Two Days to Go, And The Race Is Like a Mosh Pit.... With One or More of the Candidates Waiting to Unexpectedly Get Kicked Square in the Face.
Flux... That's the best term we can think of to describe what's going on in South Carolina right now. Normally, with 48 hours to go, things are a bit more organized, with the campaigns having done all they can, and just focused on voter turnout. Not the case at all here. We haven't seen a race where there are so many variables left to decide a race. Sure, there are plenty of races that are within the margin of error, but we have no less than FIVE issues that potentially could turn the Primary result on Saturday.... and none of them include the stupid weather. Here they are:
Santorum Won Iowa?
Suddenly, we are hearing that Rick Santorum may have actually won Iowa - but they're calling his 34 vote lead, with 8 missing counties (Nice Job, morons!) a TIE???? While we doubt it will bump Santorum any, the cache that Mitt Romney had of two wins, and possibly going 3-0, is suddenly a possible 1-1-1. Not quite the mandate now, is it. Romney's inevitability is gone...
Perry's Out
Rick Perry is boring us with his dropout speech as we write this. No, 4.4% is usually not make or break, but Perry is endorsing Newt Gingrich. Will they all go to him? We doubt it.. South Carolinians are not blind sheep - they make up their own minds. The vote will split, but Perry being out does hurt Mitt Romney even more....
One More Debate
Tonight, the SRLC has the final South Carolina debate. Mitt Romney gets another chance to set people straight on his finances, taxes and business practices, and Newt Gingrich has one last opportunity to show himself at his best. Rick Santorum is trailing pretty far off, and Ron Paul has been pretty quiet as well. Both need to impress in the worst way, or this will quickly become a two-man race. If it does, Gingrich gains again....
Gingrich's Wife on ABC
Welcome to Mitt Romney's best hope... It's not good when you're depending on your opponent's ex-wife to drop an Atom Bomb on him, but Romney's done about as well as he can here. We're hearing that she will say he wanted them to become swingers (uhhhh, no thanks, Newt). Thta might get some of the Ron Paul voters to switch, but the big issue on whatever comes out is what the voters actually think about the charges. If she comes off as an angry jilted ex-wife, it may do nothing, or galvanize Newt's support. We're not so sure about that....
Undecided Voters
Like Iowa and New Hampshire, South Carolina has a ton of undecideds. I have my lab rat voters in reserve, both of whom voted for Obama in 2008, but are going Republican in 2012. One seems set on Gingrich. The other is still undecided, but views Mitt Romney as an elitist prick - unofficially. Roughly one-third of the voters are still deciding, but Gingrich seems to be gaining... But it all could end fast (see previous variable).
So, who are we picking? Well, we're not guessing just yet. Why? Because 24 hours is a long time when it comes to races like this. We'll get a much better idea of how it'll play out tomorrow, and we'll tell you then! It's a messy pit in there right now..... better stay out unless you have a sturdy pair of Doc Martens on!
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You're Dismissed , Governor ..
The big news today was Rick Perry's impending announcement that he is ending his presidential campaign. And now, there are four... More importantly, Perry is encouraging his supporters - all 4.4% of them - to vote for Newt Gingrich. It doesn't sound like much, but that is within the margin of error between Gingrich and Mitt Romney. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't care....
It was a wild ride for Perry. Viewed as a frontrunner immediately, Perry quickly fell precipitously over the 5 months of his campaign. Yes, there were tons of verbal gaffes along the way which helped to do him in, but there was a bigger problem: Perry obviously didn't think the whole thing through. This wa clear during the economic debate where Perry did not have a plan prepared, but promised to have it by week's end. Fail...
Other factors did Perry in. 2012 is all about putting up a candidate who can beat Barack Obama. Nominating the Governor of Texas who seemed like a good ole boy that talked big would be too reminiscent of 2000 and 2004. Lots of Republicans (and most independents and centrist Democrats) are done with George W. Bush, and they weren't about to put a Bush-like clone. Maybe it's us, but we're sick of hearing how things are done 'Texas-style'... Texas has become the new New York - the people who talk shit all day, and annoy the hell out of the rest of the country.
In the end, Perry failed because he flat out wasn't Presidential. We think he got talked into running, and wasn't ready for the details involved. In the end, he started sounding like a hater. Many candidates become something they're not during their last cries, but Republicans don't envy people for making money. He'll probably look at that last week, and realize he didn't help himself long term. If there's a next time, hopefully he'll learn.
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The GOP Field's Demand For Romney to Release Tax Return Shows People Will Do ANYTHING to Get Elected...
Typical to any election that get closer to a possible inevitability, the nearer Mitt Romney gets to being the clear cut leader of the GOP Nomination, the less his opponents seem to be..... well, Republicans. First, Newt Gingrich tries to blow a missle through Romney about Bain Capital.. Now, everyone suddenly wants Romney to release his tax returns.. Today. Our question is this: what the hell happened to the Republican Party?
Clearly, it's a case of class envy. Sure, we often envy those who have what we would like, but it's pretty sad to see candidates, particularly Republicans, try to use class envy for their own benefit. That's all it is.. Any Republican who is demanding that Romney show his tax return is only doing it to get elected. Everyone knows that Romney is very rich. Maybe even less than some people think.. His current net worth is somewhere in the $200 million range, which is certainly in the 1%, but all the voters know that. People aren't voting for Mitt Romney because he can relate to being an Average Joe.. It's beccause the guy understands business, and has run a state government pretty successfully as well. Sometimes, that's what it takes....
Truth is, no one needs Mitt Romney's tax return. All his financial info is available on the FEC website. It's required by them for any candidate for Federal office. We've filled one out ourselves. It's not fully detailed, but it gives an overall view of what he has, and that's enough. Why does he not have a return ready? Mainly because it's not due til April, and when you owe taxes, you pay at the last minute...Much was made of his disclosure that he paid about 15% in taxes last year. Doesn't sound like much, but that's because Romney's not even working, he's campaigning. The 15% is based on capital gains from his investments. If you want it higher, then be prepared to pay more in taxes yourself, because Cap Gains is a flat tax....
Class warfare never works, especially in the GOP. Seeing something like this from fellow Republicans is repulsive. Part of the party platform is letting the government interfere as little as possible, to allow any man to reach his/her potential with no limits. Well, apparently there are some candidates that think there is such a thing as too well off... unless it's them , of course. No one likes losing, but better to lose honorably than the scorched earth game played by some of these guys...
