You watch a lot of movies, don't you, you jerk, you?

Yes.

Romney's campaign has a major hurdle to overcome... resistance in
some parts of the religious community.
The meeting below may set the tone for all the "not-Romney"
talking-points between now and the Iowa caucuses, and
Iowa may become the bellwether for the entire GOP campaign


This source obviously has a point of view...


This is what theocracy looks like
Steve Bogira
Nov 18, 2011

Great Ad. I hope it helps defeat Obama. Obama has plenty of lies out there to match the contenders BS. Whatever works.

What works must be preceded by an end to the internecine slaughter to which we subject our fellow citizens. You want a stop to lies, stop lying. You want a more civil exchange of ideas, mutual respect, the best for the country? Start showing those qualities to those around you.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

The only thing great about that ad is that it shows very clearly the desperation of the Perry campaign, or their low opinion of the voters by imagining anyone would believe such crap. It is insulting.

Don't expect that from either party, it is not going to happen.

Great quote.

I thought it was not only clever but funny. It shows that both sides can use the sound bite to their advantage. Nothing has changed in that respect. Nothing desperate about it, more like politics as usual. And if you don't think it already has gained traction you are deluding yourself, you must think the average voter is smart.

What is your opinion of the young people in your life I wonder? Do you expect them to be dumb, stupid? Or do you give them a chance to live up to your high expectations? And what about the other adults around you? What would you want them to conclude from your words and actions? Would you want to be surrounded by others who behave, act and think like you do?

Are you walking the talk? Are you treating others as though they're smart? Are you being clever by taking soundbites out of context in a plain attempt to deceive?

This is the sword I spoke of. If this is what you reap, this is what you will sow. I've used the word "you" very freely here, and I promise you I consider these same questions regarding my own behavior.

I don't want mudslinging like this. I think it has NO positive effect on our political process, regardless of who's the target. I want a better process, I work toward a better process, and I urge those around me to believe in and strive for a better political process. This ad and countless others like it are the OPPOSITE of what I am working for.

amen sir

Great goals.

This is the new norm. I don't see it going away anytime soon.

Additional Edit: Maybe our thinking is shaped by the people we encounter everyday. I don't know what your job is, maybe you can enlighten us, in very general terms. I am in Healthcare, I see a wide swath of the public every day. I have very little hope of an informed electorate participating in any vote, based on my day to day experiences in dealing with the general public. Maybe that is where we differ so much. I am very cynical.

Well said. Applying the Golden Rule to politics... coming to a campaign near you?

You mean the one about whoever has the gold makes the rules?

I'm pretty sure that's the operative one at this time, although you could argue that, the I've got the pistol so I'll keep the pesos rule is in play as well. Its a feedback loop, I suppose.

Politico
ALEXANDER BURNS
11/22/11

Family Leader writes off Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and Ron Paul

I don't think Romney's Mormon faith makes him a better candidate for President. But I also don't consider it a disqualifying factor. I think it is clear that Romney was not given consideration by the board based on his faith.

I wonder what it would be like, or what I would be like if I lived in a world which was as finite and well defined as the one where these folks appear to live. How do they handle the inevitable ambiguities and conflicts that arise in life? Questions that don't have a certain answer in "the book". I think in some ways it must be very comforting to know that it's all taken care of. That there are no unanswered questions. I don't think I would be comfortable in such an environment though. I have too little faith, or faith that is too weak. I have a strong need to understand "why" and "how". Sometimes I realize that there are things I don't know, and I then try to find someone or some source that is credible and that I trust. I increase my reliance on those sources. In the past some of those sources were religious figures, scholars, pastors, family leaders. But I was unable to reconcile the differences between the normal humanity of these people, their faults, their striving, their failures, their misfortunes with the story I was getting from the texts, and with my own experience.

I've since increased my reliance on my own judgement, and reduced the amount of literal credibility I assign to people whose actions are like those of the board described above.

I can't agree more. The more I hear from people who think they are above the average person in insight the less I respect their opinion. The more they try to push their ideas of understanding the less I respect their opinion. So far it has not failed me....

Wow.

Isn't it ironic?

Couldn't get any more ironic if you tried.

The ironic pot calling the kettle black.

Hey, check that out: Sam just thunk a worthwhile thought. Even if he burns his thumb on the irony, he thunk one.

So ironic it is haemochromotosic.

UG in order to be accurate, you'd have to realize that Sam is a she not a he.

Classic, shhhhhhh! You'll ruin all the fun!;)

The real question is, does this apply to UG?

It applies to everyone.

Please expound on your exclamation and surprise.

I really don't think you want Griff to do that. He's probably to polite to, anyhow. :rolleyes:

Ummmm, thanks for butting in, but no, I really want him to explain himself. Or maybe you want to be his surrogate? Where is the "hate"?

