Open Thread: Michigan and Arizona Vote, Snowe to Resign
Two big topics of discussion that arose yesterday: Michigan and Arizona both delivered victories to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney over his opponents. Romney swept Arizona with 47 percent of the vote compared to 27 percent for Rick Santorum. In Michigan, things were much closer with the former governor taking the state 41 to 38 percent. Romney scored his Michigan win despite slightly higher than normal participation from Democrats who crossed over to vote for Santorum, a point of contention between the two campaigns in recent days.
The other hot topic for today is the announcement from Republican senator Olympia Snowe that she will retire and rather than seek reelection in her state of Maine. Do you think this will harm the GOP's chances for taking back the Senate?
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, Maine Republican, surprisingly announced Tuesday she won’t seek a fourth term, citing the increasingly bitter and partisan nature of Capitol Hill.
Her sudden decision, just two weeks before Maine’s candidate-filing deadline, deals a severe blow to the Republican push to take control of the Senate and gives Democrats an unanticipated shot at winning the seat.
The moderate Republican, in a statement released by her campaign, said she was confident she would have won re-election in November and that she and her husband, John McKernan Jr., are in good health.
But she added that she has grown frustrated that “an atmosphere of polarization and ‘my way or the highway’ ideologies has become pervasive in campaigns and in our governing institutions.”
“With my Spartan ancestry, I am a fighter at heart, and I am well prepared for the electoral battle, so that is not the issue,” said Mrs. Snowe, the daughter of Greek immigrants. “However, what I have had to consider is how productive an additional term would be.”
How good do you peg either party's chances at capturing the now-open seat?
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Comments
I hate to say it, but Snowe is a......
Submitted by Timothy H on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 10:38am.
pawn in the battle that we couldn't afford to lose and she is a casualty of the republican party slitting their own throats by moving out of the big tent and into a smaller and more narrowly defined one. RINOs may not be the ideal option, but losing them hurts the party more than keeping them does. I truly wish we didn't have any need for liberal leaning Republicans, but it is naive to believe that we don't.
Hail to rigid ideology, though. Who needs to win when we can instead watch our country slip further and further down the path of socialism with the Dems leading the way while we fight ourselves about not being conservative enough or not being libertarian enough.
But we will still have held on to every rigid principle all the way down the slippery slope.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe. -Albert Einstein
And for blonde:Some days it just doesn't pay to chew through the restraint. -Timothy H
No difference
Submitted by jon_torlin on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:09am.
The same sort of nonsense was said about Scott Brown of Mass and that turned out to be a huge disappointment. So Snowe going away means no big loss.
A RINO is worse than a dem because you don't know which way they will flip-flop, whereas a Dem, you know where they stand.
As for the slippery slope as you called it, just one minor point, those people get voted in by their constituents and if their constituents turn out to be a bunch of idiots(or the majority of them are) that vote for the likes of Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid or for pete's sake Moonbeam Brown of Governor of California, then they deserve whatever happens to them.
-Jon
Good morning Jon
Submitted by cocodrie on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:51am.
Good riddance to bad rubbish. She may be replaced by a loser but she was definitely not the belle of the ball.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
⇒ Casualty? Pawn?
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:21am.
She's neither. In her statement she claims she is certain she could win reelection. I have no reason to disbelieve her, and neither do you.
More than 30 years in Congress with 18 of them in the Senate and you're calling her a "pawn" and a "casualty"?
She IS master of her own destiny, and maybe you're a little too quick to assume a trend toward a more conservative Republican Party necessarily results in a net loss to the Senate count.
Perhaps you haven't noticed the exodus on the other side. How much of that is due to constituents' disenchantment with tax & spend Democrats? I understand her wish to play Rodney King (can't we all just get along). That's an attitude that moves Socialism quite nicely down the rails (GM bailout, Stimulus bill), and now she says she's tired of "My way or the highway". It certainly doesn't appear she's done much buckling to that "rigid ideology" of which you speak.
