the most important election of your lifetime: 2012 american general election thread

people talk shit about wapo and of course Fred Hiatt is a vacillating milquetoast douchebag but sometimes it can report some fucking news.

sorry I'm having a really emotional day and fond memories of the reliable source column gossiping about the bush twins or something

Apparently nobody told Team Romney that you never go full retard:

Mitt Romney’s campaign is responding to evidence that Bain Capital invested in companies that sent American jobs overseas by accusing the Obama administration of “outsourcing” telemarketing jobs to Omaha, Nebraska.

so now it's a referendum on Bob Dole's 1996 health plan. wanna bet?

Rupert Murdoch ‏@rupertmurdoch
Met Romney last week. Tough O Chicago pros will be hard to beat unless he drops old friends from team and hires some real pros. Doubtful.

o shit

#14 on The National Post's "15 things you should know about Canadian identity" Canada Day piece:

HERE, MITT ROMNEY WOULD NOT STAND A CHANCE:

If U.S. President Barack Obama were running for election in Canada, he would win big. He has the support of 67% of Canadians, whereas Mitt Romney, the Republican, could count on just 17% of the votes. “Canada is, in U.S. terms, a Democratic country,” Mr. Bozinoff said.

Paul Ryan, questioned by George Stephanopopololpolous, averred that our rights are natural and therefore government is peripheral to the affirmation of them. It was as bold and fiery a statement of quasi-Randian thought as I've seen, and of course wasn't contradicted. Once again I ask, just about screaming in the dark, where is the liberal willing to explain in front of a camera why government is necessary? Coming after an Obama hack failing to answer the question about the Roberts ruling ("Is it a tax?"), it was more confirmation that we're fucked.

haha that is for sure an essential fact re canada

If you think government is evil, do not work in government. Otherwise yeah I'm 100% sure not only what you are saying is bullshit, but that you don't even truly believe it.

You cannot rant about wasteful government spending WHILE YOU EARN YOUR INCOME FROM SAID SPENDING.

what if he's a double agent? 00Ryan

haha u all remember this lil guy http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/gop-teen-idol-jonathan-krohn-defects-from-conservative-movement.php

I do remember him! That's hilarious. Amused that Politico thought to ring him up for a story.

corrupted by Wittgenstein

Attributing his newfound skepticism of the right to a close reading of German philosophy

Soon he'll be a law student with a bunch of dusty philosophy books on his shelf.

my favorite part of the original politico piece is when they write Krohn is bucking the received wisdom that people become more conservative as they get older, as if SEVENFUCKINGTEEN is "older" in a "you gotta have a lawn to want people off it" sense.

As Churchill once said...

"If you're not a conservative at 13, you have no brain. If you're not a liberal at 17, you have no dick."

Krohn is living the received wisdom that smart kids stop regurgitating TV and start regurgitating books as they reach their college years.

The college conservative who pwns Toure, according to The Corner, stresses how many college students are living with or returning to their parents, as if that's supposed to (a) make those students more conservative (b) their parents are conservatives in the Corner sense.

wow, they are running a FUCKLOAD of Bam and Mittens ads on Quad Cities/Iowa nightly news. So there are still reasons to live in NY.

One of the Mitt ads has a clip of Rodham calling O a liar in '08, lol.

getting a lot in Virginia as well

http://i.imgur.com/Et8c0.png

That Christie article where he wondered why Bruce Springsteen didn't like him made him look so pathetic, I think he's probably the last person to take advice from.

ha yes thats the thing theres a good reason why romney shouldnt be himself, christie too

so that remark by the Romney surrogate yesterday about the "tax" really hurt Mittens with the base.

http://www.gq.com/news-politics/blogs/death-race/2012/07/we-warned-you-pay-no-attention-to-the-awkward-photos-of-vacationing-candidates.html

Romney Campaign Tries to Make Venn Diagram, Fails

http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intel/2012/07/03/03-romney-healthcare-infographic.o.jpg/a_560x375.jpg

