2012: A YUGE Election.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Wednesday, May 16th, 2011.

Wow, wow, wow. What a group of people! Tremendous! Thousands of people!

So nice, thank you very much. That’s really nice. Thank you. It’s great to be at Trump Tower. It’s great to be in a wonderful city, New York. And it’s an honor to have everybody here. This is beyond anybody’s expectations. There’s been no crowd like this.

I tell you, some of the candidates went in, they had no crowds. They couldn’t get one! Could you see Mitt Romney getting all of these fine folks out to some rally? Forget about it! They had to do video announcements for their exploratory committees. Folks, I’m just jumping right in. There is nothing to explore.

Our country is in serious trouble. We don’t have victories anymore. We used to have victories, but we don’t have them. When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let’s say, China in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time. All. The. Time.

When did we beat Japan at anything? They send their cars over by the millions, and what do we do? When was the last time you saw a Chevrolet in Tokyo? It doesn’t exist, folks. They beat us all the time. When do we beat Mexico at the border? They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity. And now they are beating us economically. They are not our friend, believe me. But they’re killing us economically.

The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems.

Thank you. It’s true, and these are the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we’re getting. And it only makes common sense. It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people. It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably-probably- from the Middle East. But we don’t know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don’t know what’s happening. And it’s got to stop and it’s got to stop fast.

I said seven or eight years ago, don’t take out Iraq. And look what’s happened. We pulled out and the Iranians are pushing in, and if the Iranians take over, Al Qaida will. And folks, believe me, Bin Laden, he isn’t dead. Al Qaida is just saying that to avoid the drones and Obama is just saying that to save his skin. The President working with Bin Laden. ‘Who’d have thunk it!

We spent $2 trillion in Iraq, $2 trillion. We lost thousands of lives, thousands in Iraq. We have wounded soldiers, who I love, I love-they’re great- all over the place, thousands and thousands of wounded soldiers. And we have nothing. We can’t even go there. We have nothing. And every time we give Iraq equipment, the first time a bullet goes off in the air, they leave it.

We have eight percent unemployment, but believe me, it is much, much higher. Foreclosures are at an all time high! Trust me, go down to Florida, go down to Port Saint Lucie. It’s a ghost town down there! Thank God they have a Republican governor trying to fix the mess. But we need more than that. We need jobs. We need to cut the spending. We need real healthcare reform that works for working Americans. We need to secure our border and build a wall. We need to get out of Afghanistan and get back into Iraq before Iran does. And most importantly, we need a Republican President next year.

Now, I’m a free trader. But the problem with free trade is you need really talented people to negotiate for you. If you don’t have talented people, if you don’t have great leadership, if you don’t have people that know business, not just a political hack that got the job because he made a contribution to a campaign, which is the way all jobs, just about, are gotten, free trade terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people, but we have people that are stupid. We have people that aren’t smart. And we have people that are controlled by special interests. And it’s just not going to work.

So, here’s a couple of stories happened recently. A friend of mine is a great manufacturer. And, you know, China comes over and they dump all their stuff, and I buy it. I buy it, because, frankly, I have an obligation to buy it, because they devalue their currency so brilliantly, they just did it recently, and nobody thought they could do it again.

But with all our problems with Russia, with all our problems with everything- everything, they got away with it again. And it’s impossible for our people here to compete.

So I want to tell you this story. A friend of mine who’s a great manufacturer, calls me up a few weeks ago. He’s very upset. I said, “What’s your problem?”

He said, “You know, I make great product.”

And I said, “I know. I know that because I buy the product.”

He said, “I can’t get it into China. They won’t accept it. I sent a boat over and they actually sent it back. They talked about environmental issues, they talked about all sorts of crap that had nothing to do with it.”

I said, “Oh, wait a minute, that’s terrible. Does anyone know this?”

He said, “Yeah, they do it all the time with other people.”

I said, “They send it back?”

“Yeah. So I finally got it over there and they charged me a big tariff. They’re not supposed to be doing that. I told them.”

Now, they do charge you tariff on trucks, when we send trucks and other things over there.

