In campaign, GOP was simply less competent, efficient
One of the key selling points for Mitt Romney as president was his competence. This was a guy who knew how to run things. As a successful business leader, he had demonstrated the ability to transform an organization to make it operate faster, more efficiently and more effectively, and if given the chance he could do the same in government. That argument was extended to the overall Republican “brand’ as well, with the party selling itself as the party of business, run by people in business suits whose skills and work ethic were honed by free-market competition.
And of course, the primary way in which such claims are tested in the political arena is through the operation of a campaign. So it’s been interesting to see a string of post-election stories along the lines of this piece from The Washington Post:
Senior Republican campaign operatives who gathered over beer last week in Alexandria for a post-election briefing were taken aback by what they were told. A nonpartisan research firm presented data showing that President Obama had far outperformed Mitt Romney in managing the largest single expenditure of the campaign: television advertising.
Romney’s spending decisions on advertising look like “campaign malpractice,” said one person who had reviewed the newly circulated data.
Obama and his allies spent less on advertising than Romney and his allies but got far more — in the number of ads broadcast, in visibility in key markets and in targeting critical demographic groups, such as the working class and younger voters in swing states. As the presidential race entered its final, furious phase, for example, millions of college football fans tuning in to televised games saw repeated ads for Obama but relatively few from the Romney campaign.
All told, from June through Election Day, the Obama campaign and its allies aired about 50,000 more ads than Romney and his allies, according to the research firm’s data.
In other words, judged in terms of cost-effectiveness and efficiency — getting the most bang of out an advertising dollar — the Obama camp clearly outperformed the Romney camp. Other stories have documented the Obama campaign’s superior ability to identify its voters and get them to polls.
The Obama-ites also outperformed the Romney camp in its use of technology, as Ars Technica, a site specializing in the IT world, explains in a piece headlined “How Team Obama’s tech efficiency left Romney IT in dust.”
And as Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight has noted, that advantage shouldn’t be surprising. The Obama camp was able to tap the best and the brightest in the IT field because the IT field as a whole was strongly supportive of the incumbent:
“Among employees who work for Google, Mr. Obama received about $720,000 in itemized contributions this year, compared with only $25,000 for Mr. Romney. That means that Mr. Obama collected almost 97 percent of the money between the two major candidates.
Apple employees gave 91 percent of their dollars to Mr. Obama. At eBay, Mr. Obama received 89 percent of the money from employees.
Over all, among the 10 American-based information technology companies on Fortune’s list of “most admired companies,” Mr. Obama raised 83 percent of the funds between the two major party candidates.
Mr. Obama’s popularity among the staff at these companies holds even for those which are not headquartered in California. About 81 percent of contributions at Microsoft, which is headquartered in Redmond, Wash., went to Mr. Obama. So did 77 percent of those at I.B.M., which is based in Armonk, N.Y.”
To summarize, it would appear that in the 2012 presidential campaign a team of lazy, moochin’ Democratic “47 percenters” led by a lowly “community organizer” (insert snicker here) out-smarted, out-worked, out-adapted, out-teched and out-organized the buttoned-down corporate types led by a captain of American industry. In a campaign that in many ways turned into a contest between Old America and New America, New America proved the more fit competitor and dashed some stereotypes along the way.
– Jay Bookman
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393 comments Add your comment
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
December 13th, 2012
11:49 am
“get back to me in four years or even next year when the middle class is getting dinged by much high tax burden”
the middle class has done just fine in the past with higher tax burdens than what is proposed … so have the wealthy …
what do you have against balancing the budget???
Brosephus™
December 13th, 2012
11:49 am
They BOTH
If you’re still here, have you seen this one…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-12/mcdonald-s-8-25-man-and-8-75-million-ceo-shows-pay-gap.html
Johnson, 44, needs the two paychecks to pay rent for his apartment at a single-room occupancy hotel on the city’s north side. While he’s worked at McDonald’s stores for two decades, he still doesn’t get 40 hours a week and makes $8.25 an hour, minimum wage in Illinois.
[...]
Johnson would need about a million hours of work — or more than a century on the clock — to earn the $8.75 million that McDonald’s, based in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, paid then- CEO Jim Skinner last year.
[...]
Shareholders, not employees, have reaped the rewards. McDonald’s, for example, spent $6 billion on share repurchases and dividends last year, the equivalent of $14,286 per restaurant worker employed by the company. At the same time, restaurant companies have formed an industrywide effort to freeze the minimum wage, whose purchasing power is 20 percent less than in 1968, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank that advocates for low- and middle-income workers.
[...]
He’d heard about an effort to form the Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago, a group pushing for a $15-an-hour wage. Johnson joined despite McDonald’s previous efforts to prevent unions, which have left workers with lingering fears. The Big Mac seller has employed a group of experienced managers and executives to parachute into locations where union activity is suspected. In 1998, after workers at a McDonald’s in Ohio went on strike to protest unfair wages and working conditions, the leaders lost their jobs, said Sonny Nardi, president of Local 416 Teamsters union in Cleveland.
JamVet
December 13th, 2012
11:50 am
…the results of this election just shows how many simpletons are in the voting electorate and how easily they can be fooled.
Woo Hoo!
The always brilliant parrot has seized on a grand idea!
Tell everybody outside of your pup tent how stupid and lazy they are!
Yeah!
Label them all communists and mooches!
Now that is a sure fired way to win elections, parrot!
