Connect with us

Tie? Romney Clinches Iowa Caucus Vote But Santorum, In Second Place, Real Winner

Published

on

Perry Hints He’s Quitting GOP Race

In a dead-heat three-way tie almost the entire evening, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, and Mitt Romney all averaged about 25% each of the Iowa Caucus votes, until Romney edged out as the winner, proving that Iowa Caucus voters have no strong desire to boot President Obama out of the White House, but would rather place their egos and ideology above all else. Santorum came in a close second. Ron Paul (21%) came in third, Newt Gingrich (13%) fourth, Rick Perry (10%) fifth, and Michele Bachmann (5%) sixth. Only about 123,000 Iowa Republicans bothered to vote. By comparison, in 2008, Iowa Democrats cast about 239,000 votes at the Iowa Caucuses. And Romney, placing first at 25%, is the lowest ever, eclipsing Bob Dole’s 1996 all-time low of 26%.

At 12:50 AM Wednesday morning, only five votes had separated Romney and Santorum. At 1:35 AM, Romney was winning by one vote. At 1:40, Santorum retook the lead, by four votes, with just one precinct outstanding.

Ultimately, Romney won with about an eight vote lead, as declared at 2:32 AM by the Iowa GOP Chairman.

Santorum quoted C.S. Lewis in delivering his speech, said he attended 381 town hall meetings, and added, “I survived the challenges so far by the daily grace that comes from God… for loving me, warts and all.”

Santorum touched on the Barack Obama quote that struggling Americans are bitter and “cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

He closed mentioning his daughter with “what they call a disability” who, according to statistics Santorum quoted, say she only had a year to live when she was born.

2008 Republican nominee Senator John McCain is expected to endorse Mitt Romney Wednesday, ensuring a New Hampshire win for Romney.

Romney, delivering the final speech of the evening, acknowledged n one yet knew who had won, but graciously congratulated Santorum for his surprise showing.

Santorum, who spent more than 100 days knocking on the thousands of doors he visited in a borrowed pick-up truck, won second-place on a shoe-string budget, having never reached front-runner status. As everyone knows, Santorum has neither the infrastructure nor the fund-raising ability, nor the likeability to wage a nationwide race successfully.

Early in the evening, Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell that Michele Bachmann drove her campaign through her sheer will, strongly suggesting she, along with Rick Perry, would drop out Wednesday morning. King called Santorum’s old-fashioned retail politics “the Rick Santorum method,” warning that in the future, “Democrats and Republicans will be out here running the Rick Santorum method.” King said Santorum has raised the bar of Iowa Caucus voters’ expectations.

In his concession speech, Rick Perry, taking two small counties and a mere 10% of the vote, said he was returning home to Texas, where he would “re-assess” his campaign. He is expected to pull out shortly.

Former Bush 43 Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said Newt Gingrich’s concession speech was “the most ungracious moment” he’s ever seen in politics. And Democratic political consultant James Carville called Rick Perry the “worst candidate in American political history.”

Santorum had been the butt of jokes in social media circles all night long, even from politicos like Jonathan Alter, who retweeted Paul Begala’s response to his comment, “If Santorum pulls this out, he’ll dog Romney for months.” Begala replied, “That would be dog-on-man, no?,” alluding to Santorum’s iconic comments against same-sex marriage:

“In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be.”

Saying the people of Iowa have spoken, Bachmann’s concession speech indicated she would not drop out, despite the AP reporting her campaign manager wasn’t sure she would stay in. CNN’s John King noted that the people of Iowa, where Bachmann grew up but did not carry a single county did, in fact speak, loudly. Four months ago, Michele Bachmann placed first in the Iowa straw poll, with 28%. Tonight, she placed last, with 5%.

