I was asked to volunteer to work for Obama

[Torie]

Yes, this nice lady called me who also lives in Laguna Niguel, saying she "understood" that I voted for Obama before (how did she know - did someone here tell her?), and was asking me to volunteer to work for his campaign.

So she got "the lecture" about the fiscal ticking time bomb. Yes, I did vote for him, but not this time. This time I will be voting for Mittens. Why she asked? Because he has been AWOL on entitlements, gave the Bowles commission the finger, and the stimulus sucked, and more stimulus that he wants sucks even more, and now he has gone populist. I lay on her my rap that secular centrist socially rather liberal upper middle types I suspect will be abandoning Obama in droves, and that Obama will need to make it up with Hispanics or somebody.

She asked as to entitlements was I talking about social security, and I said sure, but that is rather small beer. The medical subsidy thing is the specter, exacerbated by the race of medical technology into new and ever more expensive realms. It was all coming apart at the seams. It requires some tough choices. Obama offers no choices at all or even talks about it. He spends most of his time saying the rich don't pay enough in taxes, which is hardly going to move the ball much even if Obama gets his way, which he won't.

She thanked me for the discussion.  I felt kind of bad laying it all on her that way, but she asked, so I told her.

[ModerateCoward]

Torie with an attention whoring thread. A little out of character for a chill 60 year old man, no?

[Torie]

Torie with an attention whoring thread. A little out of character for a chill 60 year old man, no?

On what Board should I put my little anecdote?  Or is it just so prosaic, that it should not be put up anywhere? I still wonder how she knew how I voted, but whatever.

[Senator Napoleon]

Torie with an attention whoring thread. A little out of character for a chill 60 year old man, no?

I find it interesting. Better than anything on the 2012 board, or "Do you have the previous poster on ignore?", or the Deluge.

[ModerateCoward]

I'm not saying this is bad, but it's a little out of character. But do continue, I hope there is some way you two can continue the exchange, maybe we can get a glimpse into life of an Orange county resident.

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

Did you really vote for Obama in 2008?

[Torie]

Did you really vote for Obama in 2008?

Of course. I put up a vanity thread about it - just like this one.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

You do realize that he's governed to the right of the campaign he ran? Did you expect him to not have a stimulus? As for the deficit, it's mostly the fault of the tax cuts and the wars and out of control military spending.

[So the Heroes Fall]

You do realize that he's governed to the left of the campaign he ran?

It's pretty weird to hear jfern saying this.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

The great thing is that your demographic is tiny and is the equivalent of the tone deaf wealthy Greek voters who reside in the Athenian suburbs and voted for the austerity-mongers (DRASI and Renewal) in droves while the rest of the nation ditched PASOK and ND for the opposite reason. Continue to enjoy being tone deaf while the rest of the nation flagellates themselves on the altar constructed to appease your frugality gods.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

You do realize that he's governed to the left of the campaign he ran?

It's pretty weird to hear jfern saying this.

I meant right.

[Nagas]

You do realize that he's governed to the right of the campaign he ran? Did you expect him to not have a stimulus? As for the deficit, it's mostly the fault of the tax cuts and the wars and out of control military spending.

That's incorrect. Going off the $1.3 trillion deficit we had last year:
Cut defense spending to Clinton levels (-$400): ~$900 billion deficit.
Let Bush tax cuts expire (-$260): ~ $640 billion deficit.

Quite the gap. While the bloated military budget and tax cuts did help balloon the deficit, they alone did not constitute the entire deficit. Depressed tax revenues from the recession, increased welfare costs, the rising costs of entitlements (social security, medicare), and increased discretionary spending have all played their fair share.

I understand Torie's sentiment. I imagine that he's taking a more long-term view at this while most of the people here are focused on the immediate effects. The United States does not need to go through Greek-level austerity; assuming we get our fiscal house in order this decade. If we gradually reduced the deficit (aiming for ~$100 billion increments would be ideal) though restrained/cutting spending and occasional revenue increase, we could probably run a surplus by the early 2020s. It's actually the Keynesian thing to do: when the recession is over, restore the budget and keep inflation tame so you can run a large deficit without fear of consequence the next time a recession rolls around. The problem is that the ruling parties tend to get addicted to the spending, and let's face it, undoing your tax cut or pork-barrel projects in your district is going to be unpopular.

Torie, do you really think that a President Romney (and Republican Congress) would really exercise fiscal discipline? Both parties have demonstrated a lack of fiscal restraint when they hold all the cards. The party of "fiscal responsibility" has been wracking up the deficit since 1980. Wouldn't a divided government be more ideal? It worked well in the 90s and if the current budget projections are any indicator, it seems to be working now (to bring down the deficit).

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

You do realize that he's governed to the right of the campaign he ran? Did you expect him to not have a stimulus? As for the deficit, it's mostly the fault of the tax cuts and the wars and out of control military spending.

That's incorrect. Going off the $1.3 trillion deficit we had last year:
Cut defense spending to Clinton levels (-$400): ~$900 billion deficit.
Let Bush tax cuts expire (-$260): ~ $640 billion deficit.

Quite the gap. While the bloated military budget and tax cuts did help balloon the deficit, they alone did not constitute the entire deficit. Depressed tax revenues from the recession, increased welfare costs, the rising costs of entitlements (social security, medicare), and increased discretionary spending have all played their fair share.

