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Despite a month’s worth of efforts looking to knock down his credentials, presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney retains an advantage over President Barack Obama in the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll on questions of which candidate would better manage the economy.
Still, while Romney holds a small lead on the central issue of the election, voters seem find Obama’s message about fairness and boosting the middle class more agreeable than the Republican alternative, which emphasizes free markets and small government.
Rich Pedroncelli / AP
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney addresses the 113th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Tuesday, July 24,2012, in Reno, Nev.
These crosscurrents set the stage for the dogfight between Obama and Romney on the issue of the economy that’s set to play out over the next 104 days.
Related: NBC/WSJ poll: Negative campaign takes toll on candidates; Obama up six points
Romney leads Obama by seven points – 43 percent to 36 percent – on the question which candidate has better ideas for how to improve the economy, the poll found. On the more direct question of which candidate would better deal with the economy, 43 percent of registered voters preferred Romney, versus 37 percent who thought the president would do better.
Given how much time Romney has spent emphasizing his economic acumen, said Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a veteran Democratic campaigner, the former Bain Capital executive’s margin should be even wider.
“It shows that Romney has a much weaker starting hand than he thought. His so-called experience was going to be a trump card. But it’s more of a wild card,” said Van Hollen. “This is supposed to be his strongest argument, and yet he’s far short.”
The president’s re-election campaign has sought to drive that perception by an effort over the past month to tear down and redefine Romney’s business record, along with questioning the propriety of the GOP candidate’s personal finances.
Republicans contend Obama’s offensive is little more than an effort to shift the blame for his own difficulties.
Pollsters, Peter Hart and Bill McInturff join Chuck to discuss the results of the latest NBC/WSJ poll.
“Barack Obama’s positioning statement is, I may have sucked, but this guy will make the economy suck even more,” joked Republican pollster Jim McLaughlin.
But the Romney campaign has shrugged off most of the attacks as a distraction, betting a bad economy will overwhelm any misgivings voters might have about the Republican nominee come Election Day. And Romney’s headquarters in Boston might be heartened by increased economic pessimism contained in the poll; the number of registered voters who expect the economy to improve declined 8 percent in the last month alone, and more voters expect the economy to get worse in the next year.
“Romney, if he is aggressive, he’s going to be fine on the economy,” said Republican Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston. “If he can’t win on the economy, he can’t win it anyhow.”
The presumptive GOP nominee’s latest tack has been to seize on a comment made earlier this month by Obama in Virginia, in which the president seemed to suggest businessowners’ successes were more rooted in government support than their own efforts.
The president’s comment gave such kindling to the Romney campaign, though, because it cuts to the core of his argument on how to fix the economy’s ills. Romney has stressed the primacy of business in spurring job creation, asserting that allowing businesses greater flexibility and lower taxes would help boost growth.
Suggesting that this attack has had some success, Obama on Tuesday released a new TV ad in response, saying, “of course Americans build their own businesses.”
Sixty-eight percent of voters said in the NBC/WSJ poll that this kind of message – one who “wants to restore the values of economic freedom, opportunity and small government” – would make them more likely to vote for a candidate for president. But a message like Obama’s tests better. Eighty percent of voters said they’d be more likely to support a candidate who “will fight for balance and fairness and encourage the investments needed to grow our economy and middle class.”
“I think what they miss is that it’s not simply a referendum on the economy,” Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons said of the Romney campaign. “People are choosing someone to be the captain of the American ship, and they’ve got to trust you at the helm.”
The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd shares details from the latest NBC News/WSJ poll, which confirms that the very negative campaign is taking a toll on how voters view both the president and Mitt Romney.
The election might fall, then, on the question of whether Obama’s vision should trump Romney’s résumé. It explains why Obama has gone so forcefully after Romney’s business record – Democrats call it “contrast,” Republicans say it’s “negative.”
It’s a line of attack meant to play out primarily in swing districts across a series of states that will decide the election. And despite the fact that these attacks have driven up negative perceptions of the Obama campaign, it’s a strategy with which Democrats express happiness
“I don’t think it’s been overly negative. He’s pointing out what Romney’s record really has been, and quite frankly, the most negative voices against Romney has been some of his own people,” said Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, who hails from the kind of eastern Ohio district that could swing the election.
“I think he’s hit his stride on the message. I think this is the crispest and clearest message he’s had since he’s been in office,” Ryan added.
For Republicans, preserving Romney’s advantage on the economy is a matter of being aggressive. McLaughlin says he “wouldn’t have let [the Obama campaign] have the advantage in the swing state spending that they’ve let him have,” and another Capitol Hill Republican said he was “floored” that Romney didn’t have a better response ready on Bain and his taxes, given the way those issues were litigated in the Republican primary.
“Any presidential election is going to have distractions and bad days,” said the Republican. “He’s got to have more good days than bad days, but he doesn’t need to have a perfect campaign.”
Leave a Comment:
I'll ask again...
If we are to believe it's the economy driving this election, WHY isn't Willard leading by double digits right now?
Maybe because it's difficult to like someone you can not trust?
Excellent question Feisty! Personally I think it's because Mitt never has an answer ...
His entire ad focus lately has been on the soundbites from the President's Roanoke speech without giving anyone a plan of action or a direct answer. I so hope people get tired of his reguritated fact-free poorly delivered wooden spiel.
Hubby says Romney reminds him of a used car salesman (hubby is a pretty conservative guy - politics is a topic we stay away from for family peace)
I think it's also because Mitt is clearly one of the speculators, market manipulators, banksters, and others who crashed our economy through treating Wall Street like their own personal casino...but with other people's money.
Good Morning Feisty! Good Morning Layton!
From my perspective, everything the former Gov has suggested to date would make the economy worse, possibly FAR worse. I am not certain what the answer is, but I am quite certain Gov. Romney is not the guy to get it done. I am aware, the ABO crowd are against our President regardless and will oppose our President at every opportunity.
Republicans allow business and the rich to eat at the trough of government. These guys are the biggest recipients of government largesse.
FREE MARKETS? What free markets when you allow privatizing of profits and socializing of losses?
phine: "Hubby says Romney reminds him of a used car salesman"
Please relay to hubby that if Romney was selling used cars, he'd no doubt insist they weren't "used", they were "pre-owned". And would be amazed that no one could recognize the difference.
And apropos of not much in particular, I think we need to see a lot more headlines that mention "Romney" and "trump" together.....
"I can do a better job, but you don't need to know what I'm going to try."
Obama is taking a beating because of the lousy economy he inherited but Romney just doesn't come across as real or realistic. He has a plan to save us all. Which he will reveal right after he's elected.
Layton,
I couldn't agree more! Neither does his staff!
Problem is that Obama had his shot and blew it. His quiver is empty. His solutions are the same solutions that ave been tried and failed already. The only thing he has been banking on is that he is personally likable but even those numbers have eroded since he went negative on Romney and dissed small business.
If I were an Obama supporter I would be very worried. There are a lot of undecideds out there and generally speaking they tend to break late for the challenger since the incumbent is already a known entity.
I get the impression Romney thinks like a con-man.
"There's one born every minute."- seems to be his campaigning motto.
Where he promises the moon, intends on stealing your money, and then vanishing before you get wise to what he's doing.
Hint: IF it sounds too good to be true, it is. Saying 'I'll create 500,000 jobs a month', in this economy, classifies as 'too good to be true'.
don't get conned.
I am sure most of us on here have friends or family members who are in the auto sales business. It is a profession that keeps this country rolling. If being a used car salesman is trying to disparage a person's profession and job (which if you want to make a living one must almost have to work 12 hour days, six days a week), then it is not appropriate.
Ben,
Don't insult my husband. We have been "screwed" by bogus used car salesmen. I also used to work in the automotive industry and know how they work.
In case you did not see my last post.
Thanks to those who agree on my sons being off limit. To those that think I'm making it up, here is the Post. I have mentioned it before, I used to be a Democrat and then registered Independent do to the way that some Liberals like to have fun at other people expense. Yes there are some on the right too, but it has been my experience that they are most from the extreme left.
Below you see a response form Beisty about my sons on a post where I said I have left them with my sister in Miami. Jody, you told me once that feisty was your friend, I hope that you really see what she is made of.
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
Back to politics now. It is the economy and no one is stupid. If it keeps tanking Our President has no chance.
Romney says he has a 59-point plan, but after reading it, it is really a 59-pointless plan. I fail to see how slapping China in the face will improve the economy. Better yet, eliminating mortgage deductions for the middle-class to fund corporate tax breaks will only bankrupt the middle-class. I fail to see how bankrupting the middle-class improves the American economy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/07/06/comparing-romneys-and-obamas-jobs-plans/
On an amusing note, this comment on Romney's 59-point plan is quite the gem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOR91D9zoq4&feature=related
Simple answer Feisty, Romney is not the slick professional politician that Obama is.
Romney has a JD cum laude from Harvard with an MBA - Baker Scholar top 5% (earned simultaneously) on top of that, something only 14 people have ever achieved.
Romney was recruited by one of the top business consulting companies in the country, BCG, were he starred before being recruited away by another top consulting firm... where he excelled in helping business to such a degree that the owner offered to start a new company with him as CEO. That company was incredibly successful and remains an envied respected company in the business world years after he left.
Obama was a community organizer. Is there even a shred of evidence that besides Obama never working a traditional private sector job, much less running a lemonade stand - that Obama has ever had an Economics 101, or Management 101 class? If he passed the class.
Is there anything to suggest Obama has a clue, any understanding of economics?
There certainly is no record of it other than an epic failure - by all economic indicators.
Yet it remains close ... the product of Chicago politics ... demagoguery, distractions and distortions.
It is stunning that it is close until you reliaze that in today's America it is not qualifications and results that get people elected .... appearances, rhetoric and emotions get people elected.
Community organizers are much more skilled at rhetoric and manipulating emotions ... successful professionals focus on results, on growth .... on reality.
