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Hot Gas and Santorum - is that the ticket?
Author: BobR    Date: 03/14/2012 12:43:42

Three more states participated in the primary process last night. What isn't surprising is that Mitt Romney lost both Alabama and Mississippi. After his tone-deaf pandering with comments about "y'all" and "cheesey grits", he's lucky they didn't drag him from the bumper of a pickup truck to the state's border.

No, what's surprising is that Newt Gingrich couldn't pull a victory out of Alabama. Despite it bordering his declared "home state", and being the only other candidate besides Ron Paul with any real southern credentials, he lost it to a "yankee" from Pennsylvania. You'd think he'd be humbled or discouraged. But no, we're talking Newt, whose beltline is surpassed only by his ego. He sees no reason to get out now:
Gingrich said his expectation was to be in Tampa and have an open convention, and that taking the nominating process all the way to the convention would be "good for America." Gingrich said that he and Santorum staying in the race would be helping conservatives because "Santorum and I are stopping Romney."

He gave his little speech congratulating Santorum, in a way that makes me think he wants to stay on Santorum's good side. Gingrich supporters are hoping for a Gingrich/Santorum ticket in the fall, but I think Gingrich secretly realizes his chances are small, and is playing nice with a Santorum/Gingrich ticket in mind. I don't know if he realizes that Santorum would actually have a much better chance if he got out. Perhaps he thinks he can trade his delegates for a veep position, should it come to that.

He also actually has a logo for his campaign with the $2.50/gal gas (too large to imbed; see it here). He is asking supporters to donate in "Gingrich Gas", ie: $2.50 = 1 Gallon. So you could donate 10 Gingrich gallons for $25.00. Considering what a pompous blowhard he is, the term "Gingrich Gas" is just way too funny.

His campaign website contains the "blueprint" for how to achieve that. It's pretty much "drill baby drill", with drilling allowed anywhere by anyone (he was touting N. Dakota in his speech). The problem, of course, is the same thing that President Obama is dealing with - there's little a president can do about gas prices, even drilling. Yes, you've probably heard it before, but since Newt is making this a cornerstone of his campaign, let's review the facts:
Political rhetoric aside, how much can the president really do to control gas prices?
Not all that much. The major cause of the recent spike—gas rose to $3.80 a gallon this week—is the increasing tension with Iran, most analysts say. That's making traders nervous about a possible conflict in a crucial oil-producing region, which could have the effect of cutting off a significant source of the world's oil. In addition, Japan has been using much more oil since shutting down virtually all of its nuclear power plants in the wake of the Fukushima disaster last year. And various conflicts in Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya have choked off some production in those countries.

Republicans say opening up the United States to more domestic drilling would bring prices down. Newt Gingrich has been hammering on that theme lately in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, saying he has a plan to reduce gas to $2.50 a gallon. But American consumers are part of a global market for oil, and crude oil accounts for about three-quarters of the cost of a gallon of gas, according to the Energy Information Administration. So increasing domestic production wouldn't do much to ease prices. Not to mention, it would take years to come to market and start bringing prices down even marginally.
[..]
Some Democrats have argued that unscrupulous speculators on Wall Street are driving up prices in search of short-term profits, and that the administration could ease the pain at the pump by cracking down on this activity. But even if that is going on, most experts say that global oil markets are simply too large for regulators to police. "If you go and put a position limit on [contracts in the New York Mercantile Exchange], fine," energy analyst Stephen Schork told the Washington Post last week. "But a significant amount of trading is in the Brent Market, which isn't in New York. You'll do nothing to relieve volatility."

So while Romney struggles to get his momentum back, and Santorum continues to win delegates in deep red states, Gingrich will continue to be the spoiler, touting his pie-in-the-sky gas plan to uninformed Republican voters who continue to blindly vote with their wallets despite evidence that they are being blatantly lied to. Considering how he's burning Romney, unless Santorum somehow manages to pull this one out, we'll likely be seeing Gingrich as a pundit on FAUX News post-Tampa. At least then he'll be off MY TV screen.
 

