Iowa Republican Primary...Field of Dreams, or Eight Men Out?

[Selene]

Iowa, the first Republican cauci/primary contest, because of it's structure, is, basically, meaningless.

It has been an excellent instructional stage for the beginning of the exposure of the deep structural problems in American national Presidential politics.

Iowa is no longer a "conservative" state that is dominated by "evangelical" groups. The four (4) political quadrants that the state is segmented into are no longer rural and isolated voting communities.

Davenport, is Iowa's third (3rd) largest city, and, according to Ms. Barney, a chief executive of the Davenport Camber of Commerce, the bucolic, farming image of Iowa is, frankly, "charming, but laughable..."

In fact, according to the census, Iowa is now seventy percent (70%) urban, with farming representing only six percent (6%) of the states gross domestic product. Moreover, seventeen percent (17%) of the state's GDP is manufacturing and fourteen percent (14%) financial/insurance sectors. [source Investment Watch and The Financial Times].

Moreover, even though two thirds [2/3] of the states registered Republicans are "evangelicals," less than half of that number are identified as "hard core," meaning that social issues weigh more in their decision making process than economic issues.

Beneath that surface, is the change in the states population from "overwhelmingly white," to it's current population that has more Latino and African Americans. For example, the Latino population has quadrupled in the last twenty (20) years. Stunningly, of that increase, most of it has been from Latin America in the last decade. This "number" is difficult to read in terms of how it will vote because of the strong influence of the Catholic church in the Latino community, particularly from Central America.

Despite the fact that the economy is listed as the number one (1) concern by Iowan cauci participants, unemployment is slightly higher than the average national number during the Bush Presidency and sits today at 5.7%. Yet Iowa, and it's six (6) electoral votes, has become a "swing state" in the last three Presidential races. Gore in 2000; Bush in 2004; and O'biwan in 2008. Iowa has the 6th best economy in the United States, with Arizona having the worst.

One unsettling economic issue which faces folks in Davenport which has a 6.7% unemployment rate, that pales before nearby Rockford, Illinois, which has an 11.9 percent rate, is that, if, as one of the front runners, Dr. Paul's cuts to the Federal budget are implemented, a city like Davenport could be devastated because the Federal Rock Island Arsenal employs over 3,000 Iowans. They were a mini boom town pumping out equipment for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With this snapshot of the real Iowa being the backdrop for next Tuesday's January 3rd, 2012 Republican Primary and not the pastoral picture of Field of Dreams, what can we expect the results to indicate for predicting the final selection of a Republican nominee?

My answer is nothing at all.

Dr. Paul, with a low turnout will probably win because of the nature of the "Hawkeye cauci" methodology. If he wins Iowa, it will have zero outcome on the nomination. Targeting has already begun to savage Dr. Paul. It is just a matter of time before he crashes on the hard granite of New Hampshire, or gets bogged down in the swamps of South Carolina.

Newt Gingrich will probably finish third (3rd), or (4th) and will survive New Hampshire, do well in South Carolina and then be finally tested in Florida.

If Mr. Goody Two Shoes wins Iowa, he will have the opportunity to finish the job in Florida, or on Super Tuesday.

Bachman and Santorum could surprise everyone, but it will mean almost nothing because they cannot sustain their effort for the duration of the campaign.

Perry, who had an epiphany yesterday could shock the field and finish in the top three (3) and he would have the money to continue to the end. However, I just do not see him doing well in Iowa even with his abortion epiphany because Santorum has the Catholic evangelicals pretty well covered.

The wild card late entry is the Occupods who have announced yesterday that, according to AP, that:

...to the dismay of Iowa Republicans, Occupy activists in Des Moines are vowing to expand their

protests as GOP presidential hopefuls converge on the state that speaks first in the race for the

party's presidential nomination.

Hundreds of Occupy activists from at least 10 states were expected to participate in a "People's

Caucus" near the Capitol to plot activities between now and the Jan. 3 caucuses. The activists are

promising to interrupt candidates at events and camp out at their Iowa campaign offices. They say

they want to change the political dialogue, but critics fear their tactics could tarnish Iowa's reputation

for civil political discourse ahead of the contest. Activists say mass arrests are possible.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OCCUPY_IOWA_CAUCUSES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-12-27-16-06-38

The Occupods have also announced that they may attend the cauci and "...vote 'no preference' as a protest but say they have no plans to interfere with the voting itself." Iowa GOP Chairman, Matt Strawn, said that, "It would be an absolute shame if outside agitators ruin the Iowa caucus experience,..."

