Here’s one thing that I love about Jack Kennedy. He wasn’t anti-government and neither am I, but he did have a healthy skepticism about what government could do for people. Meaning he didn’t want government trying to do everything for everybody or trying to take care of everyone. But he believed that government including the Federal Government could play a healthy role in seeing that all Americans had the opportunity to live in freedom. John F. Kennedy believed that all Americans including African-Americans and others should be able to get themselves the skills to do so. Which is why he was a real Liberal Democrat and not a Conservative or Social Democrat. He was the Bill Clinton of the 1950s and 60s, or Clinton was the JFK of the 1990s. But they both believed that government shouldn't try to do everything or nothing for people. But help those who need it get themselves the tools that they need to live well in life. Source:TV Days
If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that a month or go or so I suggested that Rick Santorum end his presidential campaign and endorse Newt Gingrich. So the right-wing could unite behind one presidential candidate. And unite against what they see as a Damn Yankee Northeastern Republican. Who they believe doesn’t share their values, because he’s not a big Government republican looking to impose his values on the rest of the country.
Senator Santorum doesn’t seem to be interested in social issues at all except when he talks to Religious Conservatives. Well all of these Far-Right big government groups are now backing Rick Santorum. Because they see him as someone who can win and will say whatever it takes to get their support, unlike Mitt Romney. Keep in mind these blogs about the Republican Party and the right-wing are coming from a Liberal Democrat who’s also a political junky. And a big reason why I blog about these things.
But also keep in mind, without Newt’s lousy debate performance back in February, chances are he probably wins Florida or comes damn close. And the GOP establishment might be looking for a new frontrunner at this moment. And Newt might be the frontrunner that the rest of the GOP Is, pardon the expression, shitting bricks terrified about right now. But that didn’t happen, the bad debate in Florida, followed by the Romney attack machine taking him down. After that, ended whatever chances of Newt Gingrich winning the GOP nomination.
If Rick Santorum wins Kansas, Alabama and Mississippi, all of them Tuesday, Newt if he still gives a damn about the Republican Party would be smart to drop his presidential campaign. Endorse Rick Santorum and allow for Rick to build off of that momentum. And prepare for the Texas Primary. If Rick were to win Louisiana and Texas as well, we might have a new Republican presidential race. But with Rick and Newt competing for the same voters and everyone else voting for Mitt, Mitt Romney sails to the Republican Nomination.
I don’t see Newt Gingrich delivering a “knockout punch” in South Carolina for Florida, but with Speaker Gingrich’s overwhelmingly victory tonight in South Carolina, it does change the political landscape for the GOP presidential race. Last week we I guess, the political pundits, were talking about South Carolina as the state that Mitt Romney is going to wrap up the GOP nomination for President. Because he had a big clear victory in New Hampshire.
And all the momentum that Mitt needed to move on from there to get the GOP nomination and then move to concentrate on the President. Because Governor Romney was able to open up a big lead in South Carolina. So what happened, a few things. Newt has two great debates, Monday and Thursday nights last week. Mitt has a mediocre debate on Monday night and a bad debate Thursday night. Newt whips Mitt on the national stage where South Carolina is watching. Plus Mitt’s tax returns didn’t help as well.
My issues with Mitt Romney have always been with his honesty. Is he saying what he believes or what he thinks we want to hear. I believe Mitt is running for President for the right reasons. He believes America is in trouble etc and wants to help. And that his career in corporate America and experience can fix the problems. But Mitt has gone about it the wrong way, his whole strategy seems to be is to say "what it takes to get the job and then when you get the job" do what you think is right".
That campaign strategy just doesn’t work in American politics. He just doesn’t seem to have a message of other, than he’s the best person for the job. But what he doesn’t understand, is to get the job you have to prove you're the best candidate for it. And Newt has capitalized on Mitt’s weakness’s at least for this week. Newt Gingrich should have some momentum going into Florida. And if he does well in the Monday night debate, may take the lead or pull very close to Mitt Romney.
The Romney Campaign has already announced their strategy for taking down Newt and will have new attack ads focusing on Speaker Gingrich’s Speakership and leadership. And Newt is going to have to be prepared for that and be able to fight back against those political attacks and winning South Carolina should help the Gingrich Campaign with their fundraising. So Florida should be very interesting and as a political junky I’m looking forward to it.
