MIKE HUCKABEE SCHOOLS MEDIA ON FAIR COVERAGE & HELPING THE POOR (LIVE IN IOWA)

MIKE HUCKABEE SCHOOLS MEDIA ON FAIR COVERAGE & HELPING THE POOR (LIVE IN IOWA):

Almost immediately after participating in the Undercard Debate in Iowa, 2016 GOP Presidential candidate MIKE HUCKABEE kindly granted interviews with members of the Media.

Surrounded by a sea of Journalists and Media reps, I was finally able to get close enough to capture 3 minutes of Gov Huckabee discussing his campaign receiving unfair air time and the best strategy for helping lift Poor people out of Poverty.

Sources:  Fox News, Google, Youtube

TRUMP MAINTAINS LEAD AS GOP FRONTRUNNER; PREDICTED TO BE NOMINEE

@realDonaldTrump

TRUMP MAINTAINS LEAD AS GOP FRONTRUNNER; PREDICTED TO BE NOMINEE:

NEITHER CRUZ NOR RUBIO CAN DEFEAT HILLARY ONLY TRUMP.


*** GOPers Call Trump the Likely Winner; His Lead Stays Big, With Cruz Behind

Donald Trump holds his lead for the GOP nomination and has soared in expectations: 64 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents now expect him to be the party’s nominee, up sharply in the last two months.

Expectations that Trump will win the nomination have jumped by 25 percentage points since November among Republican-leaning voters in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll.

Two-thirds also say they’d accept him as their party’s nominee. And he’s seen by 56 percent as their most electable nominee in the general election this fall.

Trump has 37 percent support nationally among Republicans who are registered to vote, unchanged from last month (with no bounce from his endorsement by Sarah Palin).

Ted Cruz has advanced by a slight 6 points from last month, and 15 points from October, to a clear, if somewhat distant, second place, with 21 percent. Marco Rubio’s in the third slot, 11 percent, with all others in the single digits in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates.

Rubio appears to have a stand-in shot – he does well as a second choice, selected by 23 percent now vs. 14 percent last month.

Ben Carson, for his part, has continued to crater, showing the sometime changeability of voter preferences: he’s gone from 22 percent two months ago to 7 percent now, almost precisely swapping places with Cruz.

There’s essentially no change among lower-tier candidates – 5 percent for Jeb Bush, 4 percent for Chris Christie, 3 percent for Carly Fiorina, 2 percent apiece for John Kasich and Mike Huckabee,

1 percent for Rand Paul and less than that for Rick Santorum.

These standings reflect, above all, two factors:

The strength of leaned Republicans’ interest in a candidate from outside the political establishment, and the power of anti-immigrant views in the party.

Statistical analysis finds that these two are the single strongest independent predictors of supporting Trump vs. any of his opponents. They’re also issues on which the rest of the public differs dramatically from prevailing GOP sentiment, raising challenges for the party in the general election ahead.

Underscoring party preferences for an outsider, it’s the more traditional GOP candidates – Bush and Christie – who are less apt to be rated as acceptable nominees. Just 52 percent of leaned Republicans see either as acceptable; Rubio, Cruz, Trump and Carson all do better on this score, rated as acceptable by 67, 66, 65 and 62 percent, respectively.

Strength

Fifty-six percent of leaned Republicans have a favorable opinion of Palin (unlike the rest of the public, who view her unfavorably by a broad 69-16 percent). That said, her endorsement of Trump last week shows no impact on vote preferences: His support is unchanged from its pre-endorsement level.

Ten percent of leaned Republicans say the endorsement makes them more likely to support Trump, but as many, 9 percent, say it makes them less likely to do so. Most by far, 81 percent, say it makes no difference to their vote.
Endorsements customarily don’t change preferences but, at best, reinforce them.

And Trump’s support appears strong: Fifty-seven percent of his backers say they’ll definitely support him; among all other GOP candidates combined, strength of support declines to 35 percent, with the rest saying they may yet change their minds.

Additionally, Trump’s support is essentially the same whether it’s among all registered leaned Republicans or those indicating they’re most likely to vote in the caucus or primary in their state.

And there are no meaningful divisions in his support among key GOP groups – e.g., whether mainline Republicans or independents, evangelicals or not, or by strength of ideology (moderates vs. somewhat conservatives vs. strong conservatives).
He continues to do somewhat better with lower-income leaned Republicans; differences by education and gender have faded.

Cruz, by contrast, does best with strong conservatives and evangelicals, and better with men than with women.

Trump’s support, as noted, continues to spring from anti-establishment and anti-immigrant sentiment within the GOP, buttressed by economic discontent and by a broad sense among the rank and file that he’d be the party’s most electable pick.

Among those results:

• His backing soars to 53 percent among leaned Republicans who strongly feel that immigrants weaken U.S. society, vs. 24 percent among those who think immigrants strengthen this country.
The former view is far more prevalent within the GOP.

