Don’t bet on Newt if beating Obama is the goal

By Chris Ingram

Just recently I made up my mind to vote for Mitt Romney for president. In assessing the rather weak field of GOP candidates, I believe Romney is the only one who has the experience, temperament, steady hand, and enough appeal to independents and swing voters to beat Barack Obama.

Newt Gingrich’s potential jackpot victory in Florida on Tuesday will only come at the behest of conservative Republican voters who don’t like Romney. Gingrich is betting they will leave their conscience at the door and forget about all the things they claim they value (morality, smaller government, no amnesty for illegals), roll the dice and vote for him. It’s an election strategy most Vegas odds-makers called a long-shot just weeks ago.

Newt Gingrich with Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson (left). Adelson and his wife have contributed over $10 million to a Super PAC benefitting Gingrich.

But Newt’s silver tongue, intellect, and remarkable recollection of history have served him well.

He’s wagering voters’ memories aren’t as remarkable as his own.

Gingrich would rather voters forget about (more…)

Irreverent radio — listen live on 1470 AM this Saturday from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Listen to “Chris Ingram’s Irreverent View” radio show live tomorrow (Saturday) January 21 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. with special guests: Republican Party of Florida chairman, Lenny Curry; Neal Freeman, a veteran journalist who is covering the presidential campaign for National Review and The American Spectator; William March, Tampa Tribune senior political reporter; and Bob Dardenne, chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of South Florida.

Listen to “Chris Ingram’s Irreverent View” radio show live on Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 11:00 a.m. – noon.

The show is broadcast live and can be heard on your PC or on your I-Pad, Android phone or tablet. If listening on your mobile/notebook/portable device, you must first load the app on your phone/notebook/portable to listen — see directions below or at http://www.rhinoonair.com.

Topics for today’s show include the upcoming South Carolina GOP presidential preference primary, the RNC penalties on the Fla. GOP conventioneers, and we’ll have Florida political consultant Kevin Keogh,  who is the former three-term chairman of the Maine Republican Party as our special guest . The listener call-in number is 727-388-4777.

To listen on your PC just click on the “Listen Live” button on the homepage of RhinoOnAir.com.

To listen on your phone or tablet go to the  IphoneApp Store or Android Market and click download/install to load the app to your phone. Then go to RhinoOnAir.com and click on “listen live.”

By Chris Ingram

The Tampa Tribune

Published January 17, 2012

Ask any Republican — from the rank-and-file grassroots to party leadership — what their No. 1 goal for 2012 is and the answer is always, “Send Obama an eviction notice.”

Yet somehow the Republican National Committee, most of its members and its national chairman, Reince Priebus, are hellbent on airing the party’s dirty laundry by taking Florida to the woodshed for violating the RNC’s “rules” about election dates.

I have what I think is a great idea to solve this “problem.” But first, it’s important to understand the facts. They are: (more…)

By Chris Ingram

The Tampa Tribune

Published January 10, 2012

Call in the kids, lock your doors, and cover your eyes and ears, the “Flori-duh” Legislature convenes today to conduct its annual business.

Last year’s embarrassing session saw Senate President Mike Haridopolous outmaneuvered by the House. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering this is the same guy who wrote a book with finger paint and got paid $150,000 to do so by some Podunk community college. The book sold about 100 copies.

I digress; that’s old news. But the players haven’t changed much, and I’m not optimistic that the same knuckleheads in Tallahassee, who in the midst of an economic recession last year spent four days talking about abortion and just one day talking about jobs, will get their priorities in order.

Instead of just complaining about what a bunch of out-of-touch do-nothings they are, I’ve made a list of a few things the Legislature ought to consider. They are: (more…)

Latest taxpayer-funded propoganda shows why Democrats are in fact the problem

By Chris Ingram

Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-Tampa) recently sent out a taxpayer-funded “franked mail” piece that touts her “accomplishments” as a stooge to the liberal, Democrat Party establishment. Other big-government ideologues like Karl Marx and Vladimir Lennin would be proud of Ms. Castor’s record.

Photo explanation: In an attempt at shameless use of misleading imagery, I tried to find a photo of Ms. Castor on Google Images with Barack Obama to demonstrate what an out-of-touch zero she is. But she's apparently more politically astute than Charlie Crist because I couldn't find one of her and the POTUS. But to prove I looked, I found this pic of Barack Obama the worshiper of bovine regality bowing to THE Burger King. How disgraceful!

The following is a verbatim of Ms. Castor’s franked mail letter with my comments following in red italicized parentheticals (like this).

