Eeps! They’re doing it Again! Live Blog for Republican Debate

Posted: February 22, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: 2012 elections, 2012 presidential campaign, 2012 primaries, Live Blog, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum | Tags: | 134 Comments

Newt’s been oddly quiet.  Romney is scrambling for funds and any sign of enthusiastic support from outside of the Republican Money Class.  Paul picked up a big super pac donation from a really odd Louisianian.  Then there’s Saint Rick of the Sexually Obsessed.  He’s undoubtedly going to get the spotlight tonight as his completely crazy religious views have taken him to places that I doubt any one has one before. The establishment hates him but the crazy base thinks he’s just right.  Afterall, his culture jihad got him thrown out of his senate position.

“Santorum’s job tonight is to quell fears about his general-election electability,” says Republican strategist Ford O’Connell. “Taking on social issues to differentiate himself from [Newt] Gingrich and Romney is a good strategy, but it’s high risk. He’s been over-talking.”

Santorum’s first task, Mr. O’Connell says, is to take his strong views on social issues – a plus with the so-called “values voters” in the Republican base – and turn them into a discussion on limited government and strong families, not about telling individuals what to do. In recent days Santorum has been all over birth control, women’s role in society, and same-sex marriage.

Then there’s the story about his 2008 speech on how Satan was “attacking the great institutions of America,” now in its second day on the highly read Drudge Report. When asked about it Tuesday, Santorum didn’t disavow the remarks.

“I’m a person of faith. I believe in good and evil,” Santorum said in response to questions from CNN, host of the Wednesday night debate, which begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

Then he added that he didn’t think the topic was relevant to today.

“What we’re talking about in America today is trying to get America growing. That’s what my speeches are about. That’s we’re going to talk about in this campaign,” said Santorum.

Meanwhile, Romney’s hoping his newly released tax plan will get some votes.  I’m sure it won’t be from economists or people that like strong economies.  Look for him to try to fit this in where he can.  Well, that an some pointed jabs at Santorum.

Reducing the top corporate tax rate to 25 percent was a central point of an economic proposal Romney offered in September. The former Massachusetts governor’s plan, which would eliminate taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains for individuals making $200,000 or less per year, came under criticism over a lack of details.

Romney suggested during a town-hall meeting in Shelby Township, Michigan, yesterday that he’d offer details.

“I’ll be coming out with some proposals of my own this week that describe how I cut, create more pro-growth tax policies,” Romney said. “I want to see a flatter, fairer, broader-based tax system.”

The Debate will be on CNN tonight at 8 pm EST.   It’s being held not too far where my parents lived for awhile in Mesa Arizona.

Washington bureau chief Sam Feist, who’s producing CNN’s seventh debate this cycle, said the 8 p.m. face-off “comes at an important moment in the campaign” as tight races develop in Arizona and Michigan. And given the lack of debates since January, Feist said “there are a lot of topics that are likely to come up in this debate that, frankly, haven’t come up in the other debates.”

Feist wasn’t about to tip off the candidates about what moderator John King might throw their way, but social issues, which received increased media attention since the Florida debates, are expected to get some play.

It’s also possible that former senator Rick Santorum could be asked about his 2008 comments about Satan “attacking the great institutions of America,” which had a second life Tuesday thanks to The Drudge Report. When asked if the Satan comments could come up, Feist simply said that “nothing is off the table.”

The questions asked during the previous 20 debates this week came under scrutiny from New York University professor Jay Rosen and his students in the Studio 20 program, who studied all 839 of them. The students, working with The Guardian, found that 13 percent of the questions asked involved “campaign strategy and the way the candidates responded to each other’s negative ads.”

However, they noted that members of debate or online audiences asked zero questions about polls, flip-flops or negative ads, suggesting that journalists may be preoccupied by process-oriented questions that are of less interest to the public.

Feist said he found the study “interesting and valuable,” but quibbled with how the questions were categorized. “If you ask a candidate about a comment made in a negative ad, I don’t see that as campaign strategy,” Feist said. “I see that as a rare opportunity to have the candidate respond to the negative ads that the public has been inundated with.”

 

This will be last debate before Super Tuesday so look for every candidate to try to make high impact statements.  Will they all play nice?

Romney and the Florida Primary: Live Blogging Arrogance and Hubris

Posted: January 31, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Live Blog, Republican politics, Republican presidential politics, We are so F'd | 59 Comments

Romney’s disdain for the electorate is one of his more deeply rooted traits. During his father’s 1968 presidential campaign, Romney wrote, “how can the American public like such muttonheads?”
I find that contempt pretty well-founded, and it is a relief that Romney does not believe the nonsense he spouts during the campaign. But the persistent awkwardness of Romney’s campaign style reflects this basic tension. It’s easy to try to persuade somebody for whom you have basic respect. It’s persuading somebody whom you consider stupid — while you must conceal any trace of your disdain — that’s excruciatingly difficult. Romney’s awkward manner on the trail is the agony of suppressed contempt.

