Presidential Election - Publictrough

Is Herman Cain A Viable Presidential Candidate?

October 6, 2011 By Editor Leave a Comment

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Was Herman Cain’s resounding first place finish in the Florida Straw Poll (Cain 37%; Rick Perry – 15%; Mitt Romney – 14%) a sign that Republicans believe in his candidacy? Or, did his win reflect voter dissatisfaction with his rivals?

Mr. Cain has done extremely well in recent debates and, other than a few missteps (openly admitting his lack of foreign policy knowledge, for example), has adroitly handled media interviews. Plus, most of his policy positions align nicely with the influential tea party movement:

National Security: Cain considers protecting the people as the President’s primary duty. Further, he vows to ensure that our military and all of our security agencies are strong and capable.
Spending: A deficit hawk, he promises that every federal agency, program and expenditure will be reviewed and revised with a keen eye and a red pen.

Immigration: Cain favors securing our borders, enforcing our laws and promoting the existing path to citizenship.
Energy: He believes the Left has forced excessive environmental regulations that have stifled domestic energy production and forced Americans to rely too heavily upon foreign oil.
Health Care: Cain feels the role of the federal government is to encourage economic growth by ensuring conditions that will allow businesses to thrive, not just survive.
Economy: He wants to repeal and replace Obamacare with patient-centered, free market reforms.

Finally, Mr. Cain’s “999″ plan — which calls for a 9% business flat tax, a 9% individual flat tax, and a 9% national sales tax — truly excites fiscal conservatives. Cain sees this shift from taxes on income to taxes on consumption as the first step to implementing the long desired “Fair Tax,” and alleviating the $430 billion burden that tax compliance, enforcement, collection imposes on the US economy.

Critics on both the right and left worry that Cain’s plan would significantly boost taxes on the working poor, and question the impact a national sales tax would have on strapped state and local governments which rely on the same type of taxes.

Cain’s lack of government experience also concerns many. Washington isn’t a hospitable environment for on-the-job training, particularly with the myriad of social, economic and foreign crises we now face. And, unlike his days running Godfathers Pizza, his “underlings” won’t unquestioningly follow every directive. He’ll have to get up to speed quickly on political power plays, back room deals and, yes, even compromise.

So, is Herman Cain a viable candidate for President of the United States? So far, so good.

But he shouldn’t count his pizzas before they’re cooked.

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Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: Herman Cain, presidential campaign, Presidential Election

Why Are Ron Paul’s Poll Numbers Improving?

September 20, 2011 By Editor 1 Comment

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Once considered a “fringe” presidential candidate, Texas Congressman Ron Paul is suddenly being taken seriously by voters and the media alike.

After finishing second to Michelle Bachmann in the recent Iowa straw poll, and having climbed into third in most polls of republican candidates (behind Rick Perry and Mitt Romney), Paul has become a force to be reckoned with. His poll numbers are improving.

So, why the sudden surge in popularity? Is it due to Paul’s debating skills or slick packaging by his handlers?

Or, could it be due to the electorate’s realization that our country faces some of the most severe economic, monetary, and security problems in its history, and Paul’s proposals for addressing them make more sense than that of any other candidate?

Unlike many of his competitors, Paul is very specific about how he would resolve our country’s many woes. According to his Ron Paul for President website, the ten-term congressman would do the following as president:

On the Economy

Veto any unbalanced budget submitted by Congress.
Refuse to raise the debt ceiling so politicians can no longer spend recklessly.
Fully audit (and then end) the Federal Reserve System, which continues to create money out of thin air to finance future debt.
End the corporate stranglehold on the White House.
Reduce gas prices by allowing offshore drilling, abolish highway motor fuel taxes, increase the mileage reimbursement rates, and offer tax credits for the use and production of natural gas vehicles.
Eliminate income, capital gains, and death taxes.

On Healthcare

Repeal ObamaCare and end its unconstitutional mandate that all Americans must carry only government-approved health insurance.
Allow purchase of health insurance across state lines.
Provide tax credits and deductions for all medical expenses.
Exempt those with terminal illnesses from the employee portion of payroll taxes.
Give a payroll deduction to any worker who is the primary caregiver for a spouse, parent, or child with a terminal illness.
Guarantee that Medicare and Medicaid funds are not raided for other purposes.
Make all Americans eligible for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and remove government-imposed barriers to obtaining HSAs.

