2012 US Presidential Elections

[Singh]

He does have hope, especially if the Republicans prop up someone like Herman Cain. Well, Cain is gone now, but there are a few like him still running. In any event, Obama still has some support and it is too early to say. Two factors will be crucial: (1) the Republican candidate and (2) economy in the months preceding the elections.

What about the Afghan pullout factor ?

 

[pmaitra]

What about the Afghan pullout factor ?

People are divided on that. I hear both kinds of voices, from equal number of people. One group says bring the troops back home and the other group says one must fight for the country and all the same old story of spreading democracy etc.. There is also a voice that says now that OBL is caught, get the boys back home. I think a slight majority want to come out of Afghanistan.

 

[asianobserve]

Maybe its time for the Republicans to bring in Ms. Palin from the cold depths of Alaska back into their circus show. After all she can boast now of more foreign policy exposures (she had several out-of-country speaking engagements) aside from seeing Russia from her window.

 

[Ray]

People are divided on that. I hear both kinds of voices, from equal number of people. One group says bring the troops back home and the other group says one must fight for the country and all the same old story of spreading democracy etc.. There is also a voice that says now that OBL is caught, get the boys back home. I think a slight majority want to come out of Afghanistan.

Something on the lines was also discussed in the BBC programme moderated by Christiane Amanpour.

How is it that the persistent clamour of 'bringing the boys home and out of harm's way' is giving way to the mantra once again to that Superman's 'saving the world' theme?

Is it because bodybags are no longer the rule?

 

[Ray]

Maybe its time for the Republicans to bring in Ms. Palin from the cold depths of Alaska back into their circus show. After all she can boast now of more foreign policy exposures (she had several out-of-country speaking engagements) aside from seeing Russia from her window.

I thought she would make a go for the Presidency.

She was with the Teabag party and made some speeches and then she 'enhanced' her physical attractions as per some reports!

 

[pmaitra]

Something on the lines was also discussed in the BBC programme moderated by Christiane Amanpour.

How is it that the persistent clamour of 'bringing the boys home and out of harm's way' is giving way to the mantra once again to that Superman's 'saving the world' theme?

Is it because bodybags are no longer the rule?

They do.

War casualties, maimed returnees and on top of that the economy have all got people thinking and there is a lot of activism online and in the media as well. There is not much outrage to be seen, thanks to the heavy handed handling of the 'occupy-this-and-that' protesters.

Things could spill over.

 

[asianobserve]

I thought she would make a go for the Presidency.

She was with the Teabag party and made some speeches and then she 'enhanced' her physical attractions as per some reports!

You can't deny she's a hottie. (Am I stepping on some rights here?)

 

[Ray]

You can't deny she's a hottie. (Am I stepping on some rights here?)

To be frank, I have seen the phrase before, but I really don't know the full meaning of the same.

On one of the US forums, some of the posters got together at another posters house and had a party over the weekend. They were writing how great it was and what a whale of a time they had. They mentioned that the host's wife was a 'hottie'.

So, I presume it must be OK.

Cultural difference I presume.

 

[asianobserve]

I encountered it several times in the comments section of CNN.

 

[pmaitra]

Republican Presidential Candidates

Republican Presidential Candidates


Declared candidates

Candidates who have officially declared they are running for President.

Michele Bachmann

United States representative from Minnesota Full Profile »


Newt Gingrich

Former House speaker, political consultant and author Full Profile »


Jon Huntsman

Former governor of Utah and former ambassador to ChinaFull Profile »


Gary E. Johnson

Former governor of New Mexico Full Profile »


Ron Paul

United States representative from Texas Full Profile »


Rick Perry

Governor of TexasFull Profile »


Buddy Roemer

Former governor of LousianaFull Profile »


Mitt Romney

Former governor of Massachusetts Full Profile »


Rick Santorum

Former United States senator from PennsylvaniaFull Profile »
​

Dropped out

People who have publicly announced that they have ended their campaigns.

Herman Cain

Former C.E.O. of Godfather's Pizza. Suspended campaign on Dec. 3. Full Profile »


Thaddeus McCotter

United States Representative From Michigan. Dropped out on Sept. 22. Full Profile »


Tim Pawlenty

Former governor of Minnesota. Dropped out on Aug. 14. Full Profile »
​

​

Credits: Shan Carter, Elisabeth Goodridge, David Nolen, Andrei Scheinkman, Paul Volpe, Sarah Wheaton and Derek Willis/The New York Times​

Source: Republican Presidential Candidates - Election 2012 - NYTimes.com

 

[pmaitra]

Some news from RT:

Ron Paul surges in Iowa

Obama's approval rating dips below Carter's

Newt Gingrich: the man who saved porn

 

[asianobserve]

Republican Presidential Candidates


Declared candidates

Candidates who have officially declared they are running for President.

