Last night, The Al Smith Dinner was held in New York City. The Al Smith Dinner is one of the biggest events in politics and media in any given presidential election year. The dinner is always scheduled close to the election, and it’s always a forum for presidents and presidential candidates to show their softer, more humorous side. The dinner is given in honor of Al Smith, the first Catholic to run for president (in 1928, I believe), and the dinner raises money for Catholic charities. I’m doing this little history lesson because I really don’t want twenty-million comments of “I hate that Obama is doing this dumb event” or “Romney should be thinking about the economy, blah.” Nearly every president and presidential candidate has done the dinner for the past 60-odd years. It’s a tradition, and it’s for charity, and it’s always bipartisan. So here are Romney and Obama’s speeches – Romney went first:
And here’s Obama’s speech:
Just on a style issue, I like the way Obama tells a joke. I like that he delivers his line, stops, processes, then laughs to himself. It cracks me up when he laughs at his own joke. As for the jokes themselves… Romney surprised me by having some really solid jokes. He made me chuckle several times. But Obama did make me laugh more often throughout his speech, and I thought Obama struck the better tone – more self-effacing, self-deprecating, lighter in total. Romney seemed to treat it more like a comedy roast, and I thought his ham-fisted wink-and-nod to Catholic voters at the end was tacky – like he was basically saying, “I’m the pro-life candidate, remember that Catholics! THINK OF THE POPE.”
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Big hello to all my Celebitches!! I miss you guys so much and I have been too busy with my work to comment.
I found Obama funnier…and Handsomer. Mitt however is not as daft as I previously thought. At any rate I am Canadian so not part of the voting process but #Obama2012. 😀
I prefer Obama, there’s something about Romney that I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Agree. Just something about him that seems cold.
Agree. And why is he orange?
Jon Stewart had a funny bit the other day where he (jokingly!) remarked that Romney had been assembled in a Chinese factory. He is a bit robotic, lol.
😀
:).
The way sociopaths are odd?
LOL…exactly!
Obama said today that Romney suffers from “Romnesia” which is why he flip-flops so much. He can’t seem to remember what he said the day before yesterday.
I think it’s because his finger and the fingers of the Republicans today seem to want to get into my private parts when it’s none of their business! All kidding aside, I thought it was interesting that Obama tended to make fun of himself while Romney roasted Obama. There was very little self deprecating going on with Gov. Romney.
Romney also seems to change his policies to fit whatever audience he’s before–the guy simply wants to be elected and will do whatever it takes to get elected. I know most of our politicians do that today which is too bad but he seems really good at it.
As a woman, I can’t vote for a Republican, not this election. The Supreme Court is too close to taking away a lot of my civil rights and it’s a done deal that at least 1 of the more liberal justices will retire very soon. I feel strongly that if for no other reason than to keep the Supreme Court where it is now (4 more liberal and 5 conservative) I am voting Democrat for every major race. I’m sorry I have to do this as I’m not usually party oriented but I am appalled by all the states that now have Republican legislatures who have enacted draconian laws against abortion, including forcing women to have ultrasounds (sometimes intravaginal) and, making them pay for them to boot when they didn’t want to have them in the first place.
My view is if you really believe in limited gov’t you stay out of my bedroom and my body! Period.
Not to mention that the Republican Party, after a show of outrage, is backing a man who talks about “legitimate rape”. Can’t wait to see how these classifications can affect the criminal justice system. Keeping a woman down by any means is what I think.
Just to be aware, ultrasounds and sonograms are always part of any abortion procedure. it makes sure of the pregnancy and also can log any abnormalities before and after the procedure to make the patient safer. As a female, i agree with many of these sentiments you present, but this is just an operating code. i do agree that sometimes if the physician uses this as means to disuade the patient in either means is unethical
Both were good but Mitt was funnier imo.
Agreed. Both were funny, but Mitt got a standing ovation and people were howling with laughter.
Well of course a republican is going to get a better reception at an Albert Smith reception, what did you expect? The people attending that event are devout Catholics. Devout Catholics tend to be politically conservative. Conservatives vote republican. No surprises there.
However, you would be foolish in the extreme to assume devout Catholics represent all Catholics. Most American Catholics don’t even go to mass on a regular basis any more. They vote all over the map. And they are as concerned about Romney jeopardizing their reproductive rights as anybody else.
Are you kidding Janet? I hope people don’t pay any attention to the misinformation you wrote. 1) The dinner is open to a WIDE variety of people–did you see Katie Couric, Bloomberg, Kissinger, etc, who are by the way, not Catholic? The guest list includes prominent figures in government, business, and media–basically anyone with money. This is not a “Catholics only” event, it’s a society event to raise money for the charity. So your claim that “all Catholics clapped for Romney” is false. 2) Catholics are evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans: in 2008 they favored Obama more by a slim margin. So I have no idea where you are getting these assumptions. I wish people would stick to facts and not just pull ideas out of thin air.
@Ivy, who wrote: “Are you kidding Janet? I hope people don’t pay any attention to the misinformation you wrote. 1) The dinner is open to a WIDE variety of people–did you see Katie Couric, Bloomberg, Kissinger, etc, who are by the way, not Catholic?”
The ‘dinner’ may be open to a WIDE variety of people, but it is sponsored and controlled by a highly conservative ‘group’ of Catholics. It’s rather disingenuous of you to pretend there isn’t a group of ultra conservative Catholics, just as it would be disingenuous of me to pretend there aren’t ultra conservative Black Republicans, or deny the group of ultra conservative Christians who are Right Wing/Tea Party conservatives because I’m also a Christian.
Those groups sponsor events too, which prominent politicians and celebrities attend in order to get votes and donations for themselves or others.
And if it was simply an event put on by ‘regular’ every day Catholics, what was up with all of Romney’s ‘wink, wink’ “I’m a religious guy who doesn’t approve of abortion either” ‘wink, wink’ at the end of his routine?
Definitely, Mitt’s jokes were witty and he delivered them well.
I’m no Obama fan, but I can admit he was pretty damn funny! However, I think Mitt edged him out, but just a bit.
Wow. Guess it’s different strokes for different folks. I thought Romney was mean humor. He was funnier (or his joke writers were funnier) than I expected but I definitely don’t think he had the edge. But I suspect most who think he won are his supporters and most who think Obama was funnier are Obama supporters. And as others have pointed out, the audience for this event is decidedly skewed towards conservatives.
I absolutely thought Mitt Romney was surprisingly much funnier than President Obama. He was hilarious. Obama seemed stale to me.
Romney was way funnier and believable as President.
Yes, yes, yes!
Romney is not believable as anything. This is the guy who said if he is elected he will create 12,000,000 jobs. Then he goes into a debate and says the government cannot create jobs. So when he talks out of both sides of his mouth, which side do you believe in? Or maybe his job program is the sixth part of the five-point program he refuses to outline and expects us to take on trust?
I’d buy snake oil from an itinerant salesman before I’d vote for that fraud for president.
Bwahahaha, good one!
Oh wait, you were serious….