Jonathan Chait in  New York Magazine

Romney appears to have the momentum and the early voting lead in the Florida Primary.  Newt vows to go on.  What will their speeches tonight reveal to us about their character or lack thereof?

It’s primary day in the Sunshine State, but more than 600,000 people have already voted in Florida’s Republican presidential contest. And a new public opinion poll indicates that the ballots already cast may help former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney take the 50 delegates up for grabs in Florida’s winner take all primary.

Early voting began statewide ten days ago, and according to figures released Monday afternoon by the Florida Department of State, which runs the division of elections, 293,760 people had already cast ballots. And according to the state, more than 531,000 people requested and were sent absentee ballots, and 338,753 were returned and received by Florida officials.

Add it all together and more than 632,000 votes were already cast before primary day. To put it in perspective, that’s more than the 601,577 who voted in the South Carolina primary, and far outpaces the combined 360,000 that took part in the New Hampshire primary and the Iowa caucuses.

And according to an American Research Group survey released Tuesday morning, 36% of people questioned said they already voted, and among those, Romney led former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 51% to 29%, with former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania at 12% and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas at 10%.

Things have been getting uglier.  It’s hard to think that could be possible by the Romney campaign has been using its immense campaign chest to hammer at Newt.  Could that start to backfire? Of course, Zombie Reagan figures prominantly.

“For as long as I’ve been in politics, 14 years, journalists call me and ask if this is the most negative election ad atmosphere I’ve ever seen,” says Kenneth Goldstein, president of Kantar Media CMAG, which tracks content and targeting of political advertising. “And every year I say, ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’”

“But this year it’s true. This primary season is the most negative it’s ever been,” asserts Goldstein. “I have absolutely never seen television advertising so negative in a Republican presidential primary.”

This tsunami of sleaze is being propelled by unprecedented advertising buys. The Romney campaign and its associated super PAC, Restore Our Future, have spent $15.3 million in Florida over the past month alone, according to Maggie Haberman of Politico. To put this in perspective, John McCain spent $11 million on ads during his entire 2008 primary campaign. Back on this side of Citizens United, Newt Gingrich and his billionaire-backed super PAC have spent “only” an estimated $3 million—giving Romney a 5–1 spending advantage in the Sunshine State.

Turn on the TV or radio in Florida these past few days and you’ll soon be subjected to the avalanche of negative ads, most of them purchased courtesy of Romney Co. The attacks come in a bewildering variety—from accusations that Newt worked with Nancy Pelosi “to support China’s brutal one-child policy” to Spanish-language ads that say Newt called Spanish “the language of the ghetto.” Fannie and Freddie have become household names. Both candidates are accusing the other of being insufficiently conservative and secretly pro-abortion. There has been public wrestling for a photo op with Ronald Reagan’s ghost, trying to claim closer association. Even Romney’s Get Out the Vote mailers are anti-Newt.

Axlerove must be doing jigs.

Guess we’ll see what comes out of the wash tonight.

Open Thread: SAG it!

Posted: January 29, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Live Blog, open thread | Tags: | 81 Comments

I thought the Sky Dancing community could use the momentary break from politics… please feel free to live-blog in the comments with us!

Via Reuters/The Wrap:

The Scrren [sic] Actors Guild will honor its own Sunday night at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center, live on TNT and TBS at 8 PM ET.

Exactly what comprises “its own” may be changing for the actors. Over the weekend, executive boards at both SAG and AFTRA approved a merger plan that would bring under one umbrella SAG’s roughly 120,000 members and AFTRA’s 70,000.  Both memberships have to approve the plan for it to take effect.

[…]

Presenters include Kathy Bates, George Clooney, Sir Ben Kingsley, Melissa McCarthy, Brad Pitt, Zoe Saldana, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Kevin Bacon, Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Chandler, Matt Czuchry, Patrick Duffy, Jean Dujardin, Tina Fey, Linda Gray, Judy Greer, Larry Hagman, Armie Hammer, Ed Helms, SAG President Ken Howard, Regina King, John Krasinski, Julianna Margulies, Natalie Portman, Maya Rudolph, Kyra Sedgwick, Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams.

(Reuters didn’t mention it but I see on the SAG site that Jessica Chastain, Don Cheadle, Bérénice Bejo, Glenn Close, Bryan Cranston, Viola Davis, and Shailene Woodley will be among those presenting as well.)

You can catch up on the red carpet arrivals on the SAG twitter feed.

