COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Thursday, October 04, 2012

Who is the boss?

89 comments:

  1. .

    From the Gail Collins quote on the previous screen,

    And what are we to make of all this? There wasn’t any car crash, but we have been trained to regard every twitch, tic and failure to look engaged as a matter of possibly cosmic consequence. The next leader of the most powerful nation on earth needs to be the person with the best comebacks, but the fewest strange facial expressions...


    We get what we deserve,

    .

    ReplyDelete
  2. .

    On a more important issue, after all the talk, it may not be Israel that drags us into a war with Iran but rather Turkey.

    In Washington on Wednesday, the White House also condemned the Syrian shelling and affirmed the United States’ solidarity with Turkey. “We stand with our Turkish ally and are continuing to consult closely on the path forward,” National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said...

    Turkey responds to Syrian shelling

    .

    ReplyDelete
  3. we are already at war with Iran.

    All the rest is noise.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The candyman thinks he knows what 'War' is.

    We suffer fools and knaves while keeping our wits about US.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Starting with the personal attacks again Desert Rat?

      Personal information distributed by you on the blog is a federal violation.

      If you persist I will be filing a complaint with Blogger to end the blog

      Delete
    2. The real question is. Does Homeland Security KNOW who Desert Rat is and what illegal, violent threats he has made here at the Elephant Bar?

      This is not the 1st time that Desert Rat tried to provide PERSONAL information on the blog.

      Delete
    3. We really dont want you to start with the death threats and stalking threats again Desert Rat.

      Delete
  5. .

    IMO, the biggest enemy we have in the ME is Saudi Arabia.

    They support Islamism. They are the ones who edit the Koran's with a more radical and inflammatory message and prosletyze this message worldwide. They are the ones that fund the madrasses around the world the promote jihad and radical wahhabiism. They have supported terrorist groups in the past and likely will do so in the future.

    And they are not as stable as some might believe.

    House of Saud or House of Cards?

    .

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well, then, by all means, let's elect the party that's owned by the Sauds - the party that's Vowed to crush all efforts to promote biofuels.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      And the hyperbole begins.

      :)

      .

      Delete
    2. Yeah, it's hyperbole that Saudi Prince Alwaleed is the second largest shareholder in Newscorp - behind only Rupert Murdoch, himself.

      And, it's hyperbole to say the Republicans in Congress have fought all biofuel funding for four long years.

      Meanwhile, we'll make a big deal out of Obama smirking instead of jumping up on the lectern, and calling Romney on the numbers of his outrageous bullshit.

      Gail Collins is right. We'll get what we deserve.

      Delete
  7. The saudi, without doubt are our greatest enemy, for the past twenty years, at least.

    We had George W doing a victory dace with them, not long after 11SEP01.

    Rufus is right, about the GOP

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The old saw is:

      The Communists told the truth about Capitalism, but were wrong about Communism,

      while the Capitalists were right about Communism, but were wrong about Capitalism.

      Delete
  8. Nissan is introducing a $3,000.00 Car.

    What do you think That will do to Global Oil Demand?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Crude + Condensate (C+C, otherwise known as "oil") has increased by 0.002 - 0.2 of one percent - annually, since June of 2005.

    Meanwhile, the Global Automobile Fleet is increasing by probably close to 5% Annually.

    How much longer do you people think that this can go on?

    The cost of a gallon of gasoline, nationwide, was $3.78, Yesterday (the highest price ever for this time of year. That's with Europe in Recession, Japan in, or on the edge of recession, Chinese growth at a standstill, and the U.S. on the very edge of recession.

    While this is going on, the good Saudi Prince brags to his cohorts that he can get a Fox News Story changed with a single phone call.

    And, I'm hyperbolating!