Ask Boeing. They wanted Boeing’s secrets. They wanted their patents and all their secrets before they agreed to buy planes from Boeing.

Hey, I’m not saying they’re stupid. I like China. I sell apartments for-I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them? I own a big chunk of the Bank of America Building at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, that I got from China in a war. Very valuable. I love China! The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower. I love China. People say, “Oh, you don’t like China?”

No, I love them! But their leaders are much smarter than our leaders, and we can’t sustain ourselves with that. There’s too much- it’s like- it’s like take the New England Patriots and Tom Brady and have them play your high school football team. That’s the difference between China’s leaders and our leaders. They are ripping us off bigly. We are rebuilding China. We’re rebuilding many countries. China, you go there now, roads, bridges, schools, you never saw anything like it. They have bridges that make the George Washington Bridge look like small potatoes. And they’re all over the place.

We have all the cards, but we don’t know how to use them. We don’t even know that we have the cards, because our leaders don’t understand the game. We could turn off that spigot by charging them tax until they behave properly.

Now they’re going militarily. They’re building a military island in the middle of the South China Sea. A military island! Now, our country could never do that because we’d have to get environmental clearance, and the environmentalist wouldn’t let our country-we would never build in an ocean. They built it in about one year, this massive military port.

They’re building up their military to a point that is very scary. You have a problem with Iran. You have a bigger problem with China. And, in my opinion, the new China, believe it or not, in terms of trade, is Mexico.

So this man tells me about the manufacturing. I say, “That’s a terrible story. I hate to hear it.”

And I could tell you the story, but you probably already know it. America needs a negotiator. A guy to get tough. And believe me, I am that guy. I will make America great again. That is why today I am announcing my candidacy for the Republican nomination for President.

[Maxwell]

YES TRUUUMP

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Thursday, May 17th, 2011: EU bails out Portugal.

The International Monetary Fund and the EU agreed to a joint bailout of Portugal to the tune of $78 billion Euros yesterday. With the IMF’s head, Dominique Straus Khan, embroiled in a sexual assault scandal, the news has largely been overlooked. None the less, the bailout will bring along qualifications. Among them is a requirement that Portugal engage in economic reforms, with Prime Minister Jose Socrates of the Socialist Party promising to engage in “an ambitious program of privatization.” The bailout comes just forty-eight hours after the Prime Minister categorically denied it would take place.

Wednesday, April 18th, 2011: Trump comments draw criticism.

Trump’s recent comments about illegal immigrants and Mexicans in his announcement speech have angered Latino political leaders across the country. Congressman Raul Grijalva called for Trump to withdraw from the race while Congressman Luis Gutierrez described the comments as “typical Republican ignorance”, drawing criticism in turn from Congressional Republicans. Hispanic groups such as LaRaza Unida announced today that they’d begin picketing Trump events and do “all in our power” (in the words of one spokesmen) to stop Trump’s firebrand campaign for the White House.

Saturday, May 19th, 2011: Obama: Israel must go back to 1967 borders.

In a speech about the sweeping tide of change across the Middle East, President Obama expressed his “unequivocal support” for the Arab Spring, and stressed the need for greater political reforms in nations like Bahrain while calling for the absolute regime change in Libya and Syria, where the Qadaffi and Assad regimes have brutally suppressed attempts to overthrow their governments. President Obama also used the speech to highlight the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. During the speech, Obama called for Israel to return territory to the Palestinians captured during the 1967 war. The news has angered conservative critics of the President, who have demanded the proposal be removed as a prerequisite for peace.

Sunday May 20th, 2011: Cain backs Trump.

On CBS’s “Face The Nation”, businessman Herman Cain announced he would be ending his exploratory committee and would endorse Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. Cain, who has been exploring a bid for the Republican nomination since January, stated that his presence in the race would be “distracting to serious candidates like Mr. Trump” and stated that with his withdrawal from the race, Trump would be “better off in his efforts” to promote “conservative solutions to progressive problems.” Cain will appear with Trump at his campaign kickoff rally in New Hampshire later this week.  

