Article (Quote)

Navy SEALs rescue kidnapped aid workers Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted in Somalia

Source: THE WASHINGTON POST

President Barack Obama is praising Special Operations Forces who rescued two hostages, including an American aid worker, from pirates in Somalia early Wednesday. (Jan. 25)

Graphic

Timeline of raid in Somalia

Bill O’Reilly could be the factor who in his own right may become the pivotal political commentator and major influence for the eventual outcome of Election 2012.

MJB’s Take

If Election 2012 seems to be full of surprises, it’s because Mitt Romney just does not have the juice he needs, and the momentum he should have by now, to win.

As presidential timber, Mitt would appear to have it all.

Wealth, looks, education, business success, political success and two earned Harvard degrees to die for: Law and Business Administration. One would think he would have blown past his challengers in the GOP primaries, and then with the aid, comfort and support of Old School Harvard Alumni, be positioned to crush Barack Obama in the General Election.

But, for whatever reasons, Mitt seems to be lagging.

That must be a great disappointment to old school, Blue Blood Harvard alumni money which for the most part is still the real capital base of America. When the rubber meets the road, that money has more affinity for Mitt, a ’75 Harvard graduate, than it does for Barack, a ’91 Harvard graduate.

That 16 year Harvard graduation gap easily can be translated into the hundreds of millions of dollars of political money pouring into the coffers of SUPER PACS, those unrestricted funds for the aggregation and unlimited influence of corporate money, massed the old fashioned way, by folks like Old School Harvard Alumni Blue Bloods. SUPER PACS generally should favor Mitt, not Barack.

Now enter Bill O’Reilly.

The O’Reilly Factor, FOX NEWS, is one of MJB’s must watch talk shows. Almost without a peer and competition, it has emerged as one of the most influential talk TV shows in mainstream political media. It’s host, Bill O’Reilly is one of the best political talk hosts in media. And, he is one of the best educated media personalities in the business: B. A. in History-Marist College; M. S. in Broadcast Journalism-Boston College; and, MPA in Public Administration, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard.

There lies the key-Bill is a Harvard alumnus. He has the mystical and magical Harvard connection.

So if Election 2012 boils down to Barack, Harvard alumnus, in the Left’s Corner v. Mitt, Harvard Alumnus, in the Right’s Corner, the super referee will be Bill, Harvard alumnus, straight up the middle.

Bill O’Reilly’s say will be the say so with respect to the outcome of Election 2012.

That’s our opinion; what’s yours?

Mitt Romney won the Iowa Primary by a razor thin 8 vote margin. Barack Obama will win the Presidency in Election 2012.

The numbers:

1.Romney          24.60%     30,015

2.Santorum        24.50%     30,007

3.Paul                21.40%     26,219

4.Gingrich          13.30%     16,251

5.Perry              10.30%      12,604

6.Bachmann       05.00%       6,073

7.Huntsman        00.60%         745

Source: USA TODAY

Our Take

The GOP is bitterly divided. It is probably more divided today than it was in 1964 when Barry Goldwater won the GOP nomination for President.

Conservatives simply will not consolidate behind Romney. Santorum is weak. Gingrich, a real conservative horse in the race, is too far behind. Cain, who we believe would be the GOP’s best hope to beat Obama, is on the sidelines.

We can close the books on Election 2012. Barack Obama most certainly will win reelection.

So, we need to start thinking about and talking about Election 2016.

This is MJB’s call of the winner, there only can be one, and losers, the also rans, in the Iowa Primary for Tuesday, January 3, 2012:

1. Newt Gingrich

2. Rick Santorum

3. Herman Cain

4. Rick Perry

5. John Huntsman

6. Mitt Romney

7. Michelle Bachmann

8. Ron Paul

Comment

What do you think?

Do you think it’s between Romney and Paul as the polls and commentators have suggested?

Hint: the polls and the commentators could be wrong!

Will the outcomes in Iowa set the stage for the wins and losses in upcoming primaries?

NEWT: Image via Wikipedia

Lead

Newt Gingrich did not qualify to get on Virginia’s primary ballot. To make matters worse, state law does not allow write-in votes. Without Virginia primary votes, can Newt capture the GOP nomination?

CNN Article (Quote)

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich failed to collect enough signatures to appear on the Virginia primary ballot, the Republican Party of Virginia announced Saturday morning, leaving the longtime Virginia resident without a place on the state’s ballot and raising questions about his campaign’s organization.

