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Dumb and Dumber: Jeff Daniels and Emily Mortimer in “Newsroom”
July 11, 2012 | 8 comments
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Reverend Wright: Look Beyond Oprah and Obama
July 9, 2012 | 8 comments
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Hillary Clinton’s War on Unborn Women
June 27, 2012 | 4 comments
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Fr. Drinan’s War on Women
June 22, 2012 | 3 comments
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Leninist Feminists and Laura Bush
June 20, 2012 | 6 comments
The Spectacle Blog
Out walking this morning I ran into one of the top political prognosticators in the country. We chatted about Obama’s chances of reelection and Romney’s Veep nominee search.
He said that Obama will “lose the white vote badly,” but that he could still win. Refusing to commit to a prediction, he said that the outcome will be “extremely close,” and that the race will largely turn on permutations in the economy before November.
On the topic of Romney’s Veep search, he said that Romney would be wise to consider Mike Huckabee if Mitt’s Evangelical support continues to flag. He also placed Mitch Daniels on his suggested short list for Romney. As for Jeb Bush, he said that Romney should study whether or not Bush’s name is still radioactive. What about Rubio? “The idea that a Cuban-American could win the Hispanic vote for the Republicans is criminally stupid,” he replied. He added that Rubio is a flake who received his political education in corrupt-as-hell Tallahassee.
View all comments (59) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by George Neumayr
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/04/25/will-romney-select-daniels-or
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Casey Abell| 4.25.12 @ 9:22AM
Lots of insiders are dissing Rubio. Are there some deep-closet skeletons most of us don't know about? Or does Rubio just ruffle feathers because he looks so good on TV?
Marco2| 4.25.12 @ 9:29AM
Huckabee or Daniels? Who is this genius prognosticator? Mitt should go "criminally stupid" on this one: Rubio.
Pete| 4.25.12 @ 10:20AM
I figure he might just as well nominate McCain. They are all of the same RINO cloth.
spike59| 4.25.12 @ 10:30AM
"wahhh...my candidate got creamed in the primaries...i'm gonna sit in the corner and sulk"
Teflon93| 4.25.12 @ 9:41AM
Mittens is weak. He will pick a RINO apparatchik.
Nick| 4.25.12 @ 10:39AM
Agreed, Teflon93.
This is why Daniels and Portman are on O'Romney's short list.
The American Hitman| 4.25.12 @ 12:44PM
Mike Castle is still looking for work and would make Mutt look good.
TrickleUpPolitics| 4.25.12 @ 9:46AM
This anon guy wants Romney to pick between two white bread guys nobody has ever heard of. What do they bring? Nothing. And, Rubio is not a flake. I was at one of his campaign events and he is amazing in person. So much for Republican appartchiks.
Casey Abell| 4.25.12 @ 9:52AM
My guess is that Neumayr's source, if he exists at all, is just mouthing anti-Hispanic prejudice. Unless there's some really nasty stuff somewhere about Rubio - and nobody's found it yet - there's no other explanation for why George's buddies would dump on Marco.
Teflon93| 4.25.12 @ 9:49PM
Yeah, conservatives really hate Cuban Americans.
Or maybe you're so used to crying "prejudice" whenever conservatives stand up for their principles that you don't know what you're talking about.
Either/or.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 4.25.12 @ 9:56AM
Huckabee and Daniels. Two lukewarm big government types. Rob Portman looks better and has experience with federal budgets
Patrick in Paradise| 4.25.12 @ 10:07AM
Huckabee is like Nixon without the charm. Forget it.
Daniels wimped out. Forget him, too.
Rubio? Maybe. Telegenic, sensible, Hispanic (whatever that means).
Susan Martinez? More likely.
Santorum? Why not? Tea Party sort of, evangelical kind of, probably helpful in PA and other rust belt states, already vetted.
Can't rule out Pawlenty or Nikki.
Maxwell| 4.25.12 @ 10:33AM
I too like Martinez but have read many times she would refuse the VP spot. Her reason, she does not want to use her current position as a stepping stone as others have done.
