Posted on 09/24/2011 5:33:36 PM PDT by Steelfish
A No Confidence Vote in Orlando SEP 24, 2011 • BY WILLIAM KRISTOL
Having watched the debate Thursday night, and having heard the candidates speak and having mingled with them over the subsequent couple of days, 70 percent of the activists attending the Florida Republican gathering this weekend cast a vote of no confidence in the two GOP frontrunners.
So, with all the usual caveats about not over-interpreting straw polls, I’d suggest:
1. There is resistance to both Rick Perry (15 percent) and Mitt Romney (14 percent). Perry’s poor debate performance hurt him—but it doesn’t seem to have redounded to Mitt Romney’s benefit. Perhaps neither Perry nor Romney will end up as the nominee. After all, the two GOP frontrunners in national polls in late September 2007 were Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson. The Democratic frontrunners in a Gallup poll on September 24, 2003 were Wesley Clark and Howard Dean.
2. Herman Cain (37 percent) will obviously get a new, more serious look. Still, with all due respect to Cain, to some degree voting for him is voting for none of the above.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
He is under 50 yrs old, in his first term as governor, and is right now being courted and tempted beyond what most of us can imagine. The nice thing to do would be to pray for him that he can withstand it, and maintain his humility in the face of all of it.
I hope he sticks it out here in NJ, where he remains a breath of fresh air.
Just curious when he bailed on that and why. Has anyone asked him? Weird to go from one plan to another in the same campaign.
Well, maybe Karl Rove.
Amen!
It's easy to judge Texans from states where there biggest problem with illegals is driving without a license and "stealing their lawn mowing jobs". On the border states we have half of Mexico pouring across our border because they are running for their lives. Rick Santorum wants to pick at Perry over Illegals going to our Jr. Colleges, PLEASE! Our country is being invaded not only by the flood of refugees, but we are taking fire from Narco-Terrorist and corrupt Mexican Army Units. What has he done? Has he called for military intervention? Is he calling for legislation to send Texas and other border states money to help secure the US border? Santorum can shut the hell up as far as I'm concerned. Those people are running for their lives not running to College. There here, we can't do anything about it or Obama will sue us and Hillary will report us to the UN. So what are we supposed to do with them? We have to feed them, we have to give them medical treatment, and guess what, the Supreme Court says we have to educate them. Might as well get them degrees and turn them into tax payers because we are out of options.
Perry is not open borders, he's just bad at debating. He needs to figure out a way to clear up his border position and do it in a way that makes Americans understand what we are dealing with here and he better do it quick.
I see what's happening to him as a tremendous trial. He's just a few years older than me, and right now he's being being courted and tempted in ways that boggle the mind. I hope he can withstand it.
The GOP has already proven this cycle that they are a barren wasteland of leadership, which is why rookies like Christie hold appeal, and why someone like Cain can win a straw poll. It's pathetically sad, and doesn't bode well for our country. But I think it accurately reflects where we are. Very sad indeed.
LOL
Thanks. I sent you a PM before I saw your comment, honest. ;)
“proven ability”?
Before he was president, RR as Governor of CA signed a large tax increase and the most liberal abortion law in the nation. Cain, is solid in his conservative conviction.
Hey Bill, Suck an egg. :-)
No, what it means is we are coming to take back the country from you and your establishment friends who have nearly destroyed this once great country.
Nah — Bill’s not a racist pig. He is sniveling, of course. He’s been in Washington so long, what would one expect? But he’s just being a “good” NeoConservative.
I think what this means is that, of the candidates present and participating, Herman Cain did a superb job of presenting himself and his views in a convincing and positive way to the Republicans who took Part in the “Presidency 5 Straw Poll.” Congrats to Cain! He DESERVED it — Bill Kristol’s typical demeaning notwithstanding.
I would note that a friend reported after the vote was over it was announced that there was a surprise guest to address the assembly, the “Mama Grizzly herself, Sarah Palin!” The place went WILD — standing ovation, mad cheers and applause — until they people figured out it was a Sarah IMPERSONATOR. Then most in the Assembly were quite angry. I am taking NOTHING away from Cain when I note that this would indicate a void STILL in the field of candidates, yes?
Maybe attention from Kristol and similar Beltway, establishment Republicans. But few Republicans with conservative views and any knowledge of Christie's stances on issues will want to hear anything he has to say (except to hope that he stays in NJ where he belongs, and where he might do some good).
We don’t have too much choice,except to send them back. I’ve always believe sometimes it’s hard to force the hard solution, whether it is a default in Greece or civil war in Mexico. It’s a shame the nation can’t get a grip on this problem.
I’m no fan of Bill’s but he’s right that the Cain victory reflects dissatisfaction with either Perry or Romney as a candidate.
Of the declared candidates, Cain’s my favorite—and I expect he was for those who voted for him too.
You sound like a Democrat accusing Krystol of racism here. He also said Santorum would get a more serious look, and even if he had said it only about Cain, what would have been racist about that?
Florida elected a Republican Governor - Rick Scott - who had no proven ability to win elections and govern effectively.
In his short tenure, Rick Scott has made liberal heads explode with his strong and effective leadership decisions.
Perry is his own worst enemy. He apparently forgot where he was and to whom he was speaking. Now were he in Mexico most of US would have NOT noticed the 'bad' heart comment.
Out here in flyover land, some of US commoners do NOT need to read a Kristol ball to figure out the obvious. I think Kristol suffers from too much self esteem.
Cain should run for governor somewhere. But then, the only time he ran for statewide office, he didn't make it out of the primaries.
Kristol is a whimpering simp that plays the “conservative” role on Sunday Political Shows. He’s more interested in maintaining that role and growing his exposure among his peers rather than thinking a real conservative thought.
He’s in the MSM’s “Let’s Pick the GOP Nominee Again! Just like McCain”.....game up to his ears.
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