Michele Bachmann is first GOP presidential candidate to sign pledge banning gay marriage, porn.

[Dan T.]

I never said it was a good plan. I said it was the most likely plan.

It wasn't a good idea to make Sarah Palin the VP nominee. But it nearly saved McCain's campaign.

Really? Others would say it sank his campaign.

[twa]

Just because you and others say it is different does not make it so

Espicially in cases where it is medically needed

The law,the courts ,the medical community and science says it is indeed different.....and account for medical nescessity

but there are other threads for that

---------- Post added July-11th-2011 at 08:51 AM ----------

Really? Others would say it sank his campaign.

Others like to ignore facts....though it certainly didn't save his candidacy

[Burgold]

Palin's inclusion and especially her homerun speech at the convention provided McCain a huge spark that he was ultimately unable to capitialize from. Long term, because of her gaffes and because she kept going off script and against McCain's wishes on the campaign trail (at least according to reports) I think she was ultimately more damaging then helpful. To be fair though, in that year and under those circumstances no Republican could have won the election.

The Republicans failed so completely on every level from having Bush Administration figures being convicted, to economic disaster, to poor environmnetal, educational, energy, policies. Their war efforts to be honest were mixed, but that was far from a raging success either in court of public opinion.

[Prosperity]

Perry or Romney... I think LKB is right w/ Bachmann at VP

Romney-Bachmann would be manageable for the country, but if it's Perry-Bachmann, well, better grab your guns and run for the hills

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Really? Others would say it sank his campaign.

He was a long-shot to win from the beginning. While the Palin pick may have eventually bothered independents, it shored up his base to a remarkable degree. No candidate can win if they don't have the support of the base by early September.

[Boss_Hogg]

Anyone see that movie "Demolition Man" with Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone?

Yeah, that's Michelle Bachman's idea for society.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Perry or Romney... I think LKB is right w/ Bachmann at VP

Romney-Bachmann would be manageable for the country, but if it's Perry-Bachmann, well, better grab your guns and run for the hills

Perry getting in would be a game-changer. I think that if Perry decides to run, he wins the nomination in a walk. And he won't need to pull any magic tricks to secure the GOP base behind him. He would be free to be like W in 2000 and use the nomination as an opportunity to define himself as opposed as an opportunity to balance the ticket.

Perry would wipe out the need for Palin or Bachmann or Cain or any of the fringy candidates.

And I say this as someone that has lived under Perry and despises him. But the guy governs - or at least pretends to govern - the way Tea Partiers want someone to govern. And he has been around for so long now that the GOP power brokers would accept him as a member of the club. I don't think anyone could so easily unite all the various GOP factions like Perry.

You hate Obamacare? So does Perry.

You love Jesus? So does Perry.

You feel the need to vote for someone with experience? Perry has it.

You a rich corporate master of the universe? Perry worships you slightly less than he worships Jesus.

You hate Mexicans? Perry can appeal to you.

You love Mexicans? Perry can - weirdly - appeal to you. I've yet to figure out how he consistently pulls this one off. No one in America talks tougher on illegal immigration while welcoming illegal immigranion.

You don't want another W? Perry and the Bushes hate each other.

You miss W? Perry IS W right down to the boots and expensive haircut.

I actually welcome a Perry run for the White House, because I want the rest of you to get the chance to experience the weird mix of sincerity, bull****, competence, and madness that is Rick Perry. I don't think I've ever seen a politician like him.

[Going Commando]

(Sorry TB, nothing personal. I try not to go off on those rants out of respect,, but good grief, top 2? To me that is just screamingly funny.

How do you like #13 there? That one seems totally normal. Robust childbearing is absolutely key because it'll offer more human batteries to feed our insatiable AI overlords.

[Dan T.]

He was a long-shot to win from the beginning. While the Palin pick may have eventually bothered independents' date=' it shored up his base to a remarkable degree. No candidate can win if they don't have the support of the base by early September.[/quote']

Someone like Mike Huckabee could have shored up McCain's base without totally alienating all the people Palin charctertized as not real Americans during the disasterous part of her campaign. Palin boosted the campaign at the outset, then it was pretty much a swan dive off the cliff after that bump. Sure she shored up the base. She also made sure that millions of middle-of-the-roaders would eat a dead rodent off a Little Caesar's pizza before they would pull the lever on a Palin-McCain ticket.