Shades of the 1960's warnings in the civil rights movement about "...them thar outside ageetators!"

In response, the Iowa Republican Party has announced that it is moving the vote tabulation to an "undisclosed location," POLITICO has learned.

This of course, is one of the least intelligent responses available to the brain dead Republican Party. You can hear the Ron Paul folks screaming conspiracy from Des Moines already!

This tableau that is forming for January 3rd, 2012, exposes the potential collapse of the electoral process.

We have the preset story line of conspiracy, corruption and fixing elections mixed with the real possibility of outright violence exploding at several of the late night cauci which will be meeting in a hypo agitated environment with operatives from different factions that can benefit nationally by an outbreak of violence.

As of tomorrow, we have three hundred and thirteen days [313] to President O'biwan's re-election.

Adam

[Peter]

Adam wrote:

As of tomorrow, we have three hundred and thirteen days [313] to President O'biwan's re-election.

end quote

A mighty wind is blowing across the mid-Atlantic. Has it reached New Joysey yet?

Your letter was well written and informative. I just hope Iowa goes to a primary system for 2016 and Virginia loosens its tough rules to be on the ballot. I went and looked at the list of candidates out there and it must be a dozen or more, so some restrictiveness is understandable. But Newt Gingrich, when denied access, was clearly leading in the polls in Virginia.

Peter

[Selene]

Thanks Peter:

I have no idea what your weather report refers to!?

A Public Policy Polling [PPP], a Democratic oriented firm, released a new result yesterday and it confirms my article beginning this thread.

Here is a key part of their poll...

Paul's strength in Iowa continues to depend on a coalition of voters that's pretty unusual for a Republican in the state.

Romney leads 22-20 with those who are actually Republicans, while Paul has a 39-12 advantage with the 24% who are either independents

or Democrats.

GOP caucus voters tend to skew old, and Romney has a 34-12 advantage with seniors.

But Paul's candidacy looks like it's going to attract an unusual number of younger voters to the caucus this year, and with those under 45 he has a 35-11 advantage on Romney.

The turnout in these two (2) groups will determine the Hawkeye Cauci.

[studiodekadent]

Out of all the Republicans remaining, Paul is the best (from a policy perspective).

Still, he has that mile-wide paleocon streak (anti-immigration, inconsistent-claims-to-be-federalist on gay marriage, anti-abortion), and I don't like the company he keeps (Lew Rockwell etc.).

Of course, the Powers That Be will do anything to bury Paul, because Paul is a consistent anti-corporatist and thus an enemy of the Political-Media-Establishment Class.

[Selene]

Daniel Henniger opines in the Wall Street Journal that the Dr. Paul "vote" [which includes the Tea Party, Libertarians, Conservative Republicans, nervous Reagan Democrats and a mixture of outsiders, conspiracy folks, anti-Fed, States rights and some pure wackos] had better be addressed by Mr. Goody Two Shoes because if he doesn't embrace it, he could lose it all.

The Ron Paul vote is a separate matter. In June, polling put the familiar Mr. Paul at about 5.5% for the Iowa caucus and 8% nationally. That would be his normal ceiling. Suddenly, Ron Paul is the Iowa front-runner at over 22.5% and is up to 12% nationally. Why?

In the no-longer-mentioned November 2010 elections, the often disrespected "tea party vote" handed the Republican Party a victory of historic magnitude and depth. Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives but also won state offices on a scale not seen since the Great Depression.

The 2010 election was the result of a coalition that extends well past the formal tea parties. It combines Republicans of all stripes, libertarians, independents and worried centrist Democrats. They all are "fiscally conservative" and socially all over the map. The Republican nominee, however, will be produced by only one part of this fiscal-conservative coalition—the angriest, most politically committed Republicans and libertarians.

Mr. Romney needs to give these Republicans a reason to come in his direction, before they walk away from him forever.

