Romney's Message Is Changing/Romney Secret Tape (merged)

[Sola]

http://washingtonexaminer.com/report-able-bodied-adults-on-food-stamps-doubled-after-work-requirement-suspended/article/2508430#.UF3UAI1lR9v

Whether the states asked for it or not, Obama granted the slashing of the work requirement in the welfare reform bill. And now we are seeing the results.

Erm, Jericho, trickle down = bigger recession. Still waiting on you with that one. Are you going to explain how Romney's policies will somehow work when those same policies have failed time and time again?

Still waiting you know.

[bbfreethinker]

sleeping there, 12 to a room, on bunkbeds three high,

For a second there I thought I was reading a LiaS thread, but wait, her bunks are 4 high.

[Gizmola]

The bottom line is that people like Romney and other right-wing Republicans, etc., is that they are not going to change. Regardless of the extent of their cognitive dissonance, they don't see it. It's not that they knowingly rationalize it, they really don't see it.

I have a semi-friend "E" (we're still friends on FB but do not talk). He is a hard-core, right-wing Objectivist who still thinks Romney is too liberal. He grew up in the Bronx, is in his forties now, and still complains that his father raised him in the Bronx instead of moving to a nicer neighborhood, saying that he was promised that all the financial sacrifices were so that his father could send him to college. When college came, E went to UC-Berkeley. For reasons that have never been clear to me, his father didn't pay for college. Instead, E took student loans from the government. His father did purchase a multi-unit home that E was the "landlord" of and lived there rent-free.

He has had a very contentious relationship with his parents who he terms as "evil." However, around the time that his wife had a late-term abortion (which he describes as "losing the baby"), they were in debt to the tune of $250,000 even though she was a legal secretary making $60,000 and he was making nearly $90,000 as a tax attorney living in NJ. He went to his parents and basically emotionally blackmailed them into lending him the money to pay off their debts. Then they promptly took a vacation in Jamaica. He has never paid back one penny of the loan, claiming it was what he deserved for the money he paid on the college education his father didn't pay for. His father no longer talks to him because he took out a mortgage on his house (that had been paid off) in order to lend them a quarter of a million dollars. One child later, they were again in massive credit card debt. He then filed for bankruptcy and erased all his debts.

However, he is very open that he believes all taxation is theft. In his words, taxation is "the government using the IRS as a gun to your head." He also believes that anyone who accepts any money from the government is "a parasite" or a "looter." If it were up to him, there would be no welfare, no food stamps, no public schools, no student loans, no Social Security, no public roads, no public healthcare option. In fact, in his mind the government should be limited to the military, judicial (to protect private property rights), Congress (to protect private property rights) and the President. And it should be funded solely through voluntary contributions by the American public.

He was laid off earlier in the year, which he attributed to "the Barack Hussein Obama economy." That was around the time we had a falling out so I don't know if he's gotten another job. He took unemployment without batting an eye, that I do know. He also plans on taking Social Security. His reasoning is that the money was "stolen" from him and he's merely taking it back. When I explained that Social Security is not a savings account and that it will be his son paying into the system to pay him (my mom worked for SS for 30 years - and yes, he called her a parasite for working for an immoral agency - one reason we fell out), he merely accused me of liberal smear tactics.

Now, if you're thinking that someone taking student loans, obviously "stealing" money from his father, taking unemployment, filing for bankruptcy and planning on taking Social Security while calling those who do the same thing parasites and looters is illogical, you're right. But they (right-wing, Tea Party nutjobs) don't think like that. There is Us vs Them and everyone else needs government handouts and entitlements because they are lazy, irresponsible people. When they take those same "handouts" it's because their money had been wrongly taken from them and they're just righting a wrong.

