Recalls in Wisconsin, Rick Perry’s White House run, etc.
A wrapup of the world of politics:
In Wisconsin, voters in six state Senate districts are going to the polls today to decide whether to recall their Republican legislators, each of whom took active roles in passing controversial anti-labor legislation early this year.
If three or more of the seats turn Democratic, the GOP would lose control of the state Senate, Republican Gov. Scott Walker would be rebuked and could face possible recall himself, and Democrats around the country would see the populist-themed campaigns as a template for the 2012 elections.
If not, not.
Polls close at 8 p.m. Central, 9 Eastern, but the races are expected to be tight so we might not know the outcome until early morning.
In Iowa, Republicans are gearing up for the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday, an early test of strength in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. One person not on the ballot is Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who this week has made it as clear as he can — short of a formal declaration — that he intends to run.
According to Politico, “the Texas governor will remove any doubt about his White House intentions during his appearance at a RedState conference in Charleston” Saturday.
According to Gallup, “Perry will start in a strong position relative to other candidates if he decides to enter the presidential race soon. Perry’s Positive Intensity Score is the highest of any Republican tested, and significantly higher than that of presumptive GOP front-runner Mitt Romney.”
Gallup derives its “Positive Intensity Score” by subtracting a candidate’s strongly unfavorable sentiment from strongly favorable.
And finally, in the first poll of its type I’ve seen in the aftermath of the debt ceiling debacle, CNN asked 1,080 Americans how they’re feeling these days about Republicans, Democrats and the Tea Party.
A month ago, the GOP’s numbers in the same poll were 41 percent approval, 55 percent disapproval. For Democrats, they were 45 percent approval, 49 percent disapproval.
And of course, as a variety of polls have reported, the reputation of Congress in general is in the pits. CNN reports that just 41 percent of Americans believe their own congressman deserves re-election, “the first time ever in CNN polling that that figure has dropped below 50 percent.”
“We could very well see a situation where voters just start throwing incumbents out of windows, with those in competitive seats situated closer to the open windows. Only in the 1992 election, just after the twin House Bank and House Post Office scandals, have we seen an election with more than 10 House incumbents of each party losing reelection to the opposite party, and that was after an unusually large number of retirements and primary-election defeats. Worth noting is that was a post-redistricting election, just as 2012 is. But this one could be much worse than 1992, this is far more consequential than personal financial peccadilloes.”
– Jay Bookman
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518 comments Add your comment
Dave R. - 3k/4k/5k
August 10th, 2011
12:43 am
Thulsa, right now with 67 of 82 precincts reporting in the last race, the GOP incumbent is ahead by about 3,800 votes.
Still a lot to go, but it looks good for the GOP right now. 3-2 GOP to Dem with one contested.
And two Democrat seats up for recall in a couple of weeks.
Thulsa Doom
August 10th, 2011
12:50 am
Dave R.,
Is that the race where the last 15 precincts to report are heavily Republican? If so then its a wrap.
JKL2
August 10th, 2011
12:51 am
Thulsa- Not over yet, and probably won’t be until tomorrow. Republican up 53-47 with 82% in. Expect it to be contested no matter who wins since an incompetant is running the election.
2 Dems get their chance next week. I’m guessing if the Republican wins it will be a moot issue. If the Dem comes back to win it will be the only topic in the news for the next week.
Dave R. - 3k/4k/5k
August 10th, 2011
12:54 am
“This type of hold up of vote results has happened before by Kathy Nicholas in District 8 and each time – doing so – has helped Republicans.”
And you’d think by now that if this “happened before” someone might just be on hand to see what is going on? Or maybe would have caught an illegal act by now? Yet – nothing.
Looks like some Dems will be needing some cheese to go with their whine.
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
12:55 am
The bottom line, DF, is that what passes for “health care” in our country is pretty much a crock of $hit. We’re pretty much a nation of drug addicts, all at a huge price to both our pocketbooks and our well-being. Something like every 1 in 5 commercials on TV are pushing drugs. Got a headache?? take a pill. Stomach ache?? Take a pill. Depressed?? Take a pill. ED?? Take a pill. Too many side effects from taking all these pills?? Take even more pills to counteract the side effects. Actually get off you fat, lazy ass and get healthy so that you don’t “need” all these pills?? Not a chance in hell. And don’t even get me started about all the unnecessary surgeries.
And you wonder why I want no part of it all?? But Obama and the Dems, in their infinite wisdom, decided that a condition for living in this country is now to force people like myself to subsidize the BS. So, excuse me for being a little grouchy when the topic comes up.
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
12:58 am
His comments were balanced, in my opinion, and consistent with what I have experienced.
ME–Take a look at AmVet’s poll and get back to me. It may be a while since facts don’t really matter to you. All that matters to you is your memories of growing up in a racist South.
