US Elections 2012 Obama v Romney Official Thread

[longblackcoat]

I'm looking forward to the coming legal battles, just because the American political system is so fascinatingly unpredictable. And my view of a likely Obama electoral college win doesn't mean that I think he'll necessarily get a 50%+ overall vote.

[unrepentant]

longblackcoat said:

I'm looking forward to the coming legal battles, just because the American political system is so fascinatingly unpredictable. And my view of a likely Obama electoral college win doesn't mean that I think he'll necessarily get a 50%+ overall vote.

He doesn't need it and isn't particularly campaigning for it. (I still think he'll get it) In safe republican states the campaign have spent precisely zero. If Romney wins Texas by 100,000 or by 1,500,000 it makes no difference to the outcome.

[longblackcoat]

unrepentant said:

He doesn't need it and isn't particularly campaigning for it. (I still think he'll get it) In safe republican states the campaign have spent precisely zero. If Romney wins Texas by 100,000 or by 1,500,000 it makes no difference to the outcome.

No, I agree, but the bickering will be horrible if Romney gets, say, 52% or more.

[Muntu]

Wadeski said:

I'm waiting to hear how Hurricane Sandy is Obama's fault =]

He did promise to slow the rise of the oceans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2pZSvq9bto

[davepoth]

I think we've seen the beginning of Chris Christie's possible run for 2016 this week. He's looked very in control of the situation so far, even though it's been bad, and his praise of BHO was unconditional and fulsome which I thought was a bit odd this close to the election.

[unrepentant]

davepoth said:

I think we've seen the beginning of Chris Christie's possible run for 2016 this week. He's looked very in control of the situation so far, even though it's been bad, and his praise of BHO was unconditional and fulsome which I thought was a bit odd this close to the election.

I was very impressed with Christie today. He was very much in command and, as you say, his praise for the president was unequivocable. He rose way above petty party point scoring and looked like someone who can be a fine challenger for the presidency. He also has that common touch that I have not seen in any politician since Clinton.

I saw a clip from an interview he gave to FOX earlier. He was in situ in New Jersey and the talking head in the studio tried to politicize the situation and asked him if he "would be inviting Governor Romney to New Jersey to survey the storm damage". Christie was clearly pissed off and his reply put the idiot in his place.

Chris Christie said:

“I have a job to do. I’ve got 2.4 million people out of power, I’ve got devastation on the shore, I’ve got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics then you don’t know me. I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested, I’ve got a job to do here in New Jersey that’s much bigger than presidential politics and I could care less about any of that stuff.

Nice one Governor. You've highlighted what a vacuous empty suit the republican candidate is and that you will be a formidable candidate in 2016.

[davepoth]

unrepentant said:

Nice one Governor. You've highlighted what a vacuous empty suit the republican candidate is and that you will be a formidable candidate in 2016.

He'd fill that empty suit - and then some.

Seriously though, he is to my mind the sort of person the GOP needs. Tough financially, but socially liberal. It's going to ps off the Tea Party, but they need to be made irrelevant.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Chris_Christie.htm

Edited by davepoth on Wednesday 31st October 03:05

[unrepentant]

davepoth said:

unrepentant said:

Nice one Governor. You've highlighted what a vacuous empty suit the republican candidate is and that you will be a formidable candidate in 2016.

He'd fill that empty suit - and then some.

Seriously though, he is to my mind the sort of person the GOP needs. Tough financially, but socially liberal. It's going to ps off the Tea Party, but they need to be made irrelevant.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Chris_Christie.htm

He's certainly a well built fella! Whoever supplies fabric to his tailor is probably a happy guy.

A Christie / Rubio ticket in 2016 would take some stopping IMO.

[unrepentant]

Interesting stat. Obama beat McCain 61.8% to 36% in Massachussetts in 08.

Obama is leading Romney in Mass by a bigger margin 63% to 31% in a closer election in '12.

