

The Republican race

Mitt Romney dodges a bullet

But the narrowness of his victory in Michigan portends a long struggle ahead

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"So all the indications are, increasingly, that the nomination contest will be a long and bitter affair. That can only benefit Mr Obama..."

That was the conventional wisdom about the drawn out and dirty Democratic primary battle between Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama 4 years ago. People said that the eventual winner would limp to the convention with depleted coffers while Mr. McCain could focus on the general election and fundraise. In fact the protracted primary race kept Mr. Obama squarely in the spotlight for months, he had no difficulty replenshing his coffers, and the supposed rift with Hillary supporters healed quickly despite his haveing spurned her as a running mate.

Cherubino in reply to tmbass

the difference between clinton and obama was mainly a matter of personality. The GOP field, other hand is deeply divided by ideology. when people were asked why they preferred clinton to obama, a lot of them said she's more experienced. If you ask republican voters why they support Santorum, many would tell you cos Romney isn't a conservative. Did you hear democrats call clinton, obama or edwards, not a democrat in the last election? that's how different the two races are.


Why has the GOP alienated every intelligent voter in this country by raising the flag of retarded religious fundamentalism. This obsession over abortion, menstruation, contraception, prayer, sex, marriage, and homosexuality has driven educated people far away from the party. Add in xenophobia and they have lost even the latinos who are otherwise willing to support the third world religious agenda.

It's as though a democrat is planning their strategy and destroying them from the inside.


The GOP blood-letting is very amusing, with luck it will continue up till a brokered convention. The more they haemorrhage money in the fratricidal carnage the better for the people of the USA. The candidates on offer are grotesque and make the British system seem wonderful in comparison. Those who founded the USA must be spinning in their graves to see the abortion of a political party that the GOP has become.

tmbass in reply to Cherubino

"If you ask republican voters why they support Santorum, many would tell you cos Romney isn't a conservative."

What (some) Santorum and Gingrich voters would tell you, perhaps, but not "Republican" voters. Mitt leads handily among Republican primary voters (delegates committed and votes cast) and among self-identified Republicans in national polls. Polls also show that he is broadly acceptable to all Republicans, most of whom already assume that he will win the party's nomination.

Some of the qualities that hurt Romney in the primaries with elements of the conservative base - social conservatives, specifically - make him better able to reach out to independents in the general election. That sais, he will find it much easier to win the nomination than the election.


Yes, Romney will have to "tack" to the center this Fall. But fear not! If anyone can alter, deny or reinterpret what he's recently said, its good ol' Mitt! That's for sure.

Truly Yours

The spectacle of the GOP shooting itself in the foot is just desserts for the party that stacked the Supreme Court with ideologues who ruled (FEC v. Citizens United) that unlimited monies may be spent to manipulate our elections. In America today, dollars speak louder than voters.

The billionaires who are funding Gingrich and Santorum's blood feud, Sheldon Adelson and Foster Friess, are vivid demonstrations of the moral turpitude of the oligarchy, which is destroying America in its greed for short-term profits.

john4law in reply to tmbass

The Democrats had record turnouts in their primaries and caucuses in 2008. The Republicans have mediocre to low turnouts in this election
cycle. That is not great news for November prospects for the Republicans in the Presidential contest.


Meanwhile Santorum and Gingrich who both have no hope of ever being president because sane people won't vote for them will destroy the only GOP candidate who could win. I hope they are very very proud of themselves.

They will give us 4 more years of Obama.

Well done!

AtlantisKing in reply to Apple

Funny, I thought that what led us to the brink of disaster was extending credit to people who could not handle it. That has stopped, despite the sincere efforts from the Fed and the Government in the opposite direction. Currently, the only irresponsible debtor to receive excessive credit is the U.S. Federal government - but that will be curtalied soon enough.

Friedman has nothing to do with any of this. If you are interested in his theories, try reading his books instead of bumper stickers.

DullerBill$ in reply to john4law

Yes but the issue was different though equally important.
Come ageneral election anything can happen who can be sure any of the current batch will be alive,electable or not indeendants bar the incumbent.

Like most democratic elections the result will be determined bya very samll number who I identify as two groups

1 The 3% of eligible voters who actually vote and are not already decide by party,if there is a 3rd candidate,their influence hikes.
2 The few thousand republican delegates and their fewwer paymasters who will determine the GOP candidate.Why peer into the crystal ball when you can read te bookies.Despite Paddy powers 70$% lean to Obama today (with an unkown opponent). Up against a more electable candidate and bad news from e.g. a Gulf War ,Taleban hostage scenario a la Jimmy Carter or simply economic debacle President Romney seems set for the job.

Despite this I think brighter GOp talent may await a better run in 2016


What is missed in this political forum is that neither candidate, Romney or Santorum, walked away with a political victory. What is truly sad is that it appears that the average American voter seems incapable of judging the core values of a candidate. Santorun is very aware that the United States will never become a manufacturing giant in the future. His "blue-collar base" is unaware that their man is advocating a two tier economic system where they occupy the bottom of one of the tiers.
There's a very old saying that none of these candidates appear to heed: "United we stand, divided we fall."


Republi-cants....what a circus. These holier-than-thou clowns just LOVE to tell you what you can’t do. Their campaign slogan should be “No you can’t”. The headlines just keep coming: Republicans condemn condoms! Republicans legislate forced trans-vaginal probes. Republicans tell us to have children of rape ...as a gift from God.  Republicans insult women in hateful word and deed ....degrading women who simply want to plan their families, and control their own bodies. What’s next with these guys? Republicans mandating missionary-position only? Procreation, not recreation...or else?  I really really hate to admit it, but Newt was right. ‘Cause Newt and all his Republican friends SHOULD set up a moon colony.... AND GO THERE! Then they could tell each other what to do, and how to live, and who to love.... and who to hate...while leaving the REST of us alone, in peace, back here on Earth. Newt, I always KNEW that you were a problem-solver. Unfortunately, you and your Republican friends ARE the problem. P.S. We may laugh, and smile, and ridicule...but I know that this is not a game. People that are elected DO affect our lives, and the lives of those we love. It does matter. If I want a find a preacher I go to my place of worship, NOT my voting booth...


Milton Friedman and his theories has led us on the brink of
disaster; with Romney, we will make a step ahead.

Country Boy

It is so very wrong to even contemplate the possibility of electing for president someone who is clearly evading taxes through fiscal paradises.
If the President of the country evades taxes, then what… are we becoming Venezuela?


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