Thread: Ron Paul on the Issues

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 26% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -16 (see trends). That’s the president’s lowest rating in over a month.

Matchups between President Obama and GOP hopefuls shift along with the president’s Job Approval ratings. As a result, with the president’s overall approval ratings down six points since Valentine’s Day, the general election polling is looking weaker for the incumbent. It remains to be seen, of course, if this is merely statistical noise or a lasting change signaling that the president’s recent bounce in the polls has come to an end.

For the first time since late December 2011, Mitt Romney leads the president in a hypothetical 2012 matchup. Romney earns 45% of the vote, while the president attracts support from 43%. Romney holds a nine-point advantage among unaffiliated voters.

For the first time ever, Texas Congressman Ron Paul also leads the president. In that matchup, 43% prefer Paul and 41% Obama. Ten percent (10%) would vote for some other option, a figure that includes 17% of Republicans.

If former Senator Rick Santorum is the Republican nominee, the president leads by two, 45% to 43%. With former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as his opponent, the president enjoys a 10-point lead, 49% to 39%. Matchup results are updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). See tracking history for Obama vs. all four Republican candidates.

Paul has the biggest gender gap of any GOP hopeful. The libertarian congressman leads by 13 among men and trails by eight among women. Paul also picks up 15% of the vote from self-identified liberals.

Paul now joins Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Santorum and Gingrich as front-runners who have led the president in a single Rasmussen Reports poll. However, it remains to be seen whether Paul can do what those others have not accomplished and lead the president more than once. So far, the only GOP candidate to do that is Romney.

Rasmussen Reports will release new data on the Michigan Primary at 10:30 a.m. Eastern.

Overall, 45% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's job performance. Fifty-three percent (53%) at least somewhat disapprove.

Twenty-four percent (24%) favor Affirmative Action programs for college admissionswhile 55% are opposed. Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters continue to think American society is generally fair and decent. Just 27% say it’s unfair and discriminatory.



Fifty-one percent (51%) believe the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That’s the highest level of confidence since shortly after the killing of Osama bin Laden.

The Montana Senate race is a tossup between Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg and Democratic incumbent Jon Tester. Senate races in Florida, Virginia, New Mexico and Ohioare also very close.

Scott Rasmussen’s latest syndicated column shows that Trickle Down Environmentalism Has Little Public Support.Just 29% of voters nationwide favor subsidies for electric cars.If you’d like Scott to speak to your organization, meeting, or conference, please contact Premiere Speakers. The Wall Street Journal has called him “America’s leading insurgent pollster” and The Washington Post says Scott is a “driving force in American politics.”

Most voters believe it is at least somewhat likely gas will reach $5 a gallon in the next few months.Government regulation and events in the Middle East are seen as the biggest culprits.

Americans continue to believe border security is a higher priority than addressing the legal status of immigrants already in the country. However, 60% favor a welcoming immigration policy that would keep out only national security threats, criminals and those who come here to live off the welfare system.



It is important to remember that the Rasmussen Reports job approval ratings are based upon a sample of likely voters. Some other firms base their approval ratings on samples of all adults. Obama's numbers are almost always several points higher in a poll of adults rather than likely voters. That's because some of the president's most enthusiastic supporters, such as young adults, are less likely to turn out to vote. It is also important to check the details of question wording when comparing approval ratings from different firms.

Rasmussen Reports has been a pioneer in the use of automated telephone polling techniques, but many other firms still utilize their own operator-assisted technology (see methodology). Pollsters for Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have cited our "unchallenged record for both integrity and accuracy."

Learn more about the Rasmussen Reports track record over the years.

Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. To reach those who have abandoned traditional landline telephones, Rasmussen Reports uses an online survey tool to interview randomly selected participants from a demographically diverse panel. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 1,500 Likely Voters is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Results are also compiled on a full-week basis and crosstabs for full-week results are available for Platinum Members.

Like all polling firms, Rasmussen Reports weights its data to reflect the population at large (see methodology). Among other targets, Rasmussen Reports weights data by political party affiliation using a dynamic weighting process. While partisan affiliation is generally quite stable over time, there are a fair number of people who waver between allegiance to a particular party or independent status. Our baseline targets are established based upon separate survey interviews with a sample of adults nationwide completed during the preceding three months (a total of 45,000 interviews) and targets are updated monthly. Currently, the baseline targets for the adult population are 34.7% Republicans, 33.6% Democrats, and 31.8% unaffiliated. Likely voter samples typically show a slightly larger advantage for the Republicans.

A review of last week's key polls is posted each Saturday morning.

To get a sense of longer-term trends, check out our month-by-month review of the president's numbers.