SCPOret| 4.25.12 @ 10:09AM
Isn't the Huctster the guy who has his own radio show competing against Rush because Rush is too conservative - He thinks we oughta be more moderate which is code for RINO
Laurie Morrow| 4.25.12 @ 10:14AM
Mike Huckabee has many fine qualities. But his son, who has been accused rather convincingly of torturing a dog will be the kiss of death. And if you want to lose the Northeast, the adjective "evangelical" will do so nicely.
Monkey Overstreet| 4.25.12 @ 10:20AM
Will anyone care?
silver bullet| 4.25.12 @ 10:26AM
Please, not Daniels or Huckabee!
Rubio would be good!
The real issue? How much voter fraud will there be? Look at O'Keefe's expose on how easy it is to get a ballot without identification.
Also: Stop and consider how many Democrat precincts will miraculously have 100% turnout and 99% of the votes going to Obama.
They are all illiterate; but the 1% is for those who are so inept that they can't even pull the lever or mark the ballot for Obama.
That gives me a great idea!
How about we have PHOTOS of Obama and Romney on the ballot, and all the dimwits have to do -- after not presenting any I.D. for themselves -- is to point to Obama's face and, by touchscreen, cast their ballots for the "man with the stash of cash"!!
somnolence| 4.25.12 @ 10:28AM
Then I would advise Mitt to run 100 degrees opposite of the advice you received from this so called "expert", and place the more telegenic, younger, and at least equally politically astute Rubio or Susanna Martinez over the colorless, bland, balding, Bush and Lugar indebted Mitch Daniels. Nice try, but this piece is rubbish.
Brad9883| 4.25.12 @ 10:37AM
this so-called prognosticator is an insider/establishmentarian who is clueless about what those of us in the real world are looking for. The conservative intelligentsia is conservatism's biggest threat!
Ryan| 4.25.12 @ 10:39AM
I keep thinking that Rubio is the natural choice, and I would like to see the reasoning behind what winds up being a supposition that non-Cuban Hispanics are anti-Cuban (though Cubans ARE a bit of a unique demographic).
Rubio puts Florida and maybe NM/AZ in play, and is a Tea Party favorite, and is young enough to be a decent successor to the Presidency in 8 years.
HEAVY consideration needs to be made on winning a toss-up state (VA, for instance), combined with a semi-genuine conservative voice.
C Bowen| 4.25.12 @ 10:47AM
Rubio supported Eric Holder getting involved in the Zimmerman case.
That will prove to be radioactive.
The comment board proves there are still some conservatives who are in complete denial about Rubio's failure to lead.
The American Hitman| 4.25.12 @ 12:45PM
Sean Hannity has a large audience.
C Bowen| 4.25.12 @ 1:24PM
Even Sean won't be able to put lipstick on Rubio's Amnesty plan.
It is as if the liberal Republicans would rather lose then win...
PCC| 4.25.12 @ 10:54AM
Is there any chance that the choice should be made on the basis of the two old-fashioned ideas of someone who can win his/her home state and be able to be president if the top of the ticket dies of a heart attack?
That would satify me. The rest is all about running against the President's record, which is deplorable.
rightasrain| 4.25.12 @ 11:19AM
I didn't think this a year ago, but now I'm for competently bland. Obama's particular brand of charisma is largely diminished since 2008, so I'm liking Pawlenty or Ryan--two eminently qualified, if unexciting guys, who can intelligently and calmy make our case. Pawlenty even has executive experience and a blue collar background. Except for a misguided flirtation with cap and trade, he's also reliably conservative.
Scorpio51| 4.25.12 @ 11:50AM
Any chance people will care? I'm no longer a Republican.
Al Adab| 4.25.12 @ 11:51AM
All the VP speculation is for naught. We now have a (presumptive) candidate and likely nominee selected by GOP primaries in states that the GOP will never carry in November. With the need for the nominee to garner 100 more electoral votes than in '08, the question is not only which VP can help, but can this nominee actually do so himself? The answer I fear is no.
rightasrain| 4.25.12 @ 12:10PM
If you want to defeat Obama, it's time to keep your useless pessimism to yourself and support our nominee with your words, money and time. Say what you will about Romney, if he cravenly cowered every time a new front runner was anointed during this primary season, he would not be the nominee today. There's nothing to be lost and a lot to be gained in supporting Romney, so buck up.
