2012 GOP Presidential Campaign -- "This individual's going to accuse me of an affair for an extended period of time."

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Yes, that's how Gingrich presented it tonight. I think it's a wash at worst for Gingrich--i.e., I don't see him getting hurt by this either.

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 04:44 (twelve years ago) link

Everything I'm reading says Romney lost -- the only issue seems to be how badly he damaged himself.

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 04:50 (twelve years ago) link

at best he lost by not doing damage to gingrich. he needs to reverse the tide here.

Matt Armstrong, Sunday, 11 December 2011 04:53 (twelve years ago) link

I've re-watched the Ted Kennedy moment a couple of times--TPM has it up--and although there's clearly some loud booing, it seems to be confined to a handful of people. The overall reaction may be closer to what Matt describes.

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 04:55 (twelve years ago) link

$10,000 bet was amazing. Romney fucked this debate up in an incredible way.

Adrien Brony (step hen faps), Sunday, 11 December 2011 05:37 (twelve years ago) link

"I will bet one night with my wife that you are incorrect"

Dranke, the German Drake Impersonator (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 11 December 2011 05:46 (twelve years ago) link

"which wife"

HOOS aka driver of steen, Sunday, 11 December 2011 05:51 (twelve years ago) link

"mr. gingrich, please wait until you're being addressed"

Dranke, the German Drake Impersonator (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 11 December 2011 06:00 (twelve years ago) link

Gingrich's "If we do survive" was...troubling.

that tossed-off line is typical of the apocalyptic claptrap in newt's books. if he makes it to the general election watch him get impaled on the fact that he's regularly predicted imminent doom for the U.S. since the 1980s.

this review by joan didion catalogues his insane bullshit circa 1994

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1995/aug/10/the-teachings-of-speaker-gingrich/

the deli llama, Sunday, 11 December 2011 13:14 (twelve years ago) link

Romney is now saying that the $10,000 bet was the direct result of the president's outrageously lax gaming laws, part of the administration's larger War on Personal Responsibility.

"I'm running for president, for Pete's sake, I can't afford to be making $5,000 bets on national television. I was merely trying to illustrate a point."

"You mean $10,000--the bet was for $10,000, Governor."

"Be that as it may."

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 13:26 (twelve years ago) link

Wait what?

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 13:33 (twelve years ago) link

Twinge of nausea watching John Sununu shill for Romney this morning. As creepy as he was 20 years ago on Crossfire.

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 14:29 (twelve years ago) link

Presumably the $10,000 bet did its job: he can wave it off as "when you bet on the horses, bet what you can afford - when you bet on a sure thing, bet what the other guy can afford". and in the mean time, it sounds like he's undeniably right about this thing - which is a pretty neat trick, if this thing is in fact bullshit.

Andrew Farrell, Sunday, 11 December 2011 15:01 (twelve years ago) link

lol mitt i just cant even

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4laRUcuYXmY

Cooper Chucklebutt, Sunday, 11 December 2011 15:07 (twelve years ago) link

One of those hack phrenologist types who reads clues in body language would probably tell you this with a lot better reason, but to me it looks like they're both mentally deficient and/or getting blowjobs beneath the podiums

remy bean in exile, Sunday, 11 December 2011 15:21 (twelve years ago) link

Good morning! What's up??

Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 11 December 2011 15:31 (twelve years ago) link

This seems to be the deleted line from Romney's book:

"We can accomplish the same thing for everyone in the country, and it can be done without letting government take over health care."

So he's talking in general terms, not specifically about the mandate--Romney's right. Taking it out of the book looks bad, though, and it is a bit of a fine line. And I imagine the distinction will be lost in the flap over the bet itself.

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 15:39 (twelve years ago) link

http://rlv.zcache.fr/marquez_sanford_pour_le_president_2012_tasse-p168912406325063493zvaib_400.jpg

at least two magnificent reasons this should happen

by (mennen), Sunday, 11 December 2011 15:48 (twelve years ago) link

Good explanation of Gingrich's (wildly misplaced) appeal:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/opinion/sunday/douthat-professor-gingrich-vs-professor-obama.html?_r=1

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 15:54 (twelve years ago) link

Bam is gonna be difficult in debate for anyone when he proceeds to answer every question with "Good point... but did you kill Osama Bin Laden?"