Believable? This guy says whatever it takes to get elected. When he ran for Senate in Massachusetts he was pro-choice. When he was Governor he helped to institute RomneyCare which, at its center, includes a mandate for everyone to be insured. The mandate is actually a Republican idea from years back. He stated that it was wrong for those who could afford to buy insurance to not be insured and that using the ER as their medical care was wrong. Now that he’s running for President and needs the right of the right to vote for him, he’s Pro-Life. During the Primary, he was Pro Life to the point that he thought abortion was wrong even if a woman’s health was compromised and if the pregnancy was the result of incest or rape. Now, that he’s running in the general election and needs Independents to vote for him, he thinks women’s health and women who’ve been raped should be the exception. During the primary he said he supported Paul Ryan’s budget. That budget basically decimates Medicare, at least for me and for anyone under the age of 54. That budget also moves Social Security closer to privatization. Now, he is not for vouchers for Medicare and LOVES Social Security. When he was running in the Primary he suggested that making the lives of immigrants who entered this country so miserable they’ll “self deport” was his policy. He stated one of the first things he’d do would be to rescind Obama’s executive order allowing the children of illegal immigrants to stay in this country legally if they haven’t committed a crime. Now, he’ll do even more for immigrants.
I guess the question is WHICH Romney is the one you think looks more Presidential?
Janet,
Govt does not create jobs, people create jobs. When govt creates jobs, tax payers pay for that, when private citizens create businesses and jobs, they pay for it.
Secondly, congress produces the budget, not the president, until the congress is elected and convened it is a little hard for the president or romney to decide what to do with said budget. Since the dems havent bothered with a budget in 4 years, i can understand why that confuses people.
Thank you!
@Sarah-Janet was merely pointing out one of Romney’s countless inconsistencies. When people describe Romney as the more qualified candidate, I wonder what exactly is the criteria for these alleged qualifications. Most of the times, it’s pure optics and rhetoric. He ‘looks more presidential’? That’s absurd.
His track record, if you actually investigate the details of it, is crap. With both Bain and MA. Any woman who votes for Romney is more concerned with the perceived benefit to her pocketbook than with the fact he will set women’s rights back many decades in the name of his faith, which he constantly and inappropriately brings to his platform. He’s not the thinking person’s candidate, that’s for sure.
Excuse me but I have to respectfully disagree with you. Government may not directly create jobs but the federal gov’t provides lots of small businesses with business. The federal gov’t provides states with tax dollars from you and me that are then put into paying for the salaries of police and fire men/women. Those funds also pay for more teachers in schools with low income bases. Those funds pay for Medicare and Medicaid for people in your state who may be working two or three jobs but are still at poverty level and without that help would have no medical care. The federal gov’t uses your taxes to fix roads and infrastructure–hiring people in your community to do the work.
This whole odd idea that we shouldn’t have to pay taxes and that the federal gov’t doesn’t create jobs is just not true. Between public services provided by our tax dollars via the federal gov’t and so many other ways that those dollars help create more small businesses, without gov’t dollars most communities would go under.
Also, the suggestion that the Obama administration has somehow increased the size of the fed’l gov’t is also incorrect. It’s smaller than it has been in 20 years. Taxes are lower than they’ve been since the 1950’s/ I have a small business. My taxes have gone down under this administration. All of the so-called right wing talking points: Obama wants your guns: fact is he’s done nothing sadly about the increase in gun related deaths. Obama has raised your taxes: not true. He lowered them He did it thru payroll taxes instead of spending millions of dollars sending out letters to everyone in the country with a check telling you that he was giving you a tax break ala GW Bush. Obama has created the deficit: Please! When Bush took office, he was joined by a Republican Senate and Republican House. They took a surplus and created the biggest deficit in our history. They got rid of Glass Steagall which was a law that would have ensured that the banks couldn’t have tanked our economy. They took us into 2 wars that they didn’t pay for. They did an across the board tax cut without paying for it. The deficit was increasing when Obama took over. Inspite of the need for a stimulus, when you look at the deficit over the last 3 years, it’s DECLINING.
Finally, the day Obama was inaugurated, several people in the Republican leadership met to decide how to beat him. They decided they would vote against every single effort to put people back to work. Yes the Senate and House were both Democratically led during Obama’s first year but the Senate rules allowed the minority Republicans to block EVERY bill the democrats tried to pass. They didn’t want the economy to improve because they didn’t want him to be re-elected.
If the Republicans are so darn concerned about jobs, why in all the states they are now in control of and in the Congress are all the bills they’ve put forward about abortion and lower taxes for rich people?
And last, but not least, Obama has submitted several bills to the Congress with funding requests and suggestions for them in creating annual budgets. They’ve filibustered them all.
I would suggest you stop listening to Rush and watching only Fox. You might find that their talking points are not based on facts.
@Me too …
Thank you for saying it so eloquently.
Nicely stated, Me Too.
Interested parties might take a look at Steve Benen’s running compilation of “Mitt’s Mendacity”. Over 600 documented (linked) mendacious statements this year alone (with supporting information).
I just love Obama’s smile.
+1
Me, too – and I think that’s because it’s sincere. What I like most about the President is that he is a GOOD PERSON. I truly believe that he wants to do the right thing and I trust his judgement.
Same here Bird.
I loved Obama joking about his middle name. It charmingly disarms all those who invoke it as proof that he’s a foreigner or terrorist or both.
I thought Mitt was funny but he didn’t use jokes in the spirit of the event. His jokes were cuttingly funny and the event has always been about showing the candidates can have a few laughs together and lighten the tone of harsh campaigns.
I thought Obama was funny and kept his tone in line with the tradition but its unfortunate for people who don’t understand the tradition Obama could come off looking weaker since he didn’t cut into Mitt in the same cutting style.
Agreed, there was a little too much edge in his jokes that made it seem too much like a veiled campaign speech.
Exactly, Mittens was all about tearing down the other side rather than being self deprecating other than his first joke about hanging out in what he wears at home. His jokes made me smile and guffaw but weren’t really in the spirit of the event. I don’t care who you are if you cant make joke at your own expense you take yourself WAY too seriously. Its like when Tommy Girl went to be roasted and everyone said nice thing because YOU KNOW they weren’t allowed otherwise. Too much ego and pride gets in the way of of precise decision making and ability to apologize when you are always are concerned about how its going to make “LOOK.”
I am not changing horses midstream 🙂
Romney just seems so stiff and President Obama has so much personality. I love it when he tells jokes. The little giggle at the end is fabulous.
You know what that thing is about Romney you can’t put your finger on? The revenue his assets earn from abortion clinics and research! Just another trained wolf for the GOP.
I thought Obama was loads more likable and his last comments were really great. He is total class!
Blaaaaaaaaaaahhhh
Seriously don’t need my president to be ‘funnier’. Maybe that’s just me.
Totally agree. I don’t find too much to laugh at when my car now costs over $50 to fill, when a short time ago I could do that for about $40. Nor did I find it funny when I went grocery shopping yesterday, and the “sale” prices were higher than the normal price was a couple of months ago. I’m not laughing when my energy bill comes in and it’s higher than it was the previous month, yet it shows less usage. I’m sure the retailers are not laughing as I walked through the mall, and store after store was empty. And I’m sure as hell not laughing when I have to tell my kids that I can’t get them something they want because money is tight.
We are in trouble ladies. This is not a popularity contest, it’s an election. Don’t vote based upon who you think is “cuter”, or has a nicer smile, or who makes you laugh. This isn’t a vote for prom king, it’s a vote for the President. Vote for who you think will get us on track again.
It was ONE NIGHT. They’re back to campaigning as usual today, as they should be. I think it was a positive thing, honestly.
But I do agree with both of your sentiments, i.e. see your point. I just see a benefit with even THIS.
You do know that the President has very little to do with gas prices as well as being able to control the price. That’s exactly one of those points they want you to get stuck on when it does not count or even matter.
But yeah its about the issues.
