Texas: Think different.
No love for Truman and LBJ?
did a favor by neglecting a pair of genocidal maniacs
wait I thought all presidents were genocidal maniacs
Mattie Van Buren wasn’t.
WHH?
It had to be said.
WHH?
predates his presidency but Battle of Tippecanoe, never forget
ezraklein Ezra Klein — RT @AndrewNBCNews: Just asked Cain if he had plans to leave race. Responded: “999, 999, we’re doing fine.”
literally — literally — saying 999! in response to everything.
herman cain: visionary.
999! we’re doing fine
999! all of the time
999! don’t sweat the deets
999! leave it on repeat
maybe cain isn’t quitting after all:
Having re-assessed whether his campaign should march on, Herman Cain emails this letter to his donor list. Above the text: A giant donation button.
____________________________________
Dear Patriots and Supporters,
As you probably heard yesterday, a troubled Atlanta business woman used national media outlets to promulgate a fabricated, unsubstantiated story about a 13 year affair with me. I am writing you today to assure you that this woman’s story is completely false.
I do know Ms. White. I have helped her financially at times over the past few years, just as I have helped many friends and acquaintances throughout the years. I thought Ms. White was a friend in need of a supportive hand to better her life.
Ms. White has made it apparent that she was abusing the friendship.
But now I am asking for your friendship. I am also asking for your prayers and support. This is a trying time for my family, my campaign, and for me. It is also a trying time for our country as we are all distracted from the truly important issues facing our nation.
This evening I have an important speaking engagement at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, where I will be outlining my foreign policy and national security plan. While recent events have taken a toll on me, the people in the audience this evening will not know it. I will deliver my message with vigor and enthusiasm.
Let me assure you, I am not deterred. America’s future is too important. We will continue on this journey to make America great once again.
Thank you and God bless.
Sincerely,
Herman Cain
____________________________________
Worth noting that Fox 5 has Cain making 61 calls to Ginger White, the last of them in September in 2011. That’s some friendship! Cain’s decided on the “crazy lying woman trying to bring me down” defense, the one he employed, with mixed success, during the sexual harassment story.
it’s plain that those who say “cain can’t remain” are insane.
Projecting far into the future, I’m trying to figure out if “61” will one day summon up images of Herman Cain and Ginger White for me, or if the number will continue to mean Roger Maris.
if there was true serendipity, ginger white would have been the 999th woman to accuse cain of infidelity or harassment, and there would have been 999 calls logged on her cell phone from cain, and 999 text messages from cain. and he would still deny any wrongdoing — 999 times.
999! 999! 999! 999! 999! 999! 999! 999!
999 are we out of our minds? 999 we’re doing fine.
Wasn’t Ginger White the one stranded on Gilligan’s Island? She used to be so glamorous.
obligatory joke about Cain’s 6–9–9 plan
Like Barney Frank basically said the other day, it all seems too good to be true. So I try to remind myself that it probably is.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/284330/down-goes-willard-robert-costa
Donate $5 to enter for a chance to grab a bite with Mitt. We don’t know when, where, or what the food will be – if it’s up to Mitt, it will probably be pizza. But this much is certain: one of you will get to meet Mitt and ask your questions. Donate today!
Pizza — why, he’s just an average Joe!
Pizza — why, he loves sexual harrassment!
Just to clarify, are you guys salivating over Newt because he’s the most connected to teh evil Bush administration or will he provide the most giggles too?
Newt is every bit the comedic motherlode that Bachmann, Perry and Cain have been.
With his controversial stance on illegal immigration, Newt has been making it clear that he hates to see families break up in times of crisis.
lol
i really hope there’s another blast of bachmann this campaign. the whole thing, perry’s ranch, everything cain, the agnosticism re: mitt, has really not disappointed, but her contributions—the HPV controversy, calling everyone socialists—have been kinda predictable, i feel like she needs to put her name to something insane before it wraps. i feel like marcus is a valuable but underexploited asset in this respect.
When do they finally have to go with Mitt someone?
*Just to clarify, are you guys salivating over Newt because he’s the most connected to teh evil Bush administration or will he provide the most giggles too?*
W.? I didn’t know there was much connection there with Gingrich. Anyway, I want to him to win for many reasons, beginning with a couple of obvious ones:
1) Promises an endlessly entertaining campaign, one that will be almost entirely about Gingrich. I realize that the idea that politics might be entertaining is offensive to some people. I find that entertaining, too.
2) Obama has a significantly better chance to beat Gingrich than Romney—although (I’m probably alone here), I don’t think Obama would be a lock against even Gingrich if a bad economy were to get worse.
