Category: CNN

SANTORUM SURGE: Finally, the Polls in Iowa Are Catching Up With … Me

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa
I’m inside a town hall meeting with Rick Santorum. About a hundred people here, and the big news today in Iowa is the CNN/Time poll showing Santorum surging into third place, with 16%, ahead of Newt Gingrich, who is now fourth with 14%, followed by Rick Perry (11%) and Michelle Bachmann (9%).

UPDATE: Erick Erickson isn’t happy:

As a pro-lifer myself, I have to throw up a bit in my mouth that Iowa conservatives are seriously considering Rick Santorum . . .

Yeah, if Perry finishes fifth in Iowa, the epitaph on the tombstone of his campaign will read: “Howdy. Thank you, Erick.”

UPDATE II (Smitty): Here is the CNN interview, Wolf Blitzer interviewing Rick Santorum, with a screencap of the poll results after:

CNN poll shows Santorum in third place in Iowa

UPDATE III: Here’s a photo of Senator Sanatorum shaking hands with Iowans before his town hall meeting here in Cedar Rapids:

Remember that the Santorum surge began Dec. 1, when there was an earthquake in Vanuatu.

UPDATE IV (Smitty): now a Memeorandum thread. What says the Blogosphere?

  • Catholic Bandita links Drudge’s touting of the “Wild Card”, Rick Santorum.
  • A Point of View has the observation, emphasis mine:

    It doesn’t matter what the main stream media thinks or says about Santorum at this point. The plain fact is that his conservative, catholic bona fides are there for all to see and are genuine. That Palin has praised him and he has signalled, through his praise of Palin, that he would support her policy and ethics may be the signal to the Palin supporters that Santorum is Palin’s proxy.

    While Sarah may fall short of a full endorsement, a bit of nudge-nudge, wink-wink could really get the tea party going, IYKWIMAITYD.

  • The Daily Caller:

    Despite lacking the money and resources enjoyed by many of his rivals, Santorum appears to be benefiting from his dogged campaigning throughout each one of Iowa’s 99 counties. The former Pennsylvania senator has also attracted endorsements from prominent evangelical leaders in the state, and is gaining traction among the social conservatives who tend to dominate the Iowa caucuses every four years.
    “Most of Santorum’s gains have come among likely caucus participants who are born-again or evangelical, and he now tops the list among that crucial voting bloc, with support from 22% of born-again compared to 18% for Paul, 16% for Romney, and 14% for Gingrich,” CNN polling director Keating Holland said in a statement.

    If money was paramount, Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman would have done better in California, no?

  • Dan Riehl still likes Perry (and what conservative does not?) but isn’t inimical to Santorum:

    Frankly, I don’t want Santorum to prevail in Iowa, as I’ve already backed Perry and think he’s the best choice, given what they are. But I’m unwilling to throw out my principles to become the media’s anti-Conservative water-boy in some misguided attempt to try and make myself look smart, as opposed to a principled conservative, which is what I mostly am – first, last and always and most importantly of all.

UPDATE V (RSM): Here are Chris Moody of Yahoo News and Shushana Walshe of ABC News, covering the (unexpectedly!) surging Santorum:

Donald Douglas at American Power has more Santorum blogging.


Santorum: Election ‘About Obama’

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“I think we need — and I think the Tea Party people are going to realize we need a clean, clear contrast. We need this race to be about Barack Obama and his record, not with Republicans agreeing with that record. I mean, that would be the last thing we should be nominating is someone who has a bad record on some of the most important issues that we’re going to be dealing with, like bailing out Wall Street, like climate change, like the Obamacare. . . . Three years into [Newt Gingrich’s] speakership there was a conservative revolution to try to get rid of him as speaker. . . . I think that should tell you something.”
— Rick Santorum, on CNN’s “State of the Union“

If you watch the whole video — The Lonely Conservative has posted the full transcript — notice how Candy Crowley begins by dissing her guest:

“Let me talk to you about the topic of the day and get your take on why you think at this point Newt Gingrich is doing so well.”

Translation: “We couldn’t get Newt himself on the show, but we want to talk about Newt anyway, because we all know he’s going to win, right?”

Why “the topic of the day”? Why not come up with your own topics? Why allow yourself to be hemmed in by other people’s conceptions of what’s important and/or interesting? This media herd instinct is annoying.

Via Memeorandum.

 

Cain on CNN: ‘In Terms of the Mechanics of the Campaign, Nothing’s Gone Wrong’

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Talking to Candy Crowley today on her State of the Union show:

Herman Cain ascribed his recent drop in the polls to false sexual harassment allegations and voter confusion about his positions on abortion and foreign policy, saying Sunday that some of his remarks over the past month had been taken out of context.
“Obviously false accusations and confusion about some of my positions has contributed to it,” Cain said on CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked by host Candy Crowley about his campaign’s flagging poll numbers.
“That was to be expected. In terms of the campaign itself, nothing has gone wrong in terms of our strategy of spending time in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida,” Cain added. “So in terms of the mechanics of the campaign, nothing’s gone wrong.”
Cain said criticism over his position on abortion and foreign policy matters was fueled largely by comments that were taken out of context, leading to voter confusion.
“Some people are heavily influenced by perception more so than reality,” Cain said. “The good news is most of my supporters have stayed on the Cain train, as we say.”

