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JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Romney, Gingrich trade accusations over character, consistency, leadership

World Jan. 31, 2012 - 06:55AM JST ( 25 )

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25 Comments

1

TorafusuTorasanJan. 31, 2012 - 07:32AM JST

Rev your engines, everyone. It's another fun-filled day of (inter)partisan bickering! I wonder how long Newt can last. Sometime between February and August we will find out.
0

YuriOtaniJan. 31, 2012 - 07:45AM JST

The "fun" never ends, however the commercials are coming to Oklahoma soon :( Can the Newt hang in there? The morally bankrupt, cheating, liar and lobbyist. Oh add to it foe of Ronald Regan. He will pull his pin soon.
0

The Truth MattersJan. 31, 2012 - 08:08AM JST

Romney, Gingrich trade accusations over character, consistency, leadership

Well, sh*t, I can put this one to bed. Neither one of them have the character, consistency or leadership attributes needed to run the United States. So...they're both right. A first!

*Both Gingrich and Romney are trying to win the conservative Republican base and go after Obama *

Another reason they have no chance in the general election. There has been a real backlash to the tea party (I'm looking at you Scott Walker) in a lot of places and they are trying to drive the moderates away. I cannot see that as being a successful strategy. It worked wonders for McCain. He sure excited the freebasers, er, the base with the sarah palin addition but it cost him the independents and moderates. The GOP is going to double-down on that strategy. Sweet.
0

DentShopJan. 31, 2012 - 08:20AM JST

Newt: I am the lesser of two evils!

Mitt: No - I am!

Newt: No, I am!!

Mitt: No...
3

SushiSake3Jan. 31, 2012 - 09:48AM JST

With a population north of 300 million, the Newt and Mitt are the best the GOP can field for the office of president of the United States???

C'mon American conservatives - YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!!

You deserve way more than to end up fielding a morally bankrupt serial adulterer and a former governor whose policy positions have been all over the map many times, who many of you do not like or trust anyway.

Seriously conservatives, you need to start taking the nomination process for the world's top job a bit - no, waaaaay more seriously.

It's not just Americans whose lives and livelihoods hinge on this - it's a lot of the rest of us too.
3

Ben_JackinoffJan. 31, 2012 - 09:52AM JST

a former governor whose policy positions have

helped his state become a much better place to live and work. What the heck is wrong with that? You don't like success?
-1

SushiSake3Jan. 31, 2012 - 10:21AM JST

Nothing wrong with that.

He introduced a pretty good health insurance system, too, using a model that many conservatives wail is an infringement on their 'freedoms' while not batting an eyelid when anti-abortion, pro-war and anti-gay marriage laws they support infringe on the rights and livelihoods of others.

That aside, I think the key question about Romney is: where does he stand on the key issues?

I mean, this month....
0

SushiSake3Jan. 31, 2012 - 10:27AM JST

One thing I'll grant gwb is that at least people knew where the guy stood on the major issues.

Mitt, on the other hand, is all over the map.

How will people voting for him know how soon he'll reverse his position on Iran, gay marriage, abortion?

Like trying to drive a post into quicksand.
1

sourpussJan. 31, 2012 - 10:41AM JST

Gingrich:

"I've cheated on all of my ex-wives. But YOU can trust me!"
1

paulinusaJan. 31, 2012 - 10:54AM JST

sourpuss: Newt has been a horndog all his life but for many Republicans it's a case of "never mind" and "all is forgiven". If he was a Democrat they'd be frothing at the mouth.
0

Ben_JackinoffJan. 31, 2012 - 10:58AM JST

That aside, I think the key question about Romney is: where does he stand on the key issues?

I assume you really want to know the answer to this as you have asked this question before. As I wrote in another discussion, he has provided a detailed outline of his stance. I provided it to you before. His positions are not a mystery.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/r/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2011/09/06/National-Politics/Graphics/BelieveInAmerica%E2%80%93MittRomney%E2%80%93PlanForJobsAndEconomicGrowth.pdf?hpid=z1
1

Ben_JackinoffJan. 31, 2012 - 11:00AM JST

If he was a Democrat they'd be frothing at the mouth.

Yes, just like the Democrats are frothing now when there was not a speck of foam when Clinton was president. Hypocrisy knows no party affiliation it seems.
-1

TorafusuTorasanJan. 31, 2012 - 12:16PM JST

Ben having to do Mitt's job and give us that link is part of the problem. If Mitt knew how to memorably publicize his own positions in every campaign appearance, not letting that get overshadowed by the sniping and mudslinging, we wouldn't have any questions about his well-reasoned, rocksolid positions. It's his job to repeat his positions early and often so they start to stick in voter's brains. If Mitt can't connect in the next half year, then it's not a big deal. He can go back to one of the mansions (how many does he have--is that in the washpost article?) to enjoy a life of luxurious retirement.