But "casualty" and "pawn" make her sound like she's being pushed out of the Senate. She's not.
Hail to rigid ideology I
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 12:36pm.
Hail to rigid ideology
I assume you mean yours because if the best the GOP can do is Snowe we dont need her. She left of her own accord and could have been under the tent if she wanted. The GOP has a big tent, it does not exclude anyone. The trick is convincing the people you have the right stuff to represent them. The people may be saying no.
In between the numbers
Submitted by Tomorama on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 10:39am.
Most of the media is ignoring the HUGE amount of Demonrats that were voting FOR Santorum, but that is expected.
Considering they break stuff down to what percentage of left handed people voted for XXXXXXX, you woukld think the Demonrat number would get some billing....
But that is silly ol' me.
Snowe leaving will hurt unless the Republicans can find a slightly better version of her.
Maine is a moderate state and would require a Moderate Republican to win it again, sorry folks, that is the makeup.
I'll still take someone who is on my side 80-90 percent of the time to a Demonrat.
30 years too late!
Submitted by BBallleaper on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:03am.
I suppose better late than never!
snowe knew she would not win
Submitted by dmacleo on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:24am.
we are SICK of her and collins up here.
no matter what the party says...she was done for. guess she decided to be fiscally sound for once and not waste the money on running.
Congressional Performance Art
Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:32am.
I don't know when this testimony took place, but I just found this today at The Anchoress.
Follow the link there to the Hot Air article, but the Anchoress provides the Money Quote (emphasis mine):
Yes, how dare a Catholic college actually inflict its Catholicity on the poor victim, who just couldn’t deny herself the promise of her future by going to some less conscientious and less prestigious school, like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Michigan, Brown. The Catholic school should just give up its conscience in order to insure that she needn’t have one, at all.
That just about sums up the entire liberal ideology, especially on abortion and related matters: To make a woman feel bad or guilty about her actions by telling her they're wrong is just plain hateful.
⇒ So true, MB
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:41am.
What does a girl have to do these days to get a quality, government funded lay?
Wonder if anybody on the panel pointed out her partner (OK, obviously she isn't more into variety than a relationship) might spring for some of the cost, or that her behavior might contribute credibly to the spread of disease?
Bring out your dead
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:34am.
Personally, I feel the Republican Party is dying, if not dead. Romney will win the nomination, I will hold my nose and vote for him, just like in 2008, but Obama will once again win. America has too many 'sheeple', a totally biased media, 40% who depend on government handouts, numerous racist 'African-American' 'victims' who are slaves on the Democrat plantation, unions and organizations like ACORN beholding to the Democrats, I could go on.
First the Republican Party will die, then America.
I will hold my nose and vote for him (Rmoney)
Submitted by vrwc13 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 12:05pm.
I will hold my nose and vote for him
...hmmm
…hey, that just made me hungry, going out for a bag of M&M’s
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
Never will be Muslim
Submitted by jon_torlin on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 12:42pm.
I'd sooner be a Mormon than a Muslim.
I'll die first before becoming that satanic cult that worships death.
But if the Muslim in Chief gets re-elected, his statement a while back "we're all Muslims now" will be true. Or whatever it was saying that this was a Muslim nation.
And I don't care if the country is ignorant about his background as a Muslim, it's right there for anyone to see and I'm not responsibile for the country's ignorance. Like many of us have tried, I can warn so many people who decide to ignore it at their own peril.
And that's what's going to happen if he somehow gets re-elected, we're heading for a perilous time.
God help us if the people don't do the right thing.
-Jon
re to vrwc13: Too bad you couldn't....
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 1:46pm.
Hold your nose, but it's too bad you couldn't hold your "keyboard" when typing all those nasty comments about the man's religion. If Romney in any way inferred that he would govern, as President, based on his faith, you might have a point. All I have seen so far is that he will govern in a business friendly, Constitutional approach, which is as close to 180 degrees as anybody can get from Obama.
