Obama Courts the Military/Veteran Vote

Most of my adult life was spent around the military, first as a civil service employee of the Air Force, and then as a spouse of a former Marine and civil service engineer for Air Force Materiel Command which took our family from coast to coast in various assignments.  When he retired, he became a Government contractor so you could say we know a lot of military and civil service with all the moves.   When I talk to military, civil service, and Government contractors, I am amazed that they are saying what I have been saying about Romney.  They don't like him or respect him.  

When Mitt Romney decided to demonstrate in favor of the draft, he had no intention of going in the military because of the strings his family pulled with the Mormon Church to send him on a mission to that 'dangerous' country of France for his 3-year mission.  They made sure he would never be drafted with a three-year mission.  None of his sons served in the military but he compared their missions and working on his campaign to the same as serving in the military.  He apologized later when it became an issue but it is still the fact he said it and probably what he believes.  Don't know a person who would equate public service to the military.  It is not even close.

Michelle Obama has taken a lot of hits from Republicans including from me but I have to say that I admire the work she has done with the military and their families.  You hear little about it but she has shown since she became First Lady how much she cares not just during the campaign season but all the time with her visits and outreach to the families of active military and veterans.  Have heard it discussed by different women whose husband's serve or have served about how much they admire what she has done and is not looking for publicity.  I thought her idea of a White House garden was a good one and she is right about obesity of children.  

She has grown in the position of First Lady -- I was wrong about Michelle Obama and the type of First Lady she would become.  We (including myself) should have given her a chance to find her way as it had to be overwhelming.  She has turned into someone I don't agree with philosophically on issues but she has brought her style and put her own imprint on the position of First Lady.  A lot of military families will attest she has been good for their cause and that is good enough for me.

Most people I know with military ties around the Country don't like Mitt Romney or Barack Obama and are looking at 3rd Party candidates Former Republican NM Governor Gary Johnson who has the Libertarian nomination, and toward the Reform Party who has not held their Convention but one of the strongest candidates is former Republican LA Governor Buddy Roemer who cleaned out the corrupt Democrat Governor of LA when he won his election after serving in the House.  Strike you odd that two former Republican Governors are looking at 3rd parties because of the way they were treated by the establishment Republicans starting with the RNC Chair.  

It says a lot about the Republican nominee when you have members of the military and veterans giving President Obama a bigger percentage of the vote in polling.  The reason the military and veterans went to Senator McCain is that he was one of them having been a POW during the Vietnam War.   Time will tell if Military and our Veterans will vote for Obama in larger numbers then Romney but don't be shocked if that happens.  

Obama Courts Veteran Vote Posted by: CNN White House Correspondent Dan Lothian May 25th, 2012 WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Obama rarely misses an opportunity to talk about the help his administration is offering to military veterans and their families. “We will care and serve our veterans the way they've served us,” Mr. Obama said at a recent campaign event out west. His message may be grounded in policy but in this election season it’s also about the politics. His re-election campaign is actively courting veterans who have traditionally supported Republicans. "It's door-to-door, person-to-person, grocery store-to-grocery store. Letting people know the president's record on his policies to veterans," said Beau Biden, an Iraq veteran and the vice president’s son, who is part of the campaign’s grassroots effort “Veterans and Military Families for Obama.” In 2008, President Obama lost the veteran vote to Senator John McCain 55% to 45%. But the demographics are shifting and Democrats sense an opportunity. In a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll Mr. Obama leads Romney among that group 44% to 37%. (snip) The killing of Osama Bin Laden has also won over some former critics. That’s part of the sales pitch Democrats are making, that President Obama has been tough on terrorists and that he ended one war and is winding down another. They’re also getting help from First Lady Michelle Obama, who has long promoted help for veterans and their families. While White House aides insist her work is not political, she did join the president in a web video promoting the new campaign. Excerpt:  Read More at CNN

Was Huntsman Forced to Endorse Romney?

Huntsman's lackluster support of Romney in this video where he discusses a Third Party speaks volumes.  His interview has dropped like a bomb on this campaign.  He had a lot of um's when he was asked about his supporting Romney if a 3rd Party candidate emerged.  They also pointed out he endorsed Romney but is not a surrogate.  Very interesting interview with Jon Huntsman and is saying a lot about the Republican Party that a lot of us have been thinking.  He is right that more and more people are becoming part of the non-party affiliated electorate.

Watch this video and ask yourself how long the Republican Party can survive with the direction this Presidential campaign is headed.

Huntsman calls for third party, says GOP '12 field lacks big ideas
By Justin Sink - 02/23/12 09:03 AM ET 

Jon Huntsman called for the rise of a third party on Thursday as he argued the remaining GOP presidential candidates lack big ideas. 

