The Other McCain

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

BLAME FLORIDA!

Posted on | October 8, 2011 | 24 Comments

It was reported yesterday (and I noted in passing) that Iowa Republicans have “tentatively” scheduled their presidential caucuses for Jan. 3, but what will Iowa do if New Hampshire goes thermonuclear?

New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner said today he may schedule the first-in-the nation primary as early as Dec. 6, marking the first time ever that New Hampshire voters would pick a presidential candidate in December.
“Any Tuesday in December would be a possibility, but that’s one of them,” Gardner said today, when asked about a Dec. 6 primary. “It’s not something I would do lightly. It would be done regrettably, but if it has to be done, we’re going to comply with our tradition and our state law.”
Gardner said that, from 1916 until 1972, New Hampshire held its primary in March. But he said it has been forced to move up the date in recent years, as other states have pushed up their primary dates to attract more attention from the candidates.
This year, the race for an early vote has been especially fierce. Florida has scheduled its primary for Jan. 31, South Carolina has chosen Jan. 21, and Nevada will hold its caucus on Jan. 14. Iowa has yet to schedule a date for its first-in-the-nation caucus.
Drew Ivers, a member of the GOP Central Committee in Iowa, said the panel met last night to discuss a date for that state’s caucuses, and is leaning toward Jan. 3, the same date it chose in 2008. He said if New Hampshire decides to hold its primary in December, it would certainly spark some consideration of a new date for Iowa. But he said Iowa Republicans last night expressed “a significant reluctance,” to move the caucuses into December, because they believe the state can have more of an impact by holding its caucus in the election year. . . .

There’s more at the link, but you see what kind of heinous madness has resulted from the villainous actions of Florida GOP leaders.

PREVIOUSLY:

Category: Election 2012, Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire

Conventional Wisdom on Herman Cain

Posted on | October 8, 2011 | 25 Comments

Having covered the Herman Cain campaign since December 2010, I’ve had occasion to remark more than once that people underestimate him at their peril. The experts have said all along that there’s no way Herman can win. It’s possible they may keep right on saying that — chanting it like a mantra — until the votes are counted on Nov. 6, 2012, at which point the same TV talking heads who derogated Cain’s chances from the start will then be called on to provide their insightful analysis of how he did what they said with absolute certainty he could never do.

And then these pundits who were consistently wrong will be invited to speak at a major national conference. But I digress . . .

While I’ll later be posting photos, videos and more about our Friday covering Herman Cain and the Values Voter Summit (my 12-year-old son Jefferson accompanied me as my assistant), let me first share another writer’s article. She reports some key facts, but Molly Ball of The Atlantic draws an odd conclusion from those facts:

They admired Rick Santorum. They ate up Rick Perry. But it was Herman Cain who rocked the house at the Values Voter Summit.
Many other speakers got standing ovations, but only Cain provoked church-like shouts of “Yeah!” from the crowd. When Newt Gingrich came up to speak after Cain, a good portion of the crowd got up and wandered out of the giant ballroom at the Omni Shoreham Hotel here in Washington.
Think about that: the former speaker of the House of Representatives — himself once considered a rock star of the Republican base — thoroughly upstaged by a political novice mostly known as “the pizza guy.”
After the speeches, when Gingrich and Cain both held book signing sessions, the line for Cain stretched down a long hallway, then through the hotel’s large lobby to the door. The line for Gingrich was, shall we say, substantially shorter.
Based largely on a similarly rousing speech, Cain won the Florida P5 straw poll late last month, dealing Perry a stunning blow. Cain’s surge in recent polling — he’s rocketed into second behind Mitt Romney in some polls — is getting him billed as the next flavor of the month for a GOP base that’s having doubts about Perry.
The Cain surge has also provoked a round of media hand-wringing over whether, and how much, to “take him seriously” as a contender, or whether it was still safe to treat him primarily as a man trying to sell books and perhaps get himself a television show. . . .

You can read the whole thing, which then goes on to explain that Cain cannot possibly threaten Romney’s front-runner status because . . .

Well, she never says exactly why this can’t happen, but she’s a professional political journalist, whereas the hundreds of people who cheered Cain’s speech are merely Republican voters — and who cares what they think, right?

Category: Election 2012, Herman Cain

Memo From the National Affairs Desk to the Herman Cain Presidential Campaign

Posted on | October 8, 2011 | 23 Comments

To: Mark J. Block, J.D. Gordon
Re: U.S. Policy, South Pacific Region

The island republic of Vanuatu will, I think, play a key role in the Cain administration’s foreign policy vis-a-vis the South Pacific.