Al Adab| 4.25.12 @ 12:57PM
Show me the electoral votes.
Another candidate in the tradition of Dewey, Ford, Dole, Bish 41 and McCain and some suppose Conservatives should be pleased.
rightasrain| 4.25.12 @ 1:03PM
The only thing certain about November is that one man will win and one will lose. Romney's the nominee so your continuing kvetching is pointless and counterproductive. Sure Romney might lose but I'd rather go down swinging than whining.
Mark J. Goluskin | 4.25.12 @ 2:51PM
Yup, I agree. Once Santorum dropped, it was all over. We have to get behind Romney now and take all the fight to the Dear Leader. I don't want this to be a close election. I want a Romney landslide. For that to happen, we need to unify now that the race is over.
Teflon93| 4.25.12 @ 9:52PM
Whether you go down swinging or whining, go down you will.
Because you supported yet another RINO despite seeing what happened to the last one, who unlike Mittens was a bona fide war hero.
rightasrain| 4.25.12 @ 10:27PM
If you don't see a qualitative difference between now and 2008, you haven't been paying attention. But I get it already: Romney's not your guy. He's a RINO. He was foisted on you by some super- secret cabal of RINO- loving establishment types and despite the fact that he is our nominee and a professed desire to beat Obama, in your glass-half empty mindset you feel the constant need to predict that Romney will lose. Unless you are secretly hoping that Romney loses, why be so perverse? I'd rather light a candle and help Romney win than sit around cursing the darkness.
Teflon93| 4.26.12 @ 9:21AM
Yeah, light a candle and pray that a Massachusetts liberal who ran against Reagan and the Contract with America, who singlehandedly resurrected socialized medicine, forced abortion provision and gay marriage ceremonies upon those religiously opposed to it, jacked up taxes in a place already called Taxachusetts, and appointed liberal judge after liberal judge had a Damascus conversion to the opposite positions at the age of 60 when he decided to run for president.
"Optimist" is synonymous with "Fabulist" in such a case.
But then, some of you people don't care for conservatism and only wish to see somebody with the Magic (-R) spending our money.
rightasrain| 4.26.12 @ 9:54AM
You'd be a real treat in a foxhole. Yes, I'm an optimist. Romney may have been my fourth choice but he's the nominee and he will get my full support. Assuming you truly want to defeat Obama (and I'm not secure at this point in making such an assumption about you), how is constant negativity going to help achieve that goal? My wish to see Obama gone far outweighs any perverse desire for spiteful "I told you so's" in November.
Teflon93| 4.25.12 @ 9:50PM
Now there you go telling the uncomfortable truth that Mittens has no electoral college path to victory. How dare you?
The American Hitman| 4.25.12 @ 12:46PM
right, back in line!
rightasrain| 4.25.12 @ 1:05PM
You either make lemonade out of your perceived lemon or continue to whine---your choice.
Nick| 4.25.12 @ 4:23PM
rightasrain,
You can't make lemonade out of urine.
Some of us are just being realistic.
rightasrain| 4.25.12 @ 5:56PM
The only thing realistic is that either Romney or Obama will be President in November. Why not actively work to achieve the former rather than passively resign yourself to the latter?
Nick| 4.25.12 @ 6:32PM
rightasrain,
Because I've been duped too many times in the past.
Bush '92.
Dole '96.
Bush 2000.
Bush '04.
McLame '08.
Only G.W. Bush, who ran as a conservative, barely won his two elections. Although, the second one was in the middle of two wars, which I supported.
I don't want O'Bama to have four more years, but, O'Romney will be McShame 2.o. I'm not going to delude myself that he can win.
I see only three scenarios where O'Romney can win:
1) The DOW plumets to 7,000 and gas is above $5.oo a gallon.
2) Major riots this summer. (Which people like Anthony are hoping for.)
3) O'Bama gets embroiled in a huge scandal. (Not very likely, at this point in time.)
A fourth possibility is that O'Romney gets a personality transplant and starts sounding, convincingly, like a conservative.
I have a better chance at winning the lottery!
rightasrain| 4.25.12 @ 6:49PM
Bush '92 cut his own throat with "read my lips...."