Mr. Goody Two Shoes had better pay heed to the rustling noises in the bushes as he meanders down the middle taking no positions because that beast making those rustling sounds in the bushes is angry and needs to be fed.

Adam

[Peter]

Adam wrote or quoted:

In June, polling put the familiar Mr. Paul at about 5.5% for the Iowa caucus and 8% nationally. That would be his normal ceiling. Suddenly, Ron Paul is the Iowa front-runner at over 22.5% and is up to 12% nationally. Why?

Daniel Henniger wrote:

In the no-longer-mentioned November 2010 elections, the often disrespected "tea party vote" handed the Republican Party a victory of historic magnitude and depth. Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives but also won state offices on a scale not seen since the Great Depression.

The 2010 election was the result of a coalition that extends well past the formal tea parties. It combines Republicans of all stripes, libertarians, independents and worried centrist Democrats. They all are "fiscally conservative" and socially all over the map. The Republican nominee, however, will be produced by only one part of this fiscal-conservative coalition—the angriest, most politically committed Republicans and libertarians.

Mr. Romney needs to give these Republicans a reason to come in his direction, before they walk away from him forever.

end quotes

“Riders on the Storm.” I will tell Mitt what Daniel said. I brought up “Romneycare repudiation” as a necessary event but he did not take my advice about six months ago. Someone reads our comments so I suggest we storm chasers be the idea guys and get the message to Mitt, just in case he is a primary winner beyond New Hampshire. I still find him conservative from 2008 onwards and he is nationally elect-able.

Veep? Rubio or Paul Ryan. Both are decent, speakers, though I would not call them charismatic. Still a Tea Party message from one of those two can set the tone for a Presidential candidate who listens. Sarah Palin was a driving force for Constitutional values, marginalized by the stodgy, patriotic but stubborn warhorse, John McCain.

Peter

[Selene]

This is going to be run this weekend.

From a radio advertisement airing in Iowa: "Are you unhappy with the current GOP field? Let me tell you something, you are not alone. Join thousands of Iowans as we vote rogue. It's the caucus for Sarah Palin on January 3. Let Iowa and the entire country know we want real leadership and real reform in DC. So come on Iowa, vote rogue on January 3!"

An independent group are running ads in Iowa asking voters to write in Palin's name. They will air on KCAU-TV in the Sioux City, Iowa market. Some will also air as a commercial during the Broncos-Chiefs game on WHBF-TV in the market for the eastern border of Iowa.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/12/28/independent_group_supporting_sarah_palin_urges_iowans_to_vote_rogue.html

[caroljane]

This is going to be run this weekend.

From a radio advertisement airing in Iowa: "Are you unhappy with the current GOP field? Let me tell you something, you are not alone. Join thousands of Iowans as we vote rogue. It's the caucus for Sarah Palin on January 3. Let Iowa and the entire country know we want real leadership and real reform in DC. So come on Iowa, vote rogue on January 3!"

An independent group are running ads in Iowa asking voters to write in Palin's name. They will air on KCAU-TV in the Sioux City, Iowa market. Some will also air as a commercial during the Broncos-Chiefs game on WHBF-TV in the market for the eastern border of Iowa.

http://www.realclear...vote_rogue.html

This is going to be run this weekend.

From a radio advertisement airing in Iowa: "Are you unhappy with the current GOP field? Let me tell you something, you are not alone. Join thousands of Iowans as we vote rogue. It's the caucus for Sarah Palin on January 3. Let Iowa and the entire country know we want real leadership and real reform in DC. So come on Iowa, vote rogue on January 3!"

An independent group are running ads in Iowa asking voters to write in Palin's name. They will air on KCAU-TV in the Sioux City, Iowa market. Some will also air as a commercial during the Broncos-Chiefs game on WHBF-TV in the market for the eastern border of Iowa.

http://www.realclear...vote_rogue.html

I guess her new reality show deal did not work out. Or her negotiations to co-fire with Trump on the Apprentice.

[Selene]

Carol, what makes you think that she has anything to do with this? Did you listen to it?

It is a radio ad and clearly says that Sarah, no Sarah PAC, or group have anything to do with this ad.