3) Obama-Gingrich debates would be fascinating, possibly the best ever.
4) People who’ve been posting here the last couple of months that Romney’s a lock, and doing so almost with a bored yawn—I’d like to see them proven wrong.
5) Nominating a wishy-washy, sort-of reasonable bureaucrat like Romney will seem like a cheat. In view of the way Republicans have conducted themselves since Obama took office, I think it’s only fitting that it be someone spewed up from the Republican id. And to that end, Gingrich would be even better than Perry, and almost as good as Palin.
Again, though—I try to remain realistic, aware that Gingrich could implode at any minute.
ok well colour me excited for lols. hope usa mines every lol from perry and pizzaguy first though.
I think Herman’s pretty much exhausted his laugh-quotient; Perry may have a surprise or two left (like yesterday’s confusion over voting age).
obama would win easily against gingrich, and i think the GOP establishment knows it. also, many — many, many — lolz if ginrich wins the republican nomination.
Gingrich has so, so, so much dirt on his CV
shhhh.
LET NEWT SURGE
I agree that Obama would be a huge favourite against Gingrich; it’s difficult to imagine the country choosing Gingrich as president.
But it was also close to impossible at one point imagining that Gingrich might win the nomination. If it ever did come down to Gingrich-Obama—and let’s say Europe gets even messier, and that spills over into 10 or 11% unemployment over here—than I think you need to leave open the possibility that there would be so much anger at that point, people would be ready to vote in Pauly Shore.
man i want to see the VP choices for gingrich, for the value of the ideological and aesthetic pairing. how about gingrich — boehner? who-hoo! or gingrich — trump! dare to dream.
why has the Cain Train derailed?
lol
WHY IT’S STRONGER THAN EVER
more than ever, we need Herman Cain
if cain could only make a voting block out of the women he’s allegedly harassed or with whom he’s allegedly had affairs, he might have enough support to win the GOP nomination.
Sizable voting blocks:
Newt — ex-wives.
Huntsman — people who thought, “Kurt Cobain?”
Obama-Gingrich debates would be fascinating
this is a new level of derangement
if Newt is nominated I will kiss all of yr asses is Macys window
If Gingrich is leading NH polls ten days before the primary, look for amazingly timely, scandalous “revelations.”
Oh, come on—Obama and Gingrich would be amazing. Gingrich could say anything at any time, and Obama would be walking a tightrope—how much to hang back and let Gingrich destroy himself, but at the same time running the risk that Gingrich pounces (obviously Obama is vulnerable all over the place). Or if Obama debated aggressively, that would just increase the chance that Gingrich goes off.
I think I’m w/ you morbs but otoh the fact that romney still hasn’t sealed this up might suggest that this might be an unusual primary
dr. m is probably right, and that just tells you how little people are paying attention (because none of those possible “revelations” are actually new).
the thing is that the extent to which they’d damage gingrich at that point is largely dependent on the mood of the anyone-but-romney voting bloc at the time. if there’s no alternative to gingrich (or at least none that could be settled upon in time), the “revelations” may not matter.
intrade has romney at 53.8%, newt at 30%
that’s absurd I should go make some money off this
THAT’S CRAZY THERE IS NO MONEY TO BE MADE FROM POLITICS.
everyone knows this.
willing to suggest that there’s *some* chance of this going all weird and romney not getting it, but 50%?
btw, rick perry is now a populist
CarrieNBCNews Carrie Dann — “You don’t have to sit back & take it any more,” “reach beyond the confines of the Beltway.” Big push against “insiders” (read: Mitt/Newt)
____________________________
CarrieNBCNews Carrie Dann — More Perry: “Americans were snookered” by “Wall Street highrollers” who were “betting against America.” Harsher than usual.
____________________________
CarrieNBCNews Carrie Dann — Populist Perry this AM in Nashua: “What’s wrong with America can be diagrammed on a napkin... Straight line between DC and Wall St”
CarrieNBCNews Carrie Dann — Populist Perry this AM in Nashua: “What’s wrong with America can be diagrammed on a napkin... OOH I DREW A DOGGIE!”
LOL
If Gingrich is leading NH polls ten days before the primary, look for amazingly timely, scandalous “revelations.”
I sorta doubt Newt will pull ahead in NH but if so, yeah this is going to happen. Newt will never get the nomination, will probably limp through Iowa and NH and bank all his hopes on South Carolina.
btw, rick perry is now a populist
If someone doesn’t kick him in the nuts for this, we should just give ourselves back to Britain. His corporate whoredom is blatantly obvious.