It seems that the one thing that has given South Carolina Primary it's distinction has somehow turned into a curse. By having chosen the GOP nominee every year since 1980, all the candidates see this primary as all or nothing. That is, if they win, it somehow is an automatic bye to the nomination. if they lose, it is all over by history. The truth is, the future is never written by the past. 2012 will go the full term, and it would not surprise us to see none of the candidates clinch the nomination. Therefore, it would go to the floor of the convention in Tampa. It wouldn't surprise us at all. So, all this ridiculousness of asking for Tax Returns today is a waste. We've got a long way to go. Too bad it's only more time for the candidates to destroy each other...
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AAAAARRRRGGGHHH !!!! And Now Perry Can Debate Again !
For the last couple months, Republicans everywhere were wondering why Rick Perry was having such trouble at the debates earlier this year. Heck, we even diagnosed him as having ADD. But rather than being unable to focus, it seems we may have finally found out the cause: Corn Dog-Itis...
According to sources that will remain imaginary, Perry was at a Town Hall meeting in Barnwell, South Carolina, when he suddenly began to gag - kinda like that scene in Alien ,
where that thing popped out through the guy's chest. But, rather than that happening, Perry gagged out an entire Corn Dog he ate at the Iowa State Fair months earlier....
Witnesses said it was surreal... 'Perry must have swallowed that dang thing whole, 'cause that's the way it came out - stick and all!', quoted one witness. With the obctruction cleared, Perry seems to have regained the ability to speak and debate without Brain Farting anymore. The damage may have already been done, but at least he can finish strong....
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SC Congressional Kingmaker is Among the Undecided ???
You might notice by now that we haven't commented on last night's SCGOP Debate in Myrtle Beach. Well, the reason for that is we were driving somewhere in New Jersey when they started, and they were over by the time we made it back to Yankeeville. We don't comment on things we haven't seen, which is why you should trust us implicitly on EVERYTHING we say!
We did catch some of the recap today on Fox, and one guest was 1st District Congressman and our buddy, Tim Scott. He was on this morning, commenting on the outcome, and he stated something that made us giggle: he said he has not made up his mind who he is voting or, and will not endorse any candidate. Yes, the man who has doen more to allow SC voters to see the field hasn't chosen one yet.. Or has he?
We've know Tim for almost a decade now, when he was on County Council, and we were running for Congress. Here's our opinion: Tim does think things through before making a decision, but he does not vacillate or change from them once he does decide, and we can't picture him making a last second decision. He knows who he's voting for, but playing Kingmaker isn't his gig. Getting credit for bringing the players here is much better than picking the winner for today...
So, the big question is who is Scott voting for? The answer is...... we have no idea! Sorry. We'd guess it would be one of the Gingrich/Santorum/Perry triumvurite, but none is a clear choice. He hasn't worked with any of them, and we could see reasons for him to not choose all of them. We don't think it's going to be Mitt Romney or Ron Paul. The others have no clear favorite, so why back a loser, only to have eventual nominee remember that you DIDN'T back him. It's a smart move, just like Jim DeMint is doing.
See, you can NEVER believe what your Congressman tells you!
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This Past Year's Lesson: If Something Is Called 'Super', It Isn't..
If this is any indication, this year's Super Bowl is going to be one of those Buffalo-Denver circa 1990-esque games.. Why? Because if we have learned anything from the past year, it's that the term 'Super' has been way overblown - almost to the point of being a term of sarcasm...
We're learning a lot during the primaries here. A lot about the candidates, and the whole process, but what we also need to look at is what works, and what doesn't. We heard a lot of grumbling about it when the Supreme Court OK'd it, but we're really seeing the nightmare now. To us, there is no doubt about it: SuperPAC's suck...
Hell, we didn't even like PAC's that much. We've already hated individuals or corporations overinfluence on candidates or an election, but at least PAC's had limits. SuperPAC's are like PAC's on steroids... And we're already seeing the worst of it. Our trip to South Carolina showed us instantly the worst of the system as it exists. Most of the ads that we saw were negative, and under the guise of a SuperPAC - a faceless, nameless barrage of slamming with no trail for the average voter to waste their time tracing. It's sickening...
Look at Newt Gingrich. Yes, he has staff in South Carolina, but if not for the one guy in Las Vegas, of all places, Gingrich would be dead.. His supporters no doubt view this guy as a savior, but on person shouldn't have that much influence on an election, especially with the dubious attack ads leveled on Mitt Romney. Now, they all have SuperPAC's backing them. They go on rogue missions, with supposedly no communication or guidance from the campaign. Great idea, folks.. One rich guy without any restriction goes fully-cocked on an assault mission via TV to distort and destroy whatever they disagree with. Sounds like democracy to us...
No, we don't like cronyism, which is exactly what it is. We're trying to make government smaller, but instead, the elections are being taken away from the little guy, and thrown wholly into the hands of a few guys with cash....and agendas. It sucks.... It's too late to change anything this year, so be prepared for the worst election season EVER. But, SuperPAC's need to be ended. It won't be easy, since it's already been OK'd by the Supreme Court. But, something being legal doesn't make it right. Congress has to wipe the SuperPAC out, and say to the SCOTUS 'Thanks for the clarification, but we're better off without it'. Things can be fixed, but Congress has to have the will to do it... Will they? Don't hold your breath.
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On the One Hand, I Could Get Up to Five Percent... On the Other Hand..... Aww, Fuggit! Huntsman Bows Out..
Like counting down the last hours of a very sick friend, we saw this coming for a while - especially after New Hampshire. Like we said, our endorsement - along with The State Newspaper - is the Kiss of Death. According to numerous sources, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman will end his campaign tomorrow, and ask his supporters to vote for Mitt Romney...
As far as the Primary on Saturday goes, it shouldn't mean much. Romney may pull in the lower 30's now, instead of the upper 20's. It's one less candidate that would likely have been gone in a week.... but at least it is one less candidate. We're thinking the conservative triumvurite of Santorum, Gingrich and Perry may lose a member, but that's far from set in stone. We'll see....
