Disagree. Pence would add nothing to the ticket. Rubio would be the ultimate VP candidate. Latin and from Florida is a double whammy for Republicans. I agree with you that Romney is the most formidable and has all but declared his intentions, but Haley Barbour is still my pick. My prediction is a Barbour/Rubio ticket in 2012. If not Barbour/Toomey. Republicans have a clear path if they can pick off FL or PA. The only person on the above mentioned list that would wipe the floor with Obama is The Donald. If I were Obama I would be a little concerned about him getting into the race. I just can't see Obama beating The Donald on an economic debate. That would really hurt him especially if things don't improve over the next two years.

I think it would be very close if Romney or Barbour were the nominee. Chris Christie has all but said he is not running. Pawlenty would also be formidable but he wouldn't get out of a primary. You could say the same for Pataki. Huckabee would give him a good run but I still think Obama would pull it off. Don't know enough about Thune or Daniels to have an opinion. The rest are just way too far to the right and would lose a general against Obama. It will be interesting to see if the Republicans are interested in winning or interested in purity. Time will tell.

Ed:

Thank you for your comments. No disrespect intended, but are you from the South? Barbour is having trouble with his racial comments which will haunt him later, plus his tax payer paid for plane rides does not look good. I often look at what candidates have the least baggage? Romney's support of healthcare in Mass and his Mormon background hurts him with many Tea Partiers. But moderates will out number the Tea partiers.

Tea Party members will want someone of their liking on the ticket. Palin, Huckabee and Pence will have to fight it out for that slot. My bet is Palin and Huckabee will neutralize each other and Pence becomes the alternative.

Daniels is Indiana's governor and he has about as much personality as an old dish rag.

Again, thanks for your comments.

Hey Ron,

I think that would certainly be a better match up than the last one. There is a strong case to be made against Obama and they may be the ones to make it.

Obama campaigned against "Bush's failed economic policies." He excoriated Bush for his spending, yet Obama has greatly outspent Bush. A trillion dollar stimulus and unemployment hasn't budged? Obama railed against Bush's "tax cuts", yet has now even endorsed them, saying they will help the economy.

Obama promised to close GITMO first thing. How'd he do on that? Obama lashed Bush over the Patriot Act, etc. but has taken it to another level. Drone assassinations - more than Bush. Civilian trials? What a joke.

Afghanistan? Obama vowed to win the war. We are now losing troops at a monthly average of 6 times the loss rate under Bush - and not even Obama is talking about "winning" anything anymore.

HCR? America hates it more every day. Obama said it would bend the cost curve, now laughs and says you can't add 30 milliom people for nothing. What till more and more is found out.

FinRef didn't touch Fannie and Freddie. That problem is coming back. Housing Market? Only Habitat for Humanity is growing.

Obama's lame duck successes. We'll see what DADT and retention/ recruitment looks like in two years. Probably not anything Obama will want to hang a hat on. START - see what that looks like in two years with Iran and N. Korea and who knows who else is threatening the world and our missile defense is tied to an irrelevant threat from 40 years ago.

Regardless of the above though, America wants their Presidents to succeed. Even Bush got re-elected. Obama hasn't accomplished anything in a positive way. Nothing is better today than it was before Obama. Even his best argument is that he kept it from getting worse. But Obama won the first time with no record of success or achievement other than the ability to deliver a great speech.

Palin is a joke, she is almost a cartoon character. But her message is not a joke. If the Republicans can find someone to effectively deliver the message and clarify the reality of Obama's Presidency, the ineffectiveness of his progressive, big government agenda.....

it could be interesting.

None taken. I'm from NY. I don't believe Barbour is the first politician to make racial comments. People cling to their guns and religon comes to mind. I think you are putting too much emphasis on these things. People are clearly voting for who will turn around the economy. Not who posed nude for a womens magazine (see senator from MA). Putting emphasis on things other than the economy has been the President's and Democrats problem all along.

Ron Indiana

I'm predicting a Romney-Pence ticket. Romney to get the moderate vote and Pence to get the Tea Party Vote. This ticket will lose to an Obaman-Biden ticket.

I agree with you.

Mitt Romney is also spending the holidays in the Aloha State.

In 2007, Romney used a holiday trip to Utah to speak with his family about a 2008 presidential candidacy; a Romney spokesman tells the Globe that "there will likely be family discussions this year, but Romney will not announce whether he'll run again until the spring.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/134883-obama-and-romney-both-in-hawaii-for-holidays

===========================================

So it just may be.

Ed: I responded to your comments on the previous thread, but let's keep the dialogue here. I agreee that the economy is the bigger issue. And there are significant signs that it is turning around. Unemployment will be the last indicator to improve, but it will. Wished the Republicans would have supported the jobs bill, but they didn't. I was somewhat surprised that Christmas shopping was as strong as it was. The next 18 months will give us a clearer picture of how the economy is doing.

President Obama's slip on guns and religion was a poor choice of words. Barbour went beyond a slip of the tongue. Don't put any money on Barbour...or the Giants.

Good Afternoon Bev:

Well, at least two of us know the right answer.

The Republicans and Corporate America will do whatever it takes to keep Americans jobless between now and 2012, they control the economy,own Congress, and have no sense of Patriotism or morals, nuff said.

There is no way Obama is getting re-elected. I would vote for Palin before I voted for Obama again.

Ron,

I don't see any significant trend that the economy is turning around. Just some nonsense here and there that it may or may not be. A credit card was the reason Xmas shopping was strong. My money is still on Barbour not on the Giants. Don't count out those Jets.

