For Republicans, today is a day to come down from the high of a few days of giddy pandering, dishonesty and watching Mitt Romney exceed low expectations (Woo hoo! That’s what we want in a President! Exceeding low expectations!!!).

For Democrats, today is a day to be able to watch news networks again without cringing at the aggressive and obvious propaganda fest that was the Republican National Convention.

The pundits are making the rounds today on news shows assessing Romney’s speech and on QVC selling a dining room set with extra empty chairs out of the Clint Eastwood collection.

Though they focus mainly on the narrow picture of whether the final night succeeded in humanizing Romney, it is the big picture of the RNC that voters should consider.

So, here are some of the key takeaways that seemed to stand out.

1. The GOP is the party of white people which tries to continue as such by fooling independent voters that they’re not.

If you watched the RNC, whenever there was a pan of the crowd it was an exploration of how many different shades of white there could possibly be. It was not at all a representative sample of America…unless you lived in a 1950’s whites-only community. Like playing an ethnic version of Where’s Waldo, if you watched long enough, you could occasionally spot a token minority delegate. In fact, Fox News would get so excited when they spotted a minority, they’d cut back repeatedly to a close up of them throughout a speech.

Then you had the Republican Parade of Racist Denialism, a cavalcade of their “thou-protest-too-much” non-white politicians who sound identical and march lockstep to the white-superiority majority in the GOP and are out of step with the majority of those of similar ethnicity. The oblivious racism here is that Latinos and blacks will vote against their own interests merely because they see a Latino or black person saying they’re Republican? And those same people are working tirelessly to harm people of their own ethnicity?

Many Republicans are so shallow and so accustomed to following others because they’re white like them and fundamentalist Christian like them, they assume everyone else is just as shallow and lacks critical thinking like they do. The reality is that those who have been mistreated because of the color of their skin see political issues with far more import than “I know, I’ll vote Republican even though they are prejudiced against me because I just saw they have a few Latinos in their party!”

2. The Republican Party is a party of lies and empty promises that will say anything to win.

In response to a universal condemnation of the lies in their ads about President Obama ending the work provision in Welfare, the Romney campaign has said flat out that it doesn’t care what fact checkers say, as long as what they say is working to poison the minds of voters against Obama, they don’t care that they are lying.

Lies about Obama were repeated without interruption throughout the convention, including that he said people didn’t build their own businesses (he actually said they didn’t build the government-built infrastructure they use to be able to run their businesses), that Obama cut the work requirement for welfare, that Obama is taking away billions in money from Medicare benefits, that he has weakened our military, etc.

There are many legit criticisms to make about Obama but you couldn’t find many of them in the speeches of those tossing red meat out to the rabid base. They lie and lie then invest energy in trying to justify their lies, with no shame at being caught, just using the opportunity to attack whoever had the audacity to point out their lies.

Paul Ryan, the alleged “policy genius” (just as warranted a title as Newt Gingrich being “The Brain of the GOP”…apparently, like Michael Jackson dubbing himself “The King of Pop”, in the GOP you just have to call yourself want you want to be called and everyone just accepts that you are that thing), gave a very strong and forcefully presented speech but it was wholly devoid of specifics about his and Romney’s plans and anything resembling the truth.

One of the most outrageous lies that the Republican Party promotes was center stage at their convention. Namely, that Obama hasn’t done enough to turn the economy around. This Republican Party vowed upon the inauguration of President Obama, to do everything they could to block him from getting anything passed through Congress. It was their primary agenda to be The Party of No and then in 2012, blame Obama for not accomplishing as much as he should have.

Many Americans have expressed in polls that they are aware that the Republicans in Congress have tried to restrain economic recovery. Voters should think about that for a moment. The Republican Party has acted to cause loss and suffering for millions of Americans over the past three and a half years…as part of a political strategy to blame Obama for it and take back power…so they can make things even worse for 99% of Americans.

It will be interesting to see if Democrats dispel the cloud of BS from the RNC by reminding Americans at their convention of the actual deeds of Republicans in Congress, the misogynist and racist planks of their party platform and such views expressed by many of their members.

As to the breathtaking absence of any specifics about what Mitt Romney would do after he controlled the Presidency, that is very telling and should be a bit frightening to voters. What we do know that Mitt Romney has pledged to do is take away health insurance from those who got it under the ACA, cut the taxes of the wealthy and raise them on the poor and middle class, remove restrictions on oil companies and Wall Street, and end Medicare as an entitlement and force seniors to pay $6,000 more a year for what they have now.

