Iowa Caucuses
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-01-04/iowa-caucuses
After months of rallies and debates, the Republican presidential nominee season finally gets underway. We'll have an analysis of the outcome of the Iowa caucuses - the first contest in the race, and traditionally a high intensity battleground. Our panel of experts will assess what the outcome will mean for the nominee hopefuls. Will Mitt Romney break through his glass ceiling of 25% or will Ron Paul or Rick Santorum steal victory?
Guests
Mara Liasson
national political correspondent for National Public Radio and a contributor at Fox News Channel
Chris Cillizza
author of The Fix, a Washington Post politics blog, and managing editor of PostPolitics.com.
David Frum
editor, FrumForum.com, dedicated to the modernization and renewal of the Republican party and the conservative movement.
author of "Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again", and co-author of "An End to Evil: What's Next in the War on Terror;" former speechwriter and special assistant to President George W. Bush (2001-02).
Frank Luntz
president, Luntz Global
author of "Win: The Key Principles To Take Your Business From Ordinary to Extraordinary"
Comments
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Another show on the Iowa horse race.
The "horse race" is the story like it or not. If you complainers don't know where the candidates stand on issues by now who's fault is that. I thought D.R. was right taking that guy to task the other day, she was doing as good of a job as anyone can on covering the primaries.
If you have questions you would like to be asked, ask them here. I think you don't know what you want.
Romney can't break 25%. The Republican base can't get itself to support a Mormon....just can't do it. Santorum is just the latest conservative to be trotted out because the evangelical base cannot get by this religious stuff, thus Romney's poor showing.
Ron Paul does well in the young 25-35 year old category, those votes will not transfer to Romney or Santorum because libertarians can't wrap their heads around religious matters. Libertarians..... those young nihilists who just think that they are invincible, a philosophy that wears off the older you get.
If Ron Paul were honest he would have run under a libertarian ticket but....he knows that the Republican party is holding his son Rand hostage and his future political chances would be zip if dad doesn't do what the Republican establishment tells him to.
The rest of the Republican field is toast....
Rep Ron Pauls stances on foreign policy are distinctly different than any other Republican candidate and very different than President Obama's.
Many of us believe it is critical for Rep Paul to stay in the race and debates otherwise an anti war with Iran and anti unnecessary wars stances would be swept under the rug. Along with a far more fair foreign policy decisions when it comes to Israel.
How important is Rep Pauls role when it comes debates on these issues?
For people who want relevant and fact based information go to former Bush administration official (quit the Bush administratin before the invasion of Iraq) and former CIA middle east analyst Flytn Levertts website RACE FOR IRAN. His wife Hillary Mann Leverett also a former Bush administration official (has directly negotiated with Iraniand officials) who was against the invasion of Iraq and against Israeli lobby driven sanctions against Iran as well as against any military action against Iran. RACE FOR IRAN
When will Diane and her Rehm Team have bhem on her program? Charlie Rose has....
Paul: I second your contention that this "whores' race" for corporate and ideological Oligarch money is an insult to the People and to democracy. To cover it as a normalcy seems perverse in these desperate and worsening times. All these candidates, including the President, voice a platform of denial and fantasy. The few people willing to risk all they have to bring reform are shut out and mauled by militarized police. Most of the public is scared or panicked. We are at a point where any candidate who could guarantee a stable corporate police state could get elected. We first must admit American Empire is in financial collapse and that infrastructure failure is near. Then we can restructure in a more egalitarian, participatory and sustainable way. A legalese sham procedural vote has no purpose other than to distract us from crimes in process. Sentimentality about an ignored and misused Constitution cannot save us. (Who cares if Rick Santorum fears he may marry a cat?)
Oh my Diane has David "axis of evil" Frum on as a guest discussing the Iowa caucus. Frum pushed the false intelligence selling the Iraq war to the American public. He is complicit in Iraqi war crimes. What is it with recycling these warmongers? Is the Rehm team really incapable of finding such deeply involved Iraq warmongers on as guest to discuss these issues.
David "axis of evil" Frum also supports unnecessary sanctions and war against Iran. Enough of this promoting warmongers views. They have done enough serious damage.
Diane are you really incapable of finding some new guest
David Frum is a Neocon hit-man hack who despises Paul because he won't march lockstep with AIPAC and the neocon agenda of using the US to remake the Middl East through war.
Frum and his ilk put Israel's wellbeing before the U.S.'s. End of story.
If the President is as bad as Romney says he is why is there so much anti-Romney sentiment within the republican party and there is no anti-Obama campaign within his party?
