Talk Elections

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This guy! I wonder what insulting things he'll say in Poland and Israel next!

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/07/26/romney_once_called_england_just_a_small_island.html#disqus_thread (http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/07/26/romney_once_called_england_just_a_small_island.html#disqus_thread)

This guy makes Ted Kaczynski look slick.

I wonder what he and Ed Milliband talked about. Obviously Romney would have no clue who Milliband is other than what his advisors told him, but Milliband has to view Romney as such a ridiculous tool (like everyone else does).

(yes, I know Miliband has only one 'l', mea culpa)

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/07/26/bonus_quote_of_the_day.html (http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/07/26/bonus_quote_of_the_day.html)

"There are some people coming from around the world who don't yet know if we are ready. There's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we are ready. Are we ready?"

-- London Mayor Boris Johnson, quoted by the Daily Telegraph, mocking Mitt Romney in front of a crowd of 60,000 at Hyde Park.

Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BRgh2mOce7Q (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BRgh2mOce7Q)


Ouch! Just imagine what could happen if Mitens wasn't aware of the common Anglo-Saxon heritage.

Not to mention that the trees are altogether the wrong height.

To be honest all the things he said are true.

He also apparently forgot Miliband's name and called him "Mr. Leader" instead.

And then he went to hold a fundraiser where he attacked Obama the whole time.

Great trip abroad, Mitt.

I wonder if Mittens can locate the British Isles on a world map.

Uggggghhhh...................

Mitt Romney needs to stop talking, period. Let him enter Thomas Dewey mode and let's move onto 2014-2016.

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Um, isn't Britain a major coal/oil/steel producer (granted, much less than it was)?

Another winner:


hahahahaha

He should visit more often. This is great.

Major oil producer, but as a coal and steel producer it's mostly a middle size producer today.

That's Thatcherism for you.

I can't wait for Poland!

Oooh, maybe he'll meet with Lech Walesa and accidentally start attacking unions.

British coal production peaked in 1913.

So Romney is asked a question about what he's thinks about how London is doing at hosting the Olympics, he answers honestly about security issues (which have been reported in the press anyway), and this is considered a gaffe? When did telling the truth become a gaffe? He led the 2002 Olympic games for goodness sake. I think he's qualified to answer a question on how it's going when asked. But this is an election year, and considering the economy is in the dumper, and the President has no record to run on, I imagine this is all the Democrats have left...well, this and dogs on the roof, bully-gate, tax-returns, war-on-women, etc, etc.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Maybe when he goes to Israel he'll ask Netanyahu to tear down the Western Wall.

Who cares. It's still Thatcherism.   ;)

Credit to Cameron and Boris for totally pwning him.

Credit to liberal Piers Morgan for saying  Romney was only speaking the truth: http://www.therightscoop.com/piers-morgan-defends-romney-comments-on-olympics-in-britain/

hahahahahahahahahahaha

Err...wonderful contribution.

I'm following this trip with great interest. There should be ample opportunity for equally clueless gaffes in Poland, too. ;D

e: Also, "liberal Piers Morgan". *dies*

This is the country that fell in love with the Obamas on their first official visit, yes? :) Was it not Winifield or someone else who said Romney should just sit tight overseas for a few months and come back to America for his electoral victory? I rather agree with that, now. Love it when Romney is proved to be the elitist, clueless, blundering buffoon that he really is.

Do you know who Piers Morgan is?

I'm surprised, I did think he would be able smurf a visit to Europe this bad, while most Europeans don't like Republicans, on paper and how he has been covered in the European media, he come across rather faceless and inoffensive. He really had to go out of his way, to fail this badly, the only saving grace is that he going to visit non-English speaking countries now, and he can hope that as such American media ignore whatever he say there.

Yeah, I know exactly who he is.
Fight with Johan Goldberg:  http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/05/cnns-piers-morgan-ambushes-guest-jonah-goldberg-with-cliched-talking-points-but-obama-is-cool/
Interview reveals Morgan's Liberal Bias: http://www.newsmax.com/Limbaugh/Goldberg-Morgan-liberal-bias/2012/05/04/id/438056
Morgan calls Bachmann judgemental: http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2012/03/05/michele-bachmann-calls-cnn-british-liberal-hack-piers-morgan-rude-to-his-face-video/

What makes you so sure of whether he is or isn't a liberal? Lets hear from all the Piers Morgan experts who are laughing or *dying* (dramatic much?) over my comment

Dude, you read some terrible websites.

