As much as I hate to say this, I now believe Bam Bam is going to be re-elected in 2012, in large part due purely to lucky timing. The economy is slowly turning around and picking up steam, and by the end of next year, more people likely will be working (not because of his policies, but despite them). He will, of course, claim all credit for this, attributing the turn around to his strong leadership. His historically-low numbers are not that far below Reagan or Clinton early in their terms. Combine this with potential complacency among the Republicans thinking they have the election in the bag, and the failure of any strong Republican candidate to emerge, and the Republicans could lose the White House. I certainly hope that I'm wrong on this, but I doubt it.

Well I guess there is no sense in me even voting as you have it all figured out!!!!

President Obama's approval ratings are on the rise and at this point in their presidency his is far higher than Reagan's was at the same point.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/116479/barack-obama-presidential-job-approval.aspx

I guess you must have missed the mid term thing.

Don't count those chickens quite yet. Oil is hitting $100 per barrel, and Opec has said "deal with it". They won't go lower it sounds like. People are pissed now about gas prices, wait til it gets worse.

Then there is the housing market, it is getting worse, none better. There is such a surplus of houses unsold now, they can't build new ones. Who is going to buy a house when there aren't any jobs?

Don't believe what you hear about the economy getting better. The MSM will say anything.

impressive, most of 2 years out and already admitting defeat......

Might want to take note of how many on that list with equal or HIGHER #'s at this point, didn't get re-elected...

The gas and diesel price increases will really hit home when people look see the supermarket receipt. They can always cut back on driving, but on food??

But then again from what I�ve seen lately, maybe that will be a good thing for some folks to cut back on their daily caloric intake�.

I think we're going to see the economy REALLY go in the tank in the next 6 months. There are reports that there are 2 million mtges that are thiiiiiiis close to foreclosure.

Yep, declaring victory or defeat at this point in time means very little.

The problem is the Republicans "waiting for a strong candidate to emerge " .That's business as usual and will not work with this bunch .

Consider what the Obama crew was able to pull off in 2008 in even getting the nomination .

Now they will have had 3 1/2 years to entrench themselves and ALL their efforts directed against the "Rs" with no primary to worry about .

And the "Rs" are waiting , and waiting, and waiting .

That seems to be their strong suit .

I agree that Obama will be difficult to beat. Its just like many on this site confident that the Republicans would win the Senate. While they made great strides winning the Senate with so few seats available was always unlikely. Every one needs to remember that the MSM supports Obama, as well as the Spanish, Blacks, & other special interest groups. Plus there is the bank roll from the rich liberals including the Hollywood crowd. Its certainly possible for the Republicans to win the White House, but it will take a charismatic candidate that is yet to emerge. Obama is already starting to campaign & put key people in place to run the Democratic machine. It may well be decided by the economy. Here's hoping he fails miserably, but it's going to be a tough campaign.

2 years.. so many variables its impossible to predict. Even if the economy slowly picks up we will still have fairly high unemployment and the deficts will still be huge. Of course a dozen things could send the economy back down the Sh*t hole and that says nothing of a dozen more domestic and international crises that could arise. Of course its not just the factual circumstances.. but who will be setting the agenda for the election?

Best would be if we had a couple of good sized deficit reduction bills passed in the house which the senate wouldn't act on (Maybe they could put something together knowing that the dems would never pass it). Then the GOP and tea partiers could play a sold game of pin the tail on the democrats for 2012.

Long time to wait..

More defeatism, doom , gloom, woe is us, where did I put my hemlock nonsense..........HORSECHIT !

Don't give this bloated monstrosity a win,.....we have two years to beat it down.

Cheer up, and get to WORK !

GTC

He has to have the same first time voter turnout that he had last time. Those same voters are still waiting on their prizes so I say they stay at home this round. Especially, if they have to pay $5 a gallon to drive to the polls in their cash for clunker that's likely about to be repo'd.

Let's just simplify it further. There are more stupid, non working, low life, POS, dumbasses now than ever before. This bodes well for OBama.

Anything can happen two years from now as history has proven. Who though the Republicans could take the House back in 2008? Nobody.

However, if gas is $4.00 a gallon in November of 2012, Obama will not be re-elected. You can write that down.

Unfortunately.

There's going to be inflation, higher gas prices, housing is still a mess and don't forget the foreclosures aren't being liquidated. Just wait for that flood of good news.

States like IL, CA, NY, etc. are already starting to raise taxes so there goes their populace's and businesses chances. Look for an exodus of sorts by both.

Does not bode well for the future of the country or Obama (as if he cared ).

Gas prices on the rise, another round of foreclosures,( (reportedly as many as a million this year,), won't bode well for the looter in chief.

Voters usually do so with their pocketbooks, I'll grant you that, and hope you're right. I just don't have much faith in the Repubs any more either.

Our best bet to get him out of office is to find a way to send Palin on a vaction until after the election. Maybe a big safari in africa.
Obama another 4 years or 4 years of Palin is not good. Then again we don't need Romney either!

I am really starting to like Pawlenty, always like Gingrich I am sure there are others, but my Chorizo is alomst done so I gotta go.

Kique

I have hope we will see change and the Obamas will be back in Chicago.

The real estate market is at its lowest point ever with no signs of improvement.

Geithner has written a letter to the Speaker of the House saying that unless the debt ceiling is lifted, the US will default on its obligations (SS, medicare, interest on the debt, etc.). That is going to lead to a battle royal in the Congress and with all the newbies in the House there's no way to tell what'll happen.

S&P and Moody's have warned the US gov't that it is close to losing its AAA status in the bond market.

The US dollar is in decline with no predictions when it might reverse course. This is good for exports, but a whopping great amount of what Americans buy is made overseas, so consumers will take it in the shorts.

There are worldwide shortfalls in crop production, so food is going to get more expensive.

The price of oil is going up, making driving and food production more expensive. What few bucks a guy makes won't go as far.

The employment numbers are static or falling. There'll be more folk on the dole.

There's still the great desire on a lot of congresscritters on both sides of the aisle that want to legalize several million criminals that normal folk call illegal aliens, and they are/will be down in the lower income brackets that will be turning to the dole as things get worse.

The question is, "Will the Greater Depression benefit those who would try and drag the country out of it or those who would increase the handouts?"

That's pure fact. Put this together with Drudge's morning headline about him planning a BILLION DOLLARS reelection campaign, and I think our battle will be straight uphill.

Stupidity, and stupid people, are easily purchased.

So Daveman what do you really think makes this POS so electable? Perhaps it's that he never tells a lie. No he's very beatable I would be somewhat surprised if the Libturds are still in political trouble if they even run him again.