Source:The FreeState How times have changed for the Republican Party. Because back in 1980 they actually did have a Conservative Republican leading their ticket. And leading them back into power in the White House and Senate. After spending another four years as they spent eight years, in the 1960s as the opposition minority party in the United States. With Democrats controlling both the White House and Congress. Back then the GOP had a Conservative Republican, because Ronald Reagan actually understood what conservatism is, which is how Barry Goldwater laid it out as conserving the individual liberty of individuals. Big Government out of our wallets and bedrooms, letting free people live their own lives. Not using government to try to control how people lived their lives. Which is what we see with the GOP today, with its Religious and Neoconservatives. The same-sex marriage debate case in point. This is the perfect time to be talking about Ron Reagan, since it would be his 103rd Birthday this year. And since he was the best Republican President we’ve had since Dwight Eisenhower and the best Republican President we’ve had since. And George W. Bush being the worst President we’ve had since, well maybe all-time. Ron Reagan described his politics as libertarian as late as 1975. He backed Barry Goldwater for President in 1964. Politically its hard to tell the differences between Goldwater and Reagan. Except for maybe foreign policy, Reagan I believe became a classical Conservative, because what he saw in the 1960s what he saw as the growth of big government with the Great Society, but he also saw the growth of big government in the late 1970s, in California. That in 1978 passed a law that would allow employers to fire homosexuals just because they are gay. And he disagreed with that law. The Christian Right came to power and influence in American politics in the late 1970s. Perhaps even as early as the mid 1970s, with Rev. Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority. Arguing against things like homosexuality and pornography, arguing for censorship of certain forms of entertainment, that of course they see as immoral. And even though President Reagan would talk to these groups, he played them like a politician, he knew he needed their votes. But never gave them anything, unlike Republican politicians today who don’t seem to be able to say no to these Far-Right big government groups. And that’s how the GOP is different today. Source:Reagan Foundation
It is clear that the Italian-American Mafia invested in the John F. Kennedy Campaign For President in 1960. And at least to a certain extent got Jack Kennedy elected President of the United States. Especially if you look at their role in Chicago in the Illinois election. And what JFK ever knew about the Mafia's involvement in his presidential campaign, I don't think we'll ever know. But his father Joe Kennedy certainly knew about it and perhaps even reached out to Italian-American mobsters.
But as President of the United States especially because of his Attorney General, who just happened to be his little brother Robert Kennedy, the Italian Mafia didn't get much if anything for their investment in JFK. The Kennedy Administration if anything under Bobby Kennedy went harder after the Italian Mafia and put policies in place that essentially eliminated the Italian Mafia in America by the early 1990s. With new wiretapping laws and isolating these crime families and going after their leaders.
So yeah, the Italian Mafia may of stole the 1960 presidential election for Jack Kennedy and I'm not saying that is a good thing and not serious. But they if anything invested in their own demise and help bring themselves down, instead of investing in Richard Nixon for President in 1960, who didn't have any special plans to go after the mob, or at least didn't run on them. So you can't make the case that the Italian Mafia had bought President John Kennedy, because if anything the opposite is true.
Source:The FreeState Back in the day when Newt Gingrich was a Junior Representative in the House and I would argue up to a certain extent even when then Minority Whip Gingrich became Speaker of the House, even though to a certain extent, getting in the bed with the Christian Right, Newt Gingrich was a Reagan Republican. Someone who believed in limited government and that Uncle Sam shouldn’t be telling Americans how to live their lives.
Who believed in decentralizing the Federal Government and balances budgets, tax relief, strong defense, but he was more progressive than President Reagan on welfare policy. He did believe in welfare reform before it became popular. Where President Reagan basically just wanted to gut the safety net. But Representative Gingrich was basically a Reagan Republican in the 80s and 90s.
Three months ago I thought Newt Gingrich on paper anyway would be the best Republican to take on President Obama. Not just in the debates, but Speaker Gingrich would’ve had the Republican base behind him. And had he did a better job in the Florida debate in January. Maybe he’s not the frontrunner right now, but based on how he’s ran this his campaign ever since, its almost impossible to make a credible case that he would be the strongest Republican today.
But unlike Mitt Romney, Newt is someone thats trusted by the entire Republican Party. By Reagan Conservatives, the Tea Party, Religious Conservatives, Neoconservatives. Even Libertarians have a certain respect for Newt. The thing you get with Newt Gingrich, similar to Barry Goldwater, is someone who speaks his mind and is not worried about offending people. Including Republicans, so he’s clearly not a smooth politician. Which is a big reason why he’s fallen down so far. Finishing fourth in one of the primary’s last week.
Source:The FreeState Not really Newt Gingrich himself, but his movement and followers represented where the Republican Party was headed post Ronald Reagan. Not George H.W. Bush who succeeded President Reagan as President, but didn’t offer a vision other than maybe on foreign policy. Of where he would take the GOP with him. President Bush was more of an operator or pragmatist as President. George H.W. Bush took issues and problems as they came up, but not having a set of ideas and policies, or direction where he wanted to take the Republican Party. Whereas Newt Gingrich and his Conservative Opportunity Society group had a vision where they wanted to take the Republican Party. That later became known as the Contract with America in 1995. Shortly after being elected to the House in 1978, December, 1978, Rep. Elect Newt Gingrich when House Republicans were still in the minority. The House GOP had around 160 or so seats during the Carter Administration. They put together working groups that would work on bringing a House majority for the GOP. Raising money recruiting like-minded candidates, putting together and agenda. That they would try to pass, that later became the CWA of 1995-96. But it took them sixteen years to get there. But only he and his group believed they had any shot of taking back the majority. This was back in the day when the House Republicans had for the most part had around 160-180 seats, the late 1970s and 1980s. And House Democrats controlled the House since 1955. I don’t agree with Newt on much and he has personal characteristics that I don’t like, but I respect him a lot as a political strategist. Probably the best we’ve had since Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson. He could see things happening that no one else could. Because he knew how to get there and deserves a lot of credit for that.