Yeah, I'm sure I'm missing all the fun over at dailykos, dude.

Have you been following the Leveson Inquiry at all?

I wouldn't know, bro.

What kind of idiot reads Newsmax?

Yes, I'm aware of the phone hacking scandal, and am aware of Morgan's alleged involvement in it. Am I following it? Not in particular. But what does his listening to Paul McCartney's phone messages have to do with his ideology? Links or anything pointing to Morgan's right-wing bias would be great.

True mark of an "idiot." Criticize the source, not the content.

I guess being white doesn't make him better after all.

Hahaha

And that's from the Telegraph!

Newsmax is an unreliable source. It's a right wing hack site with no credibility. That matters.

Lmao.....just damn.

And when the Telegraph basically calls you a creep... that's a pretty low-blow.

The sad thing is that Romney's not even remotely awkward in person when he can speak without cameras. He was incredibly charming one-on-one when I met him eight years ago.

That said, he's always terrible when it comes to large groups. I think the cameras and reporters get to him.

OK so it was a silly comment but this so called gaffe is not mentioned on CNN, Yahoo, or MSNBC front pages. You can barely find it on thier politics page. MSNBC actually gives pro-Romney coverage of the issue. This is non-issue, does not fit into a campaign narrative, and will be over tomorrow. Serious non issue. He told the truth but probably should not have. The British papers love it but no one gives a care on this side of the atlantic.

I am glad this is trending in the UK among at the guardian, while "you didn't build that" is still tending EVERY DAY in the US for the last two weeks.

Being the left of Michele Bachmann makes you a liberal now? these are some pretty strong standards in conservative america that people have to aspire too.

oh whatever, he's not liberal. And nor does right/left matter in this case. Romney has trampled over British pride on the eve of their greatest international showcase in a long time.

Or maybe his secret role is to boost other conservative politicians, because Cameron and Johnson are coming out very well in this...

No one cares. Romneys relationship with the British media is the last thing on swing voters's minds. This is a joke. No one cared when Obama when overseas 4 years ago.  McCain mocked the crap out of him and we all saw how that turned out.

McCain actually got decent mileage out of the world celebrity ridiculousness. Still, you're right, no one is going to vote based on England's opinion of Mitt Romney.

Please don't insult the man by spelling his name incorrectly. As is now quite well known, there is actually an 'o' where you have wrongly typed a 'g' and an 'a'.

Quite so. That is why, as you may have noticed, we are all laughing. This is hilarious stuff. It is also further proof that Romney really is the American President from TV drama serials made in countries that aren't America.

So why is he even in the UK then and meeting the party leaders?

Joke politician. Can you imagine if this series of events happened every the President Romney visited a foreign country?

And this is the country that his campaign says he is much better-positioned to understand than is the President.

Romney is probably now wishing he'd just stayed home, and spent the day talking about why he doesn't want to release his tax returns.

I don't know about British TV, but the Russian US presidential stereotype is certainly not Romney. Eisenhower or Petraeus, maybe.

are you serious

This is so refreshing. Does anyone remember Obama prancing around Europe and sucking up to the socialists over there in 2008? Romney is showing that he's not going to be cowarding or intimidated by non-American leaders.

The truly depressing thing about this post is that it represents ~30-40% of the American electorate.

Also known as the Republican party, an increasingly moronic and irrelevant political entity.

The thing is, Romney is spewing these unapologetic opinions in a pretty temperate tone. Americans seem to like guys who'll go all out--Obama falls short on this credential too.

If Romney's going to go over there and spout American exceptionalism, he might as well do it in a Huckabee sort of way. He just seems so mechanical with this "conviction politician" stuff.

If nobody cares about Romney's overseas trip then why the heck did he do it?


So, insulting your allies=embracing American exceptionalism.

Do you mean kowtowing or perhaps cowering?

30-40%? That's a huge base! I'd say most Americans wouldn't put up with the jibberish from the European socialists either and that only the far left or in other words, half the Democratic Party who has been brought up in a leftist background would side with how Obama pranced around in 2008.

