It’s Mitt in New Hampshire!

The Video: (H/T HotAir.com)

The Story:

Mitt Romney has won the New Hampshire primary, Fox News projects, notching back-to-back victories in the first two contests of the presidential nominating season.
Fox News also projects that Ron Paul will finish second and Jon Huntsman will finish third. Rick Perry is projected to finish in sixth place — the rest of the night is shaping up to be a race for fourth, between Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Both candidates are pulling in 10 percent of the vote.
Also unclear is Romney’s margin of victory, though Fox News projects he will win by double digits. With 40 percent of precincts reporting, Romney is leading with 37 percent of the vote. Paul has 24 percent and Huntsman has 17 percent. — Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary, Fox News Projects | Fox News

Like I previously wrote; What other choice do Republicans really have? South Carolina will be a telling primary and challenge for Romney. But so far, I think he has the nomination in the bag.

Update: Now a Memeorandum Thread.

Gallup Poll: Majority of Conservatives See Romney as “Acceptable”

My question is what other choice do they really have? Confused I dont know

The Poll via Gallup:

PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney is the now the only candidate that a majority of conservative and moderate/liberal Republicans nationwide see as an “acceptable” GOP nominee for president. Conservative Republicans are more likely to say Romney would be an acceptable nominee than either Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum.
Fewer than half of conservative Republicans see Rick Perry, Ron Paul, or Jon Huntsman as acceptable nominees.
Romney’s broad acceptability across ideological lines is decidedly not the case for his competitors. Conservative Republicans view Gingrich, Santorum, and Perry as more acceptable than do moderate/liberal Republicans. On the other hand, moderate/liberal Republicans on average view Paul and Huntsman as more acceptable than conservatives.

The rest of that makes for some interesting reading. My question is, what choice do we really have? I dont know I mean, Gingrich is a populist bomb thrower who would scare off any independent voters and the social Conservatives view his multiple marriages as a cardinal sin. Ron Paul will never be elected, the Neoconservative majority in the party will never allow that. Rick Santorum will never win the primary, just because he is too socially conservative and the GOP does want someone who will appeal to voters. Jon Huntsman can never seem to gain any traction, mainly because the Conservative base sees him as a traitor to the party for working for President Obama. So, who else is there? Mitt will win over the Conservative base and they will hold their nose and vote for him. Mitt might be able to win over the Independents and hopefully the Evangelical base, although, I do have my doubts about that one.

Another thing too is this; Santorum will have the Catholic vote sowed up and they are a big voting demographic. However, the Independents who are catholic and non-catholic, might not be swayed towards him. Another thing to watch for is disgruntled Democrats, who have given the Democratic Party the ol’ “One finger salute” and decided that Obama just failed too badly and want something different. Those people are one’s to watch as well.

Let me say this about Romney and Evangelical Christians; the majority of them would be accepting to a Mormon President. However, there is a small; but very vocal minority of them that will not vote for him under no circumstances at all. Mainly, it is some of the “old school” Fundamentalists – and some Baptists, who would not vote for the man at all. Now personally, I am not too keen on the idea myself. However, at this point, anything is better than that mental midget in the White House now.

The problem with Romney is that he is squeaky clean on social issues and he is very well funded. You just cannot outrun someone like that. Hillary tried and failed and so will anyone who runs against Mitt. Believe me when I tell you, I do not like that thought no more than anyone else; but facts are facts.

Others: today.yougov.com News, American Prospect, The Caucus, Washington Post, Hot Air, The Other McCain, Indecision Forever, American Spectator, Catholic Bandita, Ballot Box, Weasel Zippers, Outside the Beltway, Patterico’s Pontifications, Ricochet Conversations Feed, National Review and The Lonely Conservative (Via Memeorandum)

Is China’s Economy about to collapse?