Adam

[Selene]

Here comes Goody Two Shoes to seal the deal in Iowa...new ad...

[caroljane]

Carol, what makes you think that she has anything to do with this? Did you listen to it?

It is a radio ad and clearly says that Sarah, no Sarah PAC, or group have anything to do with this ad.

Adam

No, I didn't listen, sorry. Ill take your word that SP has nothing to do with it and maybe not even have heard of it.

I/ll still say though, that an extra burst of attention and appreciation won't do her any harm, will it?

[Selene]

Carol:

I do not know. I find it a peculiar insertion and I am going to see if anyone I know can track down who paid for the radio spot.

Ad to Mr. Newt, here is his new ad for the week...

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

If Sarah and The Donald go for it as an Independent team, I'm in.

Otherwise, I'm with Art Laffer on Gingrich being the best doctor to get a very sick country out of the danger zone.

(Then we have to find a better replacement for him, a person who will keep going in the small government and pro-constitution direction, but that's for later.)

Michael

[Peter]

Adam wrote:

Here comes Goody Two Shoes to seal the deal in Iowa...new ad...

end quote

Adam, what is wrong with being incorruptible and GMan Elliot Ness, untouchable? I do think Mitt can be persuaded with reason but he has to hear the facts and then think about it for a week or two before he will change his mind. He needs a Tea Party worthy running mate. “Goody Two Shoes” as a derogatory nickname should be replaced with “Sir Lancelot,” or “Superman,” who he could play ala Christopher Reeves on the big screen, or in a 60 second ad. “Look up in the sky! Who is that man soaring in a cape? Why it’s Supermitt!”

No smirking, I know that’s a bit over the top. I am gearing up for my “campaign mode” which is always just beneath my stoic demeanor 8 - )

Michael responded:

If Sarah and The Donald go for it as an Independent team, I'm in . . . Otherwise, I'm with Art Laffer on Gingrich being the best doctor to get a very sick country out of the danger zone . . . Then we have to find a better replacement for him, a person who will keep going in the small government and pro-constitution direction, but that's for later.)

end quote

When I first read this I thought Michael meant replacing a winning Newt at the Republican Convention but after reflection, I assume he means in 2020 after two terms of Newt, or a few years of a Newt Presidency when he retires, too old to hold the office. And then his second in command, Vice President Mark Rubio takes over, but of course that would STILL be replacing Newt. Whoa! What an ingenious, Machiavellian mind Michael has.

Now supporting a third party challenge from “The Donald” and “The Rogue Sarah” is just plain mischief and crazy talk.

Peter

[Selene]

Peter:

Don't you find it interesting how simple it is to distract a person with a nick name? Here you spent energy and time to dispute the Goody Two Shoes monicker rather than stay on point and on positive issues.

That is the point of the political tagging.

At any rate, Goody Two Shoes speaking is like watching paint dry. Take a look at Christie's style. Thankfully for Goody Two Shoes, he has Christie on his side.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/12/30/christie_after_three_years_of_obama_we_are_hopeless_and_changeless.html

What is interesting about Christie is that he wears no jacket in 20 degree weather and comes across as vibrant and vital. The weight is his insulation.

Adam

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Whoa! What an ingenious, Machiavellian mind Michael has.

Suddenly I feel visible...

Michael

[Peter]

Wow. This is the last business day of 2011.

Adam wrote:

What is interesting about Christie is that he wears no jacket in 20 degree weather and comes across as vibrant and vital. The weight is his insulation.

end quote

What a cruel dig against Chris (friend of Snookie) Christy and mass-challenged people everywhere. Nicknames are fun.

I cannot find the “Anybody But . . .” poll just mentioned on Fox but they said Ron Paul’s national negatives from likely Republican voters is higher than Mitt Romney’s. Mr. Newt also has high negatives. The Christian Evangelical vote in Iowa IS STILL LARGELY UNDECIDED as of today, Friday December 30, 2011. Anti-abortion and no gay marriages are their two big issues.

