Category: Michele Bachmann

President 2012: CNN/Tea Express GOP Debate Winners and Losers

Posted Flap1 CommentPosted in Michele Bachmann, Mitch Daniels, Mitt Romney, President 2012, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin

David Brody interviews former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum

After watching last night’s GOP Presidential debate, I am wondering how and where the GOP got to this place with the top two candidates being Rick Perry and Mitt Romney with an assorted supporting cast. The field could use another candidate or two – calling Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels or Representative Paul Ryan – PLEASE RUN.

The current GOP Presidential field is very weak, each candidate has a track record that can be exploited in the primary elections and by the Democrats in the general election. But, with that said, Sarah Palin has said it is a time for choosing and choose we must.

Winner: Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney appeared Presidential, looked good in his skin and his suit was impeccable. Romney shows that he is a cool, calculated character who is not easily rattled. His experience in running for the Presidency these past 6-8 years shows. RomneyCare looms in the background and is very exploitable by the Obama team – they can hardly wait as a matter of fact. But, it might not help Obama and Axelrod with this very poor American economy.

Romney was able to attack Rick Perry with a smile on his face and the nasty direct mail in his back pocket. The attack television ads, especially in Nevada and Florida are just a few months away. Everyone knows they are coming. The issue will be Social Security and Romney will drive Perry into the ground with the term Ponzi Scheme.

Biggest Loser: Rick Perry

Rick Santorum’s quote in the video above is the most telling, “The more I find out about Rick Perry the more concern I have.” This was my feeling and that of the Twitterverse last night. This morning the MSM is piling on Perry.

The Texas Governor continued his folksy way, but did not answer the Social Security Ponzi Scheme questions. Perry has put forward no entitlement reform plan. Romney attacked the issues and the others piled on.

The Gardisil, “government injection” flap was devastating to Perry. We all knew it was coming and exploitable, but Michele Bachmann thrust in the knife and Rick Santorum twisted it. Perry made a poor policy decision, and certainly not a one that will endear him to conservatives – or anyone for that matter. Bachmann’s framing of the issue as “crony capitalism” and a pay off from lobbyists will be replayed time and again.

Next, was the illegal immigration issue and the Texas Dream Act. Perry signed the bill giving the children of illegal aliens an entitlement paid by American citizen taxpayers and was booed by the Tea Party crowd. Immigration is not a primary issue because the GOP controls the House, but conservatives and the Tea Party have to be wondering if this former Al Gore supporter will not be another Bush and/or McCain pushing comprehensive immigration reform. Being booed by the Tea Party is NOT a good thing for Rick Perry.

None of these single issues are fatal to the Perry campaign, but voters have to be wondering, why is Rick Perry considered the front-runner?

Losers: All of the rest

Michele Bachmann did OK and I can see her doing well in Iowa. But, her vision is narrow, has no executive experience and her voice grates on me after a few minutes.

Jon Huntsman – made wise-ass jokes about Nirvana and immigration (to Perry) and has revealed him as the rich, arrogant ass that he is. Huntsman is through with his Presidential run for this year and all time. Done – put a fork in him.

All of the rest have NO chance and debate organizers should limit the number of participants to 3 or 4, plus any newcomers.

Another candidate:

The GOP Establishment must be scrambling this morning after Rick Perry’s implosion. There are better GOP candidates out there and they should be asked to run. Mitch Daniels, Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, Paul Ryan are all better candidates, than any in the field. Sarah Palin probably won’t run, but she could beat these characters.

If this is the best field, then you go with Romney, run the Senate races hard and keep your fingers crossed that Obama is so weak that Romney can manage a small win. The GOP will hedge its bets by winning the U.S. Senate and effectively blocking the lame duck Obama.

I was very disappointed in this debate and am certainly not as optimistic that Obama will be a one term President as I was prior.

President 2012: The Reagan Presidential Library Debate – Winners and Losers

Posted FlapPosted in Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, President 2012, Rick Perry

I watched the debate at home and tweeted my comments at the time. Here are my picks.

