*Breaking* Mitt Romney will not seek 2016 GOP nomination

[MustBeGood]

Bullshit give everyone a trophy or they won't exercise political correctness nonsense.

Here is a example with a girls HS BB coach being suspended for two games for not letting up on an opponent that scored only 2 points. 1 free throw each half. Despite emptying the bench and letting them practice full-court press. One sub was 8-9 from the 3pt line.

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161-2 was the final but this team has been blowing everyone out by 40+.

 

[sean miguel]

Sure there's a difference in platforms, but that doesn't make any given candidate a better candidate. You say yourself, "judge them on their own merits" and I agree, but you don't seem to have any qualms judging them based on party platform. A party platform is a lofty set of ideals that any given candidate may or may not be able to advance, it's certainly not a testament to the character of the candidate, I have yet to see a candidate that won't say whatever they need to say to get elected, and really, that's all any given party platform is tantamount to, merely words. The question becomes, do you really believe your guy has better character than his or her opponent, party platform alone isn't enough to convince me one way or the other.

So I take it you'll be voting for Ben Carson then, as a write-in candidate if needed? Regardless of what his stated policies are, it's about character.

And if it's about character, Jeb Bush would win in a rout over Hillary. Hell, Joe Biden seems like a really good guy; I should vote for him.

 

[xfire]

So I take it you'll be voting for Ben Carson then, as a write-in candidate if needed? Regardless of what his stated policies are, it's about character.

And if it's about character, Jeb Bush would win in a rout over Hillary. Hell, Joe Biden seems like a really good guy; I should vote for him.

I don't find Ben Carson to be of particularly exceptional character, what about him do you believe gives him impeccable character?

 

[sean miguel]

I don't find Ben Carson to be of particularly exceptional character, what about him do you believe gives him impeccable character?

Granted, I don't know him personally or what he's like behind closed doors (nor do I care to) but everything I've seen or read about him points to an exemplary life he's lead so far with no hint of personal scandal. Of course that can all change when he's put under more scrutiny as a candidate.

His upbringing and what he was able to accomplish in the medical field and at a relatively young age speaks to his character as well as his talent. Then there's the humanitarian awards he's received all while outside of the political arena. Someone seems to think this is a stand up guy.

 

[Mayhem]

Well, I am learning a little about you guys tonight. Romney was a moderate centrist Republican. Did you vote for him the last time?

Nope. He ran a lousy campaign, pissed off every foreign country he visited and gave me no faith in his vision.

Dude, Uncle Joe is our VP. I actually pray that nothing happens to Obama. Just like if McCain would have won, I was going to make a 500 dollar donation to Melanoma research.

You guys talk about your dislike for Uncle Joe, but you never give specifics why. But I'm not rising to his defense. I honestly give two shits about him. But if you dislike him so much, you should reveal why.

But in terms of VP, with or without citing Palin, you guys still have Darth Cheney and Potato(e) Quayle to live down.

So I take it you'll be voting for Ben Carson then, as a write-in candidate if needed? Regardless of what his stated policies are, it's about character.

And if it's about character, Jeb Bush would win in a rout over Hillary. Hell, Joe Biden seems like a really good guy; I should vote for him.

It's not about character. It's about being able to lead this country and the free world. Character has its slice of the pie chart, but it's not the whole thing. Ben Carson doesn't strike me as someone with the right credentials.

 

[sean miguel]

It's not about character. It's about being able to lead this country and the free world. Character has its slice of the pie chart, but it's not the whole thing. Ben Carson doesn't strike me as someone with the right credentials.

Agree with everything you said there.

 

[sean miguel]

Interesting article on what led up to Romney's decision.

By ASHLEY PARKER and JONATHAN MARTIN

JANUARY 30, 2015

WASHINGTON — On a ski lift high above the powdery slopes of Deer Valley, Utah, Mitt Romney made it clear: His quest for the White House, which had dominated nearly a decade of his life, was coming to a close.

In a talk with his eldest ***, Tagg, between runs down the mountain on Monday, Mr. Romney, 67, said he had all but decided against a third bid for the White House.

The conversation, according to a person familiar with it, came after days of increasingly gloomy news reached the Romney ******.

Donors who supported him last time refused to commit to his campaign. Key operatives were signing up with former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida. The Republican establishment that lifted Mr. Romney to the nomination in 2012 in the face of scrappy opposition had moved on.

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[Jack Davenport]

Nope. He ran a lousy campaign, pissed off every foreign country he visited and gave me no faith in his vision.

He was leading n the polls up until Sandy hit and for some reason he decided to lay low days before the election. He ran a lousy campaign when it counted the most, but up to that point it was winning strategy. Pissed off every country? You mean like when Obama and the NSA tapped into Angela Merkel's phone conversations? And god knows who else? He had plenty of vision about Russia which Obama was completely wrong about.

You guys talk about your dislike for Uncle Joe, but you never give specifics why. But I'm not rising to his defense. I honestly give two shits about him. But if you dislike him so much, you should reveal why.

