Show at 7pm! Democratic Convention Special Edition: Tonight we discuss the DNC in Charlotte. Is it working? Will Obama get a bump or is it all for naught. Tamerlane, Lynne, and Annabelle all chime in. Call in (877) 653-8381. Click here at 7pm Pacific.
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Wow. I thought Biden would avoid being a moron tonight. Oh well.
I don’t think he can finish a sentence without stumbling over his words.
Is he drunk? Obama’s suddenly a tough guy? Obama was on the golf course when they got Bin Laden. He got “no steely look in his eye” that let Joe Biden know he had made his decision. He was pulled in and sat in a corner like a child.
I’ll concede Joe’s point in one respect: obama is indeed a sadistic killer. Like any sociopath, he derives momentary pleasure from hurting, humiliating, or killing things.
VP Biden seemed to have trouble saying the word “automobile.” No idea why.
djmm
‘VP Biden seemed to have trouble saying the word “automobile.” ‘
You should see him try to touch his nose while walking down the median strip.
I’m renaming Biden ‘Wankenstein’. Don’t know why. Just fits.
Wankenstein…hmmm. Why? Because he’s a wanker?
I’m conventioned-out…we need Shelby Fluffy!
Great show John, AnnaBelle and Tamerlane! Special thanks and kudos to Lynne in Rastaland
If Romney wins in November, I think his first term is still a complete unknown and we can’t predict his success in 1st term or project our hopes and dreams on what we think he might be or might accomplish, the second coming of Reagan or whatever… if 2008 election-now taught us anything it should be that lesson. Magical thinking just doesn’t work.
Right now I think Romney has more money to spend, I think it’s going to be extremely close but I think I give the slight edge to Romney.
I think the only thing that will stop Hillary Clinton from running in 2016 is Hillary Clinton.
Lynne has a lovely signing voice, and a wickedly funny ability to rewrite lyrics. Lynne: the country music genre is ripe to fall to your satire!
I also give it to Romney, but with a comfy margin. (Not buying the landslide bit though.)
I’ve not been off long enough to eat a plate of pasta and watch Obama’s speech. I must say I’m shocked. Obama’s speech was lame. If he was not in that hall it would have been met with polite clapping. In the battle of the speeches Clinton clocked Obama. I really am surprised. The Obama speech was shockingly vapid. I swear I felt a bit like he was phoning parts of it in. Even Trippi is on Fox saying Biden was better. Joe fucking Trippi, Dean’s mistress. This is the guy who made one the best convention speeches ever in 2004.
How pollsters/media will spin that speech will be a sight to behold.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
And actually, obama’s 2004 speech was utter horseshit, only people were in a coprophagous mood at the time. Listen to it again, then get back to us.
“In the battle of the speeches Clinton clocked Obama.”
When people shouted “Four more years!” in Clinton’s speech, some of us were thinking “Yes! Let’s give Clinton four more years!”
I miss Bill and Hillary!
djmm
Yes, Shelby Fluffy please!
Annabelle, I love hearing your insight on election maneuvering. Two questions –
1) You mentioned MR campaign pulling ad buys from MN & OH. Could it be their polling shows them too far behind, or perhaps comfortably ahead?
2) You said that “huge numbers” of Tea Party candidates had replaced the old GOP guard in Congress. How can this be so, when 99% (actual figure*, not hyperbole) of GOP House incumbents were reelected in 2010? I believe some dems may have been unseated by TP challengers, but what is a fair estimate of total TP members of Congress?
* http://trueliberalnexus.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/legends-of-the-mid-terms/
My apologies for not getting to you sooner, I’ve had a very busy day Thanks for the compliment first. I also admire your insight into polls on John’s show, and not just because I tend to agree with you. I wish I had a gift for numbers like that. Alas, my talents are rhetorical.
As to your first question, yes, that’s always a factor. They have pulled within two points in MI last I checked, and like, five in PA, according to public polls. So it’s entirely possible using your methodology that they are within their sights in those states and laying off to avoid voter fatigue. I suspect they will go back in at a later date.
As for number two, I took at look at your table, but I can’t tell if those numbers include primaries. I’m going by memory, but IIRC, more than 2 GOP incumbents were unseated in primaries.
At any rate, here’s my take on Obama’s speech and the impact it will have: http://peacocksandlilies.com/2012/09/07/the-retro-campaign/
Also, I would add that they unseated more of their own this year, and ate the Democrats for lunch in 2010.
I confess that O’s speech is the first in either convention that I fast forwarded through. I guess I feel that I know him already, and the speech wasn’t anything new at all. Jon Stewart’s graphic HOPE AND CHANGE 2 is on the money.