On National Defense

Secure our national borders.
Avoid expensive land wars by using constitutional means to capture or kill terrorist leaders who attack the U.S. and plot further attacks.
End the nation-building that is increasing our debt and sacrificing the lives of our troops.
Follow the Constitution by asking Congress to declare war before one is waged.
Only send our military into conflict with a clear mission and the tools they need to accomplish it.
Ensure our veterans receive the care, benefits, and honors they have earned when they return.
Revitalize the military for the 21st century by eliminating waste in the military budget.
Stop giving rich dictators taxpayer money through foreign aid.

Are Ron Paul’s positions extreme? Some think so.

But, in an age of $1.5 trillion annual budget deficits (with 41 cents of every dollar spent
being borrowed), and a national debt in excess of $14 trillion (with $4 trillion having been added in the last 30 months alone), maybe not that extreme.

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Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: congress, debt, defense, deficit, economic, economy, military, numbers, poll, Presidential Election, resolve, ron paul

Mitt Romney Will Be The Anointed One

September 13, 2011 By Editor 2 Comments

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After losing the 2008 Republican presidential primary to Senator John McCain, Mitt Romney appears well positioned to secure the 2012 nomination. Based upon past party practice, he will be the Republican nominee.

The former Massachusetts Governor had won 11 primaries and caucuses, tallied over 4.7 million votes, and secured 280 delegates during the ’08 campaign. And, the Republican party has long been suspected of anointing the “heir apparent” with its presidential nomination.

In 2008, McCain’s campaign was all but broke that summer. Despite Romney’s success in the primaries, McCain was anointed. It’s now Romney’s turn.

Not that Romney’s credentials aren’t impressive. A Brigham Young grad who earned a Harvard law and MBA degree, he become an extremely effective businessman. After a series of successes with Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, Romney co-founded and ran Bain Capital, a private equity firm that grew to be one of the nation’s largest.

Romney then served as President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and turned a projected loss of $379 million into a profit of $100 million. He broke the record for the most private money raised by an individual for an Olympic Games, and personally contributed $1 million.

Romney was then elected Governor to Massachusetts — a rare achievement for a Republican — and took a $3 billion state deficit to a $600 million surplus in three years. But one of his self-proclaimed greatest accomplishments as Governor — the Massachusetts Health Reform Law — now haunts him as pursues the presidency.

The law mandated that every resident have health insurance, whether provided by an employer or the government or purchased individually. Sound familiar? It certainly makes Romney’s strident opposition to “ObamaCare” ring hollow.

In addition, Romney assured Massachusetts residents that the plan would provide universal health coverage while controlling costs. In fact, he wrote the following in the Wall Street Journal, “Every uninsured citizen in Massachusetts will soon have affordable health insurance and the costs of health care will be reduced.”

To date, “RomneyCare” has done neither. Between half and two-thirds of those uninsured before the plan was implemented remain so, while this year’s projected cost of $1.8 billion is expected to reach $1.95 billion. And over the next 10 years, the plan is projected to cost $2 billion more than was budgeted.

Despite the perceived hypocrisy, Romney continues to call for the repeal of ObamaCare while refusing to admit that the Massachusetts law was a mistake. He maintains that healthcare reform should be done on the state level, and blames many of RomneyCare’s problems on his successor’s implementation of the program.

It’s a tough position for the former Governor to sell, and very likely won’t add to a long string of successes. But, we predict, based upon past nominations, Romney is the one.

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Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, Olympics, Presidential Election

Rick Perry Is Not A Suitable Candidate For President

September 6, 2011 By Editor Leave a Comment

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Riding in on his white stallion, Rick Perry has quickly ascended to the top of the 2012 GOP presidential polls.

