GOP Primary Megathread!

[jimmy olsen]

15% up for grabs.

I think Newt has a chance of doing better in New Hampshire than Santorum. If he can he'll stay in, which would be good for Romney going into S. Carolina.

[MadImmortalMan]

That's fair on Santorum - though his record of actually winning elections is probably as good as Romney's.  But I thought Santorum's problems were more that he was the most extreme social conservative and the most gung-ho pro-war candidate going in a fundamentally moderate state rather than that he was a disastrous campaigner?

I think that's right. He's obviously got some campaigning skills--before he got run off in PA, he won in 2000 by a decent margin. His main problem is that once you get outside the GOP, there's a huge segment of the general population that would never even consider him.

[crazy canuck]

The rhetoric is getting pretty heavy and bizarre.


Romney "The US is the hope of the world"

Santorum "God gave his people the US so his people could be free"


Do people in the US really believe this or is it just required nonsense.

[Admiral Yi]

The rhetoric is getting pretty heavy and bizarre.


Romney "The US is the hope of the world"

Santorum "God gave his people the US so his people could be free"


Do people in the US really believe this or is it just required nonsense.

The first one is OK, the second one makes me cringe and/or shake my head.

[Ed Anger]

We are the lightbringers. You foreigners are heathen scum.

[Valmy]

The rhetoric is getting pretty heavy and bizarre.


Romney "The US is the hope of the world"

Santorum "God gave his people the US so his people could be free"


Do people in the US really believe this or is it just required nonsense.

It is required.  Opinions vary on how nonsensical people think it is.

There is this thing: American Exceptionalism.  It is where we claim we have a special country that is different and better than other ones and we inspire liberty and freedom and good feelings.  That our existance makes the world better because of the example it provides.

You generally are not going to be elected President without making sure people think you either believe this is true or you want to make it true.

[garbon]

Unless the long prayed-for Huntsman SURGE happens

Seems foolish. People actually have to know a candidate exists to vote for them.

[Phillip V]

Newt seems really mad. He called Romney a "liar" on Tuesday and now refuses to congratulate Romney on Iowa. His speech last night praised Santorum, but complained yet again about Romney's attack ads. I expect to see a vicious televised debate this weekend with Romney truly getting attacked by Santorum, Gingrich, Huntsman, and Perry for real this time; not sure what Paul will do.

[garbon]

Supposedly she's ignoring New Hampshire...

She's going to ignore the rest of the states, too. She's out.

[Ideologue]

Newt seems really mad. He called Romney a "liar" on Tuesday and now refuses to congratulate Romney on Iowa. His speech last night praised Santorum, but complained yet again about Romney's attack ads. I expect to see a vicious televised debate this weekend with Romney truly getting attacked by Santorum, Gingrich, Huntsman, and Perry for real this time; not sure what Paul will do.

Beat him to death with a gold brick.

[Admiral Yi]

Give him the Mountain Meadows treatment.

[Phillip V]

Only one poll out this week, but the expectations game for New Hampshire is the battle for third (and second) place as well as Romney's margin of victory. Paul, Gingrich, Huntsman, and Santorum are fighting for it. Even a third place for Huntsman should kill his campaign (unless really close). A fourth for Gingrich would be another embarrassment, but he will probably fight on till South Carolina in order to continue selling books. Less than second place for Ron Paul would once again chastise his libertarian movement. And a double-digit or better showing for Santorum can continue his momentum. Perry is not competing.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/nh/new_hampshire_republican_presidential_primary-1581.html

[Sheilbh]

Newt seems really mad.

Understandable.  Romney funded a lot of negative ads against him.  As I say if Gingrich was in second, I think he'd be running a 'positive' campaign.  The less chance Gingrich has of being the anyone-but-Romney the more openly angry Newt's going to get.

[Martinus]

We are the lightbringers. You foreigners are heathen scum.

Lightbringers? So you agree you are the Great Satan?

[Viking]

Only one poll out this week, but the expectations game for New Hampshire is the battle for third (and second) place as well as Romney's margin of victory. Paul, Gingrich, Huntsman, and Santorum are fighting for it. Even a third place for Huntsman should kill his campaign (unless really close). A fourth for Gingrich would be another embarrassment, but he will probably fight on till South Carolina in order to continue selling books. Less than second place for Ron Paul would once again chastise his libertarian movement. And a double-digit or better showing for Santorum can continue his momentum. Perry is not competing.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/nh/new_hampshire_republican_presidential_primary-1581.html

watching those jumps first up then down for first bachman then perry then cain then gingerich is like having the fox news daily memos from roger ailes on file.