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll - Rasmussen Reports™

The Delegate Race: Arizona and Michigan, and "Brokered" vs. "Open" Conventions

Submitted by Steve Dickson on Mon, 02/27/2012 - 12:25

Tuesday, February 28th marks the next phase in the GOP election process, with the primaries in Arizona and Michigan. It is becoming clear to many that the likelihood of an open convention is increasing. A "brokered" convention and an "open" convention are two very different things, and this has been miss-reported by the major media. Of note is that both of these states will pay a penalty of half of their Delegates due to the date of their elections. First, on to Arizona!

Arizona has 29 Delegates available after the penalty for holding their primary early. This is a closed primary. It is unclear as to the final method of compliance with RNC rules (a state holding a primary before April 1st is required to award Delegates proportionally) but as it stands, all 29 Delegates go to the popular vote winner, and are bound for the 1st ballot at the National Convention. Here is the official Arizona Republican Party Bylaws.

Michigan losses half of their Delegates due to the date of their primary. They will award 30 Delegates proportionally based on the following formula: 28 Delegates come from the 14 Congressional Districts (2 per District) and are awarded to whoever gets the most votes in that District. The remaining 2 Delegates are "State" Delegates and are awarded proportionally, with a threshold of 15% to be eligible (which means that the party is trying to skirt the proportional rule and be a winner take all state). All 30 Delegates are bound for the 1st ballot at the National Convention.

An issue that needs to be addressed is the growing concern there will be a "brokered" convention in Tampa. This is not possible - and is an attempt to create confusion and control the process of selecting the nominee. A "brokered" convention would be like this: during the 1st ballot (where each State is called on by the Chair) no candidate receives a majority. The candidates and other powerful party types then get together and make deals to come up with a nominee, and the candidate pledges his Delegates to someone else to achieve a majority. So, for example, Jon Huntsman received 2 Delegates in New Hampshire, and he could pledge those to Mitt Romney, giving Romney 2 more Delegates to get to a majority. Except, he can't. It no longer works that way. His 2 Delegates are now "unbound" and may vote their conscience.

From Michigan's rules on Delegates (via The Green Papers): Delegate binding: Delegates are bound to their Presidential preference from the start of the nominating process through the end of the first ballot at the Republican National Convention. Delegates may not amend their Preference unless released from that commitment.

Delegates become officially uncommitted if their Presidential candidate is either not allocated delegates or looses his/her delegates.

Presidential candidates may not be allocated National Convention delegates if they withdraw, suspend their campaign, endorse another Presidential candidate, or seek the nomination of another political party for any political office.

Most states have similar rules, but it is different for each one, so check your state or keep checking here. What this means is that after the first ballot, Michigan Delegates are officially and legally UNBOUND. Some states (Maine with 24 Delegates, for example) are unbound from the start.

Instead of a Brokered Convention which is no longer possible by GOP rules, if no candidate on the 1st ballot gets a majority we will have an OPEN convention. Each Delegate will then be legally able to vote their conscience, based on the rules from their states.

The Establishment fears an Open Convention more than anything, for it means the actual Delegates will chose instead of politicians, the media, or back room power brokers. The Convention can then nominate ANYONE, whether they have been a candidate or not up to that point, or they can unite behind one of the current candidates. It will certainly be an interesting convention!

The Delegate Race: Arizona and Michigan, and "Brokered" vs. "Open" Conventions | Ron Paul 2012 | Peace . Gold . Liberty

Ron Paul "Michigan State" Live stream

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

GOP presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul participates in a campaign rally for young people in East Lansing, Michigan.

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO RON PAUL ROCKED A PACKED HOUSE OF "SPARTAN'S"

BREAKING - Limbaugh Says Get The Hell Out Of Afghanistan!

02/27/2012 - 15:38
Ron Paul 2012

BREAKING - Limbaugh Says Get The Hell Out Of Afghanistan! | Ron Paul 2012 | Peace . Gold . Liberty

LIMBAUGH SAYS;
“We’re going over there for a host of reasons, I’ve been there, it was many years ago and there was a variation of nation building going on, we were building schools and especially schools for women…they were doing everything they could for women to get out of the prisons they lived in in terms of everyday life,” the talk show host observed. “We’re also there for our own national security, al Qaida was able to take over the place because it was a stateless place…what is the point, folks?”

“For me, it’s a simple case of being fed up and tired with the assumption that it’s the United States that’s guilty by virtue of its presence,” Limbaugh continued, and cited a Victor Davis Hanson column in chiding the president. “Obama doesn’t help this along by apologizing left and right over and over again…when you just do it again and again, all you eventually say about yourself is that you’re a weakling joke. And that’s what Obama is doing. I think it’s just absurd!”

LISTEN TOO AUDIO Limbaugh: Maybe It <---- LINK

Wow, Rush is such a kooky isolationist! Rush no longer understands why the hell we're in Afghanistan. He's probably a 9/11 trufer, too.

