US Elections 2012 Obama v Romney Official Thread
Discussion
rohrl said:
As things stand I think Obama will retain the presidency. The Republicans will persist with the anti-abortion, anti-gay rights stuff. Romney isn't personable and he's been evasive about his tax affairs.
Romney has the classic problem of a (reasonably) moderate republican who wants to be President. To get the nomination he basically had to flip on a lot of issues to the point where he's lost credability with the wider electorate. Even then his own party still distrusts him and so he has to lurch even further right and pick a running mate from the extreme wing to try and appease the base. For Romney / Ryan read McCain / Palin and I fancy the result will be the same.Interesting and perhaps surprising results from the Financial Times / Economist Global Business Barometer last week.
You would expect business to be backing Romney. In fact they are very lukewarm towards him. Twice as many business executives worldwide thought that a victory for Obama would be better for the global economy. When the poll was narrowed to US businessmen Romney did better but even here more respondents said that the economy would be better served by the re-epection of the President than by the election of Romney.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fc327a52-e7ac-11e1-8686-...
You would expect business to be backing Romney. In fact they are very lukewarm towards him. Twice as many business executives worldwide thought that a victory for Obama would be better for the global economy. When the poll was narrowed to US businessmen Romney did better but even here more respondents said that the economy would be better served by the re-epection of the President than by the election of Romney.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fc327a52-e7ac-11e1-8686-...
davepoth said:
Former Republican governor of Florida Charlie Crist has today endorsed Obama. That is a bit of a kick in the teeth.
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/article124...
How times change. Just 4 years and Crist was the one endorsement that all the GOP primary candidates needed and vied for. In the end he endorsed McCain. http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/article124...
davepoth said:
Ron can't speak at the RNC as he refused to accept the terms imposed. Those were let Romney's people vet his speech! and agree to endorse Romney. He refused on both counts. The only true conviction politician left in the GOP?http://www.opposingviews.com/i/politics/2012-elect...
JagLover said:
Whether Romney will be elected depends if enough of the US electorate recognise they are on the road to bankruptcy unless the growth in entitlement spending is reduced (as Ryan proposes). I suspect they will not.
How do you figure that? Social security costs $725 billion. Social security tax receipts equal $819 billion. Therefore social security (entitlements) produces a surplus of $94 billion.JagLover said:
Both pensions and healthcare costs will soar as the baby boomers start to retire. Without reform the US federal government debt is set to hit 200% of GDP by around the mid 2030s I believe.
Demographics play a big part in the increases in medicare as you point out. Ever increasing medical costs are also a major factor as there is a profit centre at every turn in the US medical system and pricing is forever spiralling upwards.Interesting article here;
http://www.pnhp.org/PDF_files/ForProfitCare.pdf
davepoth said:
I can't help thinking that Obama has spotted a PR opportunity with this hurricane. It's nice that he's paying attention I guess, but it's beginning to seem to me that he's using it as an opportunity to stick it to the GOP and steal a bit of their thunder during the convention.
What makes you say that Dave? I haven't seen anything from him except pleas for gulf coast residents to be prepared.
GavinPearson said:
unrepentant said:
But in fairness Romney was a great asset stripper and exporter of American jobs.
Obama is hardly a job creator - unemployment is high and he has signed one sided trade agreements that will do far more damage than a smallish firm could ever do.Obama is absolutely running on his record, as he should because it's a good one.
This President inherited the worst economy since the great depression. Every world leader who was elected after 9/08 has struggled with the economy. Look at the UK! The USA is pretty much the only major developed country that has not been in recession for the past 4 years and that is because he chose to stimulate the economy rather than adopt the austerity programmes that have failed in Europe. Had he followed the austerity programmes touted by the right and cut deeply (whilst retaining the tax breaks for big oil and the 1% of course) we would be in far worse shape. We have had 29 succesive months of private sector job growth, reversing the position under Bush. He's cut taxes 18 times for small businesses and streamlined the patent process making it easier for entrepeneurs to protect their ideas. 95% of working familes have had a tax cut and he extended the payroll tax cut for everyone resulting in an extra $1000 in the pocket of middle class workers. (Romney would increase taxes for all but the very richest who would get a massive tax cut). We're not in Iraq and we're coming out of Afghanistan, peace dividend to follow. Osama Bin Laden is dead. We have the prospect of affordable healthcare for all Americans for the first time in history thanks to this President. American oil production is at an 8 year high, reducing the reliance on foreign oil, in fact I believe that the USA is a net exporter of petroleum products. He has doubled the amount of money for scholarships to ensure that poor and middle class kids have access to the best education. Etc.. etc....
