A Few Words About New Hampshire

New Hampshire, the first real national primary of 2016 is now history. As most of you know by now, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders ran away with it.

Trump ended up with a whopping 35%, almost 100,000 votes and most of the delegates. The nearest challenger, John Kasich ended up with 16%, less than half of Donald Trump's total, with Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush coming in third and fourth respectively and Marco Rubio just edging out Chris Christie for fifth.

While Donald Trump was expected to win New Hampshire all along, no one predicted this kind of spread. It does demonstrate the Donald's cross over appeal as well as his appeal to working class voters. New Hampshire is not Iowa, but it's not exactly diversity city' either. It's a small, mostly white semi-rural state rather like Iowa in some ways. We'll have to wait until South Carolina to see if Trump can repeat what he's done in New Hampshire. If he does, I think he's got a serious chance at being the GOP nominee whether the Republican establishment likes it or not. What's going on now is not so much an election as much as a rebellion, and Donald Trump is benefiting from picking up on that early and becoming its spokesperson.

I can't resist pointing something out here. Various mainstream, establishment Republicans have been saying all along that the GOP needs to broaden its base, reach out to different groups. This is pretty much along the lines of the constituency Donald Trump has assembled, and it's a coalition the Republican Party could have had for itself a long time ago.

It was their idea to avoid reigning in Barack Obama's agenda, which is what they were elected for. They were the ones who chose to do did nothing about ObamaCare, nothing to control this president's amnesty for illegal aliens, nothing about the out of control budget. Oh, they said the right things to the hicks they not so secretly despised come election time, but that was as far as it went. Politics, like nature abohrs a vacuum, and it was Donald Trump who saw that and was the first one in to take the high ground the Republicans so willingly abandoned. And now, they're panicking. One thing Trump still has in his favor is the fear and disarray of the establishment, who are wondering what to do to stop him and Ted Cruz, whom they despise even more than Donald Trump. And while sme of the marginal characters are headed for the wings,enough claimants fighting to be the banner bearer for the GOP establishment are still in this to prevent any real, unified opposition to the insurgents.

For John Kasich, this was essentially a life preserver that will allow him to stay afloat. How well he does in South Carolina will be a good indication on whether he has enough gas to go much further. His goal here was to knock off Marco Rubio and vie for the title of GOP establishment standard bearer and he largely succeeded, with a helping hand from Rubio's abysmal, even comic debate performance that got a lot of attention in New Hampshire. If Rubio does poorly in South Carolina and Kasich laps him again, Rubio is going to be in a tough spot.

Ted Cruz's attitude, as always, is on to the next game. He's a long haul kind of campaigner. He never expected to win here, and even a decent second in South Carolina could revitalize him nicely.

The Democrats had their own drama tonight, with Bernie Sanders decisively trouncing Hillary Clinton almost two to one, 60% to 38%. Due to the backroom nature of Democrat campaigns the delegate total was a lot closer then the GOP's with Sanders taking 14 delegates to Mrs. Clinton's 9.

I'll simply repeat here what I said about Iowa. For Bernie Sanders, New Hampshire, a state with demographics like Iowa's right next door to his home state of Vermont will be his high point. It all goes all downhill from here.

Aside from the fact that the Clinton machine will call in every favor and pull every string to ensure that the votes go her way and the media plays the song she likes, New Hampshire is the last state for awhile where retail campaigning is important, something Mrs. Clinton despises unless it's thoroughly scripted. And in South Carolina, Bernie Sanders will face, for the first time, an electorate with a substantial amount of black Democrat voters. Along with Muslims, blacks are an increasingly important part of the Democrat coalition. Irreligious and anti-Israel he may be, but Sanders still can't erase the fact of being born a Jew no matter how hard he tries.

The last time the Democrats put a Jew on a national ticket was in 2000 with Joseph Lieberman. George W. Bush carried 40% of the Muslim vote that year and that might very well have cost the Democrats Florida and the election. They won't make that mistake again. And according to the Pew Trust, aside from Muslims blacks are the most likely group of Americans to harbor anti-semitic attitudes.

Mrs. Clinton is already exploiting those attitudes and is calling in favors and mustering the troops.