Huntsman had the right resume for the job, but there are only so many cards to punch for more than the first few primaries.... and Huntsman's 'Ticket to Ride' was invalid, which is why we never recommend using any Beatles songs for reference... It's all moot now. Romney has his side of the field cleared... Now, we wait for the right side to make up it's mind. It's gonna be a long ride.
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Sorry, We Didn't Go For Any Close Ups... But Trust Us, He Was There...
With time and resources being so short this week, it looked like we would completely miss out on the South Carolina Primary visits. Luckily, ONE candidate took the time to visit Florence: Rick Santorum. The former Pennsylvania Senator stopped by Percy & Willie's on David McLeod Blvd for a couple hours to give his message, and hopefully pick up a few votes. The retail politics might have helped a bit...
It was a pretty decent crowd of maybe 150 or so - big enough to make noise, but small enough to get a good look at Santorum. For those of you who have never seen a candidate in person, you are missing out. Getting to see a candidate unfiltered gives you almost all the information you need to choose - or not choose - one. For us, it confirmed a small piece or two that separates a vote or no vote. For others there, he was saying a lot of what they wanted to hear...
Santorum and South Carolina are a pretty good match. He makes no qualms about his faith, and even though some Protestants confuse Catholicism with Voodoo, there was plenty of middle ground. Judging by the initial reactions, not everyone there was an automatic supporter. They came because Santorum was there, and they were feeling him out. For us, we didn't hear what we like to hear... like actual platforms and plans.
Call it a character flaw, but we are nuts and bolts people. When you talk for an hour, and do not use a single number, we can't see how you will act as President. In a way, it was the conservative version of Barack Obama - lots of emotion and broad strokes. We like details. Lots of details. Santorum didn't get into any specifics until he took questions. Maybe he preferred to do it that way, but what if no one asked what you wanted... or asked any questions at all? The best way to make your points is to do it yourself.
We're not here to bury Santorum. He's a very nice guy, he is not at all the kook Ron Paul or Rick Perry are. He is more realistic in what can and cannot be done. We just think there are better candidates out there. His message will do well in South Carolina, and he could end up the 'Conservative Alternative' that the party is still sifting through. He may even be the eventual nominee, and if he is, we'll vote for him. But we ain't there yet....
Above all, the cool thing was that one of the candidates actually set foot in my town, and spent a couple hours here. Retail politics worked well for him in Iowa, and if no one else bothers to stop by, he will benefit from it again. Six days to go, and unfortunately, we are packing up for the week to play one last show, and pack up for the final move. Just like the candidates, and the media throng following them all around...
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Virginia Governor Doesn't Pick One Presidential Candidate... He Picks Three !
We apologize for not giving you more of the South Carolina Primary here this week. We drove down Friday, and had family business to take care of yesterday. We'll get out locally today for whatever we can, but tomorrow, it's back on the road up North for a week. Still, we're trying to give you a story or two that you might not read elsewhere...
Honestly, the Pee Dee has not been a hotbed of activity for the GOP candidates this week from all accounts.. They're traveling up and down I-26 and 77, but that little run up I-20 or 501 seems past their abilities. So, sometimes they have their friends do some of the work for them. Last night, Rep. Tim Scott had another forum, with Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell in attendance at Broadway at the Beach. Thought the cold didn't help the shagging, the politics was plenty hot. Like many Republicans unwilling to stick their neck out, McDonnell was uncommittal to any candidate... sort of.
No, he didn't pick one - he picked three. But at least, there was a clear theory behind it. McDonnell said either Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman or Rick Perry would be good choices for President. What is the common theme? They are/were all Governors. Since states HAVE to balance their budgets annually, no matter what the fiscal climate, they are uniquely qualified to address the budget deficits and make the tough choices needed. Not a bad idea, considering that any Congressman or Senator from the past decade has some level of responsibility for today's fiscal mess..
We could live with McDonnell's assertion, although we don't think very much of his lack of conviction, but he has a good reason. McDonnell may be hunting down a VP nomination from the winner, and you could certainly choose worse than him, not to mention the electoral perks. Virginia governors only serve one term, so McDonnell's gig will end soon anyway. Add to that the Cavalier State's position as a state in play, and he could be a major player. Barack Obama mentions various states in certain terms, to help his cause. They are usually Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida... and Virginia.
Like they say, Governors govern. Well, most of them. An outsider could be just what DC needs, but cracking the local club isn't easy. Still, having some experience would be nice...
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"Men, to act with vigour and effect, must have time to mature measures, and judgment and experience, as to the best method of applying them. They must not be hurried on to their conclusions by the passions, or the fears of the multitude. They must deliberate, as well as resolve."
- Joseph Story, 1833.
Story makes a great point that we don't think enough about - taking time to think... Too often, we succumb to pressure. That we need to do this today, or the world would collapse.. From off the top of our head, we can think of four or five occasions in the past few years where we've been told the world would end if we didn't pass legislation today. By both sides... Our answer? Bulllshit.
It's easy. Plan ahead, take the time to think everything through, and good legislation will follow. And don't get caught up in the political aspects of each bill.. Not getting caught up in Welsh hottie Danielle Lineker isn't so easy....
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Yes folks, we are blogging from Southern Soil... We're back at our old blogging spot on the coffee table in our home in Flotown. Finally, SOMEONE is coming to Florence this week, when Rick Santorum visits Percy and Willie's. We might take a peek before the Giants/Packers game. We might even drag my brother there, who cares nothing about politics...
Good week for the cartoonists... Lots of things to pick from, and the quality of the art was pretty detailed as well. We decided to go with two. First, we liked this one, because it's nice to see politicians take credit for job creation, when government plays little to no role in it...
And we decided to stay away from politics... It may not seem much like it the last couple days, but it's been a pretty mild winter. It hasn't even snowed in Yankeeville, thanks to either of two things: La Nina is keeping it dry, or it's because I'm leaving...
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Will Tim Tebow Need a Little Divine Intervention Against Tom Brady and the Patriots This Weekend?
So, you want to do well in your NFL picks? It's easy... Just pick the opposite of us. We did pretty crappy last week, going 1-3. Who knew home field would be such an advantage? Time for a little comeback here.. Time is short, as we prepare for our trip home, so we'll just get it out of the way..
