Voters Said No To ‘Politics Of Pitchforks’

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Voters Said No To ‘Politics Of Pitchforks’

November 7th, 2012 12:54 pm Leonard Pitts Jr.

Thank goodness that’s over.

The presidential campaign of 2012 did not in fact last long enough to be measured in geologic time, but poll-scarred and ad-weary voters can, perhaps, be forgiven for feeling as if it did.

Barack Obama and his supporters will, understandably, be jubilant that his lease on that Pennsylvania Avenue mansion has been extended for four more years. But Tuesday night’s vote is also noteworthy for a reason only tangentially related to the fortunes of the incumbent president. One can argue — or maybe the better word is “hope” — that voters did more than re-elect Obama on Tuesday night. They also repudiated the scorched-earth extremism and acute cognitive dissonance that have come to characterize the Republican Party in recent years.

Rush Limbaugh recently said something interesting (will wonders never cease?) on his radio show. As reported by Politico, he told listeners, “There’s not a whole lot of love for conservatives in the Republican Party. Except now, where the party will take anything they can get to win.” As he sees it, the GOP prefers to woo independents to prove “that they win without the base of the party. Now, the Democrats are not embarrassed of their base. The Republicans, in large part, are.”

The GOP is embarrassed by its base? One is by no means sanguine that this is true, but one can’t help but hope, fervently, that it is. It would be a welcome sign that Republicans are not, in fact, committed to a policy of electoral suicide and a future of ballot box irrelevance.

It is hard not to believe they are, given the way the party has stubbornly relied on an ever-narrowing slice of the American demographic for victory. They have either lost, or are at significant disadvantage with, a wide array of Americans: blacks, women, gays, Muslims, Hispanics and more. The people whose votes the party commands tend to be older, white, evangelical, and male. And as that cohort of the electorate fades in prominence, the danger is that it will take the GOP with it.

And yet, rather than seeking to expand its outreach and broaden its appeal, the party has inexplicably chosen to double down on its shrinking base. Worse, it has chosen to appeal to that base with a platform of fearmongering, xenophobia, demagoguery and inchoate anger so extreme as to make Ronald Reagan seem almost a hippie by comparison.

It has embraced the politics of pitchforks and bomb-throwing wherein candidates must compete with one another to see who can say the most bizarre and outrageous thing — and where moderation is a sin against orthodoxy.

It should have told us something when the previously moderate Mitt Romney pronounced himself “severely conservative” on the way to winning the GOP primary. One does not use that word to modify things one approves or is comfortable with. When have you ever heard someone describe themselves as “severely happy” or “severely content”?

His use of that word strongly suggests Romney’s discomfort with the pose he was required to take, and the fact that he was required to take it. Now as Romney fades into the rearview mirror, one can only hope his party takes the right lesson from this defeat, that it transforms itself into a party with some appeal to the rest of us as opposed to one that demonizes the rest of us to appeal to a very few.

Tuesday night, the nation did not just choose a president. It chose a future. And “severe” conservatism does not seem to be a part of it.

(Leonard Pitts is a columnist for the Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla., 33132. Readers may contact him via email at lpitts@miamiherald.com.)

Photo credit: AP/Charles Dharapak

Tags: 2012 election, GOP, Mitt Romney, Republican Party, right wing, severely conservative

foolsdance

Based on what I have read on many other comment boards, their base also includes a lot of younger hate mongering, name calling, low IQ, vitriolic, racist, bigotted conspiracy theorists. Straight up scary people if it weren’t for the fact that we all know they only spew their venom behind closed doors and fortuantely do not have courage of conviction. Cowards cowering over keyboards.

nobsartist

well said.
Eddye

Thanks, me too. You said it all.

http://twitter.com/trompeta68 hector rodriguez

Well. Nobody could have said it any better
Melvin Chatman

Well worded – proud of ya!!

http://twitter.com/rfsilver123 Ron Silver

Bravo!

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

The GOP/Tea Party American Taliban Need To Take Note That Whatever Low Down Backstabbing Dirty Little Tactics They Throw At Us We Will Unite And Make Sure To Sure It Blows Back Up In Your Dirty Little Faces!!! We Want To Live In The NOW!! We Want To MOVE FORWARD NOT BACKWARDS!!!

http://profile.yahoo.com/MCSKWZVR3CW6GQ5SRKRU4TWPJA foxy

AMEN!!!!!!!
http://profile.yahoo.com/TAPQU3HZKR4DQJU2K5L4DAIUCA Joshua

Agreed

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

LOL You Think That They Must Have Thought We Were Just Going To Let That Lying Sociopath Run Our Country Back In The Ground Again Like Their Last Lying Sociopath!!! We Will Never Have A Another 2010 Again In Life!!! We Will UNITE AND WE WILL BE HEARD!!!!
Sandra

‘COWARDS COWERING OVER KEYBOARDS.’ Thank you.
Now it’s a matter of waiting to see if these eegits let some sunlight in and reasses their outdated, false, failed idelogy and finally acknowledge that it does not work. They have tossed aside the true conversatives in their rush to become extremist and it has backfired on them. Time to go back to the drawing board.
http://profile.yahoo.com/UHE4MJP5FHMFIEAOGEQHETUGDQ Rvn_sgt6768

What does it say when in order to “fire up your base” you have to resort to lies, fear mongering, spewing hate and vitriol about the other person that just having a different point of view and different policies can not. I truly believe that the Republican Party does not understand Politics today at all. It is amazing to me to see that after 100 years the Democratic party has not shifted from their core beliefs. These same beliefs gave us (US) the programs that have made this nation great. We should fight with all our might against ANY erosion of these programs. They are as (if not more so) relevant today as back then. With the exception of Health Care SS, Medicare and Medicaid need only minor tweaking. Tax code reform is the big one that needs to be addressed. Giving the rich their way for all these years has almost bankrupt this country.

viewfromtheleftcoast

low information voters…. and there are many….fortunately not enough this time..

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

It’s Never Going To Be Enough Of Them Cause We Refuse To Go Backwards When The Old White Rich Man Made All The Rules!!! This Is The NEW America Where We Have A Rainbow Of People Of All Walks And Races We Are ALL AMERICAN!!!! No Body Is GOING NOWHERE!!! WE ALL HAVE A SAY IN HOW THIS COUNTRY WILL BE RUN!!!

jujube444

I agree these programs need some tweaks, but these programs have allowed more people to have a means to dignity in retirement and medical care in ill-health. Doing away with them is not their goal, per se-they know there is big money to be made in privatizing them and they want to be the ones adding a profiteering middle man in there. Never forget that. I have worked at many companies, and I have not seen this so-called efficiency of the private sector they love to espouse.

I also agree 100% that giving the rich their way since the Reagan years, with the tax breaks they needed to bankroll the dismantling of our manufacturing sector to using essentially communist Chinese slave labor to produce our goods is what is causing the havoc in our economic system, NOT these entitlement programs. They are using these programs as red herrings to misdirect the attention of those fooled by mantras wrapped in flags and crosses.

viewfromtheleftcoast

right on!!
jebediah123

The sad fact is —- I happen to know a lot of them.

jujube444

Unfortunately, I do, too. Some of them are good friends, too. Btw, I live in Hamilton County, OH, formerly Republican stronghold of North America. So good to read these reasoned and educated posts. So rare where I live. But this county went for Obama because the demographics have changed-Warren county is now the Republican stronghold because of white flight of last 20 years.

http://profile.yahoo.com/ZJ5BBSQIGTUMERPZFALES6HQNY Bill

I also think there is a large number of old white men who don’t like how the country is changing. They spew racial bigotry too.
http://profile.yahoo.com/BMRM52UYNZXK4ATA4GW5INH6IU frogger

foolsdance – so much said in so few words. Thanks. Now if we could just get Boehner on that same page……….:)
http://profile.yahoo.com/G2HYKVIOMIWXXX43LUPMWXH5FM Patrick

Well some people do care about the future of the White race. I am one of them.

foolsdance

What, exactly, do you fear? Do you think somehow that blacks/hispanics/asians are keeping the white population numbers down? I don’t understand your statement at all, but I can pretty well guess where it is coming from.

dtgraham

I’m glad to see the Dems so aggressive in finally countering the dirty stuff the GOP used to get away with. I really think that’s why we don’t see a Romney Presidency today. I was so impressed with the DOJ’S efforts to beat back some of the voter suppression efforts in recent months. I honestly didn’t believe they’d be successful. I thought it was just talk. Then, you had the constant alertness and aggression in doing things like stopping Ohio’s uncertified, add on, patch “voting” software at the last minute. It was just fortunate that a judge ruled in a fair way. Without pressure groups doing what they did, GOP controlled states would have had a lot more of their own way and methinks we’d be looking at something quite different today.

That’s great! Now two more things have to happen:

i) get rid of the electronic voting machines and/or get the mechanics of running elections completely out of the hands of State politicians. Create a new independent non partisan body to run all elections. Codify and standardize national rules for how everything in an election is done. Make them apply everywhere and enforce them federally. In Canada, that body is called Elections Canada. Call it Elections America. Call it whatever. Do what you gotta do.

ii) Stop the gerrymandering. Redistricting after the 2010 midterms is why we’re looking at the GOP retaining the Congress today. Elections America will put a stop to that.