68 comments (Latest Comment: 03/14/2012 21:57:51 by Raine)
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Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 12:57:03
...he's lucky they didn't drag him from the bumper of a pickup truck to the state's border.


No, they only do that to black people (Texas 1997)


Comment by wickedpam on 03/14/2012 13:01:54
Morning


You know what worries me about all this, the hatred, the visceral hatred of the cons for Obama, that could propel Ricky into the White House.

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 13:04:55
There were actually 4 contests last nigh. Mitt won Hawaii and American Samoa -- that pushed him through over the Gas and Santorum to get the most delegates for the night.

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 13:07:50
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/423625_257040227713322_138740336209979_567374_1922724628_n.jpg


Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 13:09:09
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning


You know what worries me about all this, the hatred, the visceral hatred of the cons for Obama, that could propel Ricky into the White House.
I am concerned about him getting the GOP nomination, period.

Everytime Ricky sees the brass ring, he gets just a tad crazier and more emboldened,


Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 13:11:59
Comment by Scoopster on 03/14/2012 13:21:07
Mornin' all..

So do we suppose we're gonna see the end of Gingrich within the next week? Or is he gonna continue to "pass gas" in Ricky & Mittens' faces on the campaign trail?

Comment by wickedpam on 03/14/2012 13:30:08
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning


You know what worries me about all this, the hatred, the visceral hatred of the cons for Obama, that could propel Ricky into the White House.
I am concerned about him getting the GOP nomination, period.

Everytime Ricky sees the brass ring, he gets just a tad crazier and more emboldened,



the new ABC poll about the Pres slip popularity doesn't help. I never thought it was going to be a shoe in, never underestimate the power of hate

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 13:42:42
Quote by Raine:
There were actually 4 contests last nigh. Mitt won Hawaii and American Samoa -- that pushed him through over the Gas and Santorum to get the most delegates for the night.



The GOP caucus in Samoa is done in a bar! I American Samoa for that!

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 13:55:36
My fave line in the blog:

Considering what a pompous blowhard he is, the term "Gingrich Gas" is just way too funny.


Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 14:02:06
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
There were actually 4 contests last nigh. Mitt won Hawaii and American Samoa -- that pushed him through over the Gas and Santorum to get the most delegates for the night.



The GOP caucus in Samoa is done in a bar! I American Samoa for that!



In Hawaii, all the Republicans there are haoles who'ved moved there from elsewhere.

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 14:03:49
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
There were actually 4 contests last nigh. Mitt won Hawaii and American Samoa -- that pushed him through over the Gas and Santorum to get the most delegates for the night.



The GOP caucus in Samoa is done in a bar! I American Samoa for that!



In Hawaii, all the Republicans there are haoles who'ved moved there from elsewhere.
the republicans moved to that exotic country?

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 14:05:51
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
There were actually 4 contests last nigh. Mitt won Hawaii and American Samoa -- that pushed him through over the Gas and Santorum to get the most delegates for the night.



The GOP caucus in Samoa is done in a bar! I American Samoa for that!



In Hawaii, all the Republicans there are haoles who'ved moved there from elsewhere.
the republicans moved to that exotic country?



:)
Yes the previous governor, Linda Lingle was a Republican. No too toolish, it is Hawai'i after all.

Comment by Scoopster on 03/14/2012 14:06:49
Caption time!!!

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/santorumpoints.shutterstock-460x260.jpg


Two in the pink, one in the stink!

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 14:09:08
Quote by Scoopster:
Caption time!!!

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/santorumpoints.shutterstock-460x260.jpg


Two in the pink, one in the stink!
So the doctor goes like this, and I coughed...


Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 14:12:31
What the hell?

Rep. Peter King ‘Manhunters’ Video Sparks U.S. Marshals Probe

A video posted to the YouTube account of Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has sparked an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service into why a videographer accompanying the New York Republican was allowed to film inside private residences against a federal policy.