• Leaned Republicans by 54-42 percent chiefly want a candidate from outside the political establishment. Among those who are in the anti-establishment group, and registered to vote, 51 percent pick Trump over his 10 rivals tested in this poll.

Among those who are very worried about their economic prospects (27 percent of registered leaned Republicans), Trump gets 45 percent support, vs. 28 percent among those who aren’t worried.

• Fifty-one percent think Trump is the best choice to bring needed change to Washington, perhaps the single most crucial attribute to leaned Republicans – 83 percent of whom express dissatisfaction or even anger with the way things are working in the capital.

• As noted, 56 percent of leaned Republicans think Trump has the best chance to win the general election in November, up 9 points from last month.

And the sharp increase in expectations that he’ll win the party’s nomination has been broadly based, occurring across GOP groups. While attitudes certainly can shift with events, some academic work has suggested that public expectations for who’ll win an election can be credible predictors of actual outcomes.

These results, in any case, are intended to explore how Americans across the country are approaching the election – their issues and attributes that matter to them and how these play out, among various groups, in candidate preferences.

The results don’t forecast the outcome of any individual caucus or primary.

Low-turnout events such as caucuses can be heavily influenced by effective get-out-the-vote operations and by prevalent population groups; high numbers of evangelical Christians, for instance, often participate in Iowa caucuses.

Primaries have their own dynamics; in New Hampshire’s, for example, independent voters are unusually numerous.

In an ABC/Post poll in December 2011, Newt Gingrich had 30 percent support nationally and Santorum had 4 percent; in the Iowa caucus the next month, by contrast, Gingrich won 13 percent of the vote, Santorum 25 percent. It was Mitt Romney – co-leader in the national poll, and co-leader in the Iowa caucus results – who went on to win the nomination.

(And Romney consistently led in expectations leading up to the 2012 primaries, even as many of his rivals opened up sometimes sizable leads against him in vote intention questions.)

It’s worth noting, as well, that even among Trump’s supporters 42 percent say they may yet change their minds, as do 64 percent of those supporting other candidates. That makes for plenty of room for movement as the contest unfolds in the weeks ahead.

Attributes/Issues

Trump has less of an advantage on some personal attributes – notably on having the best personality and temperament to serve as president (24 percent pick Cruz on this attribute, despite his alleged lack of collegiality, vs. Trump’s 22 percent) and honesty and trustworthiness (Trump 27 percent, Carson 24, Cruz 17).

In being “closest to you on the issues” 36 percent pick Trump, but Cruz, at 20 percent, has moved up, with a 12-point gain since fall.

Trump, separately, leads on most issues: Fifty-five percent pick him as best able to handle the economy, up 8 points from December. Fifty percent prefer him on regulating banks and financial institutions.

And he continues to lead widely in trust to handle terrorism and immigration issues.

That said, Trump does notably less well in trust to handle a major international crisis; he’s selected by 31 percent on this issue vs. Cruz’s 23 percent and Bush’s 17 percent – one area in which his rivals might find ammunition.

Reps vs. the rest

In a data analysis assessing the strongest independent correlates of vote preference for Trump, desire for an outsider is the single strongest factor, followed by anti-immigration views.

Desiring an outsider, in turn, is independently related to an index of broader discontent, including anger at the way the government is working; a sense that government is part of the problem rather than part of the solution; views that the country’s best days are behind it; whether it’s on the wrong track; a sense that one’s own values are losing ground in society; and economic anxiety.

A challenge for the GOP, looking ahead, is the extent to which leaned Republicans differ from the rest of the public on many such measures.

While 54 percent of leaned Republicans are looking chiefly for an outsider, among all other Americans, 75 percent prefer a candidate with experience in how the political system works.

While 50 percent of leaned Republicans say immigrants mainly weaken U.S. society, 66 percent of others say they mainly strengthen it.

And there’s a vast 45-point difference in views on whether the country’s on the wrong track.

Leaned Republicans also are 27 points more apt than others to see government as part of the problem;

twice as likely to be angry about it; 17 points more likely to see America’s best days as behind it; and 15 points more apt to say their own values are losing ground in society today.

Economic worry is the only one of these in which significant differences aren’t evident.

On the others, whichever Republican wins the nomination, there will be substantial work ahead in reconciling world views within the GOP with those beyond it.

Methodology

This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cellular telephone Jan. 21-24, 2016, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 1,001 adults.

Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points, including the design effect, for the full sample;
4 points for all registered voters; and 5.5 points for registered leaned Republicans.
Partisan divisions are 34-23-34 percent, Democrats-Republicans-independents.

The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by Abt-SRBI of New York, N.Y.


Sources: ABC News, ABC News/Washington Post Poll, CNN, Langer Research Associates, Youtube

CHARLESTON GOP DEBATE: DEMOCRATS ARE REALLY IN TROUBLE (WINNERS)

CHARLESTON GOP DEBATE, DEMOCRATS ARE REALLY IN TROUBLE:

WINNERS: TRUMP, CARSON, RUBIO, KASICH, HUCKABEE, SANTORUM, FIORINA

THIS TIME THE GOP IS PREPARED TO WIN.

