2012 Tuesday: What will we hear from Charlotte?
Last week in Tampa, the Republicans made significant progress toward their main objectives: revealing more of the personal side of Mitt Romney, and clearly communicating their pitch to voters in this election.
This week in Charlotte, it’s the Democrats’ turn. What will President Obama and his party try to accomplish? Will they continue to play defense against the GOP or try to seize the initiative?
Going into today’s opening events, it would appear it’s the former, with Democrats trying to neutralize the Republican message. Here’s part of today’s curtain-raiser from the Wall Street Journal:
The Democratic Party’s goals for the three-day gathering include widening its advantages among female and Hispanic voters while limiting Mr. Obama’s losses among white, working-class ones. At the same time, its overarching ambition is to rebut Mr. Obama’s opponent, Mitt Romney, who used last week’s Republican National Convention to try to pry away the president’s 2008 voters by casting him as a nice guy who isn’t up to the challenge. …
A senior Obama campaign official said the president may offer one or two new policy proposals in his speech Thursday, when he accepts the nomination for re-election, but that he would spend more time arguing that his existing ideas on health care, education and deficit-reduction amount to “a clear, concrete and achievable plan” for a second term.
The New York Times sounds a similar note, observing that the thrill of 2008 is gone and that Democrats’ “unity at this point is defined less by faith in Mr. Obama or a robust vision for what the party should stand for than by the prospect that Republicans could control the White House and Congress next year and enact a conservative agenda that would unravel much of what Democrats have stood for since Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society.”
So it’s defense, defense, defense.
In football, they say defense wins championships. Will that work in this year’s election?
I have my doubts. For one, pitching themselves and Obama as a suitable status quo against a radical Republican Party led by Romney and Paul Ryan would seem to hinge on the word “suitable.” And voters have their own doubts about that: In a new poll for The Hill, voters said the nation is worse, not better, off than four years ago by a 54-32 margin, and that Obama does not deserve re-election by a 54-40 count.
Even the Obama camp is having a hard time answering the “better off” question, made famous in 1980 when Ronald Reagan posed that question to voters after four years of Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley answered in the negative on “Face the Nation” Sunday — though he did gamely try to blame the Republicans — before backtracking on Monday.
Obama himself said yesterday he deserved a grade of “incomplete” for his handling of the economy, the same grade he gave himself last October and in August 2010. Will voters be as forgiving?
After the GOP spent a week being mostly upbeat in Tampa, I think it will be a problem for Obama if he and the Democrats can’t come up with a positive message in Charlotte.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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475 comments Add your comment
md
September 4th, 2012
2:21 pm
“Are you asking the millions who got new jobs thanks to the stimulus?”
“When the White House unveiled its nearly $800 billion stimulus package last year, it promised not only to create and save 3.5 million jobs but also to open the books and prove it. But counting jobs turned out to be a lot harder than lining up a work crew and tapping hardhats.
Now, the White House says it will no longer keep a cumulative tally of jobs created and saved by the stimulus. Instead, it will post only a count of jobs for each quarter.
And instead of counting only created and saved jobs, it will count any person who works on a project funded with stimulus money — even if that person was never in danger of losing his or her job.”
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
September 4th, 2012
2:22 pm
How about asking those 23 million unemployed folk
You don’t want to ask the people who are doing well? Who have a job? Who have access to health care now?
I wonder why???
I have a job. I have no debt aside from a mortgage. I’m middle class. I’m doing much better.
Michael H. Smith
September 4th, 2012
2:23 pm
After the GOP spent a week being mostly upbeat in Tampa, I think it will be a problem for Obama if he and the Democrats can’t come up with a positive message in Charlotte.
After four years of failing to deliver a “positive change” in the economy, what good do you possibly think more phony utopian claims made by the same group of left-wing liars will do, Kyle?
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
September 4th, 2012
2:26 pm
The undecideds won’t make or break this election. The make or break play will be how many voters the Cons can disenfranchise.