New Orleans at San Francisco
No, Drew Brees is not nearly as good on the road as in the Superdome, but he's still pretty good. Alex Smith has done nice work for the 49ers this year, but there is definitely a dropoff. The big question is can the Saints stop the Niner pass rush? We think so.. Also, the 49er D looked awfully average against a downright awful Rams squad. Frank Gore needs to come up big, but too many weapons. Saints 27-20.
Denver at New England
You think they'll let Tim Tebow throw a little this time??? Problem is, it's gonna be kinda windy, which means those not too accurate throws will be all over the place - adn a couple will end up in the Pats' secondary's hands. Tom Brady is like the Postal Service - Through Wind, Rain or Snow - except that Brady actually delivers. A recent issue has been New England taking about 2 quarters to get it's act together, but they'll be OK. Patriots 31-16.
Houston at Baltimore
How much better do the Texans look with Andre Johnson in the game? Also, Arian Foster is an animal. But, so is Ray Rice. Joe Flacco is a pretty good big game QB, and the Ravens at home? 8-0. TJ Yates is in for a long day against a stout Ravens' pass rush. Ravens 20-13.
New York Giants at Green Bay
Remember when the Giants played a previously unbeaten team, lost 38-35, and realized that they were playoff worthy... then they beat the Packers in Lambeau? Ahh, it sounds a lot like 2007, but it isn't. Note to Brett Favre fans: Aaron Rodgers is SO MUCH better than Favre ever was. Rodgers is a checkdown machine, and the Pack has more weapons than they did last year. The Giants D is peaking at just the right time, but the only thing that'll slow down the Pack is the weather. Packers 27-17.
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Guy Smiley Wins the Granite State ....
Our night was ruined... After being up til 300AM last week while we waited for a couple idiots to find their caucus tallies in Iowa, we were prepared to watch the New Hampshire for a couple hours. Not quite... At exactly 8:01, Fox called the Primary for Mitt Romney. So, what will we do for the rest of the night? We'll blog about it.....
Compared to Iowa, New Hampshire was a bit of a yawner. When the real race is for second and fourth, that'll happen... Basically, Mitt Romney held serve. The real surprise was last week. When you're expected to win, and you pull off a 13 point win, it's not very exciting. But, like Jim Valvano used to call it, you survive and advance. The good news for Romney is that the entire field will advance onto South Carolina, so survive and advance is more like divide and conquer..
What does Romney have going for him? Right now, it's all about electability.. 51% of those who voted for him said that was why. In short, if they think you can win tomorrow, then you will win today. In a surprise to everyone but us, Ron Paul and his Co-Ed Army took advantage of the Live Free or Die independents to a solid second place finish over Jon Huntsman. We're still not sure if Paul can hold the mantle of the Conservative alternative to Romney, but he isn't going anywhere with the most solid showing by the rest of the field...
As for the rest of the pack, we're not too enthused about their showings. Huntsman's third is respectable, but he really needed a second here, and South Carolina has not been too welcoming for him so far. He's got a long way to go. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are fighting it out at 10% - whoopdie frickin' doo.... Gingrich is almost in free fall mode, and Santorum underperformed what he was polling at, which means once voters in New Hampshire took a good look, they changed their minds at the polls. Between the two, Santorum appears to be in better shape - but one of the two, and Rick Perry, needs to get out to compete with Romney and Paul.
So, it's onto South Carolina now... What will it bring? We'll wait until some new polls come out, and more importantly, what we see when we get on Palmetto State soil. We wished we could spend more time there during the Primary, but the schedule sucks, but we'll show what we see while we're down there.. See ya there!
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If the Girls Came With the Skunky Beer, We Might Drink It...
At long last, the data to back up what we long thought was verified yesterday.... No one is drinking Budweiser anymore. Well, not no one, but less and less. According to sales data, Budweiser fell to the Number Three most popular beer, behind Bud Light, and now Coors Light, aka Pisswater... The other confirmation? Americans have NO TASTE in beer...
We always found the Bud ads calling other beers 'skunky' made us laugh, because Budweiser is the skunkiest beer out there. No amount of slick advertising got us to drink it. No hot chicks, talking frogs, George Clooney voiceovers or Clydesdales worked. The commercials were great during the Super Bowl, but we'll take a Rolling Rock , Blue Moon or Sam Adams over a Bud any day...
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Ahh, The Bridges of Franconia Notch... On the Other Side Is South Carolina - But Who Will Make It There ??
We've made it onto Round Two of the Presidential Primaries/Caucuses. the bad news is we're in New Hampshire, where it's not a very close race. The good news is we've got South Carolina on deck, where the field gets cleared, it's gets even uglier - and we finally have a clear cut leader. We can't wait....
No doubt, the race today is for second place, or to us, third place. This is Mitt Romney's state to lose, and he didn't fall flat on his face. New Hampshire is an interesting state - lots of independents on all sides, and they all get to vote. The splits for those independents and undecideds are falling all ways. Romney wins the electability votes, Ron Paul takes the hardcore vote, Jon Huntsman gets a share of the undecideds, and Rick Santorum gets the Tea Party slice. No clear winner on that section...
So, who is trending up and down? Santorum and Huntsman are going up, but not much. Paul has been going up as well, though not much either. Romney is stuck in neutral as usual. That leaves us with the slippers: Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry. Perry is in deep, deep trouble. We really thought he was quitting after Iowa, but he is hoping for an SC miracle. It ain't coming.... Newt is sliding in New Hampshire as well, but he has a much better chance in the Palmetto State. No, a fourth and a fifth isn't exactly the recipe for victory, but he'll recover some on the 21st. Probably just not enough....
The main headline from New Hampshire? Romney wins pretty handily, Paul makes his push as the possible runner up, Huntsman shows well, but not enough to cause critical mass. South Carolina is going to kill his campaign. Santorum does OK, but not enough to be the clear alternate to Mitt Romney. Gingrich trails, and can't wait to get to South Carolina. Perry is a no-show, but goes onto SC as well. After South Carolina, Huntsman and Perry are both gone....
Romney 37%, Paul 22%, Huntsman 17%, Santorum 13%, Gingrich 9%, Perry 2%.
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Debbie Harwell Ends Her Congressional Bid ....
Guess that post on the ever-shrinking GOP field in the upcoming 7th Congressional district was a bit premature, because we've lost another one... This time, it was Debbie Harwell. Honestly, we were familiar with the name (who in the Pee Dee wouldn't), but didn't know her from a hole in the wall, so our initial reaction was 'exactly who is she?'. But after checking her resume, she had the type of contacts that generally do well in a congressional race.