No wonder they don’t like specifics, they’d lose the election if voters knew what they planned to do so their solution is to simply hide their destructive plans and get elected so they can work against the will of the people.

Add to all of this, Romney’s and Ryan’s economic plans have both been exposed by many sources as being incomplete and unworkable, both making general assumptions that unnamed cuts in spending and vast tax cuts for the wealthy will create balanced budgets…though the amount of cuts actually needed would devastate the nation.

Dishonesty is the best policy of the GOP.

3. Mitt Romney is a failure at running things.

The RNC had difficulties from the beginning, after making the brilliant choice to have their convention in Florida during hurricane season. They have claimed it was an unforeseen problem but anyone who has been alive in America during the month of August knows that tropical storms and hurricanes can hit Florida and the gulf at this time. Bad planning, even though the purpose was to try and go after winning Florida this time around, they damaged the impact of their convention and lost a whole day and a number of speakers.

That decision can’t be blamed on Romney but everything else that happened at the convention can…and there was a lot that went wrong.

Ron Paul was locked out of the convention which caused a backlash by his supporters. Romney led the charge of passing a new rule smothering the democratic process in the GOP primaries of the future by letting the nominee throw out delegates earned by his opponents.

The keynote speaker was Chris Christie whose ego-driven, self-serving speech which only occasionally mentioned Romney, was an embarrassment and a failure. What was amusing and telling is that the day after his uninspiring speech, Christie criticized the attendees for not being more energized and cheering more. Er…that was because you failed at your job of inspiring them to do so, Christie.

As mentioned above, Paul Ryan’s speech was strong but consisted of lies and misrepresentations so the next day, instead of praise for Ryan, the MSM was surprisingly in sync (even Fox News!) on slamming Ryan for his dishonesty.

As for Romney’s big night, though his speech was regarded positively by many, it was fully overshadowed by Clint Eastwood’s genuine Republican style of rambling incoherently. Romney’s camp was so incompetent, they didn’t even vet Eastwood’s speech. And that’s the kind of incompetence we want in the White House, dealing with critical issues?

A very slick and effective video about Romney and how human he is didn’t run in the prime network hour but instead, Romney’s camp made the decision to have Clint Eastwood appear instead. This was Romney’s choice, going for the most superficial and flashy thing instead of the thing that was of more substance. And like many of his decisions, it proved to be a poor one. Eastwood’s deranged monologue tarnished the night and has sucked up all the air out of the room in the MSM today.

A President has to manage a lot of operations and make a lot of quick and crucial decisions. I would suggest that the many failures of the RNC belies that Romney is very poor and incompetent at managing a big operation and making good decisions.

The man and speech Romney selected for his keynote speaker was a failure.

The man and speech Romney selected for his VP was a failure.

The most important night so far in Romney’s political life was severely marred by his poor decisions.

What does this say about the kind of President Mitt Romney would make? How would he perform running all the programs the Executive Branch manages? How would he perform when needing to make quick decisions on urgent matters?

When the nation is faced with a critical moment, instead of Obama-like cool reasoning, will we instead witness a conversation with an empty chair?

Clint Eastwood’s misfire couldn’t have been more reflective of the GOP and Mitt Romney’s candidacy. They have been deluded, dishonest and irrational in attacking an imaginary Obama for being things he isn’t and doing things he hasn’t. They are indeed arguing with an empty chair, not the real President and they look like they’re a bit out of their mind. They talk down to this black President, they put words in his mouth which are obscene, they treat him as if he is beneath them.

What Mitt Romney proved in running this convention is that he is incompetent and unworthy of becoming President. His convention lurched from pandering to gaffe to pandering to gaffe, a rickety roller coaster ride that could hardly be called a success. Yes, some of their pandering was effective but the gaffes constantly interrupted any momentum. Every morning after a night of speeches, though there may have been positive comments about Ann Romney’s speech (“I love you women! How’s that for naked pandering!”), there were more negative comments about Chris Christie’s egotism, Ryan’s speech brought charges of dishonesty the next day, Romney got decent props for his speech last night but Eastwood’s The Old, The Senile and The Empty Chair is getting most of the attention today.

The convention that Mitt Romney ran was not well run or a real success. He has proven once again that he is not such a capable person. America can indeed do better. And will.

 

 

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SallyT
Member

Here’s another, AdLib

Romney’s bounce from convention looks short-lived: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Democratic President Barack Obama regained a narrow lead on Saturday by 44 percent to 43 percent over his Republican challenger, former Massachusetts Governor Romney, in the latest daily installment of the four-day rolling poll.

http://news.yahoo.com/poll-romneys-bounce-convention-looks-short-lived-201257488.html

SallyT
Member

If you haven’t already seen this Democracy Now video, please take the time to watch it. Why anyone would want this man to be our President is beyond me. Well, I guess if you are already rich, maybe. Romney will leverage us, bankrupt the country, and than leave with his billions for the Cayman Islands or wherever his billions are.