It is looking more possible that Romney could sweep Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, and there is already a shift and decline in Newt’s support in Florida. They talk about momentum, but winning a primary or caucus is permanent. It is ole blue eyes singing “you can’t take that away from me,” momentum. You can bring it to the convention vote bank where it is sometimes traded like monopoly money if the candidate can’t win. And “winners momentum” makes it more likely the candidate will win the next contest, and the next. I don’t see Mitt shooting himself in the foot like Ron Paul, or Newt will do again in the next week or two.

Peter

[Peter]

Michael quoted me but on my hotmail screen in doesn’t show my quote. He responded to the quote by saying, “Suddenly I feel visible...”

I thought, what the heck did I say, so I strolled back to OL and found that he was responding to: “Whoa! What an ingenious, Machiavellian mind Michael has.”

Suddenly you feel visible. Seriously? You are The Machiavelli? Can I have your autograph? Did you write those Blondie, Debra Harry lyrics, ”Die Yankee Dog! One way or another, I’m gunna git ya. Git ya. Git ya?”

Are you going to work for Newt’s campaign? I can see the attack ad now. A mushroom cloud explodes over Iowa while a laughing Mitt and Satan gloat in the background . . .

Peter

[Selene]

The Christian Evangelical vote in Iowa IS STILL LARGELY UNDECIDED as of today, Friday December 30, 2011. Anti-abortion and no gay marriages are their two big issues.

Incorrect compadre...

6:52 p.m. EST, December 29, 2011

DES MOINES — Signs that

Rick Santorum

is suddenly a contender in the race for the Republican nomination for president were all over Iowa on Thursday.

The former Pennsylvania senator - who has built his long-shot campaign around trying to appeal to evangelical Christians in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday - received a boost when several prominent preachers said their followers were coalescing behind Santorum.

Some preachers called on one of Santorum's chief rivals for the influential evangelical vote, Minnesota congresswoman

Michele Bachmann

, to abandon her campaign, or fold hers into Santorum's.

Additionally, Santorum has 1,000 plus Cauci operatives for the 1,700 Cauci locations. He has basically lived in the state and it will pay off on Tuesday with a 3rd or better finish which will keep him alive.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Peter,

I was merely referring to your analysis of the Machiavellian reason why I support Newt. You were 100% correct.

As to a nuke ad, the Goldwater thing is so old cap.

I might think of an ad where an Iranian submarine sets off about 3 high altitude EMP (electromagnetic pulse) missiles right off the coast of the USA and shuts down our power grid and neutralizes most of our electronic equipment while, in the background, several USA presidential politicians talk about how well the sanctions are working against Iran and Ron Paul says we have no business telling Iran it can't have nukes.

Michael

[Roger Bissell]

Iowa, the first Republican cauci/primary contest, because of it's structure, is, basically, meaningless...Adam

You may be right, Adam.

However, earlier today I saw on YouTube the most incredible, eye-opening montage of media clips from 2008 and 2012, covering the political spectrum of commentators (PMS-NBC and CNN to Fox News, plus the major networks) ~all~ saying how incredibly important a victory in Iowa would be for either the Dem or Rep guy in 2008, then ~all~ saying how irrelevant an Iowa caucus victory would be (particularly if Ron Paul won). Obviously, there is some hedging going on, because of the fair likelihood of Paul winning.

Here's a link to the long version of the media clips:

I agree that RP is not a perfect candidate, but neither was Barry Goldwater, and he was eminently worth supporting, even though he went down in flames, which gave us that crypto-fascist LBJ and a ramping up of the Vietnam War. Especially since we were all introduced to Ronald Reagan who, even in diminished capacity 16 years later, was the best President we've had since the 1920s. I'm supporting RP for as long as he stays in the race, and if he gets smeared and gang-raped by the GOP Establishment and runs third-party, I'll support him then, too.

I'm certainly not supporting or voting for any RINO Republican candidates, who are all variations on the theme of John McCain. Nor for any of the "evangelicals," who all support military interventionism. The key is winning the Senate, anyway. If Obama is re-elected, he would then have four years of Clintonesque gridlock, with the Supreme Court throwing out Obamacare. Then we'll be able to put someone decent in the White House, and start rolling back the welfare-warfare state.