Newspaper editor, PR rep for about every public project the Grand Strand was shooting for, who seeming was attached to every branch and politician like a Deer Tick. And, of course, she's a Harwell by marriage.. Unfortunately, it was the marriage that got in the way of a political career, when her husband fell seriously ill over the holidays. While we applaud her for scuttling a run to aid her husband, we wonder why people run for office when they're married to a 79 yr old man... Yes, it's hypercritical of us, but these things happen.
For those of you who live in the Pee Dee, this may have been a good thing. In Harwell's resignation announcement, she mentioned continuing to fight for what is best for the people of the Grand Strand.. and the rest of the District. Later, her campaign manager corrected that she meant the Pee Dee as well. For those of us who worry about the Grand Strand dominating the seat, the fears appear real, and we may have just dodged a bullet...
With all the news that's been going on with the GOP field here, we're beginning to wonder how well thought out these candidacies were, and the amount (or lack) of dedication these people had. One thing for sure: the smaller the field gets, the better chance former Lt. Governor Andre Bauer has of taking this. We have misgivings about Andre as the Congressman, only due to his lack of experience in the District, but the Strand hasn't put up a serious candidate. As for the Pee Dee, it appears no one wants to run. Sad... Will there be a last minute candidate entering the race, now that the field is shrinking? Maybe. At this rate, no one will be left by February.....
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That's it... The White Flag of surrender has been raised. For every logical reason we had to explain why Tim Tebow was winning games without divine intervention, yesterday's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers convinced us that God is helping Tim Tebow. We have no official proof, but why fight it anymore?
Yeah, the Steelers weren't at 100%, but the Denver Broncos defense sure didn't make it as easy for SuperTim to win in the normal 17-13 fashion. Yeah, they played too much of an upfront defense for Tebow NOT to hit the big pass over and over again. But, it was HOW he did it that made up believers - pun intended...
With regulation over, and all the momentum on Pittsburgh's side. Denver won the coin toss. No sooner than my friends and I were discussing the new playoff overtime rules, it happened - the entire defense was on the line again, Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas on a crossing route, and like Moses parting the Red Sea, a straight run down the sideline to the End Zone. One play. 80 yards. Game Over. 29-23 Denver...
Yeah, these things happen, but for those of you who need more proof, we have a stat or two for you: Tebow's total passing yards? How about 316? And divide it by the ten completions, it again comes to 31.6 yards per completion. That Rainbow-afro'ed dude from all the games in 70's and 80's is jumping up and down, yelling 'I TOLD YOU SO !!!'. And we can't blame him....
Of course, the real challenge is next week, when Tebow and God battle the perceived God of Passing, Tom Brady... It should be interesting.
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Beyonce and Jay-Z's Superbaby Is Finally Here !!!
Congrats go out to Beyonce and Jay-Z on the birth of their first child this weekend. They named her Blue Ivy. We're not sure where the Blue came from, but Ivy supposedly is a variation on the Number 4 - 4 in Roman Numerals is 'IV'. It's also a '$' if you accidentally keep the cap lock button on, which we just found out. Pretty ironic, don't you think? It turns out both parents were born on the 4th, they were married on the 4th. There was another example, but we didn't care to remember it. So, in perfect timing, she was born on..... the 7th. Oh well, even the super rich and famous don't get everything they want.
From what we read, Jay-Z has already released a rap song about her, and we have no doubts that there will be a Blue Ivy line of kid's clothes out in the near future.... In a way, as pampered as that kid is going to be, we kinda feel a little sorry for her. Every paparazzi worldwide will be trying to take pictures of her, and by the time she's 8, they'll be looking for an album from her. God help if she can't sing or rap like Mommy or Daddy - or both.
Somehow, I doubt any of them are worried about any of this. After all, she's got a nursery that's 400 square ft bigger than my whole house.. You always hope people like these raise their kids to be well-grounded, but that's almost impossible. Beyonce and Jay-Z aren't normal - and we don't allow them to be, because we put them on pedestals so that they can't even go to a 7-Eleven... Best of Luck, and let us know where to send the gift. Hey, everyone could use a Wal-Mart gift card....
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Hey Kid, Come Back When You're Old Enough to Vote !
Time for one of those campaign stories you won't hear from most of the 'Hard News' blogs.. We were going to use this as part of a 'True Presidential Candidate Stories' series, but we couldn't wait. We may work on that other idea anyway... We'll see.
Ron Paul has a reputation for attracting a ton of young people to the Republican Party. We're still not sure how much of a Republican he actually is, but since he keeps running as one, we'll take his word for it. Anyway, Paul may have been an OB/GYN, and he does a great job of getting idealistic, if not realistic, kids to work for his campaign. However, we got a piece of news that makes us think that Paul has a problem with kids between the time of conception and their 18th birthday - like that time when they ask 'stupid questions'...
We saw a story on Fox News, where they had a 9-year old kid from New Hampshire, who has been on the road with the candidates for months. His job? Basically to ask each of them the same question: 'Which superhero do you think best represents you?'. Yeah, on the surface, it is a dumb question, especially if it were coming from Carl Cameron or David Gregory. But hey, it's a 9 yr old - superheroes are all he knows. Does anyone actually expect him to ask about Auditing the Fed or the NLRB??
Well, the kid managed to see all the candidates at one point or another, and he did well. All of the candidates answered his question and thanked him for being involved in the political process. He didn't name a favorite, but he did mention the one he didn't like - Ron Paul. It turns out Paul ignored him - as the kid said, 'He seemed to be more interested in what the adults were asking' - and went on his way.
Our guess is either Paul didn't give a shit, didn't know jack about comic books... or our best thought is that since there is no Superhero whose aim is to End the Fed, Eliminate Income Taxes, become centrist with no world involvement, or return all power to the states, he was unable to choose one. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Very little benefit.....
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Don't Know This Lady? You Will Soon, But You Didn't Need To.
We've said this over and over again... Congress sweats the small stuff too much, and that all they concern themselves with is what is on today's docket. To us, if they paid more attention to the larger issues, and settled on the lesser issues, DC would be a more harmonious and positive place. What do we mean? Well, things happen today that, like Doc Brown would explain in 'Back to the Future', create an alternate reality for everyone. In short, denying something today gives people other options that, in the end, hurt you more than if you would have given them the first gig...