Ed

Ed,

Try watching something besides FAUX TV. It's keeping you ignorant of real-world conditions.

You'll need accurate information to survive and take advantage of the obvious growth that I see every day and I live in South Florida!

Ron,

START - see what that looks like in two years with Iran and N. Korea and who knows who else is threatening the world and our missile defense is tied to an irrelevant threat from 40 years ago.

Or, how about two hours?

About that N.Korea stuff. China evidently has just deployed the world's first "carrier killer" anti-ship ballistic missile designated the Dong Feng-21D. As we send ships to protect friends in S. Korea, (or Japan) China deploys the weapon designed to sink these very ships.

We have only 24 Burke and Ticonderoga class BMD (ballistic missile defense) ships that are capable of dealing with this threat. They are committed to defending Europe, as well as a few for Persian Gulf States.

Why is this relevant? Obama reneged on commitments for missile defense for Europe to appease the Russians. To appease Europe, he depolyed our limited number of BMD ships to protect them. Now we have we to withdraw our carriers from the Korean Peninsula.

And now because of START, we can't develop/expand missile defense, now or in the future!

Game Changer? Yea, for national security issues..... that's what stupid, catastrophic fumbles are.

Game Changer for 2012? It will be interesting, especially if more of the many loose Obama chickens come home to rooost.

BTW - Obama is inept, clueless and out of his depth on national defense. The Republicans know this and yet they helped ratify START when it was so easy to not ratify it. This is on them too.

Thanks BeauBenn I'll keep that in mind. You stay out of the sun as well. Don't forget Keith O is on vacation this week.

John Thune is a less intelligent version of Sarah Palin.

Instant Analysis:

Granted, this poll is about as unscientific it can be...But Romney is winning by almost three to one, with Huckabee coming in at a distant second. Palin a distant third. Even if you combine Palin and Huckabee, (the Tea Party favorites) they are still beaten by Romney.

It's looking like a Romney--___ticket. And President Obama can beat Mitt Romney.

Bob, you have no idea what you are talking about. The Ticonderoga and Burke are are classes of ships, both using the AEGIS system. There are well over 24 Burke class destroyers that use this system, try over 62 ships, and I believe 6 Ticonderoga Class cruisers which might I add are all old and outdated. So basically everything you say has to be tossed out as BS. Don't listen to faux news so much because they never have their facts, just do a quick google search for burke class destroyers and you will see we have more than 24, and they ALL have AEGIS so don't try to say that only 24 of the 62 are capable of missile defense because I promise I know more about them than you do.

Bob:

I do not engage with those who have no credibility. You, NoJo, JoAnna are simply Fox News followers with no credibility. You may be happier on a right-wing website. As DDC says, You don't know what you are talking about.

Welcome back civil discourse.....thanks Ron.

about as polarizing as Nancy Pelosi

And yet, look where the witch is today!

Haley Barbour? I just don't see his Deep South ways going very far with the voters. He is the New South, where virulent racism still exists but is much more subliminal in this day. He will deny to the death he holds those old views but I live in a Southern Red State and aside from the openness of racism not much has truly changed. In lower Alabama and Mississippi, Obama received on 1 in 10 white votes. MLK probably could have done as well if he could have run in '68. There is still a huge chunk of the populace here that doesn't truly believe the Civil Rights Act was a good thing. Oh sure I expect to see blanket denials from Repubs down here but reality trumps delusion every time.

Sadly this area is going to have a huge influence on the '12 election especially with the primary changes. Palin could win my state as the GOP nom. SC is a very red state (purety tests and all). Haley and Scott appear to represent diversity but in actuality they have little support amongst minorities. I do believe Palin could carry the state in the national election. That only makes me sadder for my state. Little doubt why we continually end up in the bottom five of quality of life issues. I don't think she has a chance at the national level but crazier things have happened.

exactly voxrationis. I'm not saying that I like Barbour its just a prediction. Can't a guy make a prediction? When you look at the states that decide the Republican nominee and consider the primary voters I think Barbour has a good shot to come out the winner. I didn't say he could win the general although he does have a shot. It will all depend on the voters and how good the economy and healthcare reform are over the next two years. If both are failing you can bet that Barbour will have a shot at defeating Obama.

DCC70,

Sorry I wasn't clear. Yea we have 59 Arleigh Burke class destroyers (3 are being built), but it is my understanding that as of March 2009 we had only 15 with SM-3 Standard Ballistic missile defense for the Aegis BMD capable of dealing with the Dong Feng-21D which closes at Mach10.

If I'm wrong, (and I realize they are updating) please provide the number of Burke-class ships capable at this time and the specific weapon system used.

Any problems with the rest of the post?

Thanks for your comments. It is fun having exchange with someone other than the clueless regulars like Ron.

BTW- I don't listen (I thought Fox was TV) to faux. The article was by the editors of Investors Business Daily.

Bob180

...wow...not going to say much about your START post; just glad you know better than EVERY living current and former Sec. of Defense and State, except for the Retard, (that would be Rumsfeld).

But as for your earlier post (you know, the one that WAS on topic,) when you look to 2012 and say something so void of reality-based thinking as "...Nothing is better today than it was before Obama..." we Liberal-and-Proud's gotta call you out (Yeah, Liberal and Proud...you know...like both Roosevelt's and Lincoln!)

