The American Spectator : The Republicans' Wasted Angst

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The Republicans’ Wasted Angst

By Ron Ross on 1.27.12 @ 6:08AM

They’re not the issue this year. You-know-who is.

Republicans need to chillax. Especially within the Republican establishment, some apparently are having anxiety attacks about how the primaries are unfolding.

Here’s what the panic prone seem to be overlooking — if the election were held tomorrow, Charley Sheen would beat Barack Obama. Heck, you could even say John McCain would beat him. The point is this: the election in November will be almost exclusively about Obama. The relative importance of Obama versus fill-in-the-blank will be in the neighborhood of 95 to 5. This election will be overwhelmingly a vote against rather than a vote for. The deciding question on the majority of voters’ minds will be, “Which of these two guys is not Barack Obama.” There will be tens of millions of “one-issue voters” and the one issue will be Mr. Obama.

In the 2008 election Obama had virtually every imaginable factor in his favor. The mainstream media gave him a free ride, as they will again in November. There was no due diligence, no vetting. Even with every imaginable advantage, 47 percent of the electorate voted against him. It’s reasonable to assume that virtually none of those who voted against him then will vote for him this time.

Now consider the 53 percent who voted for him. That 53 percent comprised a number of sub-populations — young people, minorities, Jews, labor union members, progressives, independents, for example. Now on an almost daily basis we see polls showing how he is hemorrhaging support from one or another of these groups. In a wide variety of ways he has managed to alienate many of his supporters.

There are, of course, Democrats and liberals who would never vote for any Republican. Nevertheless, some will simply opt not to vote at all. On the other hand, those who voted against Obama in 2008 are now more highly motivated to vote than they were then.

Obama’s greatest asset in 2008 was his unknown-ness. That asset has now disappeared. In 2008 his blank résumé miraculously transformed into a blank canvas that voters used to envision their heartfelt fantasies. Obama is now a known quantity and a known quality. Getting elected by concealing who you are is not a strategy that can be recycled.

The number of people he has angered or at least disappointed is immense. Even his supporters are angry at him. The difference between the hope and the results is huge. People who were mildly against him are now fervently so. The high unemployment rate only partially reflects the pain and anxiety in the population. Thousands of businesses have failed, and thousands of others are hanging on by their finger tips. Many of those people voted for him last time and will have a tough time doing so again.

The Obama White House and reelection team are trying to show a brave face. The Republican primaries are their primary basis for optimism. They and their mainstream media support team think the Republicans are self-destructing, and many Republicans seem to agree.

Fortunately for Republicans, in this election an ideal candidate is not a prerequisite for victory. As is always the case, everything is relative.

It is now obvious that Obama cannot run on his record. His State of the Union address almost totally avoided any mention of his accomplishments other than killing Bin Laden.

Obama’s only real hope is that the economy turns around between now and November. That, of course, is a real possibly. Our economy has enormous inherent strength and resilience. No recession has lasted forever.

If the economy does turn around it will be in spite of, not because of, Obama. Nevertheless, a recovery would change the mood of the country. Some voters will give credit to Obama. Many voters, however, are so strongly opposed to Obama that nothing between now and November could swing their vote in his favor. If the economy does not recover significantly, Obama is toast, no matter who the Republican nominee turns out to be.

It’s never smart to be overconfident or to make assumptions, but it’s also not smart to be defeatist when there are so many valid reasons for being optimistic. You’ll have a lot more fun watching events between now and November if you maintain an optimistic outlook.

About the Author

Ron Ross Ph.D. is an economist who lives in Arcata, California. He is the author of The Unbeatable Market. Reach him at rossecon@gmail.com.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (185) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Orr,Gasm and Associates| 1.27.12 @ 6:31AM

As the economy continues to turn around, despite sandbagging obstructionism by the RED party that borders on TREASON, less and less people are going be trusting Gingrich or Romney, Paul will NEVER get more than a fringe vote of 10% and if he runs independent, he will just steal RED votes in his last gasp for importance in this world.

The super corrupt Holy Hypocrite? Seriously? Only if America becomes a CHURCH!

Do you know why obama sounded SO confident on Tuesday? Because the REDs are writing all his ads for him, There are no more economic bubbles to pop (not even the commercial real estate fear), and even the RED themselves know that this was all dumped on Obama and with a working Congress, he got a huge agenda accomplished in the first 2 years.

The NOTHINGness of Boehner's abuse/misuse of power will continue through this year, but Obama will just let the Government STOP as Clinton did and all of the schemeing will be in the forefront of the voters mind on Nov 6.

Moreso than by race or party or religion, they will vote for the candidate that failed them the least.

Jack in Wi.| 1.27.12 @ 7:12AM

This Democrat above is right. Obama will run as the guy who got Bin Laden, ended the Iraq war, and is bringing the troops home from Afganistan. On the economy he will blame it all on the Republicans and the rich. It worked 4 times for FDR and Truman. How you going to beat that with chicken hawks like Romney and Gingrich? Romney is an rich investment banker and Gingrich is a long time grifter, fixer and grafter. The people don't want want what these guys are selling. It is still Ron Paul or ruin. He is the only one who has a program to bring this country out of the mess it is in. All the rest are more of the same rubbish, that for 24 years, has put this country with it's back to a cliff.

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.27.12 @ 9:40AM

I'm not worried about it. Unless someone on the stage calls Hussein a N*gg*r, there's no way he's gonna win.

2011 was the WORST Year for Home Sales, since they started keeping track. So, now he's the No Homes Sold President, to go along with his other titles of: Food Stamp President. The Gun Running President. The Unemployment Check President. The Foreclosure President. The Trillion $ Deficit Every Year President. The $6 Trillion Added To Our Debt President. The Homeless President. (And the Press will NEVER talk about that one.) The Bankruptcy President. The Highest Black Unemployment Rate in 28Years President. The Misery Index President. The Most Americans living in Poverty President. The Canadian Oil to China President. And, the Downgrade of our Credit Rating President.

Like I said: I wouldn't worry about it.

p.s. Jackass in Wi. agrees with Orgasm on his Face.
What a shocker.

SUBVET| 1.27.12 @ 10:15AM

Tim---you have to be a bit more PC......."Knuckle Dragger"

Looks like you are live and well today....bless you brother.

Purp| 1.27.12 @ 10:19AM

Tsk, tsk. Why do Republicants constantly say the economy hasn't improved? GM is #1 car maker again, thanks to both Bush and Obama. Housing prices have bottomed out, according to the CEO of Chase (and he should know something about mortgaging), the loss of jobs stopped way back in 2009 and 3 million new jobs have been created since, unemployment is down to where it was 3 years ago, the stock market is up 60%, I could go on and on. The Gloom & Doom Party hasn't much of a chance - but with the Clown Show they bring to town with the A* Klowns running for President, President Obama will win re-election. You don't change to a new horse when the run you're riding is doing fine.
As far as American Energy - that's a right-wing myth. All Oil, whereever produced is put on the Global Market, including American Oil. That's how the oil companies reap such huge profits - they are artificially propping up prices putting it all on the speculation market. The oil for Keystone, whether through a Canadian pipeline (which the Canadians don't want either, especially British Columbia) or an American pipeline was never going to American use. It's heavy, dirty oil expensive to extract, and would easily keep the price of oil high - ergo the push by the oil companies. Sure it would create jobs building the pipeline - but so would trucking the oil cross country with a million truckers - now THAT would create jobs. So get off that canard.

George S| 1.27.12 @ 11:12AM

Actually, you are wrong. Unemployment is better today than when Obama tool office. All you have to do is divide the total number of people working into the total number of jobs and you get 100 percent. That is 100 percent employment, meaning zero percent unemployment.

But just to set the record straight: the stock market is never an indicator as to how the economy is doing. You Democrats lectured us about that when GW was president.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 11:52AM

The stock market has been manipulated by panic and corruption. Obama Beat McCain, wall Street panicked and the Dow dropped another thou in the first quarter, it has slowly returned as investors saw the Obama successes and as soon as the voters voted away their only hope, the REDs stagnated Government with a Pledge to Gridlock and sure enough, as the was trying to recover, the REDs pushed up back into Recession. The upturn was when the REDs started caving because they are repeating the Newt cycle in which the New Red Power Structure in the House... fails to BerlinWall the Government and caves as the voter confidence in them approaches single digits.

I don't think Boehner is going to get caught embezzling as the Lizard did, but as soon as the insider trading bill is law in a month... you watch his income level off. The market will dip and I expect to see 13,000 before Mother's day and maybe even 13,500 before the 4th of July.

Purp| 1.27.12 @ 3:54PM

the Stock Market reflects what the near to mid future holds - they are a leading indicator, whereas Unemployment is a lagging indicator - the last to improve - or worsen. And, I'm sure you know that, now don't you George?