Don't Forget
August 10th, 2011
12:58 am
Bruno,
I rode marta into downtown for 3 years and only felt threatened once. My assessment was entirely based on behavior and I’m almost certain I was right. If I went on race, I would have been needlessly apprehensive during those years and might have missed the cues that this dude (who happened to be black) was planning to rob me once I left the station.
JKL2
August 10th, 2011
12:59 am
Doom- I just googled something to shut up Debbie. To the right it was about balancing the budget. The union decided it would rather lay off 1,500 teachers than pay half the national average for their healthcare. School employees over 20 hours get full benefits for free.
To the left it’s about breaking unions. I’ve heard they spent as much on these recalls as they spent on the governor’s race. I haven’t been this embarrassed for Winebago County since Kerry beat Bush 51-49. The demographics are interesting as it’s a red town with a giant blue bullseye surrounding the college.
Thulsa Doom
August 10th, 2011
1:00 am
Something like every 1 in 5 commercials on TV are pushing drugs.- Bruno
Overall Bruno drugs would be mentioned in 2 in 5 commercials because you have to remember that another 1 in 5 commercials is by lawyers suing all the particular drugs.
Thulsa Doom
August 10th, 2011
1:04 am
JKL2, it was something directed towards Debbie and I laughed but with my failing memory and being tired and can’t remember for the life of me what it was but that doesn’t sound like it. No biggie though. Just having a brain cramp on what it was.
Thulsa Doom
August 10th, 2011
1:04 am
JKL2, it was something directed towards Debbie and I laughed but with my failing memory and being tired and can’t remember for the life of me what it was but that doesn’t sound like it. No biggie though. Just having a brain cramp on what it was.
Thulsa Doom
August 10th, 2011
1:04 am
JKL2, it was something directed towards Debbie and I laughed but with my failing memory and being tired and can’t remember for the life of me what it was but that doesn’t sound like it. No biggie though. Just having a brain cramp on what it was.
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
1:09 am
you have to remember that another 1 in 5 commercials is by lawyers suing all the particular drugs.
Good point, DF. No shortage of leeches out there who claim to be protecting the public. BTW, how much does your malpractice run per year??
Thulsa Doom
August 10th, 2011
1:12 am
Okay everyone sorry for the finger slip. I didn’t even think it went through once.
Bruno in reference to a nation of pill poppers I would have to agree. I can’t believe how many people I got that take 10-20 different drugs daily and a lot of the drugs are either for stuff like anxiety or mild depression or sometimes they are taking so many medications that they are taking 4 or 5 meds just to counteract the side effects of several other drugs. Sometimes it just seems kinda crazy. And then I’ve seen some of them that just plain get tired of taking all these drugs and just decide to get themselves in shape by walking and eating right and next thing you know they’re not taking any meds- not the metformin or hpb or whatever.
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
1:12 am
Well, I better run before I get in trouble by saying what I REALLY think about malicious Libs, quack MDs, and brain-dead politicians. The Phillies came through, and that’s what’s most important tonight.
JKL2
August 10th, 2011
1:13 am
I have cousin who’s a doctor. He became a pathologist because he couldn’t stand the $17k/month for malpractice insurance. He doesn’t make as much but says it’s well worth it for not having to put up with the constant headaches.
Thulsa Doom
August 10th, 2011
1:16 am
JKL2,
I know obstetricians pay crazy amounts like 100k but I spoke with someone- I can’t remember who it was,heck maybe it was on here, but they said they knew an obstetrician whose malpractice was 200k a year which I kinda wondered if they were BSing or not.
Thulsa Doom
August 10th, 2011
1:18 am
I’m out. Yall have a good evening.
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
1:19 am
I can’t believe how many people I got that take 10-20 different drugs daily and a lot of the drugs are either for stuff like anxiety or mild depression or sometimes they are taking so many medications that they are taking 4 or 5 meds just to counteract the side effects of several other drugs.
Sadly, most people don’t have either the courage or the raw intelligence to be their own doctors. Though I occasionally use MDs as a resource for knowledge, I make all my own health care decisions. So far, I’m doing well. 3 sick days in nearly 40 years in the workforce, less than $1000 dollars in lifetime medical expenses.
And then I’ve seen some of them that just plain get tired of taking all these drugs and just decide to get themselves in shape by walking and eating right and next thing you know they’re not taking any meds- not the metformin or hpb or whatever.
Bingo, TD. But, unfortunately, the pill-pushers and drug companies don’t make any money when people decide to get healthy on their own. Sadly, few people seem to have the willpower to take matters into their own hands, however. We’ve become a notion of obese lamers. MDs certainly have their place, but not the place that they’ve claimed in most people’s lives.
