Paul leads GOP NH field 2016, Hillary leads Dems

[ishii]

Can you provide specifics regarding your feelings about his unfitness?

Hi Larry1700. Two corrections: I should not have used the word “we” but “I”. Sorry. Also, I should have not used the word “fitness.” Instead, I should have used the word, “gravitas” or perhaps “presidential timber.” You see, I don’t think a one-term congressmen who lost his re-election bid would make a good presidential candidate.

As for his ability to win, I think there are more conservative voters out there than the media (and the Republican Party leadership) lead us to believe. The GOP keeps fielding moderate candidates. I’d really like to us try a strong conservative–fiscal and social–candidate for a change.

I agree that there are more conservatives out there than the media leads us to believe. And I am frustrated at the Bush’s, Dole’s, McCain’s, Romney’s being nominated instead of good conservatives. That said, I don’t think there was a candidate better than Romney last election.

Cucinelli, for instance, came extremely close to winning. He was far outspent by his opponent, partially because the GOP stop funding him in October. If the GOP would actually back strong conservatives, instead of going on the attack like they did against Ted Cruz recently, and against Tea Party candidates during the previous election, they would be much stronger candidates.

Well said - totally agree.

Thanks for your post.

Ishii

 

[Larry1700]

I don’t think a one-term congressmen who lost his re-election bid would make a good presidential candidate.

While I tend to agree in principle, let’s not forget how little experience Obama had prior to his election. He won, and perhaps West could, as well. I would generally prefer someone with more administrative experience, but we’ve seen a lot of those folks become president whose lack of moral compass still resulted in taking the country in the wrong direction on many issues.

I don’t think there was a candidate better than Romney last election.

There were some issues I had with Romney. Honestly, I don’t remember what they were right now, but I remember I had wanted Santorum to win. However, overall, Romney would, I believe, have made a great president.

 

[_Abyssinia]

Andrew Kohut: The GOP Is in Better Shape Than You Think

 

[ishii]

Andrew Kohut: The GOP Is in Better Shape Than You Think

From the article:

“Ken Cuccinelli’s defeat in once solidly Republican Virginia by a weak Democratic candidate reflected the tea party’s problems with women, voters under 50 years of age and minorities.”

I hadn’t thought of Virginia as a red state - one that should be easily won by conservatives - especially considering that a significant portion of Virginia is home to those working in Washington DC. Also hadn’t thought of McCaullife as a weak Democrat candidate. On the contrary, I think strong showing by Cuccinelli - in the face of being outspent 5-1, media driven “war on women” narrative, and, a 3rd party candidate grubstaked by the left, who siphoned off votes from Cuccinelli - would seem to contradict what Andrew Kohut is saying.

The Republicans might be in a better position in 2014 than previously thought - but I think the Obamacare mess is responsible for that. I don’t see it getting better - just worse. To that extent, the Democrats may be in big trouble.

Ishii

 

[ReConverted]

What proof do you have of this besides that the leftist “mainstream” media, who will attack any GOP candidate regardless, told you this?

The evil Leftie media, oh, how unfair! The Leftie media didn’t go after John Huntsman, as opposed to the quacks that Conservatives actually liked. Huntsman is a pragmatic man.

 

[ReConverted]

From the article:

The Republicans might be in a better position in 2014 than previously thought - but I think the Obamacare mess is responsible for that. I don’t see it getting better - just worse. To that extent, the Democrats may be in big trouble.

Ishii

I think the healthcare stuff will be worked out. We as a country have been thru challenges that make the lousy ACA rollout look a speck of dirt by comparison So, all the cries about the ACA failing are false. As a Democrat (And a proud one), I am seriously angry at the botched ACA rollout. For all the Obama hating around here, I give the man credit: He blew it and he takes the blame. I have no doubt he’ll fix it, and I think we Dems are gonna take the White and both houses of Congress…even with all the GOP gerrymandering going on.

 

[freeRadical]

I think the healthcare stuff will be worked out. We as a country have been thru challenges that make the lousy ACA rollout look a speck of dirt by comparison So, all the cries about the ACA failing are false. As a Democrat (And a proud one), I am seriously angry at the botched ACA rollout. For all the Obama hating around here, I give the man credit: He blew it and he takes the blame. I have no doubt he’ll fix it, and I think we Dems are gonna take the White and both houses of Congress…even with all the GOP gerrymandering going on.

Why would you want one party to have control of both the President and Congress? That’s not the way this country was designed to operate. The Founding Fathers wanted obstruction. Obstruction keeps one party from shoving whatever law they want down the public’s throat. The Founding Fathers wisely believed in that old adage, “It’s better nothing get done, then something bad.”

On topic: It’s simple. I’m going to vote for whoever isn’t Hillary Clinton.

 

[ishii]

The evil Leftie media, oh, how unfair! The Leftie media didn’t go after John Huntsman, as opposed to the quacks that Conservatives actually liked. Huntsman is a pragmatic man.