Besides being lauded as a foreign policy expert and that was the reason Obama chose him as VP, and being wrong about every major foreign policy decision from aid to Vietnam to Gulf War I to Turkey to the MX missile to the B-1 bomber, what's not to love? He even voted against Robert Gates during GWB's tenure who sucked so bad at SecDef that Obama decided to keep him on. Not to mention the numerous gaffes that makes Dan Quayle look like National Spelling Bee champ.

But in terms of VP, with or without citing Palin, you guys still have Darth Cheney and Potato(e) Quayle to live down.

You can disagree with Cheney all you want and probably could be right about him being the Iraq war puppet master but the fact remains that Cheney can articulate his positions as well as any conservative politician since Reagan and that is the real reason the left hates him. As for Quayle, it seems that history has been somewhat kind to him since his stint as VP. Except maybe in Idaho.

It's not about character. It's about being able to lead this country and the free world. Character has its slice of the pie chart, but it's not the whole thing. Ben Carson doesn't strike me as someone with the right credentials.

I am undecided on Ben Carson, but at the moment, he looks as qualified as any other would be politician and he epitomizes outsider which everyone says that they really want. In the same breath you have no problem with Obama who had zero foreign policy experience and a one term senator from Massachusetts a state that hasn't offered a successful national candidate since JFK . So, what was the turning point for you when it came to Republican candidates? GWB? Because as much as I dislike him, he didn't turn me completely from the Republican party. Sounds like you were not too grounded in core beliefs to allow such a 180 degree turnaround.

 

[xfire]

It's not about character. It's about being able to lead this country and the free world. Character has its slice of the pie chart, but it's not the whole thing. Ben Carson doesn't strike me as someone with the right credentials.

Exactly, I find it mind bending that a party that's lambasted Obama about his lack of experience would even toy with the idea of someone like Ben Carson who certainly has no political experience. Character is definitely only a slice of the pie, right along with party platform, credentials, experience, and a whole host of other things. That Animus dismisses the entire Democratic field simply because of the letter after their name I find foolhardy.

 

[Jack Davenport]

Yes, and if Obama has proven anything, he has proven that he can lead this country and the free world.

 

[Johan]

Ben Carson can't win. You can't win the presidential race when you've never won an election, not even ran a campaign. Even Ronald Reagan was Governor of California before being president.
Ben Carson never ran a campaign. He doesn't know what it is, how it works. My guess is, if he decides to run, he will be crushed by more experienced republican candidates like Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, etc...

 

[Jack Davenport]

Ben Carson can't win. You can't win the presidential race when you've never won an election, not even ran a campaign. Even Ronald Reagan was Governor of California before being president.
Ben Carson never ran a campaign. He doesn't know what it is, how it works. My guess is, if he decides to run, he will be crushed by more experienced republican candidates like Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, etc...

Probably so, but you gotta start somewhere. I feel he is just working his way through the ranks at the moment. I feel Dr. Carson would be better served to run for a senate seat right now assuming there is a contested seat in Maryland soon, I haven't checked.. If he can win in a state like Maryland, he would certainly have credentials to seek a higher office.

 

[xfire]

Yes, and if Obama has proven anything, he has proven that he can lead this country and the free world.

Indeed, he has risen above the GOP obstruction and proven himself to be one of the most effective presidents in U.S. history, unlike his predecessor who is unquestionably one of the worst.

 

[Jack Davenport]

Indeed, he has risen above the GOP obstruction and proven himself to be one of the most effective presidents in U.S. history, unlike his predecessor who is unquestionably one of the worst.

You keep saying "most effective". Care to detail the things he has done that has positively affected this country? Please cite something other than ending the Iraq war. It didn't take any effort to accomplish that. And you keep talking about GOP obstruction, it has been nothing of the sort. They have caved to him repeatedly. Which is their problem.

 

[xfire]

You keep saying "most effective". Care to detail the things he has done that has positively affected this country? Please cite something other than ending the Iraq war. It didn't take any effort to accomplish that. And you keep talking about GOP obstruction, it has been nothing of the sort. They have caved to him repeatedly. Which is their problem.

President Obama has a long list of legislative victories and accomplishments, if you're so inclined you can look them up, all the while the GOP congress has sat on it's hands. Pretending that Obama hasn't been effective and successful is part of the problem right-wingers have going into 2016, the data is there and the democratic nominee is certainly going to be touting it, pretending that Obama has been a failure will only blow up in the GOP's face and make them look even more out of touch than they already do.

 

[Jack Davenport]

President Obama has a long list of legislative victories and accomplishments, if you're so inclined you can look them up, all the while the GOP congress has sat on it's hands. Pretending that Obama hasn't been effective and successful is part of the problem right-wingers have going into 2016, the data is there and the democratic nominee is certainly going to be touting it, pretending that Obama has been a failure will only blow up in the GOP's face and make them look even more out of touch than they already do.

