Sunday, January 20, 2013
Steven
Whenever I see one of the two or three black reporters FOX News have managed to dredge up, I think of the Samuel L. Jackson character in "Django Unchained."
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
The Leap of Faith - But Not the Public Faith
"Hold on" said Thelma to Louise as they went over. "Where is that Ripcord, again?" thought Evel Knevel as he was airborne over the Snake River Canyon. My wife puts on a grin when she's at the top of The Dragster at Cedar Point, about to plummet 420 feet at a 90˚ angle at speeds of up to 120 miles an hour. But supposedly, the Republicans are more daring than any of that.
Why are they more daring? Because of their willingness to go over the fiscal cliff - that is, allowing an end to the tax breaks and spending cuts - they are risking more than anyone. And that isn't just me thinking that they are going to be the villains here. It's most Americans.
"Democrats are in a strong position with the public" declares yesterday's Pew Research Center report. The new national poll released yesterday revealed some interesting things. Among them that the public views President Obama making the most serious effort to avoid the fiscal cliff - at 55%. How many think Republican leaders are making a serious effort? 32%. Are any alarms going off yet Repubs?
President Obama's first post reelection job approval rating has risen to 55%, up 5 points since July and 11 points since the start of the year. Obama's job rating is quite a bit higher than President George W. Bush's first job measure after he "won" reelection in 2004. (48%)
53% to 33% of the public sees the Republican Party, rather than the Democrats, as "more extreme in it's positions." Ah, and those Tea Baggers still think they are so damn smart.
Democrats are seen as "more willing to work with leaders of the other party" by roughly a 2 to 1 margin (53% to 27%)
This kind of reminds me of the polls Pew did for The Washington Post in November and in early December. 53% said the Republicans would be more to blame than the Democrats, and a mere 27% said the Democrats were more to blame for going over the Fiscal Cliff and the impending economic repercussions.
It would seem that the Tea Baggers and the other Republican extremists still don't get it. They are not the heroes they think they are. The people see through the political nonsense. They are dragging the Republican party deeper into the muck. It's the Republicans fault because they don't have the intestinal fortitude to kick the pitiful dummies out onto the street. They are not "visionaries". They don't have the gumption to form their own party, so they just leech off another. It's obvious that they don't watch polls and realize they (the Republicans) are coming off as the villains.
I know, I know. They will come up with their usual tired lying excuses. "Pew Research Center is part of the liberal media." ("Liberal media" is anyone who doesn't agree whole-heartedly with them.) What else do you pitiful excuses for human beings have?
Keep it up. Please keep it up. If you want to keep losing, stay on course!
Why are they more daring? Because of their willingness to go over the fiscal cliff - that is, allowing an end to the tax breaks and spending cuts - they are risking more than anyone. And that isn't just me thinking that they are going to be the villains here. It's most Americans.
"Democrats are in a strong position with the public" declares yesterday's Pew Research Center report. The new national poll released yesterday revealed some interesting things. Among them that the public views President Obama making the most serious effort to avoid the fiscal cliff - at 55%. How many think Republican leaders are making a serious effort? 32%. Are any alarms going off yet Repubs?
President Obama's first post reelection job approval rating has risen to 55%, up 5 points since July and 11 points since the start of the year. Obama's job rating is quite a bit higher than President George W. Bush's first job measure after he "won" reelection in 2004. (48%)
53% to 33% of the public sees the Republican Party, rather than the Democrats, as "more extreme in it's positions." Ah, and those Tea Baggers still think they are so damn smart.
Democrats are seen as "more willing to work with leaders of the other party" by roughly a 2 to 1 margin (53% to 27%)
This kind of reminds me of the polls Pew did for The Washington Post in November and in early December. 53% said the Republicans would be more to blame than the Democrats, and a mere 27% said the Democrats were more to blame for going over the Fiscal Cliff and the impending economic repercussions.