WINNERS

Rick Perry: For the first hour or so the Texas Governor did well for the new guy on the block. Perry appeared poised, well rehearsed and prepared. He quite readily mixed it up with Mitt Romney on job creation without getting too nasty. He stumbled during the second part of the debate on the climate change and social security. He is the front-runner in the polls and he did not hurt himself too badly to dislodge the conventional wisdom.

Mitt Romney: Mitt appeared relaxed and Presidential. In contrast to Perry, he appeared the more avuncular choice for President. He made no major gaffes and bettered Perry on illegal immigration and social security. I would not be surprised if he does not pick up a little in the polls after the debate. However, RomneyCare will continue to drag Mitt down.

LOSERS

Really all of the rest: The remaining field do not have the gravitas to be in this race. You can go away now.

BIGGEST LOSER

Michele Bachmann: She started out of the gate well after the first debate and won the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll. But, where was she last night? She like the others in the field will probably continue in the race. But, why?

So, there you have it – a two candidate race: Rick Perry Vs. Mitt Romney.

Take your pick because there is probably not too much difference between either of them. They are both experienced, somewhat conservative Big Business type Republicans, who have some baggage and have flip-flopped on the issues over the years.

I say end the race, draw straws as to who will be President and team up to beat President Obama, who looks like the walking wounded at this point.

President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Perry 36% Vs. Romney 17% vs. Bachmann and Paul 10%

Posted FlapPosted in Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Polling, President 2012

Texas Governor Rick Perry (C) speaks at a media conference in Bastrop, Texas September 5, 2011. An estimated 1,000 homes are being threatened in Bastrop County, just east of Austin, as a 14,000-acre (5700-hectare) wildfire rages out of control, causing evacuations

According to the latest Politico/George Washington University Battleground Poll.
The Politico/George Washington University Battleground Poll has Perry atop the field with 36 percent, followed by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at 17 percent and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and Texas Rep. Ron Paul tied at 10 percent.

The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll delivered similar results. Perry is 38 percent of respondent’s first choice for the nomination, followed by Romney at 23 percent, Paul at 9 percent and Bachmann at 8 percent.

These polls are only the most recent to show Perry out in front of the field. Earlier polls from Gallup, Quinnipiac and CNN/ORC International all show a similar picture of the field.

Perry, the most recent entrant into the race, announced his run on Aug. 13, the same day that Bachmann won the Ames Straw Poll in the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa.

Since that high point in her campaign, Bachmann has slipped in the polls.

Bachmann’s former campaign manager Ed Rollins, who stepped down Monday due to health problems, said Perry’s entrance “took a lot of our momentum.”

“Legitimately, it’s a Romney-Perry race,” Rollins said. “I think she’s the third candidate at this point in time, which is way different and better than we thought when we started this thing. She’s very much in this thing.”

The race for the GOP nomination will continue to evolve in September, a month that features three debates, including CNN’s “Tea Party Republican Debate” on Sept. 12 in Tampa Florida.

The Politico/George Washington University Battleground Poll surveyed 1,000 likely voters over the phone and was conducted between Aug. 28 and Sept. 1. The poll has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

And, remember that tomorrow evening’s GOP Presidential debate will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. This will be the first debate that Rick Perry will mix it up with all of the other candidates. It will be televised on MSNBC starting at 5 PM PDT.

President 2012 GOP Nevada Poll Watch: Perry 29% Vs. Romney 24% Vs. Cain 7% Vs. Paul 6% Vs. Bachmann 6%

Posted Flap1 CommentPosted in Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Polling, President 2012, Rick Perry

According to the latest Magellan Strategies Poll.

Magellan Strategies today released the results of an autodial survey of 631 likely 2012 Nevada Republican Presidential caucus attendees.  The survey finds Rick Perry leading Mitt Romney by 5 points.  Among all voters, Rick Perry has 29% support and Mitt Romney has 24% support.  The rest of the Republican field rounds out with Herman Cain with 7%, Michele Bachmann with 6%,  Ron Paul with 6%, Newt Gingrich with 5%, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman with 1% each, the generic “other candidate” with 2%, and 19% are undecided.

There are 19 per cent undecided here and most pundits have already written off Nevada for Romney due to the large LDS/Mormon population in the state. But, now with surging poll numbers, will Rick Perry come to contest Nevada?