Catch you tomorrow, friend.
JKL2
August 10th, 2011
1:20 am
Thulsa- I kinda wondered if they were BSing or not.
He was a general surgeon working in the Gross Point (upper Detroit) area.
Don't Forget
August 10th, 2011
1:21 am
Thulsa, I’d imagine some docs do “collude” but I don’t believe it’s rampant. The AMA does make recommendations/lobby for the number of medical school positions but they don’t decide. But the real point I’d like to make is that doc pay, at least for primary care and I think in general has not risen more than the inflation rate for something like 23 of the last 25 years. I’m not complaining but doc pay is not the source of the high inflation in healthcare. Docs who do procedures have done the best and the number of procedures has risen as well. Probably the lowest paying field is pediatrics because their patients usually don’t have a lot of health problems and bear in mind that most docs finish med school with 100 to 150 thousand in debt, have no income for those four years and will spend at least 3 years in residency at a pay rate in the 40+ thousand range. It’s a pretty sizeable investment/risk.
JKL2
August 10th, 2011
1:27 am
Don’t forget- It’s a pretty sizeable investment/risk.
If obamacare is going to work that $40k is supposed to become the norm not the entry level exception. Can’t wait until the best and brightest go elswhere and Jimmy the fry cook moves in to become head of neural surgery. Hope and change you can believe in.
JKL2
August 10th, 2011
1:29 am
AP just reported the last Republican won. Looks like there is peace in the valley after all. Have a good night.
Don't Forget
August 10th, 2011
1:38 am
Bruno, you’re totally right about the drug commercials. They try to put pressure on docs to prescribe their meds by marketing to their patient. There’s one med that markets to a certain patient population even though studies have shown a higer mortality in that type of patient on that type of med. There are a few instances where you would use it but only where the alternative is worse. And some docs don’t keep up with the literature and may not know there’s a danger. They should but don’t.
But the one that really gets me is the pain meds. I read in JAMA a couple months ago that accidental pain med overdose is now the second highest cause of death behind only auto accidents.
Can’t say I see many unnecessary surgeries but I’m only in the hospital and don’t see the outpatient surgeries.
As for the malpractice cost, I’m not sure because I’m on salary and they provide the coverage.
Don't Forget
August 10th, 2011
1:41 am
If obamacare is going to work that $40k is supposed to become the norm not the entry level exception.
Oh come on. Do you actually expect me to believe that? So what will they pay nurses?
Don't Forget
August 10th, 2011
1:50 am
I can’t believe how many people I got that take 10-20 different drugs daily
Yup, it’s crazy sometimes. I mean if you’ve got hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease and heart failure you might reasonably get to that point but way too many Americans are overmedicated.
Probably better go.
Guy Incognito
August 10th, 2011
4:36 am
JKL2
R u a fellow Cheesehead?
To all the Dems/Libs who really wanted to believe that the CNN Tea Party poll from yesterday would be reflected in the WI recall……………bless your collective heart. It’s cute to see how desparate you have become
Bud Wiser
August 10th, 2011
5:46 am
So this poll was taken where?
AJC editorial offices?
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
5:59 am
morning.
It was a long shot from the get-go, but one worth taking in, WI.
Bud Wiser
August 10th, 2011
6:09 am
Firing the tax cheat Geithner should be worth another, say, 200 point jump on the Dow.
Appoint someone that can figure out Turbo Tax should be pretty much neutral, since even the average democrat (that actually pays taxes, that is) can pretty much figure it out.
Now for a real hope and change maneuver, Obama could announce he is in favor of scrapping the current tax code completely, going to a flat tax, plus as a concession, the Repugs could go along with a “tax the rich” luxury tax on all items purchased that value over $250K, except for homes, boats, and those evil corporate jets.
Let’s be fair…. let’s be inclusive… let’s include that @50% of all working Americans that currently pay no income taxes into paying ‘their fair share’ (as opposed to NO share at all).
AND (drum roll please), let us tell Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment; that should be worth more than what the Dow has lost in the last two weeks.
After all, we cannot be outdone by our Italian brothers, who want to have such a constitutional change in place by the end of this year.
Bud Wiser
August 10th, 2011
6:19 am
Oh, and another reason people despise Congress (from 2009) for making the kind of arrogant and reckless decisions that they do:
WASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend $550 million to buy eight jets, a substantial upgrade to the fleet used by federal officials at a time when lawmakers have criticized the use of corporate jets by companies receiving taxpayer funds.
The purchases will help accommodate growing travel demand by congressional officials. The planes augment a fleet of about two dozen passenger jets maintained by the Air Force for lawmakers, administration officials and military chiefs to fly on government trips in the U.S. and abroad.