~ 6 Takeaways From The Republican Presidential Debate

Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz dropped their buddy-buddy act -- trading blows in explosive exchanges over Cruz's Canadian birth and his denunciation of Trump's "New York values."

The two stole the show the Fox Business Network debate in North Charleston, South Carolina, where Republicans met for their second-to-last debate before the Iowa caucuses.

"I guess the bromance is over," Trump told CNN's Dana Bash afterward.

Here are six takeaways from Thursday night's debate:

Cruz was ready to attack Trump over the real estate mogul's assertion that Cruz's Canadian birth (to a U.S. citizen mother) makes him vulnerable to accusations he is ineligible for the presidency, pointing out that Trump said in September that Cruz is, indeed, on solid legal footing.

"Since September, the Constitution hasn't changed. But the poll numbers have," Cruz said.

He said following Trump's logic to the furthest possible extent, Trump's own qualifications could be questioned due to the businessman's Scottish-born mother.

As Cruz rebutted Trump for raising the issue -- effectively winning the moment -- Trump essentially held his hands up and said he's not the one who's concerned.

"I'm beating you," Trump said. "I think I'm going to win fair and square."

And he succeeded in keeping the question alive -- a loss, in and of itself, for Cruz. Trump asked: "If you become the nominee, who the hell knows if you can even serve in office?"

That's the point Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe, the legal source Trump has cited and Cruz has dismissed as liberal, made on CNN after the debate. "If he did put it to bed, he's certainly sleeping alone," he said.

Trump seemed genuinely taken aback by Cruz's insult of his "New York values."

Cruz explained that jab, saying: "Everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal, are pro-abortion, are pro-gay marriage, focused around money and the media."

That led Trump to launch into a lengthy, emotional defense, pointing to New York City's response to the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

He said that "the people of New York fought and fought and fought, and we saw more death -- the smell of death was with us for months."

"We rebuilt Downtown Manhattan, and everybody in the world watched and loved New York and loved New Yorkers," he said.

Trump's response was moving, but to Cruz it was also predictable. That Cruz stuck with his "New York values" criticism anyway highlights his strategy as the campaign enters its final days: Cruz is heavily courting the evangelicals who dominate the GOP contests in Iowa and South Carolina.

Trump and Cruz were at the center of the night's most memorable exchanges, but Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie traded blows as well.

Rubio accused Christie of supporting Common Core education standards, gun control laws and Planned Parenthood. Christie, echoing a Rubio comeback against Jeb Bush at a debate last fall, accused the senator of attacking him because he was advised it would work politically.

Later, Christie interrupted a wonky tax policy exchange between Cruz and Rubio by shifting the discussion toward entitlements -- and swatting down Rubio's attempt to interject, saying: "You already had your chance, Marco. You blew it."

That Christie was even a target suggests he has a leg up on the two other governors in the race -- Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush -- for the lone ticket out of the New Hampshire primary, which looks likely to winnow the "establishment" crowd.

The debate raised a question: If Bush had a good night but no one paid attention, did he really have a good night?

He hit Trump over his ban-all-Muslims proposal and trade, but Trump wouldn't talk policy and dismissed him with a line that demonstrated why he's so often gotten the best of the former Florida governor, saying: "We don't need a weak person as president of the United States, OK? ... That's essentially what we have now, and we don't need that."

Kasich, meanwhile, got the most engagement of the night from 89-year-old former Democratic Rep. John Dingell, who tweeted: "John Kasich tells more "back in my day" rocking chair stories than me or anyone I know, and I was born during the Coolidge administration."

Cruz thanked Rubio for "dumping your oppo-research book on the debate stage" -- and that's exactly what Rubio had just done.

More than two hours into the debate, Rubio saved what had been a mostly lifeless night by unloading a combination of punches on Cruz.

He hit Cruz on immigration, trade and voting against Department of Defense funding -- and in doing so, he alluded to a potentially damaging theme against Cruz: That he's willing to say and do anything to win.

"That is not consistent conservatism, that is political calculation," Rubio said.

Cruz fought back, arguing that Rubio had distorted his record at every turn and saying Rubio had allied with Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer while he sided with Republicans like Sen. Jeff Sessions on immigration.

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll out Thursday showed exactly why the two are fighting. In a two-way race between Trump and Cruz, Cruz wins, 51% to 43%. But in a three-way race, Trump wins, with 40% to Cruz's 31% and Rubio's 26% -- suggesting that the two can't co-exist.

It's probably not surprising two days after the State of the Union address, but President Barack Obama was at the center of the debate.

The first question from Maria Bartiromo invited Cruz to take a shot at Obama's management of the economy -- and the Texas senator decided to also take a swipe at the President over Iranian TV pictures of the captured US naval crew on their knees with their hands on their heads.

