http://swampland.time.com/2011/11/11/perry-backers-question-their-investment-after-debate-gaffe/
We all heard the 56 second horror story that was Rick Perry trying to remember the third of the federal institutions he would get rid if he became President. It was, unfortunately, the cherry on top of all the consensus that Perry is an awful debater, and now some of his donors are having to question their support for him.
Tony Leon, initially a Romney supporter and then a Perry supporter, commented that he has lost faith Perry because of his performance in debates and is now looking at another candidate, “At the end of the day, the debates do not make the President nor should they. But, at the same time, I’ve grown to appreciate of Newt Gingrich because of his debate performances. I haven’t given a dime yet to Newt, but I now think he’s the best choice of all the candidates for somebody who can bring the country back together.” Many of Perry's other donors share the concern that they wasted their money on him and do not hold a strong belief that he will manage to bring himself back.
Although Perry has a lot of his "moneymen" worried and some even backing out, he still has been able to raise $2 million more than Romney in the last quarter, and he is in one of the best states (Texas) to continue raising money - over half of the $17.2 million he raised in the third quarter was from Texas.
There are, however, some who still support Perry. One such individual is Roly Marante who said, “Yes, a lot of the damage has been self inflicted, unforced and, yes, Saturday Night Live is going to be very interesting this week. But the fact is everybody’s still shopping. Romney’s been running for six years and he still can’t close the deal… Newt Gingrich slipped up early in this race and he seems to be surging right now.”
So perhaps its not all over for Perry. He has his boatloads of money and maybe he will be able to make a big comeback now that he embaressed himself enough for the rest of the year. Many supporters also remind us that he is "only human" and people will be able to move on from his slip up.
I think everyone deserves a second chance but after that point its up to them to prove they should be there in the first place.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Romney's Secret Weapons! What Mr. 23% Hasn't Been Showing Us
http://thepage.time.com/2011/11/13/halperins-take-the-romney-advantage/
For most of the election so far Romney has been doing well, but not that well. He has been one of the leaders, but not the lead. However as we creep our way in to the new year where the action really starts happening, Mitt Romney may have some secret weapons up his sleeve that give him a very good outlook for winning the candidacy.
The first possible advantage Time Magazine.com points out is that, unlike the other GOP candidates, Romney has had a team of people working behind the scenes in Iowa as well as supporters from now and his last election. Not many are aware of this because he hasn't been visiting the State very much but still, it could end up being a very well set up organization.
The saying "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" is exactly what Romney's campaign leader, Matt Rhoades, has done to ensure a strong defense for his candidate. Apparently Rhoades has detailed files on any and all possible opponents to Romney just in case they should try and cause any trouble for him.
Romneycare may have seemed liked a ticking time bomb for Mitt Romney but because it was so over-talked earlier in the campaign most people either didn't pay much attention or they feel like they got enough of an answer, including the press. It may not be the last that we hear of it but for now Romneycare and the problems it could pose for his campaign don't seem to be much a threat.
When it comes to the media, Romney also hasn't been doing many interviews and its quite possible this was a strategical decision so that he can leave out the big guys like "60 minutes" for a time when he may need more publicity. He has opened himself up to making the most out of his media appearances. The same idea applies to his endorsements which he has not made full use of at this time either. Should he get in to trouble later in the race, he can access those endorsements for an extra boost.
Not that he will necessarily need the money anyway, however. He also has a huge bank account that he has, so far, not made much use of. Again this is very smart because he may need tap in to his own piggy bank at some point to help get his message out there if times get rough.
National polls and key state polls say Romney does better against Obama than the other Republican candidates and polls also suggest that most people expect Romney to become the Republican pick which is helpful to his state of mind and hopefully, for him, a "self-fulfilling prophecy.
Time also points out his advantage in key states, "In Iowa and beyond, Romney remains the only mainline candidate in the race, giving him a near-monopoly on what remains a big chunk of the GOP’s pool of voters. He will have to contest in New Hampshire with Huntsman for this group, but otherwise, this key constituency is mostly going to go to the frontrunner. Even in the era of the Tea Party, that is a healthy portion of the electorate."
And last but certainly not least, Romney and his camp know how to "win, hold and flaunt delegates" more so though any of his opponents. When push came to shove in 2008 between Obama and Clinton this was how Obama really pulled it through so should Romney end up in a similar predicament, he has a powerful advantage knowing how to play the game of delegates.
All in all, this is really the first time in the race so far that Romney has started to seem like a true lead. The course of the next few months will determine, however, if any of it holds true.