I’m so impressed with the fighting spirit of today’s American liberal/progressives. You don’t let those bastards away with anything anymore like you used to. However, the fight isn’t over just because our side won. You’ve got to keep that spirit and that dogged determination to keep advocating for the changes that still need to be made. If i) and ii) are done, the Republicans will have to change a hell of a lot to be successful, with the changing demographics. Maybe some of you can think of other things.

Big congrats to President Obama and the Democrats, and to my fellow liberal/progressives in America. Looks good on ya.

nobsartist

Since we do have modern technology now, why not just grid the entire United States and make those the districts? Combine the grids so that all are between 25 and 50,000 people and leave it at that.

Lets make these games illegal so the people that we elect actually have to work instead of playing these games.

Have the IRS in charge of elections. If willard the rats taxes are safe, my vote should be just as safe. Make it a federal crime to tamper in any way with elections.

Sandra

I thought it was a federal crime though it seems too many people are getting away with it ie Ann Coulter in 2005, Ken Blackwell Ohio in 2004 and Kathrine Harris and Jeb Bush in Fla in 2000, Husted in Ohio in this cycle and Scott in Fla.
Why not paper ballots scanned through an optical scanner like we do in Canada, at least there would be two pieces of verification which can be tallied at the end of voting. There ought to be a better, fairer way to elections in America. The world is watching and scoffing and scorning America when politicians start wars in the name of democracy around the world which is being slowly dismantled in said country. ‘Do as I say, not what I do’ no longer holds sway around the world, not with 24/7 news cycle and blogs people around the world now read.

nobsartist

I think what we need are Federal Election laws with steep fines on states that cannot have votes tabulated on time. I would like to see the State of Florida fined 10 MILLION in lost federal aid for not being able to complete the election on time and the secretary of state thrown in prison for 5 years as an example.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HFYZP2APYPP7H6PWS2ZDQRWFEQ Hillbilly

No, it should be both the secretary of state and the governor sent to prison, because governors have been known to slow down vote counting.

jujube444

We do do that here in Hamilton County, OH. I believe that having both the electronic count and the paper ballot backup is the best way to prevent fraud and that’s what our county implemented.

Most people claiming voter fraud have never worked at the polls. I did for 17 years. It’s pretty difficult to do. It would take a coordinated effort. you would have to know a voter was dead, or you would have to forge the signature of a living voter and hope they didn’t show up to vote at the same time or later that day, etc. Getting some fake names on the voter registration rolls would require someone getting fake ID’s and then hoping the poll worker doesn’t know the neighborhood and neighbors. They try to make us workers a mix of people that live in the precinct and those who don’t. There are two members of each party there at any time. Kind of hard to do a lot of voter fraud even if you set out to do it.

viewfromtheleftcoast

sounds good…..but those “states rights” people would howl

voter fraud is a federal crime….vote tampering, I don’t know, it should be….

I agree with you on the proposition that the IRS could secure the vote….
dtgraham

Sounds good nobsartist. Different ways of doin’ it for sure.

nobsartist

ALL districts can have only 4 boundaries. keep it simple for the felons.

BDD1951

I was an election judge and I wished that we were all voting by paper ballot. Two of our machines went haywire. No hanky panky, just that they needed to be recalibrated. We shut them down until someone came and fixed them.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

the term “recalibrated” can cover a lot of dirty tricks.
http://profile.yahoo.com/HFYZP2APYPP7H6PWS2ZDQRWFEQ Hillbilly

BBDD1951, they probably should have been left shut down, unless you had someone that understands the machines watching to make that they were just being recalibrated not rigged for a certain person to win.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2CZCX5PSWQAUXA2D7GBTFLSI3U Richard

We won yes and thinga are indeed changing but we need not go to socialism, we do not need asuper ,overbearing national government, our Constitution which has served us well salls for, sets up a republic,not a unitary government. This has served us well and sets our nation apart. That Constitution gives the power to the people and the individual “sovereign “states who granted a limited ,enumerated lists of power to the Federal or national government. Over the years we have developed ,I believe correctly an expanded lists of powers for the national government.
Keep in mind ,we dems and Barack did not receive an overwhelming number of the popular vote. I don’t know if the final count is in but my understanding is he won’t approach 53% his 2008 perdentage and know where near LBJ’s percent. Therefore we are a country deeply divided. 48-49% voted against us ,they are not all racists, inintelligent fools or just simple minded, Some are actually thoughtful,educated people who have a different viewpoint. I think they believe that the should be more laissez -faire ,so to speak.
They believe we are better off when we limit the national government. I believe there was a time when we had that serious debate, where both sifes believed that the Constitution provided for an expanded role for the national government and therefore it w as a policy choice.The limited government proponents lost the policy debate so they then choose to frame the argument in the terms that the Constitution did not provide for the expanded national government. I won’t continue in this vien any longer because now I am sure it sounds like some law school or constitutional lawyers debate,argument which is clearly dry, pedantic and boring to the average reader. And that brings me to the most important comment we need to strengthen education, we need to strengthen the knowledge of our teaching core in civics and government; above all we need to strengthen our elementary school teachers who teach reading If you were to look up the stats you would be appalled. The reading comprehension skills of the average American is dismal,3rd worldlike.

dtgraham

I may have given the wrong impression Richard. If I understood you right, a federal election commission to run and oversee elections hardly seems like socialism and a super overbearing national government to me. If it does to you, well, these things are all in the eye of the beholder. That’s politics. If that’s not what you meant then ignore the last 4 sentences. There are other ways to prevent corrupt Republican State politicians from stealing democracy. That was just one suggestion.

Yes, we have some educated right wing posters at the National Memo (a couple anyway) but I’m not sure how thoughtful they are. I read amazingly cruel and callous comments toward their fellow Americans including one who decried another profoundly disabled poster receiving a small SS disability cheque because it was “unconstitutional”. That’s a trend if you read conservative posters here and at other political blogsites. They also seem to live in their own alternate universe of facts. Different sets of values and priorities will alter public policy discussions in various ways dependent on one’s political persuasion, but the same facts have to be the starting point for both sides. That’s a must and I increasingly don’t see that in today’s U.S. politics. The remarkably harsh attitudes and aversion to facts on the right don’t bode well for the future given the divided, American, 3 branch system. My concern is that the Democrats will begin to accommodate callousness and fantasy in order to make the system work. Yet if they don’t, what are you left with?

In closing, let me say that almost all of us up here wish we had Barack as Prime Minister instead of the guy we’ve got. Do you share?

http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Jones/827014412 Daniel Jones

WASP–I’m Blind in Texas.

As long as the RNC lets itself be defined by the classic WASP–White Anglo-Saxon Peckerwoods (okay, Protestants)–they will be blind, and will largely be in Texas.

WhutHeSaid

With the ever-increasing Hispanic population of Texas, the Republican Party faces a long overdue self-analysis or they risk becoming marginalized at some point in the near future. Without self-correction, the reddest of states will eventually become purple, and if that fails to wake up the GOP — eventually blue.

BDD1951

We figure that we’ll go blue by the 2020 elections. At least 2024. Hopefully, we will be rid of our jerk of a governor Perry.

Landsende

BDD1951
Amen to getting rid of our joke of a governor. Even though Texas is a red state San Antonio and Bexar county voted democrat and the Valley is already blue.

nobsartist

America said NO to lying scumbags.

Now for the audits.

ALLLLAMERICAN

Make sure you keep up with the Benghazi court!!!

nobsartist

thanks for the advice, allfullofshit.
http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

Make Sure You Get Your Dumb Ass Out Of Here!!!

ALLLLAMERICAN

YOUR LOSING YOUR JOB—-JUST WAIT

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

I’m Going To Whoop Your Ass Just Wait!!! LOL Your Dumb Ass Need To Get A Job And A Life Stupid Hillbilly Bitch!!

http://www.facebook.com/jerone.lee Jerone Lee

Dont think this is mad man rush L , want say his name.
http://www.facebook.com/frida.thom.7 Frida Thom

What I have learnt is: Once a person give himself/herself for the presidential bid and fails, never give it a second try. It doesn’t work. Romney tried to make history BUT ended up in regrets of wasting his time and energy plus peoples money.
Ghostwriter381BC

I hope the GOP sticks to their policies and don’t change a thing. Democrats will always win and we won’t fall for the Republican go it alone agenda. The only good Republican is one that does not hold elected office.

