What about Mitch Daniels in 2012?

(official picture from www.in.gov)

A lot of people have asked me what I think of Mitch Daniels--the Governor of Indiana. He gave an interesting speech at CPAC with his "raison debt" quip. If he won, as a short, bald man, he would defy conventional odds. Mitt Romney would probably feel cheated after all the years of maintaining perfect hair,and a perfect, Presidential appearance.

Daniels won by 18 points in a year when Indiana turned Blue for Obama (2008).
He is recognized for competence. And he is remembered for his tour across the state
during the campaign staying in the houses of Hoosiers across the state.
He definitely appeals to the average man more than Mitt Romney, Donald Trump, and others in the Presidential field.

But he also lacks the necessary charisma and excitement.
These are huge factors in a Presidential campaign. If people don't get excited about you, you generally lose. (See McCain in 2008; see Dole in 1996). Obama is not good at many things, but he is certainly good at energizing his base. Before long, he will be in front of his fans, shouting "Si se puede" and "You fired up?"

Indiana might be balancing budgets (?-help me out here readers), but the state has tons of problems. It is a state built on manufacturing (whether RV's or automobiles). And with those loss of jobs, came a comcomitant increase in crime especially in the cities. Daniels, as chief executive of the state, needs to crack down on criminals and robbers. Indiana is also known for its underground meth industry. He needs to work better with federal authorities to crack down on the meth labs popping up left and right.

How will Daniels do in the debates? Well it depends on who else is there. He will fare well against Sarah Palin. His knowledge about government and budget details (mainly from his time as head of the Office of Management and Budget under George W. Bush)will confuse Sarah Palin who cannot even recall what newspapers she reads on a daily basis (see interview with Katie Couric).

But compared to other possible candidates like Gingrich, Santorum, and Mitt Romney, he will come across as a nice, smart individual---but very unexciting.

Mitch Daniels, we would love to hear more from you. Welcome to the 2012 field. But we suggest you show up to the debates on your motorcycle. You need to increase your excitement level. But we like how you relate to the common man.

The Race for 2012 and Chris Christie's Refreshing Honesty

(From the American Enterprise Institute)

Many people are praising Chris Christie right now.
Not the teacher's unions he battled or the Democrats in New Jersey that can't handle a fair political fight. But Republicans in many circles think he is the GOP's only chance at success. This seems to be Ann Coulter's position. And if I had to guess, if the Editors of the Weekly Standard had to pick a favorite, they would choose Christie or General David Petraeus.

Did you catch Christie's remarks at the American Enterprise Institute? It's very hard to listen to Christie and not warm up to him. He is a very principled "regular guy" that voters can relate to.

One of my favorite of his remarks involved Governor Corzine's response to the
budget crisis several summers back. In response to a government shut down, Corzine famously brought reporters into his office and pointed to a cot that he would sleep on until the crisis ended.

How would Chris Christie handle this?

So I knew these were the same fellas who had been in the legislature when he was there now threatening to do the same thing. So I decided to call them down early on and advise them that the place was under new management. And what I said to them was listen, if you want to pass an income tax increase that's fine, I'm going to veto it. And if you want to close down the government because of that, that's fine. But I want to tell you something-I'm not moving any cot into this office to sleep in here. If you close down the government I'm getting into those black SUV's with the troopers and going to the governor's residence I'm going to go upstairs, I'm going to open a beer, I'm going order a pizza, I'm going to watch the Mets. And when you decide to reopen the government give me a call and I'll come back. But don't think I'm sleeping on some cot take a look at me you think I'm sleeping on a cot- not happening.

Could you imagine one of the other presidential candidates saying this?
It would be too off-color. Too risky.

It's too bad Christie said there was no chance he was running in 2012. Isn't it ironic, that the one political figure the country really needs, isn't going to run?