As irrelevant as they were in 2010 or irrelevant to Democrats? A Republican could also say that the Democratic Party is becoming irrelevant. Moronic because they disagree with you? Are you so arrogant that you assume you're right all the time or are you at least open minded to the other side? Let me guess you're going to quote me a "study" now that was performed by liberal scholars and students to show that the GOP is less educated or somehow deficient in their thinking compared to Democrats and then act like the study wasn't one sided. Look I'm trying to make friends here but I don't like when people are insulted for holding political views that are liberal, conservative, or whatever.

Some would percieve it that way, yes. I'm not endorsing it, but Romney would have more support back home if he went over like Chris Christie. (Instead of bumbling around trying to look professional.)

I agree. Ronald Reagan was as conservative as anyone and it was never a problem. As much as Bush was criticized and made fun of he overcame it. It's all about selling a set of ideas to 10% of the country rather than selling issue by issue. He should come up with a sound ideology and explain why it will work for the issues.

I love election years...

Yep things intensify and the battles heat up! Gotta love it

Back in his day, yes. Nowadays he'd be considered a socialist.

What?

He's making a comparison of Obama and Reagan. Conservatives keep making the claim of Obama being a socialist, with little to no evidence backing it up. Reagan nowadays would be considered a moderate conservative. He proposed amnesty to illegal immigrants, an assault weapons ban, and the closure of tax loopholes on the rich. He sayed "a millionaire has no business paying less than a bus driver in taxes." in other words, Obama has proposed a lot of things that past Republican Presidents and party members supported. but now that Obama supports them, they are bad and "European Style Socialism."

Of course no one is going to base their vote on this. It's just so hilarious that this trip, which according to his idiotic staff was going to mend relations due to Romney's whiteness and thus inherent understanding of shared anglo saxon culture, but ends with a f up like this where he insults the country he was supposedly trying to mend relations with. Of course his trip hasn't ended yet, so maybe there is more entertainment to follow.

Well I think Obama tries to make it sound like he's a moderate in order to get elected. "At some point you've made enough money" and "I'm just looking to spread the wealth" sound very socialist. The GOP has moved to the right since Reagan was in office and the Democrats have moved to the left. Really the only past Republican Presidents that pass for conservative are Reagan and George W. Bush in terms of today's GOP.

Chris Christie would not make this gaffe lol. He understands how to interact with human beings. This is just a good old fashioned Mitt gaffe. One of the few times he should have stuck to platitudes, (as opposed to debates where that is all he can utter) he didn't and answered like a robot what may be wrong with the games. He may be right, but it just sounds so wrong. Obviously this gaffe won't hurt him, but it's hilarious that anyone would think this would help him. Is partisanship really that deluding?

Obama really is moderate. If you think of all the things he's attempted to pass in the past 4 years, the deficit would probably smaller than it is right now. Hillary Clinton was more to the left of him, and that's one of the reason working class people liked her. Think about it, the watered down stimulus that was 2/3 tax cuts to people and small businesses. Every President (including The Gipper) use stimulus to get out of recession. Republicans called it reckless spending. But that's what they plan on doing in the White House, billions of dollars in tax cuts. Or the watered down Health Care bill that was originally the Republican alternative to HillaaryCare. He's not some far leftist, he's more left of center like Bill Clinton and Tony Blair.

No I've heard all this before. There is nothing moderate about requiring people to buy a product or about the government deciding who pays how much for health care. Nothing is moderate about $50 million in honey bee insurance that was included in the stimulus bill either. None of that ever works anyways. If Obama wanted to bail us out of the recession so bad then he would've done it as a senator by proposing that bill before being elected. Yes the Republicans once called for requiring people to buy health insurance but none of the other 2,700 pages were in their agenda. Government controlling costs and deciding who pays what was never a conservative idea and neither was jail time for people who don't want health insurance. The only true tax cut is to make it a flat tax rate where everyone pays the same percent while cutting spending across the board in order to make the government smaller.

lol

Is this guy White Rain's sock or what?

WhyteRain is better at paragraphs.

Aside from the giant disaster this has been, I wonder what Romney was even trying to do. Obama's international tour in 2008 was obviously to promote restoring the US's image internationally which gave him a boost. Romney is just doing things that will alienate swing voters, plus he doesn't have the international following Obama did.

Don't get too excited over these incidents that are now called "gaffes". I am not a fan of Romney but let's be frank: the only thing that matters on election day is the economy and as long as the polls indicate that a very substantial number of voters (if not the majority!) think Romney is better than Obama when it comes to handling the economy, Romney is in a really good position.