This is not the first time I have heard this, but:

Which does China face? A popped real estate bubble could exert a big drag. Housing construction exceeds 10 percent of GDP. That’s historically high, says Lardy. At a similar stage of economic development, Taiwan’s housing investment was 4.3 percent of GDP. In the recent U.S. real estate boom, housing peaked at 6 percent of GDP. In China, housing stimulates much consumer spending (furniture, appliances) and accounts for 40 percent of steel production, notes Lardy. Land sales are also a big revenue source for local governments. All would suffer from a housing bust.
There are mitigating factors. Outside Beijing and Shanghai, it’s unclear that housing prices are “out of line with household income growth,” says economist Eswar Prasad of Cornell University. Chinese buyers also typically make large cash payments for their properties. Compared to United States, a housing bust is less likely to become a banking crisis as mortgages sour.
Whatever happens, China’s economic model is reaching its limits, as Lardy argues. It has relied on exports, promoted through the controlled exchange rate, and investment, including housing, subsidized by cheap credit. Meanwhile, Chinese savers have been punished by the low returns on deposits. This dampens their incomes and consumption spending. The trouble is that the global slowdown threatens exports and housing’s excesses threaten investment. Unless China can switch to stronger consumption spending, its economy will slow — or it will achieve growth by becoming even more predatory toward other countries. — Is a Chinese economic slump on the horizon? – The Washington Post

Go read that whole thing, because this is the best case for this belief. The funny thing, the people over a GoldSilver.com have been saying this for a while:

Go check them out and get into Gold and Silver; before you lose it all.

Here is a good reason why I will be voting Republican in 2012

This is very scary…:

In his remarks, Genachowski said the program has been successful, but has also been plagued with problems of accountability and efficiency. Multiple service providers are often supplying Lifeline subsidies to the same households, he said, because there is no centralized system. To address the issue, Genachowski said, the draft proposal creates a national database of Lifeline users to prevent duplicative billing. It also sets a budget for Lifeline aimed at connecting eligible consumers while staying within budget, and requires that participating companies be subject to independent audits every two years. — via FCC’s Genachowski proposes broadband reform – Post Tech – The Washington Post

National Database of internet users? Yeesh. 🙁 The Democratic Party has gone mad. Go read, that whole thing. I will say this; that low income thing is a crock; if they do it for them, they will do it for everyone. This is why we have to win in 2012 and further more, Why we also have to pick a real Conservative and not some idiotic Rockerfeller big-goverment Republican. Which is why I do not quite understand why people like Michelle Malkin get upset over the back and forth that is going on.

The Republican grassroots and the Conservative grassroots; which does include me — needs to know what they are getting this time. The last time around, everyone just followed behind what the Republican establishment gave them. Not this time; we are better informed, and thanks to twitter, facebook and blogs, we communicate better. Which is why elitists like President Barack Obama hate the internet so much. To be fair, I would be willing to bet some Republicans dislike it too.

(H/T Drudge)

Palin’s Hubby endorses Newt

This comes via Ace:

Todd Palin said he believes that being in the political trenches and experiencing the highs and lows help prepare a candidate for the future and the job of president.
He did not criticize any of the other candidates and said his “hat is off to everyone” in the Republican race.
But Todd Palin did point to last summer, when a large portion of Gingrich’s staff resigned and the candidate was left, largely by himself, to run the campaign.
Gingrich’s ability to overcome the obstacle and still move up in the polls showed his ability to campaign and survive, according to Todd Palin, who said Gingrich is not one of the typical “beltway types” and that his campaign has “burst out of the political arena and touched many Americans.” — Todd Palin Endorses Newt Gingrich – ABC News

I will resist the temptation to mock her for having her hubby do her dirty work. It could very well be that they both disagree on whom they support. It is primary season after all. I really do not see this being any sort of a game changer or anything. I will say this — the reason Newt’s staffers bolted back last summer is because they did not think Newt was really serious about running. Hmmm, kinda like — wait. I won’t say it. Never mind. 🙄

Others: : The Hill, GOP 12, The Jawa Report, Campaign 2012, The Right Scoop, The Raw Story, Conservatives4Palin and Wake up America

This is why illegal immigration bothers me

Via Preston Wright on Facebook:

The American Militia’s website

No, I did not watch the Republican Debate last night

I had good reason not to watch too. From what I was hearing on twitter last night; while I was lying in the bed and drifting off to sleep, is that the debate was lousy. This was confirmed by things that I have read this morning. I guess the usual liberal partisan hacks over at ABC NEWS were living up to their expectations — not to mention the fact that the head of the DNC was at the debate outright lying to the media.