Matt Taibbi: The Secret to Mitt Romney’s Fortune? Greed, Debt and Forcing Others to Foot the Bill

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/8/30/matt_taibbi_the_secret_to_mitt

choicelady
Member

I predict that if R&R win, we will be in the Second Great Depression within a year. And we will have none of the social programs we need to survive it.

SallyT
Member

And, CL, I predict that if that happens, I am heading for Belize! 😉

KillgoreTrout
Member

I think what Eastwood did was very cowardly. I’m sure he doesn’t see it that way, but to stand there in front of millions and denigrate the president, without the president being there to defend himself was morally cowardly. Big bad Clint should be ashamed of himself.

To add insult to injury, he lied. Like a typical GOPer, he blamed Obama for things that happened even before Obama was elected the first time.

I expect that sort of cowardice from Romney/Ryan and most of the other RWers, but it was a real disappointment to see Eastwood stand there and do the same.

kesmarn
Admin

KT, I reviewed that speech of Eastwood’s again today, because I hadn’t seen it since the live version from the convention. It looks even worse in review. On second glance, I see less senility and more sheer meanness in it. When you actually give words to what he was implying the (imaginary) President had said, it goes something like: “Oh, shut up.” “Tell Romney to go fuck himself.” and “You go fuck yourself as well, Clint.”

Three things the President would never say.

And then there are all the lies you mentioned as well.

When I looked at it again today, it seemed much less spontaneous rambling. It looked quite calculated.

My friend who teaches film theory and history, and had formerly somewhat admired his film skills, told me yesterday that she would never show/teach another one of his films to her students again.

I know I’ll never go to see another one.

SallyT
Member

CL, I use to like Mel Gibson but I can’t watch anything he is on or in anymore. I have to put Clint Eastwood with Mel now. That will be hard since Clint is one of my husband’s favorites. He’ll have to watch Clint in the other room by himself. 😉

Kalima
Admin

Just loved this. “This seat’s taken”

US election: Barack Obama responds to Clint Eastwood’s bizarre attack

Barack Obama’s team responded to Clint Eastwood’s bizarre speech at the Republican Convention, mocking the actor and director for his attack on the President that featured an empty chair

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9511396/US-election-Barack-Obama-responds-to-Clint-Eastwoods-bizarre-attack.html

SallyT
Member

FACTS MATTER: The Ultimate Guide To Mitt Romney’s Convention Speech

http://mittlies.com/

SueInCa
Member

Adlib

It is so delicious that we go second this year. I cannot wait for the DNC convention now.

KQµårk 死神
Member

Like you and Sally were discussing below I hope debunking the lies continues. I have to admit the media has done a much better job debunking the lies, especially with Ryan’s speech than I thought they would. Of course my expectations were low too but the media really nullified any positive impact Ryan’s speech could have had by making the leading narrative that Ryan was a dirty liar in the biggest speech of his career. In fact I think Mittens may have even toned down his lies just a touch for that reason but with that being said WashPo did a nice fact check on Romney’s speech I will share.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/fact-checking-mitt-romneys-acceptance-speech-at-the-gop-convention/2012/08/31/70c3d8de-f31f-11e1-adc6-87dfa8eff430_blog.html

KQµårk 死神
Member

Excellent synopsis AdLib.

The biggest reason I would never vote for Willard is #2, all the lies he tells. With Ryan echoing those lies it makes the choice more obvious. To me like I said in an early post the ability to tell the truth is the absolute start of where a person’s character starts. I mean normal political spin is one thing but time and time again I see Romney and Ryan lie and many times they even choose the lie over a truth that would be more effective. With GWB we saw where lies lead and the result was hundreds of thousands of needless lives lost.

I’m glad you brought up #3. Romney has run a terrible campaign, especially considering the money advantage he’s had. Allot of it has to do with the fact that Romney’s intellect is overrated and he’s had such an insulated life that he lacks true wisdom.

Just today he made a major gaffe that showed the true Romney when he called the country a ‘company’. It exemplifies the fact that he does not even understand the basic rolls and other differences between government and business.

Then tack on while he makes an amazing ignorant joke about Climate Change when talking to Jindal he actually asked “Did the water come from the sky, or the rivers, or the ocean?” That’s a question an insurance adjuster would ask to avoid covering customers because where the water damage comes from is covered by different riders. But it’s probably worse than that because if Jidnal answered sky or rivers than Romney would justify his denial of Climate Change even further.

