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The Spectacle Blog
It’s debatable if it was a good use of time, but I was there last night on Bloomberg where Herman Cain ably defended his 9-9-9- plan, and fended off various cranky questions. Mitt Romney was also articulate, but didn’t have such an easily grasped approach as Cain, though it’s clear that he’s for less government and more entrepreneurship. He’s more conservative than not.
Rick Perry once again demonstrated that he either has no economic plan suitable to the situation the country finds itself in or is just too inarticulate to present it. For the 4th debate in a row he looked lame. English isn’t as big a challenge to him as it is to W, but nearly so. For just one example, when he meant (I think) to say the American public doesn’t trust Congress, he said, “The American public isn’t trustworthy to Congress.” Huh?
None of the others did anything to change his/her second tier status. Newt again had some insightful and amusing comments at various points. But he’s swimming upstream because of (a) his age, (2) his various wives and how he acquired them, and (3) his record as Speaker where he was not very successful given what he had to work with and bailed early.
Newt is mostly a gadfly. He’s a man with more solutions than there are problems and an eagerness to talk about all of them. He’s entertaining, and actually has some good ideas about various things. But few take him seriously as a leader. l believe he’s in it because he likes the attention, likes to perform, and has nothing better to do right now. (Also, and this goes for all the “minor” candidates, the large number of televised national debates this cycle gives all these folks far more face-time than they could have managed under the old way where they would have had to collect campaign cash, buy TV commercial time, and earn free media. Because of this, there’s less incentive than in the past for the single-digit candidates to drop out. They’re more “with the show” than they would have been in the past.)
Rick Santorum often looks and sounds like a cranky undergraduate running for student body president. He was cross last night because he didn’t get as much attention as the Big Three, and a time or two looked like a child banging his spoon on his highchair because he didn’t want to eat his peas.
Michele Bachmann’s 15 minutes are way in the past. She has a solid approach, but no one’s tuned in to her anymore. Part of her problem is how she sounds. She has a high-pitched, Mid-western, through-the-nose honk, and she always talks like’s she’s under stress, making it stressful to listen to her. I wouldn’t mind being governed by her for eight years if I didn’t have to listen to her.
Few in the hall knew who Jon Hunstman was and what he was doing on the stage. He did little to clear this up. He appears to understand business pretty well, but is clueless about everything else and is about as far out of step with the current mood of the Republican base as one can be.
Ron Paul’s incoherent and cranky ramble about the Fed remains on continuous loop. I don’t think he sleeps in a bed at night. I believe his campaign manager just hangs him up in a hall closet at end of business. When this campaign cycle is over, he’ll be put back in the attic until the next one.
Earlier I mentioned the Big Three. It appears for the moment that Cain and Romney are the Big Two. Perry more and more looks like a player headed back to AAA ball. He’s not shown the ability to hit Big League pitching. Curve balls disrupt his timing. And the complete sentence baffles him.
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More Blog Posts by Larry Thornberry
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Paul McGrath| 10.12.11 @ 4:27PM
"I believe his campaign manager just hangs him up in a hall closet at end of business."
You are funny, funny man. Made my day.
As to Perry: if you have an accent like Bush, and if you are inarticulate like Bush, and if you have a soft-spot for illegal immigrants like Bush, and if you are a governor from Texas like Bush, you bring back a lot of unpleasant memories to conservatives who loathed Bush in the first place.
Gawd, get him out of here. He's done.
Clint| 10.12.11 @ 7:18PM
" Released on Tuesday, September 27, the latest Harris Poll surveyed 2,462 adults and was conducted between September 12 and 19. According to the poll, if Texas Congressman Ron Paul wins the Republican presidential nomination he would beat Obama by 51 percent to 49 percent in the general election"
Today, Dr.Ron Paul Called Out Former FED Dude Cain Over This Video & More.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiAkeFJXwUk
Cain's 9-9-9 Guru is Former FED & TARP Recipient Wells Fargo Division Dude Rich Lowrie.
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
SemperUbiSubUbi| 10.12.11 @ 9:15PM
I guess the Paul strategy at this point is to try to knock out Cain, and hope that Perry continues his downward spiral, so that people start looking at Paul as the anti-Romney.
One problem with that: people who have gone from looking at Bachmann, to looking at Perry, t looking at Cain ... are now looking at Newt who has climbed in the polls to overtake Paul. The Paulistas don't understand why Paul isn't taken seriously ... and part of the reason Paul isn't taken seriously is ... the Paulistas! Some of them anyway. Not That I"m Naming Any Names Here.