Dranke, the German Drake Impersonator (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 11 December 2011 16:31 (twelve years ago) link

http://i.imgur.com/Zo9ya.jpg

C.K. Dexter Holland, Sunday, 11 December 2011 16:37 (twelve years ago) link

romney's book isn't as damning as the public statements he made, but I guess the whole changing the text for the re-release is irresistible as a slam.

Matt Armstrong, Sunday, 11 December 2011 17:27 (twelve years ago) link

I suppose it depends in part on who the Republican nominee is, but I'd be surprised if Bin Laden carries much weight in the debates. I would think the Republican could sidestep that fairly easily: if you don't have a job, how relevant is that to your life?

One thing Hillary's side argued throughout the 2008 nomination was that all her vulnerable points were a matter of public record--that the Republicans wouldn't be able to dig up anything new because everything was already out there. (Probably wishful thinking in terms of Bill's post-presidential activities, but anyway.) I wonder if all Gingrich's baggage is already out there, or if there's more to come. I don't know. If there's nothing more to come, I think he can hang on--it doesn't appear right now that hammering away at what's there is helping Romney and the rest (sometimes, witness last night, it even backfires). If there's more, that's different.

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 17:33 (twelve years ago) link

The Newt / Sanford liaison hasn't yet come to light.

by (mennen), Sunday, 11 December 2011 17:35 (twelve years ago) link

For reasons I mention above, I think the change in romney's book is plenty significant.

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 17:36 (twelve years ago) link

Newt continues to gain in SC and Florida:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/11/9365498-gingrich-opens-up-big-leads-in-south-carolina-and-florida?ocid=twitter

But...

In hypothetical match-ups, the president [in Florida] leads Romney by seven points (48 to 41 percent) and Gingrich by 12 points (51 to 39 percent).

In South Carolina -- a reliable Republican state in presidential contests -- Obama’s approval rating stands at 44 percent, and he holds narrow leads over Romney (45 to 42 percent) and Gingrich (46 to 42 percent).

xantham gum works well. or so I hear., Sunday, 11 December 2011 17:48 (twelve years ago) link

I would think the Republican could sidestep that fairly easily: if you don't have a job, how relevant is that to your life?

I think for guys running against gay marriage, etc., "how is this relative to your life with respect to employment" isn't really gonna wash

undervalued aerosmith tchotchkes sold in bulk, Sunday, 11 December 2011 18:10 (twelve years ago) link

at least two magnificent reasons this should happen

― by (mennen), Sunday, December 11, 2011 10:48 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Permalink

lol lol

HOOS aka driver of steen, Sunday, 11 December 2011 18:23 (twelve years ago) link

What I meant in terms of Obama was that I can't see "But I killed Osama bin Laden" getting him very far in the face of whatever Republican it is attacking him on the economy...I know there's a parallel universe in which Republican debates take place, but I imagine the debates in the general will be a little more grounded, and that the economy will be front and center. If Obama's lucky enough that it somehow isn't, that would be very lucky indeed.

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 18:30 (twelve years ago) link

it's time for a Dennis Perrin tweet!

"To paraphrase Gore Vidal, American politics is for energetic mediocrities, of which we have a limitless supply."

Dr Morbius, Sunday, 11 December 2011 18:43 (twelve years ago) link

It's always time for a dennis perrin tweet.