Cruz and Christie subsequently both described the President as "a child."

There's no reason to expect the Obama talk to subside between now and November.

With his approval ratings in the mid-40s, Republicans think he's unpopular enough to be a liability for Democrats, especially when they mention him with Hillary Clinton in the same sentence. 

But at the same time, his high popularity among Democrats means that barring a huge slump in his favorability ratings, there's good reason for the eventual Democratic nominee not to run too far away from him either.

No, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul didn't change his mind and show up for Thursday's 6 p.m. undercard round.

But skipping the debate worked for him.

Over the past couple of days, Paul appeared on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. 

He was interviewed on "The Daily Show" and "The Dr. Oz Show." He held a live Twitter town hall from the social media giant's New York City offices. He Periscoped for 20 minutes during the debate. He appeared on Glenn Beck and Laura Ingraham's radio shows.

It was a lot of exposure, and he didn't miss much -- the undercard debate with Carly Fiorina, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum felt like a non-event with three candidates whose moments have come and gone.

Still, if the undercard did nothing to change those candidates' trajectories, skipping it likely did little to help Paul's. It was the best option he had, but his message with the free airtime was mostly to complain about not having been invited to the prime-time debate.

"If you're designated as someone who is not in contention, that is very disruptive to a campaign that is about three weeks out," he told CNN's Alisyn Camerota on "New Day" Thursday. "There's only one debate tonight. Let's be honest about this."

Sources: CNN, Fox News, TIME, Youtube

Mitch Daniels Says NO To 2012 Bid! Its ROMNEY!

Its Official Folks Per Fox News!

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels Is NOT Running For President In 2012!

I Repeat: Daniels Is NOT Running For President In 2012!

Looks Like The GOP Field Of Candidates For 2012 Is Getting Slimmer & Slimmer.

Christie Isn't Going To Jump In No Matter How Many Bribes Comes His Way. First Trump Dumped His Bid, Then Huckabee, Forget Newt, Even Though I Really Like Him Forget Ron Paul, Definitely Forget About Cain! & Now Daniels Is Out.

The ONLY Logical, Possible Heavy Hitter/ REAL GOP Contender Would Be MITT ROMNEY!

If Mitt Can Survive Mainstream Media Inquiries About Why He Chose To Flip Flop On His Universal Health Care MANDATE In Massachusetts, No Doubt He WILL Be Pres. Obama's Contender In 2012.

Now Whether He Can Actually Whip Obama Is Another Totally Different Story.

I Don't Think He Can.

That's Right! I Personally Don't Believe Romney Can Knock Pres. Obama Off His Game Or Out Of Office In 2012.

Mitt Appears To Be Too Flip Floppy, Lacks Conviction, NOT Tough Enough & Seems To Enjoy Being A Businessman More Than Politics.

Tough Enough According To GOP Standards Means Demonstrating Hardcore RACIST Behavior!

Along With Endorsing Paul Ryan's "Kill Medicare" Agenda, Spewing Hardcore, Divisive RACIST Rhetoric Against Barack Obama Is Part Of The National GOP Leader Litmus Test.

I Kid You NOT!

So Unless A GOP Candidate Is Talking Hardcore Racist Rhetoric (i.e., Palin, Trump, Gingrich, Barbour & Nikki Haley) Then That GOP Candidate Is NOT Considered Tough Enough To Beat Obama, Nor Will That GOP Candidate Receive RNC Money For Their Campaigns.

Why Do You Think GOP Leaders Keep Running To South Carolina?

Because In Order For That Crazy, RACIST Mentality & Rhetoric To Stick, They Have To Be In An Environment Where Such Out-Of-Date, "Southern Strategy" Ignorance Is Both Cultivated & Tolerated.

i.e., SOUTH CAROLINA!

Especially Columbia & Charleston, South Carolina Where Institutionalized Racism Is Not Only Celebrated; Its Expected!

GOP Leaders Don't Seem To Care That Such Out-Of-Date, "Southern Strategy" Racist Behavior Is Scaring Away Both Younger & Older Voters.

In Fact They Could Care Less About Scaring Away Voters Because Its NOT About Their Constituents.

Its ONLY About How Much Those Same GOP Leaders Refuse To Accept Having A LEGALLY Elected BLACK President In The American White House!

NOT All GOP Leaders Fall Into This Category. But Many Of Them Do!

Pres. Barack Obama On The Other Hand Is A Bold, Sincere, Caring, Bonafide Politician With A Steady Backbone Of Steel And An EXTREMELY Intelligent Mind.

Rather Than Stand Around Calling Possible 2012 GOP Contenders RACIST Or Pointing Fingers, He's Focusing On Healing Our Nation's Economy.

You Know The Same Economy That George W. Bush Wrecked Via His Oil Rich "War On Terror" & Placed It Into Pres. Obama's Hands?