[NavyDave]

Here's another example of her hypocrisy. Her husband takes federal dollars for his clinic. He has an ex-gay therapy. Are those funds co-mingled with other clinic income/funds? Tax Dollars for murdering the unborn is not the same as tax dollars to actually help the sick. I don't see a problem with trying to straighten someone up if they are the one who wants to try be cured but if they are forced to try the treatment then I have an issue with it being tax payer funded. And I also think these places trying to cure Pedophiles should be stopped too after the DMV man raped two local girls after socalled therapy after his time was served for child rape.

Could you resist brainwashing if some tried to make you homosexual? Of course I could, but promoting it as normal to kindergarden kids with graphic detail in books does make me think that it would result in more experimentation among the youth. And that show called Hard Time: Womens Prison edition tomorrow 10 PM on National Geo Channel touches on this subject.

Remember, we see examples of heterosexuality every single day, every where we look. Yeah its beauty of something normal and natural throughout the world that maintains the population of life from insects to mammals.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Someone like Mike Huckabee could have shored up McCain's base without totally alienating all the people she categorized as not real Americans during the disasterous part of her campaign. Palin boosted the campaign at the outset, then it was pretty much a swan dive off the cliff after that bump. Sure she shored up the base. She also made sure that millions of middle-of-the-roaders would eat a dead rodent from a lLttle Caesar's pizza before they would pull the lever on a Palin-McCain ticket.

Maybe.

However, the big issue with Palin came up after McCain's disastrous response to the financial crisis. He was actually leading or tied until he decided to suspend his campaign in September in order to go to Washington and "save" the economy. The response to that was "This man may be too rash to be president. Look at how he responded here...and my God...did he put ANY though into his VP selection?"

She first became evidence of McCain's own flaws as a leader. And then it sort of grew from there.

In a normal year, McCain's camp probably could have kept her craziness under wraps until at least mid October at which point it wouldn't have mattered much. As it stood, she became an example of McCain's craziness in September and that grew into a game of contrasting their craziness.

[Going Commando]

Anyone see that movie "Demolition Man" with Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone?

Yeah, that's Michelle Bachman's idea for society.

That would never fly. No one would be able to figure out how to use the three sea shells. There'd be murder death killing in the streets.

[@DCGoldPants]

Fancy dinner at Taco Bell after they win the Fast Food Wars.

Nice

[Dan T.]

Bachman first became evidence of Romney's own flaws as a leader. And then it sort of grew from there.

In a normal year' date=' Romney's camp probably could have kept Bachman's craziness under wraps until at least mid October at which point it wouldn't have mattered much.[/quote']

[Burgold]

You know what's just a little distressing. No one denies anymore that Sarah Palin is the base of the Republican Party and represents it best.

[Kilmer17]

She's not going to be anything for the GOP. Other than the extreme right winger to make sure certain issues keep a prominent position at the conventions other business.

She's not going to be the nominee. She's not going to be the VP nominee.

It's Romney and (insert southerner here).

Perry has a slight chance of making an impact, but that window is closing.

Huntsman is running for 2016 if Romney loses this time.

---------- Post added July-11th-2011 at 10:34 AM ----------

You know what's just a little distressing. No one denies anymore that Sarah Palin is the base of the Republican Party and represents it best.

Im denying that.

She is what the left wing THINKS is the GOP base, and is their idea of what it represents. But that's not the same thing.

[Burgold]

Hope you're right, Kilmer. But it was just put forward several times that Palin was put forth as a candidate to secure the base and that she did. Therefore, she must represent the base, right. This is the reflection that republicans msot want to see.

[Henry]

She's not going to be anything for the GOP. Other than the extreme right winger to make sure certain issues keep a prominent position at the conventions other business.

She's not going to be the nominee. She's not going to be the VP nominee.

It's Romney and (insert southerner here).