Michele Bachmann

United States representative from Minnesota Full Profile »


Newt Gingrich

Former House speaker, political consultant and author Full Profile »


Jon Huntsman

Former governor of Utah and former ambassador to ChinaFull Profile »


Gary E. Johnson

Former governor of New Mexico Full Profile »


Ron Paul

United States representative from Texas Full Profile »


Rick Perry

Governor of TexasFull Profile »


Buddy Roemer

Former governor of LousianaFull Profile »


Mitt Romney

Former governor of Massachusetts Full Profile »


Rick Santorum

Former United States senator from PennsylvaniaFull Profile »
​

​

Idiot huggers. Obama is a sure win if this are what the US Republican Party have to offer as alternatives.​

 

[asianobserve]

And when we go beyon Obama's second term it seems that the Democratic Party has more winners:

 

[niharjhatn]

Idiot huggers. Obama is a sure win if this are what the US Republican Party have to offer as alternatives.

I love how the pics make them look even stupider.

Newt's like... "Wait, there is only ONE winner of the republican party?"

Whilst Ron Paul is like... "The Democrats are going to win by thiiiiiis much"

And this guy just doesn't have a clue:

"Whaat... I'm running for president?"

Looks like all the drug traffic through mexico HAS been going to the PROPER AUTHORITIES.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

I am repeating myself, but not one vote has been cast in the primary elections, and won't be until next month. The presidential election is in November, 2012. It's pure entertainment for now.

 

[pmaitra]

Presidential Primaries and Caucuses

Reading the Map:
As was the case with the maps from past cycles, the earlier a contest is scheduled in 2012, the darker the color in which the state is shaded. Iowa, for instance, is a much deeper shade of blue in January than South Dakota is in June. There are, however, some differences between the earlier maps and the one that appears above.

1. Several caucus states have yet to select a date for the first step of their delegate selection processes in 2012. Until a decision is made by state parties in those states, they will appear in gray on the map.
2. The states where legislation to move the presidential primary is active are two-toned. One color indicates the timing of the primary according to the current law whereas the second color is meant to highlight the most likely month to which the primary could be moved. [With the exception of North Carolina, the proposed movement is backward.]
3. States that are bisected vertically are states where the state parties have different dates for their caucuses and/or primaries. The left hand section is shaded to reflect the state Democratic Party's scheduling while the right is for the state Republican Party's decision on the timing of its delegate selection event.

For more details: Frontloading HQ: The 2012 Presidential Primary Calendar (Republican and Democratic)

 

[pmaitra]

Ron Paul says Bush was thrilled with 9/11

Ron Paul says Bush was thrilled with 9/11

Get short URL
email story to a friend print version
Published: 09 December, 2011, 21:32

U.S. Republican presidential candidate and Congressman Ron Paul listens to questions at a Town Hall meeting at the Ericson Public Library during a campaign stop in Boone, Iowa December 8, 2011 (Reuters / Jim Young)

TRENDS:US Election 20129/11 tragedy
TAGS: Military, Bush, Politics, Terrorism, History,USA, War

Ron Paul stopped in Ames, Iowa on the campaign trail on Thursday, and used some harsh words to explain President George W Bush's reaction to the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Specifically, the Texas congressman said that the former president was pretty happy about the events. After all, said Paul, the attacks served as pretext to finally put American troops overseas in what instantly became a justifiable reason for war.

"Think of what happened after 9/11," Paul told a crowd of around 1,000 in Ames this week. "The minute before there was any assessment, there was glee in the administration because now we can invade Iraq, and so the war drums beat."

What's more, said the presidential hopeful, is that a decade later, the current administration is creating excitement themselves over what is erupting with enemy forces overseas.

"That's exactly what they're doing now with Iran," said Paul.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been high for years, but talks of a budding nuclear program in Iran has America and its allies up in arms over what could be developing overseas. The loss of a high-tech American drone aircraft in Iran last week has only escalated a stand-off between nations, as Washington and Tehran bicker back in forth in the days since over what the craft was doing in the skies above Iran and whether or not Iran has actually recovered the craft.

Paul has been a critic of both the Bush and Obama administrations, but speaking from the campus of Iowa State this week, revealed that the excuses that each president has used to embroil American forces in overseas skirmishes are eerily similar.

"I think extremists have taken over," said Paul. "They're the ones that run the foreign policy and that convinced us as a country to go along with all these wars."

From Ames on Thursday, the National Journal reports that Paul's audience was unperturbed by the statement. A reporter with the paper relayed the statements to the rest of the world by way of Twitter, in which one critic in particular, however, shares sentiments about the libertarian-leaning GOP candidate. Former Bush administration official Ari Fleischer fired back at Paul's statements, saying simply, "The man is nuts."

Paul's statements aren't anything new for the libertarian icon, who has opposed the Bush administration's reaction and response to 9/11 for some time. During a televised debate of Republican Party candidates earlier this year, Paul put the blame of the attacks on America itself, saying, "They attacked us because we have been over there bombing them for 10 years."

