Republicans, what part of this do you fail to understand? No, we’re not asking you if you like it or think it’s good (by your standards) — that’s been decided. Whether or not you like, accept, or understand it, Barack Obama is still our President.
“We” includes you, Republicans, so lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way, because we’re still trying to clean up your messes.
This is our daily open thread — Who else is beyond done with the WHINING?
I mean really, people. Drama Queen much? That looks like a jewelry counter in there, I think y’all will be okay — unless potential customers just don’t like how friggin’ silly you’re being.
Hey, does anyone remember how you felt when George W. Bush won re-election in 2004? I know I was stunned — and it was my BIRTHDAY! Man, that stung! I walked around in kind of an astonished daze for about a day, but I never thought this country had “died,” or was doomed for destruction (although GWB gave it one helluva try).
I shook it off, pulled up my big girl panties, and started informing myself. I realized that, although I had always voted, I had never really been interested in politics and how or why they worked. I got an internet connection and started looking for information — not knowing the first place to look. I just had to read and read and read, knowing that because it’s on the internet, it doesn’t mean it’s true.
Sometime in 2005, I found Eric Alterman’s blog, “Altercation.” He seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, so I checked all his links. By doing so, I found David Corn’s blog. I liked him because he was smart and snarky. I made my first comments online on Corn’s blog. Then Alterman linked to a brand new blog called “ThinkProgress,” and shit got real! In a pretty short time, TP went from one or two posts a day, and maybe ten comments, to eight or ten post a day, and hundreds of comments! I met loads of wonderful people there, and learned SO MUCH from their comments and outlook on life. I read so much information on so many topics that I’d never heard of before, and it was awesome. Then, in 2007, when the troll shit got so deep it was over-topping our hip-waders, we left TP and created TheZoo. I’m still learning today!
My point is this, Republicans and assorted tea-types: Sure, you’re disappointed. You had high hopes and dreams that Barack Obama would be a one term President, and it just didn’t work out. I can’t say I’m sorry about that turn of events, but I understand the feeling. Sorta.
Here’s a video that might help you start you own journey toward educating yourself about politics in this country, and an actual exploration of facts. It’s not Fox, it’s Rachel Maddow, but stay with me here. It might scare you, but it’s 16 minutes of your life. You can still be furious and hurt, but please stop thinking this country is over. I don’t know why you think we’re such a fragile country. I mean really, come on.
Rachel just gave you a huge number of FACTS. You probably don’t agree with that assessment, but your assignment is to make a list of all those facts and then confirm or debunk them. You have to be discerning in your sources of information! No Drudge or Fox, and to be fair, no MSNBC or ThinkProgress.
Remember: Actions speak louder than words. John Boehner and Mitch McConnell can stand in front of microphones and say they’re all about “jobs, jobs, jobs,” but check their voting record. It’s up to you to educate yourself, because it sticks better that way. Do it for YOU, okay? This bitterness and anger is going to eat you alive, and no one wants that.
Let’s work together on getting this country back in shape and working again. Whadda ya say?
This is our daily open thread — And it’s FRIDAY!!!!
Okay all y’all, the final presidential debate begins this evening at 9:00 (ET), live from Boca Raton, Florida, and is moderated by Bob Schieffer.
The wingnuts have already started whining about how biased Schieffer is, and expectations have been lowered so much for Mitt Romney, that if he manages to walk onto the stage and not cough up a hairball, he’ll be the winner. Yeah, whatever.
I think the President will do well tonight. He’s got four years of foreign policy under his belt, and he knows what Mitt’s all about — and he knows that the chances of us seeing a brand-spankin’-new Mitt Romney this evening are high.
Drink your whole glass every time Mitt says “Benghazi.” We’ll all be hungover together tomorrow.
Blink..blink…blink…step back…blink…blink…go pale and want to vomit.
Yeah, I can’t get enough of that moment. 🙂
This is our daily open thread — what’s making you happy this fine Sunday?
President Obama and Mitt Romney will meet this evening at Hofstra University in New York for their second “debate.” It will start at 9 p.m. ET, and will be a townhall style format, with CNN’s Candy Crowley moderating. The questions will come from so-called undecided voters in attendance. i don’t get the whole “undecided voter” thing, but there it is.
C-Span will have live coverage of the debate here.
Thinkprogress has five facts for us to remember:
1. The deficit is largely a product of tax cuts and wars. The newest report out from the Congressional Budget Office shows that we have a still-large but slowing budget shortfall, with the deficit at $1.1 trillion for 2012. But the issues that are adding the most to our deficit aren’t health care costs or the stimulus; wars and tax cuts are responsible for that.
Zooey: And remember, it’s a filthy lie that Obama has increased the deficit in any way — he’s actually lowered it.
2. When US officials asked for more security in Libya, they wanted it in Tripoli, not Benghazi.The attack on the United States embassy in Libya was a tragedy that has had a confusing aftermath. Republicans have claimed that employees at the Benghazi embassy asked for more security in the days before the attack, but actually it was the embassy in Tripoli, not Benghazi where the attack occurred, that sought longer hours for its security guards.
Zooey: Also, remember that the House refused to pay for increased security in our foreign embassies.
3. 72 million people would be uninsured under Romney’s health plan. A recent study of Romney’s health care plan shows that it would increase health care premiums for most Americans, and would leave 72 million people uninsured. If the Affordable Care Act were repealed, 60 million Americans would remain uninsured. Under Obama’s plan, that number is expected to drop to 27.1 million.
Zooey: Remember, Romney’s plan will cover those with pre-existing conditions, BUT only for people who already have health insurance, which makes no fucking sense.
