September 4, 2012

Live-blogging Day 1 of the Democratic Convention.

4:58 CT: Just setting up a post, to be added to over the course of the evening. Please join the conversation.

6:53 (I'm beginning with recorded material from about 2 hours ago. I'll be catching up.): "Being asked to pay your fair share isn't class warfare. It's patriotism," says Newark Mayer Cory Booker. He gets a huge ovation that turns into a "U.S.A." chant. They're "U.S.A."ing at the idea of patriotism, presumably. Not taxes. Oh, but paying taxes = patriotism. Or, specifically, being asked to pay is patriotism. Who is the patriot in that grammatical construction? I think it's the folks who are asking other people to pay.

7:11 (Still catching up.): Gov. Bev Perdue sounded hoarse and a bit sick as she vowed to deliver North Carolina to the Democrats. A film about health care. A young man whose parents died in a way that supposedly might have been avoided if we'd had Obamacare. They were both scientists, he says, so I'm not clear why they did not have health insurance.

7:19: The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Congress, Charles Gonzales, uses the motto "e pluribus unum"out of many, one — to mean that all the people become one, instead of the idea that the states were brought together into one nation. The idea that the people merged into a single entity — that sounds like fascism to me. Oddly, as it repurposes the old motto, it expresses the old fashioned idea of the melting pot.

7:30: White males of the gubernatorial kind — Quinn & Kaine.

7:32: A black speaker wedged in — the mayor of Charlotte — before the next pale male. But it's a big one, so I'll go light on the fast-forwarding I'm using to try to catch up to live. It's Harry Reid.

7:36: Reid wants us to fear the Tea Party. They are "extremists and ideologues who leave no room for reason," and they're taking over the Republican Party.

7:42: Nancy Pelosi is introduced along with all the Democratic women of the House. There's disco music playing. The hell? Then I detect that it's "I'm Every Woman." Again with this creepy merging of individuals into the whole.
I'm every woman, it's all in me
Anything you want done, baby
I'll do it naturally
I'm every woman, it's all in me
I can read your thoughts right now
Every one from A to Z
See what I mean? That's creepy when it's the government. When it's some lady you're having sex with, I guess it's sexy.
I can cast a spell
With secrets you can't tell
Mix a special brew
Put fire inside of you
But anytime you feel
Danger or fear
Instantly I will appear, 'cause
I'm every woman
Now, that's just scary when it's a whole horde of government women coming at you. What is this "special brew"? Soma? But anytime you feel/Danger or fear/Instantly I will appear... Nancy Pelosi will appear?! I can sense your needs/Like rain on to the seeds/I can make a rhyme/Of confusion in your mind... no, no, no, no that's not what I want to hear from the government!

8:03: Speaking of scary... it's Jimmy Carter (on film). He's well made-up, well preserved, and well modulated. But he seems like a nice man, there, doesn't he? And he tells us Barack Obama and Joe Biden will lead us to a better future.

8:18: Huge storm here! We just lost power for a few minutes. I lost a whole paragraph of snark about Teddy Kennedy. A young Kennedy — Joseph P. Kennedy III, running for Congress — said the spirit of Teddy was with us here today. I had some prime snark! Did Teddy bring this terrible storm that drowned all my Mary Jo Kopechne material?

8:25: NARAL! It's Nancy Keenan, for "safe, legal" abortions, with "dignity and privacy." A woman should not be forced to have an ultrasound "against her will." And "rape is rape." President Obama had "the courage to stand with Sandra Flook" (is that how we're pronouncing it now?). "Women in America cannot trust Mitt Romney."

8:33: I've caught up to Rahm Emanuel. "The American auto industry is not just surviving..." Hmm. He professes to know with "absolute certainty" that something will happen in the future and "land with a thud on the Oval Office desk." Who do you want there? He's saying that like it's obvious.

8:38: It's Obama's little sister Maya and Michelle's older brother Michael. Nice. Lovely. But let's skip the details.

8:45: I'm finally completely caught up. Lily Ledbetter is speaking. This is the question of "equal pay for equal work," but the Supreme Court case she lost was a matter of interpreting statutory language about how soon you need to bring a lawsuit. I feel sorry for her, but I'm also uneasy about her as an icon representing things that are not what the court case was about.

8:48: Deval Patrick, the governor of Massachusetts, is able to compare himself to Romney, who was, a while back, the governor of Massachusetts. He's yelling and screaming about the economy. Obama has been wonderful!!!

8:53: "I will not stand by and let him be bullied out of office!" Patrick propaganda.

8:55: Wow, everyone looks really sweaty. Did the AC break down?

9:03: Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. I have no idea why this man has been given this prominence. Here's his question for Republicans: "How much less do you really think would be good for this country?"

9:07: Time for the keynote address at last. It's Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio.

9:17: Castro seems like he could have been a speaker at last week's GOP convention. He keeps talking about "hard work" and even "rugged individualism." But then he says "Like many of you, I watched last week's Republican convention, and they told a few stories of individual success. We all celebrate individual success, but the question is: How do we multiply that success? The answer is President Barack Obama."

9:22: Castro gets a refrain going: "Mitt Romney says no."