The comments from the former Utah governor, who dropped out of the race in January after a disappointing showing in New Hampshire’s primary, were striking given his support for Mitt Romney, one of the four remaining GOP candidates for president. 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy 

"Gone are the days when the Republican Party used to put forward big, bold, visionary stuff," Huntsman said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” 

"I see zero evidence of people getting out there and addressing the economic deficit — which is a national-security problem, for heaven's sake," he said. “I think we're going to have problems politically until we get some sort of third-party movement or some alternative voice out there that can put forward new ideas." 

Huntsman, who also bemoaned Wednesday's GOP debate as "wasting time," quickly added that he had no interest in running as a third-party candidate. 

"That ain't gonna be me, by the way; I know the next question. I'm not interested in that," he said. 

Huntsman and Romney both hail from Utah and are longtime rivals with a cool relationship. 

During his campaign, Huntsman frequently criticized and even mocked Romney. 

Still, the comments on Wednesday, coming about a month after Huntsman decided to endorse Romney, were striking. 

Huntsman was pressed by the panel on "Morning Joe" as to whether he was rethinking that endorsement or was dissatisfied with his candidate's performance. 

The former Utah governor emphasized that while he still thinks "Mitt Romney's the best person" to handle the current economic crisis, he was "not a surrogate for anyone" and was unimpressed by the stances of all the candidates. 

"Listen, until someone comes out that we're going to sweep-clean the tax code, until we have the opportunity for a manufacturing renaissance ... I'm a little disappointed that the big, bold, visionary stuff that the Republican Party is famous for is not on display for people to see," Huntsman said. 

In addition to calling for a third party, Huntsman endorsed campaign finance reform and term limits, saying both would be healthy for a democracy mired in the two-party system.
He also argued that Republicans had made a tactical mistake in embracing a culture-war argument over birth-control mandates. 

"Not only is it a waste of airtime, but it's a political loser, because of the impact it has on the demographic you're describing," Huntsman said to MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, who had just discussed conservative women in his life who were upset with the party over the issue.
Of his own presidential effort, Huntsman said he ultimately fell short because of an unwillingness to pander. 

"I didn't pander, and if you're not willing to pander early enough in the game … you don't raise enough money. You don't raise enough money, you don't get the big momentum," Huntsman said. 

The former ambassador to China also said Republican voters never forgave him for working in the Obama administration. 

"I think people held against me that I crossed a partisan line in serving this president," Huntsman said. 

Source:  The Hill

Can an Independent be elected this time?  Mark McKinnon from Morning Joe thinks they can as there are more registered independents then Republicans or Democrats.  The two major political parties are quickly turning off voters so is it time to have a viable 3rd party?  The way this Republican Primary is going, we would say that is a real possibility.

As a long time Republican, I am one of those who have had it the way this primary has been run by the RNC on behalf of the Republican Rockefeller wing of the party aka establishment.  Stay tuned for how this shakes out!

Establishment Candidate Romney Steps in It!

First Romney said at the debate on Sunday morning that you need to be rich to run for President which just showed voters that what we have been saying that he considers himself an elitist and those of us in the Middle Class trash.  Attend anything Romney and watch him go for the big donors and others are there only for numbers.  He is definitely not a people person and confirmed it in a speech to the business leaders in NH when he talks about loving to fire people.  Are Republicans getting a clue why so many of us from the wars of 2008 cannot stand Romney and will not vote for him?  I doubt if the establishment Republicans can look past their blue noses to see what regular American Republican conservatives have been telling them.  We are a necessary nuisance to them.

Are the Republican voters of NH going to wake up to vote in big numbers tomorrow or are the independent (many former NH democrats are independent) voters who take Republican ballots to vote in our primary going to choose our candidate like they did in Iowa.  Isn't it great that the first two states allow Independents to help pick our nominee and the OK GOP Chairman thinks in an email it is great that it brings in new voters.  Someone was not well vetted and doesn't understand a lot of those new voters would never be Republican and out to create havoc.

Let's take Iowa, for example. The Iowa Caucus is now a wrap with a Romney, Santorum, Paul photo finish. There were quotes from "Party insiders" in Iowa and nationally that were concerned about Ron Paul's support among independents and Democrats in the Hawkeye state. Excuse me for asking the question that some within our Party won't like, but is it not our job to move Independents and Democrats in the Republican column?

When discussing Dr. Paul’s base or Tea Party voters for that matter, many scream "but they aren't Republicans!" Folks, if there's one thing I've learned from being the Chairman of a partisan political party it's that we are not always going to see eye to eye. Same goes for the Democrats. Nearly 60% of Independents voting in Iowa this year were first time caucus goers. Why again is that a bad thing? If we don't welcome these disenfranchised Independents and Democrats (many of whom are young) into the Republican Party then I'm terribly concerned for the future of it.

