December 23, 2011

George H.W. Bush endorses Romney, because of his "stability, experience, principles. He’s a fine person."

"I just think he’s mature and reasonable — not a bomb-thrower... I’ve got to be a little careful because I like Perry; he’s our governor."

ADDED: By contrast, Rush Limbaugh bashes Romney for declining to call Obama a "socialist."  Romney — responding to Bill O'Reilly's "Is Obama a socialist?" — said:
You know, I prefer to use the term that he's just over his head.  I consider him a big government liberal Democrat.  I think, as you look at his policies, you conclude that he thinks Europe got it right, and we got it wrong.  I think Europe got it wrong.  I think Europe is not working in Europe, and I'll battle him on that day in and day out. But I'm probably not gonna be calling him names so much as calling him a failure.

34 comments:

edutcher said...

I thought 41's governor was the guy in ME.

In any case, this should help Perry against all the charges he's another Bush.

WV "fluess" Female flu.

Andy said...

Are we done pretending every candidate except Romney isn't a total joke?

Also, cute calling the man who may have cost him a second term a "son of a gun".

Andy said...

In any case, this should help Perry against all the charges he's another Bush.

I don't think anyone thinks nearly highly enough of Perry to call him another Bush.

Phil 314 said...

Andy R. = noise

Andy said...

Andy R. = noise

I'm sorry, are you one of the supporters of the joke candidates?

Sydney said...

One more reason not to like Romney

KCFleming said...

What the nation needs it does not want.

What it wants will impoverish us, even enslave us.

Democrats promise more of what we want.

Republicans at present promise less, knowing it can't possibly be delivered, thinking at best we'll have a softer landing.

But these wishes aren't horses.

Worldwide economic unrest has ever in the past led to war. The pot boils still, no surcease. The Middle East rages. Dynasties are falling.

No man can lead us through this. But a philosophy can.

The US was based on a great one. Would that we had the courage to believe in it once more.

Sydney said...

Pogo for President!

edutcher said...

Andy R. said...

Are we done pretending every candidate except Romney isn't a total joke?

As long as we understand that includes GodZero.

Phil 3:14 said...

Andy R. = noise

He has to be the first in anytime there's a post about the Republican field.

If he waited, he might even say something intelligent.

KCFleming said...

Pogo will not play possum in the White House!

Steve Austin said...

I read Romney's wikipedia page last night to learn more about the guy.

Interestingly enough, virtually everything written about his business life and running the Olympics was really positive. Obviously if there had been some huge negatives, wiki writers would have loaded up the bio with it.

It appears like the guy was well liked by his employees and ran things extremely competently much of his career. Had an ability for solving problems and turning things around.

We kind of need that right now in Washington.

Right is right! said...

George H.W. Bush was the ultimate Big Government RINO. Of course he loves Romney. Romney is a Rockefeller East Coast Republican to the core.

I'm Full of Soup said...

I will vote for anyone who ain't the socialist President Obama.

Andy sounds like he gets his talking points from Mika Brezinski.

Dan in Philly said...

Rush would make a poor politician, and this is one of the reasons why.

bagoh20 said...

Yes, yes, he's very qualified to win... then what?

bagoh20 said...

"I'm sorry, are you one of the supporters of the joke candidates?"

I can guarantee there will be at least one in the general election.

roesch/voltaire said...

Strange that Rush would put Romney down considering Romney's campaign so far seems based on distortions of the record and propaganda directed at Obama, which Rush should enjoy.

The Crack Emcee said...

I like Papa Bush, and can see a Romney presidency, though I don't want one.

If he would show just an inkling of fight - for something other than his own ambition - that might change.

But, for right now, the idea of a Romney presidency is a non-starter,....

ricpic said...

They're all "fine people," the inside the buttercup crowd.

ricpic said...

Hey Pogo, will you keep the Croc out of your White House? Something about that Croc...

Tim said...

"The US was based on a great one. Would that we had the courage to believe in it once more."

Indeed so then, not so now. Socialism has impoverished our strength, our independence, our intelligence and our wealth. More importantly, it has impoverished our courage.

Our future is dimmer than our past. Pity.

ricpic said...

I mean the Gator! Can't even get that right.

KCFleming said...

Albert the Alligator?

Why, he hardly ever ate a thing he wasn't supposed to.

Tim said...

"But, for right now, the idea of a Romney presidency is a non-starter,...."

I hear you, except no one else, excluding the epic failure that takes up space in the White House now, is viable.

The Hat Mannequin is correct; none of the other candidates can win.

Our first job is to save the Republic. Enabling this president's reelection makes us as culpable in the Republic's downfall as all the idiots who elected Obama in the first place.

I detest Romney, and wish there were better candidates. There aren't any.

bagoh20 said...

"Strange that Rush would put Romney down considering Romney's campaign so far seems based on distortions of the record and propaganda directed at Obama, which Rush should enjoy."

The actual actions of people can challenge the caricatures if one has an open mind.

bagoh20 said...