10:00: Michelle Obama is wearing an orange dress that in the close-up looks like a bathing suit. Lots of shoulder and arm display. Her speech goes on and on, filled with stuff that has no relationship to the question of whether Barack Obama should be reelected. He thinks his little girls are important and he's proud of them and eats dinner with them and counsels them about their middle-school friendships. Okay. I phase out. What's the point of all this? Then — this seems near the end — she starts doing this fake stuttering (as if she's talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-g-generation): "A-a-and he reminds me, he reminds me that we are playing a long game here..." (Meade says: "Not 9 holes, it's 18 holes.") "A-a-a-and that change is hard. A-a-a-and change is slow and it never happens all at once but that eventually we get there. We always do. W-w-w-w-we get there, because of folks like my dad." (Earlier in the speech she described her father.) "Folks like Barack's grandmother. Men and women who-who said to themselves, I-I may not have a chance to fulfill my dreams, but maybe my children will, maybe my grandchildren will. See-see-see, so many of us stand here tonight because of their sacrifice...." Arghhhh! This is the same thing we heard last week. It's so earnest. Stage-y earnest. But what does it say? Who should be President?!

10:16: Michelle's speech goes on a long time. I don't really see the point of it. There's a theme of waiting patiently with the expectation that our children or their children will have a better life, but what does that mean for the election? It seems to say that we should reelect Obama despite the lack of economic progress. She speaks of "unwavering hope grounded in unyielding struggle." Now there's this choked-up quality in her voice as she says she's "Mom-in-Chief," doing what's "best for our girls." It's getting very hammy. Vote for my husband. That's the end. And then the music comes up: "Move your body... move your little hips...." What?!

10:26: An unusually young woman comes out to do the closing prayer, and it goes on for almost 4 minutes. "As a young woman of faith and a leader...." Who is she? The executive director of Blood: Water Mission. I don't really understand what that is — and I did Google it — so I'm left assuming that the Democrats are simply hot to reach out to young women. 

758 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   601 – 758 of 758
sakredkow said...

... Both Michelle Obama and Ann Romney gave good speeches. Are we all so far gone we can't even recognize -that-?

Yeah, they're probably the best thing that either candidate has going for them. I consider the above a very gracious comment.

Amartel said...

"Michelle Obama: We DID build this shit together motherfuckers!"

Built what? A bigass stinking, steaming, towering, teeming mountain of debt that someone else is going to have to pay off!
For the motherfucking kids! Yeah! God bless AmeriKKKa.

jr565 said...

Booker: You should be able to retire with dignity- that's great! Except now people will have to work into their seventies to retire with dignity. That's Democrats. You really are looking out for the old people.
Booker: you SHOULD be able to afford health care! Grat! Only with that 15% unemployment rate (8.75% is not the real unemployment rate) I wonder how they are going to afford it! Considering pretty much everyone except for Shiloh and gragemahal acknowledge that Obamacare will cost nearly twice what was suggested (and this is itself. A wildly optimistic and fraudulent estimate) great job driving down costs!

You guys rock!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Is it empathetic to saddle future generations with mountains of debt?

Yes or no.


You mean the debt created by these tax cuts and wars?

Is it empathetic to saddle future generations with economic stagnation and a lack of opportunity?

shiloh said...

Cons, I feel your pain ...

Synova said...

"It's not about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives."

"Do the Althousians agree?"

Sure, Ritmo.

That's why I go on so much about how it *matters* what the result of policies are. Liberals seem to think that if one cares and believes the right thing and has passion that the results take care of themselves. It's not true.

No one bothered to ask Obama about results at Annenburg four years ago. Results don't matter. Caring matters. It's the thought that counts.

Not boring or unpleasant policies to strengthen families (for the children) or bring spending under control or keeping Medicare solvent past the next 10 years, not spending more than the government has to spend, all those un-fun adult things that no one is *passionate* about because it's just *work* you know.

The difference in people's lives ought to matter more than the self-satisfaction of the passionate crusaders who only make things worse or who break things without figuring out why they existed in the first place.

How evil is telling someone they ought to go into significant debt for a degree in women's studies?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

...that the success of one comes at the expense of another.

Enough of the bullshit and cut to the chase:

You prefer the success of one to the other.

el polacko said...

sorry, ann, but once i learned that the hilarious kevin dujan was liveblogging too i switched over and had SO much more fun without the likes of allie, ritmo, and garage. no offense, guys, but you are really dragging this site down to a screeching halt.

hombre said...

"I was kidding dude. Ann Romney gave a real good speech too. Ya'll need to lighten up a tad."

I see we have a new garage. Did Kos fire the old, intractable, dumb one?

Kchiker said...

Pace yourselves, Republicans. This is only night one. You're going to need to save some of the whining and indignation for the rest of the week.

Known Unknown said...


"It's not about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives."


You're right. Joe Biden should give more to charity.

Freeman Hunt said...

Hey Freeman -- I started the Latin American Spanish program back in June, and I'm most of the way through Level 2. My students are surprised when I understand what they're saying, from time to time, but I have a long way to go.

Nice! I just got it. I'm only halfway through Level 1.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Four blathering graphs chock full o' talking points Synova and not one salient fact or new, relevant insight.

Come on. For a non-womens studies major, you must have something reasonable to add.

I like you. Why must you do this to yourself?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Or to the stock market, EMD. He's not the richest one in Congress. And rode the train to work.

You probably resent that.

Known Unknown said...

You prefer the success of one to the other.

I do?

How do you know?



pm317 said...

Althouse asks what is the point (of MO's speech).

She is trying to save and protect her mega-vacations and designer garb

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Lol Kchiker.

You apparently don't know this crowd very well. ;-)

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Cons, I feel your pain ...

Whatabout the 46.7 million on foodstamp?

How do you fell about that trap?

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Known Unknown said...

. And rode the train to work.

He's a regular Joe Sixpack!!