Promises Kept, (and here's the important part...) IN JUST THE FIRST 2 YEARS:

http://blackwaterdog.wordpress.com/2010/12/19/1506/

1. Create an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to invest in peer-reviewed manufacturing processes.

2. Increase minority access to capital.

3. Require economic justification for tax changes.

4. Implement “Women Owned Business” contracting program.

5. Change standards for determining broadband access.

6. Establish a credit card bill of rights.

7. Expand loan programs for small businesses.

8. Extend and index the 2007 Alternative Minimum Tax patch.

9. Close the “doughnut hole” in Medicare prescription drug plan.

10. Expand the Senior Corps volunteer program.

11. Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions.

12. Give tax credits to those who need help to pay health premiums.

13. Require large employers to contribute to a national health plan.

14. Require children to have health insurance coverage.

15. Expand eligibility for Medicaid.

16. Expand eligibility for State Children’s Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP).

17. Require health plans to disclose how much of the premium goes to patient care.

18. Establish an independent health institute to provide accurate and objective information.

19. In non-competitive markets, force insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums for patient care.

20. Eliminate the higher subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans.

21. Expand funding to train primary care providers and public health practitioners.

22. Increase funding to expand community based prevention programs.

23. Reinstate executive order to hire an additional 100,000 federal employees with disabilities within five years.

24. Increase the Veterans Administration budget to recruit and retain more mental health professionals.

25. Fully fund the Veterans Administration.

26. Assure that the Veterans Administration budget is prepared as ‘must-pass’ legislation.

27. Expand the Veterans Administration’s number of “centers of excellence” in specialty care.

28. Appoint a special adviser to the president on violence against women.

29. Fully fund the Violence Against Women Act.

30. Direct military leaders to end war in Iraq.

31. Begin removing combat brigades from Iraq.

32. No permanent bases in Iraq.

33. Send at least two additional brigades to Afghanistan.

34. Strengthen and expand military exchange programs with other countries.

35. Make greater investment in advanced military air technology.

36. End the abuse of supplemental budgets for war.

37. Make U.S. military aid to Pakistan conditional on anti-terror efforts.

38. Give a speech at a major Islamic forum in the first 100 days of his administration.

39. Allocate Homeland Security funding according to risk.

40. Create a real National Infrastructure Protection Plan.

41. Increase funding for local emergency planning.

42. Stand down nuclear forces to be reduced under the Moscow Treaty.

43. Appoint a White House Coordinator for Nuclear Security.

44. Initiate a grant and training program for law enforcement to deter cyber crime.

45. Improve relations with Turkey, and its relations with Iraqi Kurds.

46. Launch an international Add Value to Agriculture Initiative (AVTA).

47. Create a rapid response fund for emerging democracies.

48. Grant Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to Cuba.

49. Restore funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program.

50. Establish an Energy Partnership for the Americas.

51. Expand the Nurse-Family Partnership to all low-income, first-time mothers.

52. Release presidential records.

53. Require new hires to sign a form affirming their hiring was not due to political affiliation or contributions.

54. Provide affordable, high-quality child care.

55. Recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession.

56. Reduce subsidies to private student lenders and protect student borrowers.

57. Encourage water-conservation efforts in the West.

58. Increase funding for national parks and forests.

59. Increase funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

60. Expand Pell grants for low-income students.

61. Remove more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfires.

62. Push for enactment of Matthew Shepard Act, which expands hate crime law to include sexual orientation and other factors.

63. Restore funding to the EEOC and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

64. Reform mandatory minimum sentences.

65. Fully fund the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

66. Establish ‘Promise Neighborhoods’ for areas of concentrated poverty.

67. Create an artist corps for schools.

68. Add another Space Shuttle flight.

69. Increase spending to prepare for longer space missions.

70. Establish school programs to highlight space and science achievements.

71. Establish special crime programs for the New Orleans area.

72. Rebuild schools in New Orleans.

73. Fund a major expansion of AmeriCorps.

74. Appoint the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer.

75. Provide grants to early-career researchers.

76. Work to overturn Ledbetter vs. Goodyear.

77. Create a national declassification center.

78. Create new financial regulations.

79. Increase funding for land-grant colleges.

80. Ban lobbyist gifts to executive employees.

81. Sign health care bill into law by the end of the first term.

82. Create new criminal penalties for mortgage fraud.

83. Raise fuel economy standards.

84. Invest in all types of alternative energy.

85. Enact tax credit for consumers for plug-in hybrid cars.

86. Create a ‘Green Vet Initiative’ to promote environmental jobs for veterans.

87. Create job training programs for clean technologies.

88. Require states to provide incentives for utilities to reduce energy consumption.

89. Invest in public transportation.

90. Equalize tax breaks for driving and public transit.

91. Double federal spending for research on clean fuels.

92. Increase funding for the Environmental Protection Agency.

93. Extend unemployment insurance benefits and temporarily suspend taxes on these benefits.

94. Reverse restrictions on stem cell research.

95. End Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

96. START II ratified by Senate

97. 9/11 First responders Healthcare paid for (ABOUT TIME!)

Source: http://blackwaterdog.wordpress.com/2010/12/19/1506/

(plus #'s 95, 95 & 97, which Obama JUST added, since above source published the list LAST WEEK!)

Lincoln, Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Clinton, Obama -- Sorry, but we LIBERALS will no longer allow you to paint that word in a negative light!

FIRST READ: palin is an idiot.

LAST READ: palin is an idiot.

GRATS:

Ed. I disagree about Donald Trump, his messy personal life and his obnoxious personality would likely turn off plenty of voters--there are probably others like me who simply find Trump disgusting; I respect his ability to make money but that's about it. Pres Obama can hold his own on economics and every other issue--too many folks underestimate his abilities.