Good for you.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
December 13th, 2012
11:51 am
Granny Godzilla
December 13th, 2012
10:40 am
American consumers by a ton of goods from business who have few to no employees domestically. Look at APPLE, DELL, and the like. It’s kinda funny how BO won the tech voters when those very businesses are the true leaders in offshoring since its conception..
Just another irony…Apple and Dell are not in business to create US jobs…they are in business to provide products the consumer can use and afford. Neither would be the case if all their employees were on shore…they’d died years ago and we’d all be using and applauding Samsung et al..
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
December 13th, 2012
11:55 am
” It’s kinda funny how BO won the tech voters when those very businesses are the true leaders in offshoring since its conception..”
um – why is that funny when Obama has said that he is against offshoring???
makes perfect sense to me.
Mick
December 13th, 2012
11:57 am
donovan
**The Republican Party does seem to stumble when it comes to message effectiveness without the use of entitlement promises**
What about medicare part d???
**character assassination**
What about birthers? Muslim socialist, marxist, death panels
** class warfare.**
It’s over, the rich have won that war, but we are starting win some battles starting with a nice tax increase for the top 2%.
It’s all good man, don’t take yourself too seriously – we don’t!!!
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
December 13th, 2012
11:57 am
Brosephus™
December 13th, 2012
11:49 am
What’s the point? So the guy at top is overpaid and guy at bottom is paid minimum wage. Did you know that McDonalds has been experimenting with the drive-thru order taking outsourced domestically? Not sure about offshoring but they basically hire someone who works from home to actually take order and transmit to kitchen…the failure rate was cut more than half…
How do you know the guy at the bottom doesn’t find happiness in the amount of money he makes? It’s his choice…only if society is conspiring to keep a man down intentionally, what’s the problem? I think a big part is that entitlements past a certain point become enablers to keep dreams and aspirations under wraps…
F. Sinkwich
December 13th, 2012
11:58 am
“what do you have against balancing the budget???”
Ask your messiah, O’bozo. Dude don’t believe in that.
F. Sinkwich
December 13th, 2012
12:00 pm
“Johnson, 44, needs the two paychecks to pay rent for his apartment at a single-room occupancy hotel on the city’s north side. While he’s worked at McDonald’s stores for two decades, he still doesn’t get 40 hours a week and makes $8.25 an hour, minimum wage in Illinois.”
*sniff*
ITS ALL BUSH'S FAULT
December 13th, 2012
12:03 pm
IF you voted for DUBYA cons then its all your fault…
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:03 pm
F. Sinkwich — “*sniff*”
And you wonder why your side lost.
Old Farmer
December 13th, 2012
12:03 pm
I think the people still remembered Bush-Cheney and that had a lot to do with it. It also didn’t help that Romney came across as a candidate for the rich, elite. Well, it’s no wonder he came across that way, that’s what he was.
stands for decibels
December 13th, 2012
12:03 pm
What the extra footage reveals is the man who punched Mr. Crowder being knocked to the ground seconds before and then getting up and taking a swing at the comedian.
Sigh.
Don’t those FNC viewers ever tire of being played? At what point do they tell the demon spawn of Breitbart to eff off?
Regnad Kcin
December 13th, 2012
12:04 pm
*sniff*
That’s the attitude! It will lead you to VICTORY!
Darwin
December 13th, 2012
12:04 pm
Some insight here as well. During the 47% speech, Romney claimed that the financial markets would rebound just by him being elected. No policies enacted. No legislation. Just by being elected. Tells you something about the whole Romney campaign. It was based on destiny alone.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:04 pm
Both parties are incompetent – Obama’s incompetent…… that’s why we are $16,000,000,000,000 + in debt. It took hard work by BOTH parties over many years to throw our country’s future down the RAT HOLE – also known as SOCIALIST social giveaway programs primarily initiated but not funded – by the Dems.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:07 pm
The only thing more incompetent than politicians running this Kangaroo Court is the voters that put them in office. You voted for what you got – incompetence.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
December 13th, 2012
12:07 pm
“Ask your messiah, O’bozo. Dude don’t believe in that.”
dearheart, my messiah is Daniel Craig.
or Damien Lewis.
they don’t say much about a balanced budget.
guy
December 13th, 2012
12:07 pm
GT You did not hear me in that I do have a different opinion than you. I am concerned about this nation and the losers so far are all of us on both sides. Understand, I don’t need the press on either side deciding how I feel or vote. You have a good day and if 60 is old to you,then have a good day from an old man!
ITS ALL BUSH'S FAULT
December 13th, 2012
12:08 pm
GOP ITS ALL YOUR FAULT
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
December 13th, 2012
12:08 pm
“The only thing more incompetent than politicians running this Kangaroo Court is the voters that put them in office”
yep
more winning messages
keep it up!!! people will flock to the GOP in droves … no really! they will!!!
the cat
December 13th, 2012
12:08 pm
Keep it up, you will lose again in 2016. Rinse and repeat.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:03 pm
F. Sinkwich — “*sniff*”
And you wonder why your side lost.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
December 13th, 2012
12:08 pm
stands, so its possible the “reporter” trying to manipulate the events may actually have not filed charges because he or someone associated with him physically provoked the response first all Fox/Breitbart Thug like.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
December 13th, 2012
12:09 pm
Mick
December 13th, 2012
11:57 am
Jury remains out if the “victory” of shaking down the 2% will actually be favorable to the other 98%. So FEDS get another 80 biln a year….5-7% of annual deficit…go buy your self something nice.
