The startling science behind Obama’s victory
The technological superiority of the Obama campaign has been well-covered, but Sasha Issenberg at MIT’s Technology Review offers us a deeper and even unsettling look at just what it accomplished. Along the way, he also introduces us to someone who may make Nate Silver of Fivethirtyeight fame not only envious, but downright anachronistic.
Political junkies will remember the hotly contested 2009 special election in New York’s 23rd Congressional District. Issenberg, author of “The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns,” introduces us to Dan Wagner, who predicted the outcome of that election within a 150- vote margin. In 2010, Republican Scott Brown pulled off a surprising victory for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Ted Kennedy. Wagner, however, had predicted Brown’s victory months before the election took place. In the 2010 congressional midterms, which the Republicans won, he correctly predicted the outcome with uncanny accuracy five months before the fact.
That performance was enough to get Wagner’s data-mining project considerable funding and manpower from the Democratic National Committee and the Obama campaign. The result? As Issenberg puts it in a three-part series, while the campaign fielded all of the most sophisticated technology, that was only the beginning. In battleground states, they wanted the mind-boggling ability to identify and track individual voters, determine what would convince those individual voters to vote Obama, and then deliver that convincing material to them.
As Issenberg describes it:
“But underneath all that were scores describing particular voters: a new political currency that predicted the behavior of individual humans. The campaign didn’t just know who you were; it knew exactly how it could turn you into the type of person it wanted you to be….
Obama’s campaign began the election year confident it knew the name of every one of the 69,456,897 Americans whose votes had put him in the White House. They may have cast those votes by secret ballot, but Obama’s analysts could look at the Democrats’ vote totals in each precinct and identify the people most likely to have backed him. Pundits talked in the abstract about reassembling Obama’s 2008 coalition. But within the campaign, the goal was literal. They would reassemble the coalition, one by one, through personal contacts….
Before the polls opened in Ohio, authorities in Hamilton County, the state’s third-largest and home to Cincinnati, released the names of 103,508 voters who had cast early ballots over the previous month. Wagner sorted them by microtargeting projections and found that 58,379 had individual support scores over 50.1—that is, the campaign’s models predicted that they were more likely than not to have voted for Obama. That amounted to 56.4 percent of the county’s votes, or a raw lead of 13,249 votes over Romney. Early ballots were the first to be counted after Ohio’s polls closed, and Obama’s senior staff gathered around screens in the boiler room to see the initial tally. The numbers settled almost exactly where Wagner had said they would: Obama got 56.6 percent of the votes in Hamilton County. In Florida, he was as close to the mark; Obama’s margin was only two-tenths of a percent off.”
When you read things like that and compare it to Karl Rove’s plaintive Election Night plea that Ohio was still winnable for Mitt Romney, you begin to understand just how significantly the science of campaigning has changed, and how much of a march the Democrats have stolen.
– Jay Bookman
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304 comments Add your comment
indigo
December 18th, 2012
8:52 am
Inquiring minds – 8:48
The children at Sandy Hook were killed by guns.
So, we must focus on guns.
Since you and I both know these sad killings will only result in even more gun sales, the only reasonable thing to do is post armed guards at every school with “shoot to kill” orders if any armed people try to get into the school.
Mick
December 18th, 2012
8:52 am
reb
Mind control? More like romneys message wasn’t specific and obama’s team was smarter in targeting potential voters. It’s always about who has the better ground game…
Welcome to the Occupation
December 18th, 2012
8:57 am
You know I thought, maybe there’s a chance — admittedly tiny, but still — that maybe, just maybe with the great sainted liberal hero Barack Obama up there right now helping his “enemies” in the right wing proto-fascist party whet a meat cleaver to go after Social Security and what measly bits remain from the 20th C social gains with, that Bookman would take a critical look for a change at what Obama is doing.
Ah well. What do you expect. Guess it’s just in the contract.
R Thomas Berner
December 18th, 2012
8:57 am
This further shows what an anachronism Rove and his ilk (Carville, among others) are.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
December 18th, 2012
9:00 am
They do up here dawg.
Nope. That would be a govt law restricting the 1st amendment. You know, unconstitutional.
Levels of Blackness
December 18th, 2012
9:01 am
Regrettably, that proverbial long arm keeps getting longer & longer & longer
Inquiring Mind
December 18th, 2012
9:03 am
Here’s the issue. People want to fix the gun problem.
Many of those same people are unwilling to accept the other requisites for solving the problem. Because they would infringe on the first amendment. And they would force people to acknowledge and take more responsibility for their failures.