The congressional shopping list goes beyond what the Air Force had initially requested as part of its annual appropriations.
Somebody ought to have told Obozo’s teleprompter to keep his yap shut before railing against the ‘evil corporate jet owners’, don’t you think? What an ignorant sap. This is what you get when you scrape the bottom of the jet fuel barrel, I suppose.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124960404730212955.html-Read the whole article here
Of course those were the heady days of totally out of control democrat Congress spending, before the Tea Party changed all that.
Bud Wiser
August 10th, 2011
6:29 am
Oh, and you gotta love this one, straight from the pages of AJC online this morning (it was very hard to find amongst all the stories of shootings and robberies during the night):
A month before retiring as Atlanta’s schools superintendent, Beverly Hall finally acknowledged this week that educators cheated to help students pass state-mandated achievement tests. And, she said, the findings of a criminal investigation into the matter will be “alarming.”
Special Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Beverly Hall shown in a videotaped farewell address where she acknowledges for the first time that school employees cheated on the CRCT in 2009.
In a videotaped farewell address to district employees, Hall abandoned her long-standing denial of significant cheating on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test in 2009.
“It’s become increasingly clear over the last year that a segment of our staff chose to violate the trust that was placed in them,” Hall said on the video.
One can only presume that the ‘trust’ she refers to is the trust that no one would out them for cheating. Honor, trust, and hope and change are terms that are unrecognized by cheaters, liars and thieves.
Rightwing Troll
August 10th, 2011
6:35 am
So they went .333 last night in a recall? Wouldn’t it be much easier to defend rather than prevail? As well the deciding votes were in a precinct where 14,000 votes Republican votes appeared last april two days after the election was called?
I’d say it’s a fairly strong showing.
Got news for you old guys crowing… there will never be a permanent majority, ever, anywhere. We live in a 24 hour news cycle with instant opinions, and folks are fickle and demand results, power will sway back and forth from election to election, so uness people relearn the art of compromise, it’s gonna be a rough ride.
godless heathen
August 10th, 2011
6:41 am
Leave it to RWT to find peanut in that turd.
godless heathen
August 10th, 2011
6:41 am
a peanut
Normal
August 10th, 2011
6:51 am
Good morning all y’all
http://news.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/08/09/political-pictures-barack-obama-hes-not-talking-about-medicare-unfortunately/
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/08/09/funny-pictures-hiiiiyyaaaaa-die-ebil-leef-fingy/
TaxPayer
August 10th, 2011
6:58 am
I see Bud is in favor of eliminating the Bush tax cuts too. That’s good.
Jack
August 10th, 2011
7:04 am
Wisconsin didn’t go the way Bookman wanted it to go.
TaxPayer
August 10th, 2011
7:05 am
I see the Dems picked up two seats in Wisconsin. That GOP majority just got smaller — it’s down to one. I heard that there are more seats that will be eligible for a recall election next year.
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
7:05 am
Also, this.
Rightwing Troll
August 10th, 2011
7:06 am
“Of course those were the heady days of totally out of control democrat Congress spending, before the Tea Party changed all that.”
Oh, if only the Tea Party had been around for the previous 8 years… hmmmm…..
TaxPayer
August 10th, 2011
7:14 am
Oh, if only the Tea Party had been around for the previous 8 years… hmmmm…..
I think they were just your ordinary, uncostumed Republicans back then.
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
7:16 am
We live in a 24 hour news cycle with instant opinions, and folks are fickle and demand results
everything you posted is accurate, but you forgot to add that there will always be that 10-20 percent or so of voters we politely lump in with and call “independents” but who more accurately are low-information types who find politics either icky and gross, or just too much work to follow, but who feel they ought to go vote every now and then–kinda like eating your vegetables even though you hate eating vegetables.
Those people are fairly bipolar in their ideologies. Like it or not, people no candidate can ignore that group in a general election; it’s why so much time is spent honing an image and marketing that image, rather than focusing (as people claim to want) on issues and policies.
Willie
August 10th, 2011
7:18 am
If only the two major parties had cared enough about spending and the deficits… It seems that Politics is your religion…this is not about who wins and who loses but about creating a stable, jobs creating, opportunity fostering economy. Big deficits ( three times larger than Bush’s), an anti business tone, increasing regulation and an itch to spend more help to destroy the economy, not build it.
Jimmy Cater tried the same thing and got the same results.
Recon (2nd.and 3rd.)
August 10th, 2011
7:18 am
Looks like it’s “if not, not.” There will be much crying and gnashing of teeth from the left today. The people in Wisconsin have spoke once again.
Mad Max
August 10th, 2011
7:18 am
Hard to believe those polls weren’t right, must be voter fraud, or worse yet, the tea party.
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
7:21 am
I see the Gloat Patrol is up early.
