Posted on 09/26/2012 3:30:44 AM PDT by markomalley
Registered voters aren't necessarily "likely" voters, for a multitude of reasons (e.g. moved away, passed away, too busy, or just don't care).
It would be counterproductive to write off the undecided but "likely" voter.
We lost Ohio because of a totally crappy ground game.
No doubt that contributed (along with "Bush Fatigue", Afghanistan & Iraq, unbeatable enthusiasm for the Obamasiah, "white guilt", etc.).
Paging damage control campaign aids.
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I don’t agree with either strategy as stated. The problem is more complex than that. As a Christian I’m not looking for another Savior. Nor do I want a guru or model or hero. I am an adult and can admire, but not blindly. Humans are fault-filled.
Both strategy models suffer from the “savior complex” and you find it on the left and the right. It is both politically immature and culturally naive. We didn’t get here because of one person or group. What we’re up against is the idea of central planning and it is an idea as old as mankind.
To a normal mind it makes sense and over history has had great benefits as well as great costs. The fundamental question of how to organize a society has generally tended toward some form of oligarchy, often totalitarian in nature. Liberty, real liberty, is rare, but it is founded on two ideas: individual God-given liberty and property rights.
The first denies group rights and elevates the individual. The second allows people to control the physical world around them. Note that these two ideas are fairly fresh in the mind of man. Though the thinking behind them is old, the combination of the two has occurred in just the last 400 or so years of human history. Given that written history is about 10,000 years old we have learned about those two concepts in the most recent part of known history.
That idea is up against the idea of central planning by an elite oligarchy. Understand that this oligarchy can be based on any factor - physical strength or skill (hunting/gathering/basic survival), cunning in politics or military arts, intelligence - science, engineering, etc. We aren’t against a particular party or person(s), but against an idea. The idea of liberty is ill understood, even by those that espouse it.
In the 20th century the latest manifestation was communism or fascism - both totalitarian in nature and both based on central planning. At an inflection point - WWI and again at WWII (both of which were manifestations of economic/philosophical conflict) - America’s leaders - first Teddy Roosevelt, then Wilson, Hoover and FDR - all fell for the allure of central planning. How did this happen?
Progressivism as practiced by Teddy Roosevelt built upon several good ideas - corporations could abuse their political power (this is something they’d done during the 19th century, causing quite some economic harm) and that individuals needed help in their sufferings. These are classic Christian ideals - government abuse or abuse by the powerful/wealthy and the duty of all Christians to alleviate suffering. The devil is in the details and the way TR took action opened the flood gates for government intervention in business affairs to an extent and in a way unknown at the federal level. If individual states abused their powers the SCOTUS had been effective in blocking it, thus preserving federalism and competition between ideas by means of the states. TR nationalized business regulation and destroyed the effective system of federalism.
Wilson was a typical liberal. Hoover did the most damage and is your strongest argument against Romney. As a Republican he went left fast and hard and exacerbated what would have been a fairly easily cured economic downturn. All this lead to a global depression and FDR. I’m certain you’re familiar with FDR’s massive expansion of government, the GOP and SCOTUS lead resistance and the eventual collapse of that resistance and the victory of socialism as a reasonable recourse in “tough times”.
That did it and LBJ’s Great Society was inevitable along with Nixon’s EPA, Carter’s terrible foreign policy and the malaise. The trouble then isn’t with a person or even the cult of personality that grows around politicians in general and Presidents specifically. The trouble is with the idea, the idea of central planning.
Here in the 21st century we have to defeat the idea of central planning. Everyone sees the problem, but not the solution. Economics has come along to such a degree that even liberal business people and economists see the trouble with central planning. A radical like Krugman is pushing his agenda only because we’re in a “crisis”. That is truly a big victory for our side.
So to me the fight isn’t going to be won by Romney or even Reagan II. It will be won by beating bad ideas wherever they may come up. Imagine for a moment you’re suddenly elevated to POTUS. What could you do? Even if you appointed 100% like minded individuals you couldn’t change things that much even over 8 years. You’d need a cooperative Congress, SC and state and local governments. That isn’t reality, not at all.
So the proper approach is incrementalism. We do that by 1. ending the government’s monopoly on education. I’m no purist so I’ll take vouchers, charter schools, etc. Though I homeschool that’s not available to every parent or family. Inject choice and end unionism in government and the problem eventually cures itself. Without constant indoctrination American children will move away from liberalism quickly.
2. Attack ferociously the idea of corporate welfare. For the GOP it is best to attack corporate welfare. It is a winning strategy and gives our nominally pro-market approach a shield against populism. This means breaking the government imposed monopolies, eliminating farm subsidies, etc. Much of this won’t be politically tenable all the time, but you take what you can get. Presenting corporate welfare as a culturally destructive practice is a political winner.
3. Individual welfare must be reconsidered. By this I mean SS, Medicare, Medicaid, and general governmental welfare. Social Security should be recast as what it actually is: a welfare net to support poor retirees. It should be strictly managed with this in mind. Medicare and Medicaid actually don’t work well at all and we need to move toward a real market in health care including tax reform that makes health insurance taxable just like other income. As regards to the epidemic of teen moms we have to move toward an adoption model, that includes implanted birth control. Once you break the pattern you can move toward a liberty based method.
“Likely” only counts in polling.
Registered means they are fully legal, all paperwork filled out, and able to vote in the upcoming election.
Why they don’t vote is for a variety of reasons, as you have noted.
“Right, let’s get hysterical because the Obama Media Machine is on the prowl. Settle down,kid. “
Exactly.
Even if he goofed, stiff upper lip and correcting the record makes more sense than calling Mitt names right now.