Pres. Obama Is Also Focusing On Our National Security & Other Issues Which Affect ALL American Citizens!

ALL American Citizens! NOT Just Wealthy, White People!

Now Does This Mean He'll Just Sit Back & Take His 2012 GOP Contenders Lightly Or Ignore Them?

NO! Pres. Obama Is NOT Stupid!

Of Course He Takes His GOP Contenders Seriously, However He Is STILL President Thus He'll Continue To Do His Job.

In Other Words Obama Can Walk & Chew Gum At The Same Time. Quite Well I Must Say!

Whether Anyone Wishes To Accept It Or Not, Pres. Barack Hussein Obama Will Remain In The Oval Office For Another 4 Years!

So Despite My Disagreeing With Him On Some Issues (Not Unusual), Overall I STILL Believe & Know That Obama Is The Absolutely BEST Person To Continue Leading Our Nation From 2012 To 2016!

Best Person To Lead The NEW Diverse Yet Truly United America!

NOT The Previously Racially-Divided, Class Warfare America!

YES WE CAN!!

VOTE OBAMA IN 2012!!

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

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

Ind. Gov. Daniels not running for president

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said early Sunday that he won't run for president because of family concerns, a development that narrowed the Republican nomination field though made the wide-open race even more uncertain.

"In the end, I was able to resolve every competing consideration but one," the Republican said, disclosing his decision in a middle-of-the-night e-mail to supporters. "The interests and wishes of my family, is the most important consideration of all. If I have disappointed you, I will always be sorry."

A two-term Midwestern governor, Daniels had been considering a bid for months and was pressured by many in the establishment wing of the party hungering for a conservative with a strong fiscal record to run. He expressed interest in getting in the race partly because it would give him a national platform to ensure the country's fiscal health would remain part of the 2012 debate.

But he always said his family — his wife and four daughters — was a sticking point.

Had he run, Daniels would have shaken up the still evolving race that lacks a front-runner and has been unpredictable in its early stages.

If the governor would have decided to run, a crop of GOP donors and grass-roots supporters had been ready to pull the trigger on a national fundraising and political organization that some aides privately said would rival those of others already in the race. And outside Republican observers had long said that he would be a serious contender for the party nod as a candidate.

Instead, Daniels becomes the latest Republican to opt against a bid as the GOP searches for a Republican to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012.

The Indiana governor's close friend, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, surprised much of the GOP when he pulled the plug on a candidacy in April; he privately had encouraged Daniels to run instead. A week ago, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the 2008 Iowa caucus winner, bowed out, followed quickly by celebrity real estate developer Donald Trump.

They came after others who decided to sit this one out as well, even as polls show Republican primary voters wanting more options in a race that includes former Govs. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, as well as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and a handful of others.

In the wake of the decisions by Barbour and Huckabee to skip the race, the clamoring among establishment Republicans for Daniels to run — including from the Bush family circle — had become ear-shattering.

"The counsel and encouragement I received from important citizens like you caused me to think very deeply about becoming a national candidate," Daniels said in the e-mail message.

"If you feel that this was a non-courageous or unpatriotic decision, I understand and will not attempt to persuade you otherwise," he added. "I only hope that you will accept my sincerity in the judgment I reached."

Daniels, himself, had sounded more optimistic about a run in the past week than he had in months, though he never had sounded particularly enthused. And his advisers had been quietly reaching out to Republicans in Iowa and other early nominating states for private conversations.

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

But, as he talked about a candidacy, he always pointed back to his family as the primary issue that would hold him back.

And as he weighed a bid, the spotlight shown on his unusual marital history as well as his record as governor.

His wife, Cheri, filed for divorce in 1993 and moved to California to remarry, leaving him to raise their four daughters in Indiana. She later divorced, and she and Daniels reconciled and remarried in 1997.

Mrs. Daniels had never taken much of a public role in her husband's political career.

So it raised eyebrows when she was chosen as the keynote speaker at a major Indiana fundraiser earlier in May.

Both husband and wife were said to be pleased with the reception they got, and advisers privately suggested that the outcome could encourage Daniels to run for president. Even so, Republicans in Washington and Indiana with ties to Daniels put the odds at 50/50.



A former budget director under George W. Bush, Daniels used his time considering a run to also shine a spotlight on rising budget deficits and national debt — even though his former boss grew the scope of government and federal spending during his tenure.

Daniels, a one-time senior executive at Eli Lilly & Co., caused a stir among cultural conservatives by saying the next president facing economic crisis "would have to call a truce on the so-called social issues."

He is looked with admiration in GOP circles for being the rare Republican who won office in a Democratic year — 2008 — in a state that Obama had won. And, since being re-elected, he has leveraged Republican majorities in the state Legislature to push through a conservative agenda.

Daniels made his intentions clear in a characteristically understated e-mail.