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2011: Daniels not running.

Despite a serious draft effort, Indiana’s outgoing Governor Mitch Daniels will not seek the Republican nomination nor endorse a candidate. The decision was made after his family almost unanimously vetoed his desire to enter the race. In an email sent shortly after midnight to Republican bigwigs in Indiana, Daniels claimed that while the fundraising and infrastructure for a national bid was in place, his families concerns over their privacy and the inevitable media prying into the circumstances of his divorce and remarriage to his wife dissuaded him. Daniels declined to immediately endorse a candidate in the email.

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2011: Pawlenty kicks off campaign in Iowa.

Tim Pawlenty launched his campaign at a rally in Ames, Iowa, the site of the highly watched Iowa straw poll in August. Promising to do “something rare in politics-tell the truth”, Pawlenty lambasted President Obama’s record and promoted himself as the candidate of “conservative change.” Pawlenty, polling at 4% according to the latest polls, has none the less built a solid ground game up in Iowa and is attempting to use the upcoming Iowa caucuses as the linchpin of his presidential campaign for the GOP nomination.

Friday, May 25th, 2011: McCain: Trump is a jackass.

Describing Donald Trump as a “jackass” in an interview with Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly, John McCain launched into an angry tirade against the billionaire candidates claims that Barack Obama forged his birth certificate and stated that his candidacy “does not help the Republican cause.” This prompted an angry Twitter tirade from Trump, who described McCain as “a total loser”, “senile”, and “pompous.” McCain’s former running-mate, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, was more charitable in her assessment of Trump’s candidacy, praising him while on Glen Beck’s Fox Show and tweeting support for him after he entered the race but declining to immediately endorse his candidacy.
   

Saturday, May 26th: Trump slams McCain.

At a speech in Goffstown, New Hampshire, Donald Trump viciously attacked Senator John McCain after the former described Trump as a “jackass” in a recent interview. Trump imitated Senator McCain’s comments, before going on to declare “I’m sick and tired of hearing about this  so called war hero. You know what? I like war heroes who weren’t captured!” The line drew thunderous applause from the crowd along with a few scattered boos. The comments drew instant condemnation not unlike his prior comments about illegal immigrants during his campaign announcement speech earlier in May.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Just for the record, this is a side project I'll work on during the break. I have a lengthy 2000-2020 project in the works (sorry, but Trump will only play a bit part in that) and a Confederacy timeline as well in the pipeline.

I'll eventually get back to the Reagan timeline, and have been floating the idea of a Canadian Republic thingy as well.

[GLPman]

Great start so far

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Saturday, June 2nd, 2011: Romney formally enters race.

After announcing an exploratory committee in April, Mitt Romney has joined Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Donald Trump, and Tim Pawlenty in entering the presidential race as an official candidate. Romney, in his announcement speech, was highly critical of President Obama and Donald Trump, describing them as “dividers” while highlighting his own record as a “private sector problem solver.” Romney, currently the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, has the backing of a strong campaign apparatus and a fundraising network that can rival Donald Trump’s own ability to self fund his campaign.

Wednesday, June 6th, 2011: Santorum latest to enter race.

Rick Santorum announced his presidential candidacy in Pennsylvania today before a crowd of supporters in an event that was interrupted twice-once by balloons popping in the heat (causing people to believe that he was being shot at for a brief moment) and once again when an elderly man fainted in the crowd. Santorum’s speech highlighted his strong belief in conservative moral values and pro-family politics as well as some of his more populist economic positions and his belief in a strong, proactive national defense. During the speech, he avoided criticizing fellow Republicans, instead taking on Obama, describing him as “the coward in chief,” a line which drew thunderous approval from the crowd.

Thursday, June 7th, 2011: Trump gaining ground in new polls.

Suffolk University Poll: May 10th-May 17th.
Mitt Romney: 18%
Donald Trump: 12%
Newt Gingrich: 10%
Sarah Palin: 8%
Rudy Giuliani: 7%
Ron Paul: 5%
Chris Christie: 5%
Jon Huntsman: 5%
Tim Pawlenty: 3%
Rick Perry: 3%
Rick Santorum: 2%
Michelle Bachmann: 2%

Italics indicate non-candidate.

