And this is not racist?

[PlummMeanGreen]

Obama's approval ratings have been rising the past six months. He recently went over 50 percent. If current economic trends continue to November, the Republican nominee's going to have a hard time beating him.

(Obviously, they might not continue.)

The main stream press had Jimmy Carter beating Ronald Reagan right up till election day and Carter was conceeding before the CA polls were closed. Reagan land-slided Jimmy Carter so I don't put much stock in what the liberal press ever has to report; especially since they are all tripping over each other trying to be the news story (Fair and balanced journalism is a total stranger to most of that group).

Today the Gallop Poll (hardly a Democrat Party skewed poll) had Obama's approval rating at 43%. That is close to being an all time low for a president this close to election day.

I'm sick that Herman Cain will not be running because I was for Cain when few others were--even over Rick Perry.

Key Voters This November: Evangelicals & Conservative Catholics There were a reported 30 million of that group who did not vote back in 2008 mostly because of the very uninspiring John McCain. (And Obama won by 10 million votes)? Hmmm?

[UNT90]

The main stream press had Jimmy Carter beating Ronald Reagan right up till election day and Carter was conceeding before the CA polls were closed. Reagan land-slided Jimmy Carter so I don't put much stock in what the liberal press ever has to report; especially since they are all tripping over each other trying to be the news story (Fair and balanced journalism is a total stranger to most of that group).

Today the Gallop Poll (hardly a Democrat Party skewed poll) had Obama's approval rating at 43%. That is close to being an all time low for a president this close to election day.

I'm sick that Herman Cain will not be running because I was for Cain when few others were--even over Rick Perry.

Key Voters This November: Evangelicals & Conservative Catholics There were a reported 30 million of that group who did not vote back in 2008 mostly because of the very uninspiring John McCain. (And Obama won by 10 million votes)? Hmmm?

Actually, Carter was beating Reagan 2 to 1 in opinion polls at this point in that race.

Different race in a different time, but I get your point.

No one should underestimate the President and his political and media machine. With many former democrat operatives in major positions in the mainstream news media, whoever the candidate is for the republicans better be ready to take on a vicious attack by the media from the day of his nomination.

Edited February 29, 2012 by UNT90

[Coffee and TV]

Keep pinning your hopes to polls from 1980, as if the science of it hasn't advanced light years since.

[Coffee and TV]

Wow. Your starting to get into the Coffee and Tea realm, here.

What realm is that? Reality?

Surely you understand that we barely missed Bin Laden during the Bush administration, right?

Had him in Tora Bora, didn't put enough troops in place. He then slipped into Pakistan.

I guess you think Bush wanted to barely miss Bin Laden?

Now you're just framing the argument in whatever way you wish to try and put words in RCade's mouth.

I guess it just doesn't make sense to you that the intelligence gathering apparatus put in place during the Bush administration was utilized during the Obama administration to effect the killing of Bin Laden, right?

What sort of intelligence was gathered under Bush's admin that helped him be captured? I'm waiting.

If you seriously think Bush didn't care about killing Bin Laden, you are in the catagory of the people mentioned in my pervious post and there really is no reason to have a dialog with you anymore, because everything the left does is right and everything the right does is not only wrong, but most likely illegal, right?

Bush basically said he didn't care. It was his words. You can try and skew the context all you want, but he said it wasn't a concern and then did all he could to focus the public's attention on his Oedipal conquest of Iraq.

Do I think he did anything extra that magically led to finding Bin Laden? No, the apparatus was already in place.

So in place that in December 2009, Robert Gates himself said that "they had no leads on bin Laden in years".

Now, who's playing politics here?

[rcade]

We can't give both of them credit for hunting down public enemy #1, who was clearly protected by a foreign government, because we HAVE to stay in party lines, right?

I would've been happy to cross party lines to give Bush credit for capturing or killing Bin Laden. But this ain't horseshoes. Close don't count.

The claim that the "apparatus was already in place" to catch Bin Laden, and therefore Bush deserves credit for something he failed to accomplish for seven years after 9/11, is hogwash.

Now, what, if anything, negative do you hold Obama accountable for?

I fault him for failing to close Gitmo, not prosecuting any of the bankers most responsible for the 2008 economic crash, putting too many of the Goldman Sachs crowd in his administration, extending the Bush tax cuts and signing into law indefinite detention, among other things.

But on the whole, I think he's done a good job in office.

[Coffee and TV]

I fault him for failing to close Gitmo,

That was Congress tying his hands on that.

not prosecuting any of the bankers most responsible for the 2008 economic crash

yep.

putting too many of the Goldman Sachs crowd in his administration

yep.

extending the Bush tax cuts

That was a compromise though. Republicans weren't budging on extending unemployment benefits.

and signing into law indefinite detention, among other things.

But on the whole, I think he's done a good job in office.

Yep.

[UNT90]

I would've been happy to cross party lines to give Bush credit for capturing or killing Bin Laden. But this ain't horseshoes. Close don't count.

The claim that the "apparatus was already in place" to catch Bin Laden, and therefore Bush deserves credit for something he failed to accomplish for seven years after 9/11, is hogwash.