Oh well, Romney has been hurt by money - being restricted to spending only primary money until after the convention. Obama is going in the red right now trying to beat beat Romney before Romney can let loose.
Romney will have a chance to sell his story.
It will be interesting to see if America wants to return to its greatness or be a nation of parasites easily swayed by rhetoric, appearances and emotions.
You do realize how close that sounds to Obama's 2008 campaign in which the waters will recede and the planet will cool...etc. Obama was the one who promised the moon and the stars and left us with a crater.
As far as Romney the Con-man there is zero evidence of that in all his dealings. He may be vanilla but he has a history of honest dealings.
BTW - no candidate puts out his whole plan in July. No one.
This must have been a wierd poll question to answer because Romney has not given ANY details of how he will fix the economy.
He is in full "criticize Obama" mode on everything. When he gets pinned down, maybe he will have some valid suggestions but until then, Obama's the only game in town.
Small government? Oh yes that's right, small enough to fit in a women's uterus and govern what goes on in there.
bob-18050804
Any clue as to when????
And this ...
So, after the primaries (where you better hope Mitty gets the official nod), all of a sudden Mitt's ads are going to have a fact-based MESSAGE that is believeable???? DOUBTFUL!
Starderup
"I can do a better job, but you don't need to know what I'm going to try."
==============
Correction: 'I can do a better job, but you {people} don't need to know what Mitt is going to try' pause 'Isn't he just a gem...he even says 'thank you' to our struggling middle-class maids right before telling them to clipping his toe nails' - Anne
There are many more issues than just the economy. Unfortunately, since the Republicans have nothing to run on, except “OBSTRUCTIONISM” they refer to any other issue as a “distraction.” NOT TRUE! The American people are smarter than the GOP gives them credit for:
Social Security/Medicare
Health care
Education
Immigration
Environment/Global Warming
Abortion
Same sex marriage
Gun Control
Foreign policy
In each and every category, President Obama excels! Mitt Romney has no ideas and no plans. The GOP has one issue – MORE TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH!
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!!!
Layton,
Like I said, after the convention.
If you want to challenge something Romney or I have said, cite a specific quote and go for it.
Shay,
Without a healthy economy, without turning Obamanomics around, how do you pay for Social Security, Medicare, healthcare, education ...
People with money don't create jobs, people who spend money create jobs, as long as the vast majority of the nations wealth is concentrated in the hands of a smaller and smaller percentage of the population the US economy will continue to decline and the US debt will continue to increase. Just how many car elevators can you sell? Corporate profits are at an all time high, and their taxes at an all time low, where are those jobs that is supposed to create? We have recently produced more millionaires and billionaires than any other time in our history, where are those jobs that is supposed to create? The Bush tax cuts have been in place for nearly a dozen years now, where are those jobs that is supposed to create? BTW Romney can't get the traction he needs on the economy issue because 1 people know trickle down economics is just what Bush senior called it "Voodoo Economics", and 2 the Republicans in Congress have "Waterlooed" him with their refusal to address the issue of jobs, the very issue that gave them the majority in the Mid-terms. Welcome to Waterloo Mitt!, courtesy of your own party.
Well put. But people without jobs spend no money. Having the fewest % of people in the workforce since the Carter years is what is really hurting us. Obama has NO ANSWER for the employment problem. NONE! He had his chance and blew it. He is an ineffective Carteresque failure.
Obama had a choice to make when first elected. He made the wrong choice and neglected the economy and jobs.
Romney has an impressive education, a great work history, started a company that became extremely successful, did a great job in taking over an Olympic program that was in trouble, was elected governor in a democratic state and did a good job.
Now we have a choice between a guy who has failed us several times and another guy who has a heck of a record.
I suspect that the polls will remain close for a while. However, every reelection campaign is about the incumbent and we all know that the undecided vote always breaks for the challanger. Once that becomes clear the break in the polls will increase.
I suspect that Obama lost this election back when he made that first mistaken choice in 2009.
He's taken a black eye on the jobs front, but I'm content with most of his other work. Detroit being a prime example of a differentiator.
Still wouldn't vote for a return to Bush 2.0 policies.
I say, we should embrace the fiscal cliff this year. Let it all lapse and the cuts kick in.
By doing nothing, congress puts us on the path of a sustainable fiscal situation.
i don't care who you are, this is hilarious. solutions that have been tried and failed? Trickle down economics that Romney is touting, and basically any republican policy that has come about over the past 3 decades are regurgitated garbage with a new wrapper on them, and you are complaining about the Presidents policies? like i said, hilarious.
A lot of undecideds? where? no one i've talked to (except my canadian/european friends who don't care) has been undecided since the republican nominee was determined. My hard core republican friends (and father) will vote for Romney because of the R next to his name, and everyone else i know will choose the other guy because they're tired of the regurgitated garbage platform the republican's have to offer. Tell yourself whatever you need to in order to not jump off a cliff and all, but get real...
Congratulations, Dr. Paul, in your never ending quest to save our drowning Republic.
http://www.dailypaul.com/155726/update-hr-459-55-co-sponsors
You don't get 8%+ unemployment and fewer Americans working since the Carter administration with crackerjack success. Reagan's policies (the ones you say don't work) lead to low unemployment and the largest peace time economic expansion since WWII. Obama can't even get modest economic growth or unemployment under 8%.
Latest Gallup tracking poll has Romney at 46% and Obama at 45%. That leaves 9% undecided. They break primarily for Romney and Obama is toast.
The failure belongs to Congress, and people that understand what they were taught in 8th grade about our system of government know this. The president can not pass a budget, legislate, or determine tax policy or rates, that is the responsibility of Congress. The only thing the president has a little direct control of is the military as CIC and as CIC he promptly accomplished what his predecessors could not in over 8 years. We were attacked on Bush's watch not Obama's and then Bush "really did not think much about him (Bin Laden) because he had not heard much from him lately" Republicans have utterly failed this nation for the last 12 years, friends don't let friends vote republican.
So I guess Congress shares the blame for the financial meltdown too???
Fact: Obama's last few budgets have failed nearly unanimously, garnering nearly zero votes from Democrats.
Fact: Harry Reid has not proposed a budget (illegally, mind you) in over 1000 days. Not proposed and had blocked, mind you, but not even proposed. Congress has passed budgets that Reid refuses to even put to a vote.
That is your obstructionism.
What I find absolutely disgusting was the fool from the VFW the other day where Romney spoke, this idiot saluted Romney. Romney never served one day in the Military, neither has ANY of his 5 sons, AND, he is not President (Commander in Chief), so why give a Military Salute to him? Simply pathetic from the guy from the VFW.
And hey haters, yep, President Obama is saluted, he IS the Commander In Chief!
OBAMA/BIDEN/HOLDER....2012!!!!
Saluting is just a show of respect and not confined to the military. Really...is there anything you folks WON'T bitch about???
We all must vote for Obama. We must.
WE MUST!!!!
Or else everything will go wrong.
Obama has a plan for our country. He will make it happen.
We do not need to worry.
Obama will take care of all of us.
He personally writes letters to everyone so we are all happy.
You have nothing to fear.
Nothing to fear at aaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!
Vote for Obama!!!!!!
Vooooooooooooooooooooooooooote
for
Obama!!!!!!!!!!
I am talking toooooooooooooooooooooooooo youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.
VOoooooooooooooooooooooooote.
for Obama.
Vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If we are to believe it's the economy driving this election, WHY isn't Willard leading by double digits right now?
Because Willard has NO answers to strengthen the economy. All he's offered are the same old, same old -- tax cuts for the richest of the richest and more deregulation. Been there -- done that. Supply side economics doesn't work in the long run -- never has -- never will. The outcome is always the same -- the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, the middle class shrinks and the debt explodes. It's as predictable as the seasons of the year.
What really doesn't work - and it is clear as glass - is the Obama way. But at least he is an equal opportunity destroyer. Everyone is getting poorer under Obama!
Those policies where Reagan raised taxes 16 times? those policies? yeah, those worked. as 41 said, "Voodoo economics doesn't work," and 43 proved it in spades...
What really doesn't work - and it is clear as glass - is the Obama way.
Total BS. In January 2009 we were losing over 700,000 jobs per month, the GDP was loosing 6% per month, corporate profits were in the tank and the DOS was under 8,000. Today we are seeing some job creation, the economy is growing slowly, the DOW is over 12,000, and most fortune 500 companies are showing record profits. It took the supply sliders most of 30 years to bring on a near depression. It will take more than 3 years to fix it.
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL, aka, Ed Schultz of the Ed Show:
Well, since Mitt Romney has NOT been official nominated as the Republican Party's candidate, it is still very early in the election period. Come November 2012, Romney will win by 10 plus points and that is all that really matters. Ed, as I image you know, elections are changing due to the internet and instant media than what was the norm 50, 30, 10 years ago.
I would like to see some real discussion on the real issues facing the USA: national and regional economy, education reform at all levels, agriculture, national parks, national highway system, pension reform, national budget, national debt, and personal health (not healthcare, but weight), federal income tax reform, small businesses, and national defense.
"Reagan's policies (the ones you say don't work) lead to low unemployment and the largest peace time economic expansion since WWII."
You have several things wrong. The largest peace time economic expansion since WWII. happened under Clinton, not Reagan. Reagan was not a true supply snider -- while he cut some taxes he increased others when he realized the deficit was exploding. And don't forget --- we sawa recession under Bush 41 and 2 recession under Bush 43. Again -- Supply side economics doesn't work in the long run -- never has -- never will and history has shown that over and over
In my life it saluting is a serious show of respect and is confined to Military personnel. I retired from the US Army Infantry, after 34+ years, and I salute NO ONE except other Military personnel, or, the Commander In Chief.
How could the VFW even take him seriously when he, nor ANY of his 5 sons have EVER worn the Military Uniform of America.
And your your Military service is?
Is that why Romney won't show his tax returns, because he's not worth an estimated $300million, he's "poorer under (President) Obama?" LOL!!!!!
