"I've thought this for months. If this election's just about the last four years, that's a muddy verdict. Bush was president during the financial meltdown. The Obama team has turned that around pretty well. The Clinton speech at the convention was very important in that way. How horrible was it four years ago? [Romney's] got to make it a referendum on the choice about the next four years."
Okay did that just happen? Did the guy who was SO smitten with Sarah Palin's Alaskan hospitality (Tits, legs, and ass.) that he helped foist her onto the McCain campaign, actually say something positive about the Obama administration?
Why yes he did.
Apparently Kristol tried to save face by going on and criticizing Obama as well, but the damage had already been done.
Okay so if the Republicans are forced to concede that the Obama administration has done a pretty good job of fixing the economy, all things considered, than exactly WHAT is the Mitt Romney selling point?
That he could do MORE in the next four years than the President can accomplish?
Well let's take a look at the record that the Romney campaign avoids like an appearance on The View, his time as Governor of Massachusetts.
This courtesy of the Huffington Post:
Mitt Romney was governor of Massachusetts from 2002 through 2006. So Massachuesettians know him best. This is what they think :
1. OBAMA HAS HUGE LEAD IN MASS. Romney Trails Obama by 28% in Mass.
2. LOWEST APPROVAL IN MASS. HISTORY. Romney left office with the lowest approval rating in state history 34%.
He was elected by a 5% margin and had a 66% approval rating after he was elected. And it wasn't because he was a Republican. Massachusetts had elected three Republicans Governors before Romney. All of those Republican left office with high approval ratings. In fact, William Weld was elected twice in 1990 and 1994 and left office after two terms with 70% approval rating, the highest in state history.
Why did the voters sour on Romney so quickly? Look at his record:
3. JOB CREATION FELL. Job creation fell from 37th to 47th during Romney's term.
1998-2002 = 37th
2002-2006 = 47th A drop of 10 places in four years.
During his 4 year term, Romney only increased the number of jobs by 1% compared to 5% for the nation
4. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORKING DECLINED. Between 2002-2006, the number of people working in Mass declined by 8,500, the only state to lose jobs. The rest of the country added 8 million jobs.
5. LOST MANUFACTURING JOBS. Romney lost 14% of the manufacturing jobs in the state, including 40,000 high paying manufacturing jobs.
6. PEOPLE LEFT MASS TO FIND WORK ELSEWHERE. A net 222,000 people moved out of Mass to seek employment else where, a loss of 3.5% of the work force. Romney brags that unemployment dropped, but that's because the unemployed had moved out of the state.
7. WAGES DROPPED. Between 2002-2004, wages dropped 5%. Between 2002-2006, the median wage fell by $10 or 2%.
8. SHIPPED STATE JOBS OVERSEAS. Romney vetoed legislation that would have prohibited sending State jobs overseas and bared state contractors from sending jobs overseas. He even sent State Call Center Jobs overseas.
9. INCREASED DEBT. Romney had the largest increase in debt of any Governor in the country, increasing it by more than $2.6 billion. He even borrowed money to pay for ordinary operating costs such as highway repair and maintenence.
10. INCREASED GOVERNMENT COST FALL ON MIDDLE CLASS. Romney cuts taxes for the wealthy, while increasing hundreds of fees that fall mainly on the middle class.
(Links with the proof to support these statements can be found at the Huffpo link above.)
Okay so if even a conservative stalwart like Bill Kristol has to admit that President Obama has done an admirable job of fixing the economy, and Mitt Romeny's ONLY record in government shows that he was an abysmal failure, then why is there even a question as to WHO we should elect in 2012?
Answer: There isn't a question.
Obama/Biden 2012
Early voting has started now folks, why delay?
I've always been leary of early voting. For some reason, I start thinking those votes are never counted! I'm sure that's wrong. But I remember how long the lines were to vote in '08, so I might go ahead and early vote.
ReplyDeleteI guess I clicked and posted this on the wrong article after following link from Maddow back here... anyway, sorry about the duplicate post.
ReplyDeleteKristol's playing good-cop. That's not always a good sign because he trades political capital for some I believe are enemies of the state whenever there's a conflict between our country's best interests and those allies whose leverage improves as conflicts arise.
Protect your wallet and watch your back at all times when your enemies start praising you. I do agree with much of his screed, but I am wary of the messenger because he does not shoot from the hip about what his intentions are. He never has, and we have trillions of debt on the back of our country because previous administrations that Kristol served as a cheerleader when it involved national security.