Speaking of the Cain Train, I just got off the phone with a lady in Northport, Alabama, who is organizing a convoy of Cain volunteers that will be heading to South Carolina in January.

“The media don’t have a clue,” she said, speaking of what the grassroots network of Cain supporters have been doing “under the radar.”

UPDATE: A Cain volunteer created this video and, if you’ll watch closely at the 32-second mark — showing Cain speaking at the Iowa State Fair in August — you might spot an objective journalist in a brown fedora and navy blazer sitting in the front row:

UPDATE II: Here’s video of Cain on CNN:

Alan Colmes calls Cain “incomprehensible,” which leads to the obvious question: Why does Alan Colmes hate black people?

Unfair? Of course. But liberals have been playing that cheap game constantly the past four years, and have thus forfeited the right to complain about “fairness” in political arguments.

Now a Memeorandum thread.

Santorum Claims Victory in CNN Debate UPDATE: Gingrich Goes Soft?

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Press release from Rick Santorum’s campaign:

SANTORUM ISN’T POLITICALLY
CORRECT, HE’S JUST CORRECT

Washington, DC — At this evening’s CNN/Heritage Foundation/AEI Republican National Security Debate, Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum (R-PA) showed he is the one candidate ready and able to answer the 3am phone call to ensure our nation’s security and safety.
Hogan Gidley, National Communications Director, said: “Rick Santorum isn’t politically correct, he’s just correct. Should we be profiling grandma? No, we should profile the people who fit the description of radical Islamic terrorists. Senator Santorum is the one candidate with the experience, knowledge, and the willingness to level with the American people about the threats and challenges facing America.”

SANTORUM SAID:
On Profiling:
“We should be looking to find the bomber, not the bomb. To put the enormous responsibility on the Federal government and TSA is too much. I voted to allow privatization of the TSA. But the issue is the PATRIOT Act, we are at war. The last time we had a threat like this at home, Lincoln ran over civil rights because we had a domestic threat. But I disagree with Governor Huntsman. We have had the debate (on the PATRIOT Act and profiling) and it does show the values of our country.”

On Time Lines For Afghan Withdrawal:
“We are not fighting a tactic (terrorism), we are fighting radical Islam. All the radical Islamists are saying just wait America out — they are weak, they will set time limits and we will tell the people in Afghanistan and Iraq that we will be the strong horse in the region.”

On Foreign Aid To Africa:
“I believe it is essential. Africa was on the brink of chaos, where radical Islamists could take hold. While humanitarian in nature, (the aid) was essential for our national security…. We must promote our values. We are the shining city on the Hill.”

On Compromise:
“If the things you have to give up make the things you are trying to do harder, no. By raising taxes, what the Democrats are trying to do is slow down the economy. You don’t undermine the ability of our economy to grow. This president has poisoned the well. He’s divided group from group to position himself to win this election. I have a long record of bipartisan accomplishment. I point to Welfare Reform. We instituted work requirements, time limits on welfare. Yes, I compromised on some child care, transportation, but we 100% changed the welfare system because we stuck to our principles.”

On Highly Skilled Immigrants:
“As a son of a legal immigrant, I strongly believe in legal immigration because we are the shining city a hill unto the world. A huge percentage of legal immigrants come here want to innovate. That’s one of the reasons I put forward my economic plan to take advantage of legal immigration and encourage innovation. We need to make sure things are made in America. We need to make sure we create an environment to help innovation and create income mobility. That is why I have called for a zeroing out of the corporate tax for manufacturers, regulatory reform, repatriation of foreign profits, and increasing energy exploration to improve income mobility. Greatness has come from (legal) immigrants who have worked hard, created businesses, and created jobs.”

On The Most Under Discussed Foreign Policy Threat:
“I have spent a lot of time concerned with the militant socialists and radical Islamists bonding together in Central and South America… We have sent all the wrong signals to Central and South America. We need to build a solid hemisphere and they need to know we are in solidarity.”

UPDATE: By the way: I don’t know if Santorum won or not. It’s just that his campaign was the first one to send me a press release. I didn’t watch the debate. After the Nov. 12 debate in South Carolina, I’m kind of burnt-out on debates. We don’t get CNN at the house, and I’ve been watching Storage Wars on A&E all night. Anyway, Politico found Santorum’s performance worth a headline:

Rick Santorum says profile Muslim travelers

You may disagree. But are you going to be voting in the Iowa GOP caucuses? Because that’s the bottom line here, isn’t it?

UPDATE II: Daily Caller’s Will Rahn reports:

“We should be trying to find the bomber, not the bomb,” Santorum said when asked by moderator Wolf Blitzer whether the U.S. should use profiling. “Other countries have done it — Israel’s probably the best example. But to put this enormous expense on the federal government, to put this enormous expense on the traveling public for pat-downs and other intrusions — I think it’s too much money.”
Santorum then said that like Texas Gov. Rick Perry, he believes the TSA should be privatized and that Abraham Lincoln proved sometimes civil liberties have to take a back seat to national security.
Steering the conversation back to profiling, Blitzer then asked Santorum who, exactly, he believes security professionals should be on the lookout for.
“Well, the folks who are most likely to be committing these crimes,” he replied. “Obviously Muslims would be someone you’d look at, absolutely. Those are the folks — the radical Muslims have been people committing these crimes by and large, as well as younger males. Not exclusively, but these are the things you profile to find your most likely candidate.”