The media market in Clark County is ripe for a media war and unemployment is the highest in the nation.

Perry looks like a player in Nevada. But, will he play against Romney?

President 2012: Rick Perry Strikes Back at Michele Bachmann Ad

Posted FlapPosted in Michele Bachmann, President 2012, Rick Perry

Texas Governor Rick Perry is answering Michele Bachmann’s Super PAC ad now airing in South Carolina.

From the press release:

AUSTIN – A committee supporting Michele Bachmann has released a blatantly false ad that completely misrepresents Gov. Perry’s fiscally conservative record in Texas.
“Gov. Perry is a proven fiscal conservative, having cut taxes, signed six balanced budgets, and led Texas to become America’s top job-creating state,” said Ray Sullivan, RickPerry.org’s communications director. “Congresswoman Bachmann’s front-group ad is patently and provably false. Unlike Washington, the Texas budget is balanced, does not run deficits and limits spending, even as Texas added jobs and population in big numbers.”
 
FALSE CLAIM: “Rick Perry doubled spending in a decade.”
 
TRUTH: State spending – the non-federal dollars state lawmakers can control – is six percent lower under Gov. Perry than it was under the two-year budget in effect when he took office, adjusting for population growth and inflation. In unadjusted amounts, state spending is $80.5 billion for the 2012-13 biennium compared to $55.7 billion for the 2000-01 biennium. Texas’ population growth plus inflation since 2001 is 54 percent. The current Texas budget funds the state’s vital needs by operating within available revenues and providing tax cuts for small businesses. Gov. Perry is the only Texas governor since World War II to cut state (general revenue) spending.
 
FALSE CLAIM: “This year, Rick Perry is spending more money than the state takes in.”
 
TRUTH: Texas’ budget has been certified as balanced by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, with an estimated $6.5 billion remaining unspent in the state’s Rainy Day Fund. Every budget Gov. Perry has signed has been balanced.
 
FALSE CLAIM: “Covering his deficits with record borrowing.”
 
TRUTH: Texas does not have a deficit. The state’s recent sale of Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs) is cash-flow management tool that dates back to 1987. These notes are sold every fiscal year to manage cash flow and to provide up-front payments to public schools. They are repaid within the fiscal year with tax revenue that comes in after the upfront school payments are made. Texas earned the highest possible ratings in anticipation of this offering, receiving a rating of SP-1+ by Standard & Poor’s, MIG 1 by Moody’s Investors Service and F1+ by Fitch Inc. Texas’ net interest rate of .27 percent is down from last year’s rate of .34 percent, representing the state’s lowest net rate ever for these notes.

This ad began running yesterday, so Perry’s response is a little late.

But, it is apparent as we go into Labor Day weekend, this race is just getting started.

Let the media fly…..

President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Another Poll – Another Rick Perry Lead – Perry 26% Vs. Romney 20% Vs. Bachmann 12%

Posted FlapPosted in Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Polling, President 2012, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin

According to the latest Quinnipiac Poll.

Among Republicans and independent voters leaning Republican, Perry gets 24 percent to Romney’s 18 percent, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s 11 percent, Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s 10 percent, Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s 9 percent and businessman Herman Cain’s 5 percent. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gets 3 percent, while former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, former Sen. Rick Santorum and Michigan U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter get 1 percent each. 

If Palin doesn’t run, Perry leads Romney 26 – 20 percent with Bachmann at 12 percent. 

Romney is viewed favorably by 36 percent, unfavorably by 27 percent – somewhat better than Perry’s split 22 – 23 percent favorable rating, with 55 percent who don’t know enough about him to form an opinion. Among Republicans, however, Perry is 44 – 5 percent favorable, compared to Romney’s 57 – 14 favorable rating. Bachmann is 36 – 26 percent unfavorable among all voters and 50 – 14 percent favorable among Republicans.

In general election match-ups, Romney is tied with Obama and Obama leads Perry by 3 points.

Again, this is a national poll and means less than the early GOP states where the race will occur first. 

The only unknown in this race is whether Sarah Palin will run. Otherwise, it will be Perry as the front-runner Vs. Romney the moderate-establishment candidate.