Obama is a Lame Duck for the next two years and will get booted in 2012 . Give him another two years to cut his own throat. If you think the Dem's agenda has changed you are just fooling yourself. That joke of a memorial he gave was just a Pep Rally for the Dem's and most normal people saw right through it.

Obama might just solidify his chances at reelection by selecting Hillary Clinton as his V.P. running mate. Granted, the Obamas and the Clintons despise each other, but in politics, that is meaningless when it comes to reelection strategy. What's that old saw? "Politics makes strange bedfellows."

A large part of the Democrat base expected Hillary Clinton to be the presidential candidate in 2008, and were enraged when Obama spoiled her, and their plans. Reluctantly, they voted for Obama, although some just didn't vote. Either they did not work for Obama's election, or what little they did, was tepid.

In 2012, if Hillary Clinton is on the ticket, even as V.P. candidate, they will not only flock to the polls en masse, they'll work like a bunch of chain gang convicts to get "her" elected. Afterall, she just might make it into the Oval Office afterward. If she is not on the ticket in 2012, by 2016, Hillary will be almost 70 years old, and not have a chance to become President.

Not to say this is a nut lock cinch, but it's a definite possibilty.

L.W.

A BIG 10-4 that Sir.

"President Obama"? lmao

I would agree wholeheartedly if it were not for the Republican propensity for cutting their own throats with candidates like McClown. I'm not a huge Palin fan, but will vote for her if she gets it. She is the most likely candidate and will whip his asss regardless of the economy simply because of the same mechanism that got him elected. We had to have the first Negro President. Then we'll have to have the first Broad. Sad that our nation now runs on People Magazine more than Newsweek.

Fight to "WIN"..there's no other acceptable way!!!

The Obama novelty has already worn off. The starry eyed young voters who have no clue what the issues even are will not be turning out in droves to vote for the "cool black guy".

Next time around a slick line and a cool persona will not get the job done. Also (hopefully) the republican candidate will not be a dud like McCain. Keep the faith you guys.


damn......I hope I'm right about this.

But say he was a moderate and so electable LOL.

He was even a libturd butt patting fool. He would have lost by at least 15% points more if Sarah hadn't agreed to try and rescue the whole pile of moderate [bleep].

One thing's for damned sure: if the Repubs nominate Palin to run against Obama, he's certain to be re-elected. Just my opinion....

Lets see what the future holds, but,, if recent history is a guide, and history tends to repeat itself. Just look to Bill Clinton's approval ratings at this period of his presidency.
Sadly there is a very high probably that is where the answer to todays question lies.

sadly for the country....I'm afraid we ain't seen nothing yet. the real estate market will not be anywhere near recovery by 2012. unemployment will still be north of 9%. and most importantly.....something is going to happen on the international front to highlight the amateurish quality of this administration in a way his MSM pals can't disguise. he's been very lucky so far....but that can't last. whether it's an Israeli strike on Iran, an Iranian strike on Israel or the Suadis, a full out war in Korea, the Russians taking the rest of Georgia....Chavez invading Columbia....something will happen to show his ass to the voters, which will be the last straw.

Agree totally.
I am actually rather surprised that the Israel/Iran situation has not(yet) reached a boiling point.
As for NK/SK, we could see "the balloon go up" any day.

Not good.

From a historical perspective sitting Presidents are usually are re-elected to a second term more often than not, voters have to be very dissatisfied to not re-elect the current President to a second term. IMO the next election will come down to how the well economy is doing or not, people tend to vote with their wallets.

Did anyone check in with the international financial cartel to see what they think? I look for the cartel to put up a very weak Republican candidate like they did the last time to ensure a Obama win.

Independents and even some core lefties aren't buying it this time round. His only core hope is the Dead People's Union. His game is up - Liberal Media can't hide it through 2 more years.

He's thinking he'll blow a hole in the GOP boat by moving center. That's too easy to see through. The more he tries to sound like Reagan the more laughable it gets.

By 2012 his approval rating will be in the 20's. Every one except the NAACP will hate him.

He will go back to Chicago not understanding why he lost......Unemployment will still be close to 9% and housing will still be TRYING to recover.....

If he just simply keeps his rhetoric down, slightly moderates along the way with no big pushes on his part and nabs Clinton as a mate, he'll walk right back in and with no problem.

Congress is where it's at, not the Whitehouse. Focus on Congress and the rest will follow. All he'll have is a veto pen so make him use it.

I agree with the first part, but I'm not sure it bodes well for 'Bama. A lot of those people are upset with 'Bama because he didn't buy them a new house and a new car and make their payments for them.

I assume that was a typo and you meant back in Kenya.

The fact is the real estate business is getting worse .2 more million homes going up for 2011 over last years number. But then what .2 million homes Jeff O will have a super inventory. But their not talking up the 5 million homes with payments in arrears. Things don't look good long term.

Obama has been heard to say, "Who would want a second term anyway?" Look at his body language. He is deeply frustrated and discouraged. He is an amateur and has found to his dismay that not all situations respond well to bribes, threats, and promises of a job on the Sanitation Commission, which is about all he learned in Chicago.

The housing mess will deepen this summer. Construction will continue to be in the toilet, probably for a decade or more. The lack of home construction work will add to the woes of the labor market.

Best case, I see unemployment at 8% and inflation hitting 10% by 2012. Business may be doing some better, but there are a bunch of jobs that are permanently gone.

Obama is in for a really miserable two years with the House actively pitched against him. In 2012, there are 31 Senate seats up. 21 of them are held by Dems. Shame on us if we can't hold our own and peel off 5-6 Dem seats. If Obama holds on in 12, he will think 2010-2012 was a walk in the park.

Hillary will not take the VP slot. Just watching her on TV, she appears to have lost her joi de vivre. She has already announced that Secretary of State is her last political post. She does not have the belly for another run.

There is only minor evidence, but both her and Obama may be a long way down the slope of drug and alcohol abuse in the face of really frustrating lives. Look at how much weight Obama has lost.

The House will prevent any funding of Obamacare. The taxes will happen, but the program won't... maybe forever.

At the bottom of the chain of distribution for food, prices are skyrocketing. Look forward to $4-5 gas and $3 per dozen eggs by next fall.

So we have a very discouraged President, not eager to run, with nothing to look forward to, high food prices, inflation, and chronic unemployment. He may run, but he won't have any fire in the belly. He has just pivoted to the center, and that will cost him a lot of his base. I doubt he can win the center back, so that leaves him with no base and no center.

The GOP just kicked Steele out as the RNC Chairman. That may be the best news of the day.

