Displaying 1,771 To 1,800 Of 3,237 Comments The Shape of the GOP Win in 2012? I Fear The Coup is Coming Hi Choice…could you take a few moments to read my responses to Ad Lib and Bourne above? I think I respond to a number of your points there pretty fully. In summary: a) Polling is showing Romney pulling up to even with the President in many states, even those where he had a comfortable lead. What has changed? Lots of money being used to launch a media blitz, lots of paid folks on the ground, even more challenges to voter registrations with accompanying threats of harassment. Yesterday’s GOP maneuver on the floor of the House that forced Dems to vote “against life”, today’s miserable jobs report, the statements by Deval Patrick that seem to have further blunted the attack on Bain….plus the fact that so many of the Dem base cannot be counted on (see my comments to AL and B for that)…. Went to a meeting yesterday about what is happening in St. Louis to undermine our semi-Blue Dog Dem Senator Claire McCaskill and one sees how this is shaping up on the battle to keep “control” of the senate. My worry is increasing. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On June 1, 2012 @ 6:50 am All one needs do is look at what Ford, Patrick, and Booker said/did in the last two weeks…on national tv…replayed constantly…lifting up Bain, shooting down the attack on Bain…critiquing the failure of the Presidential campaign to put forth a positive message. Whose side are they on one wonders? Well,Ford is a Blue Dog opportunist. Booker has played ball with Wall Street for years. Patrick is a total mystery for me right now. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On June 1, 2012 @ 6:43 am I like what you wrote, but it gives me little comfort. I think the GOP strategists (with Karl Rove in the lead) know their enemy very well and they have sprung the money bombs,legislative bombs, absolute opposition bombs on them in ways totally unexpected. Look at what happened yesterday in the House of Reps….another abortion bill rushed to the floor to force Dems to vote against it…for a problem that does not exist…. The Supreme Court has sunk us. It is that simple and with judges who won Democratic support in confirmation hearings. As to the media….”our” media, MSNBC, the big three networks, Current seem to have little impact on the uncommitted and are still loyal to principles of really being fair and balanced. They also have to worry about turning a profit, something Fox does not. Add in the dominance of the far right on the blogosphere and in talk radio and the opposition’s profile is truly fearsome. Today’s unemployment numbers simply stoke my concern. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On June 1, 2012 @ 6:32 am I do hope you are correct. Polling is showing that Romney’s likeability ratings have risen quickly despite those negative ads. The same polls show that his “woman” problem has shrunk significantly. In four states where he was trailing Obama comfortably he has pulled up even. State by state this is the story. So much of the Dem base are so many of our least engaged voters. As you know I worked with the Obama campaign for two years in five states and was regularly reminded that many of our most enthusiastic supporters were extraordinarily uninformed. Even then I wondered what would happen if (really, when) Obama was not all they dreamed he would be. Sadly, among the least enthused blocs in the dem base are the poor,the black and Hispanic….look at registration numbers. So…the GOP blocks them with laws (and even when those laws are challenged the harassment remains)that make registration more difficult, challenges those already on the rolls, restricts voting times and places, and threatens the presence of hostile poll watchers. I spent two days this week in meetings re. the city of St. Louis where those efforts are being gauged to toss Claire McCaskill out on her ear. That combined with a massive media campaign which is nothing but lies is driving her numbers down, down, down. The two GOP currently running against her business types promising jobs. Perhaps Wi will rally, but given the events of the last year it is a sign of how powerful the combination of money for propaganda, hired hands (doing much of the work being done by Dem volunteers on the other side), and apathy can be. Today’s job report deepens my worry. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On June 1, 2012 @ 6:18 am And if they do lose….well that is the risk in any investment. For them, the money lost will soon be replaced and since it is largely from their excessive surplus….no harm done….except we remain vulnerable to their next swing at bat which will happen in 2014. However, polling shows that in state after state Romney is pulling up closer on Obama and, in general, the GOP advantage is increasing. When Ailes first proposed a GOP “network” to the Nixon White House in 1970 a primary argument was that people were getting more and more of their news from TV and that a combination of laziness and stupidity expressed as having others do their thinking for them would make such a network effective. His words have been prophetic so far. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On June 1, 2012 @ 5:59 am Mitt Romney, Donald Trump and The Theory of Relativity SILENCE IS CONSENT THE ROMNEY EXCUSES: All of this is true. BUT WHAT IS THE MOST DISTURBING ABOUT ALL THIS IS THE DEEPER ISSUE. Birtherism represents two of this nations worst beliefs: racism and xenophobia. It is no secret that “birtherism” is racial, ultra-nationalist code for “he’s not one of us.” In law silence denotes consent. If you do not object to something with which you are associated then you are seen to be agreeing with it. The closer your association the more likely it is that the beiefs of the other person will be seen as your beliefs. So, while Romney can make a good case for not denouncing Ted Nugent’s call for gun based resistance to Dems in any but the most general of terms through spokespeople, or a reasonable case as to why he does not correct those in town halls who ask questions based on bizarre ideas, it is MUCH HARDER to make a case for his silence here. ROMNEY HANGS OUT WITH THE GUY. HE TAKES HIS MONEY AND HIS FRIENDS’ MONEY IN LARGE AMOUNTS. HE CALLS HIM A GOOD PERSON, AN ALLY, A PERSON WHOSE SUPPORT HE IS PROUD TO ACCEPT. THIS IS NOT A RELATIONSHIP THAT CAN BE DISMISSED AS MINOR AND UNIMPORTANT. HE BEARS A RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT TRUMP SAYS. WHAT SEEMS TO BE TRUE HERE IS THAT Trump’s function in the Romney campaign seems to be precisely to play the race card through birtherism. There are SOME Mainstream Republicans who are also frustrated that the birther fantasies will not go away. Trump’s birther views being associated with the Romney campaign frustrates George Will, who calls Trump a “bloviating ignoramous.” Still, does one hear this from Party leaders or elected officials? No. Not at all. SILENCE IS CONSENT. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On May 30, 2012 @ 8:47 pm Dominionists – The Mighty Oak Is Not Always a Good Thing SueinCA….hey….I have read this post twice now and have been trying to formulate a question re. the RC Church…it kept eluding me. I think I have it now. RCC participation in the Dominionist Movement seems to be difficult to pin down. I see references to lay people who are members of pious associations and walk the Dominionist walk BUT the RCC is a hierarchical and dogmatic institution. It has a very well established pecking order and a body of belief that has been canonized. Where and how does that Order and that Dogmatic Canon fit into the movement? Are you suggesting there is lay fifth column at work trying to subvert the anointed/appointed/ordained/consecrated leadership and to make the revealed dogma fit its own dogma? Or is the appointed leadership using these lay persons as fronts for its the dominionist ideology. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On May 7, 2012 @ 4:03 pm New Romney Campaign Advisor is 8 Year Old Child Is it true that Nugent is being brought in to offer training in media communications and cultural sensitivity? One good thing is that Dorfman will raise the overall emotional IQ of the core adviser team. Presidential leadership at work. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On May 5, 2012 @ 12:14 pm Vote for Romney and We are Sunk: Look at His Record Yes I perused his/her site….frightening…still I give almost anyone a bit of space….every now and then folks move from the dark to the light side even if only a little bit. So I answer factually and earnestly. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On May 7, 2012 @ 3:49 pm So far the running has proven to be a sure bet….no response of any kind. I suspect the tenor and quality of our response would push almost any of these folks off the road….no support here. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On May 7, 2012 @ 3:48 pm While I find it intriguing that you are applying your ineligibility argument to both of the major parties’ candidates, the argument does not seem significant to me. Both Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney are acknowledged as citizens as a result of the principle of Jus soli (Latin: right of the soil- the right by which nationality or citizenship can be recognized to any individual born in the territory of the related state. Of course Mr. Romney claims that his parents were citizens and Mr. Obama claims that his mother was. There appears to be no significant objection to either claim. That parentage confers citizenship as well. But,your proposition is that there are additional requirements that were not met. You are correct that the Constitution does not define the phrase natural-born citizen, and various opinions have been offered over time regarding its precise meaning. The Congressional