Pete| 1.27.12 @ 5:11PM

Yep, we have been hearing that for the last 2 years.

Pete| 1.27.12 @ 5:12PM

Yes, we have been hearing that for 2 years. It will lag till Obama is out of office.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 2:29AM

Which is when the RED party CEO's, CFO's and board members will slap each other on the backs and DECIDE to spend the 3 TRILLION in cash they have been holding back as long as that smart as, muslim communist N****r is in the White House making EVERY redneck trailer trash politician look bad.

Guess again guys, He makes 99.99% of you stupid just standing @ a bus stop!

jstwndring| 1.28.12 @ 4:09AM

President Obama is openly hostile to business. Would you invest your company's money in that environment? No. Not unless you are oblivious to that fact. In fact, you would probably consider riding out the storm in the hopes that this private-property-hating-Marxist is rejected this November.

Purp| 1.28.12 @ 10:36AM

Nice theory ... but business doesn't sit still or it dies.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 6:55AM

I would be investing in my BUSINESS, not your ideology. The tax picture is stable and since any business just raises prices to cover expenses and then expenses them as tax deductions, WHAT THE F*CK IS THE PROBLEM except the RED party Dogma?

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 6:58AM

It is foolishness like yours jst that is perpetuating the rise of Asia as our economic superiors. While you (and CEO's who think like you) are whining that "The water's too cold mommy! The water's to rough mommy! I'm scared mommy!" CHINA is stealing their prosperity.

The TRUTH is that WHITE Corp Boards hate this BLACK guy because the veil has been lifted and even KNOWING Obama is RIGHT is just to painfully embarrassing to them and they will risk bankruptcy rather than admit the truth.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 6:59AM

The BEST white collar man for the job is not a woman. it's a BLACK guy.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 11:45AM

Thanks purp... no one understand why the koch Brothers are spending so much and pushing so hard to get the Government to pay for pipeline for oil that will only jack up the profits of the gluttons.

Bobloblaw| 1.29.12 @ 6:31PM

and no pipeline benefits uber liberal billionaire Warren Buffet. Youre wrong in thinking no pipeline means no oil drilling. No pipeline means oil moves by rail

buckeyeman| 1.27.12 @ 12:01PM

So... "All oil...including American Oil...is put on the Global Market..." and "That's how the oil companies reap such huge profits-they are artificially propping up prices putting it all on the speculation market."

Burp, that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Purp| 1.27.12 @ 4:30PM

Sure it does. Just as the labor market is Global, and wages are depressed by those low wage markets worldwide. Ergo Corporations chase low wage earners like a fox after a rabbit.
Any commodity traded on the world market as is oil, has the same problem.

Pete| 1.27.12 @ 5:13PM

And the poor educational system in the US has made this country non-competitive.

Drunken Sailor| 1.27.12 @ 2:49PM

Improving? I posted this on another article but it bears repeating.

LOL. Economic recovery huh?

2011 GDP 1.7%

Oh I know that's Bush's fault right? Interesting how the GDP was 3% in 2010 yet continued to drop to 1.7 in 2011. All under Obama's watch. Somehow I don't think that will help him much.

http://www.businessinsider.com/2011-gdp-2012-1

Almost forgot to mention.
Food Stamps up 45%
Federal handouts up 32%
http://news.investors.com/Arti.....-obama.htm

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 2:33AM

3% GDP until the REDS controlled the house. Then Boehner stonewalls Obama and cuts growth by 1/2! Bush ended his regime with -8.9% GDP following a -3.7 quarter.

I think the rest of the numbers PROVE the BLUE boys had a bit more progress going on than the REDtards.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 2:34AM

Which is why Hoover and Bush will always be remembered... well... not at all compared to Roosevelt.

jstwndring| 1.28.12 @ 3:40AM

The only stonewalling has been by the Democrat controlled Senate that refuses to even consider the many measures passed by the Republican controlled House.

Nice try, though.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:07AM

NOt ONE job in the 30 bills (actually 27) that Boehner came back to Session touting. A ready made jobs plan that is all about new oil leases (when 60% of leases held are not being worked), tax breaks for "Job Creators" (if tax cuts creates jobs, then where the f*ck are they? Obama extended your tax cuts and you say zippo! NO NEW JOBS. ~S~) IF there ARE new jobs, then they happened on Obama's watch and Boehner CAN'T claim them. They don't call him Bonehead for nothing ya know!

So the little sh*t stonewalls and propagates more corrosive policy thatKNOWINGLY will never see the light of day, then tells wannabelievers like you "Look at all the good work I did in the HOUSE."

The PROOF, his backstabbing his RED Senate compatriots who sold out and passed the 2 month payroll extention in exchange for 39 weeks less unemployment benefits. Obama will let the Government CLOSE the next time Boehner wants to get a credit downgrade for his headline collection.

Purp| 1.28.12 @ 10:37AM

Why don't you give them the WHOLE story, not cherry picked version from a right wing shill?
http://www.bea.gov/newsrelease.....elease.htm

jstwndring| 1.28.12 @ 4:02AM

"As far as American Energy - that's a right-wing myth."

Supply and demand is not a right-wing myth. It's how the free market works. I don't think you understand the fact that the speculators are making their best guess as to what they believe will be the available supply of oil in the future and compare that to what they believe will be the demand. When the then minority Republicans pressured the then majority Democrats in Congress (2008? was it?) to lift the oil drilling ban the price of oil on the futures market tanked over night. Why? Because they believed there was a possibility of future excess supply. There was no "conspiracy" to override that by keeping prices artificially high. They are in this to make money. The reason oil prices are high now is because Obama forced the shutdown of hundreds of rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, and hasn't allowed them to resume drilling. A source of supply was taken off the market. So, guess what? Prices started eventually going back up. Democrats display hostility to yet another American industry and it hurts the consumer. Go figure.

Purp| 1.28.12 @ 10:40AM

You completely missed the point. It isn't "American Oil" that matters on the American oil prices. It is ANY additional oil on the world market anywhere that changes prices on world markets.
My point was that all the bruhaha about Keystone was that it would be used in America - which it would not. At one time, more American oil would matter to prices for Americans - no longer. More oil in East Africa, Australia or India would have the same effect on American oil prices.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:16AM

That does NOT explain the rampant speculation after Katrina and your favorite investment Enron. Enron was all bout cooking books and speculating the price UP! Katrina did disrupt supplies but within a week, the whole world KNEW there was only minor damage to the oil ports and that NONE ofthe supply had been lost. There were 3-5 months of strategic reserves in the salt caves and repairs were eminent within that time frame.

But SPECULATION drove the prices up, the demand and the supply stayed the SAME in BOTH cases. IF we actually made speculators BUY the hard assets and take delivery (or sell the ultimate delivery) instead of paper futures, they would be precluded from imaginary trading .

What is the ratio of Futures Volume in Barrels and Production Volume for the same time period? YES! imaginary trading. it's just like shorting stock except you don't have to actually 'borrow' the shares to trade them on the options board.

Fix THIS and oil prices EVERYwhere stabilize.

Bobloblaw| 1.29.12 @ 6:33PM

""That does NOT explain the rampant speculation after Katrina and your favorite investment Enron. Enron was all bout cooking books and speculating the price UP! Katrina did disrupt supplies but within a week, ""

Hey moron, Enron went out of business 4 years BEFORE Katrina........idiot

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 10:07PM

EXACTLY Genius! it is a long standing dysfunction of RED party leadership to use crisis and inaction to bolster oil speculation for their heaviest contributors!

I've had more intelligent feedback from Disneyland coffee mugs Bobby Blowjo.

Keith| 1.28.12 @ 6:33PM

GM only regained the number one spot because of a small event that impacted Japan and Toyota sales were decimated as a result. Idiot.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:18AM

Was that event : Building more reliable cars? I bet you have a story for "Why the Super bowl winner didn't really win!"

Bobloblaw| 1.29.12 @ 6:29PM

""the loss of jobs stopped way back in 2009 and 3 million new jobs have been created since, unemployment is down to where it was 3 years ago, ""

job losses continued well into 2010. We are 3.5 years into the recovery. At this point after the 1982 recession 12 million new jobs had been created. By this time after the 1991 recession ended nearly 8 million new jobs had been created.