Sanders is doing his best to counteract this and has actually gotten a few endorsements, but a lot of them are from left wing black academics whom the average black Democrat has never heard of. Both he and Mrs. Clinton are spending serious time on their knees in front of race pimp, tax cheat and anti-semite Al Sharpton but it's Mrs Clinton who has the inside track with an MSNBC interview with Rev Al this weekend that will air right before the primary. The odds are pretty good that she takes South Carolina by a comfortable majority.

Santorum Quits

Why now? Why not two months ago?

Whatever he says in his formal announcement, here's the real deal. He was headed for a humiliating defeat in his home state of Pennsylvania. Republicans had already made it quite clear that they did not want a social conservative who is actually a progressive and favors using big government to promulgate his personal ideas of morality on the country. And there was no statistical way he could have won the nomination.

The only trick he had left in his bag was a divisive, scorched earth floor fight to feed his personal anger and ego. And I'm reasonably certain that some of the GOP's movers and shakers made a phone call or two to Mr. Santorum warning him that if he played that game, his future in the Republican party was a memory.

By getting out now, he can keep his hopes alive for a 2016 race if Obama wins, and maybe push his way into a gig at FOX or one of the alphabet networks as a talking head. As a good example of the kind of phoney 'conservative' boogie man the Left adores parading, I'd be surprised if the offers weren't already coming in.

Senator Santorum deserves credit for doing his very best to tie up the party in a divisive primary long after it was necessary that used up time and resources better spent unseating the current occupant of the White House. Not only that, but he ignored Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment and provided the Obama Campaign with a decent amount of material to use against the GOP nominee, Mitt Romney.

Thanks loads, Rick! Good riddance.

A Romney Sweep? Primaries In Wisconsin, Maryland And DC

The GOP contest for the nomination continues today, with three primaries and 98 delegates up for grabs.

According to most polls, Mitt Romney is expected to win all three handily.

Governor Romney spent most of yesterday traveling the Badger State accompanied by Rep. Paul Ryan,who has endorsed Romney. In his stump speech, Romney continues to ignore Rick Santorum and focus on the main challenge, the upcoming contest with President Barack Obama.

“He takes his political inspiration from the capitals of Europe,” Mr. Romney told supporters in Green Bay. “His version of a perfect world is a big-spending big government.”

Santorum, on the other hand continues to attack Romney and mocking republicans who think the race is over.

Presently, Governor Romney has far more delegates than all of his rivals combined.

In Wisconsin, the focus is not as much onth eGOP Presidential primary as it is on the Democrat's efforts to unseat Governor Scott Walker, with the Democrats and public employee unions spending millions on a recall election scheduled for this June.

Scorched Earth: Santorum Says GOP Floor Fight At Convention Would 'Energize Party'

More proof, if any more were needed, that Rick Santorum is unfit to be president:

Rick Santorum says a fight at the GOP convention over the party's presidential nominee would be "energizing" for the party.

Campaigning in Wisconsin Monday, Santorum pressed his argument that front-runner Mitt Romney isn't the strongest Republican to go up against President Barack Obama in the fall.

The former Pennsylvania senator says a convention floor fight over which candidate should be Obama's general election opponent would be a "fascinating display of open democracy" and would encourage more Republican voters to participate.

This is likely a response to polls showing him losing tomorrow in the Wisconsin winner-take-all primary tomorrow..not to mention the primaries in Maryland and DC.

The idea that some disgruntled failed candidate would try to set off a bomb at the GOP convention just to massage his own ego and try rationalize the damage that would do to himself by saying it would be 'energizing' is simply disgraceful.As I've noted before on other occasions, he doesn't deal with pressure well. President Obama would destroy him in the general election.

Did Senator Santorum forget the main exercise, ridding the country of President Barack Obama? Is he so wrapped up in his own feelings that he thinks a prolonged floor fight televised nationally is going to contribute to that effort?

It's interesting to note that in 2008, Mitt Romney withdrew from the race when he was doing far better than Rick Santorum ( a decision CPAC mourned) and urged people to strive for party unity to defeat Obama and get behind John McCain, the presumptive nominee at that time.

Governor Romney, say whatever else you want about him, is a man who thinks big, beyond himself. Senator Santorum is a much smaller man.He needs to do some real soul searching at this point.

Which Way Is The GOP Race Headed?

Now that the Illinois primary is over, it might be a good time to actually examine the GOP race in the cold light of fact. And the fact is that Rick Santorum faces an almost impossible task in getting the GOP nomination barring something crazy happening. And that's especially true since he lost huge in Illinois tonight.

