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Jon Huntsman ended his campaign for president Monday on a cautionary note to fellow Republicans, urging them to abandon negative campaigning or risk fostering a "toxic" political environment.
The former Utah governor ended his campaign the presidency and endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, calling him the best-suited candidate to take on President Obama this fall.
Huntsman backed Romney, "despite our differences and the space between us on some of the issues" — a nod to the sharp criticism of Romney that Huntsman had voiced at times throughout the campaign.
Huntsman had been one of Romney's chief critics, especially in New Hampshire — the state on which the former ambassador to China hinged his campaign, and which Romney had long been expected to win (and eventually did).
First Thoughts: Huntsman exits the stage, but not to the right
Huntsman accused Romney of having no "core," characterizing his rival as too squishy on important issues to face off credibly against President Obama.
But Huntsman, who started considering ending his campaign a few days ago, started to see Romney as the eventual nominee. The two spoke for about five minutes last night, and Huntsman agreed to record a call targeted for Republican and moderate voters in South Carolina, which hosts its crucial primary on Saturday.
But Huntsman also painted a broader cautionary portrait for the GOP. Having postured himself as the relative centrist in the Republican field, Huntsman's campaign rhetoric often focused on themes of unity and country first. He hammered on those notes in his exit speech.
"As candidates for our party's nomination, our common goal is to restore bold and principled leadership to the White House," he said. "Yet rather than seeking to advance that common goal by speaking directly to voters about our ideas … this race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative and personal attacks not worthy of the American people."
The sniping between the candidates has become especially public in South Carolina ahead of its primary next weekend. The rest of the field is trying to coalesce against Romney, the winner of the preceding Iowa and New Hampshire nominating contests. A win there for Romney could all but clinch the momentum needed to secure the nomination.
"At its core, the Republican Party is a party of ideas. But the current toxic form of our political discourse does not help our cause," Huntsman said. "Today I call on each campaign to cease attacking each other and instead talk directly to the American people."
NBC campaign embed reporter Jo Kent explains John Huntsman's decision to drop out.
Huntsman's campaign launched with a great deal of media fanfare, not least of which resulted from his decision to resign a spot in the Obama administration to run against a president for whom Huntsman had worked.
But the campaign's launch stumbled out of the gate and never seemed to gain momentum; even Huntsman's last-minute push in the New Hampshire primary ultimately resulted in a disappointing third place finish.
NBC's Jo Ling Kent contributed reporting.
Leave a Comment:
Is it normal for a Mormon to flip-flop or is this just a quirk that Huntsman and Romney does so well.
Interesting Huntsman decided party before country is more crucial after all...
Another thing, why wasn't 'coreless' Willard by his side for his coronation?
What ever respect I had for Jon is long gone, his complete lack of conviction speaks volumes!
Here, again, proof that Gallup was right-
Over a quarter of democrats are religious bigots.
It must make you so proud.
I wonder if he will be tapped for US Ambassador to the United Nations; Secretary of State; maybe V.P.?
This makes sense in the big picture of the slow motion take over of government jobs of authority by Mormons. Am I the only one that has noticed this unfolding before our eyes?
People are bigots no joe, not democrats or republicans. Kinda of like guns don't kill people...people kill people. Gallup was not right, they only furthered the divisive argument within this Country and you swallowed it up pretty well.
It is high time for the narrow-minded people of the south to wake up and be higher-minded folks. It turns my stomach to read the bigoted clap trap on here...Jesus preached against judging other people but so many do that based on religion...our Constitution separates religion from government...now you know why. The President cannot be some narrow-minded bigot. He or she must be President of all, no matter what the religion is. Different religions should be respected...and name calling is un-called for. You are so ready to believe lies about Mr. Romney. Why don't you do a little research instead og carping. Jon Huntsman is the most honorable of all these candidates...what a pity you couldn't see it.
If Huntsman wants to find the source of the toxicity in today's politics he need only look back on the history of his own party over the last 30 years. Dirty tricks, character assassination, enemies lists, the impeachment of Clinton over trivial matters (and yes it was staged, phony and trivial) and huge money attack ads have been the political method of choice for the republican party throughout numerous election cycles. Now that the toxins are being turned on them the republicans are screaming foul and decrying the political atmosphere. I say shut up and learn to live with your own creation. As long as big, anonymous money can fund attack ads for any reason from any person the situation is only going to get worse. Just wait and see what the republicans pull on Obama.
Jennifer,
I highly resent your comment as a southern woman. I find that there are narrow minded people all over this country, and now it appears, one from New York. Better look in that mirror about judging people.
He won't get V.P. That comes before the election, so Romney has to pick an extremist like Santorum to try to hold onto the extremists.
Seattle Sue, it is normal for intelligent humans to change their minds. It is not normal to assume they do so solely because of their religion.
Romney will need a southerner for vp. He is not strong like other GOP candidates down here.
Would you vote for a candidate if he was Muslim, joe? (I'm going to guess "no".)
Bluelake - were you facing left when you were typing that crap? To analyze your one sided diatribe, the essence of your remarks tells me that the Democrat party is completely void of any wrongdoings, tricks, payoffs, gerrymandering, and they never elicit the help from organizations like ACORN.
Before you start lecturing about the faults of others, you need to look inward to see if who you support don't do the exact same thing as you feel the others do. When you discover that they are just as guilty, it would serve you much better to keep those kinds of remarks to yourself.
Hunt.....you better not come around in 2016. You hippocrit. You bad mouth romney for 6 months and NOW ENDORSE HIM? You make me sick. and this is why I will never vote for ANY republican. They do not care about America or All Americans......only power and they will never get a vote from me. Infact my mission is to remove, recall ALL so called modern and old republicans from local, county, state and federal lever. I CANT STAND THEIR HIPPOCRIT AGENDA.
NoJoe, why doin't you tell us how many Republicans are religious bigots? And how proud you are of that?
Allen is right. You have swallowed the bait...
Republicans......you lose and will lose for many years to come. Americans see right thru you. YOU are liars and cons.......
Jennifer ~ You must have missed those Iowans who chose Rick Santorum over Huntsman. Iowa is in the upper Midwest (if you're unfamiliar with geography) where some of the most religious conservatives in this country live! Iowa probably couldn't hold a candle to Kansas or Nebraska in that regard either.
nojoe - As an Independent who leans Democrat - certainly more than Republican - I find it disgusting how the far right has taken control of a once proud party - the GOP. Our country was founded on religious tolerance and the idea that you must be some kind of religious fanatic to be President is disgusting and disturbing. We can follow history and see that, without exception, countries which have been controlled by religion have failed time and time again. They have become the most hate-filled (which I currently see from the far right), intolerant, and divisive counties. We should learn from history but it seems we are not doing a very good job.
Huntsman was the best choice. Romney is second, if only becasue he is most electable for the Republican party.
It would seem that Jon Huntsman's two years in China put him in a vacuum, oblivious to the "toxic political enviroment" the GOPTP fostered since President Obama took office. When one party's singular goal was to defeat President Obama while allowing the country and it's people to suffer, that's beyond "toxic", that's unAmerican.
I'm surprised at all the libbies being upset that Huntsman endorsed Romney for President...who should he endorse? Surely not the deity Obama. Huntsman endorse the person who he thought would be best for the country and that surly is not Obama.
Huntsman received his marching orders from the Salt Lake City Elders!
All you "religion doesn't matter," people will ignore the realities, just like you claim, "Islam is a religion of peace."
When religion is the core of ones existence, it drives the will that is the foundation for all actions.
Screaming that "religion has no place in politics," will not make the reality of it's influence any less significant.
When ones life centers around God, family and fellow man, in that order, one cannot change those principled influences any more than one can change the color of their skin.
Briab- Not only was I facing left, I typed with only my left hand, with only my left eye open and I saluted my picture of Obama while I did it. That doesn't change the intrinsic truth of my post. It's to bad the democrats and the American left are so soft and wimpy. I want to see them eviscerate the republicans in 2012!
another QUITTER. Is that normal in the REPUBLICAN PARTY ?
The truth is Huntsman ran out of campaign money and thought he'd bow out now, in hopes of obtaining a VP nod. He's attached himself to the Romney butthole hoping he'll forget all that nasty stuff he said about him for a chance to still make it to the White House, if only for breakfast.
My vote continues to be for Ron Paul, the only one who has a sound voice among these flip-flopping Republican shills.
Amazing how all the so-called tolerant liberals come out of the woodwork and spew hate when the very mention of a Republican is made. You Democrat liberals need to look in the mirror on hate and toxic political environments.
@ wcritquing: It's an election year. Only ONE Republican can be nominated to ballot for president. They are slowly bowing out because it's obvious the low-percenters (like Huntsmana) have no shot. What is so complicated about that for you to understand?
@ Bluelake: Considering your hero Obama has done more damage to this nation in three years than Bush did in all eight of his, don't bank on it.
SeekingSanity - Huh? Where do you get your information? The right isn't looking for a religious leader. What the right wants is someone that has moral values and a core belief other than athiest or agnostic. We don't want a cold, calculating, narcissist that believes the world revolves around him... pretty much what we have now.
The way you liberals twist everything that comes from the right is really sad. All it does is smack of partisan lunacy. The way you make it sound, the right is seeking a religious leader to convert everyone to their way of thinking... how stupid is that? I'd much rather have someone in the highest rank of power think before he reacts... Evaluate the moral implications of decisions he makes. We don't need some genocidal maniac holding the trigger to nukes.
In your wanton disregard to consider anyone but Obama, the crap that comes from the left is simply that... crap, when it comes to what the right wants in a leader.
Feisty, true, my respect for Huntsman diminished when he flip flopped on "science", and then headed to have Tea by jumping on Paul Ryan's kill medicare plan to name two. Listening to his comments today reinforced that decline in respect.
TO: no joe, no bo, nj who wrote:
You mean "Republicans"? This is the REPUBLICAN Primary. Democrats don't have anything to do with Romney, yet, and won't UNLESS he's the Republican Nominee. Huntsman dropped out because he didn't have the support of Republicans, and none of the Republicans will get any support from Democrats.
Jump on your own. It's Republicans who are bigoted against Romney and every class, race and religion under the sun. Democrats don't have a vote or any say in who Republicans may or may not choose.
Obama / Biden 2012
Sue, I'm convinced your thinking is anti Mormon, personally, I don't care. The goal should be to remove a failed president.
okay, Beyondthereef needs to learn how to spell, punctuate and get the real facts about republicans and democrats. Seriously, I can't believe there are people out there that haven't a clue about anything and to see how they write their thoughts only shows they are uneducated and ignorant. But maybe that's too big of words for that person, so let's put it in a phrase you can understand, "you be dumb".
1. What is with this obsession with a flatter tax code?
2. The Republicans think everyone should be Steve Jobs, as inane as that vision is on multiple levels.
"All you "religion doesn't matter," people will ignore the realities, just like you claim, "Islam is a religion of peace.""
I'm pretty sure it was Bush Jr. who happily hopped on the "religion of peace" bandwagon early on.
Bluelake, I guess everyone has to have a dream... but dreams are hardly reality. When you wake up from yours, you will achieve but one thing. Complete disappointment. I hope you can handle it. If not, there's always Jack Daniels.
Again, three or four states should not determine who our nominees are! Its not right and needs to change.
All states should have their primaries on the same day.
Brianb-999431 - We had a genocidal maniac in Bush and I'll bet you voted for him - twice. President Obama is a rational, intelligent man who actually thinks before he acts and talks. He is more moral than the twinkies the far right is pushing. And, he has far more values than anyone the far right is pushing. As a Christian I find your entire post to be disgusting. Another far righter who believes you must believe as they do or you're not someone of faith. You've more than made my point - perfectly!
Bluelake, well said.