<i>Newt will never get the nomination, will probably limp through Iowa</i>
He may well get crushed in NH, but, barring sudden developments, it doesn’t look like he’ll be limping through Iowa. “Never“‘s a strong word; the older I get, the less and less I’m inclined to speak in absolutes.
Square brackets—okay, now I get it.
Newt will never get the (GOP) nomination
______________________________________
“Never“‘s a strong word; the older I get, the less and less I’m inclined to speak in absolutes.
i will go out on a limb and say the following people will never get the GOP nomination.
hillary clinton
abe vigoda
bradford cox, from deerhunter
prof. griff, from public-enemy
prof. newt gingrich, from the planet look-at-me
Never say never, but even among Republicans Newt’s negative numbers are probably insuperable and even if they want to nominate someone who Obama is likely to beat, they’ll want someone they actually like.
i feel like newt will fuck this up and flame out at some point because he’s newt gingrich and that’s what he does.
Chamblis/Duffy ’12
i feel like newt cain perry will fuck this up and flame out at some point because he’s newt cain perry and that’s what he does.
naw, newt’s actually got a chance here, especially if other non-romneys drop out of the race. he’ll do pretty well in iowa and NH, and might do very well in south-carolina, where the south begins to roll.
NEWTNEWTNEWTNEWT
I wouldn’t discount Abe Vigoda—Tessio was always smarter, and believe me, I know.
Tiffany’s of NY is definitely in Newt’s corner on this nomination thing.
I hope he uses “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” as his campaign song.
The Freddie Mac thing has got to be thrown in his face. Perry is a ham-fisted hypocrite about the ‘napkin diagram’ but Newt is the ultimate Beltway insider and the Teabaggers and the Base have to decide whether even a shred of coherence is important to them. Personally, I’d like to see all their heads explode Scanners-style at the multitude of contradictions they presently contain.
Frum’s head has already exploded, evidently (that was a great piece btw, thx for the link upthread)
The Freddie Mac thing has got to be thrown in his face
don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes (i.e., general election v. newt gingrich).
Bobby Moynihan is probably out distributing Newt fliers as we speak
How can you not love him?
“I can’t tell you what Speaker Gingrich is saying.” I can only tell you what Speaker Gingrich is saying.
I love how the de facto GOP position is “round em up and deport em” as if that is a) moral, b) simple, c) inexpensive and d) a net benefit for the economy
their old position was “let them fry on an electrified fence with an alligator-infested moat dug around it,” so this is an improvement.
in that it’s only slightly less feasible eh I guess so
Josh Marshall thinks Newt-mentum may have legs:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/11/mitts_darkening_horizon.php
don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes (i.e., general election v. newt gingrich).
I said this not as a partisan but as general advice. S/he who is (relatively, to him) w/o sin cast some mf’ing stones ppl!
lol how badly did romney screw-up that FOX News interview?
Bring in the clowns...
the clip above seems like yr standard Romney performance to me, but maybe I’m missing something.
Bring in the clowns...
they’re ... all... rea...dy... heeeeeere
lol romney’s answer on immigration question:
talk talk talk talk talk talk talk maybe he’ll move on to something else talk talk talk talk talk talk talk
talk talk uh . . . you know . . . (nervous laughter) . . . uh talk talk
the lolsome part is that uh, aren’t people who are here illegally already at the “back of the line” re: becoming legal
anyway, gingrich has a chance, because (a) he’s an angry white guy who knows how to dog-whistle to his reactionary constituency (i.e., the GOP base) and (b) romney’s No. 1 asset was the total, utter inability of his opponents to speak in coherent sentences and discuss even rudimentary policy, and — as wrong as gingrich is on most issues — he can speak full sentences and discuss policy.
basically, i’m willing to give amnesty to any undocumented person who can speak english better than rick perry.
which means amnesty for almost all of america’s 11M undocumented persons.
anyway, gingrich has a chance, because (a) he’s an angry white guy who knows how to dog-whistle to his reactionary constituency (i.e., the GOP base)
which means he has no chance of gaining independents, therefore he’s lost the primaries.
let me put it the way my favorite candidate, herman cain, would put it: I’M SORRY BUT YOU ARE WRONG..
I still think Mitt Romney is the likely Republican presidential nominee. But I don’t think, in the way I did a few months ago, that he’s the inevitable Republican nominee.
Can Romney, under the right conditions, break out of the 20s, where he’s been stuck for almost the entire campaign? Sure. Jonathan Bernstein is persuasive on this point: Polls of Republicans show that Romney has low negatives and he performs well in hypothetical match-ups against other Republicans. But what if Romney faces the wrong conditions?