Again, remember: Iowa GOP caucus voters. Not many ACLU types are going to be showing up Jan. 3. You expect Republicans in Des Moines and Davenport to have a lot of sympathy for Abdul and Omar getting hassled at the airport?

UPDATE III: Allahpundit wonders if Newt can get away with being soft on immigration. Watch the video:

Again: How will it play with Iowa GOP caucus voters? I’m guessing they’re no more sympathetic to Juan and Maria than they are to Abdul and Oma.

Cain Seeks to Satisfy Foreign Policy Snobs

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Alex Pappas and Jamie Weinstein of the Daily Caller report:

Almost every day, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is handed a one-page briefing from his chief foreign policy adviser on news from around the world.
It’s one of several things his campaign says the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO, who has never held elective office before, is now doing to bone up on foreign policy — especially as he faces a big test in November at a GOP debate on national security issues.
“He’s really getting up to speed a lot more so than people give him credit for,” J.D. Gordon, Cain’s foreign policy and national security adviser who prepares the briefings, said in an interview with The Daily Caller on Monday.

When Alex sent me the article this morning, I replied: “Good Lord! A one-page briefing? Just read the NY Times at breakfast!” The article continues:

“I have no idea what Mr. Cain’s views are other than being generally pro-Israel,” said Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who served as a deputy national security adviser for President George W. Bush.
“He needs to say a lot more to be a serious candidate for Commander in Chief,” Abrams said. “He has been far too casual about this subject and does not seem to be taking seriously his need to explain his views.”

This is what I’ve previously described as the Cult of Experts, “a widespread attitude within the foreign policy/national security elite that expertise is essential in all such matters.” Expertise being the foreign policy specialist’s stock in trade, he esteems others insofar as they are themselves experts, or else demonstrate a seemly deference to such expertise.

But how’s that workin’ for ya? It was experts like Ken Adelman who assured us Iraq would be a “cakewalk.” And as I’ve pointed out, John McCain brought a lifetime of national-security policy expertise to his 2008 campaign, and what good did it do him, politically?

Nevertheless, the thing is what it is, and Cain must therefore spend time acquiring sufficient awareness of these issues in order not to look foolish during the Nov. 15 CNN debate at sponsored by the Heritage Foundation and AEI. Let’s hope Cain’s briefings include the latest from Vanuatu, “Linchpin of the South Pacific.”

Vegas, Baby: Republican Armies March Toward Political Battle of the Century

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From: NVDebate ([email protected])
To: [email protected];
Date: Wed, October 12, 2011 2:53:06 PM

Subject: RE: CREDENTIALS REQUEST – NEVADA DEBATE

Hi Robert,
You have been issued credentials. Please note:
The credential will grant journalists access to the press filing center and media spin room, which will be located in Hall G of the Sands Expo and Convention Center.
###
Jennifer A. Scoggins
CNN Washington

My flight is already booked, departing Monday from Dulles International via LAX to Vegas. After last night’s debate in New Hampshire, this CNN debate in Las Vegas is sure to be a pivotal event in the 2012 presidential campaign. Via Memeorandum, a few headlines:

After another bad debate, is Rick Perry finished?
— Byron York, Washington Examiner

Mitt Romney builds case for inevitability
— Jonathan Martin, Politico

Cain leads nationally
— Tom Jensen, Public Policy Polling

Ashton Kutcher’s Alleged Mistress
Reveals Details of One-Night Stand
— Tim Nudd, People magazine

Maybe that last headline isn’t quite so obviously relevant, from a strictly political perspective. But you see the basic point: The fate of a nation hangs in the balance as this critical Las Vegas debate looms ahead.

This is the crucial moment — indeed, possibly a turning point in American history — and we’ll be reporting live from the scene, war correspondents at the GOP’s Political Armageddon. Continue reading Vegas, Baby: Republican Armies March Toward Political Battle of the Century →

CNN: Sarah Palin Turned Down Invitation to Appear in Tonight’s Tea Party Debate

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TAMPA, Fla.
Didn’t expect to get actual news during the media walk-through of the debate hall here at the Florida State Fair, but CNN Washington bureau chief Sam Geist disclosed to reporters that Sarah Palin had been invited to participate in tonight’s event sponsored by the Tea Party Express.

Palin ranks third in the latest CNN poll:

Rick Perry …….. 30%
Mitt Romney ……. 18%
Sarah Palin ……. 15%
Ron Paul ………. 12%
Herman Cain …….. 5%
Newt Gingrich …… 5%
Michele Bachmann … 4%
Jon Huntsman ……. 2%
Rick Santorum 2%

UPDATE: A couple of photos from the walk-through:


I gotta run: Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is about to hold a press conference.