Presidency 2012

President Obama is seeking re-election to a second term in 2012. A large crowd of Republican candidates are competing for the GOP nomination. Plus there are LOTS of third party and independent P2012 hopefuls. So, if a person is running --regardless of party, ballot status, or chances of winning -- we have him or her listed below. Incumbent party first, following by the main opposition party, then the third party candidates, and finally the independent and write-in hopefuls.

LEGEND:BOLD = Announced Candidate (or Filed an Exploratory Committee)Italics = Possible Candidate

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DEMOCRATIC PARTY:

President Barack Obama (Illinois)& Vice President Joe Biden (Delaware) Click Above for Campaign & Official Government Links

OTHER DEMOCRATS:
Aaron Leon Ammann (Washington)
Warren Ashe (Virginia)
George Ballard III (Pennsylvania)
Sanderson Beck (California)
Jeff Boss (New Jersey)
Harry Braun (Arizona)
Willie Carter (Texas) 
Ed Cowan (Vermont)
Bob Ely (Illinois)
Craig Freis (California)
Alvin Greene (South Carolina)
Bob Greene (California)
Al Hamburg (Wyoming)
Patrice Hardcastle (Virginia)
John Haywood (North Carolina)
Raphael Herman (Florida)
Robert Jordan (California)
Cody Judy (Utah)
Leah Lax (Pennsylvania)
Kip Lee (California)
Mark Levetin (Florida)
Kenneth Keith Litzinger (West Virginia)
Dave Montgomery (California)
Deonia "Dee" Neveu (Virginia)
Shawn O'Brien (Florida)
Cornelius O'Connor (Florida)
Edward O'Donnell (Delaware)
Dean Phillips (District of Columbia)
Darcy Richardson (Florida)
Gary Stephens (South Carolina)
Vermin Supreme (Massachusetts)
Randall Terry (West Virginia)
Aldous Tyler (Wisconsin)
George Washington Williams (Ohio)
John Wolfe Jr. (Tennessee)

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REPUBLICAN PARTY:

	Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (Minnesota)Campaign Site: MicheleBachmann.com Government Site: Office of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann Facebook Site: Facebook.com/TeamBachmann Twitter Site: Twitter.com/MicheleBachmann
	Businessman Herman Cain (Georgia) Campaign Site: HermanCain.com Facebook Site: Facebook.com/TheHermanCain Twitter Site: Twitter.com/TheHermanCain
	Former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Georgia) Campaign Site: Newt.org Facebook Site: Facebook.com/NewtGingrich Twitter Site: Twitter.com/NewtGingrich
	Former Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. (Utah) Campaign Site: Jon2012.com Facebook: Facebook.com/JonHuntsmanJr Twitter Site #1: Twitter.com/Jon2012HQ Twitter Site #2: Twitter.com/JonHuntsman
	Former Governor Gary Johnson (New Mexico) Campaign Site: GaryJohnson2012.com Facebook: Facebook.com/GovGaryJohnson Twitter Site: Twitter.com/GovGaryJohnson
	Congressman Ron Paul (Texas) Campaign Site: Ron Paul 2012 Government Site: Office of Congressman Ron Paul  Political Site: Campaign for Liberty Official Site: RonPaul.org Facebook Site: Facebook.com/RonPaul Twitter Site: Twitter.com/RepRonPaul
	Governor Rick Perry (Texas) Campaign Site: RickPerry.org Government Site: Office of Governor Rick Perry Facebook Site: Facebook.com/GovernorPerry Twitter Site: Twitter.com/GovernorPerry
	Former Governor Buddy Roemer (Louisiana) Campaign Site: BuddyRoemer.com Facebook: Facebook.com/BuddyRoemer Twitter Site: Twitter.com/BuddyRoemer
	Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (California)Campaign Site: MittRomney.com Facebook: Facebook.com/MittRomney Twitter Site: Twitter.com/MittRomney
	Former US Senator Rick Santorum (Pennsylvania)Campaign Site: RickSantorum.com Facebook: Facebook.com/RickSantorum  Twitter Site: Twitter.com/RickSantorum  PAC Site: America's Foundation PAC