It was sent by the governor through Eric Holcomb, the Indiana Republican Party chairman and one of Daniels' closest advisers, and confirmed by others close to the governor on the condition of anonymity to avoid publicly pre-empting his announcement.

It ended: "Many thanks for your help and input during this period of reflection. Please stay in touch if you see ways in which an obscure Midwestern governor might make a constructive contribution to the rebuilding of our economy and our Republic."






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Sources: Boston Globe, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, McClatchy Newspapers, NY Times, Wikipedia, Youtube, Google Maps

Donald Trump Bows Out Too; Used By GOP & Mainstream Media!

Today Donald Trump Announced He Will Not Run Against Pres. Obama In The 2012 Presidential Race.

Yes, Just Like His Fellow GOP Buddy Mike Huckabee, Trump Has Also Decided To Forgo The Campaign Trail Fray.
(I Guess Donald Wasn't Ready To Open His Financial Books To The FEC & Media.)

However I'm NOT Surprised Since Most People Know Trump Is Just A Publicity Whore Anyway!

So It Looks As If MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Was Right!

I Kind Of Knew Trump Wasn't Serious About Running For Office When He Fired Latoya Jackson, NeNe Leakes & Star Jones All On The Same Episode. (Just Kidding!)

Not Trying To Sound Like A "Trump Sympathizer" But In A Way This Whole Situation Is Kind Of Sad.

Prior To Immersing Himself In The Ugly World Of REAL Politics, Donald Trump Was A Successful Businessman, Admired & Loved By Pretty Much Everyone. White, Black, Hispanics, Asians, etc.,

Now He's An Embarrassment.

That's Usually How Career Politicians Rep. John Boehner, Rep. Cantor & Sen. McConnell (All Republicans) Treat Their Prey & Supporters!

Use Em', Abuse Em' & Leave Em!

Remember Michael Steele??

So In A Crazy Way I Kind Of Feel Sorry For Trump.

After All He Is A Fellow New Yorker(I'm From Brooklyn).

But I Bet The Racist Mainstream Media Is Feeling Even More Foolish Right About Now.

Why?

Both Trump & GOP Leaders Used Them To Promote His "Celebrity Apprentice" Show AND To Start A Racially Charged "Birther" Conspiracy Against Pres. Obama That Backfired.

I Can Hear Pres. Obama Laughing!

Yes As The GOP Makes A Fool Of Themselves (NOT All But Most), Barack Obama Is Laughing All The Way To His 2012 Re-election!

Ha Ha Ha!

Thanks Lawrence!

VOTE OBAMA IN 2012!!











Trump Opts Out of Presidential Run


Donald Trump has fired himself.

Mr. Trump, the real estate mogul and reality television host, is not going to run for president, he said Monday, ending months of over-the-top speculation that he might seek the 2012 Republican nomination.

“After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the presidency,” he said in a statement.

“I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election,” Mr. Trumps said, adding, “Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion, and I am not ready to leave the private sector.”

In addition to his statement, Mr. Trump announced his decision in person at Monday’s event for the broadcast networks to preview their fall lineups.

“I will not be running for president,” he said, according to Brian Stelter of The New York Times, who is reporting live from the event. Advertisers cheered at the news.

Mr. Trump burst onto the political scene this spring by dangling the possibility that he might use his fortune and his celebrity to mount a campaign against President Obama.

He seized the attention of the news media by making bold and outlandish statements, in particular by asserting doubts that Mr. Obama had been born in the United States.

Mr. Trump’s use of the so-called birther issue culminated in a bizarre split-screen moment last month when he held an impromptu news conference in New Hampshire as Mr. Obama released his long-form birth certificate at the White House.

At the time, Mr. Trump refused to say whether he was running, focusing on the fact that his NBC show, “Celebrity Apprentice,” was still on the air.

“When the show is over — and the finale is on May 22nd — when the show is over, I will then be free to announce. I think you will be surprised at a number of things, but I think you will be surprised at what my announcement is,” he said at the time.

The attention, and the speculation about his intentions, rocketed Mr. Trump toward the top of the early polls, though he recently had faded again toward the bottom of the pack of Republican hopefuls.

Mr. Trump’s statement on Monday was devoid of any of the theatrics that he offered over the last several months. But he continued to credit himself for pushing the political conversation toward the economy.

“I will continue to push our president and the country’s policy makers to address the dire challenges arising from our unsustainable debt structure and increasing lack of global competitiveness,” he said. “Issues, including getting tough on China and other countries that are methodically and systematically taking advantage of the United States, were seldom mentioned before I brought them to the forefront of the country’s conversation.”

The decision means that Mr. Trump will go back to his NBC show, which has been one of the network’s highest performers.


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Sources: CNN, Mediate, MSNBC, NBC, NY Times, Youtube, Google Maps

Huckabee Bows Out Of 2012 Presidential Race: Smart Move!

Last Saturday Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) Announced To His Fox News Audience That He Will Not Run Against Pres. Barack Obama In 2012.