Instead of making it easier for people to flex their Right to Vote as citizens, the Cons are trying to make it harder.
Very Christian of them, I admit.
Hitler will find lots of other Christians for company in the depths of hell, won’t he?
md
September 4th, 2012
2:26 pm
“I get to correct you for once, usually it is the other way around. Romney did get a MBA and a JD all in two years.”
Yep….I blew that one……
Tonto
September 4th, 2012
2:28 pm
What will a new Republican Administration do differently from the last one?
Total Nonfarm Employment
Obama increase last month 163,000 which is more than 14 times greater than last Republican Administration’s average
Since 2/2010 increase of 4,001,000 employees
Last Republican Administration 1,095,000 / 8 years = 136,875 / yr or 11,406 / mo. (all government employees, added Department of Homeland Security)
Clinton 22,740,000 / 8 years = 2,842,500 / yr or 236,875 / mo.
Carter 2,584,000 / yr or 215,400 / mo.
They talk about Carter’s economic record, but he created not double or triple but almost 19 times more Total Nonfarm Jobs per month than the last Republican Administration’s average.
MarkV
September 4th, 2012
2:29 pm
Rafe Hollister @2:09 pm: “ MarkV How about asking those 23 million unemployed folks…”
Read again my post @2:03 pm.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
September 4th, 2012
2:31 pm
After four years of failing to deliver a “positive change” in the economy,
There’s lots of other good things going on. Economies don’t turn on a dime — most people are intelligent enough to realize that it takes time.
Cons want the economy fixed yesterday….the same people who refuse to accept any responsibility for it in the first place.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
September 4th, 2012
2:32 pm
Dems: U.S. Better Off Than 2008
I wonder what planet these dingbats are dialing in from.
Oh yeah, Planet Moonbat, I forgot.
The Angel Moroni
September 4th, 2012
2:34 pm
MD – Don’t feel bad for not knowing Mitt had a law degree from Harvard. That’s really just a minor thing we don’t know about him. For example, we don’t know anything about his income taxes, we don’t know which of the multitude of positions on the issues he’s supporting today, we don’t know the difference between Romneycare and Obama care, and the list goes on…
southpaw
September 4th, 2012
2:35 pm
MarkV @2:03
The Republicans are asking all of the people you named, plus many more you couldn’t name due to limited space. Some will answer yes; some will answer no. I’m worse off than 4 years ago, but that isn’t the main reason I’ll vote for Romney over Obama.
The time will soon come when a vote by Congress to increase the debt ceiling will be meaningless. The investors who buy our bonds and allow us to keep borrowing will eventually stop. Once that happens, we will be forced to finance government operations from current tax collections, and there won’t be enough to pay for everything. Question: Will we, as a country, get a balanced budget on our own terms, or will it be forced on us when no one wants to buy any more bonds? If Romney and Ryan are elected, MAYBE we can get our fiscal house in order. Maybe not, but at least there is a fighting chance of it. If Obama and Biden are re-elected, there is no chance.
td
September 4th, 2012
2:37 pm
Finn McCool (The System isn’t Broken; It’s Fixed)
September 4th, 2012
2:26 pm
“The undecideds won’t make or break this election. The make or break play will be how many voters the Cons can disenfranchise.”
Already making excuses for an Obama lose. It could not be that the 08 supporters comes to the conclusion that Obama should be fired.
Michael H. Smith
September 4th, 2012
2:38 pm
Chuck Norris Warns America “1000 years of Darkness” if Obama Wins
In a video released Monday, Norris and his wife, Gina, warn that the US will face “socialism or something much worse” if Obama is re-elected in November…
…The couple says that in the 2008 election, 30 million evangelical Christians stayed home on voting day, allowing Obama to win the election by 10m votes. To prevent that from happening again, they encourage evangelical voters to “unite for god and country” and vote this November.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WFLNmThRMNQ
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
September 4th, 2012
2:39 pm
You have to be completely crazed, totally shot through with lunacy, all wild eyed and eating bugs to go around saying the US is better off than it was 4 years ago.