Remember now, McCain kicked Romney to the curb after he saw Romney's income tax returns...LOL
OBAMA/BIDEN/HOLDER....2012!!!!
What everyone seems to forget, or not notice is that there is ZERO chance of improvement in this economy as long as over half the congress is doing everything it possibly can to prevent any economic progress because they think that is the way to get their guy elected. I would LOVE for this country to see through the ploy and prove them wrong.
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL -- The other related question to ask is: Why is Romney leading even on the economy?
Most Americans are not paying attention yet to the election. So right now those who are supporting Romney are only the rabid base who will support him because he is running with an 'R' next to his name, and no other reason.
Of those who are supporting Romney simply for his Party affiliation, some will lose interest once they learn more about him. Many are already wary of Romney's Mormon faith. Others are wary due to Romney's flip-flop record, possibly also secrecy about himself such as refusal to release basic traditional information like his tax returns.
Of those not paying attention, many of them are undecided in these polls. Some in this fairly large group don't believe business experience translates to qualification to be POTUS, Commander in Chief, and leader of the free world. Others who are somewhat aware of negativity such as corporate raiding during time at Bain Capital, including off-shoring jobs, gaming government funding, KNOW Romney's "business experience" is actually a detriment to being POTUS.
There is a Teapublican core of 35-40% who would vote for Hitler rather than a Democrat regardless of the excellent job done by the president. In that percent are of course many of the richest 1% such as the 17-21 gazillionares financing Romney's SuperPACs, older white males, and Mormons. These are the folks who actually vote up things like Romney's likability.
At least 5% or even 10% of traditional Republicans (as opposed to Teapublicans) are withholding judgement pending the VP pick and Romney providing more details that may convince them to vote for him. If this group realizes Romney's plans are just more of the same failed GOP/Bush-era policies--on steroids--that got us into this mess, some may just stay home or write-in some other candidate name. If Romney saber-rattles about more wars, this will also be a negative with this group. Ron Paul supporters in particular are going peel off.
This is why I believe it will be more than just the 5% swing voters in swing states that will make the difference. There are more moderate Republicans who don't like Romney who are in play. And of course, getting Democrats to the polls with proper identification. My concern is not so much the poll tax nature of voter ID laws (though important), as much as the difficulty informing people what they need to have for each state. Even before this confusions, many voters who show up to vote are turned away from being at the wrong polling place or what have you.
These laws, which the un-American Teapublicans Gone Wild started to implement after the 2012 mid-term election, are too close to the 2012 election. Hopefully the DOJ and other lawsuits can block this diabolical activity, or at least delay it until proper time is allowed to educate citizens in these states. This why we need standardized laws via the Federal government on so many things--the confusion in itself is undemocratic.
Heartlight3:
It is not Congress or the sitting president of the USA that has the greatest impact on the national and/or regional economy, it is free enterprise. The policies of the sitting president does have impacts on the economy, but without the business community the economy goes nowhere. The biggest creator of private sector jobs are new businesses and/or expansion of existing for-profit companies. Plus, the USA must have a strong foreign trade to expand the economy. There is not enough people within the boarders of the USA to be self-supporting.
Concern Citizen-856329 -- Hahaha, riiight, posts about changing Party affiliation are always so obvious. And the few that are real were merely temper tantrums after TARP, but these folks will still vote a straight Republican ticket.
There is a movie in which the prosecutor is giving his closing remarks. He tells the jury to close their eyes. And then provides details of how a little black girl was gang raped and killed. At the end, he says "now imagine this little girl is white."
I've posted this before, but let us know how it makes you feel:
Romney has NO idea what it is like to be unfairly attacked about anything. He needs to pull up his big boy pants, and all of you rightwingers need to try a little intellectual honesty. No ad criticizing Romney's pathetic record could ever compare to what the GOP/TP does, especially to our first black president.
Willard is fighting to retain the economy as a trump card???? Are you kidding me!!! What fighting???? He has the republicans in the House and Senate doing all the fighting – to make sure NO jobs bills pass, NO infrastructure bills pass, NO bills that would strengthen employment or the economy!!! they're the ones playing politics with our lives...Willard is doing what he does best….sitting back letting everyone else do the work while he clips coupons and gets what he (the arrogant pri@k )feels entitled to!!!
He destroyed Massachusetts economy while Governor and he’ll destroy the countries if President…. Sheldon, the Koch bros and all the rest of his billionaire donors will be driving up to the White House with their hands out...after all doesn’t Willard take care of his investors!!! He'll drive up the countries debt, give tax cuts to the wealthy that we'll pay for, take our pensions, benefits and health care, outsource our jobs.... he can't sell the country though as that was accomplished by the Right Wing Supreme Court with Citizens United where money is speech.... so rich people have the loudest voice and poor people have no voice...Democracy at work, and here they're telling me that Obama wants to take away our freedom.... LOL
phine -- Insulting people on this board is what SeekingSanity does. Disparaging a legal and needed profession because of the few bad apples is wrong, not insulting. I know many fine people in the business and you are wrong.
Charlie 1915998,
The Republicans have spent the last 30+ years breaking the economy... from Reagan to the Bushes they have been distributing the wealth of the country to the handful at the top! but they want Obama to fix it in 3 years, against the largest amount of filibusters in history that prevent job and economic growth, while cutting public sector jobs!!!
They created all this debt with two wars (outsourced), Pharma Bill and tax cuts all off the books and unfunded... for the 6 years that they held Congress under little Bush they spent over 6 trillion dollars without blinking an eye and when Obama took office...the debt was the issue... I wonder if it would have been the issue id McCain had won!!! wonder if they would be blocking jobsand infrastructure bills!!! wonder if they would be cutting public sector jobs!!! - HELL NO!!! they would be doing what they do best.... driving up the debt and blaming the Dems!!!!!!!!!!!
If, while surfing around the net to various news outlets, the election were decided on the comments, I'd say Obama is finished. This is the only site where people repeat liberal talking points and finish with OBAMA/BIDEN 2012.
It just seems everyone else is very angry, including me, at the Obama Administration.
I used to be kind of ambivalent about Romney. I am a long-standing liberal Democrat but I considered Romney to be a boring, benign guy. The more this campaign goes on and the more I hear from him and see him, my feelings are changing. I now really dislike and distrust him. The comment coming out of England alleging that Romney said he identifies with the Brits because of the shared Anglo-Saxon Heritage pretty much cinches it for me. WTF!
RageAgainstThem -- There's a reason Fox Nation shut down their comment board. If all the trolls, ignorant bigots, and folks who are just blinded with anger determine our elections, we are truly screwed as a nation.
kimH-1330542 -- Agreed. I thought Romney was just another Republican with policies I don't agree with. But the more I see of him, he is actually insulting and pisses me off. How about Ann and "you people" (peasants, common folk, etc.) don't need to know anything about our lives and our finances -- Because living in the White House paid by tax payers means what, living a private life, really?
Ben-636050 - phine -- Insulting people on this board is what SeekingSanity does. Disparaging a legal and needed profession because of the few bad apples is wrong, not insulting. I know many fine people in the business and you are wrong.
I agree... casting Romney into the image of used car salesman degrades used car salesman enormously, just as there aren't too many of them that I would trust but when stood side by side with Willard, I would happily give a used car salesman the keys to my kingdom!
True - The Republicans disparages entitlement but the Romney's consider themselves to be entitled to be President and First Lady just because he has run so many times and because he just wants it. I have never seen a couple so out of touch with the common man and who so blatantly display this contempt so often and so publicly. It would be humorous if he wasn't running for President. Yikes!!!!!
Hey. I have been in the car business. I know of what I speak from experience.
Phine - Sounds like you are feeling better and are in a better frame of mind. From experience with cancer, a positive attitude and laughing makes a huge difference. The debates should make us both laugh. Romney better wear his Depends.
Enjoy the Olympics! Ever been to London? Make sure you put it on your "bucket list" because it is a great city.
Love to you---
TruePatriot, you're nothing of the sort.
Unless Romney stops hiding the details of his own personal economy, his 'plans' for the U.S. economy won't matter.
You can NOT tell me that bozo couldnt put a stop to this kind of garbage!! IF HE WANTED TO!!! BOZO goes home 2012! CLICK here: U.S. Bridges, Roads
Being
Built by Chinese Firms | Video - ABC
News
Bad news for Obama. According to the latest Rasmussen poll, Romney is leading Obama by 4% among 'Likely Voters' with 48% for Romney to 44% for Obama. Rasmussen had the best overall record of the major pollsters in the Presidential Polls in 2004 and 2008.
The 'trend' is definitely in Romney's favor, and Obama is fading, since they were tied just about a week ago - it seems that Obama's 'going negative' has backfired - time to try something new.
Wow, That many people in the US who are STUPID with NO MEMORY?
The GOP and Dumbya Bush brought us this Bush Recession. Bush leaves office while we're hemorrhaging 700,000 jobs per month. Job loss has finally gotten under control under Obama. Dumbya and the GOP crashed the bankign ahousing markets, and brought the DOW down in the crapper, in the 8,000 range. It's back up into the 12,000 range under Obama.
It always takes longer to rebuild than it does to destroy. It took Dumbya Bush and the GOP the better part of a decade to destroy our economy. Why do people thing it will rebuild in half the time? Are you people so STUPID to think that a return to the party and policies which brought us this mess will actually make things BETTER???
And, just what answers has Mittens given? None. Just criticism of Obama for not cleaning up the Dumbya Bush catastrophe quickly enough.
Seriously. What will Mittens and his Magic Underwear do? What will the Mormon Cultist do for this country? He keeps his money offshore. He wants to send jobs overseas to help his big business butt-buddies... WTF are you people thinking? Are you thinking at all?
You conservatives, all my life, have made fun of mormonism -- calling it a whacky cult with outrageous, silly beliefs. Disappearing golden tablets, the whackadoo nonsense of Joseph Smith, arranged child marriages and polygamy, the jesus visits here in North America that only one historic person retells (more whackadoo)... And now this cultist is your Savior? Suddenly, your values can be bought for a dime that you'll follow someonw who truly believes in this Whacky Crap?
