Why should Romney be president?

[poobert]

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2...on-government/

Fuck this guy. Seriously, I cannot remember ever having such a plutocratic, arrogant asshole run for president.

Guess what Mormon-pants? I pay out my ass in property taxes. I didn't realize you were running to be president of 51% of Americans. Luckily for us you're as popular a turd in a punch bowl. Get your cyborg ass out of my country and take it to wherever you can dodge the most taxes and have all the wives you want. You know a lot of us entitled 47% have served in other ways - say, the armed forces - instead of running to France like a coward. And you didn't even drink the wine while you were there, you loser.

I rarely take politics personally, but gall of this freak is utterly astounding. What's next? Calling us all peasants?

Sorry about your loss, right-wingers. You shouldn't have picked an emotionless non-human to run for president.

[firstandten]

Really what do you expect ? The guy admits he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He can't relate nor does he really want to relate to average guy/gal. Being president to him means power, more money, a place in history, and another notch on his resume.

Serving the people and feeling the average persons pain is a by-product of all the other stuff. Its something he must do but he's not as comfortable doing it and it shows by his comments.

[Pam]

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2...on-government/

Fuck this guy. Seriously, I cannot remember ever having such a plutocratic, arrogant asshole run for president.

Guess what Mormon-pants? I pay out my ass in property taxes. I didn't realize you were running to be president of 51% of Americans. Luckily for us you're as popular a turd in a punch bowl. Get your cyborg ass out of my country and take it to wherever you can dodge the most taxes and have all the wives you want. You know a lot of us entitled 47% have served in other ways - say, the armed forces - instead of running to France like a coward. And you didn't even drink the wine while you were there, you loser.

I rarely take politics personally, but gall of this freak is utterly astounding. What's next? Calling us all peasants?

Sorry about your loss, right-wingers. You shouldn't have picked an emotionless non-human to run for president.

Lol. I'm sure he does call us peasants, but the tape of it hasn't surfaced yet.

[Papasito]

My wife works at a Pediatricians office,
Escalades, Lexus SUVs, Hummers and Expeditions pull up all the time. 2 or 3 kids get out, do their appointments, and mom pays with a Medicaid card. WTF ? Is that right ?

Illegal immigrants pour into our country and rape our tax dollars receiving better medical care and coverage than working citizens.

People who pay nothing into the system [[I'm talking about people who have never lived here and never paid $1 in tax, medicaid or medicare, and people who make a conscious CHOICE to soak the system when they have other options and/or aren't even citizens) have the faucet of our tax dollars pouring at full blast.

Medicaid and Federal/State programs are laden thick with fraudulent claims and people taking advantage of the system. I don't care what political party you're in, you know it's true.

Yet people are complaining of massive debts and deficits.

Democrats used to support slavery [[even succeeded from the Union and ran the Confederate States), voted against the Civil Rights legislation, and ever since have tried to enslave our poor and minorities through welfare. It's a good way to make people dependent on Government in exchange for votes.

I support and am in favor of welfare as a safety net to those in need. Those who deserve it. That's why it's there. I myself was on unemployment for 7 months during this horrible recession.
And about people who don't pay tax due to low income - I realize some people don't make enough to pay tax, and that's understandable.

What I don't like is people who sponge and take advantage of the system. I'm talking about People who have not fallen upon hard times and make a conscious CHOICE to soak the system when they have other options. People who cash in our tax dollars without ever paying into social security, medicaid or medicare.

Is that fair to us, the tax paying citizens of the country?
Is it fair to our poor, handicapped, elderly, or misfortunate?

Like I said, I'm all for welfare and assistance to those who are legitimately in need, but we have a massive fraud issue and a huge issue with people taking advantage of the system.



I'm not sticking up for Romney here. I don't know if he was misquoted or if he was just saying something out of context, or if he was just being a dick. I do know there is some reason to what he said. But to be honest I have seen and reported federal and state fraud before on people who I personally know did not qualify for benefits, and the State/Federal government does not even follow up.
Our tax dollars are leaking and they should be spend more effectively on those who are in genuine need.

[jcole]

At this point Mitt is going to need to out debate Obama in order to win this. I'm not a betting man but if Vegas gave odds on Mitt doing this I would bet the house on Obama.

I personally think that Obama should just stand there and let Mitt talk. Mitt will be able to lose just debating himself.

[poobert]

I'm not sticking up for Romney here. I don't know if he was misquoted or if he was just saying something out of context, or if he was just being a dick. I do know there is some reason to what he said. But to be honest I have seen and reported federal and state fraud before on people who I personally know did not qualify for benefits, and the State/Federal government does not even follow up.
Our tax dollars are leaking and they should be spend more effectively on those who are in genuine need.