Psst ... I was kidding. Like Garage says, lighten up!

Beta Rube said...

If you want to "make a difference", confiscate vast amounts of wealth from people you don't know and give it away to people you will never meet.

If you don't believe in this, you hate women, children, and dogs.
Thanks Michelle, for caring.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Obama.. the food stamp president.

Known Unknown said...

Is it empathetic to saddle future generations with economic stagnation and a lack of opportunity?

Ask Obama.

sakredkow said...

I think MO was doing the same thing AR did: attempting to humanize hubby.

jr565 said...

O ritmo wrote:
You mean the debt created by these tax cuts and wars?

Is it empathetic to saddle future generations with economic stagnation and a lack of opportunity?

I think he was referring more to Obama piling up the debt to 14 trillion. And the 8.75% unemplyment rate. Increasing the number of people on food stamps isn't really an example of empathy so much as incomptetence.

You know what's better than govt empathy? A functioning economy that has a growing middle class. Being able to get out of school after going into hock for twenty years with the possibility of getting a job.

garage mahal said...

Okay the bitterness in here is getting to be too much. If I didn't know any better, I would guess some sort of depression is taking hold.

Not related to Romney's election chances I'm sure though, right?


HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


Known Unknown said...

You mean the debt created by these tax cuts and wars?

Ha. Nice try. As if I was ever a fan of Bush economics.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Because you have no criticism for someone who would raise taxes and cut benefits for those who have less while drastically cutting taxes for those who have way more.
And are putting less of it to use in the economy.

It's back-assward.

Perhaps you don't hate the poor, yourself. But this discredited theory of political economics, that is awkward on its face and fails miserably in real-life, shouldn't be given the reflexive support of any other old, fun political tradition either.

Known Unknown said...

I like DNC Garage.

Must be the Leinenkugels.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Obama... the food stamp.. heavyweight champ.. of all time!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Oh I see, EMD. So you're one of those "I really disagreed with the Republican president I supported for eight years so you should give ME and MY IDEAS a chance NOW" kind of guys.

Whatever.

Unknown said...

------RNC hid all their social activists from viewers during their convention. Dems are showcasing. ----

Not hiding, reflecting the priorities of the majority of Americans.


The top priority for the largest number of Americans was creating good jobs, which was named extremely important or very important by 92 percent of respondents. The next? Reducing corruption in the federal government, which was called extremely or very important by 87 percent. The third most important issue was reducing the federal budget deficit, at 86 percent.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/poll-americans-unenthusiastic-about-obama-campaign-priorities/article/2503479#.UEbIJyLSQg8

Republicans try to communicate how we can grow our economy....
The deficit clock turns 16 trillion and the Democrats celebrate abortion. Yeah social activism, that makes up for 23 million unemployed!!!!!!!

Known Unknown said...

I really disagreed with the Republican president I supported for eight years so you should give ME and MY IDEAS a chance NOW"

Did I support Bush? Do you have proof?

Kchiker said...

"You apparently don't know this crowd very well. ;-)"

I'm familiar. I wonder if tonight is the night when their nightmares begin wherein ACORN steals the election for a Socialist that hates America, success, and white people.

Maybe some warm milk before bed....

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

If I didn't know any better, I would guess some sort of depression is taking hold.

Actually garage, I would check Rasmussen and Gallop before I start playing blog psychiatrist.

Known Unknown said...

Okay the bitterness in here is getting to be too much. If I didn't know any better, I would guess some sort of depression is taking hold.


Why is Ritmo depressed?

He should be basking in the glow emanating from Charlotte!

Christopher said...

We should all believe Garage's predictions. I mean look how much he got right about WI politics over the past two years.

Why, between his predictions of liberal success for the recall and the judicial election he's clearly shown himself to be a skilled political prognosticator.

Oh, and hahahahahahahahahahahahah.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

EMD, I don't care. No more time for nuance. There are only two parties and one's trying to try Disaster II while attempting to convince middle class voters that it cares about them and their importance to a healthy economy as much as the Dems do. It's pathetic. It's done. It's time to prevent them from fucking this up again, like they have for the last two years and all the way up to '08. There'll be time to debate the subtle details of political philosophy as if all its nuances applied to American politics some other time.

Good night.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Cite your quote correctly, EMD.

I'm not depressed. Are you drunk?

jr565 said...

o ritmo wrote:
Enough of the bullshit and cut to the chase:

You prefer the success of one to the other.

I prefer an economy whereby one can achieve success than one where govt programs strangle the economy while record number of people can't find work. Is that your idea of success Ritmo? Is that your empathy?
I prefer the idea that if one works really hard that one has the opportunity to become wealthy and successful (note, not the guarantee) or t the very least make it to the middle class.
You aren't going to get be successful relying on govt cheese and handouts. Govt cheese tastes nasty and govt handouts won't pay your rent. So I suppose you think we should subsidize that as well?

I'd prefer if more peop,e were doing for themselves than going on food stamps. Wouldn't you?
And note this is or suggesting that there should be NO safety net. But a safety net shouldn't become a vacuum that sucks all the capital from an economy like a vampire sucking all the life blood out of the economy.

KCFleming said...

So, it's abortions, student loans, food stamps, and passion.

Is that the platform?

No jobs, no gas prices, no Medicare.

Fucking awesome work, Obama. You're the Miami fucking Heat, man.

Augustine said...

So glad to see someone else was decidedly underwhelmed by her speech. I suppose it is good from to say nice things about the 1st Lady but I find her tedious and rather angry and quick to jump on the victimization theme.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Sorry jr. Regurgitate and regurgitate as you might, every one of those talking points has been tried by someone else already. And debunked.

