tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post5432812402319329920..comments2024-03-28T04:08:06.986-05:00Comments on Althouse: Romney says: “Zany is not what we need in a president.”Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-85028896877228876532011-12-15T10:37:46.854-06:002011-12-15T10:37:46.854-06:00Zany?
What about madcap?
I want a madcap preside...Zany?<br /><br />What about madcap?<br /><br />I want a madcap president!<br /><br />Sorry, Andy R., not that type of madcap.Wincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15002449963597087316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-23821787734262048922011-12-15T08:52:43.632-06:002011-12-15T08:52:43.632-06:00I don't know Bruce. Let me try this example. P...I don't know Bruce. Let me try this example. Prez Obama says Americans have gotten lazy and so we have not gone after jobs etc across the globe. If I am running for president, I respond "Mr. president- isn't that also the role of the Commerce Dept and if so, wtf has it been doing?"I'm Full of Souphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00241724007440718575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-5474593333502126242011-12-15T07:42:51.049-06:002011-12-15T07:42:51.049-06:00Some of the problems we have with our federal gove...<i>Some of the problems we have with our federal government right now are system wide, but some are department or agency wide.</i><br /><br />Whoever wins the GOP nomination and then the WH;<br /><br />1) Convince Ron Paul to serve as a cabinet member<br />2) Make him the head of each department your want to close and give him a year to do so before moving to the next one.<br />3) ???<br />4) Profit.Scott Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02459388007426664813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-59773958888136102802011-12-15T04:23:51.273-06:002011-12-15T04:23:51.273-06:00I agree we need a turnaround artist desperately an...<i>I agree we need a turnaround artist desperately and Romney seems perfectly suited for that. Yet why hasn't Romney shown us even a hint of what he has planned?</i><br /><br />I think that this is really hard to do here. What would be easy is to say that he would create this commission or that task group. But beyond that? <br /><br />What Romney was famous for was immersing himself in the details of a company enough that he understood what needed to be changed or fixed to turn it around. Different strategies for different situations. Some of the problems we have with our federal government right now are system wide, but some are department or agency wide. For example, the systemic corruption that Eric Holder has introduced into the Department of Justice needs root level pruning, including the firing of a number of the most recently recruited career attorneys, which is going to be excessively difficult, given their civil service protections. <br /><br />Which gets into another problem - the sorts of things that need to be done don't make good sound bites, and no one is really interested in the sorts of policy papers that would result from an extensive discussion of fixing our federal government. It just doesn't make very good campaign fodder, and at this point would likely take away from any campaign messages that a candidate is trying to get out there.Bruce Haydenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10815293023158025662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-32925887833253630382011-12-14T22:23:55.144-06:002011-12-14T22:23:55.144-06:00JohnJ:
I agree we need a turnaround artist desper...JohnJ:<br /><br />I agree we need a turnaround artist desperately and Romney seems perfectly suited for that. Yet why hasn't Romney shown us even a hint of what he has planned?I'm Full of Souphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00241724007440718575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-60147055878348433622011-12-14T22:22:17.540-06:002011-12-14T22:22:17.540-06:00If Newt were president, he'd ride triumphantly...If Newt were president, he'd ride triumphantly back into DC and the first thing he'd do is re-assure all his old cronies and all the bureaucrats that "don't worry, your job is safe, we are just gonna tune things up and make everything more efficient". Then he'd install one of those consulting firms to "analyze" the fed govt, pay them big bucks, and when he got their report, he'd file it the same place Obama filed the Simpson-Bowles report.I'm Full of Souphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00241724007440718575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-21241178122540316642011-12-14T22:12:09.471-06:002011-12-14T22:12:09.471-06:00I feel strange defending Newt so much, but to simp...I feel strange defending Newt so much, but to simple tell it like it is requires a comment that Newt really is a good historian.<br /><br />He does rough house electoral politics and lectures on many history subjects without missing a beat. His income also comes from Historical Fiction books.<br /><br />He graduated from a College in Atlanta with a fine History Department and went on to get a Phd and teach history at the college level.<br /><br />Southerners take their history seriously. I knew his history Professors in college, where Newt was 2 years ahead of me.