Even that looks good on paper but when we don’t realize any real cuts of meaning (likely the case over time), it will just go to paying off increasing interest on the debt that will continue to spiral..
Just how big do you want government to be?
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:09 pm
T. Cat — “Keep it up, you will lose again in 2016. Rinse and repeat.”
One wonders if he trips handicapped people in the grocery store parking lot.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:10 pm
S. Ray — “Just how big do you want government to be?”
Big enough to drown Grover Norquist in a bathtub.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:11 pm
Obama is our 1st “Reality Show” President but this is not our 1st “reality Show” Congress – at least Nanny Pelosi is not on T V trying on wedding dresses though she would fit in on “House Wives” .with those botoxed lips.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
December 13th, 2012
12:11 pm
USinUK – not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
December 13th, 2012
12:08 pm
Are you with me that the GOP should give DEMS everything they want in the cliff discussions?
Be the perfect metric to measure just how effective their economic concepts and ability to deliver really are…I’d like to see that happen, give them everything they want and sit back and keep score..
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
December 13th, 2012
12:13 pm
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:10 pm
We agree on that dope…
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
December 13th, 2012
12:14 pm
ITS ALL BUSH’S FAULT
December 13th, 2012
12:08 pm
Another brilliant entry…can’t thank you enough.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 13th, 2012
12:15 pm
The only thing President Obama does well is campaign.
Clearly the Misery Index complied during his first term proves he’s failed as a manager, statesman and leader. He’s a social reformer – who lives by one paradigm: A government who takes from Peter to give to Paul can count on Paul’s support. That’s why he won reelection. He pandered to Paul.
Besides the entitlement class, the color-struck among the electorate continued to find virtue in pigmentation and pigmentation alone. The President is still black! And that’s a good thing – for tee shirt sales and stand up routines at The Soul Train Awards.
Please see the idiotic comment posted by @indigo.
Question for you @indigo. There’s a black man sitting in the Oval Office. Has been for four years now. What’s the current unemployment rate in the black community? How about the number of black men incarcerated? Does the rate of illegitimacy among black babies cause you reason for concern?
Tell me again why it’s important for the president not to be a white guy.
Mitt Romney is an out of touch rich guy. He’s a stuffed shirt. But he’s also a competent leader and manager with a proven track record.
Obama’s an empty suit. Yet he was again beneficiary of incredible voter largess – considering his weak resume and ineffective first term.
I am thankful that the office has a two term limit. My fellow Americans would probably elect this nimrod again in 2016.
Atlanta elects a mayor every four years based solely on race. How’s that working out for us?
Wise up, people.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:17 pm
What’s Congress going to do with the assets (taxes)confiscated from the 2 % … is it put in a lock box to only go to reduce the deficit or is going down the rat hole too? Not in a lock box so RAT HOLE is where it’s going…….. and Jay refused to take me up on my offer that the deficit would not be ONE CENT lower when Obama leaves office than it is today. What does that say for Obama’s “plan” when his biggest fan is not confident?
Williebkind
December 13th, 2012
12:20 pm
“And you wonder why your side lost.”
We know why our side lost:
-Liberal media is not journalism.
-up north,east and west coast are morons who believe they are owed free stuff.
-above mentioned areas fall for a pretty speech filled with lies and do not look for substance–dont are to hear speeches with substance but rather entertaining speeches.
What to do to resolve this–Tell lies and offer free stuff and when you get elected revert back to your truthful conservative ways. Election won and the republic has won.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:20 pm
E. E. Purgatory — “Mitt Romney is an out of touch rich guy. He’s a stuffed shirt. But he’s also a competent leader and manager with a proven track record.”
No, he’s not. Remember, he was *gone* from Bain when all those big wins came through.
That’s what he SAID, anyway.
Maybe if we had a look at his taxes, that might clear things up.
Mick
December 13th, 2012
12:21 pm
stevie ray
You have to start somewhere, correct? Obviously there needs to be an exhaustive audit on every single program out there targeting waste and fraud. Everyone’s taxes need to go up to pay down the debt, no new spending. Shore up social security and medicare, thats all I ask…
guy
December 13th, 2012
12:21 pm
Morality THANKS FOR THE TOTAL TRUTH! FINALLY A PERSON WITH COMMON SENSE! HOW CAN ANY OF US BE PROUD OF EITHER PARTY?
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:21 pm
Wiliebkind — “We know why our side lost”
No, you don’t. You and your ideological compatriots prove it here every day.
You haven’t a clue. Besides, you’re arguing to stay the same losing course. Fine. Please do that.
You will just continue to lose.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:22 pm
Obama’s plan is the same as Congress’s plan – stay in the evil 1 %.
Welcome to the Occupation
December 13th, 2012
12:23 pm
Williebkind –
” -up north,east and west coast are morons who believe they are owed free stuff”
Ha! What a laugh.
Those are the very surplus regions that generally subsidize the less productive regions like the South.
If transfers from the richer regions to the South were cut off, now that is something that truly would leave the South looking like Greece. Irony of ironies!