The mother of the killer has to be one of the stupidest people on the planet. And if we’re going to try to legislate against stupidity, there will need to be other things considered other than just a gun ban.
We will have to put people behind bars who have not committed a crime, but instead are just sick in the head. And how will we feel about that?
JohnnyReb
December 18th, 2012
9:04 am
Mick – when ever you track individual voters and taylor a message that resonates, that’s propaganda, mind control if you will, at the highest level.
It’s also a sad statement on how technology has stolen privacy. Those on Facebook and Twitter that vomit everything about themselves deserve identity theft, but I’m not sure they deserve being manipulated on voting.
kawasaki kid
December 18th, 2012
9:05 am
I want a law requiring all U.S. citizens to vote in all federal and state-wide elections, similar to Australia. I also want citizens to have to option of voting securely on-line. When the masses become more involved in politics, politicians must cater to them at the expense of their ever-reliable extremist bases. The only other way we’re ever going to reclaim our politicians from the grip of big-money oligarchs is TERM LIMITS, which is never going to happen.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
9:06 am
T. Heyward — “I held up the prominent sign posted at the entrance to our community and the kids just couldn’t comprehend nor even pronounce ..”No Solicitation”.
Your spelling *is* getting better, but your grammar and punctuation still leave a lot to be desired. I’m afraid that if you don’t bring your score up significantly on the next test, I’m going to have to have a conference with your parents.
C-minus. See me after class.
alittlecommonsense
December 18th, 2012
9:06 am
“I suppose you prefer the GOP method of meeting with Sheldon Adelson, asking him what things HE wants, and then accepting the $100 million that he spent backing Republicans.”
Vote buying is one thing and influence buying is another. If you want to change the conversation to influence buying, we can have that conversation too. It is your blog afterall.
Both parties are susceptible to influence buying through campaign contributions – not just one. If you want to reduce it without reducing the peoples right to political free speech (which includes spending money to broadcast that speech), then reduce the size, scope, and power of the government.
If the government weren’t involved in every facet of our lives, maybe less people would feel a need to buy influence.
Fred ™
December 18th, 2012
9:07 am
While it’s an interesting article and topic, I don’t think the Democrats have “stolen the march” at all. i think there were Republicans with the same info and same idea, but they were shut down. When you run your party based on talk show lies, Rupert Murdoch FOXBOT lies, and idiots like Trump who lie, cheat AND steal, then the truth will be suppressed.
Technology won’t help the Republican party. Their very philosophy and ideas are what is flawed, and the weak minded unbending individuals who cling to the stupidity won’t change. Look at the posters here. Has a SINGLE hard core republican fanatic changed one word of the talk radio/FOXBOT koolaide induced crap they have been posting for years? Not that I have seen. They just keep posting the same lies and same hate, day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day………….. just like that………..
Inquiring Mind
December 18th, 2012
9:08 am
Kawasaki
I had a long conversation with a DC lobbyist last night.
He said 90% of congress is there pretty much to serve themselves, it their constituents.
I agree. Term limits are needed.
JamVet
December 18th, 2012
9:09 am
Technology won’t help the Republican party. Their very philosophy and ideas are what is flawed…
Word.
And this time there won’t be any fake cowboy/union thug from California riding up on a white steed to save them from themselves…
Simple Truths
December 18th, 2012
9:10 am
Good piece, Jay. I enjoy demographics articles.
The big brother aspect is a bit scary.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
9:10 am
E. E. Purgatory — “The administration encouraged food stamp usage. Mission accomplished – recipients grew to 47 million.”
You should compare growth in SNAP usage under both Bush *and* Obama. It has peaked under Obama, to be sure, but the increase under Bush — both in percentage and in raw figures — FAR oustrips the increase under Obama.
“Also passed the word to the states… “Psssst. you guys can eliminate all those pesky work requirements restricting your distribution of welfare benefits.”
So when that pack of Republican governors requested those suspensions, Obama shouldn’t have granted them?
Got it. Never do what a Republican governor asks you to do.
Mick
December 18th, 2012
9:12 am
reb
Disagree, as posted above, the republican brand is myopic and more people are rejecting their views. They are shrinking…
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
9:13 am
J. Reb — “JamVet – just what alternate universe do you reside? Jay posts a piece that states Obama’s win was just short of mind control down to individual voters, yet you can’t stand it. You have to demonize the competition.”
Said the master of the art.
Here’s something for you downstairs, too.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/12/17/signs-of-change-on-assault-weapon-ban/?cp=8#comment-1180847
JKL2
December 18th, 2012
9:13 am
-they wanted the mind-boggling ability to identify and track individual voters, determine what would convince those individual voters to vote Obama, and then deliver that convincing material to them.