<br /><br />I remember meeting one of my old college history Professors at a reception honoring the 50th year since the publication in 1947 of a fine History by an Emory Graduate named James Mackay called "Who Runs Georgia". That was an intellectual bombshell for its time coming after WWII as the south began to make its changes. And that Professor remembered me well from 30 years earlier.traditionalguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05706120413005530014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-36707437902539661362011-12-14T18:57:06.215-06:002011-12-14T18:57:06.215-06:00Dane, can you point out any instance where the gre...Dane, can you point out any instance where the greater good of the Republic and the greater good of Newt Gingrich did not completely coincide. Newt, not Romney, is the Republican Clinton. He's got a knack for presenting his selfishness as a higher form of morality.....Next to Howard Zinn, Gingrich is a great historian. Not so much when compared with other historians. I agree with C4 that Romney's statement was probably meant sarcastically. However, it's telling that Althouse (and, for that matter, me) didn't catch it. A Presidential candidate needs to paint in large, bold strokes, not with dainty points of snark.....Did Romney coordinate his "zany" comment with Maureen Dowd? Her column today, detailing some of Gingrich's flakier ideas, seems designed to reinforce that meme......I agree with much of what Gingrich says, but I still find him dislikable. I diagree with Ron Paul, but still find him likable. Romney? The charm is too visible, but the raw data of his life indicates that he's sane, smart, and decent.Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07837540030934495651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-70890247279659681802011-12-14T18:46:45.982-06:002011-12-14T18:46:45.982-06:00I am sold - Newt/Romney ticket. Newt to excite th...I am sold - Newt/Romney ticket. Newt to excite the crowds, debate Obama, and bring people out to vote. Romney as the VP/COO to restrain the more zany ideas and execute the program. He's still young enough to run for the top slot in 4 or 8 years.Mark CAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11956295019975196462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-84206719927729352642011-12-14T18:37:59.941-06:002011-12-14T18:37:59.941-06:00Spending your life in politics isn't necessari...Spending your life in politics isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, if it leads you to say things like this:<br /><br />"I would just say that if Gov. Romney would like to give back all of the money he's earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain, that I would be glad to listen to him. I'll bet you $10, not $10,000, that he won't take the offer."<br /><br />If you are that ignorant of how the free enterprise system works, such that you think consulting firms "bankrupt" companies, then yes, you've been in Washington too long and are seriously out of touch. Frankly, you can hardly call yourself a conservative.Writ Smallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17956452269460626177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-87424748027588685302011-12-14T18:24:01.721-06:002011-12-14T18:24:01.721-06:00"Maybe we can get Freeman Hunt to regale us a..."Maybe we can get Freeman Hunt to regale us again with how Romney is a conservative because he balanced the budget in Massachusetts like the governors of 49 other states!"<br /><br />Forty nine states have balananced budget <i>amendments.</i><br /><br />Guess how many states have balanced budgets in FY2011?<br /><br />Answer: Four.<br /><br />The more you know (musical rainbow).Writ Smallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17956452269460626177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-46508515925483757612011-12-14T18:22:10.576-06:002011-12-14T18:22:10.576-06:00Obama was great at campaigning
That's the myth...<i>Obama was great at campaigning<br /></i>That's the myth, but Joe the Plumber tripped him up pretty easily (no reporter would, of course). Some people were predisposed to swoon over him.Ralph Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07915708905660273961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-44723473744424270512011-12-14T18:08:24.731-06:002011-12-14T18:08:24.731-06:00Campaigning and vote getting doesn't seem to b...<i>Campaigning and vote getting doesn't seem to be a good measure of competence.</i><br /><br />And sometimes they <i>don't</i>.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-16850546915843757102011-12-14T18:00:26.237-06:002011-12-14T18:00:26.237-06:00Ryan's good qualities? A null set as it were....Ryan's good qualities? A null set as it were.<br /><br /><i>con usura</i>Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11567400697675996283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-59965473137206824942011-12-14T17:59:15.881-06:002011-12-14T17:59:15.881-06:00When Romney says Newt is zany, he actually means t...When Romney says Newt is zany, he actually means that Newt is erratic and flaky. "Great historian" translates to a guy with a Phd who has made a living teaching history. In both cases Romney is just being nice.Steve Kochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13077530042599697923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-82453064957684282952011-12-14T17:56:46.723-06:002011-12-14T17:56:46.723-06:00Obama was great at campaigning.