Krystal'sBalls
December 13th, 2012
12:23 pm
…and your last statement in the article Jay sums up my entire outlook on this thing from the beginning, and has been what I have been saying here for a long time now. THAT is what eats his HATERS up! They just cannot get past it. Of course these people including the Pres. are MUCH more than that. It’s just the narrrative they’ve been sold…
Williebkind
December 13th, 2012
12:26 pm
Joe Hussein Mama:
Ideolog? Now thats the butt telling the turd he stinks. The progressive liberals will eventually lose out. Just like any war there will be pain and suffering. Your group caused it and I feel your group should have more pain and it will. The plantation will never give up their free stuff so they will have to die off.
guy
December 13th, 2012
12:28 pm
Escaped from Email Purgatory, Add Detroit to the list of successfully run places too!
Common Sense isn't very Common
December 13th, 2012
12:28 pm
JHM
Big enough to drown Grover Norquist in a bathtub.
——————————————————
I’ll hold him down, you sit on his legs
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:29 pm
My side didn’t lose – my side didn’t get in the run off for “Reality Show” President. I am a FISCAL conservative. “W” and Obama are FISCAL liberals……. I did not vote for a fiscal liberal – you did. You voted for a PARTY LOYALIST – I vote for USA loyalists….. you know, those that put our FISCAL future 1st. Your candidate puts party 1st and country be damned.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:32 pm
Williebkind — “Ideolog? Now thats the butt telling the turd he stinks.”
Considering all those schools you claim to have attended, I’d think you’d have the brainpower to distinguish between the words “ideological” (which I used) and “ideologue” (which I did not). Clearly, I overestimated how much time you spent AWAKE during your supposed education.
“The progressive liberals will eventually lose out.”
Nope. Time, truth, facts, demographics and age are on OUR side. You have no hope whatsoever of prevailing.
“Just like any war there will be pain and suffering.”
If you think you have to wage war against your own countrymen, then you’ve already lost.
“Your group caused it”
Yes, run and tell mommy that the OTHER kids broke the window. Do it quick before she finds out about it on her own. (laughing) ;D
“and I feel your group should have more pain”
Someone call the WAAAAAAAAAAAHmbulance! (laughing, pointing)
“and it will.”
“The plantation will never give up their free stuff so they will have to die off.”
Clueless loser says what?
Common Sense isn't very Common
December 13th, 2012
12:32 pm
It’s too bad that the majority of Americans voted for a Fiscal REALIST
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:32 pm
What’s that Obama’s “preacher” said in Church – no less? “G.D. America” – Obama’s preacher, like Obama and Congress (both sides), is loyal to his party 1st and “G D. America.” That’s what you voted for – congratulations…… you won – the USA lost.
Common Sense isn't very Common
December 13th, 2012
12:35 pm
I didn’t see Wright’s name on the ballot. Did I miss something?
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:35 pm
No you voted for a FISCAL fraud.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:37 pm
“Morality” — “My side didn’t lose”
Nobody’s talking to *you.*
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 13th, 2012
12:38 pm
@JH Mama.
Good point.
But given the choice between a guy who was a republican governor of a democrat state who worked across the aisle to implement a viable health care plan and ram-rodded an Olympics, I’ll take that over a community organizer and freshman senator who voted “present” most of the time.
Clearly, I was in the electoral minority.
The election of 2012 was like a beauty contest between two homely girls and it all came down to the talent competition. Romney played Beethoven’s 9th while reciting Macbeth. Obama? He recited a limeric about a hermit named Dave.
But he won anyway.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:38 pm
Obama’s mentor J. “G.D. America” Wright was on the ballot under the pseudonym OBAMA.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:40 pm
Is your pseudonym now NOBODY?
Regnad Kcin
December 13th, 2012
12:41 pm
“Obama’s mentor J. “G.D. America” Wright was on the ballot under the pseudonym OBAMA”
Are we gonna have to post that entire sermon again? Morality: Context matters.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:41 pm
There ain’t NOBODY.
btull27
December 13th, 2012
12:43 pm
That’s what is is so sad, we have 2 incompetent parties vying for power. Democrats are just lucky Republicans are currently bigger idiots than them. Republicans can’t help but shoot themselves in the foot. I believe their incapable of running a smart campaign. This past election should have been a slam dunk, but Republicans chose to get mixed up in a battle on social issues instead of economics. Democrats know all they need to do is bring up abortion and Republicans will say something stupid and that will redirect attention away from their record. I don’t dislike Mitt Romney, but that’s really the best they could come up with? Democrats knew what they were doing by running Herman Cain off because he would have made winning tougher for their tactics. Libertarians need to take the ball and run because their platform would make them immune to the normal social issues which are currently used to divide the vote. Instead, 2016 will bring back the same BS. Clinton vs Rubio and Marco hates women, doesn’t believe in evolution and is no longer in touch with his Hispanic heritage. Clinton loves women, has experience and has her husband.
Brosephus™
December 13th, 2012
12:43 pm
Stevie Ray
The point is you’re butting into a conversation that TBS and I have going on outside the blog. If you’re worried about the guy’s happiness, why don’t you read the article instead of trying to pick a fight that you’re going to lose? You didn’t respond to my question to you earlier when you made an ass of yourself trying to assume what I was talking about. Please don’t make the same mistake twice. ? K
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:45 pm
Context matters – just pointing out that to these politicians you voted for are PARTY LOYALISTS 1st and as Rev Rat said “We 1st and G.D. America”. That was basically the context in a nut shell. He said it – he meant it – Obama was in the balcony – didn’t here Obama deny it.
Lord Help Us
December 13th, 2012
12:50 pm
Morality? Have you forgotten Bill Ayers?
You need to step up your game.