Hard to believe those polls weren’t right
Polling had the WI recall race close, Max.
much crying and gnashing of teeth
Feel free to point out anything that falls into that category, Del.
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
7:22 am
they were just your ordinary, uncostumed Republicans back then
with a little less direct funding from their Galtian overlords.
Recon (2nd.and 3rd.)
August 10th, 2011
7:23 am
stands, thanks for helping to point that out.
Mad Max
August 10th, 2011
7:23 am
I know Jay will try and dress up this by saying that 1/3 of the Reps lost because of voter dissatisfaction which is entirly accurate but I’d be willing to say right now that 1/3 of the incumbanys for any office would lose in todays political environment, but go ahead anyway Jay, put your spin on it.
jt
August 10th, 2011
7:23 am
Good news for the Wisconsin producers.
.
Go chedder-heads.
Must be alot of those TEA partiers up there too.
.
All that money the dummy democrats spent on those recall attempts could have been used on the children…………..shameful.
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
7:26 am
Off topic, but this guy says out loud what I’ve been thinking, for years, whenever someone says “it’s the PARENTS!”
wishing random parents were “better” is like wishing the sky was a more appealing shade of pink. If poor parenting is the issue for whatever reason (including, of course, the difficulties of good parenting under poverty conditions), the appropriate response is…what? Yell at the parents? Lament that they’re bad? Kids aren’t responsible for their parents, and there aren’t obvious policy mechanisms for ensuring good parenting. Though there are some obvious ones for making it easier to be a good parent.
Mad Max
August 10th, 2011
7:28 am
Decibals, Democrats aren’t the only ones who gloat. When Jay finds something wrong with a democrat and badgers them the way he does the repub , the tea party, any female candidate from the right, etc or starts featuring polls that don’t always agree with his idealogy, then we will stop gloating but he put it up there, and as is often the case, the poll did not reflect what happens inside the voting booth.
TaxPayer
August 10th, 2011
7:28 am
How much money did the supporters of the two parties end up spending in the races? That should have helped the economy. Perhaps we need more recall elections.
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
7:29 am
those recall attempts could have been used on the children…
I’m sure you were similarly distressed at the public funds used to hold primaries that were necessitated by the GOPers running fake Democratic primary challengers, right? You can link me to that comment you made about that here at Jay’s blog to that effect, surely.
Jay
August 10th, 2011
7:30 am
Mad Max, I’d say you put it pretty well.
I’d also note that as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel pointed out yesterday, all of those six seats went Republican even in 2008, “a terrible year for Republicans.” So the fact that two of those seats have now gone Democratic is significant.
But of course, not as significant if it had been THREE of those seats.
Jay
August 10th, 2011
7:32 am
However, I’m not sure what Max is trying to say about polls. The polls prior to these races showed tight races with a GOP lean, and that’s what we got.
Mad Max
August 10th, 2011
7:34 am
Yes, if it were THREE, then we could also say that possibly 50% of all incumbants might lose today and that might not be far from the truth. Have a nice day Jay, I have to work.
Granny Godzilla
August 10th, 2011
7:36 am
Congratulations Wisconsin!
Way to go!
The great orange satan points out that:
“But let me just say, if tonight was a loss, I hope we have many more such “losses” in 2012.
We took the fight into red territory, and took two seats. What was a safe 19-14 GOP advantage is now a narrow 17-16. If we had those numbers going into 2011, the anti-labor bill would never have passed—one GOPer voted with the Democrats (and hey, Sen. Dale Schultz, the water is mighty fine on our side of the aisle!)……..
Beyond Wisconsin, if we can enjoy a similar “loss rate” in Republican-held districts (picking up 33 percent of them), Speaker Nancy Pelosi will have a huge majority in 2013. We had a message that resonated with large numbers of working people in overwhelmingly white working-class districts that shifted hard against Democrats in 2010. GOP overreach is winning them back for us. Just think, before today, only 13 state legislators had been recalled in the entire history of this nation.”
Brosephus
August 10th, 2011
7:37 am
I see the bragging has already started, but in my opinion that’s like bragging that you beat Yugo drag racing while driving a supercharged Z06 Corvette. Even if the GOP had lost every recall election, that would not have stopped their hard right march towards wherever it is they are trying to take this country.
Jimmy62
August 10th, 2011
7:38 am
One wonders if this is based on what the Tea Party is about and actually does, or how the media portrays them. We all know the media lies and distorts when it comes to the Tea Party, and most peoples’ impressions come from those lies, rather than from reality. Too bad the media is more interested in partisan games than telling the truth.
Granny Godzilla
August 10th, 2011
7:40 am
jt
“All that money the dummy democrats spent on those recall attempts could have been used on the children”
are you suggesting that the hundreds of millions of dollars dropped into the race by Koch and Rove front groups might have also been better used?