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 18:46 (twelve years ago) link

If O drank Bin Laden's blood, would that prove he's not a Muslim? I don't know my sharia well enough.

by (mennen), Sunday, 11 December 2011 18:54 (twelve years ago) link

might prove he's not a jehova's witness

k3vin k., Sunday, 11 December 2011 18:56 (twelve years ago) link

prob not kosher either, so AIPAC would be pissed

by (mennen), Sunday, 11 December 2011 18:57 (twelve years ago) link

lolwat

Mordy, Sunday, 11 December 2011 19:04 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieqS4p-jUQ4&feature=youtu.be

lol

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 19:27 (twelve years ago) link

such a dumb -- and, shockingly, scripted -- move by romney. first, he's going to endure a firestorm for looking so smug and out of touch (something that didn't immediately occur to me when i heard about this wager-offer). and when that begins to subside, people are going to start looking at the substance of his proposed "bet," which shines an uncomfortable light on romney's fondness for an individual mandate(and yes, romney did remove an incriminating line from his book). finally, it will shine an uncomfortable light on the fact that romney made this change in his book when it became expedient to do so (once the debate shifted to where obama himself was proposing an individual mandate), exposing him -- once again -- as a flip-flopper.

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 19:30 (twelve years ago) link

H.W. checks his watch, discovers grocery-store scanners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ffbFvKlWqE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0fIhnboptk

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 20:27 (twelve years ago) link

i think the bet thing is overblown. it seemed facetious, and designed to prove a point (romney strongly believes in his point-of-view). but it also made him look like an ass when he didn't need to, and it's going to draw tons of attention to an issue where he really is very vulnerable with GOP voters,(n.1) but somehow has (until now) sidestepped the issue.

____________________________
(n.1) romney's got a defensible position on this, but its a procedural position, i.e., that the fed gov't doesn't have the power, under the reverse commerce-clause, to force americans to buy a private insurance product, but individual states do. but that misses the base's fury over obamacare, which is that no gov't should have the power to force you to buy a private insurance product, whether it be a state or federal gov't. romney has been very skilled at playing slight-of-hand with this, and it even appeared that the GOP base would overlook the deception, even if exposed, but that free-pass might be over now.

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 20:36 (twelve years ago) link

I can't quite tell if you think the bet was a big deal or not a big deal...your last two posts seem to contradict each other. (I think it's a big deal in the short term, regardless of whether it should be or not, and the short term is important when you're inside a three-week window before the first votes are cast.)

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 20:41 (twelve years ago) link

it's a big deal in terms of hurting romney's image. but it shouldn't have been a big deal (tr: media has overblown a minor moment).

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 20:48 (twelve years ago) link

but romney's also gotten a pass on so many issues for so long in this primary season that he would have no real right to complain.

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 20:48 (twelve years ago) link

Most presidential campaigns include a whole series of tempests in teapots like this one. What's amazing is that, eventually they add up to most of what the campaign was "about". So, on the face of it, our campaigns appear to be "about" nothing (which isn't strictly true).

Aimless, Sunday, 11 December 2011 20:50 (twelve years ago) link

Most presidential campaigns include a whole series of tempests in teapots like this one.

yeah, that's true. detailed policy discussions are complicated and boring. "gotcha" moments are easily-understood and exciting.

i wish we could develop an exciting game-show that's based on a real, deep understanding of policy issues, that people would love like america's got talent, or whatever those shows are.

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 20:53 (twelve years ago) link

Think about how big a deal Obama's "guns and religion" comment became in 2008, and how it supposedly revealed all sorts of sinister behind-closed-doors stuff about him. (I imagine Republicans--maybe even some Democrats--believe more adamantly than ever that that comment defined him perfectly.)

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 20:54 (twelve years ago) link

Don Gonyea @DonGonyea -- At diner in Ames, Perry was autographing photocopies of $10,000 bills.

lol

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 11 December 2011 21:02 (twelve years ago) link

<i>detailed policy discussions are complicated and boring</i>

I think that's mostly true as an explanation, but it's not quite that straightforward. Policy discussions also involve a lot of things that I think most people believe will not change more than incrementally no matter who wins. So the sideshow's more tangible, and more directly indicative of the living-room test that presidents have to pass. And yes, I do realize that appalls many people.

I'm a little surprised that the big story out of last night wasn't that we now know Rick Perry's read two books (and that if he proceeds to read a third one, he's venturing into dangerous territory should anyone ever ask him to name them).

clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2011 21:05 (twelve years ago) link


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