I'm not sure it matters that it's not a venn diagram - it's a reasonably effective graphic. It might be a good direction on the whole for the Repubs - there are presumably a large amount of people who don't understand the reforms and have no great ideological stake in it; but if Romney can wave away the discussion about the principles and just say 'doesn't work, you pay more' it will reach people. (regardless of the reality of such claims)

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/03/bachmann-on-vp-spot-not-for-me-to-make-that-decision/

oh plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz PLZ

"Whoever it is that he chooses to bring in as his V.P., it will be a highly competent person who could step in at a moment's notice and assume the responsibilities of the White House," the Minnesota congresswoman said on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight."

this is not something someone who is being vetted for VP would say

"hey, i'm not saying it's me, but whoever he's got could totally replace him at the drop of a hat."

Romney's big selling point (I think) is competent decision-making. Choosing Bachmann would really underscore that--I think it's going to happen.

oh plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz PLZ

I will genuinely attend prayer meetings with anybody who wants to actively petition the Most High for this joy

http://www.best-horror-movies.com/image-files/people-under-the-stairs-mom-and-dad.jpg

The GOP should look up the definition of insanity.

lol croupier

Ironically enough, if you do take the time to look up the definition of insanity, you get this photo:

http://culdesacked.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/michele-bachmann-newsweek-cover_620x350.jpg

(I've lost touch with him, but I know the guy who shot that.)

its funny how everyone was all upset when that came out but its totally just how she looks

She's like a hurricane. There's calm in her eye.

gettin blown away
http://lynnrockets.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/michele-bachmann-corn-dog1.jpg

sorry

ha

you know what they really need, is joint VPs

Romney/Bachman-Perry '12!

http://i.imgur.com/kBJZR.gif

Dear lord

I'm officially off food permanently.

food is disgusting

every time I see that GIF I want to quote Chris Rock (THEY SPINNIN' N****, THEY SPINNIN'!)

well, i love that

Every time you think these people can't get worse, they get worse - Republican Joe Walsh (no, not that one):

Though he never joined the military himself, Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) disparaged his Democratic opponent’s military service at a town hall on Sunday, saying that she’s not a “true hero.”

Walsh is running against Tammy Duckworth, a double amputee who lost both her legs in Iraq when insurgents hit her helicopter with an RPG in 2004.

The Tea Party freshman opened the Elk Grove town hall by arguing that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was reluctant to discuss his own military service in 2008, which made him a “noble hero.” By contrast, “Now I’m running against a woman who, my God, that’s all she talks about,” Walsh said.

WALSH: Understand something about John McCain. His political advisers, day after day, had to take him and almost throw him against a wall and hit him against the head and say, “Senator, you have to let people know you served! You have to talk about what you did!” He didn’t want to do it, wouldn’t do it. Day after day they had to convince him. Finally, he talked a little bit about it, but it was very uncomfortable for him. That’s what’s so noble about our heroes. Now I’m running against a woman who, my God, that’s all she talks about. Our true heroes, it’s the last thing in the world they talk about. That’s why we’re so indebted and in awe of what they’ve done.

. . . Walsh responded to the controversy this afternoon, but refused to apologize and continued to attack Duckworth for mentioning her longtime military service. Here’s his full statement:

“Of course Tammy Duckworth is a hero. I have called her a hero 100’s of times in the past four months. Just like every man and woman who has worn the uniform, her service demands — demands — our utmost respect. That’s why I recognize our veterans at the beginning of every one of my public town halls. However, unlike most veterans I have had the honor to meet since my election to Congress, who rarely if ever talk about their service or the combat they’ve seen, that is darn near all of what Tammy Duckworth talks about. Her service demands our thanks and our respect but not our vote. She is running for Congress — and there are real problems in this country like our massive debt, high unemployment and the Obamacare tax. We are about four months from Election Day and the people of Illinois have no idea where Tammy Duckworth stands on these issues because she dodges debate requests, ignores our invitations to speak at town halls, refuses to talk about solutions and constantly reminds voters of her war service. Our thoughts and prayers will always be with her for her service and her loss but these are serious times and the people of Illinois deserve to know what she thinks about real issues and what she will do as a Congresswoman.”