Massachussetts is the state that Mitt Romney was the pisspoor governor of from 2002-2206. They know him best, they are the only place where he has held any sort of public office and they err... clearly have little time for him.

[Captain Cadillac]

Christie is a fantastic governor. I voted for him and think that he's the best governor we've had since Tom Keane, much better than the assortment of clowns that we had before him. Corzine, in particular,was an arrogant schmuck.

I wouldn't be rubbing my hands with glee and taking this that Christie is endorsing Obama as he isn't. What he IS doing is what he always does, focusing on his state and damn what anyone else thinks. He's been asked several times about the election and his response paraphrases to "I don't give a st about the election my state is trashed and I'm worrying about that".

I've had the honor of meeting him and he is just as focused and no nonsense in person, you truly get the impression that he's in this for New Jersey, not for political nonsense reasons.

IMO, if all hell breaks loose and were stuck with Obama for another 4 years, Christie will be a damn fine candidate to undo the further disaster that Obama is likely to create if given the chance.

[Colonial]

Captain Cadillac said:

Christie is a fantastic governor. I voted for him and think that he's the best governor we've had since Tom Keane, much better than the assortment of clowns that we had before him. Corzine, in particular,was an arrogant schmuck.

I wouldn't be rubbing my hands with glee and taking this that Christie is endorsing Obama as he isn't. What he IS doing is what he always does, focusing on his state and damn what anyone else thinks. He's been asked several times about the election and his response paraphrases to "I don't give a st about the election my state is trashed and I'm worrying about that".

I've had the honor of meeting him and he is just as focused and no nonsense in person, you truly get the impression that he's in this for New Jersey, not for political nonsense reasons.

IMO, if all hell breaks loose and were stuck with Obama for another 4 years, Christie will be a damn fine candidate to undo the further disaster that Obama is likely to create if given the chance.

Apart from your last paragraph I agree with that.

Very honest response which I can respect.

[longblackcoat]

Captain Cadillac said:

Christie is a fantastic governor. I voted for him and think that he's the best governor we've had since Tom Keane, much better than the assortment of clowns that we had before him. Corzine, in particular,was an arrogant schmuck.

I wouldn't be rubbing my hands with glee and taking this that Christie is endorsing Obama as he isn't. What he IS doing is what he always does, focusing on his state and damn what anyone else thinks. He's been asked several times about the election and his response paraphrases to "I don't give a st about the election my state is trashed and I'm worrying about that".

I've had the honor of meeting him and he is just as focused and no nonsense in person, you truly get the impression that he's in this for New Jersey, not for political nonsense reasons.

IMO, if all hell breaks loose and were stuck with Obama for another 4 years, Christie will be a damn fine candidate to undo the further disaster that Obama is likely to create if given the chance.

Which is what I think will tip the balance for Obama this time.

People who are undecided - and there are still many - will look at Obama's handling of the situation, listen to people like Christie, and remember that the US Government can actually do things really well, and that the C-in-C role requires more than a sharp suit and an attack campaign.

But it's a double-edged sword: if Obama and FEMA's response is anything less than excellent, I believe he'll lose next week.

[speedy_thrills]

unrepentant said:

Massachussetts is the state that Mitt Romney was the pisspoor governor of from 2002-2206.

In which case his feat of time travel would surely give him the best position to win (the gift of hindsight etc.)

Captain Cadillac said:

What he IS doing is what he always does, focusing on his state and damn what anyone else thinks. He's been asked several times about the election and his response paraphrases to "I don't give a st about the election my state is trashed and I'm worrying about that".

I've had the honor of meeting him and he is just as focused and no nonsense in person, you truly get the impression that he's in this for New Jersey, not for political nonsense reasons.

Well sometimes doing the right thing must take precedent I suppose, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and that.

[speedy_thrills]

longblackcoat said:

But it's a double-edged sword: if Obama and FEMA's response is anything less than excellent, I believe he'll lose next week.