Politico notes:

Reflecting the general tone of tonight’s press coverage, the New York Times is already casting the story as a victory for Santorum, who “spoiled” Romney’s quest to lock down the nomination early “by winning over conservatives who remain skeptical of Mr. Romney,” according to Jeff Zeleny. (One piece of data working in Santorum’s favor, noted by one Michael Li, is that Santorum spent $1.65 per vote in Iowa, whereas Romney spent $113.07.)

Talking Points Memo founder Josh Marshall wrote, late in the evening, “the entire Republican establishment is going to be coming out in the next couple days to shut this down and say it’s Romney … The avalanche of attempted GOP establishment coronation will be one of the big things to watch over the coming days. Can they pull it off? Probably so. But now it’s from a footing of relative weakness.” marshall adde that Gingrich now “has a new goal in this campaign, maybe in life: hurt Mitt Romney. That’s dangerous for Romney. There are more debates coming. Newt’s good at debates. And reporters love drama. That’s hazardous for Romney.”

Image via Facebook

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
 
 

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.

NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

News

Republican Says Trump on Immigration Could Be Like Lincoln Was for Slavery

Published

3 hours ago

on

July 16, 2025

By

U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) is calling on President Donald Trump to support her bipartisan bill that would grant temporary legal status to undocumented immigrants, allowing them to remain in the United States. On immigration, Congresswoman Salazar says Trump could be just like Reagan was for communism or Lincoln was for slavery.

“There’s no way we can grow as a country and continue being the number one economy in the world if we don’t have hands,” Salazar said, referring to immigrant workers. “So let’s be intelligent. Let’s just bring them out of the shadows, make them pay—something that they’re not paying right now. Make them pay a fine, no federal programs, and they can go home for business, and they can buy a home.”

Her plan, the Dignity Act, would not provide amnesty or a path to citizenship. But, she says, it “offers a strong, commonsense approach and focused on putting American interests first.”

READ MORE: ‘Go Home’: Noem Tells Farmers to Help Their Undocumented Workers ‘Self Deport’

Salazar praised President Trump, saying with his so-called One Big beautiful Bill, “the economy is going to gonna burst, just like it happened in 2019.”

“I go back to the president. The president is the guy who can make this happen. There is no other president like Trump. Look what he did with Iran. Look what he did Venezuela, with China.”

“So I have no doubt, I have faith that he could be for immigration, what Lincoln was for slavery, and Reagan was for communism.”

Critics blasted Salazar’s comparisons.

“Rep. Salazar has used this line a few times and while I understand what she *means* to say I respectfully submit that she has not thought through the implications of what she *actually* said,” remarked attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. He added: “hint: Reagan was not good for Communism and Lincoln was not good for slavery.”

“Maria Salazar comparing Trump to Lincoln on slavery and Reagan on communism is beyond absurd,” wrote investment banker Evaristus Odinikaeze. “Lincoln fought to end human bondage. Reagan opposed totalitarian regimes. Trump put kids in cages, demonized immigrants, and ran on fear, not freedom. History will remember the difference. Seems like she meant to compare Trump to Nixon, not Lincoln.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: Trump Appears to Forget He Appointed Fed Chair — Denies Rumors He May Fire Him

 

 

Continue Reading

News

‘Go Home’: Noem Tells Farmers to Help Their Undocumented Workers ‘Self Deport’

Published

5 hours ago

on

July 16, 2025

By

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has a blunt message for undocumented farmworkers: “Go home.” She’s urging farmers to assist in the process—by helping those workers “self-deport.”

“I would encourage everybody,” Secretary Noem said on Wednesday, “if people are here in this country illegally, go home.”

“I mean, the law is the law, and we are upholding the law, and, the President is very clear that he doesn’t believe that the law should apply to some people and not to others—that there should be consequences for some people and not for others,” she said.

President Donald Trump has said that he and his administration are working on a plan to help farmers keep their undocumented workers, many of whom, he said, are “almost impossible to replace.” Trump suggested some form of sponsorship might be possible in the future, where farmers would be responsible for their workers who are undocumented.