Do you right-wingers have ANY values at all that aren't for sale to the lowest bidder???
Nice poll numbers there, ROY WILSON. But a little slanted. Your poll shows LIKELY voters. According to Fox News (only THREE HOURS AGO) -- Obama is ahead by 6 POINTS with REGISTERED VOTERS.
that's GOOD NEWS FOR OBAMA!
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/2012/07/26/bill-oreilly-new-poll-has-president-obama-big
You remember Fox, don't you Roy? The "news" people whose butts you lick on a daily basis! Yeah, i know you remember them... And, this info is from your personal god, Blow-Reilly.
Watch your god's video, ROY. Not such good news for you today, punkin!! Blow-Reilly isn't singin your song -- ya better run over to him and start licking!!
Dmorgan...values like still supporting the rapist bill clinton or maybe the gone but not forgotton drunk, womanizer, lier kennedy or gone but...sen. byrd from w. virginia the lib. who was in the kkk (gran pooooba) or maybe edwards. Maybe a. weiner. I could go on but is THAT what you are talking about???
So, when someone challenges your values, and you are too much of a coward to answer that point directly, YOUR only answer is to lie and call Clinton a rapist? Wow. Your values are pretty obvious, too.
So, you -- a member of the "Family Values" Right Wing -- who was ready to put up "Family Values" Newt Gingrich as a frontrunner -- you want to play the LIST the VALUES game? LMFAO!! OK...
How about GOP Larry Craig, the anti-gay (but gay himself) Congressman who was caught trolling for guys in an airport mens room? Or GOP Tom Foley, the anti-gay (but gay himself) Congressman who was chasing young male congressional pages on the Congress Floor? How about Jack Abramoff? How about Dumbya Bush, and his WMD lies that cost us TRILLIONS over in Iraq, a needless war? How about another one of your saviors, Richard Nixon? There's a wonderful GOP Presidency for ya!! Then there's GOP Pete Sessions and the GOP Congressional Committee, more VALUES Republicans!!, using strip clubs for his fundraisers! Anti-gay GOP Roy Ashburn, who fnally admitted he was gay, once he was arrested for Drunk Driving after leaving a gay bar... Oh, did you mention DRUNK WOMANIZERS? Did you forget Newt Gingrich? How about former GOP Governor of SC Mark Sanford with his mistress in Argentina? How are those playing out for you? You love those guys so much that Newt was even a front-runner for you again!! LMFAO!! And let's not forget GOP US Senator John Ensign from Nevada, since you like extramarital affairs, too.
I can play this game all day long. For evey DEM name you come up with, I can give you THREE GOP's --- from your FAMILY VALUES party!!
GOP & FAMILY VALUES..........The JOKE OF THE CENTURY!!!
You have no Idea where I stand or WHO I have spoken out against on the repub. side. It would surprise you! It's just that you libs ONLY trash the other side and get a pass on the libs. I did NOT like some of the things G.W. did and spoke out against them. BUT even the rapist (SORRY) Bill Clinton and the dem. party AND other countries said he had WMD's because he DID! At least he had the support of BOTH parties when we went to war. Just how bozo handled his self on the legal side of things? OH thats right he just SIGNS them into law, OR says I dont like that law so we wont enforce it. democRATS are the true joke here and your BOZO will be gone SOON!
Wow. That entire post -- you just can't be honest, can you?
One thing's for sure -- you're a True Texan alright!
And by the way -- regarding the WMD -- the CIA had every inch of the Iraqi border under satellite surveillance, long before Dumbya launched his attack and started his Lie Machine about WMD. Something he never took the time to VERIFY before going to War. It was a CIA satellite that caught a motorcade leaving Iraq with truckloads of US currency, which they seized.
Nothing -- not one single Weapon of Mass Destruction ever left that country. Not a single one was found there.
Go smoke another bowl. And then spend your afternoon licking Mitt's cultist butt.
Now that you and the Right Wing are worshiping a cultist -- you may as well stay on your knees, and get used to the view.
You sold your values to the lowest bidder again. If you ever had any values.
Are you wearing Magic Underwear, too?
Amazing how many propaganda articles can be generated from a single joke of a "poll":
Strong Democrat ............................................... 24
Not very strong Democrat ................................. 11
Independent/lean Democrat .............................. 11
Strictly Independent .......................................... 16
Independent/lean Republican ............................ 12
Not very strong Republican ............................... 7
Strong Republican ............................................. 16
Other (VOL) ....................................................... 2
Not sure ........................................................... 1
When you have to skew the "poll" this badly towards Democrats and Obama still comes out behind on the economy you know he doesn't have a prayer at election time.
Dmorgan...is that the best you got dimwitt?? It sounds like YOU were hangin out with good ol bill and he swung both ways and had you give him a lewinsky when she wasnt there. I would try to educate you but your so full of it nothing would sink in. OH...you have something cumming out the corners of your mouth you political hack whore.
LOL. Looks like the truth got under YOUR skin. Foam at the mouth much?
I think your Magic Mormon Underwear is on too tight, punkin!
LMAO!
After reading these posts I think most all of you have it wrong. Government is not the answer. Neither Obama or Romney or any one man can fix the economy. We the people have to fix the economy. No matter who is elected you have to go out and figure out how to make your living. If you depend on the government to provide your living you are going to be dissapointed. Name one government program that does not cost twice as much as it should. Yet most of them accomplish less than half of what they should.
Not hardly scooter. You dont have what it takes to get under my skin. I was just giving you some of the stupidity you have been posting. Youre just not smart enough to get it. HA
Hey America, hows the Presidents Job Council working for you? Let me answer that for you, its not. They haven't met in months.
Bob Beckel said on Fox News that Mitt Romney was 'A Punk' with the personality of 'A Ken Doll'
"It is clear from Standard & Poor’s statement downgrading the federal government’s credit rating that it places the blame squarely on REPUBLICAN actions and policies. Two of S&P’s biggest concerns about whether the United States will pay off its debt are whether Republicans will be so insane as to refuse to lift the debt ceiling, a possibility Republicans intentionally stoked fears of, and whether the United States will raise much-needed tax revenue. Specifically, S&P changed its baseline assumption that the Bush tax cuts would expire on schedule in 2012 because Republicans are so insistent that they must be renewed. “We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues,” wrote S&P. That adds $4 trillion over ten years to the projected deficits."
People, like it or not, you can't argue against Romney's economic plans to restore the Middle Class and create jobs.
On the topic of Presidents and Economics classes. If Romney were in school today, more likely than not he would be learning Economics out of a book by N Gregory Mankiw. He'd know from reading one of these fine books that nearly everything he has suggested for the economy won't work. Or, he could go down to his economic advisors and ask them (N Gregory Mankiw is one of 'em) himself. Maybe instead of ignoring people who know sh*t from shinola, and relying on his expertise at raiding pension funds, he could listen to them. Then he might be a decent presidential candidate.
Both the candidates are horrible and will kick you in the teeth after they are elected.
They are both servants of corporations and the rich.
Here's the way it really is:
http://www.dropshots.com/OldCrow2#date/2012-06-22/18:57:17
"According to the latest Rasmussen poll, Romney is leading Obama by 4%"
Funny -- you cons just love quoting Rasmussen. Remember 2008--- when Rasmussen had McCain winning in Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Colorado and Florida? Need I remind you he LOST every one of them?? What you don't mention is even FOX has President Obama leading by 4% and The Wall Street Journal, another Murdoch publication, has the President winning by 6%.
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
Because Willard and the other Willard's of the world are exactly why the economy is where it is.
Let's vote Willard in and drive the tax rate for the rich to nothing so we more fully incent them to take money out of business and our economy in favor of their own personal off-shore accounts.
Voting Willard in will cause the massive top brass paydays to get larger and larger.
A Willard administration will drive even larger gaps between the rich and the middle class and poor by supporting lower taxes for the rich and by removing or privatizing all government safety nets.
Regulations under Willard will diminish or disappear to the point of truly having the fox run, own, and destroy the chicken coop.
Big Oil will flourish. New technologies will die.
I guess he really can't hurt our focus on global warming or controlling assault weapons... it can't get any worse... but if it's possible, he'll do it.
You can count on a preemptive attack on Iran... and maybe a full involvement in Syria... but if you like that sort of thing go ahead and vote for him.
He will take transparency to all time lows. He will tell us what info we need and don't need... because HE knows best based on his Bain history and religious background.
Forget health care... not just ACA... health care. We will do NOTHING. They have only two plans... eliminate Obamacare and never spend another federal nickle... nice.
I can't type anymore... getting sick.
Off topic,
HOw about some good wishes for our US Olypians? GO TEAM USA!!!!!!!!!!
Don't expect any best wishes from the GOP. Remember, they hate the Olympics.
(Unless it's Mr. Romney's tap-dancing horse, that is.)
tick tock only good wish from someone on the left. SHAME
you guys are so classy! I love the Olympics and can't stand Obama. Spread you BS somewhere else please.
WOO HOO!!! GO USA!!!!
Hey now...here's someone on the right who is FIRED UP about the Olympics. Watched the USA basketball game against Spain yesterday....wow did we look good.
GO USA!!!!!
(Great to see you posting Phine!)
So excited for Team USA!!!!!!! So thankful for a DVR! :) (The individual athlete stories always move me to tears!)
I am looking forward to the swimming and gymnastics.
Really?
...because I seem to recall a whole lot of Republicans hootin' and hollerin' and cheerin' when the 2016 Olympics were awarded to Rio and not Chicago. Must have been my imagination, I guess.
don't group everyone together. Some of us do have a brain.
I am a Republican and happen to enjoy futbol at all levels very much! My son and I coach Upward Sports soccer and have a good time watching the kids improve through the season. BTW, the ladies beat the Frogs 4-2 earlier today!
Go, ladies! Go, USA!