Let's take a brief look at the actual math involved.

To get the nomination, you need 1,144 delegates.

Right now, not taking Illinois 54 delegates into account, Mitt Romney has 521 delegates, while Rick Santorum has 253. Newt Gingrich, who's no longer really a factor has 135.

There are 289 unbound 'super delegates' not pledged to Santorum, Gingrich or Paul. Mitt Romney already has 33 of those delegates..giving him a total of 554.

The next slew of upcoming primaries include 329 delegates who will be awarded on a winner take all basis, all in states Romney is heavily favored to win - Maryland (37), Washington DC (16), Delaware (17),California (169), NewJersey (50), and Utah (40) that gives Romney a total of 883, not counting Romney's Illinois win ( 54 delegates) , not counting any delegates Romney picks up in other states that award delegates proportionately and not counting any additional super delegates that get behind the front runner, as they always do towards the end.

The other upcoming proportional primaries in New York (95 delegates) and Rhode Island ( 19 delegates) also strongly favor Romney.

Even if Rick Santorum wins the only other winner take all primary in Wisconsin, (42 delegates), even if he wins most of Louisiana's 46 delegates, even if he manages to get most of the delegates in his home state of Pennsylvania, even if he wins the majority of the 155 delegates in Texas ( and I think both Texas and Pennsylvania going totally to Santorum are doubtful ) the math just isn't there for him to get to 1,144.

Unless Mitt Romney commits such a huge gaffe that he simply knocks himself out of the race.

What I think this means is that both Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich need to do some serious thinking. Both of them say they want to defeat Barack Obama in November, and neither of them have any strategy left to get the nomination outside of some kind of sabotage at the convention.

Meanwhile, as the contentious GOP primary continues eating up oxygen and money,President Obama is flying around the country at the taxpayer's expense and building his campaign and his war chest unimpeded.

I hope both of them sit back, take a deep breath and reflect on these two facts.

The War Goes On - Santorum Wins Alabama And Mississippi, Romney Wins The Most Delegates

Rick Santorum won decisively in yesterday's Alabama primary, and managed to eke out a win over Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney in Mississippi, while Romney easily won Hawaii and American Samoa.

However, in terms of delegates, Mitt Romney increased his lead, ending up with 41 delegates as opposed to 35 for Santorum and 24 for Newt Gingrich, who finished second in both states.Romney wins in both Hawaii and American Samoa and his showing in Alabama and Mississippi enabled him to come out ahead.

What this means is that the bloodletting en route to the GOP convention in Tampa is going to continue, sucking up money and infrastructure and keeping the spotlight off President Obama and his record.

It's pretty easy to figure out why Romney didn't do better than he did..the Deep South is not exactly friendly territory for Mormons, and unlike other states, the Evangelicals broke heavily for Santorum.In pre-election polls, Romney wasn't given a prayer of winning anyway.And Newt Gingrich's constant referring to Romney as 'the Massachusetts Moderate' could also be counted on to stir up a few long-standing regional prejudices.

It remains to be seen whether those numbers would hold up in the general if Romney ends up being the nominee.

For Rick Santorum, it was a badly needed win. It's obvious that Santorum has successfully positioned himself as the Anti-Romney candidate. He's now finished ahead of Newt Gingrich in 20 out of 24 state match ups.

What isn't clear for both Ric Santorum and Newt Gingrich is to see how they get to the magic number of 1,144 delegates needed to get the nomination. Santorum now faces winner take all contests in DC (where's he's not on the ballot), Delaware, New Jersey, Utah - and California, if this goes on that long. Mitt Romney is well placed to win all 6 contests, and given his count already and how he's likely to do in the other states where delegates are awarded proportionately, it's hard to see how either Gingrich or Santorum make the nut, unless something crazy happens.

Gingrich pretty much realizes that now, and is already talking about a 'Santorum-Gingrich alliance.' I think he's kidding himself. In spite of the bad blood between Romney and Santorum, if Rick Santorum finishes that close to the money, a Romney-Santorum ticket is much more likely.Gingrich simply isn't going to end up with enough to bring to the table.

Keep in mind that most delegates are bound to vote the way they're pledged for only the first ballot. The possibility of a brokered convention just got a lot more likely.