Then, I remembered what I’ve learned in the last few years: you don’t get to the White House without being beholden to scores of interests that ‘middle class’ (gag) Americans never know about.
So now if I could only fast forward past November….
I’m officially lower-class. And a bit tacky.
I’d rather fast-forward to 2016.
Wanna race?
Okay, and the benediction. Wow. The priest reamed the dems too.
There’s a scurrilous joke in there somewhere.
Thanks for a good show John, loved Lynn’s song. Tamer touched on something dh mentioned the other day, he suggested adding 5 points to any Romney poll no.’s and deduct 5 from any of O’s..
I have tried to retrace my steps today and provide a link, but I read somewhere that O agreed to pay off Hill’s remaining campaign debts, if Clinton would speak on his behalf. I have not located the source of that article, but it makes the inexplicable more understandable. Maybe that’s why Clinton ‘bowed’ to O when he came on stage. It may have been out of sarcasm, it sure wasn’t out of respect.
Did anyone else get a look at MO during Clinton’s speech ? Aside from her usual grimacing, she had a definite ‘”the Queen is displeased” look..
Hey Sophie, it was an article in New Yorker I linked to it on the other blog post.
Obama allegedly agreed to pay off Clinton’s campaign debt in 2008 to get HER endorsement, but he never did.. so allegedly one of the conditions for Bill Clinton to speak in 2012 was to have Obama finally pay off her debt.
Conner, I read the same thing. I want to say the Atlantic. But really do not remember. It makes sense. Esp if she is planning on running again.
However, upon reflection I do think a successful romney term – which is to say the economy turns around, it is bound to at some point. – makes Hillary being elected impossible. Whereas If obama overseas a turn around the Clinton brand is holds up as a “keep it going, we know what to do.” If Obama tanks in term 2 she’s long gone and was never connected to Obama on the home front anyway. I do think there is a case to be made for Clinton judging that helping Obama helps Hillary. It’s the less crappy of 2 crappy choices. Clinton may be convinced that the economy will take off next year regardless.
Note that Clinton’s speech was very much about Clinton. The brand.
“Aside from her usual grimacing, she had a definite ‘”the Queen is displeased” look..”
Jeez, cut the woman some slack, Soph! She hasn’t gotten any since Sasha was conceived.
Is a vote for Obama a vote for Hillary in 2016?
I dont think a vote for Obama now equals a vote for Hillary in 2016.
I do enjoy AnnaBelle’s posts/blog and she has some pretty good insights into the Romney campaign…and for Clinton supporters in 2008 her latest blog entry is worth a read.
I think that to assume whoever is president in 2016 will be presiding over a recovered economy is optomistic.I think based on Romney’s past performance and Obama’s current performance, it’s more likely that 2012-2016 will hopefully be “better” but I think we are headed into a period of austerity in terms of economy/growth.
I think to assume Romney will be “successful” based on his previous record of success is a bit of projection as well..and the idea of Romney for 2 terms and his VP subsequent 1-2 terms as a probability based on Carter-Reagan-GHW Bush presidencies is flawed in the sense that we just don’t know what a Romney 1st term will be.
Of the four scenarios:
2012 Obama Win and Economic Recovery – validates the “new left” and I think Clinton out of the picture.
2012 Obama Win and Stagnant Economy – repudiates Obama as lame duck president and bad for whatever is left of the Democratic party, whoever with an R next to their name has a strong advantage to win in 2016 (as in 2008 for the Democrats)…probably not Romney or Ryan though.
2012 Romney Win and Economic Recovery – validates Romney’s “stellar businessman” pedigree and gives him a strong advantage in seeking second term. I’d argue that Hillary Clinton could be the presumptive nominee at this point, oddly enough to AB’s point (she waited her turn), and goes against the Romney in 2016 while the Democrats develop their bench for 2016 and beyond.
2012 Romney Win and Stagnant Economy – puts Romney in the same position that Obama is currently in and I’d say strong chance for Clinton to come back with an invigorated Democratic party (as the Republicans did in 2010 midterms) and win in 2016.
My guess is the economy will probably uptick slightly, but we aren’t going to see the kind of recovery that we need unless politicians collecitvely pull their heads out of their asses and engage in a major kind of bipartisan FDR/WPA type of reboot of the economy and labor force in the US.
Politicians will more than likely continue to blow smoke up our collective asses on social issues (they don’t cost anything and mobilize the base just fine) until people really figure out screwed they are and demand that type of solution.
OK, just reading transcript of His speech.