@ Tim

Precisely, and I see it every day, not in everyone, but in far too many people for us to be strong and successful. I try to encourage people around me to be bold, to take chances, to believe that they themselves can survive, create and build without the government's help. It's a hard sell. The weakness is well indoctrinated.

shiloh said...

The entire Bush family supported mittens in 2008 ...

Just sayin'

Thorley Winston said...

It appears like the guy was well liked by his employees and ran things extremely competently much of his career. Had an ability for solving problems and turning things around.

We kind of need that right now in Washington.


That was a large part of the reason why I supported him in 2008 and although he wasn’t my first choice this go-around, it seems like an even more valid reason to support him in 2012.

AFATNIAH – what is the upside to Romney calling Obama a socialist? Even if you think he’s one (as I do) calling someone a socialist or communist in American politics today would likely backfire and Romney would have to spend days or weeks defending a comment that is unlikely to net him any new votes similar to how other candidates have self-destructed because of their own unforced errors. Moreover when a presidential candidate engages in name-calling it diminishes them and one of Romney’s chief strengths is that he’s generally seen as competent and level-headed and his chief weakness is that when he tries to pander, he does so badly. Throwing out an incendiary term in order to pander to likely Republican voters rather than focusing on Obama’s policy failures would be playing to his weaknesses not his strengths.

shiloh said...

Name calling worked well for Republicans re: Muslim, born in Kenya, Islamo-Fascist, Marrxist, Communist, Socialist, wealth distributor, the anti-christ, Satan, the devil incarnate, Barack Hussein Obama in 2008. So now that Obama is C-in-C and an incumbent president it should work equally as well, eh.

As always, mittens (((own flip/flopping words))) will bury him, much like McCain/palin.

Interesting Reps have one of the weakest fields in modern history and mittens is still having a hard time rising above the fray ...

hopechange said...

What Romney actually means: "You know, I prefer not to call him out on his socialism because I'm not that different in some ways, and moreover, I have no intention to try to stop socialism on a national level."

Fixed it. Not shorter Romney perhaps, but more accurate.

hopechange said...

Tim, there is a viable alternative. I feel that your comment suggests that you have given up. Please don't give up. All is by no means lost.

If you feel like it, watch the Newt Gingrich Staten Island Tea Party speech and see what you think.

Here are some of the things that have captured my interest. Newt is talking about solutions that will increase manufacturing in the U.S.; lower tax rates; increase employment and thus increase tax revenues.

Also, transform agencies like OSHA and EPA that are dragging down the people who actually do the work in this country; secure the border; find a fair way to help settle the illegal immigrant issue.

Also, support space entrepreneurialism; make congress accountable(!); rebalance the power among our THREE CO-EQUAL branches of government; and create feedback loops, as they use in Quality Improvement for manufacturing, so that the American people can let government know the effects of laws.

That's just a little bit of what Newt is proposing. It's up to the the American people if we want to do these things.

Newt is proposing solutions that, if the American people decide to do them, will create a better tomorrow for us, our children and grandchildren.

All is not lost. This could turn out better than we think.

I do think we may have to go through some really hard times to get there. But the American people can very very tough when necessary. And to restore our Republic based upon the constitutional rule of law may require us to be tough.

Tim said...

"Tim, there is a viable alternative. I feel that your comment suggests that you have given up. Please don't give up. All is by no means lost."

Newt is not viable. I watched, closely, how he managed the House as Speaker. I watched, closely, how the Democrats and media took his personal failings and wrapped them around him like a cobra, strangling him. Those are just two example (flirting with Hillary! on health care is another, as is his on, off, on again position on global warming). None of those things have changed, and they will kill him off in the general election - he is a self-generating argument against himself. He has no plausible retort except speeches.

And that's what got Obama elected - speeches in which people foolishly, blindly, slavishly invested too much hope, too many expectations - speeches which turned (unsurprising so) to shit once he was elected. In that way, Gingrich is like Obama - short on successful executive experience, long on words, distracted by the power of the "new idea." The last three years have proven we need none of that anymore. Gingrich will tell us what we want to hear, excite us with the power of the new idea...and fail to follow up, as he's distracted by another great new idea, the TV cameras or, worse yet, another woman.

He's also prone to lecturing us, like we're students in a history seminar - just like Obama does. Dear God, I hate politicians lecturing me - and I'm not the only one.

The risks are far too great. We must get rid of Obama. Sadly, we are dependent upon idiots who previously voted for Obama in '08 to win. If they all vote for Obama again, as I fear, it won't matter.

Who do you think they'll vote for?

Obama v. Romney?

Obama v. Gingrich?

Gingrich stands nearly no chance.

Romney does.

I want another candidate, but that's not happening this cycle.

AlanKH said...

Romney is toast. What's next, a John McCain endorsement?

AlanKH said...

A bit if Texas trivia: the man who reneged on his "no new taxes" pledge has a toll road named after him.

Heh.