Re-posted from  PJ Media

Could Nevada be the new Florida in determining the winner of the 2012 presidential election?  If Mitt Romney is the Republican nominee (and, yes, he is still is on track despite Rick Santorum’s surge) my hunch is Nevada will be the mother of all battleground states and here’s why.

Click on this map and you will see how Romney red wins with 272 electoral votes while Obama blue loses with 262.

However, the latest Real Clear Politics (RCP) average shows Obama leading Romney by 4.2%. This RCP poll average is growing in Obama’s favor. It was bumped up by two full points recently with the latest unemployment rate dipping to 8.3% which the Obama-loving press played up to sound like the rate had just dropped below 5%. Additionally, Obama’s growing lead could also be a signal how the GOP primary battle is hurting Romney’s chances. Unfortunately, this battle does not look like it will end anytime soon.

With all that in mind, click on this map to see how RCP views the national electoral landscape. It gives Obama a decisive 217 to 181 advantage right at the starting gate.

My Republican electoral victory theory with Nevada as the last grand prize is based on five important battleground states all turning to Romney. If any one of these five are won again by President Obama it’s game over, four more years.

The five, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana are what I fondly call the red rogue states. Together they account for 86 electoral votes.

In 2008 Obama swept them all, while in 2000 and 2004 they all went for Bush.

For the sake of my fantasy theory, assume Romney is successful in these five red rogue states. Then, add their 86 electoral totals to the 180 electoral votes from the 2008 McCain states. Fortunately for the Republicans, the 2008 McCain states gained a net of six electoral votes in 2012.

(Texas gained four, while Utah, Arizona, Georgia and South Carolina each gained one. Missouri and Louisiana each lost one.)

Add 86 to 180 and Romney is at 266. So close yet so far.

Enter Nevada with six electoral votes up from five in 2008.

In 2008 Obama won it, 55% to McCain’s 43%. Bush in 2004 barely won Nevada 51% to Kerry’s 48%. Then in 2000 Bush was stronger against Gore, 50% to 46%.

Those six electoral votes from Nevada bring Romney to 272 and a seat in the Oval office. (270 are needed to win)

Why do I think Nevada is winnable for Romney given Obama’s 12 point victory there in 2008?  Here are a few reasons.

First, Nevada’s Mormon population is 6.5%. If they vote in a block, which is most likely, that gives Romney a huge boost up front.

Second, Nevada has the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 12.6% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Will Obama’s 2008 hope and change leave Nevada voters hoping for another change in the Oval Office?

Third, are voter registration statistics.

According to the office of the Nevada Secretary of State in January 2012 there were 447,881 registered Democrats and 400,310 Republicans — roughly 10% more Democrats. Then factor in 172,463 non-partisan voters and 48,972 independents for a combined total of 221,435 “up for grabs” voters.

With Nevada’s high unemployment rate is it plausible that 65% of the 221,435 non-aligned voters could break for Romney, leaving 35% for Obama?

If so, that means Romney wins 544,242 to Obama’s 525,383. This assumes all the registered Republican and Democrat voters stay with their party, which of course will not happen, but just how much crossover to expect is difficult to predict at this time. However, you get the idea what it will take for Romney to win.

(Note: there are a total of 1,082,705 registered voters in Nevada. Green, Libertarian, and other comprise 13,079 which are not included in these totals mentioned above. However, if all 13,079 voted for Obama that would bring him to 538,462 compared to Romney’s 544,242.)

Any way you slice it, the general election in Nevada will be a nail biter, maybe even on the scale of Florida in 2000 without the hanging chads. But, considering these three factors Romney could be positioned to pull off a victory.

Here is my favorite Republican victory equation for 2012:

McCain’s 2008 states with net six, plus five red rogue states, plus Nevada’s six with 65% independent vote  = 272

Now I know what some of you are thinking, “There is another way for this equation to work,” so here it is.

Let’s say Obama wins Nevada, or rather the unions and Senator Harry Reid “win Nevada” for Obama. Fortunately for Romney, there is another influential little state, where he has a vacation home that just happens to have the last four electoral vote pieces he needs to complete the White House puzzle.