Well of course they didn’t! They didn’t go after McCain or any candidate who appeared to be moderate or outside the mainstream of conservatives. Trust me, Reconverted - if Huntsman had gotten the nomination, they would have gone after him too.

Ishii

 

[ishii]

I think the healthcare stuff will be worked out. We as a country have been thru challenges that make the lousy ACA rollout look a speck of dirt by comparison So, all the cries about the ACA failing are false. As a Democrat (And a proud one), I am seriously angry at the botched ACA rollout. For all the Obama hating around here, I give the man credit: He blew it and he takes the blame. I have no doubt he’ll fix it, and I think we Dems are gonna take the White and both houses of Congress…even with all the GOP gerrymandering going on.

That is one of the problems with Obama - he doesn’t take responsibility for things. The buck does NOT stop with Obama when things go wrong. Instead, its someone else’s fault - Bush, etc. It would have been impossible for him not to take the blame - the camera’s have him on record lying through his teeth about folks being able to keep their plan if they want it. And the rollout has been a disaster. How many have enrolled? Not nearly enough, and not nearly enough young people have enrolled.

And for the record: I don’t hate Obama, I just hate his policies. There is a difference, and to label those you disagree with as “haters” - as you are doing, is one of the most frequent ad hominems, done by those who have no real arguments or facts behind them.

The way things are going, and Obama’s approval rate going down, the 2nd term “fatigue” setting in, it would be politically very difficult for the Democrats to take the House. They might lose the Senate. Obama and the Democrats are smug and overconfident. As weaknesses go, that is a good one (from a Republican perspective).

Ishii

 

[ishii]

Why would you want one party to have control of both the President and Congress? That’s not the way this country was designed to operate. The Founding Fathers wanted obstruction. Obstruction keeps one party from shoving whatever law they want down the public’s throat. The Founding Fathers wisely believed in that old adage, “It’s better nothing get done, then something bad.”

On topic: It’s simple. I’m going to vote for whoever isn’t Hillary Clinton.

I agree. The founding fathers were brilliant, weren’t they - no party should ram whatever law they want down the public’s throat. But that is exactly what Obama and the Democrats did with Obamacare in 2010 - not one Republican voted for it.

Ishii

 

[ProVobis]

The Founding Fathers wanted obstruction. Obstruction keeps one party from shoving whatever law they want down the public’s throat. The Founding Fathers wisely believed in that old adage, “It’s better nothing get done, then something bad.”

I think what you’re trying to say is that this government was designed so that there would be a balance of power between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches, set up similarly to the Roman Empire before the string of Caesars started its downfall. The RE also had a Senate (Senatus), a Cabinet, two parties, but had two consuls at the executive level.

Obstruction is an interesting word, though.

 

[SuperLuigi]

West’s principle’s are not in question. His ability to win, and his fitness to be president is what we are questioning. I don’t think he has either of those two things. Neither did Bachmann.

Ishii

Problem with Bachmann and West is that they come from the House. No one has gone from the HR to winning the presidency and that is not likely to change, in no small part because house members, unlike Senators or governors, do not have the luxury of partisanship as much.

Now, if Santorum had run and held a lead on independents, those MIA 3 million republicans that some analysts talked about would show up in droves, and given Santorum’s very Catholic record and friendly union policies, he may have carried PA and OH as well.

If Allen West ran and got even 1/3 of the Black vote, think what that would mean for Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis in terms of the electoral college—not to mention Virginia and Cleveland. That’s almost 87 electoral votes.

You could also argue that Bachmann would do well among women and that she’s bring out every single conservative.

 

[SuperLuigi]

I think the healthcare stuff will be worked out.

It won’t be, and unless Obama bucks his ideology it will cost the DNC dearly in 2014.

We as a country have been thru challenges that make the lousy ACA rollout look a speck of dirt by comparison

With entirely different generations and a culture that wasn’t as compromised.

So, all the cries about the ACA failing are false.

Yeah, ordinary, hard-working Americans are lying for the fun of it, and Obama is a poor victim.

As a Democrat (And a proud one),

Why do liberals, democrats and progressives always have to tell everyone how proud they are? :banghead:

Can’t your philosophy stand on its own without all the special proclamations?

I am seriously angry at the botched ACA rollout.

For all the Obama hating around here,

There’s no “hating” around here. Just because the left does it doesn’t mean others do.

I give the man credit: He blew it and he takes the blame.

He was drug kicking and screaming to the podium by his party knowing full well they would lose big in 2014 with this bill around their neck, and you want to give him credit?

I have no doubt he’ll fix it, and I think we Dems are gonna take the White and both houses of Congress…

The progressive optimism here on CAF lately is downright amusing.

I don’t know if you’re just trying to antagonize conservatives or if you really believe that (which would be ) but you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Even more so if the GOP blows this, the law sticks and eventually you’ll need specialized care but really are not cool enough or connected well enough to get it.

I’d like to know how the democrats plan to take the White House in 2016, because Hillarys numbers are dropping like a rock and there are whispers of getting Warren or Klobuchar to run.