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

And All The Rape THUGS LOST BIG TIME!!! LOL When You Declare War On Women We Not Only Get Mad We VOTE!!!!

paulyz

Already starting with the negative partisanship? The election was 50-50, and those that voted for more of the same will be complaining loudly eventually. The Republican House gained because much of the country don’t want more of what Obama had done to our economy.

lilyfur

The Republican House did not gain.

viewfromtheleftcoast

that’s right!!

http://profile.yahoo.com/UHE4MJP5FHMFIEAOGEQHETUGDQ Rvn_sgt6768

No it wasn’t 50-50. It was 50-48 with more than 3 million on the victors side. It is called a majority and like an Army of ONE it is a majority of ONE and we (US) expect it to be run as a majority. If you ran your party that way instead of catering to the T-Party you would not be here posting lame excuses and wild thinking that the House gained when in fact they lost and will continue to lose in the next cycle. You West’s and Walsh’s are gone and the Aikins and Murdoch’s didn’t get in so understand what really happened here. Yes batcrapcrazy Michelle is still there by the skin of her last botox but she could very well be gone next time as well an Cantor.

paulyz

Wow, the hate and intollerance of you on the Left is coming thru load & clear. By the way, are you a mind reader? Who said I am a Tea Party member? You need an attitude change from hate to unity.

viewfromtheleftcoast

50/48….3 million over in popular vote and landslide electoral college vote…all facts not attitude…….

D’s up 2 in Senate (and still with majority)…fact!…and let’s hope the R’s learn to compromise, it is harder than filibuster, but the outcome is better for US

D’s up 9 in House….fact!…not much, but still up, and if the R’s continue the same, next cycle it will go up again……(not a fact but and educated prediction)

R’s (not only Tea Party) ignore facts!!!….OMG, I could not believe the R pundits and their prognostications on the election, even on election night!!!….their crazy (skewed) polls!!!…..facts are facts are facts!!!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OLT3BBICDAFJXQAHHKXXLJUCH4 Stella53

It was the hate and intolerance of the GOP that lost them the election. The GOP hates blacks, hispanics, gays, women, asians. All the racial groups the GOP demonized and villified voted against them. The sad thing is the GOP won’t learn a lesson from this humiliating loss. America has changed. This is not Ronald Reagan’s America anymore. The sooner the GOP understands this fact, the better they will be in the future.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OLT3BBICDAFJXQAHHKXXLJUCH4 Stella53

Whatever makes you feel better, Paulie.

paulyz

“S T E L L A! ! ! !” There I feel better.

http://profile.yahoo.com/6GUEK6R2L6ZIIYI6I4IROLW72M Njoku

This article has said it all. The World is changing and so are intelligent and knowledgeable cultures around the world. Has anybody taken time to ask why the Talibans, Al Quedas, Al Shababs, Boko Harams and all other Religious extremist etc are reasoning the way they do? It is because they still think that the World is static. The GOPs should learn. There is no place for conservatism any more in the world. Wars are no longer fought on horse backs, arrows and spears, nor are international business trips made by ship. Intelligence is now universal, there are no inferior races any more, computers have turned everybody to professionals in fields alien to their areas of specializations. The era of racial inferiority is gone for ever. Let them learn lest they perish with their obstinacy. A word they say is enough for the wise and it is never too late to rethink!
http://twitter.com/rfsilver123 Ron Silver

Some in GOP still don’t get it. Some still believe Mitt should have been even more conservative in his campaign and one commentator suggested he should have more vigorously pushed the abortion issue and he then would have won! What planet are these people on?

If the GOP doesn’t run away from the so-called “Tea Party”, they too will fade away except for Congressmen/women as they are elected on a local level. They will never win the Senate as Senators are elected on a state-wide basis and the President on a national basis.
http://profile.yahoo.com/AALIVPCF6X4UADNPXLQ3DSHJ4I Steven Weakley

After all the name calling , lies,billions of dollars spent,voter suppession,and intimidation tactics,democracy has won.We need to see If any laws have been broken.There needs to be conceqences for tampering with our democracy.Republican tactics must be labeled as truly un American.Or perhaps this showed the American people who they really are?

http://www.facebook.com/people/John-Sehler/100000396279499 John Sehler

The first order of business should be the repeal of the ” Citizens United” debacle which replaces votes with dollar bills and rapes the very Democracy we all stand for
ALLLLAMERICAN

LAZY!!!!!!!!

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OLT3BBICDAFJXQAHHKXXLJUCH4 Stella53

Is that all ya got? Go take your anti-depressants; you need it bad.

http://twitter.com/rfsilver123 Ron Silver

The GOP now has to come to the table or for many years to come continue to be labeled as the ‘party of no” and will continue to slip away. Obama will try to work across the aisle but if they GOP continues to obstruct, they will get clobbered again in the next election. Whatever happens, its will be Hillary in 2016 possibly against Christie if he doesn’t have a heart attack before then.

http://profile.yahoo.com/UHE4MJP5FHMFIEAOGEQHETUGDQ Rvn_sgt6768

The Republicans will run Jeb Bush next time because his wife is Latino in another attempt to steal the Latino vote. It will be time now to start to keep making the name Bush toxic.

viewfromtheleftcoast

Jeb was not well loved in FL, and you can be sure they would be heard from loud and clear….

and was he involved with the Silverado scandal? (The earlier version of high stakes banking fraud…)

ALLLLAMERICAN

Scandals???—-Have you heard of the Fast and Furious operation —-
OR
Have you ever heard ANYTHING about Libya—stay tuned for the court days to come.

We like Jeb Bush, he did a lot of good thing!!!!!!!!!!!!

viewfromtheleftcoast

I’m sure his family likes him too!…….but that won’t get him elected

We have heard about fast and furious, and Libya too…..

…unlike a previous administration’s really, really big screw-up: why we left Osama when he was within an inch of being caught, and: why were we in Iraq ……..(was it to make Dick Chenney’s old employer Halliburton a ton of money) and: why that administration got away with so many war crimes…..yes war crimes……
ALLLLAMERICAN

We are talking about these YEARS
the PRESENT
the Last four years
THIS PRESIDENT
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OLT3BBICDAFJXQAHHKXXLJUCH4 Stella53

Nothing going on with Fast and Furious. Fox News lost that battle. Give it up – Romney/Ryan lost! Thank Goodness!
ALLLLAMERICAN

obama Scheme

http://www.facebook.com/sylvia.zelkin Sylvia Zelkin

I think this article hits a bullseye. In Florida, the total republican party is corrupt from the bums
that still run Jacksonville from the sidelines like bureaucrat Matt Corrigan who could not get
any support without running to his ‘godfather” John Delaney, President of UNF and former
mayor thanks to the Davis family. Now we have higher level criminals at the top with Rick Scott,
Jennifer Carroll, Pam Bondi, and of course State Senator John Thrasher who made the deal to
save Marco Rubio’s career when Rubio stole $130k from the republican party fund to pay for a
home improvement.

Governor Romney knew all of this and that is why he would not even consider Marco Rubio
as his vp running mate and made that very clear to Jeb Bush and his puppets: Scott, Carroll,
and Bondi, etc. Gov Romney is too honorable a person to ever allow this crowd to use him to
get their foot in the door for national politics.

Don Bottini

Sandra

Gov. Romney and honourable in the same sentence is an oxymoron. The man has no core values, he’s as corrupt as they are. He was forced to choose the wanker Lying Ryan by the powers in the R’thug Party. Rubio would not have gotten him the Hispanic/Latino votes anyway. Cubans are a separate breed and do not speak for the Latino population in the US as the R’thug Party seem to believe.

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

LOL What’s So Funny Is They Both Lost In Their Own States!!!!

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

And Guess What We Still Haven’t Heard From Florida WE UNITED ALL OVER TO GET THIS DONE!!! UNITED WE ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKON WITH!!!! WE DON’T DIE WE MULTIPLY!!! I Want To Take This Time To THANK EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU FOR HELPING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!! Thank You All!!! <3

ALLLLAMERICAN

Thank YOU for helping bring our country down and helping our country become broke and live off the Government.

In times like these, it’s best to prepare for the worst to come!

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

How Many Times Do I Have To Ask Your Dumb Ass To STFU Talking To Me CAN YOU READ BITCH STFU TAKING TO ME!!!!!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OLT3BBICDAFJXQAHHKXXLJUCH4 Stella53

You can start by moving to Canada since you think so little of your own country. I hear Canada is conservative. You won’t have to worry about folks living off the government in Canada! See ya!

dtgraham

Conservative Party federal government. True that Stella. I think ALLLLAMERICAN would be awfully disappointed though. Maybe shocked at a few things. I think I’d pay money to see his reaction.
ALLLLAMERICAN

WE HAVE CONTEMPLATED IT. Our neighbors live there during the summer and come to Florida in the Winter.

They love it!!!
dtgraham

I know the word conservative is attractive to you but it’s not what you’re thinking ALLLLAMERICAN. It’s the type of conservatism that I’m sure you’d be disappointed in. Canada has the most liberal abortion laws in the world and the federal Conservatives and Provincial Progressive Conservatives all support those laws. They also support gay marriage, and universal socialized medicine. They’ve advocated a national day care program using government cheques and private centers instead of government run centers (the conservative alternative version). Religion is practically a verboten topic in public life here and conservative politicians never speak of it. They’re also not in favour of prayer in public schools.

As well, the Provinces have a lot of jurisdiction and most of them are Liberal or NDP (democratic socialist) governments.