As for Huntsman's religion, I really don't care what it is as long as that person doesn't tell me I must think and believe the same way which is exactly why I do not care for Santorum or his evangelical supporters, Club for Growth or Dobson's Family whatever, shoving their beliefs down everyone else's throats.
Okay, so he says the system sucks, then endorses the candidate that best fits with the status quo?
Yes, okay, so let's take on Obama with a carbon copy of Obama, who is a carbon copy of Bush2...
At least if you want to fix the broken system, endorse the one candidate who stands for shaking it up, bringing back the Constitution. Otherwise, you're just part of the problem.
Ron Paul '12 or bust!!! Time to restore America!
Except that romney is a duplicate of Obama, so, essentially, he did endorse Obama.
From FT this morning, that apparently most of you missed"
no joe, no bo, nj:
According to Gallup polling, 18% of republicans are religious bigots who would not vote for a Mormon.
19% of independents are, likewise, religious bigots.
Fully 27% of democrats are religious bigots. On this board, we see proof of that number just about every day, as democrats bring up Romney's religion no matter what the post covers.
Sad, really.
#1.32 - Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:51 AM EST
TO: Jhawke who wrote:
Why are Republicans so worried about "Liberals"? Republicans REALLY need to concentrate on who they intend to nominate and find themselves a worthy candidate.
We'll do all our arguing once we know who your candidate is because right now, Republicans don't have any candidate with cross-over appeal, meaning, Republicans don't have anyone who could attract a Democrat or an Independent to vote for Romeny--the Jobs Cremator, or any of those others who want to continue to give Tax Cuts to the Rich, and Pay Cuts to Working Americans.
Obama / Biden 2012
What a massive crock. Retail religion, the kind practiced by conservative "christians" has little to do with the teachings of God or Jesus. It has everything to do with the religion of SELF. Or "Individualism" as you like to call it. These people like to proclaim that people should be "individually responsible" yet they try to legislate how you live your life, they try to legislate their morals. Exactly what God, Jesus and the Bible tell you not to do. God tells you to live your life as an example, not force your will on others. Nothing about Republican Jesus centers around "fellow man" unless it is how to pick his pocket and ensure he marries who they want him to, has babies the way they want him to, prays where they want him to, and on and one. It's massive hypocrisy and it is not Christian at all. I feel for them and I pray for them to take of the blinders of hate.
As it turns out whether or not a candidate would base their policies on their religious beliefs is important to people. Go figure.
Kind of says it all
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-12-2012/civil-disservice
Irony friends irony.
whitecollarauto - I think you're listings for Republicans is way tooo low. And, I don't think Liberals have that high a percentage of religious bigots. Maybe you looked at a bad poll!
One more thing, when one talks of religious freedom and why it should not matter, when one person or group of people such as No Joe accuses democrats of being bigots because of some poll, I find it odd and disingenuous. Just think about and remember which party made it their goal to portray President Obama as a Muslim? Religious bias is a bi-partisan affair.
Brianb, this liberal would not consider ANY of the current GOP nominees for dozens of reasons including their anti-women's reproductive rights stance, their full-throttled "let's invade Iran", their anti-gay rights, their anti-immigrant stance, their complete and total fiscal "irresponsibility", their determination to eliminate the social safety nets that have served this country well for 60 years, their embrace of moving toward a theocracy, etc etc etc. In other words, Brianb, the GOP offers nothing close to my beliefs.
Can't agree with the propaganda by the left. Romney is attacked for his religion by evangelicals and that's okay with the left / democrats. Why? Because they know he can beat their weak "Man who would be King" Obama. It's okay with the left if we have a dictator if they chose him!
Romney is a decent person and who cares about his religion. This is the USA and it shouldn't matter. The fact that democrats jump on the bandwagon and bash the guy with evangelicals is very telling about the "Toxicity" of the political atmosphere... Huntsman is correct.
I can't believe that Huntsman would quit.....up until today my thoughts were he was the only one who could beat Obama...even though he did not seem to be able to get the republicans behind him....WHY, please do not say because he worked for Obama, I see it as he was working with Obama and is that not what we need to get this Country back to #1.....
Confirmed. Romney is and was a hippocrit con. He bad mouthed romney and NOW ENDORSED HIM? wtf IS THAT? Repos need to change their mascot to A HIPPOCRIT. What a bunch of liars, cons and cheats. President Obama throw huntsman to the back of the UNEMPLOYMENT LINE. you blew your chances of EVER BEING POTUS. YOU LYING PIG.
It turned TOXIC as soon as the Republican establishment picked Romney as thier CHOICE candidate. If Santorum had any balls he would have endorsed someone else...ANYONE ELSE. Instead he and Hutsman decided to be part of the problem.
BTW KYOT "decent" people do not fabricate lies continually depending on who they are talking to at the moment. Obama and Obomney are like 2 peas in a pod. Flip flopping liars.
Which party was freaking out over the (hilariously incorrect) thought of a Muslim in the White House last election cycle, Kyot?
SeekingSanity - Get insulted why don't you? I guess if you call freeing 25 million people from the throes of a meniacal dictator genocidal... you probably are still on your quest for sanity. Of course I can see how you think Bush was so bad... He wasn't a democrat, and of course anyone who's not a democrat is evil and totally out of line with your way of thinking.
So you think Obama is level headed, more moral and has more values... again I can understand why you'd think that... He's a democrat. Since you think that about Obama, where's the value system in taking our debt to $17 Trillion? Where's the morality in that? Leaving our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren burdened with so much debt? Do you think he even cares about them? Where's his economic plan to stop the deficits? You do realize there's more than one way to ruin a country... economically is the worst because it will effect more than our military. It will effect every living soul in this country when our economy collapses under the $7 trillion Obama has allowed to accumulate. If you think this is level headed, moral or has any sort of value, then it is sanity you are seeking... good luck with your quest.
WCA-Unfortunately you are right. I personally feel this country has regressed in our fight for acceptance of all people no matter what their personal beliefs.Ever since Obama was elected all I hear is we must get rid of Obama. If you are a Republican I can't see why. All he has done is take us further down the road W Bush took us. So policy has nothing to do with hating Obama, so I assume it is race. Your right, Huntsman's nor Romney's religious beliefs should be part of the campaign. If that was true that those beliefs are a factor then this country should never elect another Christian to the White house. They have started too many wars and have tanked our economy. Now that I have ranted for a full paragraph. Why is Huntsman who calls politics toxic, endorsing a man not on his political BELIEFS but, the fact that he can defeat Obama. What is truly toxic is the fact that politicians can't stand on their beliefs but serve a political party which believes in the same things that our president does.No taxes on the rich, The Patriot Act, bank bailouts, limiting the rights of citizens and expanding the rights of corporations. The Republicans should love Obama.Bottom line Huntsman is the same old thing. He is the problem and not the fix.
Huntsman quits.
"Liberal" nose-dives in GOP race.
With 70% of Huntsman supporters being Liberal Democrats and other far-lefts it is no wonder he bit the dust early. We all knew he had zero chance because he just doesn't have what it takes or what we need.
51% of Huntsman voters said they were satisfied with Obama as president.
70% of the Huntsman voters describe themselves as moderate and liberals.
Huntsman came in third in liberal New Hampshire. Why isn’t he running in the Democrat race?
The epitome of RINO.
The issue about a Mormon president is not whether the religion is Christian (which its not from even a purely academic point of view), but about who are we electing. The Mormon principle concerning "obedience" to the church is the problem. The president must be "obedient" to the U.S. electorate, not a group of men in Salt Lake City, a man in the Vatican or anywhere else. Otherwise, he can even be a Muslim as far as I care -- so long as he is good for the country.
To Jennifer, New York "It is high time for the narrow-minded people of the south to wake up and be higher-minded folks. It turns my stomach to read the bigoted clap trap on here"
Your bigotry is shining through - I did not see any postings from Southerners, I see Iowa, Seattle WA, Nebraska, Illinois - Tell me Jennifer which one of these states are in the South? I can tell you - Not ONE. Also, NOT ONE Southern state has had a primary yet, that includes South Carolina.
This posting is from a Southerner - Tennessee to be exact. I am for Romney this time and was for him in 2008.
Also, I don't see him changing his mind about abortion as a flip flop, I see it for just what it is - He changed his mind after becoming more informed about the beginning of life. I've read about why he changed, and I just wish more of these stubborn politicians (democrats especially) would change their minds about abortion. It's not flip flopping - it's called being informed and enlightened.
Seeking Sanity,
I suggest you continue your quest. Sounds like you have a long way to go.
American girl, Why are Republicans so worried about "Liberals"?
That may be the funniest comment I have read here, when for the past 6 months First Read and it's Liberal followers have done nothing but "Concern" themselves with the Republican Primary.
You really haven't been paying attention now, have you?
What you all should be worried about is figuring out how you are going to get Obama re-elected.
Cause see, numbers (unemployment, defict, right track/wrong track) don't lie.
alan290, do you honestly think that all states having a primary the same day is the answer? It would be a disaster with votes so splintered as to give no one a win. No candidate could successfully sell his/her self to 50 states at the same time--the old too many fish in the sea for voters to analyze. It just would not work because it fails to give the candidates a chance for voters to learn who they are and what they represent which is what happens as they move from state to state. The current system is not perfect but democracy itself is not perfect.
Jody said to me:
Brianb, this liberal would not consider ANY of the current GOP nominees for dozens of reasons including their anti-women's reproductive rights stance, their full-throttled "let's invade Iran", their anti-gay rights, their anti-immigrant stance, their complete and total fiscal "irresponsibility", their determination to eliminate the social safety nets that have served this country well for 60 years, their embrace of moving toward a theocracy, etc etc etc. In other words, Brianb, the GOP offers nothing close to my beliefs.
Of course you wouldn't Jody. We already know you are so pro-Obama that he's the ONLY one you would ever consider as your president. Even if he loses, you'll still consider him as your president. 10 years down the road, he'll still be your president. I get it Jody. You don't have to have any other reason... and particularly any reason against any other candidate. To you, your beliefs are the only ones you choose. Again I get it. Feel free to hold your beliefs. You have good reasons for them. Good to you, that is. Isn't that what really matters Jody? How you believe, why you believe them and nothing will ever get in the way of how you believe? For your sake, I endorse your right to believe in what you choose. My influence, nor my beliefs can never get in the way of how you believe. Isn't that the wonderful thing about beliefs? Not a single person can ever change anything you believe if you won't let them. You have the right to ignore everyone, shut them out, or even disagree with them. You see Jody, I get it.
You're right about it not being Romney, but you're pretty ignorant towards the one candidate that has the backing of a large portion of Democrats that are pissed off at Obama's stance on our civil liberties, and his trampling of our Constitutional rights. Like me, for one.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robin-koerner/blue-republican_b_886650.html
It looks like the comment at #1.5 is in the running for the daily Massengill Award !
And for those who run their mouth on a primary candidate dropping out of the race .... it is, very simply what happens in primaries. Gary Johnson of New Mexico got out a long time ago because he was going nowhere. Then, Ms. Bachmann saw the writing on the wall after Iowa. Huntsman put all his eggs in a single basket and only came in third in New Hampshire.
In the end, there can only be ONE Republican nominee .... really nothing new here !
Amused in the Midwest (post 1.41...WAY up there)....well said!!
As a Christian, I find it very disturbing that none of the "religious right" appear to live by or believe in the "Golden Rule" - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
Conservatives, just put yourself in the shoes of someone less fortunate than yourself. And make the right decisions that benefit the most people, not yourself, or your stockholders, or your own personal and financial standing. This is the very reason why I have switched my allegiance away from today's Republican Party. I'd always voted Republican in the past, but this particular election cycle, along with the "hate" and "contempt" I've seen spewing from the mouths of the Tea Party freshman and especially the soon-to-be-ex governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, I've seen the error of my ways, and I will place my vote in the future for those who will stand up for all of America, not just those who can make my own life easier.
