The Iowa Straw Poll last weekend is to election season what Labor Day is to Fall; it’s official now – the season has begun!
I don’t care about the “viability” of candidates. I am not a prognosticator. Well, if I were, I’d be a very bad one. I said former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was most likely to get the nomination because his name is the easiest to make puns with (i.e. Pawlenty of Votes!) and he was the first one to drop out of the race. Plus, I’ve yet to see anyone (besides me) make ANY puns with his name. Pawlenty of wrong guesses!
But I’m also not interested in “who could go all the way.” I’m interested in this moment in time. And if you look at the former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, he’s perfect for the current Republican Party.
The first reason is he has five gorgeous, able-bodied adult sons who’ve never spent a day in the military. Actually, none of the as-yet announced Republican candidates have children serving in the military. We’ve been in two wars now for nearly a decade each and yet the all-volunteer force is entirely made up of Americans not spawned from GOP candidates. For the last 30 years at least, the Republicans have been relentlessly, uniformly hawkish — but mostly with other peoples’ children. This disconnect was made evident in the ’08 election when soldiers donated money to candidate Barack Obama 6-1 over Senator John McCain.
The second is Romney’s hard turn (read: total flip-flop) on women’s reproductive freedoms. When Romney ran against Senator Ted Kennedy in 1994, unprompted he offered, “Many, many years ago, I had a dear, close family relative that was very close to me who passed away from an illegal abortion. It is since that time that my mother and my family have been committed to the belief that we can believe as we want, but we will not force our beliefs on others on that matter. And you will not see me wavering on that.”
Of course, he wavered on that. His “family relative” was Ann Keenan, who died from an infection due to her illegal abortion in 1963 when Romney was 16. Now at 64, Romney toes the party line on abortion: He’s against it. He’s now against the law that could have saved his relative’s life.
But this is consistent with the Republican Party of today. The man known as “Mr. Conservative” himself — 1964’s Republican candidate, Barry Goldwater — was not pro-life. His wife Margaret Goldwater helped found the first Planned Parenthood in Arizona in the 1930s. If ever there was an issue (or an area) for government to get out of, it’s a uterus. But as much as current Republicans like to bark that government is getting too intrusive, Romney and his ilk want the government to tell women what to do.
Speaking of the government telling us what to do... The health care reform “individual mandate” that Republicans are so rabidly against? That was a Republican idea (first introduced in 1993) Romney implemented in his state in 2005. Now? It’s a job-killing communist plot that will destroy America! Romney and his parallel Republicans were for this job-killing communist plot that will destroy America — before they were against it.
The third thing that makes Romney the ideal representation for his party is his time in the private sector. Yes, Romney calls himself (un-ironically) a job creator. And well, he did create jobs, but mainly in other countries. He cut thousands here at home. But he touts this accomplishment anyway. The GOP has become an anti-worker movement. They use the language of the common man, railing against “the elites.” But when it comes to policy, the GOP worships the privileged. They love the gilded class and don’t want them to have to pay taxes or hear a cross word about themselves. They’ve convinced non-elites that the top 1 percent are all-American magical job makers and that if we just make this tiny fraction of our country happy, our economy will once again flourish. There’s no evidence of this ever being the case. It’s pure fantasy. But Republicans treat lies like incantations; they just have to say something enough and it will manifest.
So regardless of whoever gets in the race or drops out, Romney is the ideal symbol of his party. He is the GOP. His story is the story of the Republican Party.
He’s perfect.
• Tina Dupuy is nationally syndicated columnist and fill-in host at The Young Turks. She can be reached at tinadupuy@yahoo.com
PeacefulCat posted at 7:38 am on Sat, Aug 27, 2011.
Perfect for the GOP; not perfect for the rest of the U.S. citizens!!! Great article
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:38 am on Sat, Aug 27, 2011.
Perfect for the Mormon voters maybe, but those are the only people who will vote for him. He was a 1960's...'DEFERRMENT QUEEN"... used any and all excuses for deferrments to get out of the... DRAFT....(don't believe me...go to Wikipedia and check out ROMNEY'S BIOGRAPHY).
The Vietnam War Veterans will never vote for some one who went on a "Mission" instead of defending his Country during a time of War.
The Tea Party will never vote for him because Romney is ....PRO-ILLEGAL ALIEN AMNESTY.
He has about as much chance of winning the Republican Presidential Nomination as Ron "Alfred E. Neumann" Paul ....(Alfred E. Newmann is the jug-eared, freckled, moon-faced kid who is the mascot for .....MAD MAGAZINE...the...."What me Worry"...guy...of the 1960's.....lol.
Cerulean posted at 10:49 am on Sat, Aug 27, 2011.
Tina wrote, in part, “But Republicans treat lies like incantations; they just have to say something enough and it will manifest.”
The baffling part is that it works, sometimes.
Great editorial!
Arizona Willie posted at 12:41 pm on Sat, Aug 27, 2011.