I guess if your neighbours are snowbirds and somewhere to the left of Attila the Hun politically, there may be some appeal but I can’t see you being too crazy about it. From your standpoint, you’d get a caucasian Prime Minister but I don’t know how much of a consolation that would be.
ALLLLAMERICAN

STELLA —-It’s NOT the country
It’s the guy that you LIBS voted in to run and he has no idea how to run a counrty —-He’s a community organizer

HE makes deasl with his Muslim Brotherhood

HE aranged the Fast and the Furious operation

HE arranged for our US Ambassador to get kidnapped and now killed four.
HE never wanted to wear the American Flay pin on his lapel and was asked in an interview why and he replied–” I don’t want to be perceived as taking sides, the American flag is a symbol of oppression.
HE and his wife disrespect the American flag and they have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past.
And Michelle SAID herself;
For the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country …

FOR THE FIRST TIME?????????

THAT IS WHOM YOU ALLLL WANT FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

47 Million on food stamps
unemployment at the allll time high
He has NOT done NOTHING he said he was going to do!!!

STELLA—-DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW????

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

LOL That Thug Bush Who Your Dumb Ass Voted For Twice The One Who Did The Damage BITCH!!!

http://profile.yahoo.com/UHE4MJP5FHMFIEAOGEQHETUGDQ Rvn_sgt6768

The most amusing part of your post has to do with the vetting process and rejection of Rubio for VP. This same process soundly rejected mittey for VP last cycle which to me made his candidacy this time around invalid for any office. Remember, McCain got to see all those tax returns and ran from them. John is no fool and neither, as it turns out, is the rest of America.
viewfromtheleftcoast

can’t agree Romney is honorable…

Marco Rubio is a Cuban, not the biggest population of Hispanics FL or the US…….He is also a two year senator, who started out his senatorial career, lying about his heritage, then later walked it back….not a promising start
ALLLLAMERICAN

Sounds like YOU need to move.

I like Rick Scott and Marco Rubio

SaneJane

Now that the voters have said no to the GOP’s brand of politics we must focus our efforts on letting President Obama know what we expect now that he has some arrows in his quiver. NUMBER ONE: NO GRAND BARGAIN to avoid the fiscal cliff. No 3 to 1 in favor of cuts over increased revenue. Keep our social programs intact.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

No competent leader would try to become president unless he had TREMENDOUS confidence in himself. All great men stumble on their rise to the top! In todays world that translates to every blunder, fux Pau , mistake, and embarrassment that the candidate has ever suffered or inflicted wouuld be dug out, blown up and created as a “scandal” by what passes for “the media”. So we start with med who are either very comfortable in their skin or have a treendous ego. They then have to represent a party that the american public has just repudiated, and which brags about breaking laws, restricting constitutional liberties and be;littles that portion of the population know as women.
William Deutschlander

Let the Republican Cartel of the 21st Century continue on the steadfast course of self destruction.

In the interest of the two party system, a new political party needs to be formed, that will represent the people fairly and provide the political balance that has guarded our DEMOCRACY. There is a group within the normal conservative movement, that could establish a new political entity that would balance DEMOCRACY.

http://profile.yahoo.com/UHE4MJP5FHMFIEAOGEQHETUGDQ Rvn_sgt6768

You are correct in that we need two parties in America. If not the Republicans anymore I know for sure it will not be the T-Party. I believe as reported they are a dead item. Yeh Michelle batcrapcrazy is still there but the Walsh’s and West’s are gone (good riddance) and the Murdoch’s and Aikin’s were denied entry to the Congress so American understands what is needed now it is up to the Republican Party to read and understand and respond to that need. I remember the Eisenhower days and other good Republicans with good ideas on how to govern but the Reagan years with Bush arming Iraq and Reagan arming Iran and my favorite not convicted and jailed Ollie North traitor that really killed Republicanism and turned it into a party of liars and fools spewing hate and division.

Gpa9999

SAD BUT TRUE
viewfromtheleftcoast

I have to disagree with the statement that Romney was a moderate. He was NEVER a moderate, he has always been a “transactional” conservative. He has ALWAYS had his eye on the White House, perhaps since his father lost his chance…..

He ran against Ted Kennedy, one of the most popular democrats, in a very Democratic state, only so he could posture to the left of Kennedy, knowing that he would never win. But, in so doing he positioned himself to run later for governor as a moderate Republican, against a woman (no woman ever won the governorship in MA)

His real brand really stayed the same (big C conservative) while governor he vetoed more legislation than any previous governor (more than 800 pieces of legislation [ overridden by a democratic majority]), knowing that in so doing he would never be reelected and didn’t care….his eyes were on the prize “The WH”….after the conventions he slowly, again, trolled left thinking that would get him elected, it worked before……

Then, the cell phone video……and then we saw and heard the REAL MITT ROMNEY……with the same elitist, dismissive attitude that he displayed toward the President in the town hall debate……

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DS5GL4JIXD4O3V5QM2BE3MV7IA Tax Payer

Romney was whatever you wanted him to be, would say anything he thought you needed to hear, and would change his position like his tie, to ensure you felt that he was working for you. I watched this race for two years, with many trips by Romney to my local community here on the East Coast. Not only did his positions change, the way he handled them were as funny as Dane Cook speaking to his fans.

bjay59

Democratic leadership is waaaaay smarter than the Republican brass. Republicans don’t recognizze that the demographics have changed in this country so in order to win a national election you need a broad coalition of voters. You need Latinos,the Blacks, the Asians, Gays, Seniors, Women of all color, Young people of all color, the unemployed, the homeless and all disenfranchised people, regardless of the reason for their disenfranchisement. Romney did NOT have that kind of support, instead he ran on the same old Republican ideology of “we brake for the rich and well to do” . Republicans will wake up one day very soon (maybe 20-30 years from now) and find themselves walking down any city street in America and find themselves surrounded by people that are Brown, darker and don’t look like them and that they can no longer depend on the White Male vote only like they get in the South to get them to the top. Then they will realize that the White House does not really mean the ” White” House. I see that happening already.
http://www.facebook.com/carol.stoughton.3 Carol Stoughton

This election and the G.O.P have been nothing but racist against Obama. They never got over the fact that Obama and Biden won the first time. Well, we did not distort truth. Obama extended and outreached to all. But people Like Mcconnell, Beomer, or however you spell it, threw hatchett’s in all he tried to do. Then Obama care, oh they almost died, toooooooo bad. Then their political bastards like Gingrich, Rove, Trump, I am so glad they did not pull their lies off. The people saw threw it. Womens rights, outsourcing, and it go”s on and on. I call it something like communism, facist ruling. Obama tried to undo all the spending which was done in the stupid Bush administration, the wars, the boys and girls, men and women mamed. Do we forget what the last regiment did. Wars where we should not have been, oh yes to profit Chaney and Halliburton, and some day they Bush and Chaney will be held for war crimes, you know you cant put arms and legs back together, from going to a fake war in Iraq. Get a grip buddy on the past 8 years of the BUSH AND CHANEYS CONTROL. WE WOULD NOT BE IN DEBT TODAY. IF YOU WERE PRESIDENT 4 YRS AGO, COULD YOU OF DONE BETTER. WE, THE MAJORITY WON , AND SAW THROUGH ALL THE PAST AND PRESENT LIES. and to tell you, I voted for the best most confident candidate, and he won.

ALLLLAMERICAN

What are you going to say in 8-years when the whole US has gone down and the value of the dollar is gone and you live off the Govenment and stand in breadlines for food and water???

or when obamacare (that I will be paying for YOU) insist on you getting a chip—

The Mark of the Beast —-

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OLT3BBICDAFJXQAHHKXXLJUCH4 Stella53

May I please borrow your crystal ball since you seem to be able to foretell the future?

ALLLLAMERICAN

Just wait and see

wait and see

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

Shut Your Dumb Ass Up!!!

Ed Hall

Maybe it will happen. The moderate Republicans could remain as the GOP with it’s smaller government, fiscal frugality ideals. The extreme social conservatives should secede. They’ll need a name… Taliban seems just right.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DS5GL4JIXD4O3V5QM2BE3MV7IA Tax Payer

The GOP needs to regroup. I have been a life long supporter of the GOP(40 + years), but this election I voted for more Democrats than in all the prior elections combined. It was almost scarry, it reminded me much of the voting booths of the past, where one could simply pull a single levar and vote a straight party ticket.

Until we get the party back from those that hijacked it when McCain brought Palin on board, we do not stand a chance of ever getting a President elected from this Party. The GOP has been hijacked by….

Tea Party Pledges who Question Legitimate Rape and Support a Purpose with their Bible Thumping Stancesand only truly seem to represent 1 percent of the country while doiong all they can to destroy the basic fabric that makes up the United States of America.

I wish that we had good strong leaders, not like Ryan who fits perferctly into the many of the definitions outlined in the above. Problem is, the GOP is seen to be the Loony Tune Party, a party with such crazy ideas that not even a crazy man can support. (a.k.a Akins, Mourdock) Until such time as we start to see the party support the Social Fabric, Support Families as we once did, get over the fact that we need to raise revenue and instead of just saying NO (or in Boenher’s case HELL NO YOU WON’T), until we start to show that we do represent 100 percent of this country, and not just the 1 percent, we will never be more than a bit player in Washington Again!

viewfromtheleftcoast

Unfortunately, the bit players reeked havoc in the Senate with the filibuster and the crazy making House members have done more than bits….