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
7:40 am
Democrats aren’t the only ones who gloat.
Correct. It’s unseemly when anyone does it. And I actually took a couple of weeks off after Obama won; I made a fairly brief post explaining that I was happy about how things had turned out, and that there were going to be a lot of hurt feelings from the opposition and that I had no intention to take cheap shots at those folks who were hurting.
When Jay finds something wrong with a democrat and badgers them the way he does the repub , the tea party, any female candidate from the right, etc or starts featuring polls that don’t always agree with his idealogy, then we will stop gloating
Do you really consider his post to constitute “badgering”?
If you do, I can only conclude that you don’t see much of what true-blue progressives find more akin to their side’s point of view. This is hardly Kos, or the Rude Pundit, FireDogLake or Atrios.
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
7:43 am
I’m not sure what Max is trying to say about polls.
I wasn’t either.
Jay, on a broader note, you seem to enrage conservatives whenever you cite polls; there had to have been at least a dozen variations of “this poll is bogus!!!” — which I found curious since, for whatever reason, you’d neglected to provide a link to the CNN cross-tabs and such, so presumably nobody complaining about the poll in your post knew what its MoE was, what the sample demographics were, etc., unless they’d bothered to google them themselves.
TaxPayer
August 10th, 2011
7:46 am
Too bad the media is more interested in partisan games than telling the truth.
What! Has FOX been saying misleading things about the Bigelows AGAIN!
TaxPayer
August 10th, 2011
7:52 am
As long as people like the Kochs end up paying more to buy those seats than it would have cost them to pay their taxes, it’s a good start. Perhaps recall elections will become part of the norm. It might be just the sort of economic boost we need. There’s lots of money flowing during elections.
Normal
August 10th, 2011
7:54 am
Taxie,
I like the way you look at things!
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
7:54 am
I think they were just your ordinary, uncostumed Republicans back then.
Jay, on a broader note, you seem to enrage conservatives whenever you cite polls
Well, stands, here’s one poll that you might want to take a look at. It involves racial attitudes among liberals/conservatives and Democrats/Republicans. The popular myth over on the Left has been that most racists are conservatives or Republicans, as reflected by the constant playing of the race card, as Taxpayer did right out of the gate this morning . Jay came right out last night and said it plain as day. Unfortunately, the poll, put up by AmVet, didn’t support the claim.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2010/09/how-much-more-racist-are-white-conservatives-than-white-liberals/
I’d stick around for an apology from Taxpayer, Jay, et. al. , but I know that it’s not forthcoming. That would take some actual honesty and character.
James S.
August 10th, 2011
7:57 am
For two weeks the on line version of the AJC’s opinion page has had headlines from Tucker and Wooten.
Tucker’s is about being a bigot and Wooten’s is about self reliance.
Both appropriate.
Mary Elizabeth
August 10th, 2011
7:58 am
In the last district to report in Wisconsin last evening, District 8, in which hold ups have occurred before (to Republican advantage), Republican Alberta Darling won over Democrat Sandy Pasch, who had been leading, until the end of the count. (I am not accusing, just reporting here.)
A couple of facts I would like to tell readers:
(1) Incumbent Alberta Darling, a friend of Gov. Scott Walker, in campaigning, said that there had been no cuts to education in Wisconsin, whereas – in fact – 1 billion dollars have been cut to public education. (time line not given) (MSNBC, Ed Schultz)
(2) Eight millions dollars was poured into Darling’s District 8, alone, in this election to re-elect her.(MSNBC)
In my opinion, to cut a billion from education is an example of extreme, ideology based politics.
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
7:59 am
Here’s Jay’s direct quote from last night at 11:17:
“But most racists are conservative. That plain enough for you?”
His “proof”?? He found some racist comments yesterday on a website called conunderground.
I’ll be dropping by later to put AmVet’s poll up when the full Lib contingency is here. Challenging hateful stereotypes is a tough job, but someone has to do it. Jay doesn’t seem willing to.
Normal
August 10th, 2011
8:01 am
Did y’all see this one/
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/chinas-first-aircraft-carrier-1092179.html
Brosephus
August 10th, 2011
8:03 am
Challenging hateful stereotypes is a tough job, but someone has to do it. Jay doesn’t seem willing to.
You may also wanna challenge Kyle. Based on his headline today, he’s pushing stereotypes through the stratosphere today.
Jm
August 10th, 2011
8:04 am
I think it’s funny democrats are focused on winning state legislature seats. Fine, so be it. Guess. That’s the last refuge of a party about to lose big time.