What does this have to do with Romney? I believe he embodies the very spirit of Us vs. Them. He has no compassion for anyone who was not raised exactly like him with exactly the same privileges. To him, anyone different, anyone of the 47% are simply lazy freeloaders. Which gives those whose lives presently suck someone else to blame. Hence, my story about my semi-friend: he has never taken any responsibility for the choices he's made, the fact that he's probably a sub-standard attorney - the reason his life is wrought with financial difficulties is because 1) his father didn't fund his education and he couldn't go to Harvard or Yale like his brothers;hence, he's saddled with a meager state university degree 2) his wife is financially immature (because I'm like totally sure she ran up $250,000 on her own in credit card debt) 3) Obama's economy sucked (nevermind that Obama inherited a mess from Bush - no, it's because Obama is a socialist) 4) the evil parasites and looters are forcing the government to take his money away from him because if he didn't pay taxes at all then he'd have enough money (notwithstanding the "voluntary" contributions he'd have to make for govt/military, charges to drive on private/toll roads, etc.) - because it's easier to look outward and blame others. If you want to talk about people who take no responsibility for themselves - it's not the liberal Democrats I know, it's the right-wing Republicans/Tea Partiers. They blame Obama, people on welfare, immigrants - they blame them for the fact that THEIR life isn't what they want it to be. I think that's why there are so many people willing to vote for Romney even if they are technically in the 47% - because his very statement offers up a group of people to blame for the misery/frustration that they have in their lives.

[formergothardite]

I think you have nailed it Gizmola!

[countressrascal]

I think you have nailed it Gizmola!

I totally agree with Gizmola

I live in the bottom of the Jello Belt (Mormon Land), Mormon are really spilt right now on the Mitten and his comments regarding the 47% and his grandfather living in Mexico. He is basically speaking against everything the Mormon church stands for (I am not Mormon). As a Mormon you treat everyone with compassion, if they are hurting then you help, not dismiss them as lazy. Now the exception is if you are not a Mormon then they can treat you like shit.

Here is my question-If the Teaparty and the republicans what the government out of everything - then why are they so concerned about my Vigina?

[Gizmola]

I totally agree with Gizmola

I live in the bottom of the Jello Belt (Mormon Land), Mormon are really spilt right now on the Mitten and his comments regarding the 47% and his grandfather living in Mexico. He is basically speaking against everything the Mormon church stands for (I am not Mormon). As a Mormon you treat everyone with compassion, if they are hurting then you help, not dismiss them as lazy. Now the exception is if you are not a Mormon then they can treat you like shit.

Here is my question-If the Teaparty and the republicans what the government out of everything - then why are they so concerned about my Vigina?

Because they believe that you not wanting to get pregnant or wanting to terminate a pregnancy is you trying to avoid the consequences of your mistakes (aka having sex). You have sex = you get pregnant = you are getting your just deserts.

Now, some of the hardcore crazies (like "E" in the story above) are pro-choice, but not because they believe in women's rights or because they're feminists but because they do truly think the government has no right to tell you what to do about anything. However, within that viewpoint is also the idea that the government has no responsibility to support anything, either. So while you have that little subset of right-wingers who want the govt out of the va-jay-jay business, they also want the government to shut down the FDA, so that you have to rely on the free market system to provide you with safe and reliable birth control. If you buy Company X's birth control pills and get pregnant? Well, you should then buy Company Y's. Enough people will buy Company Y's and then Company X will go out of business. That's how unreliable and dangerous drugs are handled in a free market economy.

I know much too much about how these people think. It makes me rather queasy.

[GolightlyGrrl]

I heart Paul Krugman

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/opini ... .html?_r=1

[Gizmola]

I heart Paul Krugman

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/opini ... .html?_r=1

I want to marry him and have his darling liberal love babies!

[countressrascal]

Excellent article this could anyone

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/opini ... ef=general

[Just_Jane]

*Butts into the grown up's conversation*

You know what would be fun? If Romney were required to spend a month living on minimum wage, like Morgan Spurlock and his fiance did.

I've been saying that they should create a reality show for politicians in which they have to go live in the average home, have an average car, make an average wage. There should be two kids with one being in college. Maybe an elderly parent, with limited finances, that needs care or a nursing home. Then to add further interest they get random surprises like car or home repairs, health insurance denying or not covering certian things, job loss or cut hours. Then we can all watch them each week as they try to deal with it.