As for your ignorant tirade against the Alberta Tar Sands, that oil will be full exploited and exported to China. It will still get burnt, more dirtily so and Canadians will be more than happy to sell Alberta Tar Sands oil to China

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 10:05PM

Was the 82 or 91 dips on the scale of 1929 as the 2008 crash is? NO, you are apples and oranges here.
How many foreclosures after the S&L stupidity?
" President Ronald Regan's response was to deregulate the financial industry. The effect was that S&Ls; were required to pay as much as 18% for short term passbook deposits while still having multi-billion dollar portfolios of 30 year fixed mortgages still yielding 7%. Every S&L in America was bankrupt as their 3 to 5% capital evaporated in less than a month. " "there was a net loss to taxpayers of approximately $124 billion dollars by the end of 1999." WIKI

There are no figures on foreclosures because the treasury wasn't drained dry by the Bush Regime before hand. Junk bonds were issued and the homes stayed in the hands of the homeowners @ the 7% interest the mortgages were signed at.

HEY STUPID!| 1.29.12 @ 11:03PM

Wikipedia is not a credible source - it is arbitrarily written by idiots with a partisan agenda exactly like you, and arbitrarily edited by idiots with a partisan agenda exactly like you. It is shocking a genius like you hasn't been informed of this by your Disney coffee mug.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 11:40AM

Shows you what cowards the REDs are! Can't even speak their minds openly. it must feel so shaming to live that deeply in the closet... with the freshly starched sheets.

jstwndring| 1.28.12 @ 3:36AM

This from a member of the pro-slavery, pro-segregation, anti-civil rights party. Don't believe me? I dare you to look it up yourself. Check out the Civil Rights Acts of 1866, 1875, and all of them from that period up to as late as the 1950's. They were voted along party lines. Republicans for, Democrats against. Yup. Democrats were still blocking civil rights for blacks as late as the '50's.

Of course, you guys control the school system, so, you get to re-write history--or, just ignore it completely. So, no-one gets to learn about the sordid past of the DemocRat party.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:35AM

If you understood the history you are plagermorphing, the SOUTHERN Democratic Caucus of fought the Civil rights issue into the late 70's and THOSE seats (and voters) are now EXTREMELY RED throughout the old South.

What you are mentioning is NOT about party policy, but the Demographics of a region. FRom WIKI:
Southern Democrats are members of the U.S. Democratic Party who reside in the American South. In the 19th century, they were the definitive pro-slavery wing of the party, opposed to both the anti-slavery Republicans (GOP) and the more liberal Northern Democrats.
Eventually "Redemption" was finalized in the Compromise of 1877 and the Redeemers gained control throughout the South. As the New Deal began to move Democrats as a whole to the left (at least economically), Southern Democrats largely stayed as conservative as they had always been, with some even breaking off to form farther right-wing splinters like the Dixiecrats. After the Civil Rights Movement successfully challenged the Jim Crow laws and other forms of institutionalized racism, and after the Democrats as a whole came to symbolize the mainstream left of the United States, the form, if not the content, of Southern Democratic politics began to change.

>>>>>> At that point, most Southern Democrats defected to the Republican Party, and helped accelerate the latter's transformation into a more conservative organization.

Steve| 1.27.12 @ 9:56AM

Chickenhawk? That's one I haven't heard since...January 20, 2009 I think it was.
Judging by Jack and all caps guy above him, I'd say that General Obama (ret.) has the lunatic vote locked down.

Clint| 1.27.12 @ 2:47PM

The Stupid Party Is Giving Us McCain Redux.

The Tea Party Heads To A Brokered Convention.

Occam's Tool| 1.29.12 @ 11:59PM

Paul introduced 41 bills in the last legislative session, apparently. None passed. Freshman Congressman Chip Cravaack intoduced 8 total bills/ amendments in this session, and got the elimination of the United States Institute for Peace Studies.

Paul's been useless as a Congressman in terms of getting things done. No one co-sponsors the vast majority of his bills, which go to subcommittees to die. Why would he be effective as a President?

chuck| 1.27.12 @ 7:31AM

I don't know what fantasy land you are living in, but for a lot of us, the economy ISN'T turning around. Gas prices are headed up again, at $3.55 in mid-winter, which translates to $4.50 this summer.

Obama is toast, the economy sucks. America votes its wallet.

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 1.27.12 @ 7:45AM

Here's a great video interplaying Carter and Obama.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/a.....s-good.php

Clint| 1.27.12 @ 2:57PM

The Three Chickenhawks Are Into Pissing Away Our National Treasure Policing The Middle East & The Rest Of The Globe.

" As Ralph Waldo Emerson warned when he wrote, “A nation never falls but by suicide.”

The fall of Rome and other dominant civilizations manifest similar pathologies—imperial overreach, runaway spending, erosion of money’s purchasing power."

The Tea Party Rebellion Heads To A Brokered Convention.

Occam's Tool| 1.30.12 @ 12:01AM

It's entitlements, not defense, that is the budget buster---and Paul doesn't want to do anything about entitlements. He'll finish 4th in Fla. The best he will finish will be 2nd in Va. Between Romney and Paul, it will go 80% plus to Romney. Sorry. That's just the way it is.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 2:35AM

you are right about the wallet, but that wallet is dictated by the 246 BLUEnoseREDnecks that are slurping Boehner's weiner.

VonMisesJr| 1.27.12 @ 9:02AM

Gorbasm, I thought you were the Red Party. I saw it at the museum painted by Warhol. A Red hammer and sickle.
You seem calm today. Are you tired from a week of hate. Or have you had a "Two Minutes of Hate" for breakfast and got it out of your system?

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 11:54AM

I don't hate anything except pedophiles and rapists. Killlers just annoy This One, which explains My complete revulsion and disgust with you you gratuitous snot barfing, vomit eating turd chomper.

Stay away from the Schoolyard.

VonMisesJr| 1.27.12 @ 3:32PM

"you you," you sound like a yo yo.

Warm Gloworm| 1.27.12 @ 9:46AM

The Obama camp is basking in the warm glow of confidence. Why? They've taken a look at the Republican contenders and said to themselves, "Is this the best the GOP can do? Pathetic!"

Andrew P| 1.30.12 @ 3:59PM

The Obama camp has their warm glow of confidence because their best ally is a guy named Bernanke. All GOP candidates have promised not to reappoint Bernanke, and Bernanke wants to stay in power. So he must ensure Obama's reelection.

And a guy named Mario Draghi is also doing the same for EU politicians, and there is cross border reinforcement of a bull market in stocks. Remember, Independents vote their 401K and their family's employment situation.

Redstateboy| 1.27.12 @ 10:10AM

OG&A (typical of a disgusting Liber-ul to employ a tasteless (in its case) LoserName) have ya heard.. we just lost another 118 million dollars from a Dept. of Energy grant for a Battery operated Car company that just filed for Cptr. 11, 1 Year after Buffoon Biden visited the company to extoll the virtues and vision of his Slave Party.. so with the 518 Million blow on Solyndra.. that's (in just 2 companies) 636 Million dollars blown! but don't allow these little facts to interfere with your Hussein knee pad loving affair.

Purp| 1.27.12 @ 10:28AM

Like Romney said, "you invest, some companies succeed, some don't - in capitalism, you take risks and some work out and some don't". Oh well. That's our system.

Indy| 1.27.12 @ 10:44AM

Obama is "choosing" companies with taxpayer money, we lose. When the private market invests, investors win / lose.

Obama is funneling money to his bundlers and not only wasted our money knowing Solyndra would fail, his crony was placed in front of the taxpayer, we lose, Obama's crony gets the dough...another historic moment for our President

VonMisesJr| 1.27.12 @ 11:06AM

If you read Von Mises as you inferred you have, then you would know that "Crony Capitalism" is not capitalism. It is the flip-side of the coin of fascism.
Worked out well for the Italians, Spanish and Germans 80 years ago, didn't it Perpy? Now the American people are getting a glimpse of what it is like, and many are not "liking" it, comrade.

Pete| 1.27.12 @ 12:11PM

I am hearing more and more democrats quoting Romney to justify the actions of Obama. Its been my opinion that the crony capitalist of Obama are using Romney to give Obama some "credibility". First it was Mc Cain and now its Romney.

VonMisesJr| 1.27.12 @ 3:38PM

Ditto Pete. Pascal's first two rules of "Port Royal Logic" were to identify the word and then use it consistently in any argument. They are conflating Romney success in turning around failed companies (capitalism) with Obama's solyndra and LightSquared corrupt deals (crony capitalism or fascism). We are not stupid enough to fall for it, and you have it spot on.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 2:40AM

Funny how ... LOL... the RED party candidates are 'justifying' Obama policy by their entire life histories.
Between the Doddering old fool, the Holy Hypocrite,
Mr. Imakeyourhomeequityinanhour Whilepeeingsittingdown and the Albino Plumpkin...

Pinochio and Kermit the Frog would have better odds of winning than any 2 of the RED crew.

Obama is a cinch, unless he gets caught with a White woman holding a tape measure.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 2:41AM

CAn Hillary keep her mouth shut? CAn Bill?