Brosephus
August 10th, 2011
8:07 am
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-rep-austin-scott-betrayed-his-tea-party-roots/2011/08/09/gIQAoKnQ5I_story.html?hpid=z2
Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia, a Tea Party favorite and president of the House Republicans’ freshman class, got off to a slow start as a legislator but finally introduced his first bill last week.
His draftsmanship should please the people who chant “read the bill” at political rallies, because H.R. 2774 is only one sentence long. In its entirety: “Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Legal Services Corporation Act is repealed.”
[...]
H.R. 2774 would end the government practice, dating to the Nixon administration, of providing legal assistance to low-income people pursuing equal justice under the law: women seeking protective orders against abusive partners, homeowners fighting foreclosure or predatory lending, and similar civil actions.
“We are at a point where Congress must look at programs and ask, ‘Is this absolutely necessary?’ ” Austin said in a statement when I asked for elaboration. Noting that state and local governments, bar associations and pro bono lawyers help to subsidize legal aid, he argued that “eliminating federal funding for the LSC will not eliminate free legal aid for the poor. This bill simply takes this duplicative and unnecessary program off the federal taxpayers’ dole.”
Still, even a number of Republicans see value in Legal Services. Though House Republicans have proposed a 26 percent cut in Legal Services’ current budget of $379 million, 68 of them joined Democrats in defeating an attempt this year to defund Legal Services.
Jay
Seems like Dana Milbank’s setting you up one at the net to spike today….
Bud Wiser
August 10th, 2011
8:08 am
I see that David Scott – D, Ga, has an early start on the field in playing the race card, for not only the recent debt debate, but also hearkening back to the 2008 presidential election, and just against any Obama thought whatsoever.
To say he leaps out of the pack and is ahead by a nose might be construed the wrong way, so I will not say it. Instead, I will resort to the time-proven adage (proven by the LEFT, that is) that when logic, reasoning and facts fail to win a discussion, just toss your head back self righteously and call your opposition racists.
Calling anyone a racist will win your argument every time………..in a mental hospital.
Normal
August 10th, 2011
8:10 am
SoCo,
If you scroll down all of Kyle’s threads, the most posts he has had on any one subject is 356. He has to get radical, and all stereotype-y to try to get more people to his blog. To Laugh!
Gordon
August 10th, 2011
8:10 am
“In my opinion, to cut a billion from education is an example of extreme, ideology based politics.”
And that, my friends, is how you end up with a AA rating, $14T in debt, and an out-of-control deficit. You could substitute “education” with almost anything the government spends money on (including defense). The very thought of the government actually cutting something is repulsive to too many people. Let’s just get those millionaires and billionaires to pay for it. And so here we are…
Normal
August 10th, 2011
8:11 am
Calling anyone a racist will win your argument every time………..in a mental hospital.
I guess you should know Bud…been there long?
Brosephus
August 10th, 2011
8:12 am
Bud
You should talk to your fellow conservatives here as well about the race card. They keep wanting to pin the entire riot in London on Blacks. However, not one has commented on the video link I’ve posted with White kids running in the streets….
That race crap is played by both sides. You can’t complain about a tactic that your side uses.
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
8:12 am
Bruno, mostly what I got out of that one (1) year-old poll you managed to find to make your case was that the axe-grinder who posted it acknowledged that “Sample sizes are small in some of the cases above.”
Mary Elizabeth
August 10th, 2011
8:13 am
I posted this at 12:42 a.m. last evening:
“I can understand Jay’s comment that most racists are conservative (in answering a blogger’s question), although – as he also said – the majority of conservatives are not racists. He further said that those African-Americans who are racists are not conservatives. His comments were balanced, in my opinion. . .”
Brosephus
August 10th, 2011
8:13 am
Normal
I’ll read Kyle’s blog, but seldom post. Just as it is here at times, I can not stomach the incessant bile that spews from some “conservatives” here on AJC blogs. I find it sad that grown assed people can’t discuss or debate something without sounding like a child.
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
8:14 am
Brosephus, here’s the gist of Kyle’s column:
The most striking thing about the rioters is how little they care for their own communities. You don’t have to be a right-winger with helmet hair and a niggling discomfort with black or chavvy yoof (I am the opposite of that) to recognise that this violence is not political, just criminal. It is entertaining to watch the political contortions of commentators who claim the riots are an uprising against the evils of capitalism, as they struggle to explain why the targets have been Foot Locker sports shops and why the only “gains” made by the rioters have been to get a new pair of trainers [tennis shoes] or an Apple laptop.
I can’t find much fault with that analysis, can you?? Ditto for the Rodney King riots so many moons ago. I don’t think that stealing a TV is a valid form of protest. But what would I, a racist conservative, know??
USinUK
August 10th, 2011
8:16 am
g’morning Normal and SoCo!!
(Normal – where are our kittehs!)