Perry has a slight chance of making an impact, but that window is closing.

Huntsman is running for 2016 if Romney loses this time.

---------- Post added July-11th-2011 at 10:34 AM ----------

Im denying that.

She is what the left wing THINKS is the GOP base, and is their idea of what it represents. But that's not the same thing.

I hope you are right, Kilmer. In fact, I hope your entire post is correct.

I do have one question though. It has been put forth that Palin almost saved McCain's campaign. And it has been countered that she sank it.

Which do you think is closer to the truth, and why?

EDIT: Jeez, Burgold. Don't you ever take a break?

[Corcaigh]

Maybe.

Not maybe, definitely. Palin shored up a certain percentage of the base, but the strategists need to balance that against the 'independents' such as my CFO neighbor who had never voted D in their lives, but could not vote for Palin. In his own words ... "Sarah Palin, are you ****ing kidding me?". The Republicans should be able to find someone reassuring to the base without alienating the middle to the degree that Palin did.

[NavyDave]

She's not going to be anything for the GOP. Other than the extreme right winger to make sure certain issues keep a prominent position at the conventions other business.

So who are the EXTREME Left wingers that energizes Team Donkey? I already know I just want to see if anyone is willing to describe them that way.

[Henry]

So who are the EXTREME Left wingers that energizes Team Donkey? I already know I just want to see if anyone is willing to describe them that way.

Anyone to the left of Palin?

[Kilmer17]

Hope you're right, Kilmer. But it was just put forward several times that Palin was put forth as a candidate to secure the base and that she did. Therefore, she must represent the base, right. This is the reflection that republicans msot want to see.

In 08. Yes, the GOP hoped should would do that. It's not 08 now. And Palin isnt the unknown Alaskan Governor.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Not maybe, definitely. Palin shored up a certain percentage of the base, but the strategists need to balance that against the 'independents' such as my CFO neighbor who had never voted D in their lives, but could not vote for Palin. In his own words ... "Sarah Palin, are you ****ing kidding me?". The Republicans should be able to find someone reassuring to the base without alienating the middle to the degree that Palin did.

If that was the case, explain the polls in mid-September? On September 8th, McCain had a five point lead. By the 17th, it was between one and two. But McCain maintained a lead he had since the Convention.

By October 1st, Obama had a 9-point lead that never faltered again.

I think Palin became an albatross once McCain's inherent instability became apparent. I also think that as McCain became more and more desperate in October, the real Palin emerged. And that ultimaltey sank any chance of a comeback.

The McCain campagin did a great job in stage managing her for the first few weeks she was in the race. No interviews. No press conferences. She only spoke to receptive crowds.

You could argue that the Palin interview with Couric on Sept 24 aided the McCain downward spiral. But that was the same time of the financial crisis. I think it was ultimately a one-two punch that did him in.

[Kilmer17]

I hope you are right, Kilmer. In fact, I hope your entire post is correct.

I do have one question though. It has been put forth that Palin almost saved McCain's campaign. And it has been countered that she sank it.

Which do you think is closer to the truth, and why?

EDIT: Jeez, Burgold. Don't you ever take a break?

I think both are correct statements.

McCain had next to zero chance of beating Obama. Time is murking up what was happening in the summer of 08. The nation HATED Bush. And hated him with such veracity that anyone associated with him or anything he stood for was toast. Obama had just destroyed the Clinton machine and had so many people who are non political and lots of people who are thinking "this is it! This is the game changer weve been looking for!

McCain had two choices. He could have tried to change the game by choosing Lieberman, or by choosing Palin. Either would have done the same thing at first. It made those same people go WHOA! Look, maybe McCain is a gamechanger too! Sadly for him, the press pounced on and overwhelmed and woafully unprepared Sarah Palin to the point it became the anchor on his campaign. But he was going to lose either way.

[NavyDave]

Anyone to the left of Palin?

So they all are rabid Gun Control, Big Government, Anti Military (notice I said anti Military not anti War),Physically Intimidate the opposition, Pro Ponzi Scheming, Wealth Redistributing, Tax Hiking fanatics?

Thanks.