well, there's also the fairly substantial (if all too often silent) group who oppose this or that war on principle
― i know your nuts hurt! who's laughing? (contenderizer), Friday, 14 September 2012 18:50 (eleven years ago) link
i'm not so entirely cynical as some of y'all
ya the silent hippie majority never seems to make it to the voting booth either, it's weird
― iatee, Friday, 14 September 2012 18:52 (eleven years ago) link
america is much more internationally violent than straight domestic polls would suggest
― goole, Friday, 14 September 2012 19:14 (eleven years ago) link
hearty lols @ conflating liberalism and pacifism
― real men have been preparing manly dishes for centuries (elmo argonaut), Friday, 14 September 2012 19:16 (eleven years ago) link
If there's one thing I'm sure we all can agree with, it's that the American populace is heavily comprised of strawmen.
― the only problem, i find, is juggling my cock (Old Lunch), Friday, 14 September 2012 19:18 (eleven years ago) link
all it takes is a spark
― lag∞n, Friday, 14 September 2012 19:21 (eleven years ago) link
classic contenderizer
― flopson, Friday, 14 September 2012 19:24 (eleven years ago) link
anyone still scared?
― the late great, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 06:36 (eleven years ago) link
except for mitt's team, that is?
not especially. Willard is saying things that are pretty explicitly unpresidential.
― gesange der yuengling (crüt), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 07:49 (eleven years ago) link
this is worth like a thousand you-didn't-build-thats
― gesange der yuengling (crüt), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 07:52 (eleven years ago) link
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn98/hiiyah777/wingsye5.jpg
― Andrew Farrell, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 07:58 (eleven years ago) link
if romney does win though... i mean, what does that say? about people?
― Trad., Arrrgh (stevie), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 08:20 (eleven years ago) link
Nothing! Absolutely nothing! People have plenty of black friends!
― Andrew Farrell, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 09:11 (eleven years ago) link
this week is like the "those people" / dean scream combo
― the late great, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 09:12 (eleven years ago) link
tbf ann romney's already done a 'you people'
― Trad., Arrrgh (stevie), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 09:32 (eleven years ago) link
That was about Latinos though. And apparently they're glad they know how to party.
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 11:55 (eleven years ago) link
Assuming they've heard Romney's fundraiser speech and agree with its content? I'd argue that it means they're content with watching people who feel that they're entitled to precious commodities like food/shelter/healthcare die in the streets like dogs (except that we'll probably eventually have some human equivalent of animal control so we don't have to expose ourselves to that).
― Old Lunch, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 12:19 (eleven years ago) link
Also that they aren't aware of their own situation - if everyone who doesn't pay income tax AND the Democrats vote for Obama, it'll be a landslide.
― Andrew Farrell, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 12:24 (eleven years ago) link
election fraud & voter disenfranchisement via Voter ID & various other shit is still the Romney path to the White House and should still strike fear into your heart if you're pulling for the President. There is lots of devious shit in FL, OH, et al, for example this -
http://www.thenation.com/blog/169284/ohio-early-voting-cutbacks-disenfranchise-minority-voters
― Inconceivable (to the entire world) (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:18 (eleven years ago) link
romney takedown by david brooks today in the nyt would have been great if i didn't want to jump out a window every time i read david brooks.
― scott seward, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:34 (eleven years ago) link
cuz i can hear his voice when i read his columns and it makes me shiver.
― scott seward, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:35 (eleven years ago) link
Brooks is Very Sad today.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:37 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, I think Brooks has finally gotten fed up with Mittens. I was surprised to see him unload on him like that.
― o. nate, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:37 (eleven years ago) link
This is key, I think (one of the reactions quoted by Sullivan):
My initial sense was that this video wouldn’t hurt Romney any more than “bitter clingers” hurt Obama. But “bitter clingers” came in April 2008, which gave Obama a lot more time to recover before Election Day.
Pretty much anything that happens in April is long gone by November. But even if Romney's video is only a story until the first debate, that's about a quarter of the time left until the election.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:45 (eleven years ago) link
Felt really good to delete a couple people from FB last night after they posted links to the video and said how great it was to have someone finally speak "honestly" and "tell the truth".
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:48 (eleven years ago) link
"This hurts me more than it does you, Mom." (Just kidding!)
― clemenza, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:49 (eleven years ago) link
lol! Actually one was an uncle, but I'm pretty sure he hid me a long time ago.
