American election 2012

[luke]

the atlantic has more on the issue of the photo, the last line confirming what sky has said;

'But, like most magazines, Newsweek does not offer subjects photo approval.'

Bachmann Was Not Blinded by a Lighting Test

In the continuing saga over Newsweek's "Crazy Eyes" cover photo of Michele Bachmann, the magazine is defending its photographer, Chris Buck, against anonymous claims made by a "source" to NBC News that the photographer meddled with the shoot to get the candidate's startled expression. NBC's Jamie Novogrod reported that her source said the photo "came from a lighting test conducted during the photo shoot."

But Newsweek spokesman Andrew Kirk denied that claim, saying Bachmann wasn't even in the frame when photographer Buck prepared lighting for the shoot. "The photo assistant did the light test," Kirk told The Atlantic Wire. Also the frame that appeared on the cover also was not from the beginning of the shoot. As Newsweek tweeted, "Image used on cover was #27 of 33 frames, not a lighting test."

Officially, of course, the Bachmann campaign does not want to appear worked up about the Newsweek cover. When asked about the controversial image in Iowa on Monday just hours after its release, Bachmann said only, "Well, we'll have to take a look at that." And Novogorod's piece reported, "The Michele Bachmann campaign tells NBC News that the candidate is not interested in getting into a conversation over the controversial Newsweek cover photo of its candidate." Novogorod's "source" also said the photo was not among the photos it had said it preferred. But, like most magazines, Newsweek does not offer subjects photo approval.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business/2011/08/bachmann-was-not-blinded-lighting-test/41045/

back on the political news, Pawlenty quits Republican race - Former Minnesota governor says 'pathway forward for me doesn't exist' after finishing third in Iowa vote

[Skylace]

In the long run I don't think the photo will be an issue for her, as it's at the very start of the campaigning.
From talking to many people here though, even my conservative friends, are not fans of hers. I don't think she is going to get very far.

[luke]

who are your conservative friends liking so far sky?

who are you liking pirty?

any other republicans here, or those thinking of voting republican?

[Skylace]

Most of my conservative friends are liking Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.

[luke]

thanks sky

no one who followed ron paul last election will be surprised by this article;

Ron Paul remains media poison

I admit I do not fully understand Ron Paul and his beliefs. But I do understand when a guy gets shafted, and Ron Paul just got shafted.

On Saturday, the Ames Straw Poll was conducted in Iowa amid huge media interest and scrutiny. The results were enough to force one Republican candidate, Tim Pawlenty, out of the race, and catapult another, Michele Bachmann, into the “top tier.”

There are so many “top tier” stories in the media today that I can barely count them, let alone read them all, and Bachmann is in all of them by virtue of her victory at Ames. The rest of the tier is made up of two candidates who skipped Ames, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.

As The Daily Beast put it: “The new top tier of Bachmann, Perry, and Romney — created by Bachmann’s Iowa straw poll win, Perry’s entry into the race and Romney’s lead so far in many national and state polls — has unleashed torrents of talk about the reshaped race.”

Paul’s name was not mentioned in this piece nor in many others. A Wall Street Journal editorial Monday magnanimously granted Paul’s showing in the straw poll a parenthetical dismissal: “(Libertarian Ron Paul, who has no chance to win the nomination, finished a close second.)”

But “close” does not fully describe Paul’s second-place finish. Paul lost to Bachmann by nine-tenths of one percentage point, or 152 votes out of 16,892 cast.

If it had been an election, such a result would almost certainly have triggered a recount. It was not an election, however, and that is my point. Straw polls are supposed to tell us, like a straw tossed into the air, which way the wind is blowing.

And any fair assessment of Ames, therefore, would have said the winds of the Republican Party are blowing toward both Bachmann and Paul.

Nonsense, some would say. Straw polls are just organized bribery, with the campaigns buying the tickets and distributing them to supporters. (And, in fact, this is what I wrote before Ames.)

What they really show, many argue, is not where the philosophical heart of the party is, but the organizational abilities of the candidates.

Fine, I’ll buy that. But why didn’t Paul get the same credit for his organizational abilities as Bachmann did for hers?

I am far from a Libertarian. I believe big government is swell as long as it does big things to help the common good. But after Ames, it was as if Paul had been sentenced to the Phantom Zone.