It's time the right start looking out for what's best for America and not so much themselves.
Actually Jennifer from New York, the Constitution does not separate religion from government. You may want to
re-readread it before you continue to spread the fallacy and sound ignorant. The Constitution merely states that there can not be a national religion it does not separate church and state. Religion, Christian values to be more specific, played a major role in how the country was founded.Leaving our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren burdened with so much debt~BrianB
Wow Brian worrying about the youth of our country?.........Aren't these the same exact people who you bash when they are attending an OWS gathering? Calling them deadbeats and worthless and looking for a handout? It must be difficult to swing both ways Brian, first we must protect the young and then in the same breath denigrate them for no fiscal responsibility. Remember aren't we the people leaving the kids with debt? Shouldn't they have some "say" in how we proceed since they are the ones that are going to pay for all the debt run up by our fiscally responsible generation?
Yes, they cry about their debt but not about the air they will breathe or the water (or lack of it) they will drink. Debt you can live with. The other two you cannot. Go figure.
and replace with what, an even bigger failure? We were ran aground by the previous administration. This current one has at least gotten us back in the water. What really needs to happen is to have the Republican led House change hands again. The party on no needs to go.
Beyondthereef
Your statement, shown below, is what happens when you are too dumb to punctuate properly.
President Obama throw huntsman to the back of the UNEMPLOYMENT LINE. you blew your chances of EVER BEING POTUS. YOU LYING PIG.
OMG, people. More baseless drivel spewed by both ends of the political spectrum. That's the problem with these forums, you get every idiotic ideologue with an agenda on here to make asinine comments.
Huntsman dropped out bevcause he was far behind in the polls, and basically had no overt chances to win the nomination. Rather than blow enormous amounts of money for nothing, he made the conscious decision to bow out now gracefully. I am surprised he jumped so quickly with his support for Romney, I figured he would've waited at least a short while....but whatever. It's not overly important. If he gets picked up for a VP nomination or cabinet position, good for him.
The Obama bashing has got to stop. I understand that many "conservatives" do not like him (or hate him, if you consider the rhetoric used), but Obama is actually not a bad president at all. Has he added enormous sums to our growing debt?- yup. But how many times do we have to remind Republicans of the huge costs associated with Bush's terms that were not funded? If you add in the costs of the two wars, Medicare Part D, tax cuts to the wealthy, etc. the debt increases are huge. There was nothing conservative at all about Bush's term, but so many people want to eviscerate Obama for adding these onto the books.
I can't believe conservatives slam Obama over his Libyan involvement......so what??? I was ashamed we went to war in Libya to murder a dictator who was not a threat to anyone, but then again, I'm against useless, frivolous wars of all kinds. But conservatives are typically hawkish on military action and have been for decades. SO why the backlash against Obama for doing exactly what Bush likely would've done if the chance arose during his term? And for the record, we didn't have to spend nearly as much money, time, or lives on the entire affair. I thought conservatives liked cheap, fast wars against small countries??
And for conservatives to bash liberals over the rhetoric used in regards to politicians is obnoxious at best. BOTH parties use hateful speech when arguing their own drivel, but that is no reason for people on here to state that one side or the other is more responsible. I have seen absolutely ridiculous posts from many people that border on hatespeech, if not completely sociopathic to begin with!
It is likely that Romney will win the conservative nomination. Not bad, imho, since he is one of the most centrist candidates the right has to offer. I fear that our country is being co-opted by extremists on both sides. No average American wants to see our country go completely "socialistic", yet no one wants to see medicare and SS taken away altogether either. To make a case for either side is folly, and not realistic in any sense.
This is what I hate about politics in America today. Nothing but division and partisanship, fed by the media that hangs on sensationalism to garner exposure. No real debate about true solutions, just catty bickering by the candidates using every attempt to hide/marginalize the facts that matter.
Our nation is going down the tube right in front of our eyes, but there is no concern left. Not even any discussion about stopping our warmongering or pulling back our defense budget. No discussion about our declining empire, our declining education statistics, our declining collective healthcare, our declining infrastructure, or our declining morality and rule of law.
Just partisan bickering and fallacious imbecility. Sometimes I feel like we are being led to the death of our great nation by petulant children who need a nap.
Good luck, America. We're gonna need it.
Romney will not be the nominee!!
And to the libs that can not stand it because the Republicans have not lined up behind one person yet remember in 2008 it took until June for you to decide and you owe much to Limbaugh for making it happen.
well, Old Fat Guy, who else do the Repubbies have?
Face it: the rest are fringe characters, and fringe extremists aren't going to get the time of day from centrist, moderates, and independents.... the voters who actually determine who's elected.
It dramatically cuts taxes for the rich and increases taxes on the working poor, and the Republican party is only concerned with the rich, screw everyone else. Oh, they try to sell it as "tax simplification", but really, having 3 or 4 tax rates isn't that complicated. Where the real complication comes from in the income tax code is determining what is and is not a legitimate tax deduction. No way of eliminating that complication without eliminating several tax deductions, which tend to favor the rich and therefore are sacred to the Republicans.
No, they favor the well-off, so they tell the not-so-well-off that they just should work harder and be successful, as if it was their own fault for having misfortune and not having rich parents. Fact is, very few millionaires can honestly be considered "self-made", most had the benefit of inherited wealth, exclusive education, and upper-crust social contacts.
Actually, I have read the Constitution, and it doesn't say what you think it says. There are only two mentions of Religion:
Article 6, Clause 3: "...But no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any Office or Public Trust under the United States."
Amendment 1: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
That effectively does separate Church and State. The phrase "A wall of separation between Church and State" was from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson, describing the function of the first Amendment, and I do believe that Jefferson should be considered an authority on the subject.
@tonybeeerm
Yeah and the Democrat party of can't do right even when we are in charge reinstated right? (roll eyes) That is the most ignorant thing I have ever heard yes the Republicans and Bush gave us $5 trillion in debt, yet Obama and the Democrats have given us $4.9 trillion in debt in half the time. So how are we back in the water? Both parties are to blame for our situation and I don't think Romney would be a "bigger failure", I simply think he would be just AS big a failure. The only choice I believe we have is Ron Paul or if the establishment manages to squeeze him out then there is Gary Johnson on the Libertarian ticket.
He was told to stand down ! He probably sold out for a cabinet position . A quiet room deal ."Cult stuff ".
Nobody told him to stand down, because it wasn't necessary. He was not a factor, unfortunately.
InPS "He was told to stand down !"
Yes, by the voters.
Soon it will be Obama's time to 'stand down'.
The only thing toxic is the Obama administrations inability to come up with a budget and stop spending us into bankruptcy.
Jock, I think you're wrong... he was a factor in that his style didn't suit the totally-on-steroids, red meat, hatemongering crowd he was running against! He was actually intelligent, tactful, well-spoken and seemingly decent - at least until he withdrew and began trashing the President he had supposedly admired at one point. How ironic that he pleads for the rest to not go toxic and then turns all the lies he can muster up on President Obama.
... Let the Butt kissing begin ... bring out the "victims".
What is so interesting (as was illustrated by Newt Gingrich) is all the whining about "Toxic Politics" ... if you use it on your enemies, what conceivable reason would make GOPper candidates think the same tactics would not be used against members of their own party ... if / when it came down to Sink, swim or bring out the Septic tank hose, put it on full power, run it at "11", reverse flow... its a visit to the monkey house, @!$%#-storm, out there now.... the rule of the day rewards feces slinging on an industrial level.
Any claim or expectation of a veneer of civility has been erode with the ascension of Teabaggers in the party, flamboyant excess in Congressional "posturing" and outright deceit being used to "Sell" the flavor-of-the-month test of who is really running the GOPper agenda. ..., this week?
Wake up people ! This president has done nothing that benefits us in anyway. Beside a huge deficit, no budget and class warfare, he is politically inept when it comes to politics and negotiating a solutions when politicians don't agree through compromise (All previous Presidents have been able to get things done with compromise). With that said, anybody would be a better choice in this next election and no one could do any worse, I'm sure.
At this point in the election all we are hearing is the extreme left and the extreme right neither of which is willing to work together for the good of the country. The extreme left decries the rise of the extreme right even though they created it. Every time the PC police in schools picks on some kid they radicalize his parents, relatives,neighbors,friends and co-workers of his parents. Hence the rise of the radical christian right. Hope all you liberal atheistic lefty's like your creation. We in the middle wish both of you would just go away.
I heard this this morning and the 1st thing I thought was Romney "encouraging" him to step down in order to give him enough votes to unquestionably beat Gingrich down in SC. Such a shame, since Huntsman was by far the best one running. If we voted for president merely by (fact-checked) resumes - no TV face time, attacking ads, etc - Huntsman would be the leader by a long shot. But in the end, the masses don't want someone from Utah running the country anyway, and that will be Romney's biggest obstacle as well. It will be interesting how he can overcome negative perceptions of his religion. If he was running as a Dem, it would be less of an issue, but the Religious Right is a big part of the party, and they will never accept a Mormon as long as their ministers are footing the bill to bring paid "cult educators" in to do speaking engagements.
What policies exactly do you call extreme left? This country barely has a left, so pardon that I don't know where "extreme left" comes from.
It took Huntsman all of five minutes, huh? Apparently, he holds his convictions about as deeply as Flip-Flop Romney does.
Pathetic.
All you need to do is listen. Every one of them will tell you the others are no good. If Romney can clinch the nomination on the basis of three half hearted 'wins', he is going nowhere in November. Can't you hear the deafening hiss from the Republican presidential vacuum?
@Ron H-- i am going to assume that you do not follow any form of political news except for what FOX News tells you. That's OK, not everyone can be expected to think for themselves. The budget, deficit and class warfare has been an issue long before Obama ever took office. When Obama was elected as the POTUS, members of the Republican party publicly stated that they would make it thier mission to make sure that his presiency failed. No matter what Obama says or does...they are going to veto it and make sure it does not happen. It's kind of hard to do your job, when everyone is against you and blocking you from every possible angle. Obama even suggested lowering taxes, the Republicans favorite thing, and they still said no!! Come on now...they're proving that they are just going to disagree with anything he says even when it's their way. Come back when you have a valid argument, and by valid I means facts that cannot be disputed because of the truth of them. I try not to have intelligent discussions with unarmed people so help me out here and come back with a more intelligent statement than the one you made.
Speaking on behalf of all sane people throughout the country, it's sad that a reasonable person can't scratch the surface in the GOP these days. I think it would've really brought something positive to the table to have Obama have to run against an actual Republican, instead of a complete lunatic, which is all that we're left with, Romney being JUST left-enough of being an outright fascist, which the others seem to espouse.
And even if he didn't win, I think a Jon Huntsman would've forced more out of Obama as well.
It's a sad day for the GOP, in my opinion. Obama should have the election in the bag, the GOP field is a "wretched hive of scum and villainy", to use their new found love of movie quotes against them.
Why not just cut the crap. It's Romney. Now on to the general election campaigning where Mitt will be torn to shreds like a zebra on the Serengetti.
Steven Latham - One thing you completely "forgot":
Our President and the Senat Deamocrats HAVE NOT PROPOSED/VOTED a federal budget in the last 900DAYS!!!
It is the first time in history (since a budget is required to voted on) it happened!!!
Since Mr Obama's own proposed budget was voted down by Democrats in the Senat nobody (neither the President nor the Democrats) came with another federal budget!!!
The only ones who proposed and voted a federal budget were the Republicans in the Congress, which budget Senate Majority Leader refuses to bring it to a vote!!!
I'm sorry to say it but this is IRRESPONSIBLE!!!
Mr. Bush and Republicans had deficit budgets (which I strongly opposed) in the past but at least they did have ones...
So, Obama says he wants to be everyones president, not just the left. The first thing he does is give the middle class one of the largest tax breaks in our history. Yet within weeks of his inauguration the street corners are filled with people holding signs calling him every name in the book and screaming that he wants to raise our taxes.