Bob in KC....................who are the Frogs?????. Don't display your ignornace in such a blatant manner.
You sure don't have the Olympic spirit.
"Don't expect any best wishes from the GOP. Remember, they hate the Olympics."
You got it. Remember --- the right wing cheered when the US didn't get the Olympics. They lived it!! Limbaugh the junkie was so happy he didn't know what to do. the Fox clowns were celebrating.
Noid, don't you know steroids will give you brain cancer (and an even smaller winkie) ?
phinephancy-4252115:
I agree 100%!!! I arrived into London two (2) days ago and I am having a blast. Go Team USA!!! I really enjoy the Olypics - Summer and Winter Games. The 2014 Winter Games in Sochi will be wonderful. Sochi is a beautiful town on the Black Sea and the countryside is incredible. London is not bad either...
I love the Olympics - Summer and Winter. I don't care about other sports except the Steelers. London is probably one of the best cities in the world so this will be a great year to watch. Go USA!
Well, it's your own fault for bringing THAT into question. You keep talking about voting for Mittens and his Magic Underwear. You're voting for a Mormon Cultist with WHACK values and beliefs. Something the right-wing has said all my life about Mormonism. Now, you're all lock-step behind one of these whackadoos with seriously f'ed-up values and beliefs. Now he's your Savior!!
And YOU really think you have a brain? You people cannot even show that you have any consistent values at all. Before, when Mittens and his Magic Underwear was running against McCain in those primaries, you all made hay out of his silly cult. Now, TODAY, it's suddenly ok?
Do you people have ANY values at all?? Do ANY of your values remain Consistent? EVER??
Maybe you should find out more about the mormon religion and the people that belong to it before you shoot your mouth off by talking about people with whack values as you put it. And don't just talk to the people who spout off things they don't know about. Talk to people who actually are mormons. I know a few and I have never known any better people that are commited to their families and country.
He knows a little I'm sure. dont forget his party has a mormon in it. Hairless reid. But he is VERRRRY fixated on "magic underwear". Maybe he's trying to come out of the closet, who knows. He's an idiot any way you look at it.
Somebody tell me how this guy is an economic genius when, under his leadership, Massachusetts went from #37 in job creation to #47? Where's the beef? All I am seeing is fertilizer out of this empty suit.
Curious as to why you care more about the % job creation as opposed to the unemployment rate in total. Truth is that Massachusetts already had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. When you have very low unemployment you will not have as much job creation as a high unemployment state because there isn't as much gap to fill.
This argument is weak. the statistical rating of 37 or 47 place doesn't factor in what is going on in other places. during his term as governor, there were booms occurring in other states that drew employers there and away from MA. those are forces beyond any governor's control, a better overall number to look at would be the number of jobs created during the years of his leadership compared to the years before and after. that would give a better understanding of the job creation dynamic during that time.
Modern governance is more than an understanding of business or economics, and running government as a business is a sure way to failure of the state.
Q22 - Just another little tidbit about how Willard got to be Governor of Mass
When he finally decided to run as Gov of Mass instead of Utah - he went before the "powers that be" in the Mormon Church and asked for a dispensation of portraying himself as "Pro-Choice" because he would be running in a liberal state
He got their "blessing" to lie to the public
This man has no moral compass and obviously the Mormon Church doesn't either ANYTHING IT TAKES TO WIN
Have no idea if that is true. So much B.S. gets passed around during elections. The point is that he was a good Gov. He worked with the liberals on many things and, though Romneycare wasn't something he would have done on his own, he worked with the majority to make it work better. Conservatives might not like that but he proved that he wasn't a raging partisan extremist. Too bad we don't have someone like that as President now.
The economy is ~95% about consumer confidence. If the people don't believe it is a good time to buy a major purchase, they put it off. The housing crash really killed the confidence, that is exactly what to blame for this lack luster economy!
Then who is to blame for poor consumer confidence? Isn't that an indictment of the current administration's policies and priorities?
No Q22...CONGRESS!!
Q22 - "though Romneycare wasn't something he would have done on his own, "
How do you know that? How can you tell what Romney would do on his own? He seems to do whatever he thinks is expedient at the moment, regardless of what he said or did in the previous moment. How can you tell what is real for him and what is to create an impression?
Oh, I dunno... let's try "greedy wall street banksters who tanked the economy while playing fast and loose with other peoples' money while assuring people that they could and would regulate themselves" for $10,000, Alex? Or perhaps the bought-and-paid-for congressional jackasses from BOTH sides of the aisle that repealed Glass-Steagall in a pair of what was, at the time, little-remarked but nonetheless bold legislative strokes, the first of which was signed off by a myopic Bill Clinton because his ass was in a vice, and the second by an idiotic George W. Bush who either didn't know any better or didn't care? I even phrased it in the form of a question; now what do I win?
Only if you believe the lie that the president actually helms the economy and can literally steer it any direction he wants. If that were true, why on earth would both Bush and Obama run it aground? Obama is no more or less responsible for the negative state of the economy than W was, the principal difference is that Bush 43 assisted the push for the deregulation that enabled the entire meltdown in the first place, and Obama pushing healthcare was an indirect attempt at improving the economy. The assessment from the powers that be in the healthcare industry where I work see it as a net positive. Now that we're apparently past the Republican obstruction phase maybe it will actually do some good, though I freely admit that remains to be seen.
Just when I thought Obama could not become any more morally corrupt, I learned today he has made yet another Faustian deal with the devil. He has appointed the "King Of Gay Porn" to his campaign finance committee. Who knows what this sick pervert of a president will do next!
Nonsense. If the stats showed the other direction, you'd all be dry-humping those stats and singing them to the mountaintops. He was a failure as a Governor (just like Dumbya Bush was) and he would be a failure as a President (just like Dumbya Bush was).
What actual ANSWERS or SOLUTIONS has Mitt and his Magic Underwear given us? What solutions to resolving the Bush Recession? Absolutely ZERO. Only criticizing Obama for not cleaning up Dumbya Bush's mess fast enough.
There's your answer.
You guys are all LOCKSTEP behind a Whacky Mormon Cultist -- and you talk about someone else being morally corrupt? Do you wear Magic Underwear too? Do you believe in disappearing Golden Tablets? Arranged child marriages and polygamy? How's Joseph Smith, the prophet of the lord, treating you these days?? Wow, talk about SELLING YOUR VALUES to the LOWEST BIDDER.
Please, don't make me LAUGH -- you talk about a MORAL COMPASS?? You (the Right Wing) were making FUN of this Mormon CULTIST when he was running against McCain in the primaries 4 years ago. Now this whacky CULTIST is your SAVIOR.
Get real.
He took millions of his dad's money and started a company that took over other companies usually using others money. His strategy of paying himself special dividends and fee's to milk these companies of all their assets before bankrupting them wasn't anything new. Romney never ran any of the companies he took over and probably used data from whiz kids he hired to find companies ripe for take over. When your daddy leaves you tons of money you don't have to be a genius to make money you hire geniuses.
Speaking of Fertilizer. Seeing how you lberals all seem to think that the Democrats are for the working people.
Why is it th at Democrat Max Baucus " Senate finance commiittee Cairman wants to allow clothes made in Africa to come to the US free of trade taxes. His claim is that its vital to US clothing jobs in the US.
Tell me Senator how is it criticalto the US market when it don't produce any manufacturing jobs. I t will not produce many retail jobs. And it cheats The Country out of the tax its supposed to bring in.
So much for Democrats working for the people
I'll tell you what sux. People that have all the facts available to them to make an informed decision, yet refuse to understand them.
That is what gives this clown Romneycare a chance. Stupid people.
Not unlike the ones that elected obama.
What will be nice is those some people will now un-elect obama.
Let’s all think back to September 2008 and the financial storm that had developed and the whole government and the rest of the world that was unraveling in financial markets. The jobs were going down so fast that and the United States had suffered the worst crisis sense the great depression.
I myself remember how bad the economy and unemployment were under President Bush and getting worst up to his last days in office, with 750,000 jobs were being lost a month .
Then Obama takes over on January 20, 2009, and suddenly it’s his fault. No way! Obama stepped into this storm on the brink of depression, and Obama has done a GREAT job of turning the country around.
I honestly have to say anyone that doesn’t recognize this fact is pretty out of touch with reality, and living in “Rush World.”
Remember Willard Romney’s record as Governor, head of Bain and the 2000 Olympics was less than subpar. However, he did give us Romney care which became a model for the AHCA.
So it’s important to remember a vote for Willard Romney is another vote for W. Bush
Job1---I agree with you. I might feel differently if I hadn't learned that the Republicans set out to oppose everything that President Obama wanted to do for the economy, starting with their strategy session held the night of his inauguration. While the rest of us were celebrating our accomplishment as a nation, the GOP was planning to bring him down, regardless of the effect on the rest of the country.
@Steeler-Fan, that was my PRIMARY reason for jumping ship on the republican party. The country was in a mess, economy on the brink of depression, jobs being lost by the hundreds of thousands monthly and the best these disgusting republicans can do is plan to bring down the presidency of the newly elected person in the White House. That stinks of partisan crap and I hated them for it! They're disgusting and I hope they all get what they deserve.
Spot on! This was the catalyst for my becoming a recovering conservative... party over country does not make sense.
You posted this once Job1 so, I will re post my response:
Ahhh Job1 we must also visit September 2008 when it became extremely evident that the Democrats were going to be in full control of all three legislative branches of the government. They saw the ridiculousness of the last two years of Bush with the Democrat majority and didn't need more to come. The writing was on the wall and the business world knew it. They saw the onslaught of anti-business/industry flurry to come. Obama had already wooed the American majority of people at the time that he was indeed the "Obamassiah" and would make their lives better. Smart people knew better. They just couldn't vote for McCain and were enamored with the charisma of Obama. To the extent of a very slim vetting of him. They ran scared when confronted with the perfect storm that was to come in January of 2009. You can say all you want about the premature "summer of recovery" crap you want when indeed, things did not start getting better until it became evident that the Democrats were facing a disaster of a replacement program in the 2010 Congressional elections. And it still isn't good. Better, but not what it should be. At least the insane spending stopped. You and yours will spew your usual party of no and GNOP crap but that is why they were elected. To stop the runaway train. Now you can start with the popularity ratings and that crap but, have you ever known an effective "turn around" guru that had instant popularity? No. Everyone despises them until they see the result of what the guru does. People don't like the pain that comes with what is needed to be successful once they have had it easy. Human nature.
