Newt's Chagrin: Who Gets Goosed when Gingrich Goes?

When Newt Gingrich finally realizes his goose is cooked, somebody's campaign is gonna get goosed as his goslings run for a new butterball. Contrary to popular opinion, I'm thinking Romney, more than Santorum, gets the juice. Hear me out: Mitt's strength is with urban and suburban, well-educated, working adults. So is Gingrich's, from what I can see.

Conventional wisdom maintains that Santorum and Gingrich are splitting the "real" conservative vote. Glenn Beck argued just today, that if Gingrich hadn't been in the race in Ohio, Santorum would have taken Gingrich's 8 or 9 percent and would have won the state. I disagree. I believe that vote would likely have been pretty evenly split or even favored Romney.

Here's why: Santorum is capturing the lion's share of evangelical and blue collar conservatives, which includes a substantial chunk of Tea Party affiliates--and some of the old "Reagan Democrats." Gingrich may not want to admit it, but he and Romney share the more affluent, higher-educated, perhaps less socially conservative Republicans. How many Bible Belt conservatives that you know are thrilled about Newt's womanizing and politically opportunistic past.

Romney scores higher than Santorum on fixing the economy. And Newt has fingered the economy as the number one issue. Therefore, more of Gingrich's support ends up in the Romney camp, much to Newt's chagrin. Ironic, I know.

Of course, there is one caveat to this. Gingrich is friendlier towards Santorum and has so soured the milk for Mitt with his Romney-wrath, that his supporters might not stomach a move back to the "Massachusetts Moderate."  Given, however, that they are more affluent, educated, and possibly more independent in their thinking, everyone might just be in for a big surprise. Except me, of course. Now, THAT's RATIONAL!

UPDATE: Rasmussen Polls and Presidential Approval Index now Agree with Me!

Rasmussen's most recent polling shows that even without Gingrich in the race, Santorum would not be beating Romney. And fully 80% of GOP likely voters believe Romney will be the party's nominee. A majority also see the former MA governor as the most electable candidate by a wide margin over the former Senator from PA. The poll shows that if the contest were held today, Romney would beat Obama by a margin of about 5 points--very close to the spread by which Obama licked McCain in 2008.

It's time for Santorum and Gingrich to show the class, grace, and unselfishness that Mitt showed to McCain last time around: Exit the race and back the party's nominee, Mitt Romney, in mounting an aggressive campaign to take down the Obaminator in November. It's the right thing to do. It's the necessary thing to do in order to insure a GOP victory. Read more on the Tracking Poll and view a video on Romney's rising poll numbers here: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll.

"The Ego Has Landed"

I'm not sure if this headline originated with Rush Limbaugh or whether he was quoting someone else but it gave me an immediate chuckle. His O-ness landed in Copenhagen yesterday with an extraordinary taxpayer-supported entourage (cost estimates for the excursion range between $1 and $2 million), presumably to ice the deal for the 2016 Summer Olympic games for Chicago. From all reports, it was a lay-down. The NY Times editorialized that the bid was 80% in the bag. All Obama had to do was tip it over the top and tote home the prize.

But the inflated expectations and hopes were snuffed in a hurry with the gale of a first-round elimination for the Windy City. The shock and awe on the faces of Second City hopefulls was as palpable as that of the Republican Guard on launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

So let's consider this rationally: The President and his O-sciples seem quite convinced that the power of his personality and presence combined with the eloquence of his oratory and the supremacy of his ideals are sufficient weaponry to bring any adversary into line. And why not? His chant for "change" and histrionics of "hope" certainly entranced independent-thinking Americans into obeisance during the recent campaign.

But reality is harsher. Now, one might give Obama credit for the attempt. He took an enormous risk and if correctly calculated and productive of a winning bid, could have stiffened his softening prowess with the American electorate. What a photo op! But there was a lot at stake. A misfire might emasculate the cocky Chief's swagger even more.

Obama thrust home only to find that his steel was neither sturdy nor sharp enough, not only to carve out the victory, but to stave off a cutting rebuke from the IOC. Who can rationalize that Chicago's humilating first-round elimination was anything less than a deliberate political swipe at America and its First Executive?

Obama's decision to go to Copenhagen was rational if A) He had solid reason to believe he would prevail or B) He had political debts to pay to his Chicago election machine. But here, too, is the rational fact: If A, the President was either seriously misinformed or shamefully naieve. If B, he was commonly political or fundamentally corrupt. Neither is complimentary but you be the judge.

The Dismantling of American Capitalism

As Chrysler and GM dismantle their distributor base in America, and as the federal bureaucracy seize more and more control over U.S. industry by Executive decree, the change promised by Barak Obama sweeps violently across the country. Millions of workers, whose jobs are being cast aside will soon rely on European style socialism for their very sustenance. Will America ever recover?

History suggests we will. The nation has faced economic corrections in the past, and bounced back ostensibly stronger, so she will again, say some pundits. But will she? This time the very playing field has changed. The foundations and pillars of free market capitalism, the force behind America's financial vibrancy and supremecy for two and a half hundred years have been deliberately and conspicuously torn away--over time, yes--but in a torrent over the past 100+ days.

Economic uncertainty has placed capital on the shelf and economic stormclouds of mounting debt and deficits that could take decades to repay--if ever at all--portend stormy economic conditions that may dampen the urge for investment for the forseeable future.

Is an equalization of America's wealth with the rest of the so-called free world the more likely scenario? As 10 to 20% of America's workforce are forced onto the public payroll, we look more and more like the socialist republics of Europe. The fires of the profit motive--dubbed "Wall Street Greed" by jealous, guilt-ridden, and angry liberals--become quenched in a deluge of worthless cash (stimulus) and oppressive taxes that flood the marketplace in tidal waves of inflation, high interest rates, and ever-increasing debt. The ultimate insolvency finally brings the collapse of the dollar and the world looks to a new international currency and political authority to save the day.

But can the day be saved? American economic independence is dead and with it, her sovereignty and her soul. Survival is the new standard of excellence. Government is the new giver as the minions clamor for their "rightful" pieces of the dwindling pie. The new order divides the haves from the have-nots along lines of political allegience and idealogy instead of personal excellence and achievement. Without the economic engine of true free market capitalism, can even this new order be sustained? The cost for housing, healthcare, and bread and circuses is high. Who will pay the taxes on which so many depend when personal profit is no longer the reward of industry? The new serfdom is born.

Irrational? Hardly. History and the laws of economics suggest the end of the road we're now on. But perhaps the American spirit is too strong. Perhaps we can reverse course. For Obama and his ilk, the empty hopes of a lazy and uninformed proletariat looking only for largesse is fuel enough. But for us, "hope" is woefully insufficient. We must read the writing on the wall, break out the erasers and repaint the picture of American independence, rugged individualism, and free market capitalism that the global socialists in Washington have dessimated. And we must do it by the sweat of our brow. Now! Before it's too late.

Post Script: Look at the bright side. The collapse of American consumerism will reduce the global carbon footprint and save the planet from certain destruction due to global warming...er...climate change...cooling...uh...CO2 poisoning...greenhouse gas suffocation...pollution...or whatever.