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Op-Ed: Obama has already won (Unintentional humor alert)
The Knickerbocker Ledger ^ | August 23, 2012 | Stephen Pampinella

Posted on 08/25/2012 1:14:42 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Guys, I have to let you in on a little secret: the election is already over.

No, I haven’t got crazy (yet) and realize that election day is more than two months away. However, after watching the last six weeks of this trainwreck of a campaign, it is impossible to believe that Romney has any chance to win. He doesn’t, and Obama will be reelected. We can make such bold predictions by reviewing a few pieces of evidence.

Romney’s campaign: These guys don’t have a clue, do they? Like most members of the observing public, I assumed that the Romney campaign would find its feet after the end of the primaries. There is certainly plenty of political material to use against Obama, especially the weak employment numbers and general economic malaise which has continued throughout the year. Rather than offer a serious economic platform, Romney mostly engaged in vague platitudes about job creators and lowering taxes, which is classic Republican/neoliberal red meat. And don’t forget that overseas trip to show off how those Ken-doll looks can really be presidential. Not only did Romney-Bot piss off British Prime Minister David Cameron (who would have been a great ideological partner in austerity budgeting), but he also made some truly racist comments about the lack of economic development in the Palestinian Territories (hint: it’s all those settlers and Israeli roadblocks, not ‘culture’). Romney has further resisted releasing his tax returns, which has fed the suspicion that he really is ripping off the rest of the country.

Given all these errors, Romney’s main problem was that no one knew what he stood for, or how any of his campaign promises translated into actual policy. So, Romney was seen as something of an empty (but very expensive) suit. Until of course…

The Ryan Nomination: Remember when Bill Kristol said he wanted Romney to challenge Obama to a debate about capitalism? Well this is as close as he’ll get, because Ryan offers everything that Romney is not – namely clear policy proposals to back up the vacuous rhetoric. While these proposals are exactly what the Republican base wants – namely gutting social services desperately needed by working- and middle-class Americans – they also embody the worst fears of most Americans about the Republican Party. Speaking of which…

The Party of Crazy: In case you had any hope for these clowns, Todd Akin’s shocking statement on ‘legitimate rape’ should dispel any illusions you may have had. Whether its reproductive rights, undocumented workers, or marriage equality, Republicans are on the wrong side of the national consensus on all these key issues. Thus, any time GOP flag bearers opens their mouth to speak on an issue, you can bet that they will bury their expensive tassled loafers farther down their throats than humanly possible. Just after Akin’s statement, the RNC adopted a strict anti-abortion statement with no exceptions for rape or incest as part of the party platform to be ratified at the upcoming convention. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said that the Akin controversy “was a case of ‘gotcha politics’” – thank goodness someone pointed out this vast left-wing conspiracy. Either way, the result as been a mini civil-war amongst the Republicans as they fight to alternatively denounce or defend Akin. And the election only two months away.

The Obama Campaign: They run a tight ship. They’ve capitalized on every single mistake Romney has made and exploited it for all its worth. In case you doubt their ruthlessness, their gameplan to attack Romney early on Bain Capital and his pro-corporate neoliberalism is straight out of W’s 2004 re-election campaign against Kerry (remember swiftboating?). It also diverged attention from the lackluster economic news early in the Summer. And remember when Obama said “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that, someone else did”? The Romney campaign has yet to truly make him pay for that mistake and Obama again has been able to shift the discussion and control the narrative.

All of these trends suggest that current polling outcomes are unlikely to change until November 6, unless some major scandal erupts or the economy takes a serious turn for the worse. And right now, both the New York Times and Washington Post have Obama as favored to win. While it’s morbidly entertaining to watch the campaigns play out until November 6, my money says the game is already over, and Obama will win his second term.

So when can start talking about who will keep His Excellency’s hands off the presidency?


TOPICS: Campaign News; Issues
KEYWORDS: 2012electionbias; kneepadbrigade; nakedmarxist; obama; obama2012; pinkjournalism; romney; ryan; welfare
Well if both of those newspapers AND this guy think he's going to win, why even have an election?
1 posted on 08/25/2012 1:14:53 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

either they needs their meds checked or I need whatever it is they are taking....haven’t been in LaLa land in a long time


2 posted on 08/25/2012 1:20:41 PM PDT by Nifster
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Talk about delusional. Mark this authors name, they will be squealing the day after the election about how Romney/Ryan “stole the election”.


3 posted on 08/25/2012 1:23:39 PM PDT by MNJohnnie (Giving more money to DC to fix the Debt is like giving free drugs to addicts think it will cure them)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
As far as the Romney campaign 'not finding its feet' or 'not having a clue', two thoughts, Steverino:

1) The money cannot be spent to attack Obama's record until Mitt is the nominee.