You are so very right Relli but so few people actually understand that. They think the president, no matter which party, waves a magic wand and suddenly gas and food prices are cheaper.
Honestly, Nicolette, then your vote is better spent on Obama. It’s Republicans who support and put forth deregulation, the likes of which lead to rolling blackouts and higher prices as energy companies are able to create monopolies.
I’m sure as heck not voting based on who I think is cuter, or more likeable – that’s asinine. But neither am I falling into rhetoric about blaming Obama for that which he no control.
@ Nicolette …
I was laid off in June 2009 because of a financial crisis that came to a head during the summer of 2008 under the last President … not our current President.
600 people were laid off from the company where I worked (and thankfully do again, since September 2012) during late 2008 through December 2009 by events started under the last President … not our current President.
The last President squandered the surplus left by President Clinton as soon as he got into office (like he was on a mission to do so), then started two wars and borrowed money from China to help finance those wars, got us in Trillions of debt and basically created a financial funnel that spiraled into a financial crisis in 2008 that would have over shadowed the Stock Market Crash of 1929 that heralded in the Great Depression. That happened under the last President … not our current President.
Our current President had to set aside his own agenda for the country in order to stem a financial crisis that would have led to a worldwide financial collapse, deep and dark enough to push us all into a 2nd ‘Dark Age.’
Why do people forget how bad things were in 2008 when President Obama took Office? Why do people expect him to have fixed in only 3 1/2 years the near catastrophe it took President Bush 8 years to create?
These aren’t excuses … these are facts. If your gas and utility prices are sky high today, imagine what they ‘would’ have been if President Obama hadn’t stopped our slide into another depression, started by President Bush.
I don’t care who you vote for, as long as you ‘do’ vote. Just please be honest (if only with yourself) about ‘how’ we got in the situation we’re in today. President Obama ‘inherited’ 2 wars, and a financial crisis, and trillions of dollars of debt … he didn’t created them.
And that ‘I owned and ran companies, so I know how to run a country’ thing? We’ve heard it before, and people believed it … from our last President.
PREACH EMMA!
@Emma : Yes for everything you said here!
Such an excellent post Emma!
The president has absolutely no control over gas prices, Nicolette. So point your finger elsewhere.
As far as I personally am concerned, when the stock market went down to 8,000 points in 2008 I lost almost 40% of my retirement fund. Now the Dow is over 13,000 and I’ve managed to recoup a good percentage of what I lost. Do I think Obama has done a great job? No. Do I think he’s gone a good job under the circumstances, given that he has to deal with a republican-dominated congress that has blocked every single effort to stimulate the economy with the sole purpose of getting Obama out of office, no matter how many more Americans lose their jobs? Yes. Do I think Obama deserves another term? Definitely, especially considering the alternative. Binders full of women, GMAFB.
Did I tell any of you WHO to vote for? Can you really say the country is better off now than it was 4 years ago. Whatever people. We are ALL entitled to our OWN opinions, I guess maybe not on this site however.
Nicolette everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But you are not entitled to make up your own facts and expect no one will call you on them.
Well said, Emma.
Owned and ran companies: let’s not forget that both Bush and Romney had fathers who made it far in politics. Romney’s father was also a rich businessman.
So it’s not like they build up themselves on their own merit, since they had daddy to hold their hand and give them help.
It also left them with little notion of what it’s like to be middle class and a desire to tweak the tax system so that their buddies (and their father’s buddies) will pat them on the shoulders.
You said it perfectly Nicolette!!!!!
When Romney left the Governorship he had an approval of 39%, having lost 45,000 manufacturing jobs while the rest of country was flourishing.
So much for his expertise at fixing the economy.
None of the issues you mention can be fixed by a President alone. And we were in such a mess when Obama took office, they certainly cannot be fixed in a few years. First, with regard to gas prices. Although the Republicans blame Obama, the fact is that oil speculators and refinery fires are the reason gas prices have climbed so high. Food prices are due to droughts throughout most of the country, which by the way are caused by climate change most likely, which the Republicans continue to deny even exists. And the lack of jobs and the fact that our economy is in a tank is because people like Mitt Romney decided to take all of our manufacturing jobs and ship them to China and the Republican congress under GW Bush added deductions to our tax code making outsourcing an extremely lucrative deal for all those corporations that are now “people” according to the conservative justices on the Supreme Court.
You do know that 90% of Mitt Romney’s advisors worked for GW don’t you? They gave us the recession. Trickle down economics simply doesn’t work. If you want better jobs and higher paying wages, vote for more Democrats in Congress so that the Senate won’t obstruct every single job creating bill Obama sends them. Ironically, he has continued to include the Republicans in designing bill after bill, watering them down to appeal to them and what do they do? They filibuster them. They have used the filibuster more in the past 3 years than in all the years the filibuster has been in existence combined.
So if you want to blame someone…blame your Republican Senator or Congressman…and I don’t add woman because she is probably at home making dinner!
No partisans here – Everyone things “their” candidate is funnier and more down to earth.
That’s just the way it is.
that’s not true. In the last presidential election, there was no way in hell I was going to vote McCain-Palin but I had no problems admitting that McCain had much better timing and delivery at the last Al Smith fundraiser than Obama. Obama just doesn’t have a good delivery IMO, he wasn’t so great last night and I’d say it was a bit of a draw between them because even Romney’s good stuff just seemed to accentuate how uncomfortable/guarded he seems in public
Disagree! I’m an Obama supporter and I thought Romney was funnier despite myself. Although I thought Romney’s abortion dog whistle at the end was inappropriate for the venue.
It was very interesting to see the difference in their styles. Most of Obama’s jokes were self deprecating. Only a couple of Romney’s were. No judgement, just an interesting style note.
I always find Obama charming and funny. I love it as well when he chuckles at his own jokes.
Romney is just not relate-able. And that “remember who is pro-life” thing at the end? Kinda disquieting and really out of place at a light-hearted bipartisan event. And when it comes out of the mouth of the one who uttered he had “binders of women”, we should be clear on the role and purpose of women in a potential Romney USA. As a Canadian I shouldn’t care; as a woman, I can’t help but worry about the way that wind blows.
Would it be so hard to say “Romney isn’t relateable to me”? Because all you’re really doing is speaking for yourself but for some reason people feel the need to make it sound like it’s so obvious that everybody must agree with them.
Personally, I don’t need to relate to my president. I just need somebody who can get the economy working again; I don’t need to feel like he’s fun to hang out with. I just want enough money to hang out with my own friends again.
+1
Respectfully, I think that everyone’s comments and opinions here are their very own. I don’t think anyone, including me, is presuming to speak for anyone else.
I don’t need to be able to relate to the POTUS but I sure as hell need him to be able to relate to me. That’s what most people are getting at when they say Romney isn’t relatable.
I need to feel like the pres., or any politician for that matter, isn’t irritating to listen to.
I remember cringing whenever Bush.2 made his embarrassing gaffes and I used to dread hearing him speak, especially on the international stage.
I feel the same about Romney although to a much lesser degree, maybe 47% less. 😉
Personally, I’d rather listen to Obama for the next 4 years…and maybe that is a little bit of what people mean by “relate-able”.
Her nickname is above the comment and it’s not ‘the people’ or even ‘women’ or ‘middle class’.
Seems obvious to me she speaks about her views. Just like everyone else on every other website.
And you think a man who has never had to worry about where his next dollar was coming from and who now surrounds himself with economic advisors from the GW Bush administration is somehow going to fix an economic situation that took 8 years to create and won’t be fixed until the Republicans in congress decide to cooperate with the Democrats?
People in this country just amaze me. There is no easy fix to this kind of recession/depression people. It doesn’t matter who’s in office. It’s going to take way longer than you seem able to understand. There’s no easy happy ending here. The only thing that’s going to get us out of this recession is forcing American corporations to stop shipping our jobs overseas and if the Democrats and republicans in congress work together to create jobs in fixing our infrastructure problems. We need to spend money to make money. We need to invest in our own country and not send our armed forces into every country we disagree with.
If you’re worried about money, and you vote for Romney, I hope you don’t have someone in your family in the service because if you do, Romney and his advisors seem to like invading countries without thought. My two brothers have spent the last 10 years in Iraq and Afghanistan for nothing except to fill the pockets of President Bush and VP Cheney’s cronies. Between the two of them they’ve done 7 tours. They’ve missed the death of my Mom. The birth of a son and daughter and too many wedding anniversaries and birthdays to mention.
The economy is starting to improve and it will probably continue improving through the first year of a Romney administration. But I guarantee when he sends us into some country or keeps us in Afghanistan and starts taking the few deductions that the middle class has from your taxes and dumps all of the social programs that are the only thing keeping so many Americans going…that extra money you want in your pocket is going to find it’s way into some corporation’s pocket instead.
Me Too, I am on your side. There is no easy fix.
My brother was in the Navy during the first Bush war and believe me I spent every day of that fiasco in a scared stupor.
Most folks can’t relate—because very few of them have been there.
Obama by a country mile. You can’t fake his natural warmth and wit and charm.
Romney’s a cold fish, and no joke, no matter how funny it is, or how well it’s delivered, can change that.
I know plenty of people who aren’t particularly warm, but are great at their jobs. My cousin is an AMAZING orthopedic surgeon, but has a dry, boring personality. I’d rather he operate on me than a warm, charming, witty doctor with a less than stellar record. I base my decisions on qualifications, not on personality traits.
Bingo
There’s “not warm” and then there’s “reminds me of a sociopath.” Tying one’s dog to the roof of a car, walking a blind professor into a door, outsourcing jobs, protesting in favor of the Vietnam War and then spending four years on an mission trip to France do not inspire a confidence in Romney that he is capable of acting sensibly.
You’re right. The best person for the job doesn’t have to be the funniest or friendliest, but they do need to be able to relate to voters and understand their needs and struggles. Romney does not understand middle class struggles, not because hes a bad person or malicious, he just cannot relate. He thinks asking dad for money to go to school is reasonable. He thinks if you work hard, things will work out because that is what he knows. His policies are shaped by his experiences which are drastically different than most.
Nikkers, I respectfully disagree on his lack of relatability(and its importance, anyway). Besides, without people “like Romney,” millions of people, middle class people, would not have jobs.Job-creation is, right now, and in my opinion, much more important than relatability. And anyway, he doesn’t only hobknob with the wealthy-he was very handson with people at all levels of his businesses, and does have compassion, per many of those very people. He also has of course an extensive mission portfolio with the less fortunate. I’m not saying he’s without flaws(and I dont mean something like the dog on the roof-come on!), but he is NOT the cold sociopath that many seem to be implying.
@mizthirtyeight – it’s not a load of middle class people who have jobs thanks to people like Romney, it’s loads of people in China who have those jobs thanks to businessmen like Romney who don’t want to pay for quality or have any sort of regulation. It wasn’t too long ago that you could not hire someone for a year to replace someone you “laid off” because the reason for a lay off had to be that you didn’t have the work to justify employing those who were laid off. Nowadays, we get the announcements of our layoffs complete with the name of the new hire in China we need to train to replace us. Romney and the business leaders of his ilk are big fans of offshoring, combine that with the rise of the religious right demanding that secular law match their biblical law (all while complaining about sharia law no less) and the US is rapidly heading back to the good ol’ days of feudalism.
@ MORT…Well at least there is ONE person out there not judging doctors on their bed side manner! You go girl, because no one else is giving them the business 😉
Exactly, being able to tell a well rehearsed joke, doesnt necessarily mean you’re the best for the job, but with that being said….let’s be real folks….which ever way you’re leaning politically determines how you feel about the person presenting the joke!
I’m with you Mort. Somebody down thread said “I thought Obama was the better comedian”. I will take a less comedic Commander in Chief with a bit of a “dull” personality but has a great business mind and has governed a state on a bipartisan level…whether it’s a he or a she…whether black, white, or green…straight or gay…Republican or Democrat.
On another note, and as a woman, this will be my 9th Presidential voting opportunity, and women’s reproductive rights have always been in play in every single election …yet Roe vs. Wade has not been reversed since it became law 38 years ago. You would think then that after almost 40 years, and the same fueled decrying over this every 4 years, that if it was going to be reversed, it would have happened by now…but it does rile up the bases and causes some people to cease using logic and fixate on that issue, instead of the many many many issues that face us, our children, our veterans and our elderly.
@MorticiansDoItDeader
The question was, who was funnier? My opinion is that Obama was. Maybe bear in mind that some of us who post here are not American and don’t give a crap about the political point-scoring that you US posters just can’t seem to resist.
Obama possesses a natural and genuine warmth. His humour above was inclusive, inviting wry laughter at his own expense. Romney wouldn’t know inclusive if it bit him on his cold, robotic ass.
And that is about them, as people, not politics.
Aw, people still dare to run that excuse? Jobs thanks to ‘rich people’?
Most of them could care less about creating jobs in America, but only about getting the cheapest labor possible. Which often means looking for it abroad.
The potentially biggest impact a U.S. President can have on the U.S. is the selection of Supreme Court judges. Two will probably be replaced in the next four years which will likely tip the balance in one direction.
For those who are concerned about women’s issues, environment, immigration, and campaign finance laws, you owe it to the country to choose wisely during this election (president, senate, and congress).
@Chatcat — I agree with you that Roe v Wade is not the only voting issue. However, the situation now is different to your last nine times voting. The next president, will, in all likelihood, replace two Supreme Court Justices. Even one conservative justice would tip the balance to an anti Roe v Wade court. Scalia and Thomas are both on record as being opposed to Roe v Wade. Please, vote the issues that are most important to you. But don’t kid yourself about the outcome.
@Banga. Do you think in the last 40 years there haven’t been other appointee’s to the Supreme Court that didn’t believe in Roe v Wade? Let’s at least be realistic here…the extreme left and the extreme right are the one’s to ALWAYS make this an issue when voting in a Presidential election. It’s happened since 1976 and guess what? Regardless of Dem or Rep, regardless of the supreme court appointee’s, Roe v Wade is still law. It’s gets played on the campaign trail, but in the end, it hasn’t been touched by any administration or any session of the Supreme Court. Since I was a teenage girl in the 70’s it’s been this way and now I’m almost 50 and I don’t believe that Roe v Wade will ever be reversed but every 4 years it is used as a scare tactic election tool. At this point it is like the boy who cried wolf, every time it’s used but at the end of the day, women still have Roe v Wade.
Chat Cat – you are so right on! Thanks for your post. If Republicans think their fellow Republican legislators give a hoot about abortion, gay marriage, religion and other social issues, then I have a bridge to sell you. They pretend to care only to get your religious vote.
It’s in our daily paper this week that in our state we are voting on a gay marriage ban and a former republican said the whole issue was put on the table to score conservative votes and has nothing to do with values.