Michigan Primary: Santorum A Willing Tool For Daily Kos And Soros Media In RoboCalls

A few weeks ago, the far Left site Daily Kos suggested that 'progressives' vote en masse for Rick Santorum in the open Michigan GOP primary , someone they clearly see as the weaker and more easily beatable candidate. Talking Points Memo and the rest of the Soros media slaves soon picked up on the idea, and they found a willing tool in Santorum himself.

Santorum blanketed Michigan with robocalls criticizing Mitt Romney for opposing the GM and Chrysler bailouts:

“On Tuesday, join Democrats who are going to send a loud message to Massachusetts Mitt Romney.” says the Santorum robo call to Michigan Democrats.

“Romney supported the bailout for his billionaire buddies but opposed the auto bailout. That was a slap in the face to every Michigan worker,” the robo call adds. It ends with the line: “Paid for by Rick Santorum.”

Of course,the call doesn't mention that Rick Santorum also opposed the auto bailout.

It's interesting that just a few weeks ago in Minnesota, Rick Santorum was strongly against open primaries like Michigan's, saying: "We want the activists of the party, the people who make up the backbone of the Republican Party to have a say in who our nominee is as opposed to a bunch of people who don't even identify themselves as Republicans picking our nominee. I don't like that. I believe that states should only allow Republicans to vote in Republican primaries."

Ah well. Like Boss Tweed, he seen his opportunities and he took 'em.

The way things appear to be playing out now, Mitt Romney is projected to have achieved a narrow win in Michigan, 41.3% against 38.7% for Rick Santorum. Arizona is still voting, but expected to be a decisive win for Romney.

Michigan awards it delegates proportionally on a congressional district basis, while Arizona is winner take all. So all Rick Santorum appears to have done is shown that he's more than willing to embrace some fairly sleazy behavior while actually achieving very little. And of course, keeping this going for himself a bit longer.

For interested parties, Newt Gingrich ended up finishing dead last,with projected tally of about 6.5% of the vote while Ron Paul ended up with 11.2% as of this writing.

New Life For Santorum As He Sweeps primaries

Senator Rick Santorum's campaign got a major boost in last night's primaries and caucuses,winning decisively in in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri.

In Minnesota's caucuses, Santorum won with 45 percent of the vote. Congressman Ron Paul was in second place with 27 percent and Mitt Romney was third at 17 percent.

Santorum beat Romney by 30 percentage points in Missouri, 55 percent to 25 percent. That vote was a so-called 'beauty contest', a non-binding primary with no delegates at stake, but it had value as an indicator of support in a battleground state.

In the Colorado caucuses, Santorum won by 5 percentage points over Romney, 40 percent to 35 percent.

Several things can be drawn from this.

First, the attacks on Romney are likely having an effect. Second, Rick Santorum is now the 'anti-Romney' in the GOP race, and Newt Gingrich is likely on his way out unless something changes.And third, while this shows Santorum has some momentum it also shows that his support may be somewhat limited. With the exception of Missouri,all of his wins have come in caucus states, and as I've explained before, the name of the game in caucus states is to get your foot soldiers out to the various caucuses in bad weather and dominate them. All three of last night's contests, by the way, had notably low turnouts.

In the other states with actual primaries ( New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina) Senator Santorum has not done well..and the results from Florida and South Carolina might indicate trouble for him in the South.

Nevertheless, it was a good night for Rick Santorum, and I'm hoping to see the race narrow down to him and Romney shortly.

Romney Wins Florida By Double Digits

In a major blowout, Mitt Romney crushed Newt Gingrich 46.4% to 31.9% in the Sunshine State, with Rick Santorum taking 13.4% and Ron Paul bringing up the rear with 7%.

Romney's victory was telling in that he won big in a number of important groups.

Women overall abandoned Gingrich for Romney by a 22 point spread, and married women dumped Newt by an almost two-to-one margin, 28% to Romney's 51%.

Among Hispanics, Romney crushed Gingrich, taking 54% of that vote to Gingriches' 14%. This is especially telling because of Romney's relatively hardline stance on illegal immigration, which was distorted by a large number of negative Spanish language ads put out not only by the Gingrich campaign but by Super PACs and Union money friendly to President Obama.

And Governor Romney actually took the Tea Party vote away from Newt Gingrich. Out of the 66 percent of Florida voters who said they supported the Tea Party, 41% cast their ballots for Romney and 38% for Gingrich.