Or a drug dealer one.
MarkV
September 4th, 2012
2:40 pm
Republicans to the unemployed: We dug up a hole, you fell in it, and Obama has not pulled you out fast enough. It is his fault that you are in the hole.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
September 4th, 2012
2:41 pm
when no one wants to buy any more bonds?
NEVER.GONNA.HAPPEN….not in your lifetime, pal.
JDW
September 4th, 2012
2:41 pm
@Kyle…”Well, we can see JDW got his email from the DNC this morning.”
Actually I think I need to send them one…they are the ones blathering about incomplete’s rather than pointing out the truth. They may be doing a better job of engaging the Republican’s in kind but still have a ways to go.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
September 4th, 2012
2:44 pm
Chuck Norris: “socialism or something much worse”
Like being forced to watch any one of my movies…over and over and over again. ……
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
September 4th, 2012
2:45 pm
“Of course that is a bit counter productive since NC is a dead heat at 48% for each.”
Somebody needs to tell JDW that the latest NC state poll came out this morning and showed Romney with a 5-point lead.
They BOTH suck
September 4th, 2012
2:46 pm
Did Norris produce any independent study verifying his assertions?
Last I checked more people voted in 08 than ever before.
jconservative
September 4th, 2012
2:48 pm
The Republicans got nothing out of their convention. Before the convention the Real Clear poll had Obama up and he remains up. Before the Republican convention Obama was leading in 10 of the 12 Real Clear battleground states and he still leads in 10 of the 12.
Since the convention the Romney/Ryan campaign has spent most of it’s time correcting erroneous statements. Who is running the Republican campaign? Who wrote Ryan’s speech? The Democrats?
It is 63 days until election day, we have an incumbent president with the worse economy since Herbert Hoover and the Republican challenger is trailing in the polls.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
September 4th, 2012
2:49 pm
Thank You Virgil Goode!!
Virginian, welcome to the Obama camp. Glad you could make it!
td
September 4th, 2012
2:49 pm
They BOTH suck
September 4th, 2012
2:46 pm
Did Norris produce any independent study verifying his assertions?
Last I checked more people voted in 08 than ever before.
Just because morons voted like it was an American Idol final does not mean the winner made any money afterwards then the second place person.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
September 4th, 2012
2:51 pm
I think jconservative needs a lesson in how polling works.
JDW
September 4th, 2012
2:53 pm
@tiberius…”Somebody needs to tell JDW that the latest NC state poll came out this morning and showed Romney with a 5-point lead.”
Tell it to Real Clear Politics…when they vet it I use it.
They BOTH suck
September 4th, 2012
2:53 pm
td
WTF?
I guess you bought that bullcrap MHS posted because it was on WorldNetDaily. You know the same sight who still runs “birther” articles.
And do you have that independent study?
Thought so, running along to see what little Dicky……….. Morris can brainwash you with next
Michael H. Smith
September 4th, 2012
2:54 pm
@ – You Whine ~ 2:39 pm
Or a darn liar too!
Look at the country four years ago as opposed to now:
What was the price of gas when obozo took office?
What was the unemployment rate when obozo took office?
What was the deficit when obozo took office?
How much money did Bush spend in 8 years and how much money has obozo spent in less than four years?
What has happen to the price of healthcare and healthcare insurance costs since the DEMwits past obozocare?
JDW
September 4th, 2012
2:54 pm
@Tiberius…”I think jconservative needs a lesson in how polling works.”
Actually it seems he has a good grasp on the concept…you on the other hand probably think Rasmussen is an unbiased source.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
September 4th, 2012
2:55 pm
Nice to know that JDW ignores information available to him before he makes his nonsensical statements.
