Topic: 2012 Election Thread

[runawayjimbo]

With the 2012 election officially kicking off with the Iowa caucus tonight, I figured we could use an all things election thread to keep things nice and organized. I could probably just go ahead and call it "Obama v. Romney - The Battle of the Mandates", but I'll play along like there's a bit of suspense to this GOP primary. The Congressional elections might provide a little more drama.

I'm still struggling to understand Santorum's recent popularity in Iowa, but I guess it makes sense given the GOP primary thus far which has had more front runners than a 3.0 second set.

[aphineday]

You're right on here. Romney has the nomination tied up after tonight. Perry "reassessing" so essentially dropping (Thank GOD). Romney has way too much of a head start in the upcoming states in my book.
Donezo.

[rowjimmy]

I'm still struggling to understand Santorum's popularity in Iowa.

[sunrisevt]

They're into scat play? Sick fuckers.

[slslbs]

I'm still struggling to understand Santorum's popularity in Iowa.

I read something like 68% of registered republicans consider themselves evangelical Christians.
that explains a lot

[Undermind]

I'm still struggling to understand Santorum's popularity in Iowa.

I read something like 68% of registered republicans consider themselves evangelical Christians.
that explains a lot

Yup.  They don't like a woman's right to choose at all out there.

[rowjimmy]

Actually, I meant to remove the words "in Iowa".

[Hicks]

What, I'm not gonna get my Newt nomination?

Sheesh, 2012 is not turning out to be all that I hoped it would be.

[PG]

At least we won't have Obama to worry about after this year...

http://www.theonion.com/articles/obama-openly-asks-nation-why-on-earth-he-would-wan,26933/

Obama Openly Asks Nation Why On Earth He Would Want To Serve For Another Term

PITTSBURGH—Citing three years of exhausting partisan politics, constant gridlock in Congress, and an overall feeling that the entire nation has "completely lost it," President Barack Obama openly asked a campaign-rally crowd Tuesday why he'd want to serve another term as president of "this godforsaken country."

"My fellow Americans, I come to you today to ask, why?" Obama said to 1,200 people gathered inside a gymnasium at Taylor Allderdice High School. "Why can't our congressional leaders work together to create jobs? Why can't Wall Street ever be held accountable? And most important, why on God's green earth would I voluntarily subject myself to this nonsense for another four years?"

"I'm dead serious," the president continued, saying that any reasonable person would have walked away the moment the Senate minority leader announced his main priority—above creating jobs and improving American health care—was to make Obama a one-term president. "I'm asking if anybody out there can come up with even one reason why I'd want to endure this unmitigated shit show for another minute, let alone through 2016. What's in it for me, ex­actly? Can anyone answer that? Anyone at all?"

After a long silence during which crowd members mostly just shuffled their feet and stared at the ground, Obama said, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Arguing he'd have to be certifiably insane or some kind of sadistic freak to extend his presidency, Obama asked why anyone with half a brain would willingly open himself up to constant vilification by media strategists, or place himself in a situation that involves so much work for such little reward. He also asked the audience how "messed up and sick" he'd have to be to devote nearly a decade of his life to an unending cycle of political gamesmanship that stifles progress at every turn.

At one point during the 40-minute address, Obama wondered aloud if anyone could blame him for wanting to avoid another four years of idiotic questions about his birth certificate, racist immigration laws, Eric Cantor, citizens who know in their hearts the country must switch to renewable energy but simply refuse to do so, the South, antigay bigotry, and "just all of it, really."

"Today this nation faces difficult questions," Obama said. "For one, how bad must it have gotten for a politician to gladly—gladly—give up the most sought-after elected position in the world? And also, of all the people listening to me right now, is there even one of you who would honestly want to trade places with me? There isn't, is there? And I don't blame you."

In the coming weeks, Obama will reportedly continue to take his anti-second-term message across the country, asking ordinary Americans if they agree that his being on the ballot in November would make him a complete and total moron. Sources within the president's new "One Goddamn Reason" campaign confirmed he is genuinely curious to see if one American citizen can tell him why leaving the White House isn't the best thing he could possibly do for himself and his family.

"I have a pen and some paper right here," Obama said Wednesday morning at a town hall meeting in Ohio. "Let's list the pros and cons of being president. Con: There are people out there who literally want to shoot you dead. Con: We live in a country seriously considering a Newt Gingrich White House. Con: You can help 40 million Americans receive health care, sign legislation that regulates a financial system run amok, give the order to kill Osama bin Laden, help topple Muammar Qaddafi's tyrannical regime without losing the life of one American soldier, end the war in Iraq, repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, stave off a second Great Depression, take out more than 30 top al- Qaeda leaders, and somehow everyone still calls you the next Jimmy Carter."

"Can anyone out there name a pro?" continued Obama, gesturing at the silent crowd with his pen. "That's okay. I asked a bunch of people in Pittsburgh the same exact question yesterday, and they couldn't, either."

While many Beltway observers questioned Obama's new strategy, saying the president could hurt his chances of serving a second term by saying he doesn't want to serve a second term, others argued Obama seems to have finally rediscovered his voice.

