The big mystery of the 2012 GOP convention

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Can anybody identify that rectangular item in the upper left-hand corner of this AP photo, taken during Paul Ryan’s speech last night to the Republican National Convention?

The vice-presidential nominee seemed to be glancing at it quite a bit last night, almost as if he was reading from it. Anybody got any ideas? In fact, I believe that every single speaker at the convention with one exception — Condi Rice — has been staring at that thing during their speeches. It’s almost as if they needed somebody to tell them what to say.

I’m going to be watching Mitt Romney closely tonight, just to see if he too starts staring at that … whatever it is. Weird, huh?

– Jay Bookman

853 comments Add your comment

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
9:58 pm

I have a hard time believing blacks are that unthinking in today’s information age.

But you don’t have a hard time believing that blacks that vote Democrat are “unthinking.”

I think it has a lot to do with perceptions…

Absolutely.

JamVet

August 30th, 2012
9:58 pm

WASHINGTON — In answering a question posed to him by a member of the Internet community Reddit, President Barack Obama stated his support for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, the first time that the president has voiced this position himself.

RIGHT ON!!!!!

I still won’t vote for him but this makes him MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more palatable.

Good on you, Barry!

Somebody has to stand up for we the people’s sovereignty!

NOW there is a clear cut difference between Obama and the disgusting sell out, Flip Flop Romney, who uttered five of the most repulsive words in modern history – Corporations are people, my friend.

Brosephus™

August 30th, 2012
10:01 pm

But it is clear she grew up a child of segregation and probably should not be marginalized by liberals in some way just because she is a black Republican.

To add, I’m not marginalizing her at all, and I will make no attempt to do so. I will not, however, place her on a pedestal to which she does not belong, especially after knowing people who risked injury and death during that same time. If it makes me sound awful, that’s not my intent. Personally knowing people who sacrificed tends to make me hold them up just a slight bit higher than those who did not. In my view, its no different than acknowledging a veteran who’s been to Iraq/Afghanistan 8 times in comparison to his friend who’s almost identical in life experiences to the vet except for the military service and combat.

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:03 pm

Instead of wearing an American flag pin, he should wear one of those Staples “Easy” buttons … except it will make him look slutty.

Heh, heh, heh.

JamVet

August 30th, 2012
10:04 pm

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/lawrence-odonnell-calls-out-herman-cain-cl

Watch and learn for yourself, TC.

He was in college from 1963 to 1967.

The man is simply one of the most gutless guys around.

The antithesis of the heroes of that era…

They BOTH suck

August 30th, 2012
10:05 pm

TC

Of course I do not know Herman Cain or his thought processes back in the 60s, however he did say the following:

The exchange started when O’Donnell presented the following passage from Cain’s book: “The Civil Rights movement was a few years in front of me. I was too young to participate when they first started the Freedom Rides and the sit-ins. So on a day-to-day basis, it didn’t have an impact. I just kept going to school, doing what I was supposed to do, and stayed out of trouble — I didn’t go downtown and try to participate in the sit-ins…counter to our real feelings, we decided to avoid trouble by moving to the back of the bus when the driver told us to…Dad always said, ‘Stay out of trouble,’ and we did.”

Oscar

August 30th, 2012
10:07 pm

Towncrier

August 30th, 2012
9:52 pm

________

I think it was FDR and the New Deal that attracted a lot of blacks. Then after WWII the dems chased out the southern Dixiecrats, lead by Truman, who intergrated the Army.
Later, Kennedy and LBJ came along with civil rights. When Kennedy sent troops to Mississippi and later LBJ pushed the civil rights acts through and signed them, that finished off the deal.
Goldwater and later Nixon made outright appeals to southern segs to get them to vote GOP. They were both pretty blatent.

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:08 pm

If the gop win, I have to start a neighborhood gang for the total collapse.

Towncrier

August 30th, 2012
10:09 pm

“But you don’t have a hard time believing that blacks that vote Democrat are “unthinking.”