Jack in Wi.| 10.12.11 @ 11:32PM
It is down to Ron Paul and Myth romney. Herman Cain and his pathetic performance last night sealed the deal. We don't need another affirmative action president who is ignorant of history, economics, monetary policy, foreign policy, and common sense. There is no way we Republicans are ever going to put in a national 9% sales tax. Herm is done and so is Perry. That leaves Romney and more of the same and Ron Paul and a real chance for positive change. The voters will decide. The voters in numerous polls say that Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are candidates against Obama. So take your pick
Clint| 10.12.11 @ 11:57PM
Associated Press-GfK poll: Ron Paul the most favorable GOP candidate
A new national poll of the general population has revealed that top tier candidate Ron Paul is the most favorable choice in the Republican Presidential nomination race.
Ron Paul 37% favorable vs 36% unfavorable = +1
Mitt Romney 39% favorable vs 41% unfavorable = -2
Rick Perry 33% favorable vs 36% unfavorable = -3
Michele Bachmann 35% favorable vs 43% unfavorable = -8
Prester John| 10.13.11 @ 7:32AM
What were Herman Cain's numbers?
Just an accidental omission I'm sure.
Clint| 10.13.11 @ 9:30AM
He Wasn't Listed In That Associated Poll-Gfk Poll.
Clint| 10.12.11 @ 11:46PM
Ron Paul Leads Perry, Bachmann in Iowa Caucus Poll
Wednesday, October 12, 2011:
According to the latest Public Policy Polling poll, Texas Congressman and GOP candidate Ron Paul is in third place in Iowa. When PPP surveyed Iowa in August, Paul was in fourth place. In August, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney were in front of Paul.
In the latest PPP poll, Perry and Bachmann have less than 10 percent of the votes. Pizza magnate Herman Cain is in first place with 30 percent of the votes, Romney is in second with 22 percent of the votes and Paul is in third place with 10 percent of the votes.
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
Nite| 10.12.11 @ 6:48PM
Perry just entered the race about 6 weeks ago, and still needs time to get everything moving. The rest of the candidates have been running for a long time. Big difference. I prefer to see where he is in another 6 weeks before counting him out. By the way, he is nothing like Bush in personality. Perry is a staunch conservative and an Evangelical. However, I liked Bush, thought Gore and Kerry were awful!
RJ| 10.12.11 @ 6:57PM
I wouldn't be so dismissive of Newt's chances. The race is early and all of his performances have been strong. The establishment can keep pushing Romney on us, but many of us don't trust him as a conservative reformer.
We know that the Republican nominee is going to be facing a hostile press, fully committed to re-electing Obama. Reagan was the master at besting the press and getting his message to the public. None of today's candidates are that gifted. But if Perry finds his stride in getting his message out he can still be the nominee and will win. And Newt was great last night in taking on the question about the Wall Street protestors and government creating the economic mess. He is a quick-witted, unapologetic speaker, which is a needed component for the candidate going against Obama and his press legions.
Bob K.| 10.12.11 @ 7:26PM
If we were electing a President based on his ability to debate then these verbal contests would have some meaning. As it is, the electorate has more smarts than we credit them with. They ignore these prissy pissing contests and watch dance competitions instead.
When and if one of these wanna be Presidents has a "I'm paying for this microphone," minute they will know that they have a candidate who is not afraid to lead and who can stand up to rigors of the office.
Clint| 10.12.11 @ 7:31PM
Plastic RINO-CINO Romney Supported TARP & His RomneyCare Apparatchiks Met With The ObamaCare Apparatchiks.
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
PCP Smoker| 10.12.11 @ 8:05PM
i like how Larry cements Romney's reputation, "He's more conservative than not. " Forget the talk and series of conversions, let's examine his record in Ma. And, please, none of this, "what-do-you-expect from Massachusetts' voters" excuse.
RJ| 10.12.11 @ 9:58PM
Perhaps worse than his record as governor, Romney went left of Teddy Kennedy in the closing days of the 1994 senate race. Who knows what his core values are; they are not as powerful as his desire for office.
Occam's Tool| 10.12.11 @ 10:03PM
Why is it that I always have this desire to nuke Iran when I hear Ron Paul?
Clint| 10.12.11 @ 11:31PM
Because You're A Gutless Screwball Neo-Chickenhawk Israel Firster Maniac, Tool Job.
Ken (Old Texican)| 10.13.11 @ 7:41AM
And let it be noted, Clint, that you are speaking about one of your betters.
You sir are sadly only an ignorant uneducated name caller.
Of course you are for Ron Paul.
ncatty| 10.13.11 @ 9:34AM
No matter who prevails and becomes the R candidate, they will have been vetted and toughened by this debate process. Nothing like that is happening on the other side.
Clint| 10.13.11 @ 9:34AM
And You're An All Hat, No Cattle Bloviator For The Man From NiggerHead Rock, Kenny The Squirrel.
Now, Run Along Little Doggie.
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