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Monday, May 23, 2011

It’s hard being a GOP presidential candidate

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If you're a republican running for a national office, you have to be for the Ryan budget plan even though it's very unpopular. Paul Ryan told David Gregory of Meet the Press that he will double down because a leader changes the polls. David Gregory reminded Paul Ryan that he was a politician and not just a budget director and in the end his policies may spell doom for the Republican Party. The republicans like to say that Paul Ryan is a courageous leader because at least he put out a plan. If we are to use that standard then president Obama is a hero for passing the Health Care Law. Paul Ryan kept insisting that the democrats will scare old people by demagoguing his voucher plan for Medicare. In the very next sentence Mr. Ryan said that the democrats will set up a board of 15 bureaucrats to ration Health Care. You can't complain about demagoguing when you do the same thing.

Every serious republican presidential candidate has supported policies that are considered taboo today. In the past republicans have supported the individual mandate for Health Care, climate change legislation and cap-and-trade. Since that no longer is the case, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, and Jon Huntsman will have to spend much their time explaining their flip flops Jon Huntsman impressed the people of New Hampshire(liberals, conservatives and moderates) this past weekend by visiting a gun shop and explaining his positions without using hateful rhetoric. He is not backing away from his decision to serve in the Obama administration as an ambassador to China; in fact, he said if the president called, he would serve again. It is his belief that you just don't say no when the president asks you to help your country. I guess that we would just have to wait and see how well civility plays in a republican primary. It is puzzling why he picked Florida as this campaign headquarters because he's from Utah, where he served as governor. I suspect it's because it's the site of the republican convention, this year and Florida gets more media attention than Utah.

After all the hoopla about the president's remarks on the Israeli /Palestinian talks; most of the pundits agreed that present Obama was just repeating what has been the United States policy for years. Chris Wallace did say that he has never seen a leader from another nation lecture a sitting United States president at a press conference. I believe that lecture will have consequences down the road but if anybody thinks that the United States president will “throw Israel under the bus" they are genuinely naive. I was impressed that Chris Wallace chided Liz Cheney for saying that the president was leading from behind. He reminded Liz Cheney that the comment was from a journalist quoting an unidentified official of the White House. He asked her how she would have responded if someone had quoted an unidentified official  as the official Bush administration response. I don't think Herman Cain will last long after yesterday's performance. Chris Wallace asked him a simple question like what are your thoughts on "the right of return?" I can't believe the man running for president of the United States did not know what the "right of return meant." When asked if he would raise the debt ceiling, Mr. Cain said no and gave four of his reasons for not doing so. Then he admitted that his plan not to raise the debt ceiling won't work now, because Congress has allowed the situation to become a disaster. This man is not ready for prime time.

Now that Mitch Daniels has bowed out, the republicans are trying to convince Jed Bush or New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to run, but they will have some flip flops to consider. It's obvious that the republicans are not happy with their choices.

5 comments:

Edith Ann said...

In watching the Sunday morning news shows yesterday, the pundits were all making their short lists, and it seems Icky Raicky is moving up the short lists. Folks are dropping like flies!

Huntsman would probably like folks to kind of forget that he is a Mormon. Folks think Mormon when they hear 'Utah'. Not so with 'Florida'.

Chris Wallace often surprises me. Just when I think he is going to let the freaks get away with the snarky stuff on a FOX show, he calls them on it!

Mike said...

Edith Ann
Halfway stumped on "Icky Raicky"...Is that Rick Perry?..... I saw his name mentioned on one of the talk shows but can the GOP stomach his arrogance? I noticed that former Governor Johnson of New Mexico and Ron Paul were not mention at all.

Excellent point about Utah, I didn't quite put two and two together.... That's not enough for the evangelicals in South Carolina and Iowa but Huntsman knows that.

What do you think of city/ county officials blogging on VicAd?...

1.I don't think they would subject themselves to the comments.
2.It would be a unique tool to defend themselves but it could also be devastating.
3.I think something like that would boost your viewership tenfold; I can see the comments" did you read his/hers reply?"
4.I believe I've seen where you wrote that you're pretty sure they are reading and some might be commenting, anonymously of course....

Edith Ann said...

That should have been Icky Ricky. Yes, Rick Perry.

I'm not sure America is ready for a Mormon in the White House. Something tells me having elected a black man will NOT help get someone of a non-mainstream religion elected. (I know--in Utah and the area, Mormons ARE mainstream.)

What do you think of city/ county officials blogging on VicAd? I don't think they will.
As you know, blogging is a lot of work!

Why, even Dale Fowler was supposed to write one article for the Advocate a month, and I do not believe I have seen a thing from him in ages. Perhaps I'm just missing it. Yes, I know Dale Fowler is not an elected official, he just spends like one.

I think Jared has a fine idea, but none of them are going to take up the suggestion. They, for the most part, do not want to know what we think. Just look at the grief I get for asking questions!

Yes, I am 99% sure some are reading. The mayor was close when he called me Ethan Allen!

BIGJ said...

Personally, I want Rick Perry to run for President. Herman Cain is running because he is black. Huntsman, I like him but conservatives will trash him.

Mike said...

BigJ
This is one of those times where I disagree with you 100%.

Herman Cain won the first debate in conservative South Carolina... They love his anti- Obama, anti- Muslim message.

He is 180°of Jon Huntsman, who does not use harsh rhetoric and the conservatives will not like a stance on gay marriage, climate change, and other social issues.