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:52 (eleven years ago) link
Really feels (I'm sure to Romney too) like he's lost all control of the campaign narrative. Everything he says now, people are primed to go, "Jesus, did you hear that idiotic thing Romney said?" Of course, he does keep saying idiotic things, but people in presidential campaigns have gotten away with saying idiotic things before. He just can't catch a break -- I think in a lot of ways because he's not in any way a likable guy. Liberals don't like him, conservatives have never liked him, "independents" don't like him, the media as a whole doesn't like him. If he didn't have a terrible economy to run on, he'd be down by 8 to 10 points.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:02 (eleven years ago) link
Somebody yesterday pointed out that the media dislikes him already, and that this doesn't affect that one way or the other. Disagree somewhat. There is that mushy part in the middle (CNN an example) that will gravitate to one of two stories: a getting-closer election (preferred choice) or, if not that, a train-wreck. Yesterday points them in the direction of a train-wreck. And with six weeks to go, if you're trying to catch up, having that mushy swath in the middle receptive to the getting-closer story can only help.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:12 (eleven years ago) link
i dont think 'the media' really has that much effect on peoples votes at this point
― max, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:13 (eleven years ago) link
Directly, no. But I do think the way you're covered has a more general effect.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:15 (eleven years ago) link
unless you count horrible tv commercials as "the media"
― ɥɯ ︵ (°□°) (mh), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:19 (eleven years ago) link
Blake Hounshell @blakehounshellBarely trying. MT @ByronYork: Romney has no public events today. Had one Monday, none Sat/Sun, one Friday, one Thursday
romney givin up
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:22 (eleven years ago) link
declare bankruptcy
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:23 (eleven years ago) link
I watched the clips again this morning and, wow, what a difference in confidence, diction, and tone. So this is what speaking to your base does.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:23 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah I think the general sense that "this guy's in a tailspin" gets across even to people who aren't paying attention to the outrage-of-the-day.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:24 (eleven years ago) link
I don't think stuff like this particularly changes minds but voting is about enthusiasm, not just whether you identify red or blue. If Romney keeps morphing into Mr. Burns/Nixon with the media shitting on him daily it's definitely going to effect his ability to JAZZ people.
― da croupier, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:24 (eleven years ago) link
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, September 18, 2012 10:23 AM (16 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
romdawg has a lil experience pitching rooms full of rich guys
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:25 (eleven years ago) link
during the bush era conservative pals would say "fuck you" to anyone saying "so y' still like bush?" but a good number just plum forgot to vote in 2004
― da croupier, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:26 (eleven years ago) link
Maybe amazing is the wrong word.
i dont think 'the media' really has that much effect on peoples votes at this point --max
Don't believe this at all.
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:29 (eleven years ago) link
very few people would be so openly flaky as to change party affiliation three months before an election, but they maaaay not buy the t-shirt
― da croupier, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:32 (eleven years ago) link
not very many undecided voters are watching cable news or reading editorial pages 6 weeks before an election
― max, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:34 (eleven years ago) link
Willard is saying things that are pretty explicitly unpresidential.
It's true that he's empty on "I'll drone-attack the Jonas Brothers" yuks.
The US media doesn't cover or affect shit that's worth shit.
― kizz my hairy irish azz (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:35 (eleven years ago) link
i honestly can't fathom someone being an "undecided voter" in the first place. I can see random shades of blue and red debating whether they're actually going to get off the couch, but not in regards to who they'd vote for.
― da croupier, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:37 (eleven years ago) link
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d5/Swing_vote_08.jpg/220px-Swing_vote_08.jpg
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:39 (eleven years ago) link
yeah i kind of figure anybody who actually says "gee, i dunno" has to be really ignorant and vain. Somebody who says "convince me" with their arms folded.
― da croupier, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:40 (eleven years ago) link
I personally love the reaction from the frothing right-wing base: "yup, that's right, glad someone's finally saying it out loud." Just as I loved it when the base loved his pick of Ryan. Because everything that excites the base turns off the middle (and, I suppose vice versa, but this isn't the year for that).
Good luck with that strategy, GOP! Tell large swathes of the electorate that they're not worth your consideration, and irredeemably beneath contempt. See how well that plays in a democracy.
Caveat: yeah, as has been said repeatedly, most people who care about politics have long since decided how they're going to vote; there aren't a lot of persuadable people in any case. I'm the first to admit that I'm not persuadable; I have no understanding of the psychology of anyone who IS persuadable, so what the hell do I know about what will change minds?
― Ye Mad Puffin, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:43 (eleven years ago) link
Last I read, Obama still ahead in several swing states, undecideds down to 2 percent. Aside from Obama's "clingers" in April vs. Romney's "47 percent" in mid-Sept., Obama generalized/snarked in passing, Romney's percentage is implicitly a social map, the perfect opening for refutation (also a vision, rallying some of the troops). Also of course this is another situation where "the media" has to follow viral Netclipz, see how far they go. Also see some conservative sites getting sick of Fox putting the spin 'n' shine on Romney gaffes, with paid contributors/analysts who are also on the Romney payroll.
― dow, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 14:46 (eleven years ago) link