Wednesday, June 13th, 2011: GOP NH debate hosted by CNN.

The GOP field became more crowded last night after Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann announced her candidacy for President during the beginning of CNN’s Republican debate. The debate itself saw sparks immediately. When a questioner from the audience asked Trump about his jobs plans, Trump answered “believe me, I’ll be amazing on jobs” before going on to give vague answers on how his tax plans and tough stance against China will “totally revive the economy.” Mitt Romney challenged him for specifics, before adding “we don’t need sideshow candidates, we need solutions.” This infuriated Trump, who went on a lengthy tirade against Mitt Romney and his healthcare program in Massachusetts. This was not the only sparring during the debate; Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich fought it out on foreign policy, and the “Minnesota nice” that both Michelle Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty seem to exemplify faded quickly after Bachmann attacked Pawlenty’s record as Governor. Trump, who has been known for his vicious public attacks on his rivals, praised Rick Santorum as a “good man” and Ron Paul for his “honesty” while lambasting Obama as a “total incompetent” and a “moron” to the audience’s glee.

Saturday, June 16th, 2011: Weiner resigns.

After a publically humiliating sexting scandal, Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) resigned from Congress during a public statement in New York. The press conference was ended before it began when Weiner announced his resignation in his opening statement, which prompted conservative journalists to cheer and scream “bye bye pervert” while Benjy Bronk of the Howard Stern repeatedly interrupted Weiner’s statement screaming “Senator Weiner, Senator Weiner, the people demand to know, are you more than seven inches!?” before being removed by amused police officers on hand.

Thursday, June 21st, 2011: Huntsman announces campaign.

Jon Huntsman entered the Republican fray with strong words for Republican candidate Donald Trump. During his announcement speech (in which press outnumbered supporters, as Trump pointed out), Huntsman decried Trump’s “publicity campaign” and warned the Republican Party that it was “time to end silly season.” Huntsman’s strong words earned him one less friend in a party that was already mistrustful of him due to his service as an Ambassador under Obama and criticism of the more conservative elements of the party. Huntsman also has a long running rivalry with Mitt Romney dating back to the 2002 Olympics and reportedly lobbied President Obama to endorse him for the presidency of the World Bank. Huntsman, while polling low nationally, is focusing his efforts on the state of New Hampshire and is believed to be the strongest potential Republican candidate by many media observers.

Sunday, June 24th, 2011: Gay marriage comes to New York.

In a victory for marriage equality activists, gay marriage was legalized by the New York State Legislature. The LBGT community celebrated the victory across the state, while conservative activists decried the decision. Governor Cuomo, after signing the bill into law, declared his hope that New York would “set a shining example” for the remainder of the United States to follow. New York is the largest state to legalize same-sex marriage, with the exception of California which briefly legalized it before Proposition 8 overturned the legalization of same-sex marriage.

[Kingpoleon]

A Huntsman-Christie or Huntsman-Rice ticket would be very threatening.

[Slow Learner]

Noice. Trump v Romney v Paul would be a hell of a fight.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Sunday, July 1st, 2011: McCotter enters GOP fray.

Congressman Thad McCotter (R-MI) signed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for the Republican nomination for President. McCotter, the definition of a long shot candidate, is known for his membership of a band “Second Amendment” which is comprised of fellow members of Congress and has been praised for his “sarcastic wit” and “pop culture savvy” by some Conservative commentators. He intends to kick off his campaign at a “freedom festival” in Whitemore Lake, Michigan, on July 2nd.

Wednesday, July 4th, 2011: Trump goes after Huntsman.

“Whosman” was the name Donald Trump repeatedly used in reference to Jon Huntsman, who strongly criticized the brash billionaire in his announcement speech and has since been on the campaign trail in New Hampshire. Describing Huntsman as “a turncoat Republican” and an “incompetent know-it all,” Trump’s words were only the beginning of his latest controversial attack on a fellow candidate. “What is it with some of these Mormon guys?” Trump asked, sparking laughter from the audience in South Carolina. “I love Mormons!” he added, before saying “but the ones that run for President just seem really, really weird.” The comments were condemned by the Mormon Church and Governor Romney.