Cowboy Up, Pilgrim….
Regnad Kcin
December 13th, 2012
12:50 pm
“Democrats knew what they were doing by running Herman Cain off because he would have made winning tougher for their tactics’
Please! Don’t run Herman Cain! Not him! Oh, noesssssssss!!!!!
Welcome to the Occupation
December 13th, 2012
12:50 pm
Morality? “What’s that Obama’s “preacher” said in Church – no less? “G.D. America” – Obama’s preacher, like Obama and Congress (both sides), is loyal to his party 1st and “G D. America.” That’s what you voted for – congratulations…… you won – the USA lost.”
Ok granted, the intellectual level of this blog may not be able to support this, but here goes anyway:
Has it ever occurred to you that saying “G.D. America!” may not necessarily be anti-American at all?
I know it’s a stretch! But what I’m asking you to do is switch off the Fox News/Rush Limbaugh type pseudo-thinking for a moment and ponder something new.
Have you ever read the Old Testament, for example, about the old prophets of Israel? If you reflect on that for a moment – I know I’m stretching here – it might begin to dawn on you that those two things might not necessarily be incompatible at all.
Regnad Kcin
December 13th, 2012
12:51 pm
“Rev Rat said “We 1st and G.D. America”. That was basically the context in a nut shell. He said it – he meant it”
Morality, I hate to be the one to tell you…but on this issue, you have no clue.
Granny Godzilla
December 13th, 2012
12:52 pm
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am…
December 13th, 2012
11:51 am
Granny Godzilla
December 13th, 2012
10:40 am
American consumers by a ton of goods from business who have few to no employees domestically. Look at APPLE, DELL, and the like. It’s kinda funny how BO won the tech voters when those very businesses are the true leaders in offshoring since its conception..
Just another irony…Apple and Dell are not in business to create US jobs…they are in business to provide products the consumer can use and afford. Neither would be the case if all their employees were on shore…they’d died years ago and we’d all be using and applauding Samsung et al..
.
.
.
Does any of the above surprise you?
I hope that you and I both by local whenever possible….it’s a start.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:53 pm
E. E. Purgatory — “But given the choice between a guy who was a republican governor of a democrat state who worked across the aisle to implement a viable health care plan and ram-rodded an Olympics, I’ll take that over a community organizer and freshman senator who voted “present” most of the time.”
Given a choice between a sitting President who’s had to fight the Republicans tooth-and-nail for every scrap of progress over the last four years and a former Governor who didn’t carry ANY state he’s ever lived in AND who had to beg the Federal Government to triple its funding of the Olympics he purportedly “saved,” I’ll take Obama.
“Clearly, I was in the electoral minority.”
Clearly.
“The election of 2012 was like a beauty contest between two homely girls and it all came down to the talent competition. Romney played Beethoven’s 9th while reciting Macbeth. Obama? He recited a limeric about a hermit named Dave.”
The Republican primary was all about who the Republican rank and file hated least. Don’t even try to make Romney more than he was. Four years ago, he’s the guy who came second to a dyspeptic old man who made the grandest VP selection FAIL in our collective national history. Today, y’all act like Romney hung the moon.
Question: If Romney was all that from the get-go, how come y’all didn’t put him atop the ticket in 2008?
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:55 pm
Now what I said about Obama and the Dems being PARTY LOYALISTS 1st also goes for the Repubs…… their main objective is to tell the voters what the voters want to hear so they will get reelected. They know that if they tell you the TRUTH that you won’t likely get their vote because you “Can’t handle the truth”. As I have advocated before – we need a 3rd Party that is loyal to the FISCAL survival of the USA over party loyalty. TERM LIMITS FOR CONGRESS and a BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT to the Constitution would have avoided Fed Debt 2013 big “D”. Obama will go down in history as the HERBERT HOOVER of 2013.
Granny Godzilla
December 13th, 2012
12:56 pm
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
12:29 pm
My side didn’t lose
.
.
.
.
and dismissed.
Regnad Kcin
December 13th, 2012
12:56 pm
” Romney played Beethoven’s 9th while reciting Macbeth.’
I liked the part where he sang all the parts of the “Ode to Joy” while reciting MacBeth, all the time playing all the instruments in the orchestra simultaneously! Quite impressive!!
The limerick WAS really funny, though…”hermit named Dave” LOL
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
12:57 pm
“Morality” — “Is your pseudonym now NOBODY?”
You answered a question that wasn’t addressed to you.
When I want or need a reply from you, I’ll let you know.
Lord Help Us
December 13th, 2012
12:59 pm
Not bashful with a knife and fork sheets!!!
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
1:02 pm
Occupy – It is what it is and he said what he said. Rev Rat is about as much of a preacher as Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson. Reinterpreting the Bible to fit their message is quite common among their ilk.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
1:05 pm
NOBODY – you put my name on it and I replied to NOBODY….. if that’s you then fine.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 13th, 2012
1:07 pm
@JH Mama.
Pull back your partisan hackles.
The election’s over. You won – sort of. Obama’s my president too. Here’s hoping he gets a clue this term. We’re all swimming in the same big toilet and if BHO continues to screw up we all get flushed.
“Y’all”?. I’m independent fella – not that you’d have any idea about the concept. Independent means I can smell dog crap when it’s on the bottom of my shoe and not think it’s Chanel No 5. or rationalize the foul smell away by saying it could smell worse if it was my neighbor’s dog who left it.
