FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016

With Only 1,138 More Delegates to Go

Hurley the Historian says yesterday in The Blower’s Special “Same Time In 2012” E-dition, Political Insiders learned how much things had changed since the first full week in January in 2012. That was our “Onward from Iowa” E-dition, when we saw that the cost-per-vote had been astronomical, especially for the losers.

The day before in our “Caucus Carcass” E-dition, The Blower called it a “Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round,” when Hawkeye Bureau Chief Jan Michelson said the Iowa Caucuses were finally over, with the tied results everybody predicted:

Mitt Romney had eked out an eight-vote victory over Rick Santorum, whom Charles Krauthammer predicted had a 1-50 chance of being the nominee. Ron Paul’s camp spun: “My third place finish was nothing to be ashamed of,” after which our Quote for Today Committee chose as its quote the day: “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”  Fourth-place Newt Gingrich was furious, and sources say he’s plotting an Anti-Romney Alliance with Santorum. Fifth place Rick Perry headed back to Texas to re-assess his campaign, after spending $407-per-vote, more than all the other candidates combined. Michelle Bachmann said “Bye-Bye” after coming in sixth, and Jon Huntsman easily secured seventh place with his one percent of the vote.

Noted Iowa Political Reporter Ypsen Tadwell said that after all the hype, Iowa’s 25 delegate count stood at: Romney (6), Santorum (6), Paul (6), Gingrich (4), and Perry (3).  How many delegates would the Republican nominee need— only 1144?

Right-wing Radio Talk Show Host Rushmore Limbaugh said if John McCain endorsed Romney it would symbolize much of what the GOP base didn’t want in its 2012 nominee. The Blower said it was time for the TEA Partiers to wake up.

Meanwhile in New Hampshire  (Now that Iowa’s 25 delegates havd been apportioned (Romney (6), Santorum (6), Paul (6), Gingrich (4), and Perry (3) ), Noted New Hampshire Political Reporter Manchester Tadwell said his state had then officially become that week’s center of the political universe, because its 12 GOP delegates were then up for grabs. And with 1,144 delegates needed for the 2012 Republican nomination, our GOP Presidential Wannabes only stumbled out of the starting gate so far.

Rick Santorum said “It’s now or never” and as The Blower predicted, Newt Gingrich released a new television ad calling out Mitt Romney by name – a first – and painting the former Massachusetts governor’s economic plans as timid compared with his own.

Our Late Night TV Joke Watcher liked Craig Ferguson’s: “Last night, Rick Perry said he was quitting the race. But then this morning, he said he’s staying in. Hmm. Going back on his word? Maybe he’d make a good president after all.”

Ann Coulter said, “It’s been a mixed week for Mitt Romney’s campaign. On one hand, Romney won Iowa. But on the other, he had just been endorsed by John McCain.”

So 2008 Republican Loser John McCain was endorsing Romney after all. No wonder Right-wing Radio Talk Show Host Rushmore Limbaugh said this meant “The man who could not beat Obama had teamed up with the man who could not even beat McCain.”

But Mitt Romney, winner of the Iowa caucuses, spoke with said, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, saying  “Mr. President, you failed. You failed to get this economy going. That was job one, and I understand the economy. I’m going to make it work for the American people.”

More Exclusive Whistleblower 2012 Campaign Contrasts and Comparisons Later