OTHER REPUBLICANS:
Michael Adkins (South Carolina)
David Aragon (New Mexico)
George Bailey Jr. (Mississippi)
Jeff Barea (Texas)
Karen Bellino (Florida)
Bear Betzler (Pennsylvania)
Jared Blankenship (Texas)
Tim Brewer (Ohio)
Robert Brown Jr. (Georgia)
Mark Callahan (Oregon)
James Carroll (Utah)
William Edward Chovil (Washington)
Cesar Cisneros (Arizona)
George Cooper (Wisconsin)
Hugh Cort (Alabama)
Randy Crow (North Carolina)
Nick Cuevas (California)
L. John Davis Jr. (Colorado)
Keith Drummond (Texas)
John Dummett Jr. (Kansas)
Craig Ennis (Virginia)
Bob Forthan (Oregon)
Bruce Gidner (Michigan)
Jonathan Gilbert (Michigan)
State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (Pennsylvania)
Jon Greenspon (Montana)
Christin Griskie (New York)
Jeffrey Harris (Florida)
Harold Heard (Texas)
Christopher Hill (Kentucky)
Brian Hockensmith (Kentucky)
Eugene Hunt Jr. (Michigan)
James Hunt (Georgia)
Gabriel Jimenez (Texas)
R. Kenneth Jones (California)
Tim Kalemkarian (California)
Fred Karger (California)
Richard Kline (Missouri)
Dennis Knill (Arizona)
Jeff Lawman (New Hampshire)
Benjamin Linn (New Hampshire)
Thomas MacLeran Tennessee)
Erin Magee (Florida)
Joan Frances Mary Malone (District of Columbia)
Mike Manley (Florida)
Andy Martin (Illinois)
Greg Martin (Texas)
Gurley Martin (Kentucky)
R. Benedict Mayers (Illinois)
Thomas McLeran (Tennessee)
Jimmy McMillan (New York)
Michael Meehan (Missouri)
Tom Miller (Minnesota)
Steve Moats (Colorado)
Mike Moloney (California)
Former State Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (Alabama)
Kevin Nelson (Massacusetts)
Steven Neuenschwander (Washington)
Roger Nichols (Missouri)
Fred Ogin (California)
Philipp Pflughaupt (Missouri)
Alan Phillips (Illinois)
James Prattas (Hawaii)
John Revelis (Wisconsin)
George Rhodes (California)
Joe Robinson (Massachusetts)
Kevin Rubash (Illinois)
Charles Rudick II (New York)
Jim Rundberg (Colorado)
Ole Savior (Minnesota)
Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey (Florida)
Paul Sims (Missouri)
Keith Singleton (Wisconsin)
Michael Sloan (Texas)
Matt Snyder (Arizona)
Silvia Stagg (New York)
Mike Stollaire (California)
Joe Story (Florida)
Linden Swift (Indiana)
Mosheh Thezion (California)
Sheila "Samm" Tittle (Virginia)
James Vestermark (Kentucky)
Charles Gordon Vick (Tennessee)
Samuel Wiford (New Mexico)
Vern Wuensche (Texas)

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THIRD PARTY and
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES:

CONSTITUTION PARTY:

Darrell Castle (Tennessee) - '08 VP nominee, CP National Vice Chairman, attorney & USMC veteran.
Todd Clayton Jr. (Washington) 
Virgil Goode (Virginia) - Former Congressman, former State Sen., CP National Executive Committee member, attorney & ex-Republican.
Richard Mack (Utah) - Former Graham County (AZ) Sheriff, Author, Libertarian activist & '04 Utah Gov. candidate.
J.L. Mealer (Arizona) - Businessman.
Roy Moore (R-Alabama) - Former State Supreme Court Chief Justice, Vietnam War veteran & '06/'10 Gov. candidate.
Diane Beall Templin (California) - Attorney, anti-gay activist and frequent candidate.
Bill Tucker (Wisconsin) - Retired Navy Commander & businessman.

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GREEN PARTY:

Mike Ballantine (Pennsylvania/Vietnam) - Educator & "self-imposed exile." Winona LaDuke (Minnesota) - Native American activist, economist, writer and '96/'00 VP nominee.
Cynthia McKinney (California) - Ex-Georgia Congresswoman, Ex-State Rep., College Professor and '08 Nominee.
Kent Mesplay (California) - Biomedical engineer, environmental activist, '04/'08 candidate & '06 US Sen. candidate.
Jill Stein (Massachusetts) - Physician, progressive activist, author & '02/10 Governor nominee.

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LIBERTARIAN PARTY:

Ralph Beach (South Carolina)
Jim Burns (Nevada) - Ex-State Party Chair, ex-police officer, USMC veteran and frequent candidate.
Jim Duensing (Nevada) - Radio talk show host, attorney and frequent candidate.
Roger Gary (Texas) - Ex-State Party Chair, marketing executive and '10 State Railroad Commission nominee.
R.J. Harris (Oklahoma) - Businessman, Army veteran, Ron Paul campaign activist & '10 US Rep. candidate.
Gary Johnson (R-New Mexico) - Ex-Governor & businessman
Robert Milnes (New Jersey) - Progressive activist and '08 Presidential candidate.
Carl Person (New York) - Attorney, Army veteran & '06/'10 NY Attorney General candidate.
Dave Redick (Wisconsin) - Retired businessman, engineer, Army veteran & frequent candidate,
Wayne Allyn Root (Nevada) - Sports handicapper, author, TV show host, '08 VP nominee and '08 Presidential candidate.
Bill Still (Virginia) - Author.
Joy Waymire (California) - Tea Party activist, ranch manager and tax preparer.
R. Lee Wrights (Texas) - Ex-Libertarian Party National Vice Chair, writer, journalist, newsletter publisher & USAF veteran.