2) Timing is everything, Steve-o. Launch now and people get sick of it. Wait a few weeks, maybe even a month, and make things Hot Topics.

Steveski seems to know a bit about the Arab world and our conflict with it, according to a blog I found, that he presumably wrote.

But one thing he doesn't know, is American politics.

4 posted on 08/25/2012 1:27:04 PM PDT by Lazamataz (Funny but creepy!)
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To: MNJohnnie

If George Soros is counting the votes overseas they may not be joking because the election has already been rigged. Why we don’t hear more about this I don’t know.


5 posted on 08/25/2012 1:35:42 PM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Op-Ed: Obama has already won (Unintentional humor alert)

I fail to see ANY humor in that thought - unless I was a commie or a muzzie.

6 posted on 08/25/2012 1:37:18 PM PDT by The Sons of Liberty ("Get that evil, foreign, muslim, usurping bastard out of MY White House!" FUBO GTFO!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Yep - heard it straight from the mouths of our lefty TV news magazine called the project here in Australia. Supposedy OB is up by 4-6% so no real contest there! Of course they only quoted one polling agency- one that suited them.

Mel


7 posted on 08/25/2012 1:44:16 PM PDT by melsec (Once a Jolly Swagman camped by a Billabong....)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Yep - heard it straight from the mouths of our lefty TV news magazine called ‘The Project’ here in Australia. Supposedy OB is up by 4-6% so no real contest there! Of course they only quoted one polling agency- one that suited them.

Mel


8 posted on 08/25/2012 1:45:08 PM PDT by melsec (Once a Jolly Swagman camped by a Billabong....)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Bookmarking so I can rub this smug literal libs nose in it later.


9 posted on 08/25/2012 1:48:08 PM PDT by NELSON111
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“The Obama Campaign: They run a tight ship.”

*snort*

“They’ve capitalized on every single mistake Romney has made and exploited it for all its worth. In case you doubt their ruthlessness, their gameplan to attack Romney early on Bain Capital and his pro-corporate neoliberalism is straight out of W’s 2004 re-election campaign against Kerry (remember swiftboating?)”

Nope. There were numerous folks of substantial credibility who concurred with the “swiftboat” put-down of Kerry, and Kerry is scarcely imaginable as any kind of war hero in the first place. In contrast, the 0bama campaign put out a lame attack on the “Bain-outsourcing” meme with the “Romney killed my wife who came down with cancer” BS and it was discredited within hours. And Romney has a proven success record with Bain (and the Olympics) and those things cannot be argued.

And they haven’t “capitalized”. They’ve made snarky attacks in an attempt to divert from their policies of economic malaise and it is NOT CLEAR that any of those reactive moves has had anything but transitory impact. They can throw mud but they are having trouble making it stick. We now see the MSM starting to get a little bit challenging to the blabbermouth-Schultzs of the world and they appear to be flailing. Plus, Ryan is slowly convincing older folks that he isn’t the wheelchair-dumper 0bama and Co make him out to be.

“It also diverged attention from the lackluster economic news early in the Summer. And remember when Obama said “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that, someone else did”? The Romney campaign has yet to truly make him pay for that mistake and Obama again has been able to shift the discussion and control the narrative.”

Dream on, pal. That “you didn’t build that” line is the bumper sticker that Romney never could have created by himself. History will show, IMO, that that line will be the turning point, when hundreds of thousands of small businesspeople finally got their panties in a wad over this guy and his anti-business policies.

This whole article is stupidly myopic. It reminds me of the “where is the Tea Party?” false-wonderments on the left. The TP is done with the phase of staging rallies and is and has been quietly working with great determination to elect TP-type candidates. The TP has no need to stage further rallies. Just because there are fewer rallies evident to the amateur, lightweight MSM who never get off their asses to investigate stuff and only regurgitate 0bama press-handouts doesn’t mean the TP has gone away. It’s as if, for this guy, the TP has this duty to satisfy him and his senses as to their presence, power, and determination. This guy ain’t squat, his opinions ain’t squat, and speaking of squat, nobody gives a crap what he thinks.

0bama may still win, let there be no doubt. And it can be legitimately said that Romney isn’t necessarily fighting the super-aggressive campaign that the left (and many on the right) thinks he should; particularly compared to his brutal primary campaign against other Repubs. But I will say this about Romney (not being any kind of special fan) He has quietly built his campaign in a cumulative fashion, very businesslike. His moves are adding to his prior moves; whereas 0bama is one day this, one day that, reverse this position, walk back from that position. 0bama may still win; nobody can predict that prior to Nov 07. But I respect Romney’s cumulative and accretive approach. I think he is aware that he is not necessarily the easiest guy to warm up to, and I think he is building that support subtly and quietly.