Obama is far from a shoo-in in 2012. He may win, and he does have the advantage of incumbency. If the GOP comes up with a really good candidate I give them 2 chances out of 3. If they pick a mediocre candidate, maybe 1 out of 3.

Of all the people on the political scene, Todd and Sarah Palin are probably the people I would most like to share a meal with. But Sarah isn't going to be President.

Remember that Harry Reid was a cooked goose?

The goose still honks in the Senate.

This is a strong possibility, if we don't get real smart and nominate the best electable candidate we can produce, then not stub our toes.

We also need to get some $$$ into the war chest; the Republican Party is in the red, presently. I can't pay my property taxes right now, but I did send off $50.00 to the RNC last week. We all need to send whatever we can.

Sometimes you should go with your gut, sometimes not. You're wrong as a football bat. Folks aren't going to get over the atrocity that is the current administration. P.O. meter is pegged...

LOL...Chicago is at least a start.

What have the Republicans done the past 10 years to justify me sending them money? Until they prove they can drastically, and I mean drastically cut spending I'm not interested. I trusted them a few years ago and they were a miserable failure.

Of all the possible contenders , she is the only one not afraid of running and losing .

All the rest seem to be waiting for the situation to become a little clearer.If Obama's numbers are low a year from now , they will all be cutting each other's throats for the top spot .

The "R" $$$$$$$ people need to get off their asses and settle on a candidate and start the general election campaign this Spring .

It will take drastic measures like that to defeat this bunch .Need to remember that 2012 at this point is not about defeating Obama , it's about defeating the Dem machine .

Raider,

What is the viable alternative? Any third party run on the right would mean absolute disaster with a split vote.

I'm not happy with them, either, BTW.

Jeb Bush for President. He's got the right idea legalize all Mexicans and make America a providence of Mexico. Well he didn't say that but he might as well have said it.

If that's the best the Republicans have to offer it's four more years for certain Obama.

I wish I knew. It's a helpless feeling.

Sure hope you're right, D.D. but folks seem to have such short attention spans in these matters. Wasn't too, too long ago that folks were crowing how "the repubs can't lose". We'll see if the Tea Party movement holds up and goes forward.

I'll stick with what I said about him going back in.

Frustrating, isn't it...

According to Gallop, he has an approval rating of 48%.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/116479/barack-obama-presidential-job-approval.aspx

He only needs 51% of the vote to become reelected. After all that has happened since he became president, he still maintains a percentage this high. No expert here, but I would think gaining enough to be reelected or at the very least a being a genuinely serious contender, would be a walk in the park for him.

Might be tough if any states pass legislation requiring documentation of eligibility.

The Congressional Research Service has already issued a memo to all members of Congress stating that Obama's eligibility has not been checked because there is no requirement that the Congress, the States or the Electoral College actually verify eligibility.

Contrary to what the media claims, he has not provided the documentation. I was required to produce a birth certificate to purchase an M1 from the CMP, seems reasonable to require one to be CIC.

Remember that Harry Reid was a cooked goose?

The goose still honks in the Senate.






Thanks in part to The NRA!!!!!

Had Reid lost we'd be dealing with Chuckie, "Mr. Gun Friendly", Schumer.

Thanks for starting my day on this post. aughhh

That could happen; hope it doesn't Steve but even if things go far south I agree with the OP. Look what he was elected on--nothing of substance, smoke through Saran Wrap. The problem is the masses of voters who read the Enquirer and watch MSNBC for their intellectual pursuits.

Yep.

Obama has been the luckiest SOB in America. His platform was Hillary's, he doesn't really know what he's doing. He spent way too much political capital on healthcare when there were much bigger fish to fry at the time; he's bumbling his way through and the media just keeps giving him a pass. The BP oil leak should have been a massive controversy for him. It happened on his watch, with people he placed in the key roles of regulatory failure. He responded poorly, BP was a huge political contributer, during the crisis he constantly gave breathing room to BP and came to their rescue. If that happend under Bush the media would have an actual linch mob at the White House.

Now I don't mind when the media holds Republicans accountable, but I just wish to hell they'd do the same with Democrats. We need integrity in this nation, and that starts with measuring everything the same way.

If Romny runs, he has an honest to goodness chance. Romny can light up the center and get those center votes that are so needed. Problem is, he has a hard time exciting the base, because he's too centrist for the tastes of Republicans, so Romny's biggest challenge is getting the nomination.

On the other side, contrary to what most here think, Obama has been far more centrist than anyone expected, and he has support in the center. If the economy is on the rise in two years, it's a real uphill battle to unseat a president when the economy is good. Look at Clinton, he was HATED, but America voted with their wallets; adn they always do.

Romney doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of being elected.
Can you say "RomneyCare"?

I could just see him running against 0bama. He couldn't say schit about 0bamaCare because all 0bama would have to say is "0bamacare is a bipartisan effort at healthcare reform that was in part modeled after RomneyCare" and he'd be right and Mitt couldn't retort with schit.

See, nobody will vote for a fake Democrat like Romney when they can vote for an honest-to-God one like 0bama. McCain clearly illustrated that in the last presidential. If Republicans are going to win they will have to run and honest-to-God Republican, not a Democrat-lite.

LOL kick them were they live. Romney is a liberal 60's Democrap. To many folks that feel the libturd party has left them as Ronald Reagan said now they want to join the GOP and water it down and make it the old Democratic Party. Sorry get F'ed.

Obama WILL Be Re-elected - You Can Write it Down......I will believe it when I see it!!!

From this week's Kiplinger report


"A half dozen states hold the key to efforts to unseat President Obama:
Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Colorado.
Obama won�t carry all six, as he did in 2008 when he defeated Sen. John McCain.
That�ll give Republicans a good shot at the Oval Office even if the economy grows.
The six will be top of mind as the GOP eyes 2012 primary candidates.
Always a factor in selecting a running mate, geography this time will play a part
in determining who is at the top of the ticket as well. With no clear front-runner
in the race, the value of each candidate�s regional base will be carefully evaluated.
Gov. Mitch Daniels or Rep. Mike Pence could lure Indiana back to the fold.
Obama won their usually reliably Republican state by just one point in 2008.
Daniels or former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty would put Ohio in play,
especially given that its economic recovery is likely to lag the rest of the nation�s.
A Southern candidate would help in Virginia and North Carolina�
Ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, perhaps, or Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.
Obama won Va. and N.C. on a large black turnout, which may not be replicated.
The big electoral college prize is Florida. Obama will have a hard time
if former Gov. Jeb Bush runs or if Sen. Marco Rubio is the GOP veep choice.
And Colorado will be tough for Obama if a Westerner nabs the nomination.
Sen. John Thune (SD) or former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman would fit the bill,
playing the �I understand the region� card to cut Obama�s 2008 margin there."