No sloppy seconds for you.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...


"Romney leads by nine among men but is down by one among women.".


Says Rasmussen, in its announcement of the daily presidential tracking poll.

Wait for the bounce garage, wait for the bounce... you dont want to get caught gloating and then no bounce.

Synova said...

"Because you have no criticism for someone who would raise taxes and cut benefits for those who have less while drastically cutting taxes for those who have way more.
And are putting less of it to use in the economy.

It's back-assward.
"

Ritmo. You have said and you believe that money taken from the people and given to the government is *good* for the economy.

Why isn't money taken from poor people good for the economy? It's still *in* the economy according to your own standards. And money from the richest people just isn't enough. You know it isn't enough.

I don't think that money taken from the private sector and given to government improves the economy. YOU do. Why is some money different than other money that way?

Or maybe taking money out of the economy is bad all the time and not just when it's taken from the "rich" because... fairness?

Maybe?

Maybe rich people spend their money or invest it... always a good thing... and maybe poor people with a little extra that the taxman didn't take also spend their money or invest it in other ways... maybe they take a class or get transportation for their teenager so she can work.

Maybe we'd be better off, all of us, if the rich people could hire more help or buy more things that other people are employed making and can invest larger amounts in growing businesses and if the holy "middle class" could make their own choices about how best to spend their money, too.

sakredkow said...

but I find her tedious and rather angry and quick to jump on the victimization theme.

I totally respect tedious. Angry however is a bit hallucinatory.

Unknown said...

-----garbaged sed:::::RNC hid all their social activists from viewers during their convention. Dems are showcasing. ----

Nope. Democrats are driving themselves off the cliff by ignoring normal American's priorities....

The top priority for the largest number of Americans was creating good jobs, which was named extremely important or very important by 92 percent of respondents. The next? Reducing corruption in the federal government, which was called extremely or very important by 87 percent. The third most important issue was reducing the federal budget deficit, at 86 percent.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/poll-americans-unenthusiastic-about-obama-campaign-priorities/article/2503479#.UEbIJyLSQg8

Note-- abortion rights didn't even make the list

Republicans demonstrate that 'you can build that...' that 'we can do this'... that we can turn the economy around.. that we understand the pain of the Obama continuing recession.

Democrats fixate on 'social activism'. I wonder what the 23 million unemployed think about that?

You've got to let them go.

Known Unknown said...

It's time to prevent them from fucking this up again, like they have for the last two years and all the way up to '08.

So everything was peachy keen in 2009-2010?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

You have said and you believe that money taken from the people and given to the government is *good* for the economy.

I never said that. Find the quote.

Christopher said...

Dear Lord, I think typing out the word "ha" several times may actually annoy me more than the use of "LOL", which would put it amongst a select few (e.g. awareness)

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

So everything was peachy keen in 2009-2010?

No. It was waaaaayyyyy better in October '08.

Stop being a dumbass and debate intelligently or I'll just ignore you.

Shouting Thomas said...

Done with my yoga.

Thank God, I'm going to bed, instead of staying up to pay attention to Ritmo's next three hours of vicious insults and his insistence that his vicious insults prove that he is an empathetic, caring human being.

Fire away, Ritmo!

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Ritmo never says anything.

Known Unknown said...

Cite your quote correctly, EMD.

I'm not depressed. Are you drunk?


No, it's another joke.

Scientific fact: It takes less muscles to type blog comments while smiling than frowning.

Chris Lopes said...

So the new Obama campaign slogan actually is "No really, he'll do better next time."

Synova said...

"Four blathering graphs chock full o' talking points Synova and not one salient fact or new, relevant insight."

You don't want to hear it. Your mind is made up.

If you start by assuming that *yes* the people who disagree with you value helping people, then it's a case of different people having different ideas about what *helps* other people.

If you don't, then no one can satisfy you. But it's not their fault that they can't.

I can admit and believe that liberals aren't TRYING to make things worse. Why is that impossible for you?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

I only insult unempathetic, uncaring dillrods like yourself, Shouty.

;-)

Now have a good night and give that pillow a good hug for me, Big Boy!

jr565 said...

O ritmo wrote:

Sorry jr. Regurgitate and regurgitate as you might, every one of those talking points has been tried by someone else already. And debunked.



By who? Where? When?
Seriously, We gave hope and change four years. How have his economic policies helped the middle class, and the poor? Is a 8.75% unemployment rate, 14 trillion dollar debt, your idea of empathy?
I would say that as per usual, women and minorities hardest hit.
It's easy to say you are for empathy, but your idea of empathy shrinks the middle class and puts 10 million people on food stamps, then maybe you're mistaking your feelings for results. America can't afford four more years of your "empathy"

Known Unknown said...

debate intelligently

" It's pathetic. It's done. It's time to prevent them from fucking this up again, like they have for the last two years and all the way up to '08."

Shit. That's Northwestern Debate Club level intelligence!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
garage mahal said...

We should all believe Garage's predictions. I mean look how much he got right about WI politics over the past two years.

What I did "call" was fairly accurate. 3-4 if I remember correctly.

It didn't go quite my way of course, but the recalls blocked some heinous legislation that I'm pretty damn happy about.

Never give up hope!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Why is that impossible for you?

Because it's basically incontrovertible that Mitch McConnell decided the strategy was to make Obama FAIL no matter how they did it. If that included giving him an economy as bad as the Republicans lost on in '08, so be it. I know it sounds horrible, but that's what they did. The fact that they rejected Obama's attempts to pass bills full of their own ideas proves it.

