Santorum - Droopy in a Sweater Vest?

[_DrW]

Actually, I am gratified to see all the attention being paid to the Santorum candidacy and the apparent traction that he is getting with the Republican right. Santorum pretty much embodies what is wrong with the religious right, and his surge in the polls is giving Americans a much needed opportunity to see what a Santorum presidency might really be like (and it is not pretty). Given some of Santorum's comments, his response to the famous 3:00 am phone call at the White House would probably be to kneel in prayer.

Santorum' campaign has old guard Republicans sweating bullets. Newt's sugar daddy has even decided to put more money into the Gingrich campaign to try to blunt Santorum's surge. He realizes, like most in the Republican Party, that Santorum has less of a chance of beating Obama than does Romney (and given the economic numbers to date this year, Romney's chances aren't looking good).

The more influence the religious right has in shaping the Republican campaign, the less likely it is that a Republican will win the White House this year. And after eight years of George W. Bush, a Republican win in 2012 was not very likely to begin with.

[_Jason Bourne]

Santorum' campaign has old guard Republicans sweating bullets. Newt's sugar daddy has even decided to put more money into the Gingrich campaign to try to blunt Santorum's surge. He realizes, like most in the Republican Party, that Santorum has less of a chance of beating Obama than does Romney (and given the economic numbers to date this year, Romney's chances aren't looking good).
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While I personally hope for more of a recovery I think the positive results are anemic at best. We are still in a struggling and stagnating economic. The recent very small improvement in the unemployment rate is somewhat deceptive and does not include those who have just quit looking. Course the published numbers never do. But I believe no incumbent has ever one reelection with unemployment in the 7%-8% range.

Next we have a proposed budget that adds another $1.3 trillion to the national debt. We are now over $15 trillion of debt. This number is not sustainable and this president as well as the congress seem to be at an impasse at taking and making the very hard decisions that the simply must make to start taking strides towards fixing the problem.

Next it the 800 pound gorilla that is creeping up on us now and that is energy costs. You think if we have a per gallon price of gas north of $4 and approaching $5 that this will not hurt President Obama very much? I do. Can you say Keystone Pipeline? How about the limits this administration has put on domestic production of oil? And I wonder where he is at regarding the production of natural gas through fracking techniques in the Marseilles Shale area of the country. Personally I think high gas prices may be the undoing of the Obama presidency if they head where they are predicted to go this year.

[_DrW]

Santorum' campaign has old guard Republicans sweating bullets. Newt's sugar daddy has even decided to put more money into the Gingrich campaign to try to blunt Santorum's surge. He realizes, like most in the Republican Party, that Santorum has less of a chance of beating Obama than does Romney (and given the economic numbers to date this year, Romney's chances aren't looking good).
.

While I personally hope for more of a recovery I think the positive results are anemic at best. We are still in a struggling and stagnating economic. The recent very small improvement in the unemployment rate is somewhat deceptive and does not include those who have just quit looking. Course the published numbers never do. But I believe no incumbent has ever one reelection with unemployment in the 7%-8% range.

Next we have a proposed budget that adds another $1.3 trillion to the national debt. We are now over $15 trillion of debt. This number is not sustainable and this president as well as the congress seem to be at an impasse at taking and making the very hard decisions that the simply must make to start taking strides towards fixing the problem.

Next it the 800 pound gorilla that is creeping up on us now and that is energy costs. You think if we have a per gallon price of gas north of $4 and approaching $5 that this will not hurt President Obama very much? I do. Can you say Keystone Pipeline? How about the limits this administration has put on domestic production of oil? And I wonder where he is at regarding the production of natural gas through fracking techniques in the Marseilles Shale area of the country. Personally I think high gas prices may be the undoing of the Obama presidency if they head where they are predicted to go this year.

Can you really imagine that the candidate who emerges from the Republican Party primary process, as it has unfolded so far in this campaign, could beat an incumbent?

To understand where we are in this country, you have to look at where we have been. Electing a Republican to the White House heads us right back in the direction we just came from.