[Buggaboo]

Oh, Jericho's back?? Does this mean I can break out the purple telletubby again? Awesome!!

Pay close attention kids, this is what happens if you drink too much purple kool aid!

[Sola]

Snipping Gizmola's absolutely awesome post

In a nutshell.

The thing is about people like that, is that they do the exact opposite of what the GOP 'officially' stand for. That is, personal responsibility.

OK, I'm an outsider here, coming from the UK, albeit an outsider with an obsessive deep interest in US politics and the religious right wing. But from what I can see is that people like Gizmola's ex-friend are shouting from the rooftops about people pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, about taking responsibility for their financial needs, yet doing the exact opposite.

The amount of cognitive dissonance required to make that mental leap is quite remarkable.

Gizmola's ex-friend has taken little if any responsibility for his actions and instead chooses to blame socialism and Obama. How many times do we hear that same thing from right wingers? Why are these people not practising what they preach and taking responsibility?

It really boggles my mind to try and understand how these right wingers can reconcile this in their minds.

[Gizmola]

In a nutshell.

The thing is about people like that, is that they do the exact opposite of what the GOP 'officially' stand for. That is, personal responsibility.

OK, I'm an outsider here, coming from the UK, albeit an outsider with an obsessive deep interest in US politics and the religious right wing. But from what I can see is that people like Gizmola's ex-friend are shouting from the rooftops about people pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, about taking responsibility for their financial needs, yet doing the exact opposite.

The amount of cognitive dissonance required to make that mental leap is quite remarkable.

Gizmola's ex-friend has taken little if any responsibility for his actions and instead chooses to blame socialism and Obama. How many times do we hear that same thing from right wingers? Why are these people not practising what they preach and taking responsibility?

It really boggles my mind to try and understand how these right wingers can reconcile this in their minds.

They believe they do. They believe that they, and they alone, have risen to their heights on the merits of their own hard work alone. They also believe that what they have is attainable by anyone, no matter the circumstances. They truly believe that the difference between a child born of cracked-out parents in a bad neighborhood with underfunded schools has the exact same chance at life as does someone like Mittens. Because in their mind, the American Dream is the end all be all of existence and the only things needed to make that dream a reality are to work hard, say your prayers at night and protect unborn babies. They completely discount the fact that luck of birth has a big deal to do with where you end up in life. Because if that's true, then we aren't the America of Ellis Island immigrants who believed the streets were paved with gold. We are not the greatest country in the world where anyone with moxie can make it. We are nothing more than the same oligarchical society* our Founding Fathers fled. We were brought up believing in the phrase "all men created equal" as gospel; what they fail to tell us is that that only applies to the law, and not even then. All men/women are not equal. We do not begin equal at all. Some begin with the silver spoon in their mouth, some with tarnished silverplate and some without a spoon at all. And it does color what our lives become.

That truth is uncomfortable for the rich in this country, who want to believe that their wealth is derived of their own efforts alone. Sometimes it is. Most often, there was help, a nudge, an start in the right direction. For every "small kid who dreamt big and made it" there are thousands who dreamt big and who still work at McDonald's. The Mitt Romneys of this world extol and lift up the kid who made it as the example, as the reality, when, in fact, more often than not, they are the exception. Most people I know in this country live frugally yet in great worry about the next catastrophe, because it can only take one to wipe out all the good work you've done on your American Dream. But, again, according to the right-wingers, that's your fault. Our American fascination with the lone hero, the renegade who bet big and won, the brooding cowboy of the west who wouldn't take no for an answer and who made it against all odds is a problem. Because it glorifies individuality to the point of isolation. It encourages everyone to be so selfishly consumed with only their own success that they see danger in being asked to assist anyone else. We are not a community-based country, in my opinion. We live in suburbs, in McMansions feet apart from one another with manicured lawns but we don't know our neighbors. And if we don't know them, we don't have to care about them. And if we don't care about them, we can ignore them in times of need and blame them in our times of troubles.