* “Hope” — had to go there I guess, and early to clear it off the board. Sound PR tactic.
* “I never said it would be easy” At least twice, beginning and near end. Umm, you promised us the moon, and now you claim it you said it would only be a flashlight shining on the ceiling?
* “You did that. That was you.” Combo of trying to revive the self-indulgence of 2008 obamania, and a less-than-successful attempt to fix “you didn’t build that.”
* “As Americans, we believe we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, rights that no man or government can take away.” Umm, except you did take them away, you fascist motherfucker.
* Lots and lots and lots of talk about ‘staying on the path’, which is ‘long and hard.’ In contrast, Romney offers a quick & easy way out. Kinda like those 3 a.m. infomercials. Which path will voters’ lizard brains pick?
Much of the rest is nearly verbatim from his Kansas, and stinker Cleveland , speeches. He only has the one speech, after all:
A most splendid review, Tam.
The more I listen to barry’s speech(es), the more I hear William Shatner uttering, “We … have … crumbling roads … and bridges … Mr. Spock!”
HAHAHAHA
That comparison video is fucking creepy.
Jay – I saw a dial test on that video the other day on t.v. The pollster said that first people laughed but then as the video went on they became horrified as they realized Obama had been using almost the same phrases for years. The ad dialed up as one of the most effective yet this election season because it uses Obama’s own words against him.
Excellent Tamer, you’re right about MO too. The life of a beard definitely has it’s downs and not many ups.
Who does Mechelle despise more: Bill Clinton; or Reggie Love?
Most def, Bill Clinton.
Did connor just make a dirty joke? Nice!
Just got that! Is Valjar open to mercy dives?
Mysteries of the White House. We’ll have to wait for the history books.
Oh man…not a good mental image.
Spot-on:
O thank da lawd the conventions are over. And, especial thanks that O’s speech took off like a lead balloon.
I must say — my business has turned around in the last 8 months. For three years, I was in trouble. It was awful. But now the film industry is spending again.
I’d like to hear from others here. Are your personal economies getting better?
PS: This question is more about the country than it is whether Obama is helping the economy. I’ve started to wonder if presidents today have much to do with it at all.
No, it’s not getting better.
Jay my business is better. I am in the fourth quarter and doing well – I’m up 24% over last year. Everyone in my group is up over last year for Q4.
But when they talk about jobs being created in the private sector how many of them are actually full time? How many of them are full time jobs you can actually make enough money to live indoors?
So we have a ‘better’ on Florida and a ‘not better’ in Michigan. Anybody else?
Sure, Jay – here goes:
In NYC, my business is up about 8% from last year, but the cost of living has risen far beyond that percentage value. Food prices have increased about 20%, dining out costs more because of the rise in delivery costs to restaurants (thanks to a hike in gas prices), and ConEd and other utilities have skyrocketed.
I’ve had to increase my hours to make ends meet. Essentially, I’m working twice as hard for about a 0.25% increase in what my dollar is worth.
in my life it isn’t better.
my mom’s job depends on the economy since she works at a private school. she was lucky at the very end she was able to get the amount of kids she needed to still work full time.
and about us. the housing bubble supposedly never hit where we live when we bought our house, but now we have had it up since april and there has only been one buyer since april in our price range. we have reduced down to what we bought it for, but still no offers. i don’t even care at this point if they offer way less, if only we would get one damned offer.
we have to move and live somewhere else in a few months. i don’t want to have to stress about being a landlord. and if there are no to buy offers, how are we even going to find a renter in our price range to pay the mortgage.
even my hubby’s company is not doing good on bidding. past the three jobs they have now, there is no word on a future job after those so far. by now we would be hearing about maybe where we might be in 2 or 3 years after this next job. everything is so uncertain, and i hate that feeling.
i have to say, i do see success with friends who are entrepeneurs and who have decided to own their own businesses. it’s almost like to them, what have i got to lose and they go for it since no one can hire them with how the economy is right now. so they are successful and they are there at their jobs that they own everyday. they work hard at it.
i just feel like the people around me are just surviving, still living pay check to pay check, reprioritizing their priorities.
the people who work for someone else feel unstable. this is of course all in my corner of our little universe, but it is me and my friends and family experiences right now that i am witnessing.
i also have underemployed friends or friends who can’t take jobs or all the money they would earn just goes to pay for them and their husbands joint tax returns. so they found, what is the point for working at all when they would love to work, but it just doesn’t make any sense too right now, because it isn’t extra money, it is money that just goes to the government instead. pretty lame.
in what i work in, in this town, the one graphic design firm went under and the only print shops are an hour away, but the wages would only pay for the gas to get there, so for me it isn’t worth it to work for someone else. instead i have to freelance and i don’t make much money on it yet. though i do love that i feel in control of my own time and creative output and that what i get paid is what i earned and one day it will be worth it in the money i make as well as creatively. anyway, sorry for blabbing
That wasn’t blabbing, Knaughty — it was answering the question! I run my own biz and after many years of prosperity, things just flat out tanked. The uptick has been profound though.