The goal in 2012 is to beat Obama, hold a huge majority in the House, and retake the Senate. Constant disparaging comments regarding Romney's money have the stench of attempting to instill doubts among Republican voters and hold down turnout. What's wrong with being successful in the private sector? Conservatives don't begrudge someone being successful outside of government.
Conservatives need to retake the Republican Party. It's something that is underway, but is going to take some time. The far left took over the Democrat Party, but they didn't do it in one or two election cycles. I don't agree with many of Romney's positions. But I won't constantly bash and ridicule any potential Republican candidate, as many so called conservatives are want to do on internet message board forums.
Defeating Obama in 2012 is of the utmost import. Conservatives need to get behind the Republican candidate and point out to others what's good about that candidate and what the Republicans will do that's different then Obama and the far left. When I vote for any Republican presidential candidate come this November, i won't be holding my nose. I would be proud to vote for even a mannequin if that's the choice, instead of voting for Obama, or staying at home.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Using your words...
Submitted by vrwc13 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 5:36pm.
The goal in 2012 is to beat Obama, hold a huge majority in the House, and retake the Senate...(by) Conservatives
need toretakeing the Republican Party (now).We don't need another Dole/McCain to learn our lesson. Let's do it now. We have the Tea Party momentum, a lousy socialist incumbent. I don't think our economy, military, and personal rights should take it any longer. Now is the time. No compromise.
If the 'moderates' can be shown how far-left obama really is, then they can join the conservatives and elect a conservative President.
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
Concur
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 5:55pm.
I agree with you on those points, vrwc13. I just think it's counterproductive to tear a potential candidate down using the same tactics that are being used by the left. I do disagree with you regarding Romney being like Dole or McCain. Dole and McCain were professional moderate Republican politicians. Is Romney moderate? Unfortunately, yes. But he's not a professional politician. I think Romney will beat Obama, (if he's the nominee), and I think he would govern from a pro-business perspective.
And just because I'm saying something positive about Romney, doesn't mean I would be any less enthusiastic for Santorum or Gingrich should they be the eventual candidate. The Republican party is going to become more conservative, no matter who the nominee.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
DFTT, you may be right,
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 12:51pm.
DFTT, you may be right, however the TEA party is remaking the GOP as the Whigs were remade. The only solace I find in your prognostication is the Israelites were in slavery for 400 years. Hopefully it will not be that long but Hell I wont care because I will most likely be dead.
Excellent points from Don't Feed The Trolls
Submitted by Herbster on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 2:39pm.
Good points here. However, let's start looking forward to '16. The dem candidate to replace the reelected obambi will be.......Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York. (Biden will gracefully retire and become a greeter at the Baltimore planned parenthood clinic.) The state run media is already cranking up the propaganda mill to be ready after the adulations to "The One" after his reelection - and next vacation. Have we seen the end of the Dole/McCain/Romney losers, or will the dogma of "I'm next - it's my turn" continue? The answer is obvious. Repubs will nominate another loser and Cuomo, aided by the state run media will be elected in a landslide......and reelected. Now we're at '24. I will be long gone thanks to the obamacare death panels and will not see the continuing decline of our beloved country.
On a good note
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 12:40pm.
If you need a little day brightener, click this link. They are kids' answers to tests. I'm having a hard time picking my favorite. My pole dancing mommy, Lady Gaga, or the Giraffes.
I'm almost afraid to visit the website that this article came from, I suspect it will be like Icanhazcheeseburger, addictive.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
I like...
Submitted by vrwc13 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 1:00pm.
Q: Explain the digestive system:
A: It a process that starts with the right hand and ends with the left
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
retirement of Olympia Snowe
Submitted by Steve Cakouros on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 12:52pm.
To Olympia from one Greek to another:
I have always been ashamed that you are Greek--another Ephialtes.