And the nominees are….

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

  • DEMIÁN BICHIR / Carlos Galindo – “A BETTER LIFE” (Summit Entertainment)
  • GEORGE CLOONEY / Matt King – “THE DESCENDANTS” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
  • LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / J. Edgar Hoover – “J. EDGAR” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
  • JEAN DUJARDIN / George – “THE ARTIST” (The Weinstein Company)
  • BRAD PITT / Billy Beane – “MONEYBALL” (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

  • GLENN CLOSE  / Albert Nobbs – “ALBERT NOBBS” (Roadside Attractions)
  • VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark – “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)
  • MERYL STREEP / Margaret Thatcher – “THE IRON LADY” (The Weinstein Company)
  • TILDA SWINTON / Eva – “WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
  • MICHELLE WILLIAMS / Marilyn Monroe – “MY WEEK WITH MARILYN” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

  • KENNETH BRANAGH / Sir Laurence Olivier – “MY WEEK WITH MARILYN” (The Weinstein Company)
  • ARMIE HAMMER / Clyde Tolson – “J. EDGAR” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
  • JONAH HILL / Peter Brand – “MONEYBALL” (Columbia Pictures)
  • NICK NOLTE / Paddy Conlon – “WARRIOR” (Lionsgate)
  • CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER / Hal – “BEGINNERS” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

  • BÉRÉNICE BEJO / Peppy – “THE ARTIST” (The Weinstein Company)
  • JESSICA CHASTAIN / Celia Foote – “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)
  • MELISSA McCARTHY / Megan – “BRIDESMAIDS” (Universal Pictures)
  • JANET McTEER / Hubert Page – “ALBERT NOBBS” (Roadside Attractions)
  • OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson – “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

  • THE ARTIST (The Weinstein Company)
  • BRIDESMAIDS (Universal Pictures)
  • THE DESCENDANTS (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
  • THE HELP (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)
  • MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (Sony Pictures Classics)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

  • LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Thurgood Marshall – “THURGOOD” (HBO)
  • PAUL GIAMATTI / Ben Bernanke – “TOO BIG TO FAIL” (HBO)
  • GREG KINNEAR / Jack Kennedy – “THE KENNEDYS” (REELZ CHANNEL)
  • GUY PEARCE / Monty Beragon – “MILDRED PIERCE“ (HBO)
  • JAMES WOODS / Richard Fuld – “TOO BIG TO FAIL” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

  • DIANE LANE / Pat Loud – “CINEMA VERITE” (HBO)
  • MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham – “DOWNTON ABBEY” (PBS)
  • EMILY WATSON / Janet Leach – “APPROPRIATE ADULT” (Sundance Channel)
  • BETTY WHITE / Caroline Thomas – “HALLMARK HALL OF FAME: THE LOST VALENTINE” (CBS)
  • KATE WINSLET / Mildred Pierce – “MILDRED PIERCE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

  • PATRICK J. ADAMS / Mike Ross – “SUITS” (USA)
  • STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson – “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)
  • KYLE CHANDLER / Eric Taylor – “FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS” (DirecTV)
  • BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White – “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)
  • MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan – “DEXTER” (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

  • KATHY BATES / Harriet Korn – “HARRY’S LAW” (NBC)
  • GLENN CLOSE / Patty Hewes  – “DAMAGES” (DirecTV)
  • JESSICA LANGE / Constance – “AMERICAN HORROR STORY” (FX)
  • JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick – “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)
  • KYRA SEDGWICK / Dept. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson – “THE CLOSER” (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

  • ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – “30 ROCK” (NBC)
  • TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
  • STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott  – “THE OFFICE” (NBC)
  • JON CRYER / Alan Harper  – “TWO AND A HALF MEN” (CBS)
  • ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

  • JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
  • EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton – “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)
  • TINA FEY / Liz Lemon – “30 ROCK” (NBC)
  • SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett  – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
  • BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky – “HOT IN CLEVELAND” (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

  • BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
  • BREAKING BAD (AMC)
  • DEXTER (Showtime)
  • GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
  • THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

  • 30 ROCK (NBC)
  • THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
  • GLEE (FOX)
  • MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
  • THE OFFICE (NBC)

Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award

  • MARY TYLER MOORE

Okay, I’m not really up to speed on the SAG awards other than to say…

a) as far as TV awards go, I’m rooting for Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Betty White– she’s nominated twice! Work it, Sue Anne Nivens… neat little synchronicity for that and Mary Tyler Moore getting the Lifetime Achievement Award tonight.

b) Motion Pictures…my votes go to both The Help’s Jessica Chastain and Miss Viola Davis herself… Speaking of which, I don’t have an Iphone, but if I did, I would so totally buy this phone case (memorable line from the movie)… this cracks me up and gives me the warm fuzzies at the same time:

Turning the soapbox over to y’all…please have at it.