So let’s try this equation once again…  McCain’s 2008 states with net six, plus five red rogue states, plus New Hampshire’s four electoral votes = 270.

Then you might imagine how “Live Free or Die” — New Hampshire’s famous Revolutionary War slogan, will be infused with new meaning on election night.

Interesting guests and timely topics will be on AM 740 WSBR the week of February 6th and The Credit Report with Bill Lewis.

After seven plus years on AM talk radio in South Florida, Bill Lewis will discuss his long anticipated move from morning drive time on AM 1470 WWNN to AM 740 WSBR.

Former prosecutor and Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney Jim Lewis will appear and discuss his candidacy for Broward State Attorney as the only Republican for this countywide office in 2012.

Chairman Richard DeNapoli of the Broward Republican Party will appear and discuss initiatives to expand candidate awareness through social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Former presidential appointee and elections attorney Gineen Bresso will appear and discuss her future political plans and aspirations.  As a former Commissioner and Chair of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an important announcement will be made by Bresso on Monday.

Former Plantation Councilman and current Republican Party of Broward County Executive Director Rico Petrocelli will appear and discuss initiatives to expand party membership.

Foreclosure defense attorney Carlos Reyes will appear and discuss the latest developments in the Florida Supreme Court case of Roman Pino versus Bank of New York.  Despite a voluntary dismissal by Pino in a foreclosure fraud matter, the Court found that the case is a “matter of great public importance” and will proceed on behalf of all Floridians.

Davie Mayoral candidate Mike Crowley will appear and discuss his candidacy for mayor and his plan to create jobs by attracting high-technology business to the town.

Tom Lauder of Red Broward will appear and discuss his political blog where “Making Broward See Red” is not such a hard job.

Fort Lauderdale philanthropist and serial entrepreneur Jamie McDonnell will appear and discuss his latest celebrity STOP Burger – the Jake Miller Burger.  Jake is a singer, rapper, musician and songwriter who has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the music industry. Jake Miller Music distributed a few homemade music videos on YouTube late 2010, and attracted the attention of music business insiders.

Bill Burke of Paradise Bank will appear and discuss how his three branch bank reached a significant milestone in its six year history by becoming the top Small Business Administration (SBA) community bank lender in the state of Florida.

Criminal defense attorney John Contini will appear and discuss the importance of proper representation before the court in matters of post conviction relief and criminal history records expunction.

Barry Epstein will appear and discuss his Internet television show “Barry Epstein Live” airing Friday’s at 10 a.m. at www.wrpbitv.com.

The Credit Report with Bill Lewis airs live, Monday through Friday from 7am-8am with an encore presentation Saturday’s at 3pm on AM 740 WSBR.  Streaming audio is available at www.wsbrradio.com and on air participation is welcome at (888) 721-0074.

If you miss the early broadcast, The Credit Report with Bill Lewis is still available weeknights at 9pm and Sunday’s at 1pm on AM 1470 WWNN by streaming audio at www.wwnnradio.com.

For daily updates on The Credit Report with Bill Lewis, you can join Bill’s 39,950 plus fans on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/thecreditreportwithbilllewis.

Sure Mitt Romney won a “landslide” in Florida tonight according to the Drudge Report headline at this moment, but was it really? Here are some numbers to consider: Romney won 46% of the vote BUT when 32% for Gingrich is combined with 13% for Santorum the total is 45% for the conservative team and suddenly Romney’s “landslide” disappears.

You can expect to hear Gingrich spout this line of thinking. He will use it as one of the reasons he will stay in the race, fight to the finish and why he thinks Santorum should drop out.

The 45% conservative vote vs. 46% for Romney proves once again just how polarized the GOP is in 2012.

When Romney eventually becomes the official nominee uniting the conservative wing will be his most difficult undertaking as the new party leader.

That is a problem Romney must successfully address if he is to prevail against Obama and one that Obama is counting on Romney to not solve.

By Matt Rooney | Cross-posted at SaveJersey.com

It’d be a comical habit if it wasn’t also extremely counterproductive.