Vote obama: Free money for everyone!
The 47%ers win, everyone loses. I know I’d call four million fewer votes than I got last time a mandate…
AmericaShrugged
December 18th, 2012
9:14 am
At last an explanation that makes sense. Obama didn’t win because voters love his message or the empty promises but because they had the technology to identify and sell the empty promises to specific, individual voters.
JamVet
December 18th, 2012
9:14 am
I have gone back and forth on term limits and am not really a big fan of them.
But I much less a fan of entrenched corruption and the manipulation of our elections to make fundamental changes in the people who run OUR government all but impossible.
12 years and done.
At least we can get a whole new set of dysfunctional sell outs periodically…
Thomas Heyward Jr
December 18th, 2012
9:16 am
In closing…..
Let’s not forget ANOTHER tactic of Obama’s “victory”…………back in 2008.
.
If you spoke bad about the “one”, you would recieve a threatening e-mail from some Slime-Ball Chicago Thug named Axel.
Although not “startling” to me…………it was devious, violating, and not decent.
It was wrong and the AJC narced me out.
.
JamVet
December 18th, 2012
9:16 am
Reb, never mind telling all of us non-Republicans how we are all stupid lazy takers.
JKL2 did it for you. (I love that guy and hope he keeps getting his message out!)
Vote obama: Free money for everyone!
The 47%ers win, everyone loses. I know I’d call four million fewer votes than I got last time a mandate…
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
9:16 am
JKL2 — “The 47%ers win, everyone loses. I know I’d call four million fewer votes than I got last time a mandate…”
Elekshun Maff:
Bush 2004 = “mandate” (per VP Cheney, no one in the GOP voiced disagreement with him)
Obama 2012 > Bush 2004
Therefore,
Obama 2012 = “mandate” per accepted GOP standard
Owl
December 18th, 2012
9:17 am
Don’t blame science!
mm
December 18th, 2012
9:18 am
But Jay, you know ACORN and the Black Panthers stole the election.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
9:19 am
A. Shrugged — “At last an explanation that makes sense. Obama didn’t win because voters love his message or the empty promises but because they had the technology to identify and sell the empty promises to specific, individual voters.”
Of course. Republicans are BOUND to love any explanation for Election 2012 that doesn’t conclude that the GOP sucks, its message is over and that they need to make massive changes before 2014 rolls around.
Any message that says ‘youse guys rool so don’t change NUTHIN’ was inevitably going to resonate with the GOP rank and file.
Bobby
December 18th, 2012
9:19 am
When you read a blog should as this you begin to realize that this is not reality. Reality is that dems cheat. Plain and simple. But its the type of cheating that only showing a voter id could prevent. Dems are notorious for busing large numbers of welfare leeches to the polls. I’m sure that’s a fact you can’t deny Jay. If you don’t have to show an id then all you would need is a name. A name which could easily be obtained by looking at voter rolls. A voter roll will tell if this person votes. What party they belong to. Are they elderly. What the minions of the dem party simply does is load up a buss with a hundred or so people and hand out names. They travel around all day being feed while stopping off and voting a various precincts. It’s a scam that gets stopped in its tracks with voter id laws. That’s why dems are wholeheartedly against them. Why is Georgia a bright red state? Because cheating like this can’t happen. How is it possible that in some precincts over 100% of registered votes cast a ballot? Its simply not…. How does it seem this is only possible where there are no voter id laws? Hmmm…
Butch Cassidy (I)
December 18th, 2012
9:21 am
Bobby – “Dems are notorious for busing large numbers of welfare leeches to the polls. I’m sure that’s a fact you can’t deny Jay.”
Well, maybe if you actually offered up proof he could try. I guesss I missed the link directing us to the “bussing facts”.
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
9:21 am
The mother of the killer has to be one of the stupidest people on the planet.
I don’t think that kind of talk is helpful.
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
9:22 am
by the way, part 2 of that three-part series is up:
http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/508851/how-obama-wrangled-data-to-win-his-second-term/
for the NERDS!! among us.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
December 18th, 2012
9:22 am
Our president is not leading us- all of us anyway. He’s building a power base focused on maintaining the vote of his carefully defined constituency to which shamelessly panders.
Funny how most of defenses of Obama, the president, focus on the obstacles he faces – obstacles put in place by Dubyah and other nefarious capitalists, fat cats and social Darwinists.
It’s not so much he’s doing a good job; clearly he’s not. It’s just that it’s not his fault – yet.
