Democracy in America

American politics

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Newt Hampshire

Dec 24th 2011, 16:05 by The Economist online

Readers' comments

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Donah

So vocznoo ?? WHIowa didn´t prove anything.... not to me... From the minute I scrutinized Newt´s face from the photographs some length of time ago.. none of the other contender wheeled me over... So my Q izzz: Vodznoo ?? (I´m not Jew, Jewish .. I´m Navajo.... and French.... all just "pure" blood... I play with wordz...).. So it´s still Hasta Luego... ´See you later, friend.. !!

My "religion"..?? ´Is not about faith NÓR M O N E Y !! It´s abt REALITY...
I was going to give my life for the human race... (WW2).. helpt knock (semi pure Jew Hitler and his gonchos) off the planet.. I dislike religion for fact that it´s commercially cannibalized... except Catholism which - on this island - is not commerciallized.. Folks here are not overly - and visually - "faithful".. they go to church whenever they feel like.. beat a cross every when passing a church or being passed by an ambulance speeding full blast so every moving vehicle hits for the sidewalk... (God is Great... nobody gets hit or killed !! Maria takes care of everything... ´leave a few sheckles for the poor...!!!)

And the "REALITY" of how to get America back to being RESPECTED all over the world..!! Islam and Christianity used to live in peace with and next eachother... REMEMBER !!? And then came Luther and Calvin and the other freak monk.. Now they are at each other´s throat... by reason of fanatalism from all sides... and "fake Jews" meddling on centre field... OYL !!

So, I´m waiting for America to come to its senses that we all are PEOPLE, who came to be in this universe by chemical reactions and not by God Allmighty... to be cherished for the Love of Jesus... and no-one is special.. except for his/her trade... I don´t want America to be "Jezus Freak Born-Again" or "African-American Superior Freed Black Slaves" or Jewish or Islamic... I want America to again be what is was not so long ago... The Land of the Free... where buffalo and wild horses roam.. AND opportunity for ALL and not just a FEW...

I´m a non-believer (religiously) .. I´m Donah..//

Fifth Horseman

Newt, if nothing else, is the poster boy for American "democracy", a system composed of intellectual whores vying to sell their souls to the highest bidder.

RestrainedRadical

Santorum just surged past Newt on Intrade. My prediction that Santorum prob won't survive Iowa and Newt will survive until South Carolina might be reversed. When all is said and done, Santorum can come in #2 behind Romney.

umghhh

Strangely enough in majority of cases you get what you deserve and your more or less elected govs/parliament members/sheriffs are an essence of the society as it was at the polling day. Thus I am in no worry and quite certain that US Americans will be given a choice between current not so functional but at least half way reasonable Obama and some lunatic from far right. In certain perspective that may be good, sort of wake up call but possibly there is nobody to be waken up anymore on the other side of the pond? Let see and have a good laugh...

LibDem Curmudgeon

Newt is a television personality. However, being good on television is not necessarily a prerequisite for being a good leader. Beyond the scandals, his penchant for talking far too much and his gargantuan ego, he has shown a total lack of organisational skill. Is America really ready for random government?

Dr Alan Phillips Sr.