I try to be nice. But for what? I acknowledge the limited validity of your Bain rant. You’re welcome.
But you choose to toss it back in my face along with 95% of the text of my original response while you spectacularly miss my point. Copying and pasting doesn’t lead to comprehension. You gotta read the text first.
Lemme try to spell it out for you. The homely girl analogy means that neither candidate… ah never mind.
Enjoy your delusion.
Peace.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
1:08 pm
You LOST the election but you just don’t know it yet……… HERBERT HOOVER of 2013.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
1:10 pm
Please do not insult homely girls.
Morality?
December 13th, 2012
1:11 pm
Just refer to them as a homely party as we do not want the gender card played here – again.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
1:16 pm
“Morality” — “NOBODY – you put my name on it”
I did not.
“and I replied to NOBODY….. if that’s you then fine.”
See, this is why no one here takes you seriously.
Welcome to the Occupation
December 13th, 2012
1:19 pm
Morality? “– It is what it is and he said what he said. Rev Rat is about as much of a preacher as Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson”
Yes, Jeremiah Wright may be a cynical operative like those individuals, but it’s a fact:
What he said about American empire was spot on.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
1:24 pm
E. E. Purgatory — “@JH Mama. Pull back your partisan hackles.”
You first.
“The election’s over. You won – sort of. Obama’s my president too. Here’s hoping he gets a clue this term. We’re all swimming in the same big toilet and if BHO continues to screw up we all get flushed.”
Indeed. So how about suggesting to your ideological compatriots that they become CONSTRUCTIVE with their criticisms instead of rehashing the same old same old?
“Y’all”?. I’m independent fella – not that you’d have any idea about the concept.”
Oh, my dear country mouse, you have no idea what you’re talking about.
I spent the first 20+ years of my voting life as a Republican and enlisted in the Army during the Reagan administration. I spent over a dozen years volunteering and phonebanking for different state GOPs until I finally lost confidence and faith in the party in 2003. So you can take that ‘no concept of independence’ obloquy and shove it riiiiiiiiight where the sun never shines.
“Independent means I can smell dog crap when it’s on the bottom of my shoe and not think it’s Chanel No 5. or rationalize the foul smell away by saying it could smell worse if it was my neighbor’s dog who left it.”
Which means what in this context? You don’t know me well enough to speak for me, so what are you trying to say?
“I try to be nice.”
I hadn’t noticed.
“But for what? I acknowledge the limited validity of your Bain rant. You’re welcome.”
That is wise on your part, given the unavailability of any coherent or valid response to it.
“But you choose to toss it back in my face along with 95% of the text of my original response while you spectacularly miss my point.”
If you’re going to come to an internet message board and demand good faith, then you need to *demonstrate* some. If you come to an IMB being a Richard, then expect others to be Richards right back to you.
If you’ve got a point and I missed it, then man up and try again instead of whining, complaining and trying to insult my intelligence.
“Copying and pasting doesn’t lead to comprehension. You gotta read the text first.”
Reading doesn’t lead to agreement.
“Lemme try to spell it out for you. The homely girl analogy means that neither candidate… ah never mind.”
Yes, I thought so. Expending effort’s too much for you. How SURPRISING. (laughing, pointing)
“Enjoy your delusion.”
Enjoy yours, country mouse.
Krystal'sBalls
December 13th, 2012
1:30 pm
Can we get some Lithium up in this B**** please!!!????
Or might that be “immoral” without an accompanying presecription?
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 13th, 2012
1:37 pm
@JH Mama
Tisk, tisk Mary.
Emoticons (verbs enclosed in parentheses) and over-use of a point-counterpoint technique. Very impressive.
And your name calling leaves a lot to be deisred. Country mouse? Being a “Richard”? Come on man, grow a pair. A real man’s thesaurus has suitable synonyms lie “tool” that don’t scream ” I watch Glee and belong to Oprah’s book Club.
JH, you were beaten up a lot during PE in highschool, weren’t you.
That’s awful.
That’s
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 13th, 2012
2:14 pm
@JH Mama
Let’s bury the hatchet (both arms extended in conciliatory manner).
We’re both just mopes with nothing better to do than post half-baked opinions on Bookman’s blog (wry smile).
Heck, I’m on vacation today. At least you have the good sense to use your employer’s time for this nonsense (wink and another wry smile)
As my dad used to say about opinions – they’re like a euphemism/expletive reference to a certain area of the body not suitable for mention here (nodding head backward while pointing over my shoulder with my thumb)
We’ll agree to disagree – how about that? (raised eyebrows and smile to denote sincerity and a willingness to reach an amicable settlement)
Lets shake on it (right hand extended in your directions).
Citizen of the World
December 13th, 2012
2:21 pm
The Democrat’s cooperation mindset trumped Republican’s competition mindset both in the messaging and the campaigning. Romney’s “I’m the boss man, I can fix everything, that’s all you need to know” persona probably infected his campaign from the top down, with information and ideas from boots on the ground never sought and decisions from the top never questioned. Just like too often happens in business.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 13th, 2012
5:02 pm
E. E. Purgatory — “@JH Mama Tisk, tisk Mary.”
Oh, and what a cute little poster it is, with the feminine names!
Never seen THAT mode of insult used on the internet before.
“Emoticons (verbs enclosed in parentheses) and over-use of a point-counterpoint technique. Very impressive.”
I post to please myself, within the bounds established by our blog host. If you don’t like it, that’s too bad.