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PARTY OF SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION (PSL):

Peta Lindsay (California) Presidential Nominee Yari Osorio (New York) Vice Presidential Nominee

NOTE: THE PSL ALSO USES ALTERNATE (SURROGATE) PSL NOMINEES IN SOME STATES, WHERE NEEDED FOR BALLOT ACCESS PURPOSES, AS LINDSAY (AGE 27) AND OSORIO (FOREIGN BORN) ARE NOT CONSTITUTIONALLY QUALIFIED TO SERVE IF ELECTED.

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PROHIBITION PARTY:

Lowell "Jack" Fellure (West Virginia) Presidential Nominee Toby Davis (Mississippi) Vice Presidential Nominee

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SOCIALIST PARTY USA (SP-USA) / PEACE & FREEDOM PARTY (PFP):

Stewart Alexander (California) Presidential Nominee Alejandro "Alex" Mendoza (Texas) Vice Presidential Nominee

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SOCIALIST EQUALITY PARTY:

No Candidates Identified To Date

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SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY (SWP):

No Candidates Identified To Date

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INDEPENDENT & WRITE-IN CANDIDATES:

Dorothy "Doc" Adams (Independent-Texas)
Andre Barnett (Independent-New York)
Jeff Block (Independent-Georgia)
Tiffany Renee Briscoe (Write In-Maryland)
Whence Brown (Independent-Washington)
Darryl Bryant (Write In-Georgia)
Robert "Naked Cowboy" Burck (Independent-New York)
Lester Byerley Jr. (Tea-New Jersey)
President Emperor Caesar (Independent-Florida)
Hal Chad Carrington-Hayes (Independent-Arizona)
Jerry Carroll (Independent-California)
Joseph Charles (Independent-Texas)
Paul Chehade (Independent-Florida)
Liza Dawn Cherricks (Independent-Delaware)
Douglas Clement (Independent-Missouri)
Floyd Conover (Independent-Tennessee)
James Cooper (Michigan)
Don Cordell (Write In-California)
Sanford Cramer III (Independent-California)
Ken Cross (New Populist Party-Arkansas)
Christopher Dardzinski (Write In-Michigan)
Fred Donald Dickson Jr. (Write In-Maryland)
Michael Doname (Independent-New York)
Michael David Elder (Independent-Texas)
John "Green" Ferguson (Eco Green Party-Texas)
Jackie Gouge (Independent-Texas)
Mark B. Graham (Citizens-West Virginia)
Ken Grammer (Independent-Virginia)
J. Paul Hadd (Write In-Pennsylvania)
Bob Hall (Independent-Illinois)
William Harney (Independent-Florida)
Rutherford Bert Hayes (Independent-Arkansas)
Craig Hermann (Independent-Florida)
RaeDeen Heupel (Independent-Montana)
Thaddaus Hill (Madisonian Federalist-Texas)
Darrell Hillis (Independent-Tennessee)
John Hoelzel Jr. (Independent-Texas)
Samuel Hoff (Independent-Delaware)
Brian Holland (National Socialist Movement-Virginia)
Darrell Hykes (Independent-Georgia)
Michael Jenkins (Write In-Texas)
Ronald D. Jones (Independent-Florida)
Terry Jones (Independent-Florida)
Scott Keller (Independent-Florida) 
Tollefsen Kristen (Independent-Virginia)
Gott Johan Josephe Lally (Independent-Vermont)
Temperance Alesha Lance-Council (Anti-Hypocrisy-California)
Jerry Lanser (Independent-Colorado)
David Larson (American Independent-California)
Robert Lee (Independent-Virginia)
Brad Lefler (Independent-Ohio)
Michael "Lev" Levinson (Independent-Florida)
Sophia the Logos (Independent-Virginia)
Ed Maddox (Independent-South Dakota)
James McCall (Independent-Ohio)
Richard McCormick (Kis-Washington)
Ron McCune (Independent-Florida)
David McFadden (Independent-Ohio)
J.L. Mealer (Independent-Arizona)
Albert Morzuch (Independent-Florida)
Bill Nees (Write In-Georgia)
John Parmele Jr. (Independent-Virginia)
Mark Pimentel (Independent-Florida)
Matthew David Pinnavaia (Independent-California)
Samuel "Uncle Sam" Powell (Independent-District of Columbia)
Rajesh Raghavan (Independent-Maryland)
Arthur Rakowitz (Independent Party-Texas)
Luis Ramos Jr. (Write In-New York)
Jill Reed (Twelve Visions-Nevada)
Rich Reed (Independent-Kansas)
John Karl Reiman (Independent-California)
"Mad Max" Riekse (Citizens-Michigan)
Billy Roper (Nationalist-Arkansas)
Paul Rosenberger (Independent-California)
Dan Rozelle (Independent-Indiana)
Donald Sauter (Independent-Delaware)
Francis Savarirayan (Independent-Illinois)
"Average Joe" Schriner (Independent-Ohio)
Larry Schuetter (United Third Party-California)
Stephen Shadden (Independent-Oklahoma)
William Shaw (Independent-Illinois)
James Dee Shinn (Independent-West Virginia)
Jeff Siggins (Write In-Delaware)
David Jon Sponheim (America's Third Party-Washington)
Tom Stevens (Objectivist-New York)
Vincent Stieber Jr. (Ohio)
Charles Tolbert (Independent-Florida)Donald Trump (Independent-New York)Anthony Tubbs (Independent-Louisiana)
Douglas "Dutch" Van Raam (Independent-Arizona) 
Former Governor Jesse Ventura (Independent-Minnesota) Da Vid (Light Party-California)
George Washington Williams (Independent-Ohio)
Andrew Wildman (Independent-Louisiana)
Jerry Wilson (Write In-Tennessee)
Michael "Doc" Witort (Independent-Illinois)
Danny Woodring (Write In-Florida)