GWB won both times. Dole was admittedly terrible. McCain, while bad, was up against an historic candidate who, I believe, given the economy and the chance to elect the first black President, Ronald Reagan himself could not have beaten. Romney is not my dream candidate and anyone who challenges an incumbent has an uphill climb. But the prospect of an Obama second term, unfettered by any need to even try to masquerade as a centrist, terrifies me. That is why I will keep any negative thoughts about Romney to myself and cheerlead for him at every opportunity.
Nick| 4.25.12 @ 7:20PM
"That is why I will keep any negative thoughts about Romney to myself and cheerlead for him at every opportunity."
That's fine. Do what you want. Nobody is ordering you to shut-up and keep your opinions to yourself, are they? Unlike you O'Romney cheerleaders, I might add.
But, if you think O'Romney is going to win, you are deluding yourself. Unless, you can show me how he can get to 270+ electoral votes, barring the three scenarios that I listed?
You can make excuses for all of those failed RINOs if you'd like, but, the fact remains that they lost because they didn't run as conservatives. And, Ronaldus Magnus would have beat President Downgrade easily.
rightasrain| 4.25.12 @ 7:32PM
Nobody is telling you to shut up either. But what would be the point of badmouthing Romney? Do you want Obama to win?
Nick| 4.25.12 @ 8:05PM
"Nobody is telling you to shut up either."
"If you want to defeat Obama, it's time to keep your useless pessimism to yourself and support our nominee with your words, money and time."
- rightasrain, 4.25.12 @ 12:10PM
Can't you even remember what you wrote a few hours ago?
"But what would be the point of badmouthing Romney? Do you want Obama to win?"
I thought that I had already answered those questions. No, I do not want O'Bama to win, for the second time.
And, it is not "badmouthing" O'Romney. It is being realistic, as previously stated.
rightasrain| 4.25.12 @ 8:35PM
What I meant is that my wishes notwithstanding, no one can make you shut up. But I see no point in what you term your "realism" other than to undermine our nominee and dampen enthusiasm. If you're not going to help, at least don't hurt.
Nick| 4.25.12 @ 11:19PM
rightasrain,
"What I meant is that my wishes notwithstanding, no one can make you shut up."
Again, you can't seem to remember your own words, after only one hour.
"Nobody is telling you to shut up either."
And, you couldn't even answer my question: How does O'Romney get to 270+ electoral votes?
"If you're not going to help, at least don't hurt."
How is this not telling me not to express my opinion? In other words, telling me to shut-up?
If you don't like what I have to say, show me where I'm wrong. Don't tell me to be quiet. This is what liberals do. Which is how O'Romney is running his campaign.
I didn't even mention how his Mormonism is going to hurt GOP down-ticket races in the South.
rightasrain| 4.26.12 @ 7:25AM
If you truly want to beat Obama, how is your constant drumbeat that Romney will lose in any way productive? Your cheerful optimism and can-do spirit must bring joy and inspiration to all around you. Glad you weren't at Valley Forge.
Nick| 4.26.12 @ 10:44AM
rightasrain,
How is your constant sticking your head in the sand and ignoring reality productive? Again, for the third time, just show me how O'Romney can get to 270+ electoral votes? None of you guys can even come close to answering this question.
Hey, I wish Jessica Alba would have fallen madly in love with me. But, I don't live in Fantasyland, so, I knew that wasn't very realistic. There is an old saying, "Wish in one hand and spit in the other. See which one gets full first."
Candidates don't win elections by saying, "Vote against the other guy, he's terrible." They have to give the people a reason to vote for them.
And I'm sure if I was at Valley Forge, I wouldn't have had my fellow soldiers attacking and lying about the generals I supported.
O'Romney, and his supporters, broke Ronuldus Magnus' 11th Commandment, "Thou shall not speak ill of another Republican," and is now reaping what he sowed.
rightasrain| 4.26.12 @ 11:53AM
It's you who is living in Fantasyland. Your objections might have merit if Romney weren't already the nominee. But he is. Case closed. Fait accompli. Now you either continue to berate him and help Obama get reelected or support our nominee. And Romney can win if he takes FL, OH and VA. Even if you disagree with my assessment, what's the alternative? Concede in April?