Some of Obama’s tax hikes:
18. Employer Mandate Tax (Jan 2014): If an employer does not offer health coverage, and at least one employee qualifies for a health tax credit, the employer must pay an additional non-deductible tax of $2000 for all full-time employees. Applies to all employers with 50 or more employees. If any employee actually receives coverage through the exchange, the penalty on the employer for that employee rises to $3000. If the employer requires a waiting period to enroll in coverage of 30-60 days, there is a $400 tax per employee ($600 if the period is 60 days or longer). Bill: PPACA; Page: 345-346
Combined score of individual and employer mandate tax penalty: $65 billion/10 years
19. Tax on Health Insurers ($60.1 bil/Jan 2014): Annual tax on the industry imposed relative to health insurance premiums collected that year. Phases in gradually until 2018. Fully-imposed on firms with $50 million in profits. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,986-1,993
Taxes that take effect in 2018:
20. Excise Tax on Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans ($32 bil/Jan 2018): Starting in 2018, new 40 percent excise tax on “Cadillac” health insurance plans ($10,200 single/$27,500 family). Higher threshold ($11,500 single/$29,450 family) for early retirees and high-risk professions. CPI +1 percentage point indexed. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,941-1,956
Not me! I voted for Newt and I live in kalifornica where my vote doesn’t count.
What pisses me off is saying “obama did one thing right” is in the same category as “obama is a nice guy”. It’s just plain stupid.
Well, OBAMA didn’t raise taxes, he couldn’t. That is the job of Congress’. A technicality, I know. Romney needs to get the details down better, but I am not going to go crazy because he misspoke.
maybe he got his head stuck in the window on the plane and got a blast of exhaust fumes.. yeat that’s it!
maybe he got his head stuck in the window on the plane and got a blast of exhaust fumes.. yeah that’s it!
And before you or the rest of your minions, the Romney haters go off my family has been and still is Republican and ultra conservative.
You must be a member of the anti-gun, pro abortion, big government socialized medicine, pro gay agenda conservative wing. If you were secure in your decision to vote for Romney when there were conservative alternatives, you wouldn’t get so upset when challenged.
An ambassador is dead because we didnt provide adequate security, even those Al Qaeda promised a revenge attack only DAYS before and even though Bengazi was attacked in June by amred militias and WE KNEW Al Qaeda was active in that area. Obama administration screwed up BIGTIME ... and like with watergate, they tried a coverup, blaming a movie when that wasnt to blame.
This was TWO WEEKS OF LIES BY OBAMA ADMINISTRATION and it is still going on.
Now we hear:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/libya-president-benghazi-attack-terrorism-133154516.html?_esi=1
We need to get perspective. The Obama administration is lying to us. And now, the MSM is COVERING for Obama.
All I am saying is that the MSM will pick up every tiny statement, ‘gaffe’, slip of tongue, print ugly looking pictures, throw out biased polls, make up things about the campaign in trouble (Politico)... ALL PART OF THE DISTRACTION.
I’m disappointed Romney stepped in it, but frankly they ALL do, Biden does it daily, but the media makes a big deal only when its Romney and Biden.
Obamacare has 20 new taxes. fact. Point it out and move on to the REAL issues and REAL lies of Obama.
Ah, sorry! That is correct! I am not voting for Romney. I do not support, nor do I endorse his candidacy.
The only way I can FIRE Obama is to vote against him, that's what I'm doing by casting my vote the ONLY way I can to remove his sorry ass!
Do you have another viable, realistic solution to fire Obama?
“You must be a member of the anti-gun, pro abortion, big government socialized medicine, pro gay agenda conservative wing. If you were secure in your decision to vote for Romney when there were conservative alternatives, you wouldn’t get so upset when challenged.
OK, lets play...
I am a staunch conservative moron, my family was here while yours was still trying to figure out how to use toilet paper
And in the form of a true narcissist you ignored the content and message in my response
You are pissed when people do not think like you and I refuse to be “boxed” by people like you who say you are for or against ME and HOW I THINK!
Too bad, must be a very small fan club you have, the fact is we all in this country have the freedom to think what we want. We are a broad cross section in this area, and your little rant about those who do not think like you being stupid only foes to show your intelligence level being slightly above ground dwelling reptiles.
Say whatever you want, you are but one voice in the multitude who speaks their own mind. I guess you will go through life wondering why no one gives a damn what you think they should do which I am glad just frustrates the hell out of you
my family was here while yours was still trying to figure out how to use toilet paper
I doubt that, but it really doesn’t matter. Every generation has to pull it’s own weight.
“He is, without a doubt, better than Obama.”
I doubt that.
“Secondly, it is naive to suspect that the solution to America’s woes will come from government.”
Romney disagrees, that’s why I doubt the first statement. By the way, why do y’all keep pinging Jim? I’ll do it too for fun, I guess.
Romney is not my choice at all.
Next to Obama, Romney is a great choice.
Try to reason this out.
Let’s use a little common sense.
We are either going to get Obama or Romney.
Your vote counts.
No it certainly does not. That is a commonly propagated myth flying around this site, which you must know better.
My vote has no effect in the primary, and it has no effect in the general election. I don't live in any of the battleground states, my state is solid blue AND the primary is over before my state party primary votes. So I have no real vote in either,
So I don't have to choose dog-crap over cow-crap.
“We have this odd tendency to pretend the income tax is the only tax. There’re like a billion of them.”
That’s exactly so.
Romney was really saying that income tax rates havent gone up, but they WILL. Came out wrong.
Kind of like Obama saying “My Muslim faith”.
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