LIVE AT FIVE – 10.13.11

Being the guy who has been talking up Herman Cain since Nov. 13, 2010, pretty much guarantees nobody will give you credit when the impossible actually happens:

Fueled by Tea Party supporters, conservatives and high-interest GOP primary voters, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain now leads the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. . . .
Cain checks in as the first choice of 27 percent of Republican voters in the poll, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 23 percent and Perry at 16 percent. . . .
In the previous survey, conducted in late August, Perry led the field at 38 percent, Romney stood at 23 percent, while Cain was at only 5 percent.

In the span of six weeks, Cain has gained 22 points and Perry has lost 22 points. And so the guy I started boosting 11 months ago is trouncing the guy whom I dubbed “The Phantom Menace” three months ago. But no linky-love for the Blogger Whom Allah Hateth. Instead, we get this kind of contingency/hypothetical doomsaying:

Even if Cain pulls the upset in South Carolina — which isn’t impossible given its social conservatism and Cain’s southern roots — how does he compete with Romney in a state as expensive as Florida and in the dozens of primaries that’ll follow that? . . .
Via Greg Hengler, here’s a “3 a.m. phone call” compare-and-contrast between Cain and Gingrich on the subject of how they’d handle the Iranian terror plot. This sort of thing — plus the fact that his 9-9-9 plan has alienated tax warriors like Grover Norquist — could knock Cain back enough by the time Iowa arrives to restore Perry to frontrunner status in the all-important “Not Romney” competition. Problem is, I have no confidence that Perry’s answer to this question would be any better than Cain’s. And, giving how Perry tends to avoid interviews, he probably doesn’t have any confidence either. Exit question: Second look at Gingrich?

Resisting the temptation to blame raaaaacism for all these doubts about Cain — whose emergence as front-runner none of the “smart” pundits ever imagined possible — I’ll instead attribute it to their unwillingness to speak the Four Dreaded Words: “Stacy McCain Was Right.”

Meanwhile, if Allah wants to raise doubts about any GOP candidate’s “electability,” let him watch this video from Ryan Gill at Tea Party Brew:

And as for “second look at Gingrich,” my answer can be summarized in two words: Dede Scozzafava.

Category: Herman Cain, Hot Air, Mitt Romney, Polls, Rick Perry

REPUBLICAN ARMAGEDDON LOOMS: New Hampshire Threatens December Primary Unless Nevada Moves Caucus

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 49 Comments

A big tip of the fedora to Bob Belevedere of Camp of the Saints for this alert: In a message sent by New Hampshire’s Secretary of State (see PDF here), he says that unless Nevada changes its caucus date from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17 or later, “I cannot rule out the possibility of a December primary.”

This frightening news — meaning we may be less than two months away from the New Hampshire primary — comes on the heels of my acquiring media credentials for Tuesday’s debate in Las Vegas.

Please, I beg you: Hit the freaking tip jar!

UPDATE: Molly Ball at The Atlantic:

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s primary could be held as early as Dec. 6, 2011, Secretary of State William Gardner warned today.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Garnder, who sets the date, said that if Nevada sticks with its current plan to hold a caucus on Jan. 14, “I cannot rule out the possibility of a December primary.”
Gardner wants Nevada to accept a date of Jan. 17 or later in order to keep the 2012 primaries from spilling into 2011. But if it does not, he said, “The dates of Tuesday, December 13th, and Tuesday, December 6th are realistic options, and we have logistics in place to make either date happen if needed.”
The primary calendar has been in chaos since a Florida panel decided to hold that state’s primary on Jan. 31, scratching the parties’ plans to delay the beginning of the nominating process until February.
South Carolina has scheduled its primary for Jan. 21, prompting Nevada’s Republican Party to claim Jan. 14, a Saturday, for its caucus. Iowa Republicans have signaled they are looking at Jan. 3 for their caucus. . . .

Blame it all on those vicious RINO-hugging bastards in Florida: Catastrophic results, possibly leaving me with mere weeks to hustle up enough cash to be able to book travel for coverage of the 2012 campaign. A desperate crisis for the nation, and for my professional career.