Dang, Kamchak – learn to read. The statement you were responding to was an assessment of Brosephus’ explanation for the migration of blacks from one party to the other. So I was saying I DIDN’T think blacks were that unthinking – that there has to be some other explanation. And then you totally misconstrue my statement and make a false charge to boot.

Up you game, sport.

They BOTH suck

August 30th, 2012
10:10 pm

Cain responded that he was a high school student and, therefore, was not free to act on his own. Yet Cain claimed, “If I had been a college student I probably would have been participating.” When O’Donnell pointed out that Cain was actually a college student from 1963 to 1967 during some of the most well-known clashes, such as “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, took place.

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:11 pm

Clint is talking to an empty chair.

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:12 pm

So I was saying I DIDN’T think blacks were that unthinking –

You spent the entire Neil Armstrong thread making that point, sport.

Towncrier

August 30th, 2012
10:13 pm

“To add, I’m not marginalizing her at all, and I will make no attempt to do so.”

Good to hear, because it is true that some liberals have tried to do just that. I personally, as others have said, would not have allowed her to march as her father at the age of 10 or so (even if I did).

G Mare

August 30th, 2012
10:14 pm

Kam@9:16, thank you. My son back in the day & some of my grands now play soccer. I see it as much less brutal than football.

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
10:15 pm

Cint Eastwood Remember "A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself."

August 30th, 2012
10:16 pm

WEIRD BAZARRE. CRAZY

Clint Eastwood you are an old blabbing fool.

Who talks to an empty chair but an old fool.

What you WERE saying had not SUBSTANCE.

You are a HAS BEEN ACTOR.

Thulsa Doom- pompous ass extraordinaire

August 30th, 2012
10:16 pm

“Dang, Kamchak – learn to read.”

You have some unreasonably high expectations of the man from Gor.

Towncrier

August 30th, 2012
10:17 pm

“You spent the entire Neil Armstrong thread making that point, sport.”

Sorry…I never said they were unthinking but suggested that their voting almost all Democratic was probably racist in nature (the GOP is a bunch of white racists so why should we vote for them?). That is thinking – but it is wrong thinking.

Granny Godzilla

August 30th, 2012
10:17 pm

He actually made my skin crawl.

Oscar

August 30th, 2012
10:17 pm

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
10:15 pm___________

No relation to Oscar Poole.
Oscar

Cint Eastwood Remember "A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself."

August 30th, 2012
10:18 pm

CLINT…….what was that rambling all about.

Are you in the early stages of old timers?

Sounds like it.

EMBARASSING!

DannyX

August 30th, 2012
10:19 pm

Eastwood must have been planted there by the Obama campaign.

Republicans got set up.

Towncrier

August 30th, 2012
10:19 pm

Okay… out again.

Oscar

August 30th, 2012
10:20 pm

Northern blackds were probably in labor unions. That may also explain some of it.

Town: It’s not wrong thinking if you are black not to want to vote for white racists. Sounds pretty normal and correct to me.

Granny Godzilla

August 30th, 2012
10:22 pm

Seriously not good

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:24 pm

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:26 pm

rubio is talking about the collapse.

The gop built that.

O M G

August 30th, 2012
10:27 pm

OMG……..

Skin Tampa, a strip club located in the Florida city hosting the RNC, says that profit has D-D-DOUBLED since the conservative crowd came to town.

The management sent the club’s hottest ladies to the convention to personally offer any attendees free admission and the advertising has paid off because business is booming.

bman

August 30th, 2012
10:27 pm

Granny .. .. I didn’t get to watch. What was so bad?

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:27 pm

That was clint being clint.

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
10:28 pm

Republicans, I ask you, are you willing to do for your children what your parents did for you. If you are, then pay off your own damn debt. Raise your taxes and pay it off instead of indebting it forward.

Granny Godzilla

August 30th, 2012
10:30 pm

Kam

Thanks for the smile

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
10:31 pm

Marco Rubio can you spell S-E-L-F D-E-P-O-R-T-A-T-I-O-N?

Mitt Romney can.