“Voters deserve the right to vote for any top contender, especially leading candidates,” campaign director Michael Krull said in the statement.” * * *

* * *Virginia state law specifically prohibits voters from writing in candidates not on the ballot in primary elections.

Source: Steve Brusk,“Gingrich, Perry fail to qualify for GOP primary ballot in Virginia,” CNN POLITICS

Our Take

Virginia’s primary election could be pivotal. It’s an early primary which usually signals how the South will vote.

So, if Newt is out in Virginia, who’s in, and will the Virginia win propel another GOP candidate forward on the road to winning the GOP Presidential nomination?

Around the Web

• Gingrich attacks Virginia for keeping him off ballot (goerie.com)
• Virginia state law prohibits writing in candidates who are not on the ballot in primary elections – @PoliticalTicker (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
• Newt Gingrich Fails To Qualify For Virginia GOP Primary (huffingtonpost.com)
• Gingrich Write-In Campaign Hopes Dashed (politicalwire.com)
• Gingrich Campaign Plans Pointless, Illegal Write-In Campaign In Virginia (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry fail to qualify for Virginia primary ballot (100gf.wordpress.com)
• Gingrich camp assails Virginia’s “failed system” (cbsnews.com)
• Gingrich Will Run An ‘Agressive Write-In Campaign’ In Virginia Primaries, Where Write-Ins Are Illegal (thinkprogress.org)
• Gingrich, Perry, Fail to Qualify for Virginia Primary Ballot (inquisitr.com)
• Virginia poll ‘failed’ – Gingrich (bbc.co.uk)
• Newt Gingrich & Rick Perry lose spot in crucial Virginia Primary (bazaardaily.com)

They are saying that they are hurting; that cash is tight; that they are barely making it; and, that if you don’t do something about it; you’re done.

I happened to visit a friend the other day at his luxury condo. He’s got some money, but he’s not making any money. Sooner or later he’ll be in the bread line. He had a lucrative career, made a lot of money, spent a lot of money, saved a lot of money, but nearly lost it all in the recession and cannot get back on his feet. At some point, he might just end it all.

He was depressed. Just a few minutes before I arrived, he watched the repo man hook up and tow away the Rolls Royce of his neighbor who just before the recession was himself a self-made millionaire, but like him recently became a member of Occupy XXX because he was broke. He lost his money, his wife, his lifestyle, his belongings and now his car. It seems likely that he will lose his life unless something remarkable happens, which is not likely either.

So Mr. President, you won’t lose because you’re a bad person, or a bad politician, or for that matter a bad President. You’re gonna lose because it’s bad out here in the real world, and unfortunately for you, little to nothing has been done under your watch to turn things around.

That’s my opinion; what’s yours?

 Around the Web

• Why Should We Reelect Barack Obama? (fidlerten.com)
• Bad Economic News Spelling Bad News For POTUS (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Lorne Gunter: Obama’s pushback on Keystone is pure posturing (fullcomment.nationalpost.com)
• AP-GfK Poll: Obama Re-Election Odds Roughly 50-50 (time.com)
• The Fate of our Nation: An Open email (davidcalves.com)
• Terry Newell: The Presidency: Character, Competence, Charisma and Cash (huffingtonpost.com)

Were the GOP Debates  both “interesting and important?”

Source: THE WASHINGTON POST

At the end of the day, have the Debates been, and will they be, about the players, the losers, the ratings or the visual?

Image

GOP Debates: The Visual

Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, the GOP’s all star cast, the “iron men” of GOP politics,  ”Back Together Again!”

Is this the visual America has been waiting to see in the GOP Presidential nomination contest? Will it fire up the GOP electorate?

Has the contest been, and will it reflect the image, a contest for white boys only? Bye, bye Michelle Bachmann and Herman Cain?

Does not the visual say it all?

You decide.