I see other countries - Finland & its educational system - and there seems to be a sense of "we're in this together, as one people, working towards a common goal." The only common goal in America is to have more money, status, stuff and power than the person to your right and trying to get as much money, status, stuff and power as the person to your left. And if you can't make it, blame the person in back of you and kick the person in front of you.

At least that's what I think on two hours of sleep and into my 13th hour at work today.

eta: riffles (and probably more I didn't catch)

[Sola]

They believe they do. They believe that they, and they alone, have risen to their heights on the merits of their own hard work alone. They also believe that what they have is attainable by anyone, no matter the circumstances. They truly believe that the difference between a child born of cracked-out parents in a bad neighborhood with underfunded schools has the exact same chance at life as does someone like Mittens. Because in their mind, the American Dream is the end all be all of existence and the only things needed to make that dream a reality are to work hard, say your prayers at night and protect unborn babies. They completely discount the fact that luck of birth has a big deal to do with where you end up in life. Because if that's true, then we aren't the America of Ellis Island immigrants who believed the streets were paved with gold. We are not the greatest country in the world where anyone with moxie can make it. We are nothing more than the same oligarchical society* our Founding Fathers fled. We were brought up believing in the phrase "all men created equal" as gospel; what they fail to tell us is that that only applies to the law, and not even then. All men/women are not equal. We do not begin equal at all. Some begin with the silver spoon in their mouth, some with tarnished silverplate and some without a spoon at all. And it does color what our lives become.

That truth is uncomfortable for the rich in this country, who want to believe that their wealth is derived of their own efforts alone. Sometimes it is. Most often, there was help, a nudge, an start in the right direction. For every "small kid who dreamt big and made it" there are thousands who dreamt big and who still work at McDonald's. The Mitt Romneys of this world extol and lift up the kid who made it as the example, as the reality, when, in fact, more often than not, they are the exception. Most people I know in this country live frugally yet in great worry about the next catastrophe, because it can only take one to wipe out all the good work you've done on your American Dream. But, again, according to the right-wingers, that's your fault. Our American fascination with the lone hero, the renegade who bet big and won, the brooding cowboy of the west who wouldn't take no for an answer and who made it against all odds is a problem. Because it glorifies individuality to the point of isolation. It encourages everyone to be so selfishly consumed with only their own success that they see danger in being asked to assist anyone else. We are not a community-based country, in my opinion. We live in suburbs, in McMansions feet apart from one another with manicured lawns but we don't know our neighbors. And if we don't know them, we don't have to care about them. And if we don't care about them, we can ignore them in times of need and blame them in our times of troubles.

I see other countries - Finland & its educational system - and there seems to be a sense of "we're in this together, as one people, working towards a common goal." The only common goal in America is to have more money, status, stuff and power than the person to your right and trying to get as much money, status, stuff and power as the person to your left. And if you can't make it, blame the person in back of you and kick the person in front of you.

At least that's what I think on two hours of sleep and into my 13th hour at work today.

eta: riffles (and probably more I didn't catch)

That's just it though, many if not most of these people don't have the Romney lifestyle. They are living hand to mouth and for them the American dream has passed them by. Yet they still fall for this shite. I really don't get it, I doubt I'll ever understand that mentality and how people cannot see what is right in front of their faces.

I saw a documentary on TV a few months ago about a family in the southern US. Just a couple, nothing fancy, with 2 or 3 kids I think. Parents had lost their jobs and unemployment had run out. They were about to have their phone and electricity cut off and the dad was driving about all over the place trying to get help to pay the bills to prevent this. He went to several churches and other places and finally managed to find a charity which helped a limited number of people every day. It was first come first served and he had to get there early. He managed it and was lucky enough to get a couple of hundred dollars which helped stave off the utility disconnections. All the time his wife was on the phone to friends and relatives trying to get some money off them but everyone was in the same boat.

Yet the entire time he was on camera he blamed Obama for his troubles. He railed about socialism and the evils of it even when his wife was in tears because there was absolutely no money for anything, one of the children was having a birthday and they couldn't afford anything, the power was being cut off, the phone was being cut off, they were selling everything of value just to make ends meet. The only thing that the wife refused to sell was her wedding ring.