I fault him for failing to close Gitmo, not prosecuting any of the bankers most responsible for the 2008 economic crash, putting too many of the Goldman Sachs crowd in his administration, extending the Bush tax cuts and signing into law indefinite detention, among other things.

But on the whole, I think he's done a good job in office.

So, what do you think Pres. Obama did to find Bin Laden that Bush didn't do? Did he increase spending for covert operations programs in the CIA? No. Did he make the red tape easier for CIA operatives, creating more time for them to create sources? Hells no. Look, I give Pres. Obama full credit for not only giving the order to take out Bin Laden, but making it a mission where the last thing Bin Laden did on the face of this earth was look into the eyes of an American Soldier as the soldier turned his lights out for good. But to think anything different was done from the Bush administration to the Obama administration is just playing politics.

Glad to see you find Pres. Obama accountable for something, and I dont mean that in a catty way. It is pretty stunning to see that you don't hold him accountable for a shocking increase in spending at a time when military spending has decreased significantly. At some point, you gotta understand we are putting this country into debt from which we will never recover. We have a short window before we are past the point of no return and will leave our children a mess from which their childreen will have a hard time fixing.

It is funny that Pres. Obama villified Bush for Gitmo, only to leave it open (as I predicted he would) when he took office. Pure politics. Yes, both sides do this.

[UNTflyer]

Obama's approval ratings have been rising the past six months. He recently went over 50 percent. If current economic trends continue to November, the Republican nominee's going to have a hard time beating him.

(Obviously, they might not continue.)

Don't you mean if the delusion that "the economy is getting better" continues to November?

[UNTflyer]

Supporters of Obama's economic policies are like British pet shop owners.

[Coffee and TV]

Don't you mean if the delusion that "the economy is getting better" continues to November?

GDP Revised Higher

In its second read on the fourth quarter of 2011, the commerce department reported that the U.S. economy expanded at a better than expected 3% pace in the last quarter of 2011, up from the 2.8% in the first read a month ago. This compares to the third quarter’s 1.8% growth rate.

[UNTflyer]

GDP Revised Higher

Fourth quarter GDP is almost always positive, even in recessions.

Christmas shopping, end-of-year commercial sales in computer software and hardware, etc.

But as always, the devil is in the details.

Imports are up, and this was reflected in the January Durable Goods report (worst report in 3 years).

Some economists believe this is just an effort on retailers to stock up on supplies before prices go up.

The annualized Q4 growth was a measley 1.2%.

Dead parrot.

[rcade]

Don't you mean if the delusion that "the economy is getting better" continues to November?

There are numerous economic trends that have been trending up the past six months. There was another yesterday when the Dow closed over 13,000.

If the election was held today, judging by how he's polling against an unnamed Republican, President Obama would win pretty easily:

http://electoral-vote.com/

[Coffee and TV]

Fourth quarter GDP is almost always positive, even in recessions.

Christmas shopping, end-of-year commercial sales in computer software and hardware, etc.

But as always, the devil is in the details.

Imports are up, and this was reflected in the January Durable Goods report (worst report in 3 years).

Some economists believe this is just an effort on retailers to stock up on supplies before prices go up.

The annualized Q4 growth was a measley 1.2%.

Dead parrot.

Ok. Keep cherry picking to hold out hope for a R president. The economy is improving, it has been improving, and will continue to improve. Sorry that won't work out for you politically.

[UNTflyer]

Ok. Keep cherry picking to hold out hope for a R president. The economy is improving, it has been improving, and will continue to improve. Sorry that won't work out for you politically.

It seems to me it is the Obama supporters who are cherry-picking data to support their evangelical belief that the economy is improving.

And I don't care if the President has an R or a D next to his/her name, as long as they do what is best for the economy. Obama wouldn't know a good economic policy if someone beat him over the head with a copy of The Wealth of Nations.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Ok. Keep cherry picking to hold out hope for a R president. The economy is improving, it has been improving, and will continue to improve. Sorry that won't work out for you politically.

Republican, Democrat, whatever...

If you really believe and trust this economy is improving without smoke & mirrors, you're crazy. All we're doing is setting ourselves up for another "recession" or worse.

The foundation of this economy is totally jacked up. Someone needs to call Tony Cooper @ All-Pro.

[meangreendork]

Would it be racist if there was a Caucasian's for ???. You know it would be spun that way by the media and people like Reverend Jackson and Al Sharpton would be all over it.

Why is there a Black Coach's Association, NAACP, United Negro College Fund, etc... in this day and age?

The same reason that there's the equivalent of the same for the other minority groups, and why there's a Black History month. Because most other organizations probably have a majority of caucasians, because the other 11 months of the year are often spent on history as told by and recorded by (you guessed it) caucasians.

It's like "why do we have BET?" Well, because most other networks are dominated by caucasians.

The population of the US may be dominated by the total population of minorities, but as far as representation on television, politics, coaching, and in business, the majority of that is still caucasian and there's still some advantage in that.

Edited February 29, 2012 by meangreendork

[KRAM1]

That was Congress tying his hands on that.

