Please use this anywhere and everywhere!!!
Posted on 04/11/2012 9:18:51 AM PDT by IbJensen
Rick Santorum ended his bid for the Republican presidential nomination yesterday, making Mitt Romney the all-but-certain nominee. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are staying in the race, but now attention is shifting to Romney’s future choice of a running mate and uphill battle to replace President Obama.
Speculation that Santorum would quit the race rose after his three-year-old daughter, Bella, had to go to the hospital over the weekend. She suffers from Trisomy-18, a rare disorder that is fatal for all but one percent of its victims by age 10. She has been released from the hospital, but the decision to exit the race was still made.
Santorum described his campaign as being “about who we are as Americans” and reflected on how his campaign sprung from last place to runner-up, despite being counted out all the way up until the final weeks before the Iowa caucus. He is proud that his campaign didn’t focus solely on the economy, but also “violent radical Islam” and “the scourge of Iran.”
There were other factors in his decision. His campaign is asking supporters to help pay off debt, saying the campaign “can’t be free to focus on helping defeat [Obama] with this burden.” Romney had also attained a nearly insurmountable delegate lead. His rivals were under tremendous pressure to drop out due to fears that a prolonged campaign would give Obama decisive advantages. He was also declining in the polls in his home state of Pennsylvania. A game-ending Romney victory there on April 24 was becoming more likely.
Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are committed to staying in the race. Gingrich immediately declared himself the “last conservative standing” and says he is eager to go one-on-one with Romney. He hopes to debate him in North Carolina before the state holds its primary on May 8. It is highly unlikely Romney will agree.
Gingrich is focusing on winning delegates in Delaware on April 24, North Carolina on May 8 and Texas on May 29. He admits that Romney is “far and away” the most likely one to get the nomination, so he instead is focusing on influencing the party platform. According to the Republican National Committee, Romney currently has 573 delegates. Even if all of Santorum’s delegates jumped to Gingrich, he’d only have 334.
The Obama 2012 campaign starts off with a huge financial and organizational advantage. It has about $84.7 million and 530 paid staff members, whereas Romney has only $7.3 million and about 100 paid staff members. Josh Kraushaar argues that super-PACs aligned with Romney make up this difference.
At the moment, the polls favor Obama. He is ahead of Romney by an average of 5.3%, according to RealClearPolitics. He has grown his lead among independents in the swing states by 4% since February, 48 to 39. Political analyst Dick Morris says the polls are deceitful because about 80% of the undecided vote goes against the incumbent at the last moment.
Obama has comfortable leads in Ohio (8.6%), Nevada (6.7%) and Pennsylvania (6%). His leads are much smaller in North Carolina (3%), Iowa (3%), New Hampshire (3.5%), Florida (3.5%) and Virginia (4%). As of right now, Obama would win 347 electoral votes to Romney’s 191. Of course, the general election campaign hasn’t even begun yet and these numbers will greatly fluctuate.
Romney has had leads over Obama in several of these states before. This is important because it indicates the voters are open to choosing him. Romney is ahead in Virginia by 5% in the latest poll. He led Obama in New Hampshire throughout last year, often by double-digits. There have been polls showing Romney with small leads in Iowa, Florida and Pennsylvania.
The general election campaign now begins in earnest. If you thought that the Republican primary was nasty, you haven’t seen anything yet.
According to 270toWin.com, the Democrats can count on 196 electoral votes and the Republicans can count on 181 electoral votes. The election will be decided in 13 battleground states. The poll averages in these states strongly favor Obama at the present time. Of these, Romney only leads in Missouri (9%). Obama has double-digit leads over Romney in New Mexico (16% in the last poll), Colorado (13% in the last poll), Wisconsin (11.8%) and Michigan (11.3%).
The focus will now be on Romney’s running mate and the general election. The most mentioned names are Florida Senator Marco Rubio, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Ohio Senator Rob Portman, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan and Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. Sarah Palin and Herman Cain suggest Florida Representative Allen West.