Spot-on! There is an entire contingent behind Santorum and Gingrinch and evermore, Romney, pushing for continued war in the Middle East. Frum is one of these agitators looking to get the U.S. ever more involved in Israel's defense strategy.
Hey Frank Luntz how can you spin the push for bomb bomb bomb Iran that most of the Republican candidates with the exception of Rep Paul support? Bomb Iran for peace...how can you and Frum spin this warmongering?
Robin S. - The disappointment with President Obama among Democrats has escaped your attention? You must live in a Whitehouse broom closet! Not to mention the repulsion among radicals and independents....
This guy has more babykiller baggage than LBJ, and he has conducted a war on the poor rather than a war on poverty. Go ahead and support the O-bomber if you enjoy seeing PTSD rage, rotten teeth and housefires. We deserve better.
We can't wait!
The only "sharp contrast" is Rep Pauls stance on foreign policy. That is the only "sharp contrast" between the Republican candidates and Rep Paul's "sharp contrast" with President Obama
Please inform Maura that the healthcare bill is called Affordable Health Care Act, not Obamacare. Maura has been on Fox News too long,
As Chris Matthews pointed out last night on Hardball Romney will turn slowly back to the middle after he gets through the teabaggers and evangelicals and gets the nomination.
Hey Luntz how would you spin so called religious Republican candidates protecting the rich and gouging the working class?
How would you spin this. Oh yeah you all ready have protect the "job creators" who have not created jobs. What language will you choose to use to continue to get the working class to vote against their own self interest?
You can be rich too...don't give up. Change (coming in pennies and nickels)
Barbara I believe Mara pushed the false intelligence running up to the invasion of Iraq. Have heard her on Fox News promoting sanctions against Iran and a war with Iran based on the unsubstantiated claims about Iran.
Amazing they have not talked about the "sharp" distinction between Rep Paul and every other Republican candidate as well as "sharp" distinction between him and President Obama. Sharp sharp contrast. Think it was Cilazza who said there are no "sharp" differences
I believe it was Chris Cilazza who said that there are "no sharp" distinctions between the Republican candidates. That is a bunch of hooey. Cilazza trying to "cast" Rep Paul with the other candidates. When are you people going to discuss an extreme distinction between Rep Paul and all of the other Republican candidates as well as a huge distinction between him and President Obama on US foreign policy.
The whole hour went by allowing I believe it was Chris Cilizza saying that there were no "sharp distinctions" between the Republican candidates. What bull. Diane and guest allowed the whole show to go by without acknowledging the very sharp distinction between Rep Paul and all the rest (including President Obama) on US foreign policy. Not one of them admitted this "sharp distinction" And Diane let it go by. Pathetic
And when will the Rehm team stop having very serious promoters of the Iraq war on. In fact individuals who sold or branded the war like David "axis of evil' Frum.
Interesting that Frank Luntz said he would package Romney or other Republican candicdates ciampaigns on "accountability" "apologizing" and then "moving on" He is right on that that this is Obama's achiles heel. But that weakness is all of their weaknesses...maybe not Pauls (who I would not vote for)
Obama and other Dems and Republicans keep repeating "move on, turn the page, next chapter, don't be about retribution, witch hunts, vengeance" as they want to drive America over the hundreds of thousands of dead and injured in Iraq, the millions displaced. Drive over the 4600 dead American soldiers, amputees in our VA's and 30,ooo and more injured vets in volved with wars based on "packs of lies"
Not workng...there really needs to be accountability (but we know there will not). At least Obama pulled the soldiers. But he needs to take on Luntz's strategy himself. Seriously apoligize for the Bush administrations horrible fiasco. Reparations....Only then can we sort of move forward.
Instead we are being drivien into another disaster with Iran. And all the Republicans with the exceptin of Rep Paul and maybe Huntsman are on the lets go get Iran bus being driven by Israel and the I lobby. Includdig David "axis of evil" Frum
Hello,
That is "Maura Liasson" of of FOX NEWS!
Please!
Can ANYONE tell me why the voting of a mere 123,000 narrow-minded, far Right-wing Evangelical Christians matters to the rest of the United States? These bigots hardly speak for the rest of the country and certainly not the West and East coasts. Pure media fluff and coddling. Iowa does not matter in the big picture; neither does Ohio for that matter.