I find hearing from Jen and Lynne and Anthony and yourself more trustworthy than the encapsulations of the state of things that we hear on the news.
I thought that Obama’s speech was lackluster.
Yes, the economy is getting better in NE Ohio. There is building going on, so the banks are lending again.
That’s how it looks on the ground.
In this article Peggy shows why she’s still around, she nailed it for this Boomer:
http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html
Peggy nails it, at least for this Boomer:http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html
Peggy nails Obama (and Fluke). Deservedly harsh.
She also partially nails Bill. Some worthy points, for sure, but a bit harsh overall.
I’m sure Bill would nail Peggy, given the chance.
Oh, I think Peggy is on to something. She deserves quoting at length:
“There was the relentless emphasis on Government as Community, as the thing that gives us spirit and makes us whole. But government isn’t what you love if you’re American, America is what you love. Government is what you have, need and hire. Its most essential duties—especially when it is bankrupt—involve defending rights and safety, not imposing views and values. We already have values. Democrats and Republicans don’t see all this the same way, and that’s fine—that’s what national politics is, the working out of this dispute in one direction or another every few years. But the Democrats convened in Charlotte seemed more extreme on the point, more accepting of the idea of government as the center of national life, than ever, at least to me.
“Something else, and it had to do with tone. I remember the Republicans in Tampa bashing the president, hard, but not the entire Democratic Party. In Charlotte they bashed Mitt Romney, but they bashed the Republican Party harder. If this doesn’t strike you as somewhat unsettling, then you must want another four years of all war all the time between the parties. I don’t think the American people want that. Because, actually, they’re not extreme.”
That’d be the fascism of the Left you smell, Peggy.
By no means Obama’s most fired up speech. Problem is he’s a sociopath and once a sociopath has achieved victory at something they’re on the search for something else to fulfill that need for the win. Obama already won the White House; for him, this is all empty slogging and rehash.
That said, Obama doesn’t have to be at his firey best. All he has to do is provide something to compel people to get to the polls and vote for him again or cast their first historic unprecedented vote ever for the first unprecedented historic black President’s unprecedented historic second term. He planted all the seeds four years ago; to get voters he already seduced he doesn’t have to plant new seeds. He doesn’t have to be spectacular. He only has to be enough. And judging by what I saw, what I’m hearing and reading from others, that’s what he managed.
Good points Zal.
I think Obama gave a good “hey people who voted for me in 2008, please don’t stay home in 2012″ speech and kept his base… I don’t think he’s winning undecideds over with this speech and that’s probably not the plan. He just has to keep it close…or close enough to recount and drag it out.
Dan, he may have been able to keep his base, but his base has undeniably become much smaller. I live in Manhattan, and there are a lot of undecided Dems. If Manhattan Dems are undecided with an incumbent Democrat in the race, that’s the same as saying they’ll either stay home or vote for Romney.
Anthony, hello from 27th Street!
I’ve noticed too that everyone in NYC that I knew that was swooning over Obama in 2008 isn’t really saying much about him now. So that’s a problem for Obama.
I think by the “base” I mean voters who vote Democratic ticket down the line… he needs to keep all of those people and get them all out to vote.
For people who voted for the first time in 2008 (either 18 year olds or people who just never voted before) he needs to get as many of these people to go out and vote for him again and not simply stay home.
I think the Sandra Fluke’s of the Left will try and scare people about social issues and get some votes out that way, but that’s slim pickings.
But I think there is an unspoken Obama-burnout/buyer’s remorse among a lot of Dems.
My gut is telling me this election willl be as bad as Bush/Gore.
Good point, Dan (and hello from 75th St. – Drinks are in order!)
I agree about the Bush/Gore thing. I don’t see a win with a margin greater than 1 or 2 points, and I fully expect a recount from whomever thinks it would advantage them.
Now that Rev. Moon has gone to his reward, there’s an opening for Messiah. I was sort of hoping Obama would take a break from destroying the Left (and the US) to apply.