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OTHER P2012 RESOURCES:

New Hampshire Political Library - This site contains just about anything you could ever want to know about the influential New Hampshire Presidential primary -- including a directory of every candidate who ever ran in the NH primary. Maintained by the New Hampshire State Library, Franklin Pierce College, University of New Hampshire, St. Anselm College, the New Hampshire State Archives and the New Hampshire Historical Society.

C-SPAN: Road to the White House - Information, links and some streaming video events from one of the nation's leading sources of raw political television coverage. Covers the various likely Presidential candidates. Constantly updated.

Ballot Access News - This respected publication -- founded in 1985 by Libertarian activist Richard Winger -- tracks the attempts of third party and independent candidates for various offices to secure ballot access in the 50 states. The site also tracks changes in the law, court challenges and other interesting tidbits of third party news you usually won't find elsewhere. Use this page to stay current on which third party and independent candidates will and won't appear on your state's general election ballot in November 2008

Democracy in Action: P2012 - A great site has lots of detailed information on the 2012 Presidential contest. Published by Eric Appleman of GWU. Eric has been covering the White House races starting with the 2000 elections. Very useful, well balanced. A great resource.

Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Dave Leip prepared this very informative site, which provides historic voting results from the Presidential general elections of 1860-2008. Covers the vote totals for the major party nominees and the top 2-3 third party nominees in each race. Colorful maps and graphs, too.

PollingReport.com - Why bother reinventing the wheel and writing our own poll tracking page when this excellent page already exists. To follow the trends in all of the latest polls in the White House race, simply visit this site.

Commission on Presidential Debates - Established by leaders of the two major parties to ensure that debates remain a permanent part of every general election, this nonprofit and bipartisan organization sponsored all the general election Presidential debates since 1988. Their controversial and restrictive participation rules largely exclude third party candidates (even the major ones) from participating in these nationally televised debates.

VicePresidents.com - No one pays much attention to Vice Presidents -- or, at least, they didn't used to -- except for these guys. History, trivia, quotes, bios, and more.

4President.org - An online museum of Presidential campaign brochures, bumper stickers and key speches from 1960 through the 2008 campaign. A great site for political junkies.

The Living Room Candidate - The American Museum of the Moving Image presents this great online museum of Presidential campaign TV commercials. The ads, which cover every election since 1952 (Ike vs. Stevenson), are an amazing resource.

I'LL GLADLY PAY YOU TUESDAY FOR A TAX INCREASE TODAY

November 23, 2011

Bored with the Penn State scandal because it didn't implicate any prominent Republicans, the mainstream media have suddenly become obsessed with Grover Norquist's "Taxpayer Protection Pledge." They are monomaniacally fixated on luring Republicans into raising taxes. 

If Democrats could balance the budget tomorrow and quadruple government spending, they'd refuse the deal unless they could also make Republicans break their tax pledge. That is their single-minded goal. 

But the media are trying to turn it around and say that it's Republicans who are crazy for refusing to consider raising taxes no matter how much they get in spending cuts. 

At Tuesday night's Republican presidential debate on foreign policy, for example, CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked the candidates for the one-millionth time if they would agree to raise taxes in exchange for spending cuts 10 times larger than the tax hikes. 

Terrorism can wait -- first, let me try to back you into a corner on raising taxes. 

Amazingly, Blitzer cited Ronald Reagan's statement in his autobiography, "An American Life," that he would happily compromise with Democrats if he could get 75 or 80 percent of what he wanted -- implying that today's Republicans were nuttier than Reagan if they'd refuse a dollar in tax hikes for $10 in spending cuts. 

Wolf should have kept reading. As Reagan explains a little farther in his autobiography: He did accept tax hikes "in return for (the Democrats') agreement to cut spending by $280 billion," but, Reagan continues, "the Democrats reneged on their pledge and we never got those cuts." 

Maybe that's why Republicans won't agree to raise taxes in exchange for Democratic promises to cut spending. 

For Americans who are unaware of the Democrats' history of repeatedly reneging on their promises to cut spending in return for tax hikes, the Republicans' opposition to tax increases does seem crazy. That's why Republicans need to remind them. 

From the moment President Reagan succeeded in pushing through his historic tax cuts in 1981 -- which passed by a vote of 323-107 in the House and 89-11 in the Senate, despite Democrats' subsequent caterwauling -- he came under fantastic pressure to raise taxes from the media and the Democrats. 

