Romney Tape Reveals Contempt for 47% of Americans

Mittens in distress. Image from Raw Story

Whoa. At first, as I got the first dribs and drabs of this, I thought this was maybe not so bad. Then, a Facebook friend of mine said, basically, "Well, Romney doesn't care about my mother who is retired, or any veteran." Which would be included in those who receive benefits from the government. Good point, right? Then, as more of the context of the quote--and the promise of more to come--makes this sound really, really bad.

Don't believe me? Moments ago, in fact as I started typing this, Mitt Romney was on television giving a nervous, blustery, stammering press conference. As a reporter tried to clarify, he walked away, stage right, in a beeline, with a rictus grin plastered on his face. RomBot is not programmed for this! Was this the implosion of the Romney campaign, just now?

[Excerpt]

Romney: Obama supporters believe they are victims and pay no income tax

At a private fundraiser earlier this year, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney claimed that most supporters of President Barack Obama — and nearly half of Americans — believed they were entitled to government handouts and didn’t take responsibility for their lives. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

My Take on The Romney/Ryan Ticket

You saw it here first, folks!

What could be more natural than the Rolls-Royce logo for
Romney/Ryan?

Ann Romney in Power to You People (Rocky Mountain Mike)

I actually had a blog post all written, pictures, pull quotes, the works. My blogger software ate it. So, I got peeved and went off to do other things. That's why the blog is light at the moment! So, here is the first of two Rocky Mountain Mike song parodies! This one is about Mrs. Romney's unfortunate tendency to refer to we plebeians as "you people."

Republicans, Mitt Romney is Your John Kerry

Nice bod, Mitt! But where are the magic underwear?
Image from Boston Globe.

In much the same way that "gay" is not an insult, but that many homophobes would think it so, I don't think comparing somebody to John Kerry is a bad thing. But Republicans do. They may sort have forgotten about him, but when he was running for president in 2004, they hated the man (and oddly, his wife). When they weren't insulting his service to the country, they were (oddly, again) picking on him for being elite and (oddly, still) too French.


Willard Mitt Romney got out of Viet Nam (though he demonstrated in support of the draft, and the war) by being a Mormon missionary in Bordeaux. You know where that is, kids? Yep, France. Trying to convince wine drinkers to become Mormons. . .which is kind of hilarious (thanks to John Fugelsang for the observation).  So, though Kerry and Romney's Viet Nam-era records are polar opposites, they're both elitist rich guys, or perceived to be. And they both like rich guy things.

Kerry. Image from Live Shot.

Back in 2004, one of the most memorable images was that of Kerry windsurfing. I don't know why, exactly. It showed him to be fit and active, and I really, really didn't understand why that was so negative. Then again, I didn't understand the big deal of Michael Dukakis in a tank either, so what do I know? But somebody on the right please tell me, how is this picture of Mitt on a Jet Ski any different (and on the bitch seat, no less!)? And while you're at it, tell me what was so funny about John Edwards' hair and physical appearance, when you have your own Capt. Hairdo/department store mannequin?

And of course, we can't forget that the windsurfing picture was used in an anti-Kerry ad, accusing him of "flip-flopping." Nobody--not John Kerry, not anybody--has proven to be a bigger flip-flopper than Mitt Romney.

[Excerpt]


Mitt Romney on a jet ski — the GOP candidate’s Kerry moment?


The last thing Mitt Romney needs is a John Kerry moment that conjures up F. Scott Fitzgerald’s description of the very rich: “They are different from you and me. . .”

Read more at: Boston Globe

Obama's Romney Debate Practice Stand-in: John Kerry

Well, this is interesting. Not only is John Kerry a great choice as a Mitt Romney stand-in in debate practice, he's a great analogue to the candidate himself.

Do you remember the criticism of Kerry?  I'm referring to when they weren't criticizing his looks or his wife. Yes, it was his elitism. This wealthy, out-of-touch, upper-crust, elitist. Forget that he was a war hero, he was not a guy you could sit down and have a beer with. Forget that George W. Bush was an alcoholic. Curious how that stuff isn't coming up this time, isn't it?

[Excerpt]


Obama picks John Kerry to play Romney in mock debate rehearsals

President Obama has tapped Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, to play Republican Mitt Romney in mock debate rehearsals, Obama campaign officials and the senator’s office confirmed Monday. . .

Read more at: Washington Post

McCain's Dishonest Mud Slinging & Poo Flinging

Here's my take on how the "negative" campaigning is going so far this Presidential election year. Barack Obama has gotten a few digs in, but not very many. As far as I can tell, Obama's ads are fairly straight forward and honest. I'm sure there's a little political flair there, but I don't see any flagrant truth-twisting or lying in the ads.

John McCain, on the other hand, has fired off one negative ad after the other. The targets are wide, and the truth is thin. He's attacked Obama for being "too popular," has compared him to celebutards, blamed the price of gas on Obama, and now is hitting him with a claim of corruption. That corruption has to do with a shady guy named Tony Rezko, and Obama may have had some dealings with the guy. But I question how much impropriety could have been involved if McCain has to gin up the story to sell it.

And this was in response to Obama's "McCain forgets how many houses he has" gaffe, no less. The only connection in the two stories is the word "house." Weak.



[Excerpt]

Rezko Reality: McCain misfires as he attacks Obama's home purchase

The ad says Chicago power broker Tony Rezko got "political favors" including "$14 million from taxpayers." But there's no evidence of any connection to the Obama home purchase. The $14 million was to build apartments for low-income seniors. Obama wrote a letter supporting the "worthy" project, but both men say Rezko didn't ask for the letter.

It says Rezko "purchased part of the property [Obama] couldn't afford." Rezko's wife did buy an adjoining tract but later sold the land at a profit. Obama paid market price for his home. . .

Read more at: Newsweek

John McCain, Infallible Because He was a POW?

This clever, "it's funny 'cause it's true" video, a Nineteen Eighty-four parody, shows us the new defense for any John McCain gaffe: he was a prisoner of war.

Now, I can't imagine what it would have been like to go through something like that. It is a truly unfortunate thing that happened to McCain, and I doubt any Democrat would belittle the experience with anything akin to purple band-aids. But increasingly, McCain's POW experience is being trotted out as an answer to any gaffe he makes. From cheating on his first wife to forgetting how many houses he has, we're met with, "but, he was a POW!"

I don't think having been a POW automatically makes you ready to be President, and I don't think it explains adultery or being out of touch. What do you think?




Found at: AmericaBlog

The Fabulous Life of John McCain!

Every week (or even, every few days) there is a new line of attack from John McCain on Barack Obama. Many of them are silly, misleading, and often times lies. But the stupidest kind of attack--to my way of thinking--is to attack your opponent on an issue that applies more to you than it does to him.

Case in point the "elitist, out-of-touch" meme that McCain and other conservatives have tried to pin onto Obama. He's different, not like us. He can't relate to the common man. Well finally, with the "I don't remember how many houses I have" gaffe, McCain may actually have to drop this line of attack. Curiously, he's still pushing the "Obama as celebrity" angle, which is only slightly different. Check out this scathing video, to see why he shouldn't.



Found at: AmericaBlog

New Barack Obama Ad: McCain's Seven Houses

The issue isn't that John McCain has seven houses. We know he (or his wife, at least) is rich. The issue is, that McCain has tried to paint Barack Obama as an out-of-touch elitist, and yet McCain himself seems to have forgotten how many houses he has.

Oh, and by the way, wasn't there a stink made about how many houses John Kerry had long about four years ago? Mmm hmm, thought so.