I understand Torie's sentiment. I imagine that he's taking a more long-term view at this while most of the people here are focused on the immediate effects. The United States does not need to go through Greek-level austerity; assuming we get our fiscal house in order this decade. If we gradually reduced the deficit (aiming for ~$100 billion increments would be ideal) though restrained/cutting spending and occasional revenue increase, we could probably run a surplus by the early 2020s. It's actually the Keynesian thing to do: when the recession is over, restore the budget and keep inflation tame so you can run a large deficit without fear of consequence the next time a recession rolls around. The problem is that the ruling parties tend to get addicted to the spending, and let's face it, undoing your tax cut or pork-barrel projects in your district is going to be unpopular.

Torie, do you really think that a President Romney (and Republican Congress) would really exercise fiscal discipline? Both parties have demonstrated a lack of fiscal restraint when they hold all the cards. The party of "fiscal responsibility" has been wracking up the deficit since 1980. Wouldn't a divided government be more ideal? It worked well in the 90s and if the current budget projections are any indicator, it seems to be working now (to bring down the deficit).

No, I'm correct.

[They Played The Wardrum Out Of Time]

Stick it to the man, Torie!

[Hashemite]

Voting for Mittens is a terrible idea.

[Keystone Phil]

Hmmmm...I'm confused. Is the Obama campaign that disorganized? You've already volunteered to help him: you've been a very vocal Romney supporter. I expected better from Barack's team.

[opebo]

Torie, what is this forum for but to listen to your opinions (at least I think your opinions are the type allowed here)?  We don't mind a bit!

But in sympathy to that poor woman, perhaps she had better things to do.

[Torie]

Torie, do you really think that a President Romney (and Republican Congress) would really exercise fiscal discipline? Both parties have demonstrated a lack of fiscal restraint when they hold all the cards. The party of "fiscal responsibility" has been wracking up the deficit since 1980. Wouldn't a divided government be more ideal? It worked well in the 90s and if the current budget projections are any indicator, it seems to be working now (to bring down the deficit).

Yes, I am quite confident Mittens will exercise fiscal discipline, and hold Congress's feet to the fire (and is a lot less of a scatter shot thinker than Dubya, who in any event lost interest in fiscal issues when he assumed the mantle of defender of Western Civilization, and casting light into the dark corners of societies gone wrong).

As to divided government, my thought is that it works pretty well in stopping a lot of new problematical spending, but does not work so well when it comes to making tough choices, like those entailed in taming the entitlements beast, that require statutory fixes. What we do know, is that divided government of late has been a bust. Basically nothing of any gravitas or merit has been done - nothing. We have been wasting valuable time, and now have to endure a lot of BS and silly deflective rhetoric about the relatively trivial to boot.

[Lief]

Torie says he's concerned about the deficit and yet he's supporting Mitt "Let's build a fleet of brand new battleships and massively cut taxes" Romney. Hm...

[Redalgo]

Though I do feel sorry in general for volunteers working the phone banks, I'm glad you had an opportunity to try and set things straight with the gal, Torie.  

The OP actually reminds me of a time I received an auto-signed photograph of George W. Bush working at his desk in the Oval Office with an attached message that read: Thank you for your support of the Republican National Committee. Grassroots leaders like you are the key to building a better, stronger, more secure future for our nation and all Americans.

Incidentally, I've not been asked by anyone to volunteer again this cycle despite pitching in over a hundred hours of service to at least three or four Democratic campaigns a few years back. xD

[Vasall des Midas]

The great thing is that your demographic is tiny and is the equivalent of the tone deaf wealthy Greek voters who reside in the Athenian suburbs and voted for the austerity-mongers (DRASI and Renewal) in droves while the rest of the nation ditched PASOK and ND for the opposite reason.

The interesting point being, they still ditched PASOK and ND in even larger numbers than rural people. That trend came on top of the same ones also extant in the rest of the country.

Nice attentionwhore post, Torie. Beat most of them by miles.

[patrick1]

Uh oh, this is how it starts.  Next thing you will start talking to telemarketers, get swindled by  duplicitous contractors and buy cd/dvds off PBS.

I really see no reason to believe that Romney will do anything to revive the economy. Is he going to do anything to try to reform the banking industry that continues pissing away billions of dollars on their gambles? The invisible hand is getting shoved up our.... Obama hasn't done much yet either but with Mitt I see more tax cuts for the Jamie Dimon's, decreased revenue, another war and more deficits.

[Progressive Realist]

I don't understand how anyone can vote for Mittens. I mean, seriously.

[Torie]

Torie says he's concerned about the deficit and yet he's supporting Mitt "Let's build a fleet of brand new battleships and massively cut taxes" Romney. Hm...

A plank with which I disagree, although it isn't "battleships."  They don't make those anymore.  But that all pales in comparison with where the big game lie. Mittens does not propose to cut taxes, just rates. For some reason a lot of Dems don't want to focus on that distinction. Shocking!  

[TJ in Wisco]

I don't understand how anyone can vote for Mittens. I mean, seriously.

Really? With your knowledge of demographics, you of all people should understand exactly why people can and will vote for Mittens.