VonMisesJr| 1.28.12 @ 9:37AM

Diogenes, I remember you. You were the old lady that wanted a free kitchen from Obama. Did it work out alright for you? Perhaps you only got the food with you EBT card. Vote for that kitchen, it will take him two terms to make things right.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:37AM

How does a brainless failed abortion like you remember anything? My apologies to products of conception everywhere.

VonMisesJr| 1.29.12 @ 8:24AM

If you weren't the kitchen lady, you are all the same. Socialism is the "creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy." You got them both nailed.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 10:10PM

junior? your mom charging extra now that she got her 'full' dentures?

you still taking 80% as her *im*.. manager?

Andrew P| 1.30.12 @ 4:02PM

No, but with a little help from Bernanke with QE3 and QE4, and a few recess appointments, Obama will refinance your mortgage at 2% for 30 years, and you will have extra cash for that new kitchen.

The super duper reelection automatic refinancing program will happen this year. Count on it.

Redstateboy| 1.27.12 @ 4:09PM

Purp.. and dickgenies.. Hussein (your Messiah) just blew over 600 Million dollars of taxpayer money - much of it I'm sure being funnelled back to DNC/Hussein campaign coffers and you two buttheads equate this with "Business investment"?!!? Gawd!!! Are Liber-uls sooooo stupid!!! If a Republican President were doing this you'd two POS would be screaming for Impeachment.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:39AM

HOW are you sure? DO you have a cash trail to follow? nah... you're just propping up your white ego with blackballing lies. Why doesn't Fox News have a BLACK host/anchor/reporter?

Because Newscorp would loose the RED party veiwers if they did.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 10:11PM

My GF says Dick Genius there redboy...

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 10:12PM

Only if there was something criminal, like LYING to the Nation about WMD, or 7000 Deaths in 2 fraudulent wars...

JenB| 1.27.12 @ 9:17PM

Seems like Obama and his admin really su ck at investing. Sure that happens when you invest. But you would think someone as brilliant as Obama could pick some investments that actually pay off. Yet, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:46AM

YEAH, like the special Bush legislation to support ENRON!!!! What a magnificent swindle, from the Connecticut Cowpatty on the California Liberals.

The difference here is that Obama really wanted Solyndra to succeed. ENRON wasdesignedto fail, just like the RED party houseing bubble. Clever ofthem to allow educated white financial experts to get all those millions of uneducated 1st time home buyers to pool their mortgages into bundles like that then split them into shares called CDO's (in which each part of any property had sever owners and made rewritingthe mortgages impossible) and insure them with undercapitalized Credit Default Swaps and THEN, with the most experienced investment bank CEO at the head of the Treasury (Goldman Sachs made money betting ON the collapse) the RED party administration saddled all those future foreclosee's and unemployed workers with the bill for thier new yachts and mansions.

THAT was the swindle of all swindles.

Bobloblaw| 1.29.12 @ 6:35PM

""YEAH, like the special Bush legislation to support ENRON!!!! ""

There was NO Bush legislation to support Enron. Enron's biggest champion was Robert Rubin when he was Sec of Treasury.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 10:29PM

In 2000, Senator Phil Gramm played a central role in writing the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, a law that would open the door to unregulated trading of credit default swaps, the financial instruments blamed, in part, for the current economic meltdown.

But there was another aspect of this legislation that, earlier this decade, helped produce another financial meltdown: the collapse of Enron, the Texas energy company.

The commodity futures act, in addition to allowing unregulated trading of financial derivatives, included language advocated by Enron that largely exempted the company from regulation of its energy trading on electronic commodity markets, like its once-popular Enron Online. The provision came to be known as the Enron Loophole.

ABC 2008 : It’s the "Enron loophole," which exempts energy speculators who make trades electronically from US regulation. Some argue that the unregulated energy speculation, codified in 2000, can account for $20 to $25 in the jump in oil prices.
But now, 8 years after energy traders were able to push legislation exempting their electronic trades of energy futures from US regulation, a measure in the Farm Bill aims to close the loophole and subject futures trades made electronically inside the United States to US law.
“This bill is really our best bet to deter unscrupulous traders from manipulating energy prices and engaging in excessive speculation. This has been a long, hard road – and this is a major legislative victory," Said California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein after the Senate passed the underlying Farm Bill on a broad, bipartisan basis.
Specifically, according to her office, the bill would "require electronic energy traders to provide an audit trail and record-keeping, monitor for market manipulation, and increase financial penalties for cases of market manipulation and excessive speculation."

The entire duration of the Bush Administration protected this policy as essential and of small consequence. BUSH was DIRECTLY responsible for killing legislation as early as 2002 to regulate these derivatives.

jstwndring| 1.28.12 @ 3:29AM

You don't "invest" taxpayer money in risky (and stupid) ventures. You invest your own. We didn't ask to be a part of that "investment". What you are describing is theft.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:49AM

What will your grandchildren put in their car to get to work? 50 years isn't that long a time and unless the RED party gets high paying jobs BACK on American shores... they won't be able to afford gasoline in 25 years.

Low supply ALWAYS drives the price up. Just ask the DEA and DeBEERS.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 11:58AM

American Airlines just filed too. And to cheat long term employees out of pensions and wages and benefits (ala United and Delta) while they cash in record executive bonuses. This is proof that ALL airlines in America should be Nationalized, the fares stabilized, the service streamlined and the costs halved.

If you don't think the Government can run an airline, then privatize the Air Force and the Navy's Carrier Fleets. Can't shit like a Hawk if you fart like a chicken kids.

Pete| 1.27.12 @ 12:15PM

Not that I am a fan of American Airlines, but they have had to compete against Delta and United, who were protected by the bankruptcy courts. American had the double whammy of legacy union agreements which made the cost of operations far higher for American than these protected airlines.
Before we praise the government for running the military well, better take a look at the tremendous waste in the military. Take a look at the cozy relationships between defense contractors and the government. You would be shocked.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 2:52AM

I understand. But it is NOW the business strategy de jour... to mismanage a company, get it into restructuring bankruptcy, settle debt for nickels on the dollar, weasle out of decades of promises to and lifetime investments of employees, take home monster bonus packages and come out with minimum prived stock options that you use when the 'new' stock booms the minute they emerge from Chap 11 protection.

This is Romney nomics 101. if it doesn't work out perfectly, saddle it with debt, skim the pension, strip the assets, leave the employess with nothing and walk away knowing that you are just "a failed good samaritan"

I understand the military contracts, but the Generals seldom decide what the contract is, the CONGRESS does that. The Generals for the most part get their job done well.

We should treat military contractor spending like we do medicare payments to Doctors. Automat-ically making them suffer pay cuts when the economy tanks. Deciding that their products are only worth 67% of the contracted price and leaving them no legal recourse by law.

We should also be penalizing them with near crippling fines for product failures and late production and cost overruns. CEO bonuses for these contractors should be linked to completetion and performance.. to the point that failures are fines levied against the CEO and board members... just to keep them honest.

And we can write the contracts to include deductions for the lobbying expenses the company paid for the job.

Bobloblaw| 1.29.12 @ 6:36PM

""American Airlines just filed too. And to cheat long term employees out of pensions and wages and benefits (ala United and Delta) while they cash in record executive bonuses. This is proof that ALL airlines in America should be Nationalized, the fares stabilized, the service streamlined and the costs halved.""

Proof youre a complete idiot. Stabilize fares. protect employees and cut costs in 1/2???? LOL

Occam's Tool| 1.30.12 @ 12:04AM

Account for Southwest, please. Delta's doing OK, too.

jstwndring| 1.28.12 @ 4:13AM

Hey genius. Who controls the Senate? Democrats or Republicans? I'm sorry, who's sandbagging?

Get a clue.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:53AM

The Pleadge to Sandbag wasn't signed 42 partyline voting, filibustering, no negotiations, willing to close the Government Democrats was it?

Thank you for recognizing My Mind. (A gift from both parents). I was just windering.... ~smirks~ how did your parents genes RECOGNIZE genius when they had never experienced it?

Appleby| 1.27.12 @ 6:41AM

Once Obama is defeated, will the liberal media start investigating who he really was and where he came from?

numbatdog| 1.27.12 @ 8:21AM

No, they will elevate him to "one of our best ever" status as they did with slick Willy. All will be forgiven as they claim his presidency was destroyed by racism.

Al Adab| 1.27.12 @ 10:56AM

...and they will begin a four to eight year effort to denigrate blame whatever republican President happens to be in office. Note how we all have to repeat how bad Bush was?