Apparently BHO hasn’t cleared the minefield he inherited four years ago because it’s still all Bush’s fault.
And poor Barack – his most ardent fans love to call him by his first name – it’s OK, he’s cool that way – has to deal with those Tea Party Republicans who want to starve babies and kill Big Bird .
I think Obama supporters have infantilized this man. When is he accountable for his deeds – or lack of same? This implies his supporters don’t think he can really handle the job – he needs extra help – like an undeserved second term perhaps.
What are the Obama faithful protecting him from? He’s a grown man – hey a Harvard grad to boot. He holds the most powerful office on the face of the Earth. His campaign staff just created the new paradigm for campaign strategy – if you believe Bookman – and i do
Most of the media loves him – except Fox News – if you beleive Bookman – and I do.
Let him stand on his own two feet. This is the presidency not pre-K. You don’t get a medal for effort.
Granny Godzilla
December 18th, 2012
9:23 am
JohnnyReb
December 18th, 2012
9:04 am
Mick – when ever you track individual voters and taylor a message that resonates, that’s propaganda, mind control if you will, at the highest level.
.
.
.
.
Now I don’t care WHO you are…that there is funny.
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
9:24 am
Herewith another edition of “What Teh Stupids Believe”:
What the minions of the dem party simply does is load up a buss with a hundred or so people and hand out names. They travel around all day being feed while stopping off and voting a various precincts. It’s a scam that gets stopped in its tracks with voter id laws.
moonbat betty
December 18th, 2012
9:24 am
The dems also use hypnosis and subliminal messages.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
December 18th, 2012
9:25 am
“The startling science behind Obama’s victory”
Yes ……… a victory for Obama but a defeat for the United States.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
December 18th, 2012
9:25 am
At last an explanation that makes sense. Obama didn’t win because voters love his message or the empty promises but because they had the technology to identify and sell the empty promises to specific, individual voters.
Because that of course has never been done before 2008. No politician has ever catered their message to a group they happen to be standing before…say, the NRA or a “conservative” group. But hey, you keep telling yourself that the GOP/TP position is what voters want.
Georgia
December 18th, 2012
9:26 am
Everything said or written about last friday seems inappropriate. that picture of the perp (inappropriate description) looks like a ghoul. (Inappropriate). Hollywood couldn’t have cast a more horrible looking monster. The price of our freedom is that we are free to kill or be killed. (Inappropriate). Luckovich’s cartoon with the grinch seems inappropriate. That we would consider banning assault rifles now is inappropriate. Are we supposed to ban unelected presidents because W’s shock and awe killed dozens of Iraqi six year olds? Every thought I’ve had about friday goes like this….shock, sorrow, anger, revenge, deal with it. It’s the NRA. It’s the bullying. It’s the insanity of existence itself. Whatever this mass murderer did, he certainly got me right between the eyes. We all grieve differently, there’s no right or wrong way, but it is inevitable to be inappropriate when confronting this massacre. I shamefully now realize that I didn’t care one wit about those Iraqi children in 2003. Not compared to the way I feel about friday. To the racist in me, they may as well be dead Iraqi monkeys. (inappropriate). I only care about Americans. We are free to be racists. If we aren’t free to kill each other, then we’re not free. The price of freedom is death. In war. In peace. If we’re not free to kill, then surely some tyrant will kill us anyway. Wasn’t that the entire founding justification of our revered rebels? No king is going to hang us, we’ll hang ourselves, thankyou. We’re free. (See? All of this comment is totally inappropriate and I’m embarrassed I’ve drank enough coffee to post it).
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
9:27 am
E. E. Purgatory — “Funny how most of defenses of Obama, the president, focus on the obstacles he faces – obstacles put in place by Dubyah and other nefarious capitalists, fat cats and social Darwinists.”
It’s got nothing to do with a *defense* of Obama. It’s got to do with placing blame where blame’s due. You brought up growth of SNAP under Obama, yet you couldn’t be bothered to observe that SNAP growth was GREATER under Bush. That’s quite simply a fundamental error on your part.
Your own criticism fails on its face, as you placed blame for huge growth in SNAP on the *wrong guy.*
“It’s not so much he’s doing a good job; clearly he’s not. It’s just that it’s not his fault – yet.”
Nope. It has much more to do with dishonest criticism. If you want to talk about growth in SNAP recipients, then perhaps you should bear in mind which President’s administration saw greater growth *in* that program.
Inquiring Mind
December 18th, 2012
9:28 am
Stand for decibels 9:21am
Probably not. But the core of the problem is stupid people. You don’t put guns in the hands of the mentally ill. Common sense isn’t very common is it?
