and if you were still a Senator you would vote NAY for what will finally get through Conference committee and manage to somehow get through both Houses. The back-benchers always have the luxury of voting NAY on a vote that passes and YES on a bill that fails.

Bottom line: nobody is going to like the result. It has to be done.

The demagoguery is breathtaking. Of course President Obama cannot veto the “GOP” bill, even if he wanted to. By definition, any bill that reached his desk would have had to have been approved by a Democrat-controlled Senate, which would make it - again, by definition - a bi-partisan bill. And any bill that made it to his desk would be signed by the President - unless the Democrat strategy was to pass a bill that Obama will veto. In other words, Reid is not going to pass a bill that Obama vetoes except on purpose.

What is most instructive is that the President and his minions are cynical enough to believe that their voting base is too stupid to understand the above.

They are correct on that point, IMO. I believe the average Obama voter does not understand our Constitutional process.

Even more important than the impact upon the middle class taxpayers are the consequences (unintended?) to the middle class small businesses and their working class wage earners. Now I understand, every business is by Obama’s definition “miliionaires and billionaires”, but the reality is, there are a shitload of Mom and Pop, granite countertop and Kraftmaid kitchen cabinet installers already sucking wind and now they will be totally screwed. More bankruptcies, more layoffs, less not more tax revenue.

This is the same thing that Senator Mitchell did to his Maine small boat building constituents back in the early 1990s the last time they tried to stick it to the fat cats.

It has no chance of passage.

In fact, the Dems are totally screwing themselves and the pooch, IMO. They expect that Speaker Boehner will cave and capitulate to their Senatorial and Presidential pressure, and then he somehow be able to pivot 180 degrees and stare down and intimidate his GOP House colleagues into breaking their campaign pledges and commit political suicide.

Human beings on this planet don’t respond that way. You are perceived as either weak or strong. If you are perceived as strong you eat dinner, if you are weak you ARE dinner. If he caves to the Dems, he will cave to the GOP also, because they would have no reason to fear him.

He won’t cave, they won’t cave, and their will be no tax increases, period.

The weepy wonder does not have the testicular fortitude of Nancy Pelosi. And even then, Pelosi was forcing the votes to achieve their dream, to achieve a 30 year objective, TO VOTE LIKE THE DEMOCRATS THEY ARE. Boehner is not going to be able to force the 235 pledged GOP to vote like Democrats.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

Do not concur. What you are talking about is Plan A.

Which is already D.O.A. It will not become law.

Pelosi is hardly irrelevant - her ideology became the Law of the Land.

She will become irrelevant if - and only if - the following occurs in January 2013:

1. House retains its majority.
2. GOP obtains 60 senator filibuster proof majority
3. Conservative GOP candidate is inaugurated President
4. Even with the power to do so, the GOP then has to have the balls to revert to FY 2008, pre-Obama, pre-TARP, pre-stimulus spending levels - the next mid-term election be damned.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

GOP plays checkers while Commie-Libs play chess.

Thanks for making my point for me. Speaker Pelosi was not going to let a single mid-term election stand in the way of doing the “right” thing (or I should say the Left thing).

Give the Demo-devils their due...they did the “right” thing, crammed 30 years of socialism into one Congressional term, exploded the debt to $14.3T and now taunt the GOP to have the balls to undo it.

And they guessed right: the GOP doesn’t have the balls. And Obamacare continues to be - and will continue to be the law of the land.

She, Obama, and the Democrats have - and always have had -their eyes on the prize. The GOP just likes being the loyal opposition, losing with “honor” and giving good concession speeches. While the country continues its 80 year march towards collectivism.

Obamacare became law in no small measure because Speaker Pelosi made sure that she put a gun to the heads of enough Democrat House members to get to 218 votes.

Now, the only way that Cut, Cap, and Balance would not get to 218 votes for House passage is either because the GOP leadership doesn’t want - or doesn’t have the balls - to make it happen.

I’m not a Pelosi fan, but she got what she wanted because she has balls. The GOP has never had ideological problems, but they are lacking - and have always lacked - testicular fortitude.

“He who will not risk cannot win”. John Paul Jones had it right over 200 years ago. You can’t win if your strategy is to avoid losing.

Just ask the USA Women’s Soccer Team.