Kristol's a power-broker for the neocons, not all of whom are Republican other than for practical purposes, and not all of whom are Americans. In fact, more of them are dual-nationalists than we would ever elect in this country. But they hold many positions of power which are not chosen by the people.
So sure having Kristol's support is great, but he reads poll numbers the same way we do and if he's flipping, it's to try to gain leverage for his main clients. And that's fine that he does that, as long as we keep him at arms length and realize that he is playing both sides of a fence that isn't always necessarily dictated by political party one belongs to.
Anyone who has read Kristol's work and that of his associates, and analyzed the chasm between their words and actions will be skeptical as well. The Bush years are a perfect example of what happens when the neocons are given the key to the castle.
Bill won't poison the well for the Republicans unless he thinks he can sway more support to the war-hawks in both parties by appealing to a more centrist candidate who will be less partisan on international affairs, where Obama is very strong at present, and happens to be way ahead in the electoral polls here in the US in the states that matter most this election season.
I hate to be a debbie-downer, but yeah, Kristol might've wanted to fuck Sarah, sure, but he was mainly interested in her as a charismatic personality that could serve as a mouthpiece that could be controlled by stroking her ego, appealing to her easily recognizable quest for personal relevance, and her desire to be praised in public for her special "skills" and "experience".
I don't believe for one second that Bill Kristol thought Sarah was anything more than what she proved herself to be to the rest of us in the first interview with Katie Couric. She's been only reinforcing it since then: Sarah is dumb, not smart. She's fearless in a way that she can be led down the wrong path and easily compromised, because she thinks she is in control.
Bill Kristol wasn't calling all of the shots, but he knew that Sarah would be shut out of the convention completely. He's known that she would never be a factor in national politics since he tipped his hand and became lukewarm and then cool on the subject of Sarah Palin. That was some time ago.
Bill Kristol isn't a new believer in Barack Obama's guiding philosophies to governing and leading our country back to economic health. He's neither a Democrat nor a Republican in the sense of traditional partisans. He's not even a conservative by any of the measures of conservatism like family-values, fiscal conservatism, or any other social or small-government platform. In that regard, he's independent of all of the labels, except one. He's a neo-con, and the neocons don't want to be shut out of power for the next 4 1/2 years. When they start wanting to play nice, it's because they are weak.
Awesome post.
DeleteI think what Kristol found in Palin is she could not be trusted to follow the shadow government's directions.
You're right about not trusting Kristol. Praise for Obama today is insurance for a devastating critique in the future. A positive article today validates future negative articles.
I wonder if there will be an October surprise this year. There's a lot of dark money out there to spring just about anything they want.
The RNC seems to think that keeping their powder dry and having 10 times the cash as the Dems do right now is a big plus.
Deletehttp://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/170841741.html
But I think the Super PACS held onto their big dollars to be able to move that cash down-ticket to try to take the Senate.
They might've waited too late for either.
Nate Silver has the senate staying blue with Dem majority at almost 80%-20%. probability and Obama winning at about 77%-23%
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/
The change in the Senate races is really the big news in recent polls, where the probability of the Senate stying in Dem control has gone from 61% on September 9 to
79.9% as of last Friday, an increase of 18% in two calendar weeks. That might be the "September Surprise" that breaks Mitt's back as far as support from many of the "establishment" Republicans.
With the amount of $$$ in their coffers, there's enough to start a couple of wars or whatever they're willing to pay for, but with 42 days left as of tomorrow, the Republican window is closing and it becomes less likely to change. We just need to vote and get as much down-ticket as we can.
Coming soon to an OFA campaign ad near you-
ReplyDeleteConservative Bill Kristol "Bush was President during the financial meltdown. The Obama team has turned that around pretty well"
I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message.
There is also the factor of the imbalance of the GOP campaign which can be compared with or switched out with that of the 2008 campaign.
ReplyDeleteIf you had two interactive graphics - one of two people being the GOP ticket from 2008 and the other of two people being the GOP ticket from 2012 -- you could flip the VP's and there would be no difference.
The Presidential runner in both campaigns are weak, bad, no enthusiasm for, unable to draw people to rallies, etc.
The VP runner in both campaigns are the ones that draw the people and enthusiasm.
You cannot have a VP stronger than the Presidential candidate. The VP cannot overwhelm the Pres. candidate as you go into the election weak, as we see and as we saw in 2008.
