US Presidential Election: Tuesday November 6th, 2012

[Drainy]

Everyone except mjs thinks Obama is winning handily. He probably thinks so too.

He should win now unless something drastic happens. Even all the money in the world backing Romney couldn't make him look competent with the way he's running his campaign.

With the economy the way it is a decent candidate with the financial backing that Romney has would have been dangerous. I thought Romney was a pretty seasoned politician and would have done better.

 

[Red Dreams]

did anyone see Romney speaking in Virginia?

he thinks this country should be able to fight two wars at the same time.

if anyone has any doubts about where this country is headed under a 'President Romney'.....

 

[Plechazunga]

I thought Romney was a pretty seasoned politician and would have done better.

He's not that seasoned. He was governor for four years and aside form that has been a professional candidate since 06. He's among the least experienced candidates, historically, I believe.

Then add in the fact that, as RD says, he's in a position where he has to force things, has to make some headlines to change the game.

But most of all, I think Joe Klein gets to the heart of it:

first met Mitt Romney in 2005. I was very impressed. I described him in this magazine as "informal, conversational, enthusiastic and speedy." Mitt Romney? Yes, indeed.

...

It's hard to be effective when you're biting your tongue and swallowing your pride at the same time. Romney has dumbed himself down to fit a Republican Party that has become anachronistic, hateful and foolish. He has never once stood up to the party's extremist base in this campaign--not even when asked whether he would accept a deficit deal with $10 in spending cuts for every $1 in new revenues, not even on immigration and contraception, issues that sent women and Latinos scurrying toward the exits. His has been a shameful, shameless campaign. The public will occasionally turn out an incumbent President, but only when offered a real alternative. Mitt Romney has offered them only a mirage.

 

[mjs020294]

Everyone except mjs thinks Obama is winning handily. He probably thinks so too.

He got close but has since fumbled the ball. The 2012 election is a none event now. This is a repost from earlier on the other site trying to get a reaction out of a few GOP friends.

As for Mitt and Co their goose is cooked, its over, done and dusted. Mitt will be planning his retirement on the tour bus as we speak. Maybe he will buy a house (or two) in Grand Cayman or Switzerland so he can spend more time with his money.

 

[sglowrider]

did anyone see Romney speaking in Virginia?

he thinks this country should be able to fight two wars at the same time.

if anyone has any doubts about where this country is headed under a 'President Romney'.....

Enter Neo-Con Mark II: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blo...s-libya-blunder-reflects-larger-failings.html

 

[Ubik]

He's done the tides go in tides go out thing for years. I think he genuinely believes it. Did you see his "video blog" thing after all the reactions to that particular one? He called people pinheads for saying that we knew how the tide works: the moon. And then asked how the moon got there. And why Mars doesn't have the moon.

He's stupid.

I'd genuinely love to explain the giant impact theory to him. I suppose he'd go on all the way to the first-cause though.

The interviews he did with Jon Stewart and Colbert were extremely entertaining though, they had him sussed to the letter.

They're like the modern day priests. Those at the top know it's a crock of shit but they're happy to mislead the congregation for their own ends.

That's an apt analogy indeed. So Murdoch's the pope and Reagan's Jesus?

 

[nimic]

He got close but has since fumbled the ball. The 2012 election is a none event now. This is a report from earlier on the other site trying to get a reaction out of a few GOP friends.

As for Mitt and Co their goose is cooked, its over, done and dusted. Mitt will be planning his retirement on the tour bus as we speak. Maybe he will buy a house (or two) in Grand Cayman or Switzerland so he can spend more time with his money.

Oh you

 

[nimic]

He should win now unless something drastic happens. Even all the money in the world backing Romney couldn't make him look competent with the way he's running his campaign.

With the economy the way it is a decent candidate with the financial backing that Romney has would have been dangerous. I thought Romney was a pretty seasoned politician and would have done better.

You want to know the scary part? Take a look at his fellow Republican candidates. I don't think it's exaggerating to say that anyone of those would do far worse. Ron Paul might sneak some Democrat votes, but he'd surely bleed votes elsewhere, on account of being a crazy old man.

 

[Grinner]

Hannity has Sarah Palin on! The foreign policy genius is commenting on the Egypt situation.

Shithead just claimed that the ambassador was bummed before he was killed. Is this true!

 

[mjs020294]

Hannity has Sarah Palin on! The foreign policy genius is commenting on the Egypt situation.

Ok I never watch Fox but you have tempted me

edit......five minutes was enough......that is unwatchable.

 

[Drainy]

He's not that seasoned. He was governor for four years and aside form that has been a professional candidate since 06. He's among the least experienced candidates, historically, I believe.

