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The Strange Case of the Self-Destructing GOP
Jon Huntsman, clearly the most electable candidate among the current GOP line-up is lucky if he breaks 3% support among primary voters. The campaign of Newt Gingrich, once seen as a GOP powerhouse with the brains and wit to out-debate even the President, is in zombie mode. Flatlined, but still walking. Meanwhile the only voice of reason in the line-up, Mitt Romney, who’s bizarrely managing to shake off charges of outright insincerity is being buffeted by the latest flavor of the month – if they last that long. Bachmann, Perry and now Cain have shown that in the eyes of the GOP faithful at least, Romney is a man in whom they have little faith.
Why is the GOP so incapable of choosing someone to take on President Obama? After all, the economy is in the toilet, and the White House has played its political cards so cautiously that now there’s out and out rebellion on the far left and right, which both crave an economic populism that Obama is only now, belatedly, beginning to deliver.
The answer is that the leadership of the GOP has become utterly decoupled from its voters, both in the mainstream and the ‘base’. There’s been a headlong flight to independent status among voters, which it looks increasingly likely – after a shaky summer – that Obama will be able to control.
For all its messaging skills, the GOP’s is no longer the once vaunted election-winning machine it was. And there’s not much that Rove, Luntz, Fox and other sundry messaging gurus can do about it.
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Jon Huntsman campaign nearly broke – Political Hotsheet – CBS News
Former Utah governor’s campaign vows to continue despite having just $327,000 on hand and $890,000 in debt Read more by Brian Montopoli on CBS News’ Political Hotsheet.
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Winter Comes To Egypt. The Army's Coup is Complete
The most sobering element of all this is the blow-back from fifty years of insitutionalized anti-semitic and anti-Israeli propaganda designed to distract a restive, no-hope society from the failures of Arab nationalism and subsequently Neo-liberalism.
The Army doesn't want hostilities renewed against Israel, which Egyptian society is clearly hot for in their socially engineered naivete. The Army has lots of toys – mostly courtesy of the US, and the last thing they want to do is waste them on a war with Israel. So the Army brass has decided – in its gilded wisdom – that the only way to prevent hostilities is to maintain control of the levers of government and make no bones about it. Their long term plan is simple. To emulate, in their own small way, the Chinese People's Liberation Army, probably the single most powerful force for economic imperialism known to man.
A hoped for, if secondary, by-product of the officer elite feathering its nest will be an adequate stream of wealth to the uniformed soldier, and a tiny trickle down to the unwashed mass. Just so they can eat. Maybe
Repression, sectarianism and terror is coming to Egypt.
It will soon by the new Pakistan.
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Egypt’s Military Expands Power, Raising Alarms
A growing number of lawyers and activists are questioning the willingness of the Egyptian military to ultimately submit to civilian authority.
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America defends Africa – Excellent Move
With Obama's decision to send a small force to help turn the tied against the Lord's Resistance Army, we must commend the White House on an excellent move that's both humanitarian and strategically important. Committing US forces, even such a low strength level and in an advisory capacity, throws a harsh spotlight on possibly the most despicable guerilla group in Africa today, and one that is devastating the host nation, and destabilizing Central Africa. Not only will this move save lives, but it will show that American power can be used for good, and will greatly increase our positive influence in the region, combatting China's ever increasing klepto-colonialism throughout Africa. Kudos.
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The Studiously leaderless Occupation of Wall Street
The Occupy Wall Street Crew have been absolutely true to the total equality and leaderlessness of their cause. In fact, over time, I'm guessing it will probably be the only thing they can agree on. But attempting to emulate what was, and continues to be, a profound weakness in the fabric of the "Arab Spring" seems to be taking their flattery a little too far. Drilling a little deeper into their dogmatic rejection of hierarchy can lead to only two conclusions. 1. They all want to be leaders, and can't bear the idea that they might not be. 2. Nobody wants to be leader because then they'd have to have a plan.
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We're not Democrats. We're not Republicans. We're Americans
The picture on the left is from an Occupy Wall Street Protest. The picture on the right is from a Tea Party Rally. Both groups are hurting badly. Both blame Wall Street. One has been manipulated by the right. The other has no puppeteers, but no allies either.
There's only one way to rally both groups. We need a new party. The American Party. It's motto will be simple.
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Like the protesters in Tahrir Square they'd bizarrely like to emulate, the Occupy…
Like the protesters in Tahrir Square they'd bizarrely like to emulate, the Occupy Wall Street Protesters imprison themselves in a series of supposedly symbolic locations, where they can be corralled, observed, and bypassed. Their movement ossifies almost immediately before it can spread its message door-to-door. Endless meetings about nothing will lead to internal dissent and dissipation, as the anarchists try absurdly to organize. And once the winter sets in, and they all go home, they will have achieved nothing, the nearby square will be abandoned and Wall Street will declare victory. America will only remember that last, sad, sodden moment.
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The Recession comes to Disneyland.
The Recession comes to Disneyland.
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Not recognizing value is quickly becoming a national pastime.
Not recognizing value is quickly becoming a national pastime.
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What Does Excellence Look Like?: A new study shows the role of school libraries in learning
Libraries, Schools Join In – School Library JournalArticles
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Sticking tariffs on Chinese goods if they don't stop cheating their currency…
Sticking tariffs on Chinese goods if they don't stop cheating their currency down will create a million jobs here in the US, but will die in the House. Where's the President's support for this?
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The Republican Primary process this year is a total circus
It's primed for failure, which must please the President no end. The smartest candidate ( Gingrich ) and the most electable ( Huntsman ) are languishing in the basement, while the Clowns parade on the balcony. It's self-destruction on a medieval scale. Great to watch.
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