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Not Just the Media: First Amendment Under Attack
May 22, 2013 | 1 comment
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Curl is Right: Don’t Dismiss Benghazi
May 22, 2013 | 2 comments
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Artur Davis Says Scandals Are Real
May 19, 2013 | 3 comments
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Good New Book: ‘Precipice’
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A Long Record of Obamite Thuggery
May 16, 2013 | 4 comments
The Spectacle Blog
For months and months now, some readers have accused me of being for Mitt Romney because I “only” wrote about ten or 11 columns and blog posts criticizing him (and none overtly praising him) while I expressed numerous criticisms, shared by may other solid conservatives, about Newt Gingrich. They had no evidence, but they impugned my motives. When I noted that it was more than a two-person race, they said that my praise for Rick Santorum was just a smoke-screen because “everybody” knew he had no real chance to beat Romney and was merely a way to keep Gingrich down and thus help Romney.
When the race was seen as Romney vs. Perry, I said, no, it was not a two-person race. When it was Romney vs. Cain, I said, no, it isn’t. When it was Romney vs. Gingrich, I said that was a mistake, too. This is and always has been a volatile, multi-person race — and Santorum always had a higher upside vs. Romney than Gingrich did, because he had turned off fewer people and was less prone to huge mood swings, etcetera, than Gingrich was. None of this was meant to help Romney; it was honest analysis, based on 36 years of studying, participating in (statewide ExecDirector for a presidential campaign, veteran of caucus organizing in several cycles, attendee at four GOP national conventions going back to 1980, wearing a total of seven different hats) and writing about this stuff.
Now, tonight, it looks as if Santorum is achieving even bigger victories than anything Romney has achieved in any state anywhere. It looks like he is showing major staying power in the heartland. And he’s also four points up head-to-head vs. Barack Obama, while Romney is four points down and Newt Gingrich significantly below that.
In short, Santorum is a real contender, perhaps even the front-runner (if he pulls an upset in Colorado on top of Minnesota and Missouri, he will have won four contests to four for Romney, despite spending about one-fiftieth of the money). This is exactly what was always a serious possibility. And it is consistent with most of Santorum’s career of beating the electoral odds and showing up te pundits who repeatedly write him off.
The point here is not that I’m so smart. The point is that what I was seeing was so real: Rick Santorum has staying power. Others could have entered, and others (Jindal, Ryan, and others) could have filled the spot Santorum now is filling. Nobody else stepped up to the plate. Santorum isn’t afraid to take on a tough task. Never has been. He deserves some credit.
View all comments (34) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/02/07/now-can-i-get-an-acknowledgeme
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RJ| 2.7.12 @ 10:20PM
This primary season has been like a quarterback going through his progressions: Perry blocked at the line; Gingrich falls down; OK, Santorum, I hope you are ready because you are the last guy we have.
Katievs| 2.7.12 @ 10:33PM
Quin, thank you. I didn't believe it could happen before Iowa, but I sure do now! And your reporting and opining has been a great help.
Dai Alanye | 2.8.12 @ 12:31AM
Quin is a tricksy devil. When I run, I want him managing my campaign.
Drek| 2.7.12 @ 10:40PM
Short answer:
NO.
Long answer:
Hell No!
Drek| 2.7.12 @ 10:41PM
One thing is clear, crystal clear to all but perhaps your peers over at NR, and that is the rank and file DOES NOT WANT ROMNEY!
Simon Templar| 2.7.12 @ 11:12PM
You predicted nothing. You and the beltway sycophants destroyed everything else standing. The broad electorate does not want Romney and the rest of us have been saying this from the beginning. Santorum and Paul you largely ignored and are the only one's left.
Once again where will you be in a week when Santorum is hit with a smear bomb by the MSM? Rolling over and tossing him overboard? This is far from over..I am confident that you will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by November.
Here is a prediction. By the end of the nomination and convention you will have already lost. The candidate will be shot full of so many holes he will look like swiss cheese. Those like the paulbots will stay home and not vote and the rest will be so disillusioned and angry they will not vote out of protest. This party will not come together behind the nominee; they could not do it in the primaries with their own fickle choices, divisiveness, and prima donna attitudes.The rancor and dishonesty will bring you defeat.
You lack the backbone, communication skills, and unity necessary to defeat the Left.
Quin, you are a twerp.
Occam's Tool| 2.7.12 @ 11:22PM
Santorum wins easily in MN. Nice guy. Finished first.