It would seem that the Tea Baggers and the other Republican extremists still don't get it. They are not the heroes they think they are. The people see through the political nonsense. They are dragging the Republican party deeper into the muck. It's the Republicans fault because they don't have the intestinal fortitude to kick the pitiful dummies out onto the street. They are not "visionaries". They don't have the gumption to form their own party, so they just leech off another. It's obvious that they don't watch polls and realize they (the Republicans) are coming off as the villains.
I know, I know. They will come up with their usual tired lying excuses. "Pew Research Center is part of the liberal media." ("Liberal media" is anyone who doesn't agree whole-heartedly with them.) What else do you pitiful excuses for human beings have?
Keep it up. Please keep it up. If you want to keep losing, stay on course!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Cliff Notes
Here's an idea: The next time the Detroit Lions play, they should be able to decide exactly where they would like the ball placed on the field at the start of every first down. "Ref, could you please place the ball on their one yard line?" That would be the dream of every team, to decide where the ball is. (In the case of the Lions, they would still lose).
John Boehner, with his "Igor" Eric Cantor at his side, in the basement of the Capitol the other day, declared essentially that the ball was now in the court of the President and the Congressional Democrats before wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and sending them home for the holidays. Really John? Who told you and your impotent cronies get to decide where the ball is placed? Nice try, sir, but no, the ball is still now more than ever in your court. To send everyone home in the midst of all this was not only misguided but irresponsible. And Mr. Boehner you know it.
John Boehner realizes that he does not have the upper hand here and he seems to be sincerely willing to strike a deal. He knows how to politic. He gets how it works. But his beloved GOP has not caught on yet. He gave up on his power plan A and went to a compromising Plan B. This plan required a tax increase for zillionaires but in exchange it demanded a $3.00 decrease in spending for every new dollar of revenue. Did the President or the Democrats have a chance to shoot this one down? No. Boehner could not even muster enough votes among Republicans to pass Plan B. We should have known. Back when raising the debt ceiling talks were going on a plan was offered to cut $10 in spending for every dollar of increased revenue, and the Repubs turned their noses up at it, costing the USA an A-1 credit rating. Once again, the legitimate Republican party is being held hostage by the Tea Baggers who are scared to death to be viewed as having helped to raise taxes.
And can I just say a word about taxes for a minute? Folks, it costs money to live in the greatest country on Earth. Why do the ultimate welfare moms.... aka Republicans.... want to have the best of everything and not want to pay for it?
But I digress. The point is, Boehner and the others have to be willing to do more, and yes give up some of their Norquist ideology to keep this mess from happening. Because ultimately they are going to lose this one anyway. Unless they figure out a way of graceful concession, they could come out looking like villians. They are also very mindful of the fact the the President was re-elected by some fairly substantial numbers.
Here, Republican friends, is another thing to consider. Let's say we go over this "cliff". On January 2nd the President enters a bill to give the middle class the tax break he wants right now, and offers no spending cuts. Sure Boehner and the boys could stop it in the House, but then what? Vote against lowering taxes? How will that play to the voters?
The Republicans have a chance to avoid all that. They should make a deal now. They should take the $3 in spending cuts, and be able to walk away from the table with something they can brag to their constituencies about.
Tick-tock Repubs. The ball is very much in your court.
John Boehner, with his "Igor" Eric Cantor at his side, in the basement of the Capitol the other day, declared essentially that the ball was now in the court of the President and the Congressional Democrats before wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and sending them home for the holidays. Really John? Who told you and your impotent cronies get to decide where the ball is placed? Nice try, sir, but no, the ball is still now more than ever in your court. To send everyone home in the midst of all this was not only misguided but irresponsible. And Mr. Boehner you know it.