Once more, I beg you: Hit the freaking tip jar!

UPDATE II: Memeorandum thread for the story by Cameron Joseph of The Hill., whose article omits the key phrase “vicious RINO-hugging bastards in Florida.” That’s why you need me. Hit the freaking tip jar!

UPDATE III: Just to remind you: Florida is to blame for all of this, as I have been warning since Sept. 28. The corrupt jackals who run the Florida GOP did this evil thing for their own selfish reasons, in contravention of RNC rules to which they had agreed. Their disastrous decision to move the Florida primary from March to Jan. 31 was undertaken with the approval of — and quite possibly under orders from — Florida GOP Chairman Lenny Curry, reputed to be a close ally of the Crist-like RINO Senate candidate George LeMieux.

Furthermore, the top Republicans in the Florida state legislature were all in on it. And cui bono?

After a rally Tuesday in the Villages, Romney seemed intent Wednesday on making significant strides with those who can help drive his campaign in Florida, huddling behind closed doors at the state Capitol with Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi and a roster of lobbyists who also are Republican fund-raisers. . . .
Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, was among those stopping by Bondi’s office to meet the candidate, soon after Romney’s Florida finance chairman, Jacksonville businessman John Rood, exited.

This crooked scam was orchestrated by GOP insiders in Tallahassee for the benefit of their BFF, Mitt Romney.

PREVIOUSLY:

Oct.8: BLAME FLORIDA!
Oct. 5: RINO-Lanche: Three ‘Evil State’ Republicans Endorse Mitt Romney
Oct. 1: What Florida Hath Wrought: Will Christmas Be in Iowa or New Hampshire?
Sept. 30: Florida: The Evil State
Sept. 29: At Least One Florida Republican Party Official Who Is Not Batsh*t Crazy
Sept. 28: Insert Obscene Epithets Here

Category: Election 2012, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, Shoe Leather Fund

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

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 32 Comments

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. Read more

Category: CNN, Debates, Election, Fear and Smitty in Vegas, Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, Nevada, New Hampshire, Polls, Rick Perry

I Laughed, I Cried, It Was A Part Of Me

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 3 Comments

by Smitty

I have no idea who these Misfit Politics dudes are, but they do go for quality over quantity.

Bravo!
Via Michelle Malkin

Category: Eric Holder, humor, Scandal, Video

Don’t See How This Helps Bruce CampbellMitt Romney’s Campaign

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 13 Comments

by Smitty

Oh, those revolting Taxachusetts citizens! Daring to put up a site to Repeal RomneyCare’s individual mandate. With a FaceBook page, too.
This is more than just a prankster in an opposing state and Presidential campaign, if Boston Globe coverage means anything:

“Will you sign our petition to repeal the individual mandate?’’ Bridget Fay asked shoppers wheeling grocery carts past a stack of pumpkins in front of the supermarket.

Fay, a young lawyer, is the spokeswoman for a new group called Massachusetts Against Individual Mandate. If she and other petitioners can collect 69,000 valid signatures of registered voters by Nov. 23, they will clear a major hurdle toward getting a question on the November 2012 state election ballot to repeal the part of the state health care law that requires Massachusetts residents to buy medical insurance.

Apparently, the next reporting period for donations made to MAIM/Repeal Romneycare is in… September 2012, and there is no limit on donations to ballot initiative efforts, and you don’t have to be a MA resident to contribute. Cue a statement bemoaning the influence of money in politics in 3. . .2 . . .

Hayward at Human Events picks up the fact that RomenyCare staffers informed the ObamaCare legislation.

The Romney campaign is going to have to put significant capital into convincing conservatives that he is not some Mole Man, approved by the Ruling Class Overlords to blow sunshine up the conservative nethers. “I’ll repeal ObamaCare right after I’m done with GITMO,” one can envision Romney saying. Giving Individual Taxpayers the Mitt-Obama treatment. In summary: if we wanted a polished delivery, there are any number of used car joints about.