He asks for a comprehensive overhaul of healthcare, but does not submit his own plan, leaving it up to congress. The only time he enters that debate is to 'give up' the things the left wing really wants, like a public option. In the end, the changes to the system are really additions, just more choices if the existing system doesn't work for you. He compromises so much that even moderates on the left decide he isn't really on their side. Yet the right wing calls this 'Obamacare' and calls it the biggest expansion of government in our history.
In the middle of last year, we had the strange spectacle of Republican leadership crowing about how they got everything they wanted in negotiations with Obama, while at the same time their followers were calling him an extremist, socialist, and tyrant playing 'Chicago politics'.
I liked and respected Mr. Huntsman, but his statement blaming Obama for the divisiveness in politics today is the stupidest thing I've heard him say yet. Given that Obama has so visibly demonstrated that he is an extremist only in his drive for moderation and compromise, my best guess now is that his most divisive feature is - the color of his skin.
All this infighting........ Toxic Politics is what it is at any given time. When your party can't decide who the best person is for the job, it's just a popularity contest. It's the Miss America Pageant with a hell of a lot more responsibility.
These are people that endorse each other, they are supposed to be playing for the same team. This is Team USA, it is only one country folks. There is only one way to run it, the right way. Get corporations out of politics. Do the job you were elected and paid to do which is to run this country by managing its infrastructure, keeping us safe and collecting tax dollars not by raising them but by keeping the jobs we have in this country. It's easier to get 5% from 10 million people than it is to raise the tax to 10% for 5 million people. Let's not get into entitlements.
Make sure we have no more companies that are "too big to fail". When we have that we have nothing because apparently those corporations are more important than the Federal Government itself.
Now these people that support each other within their party, the people that are trying to convince us that they have the better plan are all fighting like "Mean Girls". The density of some of these comments just makes me laugh. Those of you that actually believe that politicians are representing you. All they are doing is counting down to their own personal Super Bowl. To have that title of President for four years........DUH-WINNING!!!!! That's what matters the most to them. They don't campaign anymore, they put together a game plan. They don't say, when I am elected President, they say, when I WIN the presidency. When I win the election. Win win win.
My opponent can not win because he dipped his corn-dog in ketchup when he was six years old. Everyone knows you eat a corn-dog with mustard. Yes, that's how juvenile all this Toxicity sounds.
It is not Democrat or Republican, it's not Left or Right, it's not Conservative etc........To get politics back on track we actually need someone to come out, state what is wrong, explain to us how they are going to make it right and then actually do it. A little from the left, a little from the right and one master plan would be the ideal situation.
We have created this world economy that now punishes the U.S. We have regulations but no other country MUST follow them and we can import the products they make no matter how they make them. Basically, since we can't do it within our borders we send it to places far enough away that nobody will be able to check, and even if they do, and all the plantation owners can get back to plan "A". Another way of looking at it, it's like buying season tickets to your favorite pro sports team but only being able to watch minor league games. We set such a high standard for ourselves and then allowed corporations who developed their products in the U.S. to send those jobs to other countries leaving us with the "minor leagues". Helping other nations while hurting their own. Is there any pride in our country left in Washington D.C.?
We have world politics where everyone hates us but they all want our help. We are the best example anywhere of the statement "Clean Up Your Own House" but if we were to do that now we would look even more selfish and evil than we did before we helped/destroyed the rest of the world. On top of that we supposedly try to help in places where our help is not wanted nor needed but at least we are out of Iraq now. Shouldn't there always be a completely clear cut reason for any country to be involved in a war? Sure we were fighting against terror but don't use WMD's as a reason only to then find out there aren't any WMD's. Just like banks and insurance companies that really screwed up, nobody gets in trouble for it and the beat goes on.
The problem is, how do you fix in four years what's taken at least three decades to screw up? If it is heading in the right direction then why go through this every four years. Holy crap, if I ever heard someone state, in politics, he is doing a fantastic job, let's just leave him in office.........one can dream.
Just as I oversimplified this comment our politicians need to under complicate things. All the rhetoric sounds like a smoke and mirrors act. The bulk of this country is not made up of brilliant college students who will be heading off to the white collar world. The majority of this country is blue collar. A lot of people aren't built for higher education and need the steal mill or assembly line jobs. Then there are those that mow your lawn, fix your plumbing, fix and/or maintain your car...... the skilled workers that don't have the trade schools or the mechanical classes they used to have in high school. Now you are expected to go to college for this??? Until politicians truly understand who they are talking to and start explaining things so everyone will grasp it you will always have the Occupy movement.
It's not that simple? Then we need to get it back to being simple.
Stop rooting for the team and start rooting for the players. With all the right people in place we can have the best team in the history of the USA.
@MM- Did I "forget" or just find that irrevelevant to the discussion/point I was trying to make?
"Toxic politics" - wasn't that forged by Nixon and honed to a sharp point by Karl Rove?? Both if I am correct were republicans.
David Axelrod @davidaxelrod: Hunts called Obama "a remarkable leader," Mitt "perfectly lubricated weather vane." Now hes 4 Mitt, and decries loss of "trust" in politics?
Lenin, Mao, Castro, Chavez, Ahmadenijad, bin Laden et al are/were remarkable leaders as well. Remarkable doesn't equal good.
re·mark·a·ble
/rɪˈmɑrkəbəl/ Show Spelled[ri-mahr-kuh-buhl]
adjective
1.
notably or conspicuously unusual; extraordinary: a remarkable change.
2.
worthy of notice or attention.
Synonyms
2. notable, noteworthy, striking, extraordinary, wonderful, unusual, singular, uncommon.
Huntsman came in third in liberal New Hampshire. Why isn't he running in the Democrat race?
It's called gaining experience and developing new opinions and beliefs based on that experience.
Let's talk about Detroit, after you get an education and tell me how well LBJ's "Great Society Dream" is going over there. Detroit is the perfect example of what's in America's future. First city to rise, first city to fall. I hope you live in Chicago or NY.
"Perfectly lumbricated weather vane"! Perfect!
Senator Reid and the Democrat controlled Senate are incompetent, "Budget Challenged" and controlled by their Food Stamp army! These are only some of the programs that the new Republican House has proposed cutting since 2010... .
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy. $445 million annual savings.
• Save America 's Treasures Program. $25 million annual savings.
• International Fund for Ireland . $17 million annual savings.
• Legal Services Corporation. $420 million annual savings.
• National Endowment for the Arts. $167.5 million annual savings.
• National Endowment for the Humanities. $167.5 million annual savings.
• Hope VI Program. $250 million annual savings.
• Amtrak Subsidies. $1.565 billion annual savings.
• Eliminate duplicative education programs. H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.
• U.S. Trade Development Agency. $55 million annual savings.
• Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy. $20 million annual savings.
• Cut in half funding for Congressional printing and binding. $47 million annual savings.
• John C. Stennis Center Subsidy. $430,000 annual savings.
• Community Development Fund. $4.5 billion annual savings.
• Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid. $24 million annual savings.
• Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half. $7.5 billion annual savings
• Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20%. $600 million annual savings.
• Essential Air Service. $150 million annual savings.
• Technology Innovation Program. $70 million annual savings.
• Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. $125 million annual savings.
• Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization. $530 million annual savings.
• Beach Replenishment. $95 million annual savings.
• New Starts Transit. $2 billion annual savings.
• Exchange Programs for Alaska , Natives Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts . $9 million annual savings
• Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants. $2.5 billion annual savings.
• Title X Family Planning. $318 million annual savings.
• Appalachian Regional Commission. $76 million annual savings.
• Economic Development Administration. $293 million annual savings.
• Programs under the National and Community Services Act. $1.15 billion annual savings.
• Applied Research at Department of Energy. $1.27 billion annual savings.
• FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership. $200 million annual savings.
• Energy Star Program. $52 million annual savings.
• Economic Assistance to Egypt . $250 million annually.
• U.S. Agency for International Development. $1.39 billion annual savings.
• General Assistance to District of Columbia . $210 million annual savings.
• Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. $150 million annual savings.
• Presidential Campaign Fund. $775 million savings over ten years.
• No funding for federal office space acquisition. $864 million annual savings.
• End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.
• Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act. More than $1 billion annually.
• IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget. $1.8 billion savings over ten years.
• Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees. $1 billion total savings.
• Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees. $1.2 billion savings
• Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of. $15 billion savings.
• Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.
• Eliminate Mohair Subsidies. $1 million annual savings.
• Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. $12.5 million annual savings
• Eliminate Market Access Program. $200 million annual savings.
• USDA Sugar Program. $14 million annual savings.
• Subsidy to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
STOP the Democrat's PIRACY on Taxpayers!!
hey chance- you must b a millionaire, or you wouldn't be making all that up!!! republicans show in these primary fights that President Obama will eat them alive!! he is for the middle class!
George,
Really??? What has he done but helped the middle class lose jobs!!!!!!
How the hell do you throw your support behind the very person whose "politics" you despise? How do you say that he's a great leader? Hell - I'm a veteran U.S. Marine and I would follow President Obama in the depths of hell before I would follow Romney or for that matter - any Teapublican. After all, Obama got Osama and Romney or any other Republican will never be able lay claim to that piece of fame!
One last thing...Romney has many "tells" and the one thing any good psychiatrist that's familiar with non verbal communications can tell you is this - ROMNEY is a straight up - 100% grade "A" LIAR. How about that for political advertising?
Obama, is a divider. He has created class warfare, he has created the stalemate in congress with an inability to compromise and his my way or the highway attitude, and also has stalled this economy with a big deficit and threats of more taxes. Only now that an election year is here has he even given a thought to trying to lessen the cost of the big government he helped to create over the past 3 years and that is just a political move to trap Republicans in an election year as combining the departments he mentioned would not nearly be enough cuts (if it wasn't an election year, he would have never mentioned combining any departments or cut anything).
I'm not even from this country Double Jeopardy and I'm with you.
Chance, you left off the most important:
I could go on and on. Actually, I would not leave out either party, Dems or Repubs - they are all lining their own pockets while they steal out or yours and mine. Unfortunately, no one in Washington has the gonads to do anything but spend, spend, spend.
Good luck my fellow Americans - I hope we still have a republic after all of these clowns sell us up the river.
so chance, what you're saying is that the republican party wants to take us back to a big brother dark ages. if you don't have money and you get sick, you die. if you can't afford to send your children to school, they don't go. you no longer have access radio and television that might be in opposition to the power in washington(public radio and television) there's no more access to the arts. what do you need the arts for when you have to work 20 hrs. a day 7 days a week just to put food on your table? i mean, since they want to kill the unions, the common worker will no longer have any protection against predatory employers. and since your children won't be going to school, we can just start sending them to work. how young do you think is too young? three yrs old? that's the way it is in south america. they want you to be born, live and die in the same spot and they will take away every single safety net we have against their overlord managment to get it. they want to make us a nation of ignorant people because you can't control people who can think above a 2nd grade level.
well, although i saw a lot of things on your list that could be cut without a problem, i'm not willing to condemn my granddaughter to a life of corportate slavery and a poison earth. i will never bow down to a government that wants to stick its nose into my bedroom and censor what i am allowed to see, read and hear. BUT! i will not abandon my country! so don't even go there about leaving. NO! i will stay and fight and like the majority of americans i will stand against the overlords attempting a coroporate coup by buying the souls of the republican party for forty pieces of silver. i won't go away and i won't be quiet. the republicans spew all this rhectoric about their faith in God and country and in the next sentence they ignore everything Jesus tried to teach us. love one another-you can't do that while you are deliberately, with malice and forethought, leaving people to suffer in abject poverty just so you can keep an extra penny in your pocket.
if you think the way the republicans want to run this country is so great, maybe you should be the one to leave. they live like that in every tyranny in this world.