    ReplyDelete
  10. An Example:

    At last night’s presidential debate, Mitt Romney criticized the Obama administration for putting “$90 billion into green jobs.” Romney also claimed that about half the companies funded by these energy programs have “gone out of business” — an untrue statement that was quickly rebutted by fact-checkers. (The actual figure, as Michael Grunwald pointed out, is likely less than 1 percent.)


    (Reed Saxon/Associated Press)
    Still, it’s worth stepping back from Romney’s specific remarks and looking at President Obama’s clean-energy track record more broadly. What sorts of green jobs programs has the Obama administration spent $90 billion on? Where does the money go? How much of the funds have been wasted? And what are we actually getting in return for all this cash?

    1) The stimulus does provide roughly $90 billion in financing for green energy programs, broadly defined. Here’s the breakdown from the White House: There’s $29 billion for improving energy efficiency, including home retrofits; $21 billion in incentives for renewable generation, such as solar and wind; $10 billion for modernizing the electric grid; $6 billion to promote advanced vehicles and a domestic battery industry; $18 billion for high-speed rail and other trains; $3 billion for research into carbon sequestration for coal plants; $3 billion for job training; and $3 billion for clean manufacturing tax credits.

    A few caveats. Not all of these programs are strictly Obama programs. Some of them were signed into law by President Bush, but didn’t get funding until the stimulus was enacted. An example is ARPA-E, which conducts research into long-shot energy technologies and was first created in 2007. What’s more, some programs provide loans or loan guarantees, which means the money will be repaid as long as the companies survive.

    A Closer Look at Obama's Green Energy Program

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At last night’s presidential debate, Mitt Romney criticized the Obama administration for putting “$90 billion into green jobs.” Romney also claimed that about half the companies funded by these energy programs have “gone out of business” — an untrue statement that was quickly rebutted by fact-checkers. (The actual figure, as Michael Grunwald pointed out, is likely less than 1 percent.)


      (Reed Saxon/Associated Press)
      Still, it’s worth stepping back from Romney’s specific remarks and looking at President Obama’s clean-energy track record more broadly. What sorts of green jobs programs has the Obama administration spent $90 billion on? Where does the money go? How much of the funds have been wasted? And what are we actually getting in return for all this cash?

      1) The stimulus does provide roughly $90 billion in financing for green energy programs, broadly defined. Here’s the breakdown from the White House: There’s $29 billion for improving energy efficiency, including home retrofits; $21 billion in incentives for renewable generation, such as solar and wind; $10 billion for modernizing the electric grid; $6 billion to promote advanced vehicles and a domestic battery industry; $18 billion for high-speed rail and other trains; $3 billion for research into carbon sequestration for coal plants; $3 billion for job training; and $3 billion for clean manufacturing tax credits.

      A few caveats. Not all of these programs are strictly Obama programs. Some of them were signed into law by President Bush, but didn’t get funding until the stimulus was enacted. An example is ARPA-E, which conducts research into long-shot energy technologies and was first created in 2007. What’s more, some programs provide loans or loan guarantees, which means the money will be repaid as long as the companies survive.

      2) Most of these projects are still up and running, though there have been a few notable failures. It is not even remotely true that “half” of the energy companies funded by the stimulus have “gone out of business,” as Romney said at the debate. After all, many of the clean-energy programs, such as the tax credits and grants for wind and solar production, only pay out when the turbines and solar panels churn out electricity.

      Romney’s campaign later clarified that he was referring to the Energy Department’s 1705 loan program, which provides about $16.1 billion to clean-energy companies. Yet of the 33 companies that have received loan guarantees, just three are in bankruptcy—including Solyndra, which could cost the government $535 million. (The other two companies are SoloPower and Beacon Power, the latter of which is still operating and has mostly repaid its federal loan.) Additionally companies could eventually falter, but for now, that’s a 9 percent default rate for just one portion of the stimulus.

      It’s also worth noting that Congress created the 1705 loan program with the expectation that some companies would fail. The government was supposed to take risks. And, as energy analyst Gregory Kats has testified (pdf), the loan program’s final cost will likely end up well below the $2.47 billion Congress set aside to cover losses.