Need an example? We have a great one that is playing out as we speak... So, have you figured out who the lady in the picture is yet? For those of you who answered Elizabeth Warren, congrats! For you of you who drew a blank, there is a good chance you'll hear about her in November. Warren is a professor at Harvard University. She is a well-respected consumer finance expert who we first saw on a documentary film about the credit card scams that were rampant in the mid and late 2000's. Anyone who saw what was going on back then can't say that $39 charges for being a day late was fair...
Warren made a lot of sense, and she ended up playing a major role in defending consumers. It gets a little fuzzy here.. She basically came up with the good parts of Dodd-Frank, which limited the changes banks can charge on credit card accounts. It helped keep people who teetered on their debt from going off the cliff. She also was instrumental in creating what is now the Consumer Finance Protectio Bureau. Now, we are not advocates of creating government agencies for everything. In a perfect world, Congress should be able to write legislation to do the same thing. Also, the scope of the bureau has not been clearly defined, but that's not the focus of today's dicussion, so we'll avoid that today. However, thanks to lobbyists, Congress is not a place where a simple cap on charges can be passed...
Back to our point. Thanks in large part to that inability, the CFPB was created, and nearly all advisors to Barack Obama had one recommended person to run the bureau - Elizabeth Warren. Republicans fought tooth and nail against Warren, so Obama backed off nominating her, and instead chose Richard Cordray. You may have heard about this lately.... So, instead of being a basically no-name bureaucrat at a small government agency, Warren was recruited for something else - the US Senate in Massachusetts.
Yep, she is the prime challenger to Scott Brown for the Democrats to gain back Ted Kennedy's old seat - and from all polls, she is handily kicking Brown's ass. Partly due to it being Massachusetts, partly due to her credentials, and partly due to Brown being unable to do anything he wanted to, but Brown is in serious trouble. Warren wasn't even looking for a Senate seat. Decent candidates often don't - only people with overblown senses of self actually LOOK at themselves as Senators. She'd be sitting behind a desk in Washington, playing with numbers all day. Instead, the GOP went to war over nothing to very little, and now she likely will be taking back a very important seat in the Senate for the next six years.... That's how it goes in life.
It reminds us of an old story about a Cuban pitcher back in the early 50's... he tried out for a few teams, but none of them would sign him, so he went home, and went into politics instead. His name? Fidel Castro. At the time, we're sure he would have much rather been a pitcher, but when that door closed, all the other options opened up his mind for him. Same thing with Warren. On the whole, the GOP has gained nothing by the obstructionism in this case. Measuring what they will lose will be easy. Next time, they may realize keeping the happy mouse in his box is a better outcome..
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"A good government implies two things; first, fidelity to the objects of the government; secondly, a knowledge of the means, by which those objects can be best attained."
- Joseph Story, 1833.
Pretty basic, but basics are often the most correct way to look at things. Keep a focus on what areas the Federal Government should address, and then find the best way to approach fixing those needs... It used to be we fought over only the second part, but now both seem to be at odds... There is no argument that French beauty Laetitia Casta is smoking. Her nickname is P.G.E - Proof God Exists. Amen !!!
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It's the New Year, and with it is the start of Tax Season. Rather than pay inventory tax on all our left over political cartoons, we're extending our Buy One, Get One Free sale .... Oh yeah.... and it's 2012. Maybe out tax bill won't matter, since Earth may be coming to an end, but we'll stay optimistic.
And of course, it's election year. There will be plenty of stuff to shovel.. It just probably won't be white! Promises, promises..
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"This I hope will be the age of experiments in government, and that their basis will be founded in principles of honesty, not of mere force."
-Thomas Jefferson, to John Adams, 1796.
It's hard to believe nowadays that a republic would be viewed as an experiment.... but then again, everything was ruled by a King or Dictator. Luckily, we've done pretty well with it the past 236 years. Try not to mess with it, people. However, feel free to mess with Jana Miartusova... Look at that tummy! Bounce a quarter of that thing, and you'll never find it..
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For a Couple Would-Be Congressmembers, That One Thing Was 'Get Arrested' and 'Get Pregnant'...
Sometimes, people don't think about things fully before doing things. We speak from experience on this.. When we ran for Congress in 2004, we had no staff, no money... All we had was an idea, and a reliable car. Times change, but from what it looks like this week, the unfocused thought process hasn't....
When you run for public office, staying disciplined is a primary trait. Why? Because once you get there, it takes the same focus and ability to block out the lobbyists, single-issue groups and idiot fellow members of Congress to be a great legislator. Simply put, if you can't stay disciplined when running for office, you won't be disciplined once you get there. To us, it sure looks like two people running for the new 7th District seat failed.. One worse than the other...
The Grand Prize goes to Thad Viers, who was arrested to allegedly stalking and harrassing his ex-girlfriend since their June breakup. We've never met Viers, but from all the bad press he's gotten over the past five years, we're surprised that he even decided to try and run for Congress. Sorry Thad, but we like to put good people in office, and this third or fourth strike pretty much cements that you have some personal problems to hash out before running for anything ever again. No means no. After a good-hearted try to make up, if they still want nothing to do with you, it's time to move on...
The second one we are going to try to tip-toe through, because it's going to make us look like a bunch of sexist pigs.. According to a couple posts from her on Facebook, Mande Wilkes is pregnant. No, this is not a voluntary misstep like Viers. Then again, if you don't want to have kids, there are a few pretty foolproof methods to employ. Sometimes, God manages to beat you anyway!
No, being pregnant is not an automatic disqualifier for office. Wilkes doesn't have to sit in bed for the next nine months, and lots of women have kids while in office. However, the timing for her could not be worse. Assuming she's been pregnant for a month, she would be unable to campaign from July, and deliver around mid-September. Generally, women will take a good 6-8 weeks after birth to recover. That takes us right up to Election Day. Game Over...
We're just stating facts of how a campaign goes, and doing both will be impossible. Wilkes is very young, and she will have a great reason to have for NOT running in 2012 - much better than Viers. Not to give her any blame on this, but it's pretty apparent this was a surprise. No one runs for Congress one day, then gets pregnant the next. It's a tough break, but by Election Day, she will care less that she didn't run. Children do that to you...