Simon Templar| 2.7.12 @ 11:46PM
Yes, and he apparently won Missouri as well and will win Colorado. He might just be the nicest guy in the world, but so what?
Expect a full onslaught smear campaign and attack from both sides of the progressive line. Expect conservatives to throw him overboard within 2 weeks.
OT, it is rather simple. The establishment does not want any real change or the possiblity of a REAL conservative, even Ron Paul the libertarian, to win this election with Obama. They would prefer the status quo and Obama relection to any real threat to the business as usual. This is not over by a long shot. The same insanity we witnessed so far will continue.
Clint| 2.8.12 @ 12:28AM
You're The RINO-CINO ,Who Already Said He'll Vote For The RINO-CINO Frontman, Mittens Romney.
The Tea Party Rebellion Heads To A Brokered Convention.
hehehe| 2.8.12 @ 3:06AM
Truely an anomaly!
Oldefarte| 2.7.12 @ 11:38PM
With all due respect, I disagree that this situation is any journalists' fault. That's like claiming it is a teacher's fault because you failed a school test/exam. This GD crap that we're all faced with now is solely the fault of the STUPIDITY of the American taxpayer-voters who had their collective heads up their rearend cavities on 11/3/08 when this radically liberal street merchant trojun-horsed himself into the white house with the aid of the propagandizing MSM [of which these TAS writers certainly do not come close to qualifiying as such]. Granted the Republican candidate in 2008 was no second coming of the Gipper [but no one is or ever will be], but if he had been elected by the American taxpayer-voters using the brains and common sense that G-D almighty gave to them, then this nation would not be in the cesspool that it now is swamped inside of. It's OUR FAULT collectively for being DUMBARSSES in acting politically correct by voting for this nice Harvard-educated, church attending RADICAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZER FROM CHICAGO. Want blame, then look into a mirror and see all of us who allowed this to happen. Allowed you ask? Yeah, we all allowed it by not becoming educated enough about this guy, by not advising our fellow employees/friends/church members/family members/neighbors etc. We are all to blame, so lets suck it up and admit our failure of 2008. How do we remedy our mistake? Easy, by choosing the very best, most qualified Republican candidate among the four available based upon their published platforms, their political philosophies, and their previously proven records of accompolishments that can be extrapolated into repairing the problems that this country now faces. Never forget please that......IT'S THE DEMOCRATS STUPIDS, and let's all go get the Republican elected in November for the sake of ourselves, our children and our grandchildren!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oldefarte| 2.7.12 @ 11:18PM
If Santorum or Paul is the eventual nominee, I'll gladly vote for either one over the alternative currently in the white house. With either, I simply don't see a possibility of success in winning the presidency [as I do with either Ginguich or Romney]. Again, my [and many others as well] sole agenda is defeating Obama, and thereafter turning our economy around from the disaster of the last three plus years. The purety of a particular candidate should not be the focus IMHO but rather the aformentioned successful agenda. This country doesn't have four more years possible if the current administration is re-elected. Some think that I'm blowing smoke and am delusional but I think that I'm on target with this conclusion. This administration has done more internal damage within its short term than most anyone [except myself and a few other loons] dreamed possible. The insane outcome of 11/3/08 was thoroughly shocking to many of us, and we are still punch-drunk that this nations' voters would ever be so misguided and brainwashed as to allow the election of this president based upon his should-have-been-know background and history. How could anyone have been so fooled as to think that he was just an average African-American [though obviously highly intelligent] and that by electing him we would disolve our collective guilty over the black-eye of slavery? There were and are now plenty of credible, capitalist oriented minority candidates worthy of selection, but not this guy. When the rejection of Mondale, Kerry, Dukakas, Humphrey, etc previously; why oh why did we elect someone not only more liberal than all of them combined but also radically so to boot? The clock is ticking towards 11/3/12, and if we don't get the right person and move forward toward victory, Mexico and Cuba will become preferable locations for residency over the USA!!!!!!!!!
Bill| 2.7.12 @ 11:33PM
Santorum derailed Romney and buried Gingrich. It's gonna be the battle of two Northeast Republican, all the way to the convention in FL.
Bill| 2.7.12 @ 11:58PM
Romney is slaughtered in the mid-west. He lost because:
1. Romneycare
2. abortion, gay marriage, gun control
3. Money and negative ads failed, unlike FL voters who trusted him over Gingrich, his father was born in Mexico, and that convinced the Cuban voters in FL. Majority of GOP voters in mid-west are Whites, and they do not buy any B-S. They rejected Romney and fell for alternative, Santorum.