Shortly after noon on Tuesday, a tweet from King’s account linked to an eight minute video of a ride-along with a “fugitive task force” including U.S. marshals on Monday. It showed King, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, joining police as they broke down doors and arrested a suspected fugitive. The video carried the logo of the “Manhunters” reality TV show and featured one of its stars, marshals commander Lenny DePaul.



Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 14:13:07
Quote by Scoopster:
Caption time!!!

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/santorumpoints.shutterstock-460x260.jpg


Two in the pink, one in the stink!



I hate to admit it, but I LOVE my prostate exam!

Comment by BobR on 03/14/2012 14:19:33
Quote by Scoopster:
Caption time!!!

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/santorumpoints.shutterstock-460x260.jpg


Two in the pink, one in the stink!

Have you ever actually smelled Santorum?

Comment by Scoopster on 03/14/2012 14:24:39
oh gawd what have I created..

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 14:26:24
don't act so innocent, Scoop...

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 14:46:53
As a total aside....

Titanic in 3-D? That might be a bigger fail than it's voyage....

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 14:51:10
Quote by Raine:
As a total aside....

Titanic in 3-D? That might be a bigger fail than it's voyage....


You didn't know? Tastefully set to open to coincide with the centennial of the sinking. James Cameron, you are vulgar, money grubbing hack. You to George Lucas! Star Wars in 3-D? All I hope is you have Han shooting Greedo first in glorious 3-D.

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 14:57:04
Comment by BobR on 03/14/2012 15:08:49
Quote by Raine:
Suck it Bawsten.


"that's not how the Italiians say it"... yes indeedy...:P

Comment by Scoopster on 03/14/2012 15:09:16
http://upload.democraticunderground.com/imgs/home/120314-romney-loses-alabama-mississippi.jpg


Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 15:09:56
Hal is coming to DC this weekend? Hmm... Hello arlington Drafthouse!

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 15:15:38
Quote by Raine:
Hal is coming to DC this weekend? Hmm... Hello arlington Drafthouse!



GO! He is hilarious. I saw him on Rapture day last year. 90 minutes of comedy gold!

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 15:34:24


Wow. That was really fascinating. I'm floored at what they walked into.

Floppy drives? Little to no Data recovery? FAXES????

Comment by BobR on 03/14/2012 15:40:32
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
Hal is coming to DC this weekend? Hmm... Hello arlington Drafthouse!


GO! He is hilarious. I saw him on Rapture day last year. 90 minutes of comedy gold!

We saw him at the original Sexy Liberal Show in NY

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 15:41:44
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
Hal is coming to DC this weekend? Hmm... Hello arlington Drafthouse!


GO! He is hilarious. I saw him on Rapture day last year. 90 minutes of comedy gold!

We saw him at the original Sexy Liberal Show in NY



It will be a much longer set. Plus as an added bonus he'll be hustling / signing swag in the lobby.

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 15:43:17
Still Laughing at this:
In Birmingham, Ala., Romney was endorsed by Randy Owen of the popular country band Alabama. But Romney raised eyebrows when he asked Owen to sing a few lines of “Sweet Home, Alabama,” the iconic hit for a rival band, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Owen gamely obliged.


WaPo doesn't fair much better, IMO --

Alabama: COUNTRY.
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Southern Rock.

Not exactly rivals....

The biggest winner....... Owen's hairpiece:














speaking of game, I thought it was a davy crocket hat at first:
http://media.al.com/birmingham-news/photo/2012/03/10667000-large.jpg


Comment by wickedpam on 03/14/2012 15:44:47
I've kinda liked Brad Metzlers Decoded on the History Channel and on H2 I learn 10 things I supposedly did not know about Ben Franklin (which I kinda actually knew most of them)

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 15:47:20
Quote by Raine:


Wow. That was really fascinating. I'm floored at what they walked into.

Floppy drives? Little to no Data recovery? FAXES????


Seems to me that the Bush admin didn't bother to update the infrastructure they inherented from Bubba.

Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 15:51:56
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:


Wow. That was really fascinating. I'm floored at what they walked into.

Floppy drives? Little to no Data recovery? FAXES????


