Paul Stanley, Author at Paul Stanley

Santorum Looks Beyond Evangelicals to Attract NH Votes

Although just eight votes shy of an outright victory in the Iowa Caucuses, Rick Santorum was clearly Tuesday night’s big winner. But now he has to leave the safety of a state filled with like-minded, evangelical voters for New Hampshire where some church congregations are so small they could meet in a phone booth. Just as small is Santorum’s New Hampshire staff and headquarters and it probably won’t get much larger before Election Day. “We know we can build on yesterday’s big win in Iowa,” said Bill Cahill, who heads up Santorum’s New Hampshire campaign. “We’ve got to make it happen with the limited resources we have because we can’t afford to hire tons of staff. We believe Rick ‘s positions on taxes and national security will appeal to a majority of New Hampshire Republicans.” Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has a second home in the Granite State and is well-known as any politician in the state, is primed to win the states Republican vote. As proof, he has a 30-point lead and voters are comfortable with his brand of moderate, mainstream politics. To contrast the differences between Romney and Santorum, the latest Suffolk University poll of GOP primary [...]

By Paul Stanley|2012-01-04T15:10:31-06:00January 4th, 2012|My Blog Post|Comments Off

Here’s Where the GOP Candidates Stand Before Iowa Caucuses

If history is any indication, the Iowa caucuses may not determine the GOP nominee for president, but it will play a vital role in which of the seven major candidates will watch the next few debates from the comfort of their living rooms or remain under the hot spotlights of the stage. For example, in 2008 former Arkansas Gov. and now Fox News Host Mike Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses with a commanding 34 percent of the vote, followed by Mitt Romney at 25 percent. The eventual nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) finished fourth behind former Tennessee Sen. and movie star Fred Thompson whose lackluster campaign ended before he could take advantage of the southern vote in Super Tuesday. Interestingly, Ron Paul finished in fifth place with ten percent. Chances are almost certain he’ll do much better in 2012. Of the two Republican candidates who have left the stage so far, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was the first casualty and the Iowa turned out to be the straw that broke his back. After investing nearly all of his resources in hopes of winning the Iowa straw poll, Pawlenty finished a distant third behind fellow Minnesotan Michele Bachmann who finished first [...]

By Paul Stanley|2012-01-03T09:14:48-06:00January 3rd, 2012|My Blog Post|Comments Off

Will the ‘Values Vote’ Matter in the 2012 Elections?

The Iowa caucuses a week away, Republican candidates are pulling out all the stops on value voting – including soliciting the help of past and present Christian heavyweights – to convince voters why they are the best person to represent evangelical Christians in the White House. Yet both voters and pundits are starting to wonder just how big an impact religion and value voters will play in the 2012 elections. There are several reasons why the Iowa caucuses matter, but one that ranks toward the top is that it serves as a bellwether for the Christian vote in future primaries. After all, the Iowa caucuses will test the intensity of a campaign. If you can get people to come to a caucus with temperatures sometimes hovering near zero, you may face much less resistance in the sunny south. But there are bumps in the road. Last week, and in an effort to mobilize Christian voters to get behind a single candidate in the Hawkeye state, noted evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats personally endorsed Rick Santorum, who only sometimes polls higher that GOP last-placer Jon Huntsman; a feat that was itself overshadowed by his asking Michele Bachmann to quit the race [...]

By Paul Stanley|2011-12-27T23:19:56-06:00December 27th, 2011|My Blog Post|Comments Off

How Effective Are Political Endorsements?

With the Iowa caucuses less than two weeks away, Republican candidates are stopping a nothing - including soliciting the help of past and present political heavyweights – to convince voters why they are the one to defeat President Obama next fall. But many analysts are starting to ask if these endorsements have any real impact. All of the top GOP candidates, including Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum can lay claim to a list of endorsements. Romney, who also sought the Republican nomination in 2008, has the longer list of political rock stars that includes New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Senator Bob Dole, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and a host of other national and state elected leaders. Earlier this week, and in an effort to mobilize Christian voters to get behind a single candidate, noted evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats endorsed former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum; a feat that was overshadowed by his asking Michele Bachmann to quit the race just a few days prior. Click on this link to read the remainder of the article: http://www.christianpost.com/news/how-effective-are-political-endorsements-65461/

By Paul Stanley|2011-12-22T10:29:41-06:00December 22nd, 2011|My Blog Post|Comments Off

Christopher Hitchens Might Be In Heaven

In case you don't recognize the name, Christopher Hitchens is (was) one of the world's best known atheist. He died Thursday of cancer in a Texas hospital. If you are a Christian, it may be laying heavy on your heart that Hitches is not in Heaven. But a column in The Christian Post this morning has me thinking, "could Hitchens be in Heaven today?" I encourage you to read Dr. Russell Moore's column. Maybe, just maybe, the saving grace of Jesus was acknowledged and accepted by Hitchens. Great food for thought. http://www.christianpost.com/news/christopher-hitchens-might-be-in-heaven-65042/

By Paul Stanley|2011-12-16T10:54:26-06:00December 16th, 2011|My Blog Post|Comments Off

About Paul Stanley

Santorum Looks Beyond Evangelicals to Attract NH Votes

Here’s Where the GOP Candidates Stand Before Iowa Caucuses

Will the ‘Values Vote’ Matter in the 2012 Elections?

How Effective Are Political Endorsements?

Christopher Hitchens Might Be In Heaven