Obamacare.... I don't know of any huge entitlement enacted that has been repealed. Sorry guys, but that's the way it is.

Neither do I; if they screw up in the House over the next 2 years & can't find a charismatic candidate for 2012, The Muslim will win easily.

But, inflation is coming, big time, & he's gonna get hammered for that.

Best thing the R's can do is flood the Senate with popular legislation that the Senate won't pass & that will highlight what a sorry bunch the Dem's & The Muslim really are.

MM

Yes. And explain the reason for it based on sound principals. I know the Dem's will throw out a BS flag but it needs to be thrown by the wackos.

The Republicans have to field a more than credible candidate in order to win the presidency. In the mid-terms the Republicans appeared to have a better than even chance to take the U.S. Senate but blew it over some primary wins.

Now the race begins:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty are headed for �FOX News Sunday� and Newt Gingrich is headed for Iowa Monday.
I have seen all three on FOX lately, but Newt was the one checking off his list of good ideas with Greta last Friday night.

Sarah Palin is doing a exclusive interview with Sean Hannity on Monday night and will be the keynote speaker to the 2nd Amendment Rights advocates at Safari International Club in Reno, Nevada Saturday, January 29th.

BHO will be extremely difficult to defeat in 2012. BHO will be impossible to defeat if the GOP sends up a far right Candidate.

There are men out there who can defeat him by garnering a significant share of the Independent vote. They are Conservatives who can and will appeal to the middle while holding the Far Right.

There is no way either party can win without a significant number of Independent votes.

Put Allen West in there. He would garner a substantial share of the black vote (those that are no longer fainting from 'change'), would satisfy the independents, and he's conservative enough to satisfy the right. Throw Michelle Bachmann in for a VP.

Sorry, delete the above. It makes far too much sense, and the R's haven't been making any of that in quite a while.

Are you crazy a woman for VP???

Seriously that ticket makes a lot of sense. Bachmann may well be our first female President, not in '12 but but sometime in the future.

So you're saying send up another McStain?

Didn't say that. Who is this "McStain" you speak of? Never heard of her.

The GOP must put forward a man who will appeal to a broad spectrum of the electorate. To nominate a minimalist would assure victory for the opposition.

Do any real people populate your little kingdom or is it filled with generic images ?

Was there ever a time when you could just talk , or have you always conversed by proclamation ?

Duh..............no schit Dick Tracy!!!

Got any more pearls of wisdom in your handbag??

None of us here were aware of that strategic gem!!

The economy is not turning around. It will soon be down the sh*tter. If BHO is reelected we will all be in a world of hurt!!! Everyone needs to prepare for the worse.

The economy hasn't yet begun to tank. We've only just hit the iceberg, the lower levels have taken on water causing a slight tilt, but the ship of our economy has yet to sink, which is inevitable and right on course, despite all the pumps working at full capacity.

Has Obama reconciled his illegal foreign campaign contributions, or explained his broken promises and lies? Do we know anything about how he got through college, his enrollment and financial aid filings and degrees earned? Does the pilferage of the treasury, at a time when our economy was going over a cliff, to build more government and turn a cold shoulder to the private sector where funds might have been useful, not bother anyone anymore? Wonder what charity he donated the Nobel prize to? I haven't heard. Have lies, frauds, and thefts in the executive been accepted over ethical dealings by the American people now, and if so how, when, and why?

Obama is not, and never was, anything he claimed, yet some still believe in magic. There is no magic, just an overabundance of lemmings waiting to go be led.

Obama is a socialists, bordering on communist...

and people who support him, are no different...

and that stands for everything to the contrary of what this country was built upon...

And the fog is lifting from many of those lemming's eyes.

A large portion of those duped by the hope/change message won't make that mistake again.

Conservatives have had enough of rino's and their reach across the aisle bs and will no longer tolerate it.

By 012 the nation will be prime for conservative values, especially those "far right", and the message WILL reach the independents.

Middle of the roaders have had more than enough. Even many liberals are fed up with the continuous flow of rot out of DC.

Add all of these together, then throw in the sleeping giant that has in recent years just kept their nose to the grindstone and ignored politics, and we're in for some real change with real hope for the future. People like McCain and Obama won't have any part in it. They're finished.

I hope you are correct. However unless the GOP nominates someone who can appeal to a broad spectrum of the electorate we will endure another four years of BHO. We need a man of Conservative principals who attracts the Independent voter.

The real players are too wise at this stage to even hint at a run. I predict no serious candidate will announce until late this year.

That's a, many times proven, loser strategy. That kind of candidate appeals to very very few, and excites no one. In fact, that's precisely the strategy behind the McPain candidacy.

Conservatives win nationally when they select someone who appears to be a true believer in core conservatism, who can excite the base, and can communicate and defend authentic conservative principles, which are winning principles when effectively communicated.

The process by which this works is that once the base is excited, they become activated, and act as force multipliers for the Republican ticket. Moderates then get drawn in, finding the excitement contagious, and actually listening to arguments for conservatism from conservatives themselves rather than merely absorbing the MSM spin about conservatism.

If you go for the middle (as you advocate), no one is excited, so you lose the force multiplier effect, moderates never hear the message, and are thus never brought into the fold.

True conservatism is the winning strategy but I doubt the political class and certainly the financial class will never let that strategy out of the Genie bottle.

That's what the Tea Party is for DD.
That is what they're for.

Let's hope it works!

The Tea Party is now apart of the political class. There are no Saviours as the Jews found out over 2,000 years ago.

The core of the Tea Party are the Ron Paul style conservatives, Derby. It's been flooded with lots of less principled type "conservatives," but the core is still very influential in the Tea Party, pulling all members rightward. There is reason to hope, I believe, at least for some improvement.

There I fixed it for yah!

So, tell me, how did that strategy work out for Ron Paul?

Pretty good in his district .

The only difference between 0bama and a Communist is the Politburo.

He was never nominated for president, and certainly didn't have the support of the Republican establishment in said effort, so we will never know for sure how it would have worked with him (though I believe I know how it would have worked), but we do have the model of Ronald Reagan, who did receive said establishment Republican support (though very reluctantly) and ultimately did achieve the nomination. He won in two landslides. Had either Ron Paul or Pat Buchanan been likewise supported by the Republican establishment, they too would have won in landslides.

===============

I sure hope you whispered that!

Fixed the mistake...

Good fix.