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Matt Stafford Was a Fantasy Stud For Us, But Can He Beat Drew Brees and the Saints On the Road?
Since we'e in the prognosticating mood this week, it's time for one of our favorite times of the year - the NFL Playoffs! Time to sit back, grab a cold one, order a pizza, and enjoy the games.. Although judging by the last cholesterol report I got, I might need to skip the pizza..
Last year, we did not fair well, especially on Saturday. This year, there has been a lot of parity, where it seems that no lead is safe, and any team can be beaten - unless you're 15-1... But, we see some pretty easy matchups in Round One, so let's just get to the picks...
Cincinnati vs. Houston
Perhaps harder to pick than some games, neither team is on a particular roll.. The Bengals backed into the playoffs, and the Texans have lost their last three games. The Texans are banged up, with TJ Yates missing almost all of last week. But, they do have Andre Johnson back, though they only had less than 1 game together all year. The Bengals haven't lost to anyone they should have, but they didn't beat anyone they shouldn't have either. One of them was to Texas, but they had them beat, and let Yates get back in. The Bengals are healthier, and like a few first round games, the division winner is actually the weaker team. Bengals 24-20.
Detroit vs. New Orleans
OK, the first team to 50 points wins... or do they? If you like offense, have we got a game for you! Neither team plays D very well, and Matt Satfford and Drew Brees are at the top of their games right now. The Lions have a knack for coming back from huge leads, so no lead is safe - but New Orleans never lets off the gas pedal. The game is in the Superdome, where the Saints are almost unbeatable, but mainly the Saints secondary is better, and they have more weapons. Shut down Calvin Johnson, and give the ball to Darren Sproles enough, and it's a win. Saints 45-35.
Atlanta vs New York Giants
Yay, my G-Men made it into the playoffs, which is more than I thought they would... Luckily, the NFC East was pretty weak. Eli Manning is on a nice roll, and the D-line has finally found a pass rush. Sounds good, right? Well, the problem is Atlanta is built for New York. They're actually a better team than the Number One seed team from last year. They can run or pass, and Matt Ryan knows that he needs to start winning playoff games, not just get there. The real star will be Michael Turner, who will bowling ball his way to over 100 yards, and a TD or two.. Falcons 27-21.
Pittsburgh vs. Denver
For those of you who don't think the 80 points we're predicting in New Orleans is Football, we give you the antithesis... To us, this game is a no-brainer. But, Ben Roethlisberger is still hobbling, and Rashard Mendenhall is out. Denver's D will help keep them in the game, but the sad part for Bronco fans is that the NFL has figured out Tim Tebow. The miracles will cease, unless he learns how to drop back and pass, or roll right... Not this week. It'll be ugly, like a lot of Pittsburgh's wins this year. Steelers 17-6.
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No, We Don't Pick Winners.. We Just Pick the Best Guy
OK, all of you can stop laughing now. We've been watching the race and listening to the candidates intently. Maybe we have a little bit different perspective because most of the time, we listened on POTUS radio. We don't see the size of the crowds, or which media outlets were there - we just got to hear the messages. No, we don't go for the sexy endorsement, we just choose who we think would do the best job. To us, that's Jon Huntsman...
Why? There's a few reasons. He has by far the most well-rounded resume to be able to handle all aspects of being President. More importantly, while many candidates have said they will do certain things when President, but done others while in office, Huntsman has talked the talk, and walked the walk. He had the top job growth in Utah as Governor in the US. How? By implementing what we consider to be the easiest way to create job - the Flat Tax. It would be slightly different on the National Level, but he's the only one who's actually DONE IT.
He has that rare combination of expertise in both National and Global affairs... Numerous posts for both parties in various capacities. While most Republicans discarded Huntsman from the start because he worked for Barack Obama, here is our take.....which is smarter than theirs. Which way can you do more NOW to fix things that you might disagree with? Wait four years in a useless capacity, or do you take the opportunity to fix those things NOW, from the inside? Easy answer for us. We think Judd Gregg missed a golden opportunity to save America when he turned down the Cabinet job Obama offered in 2009.
Now, the big question is can Jon Huntsman beat Barack Obama? Maybe, but we'll tell you one thing: Huntsman can duel head to head with Obama in a debate. Why? Because he has such a grasp on the issues, and is very smooth in conveying that message. There is no searching for an answer, becuase he already knows in depth about whatever subject comes along - not in catch phrases, but in detail. Oh, and he can speak without stepping on his own words, unlike a few of the other guys..
It's true, we don't have a good track records for choosing winners, but that's not what we've ever gone for with endorsements. We ignore all the BS the Kool-Aid drinking camps spew out, and we go with our brain, limited though it be... You don't have to agree, and that's fine. Not many agreed with us when we chose Rudy 4 years ago. Huntsman may not even make it South Carolina if he places badly in New Hampshire. That's fine, we have a secondary choice in reserve. But for now, we're going with Jon Huntsman. Get past your biases that we worked for Obama, and that he's a Mormon. Big deal. The guy can do the job, and the Obama Administration is scared to death of debating him...
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Rick Santorum Moves to the Front, Michele Bachmann Is Out and Rick Perry Out Soon Also?
For once, we didn't actually do that bad with the prognostications. OK, we lost out on picking the Iowa Caucus on a handful or votes in at 300AM. BTW, nice job by that idiot precinct captain who forgot to send in or lost the votes. Luckily, both the Santorum and Romney camps confirmed the vote totals, or we'd still not know who won. Not that it mattered too much. It is just a caucus, not a general election. There is no doubt who won last night... Mitt Romney is in a lot of trouble... The good news for America is that Rick Santorum showed that retail politics still works. Perry spent $359 per vote, Romney $49 per vote. Santorum? How about 73 cents??? We shit you not. You can't do that nationally, but it gives hope for more local candidates...
The whole battle has been Mitt Romney vs ABM (anyone but Mitt)... That being the case, with five other 'real conservatives' going up against Romney, he should have won the caucus pretty handily. That didn't happen. Eight votes. That's it. How tight was it? The margin was 7 times less than those who voted for Herman Cain. It was 40 times less than those who voted 'No Preference'... Romney is perpetually stuck at 25%, so once the extra flies in the race start dropping, Santorum - if he sticks - can easily pass him.