Huckabee Cites His Reason For Not Running As Spiritual: "All Factors Say Go But My Heart Says No".

Mr. Huckabee Is A Very Wise Man.

He Knows Pres. Obama Is Going To Be Darn Near Impossible To Beat & Rather Than Be Destroyed By The Obama Tsunami, He'll Just Save His Money And Keep His Behind Home.

One Down & About 7 More To Go.

Smart Move Dude.

See You At The Polls Folks!

VOTE OBAMA IN 2012!


Huckabee says he won't run for president in 2012


Mike Huckabee ended his presidential tease on Saturday night, saying on his Fox News Channel television show that he would not run for the Republican nomination for president next year.

Huckabee, winner of the Iowa Republican caucus in 2008, had been exploring a bid but said Saturday that he had made a "spiritual" decision not to run.

"All the factors say go, but my heart says no," he said.

Huckabee's decision further muddies the GOP field as the Republican Party seeks a challenger for President Barack Obama.

A prominent social conservative, he ranks high in national popularity polls. And, had he run, he would have been a serious contender for the party nod with instant support among Christian evangelicals who dominate the Iowa caucuses and the early South Carolina primary.

Huckabee said the past few months have been times of deep personal reflection, even as he noted that polls put him "at or near the top" among likely Republican candidates.

He said money wasn't a problem and that his family was supportive of a run. He said he was confident of competing even in the Northeast and among less conservative members of the party.

But his heart wasn't in it.

"My answer is clear and firm," Huckabee said. "I will not seek the Republican nomination for president this year. I'm going to continue doing what I do."

In addition to his TV show, Huckabee hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, gives paid speeches around the country and has even launched a series of animated videos for children on American history.

The talk show is the centerpiece of Huckabee's enterprises, which have made the one-time Baptist preacher from Hope, Ark., and 10-year governor a wealthy man with a $2.2 million beachfront home under construction in Florida. Huckabee, 55, and his wife moved their residency and voter registration to the state last year.

Ed Rollins and other advisers had said Huckabee could enter the race with a frontrunner status he didn't have as a former governor fresh out of office in 2008.

But another Huckabee run would have brought renewed scrutiny over his support of some tax increases in Arkansas and his record on clemency — including commuting the sentence of a man who later killed four Seattle-area police officers.


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Sources: Fox News, MSNBC, Youtube, Google Maps

Obama's 4th North Carolina Trip: 2012 Re-Election Bid

Obama Scheduled To Visit Winston-Salem Area


President Barack Obama will travel to the Winston-Salem area on Monday for an official event related to the economy.

The White House refused to release further details, but WXII-TV in Winston-Salem reported that Obama will visit Forsyth Technical Community College.

It would be Obama's fourth trip to North Carolina since he became president. He last visited in April, a largely off-the-record weekend vacation in Asheville with his wife, Michelle.

A few weeks before that trip, he came to Charlotte to tout the health reform bill.

With two years before the next presidential election, North Carolina remains a politically important state for Obama. He won the state narrowly in 2008.

Republicans have done better since then, taking over the North Carolina State General Assembly in November.

But in Congress, the state lost just one Democrat, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge of Lillington, who lost in his largely rural district to tea party activist Renee Ellmers.

In North Carolina, Obama remains in a close race with four potential GOP candidates, according to a survey released Monday by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm in Raleigh.

He's statistically tied with Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, according to the survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.

The same survey showed a 45 percent job approval rating for Obama in the state, with 51 percent disapproving.

On Monday, Obama will head to the hometown of Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, who won a second term in November. U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a Democrat, is from neighboring Greensboro.














Pat McCrory Leads Perdue In Rematch


PPP's first poll of the 2012 Governor's race in North Carolina finds Pat McCrory well ahead of Bev Perdue in a hypothetical rematch of their 2008 contest, 49-37. Perdue also trails NC GOP chair Tom Fetzer in a possible contest, although only by a 42-40 margin.

Part of the reason for Perdue's dicey early standing is her continued poor approval ratings. Only 33% of voters in the state approve of the job she's doing while 49% disapprove. But the other part is that Pat McCrory is a pretty well liked politician. Although a lot of folks have already forgotten who he is- 45% of voters in the state have no opinion of him- those who do remember him from 2 years ago generally look upon him fondly. 34% have a favorable view of him to only 20% with a negative one.

Republicans (49/11 spread) and independents (34/18) are pretty overwhelmingly positive toward him and even with Democrats there are almost as many- 24%- with a positive opinion of him as there are- 27% with a negative one.

McCrory leads Perdue 58-27 with Independents.

By comparison PPP's final 2008 poll found him up just 7 points on Perdue with them.




McCrory is also getting 25% of Democrats, compared to 17% we found him with on our final 2008 poll. And McCrory also does a good job of keeping Republicans in line- Perdue gets only 5% of the GOP vote at this point in time, compared to 10% she was receiving at the end of the last election.