In my experience people give incumbent governments plenty of space for months, what gets politicians is how slow rebuilding is on this scale. People will generally accept higher taxation for a period in the national interest, even endure a bit of mismanagement but people don't much care for delays.

Obamas position has been strengthened further by this obv. but control of house and senate would still be a major Republican victory. After all the only real legislative power he has would be a veto and he can't veto everything. Republicans 'll learn and run a more broadly appealing candidate next time IMO.

[unrepentant]

Captain Cadillac said:

I wouldn't be rubbing my hands with glee and taking this that Christie is endorsing Obama as he isn't. What he IS doing is what he always does, focusing on his state and damn what anyone else thinks. He's been asked several times about the election and his response paraphrases to "I don't give a st about the election my state is trashed and I'm worrying about that".

Never suggested he was endorsing Obama, just that he was being honest. If anything he's being apolotical and was genuinely frustrated when the morons at FOX tried to get him to use the disaster to score points for Romney. I like him.

[unrepentant]

speedy_thrills said:

Obamas position has been strengthened further by this obv. but control of house and senate would still be a major Republican victory. After all the only real legislative power he has would be a veto and he can't veto everything. Republicans 'll learn and run a more broadly appealing candidate next time IMO.

Thanks to the tea party and the wackos that they choose it's looking increasingly unlikely that the GOP will control the senate. Akin is losing badly and Mourdock looks like he will lose in the red state of Indiana. Scott Brown is also likely to lose in Massachussettts.

[Wadeski]

Christie has always come across as a bully to me, but fair play to him - he seems to have pulled his socks up in a time of crisis.

[unrepentant]

Oh dear. Limbaugh getting very upset with Christie at lunchtime. "What does he think he's doing, making Obama look presidential" etc.. Very irate

Meanwhile FEMA and Obama's response to the storm are being praised to the heavens by everyone including Christie of course. And of Romney........ he's stated more than once very loudly that he would do away with FEMA. Oh dear, not a good policy this week Willard. He's been mocked for that and of course is refusing all journalists questions on the subject (on any subject come to that). CNN asked him 14 times to confirm that he would do away with FEMA, he ignored them.

Never mind Willard, it's nearly over and in another week you can retire for good and you won't have to dodge any more pesky questions on policy.

[Mermaid]

unrepentant said:

Never mind Willard, it's nearly over and in another week you can retire for good and you won't have to dodge any more pesky questions on policy.

Serious question - do you think Obama is very good for the country or is it that Romney would be bad for the country?

[unrepentant]

Mermaid said:

unrepentant said:

Never mind Willard, it's nearly over and in another week you can retire for good and you won't have to dodge any more pesky questions on policy.

Serious question - do you think Obama is very good for the country or is it that Romney would be bad for the country?

I've detailed my reasons for supporting Obama here before but I think, given the quite appalling financial mess he inherited, (people seem to forget what a poisoned chalice he received) he has absolutely done a good job for the country. I would like to have seen him close Gitmo and I think he is sometimes too concillatory but he has made the tough decisions and stuck with them. He has done most of what he has had to do whilst saddled with a republican house whose stated aim (and it's every action) is to obstruct him. People can argue that he said he would do this and that more quickly but I defy anyone to produce a list of policy positions that he has held that he has reversed.

Romney on the other hand is the opposite. It's hard to keep up with any of his positions as he changes them almost weekly. He is completely without integrity and is happy to tell any untruth to get elected. He's the worst sort of slippery Blairite politician. He's also the opposite of what he claims to be. Take job creation - he shed as many jobs as he created at Bain and as Governor of Massachusetts his record is truly appalling. He took over a state ranked 36th for job creation and left one ranked 47th. He also left office with a terrible job approval rating that ranked him 48 out of 50 governors. That's his record of public service - terrible job creation and a job approval rating of 35%. No wonder Obama is beating him in Mass by an even bigger margin than he beat McCain!