      Delete
    2. I'll skip ahead to point #5

      Clean energy is getting the vast bulk of government support now, but it hasn’t always been that way. Ever since the first tariffs to protect Pennsylvania coal in the late 1700s, the U.S. government has always nurtured new energy sources. And, over the years, fossil fuels and nuclear power have received the bulk of that support, as a report last year from the venture-capital firm DBL investors showed.

      The report’s authors, Nancy Pfund and Ben Healey, looked at subsidies given to different forms of energy in their first 15 years of existence. Back in the 1950s, nuclear power received support worth $3.3 billion per year in today’s dollars — or a full 1 percent of the federal budget — for its first 15 years. Oil and gas got an average of $1.8 billion, or 0.5 percent of the budget in its early days. And solar and wind? Their support averaged less than $0.4 billion from 1994 and 2009:

      Delete
    3. Technologies like solar, wind and geothermal have now received an infusion of about $21 billion from the stimulus—which, if spread out over 15 years, means that renewables are still getting less support in absolute terms than oil, gas, and nuclear did in their early stages. What’s more, the authors noted, support for renewable energy tends to be temporary and erratic, while government support for fossil fuels and nuclear has been steadier over time. (Oil and gas companies continue to receive a number of tax breaks worth about $2.8 billion per year, such as the percentage depletion allowance.)

      A raw subsidy count, however, can be misleading. Government support for energy can manifest itself in all sorts of subtle ways. For instance, the drilling technique known as “fracking,” which has led to a recent surge in U.S. oil and gas production from shale rock, was developed by private industry with aid from the federal government, which contributed research, key pilot projects, and mapping assistance. Fracking took 25 years to develop and fine-tune, a product of a number of programs and collaborations—a reminder that energy technology rarely develops in a straightforward, predictable fashion.



      Yes, Obama is, quite possibly, the worst "debater" in the history of the U.S. Presidency; but that doesn't detract from the fact that Romney, and the Tea Party are a horrible pack of liars that will hurt this country in a way that is going to be devastating to our progeny. We might deserve this; but they don't.

      Delete
    4. .

      What? No, thanks to me for providing the vehicle that allowed you to get your true feelings out?

      Don't you feel a lot better now?

      Ah, forget the thanks.

      I did it because I could see you were secretly ready to explode and I wanted to give you a release valve. I did it just because of the silly, kind-hearted sap that I am.

      .

      Delete
    5. Romney was pointing out that Obama is against a $2 billion annual subsidy but had no problem with providing 50 years worth of subsidies to emerging green industries.

      Romney also said that the oil subsidies would probably end with reduced deductions and closed loopholes.

      Delete
  11. Meanwhile, in the middle of the worst drought since the 1930's, ethanol is selling for $2.42/gal.

    CBOT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And, I'll repeat, one more time, for those of you that have trouble with the Big words:

      You can get Just As Much Work Out of a Gallon of Ethanol As You Can From a Gallon of Gasoline.

      All you need is a higher compression ratio.

      Delete
    2. .

      You forgot to add that the reason we don't have a higher compression ratio is because of the unholy alliance between the auto companies, the GOP, Fox news, The Sauds, Big Oil, organized religion and the guys over at Chick-fil-A

      .

      Delete
    3. In a smaller engine, of course.

      Delete
    4. Well, you tell Me, Quirk; there are over 600 stations in Minnesota, and Iowa that sell E85. Almost 300 in Illinois.

      If Honda can build, and sell a handful of CNG cars, why hasn't someone built a car, or pickup truck, with a small, high horsepower, E85-Optimized engine?

      Delete
    5. You tell me why there is NOT ONE IOTA of difference between the fuel system in my car, and the fuel system of any non-flexfuel Impala made anywhere in the world.

      Delete
    6. You do understand that a 1.6 L engine is cheaper to build than a 3.5 L engine, right? Having been in the "Car Bizness," and all?