While the Republican Party Establishment has long ignored Vanuatu, my years of study of their culture, history, geography and economy have convinced me that this archipelago should be a vital linchpin of U.S. relations in the entire Hebrides/Solomon Islands region. A history of GOP indifference to Vanuatu has, however, enabled Democrats to portray Republicans as anti-Vanuatu, even though the policies of the Obama administration have had a devastating impact on the Vanuatuan economy. The natives have historically been pro-American in their sympathies, but the recent downturn of the island’s tourism industry — a direct consequence of policies enacted under Ben Bernanke and Timothy Geithner — have damaged U.S.-Vanuatu relations. An important diplomatic thrust of the Cain administration’s policy must therefore be to repair our standing with this traditional ally.

Of course, as you know, I am strictly a neutral objective journalist, and my assignment to cover the 2012 campaign would prevent me serving in any sort of official advisory capacity for Mr. Cain. However, if the topic should come up in a debate (and my sources say Romney’s oppo-research team may be preparing to hit Mr. Cain as “soft on the Vanuatu issue”), don’t hesitate to ask me to send you my extensive collection of materials compiled during my decades-long research into this topic, vital to U.S. national security interests. In fact, I think if you will ask around among well-informed conservatives, they will agree that no one excels my expertise on this subject.

Given the many crises that currently affect the United States, I’m sure that our policy toward Vanuatu may not be a “front burner” issue at this early stage of the campaign. Perhaps when I come out to cover the debate in Las Vegas Oct. 18, we can get together and discuss this in more depth. As I say, journalistic ethics would forbid me providing policy advice to a campaign that I’m covering — if I gave you my complete Vanuatu files, the Bachmann and Santorum campaigns may even accuse me of unfair bias — but after a quarter-century in journalism, I’m ready to explore new career horizons. Diplomacy strikes me as the sort of field where my unique combination of skills and knowledge might be useful, and when this campaign is over, I may be willing to give it a try.

Therefore, if Mr. Cain should require my services as U.S.ambassador to Vanuatu, I wish to inform you in advance that I would be honored to accept such an appointment, and will strive to do all in my power to restore America’s reputation in the archipelago that I call “The Key to the South Pacific.” While it would be quite a sacrifice for my family to re-locate to the embassy in Vanuatu, this is a sacrifice I’m willing to make, considering the crucial nature of the assignment.

Please keep this memo on file, because I know how things can get lost in the shuffle during the post-election “transition” process and wouldn’t want you to forget my offer between now and Jan. 20, 2013. Looking forward to seeing you in Vegas.

Sincerely,
Robert Stacy McCain

P.S.: I hope you don’t mind my publishing this on my blog, in the interests of “transparency,” as they say.

UPDATE: Understanding the seriousness of the issues involved, I shared this message with Bert the Samoan Lawyer, who replied:

Clearly the consulate on Vanuatu will need a Legal Liaison. I am brushing up now on all things consular.
Let’s see: Four gallons of grapefruit juice; four quarts of vodka, a fifth of Blanton’s small-batch bourbon; a fifth of Lagavulin single-malt, Islay whiskey; a basket of limes, twelve tabs of mescaline . . .
How difficult will it be to ship the convertible? Does Vanuatu have roads?
No matter. It will “stimulate” the Vanuatu economy to engage in some infrastructure construction . . .

Indeed, my arrival in Vanuatu in January 2013 — accompanied, of course, by the newly-appointed Legal Liaison — will have an immediate and positive effect on the economy. To begin with, I’ll have to hire some native girls to perform the important work of bringing me mai-tais whilst I conduct important business in my beachside cabana . . .

Category: Election 2012, Fear. Loathing., Herman Cain, Vanuatu

#OccupyWallStreet As A Preview Of GOP 2012 Triumph

Posted on | October 7, 2011 | 20 Comments

by Smitty

Allahpundit:

The most ridiculous (and, if you’re sympathetic to them, tragic) thing about OWS is that they’re trying to mobilize the left against “the system” at the very moment the left is mobilizing to re-elect the guy who’s in charge of the system.

The system is simply over-centralized. DC’s answer to the #OWS crowd, along with the rest of Americans, should be that “the Man has left the beltway, take up your complaints with your state capital”. We cannot keep flogging this dead, bankrupt horse of Progressivism. We cannot even bring it back as a zombie horse and have it drag the cart some more. This is why transitioning off of federal entitlements, without throwing existing recipients under the bus, seems a more sensible approach.

Category: #Occupy, Progressivism

Heritage.Org On The Continuing Fight Against ObamaCare

Posted on | October 7, 2011 | 4 Comments

by Smitty

Via Heritage:

On Wednesday, Ken Hoagland, chairman of Restore America’s Voice Foundation, delivered the petitions of 1.6 million Americans demanding the repeal of Obamacare to legislators on Capitol Hill.

Pay attention to Rep. Steve King at 2:15, where he says, to paraphrase: We have very little experience undoing bad law. Once it’s on the books, it’s treated like the voice of the people. That’s why we have to be very determined to repeal this thing.

Lots of other good soundbites from other conservative Senators.

Category: Video

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Republican Ted Cruz, the ‘Marco Rubio of Texas’

Posted on | October 7, 2011 | 27 Comments

WASHINGTON, D.C.
When former Texas solicitor general spoke today at the FRC Values Voter Summit, as Cameron Joseph of The Hill says, the crowd went wild:

Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz might not be a household name, but the candidate for Senate was cheered heartily at the conservative Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.
Working without notes and pacing the stage like a preacher, Cruz talked about defending “American values” and said liberals have “a reason to be worried” about the next election.
He got big laughs when he said that President Obama blaming the Tea Party for America’s credit downgrade was “a little bit like Charlie Sheen blaming [his problems] on the Betty Ford clinic.”
Cruz went on say that “our conservative values [are] under assault,” that Christians were being forced to participate in abortions and that the “gay rights agenda” is hurting Americans.

Cruz is truly a dynamic speaker, and his campaign for Senate has invoked inevitable comparisons to Tea Party hero Marco Rubio. Cruz was kind enough to grant me an exclusive interview this afternoon:

Once again, as I’m kind of in a hurry here, I’ll ask readers to provide a transcription in the comments, or at your own blog. Ted Cruz is obviously a guy we need to support.

UPDATE: Thanks to John Hitchcock for the transcript:

McCain: We’re here at the Values Voters Summit in Washington, DC, with Ted Cruz, former Solicitor-General of Texas. How are you today, Mr Cruz?
Cruz: Doing fantastic, Robert.
McCain: And I understand you’re running for Senate.
Cruz: I am, running for US Senate in Texas, and we have seen some incredible momentum and excitement. We’ve really seen Conservatives across the state of Texas and nationally uniting behind our campaign.
McCain: And as some people have compared you to Marco Rubio, as the “Marco Rubio of Texas,” you are yourself also Cuban.
Cruz: Well, that’s right. And that’s an incredibly kind comparison. Marco and I share a very similar personal story, which is that my dad is from Cuba, he was born there, he grew up there, and he was imprisoned and tortured in Cuba as a teenager when he was 17. And he fled Cuba, he came to the United States. When he was 18, he showed up in Austin. Had no money, didn’t speak English, had 100 dollars sewn into his underwear, and he went and got a job as a dishwasher making 50 cents an hour. And he worked 7 days a week and he paid his way through school at the University of Texas. And I’ll tell you, Robert, when I was a kid my dad used to say to me all the time, “when we faced depression in Cuba, I had a place to flee to. If we lose our freedom here, where do we go?” And there’s no question that better explains why it is I’m running for Senate than that question right there.
McCain: And so your website is?
Cruz: It’s tedcruz.org. Tedcruz.org and we’re also on FaceBook. We’ve got over 64,000 supporters on FaceBook nationwide. What we are doing is building a Conservative TEA Party Army all across Texas and all across the country. And we have seen tremendous support. Just this week, National Review magazine made the very generous decision to put our campaign on the cover of the magazine. And I’ll tell you, Robert, the last US Senate candidate who they put on the cover was Marco Rubio almost exactly two years ago. And it worked out pretty well the last time. I hope we see the same result here.
McCain: Alright, well good luck to you, Ted Cruz. That’s tedcruz.org.
Cruz: That’s it.
McCain: Alright, thank you.

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers!

UPDATE II: The Lonely Conservative endorses Ted Cruz.

UPDATE III: The commenters provide an abundance of information, including a George Will column about Cruz.

Texas blogger Lawrence Person has been covering the GOP primary campaign between Cruz and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.


Category: Election 2012, Senate, Texas

Reason TV At #OccupyWallStreet

Posted on | October 7, 2011 | 11 Comments

by Smitty

One is stunned, and left to wonder where these people [Update: yes, the #OWS weenies, not the ReasonTV folks, sorry for the ambiguous definite article] were for any Tea Parties?

There may be some muscle and skeleton somewhere to support the concerns of some that that #OWS is supposed to provide shock troops for 2012, but the bone and beefcake managed to evade the camera effectively, in my opinion.

And, in defense of these guys, I’ve met people at Tea Parties also needing to do some homework.

Category: #Occupy, Progressivism, Video

EXCLUSIVE: Rick Santorum Interview

Posted on | October 7, 2011 | 13 Comments

WASHINGTON, D.C.
Here at the FRC Value Voters Summit, I was walking through the lobby of the Omni Shoreham Hotel when I saw a familiar face: One of the daughters of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. The candidate’s three oldest children and his lovely wife were sitting in the lobby, awaiting the candidate’s return from an interview with Megyn Kelly at the D.C. bureau of Fox News. After a few minutes, Santorum returned, and we had lunch — sandwiches and chips — then he agreed to a brief video interview:

I’m in kind of a hurry here — Herman Cain speaks at 4:15 p.m. — so there’s no time to transcribe his quotes. If some of our blog friends and commenters would care to do so (just stick the quotes down in the comments), I’d be much obliged.

While we were having lunch, one of Santorum’s staffers walked up and told us the news that Iowa has scheduled its caucuses for Jan. 3. So, good-bye Christmas, eh? But Santorum has campaigned hard in Iowa, and has a solid base of grassroots support, so he may be positioned to take advantage of What Florida Hath Wrought.

UPDATE: Thanks to Steve Eggleston of No Runny Eggs for this transpcript of the interview:

McCain – We’re here in Washington, DC, at the Value Voters Summit at the Omni Shoreham Hotel talking to former Senator Rick Santorum. How are you, sir?
Santorum – I’m doing great, Stace. How are you?
McCain – I’m doing pretty good. How’s your campaign been going the last couple weeks since we’ve seen you?
Santorum – We feel very, very good. I think we’re picking up some traction, I think getting the recognition as being a serious candidate has got the grass-roots effort out there, as well as the substance to do the job as President and to win a tough election against what will be a tough opponent. I think the more people look at the candidates and make an assessment as to who can deliver the mail, who can stand up for conservative principles, get things done in Washington, bring the country together, and first and foremost win the election, that we’re going to be on top.
McCain – You just got back from a 3-day swing from Iowa…
Santorum – I was in Iowa for most of the week, actually, in, I think, close to my 70th county in the state. I’ll be back again into New Hampshire this coming week, then South Carolina, and then the following week back to Iowa. So, we’re working all the three early-primary states and giving the chance for the voters to get a chance to kick the tires and find out about who we are, not just go give speeches or do television interviews, but really have a chance for the interaction that, at least I’m told the voters in Iowa really appreciate and that pays off, if you do well, in the long term.
McCain – And your debate performances; a lot of people have praise for your performance in Orlando, and I believe I characterized you as a “brutal counter-puncher”. Sometimes these debates have been kind of rough at times.
Santorum – My feeling is there are differences between the candidates on substance, you have to let the folks who are going to make these tough decisions, you have to let them know what those differences are. There clearly were differences between me and Governor Perry on the issue of immigration and this issue of mandatory vaccines, his executive order on vaccines. There have been differences between me and Ron Paul on the issue of Iran and Israel, and our position in Afghanistan. I’m not shy about pointing those differences when they are, and looking forward do more of that in debates ahead on other issues.
McCain – All right then. And your website is…
Santorum – ricksantorum.com. Go and send us a check.
McCain – All right. Thanks.
Santorum – Thanks.

UPDATE II: Josh Lederman of The Hill reports on Santorum’s speech today:

Rick Santorum came out with his own economic plan Friday to top the 9-9-9 plan pushed by Herman Cain.
“I’ve got a better plan. It’s the zero-zero-zero plan,” the GOP presidential candidate and former senator told the Value Voters Summit.
Santorum said his plan would levy zero taxes on repatriation of funds invested overseas, cut corporate taxes for manufacturers to zero and eliminate every regulation put in place by President Obama.
Santorum has long been a favorite son of the socially conservative voter bloc that flocks to Washington every year for the Value Voters Summit, but has yet to define himself as independent thinker on economic issues within the Republican presidential field.

My 12-year-old son Jefferson, who’s here with press credentials as my assistant, overheard one of the conference attendees say that he’d decided to support Santorum for the very reason that he met and talked to him in the hotel lobby. Santorum is the most accessible candidate here, and he spent most of the afternoon in the lobby meeting voters one-on-one. He posed for a photo with Jefferson:

Of course, Santorum knows I’m a Cain guy, but also knows that I’m friends with his strongest online supporter Lisa Graas. And speaking of which, I ran into K-Lo here and she said to me, “Who’s this Lisa Graas who CC’s me on all her Tweets?”

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Category: Election 2012, Iowa, Rick Santorum
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