Read More Around the Web

• Mitt Romney: Newt Gingrich Is An ‘Extraordinarily Unreliable Leader In The Conservative World’ (huffingtonpost.com)
• Blame Fox When GOP Loses (newser.com)
• David Axelrod Compares Newt Gingrich To A Monkey (huffingtonpost.com)
• Gingrich Leads, But Likely GOP Primary Voters Have Not Ruled Out Romney – Pew Research Center (policyabcs.wordpress.com)
• Oh my: Ron Paul within one point of Gingrich in Iowa? (hotair.com)
• NBC/WSJ poll: Tough for Romney now, Gingrich later (firstread.msnbc.msn.com)
• Gingrich Clear Frontrunner; Can’t Beat Obama (outsidethebeltway.com)
• O’Donnell: I like Mitt’s flip (politico.com)
• Paul Surges in Iowa (politicalwire.com)
• Paul reacts to positive poll fortunes, nagging questions about electability (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
• Ron Paul questions stamina in protracted nomination fight (thehill.com)
• Newt Gingrich still leads the GOP field – but Barack Obama would crush him (guardian.co.uk)
• Ron Paul close to beating Newt Gingrich in Iowa? (100gf.wordpress.com)
• A-Paul-calypse Now: Ron Paul Trails Newt Gingrich By 1 Point In New Iowa Poll (mediaite.com)
• Will Ron Paul Be the Next GOP Frontrunner? (pjmedia.com)
• The State Of The GOP Race: Are We In For A Protracted Primary Season? (npr.org)

Related articles

• Will Ron Paul Be the Next GOP Frontrunner? (pjmedia.com)
• The State Of The GOP Race: Are We In For A Protracted Primary Season? (npr.org)

POLITICO reports that Chritiane Amanpour is leaving ABC News as the host of “This Week.” The good news is that she will return to CNN in foreign reporting an arena she loves.

Quote

Christiane Amanpour is leaving “This Week” and returning to her roots at CNN and in foreign reporting in a new arrangement that allows her to appear on both ABC News and CNN International, the two networks announced Monday.

George Stephanopoulos will replace her on “This Week,” while continuing his duties on “Good Morning America.” Jake Tapper will also have a “large role” in the Sunday show, as will other correspondents, according to ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider.

Amanpour will have a weekday show on CNN International. She will also continue at ABC News as a global affairs anchor across the networks’ platforms and as the host of multiple prime time specials.

Source:   POLITICO

MJB’s Take

Christiane was outstanding. We wish her well in her new assignment.

The fact that seasoned veteran George Stephanopoulos will be coming back should be a signal that the pros in political media project a rough and tumble Presidential race. In the fierce competition for Sunday talk tv viewers and ratings, George will be a standout. He will have a big draw.

Our friends at NBC News now have a clear shot at increasing its following from the huge female demographic which follows political news particularly on the Sunday talk tv shows.

NBC can get more of that demo by replacing David Gregory, who we feel should not have gotten the job in the first place, with Andrea Mitchell on “Meet the Press.”

And, Andrea, should you get the nod, please return the show to something akin to its original format in which viewers met the press, not the host!

More Coverage

• Christiane Amanpour out as host of “This Week”? Update: Stephanopoulos in? (hotair.com)
• Stephanopoulos to replace Amanpour at ‘This Week’ (sfgate.com)
• Amanpour to return to CNN (cnn.com)
• Amanpour Said to Be Leaving ‘This Week’ (mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Christiane Amanpour Out at ‘This Week’? (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Further Reports Indicate Christiane Amanpour Is Out At ‘This Week’ (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Is Christiane Amanpour on Her Way Out of This Week? (crooksandliars.com)
• New York Times: Christiane Amanpour Is Out As Host Of ABC’s This Week (mediaite.com)
• Twitter gaffe of the day (shortformblog.tumblr.com)

Has MSNBC lost its edge in its nighttime political coverage?

In view of recent poll results, will MSNBC have significant influence in Election 2012?

Media (Quote)

It’s certainly obvious in Iowa that candidates are investing a lot more time in television interviews than they are on the campaign trail. It’s a safe bet: a recent New York Times/CBS News poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus participants showed that 37 percent said they get most of their information from Fox News, that’s compared with 27 percent who cited broadcast news and a mere 2 percent who said they relied on MSNBC.

Source:  Allessandra Stanley, “The Republican Primary Campaign in Iowa Is Right at Home on Fox News,” THE NEW YORK TIMES

MJB’s Take

It’s hard to imagine that the suits at MSNBC are taking the poll results well. The implications of  MSNBC having diminished influence in Election 2012 could be staggering.

Obviously, the only game in town for mainstream media coverage now on the Presidential political calendar is the ongoing GOP primary election season. Because of its conservative tilt, FOX News would be expected to have a slightly higher viewership and ratings advantage when it comes to general media coverage of national politics and the GOP.

But, one would think that because the choice of the Republican nominee for President is a matter of real public concern and interest,  a larger percentage of people would be watching the commentaries on MSNBC if for no other reason than to hear and consider opposing viewpoints about the GOP candidates, and their positions on national issues.

The numbers for the reception of broadcast news seem to be good. However, broadcast news is not as pointed, engaging, opinionated, informative and influential as cable news.

MSNBC has an all-star line-up of nighttime talk TV talent hosting the programs from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. including Al Sharpton, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow. They are supported by diverse groups of commentators and contributors. The hosts and many of the commentators and contributors have been aggressive in criticizing the GOP candidates and their positions on issues. Those contrary viewpoints, of course,  add measurably to the body of information viewers and voters should be considering from now until general election day 2012.

The poll numbers for MSNBC were unusually weak. The fact that they were so lacking should be ringing bells and whistles loudly in the executive suites of MSNBC.

If MSNBC expects to boost viewership and have a significant measure of influence in the outcomes of the national elections, then major changes in its nighttime cable programming are warranted.

Related Web Articles

• MEDIA: FOX News has become mainstream media central for the GOP in politics (marcjan.wordpress.com)
• Andrew Breitbart: Why Would GOP Candidates Go On MSNBC, But Turn Down Trump? (mediaite.com)
• WATCH: Rachel Maddow Shames Tim Pawlenty (huffingtonpost.com)
• MSNBC’s O’Donnell Disses Santorum, Pitches Gay GOP Candidate Karger (pinkbananaworld.com)
• OBAMA: Chris Matthews-thrill is gone: are liberals concerned about President Barack Obama? (marcjan.wordpress.com)
• Rachel Maddow Takes On Fox News’ Coverage Of Gingrich Vs. Romney In The ‘Murdoch Primary’ (mediaite.com)
• SNL Mocks Al Sharpton And His MSNBC Show (mediaite.com)
• A Republican Primary Campaign Waged on Fox News – NYTimes.com (wpvins.wordpress.com)
• Ailes’ crowning moment? (variety.com)
• The Republican Primary Campaign in Iowa Is Right at Home on Fox News (nytimes.com)
• CAIN: ain’t no more Herman Cain for political media to beat on (marcjan.wordpress.com)
• Why Fox News viewers don’t like Mitt Romney: 4 theories (kaystreet.wordpress.com)

Also Read

• Why Fox News viewers don’t like Mitt Romney: 4 theories (kaystreet.wordpress.com)

Your comments are welcomed!

Political bloggers beware of what you say in your blogs. Your speech may not be free!

In a defamation suit, a court could rule that you are not a journalist who has protection under the First Amendment.

Article (Quote):

Crystal Cox, a Montanan who calls herself an investigative blogger and produces several blogs about the law, was sued in January by the investment firm Obsidian Finance Group over several opinionated blog posts that were highly critical of Obsidian and its co-founder Kevin Padrick. The firm sought $10 million in damages. Although the judge threw out several of the firm’s claims, he ruled against her on a single post and ordered her to pay $2.5 million in damages.

Source:   David Carr: “In $2.5 Million Judgment, Court Finds Blogger Is Not a Journalist,” THE NEW YORK TIMES

MJB’s Take

This court decision could chill bloggers who believe they have the same First Amendment rights of free speech protecting them from defamation liability suits the same as journalists.

Related Articles

• Ore. judge rules blogger is not journalist (seattlepi.com)
• Blogger not eligible for media shield law, hit with $2.5M judgment (arstechnica.com)
• Is a blogger a journalist? Not in Oregon (chicagoreader.com)
• Federal court rules investigative blogger is not a journalist, orders her to pay $2.5 million in defamation lawsuit (digitaltrends.com)
• Blogger in Oregon Loses Defamation Case, Judge Weighs in on Who is “Really” a Journalist (reason.com)
• Blogger Must Act Like Journalist To Be Treated Like One (pixiq.com)
• Crystal Cox Case Scares Blogosphere: Blogger Fined $2.5, Judge Rules Press Protections Don’t Apply (inquisitr.com)
• BLOGGERS BEWARE!!! – Crystal Cox, Oregon Blogger, Isn’t a Journalist, Concludes U.S. Court – Imposes $2.5 Million Judgement on Her… Whose Next? (richardemanuel.wordpress.com)
• Crystal Cox Loses $2.5M Suit: When Is a Blogger a Journalist? Or Not? (blogher.com)
• Bloggers Put On Notice: You Are Not Journalists (jroycroft.wordpress.com)
• Oregon Blogger’s Fate Could Impact Bloggers Everywhere, Sued for $2.5 Million (blogworld.com)