News Christie Candidacy Would Cripple Romney

[Urwumpe]

I agree with you, and my question would be: What is your real plan?

I can't remember which ones have said "I will get you my plan shortly" and still haven't done so. If you don't have a plan before you join the candidacy, don't join.

Exactly. And in democracy, your own plan doesn't really matter, because it will not get through without changes anyway. But if you have no plan at all, nothing good can arise.

Even if somebody has very utopic plans - if he can explain how they can work out and how this is going to be paid, I am fine with it.

 

[insanity]

I actually think Christie would help out Romney by further splitting the vote between his tea party competition. In the end, I see this crop of GOP candidates suffering from two flaws. The first is that they aren't conservative enough to win a primary (see: John Huntsman) or that they are too conservative to win a general (see: Perry). I don't take anything as a given in this economy, but hopefully come inauguration day, I am toasting another 4 years of the most competent Administration in the last 50 years. The President's competition seems to be pretty weak.

 

[n0mad23]

Romney will go down the tubes as soon as anyone decides to challenge his business history. Ted Kennedy defeated him in `97 by invoking Romney's "success" with Ampad (American Pad and Paper Company in Indiana). Nine years to drive the co. into bankruptcy, but his private equity co. (Bain Capital) made $100 million. The economy wasn't so bad in `97, and Romney spent nearly 2:1 in his campaign but still lost.

Kennedy didn't know about what Bain did with GS Industries (a steel co. in North Carolina) or Baxter-International (medical supplies in Illinois) or even Sealy. Jobs lost: several thousand - industries closed: 2 of 3. Bain profits: over $1 billion.

Even a cynical US public can't take kindly to this.

Maybe Romney will be the motivation to actually tax equity capitalists here?

 

[Zachstar]

The current crop of GOP Presidential hopefuls is by FAR the worst I have ever seen. I know if I were still a republican today I would be speechless at the amount of utter and complete crap foaming from their mouths.

I am starting to believe that the GOP WANTS Obama to have a 2nd term. Because barring the next big thing being developed causing the economy to surge to boom levels. There is almost no chance in hell in my opinion of the party that takes the WH in 2012 will be voted in so in 2016. If say a Regan or for that matter a politician like George Bush (If he could) ran right now they would likely win the WH in 2012. Yet by 2016 the tea party is going to be replaced by a much more general group of people that have only one issue. Jobs and money. Those that will vote to punish the party in power.

No Sarah Palin, No Geb Bush, No Huckster. They decided not to run and I think it is fear of political defeat in 2016 is the reason.

So in my opinion Obama for 8 Years is almost a guarantee. Yet, The democrats better HOPE that something like the internet gets developed. Or 2016 in my opinion is going to be a political bloodbath with the normal GOP coming back.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

The problem I with the candidates (pretty much all of them, regardless of Party affiliation), is that neither party will hold up someone 'worthy' of the job.

[belief] Anyone worthy/deserving/capable of the job would be either unelectable due to personal beliefs or past decisions (who really cares about how they voted on an issue 30 years ago before they "grew up"), or they are not willing to subject themselves or families to the constant spotlight that they will have to endure on the campaign trail. [/belief]

Santorum is a pretty smart guy = unelectable
Bachman = uhh, probably nuts (kinda easy on the eyes though)
Ron Paul = another smart dude + old = unelectable
etc, and so on....

[opinion] Obama won because of Oprah Winfrey, before she endorsed him, his campaign was going nowhere. I also thought the press went really easy on him, now I'm not a Hillary Clinton fan, but the election was hers to lose, and she lost it. The economy was headed downward, and the Republican party was in power. Therefore, blame the Republicans and vote Democrat. Now the situation hasn't changed, the economy in many respects is worse, unemployment is high, and the Democrats are in power. But a fractured Republican party can't get past the internal squabbles to put forth a united front, and Obama will wind up winning again [/opinion]

Back to Christie as a candidate, I'm all for shaking up the current crop of candidates. Cull the pack of the people who have NO chance, and let the political heavies start battle.

 

[Saturn V]

Let me tell you all something. I'm a New Jersey resident (Christie is our...uh, "illustrious" governor).

He talks a good game (if you enjoy hearing an elected official pretend to be a "goodfella"), but in reality, he's a bully.

Here, he's generally referred to as "Fat Bastard"...even among those who voted for him.