Despite his late entry into the race, the August RealClearPolitics.com average of six leading presidential polls showed Perry with a 5 point lead over Mitt Romney, his nearest rival. In fact, the August 25th CNN/Opinion Research poll credited Perry with a 13 point lead (Perry – 27, Romney – 14, Palin – 10, Bachmann – 9).

So, will another former Texas Governor take residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

On the country’s most pressing issue — unemployment — Perry can make an impressive case. Since June, 2009, over 40% of all net new US jobs were created in Texas. The Governor maintains his pro-growth agenda which included tax cuts, incentives for new technologies, strong tort reforms, and investments in education is largely responsible for the state’s thriving economy.

But, Rick Perry has no shortage of critics. Opponents, including many Republicans, point to a number of factors which may trouble conservatives, and ultimately undermine his candidacy:

Since Perry assumed office, state spending has nearly doubled from $49 billion in 2000 to approximately $90 billion in 2010. This contradicts his “reduce the size of government” theme.
Despite the number of new jobs created, 23 states have a lower unemployment rate than Texas (8.2% in August).
Texas’s total debt has increased 281% during Perry’s tenure (from $13.4 billion in 2001 to $34 billion in 2010).
Perry received $37 million over 10 years from just 150 donors (over a third of the $102 million he had raised as governor). Almost half of those donors received big contracts, tax breaks or appointments during Perry’s tenure.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9.5% of hourly-paid workers in Texas are paid at or below minimum wage (the national percentage is 6.0%).
Perry’s overt religious faith and often stated belief in “intelligent design” make many moderates uncomfortable. He is strongly pro-life, opposes public funding of elective abortions, and supports amending the Texas constitution to define marriage as “only a union between a man and a women.”
The state’s educational performance is poor. Texas has the lowest percentage of adults with high school diplomas, is 49th in verbal SAT scores and 46th in average math SAT scores.
A former Democrat, Perry served as Al Gore’s campaign chairman in the state of Texas in 1988.

So is Rick Perry the GOP’s best bet to beat Barack Obama in 2012? When all the facts are considered, Republican primary voters may not want to “mess with Texas.”

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Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: economy, Presidential Election, Rick Perry, Texas

Why Does The Media Ignore Ron Paul While Paying Attention To Tim Pawlenty?

July 12, 2011 By Editor Leave a Comment

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Garnering media attention is the lifeblood of any presidential campaign. For positive poll results, and the critical campaign contributions that flow from them, face time crucial to any aspiring candidate.

So, why do certain presidential candidates generate more coverage than others? For example, why is Texas Congressman Ron Paul largely ignored by the media while former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is not?

It’s certainly not because Paul isn’t accomplished or controversial. A ten-term Congressman, retired obstetrician (who delivered over 4,000 babies) and strict constitutionalist, Paul was nicknamed “Dr. No” by his colleagues both for his medical degree and for his promise never to vote for any measure not expressly authorized by the constitution.

Devotion to the constitution wins no points with the media, given their ambivalence to President Obama’s selective adherence (not seeking Congressional approval for military action in Libya, continuing to implement Obamacare despite the law’s individual mandate being declared unconstitutional by US District Court Judge Roger Vinson, etc.).

But, Paul’s opposition to the Iraq invasion (he voted against the 2002 Iraq War Resolution) should curry some media favor. Paul is staunchly noninterventionist, and a vigorous defender of US national sovereignty. He advocates withdraw from NATO and the UN, increased border security, denial of welfare to illegal aliens, and the end of birthright citizenship. Plus, he’d like to eliminate most federal bureaucracies, along with the Federal Reserve.

Governor Pawlenty is more of a mainstream conservative, who favors low taxes, limited government, free trade, expanded domestic oil production and gun owner rights, and opposes abortion on demand, nationalized healthcare, same-sex marriage and premature withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Though not as extreme as some of Congressman Paul’s Libertarian stances, Governor Pawlenty’s views are strongly opposed by many in the mainstream media. So, again, why is he covered more extensively?

Could it be that Pawlenty’s a better orator than Paul? Or, that the media is more practiced at attacking Pawlenty’s positions than Paul’s? Or, that Pawlenty’s not perceived as being much of a threat to defeat President Obama? It’s a difficult question.