In a nutshell, I think there are few holes in your logic as to why the economy continued to slide even when Obama with his hope and change were securely in office. No one knew the man nor what he would accomplish. Now they do and I don't think it is a good thing at this point.
Just when I thought Obama could not become any more morally corrupt, I learned today he has made yet another Faustian deal with the devil. He has appointed the "King Of Gay Porn" to his campaign finance committee. Who knows what this sick pervert of a president will do next!
Hand, your history is a bit incomplete. President Obama was actually thoroughly vetted in 2008, despite what you may believe from GOP, Fox News or Rush Limbaugh talking points to the contrary. Even in the debates, Obama had to tolerate really crazy statements about Bill Ayers and all the rest of the claptrap. He was put into a position of having to present his Birth Certificate even then, and after he did so, the conspiracy guys insisted they needed the Long Form. And when he produced that last year, what do you know? They say it's a fake.
Your version of the economic recovery is off by many months - the reality is that it took a while to dig out of the hole we were in, and we're still digging to this day. And none of this has been helped by the GOP contingent in Congress, who made it clear they intended to obstruct Obama and the Dems from day one, and who renewed that silliness as soon as the 2010 elections were done.
The reality right now is that unless something drastic happens, Romney has a very steep hill to climb, and he hasn't been able to make any progress in several months - something which should really concern you if you support his candidacy. At this point, the most likely scenario in November may not be one you will enjoy. But on the other hand, there's always 2016 and a new opportunity.
As for the other guy with the silliness about the "Gay Porn" guy - does that mean you also denounce the Utah Romney backer who's getting charged now with what I'll politely call assault? Try it again - are either of these guys really worth anyone's time? And did you really want to go down this road?
DavidBan:
I 100% disagree with that statement of your. The Media and his party gave him a complete pass.
Doh, Homer. Try it again. All of this so-called "vetting" that people like Sean Hannity have tried to say they are doing this year is nothing but dredging up the same nonsense that got thrown around in 2008. Try going back and actually listening to or watching the debates between Obama and McCain. All the attempts to smear Obama by association were tried, and they simply failed. America already heard the gossip and the smears, and dismissed them. You're entitled to your own opinion about why McCain lost and how badly he ran his campaign, but you're not entitled to invent your own facts.
4 years later and the media will not even conduct a balanced poll because of their need to protect themselves and the disaster they help push into office.
Strong Democrat ............................................... 24
Not very strong Democrat ................................. 11
Independent/lean Democrat .............................. 11
Strictly Independent .......................................... 16
Independent/lean Republican ............................ 12
Not very strong Republican ............................... 7
Strong Republican ............................................. 16
Other (VOL) ....................................................... 2
Not sure ........................................................... 1
Wow, pjam. That certainly gave you an erection. You've posted it a dozen times.
Do you have any thoughts of your own? I doubt that, given your GOP slant and your monkey-see, monkey-do cut-pasting of ONE thing all over the place.
Come back someday when you can form an original thought. You might have to put down your BuyBull first in order to do that...at least, it's a good start.
The right thinks Romney cares about middle class jobs. Was it liberal union workers or businessmen like Romney opposing NAFTA? Is it liberal union workers looking for $5 a day cheap labor or people like Romney? It was Obama who spent 780 billion in stimulus spending with most going to states to save massive layoffs after Bushs economic meltdown. Bush spent over 1.5 trillion in stimulus with most going to banks and financial institutions. Easy to see which party's concerned with what sector. Obama wants to raise taxes by elimination of the 15% special rate for carried interest that only affect the super rich, Romney wants to lower the top rate and pay for it by eliminating the few remaining exemptions the middle class has left the home mortgage deduction and tax exemption for employer health plans.
There has been speculation about Mitt Romneys tax returns, and his refusal to release them. This scandal has been enough for members of his own party to ask he release something to keep this distraction from draining resources. While Willard claims that his taxes are above board, many have claimed fraud. I don't personally believe there was any fraud, but possibly some questionable activities.
1. Bain - He retired in 1999, but received pay, benefits, and was listed as the sole owner and CEO for another two years.
2. Tax shelters - perhaps the dressage horse helps his wife's MS, but my aunt has MS and she can't write off her housecat.
3. Contributions - while its common knowledge that Mormons tithe 10%, did he give any additional funds to and pet projects of the church, specifically did he give any money to defeating Prop 8 in California?
Once again, I don't think he did anything illegal, but I'm sure he's done a few things that the public and some voting blocs are not going to like. He has made the calculation that whatever damage is cause by not releasing them will be less than if he did. A classic business decision, cost/benefit analysis, or loss mitigation. Problem is, if this is the lesser of the two evils, how bad are they?
The thing is, Romney did release a good number of years of his tax returns - to John McCain's campaign in 2008 when they were vetting him as a possible VP candidate. And they rejected him. Now, it may not have been due to what was in the tax returns. But for whatever reason, he was not selected.
And now he is refusing to provide to the American people what he happily gave to McCain's campaign four years ago. I agree that this isn't a matter of doing anything illegal. Romney's a straight-laced guy.
What's likely in there is yes, income from Bain and papers showing him as owner/CEO while running the Olympics - which is not a crime and in fact validates his SEC papers. Yes, there will be plenty of tax shelters shown. And yes, there will be a net effect of paying a very low tax rate. Which would be perceived by most voters as making him less sympathetic.
So I agree that a cost/benefit decision was made by Romney and his campaign to risk the possible issue being a distraction (which they hope to defuse by throwing mud back at Obama) rather than know they would guarantee a real issue that could cost them a large number of independent votes.
Of course, in order for Romney to go get those votes, he will need to have that "Etch a Sketch" moment and move away from the right. And the second he does that...
He probably managed to pay zero taxes for a few years, through completely legal means. It would give President Obama a huge opening to point out how the super rich are not paying their fair share, and an example of government welfare for millionaires.
It's also possible that he invested in legal, though unsavory, businesses that could be embarrassing, such as manufacturing in countries that exploit child labor.
It clould also be that the law does not require it so why do it.
Son,
since the law does not require you to bathe, does that mean you do not? Just because something isn't required by law doesn't mean you don't do it, out of common courtesy.
He writes off the dressage horse as a business expense---his share being approx. $77,000 in 2010. No mention of therapy and one questions whether it was a real business or his hobby.
There is also the matter of his Individual Retirement Account--how were the contributions to it funded and how did it grow to the reported value of $100 million.
I think the American people have a right to know that the people running for President have been compliant with the tax laws and we simply don't know that with Romney.
Apparently Steeler Fan doesn't understand the economics of horse racing, let alone the economics of our country. When you own a horse (performing in any venue), you are allowed to deduct the expenses of owning said horse from your income before computing taxes. This is the same rule that applies to a mechanic, a machinist, or a wood carver who provides his own tools necessary to his business.
did Romney do anything illegal? no.
unethical? i'd wager yes...
Bob in KC, ordinarily, you can't write something off as a business expense unless you have a business that makes money from whatever you are writing off. If you own a race horse, presumably you are trying to win money by winning races. Unless this horse is on the professional show circuit, it is not making money. Unless the Romneys have a business in which they are making money from horses, they cannot claim a horse as a business expense. Claiming it as a medical expense for Ann is a more legitimate claim, In which case I should be able to claim my dog as she helps keep my blood pressure down.
detroit - "since the law does not require you to bathe, does that mean you do not? Just because something isn't required by law doesn't mean you don't do it, out of common courtesy."
Funny. Being a U.S. citizen actually is required by law to be president, yet Obama refused to release his birth certificate until 3 years into his term.... why is the guy so void of "common courtesy"?
Romney should follow Obama's example and wait 6 years to release a tax return - twice as long since tax returns aren't even required.
Since when has the Right Wing EVER been interested in what the LAW says, or even the Constitution for that matter?
Get real!
He didn't have to release it. At the time, the GOP Governor of Hawaii, who was a staunch McCain supporter, even called-out all the birther idiots and declared Obama's Hawaii Birth Certificate valid and certified. One of your own put it to bed -- someone who had EVERY reason to go against Obama if any of the birther claims were valid. And she didn't. Because she was one of the few Right Wingers with some basic integrity.
Maybe you should try INTEGRITY. Give it a shot, you might even start liking yourself someday.
PS: Doubt what I'm saying about his BC? Check out snopes.com where it was fully researched.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/birthcertificate.asp
"2. Tax shelters - perhaps the dressage horse helps his wife's MS, but my aunt has MS and she can't write off her housecat"
That's a good one........LOL.
I'd be willing to bet even the biggest Romney fan would be shocked at what Romney deducts with his highly paid tax avoidance team. I'd also bet if 14.5% was the tax he paid on returns he knew would be made public when he filed them he has years he paid zero on ten's of millions income. Romney's a member of the 48% club that paid no taxes. Just like them millions of old grannies avoiding taxes on their $800 Social Security checks.
You think Romney wouldn't release his other returns if they showed nothing worse than those he did show? Romney's took a lot of heat even from his own party for refusing to release them, to think his only reason for not doing so is because he doesn't have to is naive at the least.
Regarding Romney's tax returns: His father set the precedent in 1968 by releasing 12 years saying one year could be a fluke. Mitt said himself that if he releases them he will lose. I feel if that is the case why is he running in the first place.
Since our economy depends on so many other countries, and these countries aren't in great shape,
is Mitt really saying he's going to straighten out the planet?