Alessa,
Your comments are so true. Thank you.
alessa....the conservatives only call on their religious beliefs if it means more money in their own pockets. That's why they don't follow the one rule God gave to us to guide the way we associate with all other human beings....The Golden Rule.
If they would just follow that rule, we wouldn't have to have government regulations on corporations. No need for unions. No need for enforcement of laws against white collar crime. The conservatives, who run most of today's American businesses, would not have to worry about paying this tax, or that tax. Why would they need to?? They'd be hiring Americans instead of shipping their jobs overseas. They'd be paying at least living wages instead of just being forced to pay the "minimum wage" (which isn't enough for one person to live on). They'd be making their own decisions to make their working environments safe for their employees and less poisonous to the environment. They'd be all about making it so that everyone has a REALISTIC chance at success, and would not let the fictitious "market" dictate what's right.
But, that would mean less money going into their own pockets, so the Golden Rule, be damned!
Great post alessa! Every republican I EVER met is the same. Everything good that happened under any Republican Administration is 100% from their own brilliance and Anything good that happens under a Democratic Administration is 90% to 100% because of Republicans. You see, that is how they trick their followers into voting Republican year after year. I know this because I was one of them for my Ignorant Racist White Trash period (birth to 25). I bought into everything they spewed. I started golfing with a friend who taught me to be tolerant of others, to respect women and minorities, to believe in science and many other things. 25 to 50 have been the Enlightened years and feels much better every day not being ignorant. Also, did you see any of these right-wingers on here while BushII was spending our money. Obama has more job growth in 3 years than BushII did in 8 but I'm sure that is all because of republicans.
Mitt Romney does not know how "to talk to the American people". Unless he has a teleprompter, he can't speak without putting his foot in his mouth. He's pretty good with a canned, talking point speech too.
@Obama-Indie:
He endorsed Romney because he's the least of the evils that remain. It still makes sense.
Give me a break Alessa! Any thinking person knows that tough decisions need to be made when you don't have enough money to buy everything you want. The items on Chance's list are things that can be dropped from the budget (or non-budget) of the US gov't. There is nothing in the list indicating that your progeny will not be going to school. Nothing is free and I'm tired of having my pockets picked for every Tom, Dick and Harry to get something for nothing.
Actually, many a lot of scientific and engineering research needs helium to do most of the groundbreaking R&D in this country. The price of helium has shot up in recent years, and having an ample, affordable, supply is critical to scientific innovation in this country.
Civics lesson #1) President has limited ability to act independently without Congress. Republicans have used "rules" to block numerous policies that would have benefited the country. Obama has a remarkable list of accomplishments that benefit the 99% despite the childish behavior of the Republican party. ANYONE who says different is not paying attention to FACTS, is a Republican, and is a liar.
Huntsman was the absolute best prospect for the Republicans. He is intelligent and honest, he sees the "big picture", and he would be a very good president. Republicans are too stupid to see it. They are too busy being up in every woman's "business" and in every bedroom across America.
I do not care if all you righties out there disagree, are angry with my comment, or if I get "collapsed". This country is going to Hell in a handbasket, compliments of the Republican party and the small minded people clinging to Chistian mythology. I have never felt there was a need to restrict the right of Free Speech, until now. As long as I still have the right to NOT attend church, the right NOT to be a raging hypocrite, to NOT be offended by other people's sexual orientation which is NONE of my friggin' business, to NOT believe I have the right to dictate how others live, and the right to NOT agree with the RIGHT, I will do so. I expect to lose that right soon enough, compliments the Christian-Republican-Do-As-We-Say Party.
World powers come and go, and we are on the "go" side. Tolerance and democracy are quickly disappearing from the USA. We are disintigrating into a gun totin' holier than thou simple minded illiterate redneck cesspool. Glug, glug.
Mike he does not like Helium because most Republicans prefer Hot Air....
(Hey it was funny...)
EXTRAORDINARY
Synonyms: aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, especial, exceeding, extraordinaire, exceptional,
freak, odd, peculiar, phenomenal, preternatural, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual,
unwonted
I don't remember who posted that President is a divider, but you are delusional. He is only hated my Rep's and Teapub's. Every time we elect a president that is a peoples president as Obama and Clinton, the Rep's call them dividers. I say Little Bush was the divider, Chaney Hell there is no defense for Him. Chaney should be tried for Treason, and Shot by a firing squad. That would be to good for him that laying bastard. With all that blood on his hands, I would love see him when he goes to hell.
As for Huntsmen, He was the only Rep that had any Creditably at all. He seemed to be a real American and a good one at that. Its no wonder the Rep's didn't want him.
Funny. Was Obama there, rifle in hand, when the Seals shot Osama? If not. what exactly did Obama do to "get" Osama? After all it was the interrogation techniques supported by Bush and denounced by Obama that provided the information for Obama to authorize a no brainer operation. So let's congratulate Obama for not doing something completely idiotic and screwing it up because it sure as hell is the first time that blind squirrel found a nut.
Chuck-2111043
By now everyone should understand when it comes to Republican politics moderates need not apply. The Teapublicans are the true dividers in America because of their excessive greed and hatred of democracy.
As far as Huntsman decrying "Toxic Politics". Where the hell has He been the GOP has been practicing “Toxic Politics” for decades. Karl Rove the malignant creature that slithered onto the political scene along with our disaster of a President George W. Bush is responsible for most of the venom we see in our politics today. The Republican/Tea Party may think this a good thing for them, the reason they see it that way is because they don’t give damn about this country.
Nancy you are so wrong on the interogation providing any intel used to get Osama. By the time Obama took office any info gleaned from the people was stale. Point of fact: Bush stated that it was not important to get Osama. He was far more useful alive the the neo-cons war machine than he is dead. To Bush's credit, the resources to get Osama were developed under his watch.
Kelsey 111 says: Repubicans lost little buddy already well guess what little babies OBAMA is never going to leave the white house because he is going to win in 2012 and keeps his promises never united states down at lease he tries and Like the dumb repubicans who never keep their promises just like Bush did. One more thing repubicans you really sucked on national tv so in other words go sucked little thumbs little cried babies/ whine babies whines ha ha/YOU SUCKED REPUBICANS AND SUCKED REALLY BAD HA HA HA
magnificent50 @3.21
He does huh? I for one would very much like to see your list of what you think are remarkable accomplishments. I would even not limit it to the time the Republicans took back the house, do it over his entire term so far.
Please not a snark nor an attack, I would just like to actually SEE it. So far nobody has put one up.
I would like to ask some questions and see some explanations from my democrat friends.
Good, the republicans only chance of beating Obama just resigned. Why? Because he wasn't enough of a wack job for the tea-nazis.
Egilman - I don't feel compelled to provide you with a "list" of Obama's accomplishments. If you are truly curious and really want to know, you obviously have access to a computer and you can look it up. You can look up reputable, and that is the operative word - REPUTABLE - websites whose reporters strive to tell the truth - some are left leaning, and some are right leaning, some are from a business prospective, some from a world-view prospective. I looked at a Politico site, a Business Weekly site, a site specifically designed to list Obama's accomplishments and each one listed cites a reputable source, etc. You can even check out the website operated by the Federal Government and get all the information from the source. Or you can continue to live in a Republican induced fog and believe the transparent bullpucky being hurled at the administration. Besides, the "List" of accomplishments is much too long to post - the number of bills passed favorable to the American people is in the hundreds. The Republicans criticize their own contributions to bills that have passed!! Stupid, stupid Republicans.
The most obvious accomplishments are the Health Care Reform Act; the end to the "conflict" in Iraq, continuation of old and introduction of new tax cuts for small businesses and the middle class; the end of Osama bin Ladin as well as several other alQaida operatives; rescue of the auto industry which in turn rescued an untold number of other businesses dependent upon the auto industry and its workers; more consumer protection from predatory lending practices; TARP was a Bush program inherited by Obama, but the Obama administration handled it well and the money has been paid back; imposed limitations on "bonuses" paid to executives of recipients of TARP money; more "illegals" have been deported than under any previous administration; eased gun control laws making it legal to carry unloaded firearms through national parks. The last two I am sorry about, but the Republican attacks that he is soft on illegals and that the gov'ment is takin' my guns is all Republican propaganda.
Ask any question you would like to ask, and I doubt you have any democratic friends. It doesn't matter what anyone says, the truth doesn't matter if you are a Republican.
That's inane. It is never appropriate for Commanders-in-Chief to be placed at the battle front. Are you really so clueless about basic military protocol? As it is, we do know that the President did indeed do what a commander is supposed to do: Approve the mission, and give the order to initiate it
A list of Obama's accomplishments
1. $5 trillion in additional debt
2. A really good deal for his buddy at Solyndra ($500 million taxpayer dollars lost, 1000 jobs lost but the guy who contributed mightily to Obama's campaign walked away just fine.
3. National Healthcare that created a large bureaucracy, added 15,000 IRS agents, increased insurance costs, but so far hasn't provided healthcare to those who can't afford it. Gee I wonder what his priorities really are? BIG expanded government do you suppose.
4. 8.5% unemployment dispite providing a trillion dollars in goodies to his public union employee friends to "stimulate" the economy.
I could go on but I think you get the picture, it is no wonder magnificent50 doesn't feel compelled to provide a list.
PS, Obama is not helping the middle class, he is trying to destroy it as fast as he can. Do you think Government can create a middle class? Only free enterprise is capable of doing that and Obama is doing every thing possible to destroy free enterprise in this country. Look at pre-capitalist China, look at the USSR, look at what is happening in socialist Europe. Obama is pursuing these policies that history has PROVEN destroy the middle class. He has to destroy the middle class his Marxist ideal can not be realized if there is a middle class that feels relatively independent from government assistance. Heaven forbid we feel like we can take care of ourselves without the Government providing for us, this is not a good thing for a socialist like Obama. You will be poor, you will accept what the government decides is appropriate for you to have, AND you will like it. ANYONE except Obama in 2012.
A list of Obama's accomplishments
1. $5 trillion in additional debt
2. A really good deal for his buddy at Solyndra ($500 million taxpayer dollars lost, 1000 jobs lost but the guy who contributed mightily to Obama's campaign walked away just fine.
3. National Healthcare that created a large bureaucracy, added 15,000 IRS agents, increased insurance costs, but so far hasn't provided healthcare to those who can't afford it. Gee I wonder what his priorities really are? BIG expanded government do you suppose.
4. 8.5% unemployment dispite providing a trillion dollars in goodies to his public union employee friends to "stimulate" the economy.
I could go on but I think you get the picture, it is no wonder magnificent50 doesn't feel compelled to provide a list.
PS, Obama is not helping the middle class, he is trying to destroy it as fast as he can. Do you think Government can create a middle class? Only free enterprise is capable of doing that and Obama is doing every thing possible to destroy free enterprise in this country. Look at pre-capitalist China, look at the USSR, look at what is happening in socialist Europe. Obama is pursuing these policies that history has PROVEN destroy the middle class. He has to destroy the middle class his Marxist ideal can not be realized if there is a middle class that feels relatively independent from government assistance. Heaven forbid we feel like we can take care of ourselves without the Government providing for us, this is not a good thing for a socialist like Obama. You will be poor, you will accept what the government decides is appropriate for you to have, AND you will like it. ANYONE except Obama in 2012.
Probably because there's no such party as the "Democrat" party. Why would members of the Democratic Party support a Republican?
Strange. When the Party tells GOPpers that President Obama hates white folks, is a Muslim, is not a citizen, was born in Kenya, ... eats babies, you gobble that down without even looking for a fork or spoon.
But given an obvious, observable fact - You want personal proof? This is nothing but "Birther-gate" all over again.