Like most Iowa caucuses, they served their primary purpose of weeding out the wannabes. That's how it goes: Iowa knocks people out, New Hampshire does the opposite of Iowa, and South Carolina rights the GOP ship.... Michele Bachmann is jumping out of the race as we speak, which she should..She was supposed to be flying to South Carolina, but we're assuming her credit card bounced... Her assertion that she is the only one who can beat Obama is ridiculous, and her platform speeches were more like pep rallies. Bon Voyage! Rick Perry is likely to do the same, though he has more money. He's on his way back to Texas, where we assume he'll grab a podium in Austin and announce he's quitting too. Next time, maybe he'll realize he's not running for President of Texas. The US is getting sick of hearing 'How We Do It in Texas'....
Now, it's onto New Hampshire. All six are going (yes, Jon Huntsman is still in the race). It's a no-win situation for Romney. Like a 45 point football favorite, he is expected to win, and big. A ten point win will be considered a loss. Luckily, most of the field is staying, and they will still split the conservative vote. Ron Paul will pull in Independents, who are allowed to vote. Jon Huntsman did very much like Santorum in Iowa. He's set his flag there, but will it be enough? We think Newt Gingrich is on a vendetta at this point, and much like an Al-Qaeda bomber, his job is to be the Bad Cop, and take out Romney... It will cost him votes, but those votes, and those of Perry and Bachmann, will go 75% Santorum's way. We'll find out soon, once the polls start coming out....
For once, New Hampshire will be more interesting than it was the last time around. Mitt Romney has a real fight on it's hands. South Carolina will give the race more guidance, and it will knock out a few more candidates - but it will go well past it. Like Santorum said, 'GAME ON'....
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Romney's New Logo Gives Us That Fresh, Just-Brushed Kind of Feeling... Ahh, Minty Victory?
We're not sure exactly when it was intorduced, but only in the last day or two did we notice that Team Romney has a new logo.... Maybe all the signs in Iowa were retreads from 2008, but the new ones just caught our attention.... and they suck. Bigtime....
We can't take credit for noticing that it looks like AquaFresh toothpaste coming from the tube, but it's dead-on. We imagine there was a staffer who's job it was to update the Romney brand. There he was, in some hotel bathroom, brushing his teeth - and 'genius' struck! Or not....
The logo was the least of Romney's worries. It looked fine on a sign, unlike say, Gingrich, who was almost forced to put 'Newt' on his... 'R' is a good looking, strong letter. Now it's 'Omney' with toothpaste spooge to it's left - or maybe a sideways waving French flag. There's a good way to get America on your side....
There's a great saying: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Romney campaign may not be taking America by storm, but he's in front of a pack of competitors where EVERY one has had their shot - and couldn't pass him for more than a week.... Will it ruin the campaign? We doubt it, but doing stupid things, or looking stupid can. Ask Rick Perry.... That reminds us - we need to floss right now.
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Who's Gonna Take It Tonight? We'll Take a Guess..
Thank God, it's finally over ! All the talk, the debates, the polling and the unrealistic expectations are finished. In just a few hours, the Iowa Caucuses will take place.... We will at long last have a winner, and the rest of America will gte their chance.
Really, in the whole political scheme of things, Iowa is small potatoes. There will be over 2000 delegates awarded in the Primary/Caucus season. Iowa will give out 20 of them... Winning Iowa will not make or break any campaign - well, maybe one or two. It'll be just a small notch in the belt, but it does give the winning campaign a little cache'. Need an example? Who won the Nebraska primary in 2008. We rest our case....
So, who will win it? We believe in a couple things... The media always is a few days behind whatever is happening, and secondly, you go with the mover. Close to 40% of those planning to vote say they are not solid in their selection, though only 7% say they are undecided. A bit contradictory, but there is as much fluidity as any caucus ever.. To us, that is Rick Santorum. Call it luck, call it no one else being left, or call it brilliant strategy, but Santorum's timing is perfect. If he has people at the caucuses aggressively pushing for him tonight, he can take it - barely.
Mitt Romney has a good organization, as does Ron Paul, but both have maxed out, and Romney really still has not moved as the Tea Party/ Christian Conservatives seem to lack the monogamy in their politics as they preach in their lives otherwise. Just an observation.. Overall, it will be as tight as they say it will. Basically, it's a three way tie in the low to mid 20's for all three. For number four, Rick Perry has better organization that Newt Gingrich, and his people will deliver a decent 4th place. Michele Bachmann will be in serious trouble after a 6th place finish - just six months after winning the Straw Poll. She talked the talk, but there have been no solid plans that made anyone see her as a solid candidate...
Santorum 24%, Romney 23%, Paul 22%, Perry 13%, Gingrich 9%, Bachmann 7%, Huntsman 2%...
Yeah, it'll be a wash, where even the winner only gets five delegates. they usually say there are only three tickets from Iowa, but don't be surprised if all seven stay in for now.... So, where do they go from here? It'll sound strange, but Santorum, Romney and Paul should visit New Hampshire for a day or two, then get to South Carolina ASAP... Romney has it locked up, with Paul a pretty decent second. Santorum could sneak in third, but who's looking for third place finishes? As usual, The Palmetto State will be a major player in determining the GOP candidate.... as it should be.
What about the rest? Perry and Gingrich need to go to New Hampshire. Gingrich got close to Romney when he peaked, so to hold serve on second is a big deal for him. Perry has the cash and organization to possibly steal a second, which for him would be a big deal. Bachmann also needs to go to South Carolina, which she fully intends to do. I'm still getting e-mails daily from her, so even though everyone else sees the writing on the wall, she's still in denial. Jon Huntsman has put all his chits in New Hampshire. He's running a pretty distant 4th, and we're pretty sure it ends there....
We'll see how it goes, but it all starts tonight. Let's get it on !
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"Human government is more or less perfect as it approaches nearer or diverges farther from the imitation of this perfect plan of divine and moral government."
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John Adams, 1770.
No, there is no such thing as a perfect government, but the closer we get to a moral one, the more perfect it seems to be. We have a long way to go nowadays, but it does give us something to shoot for.... One thing that's just about perfect? Amber Heard.. We'd aim for that anytime!
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Just like all people involved in politics, the cartoonists mostly took the week off. Most of them were New Years Day related. We thought this was perhaps the best one. No doubt John Boehner had plenty to cry about - and couldn't wait to see 2011 end!
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