You will notice it is the same culprits pushing for tax hikes today. 

So in 1982, Reagan struck a deal with the Democrats to raise some business and excise taxes -- though not income taxes -- in exchange for $280 billion in spending cuts over the next six years. As Reagan wrote in his diary at the time: "The tax increase is the price we have to pay to get the budget cuts." 

But, of course, the Democrats were lying. Instead of cutting $280 billion, they spent an additional $450 billion -- only $140 billion of which went to the Reagan defense buildup that ended the Evil Empire. 

Meanwhile, Reagan's tax cuts brought in an extra $375 billion in government revenue in the next six years -- as that amiable, simple-minded dunce Reagan always said they would. His tax cuts funded the entire $140 billion defense buildup, with $235 billion left over. 

If Democrats had lied only a little and merely held spending at the same level, Reagan could have smashed the Russkies, produced the largest peacetime expansion in U.S. history with his tax cuts and produced a $235 billion budget surplus. (Jobs created in September 1983: 1.1 million; jobs created in September 2011: 150,000.) 

But the Democrats not only refused to implement any budget cuts, they hiked government spending. To the untrained eye, that appears to be the exact opposite of cutting the budget. 

Even the gusher of revenue brought in by Reagan's tax cuts couldn't pay for all the additional spending piled up by double-crossing Democrats -- more than twice as much as Reagan's spending on defense. 

Reagan's defense spending crushed the Soviet war machine. What did Tip O'Neill's domestic spending accomplish? (I mean, besides destroying the black family, increasing single motherhood and creating government bureaucracies that can never be eliminated.) 

Unable to learn from the first kick of a mule, President George H.W. Bush made the exact same deal with Democrats just a few years later. 

Pretending to care about the deficit -- created exclusively by their own profligate spending -- Democrats demanded that Bush agree to a "balanced budget" package with both spending cuts and tax increases. 

In June 1990, Bush did so, agreeing to tax hikes in defiance of his "read-my-lips, no-new-taxes" campaign pledge. 

Again, Democrats, being Democrats, produced no spending cuts, and within two years the increased federal spending had led to a doubling of the deficit. 

The Democrats didn't care: All that mattered was that they had tricked Bush into breaking his tax pledge, which they celebrated all the way to Bush's defeat in the next election. 

On CNN's "Crossfire," then-congressman Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., gloated: "All the spin control in the world can't undo the fact that the president is moving away from (no new) taxes." 

An article on the front page of The New York Times proclaimed that "with his three words, ('tax revenue increases') Mr. Bush had broken the central promise of his 1988 campaign." 

As the next presidential campaign got under way, CNN interviewed a "Reagan Democrat," who said: "Bush says, 'Read my lips.' Remember when he said that? We got taxes anyway. Clinton says, I will raise your taxes because we have to do something about that national debt." 

Democrats had effectively taken away the Republican Party's central defining issue -- low taxes -- and the Republicans got nothing in return. 

(I take that back: We got a stained blue dress for the Smithsonian. So, an OK trade.) 

On the campaign trail, Bill Clinton taunted Bush for breaking his tax pledge, saying, "He promised 15 million new jobs, no new taxes, the environmental president, an education presidency. It was a wonderful speech. But now we don't have to read his lips; we can read his record." 

Apparently, Republicans can read the Democrats' record, too. They know that Democrats will promise to cut spending in exchange for tax increases and then screw Republicans on the spending cuts. 

It's been 20 years since they pulled that scam, so Democrats figure it's time to make Republicans break a tax pledge again. As long as no one knows the history of these "deals," the media can carry on, blithely portraying Republicans as obstructionist nuts for refusing the third kick of a mule. 

COPYRIGHT 2011 ANN COULTER 
DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL UCLICK 
1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106; 816-581-7500

Should Buddy Roemer be allowed in the debates?

	What people think

11/29/2011

4 weeks ago on November 4     Should Buddy Roemer be allowed in the debates? created 4 weeks ago on November 4 Yes No I don't know. He should if he can adhere to the same rules as all the other candidates. Buddy who? and Fred Karger and Gary Johnson and um um... Ops. Vote Skip 51 votes               Yes 41% + 27 votes                No 22% + 26 votes      Buddy who? 21% + 16 votes      I don't know. He should if he can      adhere to the same rules as all      the other candidates. 13% 3 votes       and Fred Karger and Gary       Johnson and um um... Ops. 2% Vote on this question Blurb: From Wikipedia: Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III (born October 4, 1943) is an American politician who served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana, from 1988 to 1992. He was elected as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party on March 11, 1991. Prior to serving as Governor, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1988  Comments: ▲ 0 ▼   Paaet 4 weeks ago on November 4 Ya, and he's the only GOP candidate who openly supports OWS. Even Ron Paul hasn't done that yet. answered: Yes ▲ 0 ▼   vomsquad 4 weeks ago on November 4 Yes! He's the only candidate standing up against dirty money in politics! He also supports fair trade and closing tax loopholes. answered: Yes ▲ -3 ▼   ( . Y . ) 4 weeks ago on November 4 He's pointless. answered: No ▲ 0 ▼   IceAge 3 weeks ago on November 5 I actually think you might be pointless, honestly. answered: Yes ▲ 1 ▼   Eski 3 weeks ago on November 5 His viewpoints are different from the other GOP candidates' and therefore should be heard. The American people deserve to choose a candidate who represents them, so it only makes sense to allow different kinds of candidates in the debates. answered: Yes ▲ 1 ▼   kantori 3 weeks ago on November 5 @Paaet - Ron Paul has voiced his support for the OWS movement, their right to protest against crony-capitalism in which he acknowledges their frustration. He even talked about it in the last debate or two and lashed out at Cain on his rhetoric of blaming them the protesters and has done it many more times in tv appearance. @vomsquad - No, Ron Paul is against dirty money in politics the rest is easy to look up if the desire is there. answered: Yes

