“When you’ve lost the New York Times …”

Sunday’s NY Times opens a subject being whispered in the halls of Democratic power.  Will a second run by a severely weakened President Obama destroy the party as it did for the 12 years following Jimmy Carter’s loss to Ronald Reagan?  Is the war of 2008 now lost?  Blame is put on his lack of resolve for liberal ideas, namely killing the EPA’s new ozone dictates, his lack of aggressiveness and of course the economy. 

In English spoken west of the Hudson, it’s called panic. 

Democrats are expressing growing alarm about President Obama’s re-election prospects and, in interviews, are openly acknowledging anxiety about the White House’s ability to strengthen the president’s standing over the next 14 months.

Elected officials and party leaders at all levels said their worries have intensified as the economy has displayed new signs of weakness. They said the likelihood of a highly competitive 2012 race is increasing as the Republican field, once dismissed by many Democrats as too inexperienced and conservative to pose a serious threat, has started narrowing to two leading candidates, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, who have executive experience and messages built around job creation.

Democrats have been deluding themselves in the past nine months that the massive losses they took in 2010 were just a fluke.  The race for Weiner’s Brooklyn/Queens seat is proving them wrong.  There, the central issue is Obama himself because of his treatment of Israel. Polls are now trending to the Republican candidate, and even if the Democrat manages to hold it, it would be a humbling win. The district is a 2 to 1 Democratic and heavily Jewish, one that would normally go at least 60/40 in their favor.  Democrats are very vulnerable especially in the Senate next year, where 23 seats they own or control are up for grabs, versus 10 for Republicans. 

While the Times bemoans the threat Obama presents to the party next year, it doesn’t say how to get to there from here.  That is, who tells Obama he should step aside?  Bill Clinton?  No way, with the presumptive candidate his wife.  Jimmy Carter?  Give me a break!  For good or bad, Democrats will have to stick with their man.   

Republicans could create a little mischief if they wanted.  And that would be to convince either Rasmussen or Gallup to do public polling of Democrats to see who would be the best nominee, Hillary or Obama.   And keep doing it each month.

Now that would cause ruckus!

Is Rick Perry really the Marlboro Man?

Do looks help in Presidential elections?  Many women would say yes about Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Jack Kennedy and the opposite for John Kerry and Michael Dukakis.  Certainly Richard Nixon was no looker, but he managed to beat Hubert Humphrey and George McGovern neither of whom were movie star figures.

Now comes Rick Perry who has the rugged western good looks of the Marlboro Man.  Will he make ladies’ hearts go pitter patter?  My wife thinks so.  No matter what, good looks don’t hurt.

Jon Huntsman the new Ronald Reagan? Hardly

Am I the only one who thinks Jon Huntsman is a plant? 

Huntsman chose Liberty Park to announce his candidacy, the same place Ronald Reagan chose to launch his campaign as the nominee of the Republican party in September 1980. His Casper Milquetoast announcemant speech at Liberty Park simply can't compare Reagan's and is the same recipe for defeat John McCain gave us. And it's no coincidence, John Weaver Huntsman's top political advisor is a former McCain campaign team member. 

Soon you will see the NY Times declaring Huntsman the second coming. A drumbeat from the rest of the legacy media will follow. The horribly skewed NY Times/CBS poll will declare Huntsman a front runner. But even worse, his campaign has the earmarks of recent congressional campaigns of Democrats running as  "Tea Party" candidates.

Fortunately he doesn’t have the time or organization to make a dent in the Iowa caucuses. But in New Hampshire, an open primary state, Democrats will cross over and vote for him in the Republican primary in an attempt to torpedo viable conservative contenders.

Huntsman probably never listened to Ronald Reagan’s speech at the Liberty Park. If he had, he never would have given the speech he gave. The Statue of Liberty was simply a nostalgic backdrop. Mistakes like that are more indicative of Democrat research, not of conservative Republicans who bathe in the glories of Reagan’s speeches.

Huntsman has no organization to speak of, nor a fundraising operation. He evidently feels he can rely on the support of the press to develop a following. No Republican in his right mind would ever conceive of doing that. My personal opinion is Huntsman’s support comes not from the right, but from the left. 

What we don't need to do is listen to the editorial voices of the NY Times to select a Republican candidate.  They don't have the best interests of the Republican party at heart nor will any ever vote for one.

NY Times tries to rehabilitate John McCain

If anyone wondered which John McCain would return to the Senate — the coalition-building dealmaker or the gloves-off bruiser from the campaign trail — the answer is now clear: both. -- NY Times 2/7/2009 Whoa! Gloves off bruiser? Where did that come from? I remember him calling Obama a very decent person. Quite frankly it was McCain’s wimpiness that cost him the election. When Sara Palin put some fire into the campaign, and poll numbers shot up, McCain toned her down and carefully scripted her speeches. He never brought up the Ayers connection, he never challenged Obama’s corrupt fund raising that allowed foreign citizens to contribute, he never branded Obama the Socialist he is. Right now the DNC and the White House are attempting to deny the Republican Party the leadership to effectively challenge for the Presidency in 2012. Through their media minions they tried to destroy Bobby Jindal after his State of the Union response, they continue attacks on Sarah Palin and they are attempting to marginalize private citizen Rush Limbaugh. And now the New York Times is attempting to rehabilitate Senator McCain. The last thing Republicans need is for McCain to be the front runner. When was the last time the Times operated in the best interests of Republicans? Beware of Pinches bearing gifts.