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 2:55AM

you don't LIKE the RED party format of history? HAHA Not when the truth is out there. Rove may have been a successful strategy for you, just like the Citizens United 'seemed' to be good on paper to the Corporate puppet party. But you are proving that BOTH are costing your party it's future.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 11:59AM

He is going to replace Hamiliton on the $10 spot.

Al Adab| 1.27.12 @ 2:33PM

Might as well, that isn't worth much either these days.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 7:56AM

Sad but true. ALL cash is relative. 50 cent gas and cigs, Dollar sixpacks @ $2 minimum wage, $4 gas, $6 cigs and $7 sixpacks at ?????? wait a minute!!!! $7.50 minumum wage????? Uh Oh.

Everybody now has to work TWICE as long to buy the same amount of goods as 35 years ago.

Is THAT how Reaganomics was SUPPOSED to work? YEAH! For the RED party!!

c.j. acworth| 1.27.12 @ 6:51AM

Mr. Ross;

From your keyboard to God's monitor.

Appleby;

No, the media will not go after Obama, it would showcase their own bootlicking incompetence.

Vern Crisler | 1.27.12 @ 9:04AM

"From your keyboard to God's monitor."

I think this gets to the heart of why Ron is wrong in his analysis. He's really offering up a prayer than Obama will lose, no matter who the Republican candidate is. But between now and November is an eternity. If the Republicans offer up an empty suit as their nominee, Obama and the liberal media will cut him to shreds. Nationals polls are meaningless right now.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:00PM

We don't even need Romney with a dead girl or Gingrich with a live boy to win this one. LMAFO @ the thought of Paul with anything living!!! Has Santorum learned to masturbate yet?

Pete| 1.27.12 @ 5:16PM

My question is where you born a jerk or did you have to learn to be one?

Pete| 1.27.12 @ 5:17PM

My question is where you born a jerk or did you have to learn to be one?

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 2:56AM

if you use baby oil on the palm of you hand, you might stop stuttering when you play at the keyboard.

Brian Mc| 1.27.12 @ 7:07AM

Libs aren't worried one bit. They have an indoctrinated voting base and plenty of dogs, cats and dead people to back them up. Factor in the MSM that would make Joseph Goebbels cringe in horror and the alien's hole card...the OWS fleabags as a scape goat when things don't look too good one month out. A state of emergency and marshall law and those silly elections; never mind those. Of all these though, the one that gives me the most frustration is the ignorant voting block. The only way to stop it? A yes/no question at the polling place: "Did you pay ANY income tax last year?"

PolishKnight| 1.27.12 @ 9:53AM

The author has a point, Brian, that all that's needed is just a few percent to leave Obama. That said, Obama's base is amazingly loyal united by racist entitlements, welfare, government unions, and notions of cultural superiority (you can guess for yourself which loyal democrat voting bloc fits which category.) Republicans are seeking to grind up their holy cows in the interests, ironically, of general welfare of the nation while Obama has to get a 1 trillion dollar increase every 2 months to keep his cronies greased.

The few percent that need to come over to the Republicans are going to do so for economic reasons mostly. Nothing gets people irked like two things: Gasoline prices and beef prices and Obama has indicated he sees nothing wrong with them going sky high and the commoners riding bicycles and eating arugula. This makes Obama weak among these demographics: Unwed mothers and single women trying to balance their budgets, PRIVATE union workers, and even some higher educated snot-nosed kids living in their parents' basements. The rest probably are not going to budge much.

On the Republicans' side, the biggest danger is voter apathy: I voted for McCain last time because my conservative wife cried for me to. That is no guarantee I'll vote for another RINO or Historian nutjob. On the contrary, the whole experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Many Republicans are staying home because after GBI, GBII, Dole, and then McCain they decide to not bother anymore. So don't count this one in the bag just yet.

VBMax| 1.27.12 @ 10:10AM

An unofficial poll at Tea Party Nation has more than 25% saying they will not vote for Romney if he is the nominee. It ain't over till it's over.

Al Adab| 1.27.12 @ 11:00AM

Don't forget gentlemen its the electoral votes that count. No McCain state will change sides so the states that matter are NC, VA, FL and Ohio. We cannot win without them so our nominee must be one who can carry those states. Why waste time and money in NY, NJ, CA or so one or have a candidate who can "compete" but lose in those blue states? We know the battlefiled so let us have a general who can prevail.

George S| 1.27.12 @ 11:21AM

If NY, NJ and CA vote for Obama during these miserable times, then they will never vote Republican. What does that say about our future?

buckeyeman| 1.27.12 @ 12:04PM

It says we're screwed.

buckeyeman| 1.27.12 @ 12:05PM

Btw, get ready to work hard and pay your taxes to bail them out.

Al Adab| 1.27.12 @ 1:50PM

Oh they will George, no question. It is a measure of how far our nation has fallen that so many states are not even in play. Our posters here from PA think their state may be, so we will see. As to these others, where so many depend on government for their livlihood, we should give them up as a lost cause at least until some measure of freedom is restored.

Bobloblaw| 1.29.12 @ 6:38PM

Dont count on no McCain state not changing sides. If Romney is the nominee I predict GA will go for Obama.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:03PM

The ONLY way you Teabagging REDs can win is to bring you guns to the polls and suck a bullet in the doorway to close the polls and keep the people from voting against you. I wouldn't mind seeing 100K less KKKers, I'd be willing to come back the following Tuesday to win.

George True| 1.27.12 @ 1:21PM

You are such an obvious leftist/Communist troll. Nothing you say has any relevance or meaning because FACTS do not matter to you. You call evil good and good evil - you are so patently obvious and thus so pathetic. And by the way, why are you using a homosexual perjorative to describe mainstream Americans with traditional American values who attend peaceful rallies where they leave the place cleaner than it was before? It is you and your ilk who are the REDS, that is to say, Communists.

Al Adab| 1.27.12 @ 1:53PM

Diogenes, the cynic BTW, may rest assured that while, if ballots fail the alternatives are not pretty, there are nonetheless many who find them preferable to life under tyranny.

Diogenes| 1.29.12 @ 8:04AM

Tyranny of what? BIG BUSINESS interests? Good LUCK getting wages and benefits without unions. JOBS are leaving America for cheaper wages. Americans can't emigrate (Like everyone does to come here) to China or Mexico for better wages.

This is a Capitalist Communist regime we exist under. Free markets (except for labor), minimum regulation at the top, anklebinding red tape at the bottom and a tax code with special deductions (that everyone can use) that only 5% of filers QUALIFY for and 95% of citizens fund. What makes it Communist is that ONLY PARTY Members benefit.

Occam's Tool| 1.30.12 @ 12:07AM

I'm not so sure that will be true if the House and Senate races are going well. Romney won't veto Conservative Republicans.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:02AM

TY. I never stepped that far back to look at the WHOLE of the last generation of RED party offerings. Of course I weep knowing that Mondale, Dukakis, Kerry and Gore might have led us... where exactly? LMAO

We need to run the country like a business, Ross Perot was right. We need to budget according to revenue and spend according to budget. Not by military contracts first, not by exempting war expenses from the equation, not by collateralizing debt with political leverage.

Andrew P| 1.30.12 @ 4:15PM

Obama's biggest assets are Bernanke and the MSM. I spoke to Bernanke in a previous comment. The MSM's power to choose Presidents is almost undiminished (despite their declining audience) because their viewership among Independents and Moderates is almost undiminished. Those groups are the deciders of Presidential elections. Furthermore, national polls do not matter. What matters is electoral votes, and the electoral map is a very tough one for Republicans. If you assume the GOP candidate wins VA, NC, OH, and FL, he still has to get either PA or NH to win the election. If he doesn't get OH, then he has to get WI (which may not be possible). The map is tough because the growth in the Hispanic vote has flipped NV and CO blue.

Clint| 1.27.12 @ 7:08AM

" In a head to head match up with incumbent President Barack Obama, the indie voter chooses Ron Paul, a CBS News poll suggested on Monday.

A total of 47% of independent voters said they would choose Ron Paul compared to 45% of independent voters choosing Mitt Romney against Obama, and 41% of independents saying they would choose Rick Santorum. If a Paul-Obama showdown were ever to take place, 47% of independent voters would vote for Paul, 81% republicans and 10% Democrats for a total of 45% of the vote. Obama would get just 40% of the independent vote in that contest, with 85% of the Democrats choosing Obama and 9% of Republicans choosing the President on election day in November. Obama would win the general election by a narrow one point margin if the election was held today between the two."

The Tea Party Rebellion Is In Florida.

Boar Hunter| 1.27.12 @ 10:45AM

Ron Paul is a nut.

Dick Nome| 1.27.12 @ 11:03AM

He's also a crackpot.

Clint| 1.27.12 @ 3:05PM

Tell It To William F. Buckley RINO-CINO Flunkie Stooges.