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
9:29 am
a victory for Obama but a defeat for the United States.
Aww. Still broken hearted?
Here’s a news piece that should cheer you up, given how much you loathe the journalistic profession.
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
9:30 am
But the core of the problem is stupid people.
Shrug. ’twas ever thus.
Dunwoody Granny
December 18th, 2012
9:31 am
I don’t think the Republicans will catch up any time soon.
I’m a lifelong Democrat. I’ve volunteered in and made contributions to Democratic candidates. But in Georgia you’re allowed to vote in either party’s primary. I’m aware Georgia is a one-party state and I want to have some say in how the state is governed, so I usually vote in the Republican primary. Based on that, the Rs think I’m one of them. I vote in the primary, I get absolutely flooded with calls and campaign materials for the general.
AmericaShrugged
December 18th, 2012
9:34 am
JHM – I really don’t care about a candidate’s party affiliation. I’m pro-choice and I have a problem with regressive taxes, not progressive taxes. I just would like to see a POTUS with integrity. Someone who does what they campaign on. Jay’s piece today just reinforces how much the man’s message was tailored to what 51.4% of the voters wanted to hear, whether he actually believed his own message or intended to deliver on it.
The result is four years later we still have way too many troops in the ME quagmire and the rich still pay a lower overall rate tax rate than I do.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
December 18th, 2012
9:35 am
When the moochers outnumber the workers there is not a whole lot that can be done.
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
9:36 am
I get absolutely flooded with calls and campaign materials for the general.
Keep that on the down-low, willya? sheesh.
Erwin's cat
December 18th, 2012
9:37 am
Taxpayer – Heyward lives in Forsyth County! Who woulda evah guessed.
What’s that supposed to mean?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigotry
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
9:38 am
A. Shrugged — ‘JHM – I really don’t care about a candidate’s party affiliation.”
I understand. I didn’t direct my criticism of the Republican mindset at you, and I apologize if it appeared that I did.
“I’m pro-choice and I have a problem with regressive taxes, not progressive taxes. I just would like to see a POTUS with integrity. Someone who does what they campaign on. Jay’s piece today just reinforces how much the man’s message was tailored to what 51.4% of the voters wanted to hear, whether he actually believed his own message or intended to deliver on it.”
Respectfully, I don’t think we could know ahead of time how much or how little of the electorate would lock onto a given message. Surely the Obama campaign figured they could get a majority of the vote with the messages they chose, but I think it’s putting the cart before the horse to say that the message was tailored to what 51.4% wanted to hear.
“The result is four years later we still have way too many troops in the ME quagmire and the rich still pay a lower overall rate tax rate than I do.”
I will heartily agree with you on both of those points.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
9:39 am
0311 — “When the moochers outnumber the workers there is not a whole lot that can be done.”
You’re a Federal retiree, aint’cha?
JamVet
December 18th, 2012
9:40 am
Poor Bobby.
His answer to why Georgia lost the SEC Championship Game?
“Reality is that Bama cheats. Plain and simple.”
Don’t be a sore loser, Bobby, just get used to losing a lot more…
Mick
December 18th, 2012
9:40 am
0311
A victory for the incumbent, a defeat for your side, a continuation of majority rule in the united states…
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
9:41 am
When the moochers outnumber the workers there is not a whole lot that can be done.
Don’t you ever tire of being spanked when you post some variant of that?
I’ll say it again–by Romney’s brilliant, winning-strategery reasoning, YOU are one of the “moochers.” As are people who are working 40+ hours per week trying to put food on their families.
Do you not get, yet, that this is a stupid way to approach the voting public, to call them “moochers” when the vast majority so designated either have already contributed significantly to this republic, or are actively doing so at the moment?
ya know, when Romney’s horrifying “47%” video hit the streets, one of the regulars here snarked “the truth hurts, doesn’t it?” See, that’s your problem–it is NOT THE TRUTH.
If you happen to be taking in somewhat more in government subsidies than you happen to pay in a given year in taxes (and I’ll even include ALL the taxes many working class Americans pay), that doesn’t make you a f-cking “Moocher.” It makes you a productive citizen. At least it does in civilized nations on this planet.
What kind of monsters would try to convince the voting public otherwise?
Ask yourself that and get back to me.
I’m not sure why I bother asking, but I must.
TaxPayer
December 18th, 2012
9:42 am
What I find most enjoyable about this article is the fact that it will elevate the resident con-spiracy theorists to a whole new level of enlightenment. And they thought that Box 26, zombie democrat voters, etc., were the only things they had to worry about.
