The most important characteristic for the 2012 Republican nominee for President (Ron Paul, Reagan)
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The question is not how he gets along with peeople who were already going to vote for his conservative initiatives.
The question is how will he do with people who did NOT want to vote for his initiatives, and he wants to persuade them?
Being an Ahole might be an advantage at times. If his enemies know he's willing and able to lower the boom on them, they might adjust their behavior accordingly.
His own party found him guilty of ethics violations. If you can't work with members of your own party, you have some problems. We don't have to worry about that. Newt is not electable. Democrats are praying that he gets the nomination. The fact is the only person who has a chance of winning is Huntsman. Romney has an outside chance. Newt knows he is not electable. He is just on a world wide book tour. I will give him credit, he knows how to milk it.
Aside from being able to defeat Obama in November (pretty much guaranteed by the condition of the economy, unemployment, and O's record of socialist legislation and financial irresponsibility), what is the most important characteristic the Republican nominee must have?
It's not whether he's had affairs, or even lied about them, or whether he feels your pain... and it's not even "how conservative he is" - all the current Republican candidates are conservative enough for the reversal of trends we need in the next four years, though obviously none is perfect.
What's the most important characteristic?
It's the ability to get conservative legislation INTRODUCED AND PASSED so he can sign it into law as President.
I know, introducing and passing legislation is Congress's job, not the President's. In fact the President has a relatively minor "official" part in making laws - he simply signs (or vetos) what Congress sends him.
But a President has the ability to exert major influence on what Congress sends him, in part through meeting with Congressmen and explaining what he will and won't veto while working out packages with them. And the biggest part of his influence, is through the Bully Pulpit.
Notice the fits of screaming hysteria that country has gone through for the last year or so, not in trying to CUT the Federal budget, but simply in trying to reduce its rate of increase a little. And the effort has had ZERO results so far - just some "automatic" cuts" in the rate of increase, which it looks like will be quietly legislated away before they go into effect in Jan. 2013.
Have you ever wondered how President Reagan managed to get a ***33 PERCENT*** cut in the Income Tax Rate, in his very first year in office? (When he took office the top rate was 75%, he cut it to 50% and cut all the other rates proportionately. Then he did it again later, finally winding up at 28%, less than HALF the rate he started with). In today's Congress, it would be a feat impossible to even imagine.
He did it by using the Bully Pulpit. Reagan would go on national TV and say to people directly, "Here's what I want to happen, here are the advantages and disadvantages, I think you as Americans deserve this an can handle the responsibility etc., SO PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND TELL HIM TO VOTE FOR THIS." The speech, given many times for different agenda items, was longer than that, but that was the gist. Having a Republican-majority Senate helped, but even the Dem-majority House caved when huge public pressure fell on them.
The most important characteristic the Republican nominee for President in 2012, isn't just to be conservative. It's to be able to get his conservatism INTRODUCED AND PASSED thru the Congress so he can then sign it into law.
At this point, looks like it will be either Romney or Newt. Both have extensive baggage, both have noteable conservative achievements, both have major liberal black marks on their records. And all that stuff is far less important than CAN HE GET CONSERVATIVE LEGISLATION PASSED AND SIGNED INTO LAW.
Part of it depends on what Congress he gets, of course. Republicans will likely keep the House, hopefully with at least the same majority they have now, and there's a good chance they will get a Senate majority (do you believe the liberal pundits, in both parties, who scream it isn't so?). And hopefully there will be a higher percentage of no-tax-increases-and-CUT-the-budget newcomers, as happened in 2010. If so, that will make it a lot easier for the Republican President to actually legislate conservatism (REDUCED govt spending and regulation) into law.
But there will be several more Congressional elections between now and when the Republican president leaves office in 2021, and leftists (in both parties) gaining a majority in one house is always possible. If that happens, then between Newt and Romney, whihc is more likely to be able to get conservative legislation through Congress and onto his desk for signature?
Between Newt and Romney, which of them is more able to persuade members of Congress to vote for his conservatives policies, in enough numbers to get it passed? Which is more able to persuade the American people that NOW IS THE TIME to call or write your Congressman and tell him to pass this legislation?
The most important characteristic the Republican nominee will bring to the White House is NOT promises or perfect hair or a pixie smile or even "I stick strictly to the Constitution". It's "After 8 years with me in office this country will be a lot closer to obeying the Constitution, and I can make that happen better than my opponent for the nomination."
Which candidate can get Congress to pass more conservative legislation even if/when they don't want to?
Newt or Romney?
I don't know which of these men may be the better leader, because Newt just lectures people and would be confused on how to persuade the others, and i fear Romney will cave into pressure from the democrats and the liberal media and not fight for what he believes in.
Romney may be amiable and likeable fellow, but once he gets everyone to listen, will he have the tenacity to push his policies.
Newt has the tenacity, but will he have a deficient likability factor, and partisans will refuse to work with him no matter how great an idea he has?
Newt wears his ideas on his sleeve, we know what he is up to, he is not deceitful enough to hide his agenda. Romney changes his position on issues too often for anyone to feel comfortable that they know where his true opinions are.
The question is not how he gets along with peeople who were already going to vote for his conservative initiatives.
The question is how will he do with people who did NOT want to vote for his initiatives, and he wants to persuade them?
Being an Ahole might be an advantage at times. If his enemies know he's willing and able to lower the boom on them, they might adjust their behavior accordingly.
I think it is the opposite. As POTUS, how can you lower the boom on an opposition legislature? What can Obama do to Republican house members right now? If he were wildly popular, like FDR and Reagan were, they would be afraid to be seen going against him. As it is, they shrug and walk away.
I think the key is to win the hearts and minds of the American people. If you have the people behind you, then Congress has to choice but to acquiese to your demands. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), this country has not had such a President since Reagan.
Common sense frugality and a backbone because we are in a fiscal mess.
Like Canada we need to fire lots of government workers and shrink government and the deficit. A Democrat or wrong Republican would continue to kick the problem down the road till the nation is no more.
His own party found him guilty of ethics violations. If you can't work with members of your own party, you have some problems. We don't have to worry about that. Newt is not electable. Democrats are praying that he gets the nomination. The fact is the only person who has a chance of winning is Huntsman. Romney has an outside chance. Newt knows he is not electable. He is just on a world wide book tour. I will give him credit, he knows how to milk it.
Yeah, one charge out of 85 stuck, 0bama is guilty of much worse, but no one has the balls to call him on anything. guess being president comports some immunity, that a congressman doesn't get.
I think the key is to win the hearts and minds of the American people. If you have the people behind you, then Congress has to choice but to acquiese to your demands. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), this country has not had such a President since Reagan.
That is a nice sentiment, but the people were very much against Obama Care and they went ahead and F'd the citizens anyway and the Democrat Congress didn't even want to go so far as to read the bill.
Why do you hate gays, Mexicans and Muslims? Or is it you are you referring to a Mexican gay Muslim?
Like he/she knows the difference... they seem too full of hate
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