George Will, "Today, we have a very different kind of foreign policy. It’s called Wilsonian. And the premise of the Bush Doctrine is that America must spread democracy, because our national security depends upon it. And America can spread democracy. It knows how. It can engage in national building. This is conservative or not?"

William F. Buckley, " It’s not at all conservative. It’s anything but conservative. It’s not conservative at all, inasmuch as conservatism doesn’t invite unnecessary challenges. It insists on coming to terms with the world as it is …”

Crassus| 1.27.12 @ 10:53AM

Now hold on a minute before we go much further. Give Clint a dime so he can call his mother.

Clint| 1.27.12 @ 3:01PM

Give Israel Firster Crassus A Bus Ticket To The Peoples Republic Of Massachusetts,Where The RINO-CINO's Live.

The Tea Party Heads To A Brokered Convention.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:08AM

CLint is right. Nation building IS a liberal endeavor, just as Manifest Destiny was a century before. the Monroe Doctrine was conservative, protecting this nation from outside corruption and distraction.

We NEED to rebuild America today, and let the Shieks pay for their own people. Let the Chinese do as they will with Burma or Cambodia or Vietnam. We just stop their products at the border, inspect EVERY cargo container and let their cheap labor products decrease in value the longer they wait in line to enter our ports. The longer it takes their cheap pirated crap to get on OUR shelves, the longer we keep American CASH in AMerican pockets. These little slant eyed snots poisoned our pets AND our children and we are sTILL kissing their asses? The poisoned how many houses with contaminated drywall and how many American homes are not only unihabitable, but worthless as well?

We should be filling the empty containers going BACK to China full of all this toxic waste.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:06PM

But the indie vote only translates to the PEROT 9% and most of the REDs sling too much hate at each other to vote for Obama. What was that statistic from the Census: 17% of Republican children have parents who are brother and sister? Something like that.

George True| 1.27.12 @ 1:23PM

You and your ilk are the REDS, that is to say, Communists.

Drunken Sailor| 1.27.12 @ 2:58PM

And 60% of the Dems have no clue who their babies daddy is.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:09AM

At least it wasn't My mommies Daddy!!! LMAO Say hi to your grandfather Next Father's day for Me.

Lullabys, Legends and Lies| 1.27.12 @ 7:41AM

"Charley Sheen would beat Barack Obama". Now ain't that the truth!! Charlie Sheen-WINNING!! 2012 is 1980 all over again!! We've got a horrible President and his treacherously dedicated team, who actually believes he's going to get re-elected easily , but they're the only ones who truly believe this!! Even his most ardent supporters can't believe this anymore, they may still support him, but they can't believe that this is going to be a repeat of the walk in the park back in 2008. Now I don't care which Republican gets the nomination in the end, even with all their flaws and and flip-flopping, I can live with any of them (but please don't let it be Paul). Because whichever one gets it, they're going to be far superior than this media created anomaly of a President. He's a walking disaster!! Wherever he goes, businesses go out of business, homes go into foreclosure, and people lose their jobs, but at least his wife gets to go on really expensive vacations on the Taxpayers dime, which is why she's finally proud of her Country!! So I agree with Appleby above, once this Joke is kicked out of office, the truth about him will finally be revealed, and it should be some very interesting reading for years to come. Today, somewhere down in Plaines, Georgia, Old Jimmy Carter is counting down the days, until he's no longer considered the worst President ever. As President, Old Jimmy sucked, there's no changing that, but at least he won't be the worst President anymore!! November can't get here fast enough for me!!

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 1.27.12 @ 7:47AM

Here's a link which shows how Soros will make a billion over Obama's proposal on natural gas, a proposal that Obama had rejected before.

It also has an article on how Buffet will cash in big because of the rejection of the Keystone Pipeline.

These are the issues that the candidates now need to focus on:

http://www.godlikeproductions......766866/pg1

Indy| 1.27.12 @ 10:47AM

Agreed, but these candidates are "Stuck on Stupid" - Lt. Gen. Honore

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:08PM

T Boone Pickens has been making sense about using LNG for vehicles for decades. it's greener, cheaper, safer and smells VERY Republican.Sorry, that Propane that smells appetizing to Republicans.

Al Adab| 1.27.12 @ 1:57PM

LNG is a good product. Many people have natural gass at their houses. All they need do is have a mechanic perform the conversion and add a pressure tank to their home service. They could then fill their vehicle every time it was needed on their own home station paid as their gas bill currently is. Free markets and free choice for any who wish to do so.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:12AM

The conversion to LNG at gas stations will be expensive, but it should not take much considering the cheap cost of the fuel itself. We need to give an incentive, retroactively, for the investment by Big oil into the conversion. Make them use their own money, and AFTER they have earned the investment back, we can scale back fuel taxes a bit.

But NO MORE SUBSIDIES!

POST American| 1.27.12 @ 7:47AM

----Putting BAR-rockefeller Obama,
and the capstone CON-servatives
to one side for a moment-----

ONE AND ALL should really CHECK OUT
the Dr. Mayer Eisenstein interview unmasking
the deadly vaccine situtation and the
unfolding EUGENICS agenda.

CHECK OUT

ALEX JONES
Mayer Eidenstein interview
January 26th 2012

"Unless we realize the unthinkable
has ALREADY been done to us
--------------we're FINISHED."

----------THIS IS THE 11th HOUR. . .

martin j smith| 1.27.12 @ 7:58AM

When Mitt Romney starts running against Obama and not against Newt we will know the Republican Leadershit go it--not until then.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:09PM

Those 2 better start 69 ing in their ads or no one will get the joke when one of them is the VP half of the RED ticket.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:10PM

CAn you IMAGINE the collosal failure of a Slimy Lizard/Caribou Barbie ticket?

George True| 1.27.12 @ 1:26PM

Why don't you go back to PuffHo? Nobody here will be swayed in any way by your lunatic leftist rantings. You are pathetic. Get out of your mommy's basement and get a job.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:15AM

Don't need a job, killed shorting the Euro. Daddy paid for college and then left Me his house, the ranch, the plane and 7 cars. TY GEO Bush for the tax break and FU for not liking it very much.

I spend more on charity than you earn changing oil for Jiffy Lube Mr. True.

Tim the Enchanter| 1.27.12 @ 3:03PM

You are a sick, demented, evil pervert. Just sayin'

Tim the Enchanter| 1.27.12 @ 3:03PM

That's for Diogenes, BTW.

Dick Nome| 1.27.12 @ 3:17PM

I am thinking it may be P-A's brother.

Antisthenes| 1.27.12 @ 5:18PM

Alas, not all my pupils exhibit intellectual honesty, even when expertly instructed.

In a bit of poetic justice, this one has taken a rather savage beating from a rather industrious poster today in an article from two days ago, on the 25th, here in 'American Spectator, called "Obama's Open Buffet", an article by George Neumayr.

Some may find amusement from it.

I particularly enjoyed the comment posted by our intellectual giant at 1:33 this afternoon;

"I have been counseled NOT to feed you troll"

This was followed by a comment posted by our intellectual giant at 1:34.

I apologize to one and all I could not instill through my teaching any moral virtue in this one.

PCC| 1.27.12 @ 8:03AM

The author is completely correct.

Re-election of a president is a referendum on the incumbent.

Except in times of war, that referendum is based on the state of the economy.

If the economy is moving decisively in a positive direction in November 2012, Obama will be tough to beat.

Otherwise, he's toast.

The Republicans would do well to avoid making Obama's opponent the issue, rather than the president's record.

That's why Romney is the best candidate to defeat Obama.

Dick Nome| 1.27.12 @ 8:15AM

The economy is not about to turn around decisively. There is not inpetus for it to do so. It will muddle along until the chains and wieghts holding it back are removed.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:11PM

We need "Republican Only" water fountains in the Capitol!!! Easier to poison them all with minimal collateral damage...

Pete| 1.27.12 @ 5:20PM

Spoken like a true Marxist.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:19AM

HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA. A Marxist wold only allow a single water fountain for party members.

PCC| 1.27.12 @ 8:07AM

BTW, don't discount a "wag the dog" scenario.

A nice little drone war on Iran would do wonders for Obama's re-election prospects.

And he knows it.

Ted R.| 1.27.12 @ 8:32AM

"Drone war" - ?? Christ, another Con who's watched Star Wars too many times...

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:12PM

Happy Halloween Surprise for Reds and Towelheads alike.

VonMisesJr| 1.27.12 @ 9:07AM

While Dr. Ross is correct that Mitt, Newt or Santorum would smoke "I killed Usuma" Obama; I believe the reason Romney cannot solidify a lead even with every RINO in DC singing "alleluia" is that he is non-committal and much of a "blank slate" as was Obama. Been there, done that!