When asked which candidate had the best chance to defeat President Obama Romney got 58%, according to the exit poll data. Only 33 percent of those voters said they supported Gingrich.

Newt Gingrich barely managed to hold on to Evangelicals, 39% to Romney's 36%.

Florida is a massively important win because it's a vital state Republicans are going to have to carry if they are to defeat President Obama in November. Unlike the other primary states we've seen thus far, Florida is a larger state with a diverse population that has demographics that looked pretty favorable to Gingrich going in. It's a southern state, the GOP electorate is conservative and Tea-Party friendly like South Carolina, it has a large senior population and Gingrich came in to the state with the momentum (and cash) from his win in South Carolina just a short time before the Florida primary.

If Newt Gingrich got beaten like a gong in Florida, it's likely going to be difficult for him to compete with Romney anywhere out of the Deep South.

Another important milestone is that both Gingrich and Romney shed important parts of their image.

Newt Gingrich lost his perceived mastery as a debater,giving several poor performances prior to Florida vote. And Mitt Romney definitely put to rest and questions among conservatives about his toughness and ability to go toe to toe with Obama in the general with his blitzkrieg campaign that knocked Gingrich out of the ring.

As John Podhoretz wrote on Monday in the New York Post, Florida was a challenge to Romney’s ability to play hardball: “The clean-cut Boy Scout Ken-doll candidate from Massachusetts needed to show his fellow Republicans that he could be mean, tough and merciless on the attack — that he could take it to his rival and best him.”

Accomplishing that didn't come without a price, however. What Romney may have gained among conservatives is offset by what he may have lost from swing voters disgusted by the negative tone of the campaign.

Newt Gingrich's reaction was to promise a scorched earth campaign no matter what the cost, and to have the nerve to call for the other candidates to get out of the race so that "Newt Gingrich, the conservative alternative can defeat the Massachusetts moderate." Yes, he's talking about himself in the third person now. Just for that bit of pomposity, I hope Rick Santorum, a far better man takes over Gingrich's number two spot fairly soon.

Governor Romney, on the other hand, attempted to repair some of that damage in his victory speech, focusing on President Obama, calling for unity in the battle ahead and graciously giving a shout out to his rivals, saying:

There are fewer candidates than when the race began, but the three gentlemen left are serious and able competitors. And I congratulate them on another hard-fought contest in this campaign.

Primary contests are not easy – and they’re not supposed to be. As this primary unfolds, our opponents in the other party have been watching. They like to comfort themselves with the thought that a competitive campaign will leave us divided and weak.

But I’ve got some news for them: A competitive primary does not divide us; it prepares us. And when we gather here in Tampa seven months from now for our convention, ours will be a united party with a winning ticket for America!

Three years ago this week, a newly elected President Obama faced the American people and said that if he couldn’t turn the economy around in three years, he’d be looking at a one-term proposition. We’re here to collect.{...}

In his State of the Union Address, the President actually said, “Let’s remember how we got here.” Don’t worry, Mr. President, we remember exactly how we got here! You won the election!

Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses. In another era of American crisis, Thomas Paine is reported to have said, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” Mr. President, you were elected to lead, you chose to follow, and now it’s time for you to get out of the way!

I stand ready to lead this Party and our nation. As a man who has spent his life outside Washington, I know what it is like to start a business. I know how extraordinarily difficult it is to build something from nothing. I know how government kills jobs and, yes, how it can help.

President Obama’s view of capitalism is to send your money to his friends’ companies. My vision for free enterprise is to return entrepreneurship to the genius and creativity of the American people.

On one of the most personal matters of our lives, our health care, President Obama would turn decision making over to government bureaucrats. He forced through Obamacare; I will repeal it.

Like his colleagues in the faculty lounge who think they know better, President Obama demonizes and denigrates almost every sector of our economy. I will make America the most attractive place in the world for entrepreneurs, for innovators, and for job creators. And unlike the other people running for President, I know how to do that. President Obama orders religious organizations to violate their conscience; I will defend religious liberty and overturn regulations that trample on our first freedom.{...}

President Obama believes America’s role as leader in the world is a thing of the past. He is intent on shrinking our military capacity at a time when the world faces rising threats. I will insist on a military so powerful no one would ever think of challenging it. President Obama has adopted a strategy of appeasement and apology. I will stand with our friends and speak out for those seeking freedom.