For most of the election so far Romney has been doing well, but not that well. He has been one of the leaders, but not the lead. However as we creep our way in to the new year where the action really starts happening, Mitt Romney may have some secret weapons up his sleeve that give him a very good outlook for winning the candidacy.
The first possible advantage Time Magazine.com points out is that, unlike the other GOP candidates, Romney has had a team of people working behind the scenes in Iowa as well as supporters from now and his last election. Not many are aware of this because he hasn't been visiting the State very much but still, it could end up being a very well set up organization.
The saying "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" is exactly what Romney's campaign leader, Matt Rhoades, has done to ensure a strong defense for his candidate. Apparently Rhoades has detailed files on any and all possible opponents to Romney just in case they should try and cause any trouble for him.
Romneycare may have seemed liked a ticking time bomb for Mitt Romney but because it was so over-talked earlier in the campaign most people either didn't pay much attention or they feel like they got enough of an answer, including the press. It may not be the last that we hear of it but for now Romneycare and the problems it could pose for his campaign don't seem to be much a threat.
When it comes to the media, Romney also hasn't been doing many interviews and its quite possible this was a strategical decision so that he can leave out the big guys like "60 minutes" for a time when he may need more publicity. He has opened himself up to making the most out of his media appearances. The same idea applies to his endorsements which he has not made full use of at this time either. Should he get in to trouble later in the race, he can access those endorsements for an extra boost.
Not that he will necessarily need the money anyway, however. He also has a huge bank account that he has, so far, not made much use of. Again this is very smart because he may need tap in to his own piggy bank at some point to help get his message out there if times get rough.
National polls and key state polls say Romney does better against Obama than the other Republican candidates and polls also suggest that most people expect Romney to become the Republican pick which is helpful to his state of mind and hopefully, for him, a "self-fulfilling prophecy.
Time also points out his advantage in key states, "In Iowa and beyond, Romney remains the only mainline candidate in the race, giving him a near-monopoly on what remains a big chunk of the GOP’s pool of voters. He will have to contest in New Hampshire with Huntsman for this group, but otherwise, this key constituency is mostly going to go to the frontrunner. Even in the era of the Tea Party, that is a healthy portion of the electorate."
And last but certainly not least, Romney and his camp know how to "win, hold and flaunt delegates" more so though any of his opponents. When push came to shove in 2008 between Obama and Clinton this was how Obama really pulled it through so should Romney end up in a similar predicament, he has a powerful advantage knowing how to play the game of delegates.
All in all, this is really the first time in the race so far that Romney has started to seem like a true lead. The course of the next few months will determine, however, if any of it holds true.
What Are we Suppose to Get Out of Debates?
This video allows us to hear what America people thought of this Obama/McCain debate. The range of opinions and ideas about who came out stronger in the debate gives us a sense of what a real Presidential debate is suppose to do: make us think one candidate is better than the other, as oppose to the Cain/Gingrich debate which wanted to make both candidates look good. One caller hit it on the head saying it was "a lot of finger pointing," something that often comes out of Presidential debates.
A Different Kind of Debate
Here we have a clip from the Presidential Debate between Cain and Gingrich and it is clearly not the kind of debate we are used to seeing in the election/campaign process. The two are sitting together at a table and, far from debating, are helping each other along as if they are running together. This "Lincoln-Douglas" style debate allows both candidates to speak for longer and make each other look good so both end up leaving with a positive a performance as possible, rather than one trying to make the other look like a fool.
How Hard is it to Actually get in to a Presidential Debate?
Buddy Roemer talks about his exclusion from the Presidential Debates, highlighting a possible problem, yet again, in our electorial processes. Roemer was both a Governor and Congressman but most people have never heard about him (inlcuding myself), partly because he was not involved in any of the debates so far. He talks about the different blocks the sponors of the debates put up to candidates like himself such as reaching a certain percent in national polls and most importantly, he feels, raising certain amounts of money. Roemer says the biggest difference between him and the other candidates is "money and politics."
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Social Media and The Youth
This is yet another example of the importance of social media today in politics. It is an especially effective means of getting the youth involved in campaigns and other political events because of the knowledge and creativity that young people have in areas of social media. It is a way to recruit new interest and maintain existing interest in politics.
Social Media, Putting the Power in the Hands of the People
The young man in this video talks about how social media like youtube has allowed the average person to get out and become their own source of news and information. This ability to spread knowledge and ideas faster than ever has a tremendous impact on politics because there is no longer a way to really control what the public finds out about or how the public becomes mobilized in one way or another.
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