Pardoning of the Turkeys, and no Congressional backlash

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

An implausible candidate's implausible story

2

days

ago

The Associated Press
By Helen O'Neill

He's a mathematician, a minister, a former radio talk show host and pizza magnate. But most of all, Herman Cain is a salesman.

And how he sells.

"The sleeping giant called 'we the people' has awakened," Cain thunders, pacing the stage in his trademark dark suit, brown fedora and "lucky" gold tie, delivering a rollicking, 45-minute performance that evokes an old-fashioned church revival, complete with cries of "Amen" from his audience.

Whether it's selling his book or his presidential aspirations, this is Cain at his best, grinning and joking and wooing a crowd, soaking in the adulation as he vows to lead the cheering masses to a promised land of "less regulation, less legislation and less taxation."

That's simplistic, of course. But so is Cain's message, and he makes no apologies for it.

"They want to confuse you with comp-lex-city," booms the self-styled "Hermanator," accentuating every syllable. "I want to lead you with sim-pli-city."

In the end, he takes no questions, sweeping off to his next stop to the tune of "Rock You Like a Hurricane." His smile disarms everyone whose hand he shakes along the way.

"Is he for real?" asks 75-year-old Jean Waggoner, a longtime Republican activist from Montgomery.

It is a question that has confounded political observers and pollsters alike: Just what to make of this unlikely candidate with an inspirational personal story, a magnetic personality and a campaign like nothing they have ever seen.

Allegations of sexual harassment may have tarnished the image of the 65-year-old Baptist minister. They have certainly rattled his style. His messy denials and memory lapses seem far more like the familiar evasiveness of the "inside-the-beltway" politicians he derides.

But Cain is still doing well in a series of polls, still raising money and still vowing that he's in the race to win.

So the question remains: Is he for real?

Cain himself doesn't offer much of an answer.

His speeches are mesmerizing, delivered with humor and aplomb. But they offer little insight into the man himself and his extraordinary journey from the projects of segregated Atlanta to the boardrooms of corporate America.

"I grew up po', which is even worse than being poor," Cain writes in the introduction to his book, "This is Herman Cain! My Journey to the White House."

The book is partly dedicated to his father Luther, a janitor, barber and chauffeur and his mother Lenora, a domestic.

Writing of his youth, Cain avoids any detailed examination of those tumultuous times. He glances over the indignities of having to sit at the back of the bus or drink from the "coloreds" water fountain.

While fellow students at the historically black Morehouse College were joining Martin Luther King Jr. in marches and staging sit-ins, Cain joined the glee club. (He is a gifted singer whose mellifluous baritone is often heard during the campaign.)

Cain gets visibly annoyed at suggestions that as a beneficiary of the civil rights movement, perhaps he should have participated more. He took his cues from his father, he says, who taught him never to expect a government handout, never to feel like a victim and to "stay out of trouble."

"Not all blacks in the '60s were activists," says Cain, who labels himself an "ABC — American, black, conservative — and proud of it."

Graduating with a degree in math, he married college sweetheart Gloria Etchison and went to work as a civilian mathematician for the Department of the Navy.

Dreaming of success in corporate America (he wanted to be president of "something ... somewhere," he writes) he left to work as an executive, first for Coca-Cola and then Pillsbury, eventually moving to its Burger King subsidiary in 1982.

Impressed by his performance, Pillsbury chose Cain in 1986 to revive the foundering Godfather's Pizza chain, based in Omaha, Neb.

"As a boss, he was demanding but fair. And he worked harder than anyone else," says longtime friend Spencer Wiggins, whom Cain first recruited as director of human resources for Burger King and then cajoled into joining him at Godfather's.

"But Herman, it's in Omaha, man!" Wiggins protested.

Cain's response: "Sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone if you want to make a difference."

Former employees says Cain blew into Godfather's like the hurricane depicted in his campaign song, shutting about 200 underperforming stores and eliminating hundreds of jobs. At Burger King, he had launched the "beamer" program, encouraging employees to smile at customers. At Godfathers, he started SIN — Solve It Now, a rapid response program to deal with customers complaints.