He's been running for office on and off since the mid-nineties, and is the son of a politician. He should have the experience to deal with campaigning better than he has.

He looked pretty solid during the primaries, but I guess he was confident looking at the clowns he was running against.

 

[Red Dreams]

Romney is unraveling because he believes in nothing but making a fortune. He will pick any side that gives him an advantage. Because of the fortune he has accumulated, he thinks he is entitled to be President.

 

[MrMarcello]

Enter Neo-Con Mark II: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blo...s-libya-blunder-reflects-larger-failings.html

Posted on FB. I will probably get a few responses, hehe.

Post...
“It almost feels like Sarah Palin is his foreign policy adviser,” Matthew Dowd, a former political adviser to President George W. Bush, told the Washington Post. “It’s just a huge mistake on the Romney campaign’s part—huge mistake.” <exert>

There's no doubt he'd be a de facto President much like the last Republican president. The power-hungry, ideological neocons want to run the show again. Romney is pretty much central politically but to earn GOP nomination one must go far right (or have ya'll forgot about his statewide healthcare reform?). He's swallowed his pride to be president, which of course he won't be elected anyhow.

"Shoot first, aim later." lmao

 

[Jaz]

Yesterday's polling for Romney was pretty bad.

Not much more to say.

 

[Chabon]

Twitter seems to think the Americans may have killed Mullah Omar. If that's true, and it has been falsely claimed before, then Obama's supposed 'weakness' is going to look even more laughable than it did yesterday.

 

[Neutral]

Hannity has Sarah Palin on! The foreign policy genius is commenting on the Egypt situation.

Shithead just claimed that the ambassador was bummed before he was killed. Is this true!

This is from a random source...with a definite angle. Absolutely no one else has given this any credence. Of course while the rest of the media said the people in the photos were actually helping the ambassador(this is also the official line) Fox and the right wing initially said he was set on fire and torn apart...now they're going with the he was defiled angle.

It is pathetic.

 

[Chabon]

After taking a couple of years off from doing so for the sake of my sanity, I've gone back to regularly reading the big publications of the mainstream American right.* NRO, Commentary half the WaPo's opinion page, and so on. Y'know, the beating intellectual heart of the modern Republican party....Anyway, if they were ridiculous before, they're really off the reservation now, seeming to live in an entirely different world to the rest of us. It's no longer possible to separate Krauthammer from Coulter, or Podhoretz from Palin. The people who actually influence the party now sound exactly like the lunatics on Fox News.

This is all, I suppose, relatively unsurprising, but what happens if Obama wins, as now seems probable? Surely they're going to get even worse, especially as time passes and their much-needed blood sacrifice of ten thousand Persians continues not to arrive. I'm not sure if that's terrifying or a relief, because while it will surely discredit and marginalise them even further amongst the sane majority of Americans, what if, and I know this is pushing the boundaries of paranoia, they start to incite their rather large constituency even more directly? I can't be the only one concerned that as their electoral viability fades, the once grand old party will finally embrace the overt fascism that it's been flirting with in recent years. And then, well, with America's fundamentally broken electoral system, you know there has to be a Republican back in the Oval Office eventually.

We sure are living in interesting times.

*There are still plenty of non-insane conservatives in America. The American Conservative is, if anything, an even better publication for the insanity which has marginalised it, and you've got the likes of David Frum, Ross Douthat, Walter Russell Mead and so on. Obviously they come out with some real nonsense at times, but they're all serious, thoughtful and interesting conservative commentators. Crucially, however, the whole lot of them have been either effectively or quite literally excommunicated from the Republican party.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

If you're a moderate Republican you probably had hoped that Romney would be a bit like the bloke who ran for President in the last season of West Wing. Instead you got some moron without a backbone and this race is becoming a non-entity (great from a personal perspective as I would want Obama to get four more years).

Also want to thank everyone who posts on this thread regularly for making it the best thread in the forum by far. Definitely the most informative and interesting and I always end up clicking here first.

 

[Ramshock]

My father in law has been a republican since 1980 and often we would argue about politics. He told me there in the summer that he would be voting for a democrat for the first time since Carter simply because Romney doesnt stand for anything. He has been swaying away from the repubs in fairness since half way through Bush's first term but he would never admit it, to me anyway.

I had been saying since about 2002 to him that ths wasnt the same republican party as Reagan's and they have strayed to the far right.since about 1996. i think conservatives like him who arent consumed with social issues are realizing the Dems have become the centrist party, a point btw brought up by Bill Maher the other night. It seems like the Democrats are making some headway with white male voters of a certain age which would certainly explain people like my father in law.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

If you're a moderate Republican you probably had hoped that Romney would be a bit like the bloke who ran for President in the last season of West Wing. Instead you got some moron without a backbone and this race is becoming a non-entity (great from a personal perspective as I would want Obama to get four more years).