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
10:32 pm

I heard Clint refused to be told what to say and skipped reading the script that the GOP wanted him to read.

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:33 pm

The robot is up.

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
10:33 pm

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mitt GEKKO!

Granny Godzilla

August 30th, 2012
10:33 pm

To inherit

Not to earn?

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
10:33 pm

I destroyed that! – Mitt Romney

G Mare

August 30th, 2012
10:34 pm

Ah, my heart does hurt re Clint. Have not seen his speech yet, but am hoping it is not too crazy &/or reactionary. He has made some amazing movies. As has Charlton Heston. Must admit, I am giving these guys a break I cannot give to Mel Gibson, the holocaust denier. Perhaps some things are more forgivable than others?

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
10:35 pm

Mitt Romney–the face of one percent of the GOP.

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:36 pm

Granny Godzilla

I am following TBogg’s twitter ( something that I have never done before https://twitter.com/tbogg ), and I’m felling a bit snarkier than usual.

Soothsayer

August 30th, 2012
10:37 pm

At long last, Mitt Dumbney!

Thulsa Doom- pompous ass extraordinaire

August 30th, 2012
10:37 pm

“Northern blackds were probably in labor unions. That may also explain some of it.”

Doubtful. Some economists like Sowell have noted that unions used to be particularly ambivalent about letting blacks into their trades and to some extent still are today. For example blacks in construction and other trades have lower union representation than whites- a lot lower I think. They were kinda like good ole boy clubs that didn’t let blacks in. If you ever watch a union strike on tv for example the longshoreman out in Long Beach earlier this year I think it was you will notice that you don’t see very many blacks in them. Its kind of interesting but until I started reading about it I had no idea that unions resisted black membership and for such a long time. Not quite so with unions like the automakers union but with many other unions it seems to be that way.

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
10:38 pm

“Mr Chairman and delegates,

I accept our purchase of my nomination for president.” – Mitt Gekko

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:39 pm

BS, there was no unity.

JamVet

August 30th, 2012
10:39 pm

So Dirty Harry wandered off of the con plantation?

Uh oh…

Thulsa Doom- pompous ass extraordinaire

August 30th, 2012
10:40 pm

‘If you are, then pay off your own damn deb”

Orrrr just quit spending so much. Couldn’t figure that one out could ya?

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
10:41 pm

Mitt said that “people did not come to america for the richness.”

Looks like he was the fortunate one.

Mitt made out like a fat rat.

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:42 pm

Fight in the audience.

Figures.

Thulsa Doom- pompous ass extraordinaire

August 30th, 2012
10:43 pm

“Marco Rubio can you spell S-E-L-F D-E-P-O-R-T-A-T-I-O-N?”

I guess libs hate Hispanics too. Is there anyone they don’t hate? Geez.

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:43 pm

The gop wanted him to fail mitt.

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
10:43 pm

They are chanting USA USA USA.

Whatabout WE WANT MITT WE WANT MITT?

WHERE ARE THE TAX RETURNS MITT?

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:44 pm

Mitt fired you from that $22.50 an hour job.

Heh, heh, heh.

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:46 pm

Birther dog-whistle.

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
10:46 pm

@Thulsa Doom- pompous ass extraordinaire

August 30th, 2012
10:43 pm
“Marco Rubio can you spell S-E-L-F D-E-P-O-R-T-A-T-I-O-N?”

I guess libs hate Hispanics too. Is there anyone they don’t hate? Geez.

****************************************************************

DONT EVEN GO THERE DOOMY.

Yo boy Mitt said that hispanics could SELF DEPORT themselves

BACK TO MEXICO.

So, don’t PLAY with me Doomy.

Marc

August 30th, 2012
10:47 pm

Please Jay you act as if Lord Obama doesn’t use one. You opinion is becoming less valuable the closer it gets to the election that you can see Obama is going to lose. You and the rest of the liberal media will get down in the gutter to keep that from happening!

Granny Godzilla

August 30th, 2012
10:47 pm

To do the real big things you have to be an American

Pardon us, Jesus

Soothsayer

August 30th, 2012
10:48 pm

Yessir! That Mitt’s my feller!