Contrary to his campaign promises that he was "education friendly," he's destroyed public education in this state with budget cuts that actually save the state nothing, but do in fact cripple the system charged with teaching our children), displaced over 300 developmentally disabled women by closing the only center that cared for them, shuttered almost all of the planned parenthood & medical clinics statewide, laid-off almost half the cops in Camden (murder capitol of the United States), crippled the earning power of most of the state's employees - which wasn't much to begin with (massive increases on healthcare & pension contributions - funds the state has robbed blind and refused to repay over 17 of the last 20 years).

Yet he takes helicopters & limousines to his kids ballgames (which the taxpayers are of course paying for), allows tax cuts & breaks that only benefit him & his wealthy friends, tried to strong-arm the state's health benefits program into a plan administered by his buddy Norcross, and bailed on vacation (along with the lieutenant governor) during one of the worst blizzards ever to pass through here.

He is singularly the worst thing that has ever happened to this state and the reason why after 35 years as a registered republican, I renounced membership (though Whitman & a few others started the party's decline here long ago).

I can only pray that voters on the national scale would be smarter than we were if the bloated gas bag really does step into the arena.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I thank you for that straight-talk. All we get 'down here' is what the media outlets release. I don't trust CNN OR Fox News, nor do I want to put any faith in advertisements (for or against).
Just for the record, I don't vote straight Republican or Dem. I'm one of those "ticket-splitters" that neither party can stand.

 

[Ark]

So in my opinion Obama for 8 Years is almost a guarantee. Yet, The democrats better HOPE that something like the internet gets developed. Or 2016 in my opinion is going to be a political bloodbath with the normal GOP coming back.

I'm not as optimistic about 2012. The economy is complete , and that's the only thing that people really care about. People want to punish the party in power for not fixing everything overnight, and the GOP at least has enough functioning brain cells to promise all jobs, all the time. Nevermind the fact that once they're in power the GOP could give a crap about the poor and unemployed, but they'll promise everything they think people want to hear. I think they've got the momentum and will have the turnout in November. The swing states the carried Obama's election have seen total takeovers by the GOP and subsequent attempts to legislate minorities away from the polls. Unless things seriously get better in the next year, we may well end up with a president that thinks climate change is a lie, the Earth is 6000 years old, the EPA needs to be abolished, and the solution to all our problems is to give the hyperrich even more of our money.

 

[Urwumpe]

The important question will be: Who will believe the GOP? The tea party has only some remaining credibility among themselves, but this does not win elections. The moderate republicans are less bigot, but not really credible. And the conservative republicans are drained by the tea party and while more credible, pretty boring to those who want tea party ideals.

The only thing Obama needs in 2012 is a small sign that the economy will recover at the lowest of all citizens. And this can be produced. After all, Obama has something, that he can really put into the combat: Results. He kept (most) promises, caught his evil twin Osama, bailed out of Iraq. Even if the GOP would try to summon the terror fear, Obama is in the better position to win: He got Osama, while the president of the GOP failed it. Nothing is better for showing that you are the man to fight terror, than catching terrorists.

And really: Obama was the president when most of the bad guys met their maker. His methods are maybe evil, but find a candidate of the GOP would could protest against using drones without looking like he is lying like a trooper.

 

[Ark]

Obama's not going to be able to run on war and security, I think we're too sick and tired of Bush's wars to care about it anymore. When you're out of work, out of money and about to lose your house, you couldn't care less who is getting bombed overseas.

 

[RisingFury]

I can't remember which ones have said "I will get you my plan shortly" and still haven't done so. If you don't have a plan before you join the candidacy, don't join.

See, that's a common mistake voters make.

The two major factors that influence policy are state of economy and evolution of society. None of these are static. It's impossible to create universal policy that will work at all times because conditions change.

One should rarely make long term highly detailed plans because their outcome is based on current conditions. The long term plan should be a guideline, but requires short term plans to be constantly created and updated.


Also, I'd prefer someone who takes their time in creating a plan to someone who rushes it just to show they have one.

 

[Urwumpe]

Obama's not going to be able to run on war and security, I think we're too sick and tired of Bush's wars to care about it anymore. When you're out of work, out of money and about to lose your house, you couldn't care less who is getting bombed overseas.

Wrong. You can ALWAYS sell what you did good. Especially if it means that those who are now there saying that they would do it all different have been less successful in the past.

Nothing gets you more friends than success.

 

[Zachstar]

So far he has been campaigning on the negatives of the GOP which in my opinion is the only reason Obama will carry 2012. The GOP candidates are a joke. And today Christie decided not to let his name be part of this madness.