Romney is injured and bleeding, and will never recover. Gingrich and Paul are done for 2012. Santorum will be the GOP nominee.
Clint| 2.8.12 @ 12:46AM
Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha !
This Is About The Fifth Guy You've Predicted To Win The GOP Primaries.
Carry On, Sport.
Windy City Commentary| 2.8.12 @ 12:16AM
Romney will begin crushing Santorum with negative ads. Romney's negatives will go up for doing this. Santorum will crack under pressure. Cool Newt will ride to the rescue and clean up on Super Tuesday.
Vern Crisler | 2.8.12 @ 12:19AM
It would be nice.
Garfield| 2.9.12 @ 1:35PM
I think Newt and Santorum should tag-team Romney and both agree that a Gingrich/Santorum or Santorum/Gingrich ticket would be the best general election ticket.
Vern Crisler | 2.8.12 @ 12:19AM
What is it with all this psychobabble? Newt's "mood swings"? What the hell does that mean? Just another cheap shot at Newt.
I'm glad Santorum is doing so well right now because he blocks Romney's path. If the contest is between Newt and Santorum, I'd go for Newt since he has more experience, but if Santorum is the nominee, I could at least vote for him against Obama. I couldn't do that with Romney.
Expect Romney to go all out in smearing Santorum in the way he smeared Newt. Then we'll see whether Santorum has staying power.
One thing is clear, a large segment of Republicans do not want Romney as their nominee, despite the fact that Ann Coulter and other brain-dead conservatives insist he's the only who is electable.
Maybe there's hope for the Republican party after all.
Dai Alanye | 2.8.12 @ 12:37AM
In 2008 Romney did well in these states because of the conservatives who voted AGAINST McCain. This time the conservatives voted FOR Santorum.
Clint| 2.8.12 @ 12:54AM
Santorum's Votes For Medicare Prescription Drugs, His Tariff Votes, No Child Left Behind , The Bridge To Nowhere, Aren't Conservative.
The Tea Party Rebellion Heads To A Brokered Convention.
Ward Bond| 2.8.12 @ 1:04AM
Tonight I voted for santorum. I hope I get another chance in November.
TB| 2.8.12 @ 1:32AM
Boy would I love for you to be right. Let's find out. Can Santorum take it to Romney in Michigan? If he does that, the dam breaks. What do the current polls say?
mjs_pa| 2.8.12 @ 2:02AM
Thanks Quin! You're a genius in my book.
Early on, you pointed out that Santorum was a candidate to be watched. Just like Santorum, you have been consistent and fair in what you've written and have not shifted with the day's political winds.
WL| 2.8.12 @ 2:06AM
HILLYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am obviously one of those readers who have accused you of such lowly motives. I may have been wrong. If I am, I will issue you a complete apology and sincere remorse...once I am completely convinced. Until then, I can admit that I have possibly been very wrong. (of course, myself and the other meaningless readers don't amount to a hill of beans, BUT, if we do to you, then that says even more positives about your character...and we were VERY wrong).
However...I MUST SAY THIS...Mr. Hillyer...
If you are sincere, YOU HAVE TO START brushing off all of us in the peanut gallery. Your letting us get to you has already gotten you to blow a gasket at the marvelous Mr. Lord....you won't admit that, and I don't blame you for it if you don't...but it HAS!!
So if you turn out to be a phony...then to hell with your sorry carcus anyway...
But if YOU REALLY ARE HONEST...then to hell with US!!!!and keeep up the good work.
Quin| 2.8.12 @ 9:48AM
WL,
First, thanks! Second, I will NOT brush of the peanut gallery. You are the people who are important. You are the ones for whom we write. The way I approach online journalism is that this is all a conversation. That's why I read the comments and write back. If I can't engage with y'all and perhaps persuade y'all, then what's the point?
Yes, I do get frustrated that after 36 years of fighting in the trenches as a purely Reaganite conservative, people still question my motives or integrity or conservatism. I NEVER mind having my reasoning or conclusions or opinions criticized, and I have written back to countless readers thanking them for constructive and polite criticism. But the truth is that I write what I believe and lay it all on the table, with no secret agendas, and not a RINO bone in my body.