"He was genuine, warm, demanding and funny; he was the best leader I ever met in my life," says Paul Baird, his regional manager in Seattle. "And he sounded like a preacher! Everyone was like, who IS this guy?"

At Godfather's, Cain regaled employees with motivational speeches, often ending with the same folksy anecdotes he tells in the campaign.

When he was a boy, his grandfather hooked mules to a wagon to bring a load of potatoes to town. Grandkids were scampering all over the place, until they heard the old man roar.

"Them that's going, get on the wagon! Them that ain't, get out of the way!"

The chant was to become a campaign mantra.

In 1988 when Pillsbury decided to sell Godfather's, Cain put together a group that bought the chain in a leveraged buyout. He remained its chief until 1996 when he moved to Washington to become CEO of the National Restaurant Association, a lobbying organization.

It was during his three years with the NRA that two employees reportedly received financial settlements after accusing Cain of sexual harassment.

Cain boasts that Godfather's "had one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel" when he took over, comparing it to the state of the U.S. economy today. In reality, though his stewardship made it profitable, it was never truly competitive with the larger pizza chains.

His years in Omaha were important in other ways. They won Cain recognition as a leader, a visionary, a man on the move. He became a member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas city in 1992, and would later serve one year as chairman.

He also served on other corporate boards, including Aquila, Inc., Nabisco, Reader's Digest and Whirlpool. Ambitious and driven, a brilliant orator, he was one of the most popular speakers on the local business circuit.

"When Herman Cain was speaking at lunch, you knew people would leave in a great mood, not just because he was funny, which he was," says Loretta Carroll, a local news anchor who often hosted such events. "There was always the feeling that he empowered people a bit. They came away thinking that one person can do things and make a difference in the world."

In 1994 Cain was catapulted into the national spotlight in a memorable exchange with President Bill Clinton during a televised town hall meeting in Kansas City. Speaking via satellite, Cain politely but firmly pressed the president on his proposed health care overhaul.

"If I'm forced to do this, what will I tell those people whose jobs I'm forced to eliminate?" Cain asked, referring to the employer mandate. When Clinton began to explain, Cain persisted. "Quite honestly, your calculation is inaccurate."

Says Carroll: "The Clinton people were not very happy."

But others were enthralled. Jack Kemp, a former congressman, flew to Omaha to meet Cain and later asked him to join the Economic Growth and Tax Reform Commission, a congressional study group.

Kemp, who became Cain's political mentor and friend, is quoted as saying that Cain had "the "voice of Othello, the looks of a football player, the English of Oxfordian quality and the courage of a lion."

Ken Blackwell, a former Ohio secretary of state and fellow African-American Republican who served on the commission, says he was impressed by Cain's ability to look at things analytically and state his case succinctly. Blackwell says there seemed no doubt that Cain would someday run for office.

Cain's first foray into politics was as an adviser to the Bob Dole-Kemp Republican presidential ticket in 1996. Cain flirted with running for president in 2000 but instead backed Steve Forbes.

In 2004, after moving back to Atlanta, Cain ran an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate.

Partly to stoke his political ambitions, Cain started a career as a talk-radio host, where he honed many of the ideas that later formed his platform and developed a loyal following of fiercely anti-Obama listeners, some of whom would later work for his campaign.

He also worked as a motivational speaker, most notably for Americans for Prosperity, the conservative anti-tax and regulation group founded with the support of billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

Cain makes no apologies for his ties to big money. In a recent speech he joked, "I'm the Koch brothers' brother from another mother."

And then, in 2006, as Cain tells it, "God rocked my world."

Diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to his liver, he says doctors gave him a 30 percent chance of survival. Many supporters thought it was the end — something Cain refused to believe.

Sustained by his faith, Cain says, he took solace in signs like the fact the surgeon's incision resembled a "J" — as in Jesus. After a year of treatment, Cain says, he was declared cancer free and remains so today. God, he says, had another plan.

So with Gloria at his side, Cain announced his candidacy to cheering throngs in Atlanta on May 21.

Initially, the political establishment paid little attention, deeming him a fringe candidate more interested in promoting his book. It wasn't until Cain began leading in the polls that he came under serious scrutiny.

With that scrutiny came problems.

Cain provoked outrage with some early comments, such as that blacks had been "brainwashed" into voting for Democrats and that he would electrify a fence along the U.S. border with Mexico. Later he said he was joking.

He seemed muddled on abortion, saying while he opposed it under all circumstances, "the government shouldn't be trying to tell people what to do."

He incensed the Occupy Wall Street protesters and their supporters by saying, "If you don't have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself."

His shaky grasp of foreign policy has astounded seasoned commentators. In one interview he didn't understand a question about the "right of return" for Palestinians. In another he seemed unaware that China has nuclear weapons. In a third, he drew a blank when asked about the Obama administration's actions in Libya.

His catchy "9-9-9" tax plan — a 9 percent income tax, 9 percent corporate tax and 9 percent national sales tax — has been picked apart by experts as one that will shift more of the tax burden to the middle and lower classes and drastically reduce revenue.