Apparently you have read the handwriting on the wall. RINO’S are being singled out for removal. You knew when to head for cover.
I’m sure the Democrats will provide you with a home. Oh, while you are at it, take John McCain and Lisa Murkowski with you.
nicely done!
Submitted by jon_torlin on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 12:58pm.
I had to look up who Ephialtes was to understand your reference, kinda read the cliff notes version, but enough to note the irony of what you wrote.
Nicely done! Stuff like this is pretty cool.
But I'm sure everyone will agree that they would wish for other RINOs to be taken along with the ones you named.
-Jon
MittSplit and 2 ignored issues
Submitted by reelman46 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 1:03pm.
Notice by adding Newt's and Paul's delegates (to Santorum's) that equals Mitt's?
As long as its a 4 man instead of a 2 man race…
the conservative vote is split and the mush mouth who socialized medicine in his state will buy enough votes.
Dole, McLoser and now MittSplit…
the Repub elites always find a way to fumble the ball near the goal line. Mitt's ace is he has no long-term voting record to hammer.
=====
BTW, why is the Baseline Budgeting scam (reform/replacement of) ignored?
Why has NO ONE asked any democrat on an almost daily basis >>>
Why are federal workers/congress exempted from the national socialized medicine bill?
At least say that in a sound bite...
ask Obama in a sound bite day after day...
these 2 issues are major, very major and involve trillions...
but not a word...why?
Doug Schexnayder, Ph.D. (theconservativecrawfish<
I must have missed it
Submitted by ThisnThat on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 1:39pm.
I saw that Snowe will retire. But I couldn't find the Republican Senator that was also talked about in the article.
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
HAHA
Submitted by dmacleo on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 5:56pm.
you nailed it !
(R) Primaries (02/29/12) “The Official Grump-Analysis”
Submitted by Grumpy in Arizona on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 1:42pm.
Source: “The Grumpy Center for Advanced Studies (GCAS)”
Official Motto of the GCAS: “’Montezuma’s Revenge’ isn’t good.”
NOTE: Normally I prefer to ‘analyze’ debates and shy away from trying to figure out actual results and long term effects of the current primaries. However, yesterday as I was minding my own business here at NB… Several thousand of you members (actually it was just two) demanded that an “Official Grump-Analysis” be posted on the results of the AZ and MI primaries. So here it is:
I feel betrayed by my ‘fellow republicans’ here in Arizona, and am less than thrilled by those in Michigan for selecting “Mittens” as the person they would like to see as President.
BACKGROUND: Yesterday stated off for me like so many other Tuesday, February 28’s that happen to fall in a leap year... It came with a sense of foreboding, yet still there was a faint hope that the people of Arizona and Michigan would do the right thing and reject the phoniness and shallowness of the non-conservative Mitt.
At least I managed to accomplish the lofty goal I have set for myself: “Just make it through the day until ‘Happy-hour’ comes around.”
But alas, I too late realized the fatal flaw of my goal… I had timed my schedule so that I would vote and then proceed onto my favorite watering hole – already refreshed with the knowledge that, with my civic duty done, the beverage experience would be all the more pleasurable.
The dream and the plan shattered when I realized [over a pitcher of domestic brand beer] that I should have gone to Happy-hour first, and then vote on the way home... or at least try one of those disgusting sounding ‘Orange-flavored’ Micro-brews.
THE GOOD NEWS: The only good news is that Mittens barely carried MI and won’t get all of the delegates.
THE “OFFICIAL” ANALYSIS: “It was a pretty bad day all-around, but one that was really, really bad for Conservative Principles.”
FINAL NOTE: Let’s face it! There really isn’t much to analyze here (unless you’re a professional pundent… who can speak for hours on the importance of trivial matters). Romney won big in AZ but still got only about 20% of the total registered republican vote. In MI he barely won, but it cost him someone else’ fortune to get that win. I can only hope (in the future primaries) real conservatives come out in droves and reject the preening RINO Mitt.