No, I'm really bad at being a surrogate. What hate? I often feel really annoyed by you, especially on this forum, but I don't hate you. I just consider you a poor, misguided, boy. :p:

Boy?!?!?! Haaaaaaaaaaaa! :lol: Thanks! You are the bomb Old Lady!

mercy, et al:

Those who have lost credibility with me are those who are hypocritical. They are not found only in religious circles, but political ones, social ones, legal ones, technical ones, etc. I have pointed out before that people with strong, inflexible fundamentalist attitudes are the ones most likely to suffer this kind of loss of stature with me. Religious fundamentalists, strict constitutionalists, zero-tolerance advocates, "true believers" in some one true way, these people are expert only in deluding themselves about the real world. It is these people in whom I place little trust.

In other 2012 Republican news:

Cain has suspended his campaign.

Is this a good thing though? Now we won't have Cain to kick around anymore. I mean, who else will we mock for quoting ASH KETCHUM of POKEMON fame?

Srsly?SERIOUSLY?

Stunning development! NPR said the words Ron Paul today. The up-tick in Newt's numbers must have scared them.

That's it. Next thing you know, cats and dogs will be living together! What the HELL is going on here?!?!

:eyebrow:

stop scaring me.

What? no parting shots at Cain for quoting Donna Summer from the Pokemon 2000 Movie?

Scroll on CNN this am:

"Cain is keeping his options open for a media gig"

smh

Fox News show at 9. </SNL>

The Obama Administration couldn't relish the thought of a fight against another black conservative in the race.

They'd probably be more afraid of someone competent, though.

Yes, suspended, not ended, this way he can keep collecting federal matching funds for another year.

Just caught 3 minutes of the Republican debate. What a dogfight. Everyone trying to one-up each other.

Candidate 1: I will kill Obama care
Candidate 2: I will kill Obama care and shred the pieces.
Candidate 3: I will travel back in time to insure that there never was an Obama care.
Candidate 1: Candidate 3 is lying. There's no such thing as time travel.
Candidate 3: You're believe that dinosaurs roamed the earth with Jesus and now you're worried about science?

rich, very rich, rich.

***

In other news,

Romney has again emphasized how different he is from the rest of us financial mortals. We've heard how he doesn't track NASCAR, but he does have friends who own teams, and other foot-in-mouth comments like this. In a casual moment during a recent interview, he was asked about the future of Peyton Manning. Now, he's not a die hard football fan, but (wait for it, waaaaait for it.....) he has, yes, friends who own football teams. L O L.

Abbreviated headline on CNN: Romney takes Ill., looks to Louisiana.

1) please do, Mittens. Please do take ill. Something that will cost you billions to fix and wipe out all your assets. I hope you have good insurance. ;)

2) can't wait to see Everyman Mitt trying to act all Cajun. Good luck down there, buddy. I'd stay far away from 'the bayou' if I were you. :lol:

Oh, some of his best friends are bayou owners.

LOL

I watched both Mitt and Rick with there apres-election conflabs,
and Mitt was by far the more entertaining, and actually had a few good jokes.

I felt both of the men were realizing that with Romney taking
both the popular vote AND the delegates, the nomination was pretty much settled.

Romney took on Obama, Santorum donned on the cloth.

So Romney can count on your vote, then?

:D

Do you get the feeling that Romney's karma is just not quite right ?

Yesterday, his own campaign aide sets off a media storm with a comment about Etch-A-Sketch.
The Dems AND the Reps jumped all over it.... flip flopping Romney

But Mitt thought he had some good news too, when
Jeb Bush called to say he was going to endorse Romney,
and Jeb suggested that Marco Rubio be chosen as Romney's VP
... to garner the Hispanic vote.
"Great !", thinks Mitt.

Now today, it's being reported that Marco Rubio sponsored
the "Stand Your Ground" law in Florida, and Governor Jeb signed it.

With friends like that, Mitt is justified in having no sense of humor.

*shrugs*

That's what happens when the debbil is your playmate, on the debbil's playground.

Isn't it time for a merge, like on Survivor?

I think this might end his campaign. really.

now he CAN'T pivot back to the center. hes stuck hard right and the hard right doesnt trust him either.

What is your issue with the stand your ground provision?

"He's coming right for us!"

blam blam blam

"Self defense!"

I don't know where else to put this.

This was 1978. Comedy from that year, applicable to now. ;)

SNL - what goes around comes back around.

I do think Romney's kind of cursed. But the remark by his campaign was just plain dumb, flat dumb.

I find it troubling and unfortunate that the current political environment considers a politician, or even worse, an elected leader who changes their mind unfashionable. Things change. Circumstances change, priorities change, resources change. Why not decisions? It is utter hubris to imagine that the ideas a person has are the best, only, and last ideas they'll have. FFS, I don't want my leaders walking around in the world with that attitude, so I don't hold them to that kind of insane standard (see Grover Norquist's tax pledge). And though it pains me greatly to say, those people for whom such inflexibility is a virtue are likely to get what they ask for and deserve. God help us all.

For those who missed it...

Well, yeah, we all know that, but you're not supposed to say it out loud!!!

Oh, and Capitalism, you so funny: