FoxNews has called Nevada for Romney...

It looks like Romney will end up with about 42% of the vote in Nevada. Newt is in a distant second with about 26%. Ron Paul is third and Rick Santorum is going to come in fourth.

Florida primary vote tomorrow...

Tomorrow the voters of the Great State of Florida go to the polls in the republican primary. Everyone says Romney is far out in front.

I have to tell you, I think all the back and forth nastiness between Newt and Romney is bullshit. These guys seem willing to do or say anything to get votes. I'm about sick of both of them.

I think I am liking Rick Santorum more each day, but the guy is unelectable. He isn't too conservative for me, but I think he might be for the more moderate voters.

I have a feeling that unless Newt and Romney knock off the petty shit, they are going to cost us the election in November. They are dividing instead of unifying. This election should be about obama and the lousy job he has done, the ruinous policies he has forced on our Country. Instead these two idiots attack each other in down right mean ways. It's not interesting and it certainly isn't productive.

obama has provided candidates with plenty of ammunition to attack him with. It's time to get down to the business of showing this Country why the republican on the ticket would be FAR superior to the socialist we have now...

Newt wins South Carolina...

FoxNews has called the race in South Carolina for Newt Gingrich. He seems to have gotten about 41% of the vote. Mitt Romney is in second. Santorum in third with Ron Paul coming in fourth..

Florida is next. There will be a debate Monday night on NBC at 8:00 cst.

South Carolina Primary results tonight...

The people of the Great State of South Carolina are making their voices heard today. I'm anxious to start seeing the results roll in.

After the debate a few nights ago, I think I'm rooting for Newt.

Let's talk about the debate...

I watched the debate earlier. Let me start by saying Diane Sawyer gets on my last nerve. Holy crap, spit out the damn question already. Dude, the debate is only an hour long and it takes her 10 minutes to get the question out!

Anyway, now that I have that out of my system. It seemed as if they wanted the candidates to spend most of the time arguing amongst themselves. For the most part, it worked. Newt tried a couple of times to get things back on track.

I thought Rick Perry did a great job. He stayed on message and answered the questions in an intelligent and respectful manner. He scorched Ron Paul on an earmark issue. Ron Paul has a habit of loading up a bill with earmarks for his district and then voting against the bill. He knows the bill will pass and he gets what he wants out of it without being on record as voting for it. Rick Perry called him on the hypocrisy. When the candidates were asked about the situation in Iraq, Perry said that he would send troops back in to re-stabilize the area. I kind of have to agree. We spent a lot of money and blood in that country and it began to destabilize within hours of our pullout. Putting troops back in the country may not solve the internal problems but it would keep iran from getting a foothold there.

Newt didn't get as much attention as he has in the recent past. What time he did get he spent wisely. He gave good answers to the questions he was asked. He also beat up on Ron Paul a little. Ron Paul recently called Newt a chicken hawk because he never served in the military. He also accused Newt of getting multiple deferments during Vietnam. Newt said it was false and also pointed out that he is in a position to understand military personnel and their families because his father was a career military man and Newt was an Army brat.

Rick Santorum also did a pretty good job. I would have figured him to have an equal share of the spotlight with Romney, he didn't. I do like his view of the importance of family. The degradation of our society is in direct proportion to decline of the American family. There have been lots of stories lately about Santorum's relationship with Arlen Spectre. Those things do concern me and I would like to hear more about those issues. None of that was brought up tonight.

Mitt Romney did about the same as always. He is a decent debater. His message has been the same since day one. I don't think he has a bold plan for either fixing our economy or creating a business friendly environment in our Country. He seems to want to try to work within our current system and make small changes and fixes. That's not going to work. He is very safe though for the republican establishment.

Ron Paul spent half the time defending himself and the other half beating people up. He didn't want to talk much about the newsletter issue. I don't blame him, I wouldn't want to talk about it either. He says it is a waste of time to bring up things from 20 years ago. Great, then why does he bring up things from the distant past of Santorum and Gingrich? I guess it's ok to do that, but people bringing up things from his past isn't? Ron Paul made lots of money off of that newsletter. I find it very difficult to believe that he wasn't aware of what was being published in hi name. 

Jon Huntsman... OMG, this guy REALLY bugs me. It's getting to the point where the very sight of him angers me. I don't believe a damn thing he says. He spends the entire time telling us that he was the ambassador to China and that he lived in a foreign country 4 different times. Ok, great. We know that, tell us something new. Start out by actually answering one of the questions you are asked. This guy refuses to answer even the easiest of questions. He tries to use misdirection and redirection to avoid what he doesn't want to talk about. I see right through it. I hope everyone else is bright enough to do the same.

There you have it. I think Perry did a very good job and will probably see a bump in his numbers because of it. Romney, Newt and Santorum all did a decent job and shouldn't lose anything because of tonight. Ron Paul came out looking a little desperate and kind of petty. He will probably see a little decline. Huntsman, who really cares, he's in the toilet anyway.

Republican Debate Last Night...

Did you get a chance to watch the debate last night? It was a good one.

Newt Gingrich has to have a pair of sore nuts this morning because Michele Bachmann was kicking them all night long. I thought that Newt weathered the storm pretty well though. He came off as a bit arrogant at times but overall he did a good job. I thought he answered all the questions very directly and with intelligent and well thought out responses. One problem that I have had with Newt in the past is that it seemed as though there were no filter between his brain and his mouth. If it came to mind he said it, no matter how crazy or outrageous it sounded. He seems to have addressed that to a greater degree. His plan to call judges before congress over rulings that disregard the Constitution might be a little over the top. There have been time that all of us would like to throw judges out on their ass, especially those on the 9th circuit court of appeals, but I think issuing subpoenas would open Republicans up to retaliatory strikes should a democrat majority come about. It would have to be a bi-partisan effort and that almost never happens.

Jon Huntsman, holy crap, this guy can rattle on and on and not even start to answer the question. I bet he can sell the hell out of a used car though. I have no idea what kind of job he did for the State of Utah, but he would be an absolute disaster as president. He's not a conservative no matter what he would like us to believe. He wants to coddle china while they continue to play currency games and prepare for another cold war type situation.

Mitt Romney didn't look bad last night. He answered most of the question in a fairly direct manner. He still isn't a conservative, but he's still trying hard to make us think he is. I thought Newt's attack on his time at Bain Capital was unfair. Mitt made some good points about it. No matter how hard you try, not all businesses are going to succeed. And when businesses fail, people lose their jobs. I am willing to bet though, that through it's investments, Bain Capital put far more people to work than it laid off. On the other hand, Mitt's attack on Newt for the money he made from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are more fair. Newt was paid with TAX DOLLARS. His role, whether it was as a lobbyist or consultant isn't as important as the fact that he was paid with tax dollars by a government entity.

Rick Santorum looked good too. He was far less arrogant and dismissive than in some of the previous debates.  He answered all the questions he was given in a very direct manner. I'm still surprised that he hasn't done better in the polls. I think his lack of any type of executive experience is hurting him. I very much respect his stance on family values and the role of family in putting our Country back on the right track.

Rick Perry had his best debate to date last night. He isn't always the smoothest speaker and may stumble over a word or two, but he has ACTUAL executive experience. And not just experience, successful experience. He has led a HUGE State that has had a great deal of success in attracting new business and creating jobs. He has had to deal with the border issue. It's too bad that we put so much attention on a persons ability to speak well in a debate and not so much in their real life accomplishments. Rick Perry is qualified for the job of President but he won't be the nominee because he doesn't speak well in a debate format.

Michele Bachmann was all over everyone last night. She beat the hell out of Newt. And she gave Ron Paul a few shots to the junk also. I think she is trying to show a more aggressive side of herself. While that is well and good, it's not going to help at this point. I have to say that I agree 100% with her criticism of Ron Paul on the Iran issue. She made some good points and those were reinforced by Rick Santorum. Iran's mission is to spread their radical form of islam across the globe. You can't talk them out of that. And it's not going to go away if you ignore it.

Ron Paul, you know, some of my readers are Ron Paul supporters and I can respect that. He also has a cult following, like Night of the Living Dead or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. But I have to say, it must be a sunny, rose filled world he lives in. If he thinks we can deal with Iran by simply allowing them to do whatever the hell they want to do, he is dead wrong. And a policy like that would be the death of Israel. I understand that he doesn't care about Israel, so their destruction wouldn't be any reason to deter Iran from actively seeking a nuclear weapon. I do care about Israel. They have been a friend and an ally for a long time. I care about all of our Allies. I think they deserve better treatment from our Country than they have received from obama and what the would get from Ron Paul. We can't just retreat inside our borders and expect the rest of the world to do the same. There truly are bad people in this world that want to do us harm.

Overall the debate was a good one. I think Newt and Romney came out on top. Michele Bachmann was probably tied with Rick Santorum for third, then Rick Perry and Ron Paul. With Huntsman dragging up the rear with his inability to answer even the most simple of questions...

Debate tonight...

The debate just ended. It was interesting. Diane Sawyer really shouldn't be moderating debates. She seemed a little out of it. She may be like that all the time, I don't watch her ever so I don't know for sure.

Rick Perry looked good. He made some good points. I'm still a fan, I just wish there was some consistency to the guy. He has made some serious mistakes, but I think at the end of the day, he would make an excellent president. His back and forth with Romney was more of the same old stuff though.

Mitt Romney may have missed his calling. He should have been an actor. The entire Country is longing for a leader with conservative values, Romney knows this and is trying to say and do all the right things to appear to be that leader. He isn't a conservative. Never was. I'm afraid if he is elected, we will find out very soon that he is barely even a rino. His attempt to make a bet with Rick Perry seemed extremely arrogant and showed him to be the elitist that he is. His ability to make a $10,000 wager without batting an eye was telling.

Rick Santorum said all the right things. He has done away with the arrogance that he demonstrated in the earlier debates. He does have a conservative record. I'm wondering why he hasn't gained any traction in the polls. His support and advocacy for family and family values is unique among the candidates. I applaud him for it. It is something this Country has been lacking for far too long.

Newt Gingrich looked good tonight. He was attacked from all sides and still managed to make some very good points. He stands head and shoulders above the rest in knowledge of the history of our Country and what has and hasn't worked in the past.. His comment about Mitt Romney not being a career politician because he was defeated by ted kennedy was great. It's also very true. Newt has a lot of baggage and a history of taking multiple sides on issues. I would like to think that he has changed positions on issues because he has grown and matured. But then maybe he is telling us what he thinks we want to hear. I can't get 100% comfortable with him.

Michele Bachmann is a true conservative. I don't know how seriously she is taken in Washington though. Something about her still bugs me. Her attack this evening on Romney and Gingrich was a little over the top. I think she could have used her time better explaining her views instead of beating those guys up.

Ron Paul always makes good points. I don't agree with some of what he says. I think the world needs a rational voice to help when things go bad. We are that voice. We have been that voice for many, many years. It has helped define this Nation. We don't always need to be the world's police force, but we have an obligation to protect those who can't protect themselves. Paul's knowledge of the federal reserve is second to none. He is right about everything concerning that organization. He is extreme on some other areas that I will never be able to agree with.

It bothers me more than a little that the candidates have begun to attack each other. Some of the attacks have been pretty nasty. I think that these guys should be contrasting themselves with obama and letting the voters pick from there. As the candidates are narrowed down to a nominee, they will take plenty of abuse from obama and his gang of thugs. There is no need to give them extra firepower from the Republicans.

If you want to comment on the debate or how I saw it, feel free...

Republican Debate Tonight...

Don't forget about the Republican Debate tonight. It will be on ABC at 9:00 E.T. It will also be streamed live on the Des Moines Register website.

Be sure to check it out. Afterwards, I'll post a little about my thoughts on the players. You are welcome to comment about your opinions of the candidates too.

Trumps debate is turning out to be a dud...

It looks like Trump's debate is going to be Newt and Trump. What the hell? I thought it was going to be an opportunity to see the candidates in a little different setting, maybe lighten things up a bit.

It looks like Perry is out, Bachmann is out, Santorum is out, Paul is out, Romney is out...

I'm truly disappointed.

I was also disappointed that Romney declined the invitation to debate Newt in a Lincoln/Douglas style forum. Romney may be a rino but he is no idiot. He knows that under those circumstances, Newt would wipe the floor with him. Who wants to sign up for that?

Republican Debate - 11-12-2011

I watched the first half of the debate on TV earlier. Since then I have been trying to watch the second part online. Since I have the some of the crappiest internet service on the planet, it has been impossible. I'll have to wait for the Youtube version.

My take on the first part...

Rick Perry looked good. He gave solid answers. His foreign aid plan is outstanding. Starting every one out at ZERO is perfect. It's pretty damn dumb on the part of our government to give foreign aid to countries that hate us. If a country isn't our ally and isn't willing to cooperate with us they shouldn't get a DIME of tax payer money. Pakistan is NOT our ally. Those assclowns hid osama bin laden from us for YEARS. There is no way in HELL that bin laden was in that city, for that long, without pakistan knowing about it. Anyone who believes differently is an idiot.

Newt also looked awesome. His answers were typical Newt. He knew what he was talking about. He doesn't sugar coat it. He tells the hard truth. He came up a little more in my view.

Mitt Romney looked pretty good too. He is getting better at covering the fact that he is a rino. I don't trust the guy. He is trying to make us believe he s something that he is not.

Michele Bachmann seemed to be getting kicked to the curb. The moderators wouldn't let her speak. Her foreign policy knowledge is good. I don't agree with some of her opinions, but she knows her stuff.

Ron Paul didn't get any time. This poor guy. I know he has a cult following and those people would like to hear what he has to say.

Herman Cain was a little out of his element in this debate. His lack of experience hurt him here. He is right though, a president has to surround themselves with the best and the brightest in order to make sound decisions. But it helps to have a base of knowledge to pull from.

Jon Huntsman didn't really say anything different. It seems that every debate brings up the issue of China and trade. Huntsman would continue to allow China to walk all over us. In this area I fully agree with Mitt Romney. China doesn't want a trade war with us. They sell billions of dollars worth of goods in this Country every year. It would be in China's best interests to have a discussion with us about our concerns. Huntsman would continue the same passive approach that has led to the issues we face now.

Rick Santorum must have read the reviews from the last debate. He appeared much less arrogant than he has in the past. His answers to the questions were about what you would expect from him. Nothing exciting.

There was a question about torture. Most of the candidates expressed an interest in returning to the policies of the past, policies allowing our Military and CIA to use enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. Ron Paul made some comments I found to be a little disturbing. He said that waterboarding isn't proven to result in reliable intelligence. He said something about waterboarding a hundred people hoping to get actionable intelligence from a few. Ok, waterboarding DOES create accurate and dependable intelligence. Our Military and CIA waterboarded THREE people, not hundreds. Those waterboarding of those THREE people resulted in intelligence that saved American lives. That intelligence led to the capture and/or killing of many more terrorists.

It's very misleading when a person of Ron Paul's standing makes it sound as if hundreds of people were tortured and waterboarded and no intelligence was gained. It's not fair and it's not true...

Did you see the Republican debate last night?

First, it was good to see the candidates being civil with each other instead of the bickering back and forth.

I think Newt Gingrich came out of last night as the clear winner. I'm still not a huge Newt fan, but in every debate he is courteous to the other candidates, critical of the press, straight forward in his answers and knows what he is talking about.

Huntsman should just pull out now. He isn't a conservative and trying to act like one isn't working.

Ron Paul was Ron Paul. He makes a lot of sense, he says a lot of things I fully agree with. He is just out there on some things and enough of them to make him troubling in my mind.

Bachmann was good last night. She knew her facts and figures. She looked confident. But she has no chance.

Herman Cain looked good, as always. He is such a likeable guy. His troubles over the past couple of weeks didn't seem to affect him. I have to admit though, I'm getting a bit tired of his pimpage of 999 at every single opportunity.

Romney was Romney. A democrat in Republican clothes. He is trying hard to convince us that he is something different than what he really is.

Rick Santorum always polls in the bottom 2 or 3 candidates. But his arrogance during the debate would lead one to believe he is way out in front. I don't get him. He always seems as if the debates and being on stage with the other candidates is somehow beneath him. He is another one that has zero chance and should pull out now. And if he is planning to run for anything in the future, he might check the attitude at the door.

Rick Perry, OMG, Dude. I still like Perry, but holy crap, can you even imagine a worse time for a total brain fart? I really felt for the guy last night. I mean, seriously, we have all had those moments. I just hope that my next one isn't so public or important. I think he may have done himself in last night. Up until that one moment, Perry was having his best debate so far. He was relaxed and confident. It's funny though, the Rick Perry you see on the debate stage is not the real Rick Perry. Off of that stage he is a force to be reckoned with. He is very intelligent, confident and able and has a world of practical experience for the job of President.