Kinda like using Stephanie Cutter as a credible source for information – she of the falsely accusing Romney of being a felon and a murderer.
td
September 4th, 2012
2:55 pm
JDW
September 4th, 2012
2:53 pm
Real Clear and Gallop are both averages of 10 days worth of polls. Romney will go up by the end of the DNC and then Obama will even out the polls next week. You could be a little more honest.
They BOTH suck
September 4th, 2012
2:55 pm
td
I will check back later. I am sure that MHS or yourself will be able to show that in 08 all these regular voting evangelicals stayed at home……….
bwhahahahaha
WordNetDaily?
Kyle Wingfield
September 4th, 2012
2:57 pm
jconservative @ 2:48: Five of the seven polls in the RCP average were conducted wholly or partially before the convention was held. I don’t know what the bounce will end up being, but we don’t have enough evidence yet to judge. That is by and large true for the swing states, too.
What we can say is that Romney’s largest deficit in the RCP average since Santorum dropped out of the race was 4.7 points on Aug. 12, the day after Paul Ryan was added to the ticket. Since then, he’s closed the gap completely. The swing state races have narrowed as well. The momentum is on his side. Obama needs a good week in Charlotte to take momentum away from Romney.
Michael H. Smith
September 4th, 2012
2:57 pm
Kinda like using Stephanie Cutter as a credible source for information
Oh no, shade of Baghdad Brucie!
MarkV
September 4th, 2012
2:58 pm
southpaw @2:35 pm: “The investors who buy our bonds and allow us to keep borrowing will eventually stop.”
I wonder, what have not done it yet, when “The US is going bankrupt, “ as the Republicans claim. Why is it, they the investors buy the US securities at almost no return interest? What are they going to switch to, euro? Rubles? The currency of China, the economy of which is rapidly slowing?
Kyle Wingfield
September 4th, 2012
2:59 pm
Also, I am still going through comment threads from the past week, when I was in Tampa and not monitoring them as closely as usual. But I can go ahead and say Tiberius is off the blog for at least a week for using other commenters’ previous names on multiple occasions.
Now, a warning: Gloaters will be punished as well. And some of you inclined to gloat may already be in danger of receiving a ban, too.
They BOTH suck
September 4th, 2012
3:00 pm
td
Next you will be telling me that Obama 2016 is all facts. Some on the left said the same about that crappy Farenheit 9/11 fauxmentary.
They are both fodder for the sheepish flocks
They BOTH suck
September 4th, 2012
3:06 pm
Kyle
You in Charlotte this week or is that just too much socialism in one place for you to deal with?
JDW
September 4th, 2012
3:06 pm
@Kyle…”What we can say, I think, is that Romney’s largest deficit in the RCP average since Santorum dropped out of the race was 4.7 points on Aug. 12, the day after Paul Ryan was added to the ticket. Since then, he’s closed the gap completely. The swing state races have narrowed as well. The momentum is on his side. Obama needs a good week in Charlotte to take momentum away from Romney.”
O HORSE HOOEY…
The week of Aug 12 Rasmussen had Romney +2…today they have Romney +2
Gallup had it a tie…today they have Obama +1
CNN had Obama +7 (which was too high)…Today they have Obama +2
So far the only “bump” Romney is getting is from one from bad one off polls that aren’t done well replacing other bad one off polls.
Thomas Heyward Jr
September 4th, 2012
3:06 pm
Speaking of Defense..
.
Paul Krugman finally got one right–
.
From the NYT——-
.
“OK, I missed this. From Romney’s acceptance speech, attacking Obama:
His trillion dollar cuts to our military will eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs, and also put our security at greater risk;
His $716 billion cut to Medicare to finance Obamacare will both hurt today’s seniors, and depress innovation – and jobs – in medicine.
And his trillion-dollar deficits will slow our economy, restrain employment, and cause wages to stall.
OK, so deficit spending hurts the economy — unless it’s spending on the military (or on the medical-industrial complex), in which case cutting spending destroys jobs.”