Welcome to the Occupation
December 18th, 2012
9:43 am
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801 :
“When the moochers outnumber the workers there is not a whole lot that can be done”
If your eyes were forced to behold who the real moochers are — the corporatists and the financiers and their lobbying hangers-on – your world would collapse. Thus, you persist in delusion.
Why do you side with the overlords when they couldn’t be bothered to give you a miserable crumb from their dog’s bowl, let alone a seat at their table?
Why do you do yeoman’s work for people who don’t give a rat’s ass about you?
TaxPayer
December 18th, 2012
9:45 am
You’re a Federal retiree, aint’cha?
Oh but he “earned” his taxpayer-funded mooching. He’s not like those other moochers. Just ask him, he’ll tell ya so.
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
9:47 am
Bottom line: Mitt had a nerd gap.
or, to quote a caption in Part 2 of the series, emphasis mine:
Alex Lundry created Mitt Romney’s data science unit. It was less than one-tenth the size of Obama’s analytics team.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
December 18th, 2012
9:49 am
TaxPayer:
Why thank you ! Saved me typing all of that.
“”The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry.”
Proverbs 30:15
………….. and they vote !!!
moonbat betty
December 18th, 2012
9:50 am
“Don’t be a sore loser, Bobby, just get used to losing a lot more…”
Who’s Bobby?
Apparently, JamVet thinks UGA is an extension of the GOP also…McCarthies all of them I tell ya!
Mick
December 18th, 2012
9:51 am
0311@9:49
Blasphemy!!!
moonbat betty
December 18th, 2012
9:51 am
Mitt was a poor candidate, pure and simple.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
December 18th, 2012
9:53 am
An interesting time in this country will be when you libs. that work hard will start to tire of the moocher system.
Mick
December 18th, 2012
9:53 am
moonbat
What other choice was there, santorum?
AmericaShrugged
December 18th, 2012
9:53 am
JHM – Good point about tailoring the message, but it’s easy to be cynical when they don’t do what they say. However, I think that would have really been a problem with Romney!
I understand we have a representative democracy. Outside of an occasional referendum, we don’t vote on tax law or gun control or abortion. But I’d like to have more confidence in how the people I vote for will vote on those issues.
So today it sound like higher rates (really just the old Clinton era rates) for people making more than $400k, but what abpout the capital gains and dividend rates?
Erwin's cat
December 18th, 2012
9:54 am
… it knew exactly how it could turn you into the type of person it wanted you to be….
just like any other good used car salesman
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
December 18th, 2012
9:54 am
“The words from the Holy Scriptures are not always pleasant to the ears.”
Mick
December 18th, 2012
9:56 am
0311
Moocher system? What, did this just spring up during the last four years? Besides, we really need to focus on the fraud, not the poor…
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
9:58 am
0311 — “An interesting time in this country will be when you libs. that work hard will start to tire of the moocher system.”
An even more interesting time will be when all you (supposedly) hard-working cons get sick or injured on the job and want the rest of us to take care of you with some nationalized health care.
Oh, wait. You already do that. It’s called Medicare and the Veterans’ Administration.
ZOMG SOSHULIZUM
Mick
December 18th, 2012
10:00 am
0311
Blasphemy – The act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God.
Too many trying to make themselves god, nobody is listening…
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
10:01 am
A. Shrugged — “So today it sound like higher rates (really just the old Clinton era rates) for people making more than $400k, but what abpout the capital gains and dividend rates?”
No idea. I think that Obama sometimes leaves too much on the table when negotiating, so I’m hopeful that we’re going to impose higher rates on those income streams in exchange for the higher income ceiling. That said, I’d have liked to see him notch that income ceiling up more slowly. Going from 250K to 400K overnight rubbed me the wrong way.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
December 18th, 2012
10:01 am
The verse speaks for itself.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
10:02 am
Hark, I hear the braying of an azz.
JamVet
December 18th, 2012
10:05 am
When the moochers outnumber the workers there is not a whole lot that can be done.
Woo Hoo! Another good little “Christian” soldier in the GOP’s Crusade for Election Success!
Sure there is. Self deport.
Might as well be miserable somewhere else.and let us fix up your screw ups. And take Grover Norquist with you…
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
10:05 am
An interesting time in this country will be when you libs. that work hard will start to tire of the moocher system.
there you go again.
How can I tire of something that never existed?
I’ll add-I work bloody hard to produce goods and services of tangible value. (So hard I will have to sign off with this screed and check in later, matter of fact.) Have all my life. I’ll spare you the history; it’s boring, anyway.