And a ‘P.S.’ – If Mitt becomes the nominee… Yes, I will hold my nose and vote for him… even though I think he will be only marginally better than “Ear Leader.”
Grump's analysis
Submitted by nanabanana on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 3:48pm.
delete
Ah, there you are, Grump
Submitted by nanabanana on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 3:47pm.
Wow! Didn't realize two of us had such 'power' over your life, Grump. :-) Anyway, speaking for meself, I always enjoy your comments, whether they are analyses or no - so good one. Thank heaven for "Happy Hour", eh? :-)
I can only hope (in the future primaries) real conservatives com
Submitted by vrwc13 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 3:57pm.
I can only hope (in the future primaries) real conservatives come out in droves and reject the preening RINO Mitt.
...thanks for the update Grump. Still a lot of hope and time left: Ohio, PA, TN, OK, etc. And they are all proportional, non of this winner-take-all.
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
My Take
Submitted by stratman on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 5:16pm.
Arizona continues to re-elect McCain. Romney was the closest to McCain.
...peas in a pod...
Submitted by vrwc13 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 5:33pm.
here
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
I see that the Obama REGIME
Submitted by killa37 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 2:03pm.
I see that the Obama REGIME is touting some kind of agreement with the Son of L'il Kim REGIME in North Korea, where we will probably let them continue to develop nuclear power for 'energy', as well as be sending them some kind of food aid package.
I'm just wondering if it will be a few billion dollars worth of food stamps, or a bunch of boatloads of food that has been banned by Mooooooooooochelle and confiscated from kids' lunchboxes......................or it will be a zillion tons of corn, soybeans, and whatever else is used to make ethenal, thereby driving the price of our own gasoline up even further.
Anyway you cut it, if Boy Barry makes a deal like this, the only losers are going to be US!!!!! I think the last time a 'good deal' (his own words) was made like this by der Schlickmeister, we gave North Korea a bunch of 'stuff' (one of Boy Barry's favorite words), AND the ability to expand their nuclear program.
The dreamy Davey has passed away
Submitted by shawn. on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 3:03pm.
Poor Marcia Brady.
RIP Davey
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE81S1T520120229?irpc=932
...Texas Navy
Submitted by vrwc13 on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 5:54pm.
Don't Mess With Texas!
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
Oh Yah!
Submitted by stratman on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 8:00pm.
Love it. Want a couple for the Cuyahoga River. :-)
You should see what the plan for traffic scofflaws.
Submitted by drsamherman on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 8:46pm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1X4r2nHSb0
Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war
Submitted by stratman on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 9:58pm.
Don't know what they were shooting at most of the time, but loved it when the big gun went boom. :-)
Gotta wonder about the idiot in the pickup truck that got lit-up as it raced by the tank. Dude, really, how far did you think you would get?
A med school classmate's family had a WWII museum complete with a Sherman tank. They would take her out for parades until the city got tired of fixing roads.
You have got to be kidding me?
Submitted by Boudin on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 8:40pm.
Calmed things down, really? Does this moron have no shame?
I assume most everyone has seen the
Submitted by bkeyser on Thu, 03/01/2012 - 2:07am.
Sandra Flukes testimony regarding the poor, downtrodden Georgetown Law female student body's inability to afford their contraception given the copious amounts of casual sex they are apparently partaking. If not, the Blaze has it here and both Beck and Rush respond here.The fact that this woman made such as ass of herself -belitteling herself to such a degree- says more about her willingness to prostitute herself than any amount of sex she's engaging in. But, she is entrepreneurial. I found one of here business cards floating around the interwebs tonight. The Dean must be so proud.
bk, "I found one of her business cards floating around "
Submitted by upcountrywater on Thu, 03/01/2012 - 2:23am.
lol
You Didn't Build That.