“And your name calling leaves a lot to be deisred. Country mouse? Being a “Richard”? Come on man, grow a pair.”
Why bother? You leapt right out of the box with insults and presumptions about me despite not knowing a damn thing about me. What’s so worthwhile about *you* that I should expend greater effort? Why should I expend greater effort with someone who doesn’t know the first thing about me, but immediately launches into insult mode? In short, just who do you think you are?
“A real man’s thesaurus has suitable synonyms lie “tool” that don’t scream ” I watch Glee and belong to Oprah’s book Club.”
A real man doesn’t need to bring up what a real man would do or not do.
“JH, you were beaten up a lot during PE in highschool, weren’t you.”
Uh, no. And if you were standing right next to me, I think you’d understand why.
“That’s awful.”
“That’s”
And *that’s* a sentence fragment.
“@JH Mama Let’s bury the hatchet (both arms extended in conciliatory manner).”
Oh? In a single post, you switch from calling me “Mary” to wanting to be friendly? I think not. If you want to be friendly and sociable with me, then SHOW ME. Talk is cheap, and right now, yours is especially low-priced.
“We’re both just mopes with nothing better to do than post half-baked opinions on Bookman’s blog (wry smile).”
I don’t appreciate that sort of presumption and familiarity from people who don’t know me. You know *nothing* about me, and so far as I know, we’ve never posted at each other before today. Maybe you’d better spend some time getting to know me before you presume to speak for me.
“Heck, I’m on vacation today. At least you have the good sense to use your employer’s time for this nonsense (wink and another wry smile)”
What makes you think you know anything about my work or employment?
“As my dad used to say about opinions – they’re like a euphemism/expletive reference to a certain area of the body not suitable for mention here (nodding head backward while pointing over my shoulder with my thumb)”
How very appropriate that you should choose that particular part of the body for your illustration.
“We’ll agree to disagree – how about that? (raised eyebrows and smile to denote sincerity and a willingness to reach an amicable settlement)”
How about we agree that you’re a boorish jackass who’s been quite rude and presumptuous today, and who might benefit from amending his posting behavior?
“Lets shake on it (right hand extended in your directions).”
I don’t have a problem being friendly with people with whom I don’t agree (on any number of topics). That said, I expect a minimum level of politeness and good will from them, and they of me. You, Artless Noob, have not demonstrated anything remotely like that, and despite the fact that we might actually prove to have common ground on a number of topics, I quite simply have no desire to ‘bury the hatchet’ with whoever you happen to be.
If you’d like to drop the jackass act, back up and start over, that’s fine. I’m willing to do that. But there is nothing I can envision that would make me want to socialize or be friendly with you right now, given your behavior of today.
The best you’re going to get out of me is a clean slate and a fresh start, if you’re willing to take it. Don’t push it by looking for a hug or a handshake. I don’t hug or shake hands with strangers who call me “Mary.”
saywhat?
December 13th, 2012
5:04 pm
Seems to me that republiconserviteatardibiterians are all in favor of meritocracy and the free market of ideas until a democrat shows more merit than their guy, and the market rejects their ideas as sucking harder than sinkwich on Reagan’s knob.
Too bad.
Dharma Bum
December 13th, 2012
6:31 pm
As several others have pointed out… neither the Democrats (Party of Fear) nor the Republicans (Party of Hate) are political groups we should be proud of.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 14th, 2012
7:55 am
@JH Mama
Based on my limited discourse with you, seems you can give as good as you take. All those copy and paste of comments taken out of context followed by your well-crafted zingers – come on. That’s a bit catty, don’t you think?
What do you expect in response? “Thank you JH Mama. May I have another?”
Bottom line is that I really meant no offense – and I apologize for any you took due to my comments.
I will say that you take my posts way too seriously. Haven’t figured out if that’s my fault or yours.
PS I saw your “downstairs” reference in Bookman’s blog on Chrisite. It was kind of cryptic. Your comments above weren’t posted yet, so I assumed….
Rabbit
December 14th, 2012
8:00 am
For those who think ‘blame Romney’ justifies no party introspection, consider this: Romney was indeed a weak candidate, but the party machinery surrounding him is responsible for the grossly out of touch strategies that resulted in defeat. Also, the line Boehner uses, “the country kept a Republican majority in the house, so they want…” the house to continue to be obstructionist is simply incorrect. The House is Republican because of the broken system of redistricting. Without congressional districts being gerrymandered into solid, predictable voting units, the House Leadership is out. Doubt it? Look at the senate where the electoral college you decry doesn’t factor into the outcomes, just people voting.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 14th, 2012
9:21 am
E. E. Purgatory — “Based on my limited discourse with you, seems you can give as good as you take.”
Of that you may be assured.
“All those copy and paste of comments taken out of context followed by your well-crafted zingers – come on. That’s a bit catty, don’t you think?”
If you don’t like what I have to say, then you’re perfectly capable of scrolling right on past my comments, I suspect. Besides, “Fisking” — the method I use in replying on this blog — has a long and notable history on the internet.
“What do you expect in response? “Thank you JH Mama. May I have another?”
How about ‘whoops, I seem to have come on too strong. Let’s back up and start over’ instead of this doubling-down jackassery you seem to prefer.
“Bottom line is that I really meant no offense – and I apologize for any you took due to my comments.”
I’m not going to directly accept your apology, but I *will* stand by my offer to start over with you if you’re willing to do so as well.