We watched where it was rare that Palin stumped on her own as McCain was a dud in the pulling people in, etc. We see it again with Romney & Ryan. Ryan has been stumping some on his own but Romney has been like the 'empty chair' -- invisible. They're in OHIO on the bus stumping tour -- together. You don't cover much ground joined at the hip. Add too for all the media hype about Ann being Mitt's secret weapon -- Really? She's been pretty much a 'dud' too in that she too has done minimal stump stops, like Cindy McCain. She's been mostly introducing Mitt - like Cindy did John.
You can say any of the above about POTUS, FLOTUS or Uncle Joe!!!
I think Bill Kristol & all the other Conservatives realize that Romney is such a lost cause that no amount of corporate/dark money, or propaganda/disinformation/lies will help win the upcoming election.
ReplyDeleteI also think they realize that the division between Romney and President Obama is so wide in the polls - including the much needed swing states - that it would be extremely difficult to steal this election. The thieves can only manipulate so much without being detected.
I think 'the powers that be' are trying to distance themselves from Romney and try to salvage the Congressional votes. They're afraid of losing the House back to the Democrats & afraid of not being able to overtake the Senate.
For me, I'm looking forward to a Democratic House, Senate and White House; and may our state Congresses turn blue, too.
I want to finally see sane legislation and results, both in DC and here in Michigan! Go Blue!
Yeah, look at Scott Brown in the debate against Elizabeth Warren. I saw highlights on Maddow where Brown said "bi-partisan" several times but never said "Republican". He wants as much separation from Romney as possible, and he's not alone in that regard.
DeleteRomney will be the toxic element that Republicans avoid talking about just like George W. Bush was in the 2008 election and W is still being kept hidden.
It's an opportunity to hang Mitt and the extreme "House Tax Plan around anybody's neck who supported it. Shame on the DNC if they don't get a net positive of seats back from these Tea Party freshman nutters.
I'm laughing as I watch The Cycle. If I could block out SE I'd be much happier but then my screen would either be broke or completely black from coloring her over!!
ReplyDeleteWhy I'm laughing - I posted on an earlier post of IM today that media should re-run pics of the Baggers with signs saying 'Don't touch my Medicare'.
They just did a segment of Best Political Emmys and Steve Kornacki just mentioned the Tea Party (Baggers) carrying signs about not touching their medicare!!
Mental telepathy or thought transference!!! Whatever!!!
I'm picking up your signal real good here.
DeleteIt must be clear outside tonight. I better get my tin-foil hat before them damn aliens start sending me shit tele-picturally again.
Them aliens is always fucking with us good ole boys (rednecks, okay?) in Arkansas and West Virginny. I don't know why they don't land their space ship at M.I.T. or at least over thar at Stanford where some of them smart boys get their schoolin' from.
I am sure that every day until the election will have at least utterly stupid utterance from either Mitt or Paul Ryan.
ReplyDeleteToday Mitt says:
"“When you have a fire in an aircraft, there’s no place to go, exactly,” he told the LA Times. “And you can’t find any oxygen from outside the aircraft to get in the aircraft, because the windows don’t open. I don’t know why they don’t do that. It’s a real problem.”
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/09/24/899441/romney-plane-windows/
Lol-Lets just make it so those airplane windows can be opened! While in flight!! What could go wrong?
How does a guy who has spent as much time as he has in the air not understand jack sh*t about how they work?
I'm not a fireman but know that when you add oxygen to the fire -- it's one of the worst things to do as the fire expands totally out of control.
DeleteEven in TV ads of a frying pan on the stove - you put a cover on it to smother it.
What a freaking stunned tool.
Got a great idea -- let someone open the hatch door on his plane while flying. Let's air into the place. But OOPS -- the plane also takes a nose dive as cabin pressue is screwed. But let's try it anyways!!! HeeHeeHee!!
And he has 2 degrees. Clearly one of his subjects wasn't science in grade school, high school!!!
I love one of the comments:
Delete"Mitt Romney has become the Ted Baxter of politics."
In fact, there are many great comments. We've found the story and comments to provide our comic relief for the day!
Romeny just made it too easy for the comments to flow on this. It's hilarious reading what people are commenting. My sides hurt. There is no way I can read 600 comments. I'd need to go to the hospital!!
Delete
DeleteHere is a good comment at Think Progress
"Nancy Elizabeth Cunningham Ashworth
I just snorted coffee up my nose and onto the screen -- and my office isn't pressurized. Wow... I'll have to go to the... ER!"
Wonder what is trending on twitter today?
Anon 12:34 PM. Except he's not as bright as Ted Baxter.
DeleteMitt might enjoy getting a little fresh seawater the next time he goes in a submarine, also. Don't worry about that pressure differential pushing IN on the sub the deeper you get. You might get to see some interesting fish, Mitt.