But you are right…the WH will continue to elude them in the future….

D’s saw gains, small, but gains in the Senate and 9 in the House…..and if they continue as in the last session, D’s will see gains in 2014…..

My father was a R, but did vote D a few (very few) times for local candidates. He’d be appalled at his party if he were alive.

http://www.facebook.com/don.mendelson.3 Don Mendelson

Watching Romney campaign was like watching the old TV show To Tell The Truth. At the end of the show they asked the real Mitt Romney to stand up,and only God knew who he was. The Republican Party has increasingly become a fringe party. If your views are not to the extreme right you are considered to be a Commie. That’s why Moderate Republicans are an endangered species. Unless the party can become more inclusive their days are numbered as the days of the White majority are. The GOP must go back to it’s roots and find out who they were,how they lost their way, and adapt to change. If they don’t they are history.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Hall/100001446021036 Linda Hall

Again well said. Had me nervous for awhile with all the money dumped in his side of the campaign but now clear money can not buy an election. God Bless Barack Obama
Canadiangirl57

Having read all the comments, I have to laugh out loud. You guys are so bad! Anyway listening to the neo-cons rant about everything I believe if Jesus the Saviour the claim to worship were here today, they would call him a socialist as well because if my Bible is correct and I believe it is; he looked out for the poor and the disenfranchised and he still does today. Did He not say “IT’S EASIER FOR A CAMEL TO GO THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE, THAN FOR A RICH MAN TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVE.” That tells me that the neo-cons would stone him to death. He also says, “IF YOU HAVE NOT HELPED THE POOR, THEN YOU HAVEN’T HELPED ME.” So conservatives need to back to reading all of the good book and consider their ways.
http://twitter.com/Genie2 E. Williams

Well said, Foolsdance, but I have recently become aware of another Tea Party group: the young white professional male. These are “suit-wearers” in their mid-to late 30s that you might see in a Men’s Wearhouse commercial. They use social networks and can organize quickly. I sense that this group sees its “kind” under attack and are in a defensive mode. The Tea Party is not to be dismissed…not quite yet.
Melvin Chatman

I live in Texas and it ain’t too nice down here right now – I wonder why since the weather is perfect for this time of the year!
I hope the President beefs up his Security, because the HATE is thick enough to cut with a knife.
People see the G.O.P. for what it really is and has always been – HATE- R- US!
They thought they could buy this great Country and now they are in a severe state of SHOCK!
SHOCK can be painful, but they’ll get over it if they invest in a good Therapy Program like I did when “W” stole the Office back in 2000!
There are some really good Doctors out there, but the first step is to accept the fact that the “Donald Rove Koch Syndrome” is not REALITY – It’s “DUMBEROEX”!
jujube444

I think vitriol has increased because of the anonymity of the internet. People can say what they want to say and what they really think because they ARE anonymous, for all intents and purposes. Civility is an important virtue, I think we are finding out. Having said that, I think it is important to remember that Donald Trump and those like him were never going to like Mitt Romney. I just figured these guys would just mow the moderately conservative Mitt down like a wheat field in a Nebraska hailstorm. I think Mitt, while himself a successful businessman and a pretty moral guy as far as his family life goes, has a total disconnect with the lives he ruined to make his millions and how his privileged upbringing worked so much to his advantage his whole life. My life or that of the average Jane or Joe is just something he’s never lived. It’s sort of like camping and backpacking-you can read and see pictures about it, but until you actually do it,eating cold beans out of a can and sleeping an a tent and sleeping bag vs your nice soft bed in an centrally heated and cooled home, you just can’t know it. Mitt strikes me as kind of naive about how the world really is, and I just got the feeling that he was often uncomfortable with the mold that the Party was forcing him into. The last debate was a Mitt I could almost vote for, because he darn near agreed with Obama about 80% of the time. I also think the right misinterpreted the joy that some people felt about Obama getting elected. Sure, there were some folks, I would say probably most of them were black, who probably never thought they would ever see a black person in the White House. Hardly surprising when you think that just 40 years ago, they couldn’t go through Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Forest. I think for most people, Obama was a pragmatic, welcome sigh of relief from the GW years. The only positive of those years were basically to say, “Well, if you had money, I made you even richer”- hardly a message that’s going to resonate with the 99%ers. Even the most rabid of the right really weren’t defending the mess he created. I didn’t vote for Obama because I think he is a messiah or the answer to my prayers-I just feel his policies will help people other than the 1%. The super wealthy have sucked the rest of us dry long enough. Btw, for those of you who call them “job creators” you have to have CUSTOMERS and EMPLOYEES to create a successful business. So, we ALL are job creators, not just the person who risked capitol, so let’s just put that nonsense term to rest, OK?
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2CZCX5PSWQAUXA2D7GBTFLSI3U Richard

I think you really hit it I am not white ,or working class so I can’t be sure but I was struck in the debates by exactly what you wrote about his ,”..elitist ,dismissive attitude towards the President…”I thought that let the working class see him for what he was ,the corporate chieftain who has disdain for all those outside the 1% and who view the other 99% as tools for him to use whether they be technocrats or mere factory workers they are not like him and his and he,they ,the 1% have nothing but contempt fot the rest of us.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2CZCX5PSWQAUXA2D7GBTFLSI3U Richard

Ed they were previously their own party conservative with a capital C before they hijacked the Republican Party.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2CZCX5PSWQAUXA2D7GBTFLSI3U Richard

HA,HA<HA<HA<HA, fat chance the Grand bargain is already in the making I voted for O and I am glad we stopped the Repugs but O is not a progressive ,he will cut,cut ,cut and increase revenue throiugh the tax code and at the expense of his most ardent supporters NY, California, Mass Norhern Virginia. They will gore the mortgage deducation and his upper income supporters in those places I mentioned will take it as the saying goes "… in the shorts…"
RobertCHastings

May father died 21 years ago, and was a lifelong Republican, a world-known public speaker, and a frequently quoted writer of letters to the editor. When he passed, he still had no issues with his Party. My former father-in-law passed just three years ago, and, two years before he passed, he changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, stating that the Republican Party was not the party he had signed onto. My wife’s cousin’s husband, also a lifelong Republican, switched parties two years ago, saying much the same thing, that the Republican Party was no longer what it used to be. At a personal level, this has impressed me, and I am sure that many of you out there can relate similar experiences, with family, friends, or associates. When Barry Goldwater was running for president, I went with my father from door to door canvassing for Goldwater. Thank God I was afforded the opportunity to go to college and see the real world, and I have been a staunch Democrat ever since. Today’s Republican Party, led by the likes of Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, even Chris Christy and others, is putting itself in a position of total irrelevence, appealing only to the fringe, and the rest of its base this year has been either those who are obviously racist, or those who have been Republicans they no longer have any other idea.
followet

In the middle of the country there was all this red. If the vote was by sq. mile Obama would have lost in a land slide. Even California was by in large red. I know there have to be as many women in Wyoming and as many young but the state went red. Why does or do the Republican’s prevail there and not in the East and West coasts. I think that we need to ask the Democrats that question. I know why I didn’t vote for Romney. Rich Out of touch Out sourcing Paul Ryan taxes his stupid smile his flip flopping his flip flopping his views on medicare and social security. His support of Israel his desire to increase the military budget and his wife who is just as out of touch as he is.
nobsartist

Big thanks to President Carters grandson.

Like his grandfather, he is also a great American patriot.
ChristoD

Careful folks, the OBSTRUCIONIST House of Reps. is still controlled by Do Nothing Chair Boehner and his merry group of OBSTRUCTIONIST clowns who I am CERTAIN didn’t, and don’t want to, get the message of the election. They will find a way to make the election look so close that it means nothing and continue on their ‘our way or no way road to oblivian’. There is NO way they will change their attitudes especially since most of the nitwits signed Nordquists UN-American no tax increases. The question that needs to be asked, and action subsequently taken, is how to make the signing of those documents null and void.

Dave_dido

I hope that Pres. Obama will stick to his guns and force the obstructionist nordquisters to compromise. After all, he has nothing to lose. He can’t run for a third term, but those filibustering Republicans who plan to get re-elected are going to have to face a hostile constituency if they allow the economy to go off the fiscal cliff. If that happens, the Pres. should just let them stew in their own juices for a while and let the electorate bring the pot to a boil.

ExPAVIC

Well?

The Old, Old, used up GOP is dead and ready for the funeral. Where do we send flowers since the carcass is going to start stinking and should be buried soon?

Is Karl “Joseph Goebbels” Rove going to lie in the open casket so that GOP party members can spit on him?

Ha, Ha….Rove you phoney fattie, a–hole. You can’t even count, ask Mittens if that isn’t a fact.
ayayaboy

As one of Obama’s entrenched door-to-door vote getter, I was fortunate to meet and know this president very well. He cares so much about veterans, elderly, ordinary people, women, working class, the vulnerable, immigrants, students, and every human being. He loves America and wants America to be number one in everything. watch out, Obama will deliver for America and for the world.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Marc-Paige/564332713 Marc Paige

Perhaps severe homophobia, severe racism, severe misogyny, and severe xenophobia isn’t working anymore, GOP. Just sayin’……
Mimi2kool

The Republican party has become increasingly like the senile aunt who lives in the attic. Their ranting, venomous attacks on anyone who does not share their political views have done more to hurt their cause than help. You can increase your base by appealing to the lunatic fringe, but you cannot win with it, as was proven this past Tuesday.
http://profile.yahoo.com/ROKVNFMKBKEFW5WQFWOATZ6JRU Marc

If Mitt wants to be the president of something, be president of one of your lousy companies…
@*&#head!!!
http://profile.yahoo.com/4WIY3X32EAUFDDZ5USX4PIMI7Q richard

Look, Romeny need to understand that even blind folks know a lie when they see one. He has told incalculable lies, in addition to that, he counted on the perception that this country was deeply divided along racial lines, so divided that people would vote along racial lines versus policy. Guess what, you are dead wrong Romney, there are millions of white people in this country that are still willing to judge a person by the content of their character rather than by the color of their skin. I guess that is something we can all celebrate. The only thing that Romney and I have in common, is that we both didn’t plan on losing, the big diffrence is, I sit comfortable on the Democratic side, while he languishes on the Republican side. I fell your pain sir, but you do not have my sympathy, you may resume your private life now, or what is left of it. Good riddance!
http://profile.yahoo.com/SE2GVR52HOGPIFLGSJB4T5LDNI Dorothy

Thanks goodness is right! I was so tired of hearing Mitt lie, he knew he was lying too, just to become our President. Didn’t know that normal people clear thinking men and women were listening to him.

All the nastyness Mitt was selling was hate and pure evil. Living in the south gives a person a strong will to fight against people like Mitt. The tea people motto was, we want to take our country back, I asked from whom? We are all Americans. If anybody should be asking for America back it should be the Native Americans.

Mitt Romney couldn’t see that his brand wasn’t selling nothing but, “a cup of bad tea”, and to much tea is bad for your bladder. America has had enough we want to go forward not return to keeping large groups of Americans out of this great country’s success.

Rejection of large government is a joke, I get it, of course we should get rid of the waste. However, Mitt was selling nothing but wooden nickles and you sure can’t buy anything with wood these days.
turtlewoman1039

Bumper sticker seen today:

Image of Abraham Lincoln, with the caption ‘It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to!’
http://profile.yahoo.com/CGNPY2ND72JDUDOVL7YWY4MRG4 jjrjon

I’m severely independent, severely happy and severely content the GOP lost in a grand fashion. It’s time for the GOP to emerge from the Stone Age and open their minds to new ideas and realize their older, white, evangelical, and male base is slowly eroding away. Sad as it may seem for some people the minorities (non whites) are slowly becoming the majority. The GOP should think out side the box and should realize their current mentality is detrimental to their party and to the country. The shakers and bakers of the GOP stand to lose their pitchforks and bomb throwing capabilities (that may be a good thing). This should be ANOTHER wake up call for the GOP. I truly hope our do nothing Politicians will seize this opportunity to make Government work as intended and not think so much about self preservation.
lana ward

You uninformed fools will have a rude awakening when you find out what your obama really is!! Pray for America, she’ll need all the help she can get!!
lana ward

You voted for revenge instead of love of country–lowlife
http://profile.yahoo.com/3GMBLZNL67QU42JEEUCUQQZQB4 Lana

Get over it………..and get out of politics……..you obviously don’t have a conscience or a compassion for human life…….Real presidents are concerned for “all” people!!!
jiggymama

Excellent writing, great article.
http://profile.yahoo.com/HSCHWJHEIGQSFOLXQBXPSCX2RA silvermoon

it goes to prove money cannot always buy everything and pride of selfworth and popularity doesn’t always win .this election was a terrible example of the american way. what has happened to american pride respect for others?
witchana

The country is moving forward Lana, with or without you, the sun will rise another day, and civilization will continue. It was simple, the country didnot want to double down with another republican. They will compromise now on a deal that will be good for the country.
hottrika

I am not from America and I am in no way concerned as to who won or who lost, yet I was inundated with more than 20 emails in my inbox per day mostly from Dems (DGA). My observation is that Obama campaign was based upon downright vulgarity, personal insults and extremely negative and scary scenario should “Neocons” win. Obama campaign was in short, ugly. Romney campaign was far more decent and graceful. In the end I, as a neutral observer feel that constant bombardment of lies, negativism and insults won it for Obama. Observing from the reactions of Obama supporters after the elections are over and Obama has won the second term, I am saddened to see only undignified, graceless and arrogant comments from the haughty posters. It is sans humility and humanity. It seems the victory has gone to their heads. Note: I am neither Obama nor Romney supporter. This is just an independent observation from a far off country.

Michael Kollmorgen

It seems you are contradicting yourself by saying; “I’m in no way concerned as to who won or lost”. And, yet, spewing nothing but negativity for Obama. It shows you are not a neutral viewer as you say you are.

I’d like to know exactly what country you are posting from? Maybe we ought to cut off your foreign aid (if you are receiving any). IF the Republicans would have gotten in, they would have certainly worked to do that.

It would be interesting to read what your opinion would be then.

hottrika

This is what I was talking about. Look at your arrogance…..”May be we ought to cut off your foreign aid……” As if you are the divine provider for the rest of the world. I am from India and before you spew more vitriolic, let me tell you that until these elections began, I was an Obama supporter as almost all of Indian Americans are. Not any more, not that it should effect you, that is not my concern. We in India, looked upon America as role model of how an efficient and vibrant democracy should work….where different shades of political opinions and perspectives fought bitterly at the hustings but converged at the end for the benefit of the whole nation. Like in a well fought game of football where no matter which side won, all players shook hands and exchanged shirts. You Obama supporters, with your arrogance and shameless show of the “Victors Trophy” that borders on brazenness and should I add indecency, has undermined that all, that we were in awe off. With these elections, the sheen of “vibrancy” has worn off…. you seem to me no better than the banana democracies that we witness in Latin America and some Asian Countries.

And I add, amid all this chaos, Romney has emerged as far more dignified, decent, elegant, humane and civilized……Obama campaign in comparison seemed like a well oiled machine of the mafia that was as if indulging in a gang war where all ethical and moral turpitude were employed to discredit the opponent. The way they targeted Romney as anti-woman, anti-poor, anti-minority, anti-immigrant, anti-everything good and pro-rich, pro-elite, pro-everything that is bad, was, if I put in one word….disgusting. Your reactions, after Obama has won, is simply revolting. And before you do chest-thumping, remember Obama has only 2 percent more support than Romney. With your indulgence, you are insulting the other, dirty, unintelligent, ignorant 48 percent Americans. If you wish to do that, well, go ahead, I’ll be the last person to object.

Michael Kollmorgen

I am an american citizen and I wouldn’t advise ANY country to use our political system as a role model, let alone our business models.

Now, I know why you would support Romney. He’d ship your country even more jobs than what the republicans and American Corporations gave to China.

I wonder what you make per hour as compared to the average american worker. Pennies on the dollar perhaps?

By the way, evidently you’re not too knowledgeable about Romeny. IF he were president or Prime Minister in your country, you’d be living under Sherea Law right now. He is about as extreme right as one could get. A Bishop of the Morman Church which approves of wedding off young girls to old men in secret. Or, do you also approve of arranged marriages? And, he supports republican canidates who think god approves of rape. Of course, in parts of your country that is a routine affair and religiously santioned to boot.

Yes, our politics here is dirty, nasty and it’s getting worse. Maybe the democrats have a well-oiled “machine” as you say. I might agree. But, we are fighting a battle here between two very different ideaologies, of either going back in time a 100 years where all the rights and privelages we have won would be abdicated or going forward and making sure EVERYONE is equal and all play on the same playing field.

Many of us think Romney has great television appeal, very photogenic. But, that’s about all. Get to know his politics and I doubt any sane Indian would vote for him. IF you wanted to keep modernizing your country, the like of Romney, you wouldn’t want in office.

No, its not american arrogance. Many of us are just getting sick and tired of supporting other countries. Sorry, but my tax dollars is not supposed to solve another countries problems. If you can’t control your own birthrate, it’s not my responsibility to send you Condoms or advisers on how to avoid pregnancy. And, it’s not my responsibility to feed you either.

We do not have unlimited wealth here. And, our streets are not paved with Gold either, as some people think when they hear american propaganda over there. You watch your TVs over there. Don’t you see what our problems are?

In many parts of this country, we have it almost as bad as some in your country, which in your country, they are called The Untouchables. Yes, we have homeless too living on the streets.

Your country has a tremendous gap between the rich and poor. You have a growing Middle Class, using our wealth to do it. We are trying to save ours. Romney would eliminate our Middle Class if he had the chance to.

Don’t be fooled, our society isn’t as great as people think it is who view it over there.

If we aren’t extremely careful, we could be living like you do in parts of your country, extreme poverty, 4 generations to a household and a bathroom for a home. If you think Romney is such a nice guy, you deserve to live like you do. He’d keep you that way too.

Now, I could be wrong. Maybe you are of the upper class in your country, perhaps even royalty. Then I know you’d love Romney. He’d make sure he’d maintain your Status Quo.

hottrika

“Now, I know why you would support Romney. He’d ship your country even more jobs than what the republicans and American Corporations gave to China.