“I will say that you take my posts way too seriously. Haven’t figured out if that’s my fault or yours.”
You employ a degree of sarcasm and familiarity which, while it would be certainly appropriate to a pair of regular posters who know each other well, is definitely INappropriate between individuals online who do *not* know each other well, Plus, your generous sprinkling of insults and presumption don’t do a thing to defang your criticism or to make it look like good-natured jest.
This is why I said several times that you don’t know me well enough to talk to me that way.
“PS I saw your “downstairs” reference in Bookman’s blog on Chrisite. It was kind of cryptic. Your comments above weren’t posted yet, so I assumed….”
Pages here don’t auto-refresh. You may simply have not manually refreshed this page quickly enough to see my comment in this thread, as I did post it before notifying you it was here. Also, on rare occasions, some posters experience weird timestamps; there are numerous examples of replies to posts being timestamped *before* the post that was replied to. That’s certainly another possibility.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 14th, 2012
10:21 am
@JH Mama
So be it.
You’re demanding a level of deference – perhaps capitulation is a better word – I don’t have the capacity to provide. Heck, you make my wife’s ‘Honey Do” List look like a thank you note.
It sort of begs the question: “Who in the heck do you think you are, anyway?”
I’ll take your many suggestions for my improvement in blog decorum under advisement. They do have some validity, no doubt.
But check yourself as well. Talk about self important. Jeez.
I look forward to reading your comments in future Bookman blogs.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 14th, 2012
1:45 pm
E. E. Purgatory — “@JH Mama So be it. You’re demanding a level of deference”
Rejected. I’m not demanding any sort of deference. I’m demanding *politeness.*
“– perhaps capitulation is a better word –”
Denied. I’m not demanding any sort of capitulation. I’m *offering* a fresh start.
“I don’t have the capacity to provide.”
Shrug. Fine. You’re incapable of saying ‘you know what, JHM — I came on too strongly and I can see how that might have set you on edge. Let’s start over and see if we can get off on the right foot.’
Thanks for admitting that serious shortcoming on your part. It might have saved us both some time if you’d introduced yourself with that.
“Heck, you make my wife’s ‘Honey Do” List look like a thank you note.”
I don’t know you or your wife, nor do I know anything about your relationship, so I’m afraid I don’t take your meaning here.
“It sort of begs the question: “Who in the heck do you think you are, anyway?”
I think I’m a stranger to you, and I think if you met me in public and addressed me the way you did here yesterday, you’d be wiping a bloody nose and picking yourself up off the sidewalk. You presumed a level of familiarity with me that was entirely inappropriate, and began our discussion with repeated insults. I recognize that barriers fall away more quickly online than in person, but issuing presumptuous and personal insults to someone you’ve just met is as likely to mark you as a jerk and a boor online as it is offline.
“I’ll take your many suggestions for my improvement in blog decorum under advisement. They do have some validity, no doubt.”
I appreciate your willingness to consider them.
“But check yourself as well.”
I’d be more open to considering your current criticisms if you hadn’t *commenced* your discourse with me with so much in the way of overfamiliar and *personal* criticism. Consequently, as of right now, I’m not particularly amenable to hearing or considering your critique of me.
“Talk about self important. Jeez.”
Speak for yourself.
“I look forward to reading your comments in future Bookman blogs.”
And I to yours.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
@JH Mama
“I think I’m a stranger to you, and I think if you met me in public and addressed me the way you did here yesterday, you’d be wiping a bloody nose and picking yourself up off the sidewalk.”
You’re getting perilously close to making physical threats. You need to calm down. I’m afraid what you call a provocative might not stand up in court. That’s a layman’s opinion on my part.
One thing that might be important for you to consider is the fact that we are interacting on a political blog. We interact by sharing (imposing, some might say) our opinions on politics, religion, race, etc on our fellow posters.
If we were in public, no doubt these conversations wouldn’t be broached in the first place. Our home training taught us all that such matters aren’t discussed in polite company. Why? Because polite company doesn’t give a fig about our opinions on politics, religion and race.
That’s why we frequent political blogs.
It seems to me, the more we engage in dialogue, the clearer it becomes, that we don’t need to engage in dialogue.
Best of luck to you – but watch those threats. Totally out of line.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 14th, 2012
2:59 pm
@J H Mama
At this point, I don’t think anybody but you and I are posting comments to this blog. So here goes.
After a second read of our entire conversation yesterday, I see your point (to an extent). You’re kinda huffy and pompous, but what I said could have been said better in some instances and can’t be excused by your condescending tone.
Like you say, we don’t know each other, so you took my smack talk literally and it offended you. That’s understandable.
I realize that my latest comments expressed here might only escalate an already tense situation, but when I contribute to a dysfunctional situation, I need to acknowledge it to the other party.
Couple this with my mea culpas from earlier posts, and you got all I have to give.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 17th, 2012
9:54 am
E. E. Purgatory — “You’re getting perilously close to making physical threats.”
In your opinion.
“You need to calm down.”
I am, have been and remain quite calm. Heed your own advice.
“I’m afraid what you call a provocative might not stand up in court. That’s a layman’s opinion on my part.”
(laughing) It certainly is a layman’s opinion on your part. When you think you’ve got a cause for legal action, let me know.
“Best of luck to you – but watch those threats. Totally out of line.”
Come on less like a jerk and you might not find yourself mistakenly perceiving threats around every corner, Mister.