This President inherited the worst economy since the great depression. Every world leader who was elected after 9/08 has struggled with the economy. Look at the UK! The USA is pretty much the only major developed country that has not been in recession for the past 4 years and that is because he chose to stimulate the economy rather than adopt the austerity programmes that have failed in Europe. Had he followed the austerity programmes touted by the right and cut deeply (whilst retaining the tax breaks for big oil and the 1% of course) we would be in far worse shape. We have had 29 succesive months of private sector job growth, reversing the position under Bush. He's cut taxes 18 times for small businesses and streamlined the patent process making it easier for entrepeneurs to protect their ideas. 95% of working familes have had a tax cut and he extended the payroll tax cut for everyone resulting in an extra $1000 in the pocket of middle class workers. (Romney would increase taxes for all but the very richest who would get a massive tax cut). We're not in Iraq and we're coming out of Afghanistan, peace dividend to follow. Osama Bin Laden is dead. We have the prospect of affordable healthcare for all Americans for the first time in history thanks to this President. American oil production is at an 8 year high, reducing the reliance on foreign oil, in fact I believe that the USA is a net exporter of petroleum products. He has doubled the amount of money for scholarships to ensure that poor and middle class kids have access to the best education. Etc.. etc....
Jimbeaux said:
unrepentant said:
Obama is absolutely running on his record, as he should because it's a good one.
I quoted facts, Obama has a good record. If you disagree quote facts and links, not your usual vacuous snidey innuendo and insinuation. Try and debate like an adult for a change.
Did anyone watch Chris Christie's speech last night? That guy is a good performer. Interesting though that, in a speech of 2600 words that was the keynote speech at Romney's conference, he didn't mention Romney until 1800 words in! The speech was all about Christie and was basically a pretty selfish positioning speech for 2016 when it will be him or Paul Ryan to challenge Obama's successor.
1. We are a net exporter of petroleum products, oil supply currently exceeds demand. The original Keystone pipeline would have decimated areas of natural beauty, Obama made them think again and it is being re routed and will be approved.
2. I disagree with opposition to right to work.
3. Current corporate tax rates have been in place since 1986, they are not an Obama invention. Bush didn't change them, nor did his Dad. The time to change them is not in the immediate aftermath of the worst financial crisis in recent history when general tax receipts are falling. The whole tax code is too complicated and needs reforming.
4. Small company's with less than 50 employees are exempt from having to provide healthcare for employees, although many of the more progressive employers do. Any employer that has more than 50 employees who refuses to help with their healthcare is not an employer most of us would want to work for.
5. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by it's very nature is a program that is designed to deal with need and as such you can expect demand to rise steeply following a time of economic meltdown and the subsequent large scale loss of jobs. For anyone to suggest that their fellow American's are happy to live on food stamps is ludicrous and insulting.
2. I disagree with opposition to right to work.
3. Current corporate tax rates have been in place since 1986, they are not an Obama invention. Bush didn't change them, nor did his Dad. The time to change them is not in the immediate aftermath of the worst financial crisis in recent history when general tax receipts are falling. The whole tax code is too complicated and needs reforming.
4. Small company's with less than 50 employees are exempt from having to provide healthcare for employees, although many of the more progressive employers do. Any employer that has more than 50 employees who refuses to help with their healthcare is not an employer most of us would want to work for.
5. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by it's very nature is a program that is designed to deal with need and as such you can expect demand to rise steeply following a time of economic meltdown and the subsequent large scale loss of jobs. For anyone to suggest that their fellow American's are happy to live on food stamps is ludicrous and insulting.
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