READ MORE: Trump Appears to Forget He Appointed Fed Chair — Denies Rumors He May Fire Him

Noem said that every undocumented person, including the undocumented farm workers—has “the opportunity right now to self deport.”

“We will buy their plane ticket and when they land, they will be able to get $1,000 in their hand to care for their families, and they get the chance to come back, she claimed. Federal law places bans on some of those trying to return, in some cases for up to ten years.

“And so, that’s what I think is so remarkable, is that we will let them come back the right way, and we’re facilitating that today,” she insisted.  “So every individual that’s here in this country that’s concerned, or every farmer out there that has somebody that’s working for them, that’s concerned, you know, you know, work with getting them home, so they can come back and get in the right way.”

READ MORE: ‘Divine Providence’: Johnson Paints Trump as ‘Miraculously’ Spared by God

Jeremy Konyndyk is the president of Refugees International.

He says, “Farmers face financial ruin over deportations.”

Noem’s “claim that people can ‘come back’ after self-deporting is ludicrous on its face,” Konyndyk adds. “Why then deport in the first place? And in any case, that does nothing for farmers who need crops picked NOW.”

President Donald Trump’s favorability on immigration continues to drop. What was once among his most positive categories now has him underwater.

“About half (52%) of Americans think that Trump’s approach to immigration policy is too harsh; 36% think it is about right and 7% think it is too soft,” according to a YouGov poll report published Tuesday. “At the start of Trump’s term, significantly fewer — 40% — thought his approach to immigration was too harsh; 43% thought it was about right and 4% said it was too soft. The largest shift has been among Independents: 57% currently think Trump’s approach is too harsh, up from 36% in January.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Popping Champagne’: Russia Scoffs, Snubs Trump’s 100% Tariff Ultimatum

 

Image via Reuters

Continue Reading

News

Trump Appears to Forget He Appointed Fed Chair — Denies Rumors He May Fire Him

Published

8 hours ago

on

July 16, 2025

By

President Donald Trump is denying multiple reports that he intends to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, even as he continues to criticize him and express frustration over the Fed’s refusal to cut interest rates to the levels he has demanded. The Federal Reserve is an independent central bank, and the President has no legal authority to dictate its actions. On Wednesday, Trump criticized Powell, appeared to forget that he appointed him, and blamed President Joe Biden for his nomination.

Should Trump attempt to fire Powell, it would be an unprecedented move. The U.S. Supreme Court has indicated there are limits to the President’s authority to remove Fed officials.

On Tuesday evening, in a meeting with Republican lawmakers, Trump asked their opinion of firing Powell, whom he nominated in late 2017. Powell was renominated by President Joe Biden in 2021. The chairman of the Federal Reserve serves four-year terms, and Powell’s expires next year.

READ MORE: ‘Loathsome’: Fox Host’s ‘What Up, My Nazi?’ Rant Slammed by Civil Rights Icon

“The President asked lawmakers how they felt about firing the Fed Chair. They expressed approval for firing him. The President indicated he likely will soon,” a senior White House official told CNBC, NBC News reported.

“A recent Supreme Court decision indicated that the president does not have the authority to remove Fed officials at will,” NBC also reported.

But CNBC later reported that Trump denies he plans to fire Powell.

“We’re not planning on doing it,” he said. “It’s highly unlikely.”

Minutes ago, in the Oval Office, Trump appeared to forget he had been the first to nominate Powell as Fed chair. He told reporters that Powell is a “terrible Fed chair,” and he was surprised he had even been appointed. Trump added, “I was surprised, frankly, that Biden put him in and extended him.”

Responding to the video (below) the House Ways and Means Democrats asked, “Did he forget?”

U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) wrote: “Legit question, does he have memory issues? Or does he remember but doesn’t want people to know that this is his fed chair? I just want a normal leader in this job….”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Divine Providence’: Johnson Paints Trump as ‘Miraculously’ Spared by God

Image via Reuters

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2020 AlterNet Media.