It's no wonder Obama is odds on to win again

[cancel2 2022]

By Brett Arrends

PUBLISHED: 22:32, 2 September 2012 | UPDATED: 22:32, 2 September 2012

Last autumn, with a full year before the US presidential elections, I had lunch near Harvard University with Mark McKinnon, a former top adviser to President Bush and a very shrewd political commentator.

He argued that the economy was in such bad shape that Barack Obama had little chance of being re-elected. No US president in living memory, he said, had kept his job with unemployment this high.

I responded: ‘Ah, but you don’t know Mitt Romney. I’ve been following Romney, Obama’s Republican opponent, for nearly twenty years. I recently wrote a biography of him. He is a simply terrible candidate, as the British found out a few months ago. He is 0-for-3 in elections over here – so far – and instead of leading Obama by 10 points is trailing him instead.’

In many ways, that is astonishing.


Race to the White House: Ladbrokes has Barack Obama at 2/5 for re-election

Over the past four years, President Obama and the federal government have borrowed about $4trillion and thrown it at the national economy in a bid to get things rolling again after the financial crisis.

Yet the latest news has been alarming. The rebound that took place from 2009 to 2011 appears to have slowed sharply, and may have stalled altogether.
Job creation has plunged: Non-farm payrolls, the most closely-watched measure, have averaged fewer than 100,000 new jobs each month since the spring, less than half the rate we were seeing last year, and well below the rate needed to keep pace with population growth. One worker in six remains either out of work or stuck in a part-time job.

Corporate profits growth seems to have slowed. Inflation has tumbled ominously low. Wages are barely rising. While house prices seem to have stabilized, real estate company Zillow reports that 31 per cent of homeowners with a mortgage owe more than their house is worth.

The US Federal Reserve is so worried about the economic outlook that it is considering a third program of quantitative easing to bring down interest rates.

Looming tax hikes and spending cuts next year threaten to tighten the screws still further.

The president inherited a financial mess, he didn’t create it. He is hardly to blame for the Euro crisis, or China’s slowdown. Some argue that he should have borrowed more, not less. But whatever the economic merits, it is hardly a case he wants to make on the stump in Ohio or Pennsylvania.

So far he has barely had to. Throughout this summer the campaign has focused, not on the economy, but on Mitt Romney’s (legal, but astonishing) tax avoidance, his Olympic-level gaffes, and on whether or not his far-right running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan, wants to slash healthcare funding for the elderly and push grandma out on the proverbial iceberg if they get elected in November.

Barely a week ago, as he prepared for his convention in Florida, Romney stuck his foot in his mouth yet again, making a joke about birth certificates that appeared to pander to the fringe elements who still believe Barack Obama is a communist agent from Kenya.

In 1980 Ronald Reagan turfed out an incumbent president by asking the voters, famously, ‘Are you better off than you were four years ago?’
Obama would be vulnerable to a similar campaign today. Yet it may never materialise.

Romney’s own record on job creation, when he was governor of Massachusetts, was lamentable: The state ranked third worst in the country for private sector jobs growth, trailing even Louisiana – a state whose principal city, New Orleans, was washed away in a flood. But even that may not matter.

November’s election will not turn on the economy. It will turn on whether or not Romney manages to make it about the economy. Based on form to date, you wouldn’t want to bet on it. No wonder Ladbrokes has Obama at 2/5 for re-election.
Brett Arends is a US journalist and author of The Romney Files (Amazon, £9.60).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/new...win-again.html

[leaningright]

You know, Tom, I think I could campaign better than Mr. Romney. Speaking in public, off the cuff or not, I really think that this country bumpkin could do a better job. I do hope things pick up for him the next 64 days but I ain't counting on it.

[NOVA]

By Brett Arrends

PUBLISHED: 22:32, 2 September 2012 | UPDATED: 22:32, 2 September 2012



So far he has barely had to. Throughout this summer the campaign has focused, not on the economy, but on Mitt Romney’s (legal, but astonishing) tax avoidance, his Olympic-level gaffes, and on whether or not his far-right running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan, wants to slash healthcare funding for the elderly and push grandma out on the proverbial iceberg if they get elected in November.

Barely a week ago, as he prepared for his convention in Florida, Romney stuck his foot in his mouth yet again, making a joke about birth certificates that appeared to pander to the fringe elements who still believe Barack Obama is a communist agent from Kenya.

