Presidential Race (Respector Edition)

[uncool2pillow]

Platforms are meaningless. Republican politicians (or Democrats too if any signed) value Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge way more than their party platform. But, yeah, there's some crazy shit in it. The state ones get even goofier. A lot of the worst crap gets filtered out at the national level.

[Tweedling]

Not good news.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/167130965.html?clmob=y&c=n&refer=y

[lost highway]

Yeah, it looks like the choice is between another recession, or another addition to the deficit. Neither would be ideal.

[KevinG]

Platforms are meaningless. Republican politicians (or Democrats too if any signed) value Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge way more than their party platform. But, yeah, there's some crazy shit in it. The state ones get even goofier. A lot of the worst crap gets filtered out at the national level.

 

Meaningless? Granted it won't be like every law passed by the GOP will be straight from the platform. But the platform is the core beliefs of the party. It is the goals on how they want to govern, not how they will govern. If you are a member of a party you have to at least acknowledge that a platform is the core beliefs of your party.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

The absolutely worst thing that happened to the fiscally conscious wing of the Republican Party was the rise of the influence of Grover Norquist.

 

There is no room for nuance or compromise anymore.

[KevinG]

The absolutely worst thing that happened to the fiscally conscious wing of the Republican Party was the rise of the influence of Grover Norquist.

 

There is no room for nuance or compromise anymore.

 

Agreed. I laugh at all of these ads blaming PBO for the economy, etc and they tend to leave out the far that the GOP has blocked most any measure.

 

I would also have to say beyond Gover, absolute worst thing to happen to the republican party is the rise of social conservatives in the 80's.

[Tweedling]

I loved the 80's republicans.

[Winston Legthigh]

Ruh Roh.

[LouieB]

Ruh Roh.

What no story about Social Security buying hollow-point bullets?

 

All this is interesting but won't impact the actual election. No one is going to be presuaded by any of this ultimately and perhaps sadly.

 

LouieB

[KevinG]

Ruh Roh.

 

I wonder how much more play a story like this is going to pick up. I see Huffington Post picked it up, but beyond that nothing (yet). I skimmed the article, it seems like some damning stuff, but nothing illegal.

 

LouieB is right, it ain't gonna change anyone's mind.

 

It is funny though, the rights attacks on PBO are rooted in half truths or down and out lies. Whereas the attacks on RR seem to a bit more truth behind them.

[Winston Legthigh]

No one is going to be presuaded by any of this ultimately and perhaps sadly.

 

LouieB

 

Nonsense. Florida and Ohio are still very much in play.

[KevinG]

Nonsense. Florida and Ohio are still very much in play.

 

But what I think he is trying to say the tax stuff isn't going to change anyone's mind.

 

Apparently God really doesn't like the GOP anyway, as a hurricane is gonna hit Tampa right around convention time.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/23/isaac-republican-convention_n_1824673.html

 

All joking aside, I do hope it misses Tampa, for the residents sake. Big time storms are nothing to f with.

[bleedorange]

If it's nothing illegal, then why does it matter?

[calvino]

The whole Bain/tax issue is playing a role in the election. No Presidential candidate does anything with polling it first. I am sure the Governor's camp poled undecided/independents and concluded that they indeed care about this issue and in a negative way. The President's camp poled the same pool of people and came to the same conclusion, thus they are hammering him at every chance.

 

It probably won't change anybody's mind who is already in the Governor's camp, though.

[ih8music]

If it's nothing illegal, then why does it matter?

 

True, no one is claiming (yet) that Romney did anything illegal. But if his returns expose how the extremely wealthy are capable of exploiting current tax code to pay a lot less (by % of course) than the average person, you don't think that will resonate? At the very least it will make it clear which candidate is more likely to protect the current tax code vs the one more likely to try to reform it.