I think we all share anger at those who abuse the system. His comments - which he stood by, mind you - didn't address that point.

"I'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives"

He is referring, there, to 47% of Americans - about 150 million people. There is nothing out-of-context there. There is nothing about welfare reform there. He also stood by his comments, only explaining they were "off the cuff." Good. Then we know how he really feels about us.

Well, that's enough. A man who has that much distain for the American people frankly doesn't deserve to live here, much less be president of this country. I don't care how you feel about Obama or welfare reform, this guy is unfit to be dogcatcher, and you know it.

Unearthing slavery is pointless. I could dig up Richard Nixon if you like. Frankly I don't need to. The present situation seems almost worse. At least Nixon knew something about foreign policy.

[EastsideAl]

Perhaps we're not "assuming personal responsibility" and paying taxes because his company, or some other of his fellow robber barons, showed their "care for their own lives" by buying the companies we worked for, saddling them with crippling debt, and then pocketing the money and walking away.

Or maybe it's just because we didn't "take out a loan" from our parents to set up a multi-million dollar business in the first place.

What I do know for sure is it takes real balls [[which, frankly, I didn't think Mitt-boy had), to make multi-millions by destroying companies, throwing people out of work, gaming the tax system, and hiding your money overseas, and then turn around and call out the very people you stepped on the get where you are as free-loaders who don't pay enough taxes.

[firstandten]

My wife works at a Pediatricians office,
Escalades, Lexus SUVs, Hummers and Expeditions pull up all the time. 2 or 3 kids get out, do their appointments, and mom pays with a Medicaid card. WTF ? Is that right ?

Illegal immigrants pour into our country and rape our tax dollars receiving better medical care and coverage than working citizens.

People who pay nothing into the system [[I'm talking about people who have never lived here and never paid $1 in tax, medicaid or medicare, and people who make a conscious CHOICE to soak the system when they have other options and/or aren't even citizens) have the faucet of our tax dollars pouring at full blast.

Medicaid and Federal/State programs are laden thick with fraudulent claims and people taking advantage of the system. I don't care what political party you're in, you know it's true.

Yet people are complaining of massive debts and deficits.

Democrats used to support slavery [[even succeeded from the Union and ran the Confederate States), voted against the Civil Rights legislation, and ever since have tried to enslave our poor and minorities through welfare. It's a good way to make people dependent on Government in exchange for votes.

I support and am in favor of welfare as a safety net to those in need. Those who deserve it. That's why it's there. I myself was on unemployment for 7 months during this horrible recession.
And about people who don't pay tax due to low income - I realize some people don't make enough to pay tax, and that's understandable.

What I don't like is people who sponge and take advantage of the system. I'm talking about People who have not fallen upon hard times and make a conscious CHOICE to soak the system when they have other options. People who cash in our tax dollars without ever paying into social security, medicaid or medicare.

Is that fair to us, the tax paying citizens of the country?
Is it fair to our poor, handicapped, elderly, or misfortunate?

Like I said, I'm all for welfare and assistance to those who are legitimately in need, but we have a massive fraud issue and a huge issue with people taking advantage of the system.



I'm not sticking up for Romney here. I don't know if he was misquoted or if he was just saying something out of context, or if he was just being a dick. I do know there is some reason to what he said. But to be honest I have seen and reported federal and state fraud before on people who I personally know did not qualify for benefits, and the State/Federal government does not even follow up.
Our tax dollars are leaking and they should be spend more effectively on those who are in genuine need.

I understand what you are getting at, however I think much of your anger is misplaced. People being people the mama getting out of the Lexus and paying for her kids health care with a medicade card pales in comparison to the doctors and other health care officials who bilk the system of sometimes up to millions of dollars thru fraudulent claims. The handful of people who vote early and often, pales in comparision to true vote fraud with multi national companies which makes the voting machines. These same people yell from the rooftops about personal responsiblity all the while opening up fat bank accounts in the Cayman's.

With this classic case of misdirection its no wonder they get people to vote against their own best interest.

[Crumbled_pavement]

My apologies in advance:

[noise]

My apologies in advance:

And President Obama's foreign policy is apparently a failure.

[oladub]

And President Obama's foreign policy is apparently a failure.

President Obama's foreign policy hasn't been stellar. Witness the advances of the Islamic movement from Mali to Pakistan, our foreign trades deficit, US jobs continuing to go overseas, China's recent reckless boldness with regards to S. China Sea territorial claims, a deteriorating relationship with Russia, agreements between more countries to stop using the dollar in payment, the otherwise worldwide decline in confidence in the dollar, and the failure of Obama's surge in Afghanistan for starters.