Pataki might have the best shot at the primary; the others are pretty much all retreads. Pataki/Thune provided they can survive the Tea Party purity tests.

Ron,

I do not engage with those who have no credibility.

Gosh Ron, I was nice, respectful and stated that basically Romney-Pence ticket would be a better match up than McCain-Palin was. I gave some reasons why I thought that whoever is the ticket could make it interesting. That's all I said. What was not credible?

You, NoJo, JoAnna are simply Fox News followers with no credibility.

Thanks for putting me in the same sentence with NoJo and JoAnna. THAT'S CREDIBILITY. It's fun to see you guys huddled in your herd pontificating to each other and patting each other on the back with the well saids/etc and to watch NoJo or JoAnna wade in take on the herd. I don't recall them losing any exchanges, funny maybe it's just me, but for most independents reading the exchange they would would probably agree. And that's all that matters in the end, that and to have some fun.

You may be happier on a right-wing website.

What fun would that be? If you have a liberal site that has liberals who are a capable of reasonably, challenging our views, offering an intelligent argument, or coming up with something other than "I don't engage with those who have no credibility"when they have no reply/clue - that would be great. Got any recommendations?

As DDC says, You don't know what you are talking about.

I clarified my position to DCC. The guy that promised he knows more than I do and was so aggressively defending you has been quiet for awhile?

Maybe I'm right? Who knows.

You evidently don't.

Jonbo,

Sorry for your useless waste of time, but I didn't comment about promises.

Let's keep it simple. The number one priority of the American people, the number one focus Obama said he would have, the most important thing above everything else - jobs/economy.

Any of the 100 or so things you mention help unemployment go down?

I'm thinking Scott Brown-Tim Pawlenty ticket.

I clarified my position to DCC. The guy that promised he knows more than I do and was so aggressively defending you has been quiet for awhile?

Uh OH!

Looks like little Joey from Albany has some stiff competitiion with which one of you is the bigger *Attention Whore*

Bottom line is Bobble Head Bobby... you still have a LONG way to go before you earn admission to the Feisty Redhead Fan Club!

Bob: "Sorry for your useless waste of time (Jonbo), but I didn't comment about promises."

Actually, you did mention promises, but that's not what I called you on - "Nothing is better today than it was before Obama," was what I called you on. You rightly state that he has not YET come thru on his promise to close Gitmo. There is, in fact, more than one promise that he made during his campaign that he hasn't kept...YET. The "...100 or so things (I) mention..." however, speak to an EPIC number of promises he HAS ALREADY kept in just the first two years of his 16 years in the WH (I'm counting Michelle's 8!!!) And what possible better measure of a President's success, than the number of things he said before being elected, (ie.. WHY he was elected), that he actually accomplishes after being elected? Yeah - "...100 or so..." in less than 2 years: EPIC!

"Any of the 100 or so things you mention help unemployment go down?"

Yes, MOST of them, but for time/effort's sake, let's just look at ALL 7 of the first 7 on the list:

1. Create an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to invest in peer-reviewed manufacturing processes. This president knows more about bringing people together toward common purpose than any other in our lifetime. AMF equals more collaboration, equals more efficiency across entire industries within manufacturing, equals more MONEY to hire with, (isn't that what you Repub's have been spouting for 40+ yrs? "Let us keep more money on OUR bottom-line, and you'll have the jobs"?)

2. Increase minority access to capital. (Not going to insult the readers by explaining why that's a good thing).

3. Require economic justification for tax changes. More transparency/accountability in tax changes AND less red-tape for businesses to get thru (again, sounds kinda like what y'all are always screaming for "BUT OMG...WE CAN'T POSSIBLY AGREE WITH IT WHEN HE SAYS IT !!!" )

4. Implement “Women Owned Business” contracting program. (See note above for #2)

5. Change standards for determining broadband access. Because the way it was originally set-up left out HUGE SWATHS (some 2-3 states wide!) uncovered. Broadband represented yet another giant leap forward for the whole of mankind, that COINCIDENTALLY occurred during the Bush Admin. - and yet another fumble by the same Bush administration!

6. Establish a credit card bill of rights. Allows people to keep more of their money, AND protects consumers' credit rating, a more-and-more-often-used criteria for GETTING a job in the first place.

7. Expand loan programs for small businesses. (Again, see note above for #2).

"Any of the 100 or so things you mention help unemployment go down?"

Yes, MOST of them, but for time/effort's sake, let's just look at ALL 7 of the first 7 on the list:

Unemployent hasn't gone down. In fact, the last report - it went up.

ok, if you want to play the (entirely) semantic game, between the (admittedly slowly) dropping unemployment numbers we're seeing now, and the 15+% DEPRESSION that EVERY credible economist (20%+ by some accounts) says that we would be seeing if Obama had done nothing different than Bush - fine. (Thought we got that out of the way before the election last month, but whatever.)

Said it here before, and I'll say it again - Obama knew 2 yrs. ago that he would "...take a shellacking..." last month. There's no way in hell to fix the enormity of problems with which the last 8 yrs. left us, in one and a half. Can't be done. And that was gonna suck for Dem's in 2010 no matter what, (because, while it's completely true that "We'd be ALOT worse off without everything the Dem's did", that sux as a bumper-sticker!) Can't fix 8 million jobs lost in a year and a half. Can't fix pissing off MOST of the rest of the world for 8 yrs on a disturbingly consistent basis, in a year and a half. But you know what Bob - we put a guy in there who IS capable of fixing enough of those problems in 4 years that it doesn't matter a stitch whom you run in 2012. Y'all's next meaningful Presidential election will be 2020, trying to keep Michelle from being RE-elected!

whoa - jump back - Quote myself...aayyyy !

