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Psst. There's a GOP presidential primary in NYS today

By Howard B. Owens

Polls opened at noon, and as of 3 p.m., the polling place at the Holland Land Office Museum had a grand total of zero voters.

Jackson Street a short time later had two voters, but city fire was doing a bit better with nine voters and by 4 p.m., the poll at Robert Morris had 20 voters.

On the ballot, the three men still running for the GOP presidential nomination -- Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul -- plus Rick Santorum, who is officially out of the race.

Polls close at 9 p.m

If you're a registered Republican, you can vote.

Tim Miller

Who to vote for... who to vote for....

Mr. "I'm unemployed" while making over $200k in speaking fees alone who laughs at plant closings while speaking to folks who lost their jobs due to closed plants?

Maybe Mr. "Family Values" who has f**ked at least 2 women who were not his wife (because he's so darned in love with America, doncha know)?

Perhaps Mr. "I'm not racist and how dare you think so just because newsletters under my name approved by me that I declared years ago that I stand behind them were racist"?

Or maybe Mr. "Them muslims running theocratic countries are bad but if elected I will run a good theocracy cuz my religion is the right one"?

Better yet, maybe I'll just not vote - seems like I have a whoooole lot of company in that thought.

Apr 24, 2012, 4:39pm Permalink
Jason Brunner

Another election where the best candidate is Donald Duck, whom I will write in. Sad that our voters feel that their voice has no power in this election. Something has gone wrong with our system.

Apr 24, 2012, 7:10pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

You know it is really funny, every one of the republican candiates going back to the beginning of the primary has more experience than our Narcisist abd Chief, every one of them has a better understanding of economic drivers, everyone of them clearly wants a smaller federal government which it seems most people on here say that they want.

Yet, because they aren't rock star or Messiah like, they get refered to as Donald Duck

Apr 24, 2012, 8:00pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Correction, there's were only two of them who wanted smaller government, and only one of them remains.

The choice in November, at least as the major parties are concerned, is likely to be do you want your big government to be blue or to be red. But it will still be big government with no hope of being anything less.

Apr 24, 2012, 8:24pm Permalink
Tim Miller

Every one has a better understanding of economics?!?
- Paul - let's go back on the gold standard and wrench the economy back 80 years;
- Newt - Oh, screw it - find me my next wife;
- Santorum (google it) - my god will provide (as long as you believe in MY god - yours don't count)
- Mitt - what other company can I rape and send jobs overseas with?

Apr 24, 2012, 8:27pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

Respectfully Howard, I disagree, they all were for smaller government, just the extent of smaller government is the question.

The Big party guys in the GOP are losing grip, the smaller government ones are gaining strength. Most of the house was elected on shrinking government in 2010, to date they have passed 17 bills heading that way, all stopped oin the Senate. There is a trend if you can cut through the rhedoric.

Apr 24, 2012, 8:38pm Permalink
John Woodworth JR

Tim, I am curious on how our current Baby Huey Duck is doing good for this country? BTW, did you hear about the United States is committed to Afghanistan for an additional ten years? That's not all, we are paying the Afghanistan Security Forces. Hmmm, seems to me that our deficit is getting deeper. Correct me if I am wrong! Did this President state, that we would be immediately drawn out of Iraq and Afghanistan upon his election?

Apr 24, 2012, 9:12pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Mark, there is no bigger big government guy in the GOP than the square-faced man about to win the nomination. He's just another version of Obama, but wearing the uniform of the other team. Just like Obama was just a blue version of GWB. Empire builders all.

Apr 24, 2012, 9:48pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

Howard I realize that many people feel that way, but much of that is based on spin.

1) The largest big government attack on Romney is Massechusetts Care (Romney Care) but there are stark differences
between Massechusetts and the nation at large. It is a state, and that system was the right system for that state.
Romney himself has said that what works in MA. won't necessarily work in Iowa.

2) http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/112456, read this carefully then compare to the community organiser days of
our current president.

3) One of the ways that Romney's Bain Capitol group made companies viable was by streamlining which no doubt and hopefully with
a simular house make up as we have now and hopefully a more conservative senate in 2013. I would venture to say streamlining is in
our future.

And finally, there is no way anyone can convince me that The Harvard Professor even understands what it takes to cut cost and shrink government.
No candidate is ever the perfect choice, but comparing Obama and Romney is clearly comparing an apple to an orange

Apr 24, 2012, 10:05pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Nothing you told me has anything to do with cutting the size of government ... what's his position on eliminating the department of education, or commerce, or ending all foreign entanglements? For example.