      Delete
    7. Tell me if you find these two phrases even mildly interesting:

      Interlocking Directorates

      and

      Political Risk

      Delete
    8. .

      Not really.

      First, I must admit I don't know what an interlocking directorate is in that I can't recall hearing the term before. However, it does sound kinda like something out of a Dan Brown novel.

      Just saying.

      .

      Delete
    9. .

      If Honda can build, and sell a handful of CNG cars, why hasn't someone built a car, or pickup truck, with a small, high horsepower, E85-Optimized engine?

      Oh, that should be obvious to anyone who has read the latest issue of CleanTechnica. It's the the unholy alliance between the auto companies, the GOP, Fox news, The Sauds, Big Oil, organized religion and the guys over at Chick-fil-A.

      Also, in a recent article in The American Thinker it was pointed out that Obama is not really a naturalized citizen and the only reason he was elcted was the result of some guy named Lester Crown.

      .


      Delete
    10. It was in about the third chapter, I'd imagine, of your Econ 101 textbook.

      Interlocking Directorates

      Delete
    11. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was in my high school Civics book.

      Delete
    12. .

      Sorry, I still plead ignorance. What does it mean and more importantly what is your point?

      Do I find it interesting? Is that rhetorical or do you have a point?

      .

      Delete
    13. Did you click on the link?

      Do you not remember the comment a couple of months back delineating the number of oil company executives sitting on auto company boards (and, vice versa?)

      Delete
    14. .

      I did not click on the link. Having done so now, I am still interested in specifics.

      Many boards are huge. They typically have directors from many professions and many market sectors on their board to give them a broad feel for the economy.

      Perhaps you are right; however, all you have offered so far is a broad assertion with no evidence to prove it. Details would help. To prove this nefarious influence you assert it would be helpful to have some additional information. For instance, how many of these agents are there? What companies are involved? How big are the boards and on what committees are these oil company moles? What other company boards do these guys sit on?

      Right now without the details it is on a par with some of the stuff we get from Bob out of the American Thinker or from Chris Matthews on MSNBC.

      .

      Delete
    15. I did all that once. I remember you made a couple of snarky comments, and blew it off. There's no reason to think you wouldn't do the same, again. Go yank someone else's chain.

      Delete
    16. .

      Up to you.

      Hardly convincing.

      .

      Delete
  12. Iran deploys riot police as currency plunges 40%.

    Al Gore blames the effect of gravity on the atmosphere for Obama's performance last night. "I’m going to say something controversial here," Gore told Current TV. "Obama arrived in Denver at 2 pm today, just a few hours before the debate started. Romney did his debate prep in Denver. When you go to 5,000 feet and you only have a few hours to adjust, I don’t know."

    The tingle that ran up Chris Matthew's leg is now a trickle running down the other.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      You can condense Gore's comment down to it's essential message, "I don't know."

      Yeh, we get it Al.

      .

      Delete
  13. You forgot to add that the reason we don't have a higher compression ratio is because of the unholy alliance between the auto companies, the GOP, Fox news, The Sauds, Big Oil, organized religion and the guys over at Chick-fil-A


    :):):)

    I have gone to my first Chick-fil-A, and just got back from a tour of a Toyota Factory.

    I put Big Oil Gas in my car today, and am watching Fox News, and I feel great about the GOP and the organized Amish religion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How many Marines, and Soldiers have died so those fucking slackers can dick around in their fucking, horse-drawn fantasyland?

      Delete
    2. .

      Once more, the religionphobe aspects of your character assert themselves.

      Interesting fact and one that should be known to those on the left, in defining racial discrimination, the UN takes a broad view by expanding the meaning of 'racial discrimination' to include abuse on any group specifically because of race, ethnicity, religion, etc.

      Given the UN's view, I guess your assault on the Amish would have to be classified as racist. Of course, given a certain mindset, anything can be considered racist.

