Maybe this is why. From one of Andrew Sullivan's readers:
Mind you, we elected a party that had George Osborne as shadow chancellor
Mind you, we elected a party that had George Osborne as shadow chancellor
US Presidential Election: Tuesday November 6th, 2012
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As opposed to the government that had Gordon Brown as the chancellor for a decade.
Anyhow Romney isn't strong at all in the personality stakes, if he was then huge swathes of the republican base wouldn't be roaming from candidate to candidate to look for someone who can beat him. The likes of a Clinton or a Blair were able to convince their parties to follow them due to their personality, Obama could have got the democrats to go to the ends of the earth for him in 2008.
Even in his New Hampshire victory speech he couldn't bring himself to say something new, just repeating his stump speech that focuses most of its attention on Obama rather than himself.
Anyhow Romney isn't strong at all in the personality stakes, if he was then huge swathes of the republican base wouldn't be roaming from candidate to candidate to look for someone who can beat him. The likes of a Clinton or a Blair were able to convince their parties to follow them due to their personality, Obama could have got the democrats to go to the ends of the earth for him in 2008.
Even in his New Hampshire victory speech he couldn't bring himself to say something new, just repeating his stump speech that focuses most of its attention on Obama rather than himself.
The biggest reason that most reasonable people are predicting an Obama victory is because the GOP field is astoundingly weak. No matter who is chosen, they have an uphill battle to beat Obama. None of them is particularly well-spoken in speeches. Debating between the candidates is a joke because most of them are borderline vegetables.
If Romney wins, he's got to deal with having no spine(flip flopping, just like the last Mass candidate), not being exciting to the base, being extremely well off, and having made that money through Bain. The GOP base can't solidify behind a candidate so it splits itself up giving Romney the wins and momentum. None of them wants Romney but they'll take him over Obama. Even if he's a dirty cultist liberal. At least he's not a secret Muslim commie.
His past at Bain will come up and could play well with lots of working class voters who have been made redundant while the executives in companies brought home huge sums of money. Even if it's not a completely accurate picture of what Bain does, he's been part in eliminating lots of jobs while raking in huge profits. He's also the wealthiest candidate since Ross Perot. Given the current economic climate, someone profiting so much while costing thousand of jobs won't gain him a lot of working-class white voters. He's not an especially strong candidate in terms of popularity, experience, or platform. I'd rather have him than any of the other morons in the GOP race, but that's not going to give him lots of support in the general election.
He's got the best organization of the lot, but it's still inferior to Obama's in terms of experience, money, and ability to get out the vote.
The GOP hasn't done itself any good by consistently ignoring popular support for higher taxes on the wealthy. They have also cost the US its AAA credit rating with S&P, prevent any potential regulations or safeguards against future banking abuses, and don't appear to give a damn at all for the average person.
The GOP has given Obama tons of ammunition, which he, his speech writers, and campaign staff will be able to exploit. Obama has his weaknesses, but they are less than his opponents.
That's all assuming Romney wins. If it's anyone else, they'll have less of a shot.
I think Matt is right that the biggest reason is the lack of quality among the republican candidates. If someone like Eisenhower was in the field, it would be a different story. Also, their best/most likely candidate is Mormon and the conventional wisdom is that it will cost him a lot of votes. And it is not clear how much support the nominee will get from the rest of the republican establishment.
Add to that Obama's strengths: good campaigner and debater, excellent grassroots political machine behind him, and probably has a built in electoral advantage just by virtue of being a democrat. It all feels a bit like being 3 goals up at half time in a champions league final against Rafa Benitez.
Add to that Obama's strengths: good campaigner and debater, excellent grassroots political machine behind him, and probably has a built in electoral advantage just by virtue of being a democrat. It all feels a bit like being 3 goals up at half time in a champions league final against Rafa Benitez.
I'm not even sure Romney's actually done anything in this campaign yet. He started out front because everyone kind of assumed he would be in front. Since then he's just stood by while his opponents have slowly torpedoed each other (and themselves) one by one. It's like the only reason he's still in front is because he hasn't thrown himself into the clusterfeck like everyone else.
CNN just released some campaign fund info. Obama has raised over $256m already, 98% of which were donations of $250 or less. By comparison Romney has raised less than $60m. A massive disparity that will no doubt have to be bridged by super pac money.
That's actually very impressive. Or is it? I just kinda assumed that normally these things are skewered the other way, American politics being what they are.