DeleteIt's just a minor physics thing. Not important, just details.
Here is what can happen when you let the air out of a pressurized airplane suddenly. See picture, luckily no one was killed in this depressurization.
ReplyDeleteAloha Flight 243 - Air Disaster
http://www.aloha.net/~icarus/
Also, too, Payne Stewart.
DeleteActually, a flight attendent on Aloha 243 was sucked out the hole of the cabin when it lost compression and killed, but no passengers were killed because they were all buckled in their seats.
DeleteSorry for that mistake. Flight Attendant C.B. Lansing did die in this incident.
DeleteThe Republicans aren't even trying to win this election. Obama has been such a great corporatist leader that there is simply no reason to replace him.
ReplyDeleteThe Democrats have this election "hands down", and both parties know it. The idiot teabaggers lost everything for the Republicans. The idiot Democrats moved into Fox news territory and the citizens of the country have no where left to turn to.
I can't decide whether to "waste my vote" on Jill Stein or on Rocky Anderson, but I most certainly won't be wasting my vote on either of the "major" parties.
You must be from a state that is actually NOT trying to disenfranchise voters. Being from Ohio---most of us tend not to "waste our votes" as we have to make up for the ones that are stolen from us. Nothing is won hands down. Nothing. The GOP is waiting to steal.
DeleteBut I can see that you should vote your politics. And if your politics are with your chosen candidates--- you should most definitely go for it as it is then not a "wasted" vote.
Perot and Nader come to mind when I think of wasted votes knowing there was not a hope in hell of them winning. Those votes put what we know is the election between 2 parties in potential jeopardy of what to some may be 2 bad candidates.
DeleteI know I'd much rather hold my nose and vote for the better of the two than to throw it as you can't look at election as only pertaining to the '4 year' period -- it's also long term issues that get dealt with within that 4 years. Personally, I can't see where someone doesn't see something in a candidate as something one may do may screw you 6 years from now as life is like a roller coaster. In reality when people see it that bad, you may as well stay home.
There has been a Green Party in Canada since 1983, who are on the federal ballot. It was not until 2011 they won their first seat in what we call the House of Commons. There are technically 5 parties in Canada - 4 nation wide and 1 in Quebec. That 1 seat is one of the few worldwide Green seats to be elected in a fed election.
DeleteAny promises made - ain't happening. She has to vote with other parties as she really has no voice.
To read how Stein has gone about this, I have to say that's a joke. It reminds me of the 'instant gratification' as really building this from a grassroots, takes longer than a basically a year.
Sorry, but I've lived through the building of a party and I also know the building it took to do it and the Green Party building it's way up also and Canada has about 10% of the US population.
As a resident of Massachusetts,who was serving on our school board when Romney took over, I can tell you that he's ruthless in cutting funding for programs he doesn't like -- public education was put into free-fall with his first budget. Whatever you think of one program or another, know that Romney won't care about bipartisanship or cooperation. He'll unilaterally eviscerate whatever he can. Do not trust this man.
ReplyDeleteWe'll find ourselves paying fees for everything from what I read he did in MA in order to say he wasn't raising taxes - to comply with the Norquist pledge he signed.
DeleteThis is making me feel so good… but I know we can’t get complacent. And then there will be the midterms, when we have to throw republicans right and left, so President Obama can get a bunch of stuff done with his last two years.
ReplyDeleteIn 2016 it will get really interesting. Hillary will be approaching seventy, and Warren isn’t far behind, but neither woman seems diminished by time. Or, it could be Castro vs. Rubio, or Chris Christie against the whole world. Oddly enough, I don’t mind Christie, even though I won’t vote republican.
Oh my, you forgot to mention that attention-seeking, fame-whore, who will no doubt keep her rabid fans a guessin' and a sendin' in their money to her PAC. You know, just like she's done now for 4 years.
DeleteChristie reminds me of someone who should be working at I'll say a construction site the way he talks. Not in politics.
DeleteOn a construction site, after about 15 minutes, Christie would be picking the splinters out of his mouth from someone suggesting he chew on a 2" x 4" for awhile and helping his get the first couple of feet into his big mouth.
DeleteOnce he got em all out, he'd have a brand new attitude, he'd be sharing his ice cream with everybody, saying yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir, no thank you sir. He'd have to whip a lot of asses to be able to act like that.
You bust a bully like him in the nose a couple of times, and by tomorrow, he'd want to be your best friend... having his wife make your lunch for you, shit like that.