      .

      Delete
    3. I can't imagine what "religion" has to do with race.

      Delete
    4. That hadn't occurred to me. Rufus discriminates on the basis of religion.

      The Amish are self-organized. They don't need a community organizer. They work. Few are in prison. I doubt many are on welfare. Maybe they don't take welfare, or food stamps. You are safe around them. They don't pollute. They don't burn Saudi gas. Their homes are immaculate. They don't trash their neighborhoods. They don't vote. They may be around long after all of us are gone.

      They have a period for their youth, sometime around 16 or something, when the youth are invited to leave the community if they wish, and go taste the world. If they come back, fine, and they are supposed to then make a commitment to stay. They are not forced into the community.

      They make great furniture. Cookies. Leather goods. I like them.

      Delete
    5. They also have a good sense of humor.

      Delete
    6. fucking slackers

      That is exactly what they are not.

      Delete
    7. I have occasion to go through Lancaster County in PA. It is fascinating to see electric utility poles go by farms without stopping for a connection.

      At this time of the year the Amish are harvesting corn with four draft horses. The corn is separated from the silage which is cut with hand machines into cow size bites, then hoisted into silos. It is back-breaking work but each farmer is assisted by his neighbors as each field is ready to be cut.

      The silage will feed their cows (all milked by hand) through the winter.

      I certainly prefer the families that pay their own way and live off the soil to the louts in Philadelphia that soil the very neighborhoods where they live and prey on their neighbors and any unfortunates that cross their path.

      Delete
    8. .

      I can't imagine what "religion" has to do with race.

      Haven't you heard? Attacking someone on the basis of their religion is a violation of their human rights.

      From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which the US signed on to.

      Article 18.

      • Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

      You have to broaden your perspective. I would think that this would be easy for someone who classifies anyone who disagrees with gay marriage as racist.


      .

      Delete
    9. Yeah, they're just sweetie-pies. Works just fine as long as there is a responsible government in place to send the police cars, and fight the wars that allow them such a backward idyllic 8th Grade existence.

      Plop'em down in the middle of Somalia, and let's see how that whole peacenik thing works out.

      Delete
    10. Yeah, human rights are human rights; but it seems to me that "religion" and race are quite distinct "Subsets" of that Set.

      Delete
    11. .

      Homosexualism is a "Race?"

      Lord, Rufus, you are losing it.

      It was in the discussion following Obama's miraculous change of opinion on gay marriage when you accused those here who opposed gay marriage as 'racists'.

      How soon they forget.

      .

      Delete
    12. That's bullshit. Maybe, someone in a homophobic rant, said something racist, and I called them on That. But you can't honestly tell me that you think that I accused someone of racism only on the grounds of a homophobic statement. I know you think I'm nuts; but surely you don't consider me completely ignorant.

      Delete
  14. I think last night was the real beginning of the long slide for Barry Soetoro into the political dustbin of history. Barry was exposed for the empty chair he is and Romney looked like a president and a leader.

    Today, David Axelrod confessed to Mr Obama’s weaknesses and asked the media to push Mr Romney harder.

    I believe the media is just supposed to report the news and FACTS in an unbiased manner. However, thanks to Axelrod for verifying what everyone already believes - that the ultra left leaning media IS liberally biased and can therefore NOT be trusted with anything they report. Disgusting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think "Barry" will go down in the history books as a guy that had it right, but couldn't debate worth a crap. I guess it'll be up to someone younger than me to know the final verdict (a fact that I don't find terribly dismaying, I might add.)

      Delete
    2. It gets easier to understand RIP w/age.

      ...ahh, I won't have to put up with God's loving plan to save all the worst stuff for when we are least able to stomach it.

      Asshole.

      Delete
    3. Romney is liable to win. I feel terrible about it; I've done what I can to educate those that I can reach; and I'll go cast my vote. And, now I'm an asshole? Figures.