John Boehner realizes that he does not have the upper hand here and he seems to be sincerely willing to strike a deal. He knows how to politic. He gets how it works. But his beloved GOP has not caught on yet. He gave up on his power plan A and went to a compromising Plan B. This plan required a tax increase for zillionaires but in exchange it demanded a $3.00 decrease in spending for every new dollar of revenue. Did the President or the Democrats have a chance to shoot this one down? No. Boehner could not even muster enough votes among Republicans to pass Plan B. We should have known. Back when raising the debt ceiling talks were going on a plan was offered to cut $10 in spending for every dollar of increased revenue, and the Repubs turned their noses up at it, costing the USA an A-1 credit rating. Once again, the legitimate Republican party is being held hostage by the Tea Baggers who are scared to death to be viewed as having helped to raise taxes.
And can I just say a word about taxes for a minute? Folks, it costs money to live in the greatest country on Earth. Why do the ultimate welfare moms.... aka Republicans.... want to have the best of everything and not want to pay for it?
But I digress. The point is, Boehner and the others have to be willing to do more, and yes give up some of their Norquist ideology to keep this mess from happening. Because ultimately they are going to lose this one anyway. Unless they figure out a way of graceful concession, they could come out looking like villians. They are also very mindful of the fact the the President was re-elected by some fairly substantial numbers.
Here, Republican friends, is another thing to consider. Let's say we go over this "cliff". On January 2nd the President enters a bill to give the middle class the tax break he wants right now, and offers no spending cuts. Sure Boehner and the boys could stop it in the House, but then what? Vote against lowering taxes? How will that play to the voters?
The Republicans have a chance to avoid all that. They should make a deal now. They should take the $3 in spending cuts, and be able to walk away from the table with something they can brag to their constituencies about.
Tick-tock Repubs. The ball is very much in your court.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Let's Make the Repubs a Deal.
You guys get rid of Lindsey Graham, and we'll get rid of Diane Feinstein. Each seem equally obnoxious. Seems like a fair deal. Please give this serious consideration. Thank you.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Congratulating Themselves For Their Loss
So the latest is that the Romney camp are all slapping fives because they "won" the specific demographics that they set out to win. Are any of them letting that ugly "but we lost" elephant into the room? Apparently not.
A recent ariticle in Slate.com points out at how ecstatic the Romney folks are about capturing the selected targets they set out to win. This is a bit like Doctors congratulating themselves over how successful the operation was even though the patient's dead.
The Romney folks are thrilled because they won the over $50 K a year crowd, White Women, Whites Under 30, and Independents. But I could make an argument that none of that is necessarily true. But even so, when are these folks gonna realize that their perspective of America is a warped perspective and they are so out of touch that unless the GOP seriously re-tools, they may never win another Presidential election. (In the not too distant future, a wealthy old white guy will never have a chance. You are going to be seeing the last of white Presidents in your life-time. And just for the way Obama's been treated, I hope I never see another white President.) See, even though they might have (doubtful) won in these categories, these categories can't win you the election. I have said it before and I'll say it again: Romney ran a masterful, perfect campaign......if it was 1959.
Let's look at this stuff.
1. Incomes Over $50K.
The Romney folks claim they won the $50K-$100K crowd by 6 points. Romney's chief strategist Stuart Stevens actually bragged that "to get middle class America we must be doing something right." If they would actually bother to check (US Census Data) they'd discover that 49.8% of Americans have less than $50K a year in household income. So, to me, that doesn't necessarily mean they wooed the the middle class, but that they really don't know who the middle class is.
2. Whites Under 30.
Stevens brags "While John McCain lost white voters younger than 30 by 10 points, Romney won those voters by 7 points - a 17 point shift." However, joint national exit polling showed that President Obama beat Romney 60% to 36% among voters under 30. So where does the Romney camp get the brass to claim a victory? Simple. Don't count minorities. Those pesky brown and black folks sure can be a pain in the side to old white guys who are only concerned about protecting the wealthy. Almost 40% of voters under 30 were black or latino.