We have no clue if that 60% of independents voting in Iowa even lived in Iowa as the Iowa GOP Chair refuses to allow candidates to see the registrations.  Willing to bet that Iowa will never see a large portion of them vote again.  If this is an example of the GOP Chairs across the Country, then no wonder the RNC is so poorly run.  Guess this chair never heard of voter fraud by Democrats that is being used by some Republicans as well to get their candidates elected.

How can you allow independents to pick your candidate?  Next thing you know the OK GOP will want to open up Oklahoma.  Why don't we make this very simple and ask the Democrats who we should nominate and be done with primaries.  Anyone who doesn't think that a large portion of those independents/democrats voting in our primaries are up to no good is not wet behind the ears and doesn't understand hardball politics and how it is played.

Thought 2008 was bad but this election in 2012 is even worse.  What happened to the integrity of the voting process to elect our Republican nominee.  Putting out bad facts on websites that are supposed to tell you the rules of each state is wrong.  Word on the street is that the information came from the RNC which I cannot verify but since their debates were aimed to make Romney look good, I would not be shocked if they gave out wrong information on purpose.

To top it all off, I have an email from the RNC asking me to join in 2012.  That is not going to happen and frankly those who know me are going to be shocked when I say that just maybe conservatives need to start thinking about having their own Party and tell the GOP to pound salt.  I have been a big proponent of the GOP for years watching them since the days after Reagan favor Big Government over small government as we saw culminate during the Bush 41 years.  Just maybe this election is the watershed for many Conservative Republicans like me.

We have people in the House and Senate who are for Big Government and that needs to end.  I have also been about reelecting incumbents.  That is also disappearing this time -- will only vote for small government conservatives not big government ones who pretend to be Republican conservatives.  Not holding my nose any more -- it is over.  When you get Republicans to actually answer they are fed up with the Republican Party like they did with Rasmussen, the powers at be should be worried.  They seem like they could care less as they are going to get their candidate Romney nominated even if he loses because then Jeb Bush can run in 2016.

Another complaint is the media picking the flavor of the week.  Santorum endorsed Specter over Toomey and believes in gun control and many other liberal causes.  Will someone explain how some so-called evangelicals can support him?  Guess the 2nd amendment means zero, zip, nada to them and pro-life means everything.  Note to candidates:  If you want the evangelical vote of Ralph Reed, Richard Land, and others just pretend to be pro-life as you can be pretty liberal on everything else and they will still support you.

At the end of the day, there are a lot of unhappy Republican activists.  We are not talking Tea Party but the Republican grassroots who get out and work elections.  We have been taken foregranted for too many years that we will always be there to volunteer.  This is one person if you are not conservative, don't even bother asking because I am not donating and I am not working your campaigns.  I am only one person but there are a lot of conservatives with the same mindset.

The Northeast liberal Republican establishment is alive and well run by the former President  who comes from Maine but chose to live in Houston.  Problem is that he never left that establishment mentality of the northeast behind.  All he knows is dirty, underhanded politics that he has used for years.  Since 1980 I have heard the rumors of the Bush faction threatening to leave the GOP in 1980 when Reagan got the nomination and now believe it was true.

There is only one candidate left in the race who is not associated with the inside the beltway crowd and that is Rick Perry.  The Rove factions have badly wounded him and the only hope is that the voters of South Carolina will see through the rhetoric but since they elected Hailey as Governor, don't have much hope that they will stand tall and return to their conservative roots.  Huntsman was tied to Obama early on and pretty much taken out of the nomination battle because he was willing to go after Romney.  What does that say about the Mormon Church influence on the primary?  Rove is not Mormon as far as we know but he was raised in Utah as a teenager which makes you wonder.

My bottom line and that of a lot of conservative Republicans is that we are willing to listen to people wanting to start a 3rd Party of conservatives who adhere to the smaller government approach and will stand tall if Romney is the nominee against his flip flops and his moderate to liberal agenda.  We will not sell out again for a moderate to liberal candidate.  Both Romney and Obama are bought and paid for by Wall Street which is what establishment Republicans seem to like.

We need to concentrate on the Keeping the House and Taking the Senate with good conservative candidates and throw out the Big Government types.  Let's get more Republicans in the Senate and elect a new Republican leader of the Senate.  Just maybe a Conservative Party with small government principles could start electing members to Congress because the principles of the Republican Party on smaller government have been left in the trash heap of history by too many 'go along to get along' types who favor Big Government and the Nanny State.

We have given up on New Hampshire which is turning bluer in each Presidential election but just maybe Republicans in South Carolina will wake up and realize they are the ONLY state in early voting who voted Republican for President in 2008 and will take their voting seriously.  Time will tell.