      Delete
    4. I meant God's an Asshole for that lovin spoonful of shit we all get near our movie's end.

      Sorry for the misunderstanding.

      (my inner nice guy is ascendent,
      ...but pissed.)

      Delete
  15. Jeeze, Great Clip, Deuce:

    I LISTENED to almost all of it, then the little remaining youtube I watched showed none of the Disaster this split screen shows.
    ...the perils of not watching tv, although I certainly thot Mitt won, was just surprised out the Outrage, left and right.

    Now I see why.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Just tuned in Medved:

    The problem, you see, is 'cause Mitt practiced in Denver and was used to the altitude.

    Barry, in Vegas, was not acclimated...

    Another Flack said he had a couple of cups of coffee to get up to speed.

    Hilarious.

    Any bets on how much Mittens/Boxing Gloves Romney had to drink?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I heard he drank a whole bottle of Five Wives before the debate, but I heard it from a democrat.

      Delete
  17. Romney: The Stormin' Mormon

    ReplyDelete
  18. Little Red Hen 2012

    "Who will help me plant my wheat?" asked the little red hen.
    "Not I," said the cow.
    "Not I," said the duck.
    "Not I," said the pig.
    "Not I," said the goose.

    "Then I will do it by myself." She planted her crop and the wheat grew and ripened.

    "Who will help me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen.

    "Not I," said the duck.
    "Out of my classification," said the pig.
    "I'd lose my seniority," said the cow.
    "I'd lose my unemployment compensation," said the goose.

    "Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen, and so she did.

    "Who will help me bake the bread?" asked the little red hen.

    "That would be overtime for me," said the cow.
    "I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck.
    "I'm a dropout and never learned how," said the pig.
    "If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination," said the goose.
    "Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen.

    She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see.
    They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share but the little red hen said, "No, I shall eat all five loaves."

    "Excess profits!" cried the cow.. (Nancy Pelosi)
    "Capitalist leech!" screamed the duck. (Barbara Boxer)
    "I demand equal rights!" yelled the goose. (Jesse Jackson)
    The pig just grunted in disdain.. (Harry Reid)

    And they all painted 'Unfair!' picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

    When the farmer (Obama) came he said to the little red hen, "You must not be so greedy."
    "But I earned the bread," said the little red hen.
    "Exactly," said Barack the farmer. "That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle."

    And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, "I am grateful, for now I truly understand."

    But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the 'party' and got her bread free. And all the Democrats smiled. 'Fairness' had been established.

    Individual initiative had died but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared so long as there was free bread that 'the rich' were paying for.

    And perhaps....this is the end...................

    And the next week, there was no bread, or anything else to eat. So, they all starved equally.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Politics by Nursery Rhyme

      why didn't we think of that?

      Delete
    2. Let not you heart be troubled by your misunderstanding:

      See "Asshole" reply above.

      Delete
  19. "“The main story – and big surprise – of the debate was the return of Mitt Romney the Massachusetts Moderate. Romney spoke positively about the need for regulation. Even when asked pointblank by [moderator] Jim Lehrer if regulation was excessive – a standard part of his stump speech – he said in some area we have too much, in others too little,” said Boston University political historian Bruce Schulman.

    “He positioned himself to the left of Obama on Medicare, suggesting that he’ll add money to traditional Medicare and that he won’t cut taxes for the wealthy. The President clearly didn’t expect it or know how to call him on that,” added Mr. Schulman.

    The key thing to watch, as Mr. Schulman points out, is how Mr. Romney’s positions will play among the very conservatives who had such difficulty coming around to Mr. Romney in the first place – questioning his conservative credentials and whether they were heartfelt.

    “Will the fact that he attacked Obama [during the presidential debate] satisfy them [conservatives] even though he deserted them on so many points of principle?” wondered Mr. Schulman."

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/goodbye-robot-mitt-three-surprises-from-last-nights-presidential-debate/article4588925/



    It is kinda funny watching ya all gush over the "I Like Coal" Mitster.