Daveman said:
Obama WILL Be Re-elected - You Can Write it Down

I agree, unfortunately. Then that means electing the right congress will be even more important that ever. kwg

I'm not gonna read the whole thread...but I'm gonna cal bullchit on him getting reelected...the bailouts, runaway spending, Obamacare, don't ask don't tell...so much chit literally SHOVED up our yazoozs by the Dems, he doesn't have a chance in hell of winning...One issue that HASN'T been addressed in the media, (at least that I've noticed) is all the big corporations jobbing chit out to China & other third world countries...Obama wants to tax them even more with zero incentives to keep what little we have here. Thus driving investment overseas when we should be encouraging here...It didn't start with him, BUT, there's no reason on earth to keep feeding the dragon...

Maybe I mis-understand , but didn't he get re-elected a few times ? He's way south of me and I never was interested in him nationally .I voted for two Texans for Pres in my lifetime ;LBJ and Perot .

One outta two ain't bad ! beats some of your football pickins.

Must be recess time for the short bus crowd...

McCain didn't get his azz handed to him? RINO season started last November & is open until further notice. I know it just chaps you guys to no end that your wing is being plucked & it really is amusing to see your pathetic whimpering. Please continue.

Ouch!!

Once again, Colonel Allen West, fits that description. And once again, it makes too much sense.

McCain got his azz handed to him because of the economy implosion
Obama successfully blamed Bush and McCain got caught in the crossfire.
That happens to the incumbent or his replacement every time there is an election during hard times.

That is what will happen to Obama in 2012�in less than 22 months from now.
I don�t think he can pull off a Bill Clinton move to center, in time, this time.

I don�t remember any moderate Republican landslide victories�
I do remember a couple when a Conservative stood on his conservative values and pulled in the moderate voters.
Really big landslides.
Even bigger than the mid-terms we had last year.

How is that going to work?
Work for 2012 when the race has already started in 2011?
A first time House of Representatives Member in his first year?

How did it work for a first-time senator? One with ties to domestic terrorists and racist church pastors? One who had no experience politically other than community organizing?

I'd say Colonel West has vastly more experience in what a CIC is supposed to be doing in DC than the crackhead this country put in there out of the south side of Chicago.

Re-elected only if FOOLS vote for him again.

Obama is a socialist scumbag who is hurting our country.

Obama needs to be VOTED OUT OF OFFICE, as well as all the other liberals from either party!

When you consider that Obama is an extreme leftwing candidate he never should have won the election according to your logic. The problem is that the news media allowed him to pretend to be middle of the road so he was able to deceive the moderates.

Here's the situation in a nutshell,...

Nobody that's worth a fug wants to be President,..so take your pick from among the worthless fuggers.

It won't make no difference anyway.

Key. A non-RINO conservative would have had a better chance than the McCain/Feingold, Amnesty guy. He was a terrible choice & while we'll never know how someone ELSE would have fared, we DO know he was an absolutely awful choice who was despised by much of his own party & of course, by the left. It's time to put the ridiculous, failed notion that someone who happens to wear an "R" next to their name, while acting like a "D" is an acceptable choice. We are at a pivotal time, right now. We can fail to recognize/ignore what the so called "Tea Party" movement actually means and continue the path of failure, or understand it while fixing the broken wreck that is the GOP. The former WILL lead to a third party which will doom us to lib/progressive rule for the forseeable future. The latter will at least begin the beating back of same.

Many here are still stuck in the blind "R" lemming support mindset & simply refuse to even consider anyone new while plugging their ears and shouting, "LALALALALA!" and screaming "Anarchy" at any small .gov types. They have a great chance to get one of their safe guys in, as usual, (Romney/Newt/Huck..) & the continued beatings will be a huge surprise to them, as usual. Ron Paul is NOT the guy. He just is too whacky on some issues, but for [bleep]'s sake, quit recycling the same old GD RINOs. The community organizing, union thug loving, socialist, jug eared kenyan won. So can a decent, conservative, smaller, less intrusive .gov supporting candidate. Especially now, when the clear results of the terrible choice are fresh in everyone's mind and wallet..

I
t

You are right about both Obama and Colonel West.

But West is going to do his duty to the folks who sent him there and Obama doesn�t ever know how to spell duty.
Obama started building his PACS and his organization for the 2008 run back when he was still in Illinois.
He used the both the State and the US Senate as temporary stepping stones.

Col. West will not do that and he has said so. Maybe in 2016, but not this spring.

This race has started way too soon and it hurts those that need time to build their base.

�The Reagan Presidential Foundation plans to play host to both the first GOP presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle in spring 2011 and a second GOP debate on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries.�

No, wait!

�The first 2012 Republican debate in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire has been scheduled, with the GOP contenders slated to face off on June 7, 2011.�

No, wait!

�FOX News and the South Carolina Republican Party have jointly announced that they will present two presidential debates, which are expected to attract the top 2012 Republican contenders for President of the United States. The initial debate will take place on May 5, 2011 at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina. The second debate will be held in 2012 prior to the South Carolina primary at a location to be determined.�

No, wait!

�March 7th, 2011,mark that date in your calendars. It is currently the first unofficial Republican presidential debates and it will take place in the state where the first in the nation presidential contest takes place��Iowa�

March 7 is only two months!
Unbelievable!

I don't disagree with most of that, but you need to realize (actually, it appears that you do) that much of the stuff fresh in folk's minds and wallets is directly traceable to GWB and the Republican congresses during his terms.

The Republicans got a nice little run there, and [bleep] it up almost beyond belief!

So I'll grant the Dem's dumbphuckitude, but any rational person has to grant that the R's dont exactly have much credibility.

In the end, I'm gonna plus-one to Bristoe's post. If what we get is the standard D vs. R choice... it really doesn't fuggin' matter. Same chit, different flavor.

How many, if any, of these debates do you expect Palin to participate in?

To clarify. While the "Rs" to include Bush have been a major disappointment for quite a while, in no way can I see ANY possible way to justify any support, ever, for a known socialist. It is beyond comprehension, really.

And yes, it DOES fuggin' matter, that's why the fight between the "factions" of the GOP is so contentious, because it is so clearly important that the "Standard R" gets shown the door. Those standard R's now have a chance to practice what they have preached for so long & support the growing movement for a roll back of the move to "D" land, or risk continued losses to the socialists.

Sticking to their stubborn, statist, dem lite agenda, instead of using the momentum gained over the last couple of years will still likely cause a split, but to even entertain the thought that the socialists may do a better job or even deserve a chance, ever, is beyond absurd.

You really are obsessed with Sarah Darlin' ain't you ? If she agrees to a boat ride with you , do you promise not to drown her ?

Check with your people and get back to me .

The other scenario is that we have tanked so badly that a lot of people in the middle and center right will panic and look to socialism as an answer. They'll look for a Roosevelt.

THAT is how I see the real threat.