WOW!!!! I can't believe it!
They actually allowed someone to speak the truth about a Republican politician in this newspaper.
I must have woke up in an alternate universe this morning.
Dale Whiting posted at 5:40 pm on Sat, Aug 27, 2011.
Leon,
I doubt Romney will be judged "perfect" even by those of his own faith. Like all of us, he has his own unique imperfections. The question is "Are his imperfections less onerous than are Perry's and less ownerous than the other conservatives who are running or are going to run?" Romney has a huge problem with being a flip-flopper. Where the Tea Party appears to have a firm grasp on perhaps 60% of the conservatives, Romney is not likely to appeal to most of them. And nominating a Tea Party favorite candidate is likely to lead to President Obama's re-election, particularly if Perry keeps up his rhetoric. With the Tea Party on the right, its pretty much like having a third party candidate running. Only instead of drawing off voters more from one regular party candidate than from the other, the Tea Party candidate will be sending voters flocking to Obama.
And yes, Gang, Tina is joking about Romney being perfect for conservatives, He's perfect for Democrate as being the Republican candidate. So is Perry! They are both perfect![wink]
samkat posted at 5:55 pm on Sat, Aug 27, 2011.
Despite the fact he is also a Mormon, Huntsman appears the best choice in my humble opinion. The rest of the pact are so far right, they will not serve the mainstream American. As for the Tea Party, their lack of flexibility is apalling.
concernedcitizen posted at 10:37 am on Sun, Aug 28, 2011.
What is sad is I, as a Republican, agree with most of what the article states. It's sad to see the Republican party, and politicians in particular, cater to the rich and privileged, all on the backs of you and I, the average joe.
He was my first pick because of how he saved the Salt Lake CIty Olympics in 2002 from financial ruin. He was called in after someone else had almost run them into the ground, and he brought everything back into the black. From that I thought he would do well for the country's economy as well.
Now that I've heard him refer to corporations as "people", and seen how he reacts with crowds who taunt him, I'm not too sure.
Samkat, why would Huntsman be the best choice? I don't know much about him and would like to investigate further so I know for myself. Thank you!
Leon, my understanding back in the day when we had wars that young men were given a choice to either serve a mission for the LDS Church or to be drafted and sign up for the military. I read the Wikipedia page and didn't see anything else about him "dodging the draft," only that he had served a mission during the Vietnam War and had had a disagreement with some French people over the war. Either way, that is a very personal choice for someone and I would respect whatever choice they felt in their heart was right (defending the country is honorable, but also if you can help people find Christ, that could help alleviate future wars).
My opinion on Romney and most GOP politicians: I hate flip-floppers. I hate hypocrites. I hate it when people do whatever they think will help you "feel good" about what they do. It feels like I am being duped left and right by these politicians. I think this two-party system is someday going to make our constitution "hang by a thread," because of the discord it creates by those striving for wealth and power. Romney resembles everything I've just pointed out, and now that I realize that, I will not be voting for him.
chick posted at 2:32 pm on Sun, Aug 28, 2011.
Dupey, so sad. You can't deal with FACTS in a truthful manner.
According to: Open Secrets, for the 2008 Presidential election, donations came from TROOPS STATIONED OVERSEAS (this is where you received your stats, straight from the article I will link). This group ONLY CONSISTED OF A Few Hundred individuals. Hardly, given all the donations that Barack took in to the tune of 750 Million dollars, worth any mention. 134 donated to Barack, 65K. 99 donated to Ron Paul, 45K, and yes 26 donated to McCain, for 10K. Worth your liner? I don't think so. http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/08/troops-deployed-abroad-give-61.html
About percentage of political affiliation, from Military Times, 2010 ""survey" of 1800 active duty: Republican, 41%, Independent 32% (largest group growth), and Dems, 27%. Another sorry stat to bust your bubble. The article, in 2010, also stated that those 1800 were SPLIT about Barack's ability as Commander-in-Chief. I could go on to debunk the garbage that is your "opinion-spin". Why this newsite considers what you have to say, worthy, could be indicative of their fast free-fall. I wouldn't pay to read your "Huffington Post" tripe. Incidentally, although the Huff and Puff linked to the Military Times article, they couldn't bear to finish it with the 1800 surveyed active duties thoughts about Barack's performance.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/04/military_poll_advance_041110w/
Poorman posted at 3:41 pm on Sun, Aug 28, 2011.
Yep Romney is perfect for the rich,they will get richer,and the poor will get the shaft.I'm no Obama fan and didn't vote for him. I'm an independent voter. And i sure as heck won't vote for Romney. Actually there isn't anyone worth voting for this time.
sockratties posted at 5:28 pm on Sun, Aug 28, 2011.
I’m with samkat on this one. I vote independent and voted for Obama last time around. I will vote for him over Romney if that becomes the choice. My main problem with Obama is that I don’t think he plays hardball politics well enough. You can’t negotiate without using a little leverage and he hA squandered opportunities to do so.