3. White Women.
Glen Bolger (of Public Opinion Strategies- the ones who polled for the Romney Super PAC) didn't think the Republicans had any problem with women. "The first thing I want to point out about the exit polls is that Mitt Romney won among white women by 14 points - 56% to 42%....so next time you hear Republicans are struggling with 'women', push back with that. Yes, the GOP is getting killed with minority women - 4% with black women, 23% with latino women - but the whole "war on women cost Romney the election" is simply not true."
Oh yeah? Let's look at those pesky exit polls again. Among white women Romney was 6 points worse than among white men. Latino women 10 points worse than latino men. Romney won by 7 points among men. So it seems like there's some kind of disconnect between women and the GOP. And it appears not to be exclusively a minorities problem.
4. Independents
Romney did well with independents. He won the battle but lost the war. He captured independents by 5 points, giving him a 1.5% advantage in the overall vote - but that wasn't enough to overcome the fact that most people are Democrats and when everybody votes, Democrats win. Dems outnumbered Repubs 38% - 32% at the polls.
So although the Romney camp won all of the groups they targeted to win, and are bragging about it, they still haven't realized that the groups they felt were key, weren't really key at all. Not enough to win the election anyhow. The Republicans went after the vote of white women. Why white women? Because you know, white women are the only ones that count. Keep thinking like that GOP and the struggles are only beginning. As I have said before, the Republicans can disenfranchise blacks, latinos, surplus Democrats, gays, people that earn less than $50K a year, all they want. But they won't win the big ones doing that. America is changing. The GOP is still staggering in a "what happened?" stupor. But sooner or later they will have to realize that we are all Americans and we all count.
And Mitt, this wasn't about "gifts". You played the same game as the President. He just chose to have more folks on his team.
And finally I have to end with a quote from the astute and wise William Murgan who posted on Facebook: "I've been away for awhile....How did that whole 'take back our country' thing work out?"
A recent ariticle in Slate.com points out at how ecstatic the Romney folks are about capturing the selected targets they set out to win. This is a bit like Doctors congratulating themselves over how successful the operation was even though the patient's dead.
The Romney folks are thrilled because they won the over $50 K a year crowd, White Women, Whites Under 30, and Independents. But I could make an argument that none of that is necessarily true. But even so, when are these folks gonna realize that their perspective of America is a warped perspective and they are so out of touch that unless the GOP seriously re-tools, they may never win another Presidential election. (In the not too distant future, a wealthy old white guy will never have a chance. You are going to be seeing the last of white Presidents in your life-time. And just for the way Obama's been treated, I hope I never see another white President.) See, even though they might have (doubtful) won in these categories, these categories can't win you the election. I have said it before and I'll say it again: Romney ran a masterful, perfect campaign......if it was 1959.
Let's look at this stuff.
1. Incomes Over $50K.
The Romney folks claim they won the $50K-$100K crowd by 6 points. Romney's chief strategist Stuart Stevens actually bragged that "to get middle class America we must be doing something right." If they would actually bother to check (US Census Data) they'd discover that 49.8% of Americans have less than $50K a year in household income. So, to me, that doesn't necessarily mean they wooed the the middle class, but that they really don't know who the middle class is.
2. Whites Under 30.
Stevens brags "While John McCain lost white voters younger than 30 by 10 points, Romney won those voters by 7 points - a 17 point shift." However, joint national exit polling showed that President Obama beat Romney 60% to 36% among voters under 30. So where does the Romney camp get the brass to claim a victory? Simple. Don't count minorities. Those pesky brown and black folks sure can be a pain in the side to old white guys who are only concerned about protecting the wealthy. Almost 40% of voters under 30 were black or latino.
3. White Women.
Glen Bolger (of Public Opinion Strategies- the ones who polled for the Romney Super PAC) didn't think the Republicans had any problem with women. "The first thing I want to point out about the exit polls is that Mitt Romney won among white women by 14 points - 56% to 42%....so next time you hear Republicans are struggling with 'women', push back with that. Yes, the GOP is getting killed with minority women - 4% with black women, 23% with latino women - but the whole "war on women cost Romney the election" is simply not true."