Their situation showed everything that was wrong with the USA and yet they were living it and couldn't see it themselves.

[Gizmola]

That's just it though, many if not most of these people don't have the Romney lifestyle. They are living hand to mouth and for them the American dream has passed them by. Yet they still fall for this shite. I really don't get it, I doubt I'll ever understand that mentality and how people cannot see what is right in front of their faces.

I saw a documentary on TV a few months ago about a family in the southern US. Just a couple, nothing fancy, with 2 or 3 kids I think. Parents had lost their jobs and unemployment had run out. They were about to have their phone and electricity cut off and the dad was driving about all over the place trying to get help to pay the bills to prevent this. He went to several churches and other places and finally managed to find a charity which helped a limited number of people every day. It was first come first served and he had to get there early. He managed it and was lucky enough to get a couple of hundred dollars which helped stave off the utility disconnections. All the time his wife was on the phone to friends and relatives trying to get some money off them but everyone was in the same boat.

Yet the entire time he was on camera he blamed Obama for his troubles. He railed about socialism and the evils of it even when his wife was in tears because there was absolutely no money for anything, one of the children was having a birthday and they couldn't afford anything, the power was being cut off, the phone was being cut off, they were selling everything of value just to make ends meet. The only thing that the wife refused to sell was her wedding ring.

Their situation showed everything that was wrong with the USA and yet they were living it and couldn't see it themselves.

Short answer: he's 1/2 black. Simple as that. I truly believe that's what's behind a multitude of this anti-Obama sentiment.

Back to my "friend," "E" - whenever he posts on FB about Obama he uses his full name: Barack Hussein Obama. I privately emailed him once asking him what the deal was - that it seemed derisive and hostile. He explained that during the '08 election, Obama's camp was so fervent about never, ever, ever mentioning his middle name and that somehow they had manipulated the media and even McCain to refuse to utter his middle name and that it was just an example of what a totalitarian dictator he was. And so now, E said, he always uses it to prove that he cannot be silenced by Obama's deceitful, socialist agenda. Yeah, if you're saying WTF, so did I. Plus, I'm really sure Obama trolls FB pages of tax attorneys in NJ in order to silence them, cause he's got totes time to do that.

The point is that it doesn't matter if Obama single handedly created a million new jobs all with full benefits and a starting salary of $400,000 a year. Obama is black. His father was African. He is other. Therefore, he should not be trusted. End of story.

[Austin]

Short answer: he's 1/2 black. Simple as that. I truly believe that's what's behind a multitude of this anti-Obama sentiment.

Back to my "friend," "E" - whenever he posts on FB about Obama he uses his full name: Barack Hussein Obama. I privately emailed him once asking him what the deal was - that it seemed derisive and hostile. He explained that during the '08 election, Obama's camp was so fervent about never, ever, ever mentioning his middle name and that somehow they had manipulated the media and even McCain to refuse to utter his middle name and that it was just an example of what a totalitarian dictator he was. And so now, E said, he always uses it to prove that he cannot be silenced by Obama's deceitful, socialist agenda. Yeah, if you're saying WTF, so did I. Plus, I'm really sure Obama trolls FB pages of tax attorneys in NJ in order to silence them, cause he's got totes time to do that.

The point is that it doesn't matter if Obama single handedly created a million new jobs all with full benefits and a starting salary of $400,000 a year. Obama is black. His father was African. He is other. Therefore, he should not be trusted. End of story.

I have listened to the protests of people who speak of President Obama that way, all the while insisting that it has nothing to do with him being African American, but I don't believe them. I believe this issue plays a far larger role than most are willing to admit, as well, Gizmola. Sadly.