Careful not to fall in to that trap; when it come to the economy voters tend to vote for who can assist them economically, not the wider economy itself. The two are often not linked and can often be opposed.

So let's rephrase my post in the following way: As long as a substantial number or even the majority of the voters think that Romney is better than Obama when it comes to creating jobs (which is the key priority of many voters in these times of economic uncertainty), Romney is in a really good position.

Trying to appear as relaxed, normal guy Mitt will tell some botched Polish jokes in Warsaw.

I think a lot of this was merely the product of the notorious British press and not just that which concerns Romney. Cameron's words were apparently in response to a issue about subways and had nothing to do with Romney or Salt Lake City, according to CBS This Morning.

It was a mistake for Romney to answer as "an Olympics expert" rather than a Presidential candidate and as such some criticism is justified, but most of this is just unimportant, trivial nonesense.

SPIEGEL Online's headline was "Romney snubs the Britons" today.

It says so much that Cameron has tried to keep their meeting under wraps. Footage from the Obama meet in 2008 was plastered into campaign videos, Labour and Conservative.

Don't forget 2008 was when Obama dubbed Cameron "a lightweight" as well when they met. ;)

"It's easier when you hold an Olympics in the middle on nowhere."
AHAHAHAHAHAhAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, even David Cameron deserves a handshake for that!

Even Daily Mail (!!!) journos are declaring him "worse than Sarah Palin".

This just gets better.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/07/27/mitt-romney-snubbed-by-uk-government-cameron-romneyshambles-olympics_n_1709198.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003&ir=Politics

Part of that article disagrees with what they said on CBS, again highlighting that some of this the rambunctiousness of the British press. In my opinion, most of this "coldness" is the result of the Conservatives reacting to the press as part of a political calculation so as to distance themselves from Romney's comments as they were sold and not as they actually were.

Beyond that the article is right when it points out that the Tories and the GOP have been moving away from each other at lightening speed this past decade on both foreign policy and on social issues. So it is not shocking for there to be sympathies for Obama, because on many fronts they are on the same page.

I guess that's part of the strategy to improve the "special relationship" that is so tarnished after four years of that anti-colonial Kenyan socialist Obama.

Major errors of fact or evidence of inadequate preparation for any challenge might suggest that Mitt Romney is unready to be President. If he bungles his way through Great Britain, then just think of how inept his diplomacy would be with a country less similar to the US (like Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, or Japan).

It's easy to dismiss President Obama as a quick study, but people who prove themselves quick studies on everything demonstrate flexibility and preparedness.

I don't like to predict imperfect analogues, but if Mitt Romney gets the UK so wrong, then what is his reliable strength? Maybe his claim to mastery of economic stewardship, long his apparent strength in contrast to President Obama, is more limited in value and relevance. If his mastery of foreign policy is suspect for factual weaknesses, then what sort of Commander in Chief will he be? We recently had a President whose military policy came largely from his gut instincts and desire for personal revenge, and look what that got us!

I'm not going to call a Romney collapse before I see it. It just looks far more possible. "Steady hand" trumps bungler on a national scale. The time for recovery from any serious gaffe is getting shorter every day.   

Shhhh..!   You're pricking the cocoon! 

The truth-value of Romney's comments isn't really at issue; the point is that Romney was rude and tactless while a guest in someone else's country. And in not just any country, but one where a member of Romney's team had, days earlier, bragged that Romney would be able to manage a "special relationship" much better than Obama has.

I know a lot of people are wondering if this could cost Morgan his MSM job, the way that NYT reporter lost his after exposing the Democrats for raising millions of illegal donations, mostly from China, in the 1996 campaign.  I don't think so.  Unlike Chinagate, this one isn't going to result in 100 witnesses fleeing the U.S. one step ahead of the law.

I'm still worried about that CBS reporter who's covering Fast & Furious while nearly all the rest of the MSM suppressed the news.  Being "screamed at" by top Obama Administration officials is no way to get ahead in the MSM.

...and I'm standing there, staring at them from across the room. Still happy with your pick, guys?

At least people aren't talking about Bain, besides he's helping out conservative leaders big time.

Yeah, the biggest winners out of this seem to be the Tories. Distancing themselves from the Republicans and sticking close to Obama is a good strategy.