...between the (admittedly slowly) dropping unemployment numbers...

just heard on lunch break (NPR): Unemployment dropped to lowest level in 2/12 years - existing home sales up 3 1/2% (also much better than even the WH expected).

I'm gonna go even further out on a limb (than Michelle 2016), and be the 1st to say:

"Malia for America 2024 !!!" (Just kidding - she'll only be 26!) Have a great New Year's weekend all !!! (you too Bob - Happy New Year!)

Rubio should be picked for VP even though they will lose with whom ever but in 2016 Jeb and Rubio ticket could be a winner for the GOP

No way Romney will be the candidate, Christians will not vote for someone that believes he will become a god and have his own populated planet, there is only one God. And women will not vote for someone that believes they are not equal to a man.

I agree completely. Besides by 2012 the American people will realize the economy has recovered and that IF you have a college degree, or a needed skill, your unemployment rate is closer to 4% to 5% and IF you have no salable, new-age skills the unemployment rate is closer to 15% to 18%.

Housing and interest rates will begin to climb a noticeable amount and everyone will feel the forward momentum. You don't brake, when you have momentum. Obama will be reelected easily with no hanging chad. The Healthcare issue will bite Repugs on the A55.

Electing any Republican or Tea Bagger is like inviting DOOM to your life. Being AGAINST everything is not a direction, or an effective strategy.

Some of you folks need to realize it's nearly 2011. We ain't ever goin' back to 1953. Grow up, or get out of the way.

Feisty - you are absolutely correct. I would love to see Palin be the 2012 nominee for the Republicans though, so she can lose resoundingly and finally (hopefully) go back to Alaska and stay there. So sick of her running her mouth up and down the Country to whoever will listen to that shrill screech of hers. Anyhow, I am sure the Native Americans would have liked to "Take Back Our Country" for the past 300 years or so, too. These right-wing nut t-baggers will never quite slamming our President though. He can't say "boo" without them making a big ruckus. They just can't accept the fact he was actually fairly and legitimately elected as POTUS. Sorry bunch of losers, aren't they??

I wouldn't let any of them polish my boots; much less run anything of any importance.

Paul Ryan-Marco Rubio.

Ryan's as smart as Obama (actually a lot smarter, plus...he MUST have better political instincts) and Rubio is a rising star.

Obama-Biden?

Yesterday's news...and, it hasn't been good news, has it?

Happy New Year, everybody!

Sorry bunch of losers, aren't they??

You sure got THAT right geecee! ;0) The list above has enough 'baggage' to fill the belly of a 747!

PS: Mixed - My Love, Happy New Year to you as well! Give the rest of the 'gang' my regards will ya?

No, Paul Ryan is not as smart as President Obama. He is smart but he was thumped badly by the President during last year's GOP Caucus Meeting when the Pres proved Ryan was wrong. Remember the televised drubbing. Obama was one against many and the many could not keep up.

Hi Feisty.

I think if Romney were to come out strong for Health Care, and ignore the far right, independant conservatives like myself might be very tempted to vote for him. If he also pushed for re-instating our goal of going back to, and staying on, the moon, I would jump ship. I have to admit, Health Care and Constellation's Cancellation are the good and the bad for me.

It is a sad statement on the condition of the republican party that the list of republican hopefuls provided by the article are the bottom of the barrel and political has-bins! Also, frieghtening is that if you compared each of the republican idiots on that list with former President Putin of Russia, Putin would by far be the best candidate!!! Yikes America!!!!! Can't the republican party do better than that????

Hi Dennis!

Thanks for posting your reasonable conservative thoughts! Please stop by more often...

Trust me... it's a most refreshing change of pace around here!

Scrapping the NASA program is a HUGE mistake...

Wishing you a Happy - Healthy & Prosperous 2011! *cheers*

So true Feisty:-)

For Feisty and the other Vick/Obama fans here:

"I have been studying the traits and dispositions of the 'lower animals' (so called) and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man. I find the result humiliating to me."

Mark Twain Letters form the Earth

Can you explain what a "Dumb and Dumber" ticket is please?

I little civility, please.

I think JFK-2112 is running for President as a democrat.

JFK-2112, you add no value or credit to your position when you immediately turn to grade school antics like name calling. I think as JEC-2226541 said - a little civility please - its always in order.

Republicans had better start getting Palin out of the picture now or they will lose whatever credibility they have left. She cost them the last election and keeping her in the fore front of their party will cost them again. Sure she draws crowds. So does the side show at the circus. They had better get busy looking for someone with brains and a knowledge of how the government works. But then again, run her. Obama can get the rest of the job done. We're beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and with 4 more years, he can get the sun to shine again!

I agree Sarah will run. Especially if Mitt Romney runs. She will get the tea party votes because he is more moderate. He'll waste his time against her and she will be the Republican nominee and Obama will run away with the election with more Republican votes than in 2008.

Anyone ever notice that the Tea Party keeps saying they want to take "their" country back, but, they never say back to where?

Back to when ONLY white men could occupy the Oval Office...

Fisty Redbush, what an ignorant comment...

JFK - That was mild.

back to when adultery and blasphemy were punishable by death...

jfk-2112- what is the problem with feisty redhead- she appears to be 100% correct. a tea bagger coloring book only has white crayons- saw one on e-bay a few weeks ago.