Bachmann appeared on five Sunday shows following Ames. Paul appeared on none. POLITICO’s Kasie Hunt was one of the few reporters to do a separate story on Paul’s showing at the straw poll, but to most of the media he remained an exotic, unworthy of attention.

And I don’t disagree that some of his beliefs — legalizing heroin, the right of states to secede — are strikingly peculiar (though he has been elected to a congressional district in Texas 12 times). But if Bachmann’s victory at Ames was good enough to gain her enormous publicity and top-tier status, why was Paul’s virtual tie good enough only to relegate him to being ignored?

So I asked Paul Monday if the media blackout disturbed him,

“It did disturb me, but it was not a total surprise,” he replied. “The result at Ames was significant; it might well have propelled us to the top tier. The media cannot change that.”

Though the media can, of course, change that since we get to determine who the top tier is.

“It is hard for them to accept,” Paul said of his showing at Ames. “I had one interview scheduled for this morning, a national program, but they canceled. It is shocking to be told nobody wants you.”

Was this because technically Paul came in second and not first? I don’t think so. Four years ago, Mike Huckabee came in a bad second to Romney, losing by 13.4 percentage points. Huckabee managed to spin that into a victory at Ames and became a media darling.

But Paul almost wins the thing and he remains poison.

“They [the media] believe this guy is dangerous to the status quo,” Paul said, “but that is a reason to be more energized. I am a bit more challenging, but I am not on the wrong track. I don’t think that my ideas are more exotic. They are threatening.”

In his interview with me, Paul stressed his “peace” message — he wants our troops brought home from foreign soil — and believes that and his fiscal conservatism will gain him supporters.

“We are trying to reverse 100 years of history, the change from a republic to an empire, the change to tax and spending, who wants to admit that?” Paul said. “Who wants to admit we don’t have to be policeman of the world?”

Let me say right here that unlike many of Paul’s supporters, I don’t believe there is a left-wing media conspiracy working against him. Ralph Nader, who is about as far as you can get from Paul politically, has the same problem whenever he runs for president.

And, no, media attention is not based solely on polls. The most recent polls, taken before Ames, showed Bachmann with 10.2 percent of the vote and Paul with 9.0 percent. That’s not a huge difference. Though those polls will no doubt change with all the publicity Bachmann is now getting because of her “stunning” victory at Ames.

There was a deliciously intriguing line in The Washington Post’s fine recap of Ames on Sunday. It said had Paul edged out Bachmann, “it would have hurt the credibility and future of the straw poll, a number of Republicans said.”

So don’t blame the media. Here are Republicans, presumably Republican operatives, who said if one candidate wins, the contest is significant, but if another wins the contest is not credible

Amazing. And disturbing.

“Well, yes I can get discouraged and dispirited,” Paul told me. “We came so very close. To come that close to winning, it shows my views are very mainstream. And if we are worth our salt and our message is sound and we tell it honestly, we will do well.”

Though possibly no one will notice.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61412.html

[pirtybirdy]

Last Election it was Mitt Romney, but I'm gonna wait awhile before I make a decision. I'm also hearing a lot of people liking Ron Paul. I've heard some good things from Herman Cain. Just seems like a crap bowl of candidates again. I hope someone steps up to the plate and is a viable candidate.

[faceless]

Bachmann's not very good at this media malarkey...

All politicians should watch at least one whole series of Big Brother.

[luke]

[luke]

heres a little clip from last nights daily show where jon stewart looks at the media ignoring ron paul after his second place;

http://ifile.it/dyak9g7

[faceless]

It was bound to happen...

[Bradley]

Just back from the states where this is getting wall to wall coverage and the initial debates have started. None of the candidates, so far, have convinced me that they have a whole lot going on between their ears!

[luke]

anyone else been following this election so far?

i've seen two and half of the debates, and all the candidates seems to merge into one except ron paul, and there was one other guy but i can't remember his name, but he doesn't get much coverage - i think he was only in one of the debates i've seen

does anyone know how long it takes to get the results today? will we find out tonight?

[luke]

ok, so lots of crazy shit gets said in the american election, its what they're for. but this, from newt gingrich, really boggles my mind;

I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time [my grandchildren are] my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.

you get it, the radical islamists will dominate america, and turn it into a secular atheist country

[faceless]

haha, that's quite something! What a complete moron - but no doubt he appeals to other complete morons with that sort of idiocy

[Skylace]

Here's my thoughts on it all