Another knee-jerk, bleeding-heart, liberal comments on Romneyshambles:

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/karl-rove-romney-blew-it-in-london-video.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

I think it's more disgusting that "conservative" British politicians have treated an American visitor this rudely. Romney did not hurl insults--he offered a fair critique. Cameron was just as worried about the threat of strikes last week. The security problems have been obvious and did not arise simply because London is "in the middle of somewhere."

So all in all, it seems fair to suggest that anti-Americanism still exists across the world and that Obama really has only glossed over it. They like Obama for his charisma, skin colour, and "health care." Romney did little wrong, but their press has gobbled him up and spat him out because they've already decided they prefer Barack. That sure sounds fair.

If you ask the average person on the street about Obama, nine times out of ten, one of those three reasons come up.

Though in terms of the press, you can't say the Telegraph and Daily Mail 'prefer Barack', the comment sections on both papers, as well as their columnists, often rave about Romney or at the very least moan about the Presidents 'ineptitude'. I believe its more a case of the right papers flaunting their 'patriotic values' by defending the London Olympics against a foreign critic.

This thread has some of the worst spin I've ever seen posted on this forum...

Does anyone remember how poorly Bush was treated overseas? Let's remember this poor treatment goes both ways not just against conservatives.

Old Europe or New Europe?

I'm not sure what you mean. I mean all over the world. The Chinese locked a door for him so that he would get stuck on stage. The guy went to Iraq and somebody threw shoes at him. The French wouldn't budge on Iraq because they were getting barrels of oil for 4 cents. Bush just never got a break.

Why can't we all just be friends and lovers? *said in my best Rodney King voice*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtfipeRNOrg

Tonight's ceremony apparently has a section praising the NHS as part of a thing showing the best of Britain.

Mitt'll end up walking out or something.

See this is the socialist attitude that we're dealing with in the next election.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2179997/Romney-campaign-blasts-eccentric-odd-Mayor-Boris-Johnson-London.html

:o

Is this man REALLY a potential President? Really? Boris is stupid at best, but come on, be cool.

Ha! Hysterical coming from the guy with a PIC of Millibrand and Hollande sauce in his sig line.

Miliband and Hollande don't make habits of insulting their hosts. In most premodern societies, Romney's behavior in Britain would have gotten him expelled from the country at best.

So Obama should be expelled from Pennsylvania for portraying them as people who cling to their guns and their bibles? Whether or not it's true, he said it in a negative way.

Nice job returning to something that the media took out of context four years ago, but you'll notice that nothing I said in my previous post was prescriptive or normative.

He was asked a QUESTION. And he didn't lie. If that get's him persecuted, so be it. This is no where near "you didn't build that", as evidenced by this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z0yK5NakN2o

Er... no. Britain isn't actually the 51st state, you know...

OR IS IT?

But why is Mitt insulting Boris? I thought he was a lovable clown.

What a group of whiners.

Romney was only stating the truth, and made a very valid point.

The London Olympic Committee, out of touch elites, out sourcing olympic security to G4S, who failed, miserably, to meet their mandate to provide proper security, the government was forced, at the last minute, to call in the military.  

http://www.thestar.com/sports/london2012/article/1231804--london-2012-olympic-leaders-live-in-different-world-dimanno

I think it's pretty clear which side is whining here, and which side is enjoying a bit of a joke at the other side's candidate's expense.

Romney fans accusing someone else as being an out of touch elitist is like Charlie Sheen calling someone else "pothead".

The things discussed in this thread have made this election a whole lot more depressing.

Yes, I laughed out loud at that one, though oddly enough much later, when I was sitting on a bench on the beach.  Strange.

Really? Damn, you learn something new everyday.

I don't think this has much of an effect on elections anywhere but this whole situation does help the Tories get all patriotic and distance themselves from Republicans at the same time. Of course I'm not saying that the distancing is worth much but it helps.

If Britain were the 51st state, think of the additional gerrymandering possibilities.  More maps! :P

A quick and helpful summary, thanks to the conservative Daily Mail:


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I've actually been thinking that the only way for Romney to rectify his England faux pas in the eyes of Americans would be to come back strong against the spin of the Brits. It won't win him any points, but it could neutralize the negatives of what has so far been a disappointing trip.

If he comes back home, defends his remarks, and calls out the way he was treated, Americans might just appreciate Romney for his "straight talk." We'll see.