[SayNoToMullets]

They believe they do. They believe that they, and they alone, have risen to their heights on the merits of their own hard work alone. They also believe that what they have is attainable by anyone, no matter the circumstances. They truly believe that the difference between a child born of cracked-out parents in a bad neighborhood with underfunded schools has the exact same chance at life as does someone like Mittens. Because in their mind, the American Dream is the end all be all of existence and the only things needed to make that dream a reality are to work hard, say your prayers at night and protect unborn babies. They completely discount the fact that luck of birth has a big deal to do with where you end up in life. Because if that's true, then we aren't the America of Ellis Island immigrants who believed the streets were paved with gold. We are not the greatest country in the world where anyone with moxie can make it. We are nothing more than the same oligarchical society* our Founding Fathers fled. We were brought up believing in the phrase "all men created equal" as gospel; what they fail to tell us is that that only applies to the law, and not even then. All men/women are not equal. We do not begin equal at all. Some begin with the silver spoon in their mouth, some with tarnished silverplate and some without a spoon at all. And it does color what our lives become.

That truth is uncomfortable for the rich in this country, who want to believe that their wealth is derived of their own efforts alone. Sometimes it is. Most often, there was help, a nudge, an start in the right direction. For every "small kid who dreamt big and made it" there are thousands who dreamt big and who still work at McDonald's. The Mitt Romneys of this world extol and lift up the kid who made it as the example, as the reality, when, in fact, more often than not, they are the exception. Most people I know in this country live frugally yet in great worry about the next catastrophe, because it can only take one to wipe out all the good work you've done on your American Dream. But, again, according to the right-wingers, that's your fault. Our American fascination with the lone hero, the renegade who bet big and won, the brooding cowboy of the west who wouldn't take no for an answer and who made it against all odds is a problem. Because it glorifies individuality to the point of isolation. It encourages everyone to be so selfishly consumed with only their own success that they see danger in being asked to assist anyone else. We are not a community-based country, in my opinion. We live in suburbs, in McMansions feet apart from one another with manicured lawns but we don't know our neighbors. And if we don't know them, we don't have to care about them. And if we don't care about them, we can ignore them in times of need and blame them in our times of troubles.

I see other countries - Finland & its educational system - and there seems to be a sense of "we're in this together, as one people, working towards a common goal." The only common goal in America is to have more money, status, stuff and power than the person to your right and trying to get as much money, status, stuff and power as the person to your left. And if you can't make it, blame the person in back of you and kick the person in front of you.

At least that's what I think on two hours of sleep and into my 13th hour at work today.

eta: riffles (and probably more I didn't catch)

Re: the bolded - my dad believes this, and he grew up in the projects. He's also extraordinarily bright, which he downplays - I don't know if it's self-deprecation or what, but he got out and thinks anyone else can too. And not to discount the hard work he put in, but not every kid in the projects can get into a magnet high school, no matter how hard they work. Not every kid can then go on to get a full ride for college and grad school, especially these days. And I do think that more of the opportunities he took advantage of should be available - but by the same token, there are things that happen regardless of educational achievement - jobs get outsourced to China, traumatic facepalming incidents happen, particularly in a presidential election year . . .

[emmiedahl]

I have listened to the protests of people who speak of President Obama that way, all the while insisting that it has nothing to do with him being African American, but I don't believe them. I believe this issue plays a far larger role than most are willing to admit, as well, Gizmola. Sadly.

They say that is not the reason, but let them talk long enough and it comes up. They end up whining about how he probably only made it through college because of affirmative action, or bring up that he's "muslim" or "not a citizen", which is thinly veiled racism.

Jericho, Obama did not get rid of the jobs requirement. Read the articles that you sent me. He is allowing governors, mainly from red states, to waive the requirement for certain people, temporarily, such as in cases where they live in an area where there are literally no jobs. The average welfare recipient will still be required to get a job, and Obama will not be responsible for absolving them of this requirement; their governor will. I mean, what's next? Is Obama responsible for Jerry Brown getting elected governor?

When GWB was president, Republicans seemed to feel that the president was not responsible for anything. Not two failed wars, an economy in the toilet, massive deregulation and a widening gap between the rich and everyone else. GWB was the original victim of circumstance apparently. But now that Obama is president, he is responsible for traffic jams and a lack of good peaches at the farmer's market. srsly, it is getting ridiculous.

[slickcat79]

I'm just amazed at how many people I know who are on government support yet don't think Mitt was talking about them when he made that statement. My cousin who is on WIC, food stamps and Medicaid. Yes, he was talking about you. But she won't see that. I think people are just so set it the idea that they must vote republican that they won't pause to look at what he is really saying.

My dad's the same way. He signed up for social security the split-second he turned 62, can't wait to be able to enroll in medicare next year, and has happily been on unemployment in the last 8 years while bragging about how easy it is to get. Meanwhile he gets paid cash under the table for as much of his work as he possibly can so that he can (presumably) avoid paying taxes on it. We haven't discussed Romney's comments because, for the sake of our relationship, we don't discuss politics, but I can imagine what he'd say about them.

"If I were Iran - a crazed fanatic - I'd say let's get a little fissile material to Hezbollah, have them carry it to Chicago or some other place, and then if anything goes wrong, or America starts acting up, we'll just say, 'Guess what? Unless you stand down, why, we're going to let off a dirty bomb'."

Mitt Romney on The Video advising terrorists how best to attack the United States.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that was a plot line on ABC's Castle last year. Maybe Mitt's been watching too many primetime dramas?

[Guest Anonymous]

I know I've said it before, but seriously, seriously, Mitt Romney's terrorist plan is so stupid. It makes absolutely no sense. I mean, how can this man even pretend to be in touch with reality? So stupid!

[mpheels]

They say that is not the reason, but let them talk long enough and it comes up. They end up whining about how he probably only made it through college because of affirmative action, or bring up that he's "muslim" or "not a citizen", which is thinly veiled racism.

Jericho, Obama did not get rid of the jobs requirement. Read the articles that you sent me. He is allowing governors, mainly from red states, to waive the requirement for certain people, temporarily, such as in cases where they live in an area where there are literally no jobs. The average welfare recipient will still be required to get a job, and Obama will not be responsible for absolving them of this requirement; their governor will. I mean, what's next? Is Obama responsible for Jerry Brown getting elected governor?

When GWB was president, Republicans seemed to feel that the president was not responsible for anything. Not two failed wars, an economy in the toilet, massive deregulation and a widening gap between the rich and everyone else. GWB was the original victim of circumstance apparently. But now that Obama is president, he is responsible for traffic jams and a lack of good peaches at the farmer's market. srsly, it is getting ridiculous.

QFT, would just add that the work requirement waivers include a requirement that states get at least 20% of welfare recipients employed and off welfare, the states are just allowed to try different programs. Also, Jericho's new "evidence" is more about a waiver that allows unemployed adults without dependents to continue receiving food assistance when they would normally be cut off. The food stamp waiver applies in states with unemployment over 10%, so it is going to people who very likely couldn't get a job. Seriously, no one in their right mind would give up or avoid gainful employment just to stay on food stamps. The allotment for a single adult is laughable.

[sassyNoz47]

The city streets here are lined with vote Romney lawn signs. I have yet to see a vote Obama, people here are not voting for the PERSON they are voting just for the PARTY!

[B5SnowDog]

I live in a red county within a red state. The local Republican Party has paid for several billboards around town. None of them have Romney's name anywhere on them. The two messages are "Stop the Madness - Vote Republican" and "End Obama's Socialism - Vote Republican". Since his nomination was announced, I have seen only 1 bumper sticker with Romney's name compared to the 5 a day I see with old W bumper stickers. I haven't seen any yard signs for the presidential race. It's just weird to see no one wanting to mention Romney's name.

[formergothardite]

Well here in oh so wonderful NC, we have "Vote for the American" signs. But very few Romney.

[Sola]

Well here in oh so wonderful NC, we have "Vote for the American" signs. But very few Romney.

I wonder what they would have done if the republicans had a black, Muslim candidate (yeah, I know, hell will be proven to exist and will freeze over before that happens) and the dems had a white, Christian candidate?