How ‘bout that? Republican Presidential Primary Candidate Mitt Romney, just won 87% of one caucus vote and every damn one of its 9 delegates, as well as winning all 9 available delegates in another caucus. Now, 87% would be a mighty impressive number if it were in, say, California or maybe New York. It was, in fact, in a tiny Commonwealth that had been exploited by U.S. clothing retailers for decades; the Northern Mariana Islands. The key to the vote was Saipan, where 90% of the population resides. Over the years such retail notables as Wal-Mart, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi Strauss, Lord & Taylor and Ralph Lauren and others were among the many manufacturers located there. One of the primary reasons was that corporate retailers could pay pauper’s wages and hoodwink U.S. consumers by putting a phony ‘made in the USA label’ on your clothes.
For many years, Saipan was known as the epicenter of sweatshops that were in constant violation of all standards of decency and numerous regulations. Women were imported mainly from China with empty promises of fiscal and career success only to be find themselves in virtual forced labor camps with 12 hour work days and seven day work weeks for peanuts, physical and sexual harassment and dangerous working conditions.
Fortunately, that all came to a halt beginning in 2007. Not by Washington reformers, but by congressional passage of the incremental minimum wage law that applied to not only the 50 states but also to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. Territory and American Samoa which holds its caucus, Tuesday, the 13th. CNMI was to reach the $7.25 minimum wage threshold in 4 different 50-cent increases spread over a number of years. By 2009 all 19 garment manufacturers, used to paying what congress called a “flexible†wage, abandoned CNMI rather than pay even a portion of a minimum wage which wouldn’t even be fully implemented until 2016.
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Wouldn’t you think that residents, given that horrific work experience with Mitt-like corporate leadership, would register a demurrer over the candidacy of Romney instead of giving him an overwhelming vote of confidence? That didn’t happen for three reasons. The first was a visit to Saipan by Ann Romney and one of the couple’s sons, Matt. Secondly, Romney had the endorsement of the island’s governor who also happens to be Chairman of Saipan’s Republican Party. Another reason Romney did well was that those most impacted by the sweatshop days, picked up and went home. In summation, as is often the case with Romney, only the ‘haves’ probably voted. Santorum picked up 6% of the vote, Paul and Gingrich, 3% each.
Guam gave Romney all of its 9 delegates and 84% of the vote. Matt visited by himself this time. Santorum was again 2nd with 7%, Gingrich 3rd at 6% and Paul was in his accustomed spot with 3%. All 19 of the island’s villages went for Romney. This U.S. Territory is best known for an incredibly overpowering U.S. attack that killed 29,000 of an estimated 30,000 occupying Japanese soldiers in August of 1944.
The U.S. Virgin Islands gave Romney 7 delegates, Paul 1, with the remaining delegate uncommitted. Yes, if its surrounded by water, Mitt will win it. If its surrounded by hate, Santorum holds the default position.
In Kansas it boiled down to the influence of 88-year-old Romney enthusiast, Bob Dole, an iconic Kansas political name vs. a state pretty much laced through and through with conservatives and Evangelicals – mostly Santorum social issue boosters. Santorum beat Romney by about 30 points, something like 51-21%. With that total Romney just exceeded the minimum total needed to pick up a few delegates, something Gingrich and Paul did not do.
Narrow-minded and sanctimonious Kansas caucus participants loved the fact that devoted Catholic Santorum hates as much as they do. And they all want a dozen kids. Let’s do this. Let’s invent an ultra sound that detects whether the fetus is gay or not. Then watch abortion support skyrocket among conservatives and evangelicals because after all, gay children are the product of the devil according to these folks. I’m thinking of mounting a Ms. Nuttiest State pageant. Kansas would certainly qualify for at least 2nd runner-up. So, flaming heterosexual Rick picks up another hate-state to add to his list of supporters. States of such low self-esteem that only a candidate who unabashedly hates gays can hope to muster any support.
Tuesday’s upcoming Alabama and Mississippi races don’t appear to bode well for Romney. Rising from the ashes after throwing himself into the flames of the primary may be Newt Gingrich who could take Alabama, though Santorum is likely to prevail in one of the states, if not both. I might be pulling for Romney. I’m not sure I could take another 1,000 years (check out the Phoenix) of Newt or even one second of Santorum. On the other hand, I’m not ready to call either race at this juncture.
In a recent development in Alabama that will probably mean nothing, but in an extra tight race could mean something, Secretary of State Beth Chapman has announced that for those in the military and those Americans living overseas who are voting absentee under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the date for return of those absentee ballots has been extended under court order until March 31st. The ballots must still be filed out signed and postmarked on the 13th. I don’t quite get it, but they’ll be counted if they arrive by the 31st. So we could conceivably not know the official Alabama results until the last day of March, which falls on a Saturday.
For what it’s worth in this fluid primary, Romney was even ahead in some early Mississippi polls with the endorsement of Mississippi Governor, Phil Bryant, who reportedly likes the way Romney holds a baby.
“Mitt, should we attack Iran?â€Â “I don’t know! Anybody got a baby I can hold?â€
Gingrich is apparently counting on negative campaigning that is mostly aimed at Santorum who he must fear could win both states. Newt could surprise. If not I suspect a Top Chef –like pronouncement, “Newt – please pack up your negative campaign knives and go.â€
Raised rural & small town, then lived in N.Y., Chicago & LA. Widely traveled. Returned from world wandering to pursue media life of anchorman/reporter and major, medium and small market talk radio. Highly active in politics. Once worked as orderly & security in Mens Lock Ward for the Criminally Insane at a state institution. Much more rational population than current Teapublicans. Great concern for country run by and for the extreme wealthy. The inhumane current running through this country has no precedent in modern history.
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