Free Republic

Just a general survey. Who considers themselves certainly not against Trump (per se), but not all-in for everything Trump does (per se)?

Much of the criticism aimed toward presidential candidate Donald Trump by other Republicans has been predicated on the assumption that he will lose in the general election. Trump's many provocative statements, which would be considered gaffes if uttered by any other candidate but have somehow worked for him, are generally assumed to preclude him from securing the broad support necessary to claim victory in November.However, one method of analysis known as the Primary Model predicts that Trump would not only win in the general if nominated by Republicans, but completely dominate. From the Huffington Post: Trump will defeat Hillary Clinton...

Elections are not mysterious events subject to the whimsy of unpredictable candidates and voters. They’re actually highly predictable, with a set of variables that influence outcomes in familiar ways. Because of that, we can say, with reasonable confidence, that a Republican will be moving into the White House in 2017.

Mitt Romney closed his campaign in the state where it began -- New Hampshire -- in front of a raucous, energetic, and enthusiastic crowd of over 10,000 at the Verizon Center. Thousands more people were outside of the arena, unable to get into the event.  “This is a special moment for Ann and for me because this is where our campaign began," Romney said, noting that his victory in New Hampshire's primary put him "on the path to win the Republican nomination." Rock Star Kid Rock performed at the event, which Romney used to contrast his hopeful message for America with...

This race is over, but the conspiracy theories are about to begin. And, boy howdy, are things going to get ugly. To wit, Mitt Romney will defeat Barack Obama for the presidency on November 6, after which there will be hysterical blowback. The election result is quantifiable, with Romney consistently leading in national tracking polls, finding a level at or above 50 percent in many, and closing the necessary gaps in swing states and among demographic groups. Greater evidence can be found, however, in Obama’s sour demeanor and the conduct of his campaign. What a mess. Opinion-peddlers have noted that...

The lead that Gov. Mitt Romney has carried in national polls since the first presidential debate should be reflected oon in state-by-state polls — indicating a potential Romney victory on election day, Karl Rove said on “Fox News Sunday.” Rove added that as the state polls reflect the national mood, Romney may begin to see states such as Minnesota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, come into play for his electoral vote count. “If the margin is as big nationally as it appears in these national polls, then you will have the state polls follow,” he said. “Now we may have something else...

A poster last night read Mitts lips at the opening greeting. He said, "I'm coming for you." Man-o-man, this is just like sending a stale pizza to Axeldouche's Chicago headquarters last spring. I'M COMING FOR YOU, loser!

Mitt Romney is about as close to defeating President Barack Obama as any Republican could have hoped to be. The polls--if you believe them--show him slightly or significantly behind, but within striking distance. The challenge he faces is unique: he is acting, and is being treated as, the incumbent rather than the insurgent. In effect, "President" Romney has been in office since mid-August, with none of the power but all of the responsibility. It was President Romney, not Obama, who set aside time to visit victims of Hurricane Isaac. It was President Romney, not Obama, who reacted swiftly to the...

Bishop Robert Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ in Chevy Chase, MD, isn’t exactly sure how to handle the casserole question. You see, the Mormon church is run by volunteers, and every member has a job: teaching Sunday school, managing church finances, organizing community food drives, or serving in the tutoring program. So when I asked Bishop Nelson who in his congregation would bring a casserole to Ann Romney if she were to get the flu while her husband was President of the United States, he paused and chuckled. “I can imagine wanting to bring the...

UPDATE 3: In an interview Tuesday afternoon with Fox News host Neil Cavuto, Romney discussed the remarks he made that have landed him on the hot seat this week. At one point in the interview, Romney said his statement about the roughly 47 percent of Americans that don’t pay federal income taxes was meant to differentiate his economic agenda from President Obama’s. “Frankly,” he said, “we have two very different views about America. The President’s view is one of a larger government. There is a tape that just came out today where the President is saying he likes redistribution. I...

On “Meet he Press,” Biden referred to Mitt Romney as “President Romney.”

It’s almost become expected at this point. In the nearly four years he’s been in office, Vice President Joe Biden has awed the country with his gaffes (see here, here, and here, just to name a few). And on Sunday, he struck again. During an interview with David Gregory on “Meet The Press,” Biden’s mind seemed otherwise occupied when it came to consistently and correctly referring to who he was talking about. For example, at one point, and much to the joy of Republicans, he referred to Mitt Romney as “President Romney.” But as if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, he...

Link only due to copyright issues: Link to Article

VIDEO:WATCH THE INTERVIEW:Presidential Candidate Bachmann On Jobs and Unemployment

It’s common these days to hear media talking heads refer to Michele Bachmann as the “Tea Party favorite” in the upcoming 2012 GOP primary race. Unlike Governor Palin who has always stated that the Tea Party doesn’t need one specific leader, Bachmann has tried to cast herself into such a role. She created a “Tea Party Caucus” in congress and gave the “Tea Party response” following Obama’s State of the Union Address last January. The Tea Party is comprised mainly of independent-minded small government activists who are sick and tired of the way Washington is operating. These are people who...

Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann may represent competing visions of the direction of the Republican Party, but both their presidential campaigns are relying on legal advice from partners at Patton Boggs, the Washington power law firm that pioneered innovative fundraising strategies for 2008 GOP White House hopefuls that left advocates for reducing the role of money in politics crying foul. [...] And law firm signings are as closely watched as those of top campaign operatives or pollsters. Take Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman initially written off by some handicappers as a fringe anti-establishment candidate whose appeal was limited to tea party...

Christian Right leaders are not rallying behind Michele Bachmann for president and it’s “probably” because they are sexist, contends a writer for Time. .....“Totally unfair and inaccurate” is how Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, described [Amy] Sullivan's characterization. Nance was invited to join the conference call but was unable to do so. “Social conservatives are ready for a woman president,” Nance said. “In fact, the McCain campaign really took off,” added Nance, “after Sarah Palin was nominated.” Nance remembered that during the 2008 election she was mostly standing on the sidelines until Palin was added to the...

Much has been written about Michele Bachmann's lack of any executive experience and the crippling disability it poses for her campaign for the GOP nomination and for the Presidency. But candidates with no executive experience have won the Presidency before. Both JFK and Obama come to mind. It is true that no GOP nominee in well over 100 years has lacked executive experience. (Even Senator Warren Harding had served as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and William Howard Taft had been the Governor of both the Philippines and Cuba). It is a major obstacle for her, especially in this cycle and...

I recently posted an article suggesting that Mchele Bachmann's candidacy, and its impact on Sarah Palin, is reminiscent of the 1980 candidacy of Phil Crane, which Ronald Reagan considered a threat to his nomination: Is Michele Bachmann Sarah Palin's Phil Crane? LINKAs I point out in the article linked above, Crane never really thought he had a chance for the nomination, and he was content to have one of the moderates (Baker or Bush) get the nomination in hopes that they would install Crane as the Vice-Presidential nominee. I did not explore some of the reasons why Crane's belief was...