Monte: This is not Occupy Wall Street speaking, so you can shelve the "you don't know what you want" rhetoric for some other occasion. I, and I think some other folks, want Diane to apologize to Frederick of St. Augustine and admit that the Diane Rehm Show, like many other NPR programs, is heavily committed to following the presidential "horse race."
Then when the horse race is over, perhaps Diane and the producers of the show can spend some time rethinking what the role of NPR talk shows as public affairs programming should be. Should they be echoes of the cable news network TV programs as "political personnel quarrels and book promotion tours" or should they innovate by emphasizing public issue investigations/debates (not just interviewing unhappy baby boomers) and explorations into the relationship between health/science/technology and contemporary life. AJ North's comment from Hour 1 of January 3 about what the Australian, British, and Canadian Broadcasting Companies do is instructive. NPR can argue that they don't have the kind of money needed to do this kind of work, but how will they ever get it if they don't try to produce something different?
Odd how Frank Luntz could laud the Iowa voters assiduous self education on the GOP candidates as pristine and flawless democracy, and then discuss how Romney associated PACs killed off the Gingrich candidacy in a matter of days, with millions of dollars of attack ads. Not one of the esteemed panel seemed to notice the absurd contradiction. It's not genuine democracy if you can buy an election.
"Teece Bowman wrote:
...
If Ron Paul were honest he would have run under a libertarian ticket but....he knows that the Republican party is holding his son Rand hostage and his future political chances would be zip if dad doesn't do what the Republican establishment tells him to.
The rest of the Republican field is toast....
January 4, 2012 - 10:02 am"
Maybe that's why nepotism is bad.
Look at the sellouts of Bill and Hillary Clinton to gain her Senate seat after she Peed off some Jews.
She, only one-thirtysecond Jew, yet no fiercer Neocon anywhere.
Monte Haun mchaun@hotmail.com
"Catamaran wrote:
Odd how Frank Luntz could laud the Iowa voters assiduous self education on the GOP candidates as pristine and flawless democracy, and then discuss how Romney associated PACs killed off the Gingrich candidacy in a matter of days, with millions of dollars of attack ads. Not one of the esteemed panel seemed to notice the absurd contradiction. It's not genuine democracy if you can buy an election.
January 4, 2012 - 1:24 pm"
Yeah, and he raved about how the "Voters" had done all their research, well informed, issues etc, etc, in spite of reports that nearly 50% had no idea who they were going to vote for until the last second.
Monte Haun mchaun@hotmail.com
It is remarkable and disconcerting to see ordinary Americans determined to destroy the so-called entitlements. Do they not have or know of Parents, Widows, Children who survive on Social Security, Welfare, Medicare and the like?? Do they not understand that they themselves may have to rely on those very programs when their "Investments", Pensions and Savings have evaporated??
Are they oblivious to the Bubbles that have already burst, leaving the Economy in a shambles with more to come??
It's insane!!
Monte Haun mchaun@hotmail.com
What about civil liberties? I'm sure I'm not as informed as many of the people here, but from what I heard Jonathon Turley say on a C-SPAN show it sounds like Ron Paul is the only candidate who has said anything about this issue.
All the GOP candidates are on the self-reliance, rugged individual kick or every man for himself and to Hell with those who don't make it.
Worst of all is Mitt Romney who, in spite of belonging to an institution that, like Skull and Bones, Jews in several institutions and similar that cooperate within their own group and discriminate against the Gentile or outsider whenever possible, claims to be self-reliant.
There are some appalling statistics on the number of MBAs on Wall Street that are Mormons, which if combined with the number of Jews on Wall Street, certainly belies any claims of rugged individuals clawing their way to the Top.
How dare the Son of a Millionaire and Governor lecture us about earned success!!
Monte Haun mchaun@hotmail.com
Jobs, jobs, jobs is the Cri de Coeur of the Republicans, what a cruel, callous and deceitful tactic!!!
Since WWII, the Inauguration of every new Republican President has, almost instantly, been followed by soaring unemployment that lasts long enough to erase any gains made by the ordinary people during the good times.
And when that won't work they recruit new workers like Women (Our Mothers, Wives and Daughters) or MILLIONS of legal and illegal Immigrants and when that won't work, export as many jobs as they can.
And when that won't work, they, with the complicity of the Media, bake the CPI/COLA that is driving Wages, Social Security Benefits and Living Standards into the ground.
Republicans love unemployment and all of its nasty consequences for decent hard-working Americans.
Monte Haun mchaun@hotmail.com
It's time get someone other than David Frum to represent the political right. There's no shortage of people who could fill the bill.
right on! well stated and probably deeply true.