Colin Powell's Endorsement of Barack Hussein Obama

The media and liberals are praising Colin Powell for being "intellectually honest" and supporting Barack Obama. It's a sign of his impartiality and fierce anti-partisan independence, right?

What about Scott McClellan, former White House Press Secretary? He also has stated his support for Barack. It's odd that a onetime Bush loyalist is now supporting the Democratic Presidential nominee, especially one as unqualified as Barack.

Powell and McClellan both have something in common: They both left the Bush administration on less than friendly terms. Powell left after admitting that he was pressured into overstating the WMD case to the United Nations, in the leadup to the war in Iraq. Somehow a grown man like Powell couldn't stand up for himself. The media also forgets that it was Powell's deputy, Richard Armitage, that admittedly leaked Valerie Plame's identity to the Press. Powell did nothing to punish Armitage for this breach of security. And also said nothing when taxpayers were pursuing Scooter Libby for the same leak.

McClellan also claimed to have been pressured to say untrue things at the microphone. He admits to having been caught in the "permanent campaign culture" that has dominated politics for the last twenty years. The late Tony Snow replaced McClellan and did a hell of a better job as Press Secretary. Snow was more eloquent, better spoken, and got along better with the press. McClellan on the other hand, stuttered, stammered, and acted nervous.

It's no wonder that both of these individuals, Powell and McClellan, both support Barack Obama. They feel betrayed by the Republican Party. They blame The Republican Party for their own inadequacies and their own failures. Barack might be the one they have been waiting for, but this opportunism will not be forgotten when the Republicans take back the White House in 2012 with a Romney/Petraeus Presidential dream team ticket.

Inter-Conservative Warfare

(Picture from the AP)


It's almost time for John McCain to pick a Vice Presidential running mate and already, petty conservatives are up-in-arms over the possible selection of Governor Mitt Romney.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/us/politics/16veep.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=politics

For the sake of argument, let's call these people the "Baby Conservatives." Their intellectual capacity is not fully developed yet. Their ability to articulate is impaired. Moreover, their ability to practice politics runs at a middle school level.

These "Baby Conservatives" are following the lead of Mike Huckabee and trying to scuttle Romney's addition to the McCain presidential ticket on petty and spurious grounds.

They are raising concerns about "flip flops" that never happened. He has always been against abortion. When he was running against Ted Kennedy, he just said that he would not do anything to change the laws in MA regarding abortion. This was a smart political move. Ted Kennedy was almost unbeatable, and Romney came closer than anyone to beating him. He wanted to neutralize that issue by assuring voters that he would be effectively pro-choice, since it would be too difficult to enact any pro-life legislation in a state as crazy liberal as Massachusetts. He was being realistic and at the same time, trying to de-emphasize distracting moot issues, so that important issues (where he could have an impact) could be emphasized.

These "Baby Conservatives" are also trying to stir up fear among conservative voters over Romney's Mormon faith. This shows a level of intolerance that justify liberals calling us bigots. Mormon theology translates politically to sound conservatism. It would be a huge mistake if the Republicans alienate Mormons (people who are pro-gun, anti-gay marriage, pro-life etc etc). Mormons have proven to be staunch Christian allies and have donated tons of money to the conservative cause.

Let's not lose their support. Let's support a McCain/Romney ticket.

No Enthusiasm for McCain = More Reason to Pick Romney as VP

In the most recent edition of the Weekly Standard, Stephen Hayes cites a Washington Post/ABC News poll:

Nearly half of the liberals surveyed are enthusiastic about
supporting Barack Obama, while only 13 percent of conservatives are enthusiastic about McCain.

This may go without saying, but if conservatives aren't enthusiastic about a candidate, they are less likely to contribute money or volunteer their time. In some cases, this lack of passion might even result in conservatives NOT voting.

McCain, please pick Romney now!

Mitt Romney for VP

"For the American family right now, the economy is a problem"

-Mitt Romney

As the economy gets worse, the demand for a Vice President who is economically savvy will rise. What better choice than Mitt Romney, founder of Bain Capital and savior of the 2002 Olympic Games?