Anthony, yes get my email address from John and maybe we can organize an NYC based get together among those here and we can debate and argue over drinks like people did in the 80s
Keep an eye on your inbox
What on earth was Jennifer Granholm doing last night ? I had her on mute and would have sworn she was auditioning for the Wrestling Channel.
The networks cut off Cardinal Dolan, why do I suspect the Dems set him up for embarrassment ?
Looked like a do over of Obama and Paul Ryan.
Jennifer Granholm reminded me of President Camacho’s speech in Idiocracy..seriously..what the eff? its comical.
The one he gave before Da House o’ Representin’ ?
Wow, Granholm sounded ridiculous. Actually, she reminded me of Joan Cusak’s “but you can’t be funny when you’re the ppprincipal of ppprep school” rant in SCHOOL OF ROCK
^ Hey! I worked on that movie!
The Party That obama Un-Built: a rightish slant on issues, but otherwise an excellent analysis:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443686004577635422609097482.html
that article is perfectly what i think on how he unbuilt the party that i was a part of for all my voting life until he decided to be it’s star and not back it up as an actual democrat in action… i guess the adoration was off putting to me and that’s why i don’t have a home politically right now except to say anyone but obama and bring my party back to where it was and make it the party of the people that actually stands up and takes action for all of it’s constituents like the lgbt. it’s like ob has stunted the progress of the party by being a faux democrat. it was even shown by them not showing any future stars of the party. it is like obama didn’t want anyone to upstage him because his narcissism is so huge and yet you can’t build a party like that. i hope to god he loses and people really see through this koolaid. he deserves to lose if only to start to rebuild the party again. if the party is dead, then let their rise up a legitimate 3rd party who can actually win the presidency someday who actually fights for what they put lip service too and who actually fight for the people and the constitution. let the democrat party die as it is right now because it has absolutely no integrity anymore.
Ouch! WaPo slams barry’s speech, and by extension, his record:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443686004577635422609097482.html
Tamer posted the WSJ link by mistake, here are a few takes from WaPo.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-obama-lowers-the-bar-on-hope-and-change/2012/09/07/dbf3ea82-f8dc-11e1-8b93-c4f4ab1c8d13_story.html?tid=pm_pop
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/awful-august-jobs-report-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-obama/2012/09/07/a6374c3c-f8ea-11e1-8b93-c4f4ab1c8d13_blog.html?hpid=z2
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mr-obamas-hazy-agenda-for-a-second-term/2012/09/07/048de6a4-f852-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_story.html
So, 2 things I just didn’t get from Biden’s speech. Him saying “Would Osama Bin Laden say he was better off than 4 years ago?!!!” Uh . . . No, he probably wouldn’t. But, isn’t that what the Republicans’ point is – everyone answers that question No. Plus, it almost sounds like he’s comparing every American who doesn’t think they are better off than 4 years to OBL. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to say “Would potential victims/fighters of al qaeda and OBL say they are better off than 4 years ago.”
And, him saying “I say this to Romney/Ryan – you never win by betting against the American people.” Um – WHAAAA??? So, they are actually betting against Americans? Really?
Lot of gibberish to me. And, Obama was just unwatchable.
my two cents…
…it was hard to get through what poses for the Democratic Party the last couple of days…so negative, so mean spirited and replete with the O sarcasm brand…and frankly so useless and devoid of issues the majority of people care about…still all about Obama hero worship…the cult, if you will…
…but for me the most difficult part was listening to Bill Clinton (could not watch all of it)…
I love Bill and Hill…and I know there are many theories around as to ‘why’ Bill is doing what he is doing and why he has taken it this far in his endorsement of O…the theory I will most agree with is that it so obviously sets up the comparison and begs for Romney to wait for the right moment, preferably in a debate, to turn to O and say “the whole country knows Bill Clinton…and you are no Bill Clinton”…
…but I have got to be honest, it is really, really hard to turn on the TV and see Bill Clinton still ‘pimping’ for O in all these ads that are playing nonstop…that is really sickening… I wish Bill had drawn the line with the speech…it is bad enough that I hit mute every time O comes on, now I have to hit mute when Bill comes on…Bill may have his futuristic reasons for doing what he is doing, but for now Ifeel he is being used abusively by O…I heard a quip by O today about someone sending him an email saying that O should “appoint Bill Clinton as the explainer-in-chief”…and O laughed and made a joke of it…and you could sense he was trying to marginalize Bill…
Obama cannot be trusted at all…period.
More about that coming soon (I must remain cryptic, but you should know you’re not alone. As a matter of the fact, you’re ahead of the curve)
Is there a problem posting? I tried linking something 3x
Don’t think so, Dan. WP is weird.