His signature piece of legislation is what they plan on touting? 37 percent of Americans approve of it. The employment participation rate is at a 55 year low. Effective presidents see Reagan, Ronald W. make that claim by working with an opposing congress not circumventing it. He backed the Muslim Brotherhood, a failure. He has pushed Netanyahu aside to appease the Arab world. Even race relations are worse now than when he assumed office. The stock market is doing well for one reason and one reason only. Quantitative Easing. Effective presidents don't lose mid term elections every time because they are effective in the positive sense.

 

[sean miguel]

That Animus dismisses the entire Democratic field simply because of the letter after their name I find foolhardy.

I thought I had addressed that? There are fundamental differences on certain issues between the parties. Then you brought up character as being the deciding factor on who would be the better candidate. Even if you disagree with all of the candidate's would-be policy decisions you would still vote for them if they had good character? Like I said, in that case, I'd have no qualms about voting for Joe Biden even though I disagree with him politically on most issues.

Show me a democrat who runs to the right of a republican on the following and in no particular order: *** control, taxes, abortion, national defense, regulations on businesses, etc. and I would vote for that democrat over the republican. But when would that ever happen? Maybe a blue dog democrat (do they even exist anymore?) over a Michael Bloomberg republican but when would that ever happen in a general election? For Jeb Bush's lack of conservative credentials, he's still far to the right and more palatable to me than anyone the democrats would put up.

 

[Supafly]

Too bad the whole discussion probably is futile, unless one of you has a billion or two to put into the game.

 

[xfire]

His signature piece of legislation is what they plan on touting? 37 percent of Americans approve of it. The employment participation rate is at a 55 year low. Effective presidents see Reagan, Ronald W. make that claim by working with an opposing congress not circumventing it. He backed the Muslim Brotherhood, a failure. He has pushed Netanyahu aside to appease the Arab world. Even race relations are worse now than when he assumed office. The stock market is doing well for one reason and one reason only. Quantitative Easing. Effective presidents don't lose mid term elections every time because they are effective in the positive sense.

The party that wins the White House, historically, loses seats in the mid-terms. Please, don't waste your talking points on me, they might work on some political newbie, but even then you better hope whoever you're disseminating the GOP gospel to doesn't bother to fact-check. I hope you don't sincerely believe that The ACA is President Obama's only legislative accomplishment, of course if you're getting your "news" from sources with which you give a hell yeah after every story you might want to reconsider that source.

I thought I had addressed that? There are fundamental differences on certain issues between the parties. Then you brought up character as being the deciding factor on who would be the better candidate. Even if you disagree with all of the candidate's would-be policy decisions you would still vote for them if they had good character? Like I said, in that case, I'd have no qualms about voting for Joe Biden even though I disagree with him politically on most issues.

Show me a democrat who runs to the right of a republican on the following and in no particular order: *** control, taxes, abortion, national defense, regulations on businesses, etc. and I would vote for that democrat over the republican. But when would that ever happen? Maybe a blue dog democrat (do they even exist anymore?) over a Michael Bloomberg republican but when would that ever happen in a general election? For Jeb Bush's lack of conservative credentials, he's still far to the right and more palatable to me than anyone the democrats would put up.

You're saying you won't even consider a Democrat, which is a shame because you're so locked into labels that it's nothing but a sport to you, as it is for our wager throwing friend above. Change starts with ourselves, you can't expect your opponent to die if you eat a poison apple.

 

[Jack Davenport]

The party that wins the White House, historically, loses seats in the mid-terms. Please, don't waste your talking points on me, they might work on some political newbie, but even then you better hope whoever you're disseminating the GOP gospel to doesn't bother to fact-check. I hope you don't sincerely believe that The ACA is President Obama's only legislative accomplishment, of course if you're getting your "news" from sources with which you give a hell yeah after every story you might want to reconsider that source.

Historically, a sitting president loses mid terms and the mid term results have no bearing on what happens during the next general election. GWB bucked the trend in 2002 and won re-election in '04. You also spilled a talking point about Dems receiving 2 million more votes than republicans in 2014 when in fact the claim was 20,000,000. Here's a link. RCP is a credible source saying it is a myth.

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I didn't really bother to fact check at the time as I took you at your word and considering the metropolitan areas of the U.S. I assumed it was at least possible. I also thought I had a reasonable request to list in your mind what makes Obama one of the most effective presidents in recent history and I get is to look it up myself. These things should roll off the tip of your tongue or at least fingertips. The onus is not on me to back up these blanket claims. Sounds like I need to start fact checking you. I don't do a lot of back and forth fact checking as I am pretty informed when I am being handed a line of BS.

We get it, you think Obama is wonderful and effective but the bottom line is, that he has only been effective in utilizing EO's when he can't get what he wants from congress and introducing top down socialized health care with a consenting democrat congress. I'll be happy to debate all the superb and effective legislation and policy with you if you will just furnish it.