[_Kevin Graham]

While I personally hope for more of a recovery I think the positive results are anemic at best. We are still in a struggling and stagnating economic. The recent very small improvement in the unemployment rate is somewhat deceptive and does not include those who have just quit looking. Course the published numbers never do. But I believe no incumbent has ever one reelection with unemployment in the 7%-8% range.

Two years ago I never though Obama would stand a chance at reelection, but now I think he has a pretty good chance. Primarily because the Republican candidates are so weak.

Next we have a proposed budget that adds another $1.3 trillion to the national debt.

And whose fault is that? The Bush Tax cuts for the wealthy have to be rejected if we're ever going to dig our way out of this hole. This is from the USA Today article on the budget proposal:

But the outline released Friday includes a few details sure to draw attention on Monday, when Obama releases the full 2013 spending plan:

The deficit would decline as a percentage of the economy from 8.5% this year to 5.5% in 2013 and 2.7% by 2018. Most economists say deficits should be below 3% of the economy.

Tax breaks for the wealthy would be reduced so that they are no better than those for the middle class. No household making more than $1 million a year would pay less than 30% in income taxes.

More than $360 billion would be cut from Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs over 10 years -- an amount that's sure to be seen as too much by seniors and liberal groups, and paltry by Republicans in Congress pushing more robust cuts in entitlement programs.

Defense spending would be reduced by nearly $500 billion from what was planned in the budget Obama proposed a year ago.

Savings from winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would be put toward deficit reduction and investments sought by Obama, including new infrastructure spending.

About $350 billion in new investments, most of them remaining from Obama's American Jobs Act that was derailed in Congress, would be rejuvenated.

Next it the 800 pound gorilla that is creeping up on us now and that is energy costs. You think if we have a per gallon price of gas north of $4 and approaching $5 that this will not hurt President Obama very much? I do. Can you say Keystone Pipeline?

It doesn't matter. Until they end the corrupt practice of price speculations, the oil companies are going to continue to hammer us on gasoline.

How about the limits this administration has put on domestic production of oil?

This is something of a myth as well. Production has actually increased under Obama:



But he has no control over China's consumption problems.

And I wonder where he is at regarding the production of natural gas through fracking techniques in the Marseilles Shale area of the country. Personally I think high gas prices may be the undoing of the Obama presidency if they head where they are predicted to go this year.

Dude, where have you been on this one?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12029/1206758-176.stm

[_Kevin Graham]

To understand where we are in this country, you have to look at where we have been. Electing a Republican to the White House heads us right back in the direction we just came from.

Precisely, but but unfortunately too many Americans are too stupid to understand this. Droopy is a classic example of American ignorance. They think with their emotions a la FOX News's fear campaign, and become puppets in the never ending corporate campaign to turn the USA into an absolute plutocracy.

[_Jason Bourne]

Can you really imagine that the candidate who emerges from the Republican Party primary process, as it has unfolded so far in this campaign, could beat an incumbent?

It has been a rough go for the republicans. I like Romney I will admit. I know there seems to be a lot of Romney haters here though. I think if he could campaign as the moderate he really is it would be great. Unfortunately given the right wing strength in the nomination process that does not work. Even more so now. But sure I think there is an outside chance. I think Romney is the best chance for the Republicans and put him up against Obama and we will see. The economy is still in a world of hurt and unless there is dramatic improvement it will be historically hard for an incumbent to win.

To understand where we are in this country, you have to look at where we have been. Electing a Republican to the White House heads us right back in the direction we just came from.

Sorry Dr W I don't buy this horse crap. First not all republicans are the same. Second the issues we face were not 100% due to George Bush. Some sure. But many come from policy that has been imposed on this country for a long, long time. It did not happen over night and the democrats and republicans have all contributed to many bad fiscal policies and dropping regulations that have hurt us. Clinton dropped Glass/Steigel which led the the financial debacle from mortgage backed securities. Both sides pushed to liberalize housing policy. No politician for 40 years has had the stomach to lead and solve the issues that are about to explode in our face but rather pushed it off down the road. So yea I think your comment above is rather simplistic considering it comes from such a bright fellow.