Also, the silly back and forth, not to mention the preening; as to who is the most Republican of them all — I find all that quite the bore. The truth is none of these contenders is of the Reagan stripe of Conservative, most of them, with the exception of Ron Paul; who is too far in the other direction — are just Neo-Conservative war hawks. Now will I vote for one of them? At this point, I really do not honestly know. It depends on which one makes the cut with the GOP nomination.

To be quite honest, the primary process really does not interest me that much. Now the general election is another story; the debates that I very much look forward to are the general election debates, how is Obama going to face someone like Romney? How is Obama going to stand there with a straight face and repeat that silly mantra of Hope and Change?

The truth is the only thing that is changed, is the amount of debt and the rate of unemployment. This is not to even to mention all the bureaucratic Government regulations that was put into place that killed many jobs in the oil drilling business. I just do not see how Obama is going to defend all of that, without sounding like a blithering idiot.

There is supposed to be a debate tonight as well, from what I hear. I will most likely skip it too. Again, I just do not have any interest in the Republican Party fashion shows. I just want to see this failure of a President try to debate and defend his failures in leadership. It is something that I do look forward to very much.

Bet this would be an interesting book to read.

Man, and I thought the Clinton’s were dysfunctional:

Then-White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel offered his resignation to President Barack Obama in the winter of 2010 after a series of columns appeared depicting him as the lone element keeping the Obama presidency intact. According to then senior adviser David Axelrod, Emanuel understood that the stories “were an embarrassment” to the president. The president, already suffering from a setback to his health care reform effort, declined Emanuel’s offer to resign, despite being convinced that his chief of staff was the main source for the columns.
“I’m not accepting it,” Obama replied. “Your punishment is that you have to stay here and get this bill done. I’m not letting you off the hook.”
That revelation is one of the more explosive included in “The Obamas,” a new book by Jodi Kantor of The New York Times about the first few years of the Obama administration and the strains that it produced on the president’s marriage — strains that were ultimately overcome.
The dramatics that surrounded the passage of health care reform — culminating in Emanuel’s near-resignation — reflect the type of struggles that routinely pitted Emanuel against the first lady during the first two years of the Obama administration. The two jockeyed for influence over the president even before he formally took office. — Via ‘The Obamas’: Book Reveals Friction Between Rahm Emanuel, Michelle Obama (UPDATE)

Bet that would make a very interesting read.

Get the Book:

Update: As much as I hate to admit it; this guy does have a point. This is why I watch the comment section around here, like a hawk.

New Ron Paul ad dings Santorum in SC

(Via POLITICO.com)

Video:

I wonder what Jesse Vantura would say about that? I mean, after all, he does support Ron Paul. Not only that, but Ron Paul has a lot of damned nerve even bringing up betrayal; considering the fact that Ron Paul has repeatedly betrayed the United States Military of which he served. All so he can remain true to his leftist ideology of isolationist utopia and foriegn policy disenguagement. Here is hoping that Rick Santorum fires back and fires back hard on this point. Not only that, I also hope Rick Santorum brings up his racist and Anti Semitic friends too.

Others: : National Review,, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, American Power (via Memeorandum)

Kudos to Charles Lane

For standing for those who wish to love thier children and not have to be subject to these sort of attacks.

I’m not defending Rick Santorum the presidential candidate. From what little I know about him, he seems to have his own issues with moralizing and judging. To the extent he has used his family’s experience to make a point about abortion, I object.
But I am defending the right of the Santorums and all families to grieve an infant’s death in accordance with their personal needs and beliefs. My plea is for a little more respect regarding the way people deal with loss, and a little more maturity about physical contact with the dead. If that puts me in sympathy, for a moment, with this right-wing politician, so be it.
Jonathan’s death was probably the hardest moment of my life. But actually touching his body was a source of comfort and the first step in going on with life. Not weird — Via Rick Santorum’s baby–and mine. – PostPartisan – The Washington Post

I would recommend you to go read that whole thing; a very touchy story about a Father who also lost his child as well. Charles Lane is a brave man for standing up to his fellow liberals and objecting to the idea that loving a dead child is “Weird.”

Kudo’s to him. 🙂

Others: CatholicVote.org and National Review