BREAKING - Limbaugh Says Get The Hell Out Of Afghanistan! | Ron Paul 2012 | Peace . Gold . Liberty

Ron Paul's Generosity

Submitted by jaclynvsmith on Mon, 02/27/2012 - 16:51Ron Paul 2012

I've always wanted to meet Dr. Paul, and have come very close on a few different occasions. Unfortunately, patience and politeness never seem to work in my favor, however, Dr. Paul preaches peace (a message I fully support), so I feel as though it would be a little ironic for me to fight and claw my way to the front. Somewhat disappointed, I walked out of the building, and saw a small group of people standing around. Assuming they were waiting for Dr. Paul to make his exit, I thought I might as well give it a shot.

I stood around for 15-20 minutes, and finally Dr. Paul was escorted out of the building, right in my direction. I put out my hand and introduced myself. Hoping I would be able to get my two books, both copies of "Liberty Defined", signed by the author, his security detail shattered my hopes by telling me he didn't have time to sign anything. They walked him to his car and closed the door. I smiled and waved, and then shot a pout over to my mom, as to tell her "so close; I tried".

Just as I was about to walk away, I hear a knock coming from the direction of Dr. Paul's silver Chevy Tahoe. Through the tinted windows, I see Dr. Paul making the "come here" gesture with his hand. He rolls down the window and says, "Give me that book. They always give me grief about signing things, but I really don't mind". Upon telling him how thankful I was and the impact he's had on my life, he says calmly, "Now, give me the other one". He signs my second book and bids me a genuine farewell.

I think it's safe to say that Dr. Paul had my vote before this kind gesture. However, I think this small occurrence speaks to what kind of man he is and what kind of President he would be; A man of the people, for the people and by the people.

Thank you, Dr. Paul, for taking the time out of your crazy schedule to make me feel important.

Tomorrow, I will be turning 25, and your generosity is the best birthday present I could ever ask for. You can assure that when I blow out my candles, my wish (AND VOTE!) will be sent your direction

A Man For the People « politicalpersonalitydisorder

Ron Paul's Generosity | Ron Paul 2012 | Peace . Gold . Liberty

Trashing Tricare

Obama to cut healthcare benefits for active duty and retired US military

AP Images

BY: Bill Gertz - February 27, 2012 3:36 pm

The Obama administration’s proposed defense budget calls for military families and retirees to pay sharply more for their healthcare, while leaving unionized civilian defense workers’ benefits untouched. The proposal is causing a major rift within the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials. Several congressional aides suggested the move is designed to increase the enrollment in Obamacare’s state-run insurance exchanges.

The disparity in treatment between civilian and uniformed personnel is causing a backlash within the military that could undermine recruitment and retention.

The proposed increases in health care payments by service members, which must be approved by Congress, are part of the Pentagon’s $487 billion cut in spending. It seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017.

Many in Congress are opposing the proposed changes, which would require the passage of new legislation before being put in place.

“We shouldn’t ask our military to pay our bills when we aren’t willing to impose a similar hardship on the rest of the population,” Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and a Republican from California, said in a statement to the Washington Free Beacon. “We can’t keep asking those who have given so much to give that much more.”

Administration officials told Congress that one goal of the increased fees is to force military retirees to reduce their involvement in Tricare and eventually opt out of the program in favor of alternatives established by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

“When they talked to us, they did mention the option of healthcare exchanges under Obamacare. So it’s in their mind,” said a congressional aide involved in the issue.

Military personnel from several of the armed services voiced their opposition to a means-tested tier system for Tricare, prompting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey to issue a statement Feb. 21.

Dempsey said the military is making tough choices in cutting defense spending. In addition to the $487 billion over 10 years, the Pentagon is facing automatic cuts that could push the total reductions to $1 trillion.

“I want those of you who serve and who have served to know that we’ve heard your concerns, in particular your concern about the tiered enrollment fee structure for Tricare in retirement,” Dempsey said. “You have our commitment that we will continue to review our health care system to make it as responsive, as affordable, and as equitable as possible.”

Under the new plan, the Pentagon would get the bulk of its savings by targeting under-65 and Medicare-eligible military retirees through a tiered increase in annual Tricare premiums that will be based on yearly retirement pay.

Significantly, the plan calls for increases between 30 percent to 78 percent in Tricare annual premiums for the first year. After that, the plan will impose five-year increases ranging from 94 percent to 345 percent—more than 3 times current levels.

According to congressional assessments, a retired Army colonel with a family currently paying $460 a year for health care will pay $2,048.

The new plan hits active duty personnel by increasing co-payments for pharmaceuticals and eliminating incentives for using generic drugs.

The changes are worrying some in the Pentagon who fear it will severely impact efforts to recruit and maintain a high-quality all-volunteer military force. Such benefits have been a key tool for recruiting qualified people and keeping them in uniform.