What the hell are you talking about? I don't even own a boat and have no intention of drowning anyone, certainly not Pretty Perky Palin. She is my favorite fund raiser both for herself and Conservative causes. May she continue to prosper.

If you are looking for Perky obsession there's a guy round here you should talk to. Hint; his name starts with a B and ends with an R. Let me know what he says.

My people are still hard at work. I have a high level meeting with them tomorrow.

Discussing changing to peanut oil in the deep fryer, no doubt.

(((DING))) Fries are done!

No we use bear fat. I use peanut oil in the wok.

Aren't you an elitest?

Yes, aren't you?

NO! Do you know what they want or believe?

what's that? the most elite form of elitist? the elitest elitist?

Oh no!!!

I at least hope yo aren't one.

Don't be scared it won't hurt. I am one and have been for many years. It is a truly enjoyable state, please take time and effort to aspire to the fine state of Elitism. Many of us will welcome you...if you be worthy.

Spano, Elitist and proud of it.

You are a Wall Street investment banker? A member of the Federal Reserve System? A member of the International Monetary Fund? A member of the World Bank? A member of the Round Table Groups of the Council on Foreign Relations? A member of the Trilateral Commission? If you are not an inside member of any of these groups you aren't an elitist you are just one of the pawns.

I may be one or all but I refuse to confirm or deny.

Seems like your time would be better spent somewhere's else than on the Fire.

He ain't even got a boat and y'all said he had a yacht .Can't be an elitist without a boat , I think .

The top elitists don't fly on airlines, in fact they don't buy Marquis cards. They own their own jets, and in $$ terms, that's considerably more than any boat/yacht money can buy.

In order to be elite, one must be selected and identified as among the most select in a group. One cannot do this for oneself - thus, there are no self-proclaimed elite.

Given that, what is an elitist? Is it not a snob or one who PRETENDS to social or intellectual superiority?

Well - yes, unless you are one of those that chooses to use the old typewritier type face. Such user might be an elitist.

I am what I am. I sold my yacht (not boat) some years ago and bought a ranch but I still belong to a Yacht Club. At present we are investigating the feasibility of purchasing a corporate jet, might do time share.

Why can't I be an elitist? What's wrong with elitism? Are you scared? Please, please, let me be an elitist if you do and are nice to me I'll take you for a ride in my shiny new jet. I think I'll just go out today and do something elite.

Many yachts cost more than many private jets and many private jets cost more than many yachts.

You are correct I do not fly my own jet.

What's a "Marquis card"?

Now please excuse me as I must attend to my elitist pursuits.

You are not an elitist except in your own mind if you have to buy time shares in a corporate jet.

Spanky, I think you are a legend in your own mind but do carry on.

You are an elitist. That's obvious. Whether you're a member of an elite, however, is not within your control. Folks already members of an elite have to bring you in.

Thank you all. Being an elitist is FUN you guys should try it. I could give you some tips.

Point well taken about the time share jet. I'll pass it along to the Corporate Jet Committee.

Excuse me as it is time for me to get back to my elitist pursuits. It's not good for my elitist reputation to spend too much time with Commoners.

Daveman: I hope you are wrong also.
The thought of 6 more years of hussein obama simply sickens me.
The harm this turd could muster up in 6 years of appointing judges ALONE causes wave after wave of nausea to sweep over me.
I do know this I will be up and at'em during the 2,012 anti-hussein obama campaign - fighting to save this country!
Yeah I think its that serious.
hussein must be toppled in 2,012!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

spanoklitoris: Whats "wrong" is you are a kalifornian - that's one of your major faults - just for starters!
Sheesh.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmint---I am an Elite Citizen of the Universe.

What's "wrong" with you is that you never learned spelling, capitalization. and grammar, other than that you're OK.

Now re-apply to grade school and tune up your education.

You have varified your mexifornia attitude.

You must mean my "Elitist" attitude. What is "mexifornia"?

I agree with most of what you said... BUT Obama will always have his base... Libs are good that way.

It's too late for Obama. His hardcore base of not much more than 25% of the population will not be enough against the nearly 75% of the population he has permanently alienated.

Wouldn't if I was offered!!!

I agree. The only way we can lose in 2012 is by nominating another McCain type establishment man, thus driving the Republican base away from the polls or into the alternative parties.

That's a stretch and wishfull thinking. I just checked Gallup and his approval rating this morning is currently sitting at 49%. His approval rating will need to drop a lot lower than that for his re-election chances to be dim. One thing I will say is that there are number of things that could happen that would be game changers leading up to the next election. One thing that I do know is that it way too early to be making predictions and arguing about will happen 22 months from now.

THE ORPHANED LEFT By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN Published on DickMorris.com on January 14, 2011 For the past three years, the left and Obama have been indistinguishable, joined at the hip in a marriage of ideology and, where that failed, of convenience. Now the marriage is on the rocks and some see a divorce in the offing. Obama strayed from the confrontational rhetoric of the left in his post-Tucson speech last week. While the likes of Paul Krugman and left wing bloggers were hyping the theme that Sarah Palin's and the Tea Party activists' rhetoric inflamed people sufficiently to bring out the worst leading -- albeit indirectly -- to the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

The public wasn't buying it. The Rasmussen Poll shows that -- by 58-28 -- voters assign the cause of the shooting to the isolated act of a madman rather than due to political rhetoric.
But most expected Obama to use the chance to ratchet up the ante and speak about how the tenor of our rhetoric catalyzed violence. In 2009 or 2010, he might have done so. But that was then and this is now.
Instead he stopped short of this rhetoric, taking the high road and calling on us to promote healing in our public dialogue instead of wounding. He opted to look presidential rather than to inflict political damage on his adversaries. Far more than his forced agreement to extend the Bush tax cuts, Obama's speech signaled a real attempt to move to the center. If you will, to triangulate -- rising to a third place between but also above both party positions. He let the left walk off a cliff by trying to extract political gain from the shooting. But he stayed away and acted like a president should.

Will he be able to triangulate? Can he win in 2012 by moving to the center? A president always has the option of correcting his mistakes, reversing his positions, and governing the country by moving it in the right direct. And those kinds of presidents -- like Bill Clinton -- usually get themselves re-elected. But it won't be easy. The Republicans are going to confront him with challenge after challenge.
To keep his centrist positioning, he is going to have to do more than give good speeches. He will have to change his programs and his policies. The first big challenge will come next month when we reach the debt limit and need more borrowing authority. Then the Republicans in the House will insist on huge cuts in spending before approving additional borrowing. How will Obama respond? Will he let the House roll back his stimulus spending to pre-2008 levels? Probably not. Will he abandon Obamacare? Likely not.
Will his move to the center succeed? Likely not. But, he just might make these kinds of concessions. And then it can succeed.