There's not a lot of doubt that McCrory would defeat Perdue if the election was held today. But of course it's not. Earlier this month the Governor of Arizona, who had trailed by a good deal in polling throughout much of 2009, and the Governor of Illinois, who trailed by a good deal in polling throughout pretty much all of 2010, were both reelected. Perdue has a lot of work to do with Democrats and independents between now and November of 2012, but it's not impossible for someone in her current position to win reelection.



The most interesting thing about Fetzer's numbers might be that as many press conferences as he held this year, 70% of voters across the state don't know who he is. And when you get outside the Triangle that number rises closer to 80%. Democrats dislike Fetzer more strongly (8/27) than Republicans like him (16/9). Independents have a dim view of Fetzer as well at 9/16. Given McCrory's strength Fetzer's electoral prospects in 2012 might look brighter in a race for Lieutenant Governor than the big office.

Full results here




Pat McCrory Prepares For 2012 Rematch As Bev Perdue Continues To Screw Up


Pat McCrory's calendar seems penciled with listings for someone ready for a rematch with Gov. Beverly Perdue.

McCrory, who stepped down as Charlotte mayor after 16 years last fall, has become a popular speaker statewide on the Republican Party's chicken dinner circuit, headlining many GOP fundraisers. He's been a frequent visitor on local and even national television political roundtables after narrowly losing to Perdue in November 2008.

Now he has started a political action committee to raise money for legislative candidates and highlight issues he promoted in the 2008 race, including transportation, criminal justice and getting rid of what he called "a culture of corruption" in state government.

"North Carolina state government is in a mess," the 53-year-old McCrory said in a video announcing his New Leadership PAC and identifying Democrats, including Perdue, whom he believes are part of the problem. "It's time for new leadership in our state and it must start now in 2010."

What about 2012?

McCrory said in an interview he's going to strongly consider a repeat gubernatorial bid. A longtime observer of his political career is more certain.

"He's going to run for governor," said Ted Arrington, a political science professor at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Arrington said it's a challenge for McCrory to keep his name in front of the general public now that he's the ex-mayor. He also needs to avoid negative publicity that could harm him politically while satisfying both the business community that backed him for years and the new tea party movement to avoid a bruising GOP primary.

"I think he's still popular, but he's just disappeared from everything," Arrington said. "He's behind the scenes. He's working the party leaders."

McCrory almost became just the third Republican since 1901 to move to the Executive Mansion in Raleigh when he lost to Perdue by 3 percentage points in the closest governor's race in 36 years. A month later, he announced he wouldn't seek an eighth two-year term as mayor in 2009.

Since leaving the mayor's post, McCrory joined a Charlotte law firm as a public policy consultant in addition to working with his brother's business and boosted his outside political involvement. He kicked off the New Leadership PAC this spring with a mass fundraising letter. The PAC's treasurer is Jack Hawke, McCrory's chief political consultant in the 2008 campaign.

A political action committee is a common tool for someone interested in running for federal office such as president. John Edwards had one, as does current Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. But it's unusual for someone seeking a North Carolina state government office.

McCrory said he plans to use social networking, electronic town hall meetings and other technology to communicate with supporters about candidates and issues. He said President Obama's use of technology during the 2008 campaign played a role in helping Perdue win by energizing Democrats to vote.



"I felt the impact first hand in my race, and I want to help other candidates not be behind the 8-ball in that area," McCrory said.

The political committee collected nearly $25,000 by mid-April. Retired accountant Ken Collins of Monroe gave $100 to McCrory's new venture because he said the ex-mayor "seems to be a guy that can get along across political lines. You can't say that about everybody."

State Democratic Party executive director Andrew Whalen said the ex-mayor's New Leadership PAC "seems to be nothing more than an attempt to repackage those same failed ideas from his failed gubernatorial campaign."

McCrory also went on the defensive in February when the campaign committee acknowledged it failed to report two helicopter flights in the waning days of his 2008 bid. Perdue and former Gov. Mike Easley have taken heat for dozens of flight disclosures over the past year. The Democratic Party made one of those flights the centerpiece of a news conference.

The PAC is not the only effort by McCrory to stay on the political radar screen. During his last year as mayor, McCrory was asked to speak to large crowds in person and on the air about his concerns with the federal stimulus package and President Obama's health care overhaul.

McCrory was the only speaker to get a standing ovation from more than 1,000 conservative and tea party supporters meeting last September in Raleigh to hear Obama's address on health care to a joint session of Congress. Helping social and fiscal conservative feel comfortable with McCrory could help him win over the Republican base and avoid a tough primary in 2012.

Arrington said McCrory's strategy to attempt to remain salient after his failed gubernatorial shows he's not the same guy who won a Charlotte city council seat as a relative political unknown in 1989.

"He started out in politics a very naive fellow," Arrington said. "He's learned a lot."






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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Public Policy Polling, WCNC, WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps