Veep Notes

I thoroughly enjoyed last Thursday's vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. Unlike the first presidential debate, when I did a lot of screaming at the television, the veep-chat set me to laughing several times. More important, Vice President Biden was able to reveal the falsehoods and inherent flaws in his opponent's views with great aplomb.

Right-wing reaction to Biden was typical, mainly because they simply can't defend their own vice presidential candidate and his spotty record. I think my favorite moment during the veep debate was when Biden pointed out Ryan had requested stimulus money for Wisconsin even as he publicly rallied against it. The best breakdown of the interaction: Robert Reich's Super Clear, Super Helpful Review of the VP Debate.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's Obama-Romney rematch, although I have a feeling I'll be screaming at the television again. Which Romney will appear this time – the moderate, the conservative or the tea bagger?

VP Debate Priors

Suggested reading:

• What Everyone Needs to Know Before Watching the VP Debate
• 5 things to watch in VP debate
• Debate Prep: The Many Funny Faces of Paul Ryan
• Debate Question for Paul Ryan: Which of Mitt's Many Sides Are You On?
• Mitt Goes Around, Comes Around (Cartoon)

Short of experiencing a power outage, I'll be watching every minute of tonight's debate.

Go Joe!

Blurbs Et Al

Recent articles and headlines that have caught my eye:

• Romney web site silent on closing tax loopholes
• Gingrich Concedes Romney Wasn't Honest About Tax Plan During Debate
• 7.8 Percent Unemployment News Gets To Mitt At His Home On Island
• Americans' Preference Shifts Toward One-Party Government
• Albright: Romney would get a C on foreign policy

Fast Forward: In regards to Romney’s "foreign policy" speech today, all I can say is he looked anything but presidential (no matter how many flags appeared in his backdrop) and worse, he sounded like a complete and utter fool. He wants to build fifteen new battleships each year to strengthen the navy…Where will the money to achieve such a goal come from? His rich friends or the middle class? As I predicted the other day, electing Romney will undoubtedly ensure the United States entering into another unnecessary war. Does the Republican pissing contest never end? Mitt Romney: Failing the Commander-in-Chief test.

From Daily Kos:

Throughout the campaign, Romney has vacillated between making a fool of himself and engaging in dangerous saber-rattling. Perhaps the reason is that he really doesn't have any foreign policy experience, period. Unless, of course, you count investing in companies that were pioneers in outsourcing as foreign policy experience. Or, for that matter, having accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands. And, while we're at it, let's not forget where he got the money to start Bain Capital.

And finally, Five-Thirty-Eight is currently predicting President Obama will win the electoral vote come Election Day (307.6 to Romney's 230.4 as of today).

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Faux Chicanery & Denial

According to Think Progress:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released an unexpectedly strong monthly jobs report on Friday, finding a dramatic drop in unemployment to 7.8 percent and revised the number of jobs added in July and August up from initial estimates. While for most Americans, the growing economy is good news, conservatives immediately expressed their skepticism in the jobs report’s credibility.

Naturally, the right-wing believes the numbers are all part of a nefarious scheme perpetuated by President Obama:

Meet The Conservatives Who Think Today's Job Numbers Are a Conspiracy

First they felt polls showing President Obama in the lead were fixed, and now new job numbers are nothing more than liberal chicanery.

More reaction from the right:

• Romney lashes out against good economic news
• Conservatives: jobs data phony
• Mailer Misleads Ohioans on Job Losses

What must it be like to live on Planet Denial?

Nightmare Scenario

If Romney manages to fool a majority of the populace and the electorate by Election Day, the United States will be thrust into a world of hurt much worse than the state Bush left us in. Either way you look at it, it's a nightmare scenario. Imaginary tax cuts for the middle class will translate into even more easy bounty for the wealthiest echelons of society, seniors will be forced to pay more for healthcare because of Ryan's plans to slash Medicare and Medicaid, not to mention food stamps and other temporary relief from dire straits, along with a Wall Street being free of most regulations, and less serious attention paid to education and green energy.

Worse, I think a "President Romney" would be only too eager to prove his "power" as commander-in-chief by involving us in another war, with Iran and Syria topping the list of possibilities. Never mind the cost of human lives and billions of dollars – just as long as he is seen as a "bold and decisive" leader. To put it mildly, he is anything but "bold and decisive." He reminds me of Chief Inspector Dreyfus (aka Herbert Lom from the Pink Panther movies), his hand itching at the switch complete with a tic in his eye and a pronounced childlike giggle.

 

 

Debbie Wasserman Schultz:

[During the debate] Romney repeatedly and blatantly lied to the American people about his plans and the President's record. He failed to deliver the specifics that voters deserve to hear, and he doubled down on the same failed policies that hurt the middle class and led to the economic crisis.

God help us all.

Not So Fast

Many political pundits are saying President Obama was off his game during the first presidential debate last night, but I thought he was calm and collected while Mittens was like a deer in the headlights (especially when the camera panned to his face as the President was speaking). The way Romney kept running over the moderator was also very annoying, and his grasp of facts was less than stellar as usual:

At Last Night's Debate: Romney Told 27 Myths in 38 Minutes

Romney's repetition of various phrases which included references to "truth" and "jobs" made little impression, frankly, because he is not credible as a candidate as far as I'm concerned. I was never undecided to begin with, but after last night's back and forth I am more firmly in President Obama's camp than ever before.

One thing I found incredulous is that President Obama didn't fling a few things at his opponent - such as 47 percent among others - but perhaps he's saving it for the next debate.

Thankfully there are still two more to go.

Sacrifice in Reverse

Chris Christie on Meet the Press this morning:

He (Romney) believes everyone should have skin in the game; he stands for shared sacrifice to make this nation great again.

Shared sacrifice? Those living on the financial edge already have more than their share of "skin" in the game. The term "shared sacrifice" needs to be pointed directly at those who knowingly avoid paying their share of taxes instead of expecting America's working class and poor to shoulder the burden - again.

Losing homes, jobs and health benefits isn't enough for Romney? He wants these same people to sacrifice even more while he and others like him sit in their flush financial lofts?