Also, the VP, who should be a shoe-in for the next president historically, has at one point trailed four republican challengers in general election polls.

Scary… if you’re a democrat.

even with all the GOP gerrymandering going on.

What gerrymandering would that be?

Redistricting Michele Bachmann out of her own district just because she doesn’t tow the line for the independent, GOP and DNC elite? And I suppose it was just a coincidence that the Independence Party up there in MN didn’t run someone in that race in the last two election cycles which interestingly benefits democrats?

The democrats had governor’s offices in IL, NY, CA, MD, and CO.

Just how friendly to GOP redistricting do you think they were?

 

[SuperLuigi]

I think what you’re trying to say is that this government was designed so that there would be a balance of power between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches, set up similarly to the Roman Empire before the string of Caesars started its downfall. The RE also had a Senate (Senatus), a Cabinet, two parties, but had two consuls at the executive level.

Obstruction is an interesting word, though.

What obstruction does is slow the process down to get the attention of the masses, which is key to preserving any republic.

 

[ProVobis]

What obstruction does is slow the process down to get the attention of the masses, which is key to preserving any republic.

Problem as I see it is that no one seems to be able to obstruct the Supreme Court. Who was able to obstruct Justice Blackmun, for example, in rulings of things, especially abortion, Congress didn’t even initiate? Is this what the Founding Fathers intended?

 

[ishii]

Problem with Bachmann and West is that they come from the House. No one has gone from the HR to winning the presidency and that is not likely to change, in no small part because house members, unlike Senators or governors, do not have the luxury of partisanship as much.

In West’s case, he didn’t even win his re-election.

Now, if Santorum had run and held a lead on independents, those MIA 3 million republicans that some analysts talked about would show up in droves, and given Santorum's very Catholic record and friendly union policies, he may have carried PA and OH as well.

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, what a merry Christmas we’d all have.

If Allen West ran and got even 1/3 of the Black vote, think what that would mean for Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis in terms of the electoral college—not to mention Virginia and Cleveland. That’s almost 87 electoral votes.

You could also argue that Bachmann would do well among women and that she’s bring out every single conservative.

Look, I get your point. If the GOP ran a non-white male, then they might make inroads into the traditional Democrat base and have a better chance of winning. Bachmann might win a few more women, but my guess is that she would have alienated moderates and independents. The idea of West as a viable presidential candidate is a joke.

Ishii

 

[BlessedLDS]

Rand is my number one pick. Though if Ted Cruz ran, which I don’t think he will if Rand does, I may support him for some Cuban pride. Not only would the first Latin President be Cuban, but also agree with me 90% of the time.

One candidate who is less known but is love to see him on the debate stage is Judge Andrew Napolitano. There’s a movement to Draft him to run. No one knows the Constitution like he does, so he’d provide a great perspective the other candidates might not have…and he describes himself as a traditionalist, pre-Vatican 2, Latin Mass Catholic

Those are my 3 picks.

 

[CrossofChrist]

One candidate who is less known but is love to see him on the debate stage is Judge Andrew Napolitano. There’s a movement to Draft him to run. No one knows the Constitution like he does, so he’d provide a great perspective the other candidates might not have…and he describes himself as a traditionalist, pre-Vatican 2, Latin Mass Catholic

Those are my 3 picks.

I’ve never heard of him, but if that’s actually how he described himself, that just goes to show how lack of catechesis has influenced both traditionalists and modernists.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Look, I get your point. If the GOP ran a non-white male, then they might make inroads into the traditional Democrat base and have a better chance of winning. Bachmann might win a few more women, but my guess is that she would have alienated moderates and independents. The idea of West as a viable presidential candidate is a joke.

Pertaining to our earlier conversation, I like the options you suggested.

I just don’t want people buying into the idea that an actual conservative would get only 35%.

The right sometimes thinks the same as Biden, but trust me, any candidate on the R or D ticket its good for at least 42%, if not 45%.

 

[ishii]

Rand is my number one pick. Though if Ted Cruz ran, which I don’t think he will if Rand does, I may support him for some Cuban pride. Not only would the first Latin President be Cuban, but also agree with me 90% of the time.

One candidate who is less known but is love to see him on the debate stage is Judge Andrew Napolitano. There’s a movement to Draft him to run. No one knows the Constitution like he does, so he’d provide a great perspective the other candidates might not have…and he describes himself as a traditionalist, pre-Vatican 2, Latin Mass Catholic

Those are my 3 picks.

Hi BlessedLDS. My favorite Cuban is Marco Rubio, though I like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz too. Andrew Napolitano might not be a strong candidate due to no elective experience, even though I like his analysis on Fox and I’d love to see him debate not just the eventual Democrat but also the Republican candidates.

I’ve never heard of him, but if that’s actually how he described himself, that just goes to show how lack of catechesis has influenced both traditionalists and modernists.

Not necessarily, the “pre-Vatican 2 latin mass catholic” could refer to liking the Tridentine mass which is the pre-Vatican 2 latin mass. He may be describing himself in terms that he believes people would understand.

Ishii