The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Miracles Keep Happening Every Day

Posted on | December 8, 2011 | 66 Comments

What were the odds, huh? Michele Bachmann becomes the fifth Republican presidential candidate to turn down the Donald Trump/NewsMax debate, meaning that on Dec. 27, it’s Newt Gingrich vs. Rick Santorum. This is like the Philly palooka Rocky Balboa getting a shot at Apollo Creed. And Rick’s OK with that:

“Many of my opponents jockeyed to be the first to fly up to New York and use Donald Trump for a photo op and no doubt try and secure an endorsement. But when Donald wants to moderate a debate — they refuse to attend. That’s what’s so wrong with politics today — hypocrisy. At this critical time in our nation’s history, just weeks before Iowans cast this important vote — many of the other candidates want to hide behind TV ads and mail pieces. We plan to be there front and center in person to debate Newt directly, and if it’s just the two of us, we’re fine with it.
“There’s no doubt that any of us are better than Barack Obama — however, we can’t afford to put up a person who can’t clearly articulate a vision or has a glass jaw or an unprincipled past. Donald Trump knows business and knows global markets — and we all know he’ll be able to bring in a broad audience. And let’s be honest, at least Donald Trump will have more in common with the candidates than with the vast majority of past moderators.”

Lisa Graas credits Santorum’s “moral reasoning.” I’d call it a miracle. What were the two things Santorum needed? Publicity, and a chance to show himself the equal of the front-runners.

Boom! He’s got it.

What else does he need? Money.

We’ve had miracles every day since that earthquake in Vanuatu.

UPDATE: “Perry bets the house on social conservatives.”

Yeah. Too little, too late. Iowa’s biggest evangelical leader endorsed Rick Santorum a week ago.

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Category: Debates, Donald Trump, Election 2012, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum

Comments

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  • Tennwriter

    I think Gingrich has quite a bit to gain.  For those paying attention, Santorum is the next Serious Thinker in the R party nominee race.  So, if Gingrich can knock him out, he solidifies his position a great deal.  And while he’s popular at the moment, I think RSM is likely correcct that its a very ‘of the moment’ thing.  Take out Santorum, and you could change that.

    And according to what everyone says,  Newt would be arrogant enough  to believe he could do it.

    Also, I suspect that Newt and Rick for that matter, will enjoy the chance to educate the AMerican people.

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  • Joe

    Dcmick, Trump is a liberal.  He voted for Obama.  I totally agree with your other points, but Jeez, don’t tell me you actually watch the Apprentice?

  • Joe

    The line is “your fired,”  I am running for President as a water carrier spoiler for Obama…and oh btw, I get a lot of free publicity for my failing Atlantic City casino. 

  • Dcmick

    Oh is this some high school popularity contest; is this all about selecting Miss Congeniality?

    Are you selecting the chief executive during a time of war?

    But you won’t be satisfied.

    You’re confused on whether Gingrich is conservative or not.

    The guy who spent over a decade overturning Democrat dominance of the House, and you’re of a mind that the guy isn’t Conservative.

    Whatever.

    It’s beginning to look like the whole debate now is collapsing.

  • Dcmick

    This isn’t “flipping;” I’m not like some of you who have nailed the colours to the mast for one candidate.

    Rather, I just don’t want Romney.

    And I don’t want Paul or Huntsman.

    If the party goes with Bachmann or Santorum, I’ll volunteer for their campaigns too.

    But Gingrich has a spectrum of advantages over Bachmann, Santorum and especially Romney.  So of the four left, I think it wise to go with Gingrich.

    And the more the establishment comes out foaming at the mouth over the prospect of Gingrich, the more inclined I am to defend him.

  • Dcmick

    Take a good look at that website the Camp of the Saints, and ponder again who is a “nutter” or not.

    You’re hopeless though.

  • Dcmick

    Gingrich is not likely to go wrong when he has a chance to explain himself and his positions to more and more people.

    He’s gotten where he is right now by virtue of his intelligence and his articulateness, his savvy and his wit. 

    We’re seeing something in the polls that none expected.  The establishment has lost control over the nomination process, and they’re foaming at the mouth even more than the 21% in Romney’s corner.

  • Dcmick

    Somebody needed to make those obvious observations for you? 

    They didn’t occur to you while you’ve been spouting off?

    Whatever

  • Dcmick

    What are these crazy ideas you mention regarding China that Trump has?

    Trump says China is ripping us off.

    Well, aren’t they?

    Hasn’t that been clear for some time now?

    Trump says OPEC has been ripping us off even more than China.

    Well again, haven’t they been, and haven’t they been since the Oil Embargo in the early 70′s.

    Now his proposed solutions to those problems I may differ with.  But his analysis of the problem is spot on, and the American people know it.

    We can have a discussion, a debate about the various alternatives open to the United States in dealing with those two problems.  But who else is out there calling out China.

    And isn’t the sober, measured, thoughtful and supposedly even-tempered Romney out there proposing policies that flirt with an open trade war, and an open trade war with a country we’re borrowing four dollars out of every ten we spend.

  • Dcmick

    He doesn’t need to “knock him out” per se.

    In fact, Gingrich gains simply by appearing to thoughtfully LISTEN to Santorum, because that cuts into this notion that he’s the arrogant know-it-all, who marches to his own tune and tunes out everybody else.

    There isn’t ANYTHING that Santorum would say that hasn’t already occurred to Gingrich, especially in relations to foreign affairs.  Gingrich was on the Hill long before Santorum, and for Gingrich, policy wonkery is bread and butter to him.

    This guy has written REPEATEDLY on VARIOUS aspects of domestic policies.

    Has Santorum?

    Has Bachmann?

    Santorum is a bright guy; he’s no Perry, no Huntsman, but he’s not in Gingrich’s league.    

  • http://twitter.com/sdo1 Steve in TN

    Right now my vote is with @NewtGingrich or the better conservative who can catch him.  @RickSantorum is the last to have a shot.

  • Dcmick

    Eastablishment leaned hard on her and she folded fast.

    Bachmann is angling for a spot on the ticket, so she followed Romney’s lead, and rest assured word has been gotten from Romney’s campaign to her that those who desire consideration for the ticket ought to find a scheduling conflict on the date of the Trump debate.

    It’s pretty pathetic really.

    It could have been Gingrich, Santorum and Bachmann.  And that would have been worth the while.  That would have been the most informative and insightful of any debate.

    But the establishment had a cow.

    And some here can’t overlook the fact that a casino owner and real estate mogul was upon a time a man who sought name recognition.  Some here focus on his hair, while overlooking Santorum and Romney’s obvious and badly done dye jobs.

    And some, like Belevedere, are just inane even questioning whether Gingrich is Conservative or not.   Go ask a Democrat if they think Gingrich is left of the political divide; go ask Matthews if he’s one of them, if they consider him a squish who can be manipulated.

    But hey, why look at the FULL track record, when it’s just so much easier to emote and spout.

  • http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/ ThePaganTemple

    Things can always move full circle, back to Bachmann. Or for that matter, Perry.

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