MITT ROMNEY IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT NOT PASTOR
When a pastor is chosen by a congregation his doctrinal views are carefully examined prior to his approval as a pastoral candidate. Since I have personally endorsed Mitt Romney in his candidacy for President, being an evangelical an explanation is warranted. I am not in agreement with his differing views of my religious doctrinal positions. Yet the summary of my position is simple and easy to understand. Mitt Romney is running for President not Pastor, his theological views are not being examined in his quest for office.
John Kennedy faced this challenge as a Catholic seeking the same office in 1960. Reverend Herbert Meza, a Presbyterian chaired nominee Kennedy’s appearance before some 300 ministers and a similar number of observers. His speech was honestly presented and dealt with this question comprehensively for all present to hear. His response in as relevant today as it was in the past.
“I believe in an America where the separation of Church and State is absolute-where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be a Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote-where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference-and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him…
That is the kind of America in which I believe-And it represents the kind of Presidency in which I believe-a great office that must be neither humbled by making it the instrument of any religious group, nor tarnished by arbitrary withholding its occupancy from members of any religious group. I believe in a President whose views on religion are his own private affairs, neither imposed upon him by the nation or imposed upon him as a condition to holding that office…
If my church attempted to influence me in any way which was improper or which affected adversely my responsibilities as a public servant, sworn to uphold the Constitution, then I would reply to them that this was an improper action on their part, that it was one to which I could not subscribe, that I was opposed to it, and that it would be an unfortunate breech-an interference with the American political system. I am confident there will be no such interference.” Kennedy further stated if he found any conflict between his conscience and the responsibility of the Presidency, he would resign the office.
John F. Kennedy was running for President, not to be made a clergyman. So is Mitt Romney. Alan Phillips
Bloomington, IL

jihugftdrs

A Newt?
.... I got better!
BURN! BURN!

This is what goes through my head every time I hear the name of the I-hope-to-Christ-not next president of the United States.

SamuelPrime

Maybe Gingrich was at one point, but now that he has not even made the 10,000 minimum signatures needed to get on the Virginian ballot makes one wonder how reliable those polls are that put him in the front. (Perry also failed to get on the ballot.) However, Romney and Paul appear to have made it in Virginia.

Connect The Dots

Newt has no campaign staff. No spokespersons. No plan for a national campaign. No fundraising apparatus. No donors list. And he tends to disappear on warm resort vacation junkets and cruises during critical junctures.

He does not have a plan beyond Iowa and New Hampshire. South Carolina is an afterthought. And Greece is not an American State. He thinks this is brief sprint when it is a marathon.

This short term perspective will suffer as campaigns shift to nation wide scope. Newt's campaign is as in fit shape as his flabby, morbidly obese body. Dick Cheney may be in better health.

jouris in reply to Connect The Dots

Not having a campaign staff (or rather, having only a sketchy one, having had the first crew quit earlier) is merely a function of not being a serious candidate. And, on the evidence, Newt did not consider himself a serious candidate . . . until he became the not-Romeny flavor-of-the-month, no doubt as much to his surprise as anyone else's.

That being the case, it is hardly surprising that he has no long-term plans yet. And, given that he has just failed to qualify for the ballot in Virginia, it's probably too late for it to be worthwhile to put any in place.

The question in my mind is, will the anybody-but-Romney crowd be willing to go with Paul (who tends to disagree with them on lots and lots of ideological points)? Or will they figure out that Newt is not going to work out for them either, and look yet again at the field?

If they do, I guess we get to see whether they are willing to accept a Mormon (in which case Huntsman could get a nod), or whether they decide to work, hard, for a brokered convention, in the hopes that someone they like comes out of it.

teacup775 in reply to jouris

Who do the Republicans turn to really or what can they like? Ideologically, they're ridiculing or questioning their very own policies of a few decades ago. What Republican base can't come to grips with is that they themselves are as dependent on a debt driven economy, which has consumed its own seed corn. They don't know how to function in a non debt way any better than the Left they treasure criticizing.

Ron Paul, as well meaning as he seems, has put a finger on a problem but wants to reverse a bandaid caused by the problem in the first place, and even if elected would be an instant Carter-lame-duck, as Carter became when he gored too many treasured oxen.

Issues of policy and dubious "job creating" credentials, aside, Romney still strikes me as somebody with a reasonable temperament for governance, not that I think one administration or the other can stave off the trajectory the world economy is going in. One way or another billions of people are going to get pooched soon enough.

ExDub

...A Newt?
.... I got better!
BURN! BURN!

This is what goes through my head every time I hear the name of the I-hope-to-Christ-not next president of the United States.

About Democracy in America

In this blog, our correspondents share their thoughts and opinions on America's kinetic brand of politics and the policy it produces. The blog is named after the study of American politics and society written by Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political scientist, in the 1830s

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