Research Service has stated that the weight of scholarly legal and historical opinion indicates that the term means one who is entitled under the Constitution or laws of the United States to U.S. citizenship “at birth” or “by birth,” including any child born “in” the United States, even to alien parents (other than to foreign diplomats serving their country), the children of United States citizens born abroad, and those born abroad of one citizen parent who has met U.S. residency requirements (Qualifications for President and the “Natural As a result of the widespread acceptance of this understanding by all of the principal parties, the rest of your case is moot. Do you really believe that if there were anything to this that it would not be at the heart of the opposition to both candidates? Or are you suggesting that there is a grander scheme at work here aimed at having two non-citizens competing for the highest office in the land? » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On May 6, 2012 @ 7:27 pm Sue in CA…read it twice…very heavy and very scary. Private Equity, the next foot dropping….I bookmarked it. Thanks for the great lead. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 24, 2012 @ 6:35 pm KT surely there is a primer somewhere. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 24, 2012 @ 6:31 pm Sue in CA I looked, I found, I tweeted…still in the woods on most of this but some progress. Thank you. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 24, 2012 @ 6:30 pm Got to figure out what that means…I know the idea but the practicalities elude me. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 24, 2012 @ 6:22 pm Bling, in its many forms, as a source of spiritual death….rings true to me. Placing all of ones hopes in what one can buy limits the possibilities in unimaginable ways. So many of the mega-wealthy are invested in themselves first and foremost without any consideration of the other….dead end for the human condition. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 24, 2012 @ 6:21 pm Kilgore Trout wealth generates more wealth….that is clear…especially when the tax structure is used to support tax-free wealth accumulation. This is a hidden generator of wealth because it focuses on wealth from wealth rather than from making or doing things. money may not buy happiness, but the lack of it goes a long way in making most of us unhappy. I know there are exceptions but a lack of sufficient means creates so many burdens that people break under them. of course we are not speaking of sufficient means here but of over-the-top riches and that certainly does not buy happiness. so does money equal success? no, but money is one of the ways we recognize success. thus, a big part of the GOP message attraction is that they say their formula builds wealth among those who work for it….work hard….get wealthy…UNLESS…”THEY” rob you of your hard earned dollars….thus THEY rob you of your success. The GOP has a specific group of people labeled “THEY” and most of them are those who have the least in our society or who want a more just and equitable system. My list is different and looks at those who have accumulated so much wealth that it cannot be used except to build more wealth and the power that comes with it. Their success at the cost of our failure. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 24, 2012 @ 6:18 pm After I saw this comment I did some additional research. Your supposition that RomneyCare allowed some to withdraw from the workforce because they no longer needed medical coverage. I think there are some indications that what you say is true but it is all anecdotal. Since many of the jobs lost to manufacturing and laborers moved in response, I suspect that most of the movement was more broadly motivated. Still it bears considering. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 24, 2012 @ 5:56 pm Given the way he has approached foreign policy (in the shadow of the neocons) as a simple battle of good vs. evil, and his personality wherein the best decision is the simplest one, he worries me very much. Subtle, diplomatic, nuanced….are not Romney words. Frankly I do not think he knows very much either— aka…the Russia talk. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 24, 2012 @ 5:52 pm Sabreen….Glad you liked it and thanks for the tweeting of same. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 24, 2012 @ 5:48 pm You know I agree with everything you have written here. My worry remains the uninformed, the misinformed, and the malinformed. The info vacuum makes plenty of room for propaganda, a shake of the etch a sketch, a big money/big push tv/radio/print blitz. Success as a norm is so shaped by our glitzy celebrity culture- you look, dress, vacation, drive, fly as if you are a success…then you are a success. Not so. The examples you cite are people whose contributions to society are deep and often philosophical. How does this appeal to the everyday guy/gal on the street. Those folks were moved by the Obama charisma in 2008, but more often than not really had little idea what he stood for. Now, the charisma is no longer sufficient…will the truth win the day? In 2010 the electorate acted liked a 5 year old….they were unhappy and change had not happened fast and easy….what has changed since then. That is my worry. Their definition of success has not moved one little bit. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 23, 2012 @ 1:57 pm Checked out the link. Looks very interesting. I will put it on my light. Has KQuark looked at it? » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 23, 2012 @ 1:48 pm Is there a way for me to see them? Remember, I am the twitter idiot in the crowd. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 23, 2012 @ 1:47 pm Thank you very much. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 23, 2012 @ 1:46 pm EXCLUSIVE: Mitt Romney’s Proposal to Serve the 99%…it’s a Cookbook! Gag. How did you all do in your funding appeal? Ok I hope. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 20, 2012 @ 5:35 pm Hats off to Twilight Zone “Don’t go! ‘To Serve Man’- it’s a cookbook.” Soylent Green IS people…..aaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh and Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” ========================= So, the GOP are monstrous aliens, willing to grind up the everyday person into the food they deserve and sell what they don’t need for their tables? ======================== YEAH….makes sense. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 20, 2012 @ 2:41 pm Ad Lib just left you a comment re. the structure of government and the exercise of power. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 20, 2012 @ 5:50 pm Ad Lib. Strong analysis. You know that we agree on so much and here you go again proving this to be so. Let me add a point about our flawed political infrastructure. One three countries have used our constitutional and its structure as a model for their own governments: Liberia, Japan and the Philippines. Liberia was founded by former U.S. slaves. Japan rewrote its constitution (which was based on a German model) to the U.S. model during the occupation of that country after WWII and the Philippines was a U.S. territory. That is it? Most of the world is governed by variations on the parliamentary model. There is a reason for this. By the middle of the 19th century it was clear that our system is unwieldy and tends to petrify government efforts to address our deepest issues/problems. European newspapers viewing the coming Civil War wondered why an internal issue like slavery was shattering national unity. This has been our pattern. The separation of powers, the way in which our Houses of Congress operate, the overlap in the authority of states and the federal government, the unique/flawed role of the Supreme Court in judging law, and either over-mighty or flacid executive leadership are all at fault and they are all built into a system which favors two parties for whom gridlock is a way of life. When the chief executive sits in the principal legislative body and leads a coalition of parties things move much faster. I have a lot more to say on this but I just wanted to make the point here. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 20, 2012 @ 5:49 pm MSM Misleads in Telling the Story of Obama’s Personal Taxes Choice…you do realize that I was using my “GOP” voice to say what the GOP is saying….”It’s all Obama’s fault.” I suggest that it is Bush’s fault. The Secret Service as part of Homeland Security is not a good fit. Under Treasury it was very well supervised. I will not be surprised if we learn that this behavior by prep teams is not unique since the transfer of supervision. Just guessing. I worry about the President every day. » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 16, 2012 @ 8:45 pm why October 15? » Posted By MurphTheSurf3 On April 16, 2012 @ 8:41 pmComments Posted By MurphTheSurf3
b) The same is happening in state races.
c) That huge gender gap has closed.
d) Romney’s likeability levels have risen, as has his favorability rating.
What those close to you say is a part of your identity
1) Romney’s apparent rationale for continuing to associate with Trump is “I need to get 50.1 percent or more and I’m appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people.” AND “I cannot take responsibility for everything my supporters believe.”
2) We also know that Romney needs every bit of outreach he can get from the those either hate Obama so much they will beleive anything, or those who don’t believe but use this nonsense as a club to distract the unthinking, or those who are true believers.
Born” Citizenship Eligibility Requirement; Jack Maskell Legislative Attorney; November 14, 2011; http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42097.pdf) 53 pages of analysis.
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