And 2016 is being seen by many. Not landslide stuff, but stuff to turn some goodly numbers if independents.

And 0bama may still win.


10 posted on 08/25/2012 1:58:19 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (This stuff we're going through now, this is nothing compared to the middle ages.)
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To: jsanders2001

I was wondering the same thing - is it true that this Spanish-Soros voting counter exists and will be the official record count? Do you know of Amy links to info on it?


11 posted on 08/25/2012 2:19:04 PM PDT by GreatRoad (O < 0)
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To: melsec; NELSON111; Drill Thrawl; Forty-Niner; 9YearLurker; ExTexasRedhead; onyx; Josh Painter; ...

Then there’s this:

Is Mitt Romney a Racist?
http://consortiumnews.com/2012/08/25/is-mitt-romney-a-racist/

>>>”...the “birther” controversy in which right-wingers have claimed that President Obama was born in Kenya...”<<<

Right-wingers like President Bill and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, you mean? Right-wingers like Barack Hussein Obama, who made the claim on numerous occasions and had his literary agent proclaim it to the world?

Notice how he never mentions that Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was ALSO polygamous? Must’ve slipped his mind, huh?

If this guy was trying to get me to like Gov. Mitt Romney more than I did before I read his slanted column, he succeeded.


12 posted on 08/25/2012 2:25:49 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; FReepers; Patriots; everyone


Hush yer Mouth about Black Liberation Theology!

Please Donate Today!

Less than $1.4k to Go!

13 posted on 08/25/2012 2:27:35 PM PDT by onyx (FREE REPUBLIC IS HERE TO STAY! DONATE MONTHLY! IF YOU WANT ON SARAH PALIN''S PING LIST, LET ME KNOW)
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To: melsec
In virtually every poll where Obama comes out ahead of Romney, the pollsters have been oversampling the Dems. If I had to bet on who wins in November, I'd bet on Romney. Ryan has given his campaign the kick in the pants it needed. Willard the Bland was a little too milquetoast before he selected Ryan. The Dems thought choosing Ryan would create fear in the voters. Instead, the selection of Ryan has attracted the more intelligent, previously uninterested voters who are now paying attention.

There are now states, like my own state of Wisconsin, that have Romney ahead in the polls. Previous to his choosing Ryan, Wisconsin and a number of other states had Obama ahead. The Dems are now concerned that the campaign will be about issues and not personality. And they're positively quaking in their boots about the future debate of Ryan and Biden the Witless.

14 posted on 08/25/2012 3:54:08 PM PDT by driftless2
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
or marriage equality, Republicans are on the wrong side of the national consensus on all these key issues

Same sex marriage is a losing issue. Failed in every state where it was put to a public vote.

15 posted on 08/25/2012 5:11:54 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Only Obama put a dog on the roof of his mouth. Dogs are friends, not food.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Sorry, darlin’.


16 posted on 08/25/2012 6:53:08 PM PDT by Silentgypsy (If you love your freedom, thank a vet.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I like your comments. I hope the electorate wakes up to the threat to our prosperity that the Obama Regime represents.

For a good insight into what we are up against, go see 2016: Obama's America.

17 posted on 08/25/2012 10:20:03 PM PDT by jonrick46 (Countdown to 11-06-2012)
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To: driftless2

There is a lot of hope here in conservative circles that it will work out the way you say. Romney is not everyone’s perfect candidate but he is better than McLame was last time and he is a lot better the BO! I think Ryan was an inspired pick. I think Romney was smart enough to pick someone who excels in areas where he himself lacks or at least appears to from his record!

Mel


18 posted on 08/26/2012 3:21:34 AM PDT by melsec (Once a Jolly Swagman camped by a Billabong....)
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To: a fool in paradise

At work, I’ve been sharing a workspace with a stereotypical Obama supporter (yes, she’s black) who sits behind me. She worked for his campaign last time around, attended the inauguration, displayed Obama merchandise at her desk and on her car, and had spoken about working for his campaign again.

A few days ago, as I was leaving work, I overheard her on the phone telling someone that she wasn’t going to vote this time, because of his support for gay marriage. I was very encouraged to hear that, and hope that there will be a whole lot more California non-voters like her.

Of course, by the time of the election, I won’t be a California voter any more. I’m moving to Houston this week.


19 posted on 08/26/2012 8:11:14 AM PDT by william clark (Ecclesiastes 10:2)
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