I wonder what you make per hour as compared to the average american worker. Pennies on the dollar perhaps?……..”

This tells us more about your mindset than it does about your knowledge, of which I can say you’ve zero, at least regarding India. Yes, we are poor country by American standards, but we are a proud nation, with a cultural legacy going back more than 5000 years. If you just read ancient history, you’d know we were the richest nation upon this earth that supplied not only material but education as well, to the rest of the world. That was until the rot set in by invasions first by Muslims and then the British who looted and bled our nation to its bones. But I’m not here to impart lessons about History. I wish to make it clear that your understanding about Economics is also as appalling. I am a professor of Management and International Trade is one of my core subjects. Trade is not, my dear, a one way road, it is BILATERAL. No country gives to another, unless it has in place a mechanism to receive just about equal or more in return. This is true as much about business as it is about Charity. Yes we do get paid in pennies and this is the reason your companies off shore knowledge based jobs to India and manufacturing to China. You do not do this for charity, you do it for your benefit. Yes it has its pros and cons but international trade demands rejig or calibrating your policies to the emerging international economic realities rather than remain fixated in the “glorious” past. Now some reality check…..During Obama’s 4 years in office, the jobs off-shored to India increased from 2.35 million to 5.79 million, roughly an increase of more than 70%, the highest in last 25 years. These are not my figures, these are the figures officially tabled by your beloved Obama administration which I happened to know in an international seminar. I can send you the full details should you show interest. This “penny” earning nation provides more jobs for you Americans in terms of the sheer volume of the defense deals and contracts that exceeded 50 billion US dollars last year. Roughly translated, it means around 200000 jobs created. This is just the sample. Now you probably understand how we “penny” earning Indians contribute to dollar “earning” Americans in a mighty way. And I assure you, job out sourcing to India and Manufacturing to China will only increase during Obama’s second term. This is not Obama’s fault, this is the undeniable economic reality that will not change as long as there is huge “income-gap” between the rich and the poor nations. Now about Romney’s Mormon faith…..”wedding of young girl’s to old men in secret….”, dear Michael, how much idiotic do you want yourself to look with such asinine comments? This in eschatology is called bogeyman syndrome. When you’ve no material against your enemy, you invent some and discredit him. As, against the Jews, “Protocols of Elder’s of Zion” theory. This was what I was coming to, the gist of Obama campaign. Please come up with something more credible and authentic. And your most brilliant comment…..if Romney won, we’d be under Sharia…”. My dear, don’t fool yourself, what Obama has done to promote and support Muslim radicalism is unprecedented. He genuflected in front of Saudi King and almost pleaded Muslim Brotherhood to forgive America in Cairo. Before you forget, let me remind you, Obama has HUSSEIN in his middle name. Unlike you, I’m not imputing anything, just shaking you off from your stupor. Search youTube, it’s all there. If ever there was a threat of America going the Sharia way, it is NOW, under Obama. But I believe in American resilience, that is, in spite of Obama, it will not.
With the quality of comments you display, you look more like a brainwashed Obama follower than an intelligent observer. Peace.
Michael Kollmorgen

The Facts I discussed about Romney are all true. IF it wasn’t true, I would not have stated them.

And, yes, the american public just found out last year about what the Morman church marrying off selected young girls to old men. This was one of many dirty secrets the Morman Church has sought to hide from the public eye. I suppose there is more to come as time passes.

The Morman Church is a very secratative religious organization. Even average members are closely watched by their internal security people.

This is not my fear, I didn’t make this all up to demonize Romney. This is all documented truth and widely reported by the most reputable investigative news sources.

I had suspected you were a person of authority. I also suspected you might be a teacher or professor due to your excellent command of the English language. I thank you for this wonderful clear and concise conversation.

The Outsourcing of american jobs, technology and accompaning wealth that goes along with it to other countries, will probably continue. You’re right.

Wealth is not infinite. When someone gets wealthy, someone else gets poorer. That is the nature of American Capitalism as it is practiced in the classic style. The problem is, is that our corporations with the cooperation of our legislators is excelerating the process even faster than what it has been for many years prior.

This is basically how America got as wealthy of a country as we had. We drained resources and wealth out of many countries in our past history. We really were no different than the Spanish Conceidors of the 16-1700s looking for Gold in Middle and South America. Only our “gold” is Oil and access to cheap products and production processes. What I mean by “our” is our corporations and some politicians. All the average person wants like in your country is to provide for his family and survive as best they can.

You may approve of this method, but I don’t. I don’t believe Capitalism works for everyone. This is why here in the US, this method of generating wealth has created a huge gap between the rich and poor in our country. In a very real sense, Capitalism in America has never worked. What you see of our society from over there is an illusion, much of it over there as US government propaganda.

What you see of our poor and social problems is real. What escapes your knowledge is why it exists. The real reasons are hidden, even from our own people.

In your country this method is an excellent maintainer of the Status Quo. But, in your country also, you have ad added layer to maintain the Status Quo, your society is structured as a Cast System”: nobly, average people, untouchables, etc.

We don’t have a Cast System here, at least the general population don’t think we do. In reality, we do, but we call it the: Rich, Middle Class and Poor. It is a more pleasanter way of saying you’re screwed.

So, you see, you face the same problems we do here between the rich and poor. The only difference is language and the method of how to maintain the Status Quo.

Your dislike for Obama is probably based on religion. You’ve stated some sort of Islamic connections. I am assuming you are Hindu. Your country has experienced for centuries what we here are trying to avoid; religious civil war, mass killing by one faith over the other.

Yes, we could have the very same situation here if it weren’t for our large body of man-made laws and, so far, our tolerance for other belief systems.

And, as our country becomes poorer, these religious differences become even more pronounced, thereby enabling scapegoating, blaming the other guy for your own problems. We’re fighting that battle also.
hottrika

First, profound thanks for your nice compliments.

“The Facts I discussed about Romney are all true……”

No my dear friend, these facts are not based on considered and researched truth. While I am no apologist for Mormon Faith or any faith for that matter, I’ve a very personal experience to recount. That we are now somewhat on level grounds, I will share it with you. My father was posted at Shimla, the beautiful hill city in the Himalayas in late seventies, when my aunt who happened to be with us on a visit, fell indisposed and was later diagnosed with a severe liver ailment. The local doctors could not handle her case properly due to which we took her to a Missionary hospital situated nearby at the Mall Road that was incidentally run by Latter Day Saints Church, the Mormons as you call them. One Miss Dr. Bazelil, took over the case of my aunt and treated her. It took around a fortnight of constant supervision by the doctor to set her on the proper line of treatment. Though I was a little kid then, yet those fifteen days of interaction with the doctor is a frozen memory that we fondly cherish and carry till this day. It is a story of complete devotion, selflessness and should I add love, that the Dr. displayed expecting absolutely nothing in return. All in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear Michael, to me this is the very meaning of religion. To me this constitutes the crux of spirituality, no matter which God you pray, which style you adapt to pray or how many times a day you pray or not pray at all. To me, this is the real valor. This is my personal experience of Mormon Church. I am not belittling you. You seem to me a well meaning person, though with a misplaced, if not totally unfounded, sense of Judgment. I only wished you read on the subject before you commented on it. There is a wonderful book by Jan Shipps, titled, Mormonism: The Story of a new Religious Tradition, that you should read. Why I am recommending this book is because the author, Jan Shipps, himself, is not the adherent of Mormon faith and doesn’t feel shy to criticize where criticism is due. So this study can be safely considered as authentic. It is because Mormons at one point, carried political influence disproportionate to their numbers that became the cause of envy for the locals and hence the conspiracy theories. There may’ve been some stray incidents of wrongs done by some members, which naturally get exaggerated attention when the faith is already under scanner. This is the exact replication of Jews story. Don’t we hear from Muslims that 9/11 was the inside work of Jews. They even have the ready “scientific proofs” to substantiate their claim. One version that is also doing the rounds is it was orchestrated by Bush in order to find an alibi to attack Muslims. Human evil knows no bounds. There is no dearth of stupid people who fall for it. And of course I add, Mormon’s Polygamy doctrine too did not help their cause, though it was in 1998 repudiated by the then Mormon President, Gordon B. Hinckley. I quote: “If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are ex-communicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.” So much about Mormonism.

You are absolutely spot on in your observation of “distribution of wealth”. Economics doesn’t happen in vacuum. One person’s profit is another person’s loss. This is the most simplified definition of Economics. In an ideal scenario, the ethics of Economics is the proper distribution of wealth which is the underlying socialist philosophy. But my dear friend, this does not happen in the “brick and mortar” world. What happens is like in a match, winner takes it all. The powerful and the mighty make rules to their, sometimes unfair, advantage. To offset this, the term, “Corporate Social Responsibility”, was coined. Many countries tried the Socialist versions but as we’ve seen, failed utterly. It gave rise to a new oligarchy that was accountable to none and again the wealth remained concentrated in the hands of few, rest were made dependent on doles. It suited the proponents of the lofty “Socialist” idealism to keep their subjects in eternal deprivation. This is what I fear, might happen to America, under Obama. Ultimately, wealth can only be created through “free enterprise”. You cannot kill the Golden egg laying Goose for a one time meal. This is an exhaustive subject and I cannot go on lecturing endlessly.