Normal
August 10th, 2011
8:16 am
I can’t find much fault with that analysis, can you?? Ditto for the Rodney King riots so many moons ago. I don’t think that stealing a TV is a valid form of protest. But what would I, a racist conservative, know??
Now, now Bruno, don’t be so hard on yourself…they have pills for that, you know…
USinUK
August 10th, 2011
8:17 am
B-dawg – the sun is up – what are you doing on the blog?
Normal
August 10th, 2011
8:18 am
Morning, USinUk…I could only find one. It’s on page nine.
Glad you are safe in London.
Vinny
August 10th, 2011
8:20 am
More polls again Jay? They are nothing but meaningless tools of the left to try to convince people to see things their way.
You’re hopeless.
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2011
8:20 am
…and good luck figuring out just what the sample sizes actually *were* from the incredibly difficult-to-grok links Bruno’s pollster provided as backup.
headin’ upstairs.
Brosephus
August 10th, 2011
8:20 am
Bruno
Those are not Kyle’s words… I was referring to his headline. Those riots have nothing to do with welfare. However, in the general conservative mindset, anything done by poor people is automatically entertwined with welfare. That is presumptious at best, and willful ignorance at worst. As y’all say Bookman should know better, so should Kyle.
I don’t think those “riots” have anything to do with protesting anything. What’s going on is nothing but criminal activity. Those riots are just like the G8 riots and such without the political motivation.
Gale
August 10th, 2011
8:20 am
I heard an interesting comment about how the rioters were using cell phones and twitter to stay ahead of the police. Makes it obvious why the Arab states shut down cell service in the midst of their riots.
Normal
August 10th, 2011
8:20 am
But I do agree with Bruno, that The UK riots have been taken over by what looks like teenage gangs. There will always be people out there who will take advantage of a situation to improve their own well being. They will be brought to justice. The Bobby’s don’t give up.
USinUK
August 10th, 2011
8:23 am
Normal – my only issue with Kyle (and the writer he quotes from The Australian) is that news commentators AREN’T contorting themselves to excuse the behavior.
spend any time at all on BBC or Sky or any other channel and they’re all calling it what it is – criminal behavior. same with the politicians
so the premise is a bit faulty.
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
8:23 am
“I can understand Jay’s comment that most racists are conservative
I’m sure you can, Mary Elizabeth, since your own hateful prejudice is apparent for me to see as well. But, you cover it up so well with your 3000 word “Christian” diatribes.
Bruno, mostly what I got out of that one (1) year-old poll you managed to find to make your case was that the axe-grinder who posted it acknowledged that “Sample sizes are small in some of the cases above.”
You;ll have to take that point up with AmVet, who posted the poll to support his oft-repeated claim that conservative = racist. He dug himself further in a hole when he tried to claim that liberals/Democrats were the driving force behind Civil Rights legislation. I’ll put the actual votes up later today so that you can see for yourself.
You should talk to your fellow conservatives here as well about the race card. They keep wanting to pin the entire riot in London on Blacks. However, not one has commented on the video link I’ve posted with White kids running in the streets….
Brosephus–I’m sorry if I didn’t acknowledge your post last night, but your point was well-taken. As far as “fellow conservatives” here pinning the whole London riot on black kids, I’ve only seen it referenced a few times. At the same time, several incidences here in the USA are a bit troubling with mobs of black kids openly attacking white people. A few mobs does not “prove” anything, but it is a disturbing trend, no?
USinUK
August 10th, 2011
8:25 am
Normal – the riots haven’t been “taken over” by teen gans – since Saturday night, that’s all they’ve been – kids – youngest around 7-8-9 up to about 25.
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
8:26 am
B-dawg – the sun is up – what are you doing on the blog?
Simply fighting ugly stereotypes, USinUK. A few days ago, I demonstrated to Jay that the race card is a staple of the Left. Now I’m attempting to show that racial attitudes are pretty much the same across the board, liberal and conservative alike, Democrat and Republican alike. I doubt Jay will ever apologize, but I think it’s important to get the truth out.
Granny Godzilla
August 10th, 2011
8:27 am
Bruno
Sorry, but I think Khans piece is gobblety gook.
Is that the only back up you have for your point or is there more?
AmVet
August 10th, 2011
8:28 am
Morning, Bookmaniacs.
And I do MEAN Bookmaniacs! Do some of you “young bucks” ever sleep?! LOL…
B. enjoy your day, we’ll cross blogging swords later on, hopefully!
Bruno
August 10th, 2011
8:28 am
As y’all say Bookman should know better, so should Kyle.
I’ll flame Kyle later if it makes you feel better, Brosephus.
Gotta go to work, will be back later to challenge AquaGirl on her racial stereotyping of Tea Partyers.