Back on thread. I doubt that I'll vote for Romney either but the video revealed an in charge executive aspect of Romney I've never seem him exhibit on the campaign trail where he tries to act more PC. He was laying it out in no uncertain terms where his campaign had to go - directly at the 7% of undecided voters. He wasn't going to waste campaign funds trying to turn around voters whose lives are through employment or other dependency, on a federal government IV. The one good thing that came out of the remark is that a lot of articles have been written with statistics showing how he was right or wrong about 47%. Some stats even show government dependency to be higher though not quite in the way Romney broadly characterized them. The Democratic Party strategy of creating dependency relationships is working out well.

I am surprised though that I have't noticed anyone on this thread broadly criticizing what Romney and his oh so PC press attackers are totally ignoring; the huge amount of corporate welfare handed to the rich. That is a dependency too from outright subsidies, bank bailouts, corporate bailouts, to an expensive and deadly foreign policy subsidizing oil companies. Republicans are as guilty as Democrats for corporate subsidies. Yet, Romney said nothing about that.

[firstandten]

Oladub Romney won't say anything about it because he will do even more corporate welfare if given the chance. No need in upsetting his big money supporters

[firstandten]

I didn't want to start a separate thread but I notice that I'm not seeing a lot of Romney yard signs in my driving around, I do drive in and around some heavily repub areas. To be fair I drive around Detroit and even though I see Obama signs it is nothing like 2008. Is it because Romney has basically given up on Michigan and we are no longer a battleground state. Even the PAC commericials have eaze up. Any thoughts.

[gazhekwe]

My ardently Republican neighbors have not put up signs yet. There are a few Obama signs in the neighborhood.

The corporate welfare is not getting ignored. Enjoy!

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/we...playershare_fb

[oladub]

Corporate welfare is a bipartisan issue. Glad to see at least one mention of it. I had forgotten about the ag subsidies. A lot of that money goes to investment class land owners rather than farmers.

I'm also surprised to see so few signs around in my part of Wisconsin. Republican signs are more common in rural areas and Democratic signs more common in cities. When I drove up to St. Paul, MN suburbs a couple of weeks ago, there were more signs there. In all cases, there were fewer presidential signs and a lot more local office holder signs. I've hardly seen any Romney signs and not as many Obama things as four years ago.

[firstandten]

Corporate welfare is a bipartisan issue. Glad to see at least one mention of it. I had forgotten about the ag subsidies. A lot of that money goes to investment class land owners rather than farmers.

I'm also surprised to see so few signs around in my part of Wisconsin. Republican signs are more common in rural areas and Democratic signs more common in cities. When I drove up to St. Paul, MN suburbs a couple of weeks ago, there were more signs there. In all cases, there were fewer presidential signs and a lot more local office holder signs. I've hardly seen any Romney signs and not as many Obama things as four years ago.

I'm also seeing a lot more local office holder and issues signs

[JBMcB]

Corporate welfare is a bipartisan issue. Glad to see at least one mention of it. I had forgotten about the ag subsidies. A lot of that money goes to investment class land owners rather than farmers.

No, a lot go to farmers - the "family farm" these days is tens of thousands of acres large. The vast majority of small farmers aren't doing it for the money, it's a second job.

Wanna know how stupid the agricultural subsidies in this country are? The federal government started subsidizing cotton growers in the US. Brazil sued, as cotton subsidies are illegal under a trade agreement. The US lost a WTO case [[several actually, even though the US government knew they had no case, they kept appealing.) So does the fed end the cotton subsidies to the Texas cotton growers? NO - they start subsidizing the Brazilian cotton growers to compensate. AARRRGHHHH.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

IF YOU ARE A TRUE CONSERVATIVE, DON'T VOTE FOR THE KING OF FLIP OF FLOP.



VOTE FOR A TRUE CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE:

1. VOTE FOR THE CONSTITUTION PARTY CANDIDATE: VIRGIL GOODE
http://www.goodeforpresident2012.com...andidates.html

OR

2. WRITE IN RON PAUL ON YOUR BALLOT.

THE KING OF FLIP FLOP IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TRUE CONSERVATISM.

VOTE FOR YOUR CONVICTIONS.

[poobert]

IF YOU ARE A TRUE CONSERVATIVE, DON'T VOTE FOR THE KING OF FLIP OF FLOP.



VOTE FOR A TRUE CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE:

1. VOTE FOR THE CONSTITUTION PARTY CANDIDATE: VIRGIL GOODE
http://www.goodeforpresident2012.com...andidates.html

OR

2. WRITE IN RON PAUL ON YOUR BALLOT.

THE KING OF FLIP FLOP IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TRUE CONSERVATISM.

VOTE FOR YOUR CONVICTIONS.

