Posted on 06/21/2012 10:17:20 AM PDT by kingattax
We have grown unaccustomed to presidential landslides. The three most lopsided presidential races since 1988 fell short of the conventional definition of a landslide, which would be a ten-point difference in the popular vote between the winner of the election and the next-closest candidate. Obama in 2008 beat McCain by seven points and carried 28 states.
Clinton in 1996 beat Dole by eight points (although Clinton did not even get a majority of the popular vote) and carried 31 states. George H. Bush had a seven-point advantage over Dukakis in 1988 and carried 40 states. A quick perusal of the electoral maps in each race shows a closely divided nation and no real mandate for the victorious candidate.
But that landslide drought could end this November. Economic conditions produce landslides -- prosperity propelled Reagan and Eisenhower, for example, to huge re-election wins in 1984 and 1956. Economic distress affects voters even more.
Only once has a president persuaded Americans to re-elect him in grim economic times: FDR in his 1936 landslide re-election.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
“the liberaltarians are just as liberal as any dem.”
From http://www.lp.org/platform :
2.0 Economic Liberty
Libertarians want all members of society to have abundant opportunities to achieve economic success. A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient manner. Each person has the right to offer goods and services to others on the free market. The only proper role of government in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by government to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a free society.
2.1 Property and Contract
Property rights are entitled to the same protection as all other human rights. The owners of property have the full right to control, use, dispose of, or in any manner enjoy, their property without interference, until and unless the exercise of their control infringes the valid rights of others. We oppose all controls on wages, prices, rents, profits, production, and interest rates. We advocate the repeal of all laws banning or restricting the advertising of prices, products, or services. We oppose all violations of the right to private property, liberty of contract, and freedom of trade. The right to trade includes the right not to trade for any reasons whatsoever. Where property, including land, has been taken from its rightful owners by the government or private action in violation of individual rights, we favor restitution to the rightful owners.
2.2 Environment
We support a clean and healthy environment and sensible use of our natural resources. Private landowners and conservation groups have a vested interest in maintaining natural resources. Pollution and misuse of resources cause damage to our ecosystem. Governments, unlike private businesses, are unaccountable for such damage done to our environment and have a terrible track record when it comes to environmental protection. Protecting the environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of individual rights in resources like land, water, air, and wildlife. Free markets and property rights stimulate the technological innovations and behavioral changes required to protect our environment and ecosystems. We realize that our planet’s climate is constantly changing, but environmental advocates and social pressure are the most effective means of changing public behavior.
2.3 Energy and Resources
While energy is needed to fuel a modern society, government should not be subsidizing any particular form of energy. We oppose all government control of energy pricing, allocation, and production.
2.4 Government Finance and Spending
All persons are entitled to keep the fruits of their labor. We call for the repeal of the income tax, the abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service and all federal programs and services not required under the U.S. Constitution. We oppose any legal requirements forcing employers to serve as tax collectors. Government should not incur debt, which burdens future generations without their consent. We support the passage of a “Balanced Budget Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution, provided that the budget is balanced exclusively by cutting expenditures, and not by raising taxes.
2.5 Money and Financial Markets
We favor free-market banking, with unrestricted competition among banks and depository institutions of all types. Individuals engaged in voluntary exchange should be free to use as money any mutually agreeable commodity or item. We support a halt to inflationary monetary policies and unconstitutional legal tender laws.
2.6 Monopolies and Corporations
We defend the right of individuals to form corporations, cooperatives and other types of companies based on voluntary association. We seek to divest government of all functions that can be provided by non-governmental organizations or private individuals. We oppose government subsidies to business, labor, or any other special interest. Industries should be governed by free markets.
2.7 Labor Markets
We support repeal of all laws which impede the ability of any person to find employment. We oppose government-fostered forced retirement. We support the right of free persons to associate or not associate in labor unions, and an employer should have the right to recognize or refuse to recognize a union. We oppose government interference in bargaining, such as compulsory arbitration or imposing an obligation to bargain.
2.8 Education
Education is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality, accountability and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Recognizing that the education of children is a parental responsibility, we would restore authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government. Parents should have control of and responsibility for all funds expended for their children’s education.
2.9 Health Care
We favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want (if any), the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions. People should be free to purchase health insurance across state lines.
2.10 Retirement and Income Security
Retirement planning is the responsibility of the individual, not the government. Libertarians would phase out the current government-sponsored Social Security system and transition to a private voluntary system. The proper and most effective source of help for the poor is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals. We believe members of society will become more charitable and civil society will be strengthened as government reduces its activity in this realm.
I'm hoping that it's still early, and that the polls will show more movement in the next two months.
Romney needs to build a national ticket and extend coattails, and make taking the Senate a part of his overall campaign.
If he doesn't do that, he will be hamstrung by a divided Congress. Even if he manages to win back the Senate, Republicans will have to manage the filibuster.
Personally, I think that the current Republican Senate leadership is tired, and needs to be replaced with fresh blood.
-PJ
The bible thumpers are mostly one or two issue voters. They vote pro-life, and anti-gay. While Romney is no glowing social conservative he is by far better than the alternative.
You forgot to mention they want to limit our military to the point we can not defend ourselves, want to legalize all drugs and prostitution and are pro-gay.
The Bible Thumpers vote pro-life. Neither currently touted top candidates qualify.
I would just love love love it.....
Ya know Cuban.
Ya seen those photos of his cracked skull when he has a short haircut and the light is right?
Course no one knows anything about that as no one knows anything about this butt head really.
I posted enough to refute your claim that the liberaltarians are just as liberal as any dem.
And I thought conservatives opposed failed, costly feel-good programs - like criminalization of drugs and prostitution.
You guessed it.
"Look at the historical numbers when the loser got 43% of the vote."
Alway glad to provide some data. Here are the Presidential elections sorted (in acending order) by the "Popular Vote" percentage of the major party losing candidate.
Hope this helps,
dvwjr /nobr
Bye the way, naps, LS is a Professor of History, certainly making him part of the lowering education you so brilliantly exposed.
LS may be a Professor of History but that has nothing to do with Civics or Government. He was talking about Obama losing the popular vote as if that matters. The ONLY thing that matters is Obama losing the electoral college. Again, some folks just need to understand the General Election that is all.
My point, which you adroitly avoided, was you calling him ignorant, and by extension, those who would agree with him.
So, if you are seeing Obama at 43%, its implications for the popular vote are huge BECAUSE of the landslide they portend in the electoral college.
I’ll wager you right now that Romney pulls 5 million more votes than McCain-—at the very least. Probably 6-7.
for what it’s worth, I see him losing big in states he loses and winning by a razor slim margin in states he wins. It’s the electoral vote game and it would not surprise me that it’s another 271-266 type of margin in the college (obama loses) but an overwhelming popular rebuke with long coat tails.
Nothing short of the election will convince you (course, you were the ones saying Palin was going to be the candidate, and her own polling couldn't get her INTO, let alone OUT OF a primary. So keep kidding your self that it's only "pushy Freepers." Then go to a Tea Party or a county meeting where the action is.
Dukakis had 45 and came in about where McCain did; Mondale was blown out at 40% as was Dole, Carter, Stevenson, Humphrey, then Stevenson lost another landslide at 44% as did Wilkie.
Translation (or at least what I make of these numbers): someone at 43% doesnt stand a hope in hell of suddenly attracting 8% of the vote, while the other guy stands a really good chance of getting close to 55-56%, which is, indeed, a landslide.
Yes. Only this time he isn’t going to rebound.
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