New Hampshire Republican Primary Results Live Blog

Posted: January 10, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Live, Live Blog | Tags: | 63 Comments

New Hampshire’s primary voting began with the nine voters in Dixville Notch cast their votes today.

The polls opened here at midnight and closed less than a minute later, and the tally was final by 12:05 a.m. On the Republican side, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman tied, with two votes each. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul each got one vote. President Obama received his very first live votes of confidence — three of them.

The New Hampshire primary, the nation’s first of the 2012 presidential campaign, is Tuesday. That means the tiny village of Dixville Notch casts the first ballots of the contest just after midnight, a tradition since 1960. (Jan. 10)

In Hart’s Location, another village that traditionally votes minutes after Dixville Notch, Romney was a clear winner. There, the former Massachusetts governor took five votes to four votes for Paul. Huntsman took two votes, Texas Gov. Rick Perry took one and Gingrich took one.

New Hampshire election law permits unincorporated towns of fewer than 100 residents to open for polling at midnight, and Dixville Notch has done so since 1960, at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel high in the North Country, about 20 miles south of the Canadian border. There were nine votes cast that year, too, all for Richard Nixon.

Most of the polls will close at 7 pm eastern.  A few close at 8 pm.  CNN is reporting that early exit polling show that most voters have at least a $50k a year salary.   Of those voting, 69 percent are concerned about the economy.  CNN breaking news also sent this interesting tidbit to its subscribers.

One in four said the deficit was the most important issue. Also, more than three-quarters of respondents said the series of Republican debates was important to their final decision, while less than half said television ads were important.

CNN also reports they are expecting a record turnout in the Republican votes.  New Hampshire is having ‘unseasonably’ warm weather and that should improve turnout.  That makes me wonder if New Hampshire Republicans are  climate change deniers.  Probably not.  New Hampshire is it’s own little state.  John Avalon tells us that New Hampshire is all about the independents.

While Iowa’s caucuses are disproportionately dominated by social conservatives, in New Hampshire’s open primary, independents can vote — and they make up more than 40% of the local electorate.

That’s right — in New Hampshire, registered independents outnumber Republicans or Democrats.

It’s a libertarian instinct reflected in the state’s motto, “Live Free or Die.” It’s captured in the wonderful fact that in the northern town named “Freedom,” independents make up the bulk of the 1,000-plus voters.

It’s also reflected in the fact that New Hampshire is one of the least religious states in the nation.

Likewise, a Pew Research Center poll conducted before the 2008 primary found that 55% of New Hampshire Republican primary voters believed that abortion should be always or mostly legal, while just 13% of New Hampshire GOP primary voters said abortion should be always illegal — posing a problem for fundamentalists like Rick Santorum who support a constitutional ban on abortion.

Fiscal conservatives rule the roost in the New Hampshire Republican Party, which is committed to the state’s anti-income tax tradition with a focus on balanced budgets and a concurrent aversion to deficit spending.

Events surrounding the Democratic primary in New Hampshire made me very fond of the state four years ago.   This youtube shows them moment that really drove me to firmly support Hillary.  Well, that and her heartfelt speech about why she was really running.

“Some people think elections are a game: who’s up or who’s down,” Clinton said, her voice breaking and tears welling. “It’s about our country. It’s about our kids’ future. It’s about all of us together. Some of us put ourselves out there and do this against some difficult odds.”

I doubt we’ll have any sincere, heartfelt moments tonight, but we’ll be watching!!!  What’s it look like from where you’re at?

Afterparty with the Media Pundit Anal-ysis

Posted: January 7, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Live Blog | Tags: | 34 Comments

Original Artwork by Dakini Creations (click to visit)

Here’s the Live Blog of the NH Debate tonight if you missed it.

George Snuffleopogus’s ABC crack pundit panel say none of the other Republican candidates were able to take down Mittens.

Discuss.

UPDATE…

Here are some Debate youtubes, as they roll in:

Via TPM…

Rick Perry Says He Would Send Troops Back To Iraq:

Hmm… this just showed up on youtube, via a user who goes by “realjoeplummer” (oh dear…) and it’s called “Ron Paul Highlights in 1/07/2012 Debate” (oh dear x 2):

Ekey santorum’s “you lie” moment vis-a-vis Rogue Paul:

I’ll end this with RuPaul in New Hampshire today:

another clip of RuPaul, H/T to our wonderful commenter HT:

If you have any debate links, videos, commentary, etc., please post them in the comments. Good night and good riddance to the GOP clown car.

 

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