As for the other bit, yes, taking from people who have less to spend in the economy is HORRIBLE for economic growth. If rich people were spending or investing (in jobs) then that would help the economy, but they aren't. They are job non-creators.

So Plan B is to use that to pay down the debt in the meantime. And get a Congress that is unopposed to economic stimulus, regardless of whether that takes the shape of tax cuts or spending. You know, an objective Congress concerned more about the economy than about partisanship.

Christopher said...

Synova,

The answer is simple: He is a troll.

Ignore him or mock him, but don't treat him as if he has any valid points to make.

Meade said...

Lem said...
"Ritmo never says anything."

Haw!

garage mahal said...

Scientific fact: It takes less muscles to type blog comments while smiling than frowning.

RT +1000

garage mahal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Known Unknown said...

If rich people were spending or investing (in jobs) then that would help the economy, but they aren't. They are job non-creators.

Have you examined why they aren't doing this, when doing so (and growing the economy) would actually be in their best interest?

Or are you making blind assumptions about their motivations?

Known Unknown said...

Scientific fact: It takes less muscles to type blog comments while smiling than frowning.

RT +1000


I welcome Garage to the Happy Warrior Club. I hope he stays.

mike in houston said...

@ Ritmo and garage all I can do is repeat my Texas mother's phrase "Bless your little hearts"

@Garage- As i seem to remember you were never very good with polls, love ya man!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Yes, EMD. I've listened to their prissy little excuses about Obama not being "nice enough" to them, not kissing their asses, not gutting regulation for the hell of it. I find it disingenuous and assume that they are just throwing in with the Repubs until they can at least wait out this election season.

After that, what they do or don't do with their capital is up to them, or the Democrats.

Their choice. And remember, there's a raging debt to pay off.

Record profits and productivity higher than ever? Create jobs or pay it down.

Christopher said...

Garage,

You predicted that Walker would lose his job, the liberal judge would be elected, and the stated senate would flip control.

Only one of those came true (the least high profile one), and that only occurred in a round-about way that gave the democrats control of the senate just in time for them to recess for campaigning.

So yeah, 1 out of 3 ain't bad (even if the one you got right occurred in a way you didn't predict and ended up being worthless).

Synova said...

"Have you examined why they aren't doing this, when doing so (and growing the economy) would actually be in their best interest?"

It would absolutely be in their best interest. Or you'd think so. It *ought* to be in their best interest. But people are pretty savvy about their own lives.

Because wealthy successful people also have a choice, a privilege, to make other choices that the rest of us poor sots don't have. If it's *not* in their best interest to invest and spend, they have a choice.

So the question for anyone who actually would like things to *be* better in the real world occupied by real people is... why is investing NOT in their best interest?

A person can decide it's just because they're mean haters who got theirs and don't want any more than they've got if it means accidentally improving the lives of other people. Lots of cutting off noses to spite faces... which is entirely logical for people who are successful, because that works?

We've got a President that is demonizing success and preaching the patriotism of taxes and the need for the "rich" to pay their fair share.

What do you do... what do YOU do... if someone is promising to take your stuff?

You do your best to hide it, to keep from risking it, and you wait for the danger to pass.

Ctmom4 said...

Oh, the trolls are proliferating and getting more and more shrill. It is going to be a long two months. maybe one of them could explain to me why they do what they do - I really don't understand what motivates them. They are certainly not winning any hearts and minds.

Known Unknown said...

Record profits

Do you have a link, because I fear you mean total dollar amounts across corporations, which would be a foolhardy way to measure this, like the CBS News video I just watched did.

chickelit said...

@Allie: Catching up now (after work and homework supervision) on the DNC fracas.

(1) Hulio Castro is still never going anywhere. Why? Nobody with an identical twin has ever gone anywhere in American politics. Too much opportunity for pranks and mischief making. Something you know quite a bit about.

More when I watch more.

BRB

Anonymous said...

Chickie, whaaaaat, me?

chickelit said...

ABC news has too much time on Hulian's mom and her chins....developing.

garage mahal said...

mike in houston
Dude, I lived and breathed those polls. I privately disbelieved the Walker recall polls many times, going through all the possible oversampling, possible oddities, and whatnot. In hindsight it was a crushing waste of time. They all said one thing. And you wished so hard that the rest of the populace could see what you see so clearly.

I think many conservatives are doing the same thing right now, I feel your pain - I really do. But you're going allow me a cup of schadenfreude. Or two. *clink*

chickelit said...

A starving family could live on that chin for a week...

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Why EMD? Because there's suddenly a record increase in the number of firms across which to divide the total number by? Do you have a citation for that?

Or are you just doing their bidding?

chickelit said...

Castro is sounding Republican now. What's wrong with him? Why is he addressing the Welfare Party?

Ctmom4 said...

Anne, thanks for watching so we don't have to. I'd rather stick needles in my eyes.

jr565 said...

Ritmo do you remember this?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aufAtuTwKlE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kuTG19Cu_Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player

He speaks common sense back when he was running for president last time. Why is he not unpatriotic now? And why is it suddenly wise to raise taxes on the rich?
And if repubs know that Obama is wrong with his clas warfare rhetoric, why should they capitulate to his wrong headed policies? Especially, when he demagogues there policy ideas as if they don't care about poor people or has the attitude that "he won"
Also, how were the dems supportive of hitler/mcchimp/bush? Are you serious? Why shouldn't Obama be held to account for his policies? He wanted Keynesian shovel ready projects as his stimulus plan and he got it. And it failed dramatically. He should own it then. As should you.