Campaigning and v...Obama was great at campaigning.<br /><br />Campaigning and vote getting doesn't seem to be a good measure of competence.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-90294924593481593132011-12-14T17:49:14.400-06:002011-12-14T17:49:14.400-06:00Romney is such a competent manager that after more...Romney is such a competent manager that after more than five years of running hard for president, he still has never gotten more than 20-25 percent support, and most of that rather lukewarm support.<br /><br />He is so competent that he has managed to not get anyone really all that excited about him.Benderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09322135500288738561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-38763745912502305632011-12-14T17:48:56.864-06:002011-12-14T17:48:56.864-06:00Romney hasn't spent his life working in govern...<i>Romney hasn't spent his life working in government . . . like Paul Ryan has.</i><br /><br />That's not one of Paul Ryan's good qualities. His good qualities, however, entirely outweigh that and more.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-31135793412987740422011-12-14T17:44:02.693-06:002011-12-14T17:44:02.693-06:00Romney hasn't spent his life working in govern...Romney hasn't spent his life working in government . . . like Paul Ryan has.Benderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09322135500288738561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-39547113336818558042011-12-14T17:32:21.462-06:002011-12-14T17:32:21.462-06:00That's funny; I automatically assumed that &qu...That's funny; I automatically assumed that "zany" referred to Ron Paul.<br /><br />By the way, he (Ron Paul, that is) should really use Billy Joel's "You May Be Right" in his campaign somehow.kristinintexashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10646872803905507880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-88101153717313886532011-12-14T17:31:21.938-06:002011-12-14T17:31:21.938-06:00The traditional GOP-bots don't discuss Newt...The traditional GOP-bots don't discuss Newt's actual record--such as de-reg, Enron, dismantling the New Deal, and, initially, support of the moral majority. Then, the yokeltariat considers those points in Newt's favor. <br /><br />Mericans get what they deserveJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11567400697675996283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-57304927337398643172011-12-14T17:30:30.547-06:002011-12-14T17:30:30.547-06:00Newt Gingrich is no conservative
That's a dec...<a href="http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/article/newt-gingrich-no-conservative" rel="nofollow">Newt Gingrich is no conservative</a><br /><br />That's a decent rundown of what I'm talking about.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-45663475614518943592011-12-14T17:29:55.055-06:002011-12-14T17:29:55.055-06:00I'll stipulate Romney knows about the economy ...I'll stipulate Romney knows about the economy if I find out he didn't lose money in the Panic of 2008. I'm sure he knows about private industry, but it's government that fucked things up, and it will only make things worse without the radical changes that Europe and the Democrat party are incapable of.Ralph Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07915708905660273961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-91720394091509483202011-12-14T17:29:38.424-06:002011-12-14T17:29:38.424-06:00I thought you were going to give us evidence that ...I thought you were going to give us evidence that Gingrich is conservative.<br /><br />I already wrote that Romney is not conservative. Neither is Gingrich.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-73444624173938699812011-12-14T17:29:24.313-06:002011-12-14T17:29:24.313-06:00Romney is a competent manager and turn-around arti...Romney is a competent manager and turn-around artist at a moment when we frankly need quite a few things turned around. I'm surprised that pundits only recently have begun to recognize that his particular talents perfectly fit the times. (See, for example, Holman Jenkins' opinion piece in today's WSJ online). <br /><br />In combination with a Republican Congress (and maybe even Senate), a Romney administration has the potential to accomplish a great deal: Taking on entitlements; experimenting with health care solutions at the state level; appointing constructionists or "originalists" to the courts (as I understand those two terms); a strong but sober foreign policy; a notably friendlier business environment; and, something that often is overlooked, a certain restrained style to the presidency that can only be reassuring to those who have begun to question the priorities of golf outings, tournament brackets, talk shows, hip-hop, and the latest plot developments on "Entourage."<br /><br />Romney is not the second coming of Reagan. But then no one could be because Reagan has become myth.JohnJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12165814160732894810noreply@blogger.com