All contemporary Republican presidential hopefuls campaign with the words “Ronald” and “Reagan” ever-present on their lips.

Every conservative commentator passionately debates who is the most “reaganesque” member of the field.

A strong plurality of primary voters continually bemoan the absence of a “Reagan-like” GOP figure in the race.

Am I the only one who is utterly sick and tired of it? Or at least recognizes what O.R.D. (“Obsessive Reagan Disorder”) is doing to our party and our chances for victory?

It’s time to finally get serious, Save Jerseyans, and take affirmative steps to end the GOP’s unhealthy, all-consuming quest for “the next” Ronald Reagan. The Gipper would want it that way. I’m sure of it.

In order to do so, we need to briefly discuss what he was, what he wasn’t, and finally come to terms with the REAL reason why we seem miss him so damn much…

Read More →

Former candidate and Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain made a surprise endorsement of candidate Newt Gingrich tonight at the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee Lincoln Day Dinner in West Palm Beach, Florida; according to The Shark Tank.

See Video Here.

Cain, who ended his presidential bid among allegations of infidelity on December 3, 2011; has kept up his public profile, keeping voters and pundits guessing as to who he will endorse, and when.

In a recent interview with conservative radio and television host Sean Hannity, Cain hinted that he will be endorsing a candidate soon, though it would come as a surprise and will be “unconventional.”

Meanwhile the Gingrich campaign and dinner organizers also gave the media hints to expect a big surprise endorsement at the dinner.

According to Chris Moody of Yahoo’s The Ticket, Cain told attendees:

“I hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for president of the United States! One of the biggest reasons is the fact that I know that Speaker Gingrich is a patriot, Speaker Gingrich is not afraid of bold ideas and I also know that Speaker Gingrich is running for president and going through this sausage grinder. I know what this sausage grinder is all about.”

Herman Cain left the presidential race after being accused of sexual harassment by numerous women who served under him while head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990’s. Although, never admitting guilt, Cain was unable to credibly rebut the claims against him, and saw his lead in national polls quickly slip away. He cited the pain that the accusations were causing his wife and family as the main reason for his decision.

Cain appealed to many conservative voters because of his relationship with the Tea Party movement and his successful business career. He saw a surge in the polls primarily because of his innovative 9-9-9 tax plan; resonating with voters because of its simple, fair and innovative structure; besides its easily remembered handle. Mitt Romney, also a businessman, was edged out by Cain – because unlike Romney, who made his money in investment markets – Cain had a “main street” business background that appealed to small business owners having once revitalized the struggling Godfather’s Pizza chain from the ground up.

Significantly, Cain’s rise began in the state of Florida, then spilling over into South Carolina before becoming the national frontrunner. This endorsement comes at a critical time for Gingrich, who is looking to regain momentum after two undistinguished debate performances. Moreover, latest poll results show Romney’s newly acquired offensive strategy against Gingrich is paying off.

With this endorsement, Gingrich can now claim some economic credibility and a chance to absorb supporters whose value of a business experience moved them toward an uneasy support of Romney. Gingrich may also gain the few voters still left who are undecided by the exit of other candidates.

Unfortunately, Cain’s endorsement may have come too late to impact the race as much as he and Gingrich would like. Most Cain supporters had already gone to Gingrich and the other “not-Romneys” anyway. With no more debates left before the Florida primary, Gingrich also finds himself lacking the best medium to trumpet and contextualize this endorsement to the largest audience; moreover, network news coverage will be very limited since most weekend time-slots are already occupied by pre-recorded shows, making them inflexible to breaking news. Whether Gingrich could capitalize on this endorsement with so little time before the primary is uncertain, unless, of course, Monday’s media barrage to follow provides him with the exposure he missed during last week’s debates.

Follow Dmitriy Shapiro on Twitter @dmitriyshapiro

Re-posted from PJ Media

The South Carolina primary results have made President Obama a very happy man.  He and his campaign high command know the longer the Republican nomination fight drags on, the less time the eventual nominee will have to turn his full attention and resources towards defeating Obama.