@Chat – my older brother used to say the same thing to me, it won’t be reversed don’t worry about it and even he’s changing his tune. Just look at what’s going on at the state level and pay attention to the pharmacist “conscience” clauses and how the religious right and quite a few of their elected representatives at both the state and federal level now consider hormonal contraception to be abortifacients even though they are not. If you don’t think the religious right isn’t going to demand the ability to use the capital they have now with all the right-wing GOP folks in office by having them enact legislation at any level of government possible to make it impossible for anyone but a rich person to find a way to get an abortion and possibly even outlaw some forms of contraception until they can stack SCOTUS in their favor, you’re mistaken. The religious right knows they have a limited time to be able to have an effect with regard to reproductive rights and gay rights so they will take advantage of a Romney-Ryan administration should they win and Romney and Ryan will gladly comply
Ol, I understand your angst, but it is not a new angst, it is used every single election, at the fed level, at the state level, it is a ‘get the vote’ tool. As far as religion and contraception, the ONLY reason there is push back in this election on that front (besides the usual noise) is because of Obamacare mandate that ALL EMPLOYERS must adhere, and of course any business run by a religious group feels that is Unconstitutional (freedom of religion) to be forced to provide contraceptives and abortion services by the federal government.
On a political note, but not on this issue, I find it amazing how disgusting Eva L and Rosie Perez are in their tweets and youtube video’s against Mitt Romney the man (not as a candidate but personal attacks on the man) and yet, Mitt’s father was born and raised in Mexico. Obviously because his father was born there, and he was not, he is not latino or minority enough for them, so on with the personal attacks. UGH.
@Chatcat. Don’t forget what happened at the end of that story. A wolf did show up.
The rhetoric (and new legislation in certain states!) has been decidedly anti-women. Far more than in any election in the recent past.
Certain people try to tell us it’s silly to think of women’s issues in this election. That is a favorite tactic of all sexists (from the douche in a fraternity to those who try to get elected). They attack us and a second later act like the concerns of women are trivial. And then they make it clear you’re only a cool woman if you don’t worry about that. Why? Because it’s not their problem and our concerns inconvenience them.
Don’t fall for that trap, I don’t anymore.
Obama was funnier! Romeny had a couple of chuckles but I still don’t like him I get a creepy vibe from him. I like that the comments haven’t turned scary and bullying as they do with political posts. Yay for us keeping calm!
Well Hell that didn’t last long! So much for people not being bitchy and bullying..:(
I wish charming and funny could fix the economy
I don’t see cold and creepy doing it either.
LOL — nice one
Good one! Look to Canada’s Harper to see what cold and creepy does.
Well get ready… cause they’ll be calling the “scary” one Mr. President soon.
Good one! You should have been the joke writer at the roast.
President Obama was the better comedian. He delivered his lines confidantly and calmly and most of his humor was self-deprecating whereas romeny the racist had some funny lines but was so stiff with them that he ruined the joke. He isn’t comfortable telling any jokes and most of his jokes were mean barbs at the President, whom he refuses to name. He never once has addressed President Obama directly by name and or title in any of the debates or last night. He also refused to look over at Obama while delivering his supposed light-hearted barbs. That is very telling. Whereas Obama laughed when he told his jokes and you cold clearly see whe was looking over at Romney. I refuse to support a racist/elitist man who dodged the draft after showing public support for the Vietnam war and all of his children are cowards too. One of them threatened our President with violence. I want to know what nothing is being made of that. I can’t stand these racist men who want to put women in a binder.
You live in a dark place.
What about the very vocal Obama supporters who have threatened to assassinate Romney if elected, thinking he’ll take away food stamp benefits? I don’t like threats of violence coming from EITHER party. Also, Mitt Romney is not a racist, and as for not serving in the forces, he was on mission, which is in many cases found to be acceptable as an excusal for duty, and did not draft.
And not looking at the president during his speeches, as you proclaim Romney did, does not a racist make. I mean, seriously? I’m all for discussion with differing views when done in an intelligent fashion, but if that was where you were going, you really should beef upyour argument or re-evaluate your observations/reasoning.
Excuse me, but what exactly is your point bring up the threats of supporters? I highly doubt that kind of hate is just about Food Stamps. Nor does it prove that Romney is free from racists remarks.
If you want to talk about vocal supporters, what about very vocal Romney supporters who have threatened Obama’s life if reelected AND the lives of his Democratic supporters?
That kind of message is wrong no matter what side it is coming from and it comes from both sides.
The important thing we have to do is not allow people like that to bully others into their desired outcome. You can’t convince people to your opinion through fear. So why repeat the insanity of extremists?
In fact, Jilly, the threats I specified WERE indeed about food stamps, the posters (via blogs and youtube videos) stated it very clearly, and aggressively. That was the focus in the ones I’m referring to. As for a couple of your other lil paragraphs, about how it’s wrong for either to threat, I already wrote that. That’s obvious. However, it’s only fair to mention that ridiculous, even fanatical, threats like the ones we’ve all stated are not only relegated to one party. I certainly don’t support it by anyone. There was no need to take some sort of offense or get all up in arms (“Excuse me?” How necessary).
Fr every Threat you claim you see against Romney.. I can show you the same if not more for Obama AND anyone that votes for him. It’s sad that so much racist, negative, bigoted things are being spewed, (I mean in general.. Not saying you or anyone here or on this site). As a grown mature woman I wonder when did people start loosing their rational train of thought and get so nasty during election season. We all are so against children bullying… But they also learn by. Example. I’m sure people that have posted death to Democratic Communist Traitors voting for Obama and death to Muslims on FB from family and friends and in support groups that have nothing to do w/ politics so much it makes me sick. Some go in great detail. I know these people have children and they see these posts.
We don’t tolerate our children bullying… But seems a lot do not practice what they preach. Some may not call it bullying… But you will if someone starts sending your child sick things as some of the things I have seen. It’s on BOTH sides, not just one. But I have seen more postings against Liberals, Democrats, and Obama that called for death and all those horrible things. Just for the record..I’m a lifelong Republican. I’m more Reagan Era than those who claim to be… Truth be told old Ronald wouldnt even be accepted by our party any more they would call his views to left. If they were being honest w/ themselves and not cherry picking here and there or changing things he said or did. As for last night. The spirit of the Dinner since 1942 has been to put your differences aside for one night, break bread, share laughs, and raise money. Both men were funny, but yes Romney’s joke writers (they didn’t write those themselves) stayed more on the campaign mode than light hearted mode after the first few jokes. As for claps and ovations. He pretty much just told a catholic majority in attendance to remember he is against abortion same as they are. Which I kinda found distasteful…it was like watching his campaign speech at the end…. And I’m catholic. I think we all know Romney”s stance by now.. He could have gone w/ the spirit of the evening just a lil bit more. I’m just saying. But was nice to see the two treat each other civilly. Hope when all this is over those who hurt each other with so much with hate speech, etc can learn to be civil again. We are after all one country. Your fore fathers died so that they would have the right to religious freedoms, etc… Yet ironically part of that is tearing our country apart as well. Makes no sense…. (I say your as mine are Native American.. They fought a whole other fight).
Mitt Romney was a vocal supporter of the Vietnam war yet he pulled the religious card and escaped to France. I have no problem with people not wanting to go to war but if you are of age and out supporting the war than you better be standing in line to serve this Country. Mitt Romney is so a racist. Why did he make that remark about wishing his father was of Latin American descent saying he would have a better shot at winning. What about his you can tell I am from Michigan comment? All racism. There is no other interpretation.
No mzthirtyeight what was unnecessary was you repeating the thoughts of extremists in the context of this conversation, but to then proclaim that it is really all about the food stamps, that’s just naive.
I know, I am not accusing you of lying I am sure the comments you read are exactly what you said but hate like that comes from somewhere within a person not an outside cause. They might say its about the food stamps but its about their extremist thoughts really.
And the other reason I did bother to get up in arms about it as you suggest is because you excluded the fact that this kind of thing happens on both sides in your first post. Oh sure you left the possibility open for it but I think its important to note as I did before you bothered to repeat me that its happening on both sides.
The other part you missed is how you are playing into those bullying thoughts simply by repeating them to others… so really since it wasn’t necessary for your point why go there?
I thought Romney was hilarious, and funnier by far than Obama. If you go by the audience at the event- they seemed to think so too.
The audience of … Catholics? How shocking that they like Romney more than Obama.
Kristen…ur comment makes no sense. Nice try though. Clearly u know nothing about the catholic religion.
What about it doesn’t make sense? I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic schools from pre-school through college. I know Catholics.
Catholics tend to be pro-life. Catholics tend to be against gay marriage. Catholics tend to be conservative.
While Catholics often are more conservative, I’ve watched/read a few pieces how many will not support Romney anyway, as he is a Mormon. I don’t know what the reasoning is behind that, I mean, they’re both Christian groups, but that is going on with some of them. Ergo, I wouldn’t say just because there was a Catholic audience, they were for Romney and that is why they found him humerous.
Catholics have changed quite a bit over the past 30 years. It’s estimated that 98% of American Catholics believe in and practice artificial contraception. The majority reject the Vatican’s teachings on divorce and abortion. Catholics have left the church in droves. The average age of priests now is over 50. Why do you think so many parishes have closed and the ones that are left can barely fill their collection plates?
Once again….how do you know the audience was Catholic??? Did you take a poll? The audience was full of various government, media, and business people. I think you need to expand your knowledge of Catholics beyond your family and/or community because many do support so-called “liberal” policies.
Anyone who thought Obama was funny last night is insane. He sounded scripted and quite frankly looked uncomfortable. But this speech shouldn’t be anyone’s reason for voting for anyone. Mitt Romney has been bashed my Obamas campaign and he has acted like a classy and mature man by not responding to the absur accusations thrown out there. And if anyone is a liar, it’s Obama who clearly has lied time and time again about what really happened in Libya. People need to grow up and stop worrying about feeling cool by having a multi racial president. The last reason someone should be elected is because of their race. We need someone who clearly knows how to make money and who CARES! Not someone who is going to make it so I have no social security or Medicare when I get older and god only knows what my children’s life would be like if he has another 4 years.
And did anyone notice how much louder and enthusiastic the crowd was when Romney first stepped up to speak and throughout his speech?! Much more then during the entire Obama speech…people are starting to see that this man has to go. For everyone’s sake.
Well said.
I’m voting for Obama because he 1) isn’t trying to take away my reproductive rights, 2) believes that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation should have the right to marry, and 3) doesn’t think 47% of this country’s citizens are entitled victims.
I guess to sum it up, he has this characteristic known as ’empathy’ that Mitt Romney completely lacks. You can keep clinging to the idea that everyone’s voting for Pres. Obama because he’s black, but you are lying to yourself.
Oh my god, I didn’t even see this:
“Not someone who is going to make it so I have no social security or Medicare when I get older and god only knows what my children’s life would be like if he has another 4 years.”
You realize that Romney/Ryan are the candidates that want to do away with Social Security and Medicare, right? Do you read anything ever?
How sad that you are falling for the scare tactics Dems try to use against women every. single. election. They said the same thing with Bush re: abortion & it never happened. Wake up & realize that this country needs to get back to WORK. There are much more important issues on the table than the tired old rhetoric that you are spouting.
1. Contraceptive rights ARE an economic issue. 2. Conservative legislators in a number of states have already passed laws that are affecting women’s access to reproductive care.
It’s already happening, dude.
Don’t fret. No one wants to take away your reproductive rights. In fact, if you actually believe that, we’ll pass the hat for donations. No one that stupid should EVER procreate…
@ Giddy- you need to check yourself with the name calling. That’s pretty much an admission that you don’t have anything of value to contribute, in which case, the best option is silence.
Oh Rebecca, your so funny! Thank you for the laugh!!!!!
Seriously. People we all need to educate ourselves on the issues, and that doesn’t mean watching Fox. Romney is not a job creator, he’s a tax evader. He’s dedicated a good portion of his career to avoiding paying taxes, thereby ripping off the country he so “believes” in. And the Dems don’t need to say anything about his thoughts regarding women: he’s told us himself. He would be a serious liability, IMO.
Catholics tend to be HUMAN BEINGS who care about others. And I went to catholic schools my whole life and went to Jesuit universities for college and grad school. So ur credentials don’t impress me.
And what about the Catholic priests and little boys?
Religion and politics dont go together. Period!
No one is going to change their mind on this site. I thought Romney looked pained giving his jokes. I will never support a racist and someone who thinks they have a right to govern a woman’s body.
Obama was way funnier.
He was lighthearted and his jokes were malice-free unlike Romney’s.
Oh please. Romney knocked it out of the park. Obama had one funny joke about his middle name. Anyone who doesn’t admit that is clearly partisan & can’t be helped.
Opinions are like _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ everyone’s got one.
Just a reminder, both men do not write these jokes. They are crafted by professional comedians. So I can’t give credit to how funny the joke is… just on how successful they were at delivering it.
As a Canadian watching the US election it scares the hell out of me to think that Romney could be the next president. This guy is so phoney to me. Obama deserves another four years. How on earth is he supposed to fix the mess he walked into in one term?
Because minorities in this country are held to a different standard than those who are the majority. People who most often say its no about race or color… it usually is for them thats why they state it up front….
I mean come on Bush got re-elected and he is a total moron and WHEN he came into office we had NO deficit. He starts a war, gives GOVERNMENT contracts to his friends & cabinet members, bankrupts the country is shunned by his own party (have you seen him the election) and yet the sheeple are eagerly ready to put the Republican BACK IN OFFICE BECAUSE MITTTENS IS CLASSY and not like the sniveling, immature, cool mixed race Obama. *sarcasm
People get caught up on BUZZ words and small issues that really don’t make a difference. Dumb people love to throw around Roe v. Wade likes it some sort of baby killing agenda, when in fact its more about states right and decision making. THAT IS WHY SOME STATES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OUTLAW ABORTION AND THE FEDERAL GOVT CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I am however, concerned about the lack of caring about contraceptive issues because that affects women and the economic issues of our country the most. IF it is not accessible or affordable that means more unwanted children being born into poverty or ill-prepared families and often time leads to welfare or government assistance.
LOTS of you are getting heated and about other opinions and ALL this. I for one am loving it! I actually have a lot of conservative loved ones and we don’t agree on everything but i always like to hear what the conservative base has to say.
Its like South Park said, elections usually come down to douche and Sh!t sandwich… pick your poison and live with it. I haven’t heard too many say or post i voted for GWB and want a republican President because it was AWESOME decade i want to relive again!
If you don’t want babies, then there is really only one option, it works 100% of the time and is tried and true, don’t have sex. It really is that simple.
When these threads turn so political, it really raises the blood pressure, eh? I found them BOTH quite funny.
Yet you fueled quite a few comments…
I think a lot of people miss the true issues. Out economy is in shambles, and has gotten increasingly worse over the last 4 years. As a small business owner, my taxes and permit fees have almost tripled in the last few years causing me to have to close down my business that I worked so hard to obtain. And Obama saying he didn’t raise taxes on the middle class…well my younger brother has made the same salary for the past 6 years and last year he somehow owed a couple thousand dollars I instead of getting money back. His accountants response “thank Obama and the new laws he passed”. I understand people have strong views about abortion and gay marriage. As a catholic woman in my late 20s I have strong opinions against both. But I understand that people have their own opinions. But I do not think that these are the most important issues right now. I know the liberal media does but I think the economy and foreign policies are our main Points and that Is why I am voting for Mitt Romney to get this country back on track. Not because of his stance on abortion and marriage but because of his track record of being capable of taking things from the gutter and building them back up.
Gab, there is no “liberal media.” None. It’s a conservative myth that has been debunked repeatedly. Mitt has never built anything. Bain’s whole existence was buying companies and dismantling them, sending jobs overseas.
And if you think Mitt won’t raise taxes on the middle class in order to finance further tax cuts for the super-rich: http://www.romneytaxplan.com
After u said there is no liberal media I laughed and didn’t bother to read the rest of ur post because if it starts off with a lie why continue to read.
Yep. Here’s another one to help with “pass-the-hat-contraception”. Totally cool with subsidizing contraception for libs. Planned Parenthood too. As long as Libs are targeted…
Seagulls – totally agree with you. Why are the conservatives so paranoid and believe in a conspiracy that there is a liberal media? That is the most insane thing I’ve ever heard.
Gab, your brother’s accountant is wrong – it’s the Republicans and the jobs bills they REFUSED to pass that should be thanked. Here is a link to an article that everyone concerned about jobs and employment should read: http://www.policymic.com/articles/11510/senate-republicans-block-another-jobs-bill-face-backlash-from-american-public
And I’m a Catholic woman who is voting for Obama, because he’s the one who is more capable in getting this derailed train called the U.S. Economy back on track.
My personal religious beliefs should not determine the way our country is governed, just as the government cannot control which faith I raise my children with. Do I agree with abortion? No. Does that mean that I should impose my views on everyone else? Not at all. The Catholic church doesn’t believe in artificial birth control, fine. That doesn’t mean that everyone else shares that belief. It’s not like people will be force-feeding women and girls birth control pills! There are plenty of prescriptions that I don’t use, even though my insurance covers them. Why? Because I don’t want or need them, so I CHOOSE not to! See how simple that is? As for the whole marriage debate, if someone else’s marriage detrimentally affects yours, then you have much larger issues in your relationship. Should the marriage laws be revised? I definitely think so, only I think of more concern is the age of consent, not whether two adults of either gender can marry each other. Raise the age for marriage. Children should not be getting married, period. Two ADULTS who are mentally and legally (as in, not already married to another person) capable should be allowed to get married. That 16-year-old down the street? No. Why the rush and not just wait two years? And if the conservative right was really concerned about the sanctity of marriage, then why isn’t there a mandatory waiting period from the time the marriage license is issued until you can get married, like there is for a divorce? Once you file divorce papers, you are still legally married and the divorce does not become final for a certain amount of time. Wouldn’t a 90-day waiting period with required pre-marital counseling better prepare a couple and improve the chances for a successful long-term marriage?
//Stepping down off my soapbox now.
@Lucky Charm – excellent post and I will add this, a republican senator publicly stated his sole purpose in congress was to make sure that President Obama was a ‘one’ term president. Jobs were the least of his priorities. Please research how much legislation was introduced by the republican party regarding social issues and how they voted on job bills. Now they are campaigning on the economy?
For the first time in my life, I will vote for all Democrats.
❤ Gab ❤
4 years ago my boss started a new firm. Everyone else was getting laid off and nealry 4 years later our firm has grown from about 50 people to well over 200 people. Your not telling the whole truth. The economy is not in shambles.
I hate that everybody puts the economy solely on the President’s shoulders. Can we all go back to High School and remember what we learned in Civil Education and refresh ourselves that Congress holds the helm not the President.
This.
Relli, as to your statement “WHEN he(re: Bush) came into office we had NO deficit” that is wrong. Bush did inherit the previous administrations deficit … every administration since the early 1900’s has handed over a deficit to the next administration.
Clinton 2nd term:
FY1996 09/30/1996 $5.224810 trillion $250.83 billion
FY1997 09/30/1997 $5.413146 trillion $188.34 billion
FY1998 09/30/1998 $5.526193 trillion $113.05 billion
FY1999 09/30/1999 $5.656270 trillion $130.08 billion
FY2000 09/29/2000 $5.674178 trillion $17.91 billion
FY2001 09/28/2001 $5.807463 trillion $133.29 billion
You can go to the U.S. Treasury website http://www.treasurydirect.gov to verify any of these numbers. They are public records.
So you see Clinton did not leave President Bush with a budget surplus that Bush subsequently turned into a deficit, yet the budget was almost balanced in FY2000 (ending in September 2000 with a deficit of “only” $17.9 billion), but it never reached zero–let alone a positive number. And Clinton’s last budget proposal for FY2001, which ended in September 2001, generated a $133.29 billion deficit. Therefore, the growing deficits started in the year of the last Clinton budget, not in the first year of the Bush administration. As stated above, and sadly, this has gone on in America for a very long time from admin to admin.
how dare you bring facts and logic into this conversation Chatcat, I am forever offended..
Actually Marie, I am glad that Chatcat corrected me as she/he is correct and i mispoke/mistyped on that one statement.
See thats how a discussion happens.
@Chatcat, who wrote … oh why bother:
Here is what I recall about the 2000 election and what Clinton left behind.
First of all, the major part of Bush’s Presidential campaign speech in 2000 was the promise that he’d ‘give the people refund checks from the ‘Surplus Budget Money’ President Clinton had announced in his last State of the Union Address, along with the not insignificant fact that he’d managed to balance the budget. And you guys have to understand that there’s a difference between the Annual Budget and the National Debt/Deficit.
Bill Clinton–through government cuts, Tax increases, and welfare reform–had managed to not only balance the budget, but leave a surplus as well for his successor. Clinton had set a series of policies and regulations in place that would leave an annual budget surplus to ensure the National Debt/Deficit would be completely paid off within 10 years.
But the Republicans couldn’t have that now, could they?
Even so, some Republicans balked at the plan to waste the Surplus on refund checks. When they said it was irresponsible, that passing a law for tax breaks would be the prudent course, George Bush’s campaign found a couple from the back woods of nowhere as Joe and Jill America (heck, they may have been paid actors) and made them the center piece of the Republican Convention (I’ve always watched both campaigns). At the appropriate time, this couple stood up and said ‘We’d rather have our refund check. It’s our money and we need it.’ So between April and July of 2001 the refund checks went out and the Surplus Budget disappeared.
Here’s a link to an article with lots of video and links explaining details of what happened when and was said by whom.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-7111732.html
Emma, you probably won’t see this, but according to your post and and link to a “news agency” the Federal Treasury is lying and “made up figures” as the 5 trillion carryover deficit and the addition to the deficit each year. So according to you (an obvious Democrat…I am an Independent who voted both times for Clinton btw) your the expert on budget and deficit, the article/video’s you link (by CBS news) are the true facts and government numbers put out (in both Republican and Democratic Administration cycles) on a government website are false. Yeah, OK.
Hell to the yeah, for Emma – The JP Lover. Great post up earlier.
Was this supposed to be a roastÉ If it wasn,t supposed to be, then it was totally inappropriate.