Seems to me that the Bush admin didn't bother to update the infrastructure they inherented from Bubba.
I think it was quite polite for that to not be mentioned in the article.

It sorta amazes me, when you take into consideration the (rightfully so) concern about the Bush WH spying on Americans... What were they spying with?

This?
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/210NC23Y5AL._SL500_AA300_.jpg


Comment by wickedpam on 03/14/2012 15:54:15


Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 15:57:25
Quote by wickedpam:
Yeah.....

and Hal smaksdown.

this is just an angry caller with no rational way of thinking.


Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 16:03:13
*sigh*
I'm missing Thom.



Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 16:06:33
Morocco makes me sick.



Amina Filali, who swallowed rat poison on Saturday to protest her five months of marriage to the man who raped her a year earlier.

Article 475 of the Moroccan penal code allows for the "kidnapper" of a minor to marry his victim to escape prosecution, and it has been used to justify a traditional practice of making a rapist marry his victim to preserve the family's honor.
"Amina, 16, was triply violated, by her rapist, by tradition and by article 475 of the Moroccan law," tweeted activist Abadila Maaelaynine.

The victim's father said in an interview with an online Moroccan newspaper that the court pushed the marriage on her.

"The prosecutor advised my daughter to marry, he said 'go and make the marriage contract,'" said Lahcen Filali in an interview that appeared on goud.ma Tuesday night.


Comment by Raine on 03/14/2012 16:11:56
America has a presidential candidate who thinks Impregnated rape victims should keep the baby...

I guess I shouldn't be so outraged at Morocco... (at least we aren't forced to have the baby -- YET.)


Comment by wickedpam on 03/14/2012 16:22:59
Quote by Raine:
*sigh*
I'm missing Thom.




me too, I'm reduced to listening to ed

Comment by Scoopster on 03/14/2012 16:25:35
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:


Wow. That was really fascinating. I'm floored at what they walked into.

Floppy drives? Little to no Data recovery? FAXES????


Seems to me that the Bush admin didn't bother to update the infrastructure they inherented from Bubba.

Well to be fair it probably threw them for a loop not having any Ws on the keyboards all those years.. :

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 16:35:35
Comment by livingonli on 03/14/2012 16:36:31
Good day everyone. I realized that I kept Sam Seder on at noon since his show is live at majority.fm. Right now, he is debating an uber-Libertarian to poke holes in the philosophy. At least in the car at 2 PM, I can listen to the first hour of Signiroile on OutQ before I have to decide on Thom or Randi. Worst case, I just listen to Thom live and then Randi on delay on WWRL.

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 16:37:30
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:


Wow. That was really fascinating. I'm floored at what they walked into.

Floppy drives? Little to no Data recovery? FAXES????


Seems to me that the Bush admin didn't bother to update the infrastructure they inherented from Bubba.
I think it was quite polite for that to not be mentioned in the article.

It sorta amazes me, when you take into consideration the (rightfully so) concern about the Bush WH spying on Americans... What were they spying with?

This?
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/210NC23Y5AL._SL500_AA300_.jpg



There is part of me that thinks that the neglect of the Whitehouse IT infrastruction under W's watch was deliberate. The more stuff you do face to face or by traditional written memos the less of trail you leave to your crimes.

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 16:41:14
Comment by livingonli on 03/14/2012 16:52:42
I realize again why I miss Sam's old Air America show.

Comment by wickedpam on 03/14/2012 16:54:19






btw - did you watch?

Comment by Mondobubba on 03/14/2012 16:55:45
Quote by wickedpam:






btw - did you watch?



I've given up, but the Twitterverse exploded when Shane died! On Walking Dead and Eastbound and Down.

Comment by wickedpam on 03/14/2012 17:01:48
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:






btw - did you watch?



I've given up, but the Twitterverse exploded when Shane died! On Walking Dead and Eastbound and Down.



ah but its not just Shane dying (and also Dale with Daryl putting him out of his misery - but thats a whole other conversation) - its that Shane was turned without a bit and who did the shooting