President Obama wants to “fundamentally transform” America. We want to restore America to the founding principles that made this country great.

Our plans protect freedom and opportunity, and our blueprint is the Constitution of the United States.

Together, we will build an America where “hope” is a new job with a paycheck, not a faded word on an old bumper sticker.

The path I lay out is not one paved with ever increasing government checks and cradle-to-grave assurances that government will always be the solution. If this election is a bidding war for who can promise more benefits, then I’m not your President. You have that President today.


Pretty good speech, actually. Almost Reaganesque. I especially liked the lines about the faculty lounge and the faded bumper sticker.

And I also know given a choice between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney whom I want sitting in the White House.

Mitt Romney Sails To Victory In NH, And Has A Few Things To Say

FOX news has projected Mitt Romney the run away winner in the New Hampshire primary.

He is projected to receive 39% of the vote, with Ron Paul coming in second with 23%, Jon Huntsman third with 17% and Newt Gingrich with about 10% and Rick Santorum with 9%. Rick Perry is projected to come in last.

Governor Romney had a few remarks to make in the way of a victory speech, and I think they bear repeating:

Thank you, New Hampshire! Tonight, we made history!

This state has always been a special place for our family. Ann and I made a home here and we’ve filled it with great memories of our children and grandchildren. And this Granite State moment is one we will always remember.

Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we go back to work.

We remember when Barack Obama came to New Hampshire four years ago.

He promised to bring people together.

He promised to change the broken system in Washington.

He promised to improve our nation.

Those were the days of lofty promises made by a hopeful candidate. Today, we are faced with the disappointing record of a failed President. The last three years have held a lot of change, but they haven’t offered much hope.

The middle class has been crushed. Nearly 24 million of our fellow Americans are still out of work, struggling to find work, or have just stopped looking. The median income has dropped 10% in four years. Soldiers returning from the front lines are waiting in unemployment lines. Our debt is too high and our opportunities too few.

And this President wakes up every morning, looks out across America and is proud to announce, “It could be worse.”

It could be worse? Is that what it means to be an American? It could be worse?

Of course not.

What defines us as Americans is our unwavering conviction that we know it must be better.

That conviction guides our campaign. It has rallied millions of Americans in every corner of this country to our cause.

Over the last six months, I’ve listened to anxious voices in town meetings and visited with students and soldiers. In break rooms and living rooms, I’ve heard stories of families getting by on less, of carefully planned retirements now replaced by jobs at minimum wage. But even now, amidst the worst economy since the Great Depression, I’ve rarely heard a refrain of hopelessness.

Americans know that our future is brighter and better than these troubled times. We still believe in the hope, the promise, and the dream of America. We still believe in that shining city on a hill.

We know that the future of this country is better than 8 or 9% unemployment.

It is better than $15 trillion in debt.

It is better than the misguided policies and broken promises of the last three years – and the failed leadership of one man.

The President has run out of ideas. Now, he’s running out of excuses. And tonight, we are asking the good people of South Carolina to join the citizens of New Hampshire and make 2012 the year he runs out of time.

President Obama wants to put free enterprise on trial. In the last few days, we have seen some desperate Republicans join forces with him. This is such a mistake for our Party and for our nation. This country already has a leader who divides us with the bitter politics of envy. We must offer an alternative vision. I stand ready to lead us down a different path, where we are lifted up by our desire to succeed, not dragged down by a resentment of success. In these difficult times, we cannot abandon the core values that define us as unique -- We are One Nation, Under God.

Make no mistake, in this campaign, I will offer the American ideals of economic freedom a clear and unapologetic defense.

Our campaign is about more than replacing a President; it is about saving the soul of America. This election is a choice between two very different destinies.

President Obama wants to “fundamentally transform” America. We want to restore America to the founding principles that made this country great.

He wants to turn America into a European-style entitlement society. We want to ensure that we remain a free and prosperous land of opportunity.

This President takes his inspiration from the capitals of Europe; we look to the cities and small towns of America.

This President puts his faith in government. We put our faith in the American people.

He is making the federal government bigger, burdensome, and bloated. I will make it simpler, smaller, and smarter.

He raised the national debt. I will cut, cap, and balance the budget.