What social spending will he cut if not out right eliminate?

What's his plan to cut spending by $1 trillion?

For all practical purposes there is no difference in voting for Obama or Romney. They are both products and promoters of the status quo. The idea that Obama is some sort of socialist is just GOP spin to convince people that he is some how different from GOP candidates. It's smoke and mirrors. Policy by policy, there is nothing but marginal differences.

There is no serious interest in either party and their top candidates in reducing the size of government. Any talk of Romney cutting government is merely lip service. It will never happen under a Romney administration, just as it never happened in the GWB administration (despite promises to do so prior to the general election).

Apr 24, 2012, 10:17pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

Howard,

From Mitt Romney's website

"Improving education in America is a priority for Mitt. He knows what can be accomplished when governors are empowered to reform their education systems, when education entrepreneurs are given the freedom to innovate, when teachers are rewarded for boosting student achievement, and when students are empowered to select a school or education program that meets their needs. Americans have long been known for their creativity, ingenuity, and bold vision for our country, and this attitude must apply to our education system. "

Again not perfect, but look at the alternative

ADDED ROMNEY QUOTE:
“… education has to be held at the local and state level, not at the federal level. We need get the federal government out of education. And secondly, all the talk about we need smaller classroom size, look that's promoted by the teachers unions to hire more teachers. We looked at what drives good education in our state, what we found is the best thing for education is great teachers, hire the very best and brightest to be teachers, pay them properly, make sure that you have school choice, test your kids to see if they are meeting the standards that need to be met, and make sure that you put the parents in charge. And as president I will stand up to the National Teachers Unions…

September 22, 2011: Fox News/ Google Debate, Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida

Apr 24, 2012, 10:54pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

It really boils down to this;

It is pretty much a done deal that Mitt Romney is going to be the nominee.

That said, I can not understand how any conservative, libertarian or pragmatist can avoid the election, not support him and allow The Harvard Professor to keep his job and then say that they are for smaller government. If Romney as president can cut the size of government or reduce spending by as little as 1%, it is 1000% more than obama would in a second term.

If Romney as president can end 10 opressive regulations on small business, it is 100,000 times more than Obama would in a second term

Apr 24, 2012, 10:37pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Mark, the quotes you provide are just empty rhetoric. It means nothing and tells us nothing about what Romney will actually do as president.

I'm done voting for candidates who don't have the best interest of the country at heart. Shame on the GOP for foisting Romney on us rather than somebody such as Ron Paul who would make a real difference.

A Romney administration won't cut one dime in spending -- it will certainly continue to increase it. A Romney administration won't bring one troop home -- it will likely send more to whatever and where ever. A Romney administration won't repeal the Patriot Act, end the wasteful war on drugs, lessen the burdens of over regulation, stop our jobs from going overseas, or do one thing to help small business, but it will certainly reward Wall Street bankers and other crony capitalist.

Romney is part of the political power structure that exists for only one purpose -- to perpetuate itself. When Mitt Barack O'Romney is once again president it will be politics as usual -- screw the country, we're taking care of ourselves and our friends.

It simply doesn't matter whether Obama or Romney wins. It won't change a thing -- the country will continue to slide, under either administration, toward destruction.

Apr 25, 2012, 6:35am Permalink
Peter O'Brien

Why I didn't bother to vote:

NY's primary is so late in the season that we lost the chance to vote for Cain, Santorum (you could vote for him but he quit), Bachmann, and Perry.

So my choice, Cain, was not available. A primary isn't choosing a leader, its to direct your party towards your agenda. None of the candidates left did that for me.

This country's primary system relies on a couple small populations to determine who the leader of the pack is. Iowa and NH are prime examples. Meanwhile larger states with more people and therefore more opinions are left with a smaller selection.

The only recourse we have is to donate. But money isn't a vote. Money doesn't get you a delegate. And those of us who can't afford to donate get screwed. And those that do donates to candidates like Cain who was slaughtered by the media for extra-marital relations that were never proved have their money wasted.

A national primary day is not the answer either because 5 or 6 states will get all the attention of the candidates as they do in the november election.

I don't have a good answer to this yet, but I do see it as a problem.

Apr 25, 2012, 8:54am Permalink

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