In 2006, Minnesota's 5th congressional district elected Keith Ellison as the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Some criticized Ellison's intended use of the Qur'an once owned by Thomas Jefferson at a private swearing-in ceremony;^[32] among them, Goode was vocal in his opposition to Ellison's plan. One of Goode's constituents posted a letter online from the congressman regarding Ellison. The letter reads in part:

When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand. I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way. The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.^[33][34]

Ellison criticized Goode for this letter, stating that he is not an immigrant and that Goode does not understand Islam. Ellison also offered to meet with Goode to discuss the matter.^[34] On his first day in office, Ellison sought out Goode and initiated a cordial exchange on the House floor.^[35]


Goode stated that he was in favor of decreasing legal immigration to the United States and that he wanted to do away with Diversity Immigrant Visas. Goode argued that such visas would allow people "not from European countries"

Freedom, liberty, and justice for all white evangelical protestants. What a fine Klansman.

[rb336]

It looks like "conservatives" have a choice - an outright racist, a dogma-addled guy who allowed his publications to be filled with racist BS, or the most singularly disingenuous human being to ever receive a major party nomination

[firstandten]

Well I told you Mitt would hold off as long as he could as far as releasing his tax returns. I love the headline that he paid 1.9 million in taxes Wow that's great then further down you see his tax rate 14.1.

I think Mitt is starting to throw some Hail Mary's and we still have over a month left before the election.

[Patrick]

Nothing like having a foreign leader meddle in the election:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-...034.html?hp=l7

[oladub]

Well I told you Mitt would hold off as long as he could as far as releasing his tax returns. I love the headline that he paid 1.9 million in taxes Wow that's great then further down you see his tax rate 14.1.

I think Mitt is starting to throw some Hail Mary's and we still have over a month left before the election.

firstandten, You are not claiming that Mitt did anything illegal. Are you suggesting then that Mitt should make a voluntary donation to the IRS or fulminating that the leadership in Washington is not taxing Mitt enough? President Obama twice extended the Bush tax breaks for people like Romney. What's your point?

Although Romney didn't donate more than he had to give to the IRS, he did donate 29% of his income, or $4M of his 2011 income to charity. Obama was generous too, donating 21% [[$172k) of his income to charity. http://www.politico.com/news/stories...9.html?hp=t3_3

edited to add CORRECTION:

"But Romney only reached the 14.1 percent mark by limiting deductions taken from his considerable charitable giving. Had the Romneys taken all of the deductions made available by their $4.02 million in 2011 donations, his effective tax rate could have been as low as 10.4 percent.By not using all the available deductions, he paid an additional $500,000 to the federal government."
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/...4#.UF1DBEL6V8s

[firstandten]

You are correct, I am not claiming nor do I think Mitt did anything illegal. You don't need to do illegal things when you can take advantage of outrageous tax loopholes.

According to Business insider com

"This is because Mitt Romney has almost certainly taken advantage of one of the most outrageous tax loopholes in our entire tax code: The "carried interest" tax exemption.
This loophole allows money managers to structure the performance fees they are paid as "capital gains" instead of as ordinary income.
The loophole therefore allows money managers to avoid paying ordinary income taxes on their performance fees and then make much bigger bets than they would be able to make if they actually had to pay taxes on their earnings. When the money managers use very sophisticated tax shelters, it also allows them to defer paying taxes for years [[if not decades)--and then only pay low long-term capital gains rates instead of ordinary income rates.
Although we don't know for certain that that's what Mitt Romney has done [[because he won't release his tax returns), it seems highly likely that this is what he has done. And, in fact, the obvious unfairness of this tax loophole seems like one big reason he won't release his returns."

This quote was before the returns were released.

If Mitt just wanted to be a private citizen and sit back and count his money I wouldn't have a problem with this. This man however wants to be president of all the people. I bet he's not talking about how middle class folks can get sweet tax loopholes like his or even talking how he would reform the tax code. The reality is that more revenues will need to be taken in, we cannot balance the budget on just reduced spending as the Repubs want you to believe. The trick will be to do it in the fairest equitable way possible. A 14% effective tax rate for a billionaire sets a bad example to the American people.

Also the timing of the tax return release is kinda suspect. Mitt being the 24 hour news cycle guy that he is releases the return late Thurs afternoon knowing that by the time people figured out what he did with his taxes Fri. afternoon is upon us and then the weekend where he hopes that by Monday people will have moved on to something else.

[Zacha341]

Indeed Romney is one of the repubs worse offerings imo. It's gonna be tight, but then again Romney might still get it the lead vote.

It looks like "conservatives" have a choice - an outright racist, a dogma-addled guy who allowed his publications to be filled with racist BS, or the most singularly disingenuous human being to ever receive a major party nomination