Finally, this guy is spanking for you, garage mahal and Shiloh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdtUZhz_oGg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Stop with the whining and demagoguery. Repubs have every reason not to sign up for obamas bullshit ideas, because they are bullshit and do not help the economy, and obamas only real counter to his lack of results is demagoguery.

Booker said people should be able to get out of school and get a good job. And I agree? So why can't many? Because Obama's economy sucks, and he hasn't gotten the job done.

chickelit said...

Clever: so equal opportunity is equal outcomes with Castro: A 3 or 4 year old child not having access to pre-K education is an outcome?

Ctmom4 said...

Forgot to ask - were the Dancing Vaginas there? I would have thought they would give them stage time, since that is what they have reduced women to.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

jr's now trying for sloppy thirds.

Synova said...

"I think many conservatives are doing the same thing right now, I feel your pain - I really do."

It's possible. But how does a person tell? It seems obvious to me that Obama is not doing what he ought to be doing for the economy. It seems obvious to me that one does not "fix" Social Security or Medicare or whatever... Medicare I think... by guaranteeing benefits for 8 years and doing nothing else, or by having a speaker present that 8 years as a great victory when Romney/Ryan give the same guarentee for 10 years and have a plan for after that, painful or not.

My gut says that it's the activists and not the rank and file of the Democrats who want to hear about the tremendous victory of abortion over and over or gay marriage, even if they don't oppose either of those things. Hispanics and Blacks are socially conservative. Much more than white people tend to be. That's why Obama avoided both of those issues like the *plague* in 2008. Has the Democratic party changed that much?

And the job creation numbers are not good. Pretending they are good is pretending. People, lots and lots of people, are out of work. Way more than under Bush, unfair or not. 8% unemployment with adults taking part-time serving positions instead of teens because there are no *real* jobs and a total lower workforce participation and a job growth rate that makes no gains at all... those aren't good numbers.

I'd *like* to believe that people realize this and realize that portraying Romney as an evil man who wants to destroy jobs and who has the power to, in one fell swoop, repeal Roe vs. Wade, that it's completely over the top negativity while running on nothing more substantial than a Romney's evil twin straw man and a fictitious "war on women".

But you're right. I. Can't. Tell.

Christopher said...

And now Garage switches to concern trolling. He cares about the conservatives and thinks they're deluding themselves. Really, he means it........


As for the polls right now. Simply put they're mixed.

The result you get depends on what model they're looking at (adult/registered/likely), when they were taken (pre/during/post convention), and whether you believe the trend toward Romney (which all polls have indicated to varying degrees and effects) is an actual sign or just statistical noise and the result of a convention bounce.

So essentially, anyone can find any poll to predict anything right now.

As for myself I'll look to likely voter polls right now. But I'll wait until a week after the conventions to make a final prediction.

Chip Ahoy said...

Mañana habrá entretenimiento, ojalá que sí.

Titus said...

We are just as not as cool pubes as we try...but that is ok we have time on our side and unemployed meade, natch.

chickelit said...

"Some people are lucky enough to borrow money from their parents" and those people should be met with the most punitive measures possible.

Hulian Castro

Titus said...

Meade is so not cool, but that is ok.

Christopher said...

Also I think the goodwill the Dems. may have gained from the First Lady will be cancelled out by their statement about everyone belonging to the govt.

The person who came up with that phrase is going to be out looking for a job tomorrow.

garage mahal said...

You predicted that Walker would lose his job, the liberal judge would be elected, and the stated senate would flip control.

For sure not Walker.

99% sure I predicted Kloppenburg would be close [no prediction].

I did predict the original senate recalls, but I can't find it.

jr565 said...

Ritmo,
Even Obama and his campaign are giving him an incomplete on his handling of the economy. There is nothing objectively positive about it. Three plus years of tepid to non recovery. Shovel ready jobs that weren't quie shovel ready.all promises, no delivery.

Synova said...

That "the only thing everyone belongs to is the government" thing is so unreal that I think it's got to be a mistake and being spun.

Titus said...

We pubes what all the cool kids but it aint going to happen, but that is ok, we are the responsible party, ya, that is the ticket.

chickelit said...

Listen, MoFo: my parents and their parents and their parents before them built an educational system that favored only the best--not all--emphatically not all, inclusively. The best could have been rich or poor--it didn't matter...but this notion that every low life gangbanger needs to go to college is...stupid.

Christopher said...

That said if the Onion is anything to go by maybe her speech didn't go over as well as I thought.


Nora said...

Sounds like the speakers did not really make an effort. Do they trust media to do the job for them? May be they don't want Obama re-elected, so he does not have chance to make Democrates unelectable for many years to come?

chickelit said...

Julian Castro definitely has a politician's "phony" smile.

Even Obama's looks more genuine.

Synova said...

Not from the Onion?

chickelit said...

Do not hold a sign at an American convention touting "Castro Country"

#fail

Synova said...

Seriously... government as the one thing that brings us all together?

Not an abstract "We are all Americans" or "Texans" or "Denverites" no matter our back ground but... we all belong to the government?

Oy.

Can I get an *honest* assessment of that from the liberals here?

chickelit said...

Julian Castro is just the "angry hispanic." The Republicans showed better.

chickelit said...

On to Michelle...

garage mahal said...