Sunday, July 8th, 2011: Giuliani:  “I’m thinking about it.”

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said he is “thinking about it” when pressed by David Gregory of “Meet the Press” if he’ll run for President in 2012. Giuliani, once the 2008 Republican frontrunner, has largely been silent since his failed campaign for President despite efforts by the moderate wing of the party to draft an alternative to Romney, who has been struggling to maintain his lead against Trump. “It takes a New Yorker to beat a New Yorker” said Giuliani, in regards to Trump, and stated that a final decision will be made “very soon.” Giuliani is scheduled to travel to New Hampshire later this month.

Monday, July 15th, 2011: Trump: Politicians suck!

Donald Trump had sharp words for the entire political class at a rally in Arizona, where he decried politicians because they, in his words, “suck.” Lambasting the political class for “just running and running for office after office while they run the country into the ground” and being “piss poor negotiators.” Trump directed most of his criticism towards President Obama, who he criticized for multiple reasons. “He can’t produce a damn birth certificate!” he declared to thunderous applause, before attacking Obama as “a terrible negotiator. Just a terrible, terrible negotiator! At least I’d have brought the Olympics to Chicago. He can’t even do that. And he wants me to believe he killed Bin Laden?”

Tuesday, July 24th, 2011: Wu resigns.

Congressman David Wu (D-OR) resigned from Congress after allegations of sexual assault against the eighteen year old daughter of a fundraiser. Wu’s resignation, just weeks after that of fellow Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner, has led to inevitable criticism from the one and only Donald Trump, who described the Democratic Party as “a rat’s nest of pedophiles and perverts” and publically why President Obama “campaigns so vigorously for these philanderers.” Rick Santorum has also used Wu as a talking point, attacking the Democratic Party for “destroying the family in America” and “promoting perverts.”

Friday, July 27th, 2011: Rudy’s back.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani announced he is once again seeking the Republican nomination for President at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire. Giuliani, currently polling in the middle of the GOP pack, is hoping to use New Hampshire as the launch to the Republican nomination instead of using Florida as he did unsuccessfully in 2008. Giuliani, in his announcement speech, criticized President Obama’s national security policies and promised a “proactive, powerful foreign policy” and focused more on this issue than he did with the economy in his announcement speech. Giuliani will take his campaign to South Carolina in the following weeks, followed by swings through Florida.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Wednesday, August 1st, 2011: Trump tops new poll.

Suffolk University Poll: August 1st-August 7th: National Poll.
Donald Trump: 23%
Mitt Romney: 16%
Rudy Giuliani: 9%
Newt Gingrich: 9%
Ron Paul: 8%
Rick Perry: 6%
Tim Pawlenty: 4%
Chris Christie: 5%
Jon Huntsman: 2%
Michelle Bachmann: 2%
Sarah Palin: 1%
Rick Santorum: 1%
Thad McCotter: 1%
Italics indicate non-candidate.

Wednesday, August 1st, 2011: Debt ceiling deal shattered.

Congress has failed to pass an agreement on the debt ceiling, potentially throwing the US (and world) economy into chaos as the US appears to be heading towards a major credit downgrade. While the Senate overwhelmingly passed an agreement to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for spending cuts, the House of Representatives rejected the measure by an extremely narrow margin. The House’s rejection is mainly due to Tea Party aligned members of the Republican caucus claiming that the measures fail to cut spending to their satisfaction. President Obama has described the measures as “absolutely disastrous” for the nation and the world and has ordered the Treasury Department to prepare the prioritization of debt payments to avoid a default, which precludes a massive spending cut equaling to nearly ten percent of the Gross Domestic Product, which could massively reduce the aggregate demand that fuels the economy and result in massive job losses. President Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office in the coming days to address the crisis and how the government will respond to it.