Before I end, I maintain, I’ve no like or dislike for Obama. The “Islamic connections” that you are referring to was in response to your assertion that under Romney, we’ll have Sharia imposed upon us. That was the context. By the way, did I tell you what is inscribed on the ring that Obama wears in his index finger? I hope you know. It is the Islamic Shahada in Arabic, meaning, “There is no god, but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger”.
Michael Kollmorgen

From what source do you know this information about Obama’s Ring?

This is the first I, or as far as I know, ANYONE in the US had heard about.

I will leave you with a word of warning though. Be very careful in letting american religious values corrupt your culture. Yes, some do good work all over the world. But, not all are honest about their motives. Many are CIA Fronts, business fronts, child adoption fronts and baby mills. This is especially true in poor countries, and/or poverty-stricken areas. Many of these people are not trying to save your soul. Their ultimate goal is to rape you of your resources and whatever wealth you do have.

Australia several years ago kicked out quite a few Christian Missionaries because they were found to be involving themselves too much into the Internal Politics of their country.

There are several other incidents in Africa where Christian Missionaries have caused a lot of trouble for local citizens.

Things are not always as they seem and certainly not with these people.

This is why, in America, we are finding out a lot of things about these people that isn’t good. This isn’t only abut Mormans. All religions once they have too much power do this. They preach love and understanding, but covet wealth, discriminate and hate at the same time.

My companion and I are at the focus of this hate and discrimination at the moment. We are a committed Gay Couple of 15 year duration.

Be VERY AWARE and watch your back with this people.

Yes, we can’t keep posting here. Our conversations have been pleasant and very interesting. I always love discussing issues with citizens of other countries.

This will be my final posting to you. Thank you for your knowledge.
hottrika

The truth about Obama’s ring can be found at the link provided below. Replace dot with the actual. Thanks.

wnd(dot)com/2012/10/obamas-ring-there-is-no-god-but-allah/

hottrika

If I was a referee of the US elections, I’d declare Obama the winner of the game, Romeny winner of the fair play trophy. By the way I am not from USA, nor a Romney or an Obama supporter.
Michael Kollmorgen

What I’ve seen over the past few years, ever since Reagon embrased the Evangelical Movement, our politics have gotten more and more dirtier by the minute.

Where is the party of Einenhower or Goldwater? These people were TRUE Republicans, not the group of wack jobs we have today.

As of Obama’s election, the far right has become null and void. The Republican Party in general is seeking to re-invent itself, or they better at least do some serious soul-searching.

The white racist, bigoted, homophobic politican and voter has been marginalized as they should have been all along.

Diversity is what this country is supposed to stand for. And, as such that means everyone, from all walks of life, all colors, all lifestyles, both sexes, gay and straight alike.

It’s been way overdue that our country puts the Hydra of radical right-wing politics back into the Pandora’s Box.
JackieAllen

Conquences of continual messages of hate, ignorance , racism, fanatism have all been
ignored by the GOP “think tankers”, who evidently have been blinded to their favorite
wedge issues and the outcomes. Southern Poverty Center has provided some scary
articles regarding the rise of hate groups, fanatical Christian sects who wait around for
“end times”, rather than work for our country’s future. Birthers (?) just to name one
jaw dropper. How can this be a positive to present to a collective body of people who
have tendencies toward to mental disorders?
JackieAllen

The right to make an ass out of yourself is one of our
charished traditions. Freedom of speech, as evidenced by
the need to appear stupid has been tested to the max. The
freedom of religious cranks to show up at funerals of, well
anyone suspicious of sanity and to actually live to tell the
tale, is another American tradition throughly tested by
those who should be in institutions. Have we had
enough already?

daniel bostdorf

You are right when you state:

“The right to make an ass out of yourself is one of our
charished traditions. ”

We have a few dozen posters/Rove fascist paid posers exercising this right here at National memo. They “cut and paste” the same collective fascist drivel to other sites as well.

They don’t have any original thoughts. It’s the “politcs of pitchforks” by Karl Rove, Koch brothers and all that believe them.

The scary problem is that we have a “Supreme(right wing ) Court” that thinks money and corporate superpacs are the same thing as protected free speech? WFT?

This article by Pitts states clearly:

“And yet, rather than seeking to expand its outreach and broaden its appeal, the party has inexplicably chosen to double down on its shrinking base. Worse, it has chosen to appeal to that base with a platform of fearmongering, xenophobia, demagoguery and inchoate anger so extreme as to make Ronald Reagan seem almost a hippie by comparison. It has embraced the politics of pitchforks and bomb-throwing wherein candidates must compete with one another to see who can say the most bizarre and outrageous thing — and where moderation is a sin against orthodoxy.”

This “fearmongering, xenophobia, demagoguery and inchoate anger ” is fascist propaganda at its highest level.

PROPAGANDA:

Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels said it best:

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

The American people collectively understood these lies and voted.

Electoral College:
332 Obama to 206 Romney/Ryan/Rove/Koch.

The fascist lost. At least for the next 4 years….

We must remain vigilent.

Michael Kollmorgen

daniel bostdorf;

Yes, things have gotten worse since the Reagan years. However, don’t fool yourself, politics has always been a dirty game. It’s only gotten worse since Reagan embraced the Evangelical Movement.

Our system of government has never been designed to promote peace and tranquility within its own population. Evidence of this is our two-party system. When was the last time we had a viable third party? The only time I can think of was when Ross Perot ran for President. He was made a fool of and lost big time. Here to find out though, he was totally correct in his predictions.

With the President Election cycle be 4 years, which is not staggered, the Senate being 6 years, and the house being 4 years, and being staggered every 2 years, we are in a constant state of electing our officials.

This process keeps us devided which keeps us at each others throats. This was the way our system of government was designed to run from its first day of existence.

Keep Vigilent? And, of what? They’re all basically the same. Yes, Obama is better than Romney, granted. But, does that really change the political nature of our country? I don’t think so.

Things are not going to get better, not as long as WE maintain our form of government as it currently exists. In fact, it’s going to get a lot worse.

All our government is doing is pushing our problems down the road for the next generation to be saddled with. Eventually, not only is our government going to become too top heavy and our problems so great, overnight, it will collapse of its own weight and complexity. Sooner or later, this will happen. Just a matter of time.

I firmly don’t believe we, as a country, has much of a future. We are becomming way too polarized, too much hate, too much mis-information. And, our Corporations and Politicans love it.

Eventually, this is all going to blow up in our faces. And, it will be our own faults when it does. When you have a country such as ours that is based on Capitalism which promotes greed over real human caring, eventually something is going to go horribly wrong.

Personally, if I had a career that someone could use somewhere else, a family and some money put aside, and/or a desire for a better life, I’d get the hell out of this country before it’s too late.

I’m too old to do this, I’m 63 and in not good health anymore. I wish I had years ago. I think I would have lived a much happier life and without the stress it takes to survive here somewhere else. Where?, I don’t know. But, I do know the grass is greener on the other side if you look carefully enough, know exactly what you want and accept that you will have some culture shock.

I would advise anyone, especially the young to do this. Don’t wait until your too old and look back kicking yourself in your own behind as I do now.

American is no long as we once thought it was. Maybe it never was. And, I doubt it will ever be.

Mimi2kool

It may be too hasty to see that the people rejected the politics of pitchforks. Some of the more rabid Republicans are still foaming at the mouth and spouting vitriol. Just today, on another comment section on another article, I was called” an election stealing bammy butt-kissing socialist un-american puke” by the losing side. Some of these nutcases are screaming that the Democrats stole the election by voting twice and having dead people, animals, illegal aliens, and people in prison vote. How these things allegedly happened has not been spelled out because it is just more blatant lies.
Michael Kollmorgen

Well Mim12kool:

To tell ya the truth, it sure appears that my dog has more common sense than most Republicans, come to think of it, most people I know.

But, if that is true and dogs were voting, they must have voted for Obama.

Republicans never claimed Aliens voted for Obama. Maybe they just snuck in during the night.

I’m curious what this next 4 years is going to be like. It was bad the last 4 years.

Put the “smack down” on them at every opportunity.
http://profile.yahoo.com/TIHYU3PCQ3DRXGYXHZKLFHGZVY Yvonne

I started out liking Mitt Romney and when he went for the 47% He lost me. With that kind of mentality I would have been let out to pasture. .Not that I’m wanting things from the government for nothing or such,but , If I were ever in need of assistance from the services of any of the agencies who deal in such things I most likely wouldn’t be able to get it. That’s after working for 46 plus years in a very noble profession and raising 4 children alone.
http://profile.yahoo.com/QKPC3UWDCPGNFWMIK2IUBNYKVA GusDP

Changing their appeal is not what they will do. If they believe in those conservative principles, then that is it. Live by them and die by them. Why bend if the option is so disgusting and hateful for them. Would you ask an extreme evangelic conservative to accept gay rights? The world and society has changed and their thinking is just a minority. Create another party with the moderates and hope for the best.

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