My facebook page was lit up with posts from the Paulistas last night with posts like "Find it hard to believe Rick anal-spooge is getting 25% after not polling higher than 3% all year... Veeery suspicious"

I know--I was thinking the same thing. "Ron Paul disciples clinging to a conspiracy theory?" Crazy.

BravadoGT: My facebook page was lit up with posts from the Paulistas last night with posts like "Find it hard to believe Rick anal-spooge is getting 25% after not polling higher than 3% all year... Veeery suspicious"

I know--I was thinking the same thing. "Ron Paul disciples clinging to a conspiracy theory?" Crazy.

Definitely cognitive dissonance. Looking at the volatility overall it's hard to conclude that Santorum's strong showing is the result of something nefarious. He happened to trend up at just the right time. It was his turn.

Snarfangel: Santorum just benefited from the key "Not Romney" demographic at the right time. By next week, it'll probably be Buddy Roemer, or some New Hampshire car salesman.

/Republicans may run out of candidates at some point.

Well, Gingrich peaked twice, so maybe not.

Snarfangel: Santorum just benefited from the key "Not Romney" demographic at the right time. By next week, it'll probably be Buddy Roemer, or some New Hampshire car salesman.

I think it was the highly coveted clown car family endorsement.

Ron Paul supporters are adorable. What must it be like to view the terrifying and wondrous world through their childlike eyes?

I was really surprised by Romney's speech. He was practically sputtering. He sounded extremely frustrated. The subtext was all "Why don't you like me?"

GAT_00: Snarfangel: Santorum just benefited from the key "Not Romney" demographic at the right time. By next week, it'll probably be Buddy Roemer, or some New Hampshire car salesman.

/Republicans may run out of candidates at some point.

Well, Gingrich peaked twice, so maybe not.

Really, Gingrich only peaked once in Iowa... basically, very strange year, almost everyone except Huntsman peaked in Iowa at one point or another....

Link (new window)

Romney basically stayed in the 17-23 range the entire time... but, it went Bachmann, Perry, Cain, Gingrich, Paul, and then finally Santorum basically hit on caucus night.

Diogenes: I was really surprised by Romney's speech. He was practically sputtering. He sounded extremely frustrated. The subtext was all "Why don't you like me?"

Between that and the Gingrich speech which sounded more like he was running a "Anti-Romney" campaign more than a "pro-Gingrich" campaign... it should be very interesting between now and Super Tuesday:

NH... Should be an easy win for Romney.. IMO, if Romney doesn't get more than a double digit spread between him and 2nd place, that will be seen as a "loss".
SC.... No recent polls from there, I would expect Santorum to be way up over the last polls there. Gingrich was leading here, but, I'd expect him to be down... if Romney somehow wins here, it is basically over... if GIngrich wins, he gets wind back behind him... if Santorum wins, he'll have major momentum to Florida.
FL.... A very mixed state... hard to say what will happen there without some polls coming in. Santorum would be strong if he wins SC.
NV.... Ron Paul always does well here... if Paul can stay relevant through the next 3, he might be able to sneak a win in NV.
CO/MN/MS.... Will Bachmann still be around by then? Seems doubtful, but, she'll be able to endorse someone for MN by then... Missouri & Colorado seem like they'd lean towards Romney.
Maine.... Seems like a Romney state.
AZ/MI.... Also feel like Romney states.
Super Tuesday.... This being predominantly southern states, you'd think Santorum would be able to make a big play here if he is the primary "Anti-Romney" candidate still at that time. But, if Romney can win most everything in Feb, it might give enough momentum to eek out wins and basically put it away.

thismomentinblackhistory: Ron Paul supporters are adorable. What must it be like to view the terrifying and wondrous world through their childlike eyes?

It's especially fascinating from so many children in college...who want to elect Ron Paul while going to college on student loans subsidized by my tax dollars. I appreciate they don't want me to subsidize their education but I wonder why they don't, you know, put their money where their mouths are.

Oh wait, he would favor legalizing pot. Right. Because THAT will pass any Congress in American history.

No, no. He'd set up a truly free economy. Right. Corporations -- who are people too -- really wants that.

Growing up is hard to do.

Headso: thismomentinblackhistory: Ron Paul supporters are adorable. What must it be like to view the terrifying and wondrous world through their childlike eyes?

As a liberal on many issues I don't get all the hate from the left for Paul supporters in the face of the other republican options. You got in them an ally on some issues where the mainstream republicans are basically pieces of shiat on every.single.issue.

Now some people would like to respond to that yeah but ron paul's ideas are so crazy and dangerous and I say why do you act like he will just be able to move his undiluted agenda without any push back or compromise when no president has ever had that luxury?



Because Ron Paul supporters try to paint him as something different than a typical mainstream Republican. Just because Ron Paul might have 2 or 3 good points to him is no reason to ignore the other shiat he spews. Frankly I don't understand why any liberal or independent can look at the body of work of Ron Paul and think he would be a great president in the first place.

First, he is as anti-homosexual, anti-minority, anti-immigrant as the rest of the mainstream Republicans. He just hides his hatred behind state rights and freedom of business. He thinks people should be denied service or jobs based on their sexuality or what race they are. This is only one point against him, there are easily dozens more countered only by a couple points on his foreign policy.

I also love how Ron Paul fans like to tell me his crazy ideas will never go through congress, but all of his somewhat good ones will.

Maybe now he has time to go hang out with his White Supremacist friends.

Headso: As a liberal on many issues I don't get all the hate from the left for Paul supporters in the face of the other republican options. You got in them an ally on some issues where the mainstream republicans are basically pieces of shiat on every.single.issue.

The only thing he seems reasonable on is foreign policy. I don't understand why people who are anti-interventionist and also for gay marriage, abortion, etc. don't just support a far left candidate. Why do people who call themselves "libertarian" always lean so far right?

How many "Ron Paul came in third" threads are we gonna do today?

Headso: Because they hate the idea of social services for the needy and progressive taxes, where as a liberal we usually strongly support those things.

I just don't understand why paying lower taxes trumps personal freedom. Although I guess most of his supporters are straight white men whose personal freedoms aren't at risk and generally don't understand economics.

netizencain: Maybe now he has time to go hang out with his White Supremacist friends.

Stormfront is disappointed he's not more racist.

Of Santorum's 24% or so, I'd bet 5% of those caucus voters decided to support him when he started name-dropping Palin. If she'd run, she would have cleaned up in Iowa.

/which is a sad statement about Iowa Republicans

Headso: NPR was saying this morning that 60% of Republican Iowa Caucus goers are either fundies or born agains. If the paulistas would factor that in it pretty much explains Froth's vote totals. Theoretically he should do better in NH.

I find it suspicious that Santorum only got 25%