Enjoy the read. Whether you laugh, cry, (or both), you’ll understand why America’s glory days are behind us, and the future for our children is, quite frankly, going to suck.

Dear Friend,

Happy New Year! Working together, we made progress for our community in 2011 (Record unemployment, lower home values, and more foreclosures, not to mention our public school kids being let out on “early release” at 12:00 on Mondays in order to appease the teacher’s unions is progress?). Highlighted below are economic boosts we can build on in 2012. We will fight for every job for the Tampa Bay area (Apparently only as long as they are GOVERNMENT jobs). In fact, I am going to host a job fair (Paid for with stimulus money borrowed on the backs of our children no doubt) on March 3, so mark your calendar.

2011 HIGHLIGHTS (aka: (more…)

As published on www.FlDemocracy2012.com 

When choosing gifts to give those you care about this holiday season, it’s always best to ask the experts! That’s why FLDemocracy asked some of Florida’s best pundits, professors, and pols for help in picking out the perfect gifts for the candidates ahead of our Jan. 31 primary.

Their suggestions were thoughtful (so nice of Chris Ingram to think of Gary Johnson), hilarious (Thanks, Mark Foley) and perfectly gift-wrapped (Sid Dinerstein composed a candidate-carol).  In honor of the holiday season, here’s what our selection of experts would give the field: (more…)

A fellow Cuban-American’s perspective on Florida’s junior senator’s latest tall tale

(Editor’s note: The following commentary was written by Patrick Monteiga, editor of Tampa’s La Gaceta newspaper, the only tri-lingual newspaper in the United States. The column appeared in today’s edition. Monteiga and his family are of Cuban ancestory. The column is reprinted with permission).

Sen. Marco Rubio at CPAC. Photo by Gage Skidmore.

The revelations from Marc Rubio’s family history have brought us closer to the U.S. Senator than we’ve ever been before. You see, the real version of Rubio’s heritage closely resembles the Manteiga heritage.

My grandfather Victoriano, like Rubio’s dad and mom, came from Cuba to the U.S. for a job and a better life. My grandfather came in 1913 (at least that’s the story) and was hired by the workers at the Morgan Cigar Factory as the lector. Rubio’s father, Mario, came over in 1956 and found a bartending job.

Victoriano wanted to stay here permanently and become a U.S. citizen, but he was still interested in the family and friends left behind in Cuba. Mario seemed to follow the same creed.

Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista was hated by my grandfather who hoped Fidel Castro would bring better days to Cuba. Mario left in 1956 during the reign of Batista supposedly because of the violence and uncertainty. It seems he also hoped that Castro would change things for the better.

In 1961, after Castro resumed relations with the USSR and nationalized American oil companies and  sugar interests, Rubio’s mom, Oriales, went back to either look after a relative or to see if things were better in Cuba so her family could move back depending on the version of the story. Odd, considering that most observers could see Cuba slipping towards Soviet-style communism by then. (more…)

True leadership, not fear-mongering is what America needs

By Mark Sharpe

It’s the 4th of July so in respect to those who put it all on the line to create a new nation some 235 years ago – I make my own declaration. 

I am committed to working with anyone – Republican or Democrat, independent or tea party, vegan or meat eater, straight or gay, black or white, Hispanic or other ethnic origin so long as they are equally committed to answering America’s challenges and putting us on the course to greatness once again. 

Photo: Mark Sharpe

Some among us butter their bread dividing America or launching irresponsible invectives against their opponents.

I commit myself to eschewing fear-mongering or labels which attempt to identify the “other side” as unpatriotic or worse, preferring rather that we get on with the hard tasks of putting our country back on a sustainable path of economic prosperity and opportunity for all.

I declare (more…)

Bennett claims he “didn’t have the fire in the belly…”– but is that what was really going on?

By Chris Ingram

I like Mike Bennett. His poorly chosen words about making people walk hundreds of miles to vote (as he alleges) like they do in Africa notwithstanding, he’s a political pro who knows what he’s doing.

So when he came out with his “I don’t have the fire in the belly” line as he announced his withdraw as a candidate for the 11th Congressional District (currently held by Kathy Castor, D-Tampa), I laughed.

Photo: Mike Bennett

Mike’s decision to pull out of this race had nothing to do with his belly, or heartburn, or wanting to spend time fishing or the proverbial “time with the family.” Mike Bennett is too smart and isn’t that shortsighted to allow belly issues to dictate his political future (which he incidentally says he still has — a political future that is, not belly issues).

No, Mike Bennett’s withdraw has everything to do with (more…)