"Whenever I watch him on the stump asking a crowd, 'Why am I fucking here right now?' or saying things like, 'I think I'd rather die than do this job again,' he's so fiery and passionate I'm reminded of the 2007 Obama," Democratic strategist Karen Finney said. "The one who thought he could make a difference before a broken, nonsensical political system and an insane populace robbed him of his humanity, ripped out his heart, and left him for dead.

[runawayjimbo]

I'm still struggling to understand Santorum's popularity in Iowa.

I read something like 68% of registered republicans consider themselves evangelical Christians.
that explains a lot

Yup.  They don't like a woman's right to choose at all out there.

I love the compassion of the Evangelicals - they just can't stop protecting life (Muslims need not apply).

CNN exits polls only have 57% identifying as Born-Again/Evangelical (apparently there's a difference?), but to your point, Santorum took nearly a third of that vote, almost twice Paul's 18%.

Another maddening fact from the exit polls was 28% of caucus goers said they made up their mind "in the last few days" and 18% said "today" (Santorum had healthy margins over Romney in both those categories). I'm not sure where those people had been for the last couple of months, but I have to seriously question how informed your decision is if you made up your mind in the last week of December.

One other fun fact: 64% of voters support the Tea Party, and Santorum won 29% of that bloc (Paul and Romney each had 19%). Now, regardless of your opinion on the Tea Party, this just proves to me once again that the Tea Party does not really believe in small gov't, fiscal restraint, and civil liberties. Because if they did, they surely wouldn't be supporting a guy who voted for the largest (unfunded) Medicare expansion in history and the Patriot Act, vows never to cut the defense budget ever, and would propose a federal ban on gay marriage (overturning those pesky states that currently allow it; the 10th amendment is for the weak). The Tea Party is nothing more than a faction of the mainstream GOP who fancies themselves historians because they like to put on stupid tri-corner hats.

[slslbs]

I'm still struggling to understand Santorum's popularity in Iowa.

I read something like 68% of registered republicans consider themselves evangelical Christians.
that explains a lot

Yup.  They don't like a woman's right to choose at all out there.

I love the compassion of the Evangelicals - they just can't stop protecting life (Muslims need not apply).

CNN exits polls only have 57% identifying as Born-Again/Evangelical (apparently there's a difference?), but to your point, Santorum took nearly a third of that vote, almost twice Paul's 18%.

Another maddening fact from the exit polls was 28% of caucus goers said they made up their mind "in the last few days" and 18% said "today" (Santorum had healthy margins over Romney in both those categories). I'm not sure where those people had been for the last couple of months, but I have to seriously question how informed your decision is if you made up your mind in the last week of December.

One other fun fact: 64% of voters support the Tea Party, and Santorum won 29% of that bloc (Paul and Romney each had 19%). Now, regardless of your opinion on the Tea Party, this just proves to me once again that the Tea Party does not really believe in small gov't, fiscal restraint, and civil liberties. Because if they did, they surely wouldn't be supporting a guy who voted for the largest (unfunded) Medicare expansion in history and the Patriot Act, vows never to cut the defense budget ever, and would propose a federal ban on gay marriage (overturning those pesky states that currently allow it; the 10th amendment is for the weak). The Tea Party is nothing more than a faction of the mainstream GOP who fancies themselves historians because they like to put on stupid tri-corner hats.

actually, they believe in the government not poking into personal (or state) affiars - unless, of course, the Tea Pary members disagree with the choice one makes about personal affairs. Then, those choices should be prohibited.
thus, we should all be gun carrying heterosexual christians because this is a christian nation. the founding fathers clearly erred here, and the 1st amendment can be ignored.

(in Clarence Thomas confirmatin hearings, he called out the founding fathers on freedom of religion)

[slslbs]

and, in further news, Bachman's out, Perry's still in.

at least we still have some comic relief

[twatts likes ghoti]

Lulz...  http://twitter.com/PALINBACHMANN

Terry

[V00D00BR3W]

I heard on the radio this morning that about 120,000 Iowans participated in yesterday's Republican caucuses. That's 4% of the state's population, and 4/100s of a percent of the U.S. population. More people attend NASCAR races than this. Pretty amazing the attention that gets paid to this and the influence it has for involving so few people, if you think about it.

And, apparently the Democrats held caucuses as well and they drew 25,000.

[mbw]

I'm still struggling to understand Santorum's popularity in Iowa.

I read something like 68% of registered republicans consider themselves evangelical Christians.
that explains a lot

Yup.  They don't like a woman's right to choose at all out there.

Now, regardless of your opinion on the Tea Party, this just proves to me once again that the Tea Party does not really believe in small gov't, fiscal restraint, and civil liberties. Because if they did, they surely wouldn't be supporting a guy who voted for the largest (unfunded) Medicare expansion in history and the Patriot Act, vows never to cut the defense budget ever, and would propose a federal ban on gay marriage (overturning those pesky states that currently allow it; the 10th amendment is for the weak). The Tea Party is nothing more than a faction of the mainstream GOP who fancies themselves historians because they like to put on stupid tri-corner hats.

actually, they believe in the government not poking into personal (or state) affiars - unless, of course, the Tea Pary members disagree with the choice one makes about personal affairs. Then, those choices should be prohibited.

the only gov't spending they really get pissed about is when disenfranchised black people get assistance  feeding their families, and having refrigerators to put the leftovers in.