He’s that same awful speech impediment his son has! Sucking on his teeth.

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
10:49 pm

Oh no he didnt…..

Talking about God’s love.

What about your love Mitt for the poor, elderly, children, disabled?

JamVet

August 30th, 2012
10:49 pm

Can you believe that the Republican National Circus is on seven of those liberals channels??

Man, I hate the liberal media!

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
10:50 pm

@Soothsayer

August 30th, 2012
10:48 pm
Yessir! That Mitt’s my feller!

He’s that same awful speech impediment his son has! Sucking on his teeth
*************************************************

heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee :)

Thulsa Doom- pompous ass extraordinaire

August 30th, 2012
10:50 pm

“So, don’t PLAY with me Doomy.”

Oh noes. Don’t play with wagging tongue. He’s quite happy playing with himself it would seem.

Soothsayer

August 30th, 2012
10:50 pm

Immediate Opening: Bullshyte shoveler. Must have own shovel. Pay: $7.25/hr no benefits. Report to Republican National Convention, Tampa, FL

Granny Godzilla

August 30th, 2012
10:50 pm

It is a tell

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:50 pm

“Half the women I fired, were women.”
– Willard

Ahem

August 30th, 2012
10:51 pm

If your boy Obama states tomorrow that he did watch Romney’s speech tonight, then it will be confirmed for you; Obama is a lying jackass, not to mention a jerk and a punk.

bman

August 30th, 2012
10:51 pm

Who are all of the weird new names?

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:53 pm

marc,

Stop crying.

Mr. Snarky

August 30th, 2012
10:53 pm

Looks like he’s had too much caffeine or something. Not that he would drink caffeine.

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
10:53 pm

What’s with Ann Romney?……….

She don’t look to HAPPY.

Can she feel the vibs……..We don’t want mitt?

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
10:53 pm

Orrrr just quit spending so much. Couldn’t figure that one out could ya?

It is not our children’s debt. It is our debt and we should raise our own taxes and pay for it. Or couldn’t you figure that one out.

Soothsayer

August 30th, 2012
10:54 pm

Well, they done fired me from my $22.50/hr job so I had to take 2 of them $9.00/hr jobs.

APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
10:54 pm

Miit please stop sucking your teeth! :)

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:54 pm

Or the day he got obl.

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:55 pm

What are those two things on stands in front of his podium?

Could they be (gasp) TELEPROMPTERS?

Mr. Snarky

August 30th, 2012
10:56 pm

He’s looking especially wooden tonight.

Soothsayer

August 30th, 2012
10:56 pm

That Chinese feller’s got my job and I’m a’livin’ in my Parent’s basement living off of SNAP!

Hell, YEAH! Ahm a’votin’ REPUBLICAN! And don’t you fergit it!

Thulsa Doom- pompous ass extraordinaire

August 30th, 2012
10:56 pm

“What about your love Mitt for the poor, elderly, children, disabled?”

You really want to go there? Cause I don’t think ya do.

Romney has given millions to charity. Obama? A few thousand. Joe cheap ass Biden? Something like $300 or $1000. Shameful. But further proof that libs are very generous with other people’s money. Disgustingly stingy with their own of course.

Downright shameful when you see how cheap Obama and Biden have been in their charitable giving. Hell Obama won’t even lift a finger to help his brother in Kenya who lives in a damn shack. Are you your brother’s keeper. In Obama’s case the answer isn’t just no. Its HELL NO! That’s just plain sorry when you won’t even help your own brother.

Ya’ll can talk all the smack you want about how compassionate you think these 2 men are. There actions speak louder than their words. Cheap ass stingy bastuhds.

Granny Godzilla

August 30th, 2012
10:56 pm

Kam

How exactly does he know the other half were men?

JamVet

August 30th, 2012
10:57 pm

What’s with Ann Romney?……….

She don’t look to HAPPY.

At first glance, I thought you wrote HARPY.

Then I thought,no, she could look that way!