Boyd400etc - you are completely wrong. Mounting debt due to Bush administration tax cuts combined with stupid wars, neither of which was paid for, complicated by Republican Congress refusal to pass any bill that would help ease the situation. Republican refusal to close tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy only. Republican refusal to increase taxes on the 1% so their share of the burden comes a little closer to our share of the burden. Republican refusal to allow simple up or down votes in the Senate to pass anything that might benefit the people. You are totally wrong in your estimation of Obama being the one out to crush the middle class and the poor, that would be the Republicans, particularly Boehner, Cantor, McConnell, and every tea-party doo-wha that got elected by the doo-wah segment of the population. Republicans filibuster and force a 60 vote majority in Senate, or were you aware that the Republicans have made it their job #1 to keep minority control of the Congress? Again, let me remind you. ALL Republicans are either idiots, naive, "Christian:, or just don't give a damn.
Toxic Politics, duh welcome to the real world of politics.
As for Obama being a "remarkable leader" now there's a dumb statement with no truth behind it.
Every politician "flip-flops", Obama is in first place on that issue.
Yes, every politican flip-flops, but it is purely partisan spin to suggest that Obama doe sit any more than anybody else, and I think somewhat less.
Hey Jock, what about Barry's lets downsize the government and combine agencies, while out of the other side of His arse He says lets raise the debt ceiling another 1.3 trillion ! That ought to work well:)
You're obviously so totally uniformed that you don't realize that one has nothing to do with the other.
The President has no authority to do either. He cannot eliminate departments, nor can he raise the debt ceiling. Both take acts of congress to accomplish. Now, Jock, Dobi, or Joel, are any of you capable of an idea as to which departments should be consolidated, which ones can be shuttered, where the savings should be applied and how we accomplish this with as minimal damage to actual living breathing people as can be?
Didn't think so. Sorry for asking.
Don't make them think...their heads will explode
What is truly Amazing is that the author of post #4.4 asks a question ..... then very cutely provides his own answer ! I guess that is where you click the little box for "No Value".
Apparently, Amused in the Midwest was ASLEEP yesterday when the article clearly stated that OBAMA WANTS MORE POWER (no surprise here) to consolidate agencies. Of course, we have also read he wants another $1.3 trillion raise on his credit card.....er, debt ceiling.
Now, why would Obama need MORE MONEY if he is truly going after LESS GOVERNMENT ????
Amused....I'm surprised you didn't get the standard Tea Party answers! You know the ones....Close 'em all, (especially any that deal with entitlements) except Defense, and give the money back to the people! Government just gets in the way!
I can hardly believe it. They must be paying the posters to do other things right now.
President Obama has asked for the reinstatement of presidential powers that were given to all presidents between H.Hoover and R. Reagan. These are not new powers.
The request to raise the debt ceiling was made necessary by the Republican side of congress creating a "crisis" and only raising the ceiling 1/3 of what was needed to pay the bills this country had already owed.
Really weak response from you. You talk about "reinstatement" of powers, while giving no mention of when they were supposedly "taken away". Then you sneak in blaming Republicans for Obama's spending binge during his first two years in office.
It will really be a shock to you when "funding" all those NEW government agencies and bureaus created under Obamacare kicks in. You could simply STEAL all the wealth from "billionaires" and not have enough to cover Obama's entitlements.
Oh well, I guess those bonuses to Solyndra employees have to come from somewhere.
Jim. May i suggest "Reading is Fundamental" it will work wonders in training you to see the whole post, not just what you wanted to see.
As stated, the powers were removed under Reagan. Congress has been making unbridled power grabs for itself for about 30 years now.
You mean HHS? It's been around for years. You're trolling....
Asking people to pay their fair share and not slant the field in their favor is hardly stealing. Only a very small mind would view it that way.
Obama has nor has he had anything to do with private industry bonuses. Your credibility, gone. Zero!
What a sad attempt to divert the conversation, jim.
I'll just add to it, by taking some terms from the right. It's time for some "creative destruction."
Merging 6 agencies into 1 makes government smaller. Creative destruction. The GOP doesn't want to hear that, because they love the lie about the Obama administration "growing government." Under this administration, the government has shed workers, not increased them.
Obliterate fox "news." They are the open sewer that spews the right-wing party lie. Creative destruction. It's time that media be held accountable for what they do. Free speech is one thing; a national propaganda machine is another. No actual conversation can be had in the sea of lies that fox has created.
Enact a Constitutional amendment overturning the lie that money is speech. Creative destruction. Corporations, unions, even foreign governments control our government under this time honored idiocy. It's time to destroy it, and give the government back to the people, and free up the congress to look at legislation, rather then spend all their time raising money from special interests.
Those are just a few examples of where people need to lose their jobs for the greater good of the country. There are plenty more, but we can start with those.
I know, it's hard to fire all those lobbyists, media hacks, and lawyers, but it's time we made some hard choices to save our democracy.
The crazy ideologues from the right may now resume their obviously specious deflections.
Dobi
Turn off Fox News, it causes very poor judgment and brain damage.
Dobi, typical right wing lemming. Your ridiculous statement is laughable and embarassing!
theCavalier @4.11
I didn't know you were a Dr Paul supporter? All your points are right outta Dr Paul's platform!
Let's see, how many illegal wars have we gotten into under Obama? Oh that's right. NONE
-Obama 2012
Let see...hmmm...thinking real hard...hmmm...still thinking. Nope! You're definitely clueless.
CIA Director Leon Panetta stated in a report following the incident, "that the first mention of the courier's nickname did not come from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), but rather from another government's interrogation of a suspect whom they said they "believe was not tortured"."
So how about the Federal Justice System perform some type "enhanced interrogation" technique on Cheney and Bush - lets see what we could find out about that war in Iraq. Then, I would send their tails to jail for their participation in the MURDER of 4000 plus U.S. Service-members for a war that shouldn't have happened in the first place.
Next, Bush and Cheney would get tried for every damned death that occurred in Afghanistan because their private little war in Iraq!
Yeah....it's all just as I figured, all Tea-publicans are clueless!
Hey Dem in Texas, I guess you don't count Libya as an illegal war since after all the United Nations supported it even if the US Congress never declared war on Libya.
I suspect we are headed for another one in Iran, but only when it is just in time to help Obama with his re-election. Ron Paul is right as far as this issue is concerned. Maybe Ron Paul should be the new secretary of state. By the way, some of you need to catch up. Hilary has already declared she will not be the secretary of state even if Obama wins. She is done, she said it is someone elses turn.
Hey avatar...I thought Republicans were all about personal responsibility? The Debt Ceiling is about money already spent! Do you believe individuals should also default on their debt? Doesn't sound real responsible to me.
Gotta' give you credit for that one... The last guy GOPpers elected was well known for "Staying the course"... he never let facts, reason or evidence dissuade him from anything he wanted to do.
Seems that his motto was something like "if you don't admit you made a mistake, no one will notice.
".. I'm a conservative, damn it"
Think Progress:
A Georgia Republican who wants all welfare reciepients subject to drug tests failed one himself after he ran a red light on Friday morning.
It's call DUI.
It would be extremely interesting if ALL Govt employees got a regular drug test, and I mean ALL GOVT EMPLOYEES. Yes, from the President(never gonna happen) all the way down to the douche bags at the IRS-ESPECIALLY the IRS. We would be able to wipe out about 80% of these nut jobs.
bryan-2876208 - I'm more than certain this President could pass a DUI - anytime. The one before him - not so sure!
And once 80% of them are gone, who is going to fight your fires, come to your aid when a crime is committed, pave your roads or educate your children - because if you think government employees are any different than anyone else when it comes to drug use you're fooling yourself.
I was talking about the IRS by the way Anita(the 80%). And by your very own admission Anita, "because if you think govt employees are any different than anyone else when it comes to drug use you're fooling yourself" so with having stated that, why should some one on wellfare be singled out exclusively? Most firefighters I have ever known, drink quite heavily by the way, just saying.
bryan-2876208 - Please leave the firefighters alone. They do a tremendous job and I can't find fault with them - no matter their party!
Bryan,
We do get screened quite regularly, do me a favor if you don't know anything about us, don't talk about us. If you think we overpaid, well I am still waiting for that money. If you hate us because of our benefits, don't be jeolous, go demand it from your employer, not look at somebody else.
I find it amusing that some of you want to single out certain government or union employees and get all weepy eyed defending them...either all of them are louses or none of them are...
Gee, all the whack jobs are out, some seem like they have a personal problem, if so keep it to your self I don't know about the bloggers but the constant whining is getting a bit boring, seems like the same people are here all the time, are you all a bunch of free loaders or what ...........
It s not easy in this environment to demand anything from an employer. Obama said he was in favor of card check and to make it easier to vote for a union at the work plac. Hasn't happened. I worked the polling station for Obama last election. I am a union IBEW electrician and i have to drug test for every job referral. If i have to do it think we all should have to do it. Just my oppinion. Know maater who wins this election they better rework our trade agreements so we can bring in some revenue. If not in my mind it may turn out to be a national security problem for us. Remember telling the russians tear down this wall. Well i would bet they are just waiting for our empire to crumble. QUIT BUYING FOREIGN @!$%# PEOPLE.
If you're a democrat Lt. governor from Massachusetts the cops just cover it for you. At least this guy will face some music.
If he thinks the process is getting toxic now, just wait until the general election.
Well the people who fight my fires, police my streets and pave my roads don't work for the federal government because I don't live in DC. About 1/3 of the people here who fight fires are volunteers and the rest are employees of local jurisdictions. All the police except BP are either local or state employees. And the state of Texas maintains the roads. So we set the rules not you.
Amen, Maksim! If someone has better benefits than you, the answer is NOT to reduce theirs to your level. The answer is to better your own. And notice the ones who always whine about how poor their benefits are, are always the first ones to whine about unions? Duh. What do you think unions are for?
Awesome Karma catches up with you ALWAYs
That's it, the welfare recipients are the reason our kids are dumb as rocks (we are near last in education in the developed world), nobody wants to buy our $#!^ anymore, our agricultural industry requires heavy subsidies to even survive and the only thing we can manage to export is debt and tech jobs. Maybe worry about yourselves instead of the people needing a helping hand. And tell your kids to get out from in front of the Xbox/playstation, or they'll be the ones immigrating to Mexico in 40 years.
So it is becoming a popular idea to drug test welfare recipients and put public school children to work. But rich schools are public subsidized to some degree; and may be the rich should take drug tests to be C.E.O.'s? . . .
Another one bites the Dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the Dust..... So long screwy, see you in St. Louis.......
Now that song is in my head, bryan!!
Hey bryan - just for edification, all but one will bite the dust. Are you stuck in 8th grade?
Nope, not stuck in the 8th grade, but it is fun watching all of these pathetic cons(cervatives) drop out of the race like a bunch of dead flies. Especially fun, is watching the debates and have them totally attack each other and point their bony fingers accusingly to one another. And as I said, Brianb(by the way, you spell your name wrong-haha) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST, AND ANOTHER ONE GONE AND ANOTHER ONE GONE, ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST.......
bryan, your right, it is fun. The country got to see what the Democrats can do in '08.
That year, Hillary looses and she gets Sec. of State. Would anyone suggest she was bought?
These posts bring a big smile to my face considering they have no relevance to political reality.
Another "sane" Republican bites the dust !! I think if Santorum looses it will be the end of the "Tea Party" dominance of the Republicans - we can go back to governing .
You better hope not, when it's down to Mitts and the Doc, the tea party will fall into line with the DOC!
I can't wait for that to happen...
We'll hold you to that prediction Egilman. I'll guess that you're wrong: That either Ron Paul will withdraw long before it comes to that, or that greedy power-hungry Tea Party people will look at the two and support Romney, albeit with regret, because they're realize that they have no chance of getting anything valuable out of an association with Ron Paul.