Thursday, August 2nd, 2011: Romney: Blame Trump and Tea Party, not Republicans.

   
Mitt Romney, until this point, has been largely silent on if not supportive of the Tea Party wing of Congress and the Republican Party. In the wake of the debt ceiling crisis, he has spoken out against the actions of Congressional Republicans, describing their actions as “catastrophic.” This angered many conservative Republicans and has drawn criticism from other candidates. Ron Paul has called for the destruction of Federal Reserve Bonds to reduce the debt immediately, garnering praise from unlikely sources such as The New Republic, while Rick Santorum commended Congress for standing on Conservative principles-comments that earned the ire of Donald Trump, who correctly noted that the former Pennsylvania Senator voted to raise the debt ceiling on several occasions while serving in Senate.

Thursday, August 2nd, 2011: Panic on Wall Street.

Wall Street fell into panic as soon as the opening bell rang out in the wake of Congress’s failure to reach an agreement ahead of the debt ceiling deadline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a massive drop of nearly 600 points as the price of gold surged, whereas the Swiss Franc and the Japanese Yen also saw rises as investors flock to them away from currencies such as the dollar. France, Spain, and Italy, also facing downgrades have further spread the panic to European markets, aggravating the worldwide situation.

Friday, August 3rd, 2011: Palin backs Trump.

Alaska’s former Governor Sarah Palin has endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. The endorsement came after a private meeting at Trump Tower, where the two discussed campaign strategy and their political agendas. It is rumored that Trump promised Palin the position of Energy Secretary in exchange for the endorsement, a claim that both denied. “Donald Trump is the candidate who will make this country great again!” Palin exclaimed as the two stepped before the assembled press, while Trump lavished praise on Palin, calling her “an amazing person” and “the best Vice President we’ve never had.” Trump made a notable gaffe when he referred to her as “the best current governor in the nation”, apparently unaware that Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska in 2009 due to a string of lawsuits.

Saturday, August 11th, 2011: Debate nastiest yet.

In a bloody free for all between the candidates, nobody appeared to come out as the clear winner in the Fox News debate. “I don’t care. I don’t give a shit about it at all” answered Trump on the question of gay marriage. “It’s legal in New York. It’s illegal in Florida. Let the states do it” Trump continued to laughter and scattered boos from the audience. Santorum assailed Trump, responding “you don’t care about morality in this country because it is clear that by the campaign you have run and the people you associate yourself with that you’re an immoral person” responded Santorum. “Not to mention the language” Congresswoman Bachmann added in apparent disgust. Trump fired back, attacking Santorum over his 2006 defeat in the Senate race-“the people of Pennsylvania don’t want you, what makes you think the people of Iowa will?” and Bachmann, who he described as “plain crazy” with “a homosexual husband who practices phony science.” Ron Paul sparred with Rudy Giuliani in a replay of 2008, who described Paul as “isolationist lefty loon.” Paul and Trump found themselves in an odd alliance on immigration, when faced with attacks by Newt Gingrich, who described their positions as “unrealistic.” Trump described Newt Gingrich as a “serial philander” while Paul attacked Newt Gingrich in a more conventional way, describing the chaos in Congress during the final years of Gingrich’s term as Speaker and relaying a story of how Newt Gingrich attempted to primary him. Polls at the end of the night showed Governor Romney, who almost left the debate unscathed, as the nominal winner, with Trump in a close second place, followed by Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. Jon Huntsman did not attend the debate, instead choosing to focus on campaigning in New Hampshire for the weekend.

Monday, August 13th, 2011: Perry makes late entry into race.

At a rally at the Citadel in South Carolina, Governor Rick Perry of Texas has announced he is a candidate for the Republican nomination for President. Speculation had been building for weeks as Perry suddenly showed interest in the contest, traveling to Iowa and South Carolina several times and telling donors to not commit to other candidates. Perry’s announcement will be followed by a speech at the Red State gathering in Charleston, and then a weeklong trip to Iowa. Perry was joined on stage by neighboring Governor Bobby Jindal, who immediately endorsed his candidacy and sharply criticized Governor Romney and Donald Trump for representing the “RINO faction” of the party and praising Perry as a “tested, true Conservative.” Perry’s announcement coincides with the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Monday, August 13th, 2011: Ames Straw Poll.