Mitt may just be the Antichrist (What? Republicans call Obama Antichrist every day!)
Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Mitt Romney show me your money!!!!! Opp's my bad! I meant SHOW ME YOUR TAXES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those hidden the Swiss.......The US Banks.......The Bahama......maybe; The People's Republic of China.......The Bank of Russia...Statements! We all need to know, why! We couldn't have a Speed Boat Vacation, too! Just, how much money we need to squeezed and suck out of our Middle-Class who is paying for every damn thing. Oh! You remember the Poor People Mitt Romney! Remember! You say "I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE POOR PEOPLE! Hmmm! Hey Mitt Romney, that's me and my family!
The Obama bum kissers have spent years complaining about deficit spending and debt building created in the Bush era by Bush signing off on the Dem controlled Congressional spending bills. Now they want you to believe that the same practices (accelerated) under Obama are some how , magically, going to restore our economy, SOME DAY. The argument that electing Romney is a return to the Bush era is hogwash. Romney is not in favor of the continuation of massive deficit spending and debt building and wants to CUT SPENDING. Obama, from time to time, talks about the need to cut spending but never sets forth any proposal to make actual spending cuts (as opposed to slight decreases in the rate of increase in deficit spending). And the taxes Mr. Obama wants to raise will not put a dent in his proposed deficit spending and debt building.
So watch out middle class, Mr. Obama will be reaching into your pockets next. If you reelect him he will be seeking to raise your taxes in 2014 to help pay for his big government /big spending plan.Which is why he has not proposed to make the current middle class tax rates permanent and is only seeking a ONE YEAR extension. Just enough to try and dupe you into voting for him before he lowers the boom.
false. spending increased 1.7% of GDP under Obama, compared to 4% and 8% (7.7 or so) in Bush's first and second terms. i quit reading when you spouted this falsehood.
See Obama's budget proposal if you want to see all the increased deficit spending and debt building he wants to engage in. His budget, not mine, not G Bush's not the tsunamis or the oil spills, but his and his alone. Obama is proposing to increase the debt to $26 Trillion at 75% of GDP. Straight from his fourth proposed budget. Read it and weep.
Where is he going to get the money to pay for it all? WAKE UP MIDDLE CLASS, YOUR WALLET WILL BE IN OBAMA"S HANDS SOON IF YOU REELECT HIM
KingK: You're simply wrong. Nothing in Romneys extensive 59 point plan will reduce overall spending 1 penny actually the exact opposite. He tells you he supports lowering the deficit but nothing he plans does so. He plans to lower the top tax rate from 35% to 25% which will cost 5 trillion over 10 years and will eliminate middle class deductions to make it revenue neutral. He propses reducing spending on social programs by 120 billion but increasing military spending by 260 billion. If everything Romney proposes comes to pass we'll increase yearly spending by 140 billion a year.
mormons , they took over a company i worked for over 30 yrs , qwest , changed districts , told people if they wanted a job to move to utah , (place of racism) , broke up families removed almost ALL Minority supervisors and then started on minority workers , don't believe !! look it up ,,,,,,,,,,, mute romney paid millions to get into the mormon upper echelon , but he is still called a jack-mormon , and he is still a felon , lied to the sec ,,,,,,,, this is mute ,,,, take a good look !!!!!
Nice try. Qwest has NEVER been owned by the LDS church, nor the company that Qwest absorbed in Utah "US West" or it's predicessor Mountain Bell. Got any more BS you would like to spew?
When you get to the crux of the matter, this was a balance-sheet recession which takes a lot longer to recover from than an ordinary recession. On top of that you've got the Europe crisis and declining growth in China as well.
Given all this, the economy is doing fairly well. Put another way, 3 years ago when we were losing 800,000 jobs a month, when the commerical credit industry was on the verge of collapse along with two of the largest US manufacturers, things could have gotten really, really bad (think 1930's depression). But they didn't.
I certainly haven't heard anything from Romney about how he would make it better (I'm ignoring reduced taxes on the rich as an effective strategy).
Romney is a cheat and a thief that's why he doesn't want to show his tax returns I can only think what's in those papers. and there're not good.
I would need your proof that Romney is a "cheat and a thief". Please point to where you got that.
Son, you've got to admit that whatever Romney doesn't want disclosed via the tax returns is extremely important to him. Otherwise he wouldn't allow himself to be hammered so badly for it.
Cheat and liar? No. Unethical, yes.
Actually,there is a good reason Romney won't show his tax returns. It's because they'd show that in 2010, Mitt Romney lived in California. Why is that important? In 2010, Romney voted in the special election to replace the late Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts. Romney actually lied on the voter registration form, listing an address in his son's basement as his place of residence.
According to Massachusetts law, a residence for voter registration purposes as “where a person dwells and which is the center of his domestic, social, and civil life” and anyone found guilty of committing voter fraud faces up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Romney has had a lot of residency issues (he wasn't even eligible to run for Governor, he bought his way onto the ballot) but clearly committed voter fraud in this case. California residents aren't allowed to vote in Massachusetts elections.
So, Republicans, tell us again how serious of a crime voter fraud is, then, tell us why Mitt Romney is the exception?
Romney commited fraud by signing his name to SEC filings as CEO when in fact he was not, at least he claims now.
Not a huge deal but it suggests a "rules are for other people" attitude.
Again, why is it "Unethical". electioin law doesa not require it.
But if you want to go down the road to "Unethical", then Obama should also release his college records in full. That would be the same thing. I don't care about his records but if you are going to ask your oppent to release some thing but you are going to keep your hidden, who is being "Unethical"?
What is Obama hidding by not showing his college records?
Son, I was talking about some of his business dealings as being unethical, not his decision to withhold his tax returns.
There is little precedent for releasing college grades, there is a lot of precedent for releasing tax returns.
He doesn't have to of course, but it sure does beg the question "why not?".
The presumptive GOP nominee’s latest tack has been to seize on a comment made earlier this month by Obama in Virginia, in which the president seemed to suggest businessowners’ successes were more rooted in government support than their own efforts.
===============
Talk about "presumptive"...the President didn't suggest "businessowners' successes were more rooted in government support than their own efforts". He did suggest that no business is isolated unto itself.
It'd be nice if we chose are words/descriptions more appropriately/accurately.
You can't walk that sound bite back. It is what Obama said. Listen to the whole speech. That is what he said.
If what he said is not what he ment, then how is that Obama is being labled as the "smartest" man EVER and the "most articulate" man EVER.
Id he was so "smart" and "articulate", he would have said what he ment.
Uhhh, I believe what the President said was quite clear. What I was referring to was what the writer suggested he was saying. The President did not say nor implied that Government was more important than the individual/business. What he did challenge was the notion that a businessowners' lack of acknowledging ALL the factors that contributed to their success does not mean that it was just them and them alone.
And for the record, he's in the White House so there is pretty good argument that he has used his "smart" and "articulate" arse a little more successfully than yourself.
See, we can agree. I also believe what he said is quit clear. You did not built that, some one else did
SONMANVB--This is the full context of that segment of the Presidents speech. (I have made bold the pertinent parts that show the president did not say what you are implying)
Any one that will vote for this idiot, must be a stupid as he is. this man is a liar and thief, again, you work a 40 hour work, this man is not your man for President. He steals peoples retirement funds and put's it in his pocket, I wish all of you could talk to people he has hurt. You would know the truth about this man. Hopefully he will not be our PRESIDENT. I don't have to listen to the ad's, it is true what he has done. He destroyed American's lives for his own profit. Not fit to be an american in my book.
I agree completely ! Obama should NOT be our president. We need somebody who can actually straighten out the mess we are in.
Lady - If you work AT ALL Obama is "not your man", a full time job has become a rare commodity under his reign.
Look a republican friend mine told me something he is so worried about! Mitt ROMNEY, he maybe opening Pandora's Box. he said; this has nothing to do with Democrats! Romney, may forced the hands of other rich Republicans in the GOP to put their financial Disclosure on the table too! Mainly, those who are up for re-election. Most, just wants Mitt Romney to put is backside on the line. take the hit and let this thing die down. he may be causing more problems for most, than they are ready to handle with both the Voters and IRS who may find something. Also, the doors are still not closed on a SEC investigation, yet.
Just when I thought Obama could not become any more morally corrupt, I learned today he has made yet another Faustian deal with the devil. He has appointed the "King Of Gay Porn" to his campaign finance committee. Who knows what this sick pervert of a president will do next!
Rich democrats are willing to pay their share, rich republicans want to pay nothing. Only the little people pay taxes. Which party wants to raise taxes on the rich and what party wants to lower them? If they lower them on themselves guess who'll pick up the slack? The only thing that will trickle down from Romney to you is urine.
The GOP wants the "Free" market to run wild because it will run wild all over middle class America!
With no oversight only the rich will be able to afford to defend their rights against these corporate giants, and why would they fight among themselves? They'll stick to Reagan's motto of no infighting, and watch the American people burn.
"only the rich will be able to afford to defend their rights against these corporate giants"
Yea, robbing the taxpayers to bail out the "Too Big to Fail" and then issuing a new tax to force Americans to purchase insurance from them has really showed them who is boss during this administration - them.
Most of Bush's 1.5 trillion in stimulus spending went to banks and financial institutions most of Obama's 780 billion went to states to prevent the layoff of millions of state workers after the Bush meltdown. What's your point? The bailout for GM was 50 billion but 13 billion of that was pre approved by Bush. Bush's was no strings attached while Obama's required union workers to make major concessions.
How does Rmoney plan to fix the economy? A hostile takeover of Canada and selling off New Mexico and Mississippi?
outsourcing the Department of the Navy to India
Shayde - Even that plan is far better than handing America to Mexico in exchange for potential votes as is currently being done.
Yeah, that's right mitt, bet against the American people. And if that don't work, you can always fall back on the "Obama is a foreigner" spill. Or the "President Obama don't understand our anglo-saxon ways". Or the "president need to learn to be American" line. Any of those will only harden your base, but the remaining educated, free thinking Americans will have none of it.