FOUND IT!

garage mahal said...
I predict two Dem wins [Shilling King], two GOP wins [Harsdorf Cowles], and two recounts. [Darling/Pasch - Olsen/Clark]

And I remembered it because of this

madawaskan said...
I get that everyone is having fun trash talking but that was about the only solid prediction made, and he didn't do that bad.

Anyone see madawaskan around lately?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Mañana habrá entretenimiento, ojalá que sí.

Obama has made all kinds of promises Chip.. dont get your hopes up too much.

Anonymous said...

National Reveiw has posted some good reactions to the first night of the DNC. Their writers do a mostly decent job of separating their disagreements from their reportage.

One interesting point they make is that the most liberal speakers have likely been frontloaded into the first night and the tone of the convention will move centerwards over the course of the week. We'll see

I also learned that the DNC has dropped all mention of God and Jerusalem from the platform.

I'd have to say that American voters really are getting a choice this election.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Hey anybody around we can shoot for 800 and make a new record?

chickelit said...

OMG, did FLOTUS really start out out with a "healthcare scenario" involving her parents?

Anonymous said...

As a palate cleanser I'm listening to JFK's inaugural address:

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe -- the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans -- born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.


There was a time when Democrats spoke like that. There were reasons I voted Democratic as long as I did.

garage mahal said...

Linkage

And let's not forget my 2008 Obama bet/Memphis ribs bonanza payoff, h8ers. booooo-yah.

chickelit said...

Michelle Obama: Barack was raised by a single mom who struggled to pay
bills and by grandparents who stepped in when she needed help.


Obama's mother rejected America and only came crawling back when she needed healthcare and someone else to pay. Trust me. I was a student living abroad. I can see inside her mind.

chickelit said...

Even FLOTUS only expends one sentence on loser mom before moving onto the grandparents:

Barack was raised by a single mom who struggled to pay bills and by grandparents who stepped in when she needed help.

chickelit said...

It's so funny how those oh-so-despised mid-Western values like POTUS' grandparents obviously played a role according to Michelle...

Meanwhile, loser mom was romancing the stone age...

garage mahal said...

I can see inside her mind.

You sound like you're descending into Dunham's twat like Andrew Sullivan has spent a good deal of his time inside Sarah Palin's twat.

You read of book or something?

Darrell said...

Garage,
Is your new avatar a picture of the women that had to hit you in the head with the telephone receiver in order to get you to stop? Or is that another one?

chickelit said...

Michelle Obama: So when it comes to rebuilding our economy, Barack is thinking about folks like my dad and like his grandmother.

No he's not, he's thinking about George Clooney and Andrew Sullivan--the guys with clout and lout.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
chickelit said...

Michelle Obama said: He -- he did it because he believed that here in America, our grandparents should be able to afford their medicine. Our kids should be able to see a doctor when they're sick. And no one in this country should ever go broke because of an accident or an illness.

What about "accidental bankruptcies" (like Stanley Anne's) because she refused to buy insurance?

JAL said...

Barack was raised by a single mom who struggled to pay bills and by grandparents who stepped in when she needed help.

Oh good grief.

Mom was traipsing around the world and working on purging her western uguilt by glorifying Indonesian blacksmiths. It only took 30 years.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Whats this I hear about Ron Paul launching a third party independent run?

Another Perot giving an election to the democrat.

Darrell said...

People better respect the lessons of the future--you're going to have to repeat them!

chickelit said...

MO: And he believes that when you work hard and done well and walk through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you.
No, you reach back and you give other folks the
same chances that help you succeed.


Listen up: my own personal story is probably a white boy affirmative action story. But that doesn't excuse the overall conspiracy: subvert the meritocracy.

shiloh said...

800 and make a new record?

1,046 ~ Biden/mama grizzly "debate"

Revenant said...

I'm left assuming that the Democrats are simply hot to reach out to young women

But enough about Bill Clinton.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

...walk through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you.

Not even if the marauding bands* are right behind you?

*See Elisabeth Warren "there is nobody in this country who got rich on his own" video.

Democrats send people mix signals.

Anonymous said...

Comment records have been devalued by removal of word verification.

It's like the outfield fences were moved in 50 feet.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

1046?

I'm outa here.

chickelit said...

Garage said: You sound like you're descending into Dunham's twat like Andrew Sullivan has spent a good deal of his time inside Sarah Palin's twat.

I'll give you kudos for dissing me while you diss Sullivan. Why can't there be more middle ground?

Revenant said...

And he believes that when you work hard and done well and walk through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you

The funny thing about that comment is that a smarter woman would realize it is an argument for tax cuts.

You see, income isn't wealth. Income is how you acquire wealth. The Warren Buffets of the world will die filthy rich even if the income tax goes up to 100%; they have no reason to care. They got theirs, and now they're slamming the door shut behind them.

Low taxes on high income are how we get NEW wealthy people. High income taxes on high income are how you establish a permanent wealthy class barred to new entrants.

Seeing Red said...

MO really didn't say it's America's fault Barack's mom chose a loser?

And I'm not sure, exactly what door did I slam on someone?

Darrell said...

I knew one day Castro would be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention.

Darrell said...

The bedbugs in Charlotte are frantically hitting all the internet chat rooms looking for good way to get rid of Democrats once and for all. No luck so far, only folk remedies and old wives' tales.

ricpic said...

I hope all the murderers of America, otherwise known as the Democratic Party, had a good night.

Thucydides said...

Actually waiting for them to copy the "Clint Eastwood" moment.

Of course rather than a subtle display of the actor's art (notice how Clint's cadence changes whenever he makes a point?) expect stupid, heavy handed delivery with no irony or humour.