Nick| 4.26.12 @ 3:36PM
rightasrain,
I'm hardly berating O'Romney. And, the only case that is closed is that he can't win in November. Unless, one of my scenarios happen to come to pass.
Florida, Ohio, and Virginia shouldn't even be in play. And, they only add up to 60 votes. You seem to have forgotten about North Carolina, Nevada, Colorado, Indiana, New Hampshire and Iowa. All states which McLame lost in '08. Except for maybe Indiana, O'Romney will lose these states, too.
Maybe if O'Romney wasn't convinced that the conservative vote had nowhere to go, he might try to run as a conservative. Alas, he will listen to his RINO consultants, and run a "safe" campaign, and lose big time.
Better to focus on down-ballot races, and getting rid of RINOs like Hatch and Lugar.
Won't Vote For RMoney| 4.25.12 @ 12:33PM
Arlen Specter for the win to be RMoney's VP!
Teflon93| 4.25.12 @ 9:53PM
A bumper sticker more indicative of why the GOP's done cannot be contemplated.
J.C.Eaton| 4.25.12 @ 1:04PM
In a Party where bull-sh-t is apple butter, the guys the writer puts forth seem logical. In a Party that saw the danger both to itself and our country the current President presents. I'd consider the "Hail Mary" approach: Thomas Sowell. Sure he's a bit long in the tooth, but he is not a poster-child for myocardial infarction magazine like Cheney was. Moreover, he is the smartest guy in ANY room without trying to wave his acumen in our faces. His presentation skills are legendary and what he would do to either Biden or Barry would electrify conservatives. Hell, it would electrify chumps like Bob Beckel. He could spell out to Joe Dokes and Sally Citizen why the economy is in rubble and what put it there....and I might add, how to fix it. Alas...there are downsides;I mean, do you want a VP who towers over his boss?
Derek Leaberry| 4.25.12 @ 1:54PM
Likely choices are Portman, McDonnell and Rubio in that order. Huckabee won't even be considered. Daniels is almost as unlikely. Moreover, Daniels doesn't want his family in the limelight just as he didn't in 2011.
Portman, McDonnell and Rubio each may help winning their home states each of which all are must wins for Romney. Portman and McDonnell are bland and won't compete with Romney for the spotlight. Rubio is a more exciting choice. Yet Rubio is the least experienced. He will make very little difference amongst Hispanics not of Cuban heritage.
ECM | 4.25.12 @ 2:03PM
How about "none of the above"?
Mark J. Goluskin | 4.25.12 @ 2:49PM
"He added that Rubio is a flake who received his political education in corrupt-as-hell Tallahassee"
A flake?! What the hell does that mean? Come on, George. When you write a piece like this, name the guy or gal who said it. Because this person's "alternatives" are really sucky for Romney. Romney needs someone that balances his weaknesses. Another governor will not help him. Ask the Dear Leader, President Obama how good a job VP Brain Dead Biden has helped him in any way? Tell me George, did this person think that Charlie Christ would make a better senator than "flake" Rubio? You did read that Christ thinks the Dear Leader is a centerist, right?! This piece is as bad as the crap from the other side.
Michele| 4.25.12 @ 8:43PM
I actually think Romney will win. I wasn't sure during the primary but I think everyone is fed up with cool Obama and Romney looks like the adult in the room.
My prediction - Jeb Bush or Bobby Jindal. I don't think Marco Rubio can win the Mexican latino vote (from what I have heard Cubans and Mexicans don't necessarily relate that well ). If you want the Latino vote either Sue Martinez or Luis Fortuño (Puerto Rico's Republican governor). Jeb Bush also speaks very good spanish and his wife is originally from Mexico. He met her when he went down to Mexico to teach English. His downside Bush name - although he is so unlike his brother he might be able to overcome it and a few other relatively minor family issues that Obama will probably bring up during the election.) Another upside Floridians like Jeb Bush and Florida would probably be a win with him on the ticket.
AVCurmudgeon| 4.29.12 @ 9:48PM
Although Obama is astonishingly weak, this is going to be a tough election. There are many factors in choosing a VP candidate, but Romney needs to find someone who can reach people he does not already reach. Hate to say it, but if the optics of this election come down to the "hip" half-black guy vs two candidates who know how to read a balance sheet, it's the hip half-black guy who prevails.