John McCain would be smart to pick Romney sooner, rather than later. Romney could immediately activate his base. His organization during the primaries was superb and I am sure a lot of it is still in place at a rudimentary level.

Let's not wait until the Dems pick a VP, let's pick Romney and energize this Republican ticket.

McCain lacks three big things.

1) Youth

2) Extensive economic experience

3) Fundraising and organization skills

Mitt Romney would be the perfect choice to compensate for McCain's 3 deficient traits.

Solamere Capital

Tagg Romney, son of former MA governor and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, is starting up his own private equity firm called Solamere Capital.

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/romney-son-moves-into-private-equity/

It will be interesting to see if Tagg can be as successful as his father who started Bain Capital in 1984. It's going to be difficult to outshine his father, but Tagg has the same positive characteristics that his father has.

Joining Tagg in this venture is the talented Spencer Zwick, who was a Romney loyalist back in his Governor days as well as the National Finance Chairman during the Presidential Campaign. I wonder if this gives insight into whether the Romneys think McCain will pick him as VP. They might not think so. Certainly Zwick would be on Romney's VP staff.

Never Count Out Mitt Romney

(Picture from the AP )

While the Democrats are squabbling and tearing each other apart, the Republicans are doing the opposite; they are unifying and putting aside old differences.

Mitt Romney is now helping his former GOP rival, John McCain, campaign. Many think this will be a prelude to the GOP ticket. This combination would be difficult to stop. McCain has the military experience. Romney has the business experience. They have done more in their life than 100 Barack Obamas and 20 Hillary Clintons combined.

Texas and Ohio Tonight

The primary season continues today. Barack has a real chance to deliver a knock-out blow to Hillary Clinton. Barack's success has surprised some people. Others think the results are only the natural progression of his talent.

As we reflect on the Republican field and see Mike Huckabee and John McCain, we definitely miss Mitt Romney. Romney was the only strong, certified conservative who had the finances to take on the Democrats. Now, 2008 will certainly be a losing year for the Republicans and it's only a matter of time before we see who the next President will be.

In many respects, the primaries today are the general election. If Barack beats Hillary, Barack will most likely be the next President of the United States. If Hillary wins, she will be the next President.

Mitt, we miss you man. Return to the political fray soon.

Romney and Reporter Go At It

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7955.html

In South Carolina, Governor Mitt Romney and Glen Johnson of the AP got into a shouting match over Ron Kaufman's role in Romney's campaign.

After the skirmish, Romney's traveling Press Secretary Eric Fehrnstrom put Johnson in his place.

Fehrnstrom: “Save your opinions and act professional,”
“Don’t be argumentative with the candidate.”

Kudos to Romney and Fehrnstrom for fighting back. Some candidates let the media get away with a lot. Some people put up with a lot of nonsense. I am glad the Romney campaign didn't this time. The American people will side with Romney on this one.

What McCain's strategy should be

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/mccain_military/2007/11/02/46217.html

This is what John McCain needs to do in order to salvage his campaign. He needs to emphasize the fact that throughout his adult life, he has served the country. Other candidates such as Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, have been involved only in self-profiting endeavors. Where were Rudy and Mitt when the country needed them in Vietnam? We need a President who puts the country before himself. Running a business or being a lawyer does not make you qualified to be Commander in Chief.

McCain needs to make this distinction every step of the way and challenge the other candidates during the next debate on this. Call them out in person and make them respond.

Michigan for Mitt

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070831/NEWS06/708310401/1001/NEWS

If Michigan does wind up with the first primary, this will be very favorable to Governor Mitt Romney. Not only was Mitt born there but his father, George Romney, served as a two-term Governor. His father was generally well-liked and gives Mitt the name recognition that he needs.

Romney Concerns

(Picture from the AP)

This blog is a huge fan of Mitt Romney but we do have some concerns in light of his recent Iowa radio show appearance and his response to Sam Brownback's challenge during the last Republican debate.