Purp| 1.27.12 @ 12:03PM

Smoke? Actual poll results to the contrary ... Obama beats them all, even today.

Dick Nome| 1.27.12 @ 3:16PM

Is terminal stupidity like yours painful??

William L. Gensert| 1.27.12 @ 9:11AM

Barack Obama is a dream. In 2008, the dream was hope and change. In 2012, it will be progress, thwarted by evil partisans and selfish greed. As Gertrude Stein said, "there is no there there." He needs enemies to draw attention from his lack of depth, for he is truly a mile wide and an inch deep. He is an illusion -- always appearing to be more than he is, always, more promise than reality. He is, and always has been, the sum projection of what others want him to be. Barack Obama doesn't exist, except in the hearts and minds of minions and sycophants.

VBMax| 1.27.12 @ 10:05AM

You really nailed it with your fine article.

Bob K.| 1.27.12 @ 11:05AM

Agreed!

You will find better political analysis in "The American Thinker" than in "The American Spectator!"

And often better writing!

Note that, Mr. Regnery.

Occam's Tool| 1.30.12 @ 12:11AM

Weasel Zippers is excellent, as well. Zip zaps Clints, Jacks, Diogenes types. I, however, am free to post. :)

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:16PM

Like the Billions of terrorists Bush declared war , but can only point to 500 or soo. Just like the WMD's, and even if the Taliban is real, the profits from the RED party heroin trade pays them as handsomely as the REDs paid the Iraqi's for apparent peace .

Pete| 1.27.12 @ 5:18PM

Isn't your Messiah a coke addict?

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:22AM

Didn't you see "W"? Bush may have stopped snorting, but he never worked the steps man! he's the same junkie drunk that his father bribed through Yale. The same failed oil mogul.

Diogenes| 1.27.12 @ 12:18PM

Al Adab| 1.27.12 @ 1:58PM

Methinks you are huffing too much LNG my cynical friend.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:24AM

Seriously, who are they and where are they? under the rocks, in the bushes? 10 years later and we have spent trilllions chasing the fear of the ghost of the terrorist concept.

Are bad guys out there? SURE! Are the millions of them? Mostly like less Al Quaida than there are gay guys in New Hampshire.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:28AM

How many of the million+ Iraqi DEAD were EVER a threat to America or it's allies? .025%? .01%? That would be about 100 times the # of suicide bombers during the last decade in iraq.
It cost $100K to kill each one. it would have been a whole lot cheaper to just revoke the green cards of our enemies and round up all those that didn't report for deportation.

Shit, ICE has their pictures and the Government could have run a 24/7 cable channel for the gun nuts to drink beer and watch the pics and descriptions of "America's Most Terrorists".

Cuffs| 1.27.12 @ 9:47AM

Mr Ross--
Do you honestly believe that the puppet masters
behind Obama will not have the economy
up, unemployment down and Wall Street
solid by 2012 Sept? These guys will "cook the
books" so that everything is rosy by election
time. They want Obama for another four
years and they will accomplish that with
both hands tied behind their backs. Just
another 4 more years and the USA as we
know it will be toast. Obama will lead
us over the finish line of the long march
to socialism. His handlers are so close
now, they will not stop until thier dream
of complete government domination
is fulfilled.

Bob K.| 1.27.12 @ 11:12AM

Not unless they can convince people to stop looking for money in their empty pockets to see if it fell down into their "cuffs."

All that money you read about in the"books" ain't the same as what you find in your pockets.

Pedantic| 1.27.12 @ 9:56AM

Charlie Sheen's name is spelled Charlie, not Charley.

SUPER PEDANT| 1.27.12 @ 11:18AM

Sheen used to be Carlos I. Estevez.

POST American| 1.27.12 @ 10:04AM

---The Romney/Gingrich capstone Tupperware
salesmen -----going head to head with former
Kissinger aide, possible Averell Harriman
spawn, -----BAR----Rockefeller Obama.

Have we ever been faced with such
a dramatic choice?

-----------------------LOL!

Skywalker L. | 1.27.12 @ 10:25AM

Ron Paul will save us! Ron Paul will save us!

R2D2

1ConservativeUSA| 1.27.12 @ 12:01PM

I agree that Republicans should be confident. I also believe that Americans will vote in a landslide Obama in November.

However, I am not one to rest until the job is done. So, conservatives need to keep spreading the powerful message of free Americans making free market decisions. We must make the case that a strong America is the world's best hope for peace and prosperity. We must prove that the leftist promise of utopia on earth is a false argument.

Conservatives must articulate these points, while acknowledging that no system, even capitalism, is perfect and that man is fallible.

After the election, conservatives need to reinvigorate Americans with pride and point them towards the values and principles of our founding. Conservative policies must point the nation back to a representative and constitutional republic.

As we should know by now, freedom is always under threat, so the conservative's job to preserve it is never done.

Bulbul| 1.27.12 @ 1:09PM

Too many debates, media assaults, prolonged primary, exhausted GOP candidates. I think they need to suspend all the upcoming debates. Enough is enough!

George True| 1.27.12 @ 1:44PM

An excellent read, Mr Ross. From your lips to God's ears, sir. If only the Republican nominee is savvy enough to continually turn the spotlight back on Obama regardless how many times the MSM tries to throw on his opponent.

By the way, I highly recommend Dr Ross' book, The Unbeatable Market. It is, in my opinion, the last word on exactly how the equity markets actually do work, and how the market itself is orders of magnitude more intelligent than any hand-picked panel of experts could ever be. It is a good read and an excellent book.

Bulbul| 1.27.12 @ 2:07PM

Putting aside the feud between Gingrich and Romney, as a devoted Christian and constitutionalists, I miss Gov. Rick Perry.

Pat| 1.27.12 @ 5:56PM

This is only Act 1 of the tawdry little bedroom comedy we go through every 4 years. Before the summer intermission when the nomination is locked up, Republican candidates play the Bighorn Sheep game – two rams hurl
themselves at each other, constantly butting horns with the accompanying sound effects provided by the media. But let’s not kid ourselves – the mainstream media doesn’t lean toward the most liberal Republican, they don’t lean toward any Republican candidate. We need to cut Act 1 short and quickly begin the full scale attack on Obama, he’d be doing the same if he were in their shoes.

This author is undeniably correct that voter indignation over Obama’s manifest stupidities and cronyism constitutes the Republicans’ most valuable campaign asset. Some voters resent his giving our money away to friends and supporters while pretending to help us. Others resent his catering to foreign nations who will only hate us the more after he debases himself at their feet. And those who think Obama wasn’t Liberal enough these past few years, that he didn’t give away enough taxpayer money aren’t going to vote for a Republican this November, even if the Republicans run the current avatar of Abraham Lincoln. It’s the Independent voters Republicans need to convince. And it isn’t too early to start endlessly acknowledging their many legitimate complaints and promising to do much better if simply given the chance.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:35AM

You are right. you need to continue that universal blame game, just tag every failure of the previous administration with an 'O' and claim that more of the same will be a change.

Good luck with that. Obama is going to point out that SINCE the RED House victory, the economy has LOST HALF the GDP growth he gave it, tax cuts for the RICH are NOT creating jobs, that infrastructure has improved their lives by BEING JOBS and that the first 2 years were such a success that even 30 dead bills in the HOUSE dumpster can't waste enough legislative time, they have to go out of their way to LOSE US OUR CREDIT RATING!

Good luck explaining all that. Patriots? ... for ANYONE but the person the people voted as President.

Diogenes| 1.28.12 @ 3:35AM

That's the Definition of UN American.

Sonny119| 1.27.12 @ 9:48PM

The liberal Republican RINO Party Establishment, have openly exposed themselves, and has thus openly declared themselves the most repulsive repugnant and vile Anti-Reagan Conservative RINO scum, in the history of the American politics and the Republican Party.

Their vile hostile attacks against Newt, with the most blatant lies and propagandist smears, all over the media outlets, via TV, newspaper print, internet, etc, that has ever been done to a politician, since Barry Goldwater in 1960 and 1964, then Ronald Reagan in both 1976, then 1980.. where they, the Rockefeller-Nixon-Ford-Bush Republican Party RINO elitist establishment, has a long history of hypocrisy and permanent political class entrenched arrogant elitism, about being an opposition political party to the liberal Democrats.

Why.. because the entrenched GOP Republican Party establishment elitists are actually just in collusional cooperation with liberal Democrats, in a mutually agreed power sharing agreement between each other, to control and maintain their self-proclaimed elitist privileged power in Washington DC.