Anyway, again, thanks. But NEVER will I say "to hell with you." Never.
hehehe| 2.8.12 @ 3:09AM
WOuld you be so happy if Santorum were black? Seriously. He gives off this innocent, boyish image designed to portray innocence and righteousness. But his IS the third most corrupt Senator of his time, He is a porker and a bribe taker. He is the quintesential Republican! All surface purity, and under that micro thin veneer... a completely sewer.
John - TMF| 2.8.12 @ 6:45AM
I have said this before: If given a full ballot with the primary candidates I would cast my vote for Santorum. But because of the Romney money machine I don't have that choice.
Newt has more actual leadership experience than Santorum. That makes him the better of the two for actually running the country - that does not say that Santorum couldn't do the job, just that he wasn't second in line to the President for four years.
That being said. I will happily head over the berm and across the school yard to cast a vote for Santorum in November, just like I would be happy to cast it for Newt.
Mitt Romney is a Liberal Democrat with lots of money looking to buy his way into Federal power, so he's not getting my vote, ever.
(I will amend my tag)
Newt or Santorum... or Bust!
r/John - TMF
teflon93| 2.8.12 @ 7:25AM
"Mitt Romney is a Liberal Democrat with lots of money looking to buy his way into Federal power, so he's not getting my vote, ever."
If Quin Hillyer or Jennifer Rubin EVER said this, there would be no complaints from conservatives about their supporting Romney.
So why don't they?
teflon93| 2.8.12 @ 7:24AM
In fairness, Quin, it wasn't "ten or eleven" articles criticizing Romney at the time but a few and even those----you'll recall I posted them---were mildly critical at best. You eventually did come out with longer and more comprehensive criticisms of Romney and were praised for doing so. It was like pulling teeth though---whereas you've cranked out screed after screed against Gingrich.
If you're upset that conservatives thought you were, ahem, "hedging your bets" before, well, perhaps you ought to consider that whereas you were very, very clear indeed about Gingrich's unacceptability, you were never quite so stark about Romney's, nor were you until quite recently writing anything resembling a comprehensive case FOR Santorum.
You can be miffed all you want to---but you also know damned well how the game is being played by Wlady and others here and by 90% of your buddies at National Review. They support Romney but have been very dishonest about it, preferring to snipe from the sidelines at every Not Romney frontrunner while maintaining that they, like you, are merely applying their (vast) "experience" to the race. They're doing no such thing---they're shilling for the Establishment. You can call that impugning motives, but when you read the weak tea they offer up day after day, you'll see it's pure fact.
And here's the thing, Quin---I support Santorum. I have some interest in seeing Gingrich torn down to clear a path for him, but I certainly haven't criticized you because I disagree that Rick Santorum ought to be our standard bearer.
You might want to give some thought as to why even conservatives who agree with you had a problem with your targeting Gingrich while maintaining relative silence about Romney.
wodiej| 2.8.12 @ 8:26AM
No acknowledgment needed. Santorum is not going to be the nominee and the longer he stays in, the more he splits the conservative vote w Gingrich. Gingrich is by far the more experienced and accomplished of the two. I don't care about 15 year old personal mistakes, or sitting on a couch w someone. I care about what Gingrich got done.
kingsmill| 2.8.12 @ 8:35AM
Quin, your whining is Newt like.
Hwebb54| 2.8.12 @ 9:48PM
Santorum is not a contender yet. He still hasn't went through the meat grinder that comes after you rise up to the top. Once people get to know his views on Right to work and other Pro Union views, he'll fall to the back again. Actually, he still should drop out and endorse Newt. Thats what he'll do in the end when he has no money left anyway. (I have a crystal ball) lol
Garfield| 2.9.12 @ 12:06PM
I actually think Romney was propping up Santorum and it backfired on Romney.
I think either Santorum or Gingrich can clobber Romney when they aren't dividing the vote. I think Romney's smear merchants are going to target Santorum now and then it's likely Romney will get clobbered by Gingrich.
I seriously suggest Santorum supporters and Gingrich supporters bury the hatchet (and not in each other), and agree that both men should probably be on the ticket.
While I personally do think Santorum should drop out and endorse Newt as well, I also believe that Gingrich should have Santorum, Perry, and Palin as his options for VP, and the other two get cabinet positions. I would also be happy with a Santorum/Gingrich ticket (my concern would be that Gingrich would overshadow Santorum and make Santorum look as stiff as a board, and that he also wouldn't let Newt be Newt).
My main concerns with Santorum has to do with experience and the fact Obama is so skilled at manipulating people with his charisma; I think the only one that can turn tables on Obama is Gingrich.