But, of course, Obama is never responsible. He can make the promise...not suggestion mind you, but emphatic promise and then not come through and blame it on everyone but himself and that A-Ok, right? How about checking into the matter a bit further BEFORE you open your big mouth and make that promise...and then not come through? Ever think of that one????

Geeeeeeezzzzzz, when will this guy EVER be held accountable for anything that doesn't go his promised way? The apology masters and excuse makers for Obama must have to stay up 24 hours a day working on who and what they can blame next.

The blame Bush thing is getting a bit old...but, rest assured it will play a major role in O's re-election campaign....we cam all here it now...I inherited this mess, it wasn't me, I tried it was that nasty congress, "other" things and other people tied my hands, the President can't do everything, those nasty Supreme Court Justices and that pesky Constitution keep getting in my way, and on and on to nausea!

[KRAM1]

The foundation of this economy is totally jacked up. Someone needs to call Tony Cooper @ All-Pro.

I did!

[UNT90]

There are numerous economic trends that have been trending up the past six months. There was another yesterday when the Dow closed over 13,000.

If the election was held today, judging by how he's polling against an unnamed Republican, President Obama would win pretty easily:

http://electoral-vote.com/

But the election is not held today.

Pres. Obama has a negative polling base of 50% in a gallop pole released today. Americans don't get serious about who they are voting for until a couple of weeks before the election. Lots of tome left.

Unemployment is still over 8%, with many still underemployed. Not a recipe for a successful reelection.

You can say things are getting better all you want, but that doesn't jive with reality, and American voters know that, and will in November if nothing has changed.

[rcade]

You can say things are getting better all you want, but that doesn't jive with reality, and American voters know that, and will in November if nothing has changed.

The reality is that numerous metrics by which we chart the economy are getting better. They've been on an upward trend for months. You can pretend otherwise if it makes you happier about the Republican chances in November.

Here's two of those charts:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/images/recovery-winter1-small.png

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/images/recovery-winter2-small.png

It must be a bummer to have to root for a worsening economy to get your guy in the White House.

[UNTflyer]

It must be a bummer to have to root for a worsening economy to get your guy in the White House.

Yeah, but at least our side doesn't root for more dead soldiers.

Bazinga.

[Green Mean]

But, of course, Obama is never responsible. He can make the promise...not suggestion mind you, but emphatic promise and then not come through and blame it on everyone but himself and that A-Ok, right? How about checking into the matter a bit further BEFORE you open your big mouth and make that promise...and then not come through? Ever think of that one????

Geeeeeeezzzzzz, when will this guy EVER be held accountable for anything that doesn't go his promised way? The apology masters and excuse makers for Obama must have to stay up 24 hours a day working on who and what they can blame next.

The blame Bush thing is getting a bit old...but, rest assured it will play a major role in O's re-election campaign....we cam all here it now...I inherited this mess, it wasn't me, I tried it was that nasty congress, "other" things and other people tied my hands, the President can't do everything, those nasty Supreme Court Justices and that pesky Constitution keep getting in my way, and on and on to nausea!

Obama is far from perfect but you must be in denial or that naive to think any other president regardless of party wouldn't take that same approach if they could or had too.

[Coffee and TV]

Yeah, but at least our side doesn't root for more dead soldiers.

Bazinga.

I'll take terrible untrue Republican talking points from 2004 for $1200, Alex.

[UNT90]

The reality is that numerous metrics by which we chart the economy are getting better. They've been on an upward trend for months. You can pretend otherwise if it makes you happier about the Republican chances in November.

Here's two of those charts:

http://talkingpoints...nter1-small.png

http://talkingpoints...nter2-small.png

It must be a bummer to have to root for a worsening economy to get your guy in the White House.

Americans don't give 2 S's about charts, my friend, they care about jobs. Many are unemployed or under employed. Niether will bode well in this next election. You can pull out all the fancy charts you want, but the fact is the average, everyday american has not felt any recovery.

Why don't you hold Pres. Obama accountable for the increase in spending and the unemployment rate? Spending is THE biggest issue in this election, yet you want to focus on condoms. Why?

[UNT90]

BTW, if JFK's speech made Santorum 'sick', I wonder what he thinks of Jefferson's writing here...

http://www.loc.gov/l...806/danpre.html

"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy." - Jefferson

"The utopian schemes of leveling [wealth redistribution] and a community of goods, are as visionary and impractical as those which vest all property in the crown. These ideas are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government, unconstitutional." - Adams

"That is not a just government … where the property which a man has in his personal safety and personal liberty, is violated by arbitrary seizures of one class of citizens for the service of the rest." - James Madison

"Property is the fruit of labor. Property is desirable, is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise." - Lincoln

"Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built." - Lincoln. Again.

"Since when do we in America believe that our society is made up of two diametrically opposed classes—one rich, one poor—both in a permanent state of conflict and neither able to get ahead except at the expense of the other?" - Ronald Reagan.

Compared to:

"I think there are a lot of rich people out there whom we can tax at a point down the road and recover some of this money." - Barney Frank