Oh yeah? Let's look at those pesky exit polls again. Among white women Romney was 6 points worse than among white men. Latino women 10 points worse than latino men. Romney won by 7 points among men. So it seems like there's some kind of disconnect between women and the GOP. And it appears not to be exclusively a minorities problem.
4. Independents
Romney did well with independents. He won the battle but lost the war. He captured independents by 5 points, giving him a 1.5% advantage in the overall vote - but that wasn't enough to overcome the fact that most people are Democrats and when everybody votes, Democrats win. Dems outnumbered Repubs 38% - 32% at the polls.
So although the Romney camp won all of the groups they targeted to win, and are bragging about it, they still haven't realized that the groups they felt were key, weren't really key at all. Not enough to win the election anyhow. The Republicans went after the vote of white women. Why white women? Because you know, white women are the only ones that count. Keep thinking like that GOP and the struggles are only beginning. As I have said before, the Republicans can disenfranchise blacks, latinos, surplus Democrats, gays, people that earn less than $50K a year, all they want. But they won't win the big ones doing that. America is changing. The GOP is still staggering in a "what happened?" stupor. But sooner or later they will have to realize that we are all Americans and we all count.
And Mitt, this wasn't about "gifts". You played the same game as the President. He just chose to have more folks on his team.
And finally I have to end with a quote from the astute and wise William Murgan who posted on Facebook: "I've been away for awhile....How did that whole 'take back our country' thing work out?"
Friday, November 23, 2012
Is There Something in Your Eye?
Okay the other side hasn't exactly blinked, but it seems like they are developing a twitch in an eyelid.
Grover Norquist, the anti-tax activist, has pretty much hand-cuffed Congress by bamboozling 38 Republican Senators, and a boatload of Republican House members into signing his pledge that they will never vote to raise taxes. But in the last few days the no tax hike levee is beginning to show cracks.
Within the last few days Senator Saxley Chambliss of Georgia has raised more than a little doubt about the wisdom of signing the stupid short-sighted pledge. Norquist's "Americans For Tax Reform", are beginning to get backlash from signers who are faced with the reality of the numbers. It is, as it turns out, all about arithmetic.
Many GOP freshmen have recently rejected the idea that they are actually bound by the document. Out on the campaign trail "no taxes" may have a nice ring to it, but once elected and faced with the reality of the numbers, it becomes evident that cuts alone won't do the trick.
Although Chambliss is up for re-election in 2014 and will face the inevitable wrath of Norquist and his goons, he has elected to stand on principle. Chambliss has stated that Norquist has no answers and in fact will stand in the way of ever really containing the ballooning debt. The Senator says that he's "willing to do the right thing and let the political consequences take care of themselves."
At last. A Republican voting country over party. If a few more do this, and am going to call it a full scale blink.
Grover Norquist, the anti-tax activist, has pretty much hand-cuffed Congress by bamboozling 38 Republican Senators, and a boatload of Republican House members into signing his pledge that they will never vote to raise taxes. But in the last few days the no tax hike levee is beginning to show cracks.
Within the last few days Senator Saxley Chambliss of Georgia has raised more than a little doubt about the wisdom of signing the stupid short-sighted pledge. Norquist's "Americans For Tax Reform", are beginning to get backlash from signers who are faced with the reality of the numbers. It is, as it turns out, all about arithmetic.
Many GOP freshmen have recently rejected the idea that they are actually bound by the document. Out on the campaign trail "no taxes" may have a nice ring to it, but once elected and faced with the reality of the numbers, it becomes evident that cuts alone won't do the trick.
Although Chambliss is up for re-election in 2014 and will face the inevitable wrath of Norquist and his goons, he has elected to stand on principle. Chambliss has stated that Norquist has no answers and in fact will stand in the way of ever really containing the ballooning debt. The Senator says that he's "willing to do the right thing and let the political consequences take care of themselves."