I don’t think either of them are ideal, but Obama was really NOT on form. He seemed so stiff and scipted rather than flowing naturally that I found myself being swayed to Romney’s side. And Obushma gets away with the whole sticky Libya situation WAY more than he should.
I personally feel like it was more his fault than anyone else’s. It sucks that Hillary took the fault for it because it will come back to haunt her if she chooses to try again in 2016
“After repeatedly touting his business experience as an asset towards reviving the U.S. economy, Mitt Romney has been put on the defensive by Bain Capital workers who are fighting back against the outsourcing of their jobs. One hundred seventy workers at a Sensata Technologies plant in Freeport, Illinois — of which Bain is the majority owner — are calling on Romney to help save their jobs from being shipped to China. The factory manufactures sensors and controls that are used in aircraft and automobiles, but has been dismantling and shipping the plant to China piece by piece — even as it requires the workers to train personally their Chinese replacements, who have been flown in by management. We’re joined by two workers from the Sensata plant in Freeport, Illinois: Tom Gaulrapp and Cheryl Randecker. Both worked at Sensata for 33 years and were told their jobs would be terminated by the year’s end.”
Mitt won’t give up his capital gains on taxes but he’ll take your mortgage, college student loan deductions, child tax credit, earned income credit?
Protect Womens’ Rights-Roe vs. Wade/ Right to have Birth Control paid for by Ins./ Lilly Ledbetter Act stays in place…Obama/Biden 2012 Equality for Everyone.
Romney is handsome, well spoken, his jokes were funny, and man does he look dashing in formal wear. But he’s so UN-RELATABLE.
I thought it was supposed to be good natured? Romney had sharper jokes but agreed they were not in the spirit. His delivery just so unfortunate. He’s the only guy who could make Daniel Craig’s SNL performance look like the height of comedy. Obama’s a natural speaker even if it’s as if he hadn’t read the jokes before having to say them and can’t help but laugh because that was a good one.
To speak politically for a moment, I have to disagree with the pundits who claim it’s all about the economy. There’s so much more at stake. Not just for women. Economically speaking I don’t understand why people expect to be better off than they were four years ago given that the world economy went through an historic meltdown. Let’s not forgot that there are plenty of people who have done just fine these past few years.
I recall Obama saying it was going to take everyone working together and it was going to get rough, he didn’t lie. It did for everyone EXCEPT the richest. Their income went UP. Look at the Republicans threatening their employees if Obama gets elected (meaning they’d better vote for Romney and had to show up at his rally), they’d be out of a job. Ha! Did you check how rich those cats are? The ratio of CEOs’ pay to their employee is ridiculous, that started in the Reagan years, downhill for workers ever since. I live in a small town with a railroad, let me tell you—the coal cars roll through all the time. Who is Mittens kidding? His rich buddies want to pay even less taxes than him. Mittens show your taxes like your father did when he ran for Prez. What is Mitt hiding?
President Romney was much funnier.
Romney said some really nice things about the church at the end of his speech, I think that’s why he got the standing o. But it was a little kiss ass.
Obama was very gracious in praising Mitt as a family man and I loved that he made fun of his first debate’s performance.
Mitt is a try hard.
I suggest that everyone check out the CHOICE 2012 by FRONTLINE. It was on my local PBS last night and it was fantastic!
AND before the conservatives give some lame-stream, liberal media mumbo jumbo. Mittens is painted in a very good light and it does highlight Obama’s darkness & issues too so there is that. It showed me a more humanized side of old Willard and also talks about that job creation he did at Bain.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/choice-2012/
He saved Bain, he saved the Salt Lake City Olympics and he worked with everyone in the Massachusetts State Senate and House so that he could save them too. He has a great record and I honestly think that he could save this country if we let him. He has an experience that Obama just will never be able to bring into the presidency because he became President so young
Obama is always funny because he is always cracking up at his own jokes which I absolutely love. I especially liked the part about how Obama said he wished he could use his own middle name! Imagine if he went by Hussein Obama… I don’t even want to imagine the ridiculous things the media and political pundits would do with that.
Though it’s just as well Mitt Romney goes by Mitt and not Willard. Mitt is rather unusual but I just can’t stand Willard! I suppose you could go by Willy… Willy Romney doesn’t sound too bad.
President Obama is the man!!!! love, love
Oh wow. The largest newspaper in the overwhelmingly Mormon state of Utah has endorsed Obama for re-election. Mitt must be shitting brickbats.
I think they both did well. I found President Obama to be a bit more self-effacing overall and less political, but then I really might be biased because I’ve supported an Obama presidency since he made the keynote address at the DNC in 2004. However, it was very enjoyable seeing Governor Romney relaxed and smiling in a natural manner.
The press make up the majority of the audience at this event.
Mitt was amazing once again!
Dear President Obama,
I’m sure you are a pleasant man, husband and father but with 47 million on food stamps, 23 million out of work, gas prices at almost $5 a gallon — please do us all a favor and step down. You truly don’t have the experience to run this country.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
DUH…..ANY politician, by definition–regardless of party–will say whatever it takes to be elected.
At the end of the day, I’m sure they go out for a drink (albeit non-alcoholic) together…
It’s a BUSINESS, people…don’t take it so seriously!
DUH…..ANY politician, by definition–regardless of party–will say whatever it takes to be elected.
At the end of the day, I’m sure they go out for a drink (albeit non-alcoholic) together…
It’s a BUSINESS, people…don’t take it so seriously
They were both funny and enjoyable to watch. I loved Romney’s ‘Big Bird never saw it coming’ line and Obamba’s ‘I wish I could use my middle name’.
But Romney edged out Obama IMO. While I liked Obama’s grins at Romney during his jabs at him, I loved Romney’s twinkles to the audience after he delivered a line. And his comedic timing was better. I was frankly surprised.
The fact that Romney can depart from who he is so very well is kind of scarey.
I know countries with no social services or tax returns and they are not the model of a good society.
Romney says the exact same things as Bush in exactly the same way and has almost the exact same people around him
Romney wants tax cut for the rich and wars.
And before you say tax cut will benefit everyone….someone getting back $62 per year is far different from getting 1million back to go into an overseas bank.
Congress is responsible for the tax code, as imcomprehensible as it is and I do agree that there are far too many loopholes, however if you have a problem with them I would advise you to contact your Senator and your Representative because they alone write these laws. Obama, Romney, Bush they have no control over these things and the Bush tax cuts are named such because he proposed them to a Republican-controlled Congress, but the Congress passed them, not Bush.
I think Obama tried harder to make the evening more light hearted and poke fun at himself and others, including some of Romney. Romney was mainly delivering his campaign points in more of a joke form, but still most of it was barbs at Obama.
I thought it was interesting because I was watching some commentary before the dinner and they were saying how different this evening will be from even the Obama-McCain race because of how much disdain the opponents have for eachother, while Obama and McCain actually respected eachother.
Obama 2012!
Wit is the salt of conversation. It’s not the food.
I was surprised at the loud laughing and clapping for Romney and the lack of it for Obama. Listen to both pausing each, Romney’s speech is far louder, where Obama’s is muted.
For me, the Salt Lake City Tribune’s endorsement of Obama states it clearly: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/55019844-82/romney-obama-state-president.html.csp
Reading some of the above comments makes me worry for the world. Americans, this election does not only affect you. The US president affects the whole world, sadly. Please vote with your brain and not with your religion.
Thank you.
+1! Applause from Berlin, Germany!
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