Mitt's phaser set to stun... Rick Santorum you're in so much trouble...
Of course by phaser I mean Super PAC and by stun I mean pay out massive amounts of money to say mean things on national television.
So things didn't go so great for Romney a couple of Tuesdays back (7th Feb). Rick Santorum took the Minnesota caucus with a massive 44.8% of the vote leaving Romney far behind with a disappointing 16.9% and in Colorado nudged just ahead of Romney with 40% to Romney's 35% - and by doing so wins delegates for that state who will go on to vote at the national Republican convention in the summer. Santorum also won with a landslide 55.2% in Missouri, who regardless of not having any delegates up for grabs (they decide their delegates later on) still went ahead with a vote anyway, many assuming they just like the press attention.
Sure he cares about 100% of American's, unless your a woman, a homosexual, an Atheist, a Muslim, a single mother... etc... etc...
Despite Romney still being favourite for nomination, Santorum's wins could be put down to the fact that these states are traditionally made up of very conservative, very Christian Republicans. Romney, who is a Mormon as well as being thought of as a moderate, if only because what he says contradicts his actions as Governor of Massachusetts, and the inevitable hate campaign that has made Gingrich very unpopular with housewives the nation over, has made Santorum seem like the most viable candidate. For the people of Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota its a bit like picking thrush over claymidia, because at least you know can predict and diagnose thrush. Ron Paul didn't do too bad either, coming in second place in Minnesota.
However, Paul did lose a little momentum having narrowly lost out to Romney in Maine, an area where Paul has a big following, 39% to 36%. Though Paul, ever the optimist, exclaimed that it was so close it was almost a tie. It was essential for Romney to win Maine after the losses he's suffered earlier in the week.
Turn out was slightly up on last year but it hasn't stopped people from analysing the crap out of it. Despite there being little or no correlation between apathy towards electing a nominee and the outcome of the actual national election, people have continued to discuss what low turn out might mean, and what high turnout might mean, well that's politics for you. All in all, the only useful piece of information I can deduce is that a lower turn out seems to mean landslide wins for Romney. Most Republican's assume that he will win the nomination. Its estimated that around 80% of Republican's would rather have a nominee who is likely to beat Obama i.e. moderate and Pokemon fan Mitt 'gotta catch 'em all' Romney, therefore labelling him the frontrunner. In states where its inevitable that he will win, apathy is high among registered Republicans and turnout is low – thus Romney wins. If there's the slightest inkling that he might lose, as there was in South Carolina, turnout rises as people believe they have more influence over the vote – thus Romney most likely loses. I hope I haven't lost you there, I'm a bit confused myself... Anyhow, Gingrich and Santorum decided not to campaign in Maine but still came out with a small percentage of the vote.
Meanwhile, all the mudslinging and arguing about who's more conservative, who's more concerned about the poor, who's paying his taxes, who's fucking his secretary, who's going senile etc... Obama is up in the polls. Pitted against Romney, Obama is seen to care more about the middle classes. Obama was never going to be a revolutionary. The establishment, let alone his upbringing, would never let him, and he was never going to bring economic prosperity to everyone over night, but if anyone's could land the metaphorical plane in the storm it's him. After all, America simply has to look towards the UK to see that a jump to the right in government while in the middle of economic 'recovery' will only serve to steer the plane into the side of a mountain. There are many of us in Britain who can see the impending cliff side and I know a handful of swing voters who wish they'd listened to me when I warned them that after 13 years in opposition the Tories missed a fat pay-check and their fat cat friends who only appear when their in power - they're not really interested in protecting the public from economic decline.
Furthermore, economic recovery isn't just about policy, its about consistency, and spending the first couple of years in office undoing everything from progress in women's rights, gay rights and healthcare seems to be higher on the agenda for conservative Republican's like Gingrich and Santorum than actually getting the country out of recession, which is likely to waste more time money than their spending cuts will ever save.
The candidates move on to Arizona and Michigan, and we'll know what happens there on the 28th. Romney could lose this one with Santorum hot on his heels and gathering conservative momentum.
Once Romney's biggest threat, now Gingrich appears to have been sidelined completely after being battered to death by Romney and the power of the Super PAC, bombarding people with Gingrich's adultery, ethical violations as Speaker in Congress and his undignified resignation. His unpopularity has reached new heights with many urging him to drop out and give his support to Santorum. Now, whether Santorum can win the loyalty of conservative voters in the long run and beat Romney to become candidate, or Romney's mighty wallet and that of his filthy rich friend's comes down and squashes Santorum like a bug is a story that is still playing out.
The latest attack ads from both sides...
But one thing's for sure, the longer this battle continues the easier and more baby-like sleep will become for President Obama.
And I leave you with the controversial, yet honest, comedian Bill Maher in a clip from his show back in October. Hypocrisy is rife in the Republican party... right down to the very belief system they use as a front for their prejudices.. FYI 'The pizza guy' Maher is referring to here is nominee drop-out, one time Tea Party favourite and proven serial groper Herman Cain who once owned a Pizza Chain in the US which he returned to profitability after axing thousands of jobs...
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