Obama's not perfect, but he's got to be the most relatable President for decades.
Clinton was much more 'relatable' than Obama. I prefer Obama's style, it's somewhat less full of shit. But he comes across to many as aloof. Clinton made everyone feel good about themselves just by smiling...apart from Republicans obviously.
Romney doesn't appear nearly as arrogant a Gore and Kerry came off as.
Romney isn't and awful candidate he is just a Republican.
But he speaks French so that must mean he's a pinko!
NPR had a piece on that video last night on the way home. Political facts .com analyzed the claims in it and its pretty inaccurate.
For instance they make a big deal of the KB Toys buyout and subsequent closing of the chain. The main reason they failed was small toy shops in Malls was not a good business model at a time when everyone else was moving to large stores like ToysRus. That aside the KB buyout was twelve months AFTER Romney left the company.
Yeah Clinton was stronger than Obama. He knew how to get things done despite fierce opposition.
Gingrich invoking John Kerry in an anti-Romney ad. "and he speaks French too"Just...FFS
I particularly liked the stellar special effects.
he is wooden...just not 'human' enough....I mean how could he be. He does not have any real life experience?
it is so obvious he thinks he feels 'entitled' just cause he is a successful corporate raider.
Every word of that describes Al Gore (and John Kerry) perfectly. And I suspect you were a supporter of his.
Also, what do you mean real life experience? With respect to what?
Interesting. He probably has much more real life experience than Obama had prior to running for President. Actually there is no probably about it, Romney has a hell of a lot of experience has a businessman, a politician and a public figure.
nah..did not support either of them.
Romney wants to be President...thats it. Kerry is a war hero...what are you talking about?
Obama was a community organizer and worked with the poor.
so how many ordinary people can identify with Romney's life experience?
Obama came from a broken family and was in effect brought up by his grandmother. It is a huge credit to the man that he achieved what he did.
Frankly, I would have had no problem with McCain being president except I would be praying every day nothing happened to him because God forbid we would have a President Palin
In 2000 I would have preferred McCain to Gore. He would have made the best President then.
Being qualified and equipped for the job is far more important than being likeable. I love Obama, and hope he gets another four years but Romneys got a good a resume for the job as anyone else. He has been a fairly successful businessman, he has been a pretty good governor and politician, plus he ran the winter Olympics well.
fair points. but he looks like he will say anything that gets him votes. in a nutshell that is my problem with him. he just seems a suit.
he seems to blow with the wind...scary.
the only positive thing we can say is he is a heck of a lot 'safer' than the other GOP candidates.
He has a far better CV than Obama did, as had every incoming president of the last fifty years.
does not translate to being a better president does it?
..which shows that CV is not indicative as to whether the nominee will be a good POTUS or not.
What determines better? His approval ratings have been far below trend.
Obama has already proven a far better president than Bush...just for starters.
you judge a President by what he has achieved.
not by approval ratings...
Bush had superb approval ratings after 911....so???
Well that isn't difficult considering his approval ratings were in the toilet for his whole second term.
His achivements? A stimulus plan that didn't close to meeting its objectives and a healthcare plan that is watered down to say the least from what he wanted.
The two combined using up all of his political capital, severely restraining what he can do for the rest of his presidency.
His achivements? A stimulus plan that didn't close to meeting its objectives and a healthcare plan that is watered down to say the least from what he wanted.
The two combined using up all of his political capital, severely restraining what he can do for the rest of his presidency.
healthcare plan though not perfect was a great start...and will be the path to single payer.
and the main plan kicks in in 2 years time.
national security certainly. Bin Ladin.
and just the standing of the US internationally being a lot better.
His saving the motor industry...and millions of jobs.
all this says the CV as the way to judge who should be elected President is meaningless.
He didn't kill Bin Laden, the US military did - you cannot really give the president credit for oprational success or failure.
You give Obama credit for saving the motor industry but he continued what Bush began who you denigrate.
And with regard to the view of the Americans overseas you have to be overseas to judge that, there was a very strong honeymoon perior for the US due to Obama that goes without saying but it is tailing off - matters like not closing Guantanamo are a big part of that which people thought would happen but hasn't.
As far as the UK is concerned I don't think there is much of a difference - Obama was never as popular here as he was across Europe and claims that he is somehow 'anti-British' have not helped him and neither has his constant rhetoric on refocusing to the Pacific when Britain has done more to support the US under Bush and Obama than anybody else. Many in Britain feel under appreciated by Washington.