"If we think we can do that (occupy foreign lands) and not have retaliation, we are kidding ourselves."
​

Source: https://rt.com/usa/news/ron-paul-bush-iran-449/

Comments:

WayneTatum
December 09, 2011, 21:55

​

​

I have to agree with KJ, I'm all for using some of the United States Main Stream media propaganda tactics aginst them in order to enlighten the American people, but this headline does in fact do him a disservice. Most people simply lack the critical thinking skills necessary to discern the realities of that day (9/11) and will turn on Ron Paul after a headline like this.

kj
December 09, 2011, 21:39

​

​

Ron Paul did NOT say Bush 'was thrilled with 9/11' and you do him disservice to say so. He said the administration was gleeful that conditions with the people after 9/11 were such that they could move ahead with plans they had had for a long time but which the people had previously opposed.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Newt is Right About The "Palestinians"

The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Newt is Right About The "Palestinians"

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Eye of Newt in Gaza

Eye of Newt in Gaza - By Mark Steyn - The Corner - National Review Online

 

[niharjhatn]

Newt is Right About The "Palestinians"

The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Newt is Right About The "Palestinians"

Ouch... had to grab the article for peoples here:



Gingrich calls Palestinians 'invented' people
Republican presidential hopeful defends Israel and says Palestinians are Arabs who "had a chance to go many places".
Gingrich calls Palestinians 'invented' people - Americas - Al Jazeera English

Republican White House hopeful Newt Gingrich has stirred controversy by calling the Palestinians an "invented" people who could have chosen to live elsewhere.

The former House of Representatives speaker, who is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for the 2012 presidential race, made the remarks in an interview with the US Jewish Channel broadcaster released on Friday.

Asked whether he considers himself a Zionist, he answered: "I believe that the Jewish people have the right to a state ... Remember, there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire" until the early 20th century,

"I think that we've had an invented Palestinian people who are in fact Arabs, and who were historically part of the Arab
community.

"And they had a chance to go many places, and for a variety of political reasons we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s, and it's tragic."

Most historians mark the start of Palestinian Arab nationalist sentiment in 1834, when Arab residents of the Palestinian region revolted against Ottoman rule.

Israel, founded amid the 1948 Arab-Israel war, took shape along the lines of a 1947 UN plan for ethnic partition of the
then-British ruled territory of Palestine which Arabs rejected.

More than 700,000 Palestinians were forced from their lands by Zionist armed groups in 1948, in an episode Palestinians refer to as the Nakba or "catastrophe".

'Irrational hostility'

Gingrich's comments drew a swift rebuke from a spokesman for the American Task Force on Palestine, Hussein Ibish, who said: "There was no Israel and no such thing as an "Israeli people" before 1948.

"So the idea that Palestinians are 'an invented people' while Israelis somehow are not is historically indefensible and inaccurate.

"Such statements seem to merely reflect deep historical ignorance and an irrational hostility towards Palestinian identity and nationalism."

Sabri Saidam, adviser to the Palestinian president, told Al Jazeera, "This is a manifestation of extreme racism and this is a reflection of where America stands sad, when Palestinians don't get their rights...this is sad and America should respond with a firm reaction to such comments that, if let go, more of which will come our way,"

"Let me ask Newt Gingrich if he would ever entertain the thought of addressing Indian Americans by saying that they never existed, that they were the invention of a separate nation, would that be tolerated?"

"Let's also reverse the statement; let's put ourselves in "the shoe of Jews who are listening now. Would they ever accept such statements being made about them?"

Saidam said, "I think it's time that America rejects such statements and closes the door to such horrendous and unacceptable statements."





Al Jazeera's John Hendren reports from Washington
on how other Republican hopefuls are targeting Gingrich


Gingrich also sharply criticised US President Barack Obama's approach to Middle East diplomacy, saying that it was "so out of touch with reality that it would be like taking your child to the zoo and explaining that a lion was a bunny rabbit."

He said Obama's effort to treat the Palestinians the same as the Israelis is actually "favouring the terrorists".

"If I'm even-handed between a civilian democracy that obeys the rule of law and a group of terrorists that are firing missiles every day, that's not even-handed, that's favouring the terrorists," he said.

He also said the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, share an "enormous desire to destroy Israel".

The Palestinian Authority, which rules the occupied West Bank, formally recognises Israel's right to exist.

President Mahmoud Abbas has long forsworn violence against Israel as a means to secure an independent state, pinning his hopes first on negotiations and more recently on a unilateral bid for statehood via the UN.

Gingrich, along with other Republican candidates, are seeking to attract Jewish in the US support by vowing to bolster Washington's ties with Israel if elected.

He declared his world view was "pretty close" to that of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and vowed to take "a much more tougher-minded, and much more honest approach to the Middle East" if elected.

This'll go well. Seems like all the work done by BO D) on improving relations with middle east will be for nothing if people like him get into power...

I mean I ain't no expert on foreign policy.... but if you don't wanna piss off the arabs... DON'T PISS THEM OFF.