In 1980 Ronald Reagan turfed out an incumbent president by asking the voters, famously, ‘Are you better off than you were four years ago?’
Obama would be vulnerable to a similar campaign today. Yet it may never materialise.

Romney’s own record on job creation, when he was governor of Massachusetts, was lamentable: The state ranked third worst in the country for private sector jobs growth, trailing even Louisiana – a state whose principal city, New Orleans, was washed away in a flood. But even that may not matter.

It is bullshit like this that makes the writer either ignorant or masterful hack......neither is respectable....

Romney's "tax avoidance" is a myth.....the rules are the same for every taxpayer in the country to use as necessary in figuring what you legally owe....the IRS certainly doesn't accuse him of anything but paying what he legally owes....just like the rest of us.

A joke about "birth certificates' is still a joke....no different than if Leno or Lettermen or Jon Stewart told the same one.....its the old race card being played again as usual
And I've NEVER heard Barack Obama being called a communist agent from Kenya. More ignorant bullshit from the writer....

Here is Romney's record as Governor....

The state unemployment rate was at 5.6 percent when Romney took office in January 2003. It rose to 6.0 percent in mid-2003, then steadily decreased during the remainder of Romney's term, ending at 4.6 percent for January 2007, representing Romney's last month in office.

Nationally, unemployment was rising in early 2003 as the economy was still under the effects of the early 2000s recession, then things began to turn around and unemployment fell and job creation grew. Job growth increased at a 1.3 percent rate during Romney's term. This ranked Massachusetts 47th out of 50 states during this period.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governo...rowth_and_jobs

The fact is.....when you have approximately a 5% unemployment rate, that is normally considered "full employment"....creating new job growth in an already full employment
environment is difficult at best.....because just about everyone that wants to work is already working....

So the claim of being 47th our of 50 states is true but needs to be put in perspective.....and not by a hack like this clown

[Phantasmal]

Bawhahahaha, in case people some dont realize the tax code is created by the rich (Congress) for the rich!

[Howey]

It is bullshit like this that makes the writer either ignorant or masterful hack......neither is respectable....

Romney's "tax avoidance" is a myth.....the rules are the same for every taxpayer in the country to use as necessary in figuring what you legally owe....the IRS certainly doesn't accuse him of anything but paying what he legally owes....just like the rest of us.

A joke about "birth certificates' is still a joke....no different than if Leno or Lettermen or Jon Stewart told the same one.....its the old race card being played again as usual
And I've NEVER heard Barack Obama being called a communist agent from Kenya. More ignorant bullshit from the writer....

Here is Romney's record as Governor....

The state unemployment rate was at 5.6 percent when Romney took office in January 2003. It rose to 6.0 percent in mid-2003, then steadily decreased during the remainder of Romney's term, ending at 4.6 percent for January 2007, representing Romney's last month in office.

Nationally, unemployment was rising in early 2003 as the economy was still under the effects of the early 2000s recession, then things began to turn around and unemployment fell and job creation grew. Job growth increased at a 1.3 percent rate during Romney's term. This ranked Massachusetts 47th out of 50 states during this period.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governo...rowth_and_jobs

The fact is.....when you have approximately a 5% unemployment rate, that is normally considered "full employment"....creating new job growth in an already full employment
environment is difficult at best.....because just about everyone that wants to work is already working....

So the claim of being 47th our of 50 states is true but needs to be put in perspective.....and not by a hack like this clown

If Romney's record as Governor was so great, why won't he talk about it?

Is that why all those tapes were destroyed?

[blackascoal]

In truth it isn't Romney or how badly he campaigns. It's the Tea Party .. the party of stupid.

The Tea Party is why Romney morphed into what he is today and the positions that he takes.

The Tea Party is why Romney is the candidate at all. Nobody really wanted him. But because of the Tea Party all he had to do was outlast and outspend the gaggle of the most moronic clowns ever thrown at a presidential race in history. Newt Gingrich, the Pizza Man, and Donald Trump are all that need be said.

The Tea Party is why republicans have inbeciles like Akin running for office.

If you're looking for the real reason why Obama will win again .. look no further than the party of stupid.

[Phantasmal]

It is bullshit like this that makes the writer either ignorant or masterful hack......neither is respectable....

Romney's "tax avoidance" is a myth.....the rules are the same for every taxpayer in the country to use as necessary in figuring what you legally owe....the IRS certainly doesn't accuse him of anything but paying what he legally owes....just like the rest of us.