You give Obama credit for saving the motor industry but he continued what Bush began who you denigrate.
And with regard to the view of the Americans overseas you have to be overseas to judge that, there was a very strong honeymoon perior for the US due to Obama that goes without saying but it is tailing off - matters like not closing Guantanamo are a big part of that which people thought would happen but hasn't.
As far as the UK is concerned I don't think there is much of a difference - Obama was never as popular here as he was across Europe and claims that he is somehow 'anti-British' have not helped him and neither has his constant rhetoric on refocusing to the Pacific when Britain has done more to support the US under Bush and Obama than anybody else. Many in Britain feel under appreciated by Washington.
Which was wrong to do.
Obama deserves a great deal of credit for the death of Bin Ladin. Not only did he double down on Panetta to find him, he also green lit the mission to kill which is far more than his trigger happy, interventionist predecessor managed to do.
Bush spent 8 years hunting down Bin Laden and didn't find him. Obama found him, made the difficult decision of sending in troops into an 'allied state' which could have gone horribly wrong had they been caught, and took out Bin Laden with no casualties to his troops and with little collateral. He could have gone for the drone option or bottled it by asking the Pakistanis first/shadowing him for a while and possibly losing him but he didn't.
He didn't determine the success or failure of the operation but he was the one that made the difficult decisions.
Gingrich is starting to grow on me now. He knows he isn't going to win but he's got his sights set on Romney and is clearly going to spend the rest of this campaign relentlessly attacking him with these hilarious ads. What is there not to like?
He didn't determine the success or failure of the operation but he was the one that made the difficult decisions.
Gingrich is starting to grow on me now. He knows he isn't going to win but he's got his sights set on Romney and is clearly going to spend the rest of this campaign relentlessly attacking him with these hilarious ads. What is there not to like?
the military does not go off and do things on its own....it needs to be directed. Obama made the difficult decision...and succeeded.
the republicans were not in favour of bailing out the motor industry simple.
Obama pressed on and made sure not just the jobs were saved but that the right people headed it...and it is being run profitably.
The US Standing across the world is very much higher and he is absolutely right to refocus on the Pacific and stand up to communist China.
btw on the issue of CV...the vast majority of American presidents are lawyers. That is a very important qualification we need in anyone wanting to govern the US not CEOs. and we have seen how successful the last CEO was....
Some of these points are laughable.
I'll give Obama credit for the Bin Laden kill. But he didn't hunt him down. He approved the mission to hunt him and as said, green lit the mission. The military did the hunting. Had it been a failure he would have been crucified. So, credit to Obama.
Improved the US standing in the world? You can't be serious. Not sure where that would come from We're now disliked in many countries that were our "friends". Pakistan, Egypt, hell even Mexico is starting to get pissed at us. Not sure how anywhere in the world would see us in a better light given Obamas foreign policy is pretty much identical to Bush.
The health care plan still needs lots more looking at as it hasn't been implemented, expect for very small portions. I hope it works well but I have my doubts. It gains lots of bad publicity with the opt out option as well. But I'm willing to take a wait and see on it. But I wasn't in favor of it.
And as for the bail outs, wasn't that all started under Bush? TARP, etc?
I'll give Obama credit for the Bin Laden kill. But he didn't hunt him down. He approved the mission to hunt him and as said, green lit the mission. The military did the hunting. Had it been a failure he would have been crucified. So, credit to Obama.
Improved the US standing in the world? You can't be serious. Not sure where that would come from We're now disliked in many countries that were our "friends". Pakistan, Egypt, hell even Mexico is starting to get pissed at us. Not sure how anywhere in the world would see us in a better light given Obamas foreign policy is pretty much identical to Bush.
The health care plan still needs lots more looking at as it hasn't been implemented, expect for very small portions. I hope it works well but I have my doubts. It gains lots of bad publicity with the opt out option as well. But I'm willing to take a wait and see on it. But I wasn't in favor of it.
And as for the bail outs, wasn't that all started under Bush? TARP, etc?
The best thing Obama has done is replace GW Bush...after that its been pretty much downhill.
He's essentially been Bush, that passed a health care law. He's spent a lot, bombed a lot and taken away personal freedoms. He's really not that much different. Sorry but true. I RD, RK and others will think that's crazy but if you sit back and look at it it's true. And Romeny as president will be the same (of course he won't win but just saying).
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