I’ve seen Huntsman twice, both times on Piers Morgan’s CNN show. I feel the interview was probably not scripted or edited for content as there isn’t any obvious motive to do so. (Christine O’Donnell walked off when she appeared on Morgan’s show). He seems well informed and is qualified, having been a successful governor (Utah). He has served as Ambassador to Singapore under George H. W. Bush and as Ambassador to China under Barrack Obama. He speaks fluent Chinese and seemed to be well versed on everything that came up in the interview.
When asked about his relationship with Obama he said there was no personal relationship but he was asked to serve his country so he did so. He seemed candid and voiced specific opinions such as stating he was against abortion except in the case of rape, incest or threat to the mother’s life. His wife was raised Episcopalian and has converted to Mormon. The Huntsmans have 7 children, two of which are adopted from Asia. The oldest is 26 and the youngest is 5. I will be listening to hear more from this candidate who seems informed, able, pragmatic and may be able to get something worthwhile accomplished.
Cerulean posted at 9:29 pm on Sun, Aug 28, 2011.
Here is an interview with Jon Huntsman by Charley Rose.
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11357
Enjoy, it was taped before Huntsman announced his candidacy.
Abstract01 posted at 9:55 pm on Sun, Aug 28, 2011.
Ms Dupuy should check her facts.
She writes that there are no troops in our current wars that were "spawned by a GOP candidate". Candidate McCain has a son in the military who served in Iraq. http://www.snopes.com/politics/mccain/mccainsons.asp.
If you check, you will find that a small percentage of all young adults choose to serve in the military (just as a small percentage choose to work in waste management, or any other less-than-attractive career). So it is not surprising that among politicians the number of their children who are in the military is few.
And what has a candidate's offspring's (non)military service to do with straw polls?
Her writing sounds like diatribe posing as opinion, and as with most rants, she can't keep to one subject, but has to throw in other propaganda, so I will, too.
I would ask her what Barry Goldwater has to do with the "republican party today"? He has been dead over 12 years, and was not in public office for 12 years before that. Thus reference is akin to Obama blaming GW Bush for the current state of the economy, and Republicans responding that it started in Clinton;s time.
But if you are going to talk about flip-flops, why not refer to a current senator, Mr. Kerry (who also was once a presidential candidate)?
As for keeping the government out of her uterus (her words), perhaps she should consider keeping other things out as well, if she does not want to carry an unborn human to term. Sexual intimacy should be considered a privileged expression of love between two people who are committed to their marriage, not a recreational release of frustration or of domination.
E Frame posted at 8:52 am on Mon, Aug 29, 2011.
Thank you Abstract01. This is a propaganda article from Tina. Too bad we allow journalists to character assassinate.
I support Romney: He has a strong family that he and his wife raised, he HAS created thousands of jobs from companies falling apart - anyone heard of Staples?, and he turned the Olympics around. He has a law and a business degree from top universities. He has been successful at whatever he has accomplished. He has made small changes to his platform over the years. Who has never changed their mind? Or matured to a new decision? He is well-educated, well-spoken, and has good morals. I agree with him politically that we need a stronger America, and I think he is the top-tier candidate.
I think he will make a fine President, if elected. BTW Tina Dupuy... compare his record of accomplishments with the current administration, its embarrassing. I am sure you criticized Obama so harshly as well, right?
sockratties posted at 11:31 am on Mon, Aug 29, 2011.
Cerulean - Thanks. I watched the Huntsman /Rose interview. It was a good look at Jon Huntsman in a non-political environment. I hope he manages to stay in the race long enough to become a viable candidate.
mnjcpa posted at 11:15 am on Tue, Aug 30, 2011.
I'm going to assume that this essay is satirical rather than serious.
Let's recap. Romney's qualifications are that:
1. He has handsome boys that didn't serve in the military
2. The most important issue of the day is whether a woman can have an abortion.
3. He has some sort of job experience.
When Dupuy has lived outside of her parent's basement and paid taxes long enough she may come to understand the facts this great nation faces. And they aren't the issues she's raised.
The Democrats "New Deal" scaffolding of our economy should be criminal. I work in the tax field and I've got news for Dupuy. The top 1 percent Americans ARE the magical job makers. Not the labor unions, bankers - Goldman Sachs & Bank of Americas who are the real criminals of our economy.
It's the evil people that have small businesses - or god forbid - create successful businesses and earn over $250k that the Democrats target. Those folks get creamed and Obama wants more. Taxing producers to give to the non-producers has NEVER worked in history.
I'm not for any political party - but for someone that will actually level with the American people. Entitlement and illegal immigration are the central spending problems that no one but Ron Paul has effectively addressed, continuing to postpone the inevitable.
If we have another four years of Obama - you can count on another two generations before we get out of this mess. Any candidate that can stop this train wreck is my candidate.