2016 is not going to be nearly as easy at this rate. More than 7 years of sluggish economy? Ya voters are really going to be politically angry and will vote whoever is in power out. That is the GOPs big chance. So Obama better have a crystal ball showing the next internet or something to cause the economy to boom again. Because in 2016... Ya.. I wouldn't want to run as a democrat I would lose badly.

 

[Saturn V]

You can ALWAYS sell what you did good.

And I can easily see Obama riding having rid the world of Bin Laden (even though he didn't personally or single-handedly pull that one off) all the way to re-election.

I think Comedian Lewis Black summed it up pretty well..."The United States is a two party system. You have the Democrats, which is a party of NO ideas...and you have the Republicans, which is a party of BAD ideas."

And that's about it in a nutshell.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Personally, I'm going to vote third party in this election, since BOTH parties are so FUBAR that they will take decades to become functional again...

 

[Saturn V]

Personally, I'm going to vote third party in this election, since BOTH parties are so FUBAR that they will take decades to become functional again...

Sadly, the reality is that voting "third-party" doesn't really accomplish much, because none of the third party candidates has any REAL chance of winning (at least not in The United States).

It's been the better part of 200 years since there was a viable third party here. Maybe...just maybe...it's time to give the Whigs another chance. Only drawback is that most of them are older than McCain was in '08...

 

[fireballs619]

All I can say is that I hope [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio"]he[/ame] runs in the 2016 election. I've listened to some of his speeches, and read up on his policies, and I must say that he doesn't seem as completely insane as everyone else.

 

[n0mad23]

Sadly, the reality is that voting "third-party" doesn't really accomplish much, because none of the third party candidates has any REAL chance of winning (at least not in The United States).

I think it's even sadder that this reality of always being forced to vote for the "lessor of two evils" is exactly why we're in the position we are. Third parties are probably the only way we can get change at this stage without being forced into something more extreme.

What everyone needs to realize is that the US representational democracy is run by the top earning 1% to work for the top earning 1%, and that the other 99% of us have no representation at all. In other words, if you want more of exactly the same by all means vote Republican or Democrat.

I actually had hopes for Obama, but didn't vote for him precisely because I knew better. My hope was in our parallel histories, and I really hoped his youth in Indonesia would have translated into a bit more compassion. But, as an "electable" candidate, I knew where his real interests lie.

Conservatives vs. Liberals - where are there any people that are really one or the other? Everyone I've talked to or corresponded with seems to be a mixture of both (each leaning a bit more one way than the other), and standing back and watching it all with a bit of distance reminds me of watching a bunch of barnyard animals squabbling over the scraps of food tossed onto the ground.

 

[Tommy]

Voting for a "third party" candidate has it's risks. There is little chance they would win - at least in a Presidential election, and it can take votes away from the better candidate. If Nader hadn't run, we likely would have had Gore instead of Bush. Gore wasn't great - but he was better than Jr.

Yet, voting third party also has it's advantages. The system has a fairly high "bar" to entrance - it takes tons of petitions and stuff to get a third party candidate onto the ballot.

If, however, the third party (let's say the Green Party) gets enough of the vote (don't remember how much - think it's around 15%) then they will be automatically included on the next election - AND they then qualify for federal campaign funds.

So there is a catch-22. No third party will be viable until it gets enough of the vote to qualify as legit - and until then nobody wants to "throw their vote away".

As a side note - I expect Scott Walker (Governor of Wisconsin) to run for President in 2016, at least if he survives the recall attempts this coming spring (which is FAR from certain). Please do not vote for him - he's just another cog in the rich machine.

 

[n0mad23]

Voting for a "third party" candidate has it's risks. There is little chance they would win - at least in a Presidential election, and it can take votes away from the better candidate. If Nader hadn't run, we likely would have had Gore instead of Bush. Gore wasn't great - but he was better than Jr.

Unfortunately this myth has become "fact" somewhere along the way. Gore did beat Dubya. The election was first hijacked by Florida, and then handed to the loser by our Supreme Court. If the recount had been allowed to happen, Gore would almost have guaranteed a win unless the Electoral College wanted to risk a Constitutional Crises. Even with Nader running, Gore had more popular votes.

Every single source EXCEPT FOX says the same thing.

The scariest part of this is the Supreme Courts decision, even with the dissenting commentary. I invite all impacted to actually read the decision - Scalia's conclusion is terrifying. Apparently, we not only have no Constitutional right to vote, but any election can be canceled for any reason. No a good sign for democracy.