Bill, you can't be as ignorant as FistyRedBush...then again.

Where would the tea party like to take our country back too? The last stretch of prosperity in the 1990's? Disco time 1970's? Pre-civil rights 1950's? No women voting 1890's? Please enlighten us...

We are a country of ups and downs, when we swing low - we come back twice as strong...I'm all for moving forward. We learn from our past, not return to it....

Fisty Redbush

Did you think that one up all by yourself little guy... OR... did you have to ask Mommy for help?

"in the book section, Sarah Palins "Going Rogue" right next to Decisions points, and Sarah Palins newest book along with Glenn becks newest book, in the center was Bill O'Rally's new book Patriots and Pinheads", since then I have been trying to figure out exactly which one of these authors are patriots and which are pinheads."

Let me clear that one up for you H2Q. They are ALL pinheads!

Honestly, i think they want to go back to when they were the happiest, childhood. That great part of life when the tea baggers weren't worried about their future, didn't worry about money, didn't worry about terrorists, and weren't watching Fox news 24 hours a day.

I don't think Sarah Palin is interested in running for President. I think after getting a taste of the money that's available for public speaking and the like, I really believe that she has "taken the money and ran".

For this action , I find no fault.

Look at the platform that Rush Limburgh has - and the money he makes doing it? You can criticize everything but no be accountable for anything. Anyone of us would take that job in a minute and be extremely happy.

That's our Sarah ! Acting like she 'may" run for office is just a way to keep her relevant and keep the paychecks high. Think about what she had prior to McCain "discovering" her... she's come a long way and if you think about it...if she *doesn't* run for President in 2012 then her 15 minutes of fame are over! So, she needs to maximize her income over the next 2 years .

We alll know that she probably couldn't make it out as the Rebublican nominee because Huckabee and Romney would embarass her in the primary debates.

Why go through all that when you can make your familiy comforatble and build a niche on Facebook/Twitter ?

Pablo:

Please. If she doesn't run in 2012, she'll just make up an excuse and say she will run in 2016. The sheep will baaaaaaah and follow her.

I think Pablo makes a good point. Create some cash while you still have time. I don't think she'll say she will run in 2016.

By then her popularity will be all used up and some new loon will take their place on the stage of crazies.

Her popularity has already declined except her faithful. Her latest book--there's a warehouse full of copies no one wants, sales are way down. I have a friend who picked up Going Rogue at Goodwill for 50 cents, who read the first couple chapters and donated it back to Goodwill--I'm not kidding either.

BUT- Regan had brains. Even IF they were in irreversible decline.

Palin does not even have the support of main stream conservatives. She has zero chance. But hey, if you think she can win, go for it

soda, The difference being Reagan didn't quit in the middle of a term in office and he knew how to work with others to get things done. He also was able to surround himself with intelligent people. Palin on the other hand...

sodakhic

Yeah you yokels are hoping and praying that she's sinking. Reagan was behind by 25% to Carter with 8 months to go, they said he was toast and he won in a landslide. So pull your knickers up boys it's going to be a fun two years.

The difference between Reagan and Silly Sarah is Reagan could act and Follow directions. Even if Nancy had to whisper his crib notes in his ears he could repeat it back correctly. Silly Sarah cant even read notes from palm correctly.

WALLACE: Can I ask you, what do you have written on your hand?

PALIN: $3.8 trillion in the next ten years, so I have didn’t say $3.7 trillion and get dinged by the liberals saying I didn’t know what I was talking about.

Watch it:

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/01/palin-bush-cuts/

Despite the preparation of her “cheat sheet,” she still doesn’t know what she is talking about.

For one thing, according to the Pew Economic Policy Group, an extension of all of the Bush tax cuts will cost $3.1 trillion over ten years, once the costs of servicing the debt are factored in

On Foreign Policy forget it a diplomat or head of state would blow Smiling, oops, smirking Sarah's mind in a nano-second.

The insane clown posse of Tea baggers are notready for prime time. They're stupid, ignorant, arrogant, comical, and too bellicose.

For instance, Gov Christie thinks he's a “Sopranos” star like James Gandolfini who can knock off people and not pay his bills.

Crowd roars, laughs out loud and booes tea baggers.

"We can’t just leave it up the parents.” M. Obama

“Instead of a government thinking that they need to take over and make decisions for us, according to some politician’s — or politician’s wife’s — priorities, just leave us alone, get off our back, and allow us, as individuals, to exercise our own God-given rights to make our own decisions.” - S. Palin

So, who are the real stupid, ignorant, arrogant and comical clowns? The ones that believe they need Michelle to tell them what to eat and the federal government to help make lunch, or .....

Another funny, if Michelle is such a nutrition and wellness and fitness expert, why does her pw husband still smoke? Why does she have to pull every dress up to arm pits to hide her figure.

Don't recall Sarah having to do that "fashion" joke.

If Obama is the smartest guy in the world, yet needs two teleprompters to go to a high school speech..

Why is Sarah stupid for putting a figure on her palm?

Bob, I hope Sarah keeps on taking cheap shots at our First Lady. That way, she would have no ground to stand on when Todd Palin's association with a treasonous political party advocating secession is scrutinized. Why does Todd Palin hate America anyway?

bob-1805084

Another funny, if Michelle is such a nutrition and wellness and fitness expert, why does her pw husband still smoke? Why does she have to pull every dress up to arm pits to hide her figure.

Don't recall Sarah having to do that "fashion" joke.