A joke about "birth certificates' is still a joke....no different than if Leno or Lettermen or Jon Stewart told the same one.....its the old race card being played again as usual
And I've NEVER heard Barack Obama being called a communist agent from Kenya. More ignorant bullshit from the writer....

Here is Romney's record as Governor....

The state unemployment rate was at 5.6 percent when Romney took office in January 2003. It rose to 6.0 percent in mid-2003, then steadily decreased during the remainder of Romney's term, ending at 4.6 percent for January 2007, representing Romney's last month in office.

Nationally, unemployment was rising in early 2003 as the economy was still under the effects of the early 2000s recession, then things began to turn around and unemployment fell and job creation grew. Job growth increased at a 1.3 percent rate during Romney's term. This ranked Massachusetts 47th out of 50 states during this period.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governo...rowth_and_jobs

The fact is.....when you have approximately a 5% unemployment rate, that is normally considered "full employment"....creating new job growth in an already full employment
environment is difficult at best.....because just about everyone that wants to work is already working....

So the claim of being 47th our of 50 states is true but needs to be put in perspective.....and not by a hack like this clown

Romney was governor during the good economic times and unemployment grew, debt grew and young people left the state to garner employment. I don't know who you re reading, but your opinions don't match up to the reality. He cut work force training programs, he grew government while adding very little growth in the wy of jobs or creating small businesses. His only real achievement, Romney Care and he won't own that, will he! Massachutes is now growing at a faster rate under the new governor! He raised taxes and fees to "balance" his budget. He was criticized by Republicans or doing so. His cuts at the state level caused a rise in property taxes.

Romney was a good friend of Ted Kennedy, who praised his healthcare reforms!

[NOVA]

Romney was governor during the good economic times and unemployment grew, debt grew and young people left the state to garner employment. I don't know who you re reading, but your opinions don't match up to the reality. He cut work force training programs, he grew government while adding very little growth in the wy of jobs or creating small businesses. His only real achievement, Romney Care and he won't own that, will he! Massachutes is now growing at a faster rate under the new governor! He raised taxes and fees to "balance" his budget. He was criticized by Republicans or doing so. His cuts at the state level caused a rise in property taxes.

Romney was a good friend of Ted Kennedy, who praised his healthcare reforms!

Absolutely, Romney raised taxes and cut spending....over $300 million in loopholes were closed
Leaders lead.....
Romney left MA with a 700 million surplus in 2004.
594.4 million in 2005 and in 2006 Mass. enjoyed a 2.2 Billion dollar surplus in the 'rainy day fund'
he left office Jan, 2007

and a Democrat took over as Governor....
fiscal 2007 ended with a $307.1 million deficit and fiscal 2008 ended with a $495.2 million deficit...

Here is HIS record....

In his first term, Patrick oversaw the implementation of the state's 2006 health care reform program, increased funding to education and life sciences, won a federal Race to the Top education grant, passed an overhaul of state transportation industries to create the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, worked with the legislature to defend the legality of same-sex marriage, and increased the state sales tax from 5% to 6.25%. Under Patrick, Massachusetts joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions^[1] and greatly expanded services to veterans.^[2] His two legislative battles to implement casino gambling failed: he could not win the approval of the House of Representatives in March 2008, and he vetoed a bill passed by the legislature in August 2010 for going too far.
During the 2006 Gubernatorial Election Patrick faced criticism^[28] for having once written letters to the parole board describing correspondence from Benjamin LaGuer, a man convicted of a brutal eight-hour rape, as "thoughtful, insightful, eloquent, [and] humane".^[29] Patrick contributed $5,000 towards the DNA testing which linked LaGuer to the crime. Once the DNA test proved LaGuer's guilt, Patrick withdrew his support for the inmate's release.^[30]
In the early months of Patrick's administration, a series of decisions the governor later conceded as missteps brought substantial unfavorable press. These included spending almost $11,000 on drapery for the governor's state house suite, changing the state's customary car lease from a Ford Crown Victoria to a Cadillac, and hiring a staff assistant (who had previously helped chair his election campaign) for the Commonwealth's first lady at an annual salary of almost $75,000. Emerging from a weekend of working on the state's budget and calling for cuts in services to taxpayers, Patrick responded in a February 20, 2007 press conference that "I realize I cannot in good conscience ask the agencies to make those choices without being willing to make them myself"^[31]
Patrick subsequently reimbursed the Commonwealth for the cost of the drapery and furniture purchased for the state house, and the additional monthly difference in his car lease.^[31] First Lady Diane Patrick's staff assistant, Amy Gorin, resigned.^[32]
Later in the same month Patrick again came under fire, this time for contacting Citigroup Executive Committee chair, and former Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin on behalf of the financially beleaguered mortgage company Ameriquest, a subsidiary of ACC Capital Holdings, that had been accused of predatory lending practices and of which Patrick is a former board member. Both Citigroup and ACC Capital Holdings have substantial holdings in Massachusetts.^[33] Patrick attempted to deflect criticism claiming he was calling not as governor but as a private citizen. Later Patrick backed down, stating "I appreciate that I should not have made the call. I regret the mistake."^[33]