At its core, the Republican Party is a party of ideas
Say what? I can think of at least three words the Republicans have added our political lexicon that prove differently, "swiftboating," "push polling," and "the birther movement." None of them had anything to do with winning elections through "ideas." Republicans are well known for running campaigns based on character assasination and bigotry. Anyone remember Willie Horton? McCain's "black child?" Demands to see Obama's birth certificate?
He said "at its core." While it may be possible to argue against that, you weren't doing it.
Republicans are rotten to the core. Huntsman is naive. Romney has no core values.
jock59801, if you're incapable of seeing that Amy's comments not only argue Huntsman's point, but prove it, I have to conclude that you're a teabagger.
Another great Republican party idea---trickle down economics. That's done real well for the country, hasn't it?!
It's not a party of ideas. It's a party of corrupt politicians working for corrupt banks and corporations for whom Money is everything, and the American people is nothing. Obama 2012!!
The GOP's ideas are 30 years old: trickle down voo doo, deregulate which worked so well and blew up the national debt twice and gave us a near Great Depression once. One thing that angered me with Clinton was when he signed the last nail in the regulation worked for 40 years coffin.
The most recent good GOP ideas were, wait for it, the individual mandate for health care and cap and trade which came from the debate about acid rain and it's impact. Now the GOP runs faster than a gold-medal winning Olympic athlete away from solid, "conservative" ideas about individual responsibility and conservation of the land and air.
They're just all bad ideas. ;)
Yes Amy,
The Neo-Cons love that tactic, kinda reminds me of the Dixiecrat's of the '50's and '60's, they used the same style of politicking..... Hard core christian fundamentalists former democrats now calling themselves republicans, all of them hypocrites.
This is why the last few republican administrations seem to run the country like big government democrats. This is where the sentiment in this country comes from that there is only one party, and it doesn't matter whom you elect, all we get is more big government.
(guess what, Neocon = Dixiecrat)
The last descent Republican to serve in DC was Jim Jeffords, Senator from Vermont. The last descent Republican president was Eisenhower. The rest, without exception, continue paving the road to total destruction of the United States, with the goal of reducing the US to a feudal system. The .5% continue to push for legislation that reduces the standard of living, income, and opportunities for the 99.5%, and Republicans obey the .5% like mindless drones. Bobble-heads all.
I truely believe that Jon Huntsman will be the next Secretary of State, no matter who wins this election. He is very well respected all over the world and is an absolutely brilliant man.
Howard, I believe you are right. He would be terrific for that job....he is smart enough to know he can't win.
Howard, you are right, and I am glad to see there are some people who agree with me. If you've visited any of the right and left wing blogs, you'll see just how idiotic they all sound. People who get their (mis)information from each other, who do not fact-check, and who think with their half-brains.
Howard Kraft - only if Hilary really DOES step down. She is doing a great job and it wouldn't surprise me if Obama talks her into staying. I do think Obama might find another job for Huntsman as he is a good representative for the US.
SeekingSanity, I think they are thinking if Romney wins the election. There may also be the possibility that President Obama may ask Mrs. Clinton to become VP.
That being said I think Huntsman was someone very much worth considering in his run for President. I am glad to see a centrist in the Republican field and was pleased to hear someone on that side of our limited political spectrum endorse evolution. It just goes to show how far right the Republicans have moved when a candidate actually has to speak out that he believes in evolution and that it is a political risk to do so.
I think it is kind of scary to see how many people on the left have come out bashing the man. They are showing they aren't that much better than the right wingers who bash President Obama at every turn.
JHeron, President Obama doesn't need Hillary Clinton as VP just because of Romney. Romney's not that great a candidate however much the right might like to claim he is. Hillar is doing a great job as Secretary of State, the minute she becomes part of the ticket the right wing will be as hateful toward her as they were when she was first lady. That's a silly speculation started by talking heads who obviously had too much time on their hands and now the right keeps talking about it. If Hillary Clinton wants to run for President in 2016, she has established herself as a very credible candidate without being VP.
there is no question that hillary is a credible candidate, she has stated that as soon as this term is up she is retiring. Many claim that is so she can make a run in '16, but I doubt it.
She sounds very sincere on her retirement.
I do not vote on party lines. I liked Jon Huntsman's message ANDthe messenger. The fact that he did so badly while herman cain the idiot did so well is clearly an indication of the voters' IQs. You people get the leaders you deserve.
Yeah, I agree Jenny2, like from the years 2000 to 2008, we got exactly what we deserved. Well, not exactly true, as I did not vote for that pathetic excuse of a President Dick{Head}Cheney and his trusty side kick George Bush, wankers the both of them.
Tisk! Tisk! Not ALL of the voters.
Huntsman got more votes than Cain. Polls take 4 months before the voting starts are not "votes," they are instantaneous temperature readings.
I think Jon Huntsman would have made an excellent President. It's too bad "substance" wasn't valued more by voters. The guy certainly has the brains, experience, and demeanor for the job.
Admetum, you are correct, having worked for him as a state employee. I saw him stand up to the legislature several times on issues, especially when it came to us as employees and the "little guy" in the state. He is very smart, well spoken and as a president, I believe, he would have been a much better choice and less corruptible than Romney. Despite what some of the other opinions on here have stated, he hasn't flip flopped but done what every other American does when they vote... pick what they believe to be the lesser of two evils.
What continues to amaze me is that he was always called a centralist as if that was an evil. If you follow his career you will realize that he was a true conservative. What he was not was a member of the tea party. He was willing to talk to all sides so that he could get his way. This is something that seems to be missing at this time. He was called a centralist but he was a firm believer in the Paul Ryan budget plan. That would seem to be an action of a Conservative rather than a liberal. He was not a candidate who would blow in wind in whatever direction it was heading. He is an intelligent Conservative who would have made a excellent President. President Obama named him as ambassador to China knowing full well that he might be a dangerous candidate to run against in 2012. You should congraduate him because it worked.
Ron Paul endorsed by SC Senator Tom Davis!
whoop-dee-@!$%#ing-do
...and, of course, now Huntsman can resume control of Our Destiny PAC and use all of that money to aid Romney.
...but you endorsed one of them anyway?
...and not only that, but you endorsed the guy you smacked down a week ago for his attitude about your cooperation with Democrats?
Da Noid,
I still am curious to the endorsement of Romney. Unless Jon Huntsman was promised something from Romney, helped with campaign debt from Romney, or just to look good for 2016, those are some of my questions.
It is what it is. He could not win, because the base is made up of idiots who are better off going to bible classes or hunting, as he so aptly put it.
My guess is that Jon Huntsman will use all that money in the PAC to aid.......Jon Huntsman in 2016.
Another one bites the dust!
Better now to quit the field and live to fight another day.
Romney will fix this country you just watch and see ...... he has god and his magic undies (guess that doesn't always work ... ie Huntsmen)
Romney/Obama ...... 2012 what a "bloodbath" it will be ........... ha haha ha ha ha
Americans will fall right in line and start arguing,fighting and pointing fingers about which rep of the rich will be the next prez Slick Barry of the American Empire or The mormon Bot Wonder ..... hope it's not too boring.
(Huntsman believes in evolution and global warming and just backed the GOP nomination WooHoo)
I agree with his point about the race"degenerating into an onslaught of negative and personal attacks". The problem is, this just isn't happening within the Republican race. This type of campaigning will certainly be a big part of the Presidential election this fall. Both sides will try and use it to their advantage.
This is why the country is so divided. There isn't any rational debate about the issues - just attacks on the other side. It's degenerated in an attitude of "if you're not with us - you're against us and your opinion doesn't matter" Even worse, to disagree with someone nows means you're somehow un-American in their eyes. And people wonder what's wrong with the country.
A lot of that is fueled by the corporate money. Take away that fuel, and we might be able to control the fire.
This country is in serious need of campaign finance reform that SCOTUS will not overturn. If folks think the superpac money and their ads are ugly now, just wait until the general election when both side get to play the game.
I see my tv turned off or else a lot of movies this fall.
You're right jock. That being said, there's a lot of "special interest" money coming from other sources as well. Money - not the best ideas - wins elections. I guess you get what you pay for.
phinephancy.......I agree. It's going to get nasty. In many ways, people in this country have lost respect for one another. Negative ads and campaigning just illustrate this.
Republicans use smear, mostly false. Democrats use biased exposure of candidates' weaknesses. Smarmy Romney will continue to run negatively and Obama will run on substance. Romney's values are money, power, and narcissism, not patriotism and service to America.
Affinity,
I am definitely a "team blue" person. However, I am not dumb and blind. The left will be just as negative as the right. That is what superpacs do. That's the nature of campaigning in the 21st century. Not a good thing, either. Just promotes more hate and distrust between the two sides.
phinephancy-4252115 - I agree with you although I don't think the left has a choice. If you try to stay above the dirt you get railroaded - remember the Swift Boaters? There really is no choice. If you want to be in politics, you have to get a little dirty - unfortunately!
I am old enough to remember (I think) when the negative campaigning got so bad that the mud slinging ads were blocked from broadcasting. Can anyone remember that and correct me if I am wrong. I keep hopeing that will happen again.
I mean I hope the mud slinging will stop.
not MUD - just ordinary old @!$%# (remember - politics stinks)
I was sorry to see Huntsman leave the race. I would have voted for him in November. As things stand now, Obama will get my vote again.
Jan, you perfectly demonstrate why Huntsman wasn't liked by the Republicans. He was the preferred candidate for Democrats. He is too much like Obama. Thank goodness he is out! The field is being whittled down to a more conservative one and whoever is still standing at the end will still be getting a Republican and Independent vote. Obama is toast in 2012!
and another demo that can't be changed - must vote democrat because i registed up as one no changing of the minds when people put that statement up
1Rodney B - in your dreams. The country - as a whole - it smart enough to know we don't want a President controlled by religious fanatics - to lead this country. The only two running for the GOP who were not controlled by the far right were Hunstman and Paul. Paul can't win - a little too loonie! Obama will wipe the floor with Romney. We are a country that separates church and state. Hopefully the GOP will eventually learn that and get back to the party it used to be - representing a political perspective - not religious zealots!
Well, Rodney, I disagree. Independent voters like myself were certainly impressed by Huntsman. Without Huntsman, the GOP lost my support again. So long as the party is controlled by its extreme right wing, I will remain an Independent.
And there is nothing wrong with that! Compared to the last 5 horror candidates in the GOP, Obama IS THE BEST choice. What is pathetic with the hard core right wing voters is they will defend whoever is the outcome of their shameful and ridiculous candidates! If it boils down to Bain Capital Romney, you guys better get it through your brick brains, that Romney is in this for his own personal goals. It's even gag a maggot when you hear him on TV lying and denying with such passion. Read up his past and his religion. And EVEN remember what his dog Seamus had to endure! On an air tight crate on the car roof rack for 12 hours! And he act so non-chalant about it! The dog had a terror diarrhea! If dogs can have it, how much more for people! And yeah, Mitt will just shrug his shoulder and take this country for a drive back deeper for the 1%, because he thinks all of you are just envious, plus he likes firing people! Take us for another war with Iran, and who knows even China! But you won't see any of his sons or kin folk ever serving the military!! A darn rude awakening for those wearing right wing glasses.
jan you took the words right out of my mouth.
Huntsman could have gotten a lot more Indy votes in the gen. election than any other GOP nominee. Now those Indy voters will go to Obama.
look at the field
santorum - absolute IDIOT (only surpassed in idiocy by PERRY)
Perry - personification of IDIOCY (perfect for the "handlers", though)
the LIZARD - sure thing - ethics violations and all that (BUZZ - the gong show)
paul - Yeah - right - ZERO chance particularly at the NATIONAL level - forward into the early 19th century
Leaving us with MITT - first off he loses the teavangelical vote (right off the top) because they will NEVER vote for a "heathen mormon" - I can say that with impunity being "atheist". Secondly, he's not nearly CONSERVATIVE enough - particularly for the rightwingnuts. Third - he is, after all, a RETHUG and there is more than a little sentiment against the RETHUGs because of their TOTAL lack of bi-partisanship. Need I go on?