Some strategists believe that a prolonged battle strengthens the candidate and prepares that person for the general election. The Hillary/Obama primary fight of 2008 is often cited as an example how a bruising battle helped to hone campaign skills and otherwise prepare the victor.

However, in 2012, I disagree with this line of thinking. What is potentially shaping up to be a tough prolonged battle between Newt and Mitt will result in neither one emerging as a stronger candidate and the reasons why are as follows.

Unlike in 2008, we have a first-term president hovering above the fray with enormous advantages of incumbency and statistical odds of re-election.

As noted in this piece I co-wrote last January discussing Obama’s re-election prospects: “In the last 56 U.S. presidential elections, 31 have involved incumbents; 21 of those candidates have won more than one term. Based on these historical odds, Obama has a better-than-67-percent chance of winning reelection.”

On January 24, when he gives his State of the Union message, Obama will stand above a joint session of Congress looking very presidential on a high prestigious platform. Contrast that scene with Mitt, Newt, and to a lesser extent Rick and Ron, continuing to sling mud at each other while the media chronicles their every attack. (Mitt is supposed to release his tax returns around that time so that might steal some of Obama’s thunder, but not in a positive way.)

Since Obama cannot run on his anemic economic record, he will instead wage a frontal assault against his future opponent. So what could be more perfect than stacks of great material provided by the candidates themselves?

Based on how successful Newt’s attacks are against Romney or Romney’s attacks on Newt, Team Obama will have the luxury of watching from the sidelines, gauging how well the attacks impacted voters and the level of media interest. Then they can pick and choose which lines of attack will be re-packaged and re-played for the general election. You can fully expect Mitt’s or Newt’s words to be cleverly used against them. Thus, the longer the battle, the higher the ammunition stock-pile to the delight of Obama.

Obama and the Democrats love the idea of a prolonged battle because the longer the GOP race is unsettled, the farther to the right the candidates will  be forced to run in order to please a base, which, by all accounts, is becoming more conservative and less representative of the center-right general electorate.

This will leave the eventual nominee with less time and room to drift back to the center where the candidate must move in order to attract more moderate and independent voters who will determine the election.

Then, consider how a stretched and vicious primary battle only increases the chances of voters becoming disgusted with all the Republican candidates.

My 86-year-old mother, a political observer, said just the other day, “The candidates are acting like they are in high school. I am so fed up with politics.” I hated reminding her that it’s only January!

Prolonged attacks by a Newt vs. Mitt race offer the potential of turning off general election voters who have turned against Obama and are thinking about voting for the Republican. Furthermore, the longer and dirtier the intra-party fight, the less time the nominee will have to focus exclusively on Obama and work to gain back lost respect from the voters.

At this point my hunch is that President Obama would much prefer to run against Newt Gingrich, with the RealClearPolitics (RCP) poll average showing Obama defeating Gingrich by 11%.  Compare that to Obama being in a virtual tie with Romney, defeating him by only 1.9%, well within the margin of error.

So now all eyes shift to Florida — where the next great battleground primary is on January 31st, but early voting has already started.

Voters who “think” Gingrich is still a stronger candidate despite RCP showing him losing to Obama by 11% need to “re-think” their position due to some inconvenient facts:

In 2008, Obama defeated McCain by 7.3%.  (52% to 45.6%)

With his 11% spread, Gingrich would fare much worse.

But for those stubborn voters who don’t believe polls, try this:

The last RCP average before the 2008 election had Obama at 52.1% vs. 44.5% for McCain, a 7.6% difference. Which means RCP was only off by 0.3%.

RCP poll averages tend to be reliable because they are an average of all the major polls combining likely voters/ registered voters/ and all adults.

Therefore, I highly recommend checking out the latest RCP general election match-up polls before you cast your primary vote for the sake of our nation’s future. Obama must be defeated, so carefully consider the odds of the candidate who currently loses to Obama by 1.9% vs. the one losing by 11%.

Finally, there is another factor that I find troubling this primary season and one that will work to further weaken our candidates.  The mainstream media is in favor of a prolonged nomination battle — the bloodier, the longer, the better.