He enacted job-killing regulations; I’ll eliminate them.

He lost our AAA credit rating; I’ll restore it.

He passed Obamacare; I’ll repeal it.

When it comes to the economy, my highest priority as President will be worrying about your job, not saving my own.

Internationally, President Obama has adopted an appeasement strategy. He believes America’s role as leader in the world is a thing of the past. I believe a strong America must – and will – lead the future.

He doesn’t see the need for overwhelming American military superiority. I will insist on a military so powerful no one would think of challenging it.

He chastises friends like Israel; I’ll stand with our friends.

He apologizes for America; I will never apologize for the greatest nation in the history of the Earth.

Our plans protect freedom and opportunity, and our blueprint is the Constitution of the United States.

The path I lay out is not one paved with ever increasing government checks and cradle-to-grave assurances that government will always be the solution. If this election is a bidding war for who can promise more benefits, then I’m not your President. You have that President today.

But if you want to make this election about restoring American greatness, then I hope you will join us.

If you believe the disappointments of the last few years are a detour, not our destiny, then I am asking for your vote.

I’m asking each of you to remember how special it is to be an American.

I want you to remember what it was like to be hopeful and excited about the future, not to dread each new headline.

I want you to remember when you spent more time dreaming about where to send your kids to college than wondering how to make it to the next paycheck.

I want you to remember when you weren’t afraid to look at your retirement savings or the price at the pump.

I want you to remember when our White House reflected the best of who we are, not the worst of what Europe has become.

That America is still out there. We still believe in that America.

We still believe in the America that is a land of opportunity and a beacon of freedom. We believe in the America that challenges each of us to be better and bigger than ourselves.

This election, let’s fight for the America we love. We believe in America.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

New Hampshire Votes...

Well, the nation's first real primary is underway, and who better to help analyze the doings in the Granite State than Joshuapundit's own political animal, Weekend Monkey. Welcome aboard, Weekend Monkey!

WM: Howdy doody Rob, glad to be here. And hideyho to all my primate fans!

RM: What are you seeing on the ground in New Hampshire,Monkey.

WM: I still see this as a Romney win, Rob. The real questions are how high he gets up the tree and how high some of the others get on the lower branches. People like Santorum, Gingrich and Perry are hoping to do just well enough to make it to the next stop in South Carolina.

I gotta say, the poop flinging, especially from Newtie surprised me, but may be it shouldn't have.

RM: Yeah, he's always been kind of a bomb thrower. But in this case, all I think he's doing is convincing more and more voters that he isn't presidential material. But I never thought I'd see someone like Newt Gingrich using anti-capitalist rhetoric while still claiming to be 'a Reagan conservative.'

WM: What is it with the ReThugs and Reagan? He's been out office for what, thirty years now? Yet they continue going on about him like flies buzzing around an old dried up piece of chimpy poop.

RM: Don't be disrespectful, Monkey. Ronaldus Maximus was one of America's greatest presidents. He took over a country in decline and turned it around completely. And he set millions free by destroying the Soviet Empire, something no one thought was possible. He did what all presidents should strive for but most never achieve..he left the country far better off than he found it.

Anyway..I think Gingrich is plummeting, but he's going to desperately try and hang on until South Carolina. If he doesn't do well there, I think he's out of it. Same with Perry.

WM: I think you might be right about Newtie, but I have a feeling Rick Perry's gonna hang around awhile, try and outlast Gingrich and Santorum to be the anti-Romney Numero Uno.

RM: Yeah, that could work for Perry. Both Gingrich and Santorum have sketchy organizations and are underfunded. But in the end, I don't see him as winning the nomination.

WM: Hard to say at this point,but I'd agree it's an uphill climb for him.

RM: You figure Romney's going to be the nominee?

WM: You're asking me how ReThugs think? No telling. The convention isn't even until August, that's seven months away. In an election year, that's a lifetime. Anything could happen. I'll say this though. If Romney wins in South Carolina and maybe one more primary, I think most of the others will drop out. That would actually be good for the ReThugs, because they would have some breathing space to concentrate on getting ready for Obama.

RM: OK Monkey...as always, thanks for dropping by!

WM: Smell ya later primates!


Weekend Monkey was a Democratic candidate for president in 2008 and is JoshuaPundit's resident political Guru. He can be reached at wendmonkey@yahoo.com