Maybe mitt, you can ask your campaign manager (karl rove) if there's a war you can start or if there's a CIA agent you can out, or if there are some national secrets you can leak to the media and blame on President Obama. You are a clueless candidate, who will be beaten badly in November.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012! we got it straight in 08
wow, your ending made me laugh. If this is what you call getting it "straight", there really is no hope.
A hostile takeover of Canada and selling off New Mexico and Mississippi? > And Florida, and Mexico, and LA and Texas he already said to all illegals you better get out this country before I become President! I will ship you back across the borders no matter who you are. One of my first priority!
A great start. It will be nice to have a leader who actually follows and enforces U.S. laws.
Those on the right bash Obama for allowing a few thousand illegals who've been here since babies and consider themselves Americans temporary legal status but think Romney's tough on illegals.
Romney announced his intent to bring in 1,250,000 high tech workers to fill a shortage for those jobs even though unemployment data indicates the unemployment rate for those jobs is double what is was before the meltdown. Romney says bringing in these new workers will create support jobs for Americans, like selling them Big Macs.
Obama's doubled the amount of surveillance of our borders since being elected and Romney wants to fly them in and give them a green card when they get here. How could you people believe Romney's tough on immigration?
Last year saw the highest number of people ever deported: 387,790, up from 116,782 in 2001 and 349,041 in 2008. Thus far this year, some 185,887 people have been deported, a record pace that, if maintained, will nearly double the number of deportations in 2010 to 604,133. The Administration has also doubled the number of agents assigned to the Border Enforcement Security Task Force and tripled intelligence analysts along the Southwest border.
(--TIME magazine, May 10, "Why GOP Senators Won't Play on Immigration Reform")
In answer to Bob 1805084
Romney will have a chance to sell his story.
It will be interesting to see if America wants to return to its greatness or be a nation of parasites easily swayed by rhetoric, appearances and emotions.
And the name of the story Romney is selling is: "There's One Born Every Minute."
Nitt Witt has alot of criticisms for the way Obama is handling things but he just doesn't seem to have any answers. For someone with his vaulted background, he sure comes up empty handed too often in the original idea department.
Uninspiring, unappealing and definitely unimaginative.
Hillarious.
You do know that Obama and the Dems have given credit to Romney for creating Obamacare don't you?
How sad is it that you are so political party subservient that blaming Bush and copying Romney now serve as "answers" and "original ideas" in your small mind?
Replace empty handed with empty headed and you're right on.
New idea's doesn't mean reinventing the wheel. The plan Romney implemented as governor was considered by many as a model for the country. Obama never failed to give Romney credit but Romneys running like a scalded cat to pretend it was a mistake. Which is being disingenuous?
How goofy Romney' this bad economy belongs to Republicans like you,you had two wars drove the deficit threw the roof and have GRIDLOCKED the jobs bill and everything that has come up. In order to help the economy and the country as a whole politicians are suppose to compromise . You have chose to GRIDLOCK everything that comes up or connect it to protecting the wealthy.Republicans have put this economy where it is today.This economy belongs to you REPUBLICANS.
Actually what is left of the economy belongs to all American voters who threw scores of Democrats out of office in 2010 in order to stop Obama's destruction, had they not done so the hole would be much, much deeper today.
PJAM09----The republicans did not win so many seats in the 2010 midterm elections in order to stop "Obamas destruction", they won because they ran on jobs jobs jobs--yet to date they have done nothing to create the jobs that they promised.
And don't tell me about the bills they have passed sitting on Reids desk--they knew they would never pass. They have voted 33 times to repeal ACA, the house has passed bills that they knew would never pass or even get voted on, they have wasted time and money on these symbolic votes that get their base going but doesn't do anything for the country.
This country and our system was created for compromise not gridlock, and that is all the republicans have done. And yes I say republicans have done because the democrats have started from the middle not to the left. Even the healthcare bill they started not even from the left but right of middle (if you don't believe that do a little research on republican plans put out in response to the Clinton administrations effort to reform healthcare. You will see that the bill that actually passed is very similar to their plan back then--so answer why are they against it now?)
In addition, you can't really say that President Obama and the democrat plan has failed since it has not been enacted. Every bill that has passed has been so watered down and bastardized that it doesn't even resemble the bill that was originally put forth.
Our economy has been in decline for the better part of 30 years---ever since the republican God, Ronald Reagan. And even he raised taxes, hired public sector jobs to help fight the recession, and increased the national debt 189%.
You see republicans spend just as much as democrats---the difference is democrats raise taxes to pay for things and republicans (when in power) say deficits don't matter. For instance, no where in the history of this planet has anyone other than GW Bush, cut taxes during a time of war. So tell me who are the fiscally responsible ones?
There is this unanswered question about Romney. It is about Swiss amnesty. How many Swiss Bank accounts did Romney have and did he report them to the IRS? If he did not report ALL of them to the IRS, that was a criminal act. A violation of US law. An amnesty program was given to these tax cheats.
Why hasn't Mitt Romney been asked if he participated in the Swiss amnesty program for tax cheats by a reporter? I find it interesting that no reporter is willing to pose the question about Swiss amnesty to Romney. If this were 2008 and Obama wasn't releasing all his tax returns and had Swiss bank accounts during a time when amnesty was given to tax cheats who did not report their Swiss accounts to the IRS, which is a violation of US law. Every reporter across this country would be hounding Obama for his answer. But no network reporter from MSNBC to FOX News will pose this very important question to Mitt Romney. How can we consider a man for the oval office who hides important facts about himself from the American people, let alone vote him into office, when we don't even know if he took amnesty for being a tax cheat?
I do not have access to Romney, so I can't ask him if he participated in the Swiss Amnesty program, but others do have access and could pose this question to hear a response from Mitt himself. So, why aren't reporters asking? is the question unimportant? Are they not allowed to ask it?...I believe many people like myself are pretty darn curious to know the answer or at least hear Romney himself deny or confirm it.
The problem with Mitt Romney is nobody likes a tax cheat with foreign bank accounts set up to siphon money away from the IRS that should be going to pay for education, roads and the other needs of our country. Romney played "Swiss tricks" and sent money overseas. All this maneuvering was done to avoid paying taxes on tens of millions of dollars in his IRA. Playing tricks, lying and hiding facts Americans need to know is a Nixon game, we see Nixon here in Mitt Romney. Mitt is basically a crook running for the oval office with a nice haircut. Is Mitt a real person? Is Mitt a bank? Or is Mitt a Corporation? When Mitt himself famously said "corporations are people too! He must have been referring to himself! So here we sit with the dog days of August nipping on our heals and what have we so far learned about Mitt Romney. Well, we finally have a definition of who this Willard Romney fellow really is. Mitt Romney is not a person, but rather a Corporation with a nice haircut. We know this because Romney tells us everyday by refusing to release his tax returns, candidates who are actual people, you know human beings, release tax returns when running for political office and many people release them for much lesser reasons, such as when applying for jobs, loans and mortgages. Because the Corporations must know who we are and if we are credit worthy. In turn, why can't the people of this country know if Mitt Romney's moral compass is up to muster to lead us in the right direction?
We now know The Romney Corporation, which might be called Willard Inc. destroyed all the records from the 2002 Olympics and Wiilard Inc. also had the staff purchase all of the hard drives from his time as Governor of Massachusetts. All of the records that should have been available to the public were destroyed. This is what corporations do to hide secrets from the public about their activities. So what should the logo be for Willard Inc.? Perhaps it should be a Rat Eating Tax Returns?
Keeping money in foreign tax havens doesn't require too much explaining if you can't prove anything illegal. What people should focus on his Cayman shell companies. How do you explain setting up a corporation that advertises to foreign clients that they can invest in the U.S. and avoid paying U.S. taxes by investing through this shell corporation?
Some on the right say his offshore companies are to protect his assets but it's hard to believe holding 100's of millions in a country with a population of 51,000 and a budget probably less than bumfuk arkansas is safe.
The real issue is why Willard Romney is hiding his tax records? His former partner at Bain, Edward Conrad admitted to the Boston Globe about a week ago that Willard was indeed the CEO and soul owner of Bain till 2002. Willards tax records would validate Conrads statement. Why the delays? Why the unnecessary trips out of the country at this time? Why the misrepresenting of President Obama's speech? All smoke screens to keep folks off track.
Mitt Romney is hiding something, for him to come out with, if he would to release them, it would hurt him politically.
Tax Returns Tax Returns Tax Returns.. No, P.S. The real issue is why my house appraised 50% less last month than it did in 2010. Why my 401K is worth 40% less than it was in 2009, despite the fact that I keep dumping 6% of my paycheck into it every other week. Why are so many of my neighbors and friends STILL out of work 3-1/2 years after Bush, and why gas prices are twice as much? If a tax return is all you have to worry about, you must be a 1 %-er yourself.
The collapse that destroyed 11 trillion in national net worth, threw millions onto unemployment, food stamp and welfare roles and into default on their mortgages occurred under Bush in 2008, you know that right? The 11 trillion loss in net worth number is from an article from 2008 that Romney made demanding Bush act quicker to pass stimulus spending. 11 trillion loss from 401K's 403B's and home values. Hard to see how you blame Obama.
'Overall, Massachusetts ranked 47th out of 50 states in job creation under Romney's tenure.' Discussion of running the country better is over for me. Wake up, Red States!
Flipper romney, your abd your compony, distroied the eccon'y, and now you blame Pbama for it!, You are like an eel. that slithers under a rock, and oipnts its tail to someone elso. BE A MAN! Admit your sins, and realy try to correct your buisnass back grounds sins. You are like a child, whos cought with their hand in the cookie jar, and denies its you, then blame it on someone else. To be president, one must be first honest. You are not! Bravery is another, You are not. All you want, is not to be president, but, KING! Go to your accounts off shore, and become king there. not in america
To the flipper. SHAME-SHAME-SHAME, ON YOU!