REB

[Peter]

Michael wrote:

As to a nuke ad, the Goldwater thing is so old cap.

end quote

I was hoping you would play along with the (not very funny in the morning) Machiavelli idea a bit further, and explain why so many “laymen” think Rand is a Machiavellian. Personally I think one could say Anarchists in practice, not theory, are Machiavellian’s because his dictum is “self interest” rather than “rational self interest.” The Prince, the robber baron, and even the robber cattle baron in recent cinema exemplify “self interest,” and the constant psychological motive of, “What can I get away with?”

The risqué exchanges between Dagny and John Galt concerning paying for her stay with gold, housekeeping work, (or pussy – don’t tell me you haven’t thought about that) send Objectivists off in praise of the Julia Roberts character who portrays a prostitute in “Pretty Woman.”

Other recent movies exemplifying Anarchism’s Machiavellian Prince are the Wall Street, Gordon Gecho flicks. Insider trading, manipulating a stock then selling short, etc. are not examples of “producers.” Deception. Manipulation. Misdirection. Scamming. Thievery. These terms are not terms that “should” describe Objectivists even if you are in a “pirate” mood.

AAAArrrr!

Peter

[Peter]

REB wrote:

I'm certainly not supporting or voting for any RINO Republican candidates, who are all variations on the theme of John McCain.

end quote

I hear you. What if Iran, or a proxy given an atomic bomb, attacked the United States, Britain, or Israel? Can you see Ron Paul calling together a joint session of Congress and saying, “This is a date which will live in infamy. As commander in chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.” I CAN SEE Ron Paul retaliating after a Congressional Declaration of War.

The problem is: RON PAUL WOULD NOT ADEQUATELY PROTECT US FROM THAT THREAT EVER HAPPENING!!!

To all Objectivists, (though I don’t think Roger calls himself an Objectivist anymore, yet REB is just fine by me,) I assume many think of Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney as Republicans In Name Only. I don’t. I think Newt is closer to that appellation than Mitt but I do not think either of them is a RINO. Go to their websites and copy all their positions. Their last five years, stated positions place them in the category of “Worthy of a Tea Party,” and by that I mean I am ready to vote for either one of them in the order of Mitt then Newt, then Perry. Then more reluctantly for the evangelical candidates, Santorum and Bachmann. Certainly, support Ron until he loses.

If good men do nothing, you know what happens . . . not voting for President is doing nothing. Hoping for a stalemate between a wannabe Fascist Dictator and a possibly, hopefully Congressional Republican Congress is playing with fire. Obama is ready, willing, and able to usurp more power through whatever means is necessary. Executive fiat, appointed Czars, a Federal Reserve in his pocket, and Regulations will be his weapons of first choice. Do you, Roger or anyone else, trust this President to not go even further with his community organizer tactics to subvert the US Constitution that he hates? Don't fall for the Right Wing propagando against our candidates either.

Think like Rand. Then vote. How do you like your Earl Gray Tea President Romney?

Semper cogitans fidele,

Peter

Notes

FDR: Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of American was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the secretary of state a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese government also launched as attack against Malaya.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Wake Island.

This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implication to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

[blackhorse]

Paul's stance on gay marriage and abortion are the LEAST important of his drawbacks. It is his foreign policy and his interpretation of the 10th amendment that are the real problems.

[Selene]

Iowa, the first Republican cauci/primary contest, because of it's structure, is, basically, meaningless...Adam

You may be right, Adam.

REB

REB:

I actually needed to be more clear about the Iowa Republican primary being meaningless this year because of the accelerated schedule and the change in the methodology of awarding delegates.

Gary Johnson is a class act. He just announced that his supporters should support Dr. Paul in the Hawkeye Cauci.

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who recently abandoned his bid for the Republican Party's presidential nomination, asked his supporters in Iowa to back Ron Paul in the state's caucuses.

Johnson's bid for the GOP nomination failed to gain any real traction and he announced Wednesday that he would instead seek the nomination of the Libertarian Party.

"The cause of individual liberty and freedom is bigger and more important than any candidate or campaign," Johnson said Saturday. "I am hopeful that in urging my supporters in Iowa to vote for Ron Paul in the coming caucuses, a victory for the principles we share can be won.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-presidential-primary/201845-gary-johnson-asks-iowa-supporters-to-back-paul

Adam