    ReplyDelete
  20. That was a great vid. I missed the debate. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  21. President Barack Obama quickly returned to the campaign trail Thursday as his campaign sought to regain its footing following a Wednesday night debate that left many Democrats unnerved by what they described as the president's listless performance.

    ...

    Republican challenger Mitt Romney on Thursday made a pitch to donors, and a surprise morning visit to Colorado's Conservative Political Action Conference where he received an enthusiastic reception...

    ReplyDelete
  22. But he did – and there's every reason to expect he'll fight back now. Anyone who watched him defeat Hillary Clinton in their epic 2008 primary battle (or has seen him play pick-up basketball) knows how competitive he is.

    Two more debates lie ahead and it would be amazing if Mr Obama passed up so many opportunities to score points. And as John Kerry proved, winning debates is no guarantee of winning election.

    But the prospect of an Obama walkover is no more. As David Gergen, CNN analyst and veteran of Republican and Democratic White Houses, put it: "We've got a horse race."

    ReplyDelete
  23. Everyone, including President Obama and former governor Mitt Romney, gives lip service to reducing the deficit. But when you do the math -- whether it be Obama's, Romney's or even Paul Ryan's -- there is no plan for eliminating deficits that adds up.

    ...

    Americans deserve the truth. The truth is that our deficits are not only unsustainable, but represent a very real threat to this nation.

    ReplyDelete
  24. The most important thing about these debates is that they give voters an idea of which candidate can take command for an office one of whose titles is commander-in-chief. Romney, in his interactions with Lehrer and with Obama, established that he is a man who can take command.

    Obama, through the whole debate, seemed like a man who cannot. Romney took command tonight and Obama looked irritable and weak.

    ...

    Which one looked more like a president? Mitt Romney.

    ReplyDelete
  25. President Barack Obama tried to recover Thursday from a lackluster debate performance that left Democrats questioning his strategy, as Mitt Romney used his strong showing to reinvigorate a party base worried about his election prospects. Mr. Obama’s campaign advisers, who fielded a deluge of complaints Thursday from donors and supporters about the president’s unexpectedly subdued...

    ReplyDelete
  26. On this day in 1895, the U.S. Open golf tournament premiered in Rhode Island at Newport Country Club.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Obama looked exactly like what he is, a shallow petulant intellectual lightweight without discipline, a work ethic or any relevant experience other than being Obama. Obama exists as president because enough people saw in him what they needed to see.

    Romney eviscerated the hologram of hope and change. Chauncey Gardiner exposed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And Romney will whisper whatever you want to hear into your ear. "I'll reach across the aisle...". riiiight, I've heard that somewhere before.

      Delete
  28. Video? It is a fucking commercial! Nicely, edited I might add, but EDITED nonetheless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Lord, Ash, what did you expect? It is a political ad after all.

      .

      Delete
    2. Yes, quirk, and folks here treat it as if it were representative of the debate.

      Delete
  29. Yes, very nicely edited. One of the best I've ever seen. Especially impressive when you take into consideration how quickly they got it done. I'd watched for a while before I realized what they were doing. (I'm kinda dense, sometimes.)

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  30. I’ll bet Obama wished he could have edited himself last night. He may have had at least five good minutes.

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  31. This debate is going to be remembered as the one where Obama got mugged, and Big Bird got fired. :)

    Even Obama's friends are having a ball with the Big Bird story.

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  32. Meanwhile the ass-stabbing Turks along with the ass-stabbing CIA are conspiring to skirt the UN and attack Syria under the guise of a NATO member being attacked. You have to be pretty stupid to buy the bullshit that Assad, fighting for his political and biological life, during a civil war, decides it would be a good time to attack Turkey.

    NATO needs to be saluted, the flag lowered and the US get out from under that liability.

    Turkey attacked by Syria. Got it.

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