At last. A Republican voting country over party. If a few more do this, and am going to call it a full scale blink.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Let's Take A Ride....Over a Cliff.
I don't wanna get all "Thelma and Louise", but I am totally ready to take a ride over this made-up fake-ass fiscal cliff. As Michael Moore observes, this is just a ruse pure and simple to scare middle-class people into wanting to support tax breaks for the super rich. Let's ride it right over the cliff. The tax breaks end for everybody. Then at the beginning of 2013 introduce legislation to extend the breaks for the middle class. I dare the Republicans to defy it.
Why? Because in 2012 Barrack Obama got the highest percentage of the vote since Lyndon Johnson. Barrack Obama got the most votes for any Democratic President in the history of the United States and he was the only one to receive more votes than were gotten by Barrack Obama in 2008! Barrack Obama was the first President to get more than 50% of the vote twice in a row since Franklin Roosevelt.
I hope the President does not back down. No matter how much macho posturing the Republicans do, Obama has them firmly by the balls. I hope he doesn't get into his tendency to be a great compromiser. He doesn't need to be. He's running this now.
John Baughner can be worked with. Mitch McConnell is a moron that needs to go. Just as the Republican party focused all their attention on making Obama a one term President, the Democrats now need to focus on getting Mitch McConnell defeated. For the good of America.
Stay the course President Obama. Do what you were elected to do, and want to do. Hold out... let them blink first. Be their huckleberry. You are going to win this one. Please, take advantage of the Republicans while we have the chance. They are currently running amok trying to figure out why a perfect 1959 campaign in 2012 didn't work.
Hey, Republicans. Keep hating gays. Keep hating legitimate immigration. Keep with your "we don't support...", "we don't support...". Because it wins us elections. What the heck do you support? Stop being negative, and tell us what you're about. Oh, but you can't. Because you're all about yourselves and your big supporters.
My friend has dubbed this "Whitey's Last Stand." Is he wrong? I think not. But let's encourage Congress to vote with him. And if they don't, if the Republicans still can't see the writing on the wall, let's send our voter version of Vince Vega and Jules [see 'Pulp Fiction'] to call on them in 2014. "I said: Do [we] LOOK LIKE A BITCH??!!!" "Say 'what?' again,...I dare you."
Why? Because in 2012 Barrack Obama got the highest percentage of the vote since Lyndon Johnson. Barrack Obama got the most votes for any Democratic President in the history of the United States and he was the only one to receive more votes than were gotten by Barrack Obama in 2008! Barrack Obama was the first President to get more than 50% of the vote twice in a row since Franklin Roosevelt.
I hope the President does not back down. No matter how much macho posturing the Republicans do, Obama has them firmly by the balls. I hope he doesn't get into his tendency to be a great compromiser. He doesn't need to be. He's running this now.
John Baughner can be worked with. Mitch McConnell is a moron that needs to go. Just as the Republican party focused all their attention on making Obama a one term President, the Democrats now need to focus on getting Mitch McConnell defeated. For the good of America.
Stay the course President Obama. Do what you were elected to do, and want to do. Hold out... let them blink first. Be their huckleberry. You are going to win this one. Please, take advantage of the Republicans while we have the chance. They are currently running amok trying to figure out why a perfect 1959 campaign in 2012 didn't work.
Hey, Republicans. Keep hating gays. Keep hating legitimate immigration. Keep with your "we don't support...", "we don't support...". Because it wins us elections. What the heck do you support? Stop being negative, and tell us what you're about. Oh, but you can't. Because you're all about yourselves and your big supporters.
My friend has dubbed this "Whitey's Last Stand." Is he wrong? I think not. But let's encourage Congress to vote with him. And if they don't, if the Republicans still can't see the writing on the wall, let's send our voter version of Vince Vega and Jules [see 'Pulp Fiction'] to call on them in 2014. "I said: Do [we] LOOK LIKE A BITCH??!!!" "Say 'what?' again,...I dare you."
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