That's because Sarah Palin IS a whacky zealot movement hillbilly joke.

http://costumepop.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Sarah-Palin-Costume.jpg

Sarah Palin vs. EMILY's List and Bear Costumes

Sarah "≠" to the First Lady in any fashion.

http://th07.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2010/298/b/1/sarah_palin__funny__by_xxxsabakunogaaraxxx-d31hmtu.jpg

http://sarahdoesntspeakforme.com/

First Lady Moves the Fashion Markets

The Michelle Obama Effect

http://hbr.org/web/extras/michelle-obama-effect/1-slide

http://hbr.org/web/extras/michelle-obama-effect/2-slide

http://hbr.org/web/extras/michelle-obama-effect/3-slide

http://hbr.org/web/extras/michelle-obama-effect/4-slide

Insane-tea, isn't it? Again Sarah "≠" to the First Lady in any fashion!!!

bob-1805084 - teleprompters?!? Com'on Bob, that's sooooooo 2009

Christ, I shouldn't get involved in this, but I see bob making so many stupid statements I have to say something.

2 teleprompters are used so speakers can look at the prompters while facing either side of the audience; it's a way to make it look like you are speaking TO your audience. It's VERY common in all forms of public speaking; liberal, conservative, whatever. The alternative is to have ONE prompter in front of you, which makes it look like you are ignoring the audience outside your immediate field of vision.

It's not an Obama thing, it's a public speaking thing. Sara Palin is stupid for PLENTY of reasons that have nothing to do with writing on her hand.

Christ, I shouldn't get involved in this, but I see bob making so many stupid statements I have to say something.

It does become rather painful reading his blunders after a while...

You have my sympathies...

Hey Bobbie 1805084 - hate to break the news to you but Palin does use teleprompters. So did the Republican's god Ronald Reagan. Oh wait a minute - since day one of teleprompters life every president has used them.

It's just the Obama reads better than the others.

Now regarding Palin - I have said this before - but she is after the money honey. That's her number one priority. Maybe she will run and than drop out - seems to be what she does best. Quit.

Al,

I don't care about Sarah Palin. In #1.3 I called her a cartoon character and a joke. Don't know about Todd, don't care. The Alaskan Goose and her gander need to fly away.

Beverly,

That's because Sarah Palin IS a whacky zealot movement hillbilly joke.

huh? That's the response to Michelle pulling her skirts up to arm pits?

Good one I guess.

acidrain,

Duh.

Feisty,

You're slipping lately.

A good comeback would have been to take:

who are the real stupid, ignorant, arrogant and comical clowns? The ones that believe they need Michelle to tell them what to eat and the federal government to help make lunch, or

or, the real stupid, ignorant Republican ex-governor clowns that need the federal government to tell them to not put the damn dog on the roof when you're taking a 12 hour trip to Canada!

No offense intended, Feisty. It's tough doing what you doo.

Elise,

Yea, I know. I was just thinking that maybe someone who expected to lower the rising tides could make it through a speech in a high school gym without one.

Do I really have to be the one to point out what happens when the president stops reading the teleprompter and starts winging it, "They have a saying in Tennesse, they have it in Texas, I think they have it in Tennasse that says...'Fool me once...shame... shame on me, fool me... can't get fooled again.'" That has to be one of the single dumbest things I have ever heard come out of a president's mouth. You could tell when Bush didn't want to read from the teleprompter because he would start rambling and making no sense, and he looked more the fool for it. The simple fact is that every president for the last century-ish have been using teleprompters, and before that they were using cue cards. Give it a rest.

JFK. Nonsense. She has a huge following among the teabaggers, which, despite the pandering of the "liberal media" remains a fringe element in the conservative movement.

The voting public can be counted on to shoot themselves in the foot, remember November. Also keep in mind you have the entire Corporate/Republican machine ready to sacrifice the well being of the country to make Obama look bad for the next two years, most people won't pick-up on that fact as they scurry about mindlessly, a few bumper sticker quality sound bites about "Socialism", "government take-over" and "war on terror" and you'll have Sarah Palin taking pot shot's from the White House balcony at the fox squirrels on the lawn.

Exactly...

I think the liberal media would love to have her win the GOP nomination. Fortunately that is more a wish than reality. On the other hand just a few short months ago the tea party thought she was it. Recently however even stupid people on the right are seeing the light.

I recently Googled 'Sarah Palin' and the response came back "Why?"

Ba dum bum

Y' got me there, Patrick.

Ramboet, it is sooooo hard to predict right now who will go to the NFC Championship Game. It was a very entertaining game last night. Eagles & Falcons & Bears - oh my!!! I just hope Coughlin gets canned. Why do I care? I have no idea. lol

Too much confidence out there in football land re: The Patriots. It worries me.

Oh wait, now I know why I care. The Super Bowl! That's it! That damn Super Bowl.

Where dreams went to die.

Coughlin should get canned. However, I am on a high right now with my Bears being the #2 and getting a bye. Thanks Eagles. Next up is knocking Green Bay out of the play-offs. woo hoo!!!

Could the Superbowl be a Bears vs New England re-match?

Could the Superbowl be a Bears vs New England re-match?

That's what I'm thinking!

Just as long as we have the same outcome we did in '85! ;o)

Run DEVON RUN!!!! lol

Go BEARZZ!!