Of course, Mitt is the best of the 5 DWARFS (all named DOPEY - and some are more DOPEY than others) but this is a throw-away election for the rightwingnuts - they cannot win and will likely lose substantial representation at the congressional level.
Obama is not perfect (far from it) but compared to the contenders on the "other side" he's a whole lot better
I thought he was the only candidate with some level of integrity. Guess I was wrong.
It is sad to see the most adult of the Republican candidates leave the field. It will be very hard for many thinking people to vote for any of the remaining candidates....one has only to put "President" before any of their names to understand why.
right after the announcement there was short clip of Huntsman saying Romney was a killer of jobs, now he supports Romney to be our president. Did Romney create jobs in those few months? All respect I formerly had for this guy is gone, just another prostitute politician, like all the others. Country first, party second. C'mon, phony baloney Romney may get 35-40 percent the rest is divided among the remaining hacks
And, may we all presume that you are a Ron Paul supporter?
Huntsman was a great candidate and I am surprised he endorsed Romney. Huntsman had the best intentions for the country and definitely more balanced any of the other GOP candidates.
I don't understand why people want Religion in Politics, faith is amazing, but so easily twisted and abused. The church is wrong on so many things. On this glorious day, the birth of one of the greatest men in American history, remember that the church inhibits civil rights.
I truly doubt their God would forsake so many and claim that so many things are sinful. Besides, I have seen so many of my friends who are so devout, pick and choose which rules to follow based on their desires.
I agree with you, ACMC. Quite apart from the wrong-headedness of religion, I do feel that religion has NO place in politics as an institution. This is exactly opposit of what the founding fathers at least proported to be against.
Of all of the GOP contenders...were I inclined to vote Republican...I MIGHT have voted for Huntsman. But I don't think I ever really considered him a real contender, and I doubt that many other people did, either.
Sorry, Renee, but you are way off here. The candidates make their own news and the media reports it. How can you say the media only paid attention to Romney after the debacle of Herman Cain, the mindless hypocrisy of Gingrich, and the absolute moronic stupidity of Perry? All of this was reported by the media. Your generalities are appalling to me when I think that you probably have the right to vote. I truely hope though that you are one of the 60% who don't.
Not willing to agree with whack jobs. Same policy, just a milder way of presenting them.
This is so incredibly disappointing. Huntsman was the lone candidate throughout the campaign and debate process who actually presented sound and viable points and ideals that were backed by his results as governor, and didn't sound like rhetorical vomit or as if he were merely a puppet on strings.
Reforming the tax code - making it simpler, flatter, and beneficial to businesses so they'll stay here in America; reforming health care; addressing an energy policy that ends foreign oil addiction' education reform; reduced government and spending - I don't think anyone disagrees with those points.
And then he went and endorsed Romney; effectively putting party over country. It's hard to surmise any other reason than he just plain sold out. Wow, how disappointing.
I tend to agree with you, Concerned...but who else WAS he going to throw his support to? The Bobbsey Twins...Ricky S and Ricky P? Newtie, with all of the baggage HE carries with him? Paul...who is, in my opinion, too old to handle the job? I think Romney was the only logical choice, no matter how questionable he is as a candidate.
Michael - he doesn't have to endorse any of them. None of the current crop are worth endorsing. He should have stood behind his principles and simply backed out of the race while giving a nod to the hope for a better future of government - one that we will not see if we continue our current political trend.
I agree with your statement that Romney is the logical person to toss your support behind but Huntsman and Romney are very far apart on some critical issues. And, frankly, we've already got a puppet in the white house; we don't need another one named Mitt.
Concerned - point well taken. All issues that need & should be addressed. Unfortunately, Huntsman entered the race too late. What he did, by throwing his support to Romney, is what all candidates of one party do.
When the field is as large as this one is, if one backs out, they usually end up backing the candidate most likely to win the nomination. It doesn't mean they particularly like this person but they do have to visibly support their party. It doesn't mean that come election time, Huntsman is going to vote for him!!
The Republicans are in disarray - look at Congress. I'm not a fan of Obama but they've done nothing for the people - all we ever see is Boehner getting up and slinging personal attacks at Obama. How about they come up with something to relieve this country??
The debates are nothing but mud-slinging - yes, it's to be expected to some degree but it's really out of hand. Each one is supposed to be proving they are the best candidate and I'm not seeing it. It's even been said on TV (I don't watch Faux News), that the Republicans are looking for someone strong enough to knock Obama out of office - that's their only real concern. I want to see an alternative to Obama but I'm not seeing it.
Religion seems to be the "in" thing these days. I don't care what someone's religious beliefs are nor do I have to adhere to their beliefs - I have my own. I want someone sitting in that chair who will do right by this country. Religious beliefs have no place in gov't. This is a country that is based on religious freedom so that is moot. Society is a mess - when people practiced their religion, did we have such a blatant display of a lack of morals? All of a sudden, everyone is religious - haven't practiced their religions in years but now we have a nation of religious zealots crawling out of the woodwork !!!! As I watch church after church close due to lack of its faithful, all I see is a bunch of hypocrites on this page.
Newt???? A non-entity. This man was just about thrown out of office, was instrumental in the collapse of Fannie & Freddie and now has supporters, has the audacity to run for the highest seat in the land - talk about hypocrisy !!!!!
Before I vote, I want to see a platform and it doesn't need to see the word "Change". See how well that's worked for us!!
I've got news for Gov. Huntsman. Politics has been toxic for years, and is growing increasingly so. This type of "toxic" discourse was championed by the firebrand Sarah Palin in 2008 (while McCain tried to appear to take the high road). This year political toxicity has reached new heights (or new depths - take your pick) with this Republican zoo.
One of the reasons for the high-octane verbal abuse between the candidates is that they see Obama as vulnerable, and the last man standing has a good chance to be president.
The toxicity isn't limited to discourse between Republicans - they all refer to Obama as "this president this, this president that". They avoid the dignity of referring to Obama by his name. I've never noticed that before.
The toxicity isn't limited to the Republican Party - the Democrats can get rough & tumble too - but I've noticed an almost hysterical mission being conducted by Republicans and Tea Party supporters to get Obama out of office. This hysteria has been in place since day one, and has resulted in this "toxic" discourse between Republicans. They blame Obama for not fixing the economy while at the same time blocking his attempts to do so. Never is Obama given any credit for anything. As for voters, too many of them are under the sway of the right-wing propaganda machine. They'll vote for someone who'll turn their world upside down and not even realize what they've done.
So I say let them cannibalize each other and we'll see how this all plays out.
Perhaps once Obama is out of office (hopefully in 2016) things will calm down somewhat.
They won't Russell. This all started Republicans trying to impeach Clinton. The Democrats took it to a new level with President G.W. Bush. The Republicans raised the ante again with President Obama. It's no longer about respect. It's about winning at all costs.
Negative strategies work in the short term but people eventually become numb to the message. This means an even more negative or outrageous approach must be taken to grab peoples attention. The end result is what you have today. People declaring that they have to "take back their country" because the other side is somehow un-American. I used Republican slogan to illustrate my point but in reality - this applies to both sides equally.
I am not an admirer of Barack Hussein Obama. I have never been.
Having said that, though, your comments about the GOP's stance is a very good one. But it's the same thing they did to Clinton...from day one of Clinton's election, the GOP could only concentrate on getting him out of office. It has gotten to the point, for the GOP, that if the person sitting in The Oval Office isn't a Republican, the only job of the GOP is to get this person out...the business of the nation be damned.
I didn't mean to leave out the Dems, though. All of them...Dems and Republicans alike...are acting like spoiled little children
WE have no leaders today...we have no statesmen...just spoiled little bullies..
Michael,
I love how you say Barack Hussein Obama? He is not muslim, but even if he was then what, who cares? What you that ignorant?
Your GOP Gronies, Tell me what they have done for middle class? Labor( which is middle class). Only thing they kiss is Big corporation Butt.
He's not half-muslin either. I still cannot help but laugh remembering how the GOP attracted such idiots to its banner in 2008.
Admetum and Michael -
I stand corrected. I overlooked the war the Republicans waged against Bill Clinton in my above comment. They started with Whitewater, then Vincent Foster, and finally with the Lewinsky thing. They sicked a federal prosecutor, Kenneth Starr, on Clinton and Starr never let go.
I have to disagree, Admentum, with your statement concerning the Democrats taking it to a new level against Bush. Bush got us into Iraq with help from a complacent Congress, he got the Medicare Part D passed through a complacent Congress, and he went on a spending spree (with the war and the Medicare bill). Nobody, to my recollection, raised a peep (actually, Obama voted against the mis-adventure in Iraq).
Maybe my perspective has become tainted with my increasing dislike for today's Republicans and their tactics. Until a few years ago I tended to vote for Republicans, but this bunch has resembled a school of piranhas, and for me, it's a complete turn-off.
Russell-2157151
let us not forget the tax cuts Bush pushed through as the republican congress reneged on all deficit reduction legislation that was passed under Clinton, and which resulted in doubling down on deficit spending and the reversal of the previous 8 years of debt reduction. Bush and his republican congress represent the only time in history where the U.S. went to war and cut taxes at the same time. Now they want us to "trust" them again.
I also tended to vote Republican in the past but right now I cannot envision myself ever voting Republican again. My disillusion with the party began way back when Newt the hypocrite had his "Contract with America" in 1994. But still I voted Republican. But watching the Bush administration destroy the US economy, drag us into two pointless wars, and then do everything they could to keep the mess they created for as long as Obama is President is just too much for me. People like Cantor, McConnell, Boehner, Gingrich, Santorum, and Bachmann have come to represent true evil to me. I hope that history is very very unkind to them. And if there is a God, I hope they find themselves outcast for practising their hatred and deceipt in his name.
Russell, good post!
Just to clarify more, the right wing lemming voters have so much hatred for our current president, they will back their hypocrite party and deny every attempt by the Democrats to fix the economy- have been filibustered to the max by their party of NO. And then they have the gall to say Obama has not done anything. Obama has had more success with the foreign issues because the Repugs couldn't filibuster that.
It's disgusting to see that Repug voters will go ahead and vote their Rethug candidate knowing full well that they are selling their souls to the devil and the country be damn.
For the right win lemmings: Mitt Romney supports the 1% and there are a TON of you that don't belong in that range.
http://www.uproxx.com/media/2012/01/stephen-colbert-runs-first-presidential-campaign-ad-accuses-mitt-romney-of-being-a-serial-killer/
juno6-- I am definitley not in that range, but I support the 1% because the 1% are what makes a middle class (which I do fit into) possible. Government can not create a middle class. There isn't enough wealth to redistribute and the government is incapable of creating wealth. You sound like one of those people who has been told the lie about fairness so much that you actually believe it. I only have one leg, who do I see about getting another one so that things for me are "fair". "Fairness" is a LIE. Those like Obama who tell you this lie, know it is a lie. They tell it to you so that you will give them the power to decide what is fair. What I think is not fair, is Obama's definition of what is fair. It is not fair for him to decide what is fair for me. I GET TO DECIDE THAT.
Boyd / Your comment that the rich make a middle class possible is far from the truth. Unions, which I would think that you are against,have made more of the middle class than all of the super rich combined. There are a few ,but very few,of the 1% ers who realise that the more producers having discretionary wealth the better for all.Throughout history we find that the super wealthy consider that the more that they exploit the more that they keep for themselves. They are even willing to bring down governments,kill citizens,distroy leaders who disagree with there aims and even bring down kingdoms and empires to obtain their aims
Too bad. While I didn't really think Huntsman could win it, it was nice to have a moderate, sensible voice in the group. I like the guy a lot. I hope to see him in Mitt's cabinet.