But Romney’s personal gaffes aside Romney’s aids are just a collection of recycled Bush and McCain lackeys. I’ve said it before and it applies now. The GOP loves to say government is bad because it’s the perfect self fulfilling prophecy for them since they are so bad at governing. At least they use to be competent enough to run effective campaigns but now it seems they can’t even do that.

On the point #1 all I can say is for most GOP voters it’s become the white identity party. That’s why GOP leaders don’t need new ideas or even need to tell the truth. No matter what the GOP does or says a major swath of white, especially male and older voters will back them out of racial resentment. They view the Democrats as being some kind of diverse mongrel horde that needs to be stopped at all costs because God forbid all people in this country may have social and economic equality and the game will no longer be fixed. The ironic part is the biggest white resentment vote comes from the very people, the white working class voters that are one of the groups who are most severely oppressed by the fixed games played by people like Romney.

Nomadic View
Member
Nomadic View

Somebody commented on another site (I can’t remember which one) about how annoying Mitt Romney was in his acceptance speech because of his sing-song delivery. There was also something odd about the way he kept looking at the camera/ reading the teleprompter. I could not put my finger on it but it looked so phony and unnatural. One thing Mitt is soon going to learn is that debating a man like Obama will quote a bit different than talking to an empty chair.

SallyT
Member

Whomever asked Clint Eastwood to speak, please give them a cookie! AdLib, I hope that the DNC convention will be positive and up lifting after all this week’s downers and negative speeches. We have much to be proud of and we are a party that is still at work to make things even better. No going backwards. Forward and we will help you build it! We won’t take away from you but work to help you keep all you have and more, give a hand up, and never turn our backs on you if you are down, in trouble, person of color or female, hungry, ill, or getting old. Our guy is still in the chair and we will keep him there!

KQµårk 死神
Member

Indeed Sally. In fact all I hear people talking about today is Clint’s bazaar rantings to an empty chair. All this convention will be remembered for is all the lies and an old white guy yelling at a chair.

Most of all it gets me excited for the DNC. It will certainly be a breath of fresh air in comparison.

cyrano1
Member
cyrano1

KQµårk 死神: I was surprised to learn Clint Eastwood is still (sort of) alive. I REALLY TRIED just now to watch his rant and got as far as 2 minutes, 20 seconds (not including the 16 second CNBC commercial) before giving up due to self-induced narcolepsy. In that time, however, I did learn that there’s another conservative in Hollywood: Jon Voight. If I missed anything vitally important, please share! 🙂

cyrano1
Member
cyrano1

Thanks AdLib and Sally T for just being who you are! (and everyone else here). You and Jon Stewart are the voices of sanity! Sally, I think you’re right. We’re going to win this thing simply because the GOP has gone completely over the edge and hit the rocks below; and even I who don’t have much faith in our general voting public just can’t believe they’re all that stupid. Recent developments seem to indicate a real shift in the media towards critically examining some content rather than just giving “equal” time to right wing lies.

The Daily Kos’s recent email listing the broad media coverage exposing Ryan’s lies.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/30/1125935/-LYIN-RYAN-ALL-THE-MEDIA-PUSHBACK?detail=hide

The David Brooks hysterically funny piece on “The Real Romney”:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/28/opinion/brooks-the-real-romney.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

And last night’s Jon Stewart Show when we were treated to more stunning footage of Reince Priebus making a complete idiot of himself, followed by Michael Steele as guest – who actually offered some candid comments regarding his having been thrown under the bus by the GOP.

I also admire your strong constitutions in being able to watch the GOP convention. On the first day I tried to for about three minutes before realizing it was a mentally unhealthy pursuit and my TV set wouldn’t survive having heavy objects thrown at it.

SallyT
Member

Cyrano, I did watch more than I could really stand. I didn’t throw anything at my TV set but I did go through a bottle of Windex after splitting at it so much. And, my poor dog is still hunker down on the floor and hasn’t gotten up because of me shouting SHUT UP so much. He keeps looking at me with a face that says, “I wasn’t barking, Mom….”

SueInCa
Member

That NYT by Brooks was funny. He once did a similar one on William F Buckley and Buckley liked his style so much he offered him a job.

cyrano1
Member
cyrano1

Sue: Good to know! I thought it was not characteristic of Brooks, so it surprised me with its spot on off-the-wall humor.

SueInCa
Member

Adlib needs to put favorite so we can fave a post. I faved yours look down at the bottom.

SallyT
Member

XXOOXO