Almost as difficult as facing the fact that some of Paul’s “extreme” positions are precisely what are needed to correct many of our country’s problems.

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Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: 2012, presidential campaign, Presidential Election, presidential race, ron paul, Tim Pawlenty

Donald Trump Is Not A Viable Candidate For President

May 13, 2011 By Editor Leave a Comment

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Business magnate, reality show personality, bestselling author … Donald Trump has succeeded in many pursuits and is a worldwide celebrity because of it. So, can The Donald utilize his carefully nurtured fame to secure the Republican party’s presidential nomination?

We sure hope not.

In an age when celebrity counts as much as experience — especially among younger voters — it’s many conservative’s worst fear.

The simple truth is that Donald Trump is utterly unqualified for the Presidency, and his incoherent ramblings trivialize the debate and detract attention from serious conservative candidates. And, with the fiscal and foreign challenges this country now faces, the last thing America should want in the Oval Office is another egomaniac long on self promotion and short on policy experience.

Not that The Donald would be elected. In fact, having him as the Republican nominee (or, worse yet, a third party candidate) would all but guarantee a second Obama term. Think of the field day the press would have with everything from Trump’s past liberal leanings to his opulent lifestyle to his multiple bankruptcies to his reckless belligerence toward China.

Again, serious times require a serious candidate. A seasoned, well-qualified conservative that can take advantage of the enormous electoral opportunity 2012 presents. For — with the likely continuation of $5 gas, 10% unemployment, $1.5 trillion deficits, wars on three fronts, and Islamic ascendency in the Middle East — one hopes the citizenry will want to change “hope and change”.

To assure that outcome, the Republican should take a page from Trump’s playbook, and speak bluntly about the President’s record. For, in addition to his celebrity status, Trump’s appeal is largely due to his willingness to confront Obama forcefully and directly. (A battle he embarrassingly lost.)

Can you imagine the voter’s response to a Republican nominee asking the President to explain how he’ll prevent the collapse of the dollar instead of demanding that he produce his long-form birth certificate?

The electorate is engaged and concerned.

Far too engaged and concerned to have its intelligence insulted by the nomination of self aggrandizing political neophyte who Karl Rove describes as a “joke candidate.”

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Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: donald trump, Presidential Election

Public Trough’s Presidential Measuring Stick

April 26, 2011 By Editor Leave a Comment

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Five of the most pressing issues a Presidential candidate must address are:

1. How to control, and reduce, the size of the federal government: Federal spending increased from $2.9 trillion in 2008 to $3.55 trillion in 2010. Clearly, the size, scope and cost of government is out-of-control and unsustainable. Our next President must take steps to significantly reduce spending, even at the risk of alienating enough special interest groups, and substantially reduce the size of the federal government.

2. How to protect the country: It’s a dangerous world. We must manage our massive military budget judiciously, and look for ways to economize, but maintain our strength. Maybe we need to be looking at curbing our “policing” of the world, along with the elimination of the was in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

3. How to restore our dollar: As federal spending increased 22% from 2008 to 2010, our budget deficit increased fivefold (from $239 billion to $1.2 trillion!). Soon our total public debt will exceed $14 trillion. This fiscal irresponsibility is severely weakening the dollar, and could threaten its status as the preferred international reserve currency. The President’s ability to control deficit spending will play a critical role in stabilizing the dollar. Maybe we should start with auditing the Federal Reserve.

4. How to improve education: US reading and math scores have been plummeting for years, imperiling our children’s futures and our national competitiveness. The next President must overcome the social, economic and bureaucratic obstacles preventing effective educational reform. Maybe we should start by eliminating the Department of Education and allow states to control their own education systems.

5. How to create jobs: As unemployment continues to hover between 9.5 and 10%, our new President must identify ways to reinvigorate the US economy. Reducing burdensome regulation, eliminating deficit spending and improving our educational system would be great places to start.

What are your thoughts?

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Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: 2012, measuring stick, presidential campaign, Presidential Election, presidential race

Obama Superior to McCain at Presidential Persuasion

October 21, 2008 By Editor 2 Comments

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The greatest power held by a President is his or her ability to persuade. That was the premise of late author Richard E. Neustadt, written in his 1960′s book, Presidential Power.