[_Kevin Graham]

Incidentally, I think Obama's recent strategy on the tax cuts is pure genius. After years of exercising futility, by trying to convince the Republican legislators that the Bush tax cuts needed to be repealed, he decided to attack this through the back door.

You see, the Republicans keep spouting this rhetoric about how high the official tax rate is, claiming it is above 35% for the wealthy and corporations. This is technically true, but the effective tax rate is much lower. Why? Well, thanks to our ridiculously complex tax system, both the wealthy and corporations frequently pay as little as zero in taxes using off shore tax havens and various loopholes. They can afford high priced tax attorneys who produce enough paperwork to keep the IRS scratching their heads for years. It is why big companies like News Corp (FOX News owner), General Electric and Exxon have paid as little as zero in taxes, despite huge profits.

So Obama says, OK, lets DROP the tax rate as the Republicans have been clamoring about for years... BUT let's get rid of all the loopholes and make sure no one making more than a million pays less than 30%.

On paper it looks like a tax cut, but it is actually a tax increase.

This is genius because it is beating the Republicans at their own game. If they reject his proposal, they can't really say they are for tax cuts.

[_Jason Bourne]

Two years ago I never though Obama would stand a chance at reelection, but now I think he has a pretty good chance. Primarily because the Republican candidates are so weak.

Well we shall see. I would not bet against it.

Next we have a proposed budget that adds another $1.3 trillion to the national debt.

And whose fault is that? The Bush Tax cuts for the wealthy have to be rejected if we're ever going to dig our way out of this hole. This is from the USA Today article on the budget proposal:

Since we are 3 plus years past Bush, I would say it is now on the lap of our current president and congress. President Obama did say if he did not improve things in three years he would be a one term president. But you won't get and argument from me. I am for reasonable modest tax increases along with reasonable cutting and I would cut defense first. Also I have preached for years that we should have had a war time tax to fund the Iraq an Afghanistan conflicts.

Next it the 800 pound gorilla that is creeping up on us now and that is energy costs. You think if we have a per gallon price of gas north of $4 and approaching $5 that this will not hurt President Obama very much? I do. Can you say Keystone Pipeline?

It doesn't matter. Until they end the corrupt practice of price speculations, the oil companies are going to continue to hammer us on gasoline.

No argument from me.

And I wonder where he is at regarding the production of natural gas through fracking techniques in the Marseilles Shale area of the country. Personally I think high gas prices may be the undoing of the Obama presidency if they head where they are predicted to go this year.

Dude, where have you been on this one?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12029/1206758-176.stm

I stand corrected on that one. Thanks

[_Jason Bourne]

Precisely, but but unfortunately too many Americans are too stupid to understand this. Droopy is a classic example of American ignorance. They think with their emotions a la FOX News's fear campaign, and become puppets in the never ending corporate campaign to turn the USA into an absolute plutocracy.

Kev it would not be a political thread worth reading without your slamming Fox News. Sorry but I don't buy it that all our woes are due to George Bush and the republicans. It is the fault of all our weak political leaders.

[_Kevin Graham]

Jason, answer me this, because I have yet to get a single Romney supporter answer it for me:

What is it that Romney would do to improve the economy?

What is his economic plan?

The only proposed solution I ever hear from the Right wing politicians is more tax cuts for corporations. As if a zero tax rate isn't low enough for some. That's all they really know how to say it seems. They think this is the answer to everything, but the fact is we already know this is based on corporate funded propaganda. It has been proved to be myth. The wealthy have been enjoying record lows in taxes for a decade now, and unemployment has skyrocketed as a result. If they do anything with this money, they are more likely to invest it overseas.

Like the banks who took all that TARP money. They were supposed to lend it out, but they did not. They sat on all that money and rewarded their executives with more bonuses. It is a joke, but it is the primary proposal offered by Romney. If you give more money to the so-called "job creators" then they will use that money to create jobs. That people still buy into this as a viable solution to our economic woes, is astounding to me.