Also want to thank everyone who posts on this thread regularly for making it the best thread in the forum by far. Definitely the most informative and interesting and I always end up clicking here first.

Genuinely moderate republicans would be better served joining the democrats and trying to drag them a bit to the right, rather than trying to drag the GOP back towards the centre.

 

[Sir Matt]

Twitter seems to think the Americans may have killed Mullah Omar. If that's true, and it has been falsely claimed before, then Obama's supposed 'weakness' is going to look even more laughable than it did yesterday.

He's only got nine lives. He's got to be getting close to the last one...

 

[Excal]

On the daily trackers, Gallup has it 50-44 for Obama, meaning Obama is up 6, Ipsos-Reuters has it 48-41 Obama, meaning Obama is up 7, and Rasmussen has it 47-46 Romney, meaning Obama is up 8.

 

[Plechazunga]

On the daily trackers, Gallup has it 50-44 for Obama, meaning Obama is up 6, Ipsos-Reuters has it 48-41 Obama, meaning Obama is up 7, and Rasmussen has it 47-46 Romney, meaning Obama is up 8.

 

[Raoul]

Rasmussen is actually giving Romney the edge today. He's really discrediting himself.

 

[Ubik]

Middle income for Romney = $200,000-250,000

O...kay.

“I said that there are five different studies that point out that we can get to a balanced budget without raising taxes on middle income people. Let me tell you, George, the fundamentals of my tax policy are these. Number one, reduce tax burdens on middle-income people. So no one can say my plan is going to raise taxes on middle-income people, because principle number one is keep the burden down on middle-income taxpayers,” he said.

Romney defined middle income as $200,000 to $250,000 a year.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politic...ebates-obama-will-say-things-that-arent-true/

 

[Grinner]

It's no longer possible to separate Krauthammer from Coulter, or Podhoretz from Palin. The people who actually influence the party now sound exactly like the lunatics on Fox News.

That's a very good point. There are some smart people on there, although still horribly biased, and they get lost among the feckwitts yelling at each other.

Mayvbe the media conspiracy is actually to be so shit that nobody watches it anymore and the people become less-informed and more easily swayed.

 

[nimic]

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Is $100,000 middle income?

MITT ROMNEY: No, middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less.​

Seems reasonable

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/full-transcript-george-stephanopoulos-and-mitt-romney/

Edit: Oh, already posted. Well, it's plenty silly enough for two posts.

 

[JakeC]

Anyone who doesn't vote for Vermin Supreme is deluded.

Free ponies, FREE PONIES.

 

[Grinner]

fecking hell....it turns out I'm working class again.

Thanks Mitt.

 

[Ubik]

"And less"? What a strange way of phrasing it.

He also seems to have an interesting take on the current polls...

I say interesting, I mean smug and unsurprising.

 

[Excal]

$100K is about the 84th percentile for household income. $200K is more like the 96th percentile. So, that's Governor Romney's "middle class." Shocking.

 

[JakeC]

$100K is about the 84th percentile for household income. $200K is more like the 96th percentile. So, that's Governor Romney's "middle class." Shocking.

What is Obamas take on this?

 

[nimic]

What is Obamas take on this?

 

[Excal]

Think nimic's actually got the right of it, here. I haven't seen an official WH response, but I'm not sure they need to make one. They'll get asked, and it'll be a boilerplate "This shows how out of touch Romney is" answer, but really, there's no need for them to jump on it. The press'll do that for them.

 

[Mockney]

$200,000!! $200,000!!!

What the flippedy dolphin feck!?

I'm a bloomin' heel kicking urchin chimney sweep then.

The Census Bureau reported this week that the median household income — the midpoint for the nation — is just over $50,000.

What does he imagine working class is then? Anyone who hasn't got a solid gold boat?

 

[Grinner]

Romney is just trolling now...he's decided to enjoy the last two months.

 

[Mockney]

What is Obamas take on this?

He's defined middle income as up to $250,000 apparently. Better, but both seem a bit bizarre to me. How many people do they think live in the USA? a couple of thousand really rich people and their staff?

 

[Deleted 20801]

200k

Oh Mitt.

 

[Sir Matt]

I can be a working class hero now... feck off you bourgie bastards!

 

[Ubik]

He's defined middle income as up to $250,000 apparently. Better, but both seem a bit bizarre to me. How many people do they think live in the USA? a couple of thousand really rich people and their staff?

I think that's based around his tax-cut policy, which he wants to extend for those on below £250k (and he usually says "for middle class families"), whereas Romney wants them all carried forward. Still way too much, but then America is scared twatless of any kind of perceived socialism.