The key here is to for the Republicans to take back the Senate and take more seats in the House. That way, no matter who gets elected, Congress can shut them down if they go off the deep end. For now, it’s about getting Obama out of office.
Let’s hope that Romney had a chance to see what it’s like for us regular folks during his primary campaign. Maybe that will make him a better candidate. Let’s also hope that he can take a few pages from the Newtster and deliver Obama a knockout blow or at least spit on his shoes.
I want Obama gone!
Romney was WAY AHEAD of Obama on RomneyCARE/ObamaCARE
AND GayMarriage and Liberal judge appointments.
Obama’s vulture corporatism/communism is AHEAD
of Romney.
Both are ineligible.
Establishment candidates like McCain and Dole lost their elections. Romney is an establishment candidate with a record of being for and against the same policies, a supporter of Obamacare, liberal court appointees, etc. Is Romney the man to pull our country off the slippery slope we are on?
Obama will win and lead our country to economic collapse and oblivion. We have no space program; our military has been converted to police action and meals on wheels; we have the morals of an alley cat; Christians are under attack; free contraceptives for everyone; free health care; big brother and big sister will take care of you. Anybody with a job will be taxed to support those who have none or do not want to work, just like it was during the times of Communist Russia.
I’m glad someone else sees this clearly.
One also has to take into account that Obama’s internal polling is 10% lower than these polls. In other words, he is behind Romney in virtually all states.
It looks to me like the same expensive body with the same useless options, just with a different color paint. The engine in both cases is roughly socialist - Romney just this side of socialism, and Obama just beyond true socialism - and I don't particularly care about the surface details regardless of a candidate's politics.
Does anyone think that they could look at a table with Obama's & Romney's positions on gun control, socialized medicine, the military, government spending, freedom of religion, abortion, gay marriage, welfare reform, unions v. right to work, and correctly pick which positions go with which candidate? Except for the fact that Obama is a racist who hates our country and hates the Jews, which matters in very minor ways compared to his overall incompetence and socialist views, the differences are too small to matter. I hope we can get to the other side of this ongoing nightmare peacefully and in better condition than with the CWII option.
Four more terrible years under Obama's profligate socialist incompetence, or potentially eight years under Romney's big government leftism - is that really a choice with a positive option?
I hope that people also understand the idea of controlling their states. Control the states and you have control of Congress. It all works hand in hand.
Republicans may take back the Senate, but I doubt they will increase the size of their majority inn the House.For one thing. neither party likes to have more than 250 on their side. Look at the way that Boehmer has fought his caucus. Around 240 would be fine with him. He needs a smaller majority to cut deals with the Democrats and to prevent any radical attacks on the size of government. PLUS, if the Republicans were to get to 270, Boehmer would be challenged for the speakership, if only so the members could obtain favors for their votes.
Controlling their States.
The 17th Amendment needs repeal. If folks get upset with their Senators, they’ll get upset with the State level Buffoons who appointed them.
romney burned his conservative bridges. Check the top 10 blogs; he’ll be lucky to get half the base, they are going third party or writin anyone but romney. romney would not win anyway. a one percenter who has on record he does not care about the poor. That commercial will be played over and over. Why have obama lite when you can have the real thing.
I want Obama gone too, but I will not under any circumstances vote for Romney.
If Newt doesn’t pull out an unlikely miracle, this race is already over and Obama has already won.
I absolutely hate the GOP-e.
I saw your graphic, above... excellent job!
I will never vote for a Spawn of Satan cult member Mormon.
Vertical Leap- Obama
Footwork-Obama
40 yard dash- Obama
Outside > 10 foot shot-Obama
Bench Press- Romney
Private business experience-Romney
Heterosexual-Romney
Pro-abortion- Obama=Romney (tie)
Pro Gun control - Obama=Romney (tie)
Pro-liberal judges - Obama=Romney (tie)
Pro-government "growing the economy" - Obama=Romney (tie)
Pro-progressive taxation Obama=Romney (tie)
Pro- state controlled medical care and mandates Obama=Romney (tie)
Pro-Global Warming legislation to limit fuel Obama=Romney (tie)
I guess Obama beats Romney.
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