After all, this leads to increased ratings, but also has the dual purpose of allowing Obama to remain untouched and presidential while the Republicans are engaged in political wrestle-mania for months to come.

In that case, you can fully expect President Obama to engage in his usual presidential behavior of lavish parties, vacations, and golf outings, while his team plans the biggest party of all, his second inaugural.

By: Matt Rooney | Cross-posted at SaveJersey.com

I’m always amused by the anti-Romney folks out there, Save Jerseyans, who reflexively accuse Mitt of a being a “flip flopper” when they themselves can’t settle on a candidate for more than five minutes!

My criticism isn’t directed towards those of you who have loyally stood by Santorum, Newt, or whoever for months. I’m talking about folks who HATE Mitt with the burning fire of a thousands suns and have been 110% for every candidate besides him at various points over the last few months.

Bachmann (for 1 day), then Perry (2 days), then Cain (for 3 pizzas), then Newt, then Santorum for half a week, an now Newt (again)? I have trouble keeping it straight.

I wouldn’t trust you folks with custody of a pet rock let alone a country.

And today looks to be just the latest example of these flip-floppers’ indecisive primary dispositions. Newt Gingrich is now poised to upset Mitt Romney in South Carolina after two superb debate performances earlier this week. The latest RCP average reflects a 2.6-point Newt lead; Romney was up by nearly 10-points this time last week. We’re probably in for a long war… akin to Obama vs. Clinton circa 2008? We’ll know in a few hours when polls close in the Palmetto State.

I don’t want to dump on 1/3 of South Carolina’s 500,000 primary voters without a brief qualification. Some late deciders for the Speaker are undoubtedly acting on legitimate concerns.  Mitt really stunk in the last two debates. Terribly. His exceptionally lame tax return answer was even more confounding (and damaging going forward). In short, Mitt gave primary voters serious doubts precisely when he was beginning to close the deal.

At the same time, I believe know some of you were looking for a reason – however trivial or base – to NOT support a rich Mormon yankee who didn’t emerge from the womb with a copy of Ayn Rand’s Anthem clutched in his tiny little arms coursing with blue blood.

I’m also intrigued by evangelical friends who are easily able to forgive Newt’s many personal and public infidelities (the victims of which include his wives, Paul Ryan and capitalism), but yet still refuse to forgive Mitt Romney, a great family man, who despite his past mistakes was nevertheless a more conservative governor of Massachusetts than Ronal Reagan was of California.

Remember: these same “religious” folks who screamed “character counts” at the top of their lungs in the late 1990′s are seemingly unphased by Newt’s alleged “open marriage” with his first wife. It doesn’t add up.

Or maybe it does? Newt’s situation may’ve hit a little too close to home for the Romney haters. After all, the Republican base’s flip-floppers have conducted an “open relationship” with the entire GOP field for the past six months.

Re-posted from PJMedia

Florida Senator Marco Rubio with 24 votes.

In second place was Florida Congressman Allen West with 19 votes.

Third was Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell with 10 votes.

Then, Former Ambassador John Bolton and Former Secretary of State Condi Rice were tied at 9 votes each.

Thanks to everyone who participated resulting in over 200 comments. Please note that only clearly-stated votes were counted. In comments where two or more potential VP’s were offered, only the first-named was accepted.

As mentioned in the original posting these results will be reported to the Romney campaign.

Now for my vote on Romney’s VP with some editorializing on the poll results.

Back in early November, I wrote this piece about why the selection of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell was a “done deal” as Romney’s running mate.

Well, perhaps I exaggerated just a tad about the “done deal” part but, for all the reasons stated, I still believe McDonnell is Romney’s wisest choice.

Then, at a Christmas party I spoke to former Virginia Senator George Allen who is running this year to win back his old Senate seat. He told me he REALLY liked the idea of McDonnell for VP although Allen made a point of saying he has not endorsed Romney.