.
The Mittens is a Keynesian………………………lol.
JDW
September 4th, 2012
3:08 pm
BTW…when dealing with Rasmussen just adjust by 4% to the Democrats to get the real number…
From Nate Silver
“The bottom line is that on average, Rasmussen’s polls were off by 5.8% with a bias of 3.9% in favor of the Republican candidates.”
http://electoral-vote.com/evp2012/Info/rasmussen.html
Michael H. Smith
September 4th, 2012
3:09 pm
I am sure that MHS or yourself will be able to show that in 08 all these regular voting evangelicals stayed at home
I posted something from Chuck Norris. I made no claim as to its’ accuracy.
What I will say is this: After seeing the hateful bigotry displayed from the leftwing liberals like McFinn and democrats targeting people of the Christian faith and obumer’s treatment of the nation of Israel, every Catholic, Protestant, Baptist and Jews should vote out obama and every member of the democrat party that holds elective office.
JDW
September 4th, 2012
3:12 pm
@td…”Real Clear and Gallop are both averages of 10 days worth of polls. Romney will go up by the end of the DNC and then Obama will even out the polls next week. You could be a little more honest.”
So in your book if I use the facts as they exist today and don’t project a more favorable outcome for your guy sometime in the future I am being honest….
RIGHT
BTW does that explain why Gallup turned back to the President’f favor today from a tie…’cause we all “know” Romney will be up by the end of the DNC?
They BOTH suck
September 4th, 2012
3:13 pm
MHS
Guess you are selective in your condemnation. Many on the right have bee crying about Obama even before he was elected about going to a Madrassa when he was 6 (as if he had a choice), his church, was he a Muslim or lefty Christian, blah, blah, blah
It can be read right on this very blog.
As for me, I do not care where or who Romney or Obama worship.
Kyle Wingfield
September 4th, 2012
3:13 pm
JDW @ 2:53: “Tell it to Real Clear Politics…when they vet it I use it.”
JDW @ 2:54: “… you on the other hand probably think Rasmussen is an unbiased source.”
JDW @ 3:06, responding to my use of the Real Clear Politics average of polls: “The week of Aug 12 Rasmussen had Romney +2…today they have Romney +2 … So far the only ‘bump’ Romney is getting is from one from bad one off polls that aren’t done well replacing other bad one off polls.”
What a difference 13 minutes makes in JDW’s opinion of the quality of a source. RCP went from being the gold standard whose vetting he trusts to a compilation of “bad one off polls.” Rasmussen went from being a biased source to one of his examples countering the RCP figure.
Give him five more minutes — or the right point to “prove” — and RCP will be back in good favor and Rasmussen will be a bum again.
Kyle Wingfield
September 4th, 2012
3:14 pm
They BOTH @ 3:06: No, I am not in Charlotte.
They BOTH suck
September 4th, 2012
3:16 pm
Kyle
Biggest difference I see in real clear politics. Before the election Fox had Obama up by as many as 9 pts (could have been 7). It coincidentally evaporated last week.
Outside of that I see mostly 1 to 2.5 / 3 pt swings.
Michael H. Smith
September 4th, 2012
3:16 pm
To:They BOTH suck
Not selective in the least but, YOU ARE!!
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
September 4th, 2012
3:16 pm
We should all pray for the good and decent people of Charlotte, for Mount Gibberish is letting off some steam, a sure sign that it will soon erupt and cover the surrounding area with filthy lies.
Plus, all that hot air in the middle of summer?
whew.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
September 4th, 2012
3:17 pm
Ok, what part of Fahrenheit 911 was falsified?
They BOTH suck
September 4th, 2012
3:18 pm
MHS
One more thing on the religious issue. Both sides are quick to defend their own and quick to denounce the other candidate’s faith. Sort of crappy and hypocritical on both sides imo.
Their faith and walk with their God isn’t going to change how I believe or live my life.