Maybe he'll promise to declare war on Britain. If that doesn't improve his numbers among tea partiers then nothing will.

My thoughts exactly. ;)

lol, this London trip is such a disaster it could be turned into a Monty Python skit.  After Romney's cookiegate flap in PA, I eagerly await his comments about British food.  I suppose this should not be too surprising from a candidate who was unprepared for the Bain/tax attacks, whose campaign gave contradictory responses as to whether the mandate was a tax or a penalty and who said that he was "not concerned about the very poor." 

Foreign policy does not matter much in this election.  But insofar as it does, Romney is failing.

No, he needs to ignore this and move on. As has been said it won't affect the election. Him making a big deal out of it just might.

I agree Senator Shane. Who is actually going to base their vote on how Romney answered questions at the Olympics in Britain? This is nothing but fire for the far left.

Um, no. This is a comedy gold mine for Saturday late-night TV and, while it may not sway votes, it's going to make Romney look even more ridiculous, contrived, and idiotic...as if that were possible...

Right like I said fuel fire for the far left.

Agree with Mondale84 on this one. Romney has had a millionthousand small gaffes that "won't sway voters." Except when you have a millionthousand of them, they actually do start to add up.

Unless, of course, Romney makes himself look like an unapologetic truth-teller.

Late-Night isn't just for the far left, unless you consider ~30% of the country FAR left.

An unapologetic truth-teller would follow his father's example and release twelve years worth of tax records.  So while Romney may avoid taking damage from these microgaffes, he won't be able to make lemonade out of these lemons.

At least 30% of this country is far left. As far as his tax records what does anyone care? Are you suggesting without basis for your claim that he cheated on his taxes? Anyone can say that about anyone. I can demand my neighbor release his tax records so I know he's paying his fair share for the lawn service. Yes I know my neighbor isn't running for president but what's the point of releasing your tax records when you're a wealthy Republican? I mean really, the media is just going to smother you with attacks of being so wealthy that you're out of touch with the average voter. It's been done since the 30's. Do you really want to know what Romney paid in the last 12 years or do you just want to make a political point? I don't think his father would be happy either to know that the left in this country is using the Romney family to divide this great nation. As for making lemonade out of lemons, do what you want but if the left had their way, your lemonade stand would be confiscated by police for not filing the proper tax forms.

The Obama campaign is probably dying laughing that the Romney campaign decides to insult a mayor of a foreign city on its Olympics opening day.

He must think he's won the election because Romney insulted a foreign mayor. After all this is a world election. How many electoral votes is Britain worth again? Oh that's right I'm no fun. Am I banned from your talking points.

Where did I say he cheated?  There probably are a few minor things that are potentially embarrassing, but I would be surprised if he cheated on his taxes

Besides, you need to calm down and stop embarrassing yourself by making up strawman arguments and putting them in other people's mouths.  If you'd been around more than a few days you'd realize I'm no Obama supporter.  I'm an independent who is disappointed in both parties, tho the Republicans have been doing their best this campaign season to be more disappointing, which is why my comments of late have been more anti-Republican than anti-Democrat of late.  They've been giving me more material to work with, especially this week.

You never did say he cheated. So what's the point of pressuring Romney for his tax records? Simpley for the sake of tradition? What are you getting at by forcing his tax records? I'm not putting any arguments in anyone's mouth but am wondering why there is an obsession with Romney's tax returns. It doesn't matter to me who you support.

Can't say I didn't warn you. Huntsman 2012 for life.

Something about Hunstman just screams "Whoville" though.

Sigh.  At this point Romney probably won't gain (or lose) anything by releasing additional tax-records.  He probably could have avoid all this by releasing a few extra years back in 2011 before they predictably became an issue, but its too late now.

Romney's central problem on both the tax return issue and with Bain is that he comes across as fearful and defensive on these trivial points.  He acts as if he is ashamed of the money he has made and how he made it.


Mainly that when you ask most people about Huntsman they say "Who?"

True. And he always reminds me of this guy, in looks and mannerisms.

http://www.eurotv.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/How-the-Grinch-Stole-Christmas.jpg

I don't quite see it that way but I'll agree to disagree. I don't know a single voter who will change their vote because Romney didn't release more tax returns.

Don't sweat it Derek.

Just in the name of disclosure, he should. But I'm not voting for him either way, even if his tax returns are magical.

Huh?