I fear many here are drastically underestimating BHO. His approvals are still in the mid forties and have recently risen.

To say he is toast is to court disaster in 2012. Hopefully the GOP will send up a Conservative candidate who will appeal to the Independent voter.

I never said you would (or could) fly your own jet. You are not now, nor never will be, in a circle that will know that experience. Your comments above tell me everything I need to know about you. You are not an elitist or one even remotely capable or running in the circles of my clients, You are just another wishful liberal thinker (and braggart) on an internet forum.

I think Spanky has been shown to be something other than "elite" ........................... Wanna try for "effeminite " ?

Yes, yes; As you so all too often "varify" yours. Fumb Duck.

The late 2nd and 3rd qtrs of this year is when the real candidates we'll have to deal with begin to show their true aspirations and convictions to run. How the GOP begins and moves forward in this new Congress as to their assurances/pledges will also shed some light. If they don't produce, there will be some candidate selection issues which could create problematic factions within the GOP ranks.

Either way, two things I am rather certain of;1.it's still quite early to be assessing strenghs of 2012 candidates, many of whom we've not even thought of,perhaps and, 2. regardless of who it might be, Obama will be a worthy, formidable opponent. That realization is simply a demographic population statistic which can't be ignored and it would be short-sighted and foolish to do so.

Agree, Bob and will be interesting to see if this Tea Party Caucus has any legs to it.

I never said you would (or could) fly your own jet. You are not now, nor never will be, in a circle that will know that experience. Your comments above tell me everything I need to know about you. You are not an elitist or one even remotely capable or running in the circles of my clients, You are just another wishful liberal thinker (and braggart) on an internet forum. [/quote]

And you have been led down the path by a string connected to your nose and held by your own hand.

"Your clients", you say? A fine example of 'caveat emptor' if ever there was one for those who are and who would be,,,,I'd say.

Spano's just having fun with you guys. His failure is that he never learned to speak "Cornbread".

C'mon, Spano, ratchet back several notches so that the 'unwashed' can catch up here.

Hey Toot---Don't ruin my fun. Those boys wouldn't know they've been worked if you ran a plow down there spineless back.---Spano.

Heh. Too true.

Whatcha think about the new BP deal w/the ruskies? Nuther thread!

Hardly. Without even knowing me or what I do, you think I'm an elitist to say that my clients purchase turbine aircraft?
What if I'm nothing more than a pilot and federal airworthiness inspector that does pre-purchase evaluations of turbine aircraft for wealthy clients? Am I still the elitist you paint me to be just because I happen to know a lot of folks with money that call me because of my expertise and reputation? Think before you type.

One thing for sure is that I am not an self-proclaimed elitist nor a braggart who claims on an internet forum to have just sold his yacht and is getting together a 'plan' to buy myself a jet, all of which your buddy Spano has done. I myself will never be so lucky. If Spano is, great- more power to him. I'm a very fact-based person, so I will believe it when I see it.

No one, repeat, NO ONE, would ever accuse you of being an elitist!!

Go back and reread the posts, then try to lighten up a bit and do, please do, quit pulling so hard on that string you keep following down your own path. And you, too, should "think before you type" (your words).

Again, lighten up and go concentrate on your new Illinois taxes. You have enough to worry about with that and with bho being your 'homeboy'. Good luck with your turbine engine sales.

Nothing like an elitist out of touch with his surroundings.

Thou sayest. Hits home, don't it?

Where�s the bump?

No bump for Obama after his big Tucson speech.
Down 1 to 3 points in the polls.
Rasmussen has him dropping 3 points in last 5 days.

Hoping that you are right and hoping that it will continue that way. We'll see.

I dont think we have hit bottom.

Not even close, sad to say, if you're referring to the economy.

He'll have another chance with the State of the Union address.

If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with Bullchit."

And dayam the people will buy it.

Seems to me the economy is picking up quit well. The markets are continuing to make post recession highs and now seem to be headed to new all time highs.

But then what the Hell do I know? I'm but a simple Elitist. I'll take my profits, you take your misery.

To a great extent the markets make money for those who do nothing and produce nothing, just trade and manipulate dollars.

I want to see home sales and manufacturing increase, before I call this deep-recession over. Until China floats their currency, nothing much will change. One big smack like 9/11 here will see the markets tank.

Hawk, I disagree.

In fact I think the only way the Repub's WIN is to field a centrist candidate. Not McCain though! A fiscally conservative centrist who isn't in bed with the religious Right.

They lose if they overplay the family values/God/culture war card. A culture-war conservative will NOT get elected.

IMHO. Not saying that to be an azzhole; it's just my opinion.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh the Obama voter chimes in......How's that hipe and change schitt working for you? G'nite trash-hole!

First of all, I never made mention of a "culture war conservative," whatever that is.

By the way, what is called the culture war is something perpetrated on the American culture by the left, primarily through the courts, not by the right. The right only identified it for what it was and suggested we start trying to resist the left's efforts to wage war on American culture. The leftist media (which dominated at that time, and still dominates traditional outlets) then twisted this into the culture war being an aggression by the right against the "natural" leftist trend in American culture.

That said, you're all wet if you think a moderate Republican has a chance. McCain was the perfect model of what happens when you go that route. So was Dole. And, for that matter, so was George H.W. Bush in his reelection bid (He won the first time because America thought he was going to be another Ronald Reagan, hardly perceived as a moderate). Dubya only squeaked in both times.

LOL that makes too much sense for most of these folks.

The way I see it, he'll be lucky not to get tarred and feathered by the white folk but raised to God status by all others. But then again, seems to be more and more of the others, and elections are won by numbers. View from the North.

CNN has found the bump.

(CNN) � President Barack Obama's approval rating is up five points since December as a growing number of Americans consider him a strong leader who is tough enough to handle a crisis, according to a new national poll. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday also indicates that a jump in support by independent voters is behind the overall rise in the president's approval rating.
Fifty-three percent of people questioned in the poll approve of how Obama's handling his duties in the White House, up from 48 percent in a CNN poll that was conducted last month, as a very productive lame duck congressional session was nearing completion.

I agree with Jeff O we need a center/right candidate who can convince Independents to vote for him. I'm talking about a fiscal conservative who can downplay if not ignore the social stuff.

Any candidate needs the lion's share of the that large, politically unsophisticated mob that lebels themselves, "moderate" and "independent". Not to pander to that large part of the electorate is political suicide.

The record is replete with examples of your ideal Republican getting their asses handed to them because they failed to excite the base. If you cannot learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it.

Let me translate JeffO for you all seeing as how I don't dislike JeffO the way most of you do.