"It's not just he hasn't thought it out ... he's winging it," conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer said on Fox News. "And that's a real problem."

Cain's initial response to critics was a breezy "I does not care", mimicking a favorite phrase of his grandfather. He'll surround himself with good people, he says, and figure out the answers when he's presented with all the facts.

In a rare moment of introspection Cain recently acknowledged that he thought the biggest misconception about him was that he was not serious. For an instant he seemed reflective. Then he turned on the salesman's charm.

"I'm Herman Cain," he said, grinning. "And I'm not running for second."

But even friends say some of the gaffes have been excruciating. "In terms of substance, he has mountains to climb," says Blackwell, a fellow cancer survivor. "I think he's smart enough to do it, but there are issues."

The issues include the fallout from sexual harassment charges and allegations of financial improprieties on the part of his campaign manager. Cain has flatly denied wrongdoing, calling the accusations a smear campaign.

At first, they didn't seem to dent his popularity. His campaign said it had raised $9 million in October and November.

Even before the charges surfaced, supporters were demanding more from Cain.

At a lavish fundraising dinner in Huntsville during his fall visit to Alabama, Danielle Sanford said that while she was captivated by the candidate's message — "he seemed to hit every source of frustration the average conservative is concerned about" — she chafed at the fact that he didn't take questions or get into specifics.

Having studied Cain's tax plan in depth, the 39-year-old restaurant owner had concluded that it would force her and her husband, Republican state Sen. Paul Sanford, to pay more taxes. "I'd like more clarity," she said.

James Reagan, who runs a small trucking business, agreed that "9-9-9" was too simplistic.

"It's a starting point," he said, after posing for a photograph with Cain and asking him to "help save my business I'm being taxed to death."

"That's my plan," Cain responded.

But his speech didn't offer any new details, just more soaring oratory and thundering delivery. Claiming the mantle of President Ronald Reagan, who "became president because he touched the hearts of the American people," Cain lamented the fact that Reagan's "shining city on the hill has slid to the side of the hill."

"If you give me the opportunity to be your next president," Cain continued, his voice rising to a crescendo, "together we will move it back to the top of the hill where it belongs."

The crowd was sold. It rose to its feet in deafening applause.

"Yes we Cain," they chanted. "Yes we Cain."

Bachmann brushes aside New Hampshire Union Leader Endorsement of Gingrich

14
hours
ago



James Novogrod / NBC News


Michele Bachmann signs a copy of her book, "Core of Conviction," at Barnes & Noble in Sioux City, Iowa.

By Jamie Novogrod, NBC News

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Michele Bachmann’s campaign kept up its criticisms of Newt Gingrich Sunday, hours after the former Speaker of the House won the support of the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper, a key endorsement in the country’s first in the nation primary state.

Speaking to reporters Sunday afternoon, Bachmann brushed aside questions about the development.

“There’s a lot of different endorsements that come from a lot of papers, and the main endorsement that I’m looking forward to is the one here in Iowa on January 3rd in the caucuses,” Bachmann said.

The remarks came during a visit to a Barnes & Noble store in Sioux City, where Bachmann signed copies of her new book, “Core of Conviction,” for about 75 supporters.

But Bachmann’s campaign staff took a harder line, telling NBC News that a sentence in the newspaper’s endorsement – “Newt Gingrich is by no means the perfect candidate” – points to both a problem with Gingrich, and the logic for supporting him.

"We shouldn’t settle. More than any time, this is an election that we need to hold out for the ideal, like Michele,” campaign spokeswoman Alice Stewart said.

A back and forth between the Bachmann and Gingrich teams has been going on since Tuesday’s CNN debate in Washington, where Gingrich seemed to call for a path to citizenship for longtime illegal residents of the United States.

“Here he is outlining an amnesty plan,” Stewart said Sunday of Gingrich.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich snagged an impressive endorsement from the N.H. Union Leader, but does the paper's support guarantee anything? NBC's Kristen Welker reports.

“Now that people are holding his feet to the fire, he’s calling them liars and saying they don’t understand the issue.”

Gingrich rejects the charge that he would offer “amnesty,” and insisted this weekend during his own book tour in Florida that illegal aliens should leave the country and apply for citizenship.

The spokesman for Gingrich’s campaign told NBC News Saturday that Bachmann “can’t get her facts straight” or is “intentionally lying” about Gingrich’s position.

A three-day book tour for “Core of Conviction” wrapped Sunday at a Holiday Inn here in Council Bluffs, where a crowd of about 60 people visited to have their copies of the book signed.

Bachmann told reporters that the book “is coming out at exactly the right time to reach the people of Iowa.”

The Iowa caucus, held January 3rd, is a little more than five weeks away. The New Hampshire primary will be held seven days later, on January 10th.

Bachmann chatted at length with supporters at the event, and insisted an older woman using a walker cut to the front of the line.

“You’re such a dear,” Bachmann said to the woman. “Thank you so much for coming by.”