I agree no one's going to give a damn about Romney's tax returns.  This election is about the U.S. economy.

Besides, Obama is hiding a lot more records than Romney.  Romney has already released a year of his tax returns.  He should say that he'll release another when Obama releases a year of his education records.

Obama is hiding more because he hasn't released his education records? It comes off as really desperate that those on the right feel that Obama needs to prove that he's an intelligent individual.
Is there a precedent for doing that? How many past presidents/candidates have released their grades when running?

Really, who gives a $h!t if Obama made an A or a C in history class 30 years ago. He's not running as a constitutional lawyer trying to fix an economy which his policies nearly destroyed. He's running as President trying to fix an economy against the policies that the Rominee is advocating nearly destroyed.

It is, as usual, subtle racism (that he was possibly an 'unqualified minority' who got in through affirmative action and has something to hide). Still, he graduated Harvard Law magna cum laude so...

If that's all you think he's hiding, you must be shocked he's going through all the trouble.  But that's not all you think he's hiding, is it?


True, that was his 2008 campaign.


Romney's advocating forcing banks to make loans to uncreditworthy people to "close the racial gap in home ownership"?  He's such a liberal that I wouldn't be surprised.

Anyway, Obama's had four years to fix it and I don't think anybody can say "he has fixed it" and expect to be taken seriously.

Ah yes, those poor, hardworking, banks, just trying to do their job, but hamstrung by the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, and the Community Reinvestment act of 1977. They struggled bravely on for decades, but suddenly in 2008 it all became too much for them, and the banks collapsed, for reasons that had nothing to do with deregulation of lending practices or questionable pricing on mortgage-backed securities.

Aren't Brits notorious for their terrible food?

Depends entirely on your taste. I like British cooking a lot better than French cooking, which is excessively fussy and at times wasteful of some of its ingredients, although not nearly as much as Italian cooking.

Why would someone want to know Obama's grades? And how is he going to great lengths to hide them?

I love Italian food, and I also love authentic British fish and chips.  :)

Chefs and foodies in the UK are desperately trying to dispel the "terrible bland food" meme. When I was there it was all about the new ethnic cuisine, British fusion and revamping traditional dishes. Although the best thing I've ever had in my several visits to the UK was good old fashioned fish and chips- delicious.

Still, Romney will keep his mouth shut about British food if he knows what's good for him. The media over there really are ruthless.

Not sure the fuss over the college/grad school documents is about his grades. For the Republicans pushing this (Breitbart), it's more about exposing Obama's past socialism. That and the fact that his campaign made such a huge deal out of transparency. You know, a "new kind of politics." Republicans would much rather hear about Obama's college thesis than his grades (though he's admitted in his own book that his grades were poor at times).

Remember Michelle's thesis that was "temporarily withdrawn"?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8642.html#ixzz21xHImgLv

Wonder if the First Lady still feels like she's just on the periphery

FWIW, I'm mildly interested in the President's college records, though I think anytime Romney spends on it would be silly. All Romney has to do is focus on the economy like a laser.

What's your point? American have a reputation for being fat, I wouldn't expect the American government or public react well to foreign visiting politician going out of the way to mention it.

As for the how terrible English cuisine are or aren't , it's a as much a truth as the American reputation for being fat. As most Americans don't weight 300 pound, in the same way English cuisine aren't inedible or especially terrible (some dishes excepted). Of course Americans are fatter on average than most other countries, inthe same way much of the traditional English cuisine was destroyed when UK turned into a industrial society and people needed mass produced food which could be made fast (in short food with lot of fats, grease and oils), while they ones who could afford more expensive food ate French food because of its higher prestige. This also happen elsewhere, but it hit England harder, because the industrialisation started earlier there and was most extreme there, so when the rediscovery of traditional cuisine began, they had simply forgotten more of it and the good cuisine they did have, had fancy French names and as such wasn't seen as English.
 

Wow. Struck a nerve?

Seeing as I'm non-English not really, I just hate ignorance and political hackery. So I tried to enlighten you in hope of lessering both traits in your personality.

Well thank you so very much for the enlightening.

You know, no one cared that Laura Bush killed her boyfriend. Why would they care about this?

Link please?

Nevermind. Found it. http://www.bartcop.com/pickles-killer.htm

By the way , who proposed that people care about Michelle's thesis? I actually agree that they don't. But maybe they should.