[bleedorange]

True, no one is claiming (yet) that Romney did anything illegal. But if his returns expose how the extremely wealthy are capable of exploring current tax code to pay a lot less (by % of course) than the average person, you don't think that will resonate? At the very least it will make it clear which candidate is more likely to protect the current tax code vs the one more likely to try to reform it.

 

So you're saying that this would be evidence that Romney doesn't actually want to do anything about the tax code in order to keep in place certain loopholes that only he and his rich friends would be able to take advantage of?

 

That's quite a leap in logic.

[LouieB]

Nonsense. Florida and Ohio are still very much in play.

Sure they are, but it isn't his finances that is going to win the day, it is going to be women's health issues or something more esoteric. No one who is ready to vote for Romney gives a rats ass if he is hiding money.

 

I heard from some pundit the other day that this whole election is actually going to boil down to about a dozen counties. Millions of votes and only the whim of a few people will decide the next President of the US of A.

 

LouieB

[bleedorange]

Sure they are, but it isn't his finances that is going to win the day, it is going to be women's health issues or something more esoteric. No one who is ready to vote for Romney gives a rats ass if he is hiding money.

 

I heard from some pundit the other day that this whole election is actually going to boil down to about a dozen counties. Millions of votes and only the whim of a few people will decide the next President of the US of A.

 

LouieB

 

 

Technically, that's not true. Everyone decides the election, it's just that there is near certainty how certain states will wind up voting. So it comes down to the ones that are less clear. Which is, of course, how it always happens.

[ih8music]

 

 

So you're saying that this would be evidence that Romney doesn't actually want to do anything about the tax code in order to keep in place certain loopholes that only he and his rich friends would be able to take advantage of?

 

That's quite a leap in logic.

 

Evidence, no. Contributing to the narrative, yes.

 

 

[Winston Legthigh]

If it's nothing illegal, then why does it matter?

 

It matters because maybe now Romney has to spend time and effort answering questions about his personal holdings that he's not quite ready to answer, and certainly doesn't want to answer.

 

It also might affect those who are reluctant voters because of the way he's handling his own transparency. Someone who may have voted for him might decide to stay home now. But not in Lou's universe. The election is already decided.

[Tweedling]

Joint venture capitalists? Relaxed EPA policies?

I didn't think Obama approved of such things.... But it IS an election year.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443713704577603281330597966.html

[IRememberDBoon]

Is Romney the first Presidential candidate in history to use swiss bank accounts to handle his tax obligations in the US?? If so should people know that? Does it matter? Should he be pissing and moaning about people taking welfare money if he isnt even paying his share?

[uncool2pillow]

Meaningless? Granted it won't be like every law passed by the GOP will be straight from the platform. But the platform is the core beliefs of the party. It is the goals on how they want to govern, not how they will govern. If you are a member of a party you have to at least acknowledge that a platform is the core beliefs of your party.

No I don't. It's the views of the activists who are committed to going to district, state, and national conventions; not the rank and file.

 

The absolutely worst thing that happened to the fiscally conscious wing of the Republican Party was the rise of the influence of Grover Norquist.

 

There is no room for nuance or compromise anymore.

I'd have to think a while to say absolute worst, but if not, it's damned close.

[calvino]

Joint venture capitalists? Relaxed EPA policies?

I didn't think Obama approved of such things.... But it IS an election year.

http://online.wsj.co...1330597966.html

 

I tried reading it, but I don't subscribe to the WSJ. Can you give me the jist of the article?

The President is a pragmatist...esp. if has to do with coal (Illinois). But like Sparky says - "They are all the same".

[KevinG]

No I don't. It's the views of the activists who are committed to going to district, state, and national conventions; not the rank and file.

 

So if someone calls themselves a republican even though they don't believe in the republican party line you are ok with that? Is a republican or democrat just a name only just saying anything to get elected? Basically you are ok with someone having no convictions?

 

Listen if you call yourself a republican you have to acknowledge that the platform is the views of the party you stand for. It is not just a handful of nuts pushing an agenda. The convention ratifies the platform and says this is ok, this is what we believe.