“Would you stay with a car insurance company that raised your premiums by 345 percent in five years? Probably not,” said the congressional aide. “Would anybody accept their taxes being raised 345 percent in five years? Probably not.”

A second congressional aide said the administration’s approach to the cuts shows a double standard that hurts the military.

“We all recognize that we are in a time of austerity,” this aide said. “But defense has made up to this point 50 percent of deficit reduction cuts that we agreed to, but is only 20 percent of the budget.”

The administration is asking troops to get by without the equipment and force levels needed for global missions. “And now they are going to them again and asking them to pay more for their health care when you’ve held the civilian workforce at DoD and across the federal government virtually harmless in all of these cuts. And it just doesn’t seem fair,” the second aide said.

Spokesmen for the Defense Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff did not respond to requests for comment on the Tricare increases.

The massive increases beginning next year appear timed to avoid upsetting military voters in a presidential election year, critics of the plan say.

Additionally, the critics said leaving civilian workers’ benefits unchanged while hitting the military reflect the administration’s effort to court labor unions, as government unions are the only segment of organized labor that has increased in recent years.

As part of the increased healthcare costs, the Pentagon also will impose an annual fee for a program called Tricare for Life, a new program that all military retirees automatically must join at age 65. Currently, to enroll in Tricare for Life, retirees pay the equivalent of a monthly Medicare premium.

Under the proposed Pentagon plan, retirees will be hit with an additional annual enrollment fee on top of the monthly premium.

Congressional aides said that despite unanimous support among the military chiefs for the current healthcare changes, some senior officials in the Pentagon are opposing the reforms, in particular the tiered system of healthcare.

“It doesn’t matter what the benefit is, whether it’s commissary, PX, or healthcare, or whatever … under the rationale that if you raise your hand and sign up to serve, you earn a base set of benefits, and it should have nothing to do with your rank when you served, and how much you’re making when you retire,” the first aide said.

Military service organizations are opposing the healthcare changes and say the Pentagon is “means-testing” benefits for service personnel as if they were a social program, and not something earned with 20 or more years of military service.

Retired Navy Capt. Kathryn M. Beasley, of the Military Officers Association of America, said the Military Coalition, 32 military service and veterans groups with an estimated 5 million members, is fighting the proposed healthcare increases, specifically the use of mean-testing for cost increases.

“We think it’s absolutely wrong,” Beasley told the Free Beacon. “This is a breach of faith” for both the active duty and retiree communities.

Congressional hearings are set for next month.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars on Feb. 23 called on all military personnel and the veterans’ community to block the healthcare increases.

“There is no military personnel issue more sacrosanct than pay and benefits,” said Richard L. DeNoyer, head of the 2 million-member VFW. “Any proposal that negatively impacts any quality of life program must be defeated, and that’s why the VFW is asking everyone to join the fight and send a united voice to Congress.”

Senior Air Force leaders are expected to be asked about the health care cost increases during a House Armed Services Committee hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Congress must pass all the proposed changes into law, as last year’s defense authorization bill preemptively limited how much the Pentagon could increase some Tricare fees, while other fees already were limited in law.

Tricare for Life, Tricare Prime, and Tricare Standard increases must be approved, as well as some of the pharmacy fee increases, congressional aides said.

Current law limits Tricare fee increases to cost of living increases in retirement pay.

Trashing Tricare | Washington Free Beacon

Limbaugh: Maybe It’s Time To Bring Our Troops Home And Say The Hell With Afghanistan

audio
by James Crugnale | 2:50 pm, February 27th, 2012
53 comments



After the recent violent outcry over the accidental burning of Korans in Afghanistan, Rush Limbaugh harangued President Obama’s apology over the incident and lamented the decision by NATO to put the troops on trial. “It’s gotten to the point of why are we there?” Limbaugh exclaimed. “If this is the end result of us being there, let’s get these people out and the hell with the place over there!”

RELATED: Limbaugh Compares Obama Ignoring Petraeus To Hitler Arguing With His Generals

“We’re going over there for a host of reasons, I’ve been there, it was many years ago and there was a variation of nation building going on, we were building schools and especially schools for women…they were doing everything they could for women to get out of the prisons they lived in in terms of everyday life,” the talk show host observed. “We’re also there for our own national security, al Qaida was able to take over the place because it was a stateless place…what is the point, folks?”
“For me, it’s a simple case of being fed up and tired with the assumption that it’s the United States that’s guilty by virtue of its presence,” Limbaugh continued, and cited a Victor Davis Hanson column in chiding the president. “Obama doesn’t help this along by apologizing left and right over and over again…when you just do it again and again, all you eventually say about yourself is that you’re a weakling joke. And that’s what Obama is doing. I think it’s just absurd!”
Watch below:

(h/t The Right Scoop)


http://www.mediaite.com/online/limba...h-afghanistan/