How many quarter backs are there like Jay Cutler. He was traded to Chicago in April 09? and had to learn Turners offensive scheme on the fly. In the off season after the 09 season, the Bears hire Mike Martz as offensive coordinator, and poor Cutler had to learn another completely new offensive scheme on the fly!!! And to have the Bears in the post season this year at 11-4 and having clinched the second seed and the bye week-- WOW!! In my view, they would have exceeded all my wildest expectations for this season by just clinching a wild card slot. I never thought they make to the playoffs this year--maybe next year I thought. Well I am glad I was wrong.

Woohoo!

Gooo Bears! Throw dat football Jay. Briggs, Peppers, and Urlacher -- destroy those quarter backs! Run D Hester!! Rruunn!!!!

I don't think the country is ready for another President Bush. Jeb Bush should have been the candidate in 2000, he probably would not have gone to war in Iraq, would not have picked Dick Cheney as VP and probably could have sold his party on immigration reform and I seriously doubt the tax cuts would have been for 10 years, he's a moderate GOPer like his dad who was actually a better president than Reagan.

Amy B. Portland, ME

"only because he was once a fat slob; not because he is a Christian."

Maybe I'm bad, but this made me chuckle.

The only bad thing about it is this fat slob is pandering way too much; especially, with his boring show on FOX NOISE, to position himself into a presidential run.

Brace yourself, for more laugh out loud moments. Dick Morris said...

"The GOP primaries of 12 will be held on Fox News"

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201011290040

================================

I can't wait to see all the ding bats volley for positions. There may be even a dark horse, Messiah, fake constitutionalist, historian, Mother Teresa re-incarnate in male form, psychologist, progressive hunter, Glenn Beck. HA HA.

You ever listento Huckabee on his little 2 or 3 minute snippets on the radio? The guy's as much of a 'smart-mouth' as Palin, maybe even more. Claims to be a close-to-God Christian, but runs his mouth like a wise-assed school kid. Just like "refudiate IS TOO a word" Sarah.

I could never vote for Huckabee. Imagine a president who believes the earth is only 6000 years old and that evolution is nonsense. You would have to question the cognitive functions of the man.

Hard to believe but Huckabee won the Iowa GOP caucus in 2008 which doesn't say much for Iowa republican voters.

I prefer to say that "he can relate". LOL

Yea Bev, how is that? Give her a minute, she will come up with something, I am betting on copy and paste answer.

They are afraid of the goverment, black, brown, yellow, and red people, gays, and women.

Clueless!

thetotas

Yea Bev, how is that? Give her a minute, she will come up with something, I am betting on copy and paste answer.

They are afraid of the goverment, black, brown, yellow, and red people, gays, and women.

Clueless!

========================================

thetotas and JFK-2112, Really?

The tea baggers are too funny and too Clueless!!!!

How wants to repeal the Constitution? How wants to celebrate enslaving Africans? How wants to make this a Christian nation only? How wants to commit treasonous acts and insurrections against the United States government because they are clueless about the brown man in the Oval Office no matter how many times they can view his birth certificate on line? How wants to claim the brown man in the Oval Office is a conflict of their clams i.e. Marxist, Muslim, communist etc? How is that dumb. How can't define Marxist, Muslim, communist? How wants to continue to give money to the rich despite being f@$$ed in the@$$?

How repeates right wing talking points from FOX NOISE with conviction and no fact checking?

Whoooo?

Again, Clueless!

Obama's Mexican? She is clueless.

JFK-2112

Obama's Mexican? She is clueless.

Again you define the cluelessness and illiteracy of most Tea Baggers. What skin tone is the President's complexion? Complexion as in the President's skin color.

I'll bet if it wasn't for the Free"Dumb" Works bus you couldn't have found you way to your polling place.

How do you figure?

LOL... I didn't know that about Beverly.

And these morons too dumb to know it.

You talk about the republicans are the hate mongers and yet everyday you spew this crap. Hypocrite!

thetotas

And these morons too dumb to know it.

You talk about the republicans are the hate mongers and yet everyday you spew this crap. Hypocrite!

thetotas

My friend, you just proved my point about being moronic. There is a huge difference between hate and crap.

So learn that that crap you just accused me of is moronic. Hypocrisy is a duplicitous position. I take back nothing I say because what I say are repeatable facts. I am not two-faced . Tea baggers, imo have multiple faces which, btw, are mostly all ugly.

Tea baggers talking points are deliberate lies or skewed misinformation.

How about this - The crap that comes out of your month is hateful. Tea baggers, imo have multiple faces which, btw, are mostly all ugly. Talk about being moronic.

Bev you are a very angry person who cannot see beyond your hate. You spew such racist comments everyday that any point you are trying to make is silenced by your hate.

What is so sad you might have something to contribute, but it will always get lost in translation.

thetotas

Bev you are a very angry person who cannot see beyond your hate. You spew such racist comments everyday that any point you are trying to make is silenced by your hate.

What is so sad you might have something to contribute, but it will always get lost in translation.

I'm assuming you were told that while you were either in a nut house or Fox Noise said it.

If not you need to get a padded room to think things over.

Any how, I really don't like stupid arguments. Don't talk to me until you learn how to speak English.

The intolerant manufactured issues to hide behind, and then vented their just-below-the-surface hatred.

Those democrats do suck, don't they?

The Rethuglikkklans (i.e. Republicans) are lying, hateful Fascist pigs!

Ted !

Palin is not an unknown quantity. She's a noisy zero as are most fumb duckers!

Rush loves her and agrees with her on most everything or vice versa. So, that tells you that there are allot of brain dead fumb duckers out there who vote. I really think the the tacky low lifes should lay off of Michelle Obama however or there will be even more voting for Obama in two years.