For one, during his recent radio appearance in Iowa, the host challenged Romney on his Mormonism. When he was off the air (but with the tape still running) Romney argued that Mormons don't believe that Jesus Christ will come again to Missouri. He repeated this and told the radio host he was wrong for thinking this.

A quick search on the LDS website brings up this.

http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=48086e11057fb010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

It explicitly says that the Church believes Jesus Christ will come again to the New Jerusalem, or Missouri. Either Romney doesn't know his church theology well or he is trying to obfuscate voters on this matter.

Another concern is his response to Sam Brownback's attack ad on Abortion. During the debate, Romney said that he was tired of people being holier than thou because they were pro-life for a longer time. I agree with Romney on that but my question to him is: Why did it take you this long to consider the importance of unborn life? Why did it take you until a bill concerning embryonic stem cell research was brought to your Governor's desk, before considering the importance of these issues?

At the age of 15, I understood that abortion was wrong and that people need to fight for life, especially unborn life. I can't imagine how a thoughtful person wouldn't come to a conclusion on this issue earlier in life than 58?

Just something to think about.

Reasons to Vote for Giuliani

Although Mitt Romney is the current favorite of this blog, Rudy Giuliani is giving us reason to look more favorably upon him. First, he is a strong advocate of the King Amendment, a law designed to protect citizens from lawsuits for reporting suspicious activity. This stems from the lawsuit filed by imams who were kicked off a United Airlines flight.
http://www.joinrudy2008.com/news/missed/508

Good Presidents have good people behind them. Giuliani has recently picked some good advisors concerning the Middle East. Among this select group are several neoconservatives including Norman Podhoretz.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/7/26/155618.shtml?s=ic

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

(Picture from the AP)

The phrase above is very familiar to comic fans. It was coined by the creator of Spider-Man, Stan Lee.

It's truth also applies to foreign policy though, especially in today's dangerous world. After Peter Parker was bitten by an irradiated spider and acquired super-human strength, but before he dedicated his life to fighting crime, he was a wrestler. One day, a man that was being chased by police passed Peter. Peter could have easily stopped the man. He didn't. "Why should I care?" He thought to himself.

Later on, Peter found out that the criminal whom he let escape killed his Uncle Ben. His life was forever changed and he always tried to use his power to fight crime and make the world a better place.

This comic book lesson should be taken seriously by the United States, specifically Democrats like Senator Barack Hussein Obama.

Recently Barack Obama stated that preventing genocide was not reason enough to stay in Iraq. Bad things happen when genocide takes place. Just take a look at Hitler and Germany. Hitler first started his genocide of Jews in Germany and then expanded it to the rest of Europe. Genocide quickly becomes everyone's problem. And since the United States is still the superpower in the world (Thank God we are), we should do what we can to prevent that before genocide comes knocking on our doorsteps.

Barack has shown an immaturity on the campaign trail. His positions such as Iraq withdrawal show a childish tendency to leave difficult situations merely because they are difficult and because they are unpopular.

That's not how mature adults act. Thankfully President George W. Bush is steadfast and has the resolve to maintain our efforts in Iraq.

Barack, go back to the State Senate in Illinois. You were much better there than on the national stage.

I also love how Barack's call for "age appropriate" sex education for kindergartners is being spun by his press people. His press people are now saying that he meant kindergartners should be taught about what kind of touching is appropriate so that they will be better protected against child predators. Why didn't he just say that at first if that's what he meant? Also, why would you describe that as sex education? I would call that self-preservation and safety talk. It's obviously not what he meant at first.

I think Barack really meant he wanted to start sex eduction at that tender young age. Obviously, its a horrible idea and it would be unpopular. Barack didn't realize that until after he made the comment. Now his press people are trying to clean up the mess.

Kudos to Governor Mitt Romney for hammering Barack on this issue.