And of course, no mention of the real economy where over one in ten Americans is unemployed (really, why is everyone avoiding the U3 number of 11%?)

Jason (the commenter) said...

Althouse: An unusually young woman comes out to do the closing prayer, and it goes on for almost 4 minutes.

The closing prayer was the most devastating moment of the evening, for Democrats. A cheerful woman comes out and prays for Obama, then gives the same prayer for Romney, then mentions millions of children potentially dying of HIV in Africa, and asks both parties to work together.

The humanitarianism of that prayer contrasted so well with everything else which had been said, there's no way you could believe any of it.

rehajm said...

"He reminds me that we are playing a long game here ... and that change is hard, and change is slow and it never happens all at once,"

I'm reminded of the economic quip, 'In the long run we're all dead'. And it's funny, should the nation choose Obama's path of higher marginal tax rates instead of major restructuring of entitlements and a tax and regulatory system designed for economic growth, those memories of the future will be so burdened by debt, our descendants will be pining for the good old days...

Rusty said...

"Government is something we all belong to"



Not in a nice-we're all in this together family way-but in an- or else fascist kind of way.

edutcher said...

In answer to his (implied) question, some phony folksy had already trotted out Ritmo.

Seven and Simon would have been redundant.

shiloh said...

Cons, I feel your pain ...

You mean from laughing so hard our sides hurt?

Oh, yes, poor Barack, he had such a hard life in Indonesia. Then he got dumped on his grandmother and became The Little Prince.

Thucydides said...

Actually waiting for them to copy the "Clint Eastwood" moment.

Willie is going to speak to an empty vagina as if Hillary was there.

Toad Trend said...

Cue star Wars bar scene music.

Toad Trend said...

"Not in a nice-we're all in this together family way-but in an- or else fascist kind of way."

Yes, in a supplicant kind of way.

Meade said...

"Government is something we all belong to"

"Not in a nice-we're all in this together family way-but in an- or else fascist kind of way. "

Everything inside the Government, nothing outside the Government.

wildswan said...

Well, thanks commenters, I read most of your statements in ten minutes and it's evident that the DNC is a putridly boring bust unable to divert the Democratic fanatics and trolls from their obsessions for one moment. This saved me from even reading about it in the papers. The only question: is it really true that at one point the whole convention was screaming "Mitt says no." I mean Mitt does say no - why would they do that?

Matt Sablan said...

The thought that chills my bones? Two more days of convention, three debates and election night.

I'm going to be DEAD to politics after this. For at least a month or so.

Brian Brown said...

ABC News/Washington Post Poll: Mitt gained 7 points and Obama lost five among women after the convention

The decline has occurred entirely among women registered voters

How's the war on Women Meme going?

Brian Brown said...

O Ritmo Segundo said...


No. It was waaaaayyyyy better in October '08.


There are fewer working Americans today than in October 2008.

Clown.

Roger J. said...

Garage: re your 11:53 post--I made that bet and i paid it off. I dont understand your riff on haters--are you calling me a hater? (I dont actually think you are, but I think it was unseemly and beneath you)

Known Unknown said...

h8ers

If he's spelling things like Prince, I don't think he's being too serious.

jr565 said...

Jason wrote:
Althouse: An unusually young woman comes out to do the closing prayer, and it goes on for almost 4 minutes.

The closing prayer was the most devastating moment of the evening, for Democrats. A cheerful woman comes out and prays for Obama, then gives the same prayer for Romney, then mentions millions of children potentially dying of HIV in Africa, and asks both parties to work together.

The humanitarianism of that prayer contrasted so well with everything else which had been said, there's no way you could believe any of it.

devastating for dems perhaps, because Bush actually did stuff for people in Africa with Aids. The current president, not so much.

jr565 said...

The closing prayer was the most devastating moment of the evening, for Democrats. A cheerful woman comes out and prays for Obama, then gives the same prayer for Romney, then mentions millions of children potentially dying of HIV in Africa, and asks both parties to work together
Speaking of prayers, is it true that the dems removed all mention of God from the convention? Optically, is that wise? To be the party of big govt, high taxes, abortion on demand and Godless? If that's the way they want to go I guess its on them.

But, why then the need for a prayer? What are the godless dems praying to?

Joe Schmoe said...

Ritmo, you're going to need a case of 5-Hour Energy to keep up your prolific pace of commenting over the next couple of days.

I have to say sheer volume is not kind to your arguments. I used to think you rather thoughtful. In your posts here, though, your thoughtfulness is not so apparent, and your stuff could all have been cut-and-pasted from Kos or Dem Underground.

garage mahal said...

Roger
Hell no I wasn't calling you a hater!

That was for the people that keep posting that I made predictions I didn't make.

Roger J. said...

Garage--I didnt think you were. But thanks. You and I obviously see the political scene as different--but at least we can agree on the most important thing in life: fishing.

Roger J. said...

Now I will confess to being a hater in one regard: The SOB that instituted the designated hitter rule.
That was beyond the pale. Hell, the Dodgers used to use their pitcher Don Newcombe as a pinch hitter. And Babe Ruth was a pitcher before before it was discovered that he could hit:
Why does the AL hate pitchers?

MadisonMan said...

Nice! I just got it. I'm only halfway through Level 1.

You mean Level Uno.

:)

garage mahal said...

Garage--I didnt think you were. But thanks. You and I obviously see the political scene as different--but at least we can agree on the most important thing in life: fishing.

I don't think we're even that far off politically, honestly.

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