The central mystery of the Republican primary is this: How can Romney’s support be so stable in a primary that’s so volatile? So far, we’ve seen a boom-and-bust cycle take Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain from candidate to frontrunner to not-gonna-happen. But after each bust, Romney’s support was unchanged. He picked up none of their disappointed supporters. Now he’s trailing Newt Gingrich in the polls. Here, via TPM, is what that’s looked like in Iowa:
(chart i can’t print here)
Ron Brownstein has come up with perhaps the best explanation for this. The Republican primary, he writes, has “become two races running along parallel but very distinct tracks.” One is the non-tea party primary. There, Romney is winning, and easily. The other is the tea party primary. There, Romney is losing, and big. Here’s the graph, which was published before Gingrich’s surge:
(chart i can’t print here)
But ultimately, there’s really only one primary, and Romney needs more supporters if he’s going to win. And though Romney does not have a low ceiling, he clearly has a sticky floor. Republicans may not refuse to support him, but there’s strong evidence that a substantial number don’t want to support him. If Romney is inevitable, they’ll come around. But what if, at the wrong moment, Romney is not inevitable?
Last night, Romney sat down for one of the first televised interviews he’s given in this campaign cycle. It was with a fairly friendly audience: Bret Baier of Fox News. And it was such a disaster that this morning, the Democratic National Committee released a video splicing together the reviews — many of them from Fox.
(video i can’t print here)
Debates are a format that suits Romney well and his competitors poorly. So far, Romney hasn’t even stumbled. But eventually, he will stumble. Nobody runs a truly perfect campaign. So imagine Romney loses Iowa, as is very possible. And, under the strain of the loss, he gives a bad interview, or has a testy debate performance, right before New Hampshire. That might be all the excuse a critical number of New Hampshire voters need to coalesce around Gingrich, or perhaps the excuse that some resigned Romney supporters need to jump ship to Huntsman. And so Romney either loses New Hampshire or barely wins. And then he loses South Carolina.
To be sure, Romney could, even under those circumstances, mount a comeback. As Nate Silver points out, there are eight weeks separating the New Hampshire primary from Super Tuesday. In 2008, there were merely three weeks. The 2008 calendar favored a momentum candidate like Gingrich, while the 2012 calendar favors a fundamentals candidate like Romney.
Even so, Romney is having enough trouble adding supporters that he’s clearly vulnerable to a run of bad luck or bad news coming at the wrong time. And thus far, the primary has been so focused on a medium in which he shines — debates —that his flaws in interviews, his vulnerability to ads portraying him as a flip-flopper, and his weaknesses as a retail politician haven’t really been tested. Romney has looked so strong that even a slight stumble could be significant for a media that wants a horserace and voters who clearly want to support another candidate. So is Romney the likely nominee? Sure. Inevitable? No.
it’s true that Romney and Gingrich are the only two candidates that can, how you say, talk good
that’s how i say.
actually, santorum can talk good. he’s just lol.
Debates are a format that suits Romney well and his competitors poorly. So far, Romney hasn’t even stumbled. But eventually, he will stumble. Nobody runs a truly perfect campaign. So imagine Romney loses Iowa, as is very possible. And, under the strain of the loss, he gives a bad interview, or has a testy debate performance, right before New Hampshire. That might be all the excuse a critical number of New Hampshire voters need to coalesce around Gingrich, or perhaps the excuse that some resigned Romney supporters need to jump ship to Huntsman. And so Romney either loses New Hampshire or barely wins. And then he loses South Carolina.
this is all sort of ridiculous since a) Gingrich is the one more likely to stumble/give bad interview/have a testy debate performance. and Gingrich is the one with the weaker ground campaign. also Gingrich has less money. the deck is way stacked against him.
wait ‘till FOXNews becomes gingrich’s ground campaign.
WAIT ‘TILL GINGRICH CO-OPTS ALL OF FORMER CANDIDATE HERMAN CAIN’S GROUND CAMPAIGN
the cain campaign is a moving train
Monk, keep flagellating yourself into excitement.
I think the Marshall and Klein pieces have it exactly right: there’s no logical reason why this is happening (and 20 logical reasons why it shouldn’t be happening), I don’t think it’s going to last, but I’m a lot less sure of that today than I was three weeks ago. I’m assuming that Alfred and Shakey Mo Collier don’t view Marshall and Klein the same way they would, say, Cokie Roberts or David Gregory. So where do they get the certainty that Marshall and Klein don’t have?
Klein’s field is economics and economics policy, in which he is expert. At campaign analysis he’s as helpless as Cokie and Gregory, and thanks to deadlines and the internet cycle yesterday’s “blunder” by Romney gets more discussion than it deserves.