But I will add that on the spending side, I have done without a lot of vehicular and home-entertainment toys, vacays, upgrades and whatnot in order to steadily sock away retirement/college-funding-for-the-kid $$. So much so that I occasionally allow myself to tut-tut a bit when my peers/neighbors–many of whom are politically much more conservative than me–indulge themselves in such ostentatious things.
On the personal-health side, I’ve avoided spending much on doc bills because I also continue to run, lift, eat reasonably, eschew any kind of fun recreational drugs (legal and otherwise), and generally be the fittest mother-effer I can be.
All that said:
I am of the belief that a person who works diligently at a job—any job—that is full time, should be compensated sufficiently to feed and shelter him/herself and a family. If the private sector cannot be compelled to provide wages sufficient to accomplish this—and I would prefer that it was, but this could be impractical—then it is the responsibility of the government to provide gap coverage, within practical boundaries.
That’s not a “moocher system,” to use your disgusting phrase. That’s civilization. I’ll go one better–it is our collective commitment to the message of decency and love promoted by a very popular Savior, whose birth we will be celebrating next week.
And this view of mine, as policy, should not be even remotely controversial but, thanks to the plutocracy, and to conservatives in the Democratic and Republican parties and their slobbering corporate media spokesmodels, it is.
For all the criticism I see in here of the Obama administration, I don’t for a minute believe that Obama is going to make any radical adjustments to this mindset. It will take at least a generation for that to occur.
(Pardon the ramble.)
/soapbox
Mick
December 18th, 2012
10:06 am
joe
One thing you can say about bush, he did not give in, nor did he care what anyone thought about it…
Erwin's cat
December 18th, 2012
10:06 am
Hark, I hear the braying of an azz
If a cat washes her face o’er the ear
GT
December 18th, 2012
10:07 am
Inquiring Mind you just want the results to say our gun culture is not killing babies, you want to win the debate and the hell with the reality or the children killed. What egos you people have, if you could overcome them the country would be far better off.
KEITH
December 18th, 2012
10:07 am
how much of OUR money has obama now lost by giving it to bankrupt companies owned by his political supporters? At least Bain is still in business. obama supports utter failure. and utter failures support obama. cant get a job because you are too lazy to work, just claim some minor disability and barack will send you a check. the idiots that voted for obama have no clue. I saw Stern send his reporter to harlem. when obama supporters were asked if they supported paul ryan as obamas running mate they did. thats how stupid the typical obama voter is.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
10:10 am
Mick — “One thing you can say about bush, he did not give in, nor did he care what anyone thought about it…”
IMO, it is the mark of a worthless man that he can’t look at his words and actions after the fact and say ‘you know, I could have made a better decision’ or ‘maybe that wasn’t the wisest thing to do.’
A dog’s not sorry when he craps on the rug, and he’ll do it again if he doesn’t get the message that that’s a bad thing to do. FWIW, I expect my Presidents to be quicker on the uptake than a pet dog.
Brosephus™
December 18th, 2012
10:10 am
Time to freeze the salaries of Congress and merge their “Cadillac” health care plan in to the real world.
Time to merge Morality? to the real world. Here’s the website for the “Cadillac” health care plans for Congress. They all participate in the FEHB Program.
http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/planinfo/index.asp
Learn something new today, please?
Doggone/GA
December 18th, 2012
10:11 am
“One thing you can say about bush, he did not give in, nor did he care what anyone thought about it”
Yeah, most mules have that same problem
KEITH
December 18th, 2012
10:11 am
JFK from the 1960 campaign has far more in common with the GOP than the welfare baby democrats. Today they say ask not what you can do for your country. ask what your country can do for you. thats bookman and the liberal philosophy.
Erwin's cat
December 18th, 2012
10:13 am
Bro
You’ve been “Cadillacin’” this whole time?
RB from Gwinnett
December 18th, 2012
10:13 am
Though could also put up signs saying “free stuff” in each district and count how many people show up.
GT
December 18th, 2012
10:13 am
Keith you are always a day late, and lots of facts short. If we are so stupid and we could beat you so soundly how stupid are you? And you don’t seem up to the task of change, so if we can beat you in the worst recession of our lifetime where are you going from here?
Moon Mullins
December 18th, 2012
10:13 am
Karl Rove and his ilk don’t need the fancy-smancy computer computations — they thought the tried and proven would work: come up with some lie to smear your opponent. And, repeat the lie over and over and over. . . .
It just made them look ignorant and they wasted hundreds of millions in the process.
