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15 Jan 2012 23:26

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Politics: Peace out, Jon: Three reasons Huntsman’s quitting the race

  • Great for the general election. Not so great for the primaries. Jon Huntsman was long the odd man out in the 2012 election, the guy with just enough support in most polls to show up at most of the debates, but never enough to be the focus of them. While his politics found fans (particularly his early pro-science stance, which stood out from the rest of the GOP and he later flip-flopped on), he was attempting to be the un-cola in a year when every other candidate in the race was trying to prove exactly how conservative they were. Huntsman will end his campaign Monday (a day after winning an endorsement from The State, South Carolina’s largest newspaper) and will offer his support to Mitt Romney, a guy he didn’t hide his animosity towards. Here’s why:
  • one Huntsman never faced the kinds of controversy that faced Mitt Romney or Ron Paul did, he did face skepticism from the conservatives that he needed to impress during the season’s primaries. They skewed right; he skewed moderate.
  • two His most recent job was the U.S. ambassador to China, giving him three negative marks: One, he was a foreign affairs candidate in a campaign focused on the economy, he worked under Obama, and it gave some on the right xenophobic fodder.
  • three Perhaps the most damaging? He put all of his eggs in one basket — New Hampshire — in hopes he’d pull out a squeaker which he could build on. And his third-place showing was not enough to set that long-term momentum. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Jan 2012 21:24

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Politics: Rick Perry bracing for last stand in South Carolina

  • Iowa’s a fine state. New Hampshire’s… it’s an interesting place. They winnowed the field down. South Carolina picks presidents.
  • Rick Perry • Trying to play to a crowd at a South Carolina restaurant (called Lizards’ Thicket, curiously). Perry has gone all-in on South Carolina — he had a staggeringly poor showing in the Iowa caucuses, placing in fifth, and barely even tried to compete in considerably more moderate New Hampshire. Instead he’s relying on a more religious, socially-conservative GOP base in South Carolina to pull his campaign out of the doldrums. How successfully he can run on social issues while still being likable to a general audience is an open question, though; arguably his most pointed “culture war” ad of the race was received about as poorly as one could conceive. Anything short of a miracle comeback on the 21st, and you can wave the Perry campaign goodbye. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jan 2012 19:42

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Politics: Rick Santorum could get a Newt endorsement if Gingrich drops out

  • whoa! According to Rick Santorum-associated officials in South Carolina, if Newt Gingrich drops out of the race anytime soon, he would likely endorse the former Pennsylvania senator’s (and longtime fan’s) campaign.
  • however … Even though Newt is totally looking like a dog in New Hampshire, don’t look for him to drop out anytime soon — he’s polling relatively decently in the Palmetto State, though he polled better about a month ago. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jan 2012 13:39

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Politics: Todd Palin gives his opinion, but does anyone actually care?

  • Our guess is: not likely. Ever wanted to know who Todd Palin is giving his political support to? We didn’t think so. Although his wife still hasn’t announced who she’ll endorse in the 2012 election, Todd is banking on Newt Gingrich. Great? Sarah said that she’s “still in that process with probably 70 percent of Americans trying to decide.” Great. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jan 2012 12:36

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Politics: Rick Santorum and the culture wars: How he’s standing out

  • So why has he struck such a chord among GOP voters and progressives alike? Why have videos exposing his racial biases and anti-gay attitudes gone viral and inspired hashtags? It’s simple: Even in a recession, social issues like sex and race are extremely resonant. And Santorum is the only candidate talking about them.
  • Good Magazine Associate Editor Nona Willis Aronowitz • Opining on exactly why Rick Santorum made a comeback in an era where his brand of social conservatism was starting to look old-hat. Essentially, because he’s the only person seriously discussing these issues, he stands out. But it goes further, Aronowitz notes: “The Santorum hubbub is a reminder that the issues we hold dear — issues of sex and race and civil rights — are absolutely recession-proof.” (Related: This Patch video, in which a heckler asks Santorum if he would abort a gay baby. Ah, campaign trail politics. Thanks John Ness for that tip.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jan 2012 17:15

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Politics: Rand Paul: I’ll support the GOP candidate, but my dad would be better

  • I will support the Republican nominee, because I think they will be better. But I think it will be marginally better and — I am little bit biased in this — I think Ron Paul would be dramatically better.
  • Sen. Rand Paul • Offering full support for the GOP candidate, whoever it is, even if he doesn’t follow the same fully-libertarian path as his dad Ron. He’s not big on the idea of his dad running as an independent: “I’ve always been in favor of the Tea Party being part of making the Republican Party more conservative rather than trying to do our own thing,” he claimed in New Hampshire today. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jan 2012 20:13

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Politics: Ron Paul disavows offensive Jon Huntsman-bashing ad

  • “China Jon.” Need we say more? A warning to all that the message in this video is fairly offensive towards Asians, but it’s worth noting that, though the person who released it goes by the YouTube handle “NHLiberty4Paul,” Paul himself is against the ad. For those not watching, the ad makes reference to Huntsman’s adoptive daughters (from China) and shows the presidential candidate speaking in Mandarin Chinese. “I haven’t look at it, but I understand it’s an ugly ad, and I’ve disavowed it,” Paul said. “Obviously, it was way, way out order.” (EDIT: Apologies for the incorrect video at first — our wi-fi crapped out at the exact wrong time.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

04 Jan 2012 10:41

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Politics: Ron Paul says his Iowa Caucus success comes from youth vote focus

  • Republicans are going to be neglectful if they say: ‘Oh, you don’t need Independents, you don’t need the young people.’ That’s where the excitement is, and that’s where the changes are coming about.
  • Ron Paul • Speaking this morning on NBC’s Today Show in the wake of the Iowa Caucuses, which he placed third in — and despite the relatively tight race between Romney and Santorum, he was fairly close to the front of the pack. It was a solid enough result that he has no plans to quit the race. Paul’s strategy has long banked on the youth vote. “That’s how you would have to beat Obama, so I think that’s a very encouraging statistic,” he said. Paul will take a little break in Iowa, then head to New Hampshire. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Jan 2012 10:23

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Politics: Bachmann to drop out this morning, “doesn’t see a way forward”

  • While she remained confident last night, it sounds like the Tea Party stalwart could be ready to let realism set in. On top of canceling a trip to South Carolina, Michele Bachmann has a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m. EST (which we’ll cover), but The National Journal got a bit of a preview this morning: A campaign spokesperson says Bachmann “doesn’t see a way forward in her campaign for the GOP nomination for president and will make an announcement to that effect this morning.” He stopped short of saying she’d be dropping out, but there are certainly lines to read between here. Update: The National Journal is now saying that Bachmann will suspend her campaign. Wow, that was fast. (Photo via Gage Skidmore on Flickr) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Jan 2012 10:53

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Politics: Iowa Caucuses: Michele Bachmann defends herself to voters in long-shot bid

  • I hope that people will go to the polls and forget all the media people that say this one can’t go on or that one doesn’t have the money, because this is the process, and if we don’t let the process happen — I just think it’s so unfair and I hope that people will vote their conscience.
  • Michele Bachmann • Offering a strong defense of letting people make up their own minds in Iowa. Bachmann is banking on such sentiment — she’s far behind her rivals in the polls and even longtime supporters, like Sarah Palin, are suggesting she quit the race. In related good timing, Bachmann dropped this line in reference to Margaret Thatcher, currently the subject of a Meryl Streep biopic: “My goal is to be America’s iron lady.” Would she make a good Iron Lady for the U.S.? Do Americans need one of those? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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