2012 Ames Straw Poll: 16,892 Votes.
Donald Trump: 23.72%-4,006 votes.
Michelle Bachmann: 19.52%-3,297 votes.
Ron Paul: 16.89%-2,853 votes.
Tim Pawlenty: 12.88%-2,175 votes.
Rudy Giuliani: 11.65%-1,967 votes.
Rick Santorum: 8.24%-1,391 votes.
Rick Perry: 3.47%-586 votes.
Mitt Romney: 2.33%-393 votes.
Newt Gingrich: 1.15%-194 votes.
Jon Huntsman: 0.10%-16 votes.
Thad McCotter: 0.05%-8 votes.

Tuesday, August 14th, 2011: Pawlenty, McCotter end bids.

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Congressman Thad McCotter have both announced the ends of their presidential campaigns due to poor showings in the Ames Straw Poll. Trump, meanwhile, celebrated his victory in the straw poll over Twitter, congratulating both McCotter and Pawlenty for their “stellar campaigns” while ripping Mitt Romney as a “loser” and a “weakling” who “can’t even win a simple straw poll.” McCotter blamed his poor performance in the Straw Poll due to his late entry into the race and his inability to take part in the debate the night before the Straw Poll, while Pawlenty remained silent. Candidates made major efforts to win voters at the Straw Poll; Trump offered helicopter rides to children, while Michelle Bachmann handed out corndogs and Thad McCotter entertained the crowds personally with other musicians.

Saturday, August 20th, 2011: Rebels take Tripoli.

After a lengthy bombing campaign by the United States and NATO partners, the Libyan rebels have advanced into the city of Tripoli hours after Qadaffi had apparently fled. The rebels gathered in the former Green Square (now rechristened Martyrs Square) to celebrate their victory over the regime, which is preparing to launch an insurgency as Libya’s new government prepares to take the reins. The news was met with mixed reaction by some of the candidates. While Governor Romney praised the Libyan people and the rebel victory, others like Donald Trump were more inclined to a more pessimistic approach, with Trump predicting that the country will “fall apart and become Al Qaida’s big, brand new homeland.”

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011: Trump on Bachmann: “Look at that face.”

At a rally in Iowa today, Donald Trump took yet another swipe at his opponents, this time criticizing the physical appearance of Michelle Bachmann, who has begun to surge in Iowa due to her second place showing at the Ames Straw Poll. “Look at that face!” Trump declared, continuing “how the hell did she win that thing?” Bachmann responded over Twitter, tweeting back “how’d he place second with that hair” before later tweeting out “perhaps it hides his empty head. But what hides his black heart?” The Trump/Bachmann feud is the latest feud that Trump has had with rival candidates, media, and other celebrities. Ironically, Trump expects an increase in support due to the controversial comments.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

2012 Ames Straw Poll: 16,892 Votes.
Donald Trump: 23.72%-4,006 votes.
Michelle Bachmann: 19.52%-3,297 votes.
Ron Paul: 16.89%-2,853 votes.
Tim Pawlenty: 12.88%-2,175 votes.
Rudy Giuliani: 11.65%-1,967 votes.
Rick Santorum: 8.24%-1,391 votes.
Rick Perry: 3.47%-586 votes.
Mitt Romney: 2.33%-393 votes.
Newt Gingrich: 1.15%-194 votes.
Jon Huntsman: 0.10%-16 votes.
Thad McCotter: 0.05%-8 votes.

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011: Trump on Bachmann: “Look at that face.”

At a rally in Iowa today, Donald Trump took yet another swipe at his opponents, this time criticizing the physical appearance of Michelle Bachmann, who has begun to surge in Iowa due to her victory at the Ames Straw Poll. “Look at that face!” Trump declared, continuing “how the hell did she win that thing?” Bachmann responded over Twitter, tweeting back “how’d he place second with that hair” before later tweeting out “perhaps it hides his empty head. But what hides his black heart?” The Trump/Bachmann feud is the latest feud that Trump has had with rival candidates, media, and other celebrities. Ironically, Trump expects an increase in support due to the controversial comments.