Reality

August 30th, 2012
10:57 pm

DOGGONE/GA His reaction to any comment is PROVE IT! Damn man, a person would have to be a walking encyclopedia to prove all the lies and exaggerations the politicans make. (Republican or Democrat) We better get off this die hard party loyalty thing and look at the education, experiance, and character of the person. Yes, Romney is rich. But I’ve been around awhile and some of our best presidents have been rich. I know most don’t remember F.D.R. or even J.F.K. but they were damn good presidents. Both Democrats. Just because a man is wealthy, Catholic, Morman, Jewish, Bapt. or black or white. And I beleive Democrat or Republican does not mean they would not be a good president.

Larry

August 30th, 2012
10:58 pm

No one is to go off script. Is what it says.

On a different note; did anyone notice Clint Eastwood slurred a lot this evening, and was a bit crass for the warm-up act to someone as polished and refined as Governor Romney? I was surprised by the guest, but for different reasons than most, I guess.

getalife

August 30th, 2012
10:59 pm

Yeah, like green energy companies.

Some will fail.

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
10:59 pm

Here we go………Trash Obama.

He got the nerve to talk about Bain Capital.

I bet he won’t talk about his outsourcing.

I bet he won’t talk about the tax returns.

I bet he won’t talk about the companies he closed.

WHERE ARE YOUR TAX RETURNS MITT.

All those people yelling and cheering are so poor that they don’t have

a pot to spit in and a window to throw it out of.

Some of them got to Tampa on a WING AND A PRAYER.

bman

August 30th, 2012
10:59 pm

Are you guys blogging about the republican convention? If you are, you’re not doing a very good job

Forpetesakes

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
10:59 pm

Jimmy Carter — drink

Thulsa Doom- pompous ass extraordinaire

August 30th, 2012
11:00 pm

“It is not our children’s debt. It is our debt and we should raise our own taxes and pay for it.”

And the economics non-genius speaks.

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
11:01 pm

@JamVet

August 30th, 2012
10:57 pm
What’s with Ann Romney?……….

She don’t look to HAPPY.

At first glance, I thought you wrote HARPY.

Then I thought,no, she could look that way!

***************************************************************

heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee :)

Mr. Snarky

August 30th, 2012
11:02 pm

He couldn’t deliver a joke if his life depended on it.

Soothsayer

August 30th, 2012
11:02 pm

Onced we RepubNOwecan’ts get elected we’re a’gonna triple the number of McDonalds and Burger Kings so that everbody will have a job! THAT’S OUR PLAN!

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
11:03 pm

“Obamacare” — drink

Thulsa Doom- pompous ass extraordinaire

August 30th, 2012
11:03 pm

Angry old white guys sure do seem perty angry at the world he do. Maybe he should unite with people like himself. We’ll call them angry old not so smart white guys united.

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
11:03 pm

And the economics non-genius speaks.

Paul Ryan speaks! Gasp, non-genius.

A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself

August 30th, 2012
11:03 pm

@bman

August 30th, 2012
10:59 pm
Are you guys blogging about the republican convention? If you are, you’re not doing a very good job

Forpetesakes

****************************************************************

That is your OPINION.

I SEE THE TARNISH…….YOU SEE THE GLEAM.

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

August 30th, 2012
11:04 pm

“12 million new jobs”

Schnort

Soothsayer

August 30th, 2012
11:04 pm

WE’RE GONNA BUILD 2,000,000 MCDONALDS!

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
11:04 pm

Angry old white guys sure do seem perty angry at the world he do. Maybe he should unite with people like himself. We’ll call them angry old not so smart white guys united.

Nah. You’re not my type, tdumb.

Mr. Snarky

August 30th, 2012
11:04 pm

He’s coming off as a dbag plain and simple. Not looking good for Willard.

bman

August 30th, 2012
11:05 pm

Confederate soldiers and sons and stuff and….I don’t know

AngryOld WhiteGuys Unite

August 30th, 2012
11:05 pm

Mitt Gekko refuses to pay his tithe on his stash in the Caymans.