(Note: McDonnell as VP would practically ensure that Allen would win back his Senate seat but you have to read the piece for all the interesting background and national consequences of what will possibly be an epic Virginia battleground matchup of Obama/Kaine vs. Romney/McDonnell/Allen to understand the whole picture.)

Since Rubio was the winner of the poll contest, here is my take on him.

Senator Rubio, although a rising star in the Republican Party with a very bright future, is not ready yet to be Vice-President. Senator Rubio has only been in the US Senate since January 2011 and will be 41 years old in May. He needs to marinate awhile on the national stage, earn some stature, and build a record.

(OK, so we all know that Obama did not ‘marinate” but look at the trouble the county is in now as a result.)

Senator Rubio himself believes he needs more time because on numerous occasions he has stated that he will not be on any national ticket in 2012 and wants to focus on being a Senator from Florida.

For more explanation about why I believe Senator Marco Rubio is correct in his public declarations go back and please re-read my PJM piece from March of 2011 entitled “Why Rubio Should Resist 2012 Temptations.”

The second place poll contest winner, Congressman Allen West (FL-22) also is a rising star in the GOP.  Unfortunately West has a brutal battle ahead of him just to hang on to his Congressional seat due to re-districting and his outspoken pronouncements that do not sit well with all the moderate and independent voters in his swing district.  But, if Romney has strong coattails, West will most likely hang on to his seat. If he does manage to lose, and Romney wins, perhaps Romney will have a place for him in his administration. However, a new job as a national radio talk show host might be better suited to his personality.  Watch out Rush Limbaugh!  For more on Allen West and his difficult re-election ahead you can go back and re-read my PJM interview with him from October of 2011.

Finally, although off the VP topic, with the news that Ambassador Jon Huntsman will drop out of the presidential race and support Romney my bet is that Romney, if elected, will ask Huntsman to be his Secretary of State. (Sorry, John Bolton fans!)  Was there a deal? Would Huntsman make a good Secretary of State?

Perhaps that question should be offered up for the next poll contest.

Watch this space!

Re-posted from PJMedia.com

In 2011, the political, social, and economic fabric of our nation stretched a little too far. Will 2012 be the year the seams burst?

For starters, we have a broke, broken, polarized, and dysfunctional government, and that saga will play out on center stage in election year 2012. The people are polarized as well. However, one issue has upwards of 70% of Americans in total agreement — our nation is headed on the wrong track. Hard to argue: no nation or empire in the history of the world has ever been burdened with  $15 trillion in debt. I am known to be an optimist, but reviewing the statistics that reveal the sorry state of our nation, I find myself joining the chorus of voters who believe national decline can only be managed but not avoided.

Many Americans, especially Republicans, think the 2012 election is our last chance to turn our ship of state around, but it may already be too late. For exactly how to turn the ship around and who will be captain will cause more polarization, more dysfunction, and potential for upheaval. Per Bob Dylan: “When you ain’t got nothin’, you got nothin’ to lose.” Some facts supporting that statement:

Half of All Americans Are Poor or Low-Income

According to the latest census data, 146.4 million  Americans, or 48% of the population, either fall below the poverty line or are in the low-income category.

Of that number, 97.3 million are considered low-income, while 49.1 million are poor. But the fact that should be of greatest concern to all Americans in regards to our future economic well being: 57% of all children are either poor or low-income.

Unless there is some radical change, the national trend towards a have vs. have-not society is already set in stone. Expect class warfare to grow and government entitlement battles to become even more vicious. There is no escaping that income inequality, on a scale that we have never seen before, will have a profoundly negative effect on our traditional American way of life. A child born into poverty has fewer chances to move into the middle class given all the disadvantages poverty heaps on a young life, both mentally and physically.

Census data from 2010 reveals that Hispanics account for 73% of our nation’s poor, and they are the largest and  fastest growing minority demographic, comprising 16.3% of the population. Hispanic growth increased 43% from 2000 to 2010.

Therefore, a massive public/private initiative must be developed to help lift Hispanics into the middle class or the U.S. will eventually cease to be a top tier nation. Our standing in the world economy is directly tied to Hispanic upward mobility.