Patrick, speaking at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.


In December 2008, Patrick faced criticism from Massachusetts Republicans for the hiring of attorney and real estate consultant Dana Harrell to the newly created position of state Director of Real Estate Services.^[34] Harrell is a neighbor of Deval Patrick in Milton, and he and his wife have contributed to the governor's election campaign and to the Democratic State Committee.^[35] The appointment to the $120,000-per-year position came at a time when the state faced a $1.4 billion revenue shortfall which may cause Patrick to layoff 1,000 state workers and cut state aid to towns and cities.^[34][36]
Patrick came to the defense of Presidential candidate Barack Obama during the Democratic primary when it was reported that a few key phrases from one of Obama's stump speech were very similar to words used during Patrick's own 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial run.^{[citation needed]} The charges of plagiarism were largely dismissed after Patrick explained that he had encouraged Obama to use the same quotes.^[37]
On September 24, 2009, Patrick appointed Paul G. Kirk as the interim U.S. senator in the wake of Ted Kennedy's death.^[38]
In August 2011, Patrick declared state of emergency in Massachusetts as the state was facing the arrival of Hurricane Irene.

But facts don't matter to you anyway.....

[cawacko]

Romney was governor during the good economic times and unemployment grew, debt grew and young people left the state to garner employment. I don't know who you re reading, but your opinions don't match up to the reality. He cut work force training programs, he grew government while adding very little growth in the wy of jobs or creating small businesses. His only real achievement, Romney Care and he won't own that, will he! Massachutes is now growing at a faster rate under the new governor! He raised taxes and fees to "balance" his budget. He was criticized by Republicans or doing so. His cuts at the state level caused a rise in property taxes.

Romney was a good friend of Ted Kennedy, who praised his healthcare reforms!

Just curious where you are getting your information that unemployment grew? Is it incorrect that when he took office in Jan 2003 unemployment was at 5.6% and it was at 4.6% when he left office in Jan 2007?

[Phantasmal]

Just curious where you are getting your information that unemployment grew? Is it incorrect that when he took office in Jan 2003 unemployment was at 5.6% and it was at 4.6% when he left office in Jan 2007?

Bravo's post.

[Phantasmal]

Just curious where you are getting your information that unemployment grew? Is it incorrect that when he took office in Jan 2003 unemployment was at 5.6% and it was at 4.6% when he left office in Jan 2007?

He still was 47th?

[Phantasmal]

Bravo's post.

I should have said, then decreased, but I mentioned that he grew beauracracy, that is why lower unemployment rates. He created jobs, but not private sector job is my understanding, thus, another embarassing fact for him to trot out. He did create jobs, but they were government jobs.

[cawacko]

Bravo's post.

This?

"The state unemployment rate was at 5.6 percent when Romney took office in January 2003. It rose to 6.0 percent in mid-2003, then steadily decreased during the remainder of Romney's term, ending at 4.6 percent for January 2007, representing Romney's last month in office."

[Rune]

Romney was a good friend of Ted Kennedy, who praised his healthcare reforms!

Yet he was stupid enough to oppose Kennedy for senate in '92, his first public utterly moronic act, followed by running for pres in '08 as a pub, a race Reagan himself couldn't have won.

Romney has NO common sense.

[Phantasmal]

I should have said, then decreased, but I mentioned that he grew beauracracy, that is why lower unemployment rates. He created jobs, but not private sector job is my understanding, thus, another embarassing fact for him to trot out. He did create jobs, but they were government jobs.

He was in the process of turning the state around, according to the Boston Globe, but he got the glint in his eye for the Presidency, and didn't finish the job. The Globe writer stated he was an average CEO.