Dang, I enjoyed watching that money circle and circle and then be swallowed up by the toilet.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
December 18th, 2012
10:17 am
“Lawmakers and educators in Texas say the way to guard against school shootings like last Friday’s at a Connecticut elementary school is to make sure teachers can shoot back.
While the rampage that left 20 young children and six adults dead in a small Northeastern community has sparked a national debate on gun control, assault weapons and a culture of violence, David Thweatt, superintendent of the 103-student Harrold Independent School District in Wilbarger County, said his teachers are armed and ready to protect their young charges.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/18/stop-school-shootings-by-letting-teachers-fire-back-say-texas-officials/#ixzz2FPufnHI7
Granny Godzilla
December 18th, 2012
10:18 am
KEITH
“welfare baby democrats”
.
.
.
Somebody doesn’t have his redstate data together at all….
tee hee hee
Blain
December 18th, 2012
10:18 am
I thought President Obama wanted to make ballot secrecy a critical component of federal voting technology standards. Obviously I thought wrong. It sure looks like politicians have more access to us than we do to them.
It’s not a comforting thought.
TaxPayer
December 18th, 2012
10:19 am
TaxPayer:
Why thank you ! Saved me typing all of that.
“”The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry.”
Proverbs 30:15
………….. and they vote !!!
Reminds me of an old movie, “Earth Scouts are Easy.”
Aquagirl
December 18th, 2012
10:19 am
If we are so stupid and we could beat you so soundly how stupid are you?
That one’s gonna leave a mark, lol.
larry
December 18th, 2012
10:19 am
Still waiting for my free stuff…………….
Wait , didnt Bush send out stimulus checks with everybody’s tax dollars?
Yeah, thats what i want , my free checks.
Recon 0311 2533
December 18th, 2012
10:21 am
“The children at Sandy Hook were killed by guns.”
Another example of the leftest mindset. The children were actually killed be a deeply disturbed mentally ill person. By assigning responsibility and accountability to an object instead of the individual it avoids having to consider all of the societal issues that could produce workable solutions. The easy way out may feel good for a brief period but then when it becomes clear that the easy way out didn’t work what’s next. Yes, find another easy way out. Kind of analogous to our debt crises except for the tragic loss of life at Sandy Hook.
Granny Godzilla
December 18th, 2012
10:21 am
Mr. Digits
That bunch also told you Romney would win in a landslide…
The idea is to REDUCE the body count Mr. Silly Pants
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
10:21 am
0311 – “David Thweatt, superintendent of the 103-student Harrold Independent School District in Wilbarger County, said his teachers are armed and ready to protect their young charges.”
This is the single most spitty idea since Free Republic posters claimed that passengers on commercial airlines should be allowed to pack heat when they lfy home to visit Memaw in Wichita for the holidays.
stands for decibels
December 18th, 2012
10:23 am
The children were actually killed b[y] a deeply disturbed mentally ill person.
…with a very efficient, legally purchased, and unsecured killing machine in his hands.
Guns kill people.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
10:23 am
Recon — “By assigning responsibility and accountability to an object instead of the individual it avoids having to consider all of the societal issues that could produce workable solutions.”
You mean like turn up the jebus in school and then no moar gunplay?
larry
December 18th, 2012
10:24 am
While the rampage that left 20 young children and six adults dead in a small Northeastern community has sparked a national debate on gun control, assault weapons and a culture of violence, David Thweatt, superintendent of the 103-student Harrold Independent School District in Wilbarger County, said his teachers are armed and ready to protect their young charges.”
President Ronald Reagan had the most well armed , well trained police force protecting him and we came within an inch of calling George H.W. Bush President. Gerald Ford, John F Kennedy etc etc.
Yep, thats what we need are more guns.
Crazy Peeps
December 18th, 2012
10:25 am
from NY times:
“Similarly, rampage shooters have often been captivated by the idea that they will become posthumously famous. “Isn’t it fun to get the respect that we’re going to deserve?” the Columbine shooter Eric Harris remarked. He had fantasized with his fellow attacker, Dylan Klebold, that the filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino would fight over the rights to their life story.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/opinion/what-drives-suicidal-mass-killers.html?_r=0
larry
December 18th, 2012
10:26 am
The children were actually killed be a deeply disturbed mentally ill person.
And who continues to cut budgets to mental health clinics…………
Which party ?
Recon 0311 2533
December 18th, 2012
10:26 am
This is the single most spitty idea since Free Republic posters claimed that passengers on commercial airlines should be allowed to pack heat when they lfy home to visit Memaw in Wichita for the holidays.
Are you familiar with sky marshals?