A conservative who wants to cut government spending, balance the budget, and cut taxes to get the private sector going again. More Liberal in the liberty and freedom department. More Liberal in recognizing that many of us are NOT Christians and do not think that Christianity and the Christian God are the answer to everything.



Family values: We all have family values BUT NOT all family values are Christian.

God: Not all of us believe in the Christian God. Play the "there is only one God and he is Christian" is a loser with many of us.

Culture: There are many religious and secular cultures in America. Play the "there is only one culture in America and it's Christian" and you lose.

War: A candidate who advocates nation/empire building through war is a loser to some of us.

A culture-war Conservative: Jeff meant two seperate items here.

DD---I don't often agree with you but I sure agree with your last post.

Spanky ,Hawkeye ,and Derby ...... that's how the last three posts line up .

Be good to save'em and do the polar opposite of anything tbe three of them agree on and dis-regard their individual opinions .

Well .... I'll be damned if Spanky didn't prove my point while I was typing out my post !

I don't believe you're correct. "Culture war" is a buzz term of the left, meant to marginalize anyone who opposes the efforts of the left to use the power of centralized government to engage in social engineering on the American culture.

That should give him a great deal of pause.

In Jeff's original post there was a hyphen between culture-war. That usually indicates to seperate items. Based on Jeff's post and knowing Jeff I think that's what he meant. I could be wrong.

I'm enough of an elitist that I do not find it difficult to give credit when credit is due.

Strive to emulate me and eschew your childish ways.

Disagree all you want but a radical Christian right winger Neocon Republican is a loser against Obama.

A radical left winger Neocon Republican is a loser against Obama.

Only a Constitutionalist's centrist's Republican who is right of center on fiscal issues and a wee left of center on social issues and doesn't believe nation/empire building war stands a chance of beating Obama.

DD---Sorry my last post was not directed at you. You are (usually) a gentleman and a scholar unlike most of your cohorts.

I figured that.

So, you agree with Spanky's post above?

When Romny receives the nomination, just remember you said that. Hey, I don't like the guy, but he's the leading contender at this point, and he'll be hard to beat.

Everyone was saying exactly the same thing (including myself) about McCain...I about fell out of my chair when McCain came from the back and swept the nomination. I kept asking, "what the hell are Republicans thinking; McCain isn't a Republican"

Republicans didn't support him in the Republican primaries. Democrats and independents did. Insanely, the Republican Party in most states permits those who are not registered Republicans to vote in the primaries, so they select for us moderates who stand no chance of winning in the general because unable to fire up the Republican base. If the base isn't fired up, you don't get the necessary force-multiplier effect during the post-primary campaign period.

Our ex-Governor Closet Charlie Crist had a lot to do with McCain getting the nomination.

Romney has a strong organization in the primary states. He can easily finesse the health care issue by simply admitting he made a mistake and supporting the repeal the present national health care law.

Right now I would bet on him.

I voted for Romney in the Florida primary last time around as the best of a bad bunch. I sure hope that someone better emerges in 2012. Too bad Marco Rubio wasn't elected to the Senate a few years ago. He's a true conservative who could give Obama a real challenge.

Mitt Romney has an R after his name, but does not possess a single Conservative bone in his body!!

He's a RINO in every since of the word.

(that's why Spunky said he "would bet on him")

I like Rubio and think he will be a serious contender in future Presidential politics but not in 2012.

Right now I predict: Romney will get the nomination.

I did as well, mainly to keep McCain from winning, but to no avail, as McCain won Florida. I wanted McCain defeated in Florida so as to boost Gomer Pyle's chances, not in the hope that Romney would take the nomination.

Romney is clearly the most experienced, capable executive in the race. He is probably as well prepared for the job as anyone. He knows what makes organizations work, and he knows what makes business successful.

I'm not sure that influences the outcome of the election a lot. Or at all.

The good news is that a lot of us that are members of the LDS church will instantly provide him with a campaign organization. The bad news is that there is a large amount of anti-LDS bigotry at work, too. The bigotry factor is no small thing.

That is one thing I have never understood; the bigotry against your church. I am not a Mormon but have friends and close relatives who are. No finer people walk this earth.

Lots of decent folks among the Mormons, regardless of what one might think of their religious beliefs.

+1

Absolutely. I am a gentleman and scholar usually. Sometimes, I let myself down and then I have to flog myself.

A Romney/West ticket could be a formidable team.

Thank you all very much.

Romney? Not gonna happen

Am I one of your ungentlemanly and unscholarly cohorts?

I'll drink to that.

Not in my book. You are one of the most gentlemanly and scholarly cohorts on here. In fact, you always manage to somehow keep your cool when some of the most vicious things are said about you, something I'm not always able to do.

I guess we read different books.

I think that LDS and health care past support will torpedo Romney.

I still look for a rising star to appear...not Palin, though. Her star has been burning too long, and her negatives appear too strong to pull it off.

Someone from the upper Midwest without baggage may be our best choice with a far west running mate. We need to get the semi-blue States back, like NV & CO, etc.

I think Romney will make a strong run, however.

...................Don`t bet on that! Depends on WHOM runs against him and how well the conservative message and ideals are articulated.

Conservatism beats liberalism! With a very good messenger from the GOP, Obama will lose.

You may very well be right. Though I think that he might have a play in saying that his Mass. plan didn't work well, so it's time to acknowledge that and try to figure out something better. If he is very vocal in support of repealing ObamaCare, it will help. If he runs, he certainly has his work cut out for him. Too bad, because he is a good executive.

What Romney has been doing behind the scenes is tuning and growing his campaign machine by quietly helping elect people who can, in turn, help him. He has, in effect, built an election consultancy and an influential group of supporters.

Romney ain't got no Tea Party.

And I wouldn't imagine he'd garner much support from Tea Party types, either.

Not sure Romney would need but a sampling of the more intelligent Tea Partiers. I believe his support would lie with center/conservatives and that he would attract the all important "Independents". He could build a coalition that may well win the nomination and take the Big One.

Right now my money is on him.

Like he did with Old Man McCain.

I would not advise him to select McCain as a VP. Maybe John Bolton?

Romeny couldn't win a nomination against McCain.
He's dead in the water before the boat sails.

Today is and 2012 will continue to be a completely different political environment than that of 2008. Remember; no more Bush to blame.

I predict Romney gets the nomination.

Why not? Remember the 'fire was blaming Clinton for everything until O was elected. I think you are a mite too hasty....

Bush is a young man he'll be around along time to blame.

BD&DD---Can't argue with that but I'll still stand by my prediction for the nonce.

Never trust a politician from Massachusetts.