Neustadt opined that a president only has the power to persuade both the public and congress to enact his vision for America through legislation. Without which, a president may be doomed for failure.

When the public is inspired, we expect congress to respond. And they should, because according to the mandates of our constitution, they’re duty is to represent us, not their own self-interest.

That concept seems to have been lost.

When congress fails to respond, the President, in order to be effective, is required to inspire public sentiment, allowing the energy he creates to influence congressional acts.

Partisanship aside, which presidential candidate has this gift?

Contrary to the “lack of leadership” label bestowed upon him by republicans, Barack Obama possesses a striking power to persuade the public, similar to that of JFK.

Drawing thousands of supporters and curiosity seekers to his public appearances, Obama commands attention. Under a democratic-controlled congress, there may be no need to promote his vision beyond that. The director may simply use his gift to introduce the congressional choir’s next song on the program to his audience.

That arrangement, however, will backfire on the Democrats if their agenda is skewed too far to the left. Moderation always wins.

Despite enviable personal courage, any chance for John McCain to persuade the public is automatically cancelled out by his republican affiliation.

Unjustified wars, more wealth continuously heaved upon the rich, and an economy pointed to disaster, are repugnant to Americans and their ideals. Nobody is really listening to his proclamations.

Instead, at his rallies, his faithful are screaming at him for reform. But they’ve come to realize, that despite their efforts, he doesn’t hear them.

McCain’s perceived disconnect with our generation, even with the addition of young Sarah Palin to the ticket, relegates him to second trombone.

His tired policies are uninspiring to this generation thirsting for innovation and raised in the age of the pervasive power of electronic social networking.

Who wants to pay big money to see the tired Rolling Stones just one more time?

Despite the persuasion of political partisanship, this time, presidential persuasion trumps, because this election represents the political establishment’s final ride on their merry-go-round. The public has declared that it will no longer allow it to operate on their festival grounds.

Once Obama’s plan for America smacks those awakened by the groundswell of unintended constitutionalists, an inspired third party will inevitably emerge to lead this generation, and put the final kibosh on the politics of our two floundering political parties, no matter who bears its standard with all of the qualities to persuade.

That day is coming. Obama and his Democrats are unknowingly taking us down that path to the final chapter of tired politics, as we know it.

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Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: mccain, Obama, power of persuasion, Presidential Election, robert flessas

Keep Digging!

September 6, 2008 By Editor Leave a Comment

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The media keeps on diggin’ in an effort to find as much dirt as possible on McCain’s running mate Sarah Palin. Each word from her acceptance speech is scrutinized by the media.

The latest?

Palin’s statement that she placed the state jet used by former Alaskan Governor Murkowski on Ebay is now being vetted by the media. Apparently, the plane didn’t sell on Ebay. Rather, it sold via an aviation broker for less than it’s original purchase price.

Who cares? The fact is that Governor Palin eliminated a unnecessary state expense that she believed was unjustly dropped in the laps of Alaskan taxpayers.

What’s more important– how the plane was sold, or the fact that is was sold?

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Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Alaska, palin, Presidential Election, sarah palin, state airplane, Vice President

Ventura Questions Government’s Veracity

September 4, 2008 By Editor Leave a Comment

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According to the US Government, who was the mastermind behind the destruction of New York’s World Trade Center during the 911 attacks?

Usama Bin Laden, right?

Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura raised an interesting point during his speech at Ron Paul’s “Campaign for Liberty” convention that operated simultaneously with the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis this week.

According to Ventura, the government accused Bin Laden of the terrorist act, but never indicted him in federal court. Moreover, the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive List” includes Bin Laden, but doesn’t mention his culpability for 911 anywhere.

Ventura surmises that our government justified the Iraq and Afganistan wars by making the 911 connection to Bin Laden as the leader of Al-Qaeda. So, if the government’s theory is true, then why isn’t Bin Laden connected to the act on the FBI’s website?

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Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: 911, government, jesse ventura, Presidential Election

Is Herman Cain A Viable Presidential Candidate?