And to ensure the status quo stays as is, they do this by attacking Constitutional Conservatives, like and more specifically the Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, and now Newt Gingrich conservative Republican politicians who seek the U.S. Presidency, who do not tolerate, and will not allow, their unethical greedy political corruption, with their liberal agenda of borrowing and spending on massive govt. programs, while they gut the U.S. Military and it's budget, sacrificing U.S. National Security, which the Goldwater-Reagan-Kemp-Newt conservatives will root them out from within the govt. They don't like that.. well that's too bad..

Honesty and Integrity in Washington DC politics, have gone from bad to worse, and only real Goldwater-Reagan Conservatives like Newt can put the American people back in power at America's helm.

This is an exerpt from "Gingrich: The Rise of the Hoi Polloi" by Craig Shirley, January 23, 2012

In 1976, Gerald R. Ford, advised by Henry Kissinger, Donald Rumsfeld and others, pursued Nixon’s liberal policies. He seemed to almost push Reagan into challenging him in the primaries, hurling personal insults at the Gipper.

Reagan lost the first five primaries. By North Carolina, he was $2 million in debt, reeling and opposed by virtually everyone in the GOP establishment. And I mean everybody.

In Raleigh, N.C., Reagan received a telegram signed by numerous GOP officials, telling him to get out of the race. Paul Laxalt was with him and Reagan exploded, telling Laxalt that the Republicans who signed the missive “could go [do something to] themselves,” according to Laxalt.

Reagan did not withdraw. Instead, he mauled Ford there — winning more than 53 percent against the incumbent president. It was in North Carolina that the Reagan whom Americans would come to know and love stepped forward. He ran a populist insurgent campaign against the establishment Ford & Co.

The win stunned the country and changed the future for the party.

The 1980 New Hampshire primary is also a storied race. Reagan issued his famous line, “I am paying for this microphone.” But the really stunning moment was when he crushed George H.W. Bush by 27 percent. This big win changed the future for the GOP.

His South Carolina strategy was broad, wide and deep. Gingrich defeated the elites’ arguments by capturing the votes of Republicans who decided he had a better shot than Romney at defeating Obama. Gingrich won pluralities of all women — laying to rest the argument that he can’t appeal to them.

On primary day, I traveled with Gingrich as he met with hundreds of voters. None of these voters seemed to pay any mind to the Washington know-it-alls. If they did – it was to show them their backside.

Romney’s very persona helps Gingrich. The former Bain Capital chief is the elitist heir to Rockefeller and the malapropistic heir to Ford and George H. W. Bush. Watching Ford speak extemporaneously was like watching a drunk cross an icy parking lot — and the same can be said for the exuberantly monosyllabic man from Massachusetts.

Gingrich, like Goldwater and Reagan, is running as a strongly populist outsider. His future is still unclear, however.

Insiders insist the former speaker lacks discipline. But they always come up with a world view based on their own expense-account perceptions.

Conservative outsiders never trust the GOP insiders. Sometimes they tolerate them – but, right now, they despise them. In cases where this happened before — California in 1964, North Carolina in 1976 and New Hampshire in 1980 — —it became a badge of honor to vote against the GOP establishment.

In each case, history was made, just as it was made once again Saturday in South Carolina.

No one goes around calling themselves a Nixon Republican or a Ford Republican or a Bush Republican. But plenty now proudly call themselves Goldwater Republicans and Reagan Republicans.

Maybe some conservatives will one day be calling themselves “Gingrich Republicans.”

POST American| 1.27.12 @ 10:01PM

-------------------BOTTOM LINE------------------------

---Putting down this vapid, 2012
capstone ping pong tournament

ONE AND ALL can begin to DIS-Abel
the tyranny itself.

------Clean the infiltrators, Rockefeller
'ECK--you--men--ISK--all--ists' infiltrators,
SOD-dummy ops and disolute from your churches.
This includes the ever deluded
porch 'MAY-SINS'. IF this isn't possible,
leave that church and start your own, or
simply prayerfully search scripture ---ALONE.

-STOP using credit cards. This plays into
the psychopathic actuarial models of USURY.
Forget the inconvenience.

-GET the TVs and even radios ---OUT of your
homes. Get the PC's, surveillance devices,
out of your personnal spaces. Make your
home the ark and sanctuary it's meant to
be.

-BOYCOTT new cars which, it's now known,
are ALLLLLL fitted with ON STAR tracking,
data collection and eavesdropping devices.
---This is what GPS was ALLLLL about.

-AVOID the franchise slums and box stores
---NO matter how inconvenient. They are
the KEY enablers of the RED China
Globalist economic TREASON OP.
---and cultural degradation generally.

-DEMAND the immediate siezure, procedures
and arrest of the ultra-rich, TAX FREE,
capstone USURY and EUGENICS foundations
and their directors.

-DEMAND capital crimes prosecution for
any and all stealth weaponization fo the
food supply, injections, meds and waters.

-DEMAND LIFE imprisonment ----and the
DEATH PENALTY for the KEY directors
and engineers of this nightmare

-DEMAND the X-posure and RETRO-active
IMPEACHMENT of our past 4 CFR front
administrations

---------THESE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO---------

Ted R.| 1.28.12 @ 6:42AM

I have to say, I've never enjoyed an election season as much as I have this one. The Man is headed for re-election, for sure. And even if he chokes on a pretzel or something and Romney gets in, well, you know, I'm fine with that. Romney would be very moderate, steady-as-she-goes, George H.W. style president, which would be okay. And I'm not worried about Congress, either: their majority in the House is bound to narrow after the sorry performance of the Tea Party Congress.

Gingrich - now if he were to get the nomination, I'd be concerned, simply because he's a highly talented demagogue. Obama could run rings around him in a REAL debate, but our lame ritual of "debates" would only result in an arena where Gingrich could use one-liners and evade follow-up critiques of his outrageous claims. But after the last debate, Romney is back in the saddle.

Thank God for President Obama!

martin j smith| 1.28.12 @ 8:09AM

Ted R--Which G-D do you refer ? But that said there is at minimum one thing voters who think Obama is the worst thing since Jimmy Carter and that is the very weak support Romney will get unless he channels a strong Conservative message ( which I suspect he will not do ). If he keeps going as he is going the Republican Party--if it really cares at all which I do not think it does BTW--should fear voter apathy. Or is that what they actually want ? As I have posted elsewhere if 3-5% of potential voters are turned off by Romney that could well make the difference. So yes ANGST is justified for those who actually want to defeat Obama because Romney does not behave as if he does. Do not try to argue with me because I think you know very well that for example Rush Limbaugh,Mark Levin and other Radio commentators who have large audiences are not keen on Romney and are getting the word out to millions of listeners who are voters. Angst is needed.

POST American| 1.28.12 @ 9:05AM

---------------------FINAL WORD-----------------------

TAKE HEART

Even as the Globalist RED China TREASON OP
continues to DIS-Abel us ---as it has been so
sedulously planned to do ----and as we are
presented with two OPEN Globalists, CFR
front ops ---and warm supporters of the
ghastliest aaspects of the unfolding capstone
EUGENICS age-enda -----a lone voice
emerges ---from the sports world!

Seems one Tim Thomas --of the Boston
Bruins, has REFUSED an invitation from
the White House after their Stanley Cup
victory.

He cites the REALITY that the government
is out of control and openly threatening the
liberties, rights and properties of the
American people ---in open defiance and
contempt of the US Constitution and Republic.

----So as the capstone taffy pull of the Republicans
meeting the incumbent BAR--Rockefeller Obama
finishes off plundering the country ---DO spread
the word about Thomas ----

-------------A REAL MAN UPSTANDING------------

--------------------------------------------CHEERS!

Rick| 1.28.12 @ 10:59AM

Obamas' polices do to work its just headwins. He will NOT loose! Your a bigget and your poles are rasist!

Buck Ofama| 1.28.12 @ 12:56PM

"You know who"... the communist niggerC0cksucker, Oblowme.

martin j smith| 1.28.12 @ 2:02PM

Hey Rick who writes your speech-very creatively stupid.

shipley130| 1.29.12 @ 4:06PM

Why do jounalists continue to pigeon hole us into one issue? Sir, human brains can handle more than one issue at a time. Trust me, Obama is NOT the only issue concerning the 2012 election. Cease and desist your continual dumbing down of Americans.

somnolence| 1.29.12 @ 10:00PM

All I know is I'm contemplating taking everything, and I do mean everything out of my ira in a lump sum next year when I turn 59.5. I would even pay the taxes gladly, then hide the rest to spend at will, considering the scenario which awaits us all either way the winds blow. Too bad we can't go down like gentlemen, as those did on the Titanic.

POST American| 1.29.12 @ 10:30PM

---'And BOTH parties and all three
branches of government are reponsible--'
-Tim Thomas

------------A NATION CHEERS! ---FOR REAL!!!

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