The results say that Trump won and Bachman got second?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

2012 Ames Straw Poll: 16,892 Votes.
Donald Trump: 23.72%-4,006 votes.
Michelle Bachmann: 19.52%-3,297 votes.
Ron Paul: 16.89%-2,853 votes.
Tim Pawlenty: 12.88%-2,175 votes.
Rudy Giuliani: 11.65%-1,967 votes.
Rick Santorum: 8.24%-1,391 votes.
Rick Perry: 3.47%-586 votes.
Mitt Romney: 2.33%-393 votes.
Newt Gingrich: 1.15%-194 votes.
Jon Huntsman: 0.10%-16 votes.
Thad McCotter: 0.05%-8 votes.

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011: Trump on Bachmann: “Look at that face.”

At a rally in Iowa today, Donald Trump took yet another swipe at his opponents, this time criticizing the physical appearance of Michelle Bachmann, who has begun to surge in Iowa due to her victory at the Ames Straw Poll. “Look at that face!” Trump declared, continuing “how the hell did she win that thing?” Bachmann responded over Twitter, tweeting back “how’d he place second with that hair” before later tweeting out “perhaps it hides his empty head. But what hides his black heart?” The Trump/Bachmann feud is the latest feud that Trump has had with rival candidates, media, and other celebrities. Ironically, Trump expects an increase in support due to the controversial comments.

The results say that Trump won and Bachman got second?

That's a pretty glaring mistake. I'll fix it later today. Thanks for pointing it out!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011: MSNBC hosts GOP debate.

The MSNBC Republican debate finally saw the major sparring between the Republican frontrunners, Mitt Romney and Donald Trump. Trump was attacked by Romney for his “unseemly” attacks on Michelle Bachmann, who responded by attacking Mitt Romney over his record at Bain Capital. The debate also saw Rick Perry making his first performance, in which he controversially declared Social Security to be a Ponzi scheme and boasted of his record of executing inmates on death row in Texas. Despite these buzz lines, Perry’s performance was widely panned as being unexciting. Newt Gingrich, meanwhile, called for unity and attacked the moderators for bringing up questions in relation to his first two marriages.

Thursday, September 8th, 2011: Trump still tops polls, Perry surges.

Gallup National Poll: September 1st-September 5th: National Poll.
Donald Trump: 23%
Rick Perry: 19%
Mitt Romney: 17%
Michelle Bachmann: 15%
Ron Paul: 10%
Rudy Giuliani: 7%
Newt Gingrich: 5%
Jon Huntsman: 3%
Rick Santorum: 1%

Sunday, September 11th, 2011: 9/11 remembered ten years later.

The 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks passed without incident despite heightened security. The anniversary saw tributes from the President and the candidates, who used the anniversary to highlight their security policies and in Donald Trump’s case, attack the President over his policies in relation to national security. While mourners gathered in New York, fundamentalist preacher Terry Jones used the opportunity to burn Qurans at his Dove Outreach Center in Florida, angering Muslims around the world and sparking mass anti-American protests in Afghanistan and the Middle East as a whole. Candidates have jumped to condemn Jones, including Governor Romney, who criticized the actions as “foolish”, “divisive”, and “dangerous to overseas personnel” while Donald Trump defended Jones and his actions, and urged churches across the country to be “vigilant against the Islamic threat.”

Saturday, September 17th, 2011: Occupy Wall Street protests.

Hundreds of activists have pitched a camp in Zuccotti Park in New York. Protesting income inequality, and demanding campaign finance and student loan reform, the student protesters numbers are expected to grow rapidly in the coming weeks as leftwing activists flood into New York to make a statement. Many are expecting the movement to possibly rival the Tea Party in terms of its political power in the coming years, while detractors have cynically cited the inclement December weather as the impending cause of the movement’s demise. Regardless, the protesters are in it for the long haul.