The American Workforce Is Shrinking

According to USA Today, in 2010 the share of the population that had a job fell to 45.4%, down from a peak of 49.3% in 2000 — the lowest percentage of workers since 1983. This downward percentage translates into 27 million more non-working adults. Looking at male workers only, 66.8% had jobs, the lowest on record. Obviously this downward trend must be reversed, or national decline is inevitable.

High-Skilled Jobs and Low-Skilled Workers

This is a problem — closer to a crisis — that few of our national leaders bother to discuss. Too many  high skilled-high paying jobs are going unfilled. Met any unemployed computer engineers lately? Not likely you will.

Jobs, jobs, jobs may be the battle cry of the 2012 election but it is skills, skills, skills that are the real problem. Moreover, the lack of high-tech skills in our working population is impeding our future economic growth.

When I graduated from high school in the early ’70s, men who did not go to college often became auto mechanics. That path is not as easy anymore. Today, mechanics are highly paid and sought after because they require extensive computer training and certification to work on cars that have become computers on wheels.

How does our economy create low-skilled but adequate wage jobs for the growing number of low-skilled or no-skilled American workers? Solving that dilemma is the key to lifting half of our population out of poverty.

Innovative programs must be developed to help create a new middle class to supplement the current one that is shrinking fast. If we are unable to do that, then continued decline is the economic forecast for 2012 and beyond.

Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum shakes hands during a meet and greet campaign stop in Iowa. | AP Photo

Last night, the Iowa Caucus held on to its reputation as an electoral circus with wildly unpredictable results, while politicos throughout the nation were captivated by its demonstration of rural backwardness bringing ever stranger results.

Until the last percent was counted, all national news networks were delayed in waiting for 2 precincts to report their result. This was done, according to Bret Baier and the Fox News team (later denied by the Iowa GOP) by having some farmer drive them over in his truck to have them counted, instead of just calling them in.

True or not, it seems that when Iowa Farmer Einstein got his truck to his destination, the Iowa GOP couldn’t find the votes. Those 5-20 caucus votes that the nation was waiting for must have gotten lost by rolling under the truck’s seat – or, in his excitement at finally contributing to something important, the driver forgot the votes at the precinct altogether. The frustration on the faces of Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly was unbearable to watch – at least they got some pizza during a break – while CNN’s panelists looked as if they were going to fall asleep. John King didn’t seem to care anymore at one point, and was walking away from the table during the live broadcast. The Iowa caucus was cutting into their bar time and Candy Crowley was hungry. By this time, they should have just brought beer onto the set. It was almost 1am anyway; no children were watching.

But the lesson that should not be missed from Rick Santorum’s impressive display is that old-fashioned stumping, handshaking, and door to door campaigning, is still the most reliable method of winning over voters – well, I cannot say that I am sure that it is the most reliable, it should not be underestimated.

I admit that although I knew Santorum would make a surprise showing, I doubted his methods would have earned him so good of a turnout. It is common in our day to have too much faith in the power of mass media, especially new media. Rick Perry’s $4 million expenditure on ads in Iowa seems to have had no effect.

If you are still skeptical about the power of “face to face” campaigning, I strongly encourage attending a candidate’s event. There is a completely different energy transmitted to an audience in person that does not get through to a TV audience. Even attending a rally of an insignificant candidate, one you don’t even need to agree with, can make the most firm believer reconsider that candidate as an option. This angle was played to perfection by Santorum’s persona in Iowa. His sweater vests contributing to his common man appeal.

I still think that Santorum’s victory will be a singular event. Michele Bachmann’s exit from the GOP race will not mean that all of her voters will jump on Santorum’s bandwagon. Voters still have Newt Gingrich and Perry as viable alternatives. There is hardly a chance for him to pull off a victory in New Hampshire or South Carolina, thus blunting the edge of his Iowa momentum, along with concerns that his funds will not be enough to be effective in the coming primaries – yet, with so many surprises already, nobody can claim any certainty.

Dmitriy Shapiro can be reached at dmitriy_shapiro@hotmail.com

Follow on Twitter: @dmitriyshapiro