Yes, Clinton's alleged affairs were probably annoying to Democrats too, but that never devolved to the level of seeing an ex-wife on TV repeating Newt's proposal for an open marriage. If Clinton's campaign had suffered that level of Jerry Springer public family strife, he might not have gotten elected. You don't think Newt is wealthy (and sneaky) enough that he could have given the ex-wives some hush money until after the campaign? Maybe Callista wasn't going for it.
-3

Sarcasm321Jan. 31, 2012 - 12:17PM JST

Obama is gonna cruise to reelection in November....
0

Ben_JackinoffJan. 31, 2012 - 12:33PM JST

TorafusuTorasan,

Mitt should pay me ;) However, it is not exactly like his stances are big secrets either. I would assume people asking questions about them would at least check a bit themselves, even if they are not actually voting or anything. I do agree that to win it, he has to keep current and keep at it.

As to Gingrich and his affairs, I can't say it any more strongly that he would not be a good president and I sure as heck have no intention of defending him at all. I pity anyone that has to.
2

Ben_JackinoffJan. 31, 2012 - 12:34PM JST

Obama is gonna cruise to reelection in November

I don't think it will be a cruise at all, unless maybe it resembles the Titanic.
0

pamelotJan. 31, 2012 - 12:42PM JST

Yes, Clinton's alleged affairs were probably annoying to Democrats too

Not so much... Then, it was all about "He is the President, not the Pope"...
1

sunhawkJan. 31, 2012 - 02:19PM JST

pay no attention to american politics till october. primary elections are pointless smokescreens for huge fund raising for the political parties.
-2

Elbuda MexicanoJan. 31, 2012 - 03:21PM JST

Thank god/s for these idiot Republicans! Yes we can!
0

sailwindJan. 31, 2012 - 04:00PM JST

Another reason they have no chance in the general election. There has been a real backlash to the tea party (I'm looking at you Scott Walker) in a lot of places and they are trying to drive the moderates away.

Huffington Post Headline Today

Scott Walker Recall Effort: Governor Leads Opponents, Has Favorable Approval Rating

Independents like him by the way.

Among independents, Walker has a 54 percent approval rating, compared to 34 percent who disapprove of him.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/scott-walker-recall-effort-approval-rating-pollsn1231279.html
-1

SushiSake3Jan. 31, 2012 - 04:57PM JST

I think the pressure is off now.

There's next to no way the Repubs are going to win with these 2 guys.
0

MadvertsJan. 31, 2012 - 09:13PM JST

Next to "no way" sushi?

You sound indecisive there. Heh, never forget they elected W Bush not once but twice. (Although finding a Bush supporter these days is like looking for a fart in a wind tunnel)

Anything is possible, despite the GOP candidates being equivalent to wheeling out paralympic athelites for the gold medal high jump.

Romney will win the nomination and then the mud slingin' fest really starts...
0

SushiSake3Jan. 31, 2012 - 10:09PM JST

Yeah but Madverts, you've got to remember the GOP 'base' (that's a noun and an adjective) was bigger then.

Since bush, they've spent the last 3 and a bit years cleaning house marginalizing, alienating and devising their own moderates.

Actions like that don't happen without blowback.

Heh, when it comes.to this GOP's strategy, the question is what strategy?

Buckled into my armchair looking forward to even more GOP-sponsored lunacy tomorrow. :-)
0

MadvertsFeb. 01, 2012 - 01:55AM JST

I don't agree with you in the slightest. The moderates are the people that will decide the election and a lot of them are un-happy with Obama's performance, rightly or wrongly. We saw what impatient voters do out of desperation in 2010, something our deluded partisan cranks still think was because someone may have had a better idea, somewhere at one point in some other galaxy far, far away.

It is going to be tighter than you think, but I'm sure you're wrong and Romney will appeal to some moderates looking for an alternative to Obama. Even the after-birhter fundie crazies will have to either vote for Romney or not vote at all -but I'm guessing they would vote in denial for a tri-sexual divorcee of French descent who's wife had an abortion if it would mean a vote against Mr Obama.

Let's face it, they're that way.

Unless of course the GOP brain-fart goes do-lally and they select the screaming angry white man Gingrich that epitomizes so many of JT's rightwingnuts.

But I very much doubt they will.
0

Ben_JackinoffFeb. 01, 2012 - 06:07AM JST

Madverts,

Good last post. I agree. If Romney is pic ked, this race will be far from tight. I think we will see that he will appeal to quite a large number of moderates on both sides.