Liberty, on the other hand, never goes out of style, for all it may be driven temporarily underground, though.

Update: Bob Belvedere misses the Dead Kennedys reference by not naming his post “MAIM That Tune“

Category: Mitt Romney

Pundette Likes Herman Cain

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 100 Comments

Our longtime blog-friend has a nice aggregation about the surging GOP presidential candidate who — in case you didn’t notice — is black.

I’ve written entire 1,200-word columns about Cain for the American Spectator that never mentioned his race. And it’s funny at times to see MSM reporters try to find a less-than-awkward way to introduce race into their stories. Unencumbered by the conventions of mainstream journalism, Bill Quick at Daily Pundit takes the issue head-on:

I have a gut feeling that when push comes to shove, the GOP is not going to in the end nominate a Black man with no political experience as their candidate. I think the attitude will be, “Been there, done that, not happy with how it worked out.”

Which may be true — except that Obama’s problem was not a lack of political experience, but rather a lack of private-sector experience or executive experience, which are in fact Cain’s trump cards.

Obama was very good (and is still very good) at campaigning and giving speeches. But his neo-Keynesian economic policies were the exact opposite of what was needed to foster recovery. And whatever you think of Cain’s “9-9-9” plan, he is at least oriented toward a supply-side approach to economic growth. As I said way back in December: “Steve Forbes with charisma.”

Many policy-oriented pundits — e.g., Charles Krauthammer — clearly distrust charisma. They’d prefer a wonk like Mitch Daniels or a bore like Tim Pawlenty to a charismatic populist like Cain. They don’t want Cain as a candidate for the same reason they didn’t want Sarah Palin as a candidate: Both Palin and Cain are personalities whose appeal to voters is their status as Ordinary Americans. The “hockey mom” from Wasilla, the pizza guy from Atlanta — they aren’t part of what Angelo Codevilla famously called “The Ruling Class,” and fighting back against the Ruling Class is what the Tea Party is all about.

The question now is, can the Tea Party elect one of its own to the White House? Is the Tea Party movement serious about taking on the entrenched power of the Ruling Class? And will they rally to Herman Cain’s banner? Let me remind you what I wrote yesterday when Chris Christie endorsed Mitt Romney:

Thanks to commenter Joe for reminding me of this headline from last year:

N.J.’s Christie Backs Castle in Del. Senate Race

Yeah. That explains a lot, doesn’t it? Guess that means Herman Cain is this year’s Christine O’Donnell. Even if Cain gets the GOP nomination, the Establishment insiders would rather see Obama re-elected than to let an outsider win an election.

It may be, as Bill Quick says, that Cain’s race is a factor in GOP resistance to his candidacy. Certainly his political inexperience is a greater factor. The last president with no previous political experience was Eisenhower, elected in 1952, and being Supreme Allied Commander in WWII was a somewhat stronger qualification than being CEO of Godfather’s Pizza.

Nevertheless, at a time when recession may be turning into a depression, Cain’s business experience and optimistic attitude makes him “a breath of fresh air,” as Pundette says. And if “raaaaacism” is indeed a factor in Republican resistance to Cain, please notice that it’s not coming from the Tea Party grassroots, but from the Ruling Class elite. Just sayin’ . . .

Category: Bill Quick, Election 2012, Herman Cain, Pundit & Pundette, Tea Party

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The Other McCain

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

LIVE AT FIVE – 10.13.11

Legal Insurrection Plays
The ‘Miss Me Yet’ Card

Herman Cain Surges Ahead in New Poll; Mitt Romney, Allahpundit Hardest Hit

REPUBLICAN ARMAGEDDON LOOMS: New Hampshire Threatens December Primary Unless Nevada Moves Caucus

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

I Laughed, I Cried, It Was A Part Of Me

Don’t See How This Helps Bruce CampbellMitt Romney’s Campaign

Pundette Likes Herman Cain

THE FULL METAL JACKET REACH-AROUND AWARD

HIT THE FREAKING TIP JAR!

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