4. If the DREAM Act were passed, it would add $329 billion to the economy by 2030.President Obama has vowed the pass the DREAM Act — a bill that provides a pathway to citizenship for young, undocumented students and service members — while candidate Romney has said he’d veto it. According to a joint report by the Center for American Progress and the Partnership for a New American Economy, passing the DREAM Act “would add $329 billion to the U.S. economy and create 1.4 million new jobs by 2030.”
5. The “six studies” that Romney cites in defense of his tax plan are actually 3 blog posts, 2 right-wing reports and 1 op-ed. The idea that a Romney administration could give a 20 percent tax cut to everyone, and then pay for it by eliminating loopholes and deductions for the wealthy has been strong refuted by the Tax Policy Center. Romney has cited six other “studies” that confirm his plan could work, but those are dubious: One is a report by the conservative Heritage foundation, one is a paper from a former Bush adviser, one is an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, and three are blog posts.
Zooey: If you like this “study” I’ve posted for the evening, please click “like” and share it to your favorite social network. Everyone knows that gives a “study” like mine more credibility. 😀
Have fun with the live-blogging, all y’all! There are no rules, but alcohol and a sense of humor really help. Just sayin’…
And so it begins…
President Obama and Mitt Romney will meet on the stage at the University of Denver tonight at 8:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. (ET), to “debate” domestic policy. The moderator will be Jim Lehrer of PBS.
Each campaign has worked over the last week to lower expectations for their candidate, with the notable exception of Chris Christie promising Romney is a great debater and is going to kick some Obama ass. Oops.
It’s a school night, so a drinking game might not be in order — although a certain amount of alcohol might help us cope with high levels of bullshit — but if you’re up for a drinking game, here goes:
I think we’re going to be in bad shape this evening…
C-Span will be live-streaming the “debate” here, but it’s a safe bet that all major news outlets will be having live coverage as well, and live-blogging/commentary is happening in TheZoo comments section.
Let’s do this thing…
HT: Huffington Post
Yes indeed, Paul Ryan, rape is one “method of conception,” isn’t it? Wow. Way to totally dismiss the terror and violence of having one’s body violated by another, you soul-less bastard. Rape is an event that changes who you are forever. Just look at his face as he’s speaking; he doesn’t even seem to realize that what he’s saying is so disgusting.
As if the trauma, fear, injuries, and horror at losing personal autonomy during the rape are not enough, then, if the woman becomes pregnant as a result of rape, Paul Ryan and his fellow pro-forced birthers will happily extend the torture for another nine months — at least.
But we shouldn’t really be all that surprised that Paul Ryan could say something so abhorrent. He’s a lifelong Ayn Rand devotee (when it suits him), so basically, as long as he’s not the one being raped, he doesn’t care. That’s your problem, honey. Although I really doubt he gives a flying flip if a woman has an abortion or not, Ryan parts company with Ayn Rand when it comes to pregnancy as a result of that rape, because it suits him to pander to the rabid forced birth crowd.
This is what I find so disturbing about Paul Ryan — he doesn’t care about this country or the people, he cares about what Paul Ryan wants.
Haven’t we had about enough of that kind of political candidate?
The New York Times, by Charles M. Blow
Shady money, voter suppression, shifting positions, murky details and widespread apathy.
If there is a road map for a Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan win in November, that’s it. Distasteful all.
Thank goodness Romney/Ryan (R/R) has all that money backing them up, huh? Otherwise the voter suppression and murky details might cause them a problem. Oh wait, R/R are counting on the listed items to get them elected in November. It’s all good.
Charles M. Blow, beside being a gorgeous man, is absolutely brilliant. In his article, he talks about the various lies, equivocations, flip flops, secrecy, and abject hypocrisy of the Romney/ Ryan ticket.
America, this is the Republican ticket. Although most smart political observers currently have Romney losing the Electoral College, Romney, following this repulsive road map, is virtually tied with Obama in national polls of likely voters.
“Virtually tied” with President Obama in the polls. Un-friggin-believable. Why is R/R in a virtual tie with Obama/Biden?
Apathy.
Yep, you read that correctly. Voter apathy is a HUGE problem in this country — even now, with so much as stake.
As USA Today reported, the 90 million people who are unlikely to vote in November prefer Obama over Romney by 2 to 1, and “they could turn a too-close-to-call race into a landslide for President Obama — but by definition they probably won’t.”
I want to know who these people are. I want to know what — exactly — is going on in their pathetically tiny pea brains. I want an explanation as to WHY they just can’t be arsed to get themselves into a voting booth. I want them to tell me, and then I want to put a big red “D” for DODDERING DUNDERHEADED DUMBASS in the middle of their foreheads, as a sign to the rest of us that these people are dangerous to the well-being of this country and her people. I want to know all of these things, and then I want them to shut the fuck up, because not being involved enough with the country that made it possible to have such fascinating lives that they can’t exercise their civic duty by getting into a voting booth is something that pisses me off.
It pisses me off so much that I’m going to call them what they are: FREE-LOADERS. They live in this country, enjoy our freedoms, our clean air and water, and take advantage of the commons we all contribute to via our time, effort, and tax dollars, but they just don’t care enough to bother finding out about the people they’re voting for, or about how it all happens until they wake up and realize something has, or is about to, affect them and families in some manner. This is how teabaggers are born.
If this underhanded dirty dealing by the Republican ticket doesn’t jolt some of these unlikely voters into likely ones, I don’t know what will.
Nor I, Charles, nor I.
Read Charles Blow’s whole article here.
This is our daily open thread — Do you know any of these people?
“Call me when you sit down across from someone who has more families with dying little boys and girls who get a call to take them on their last fishing trip in life! Call me when you meet someone who does that more than I do because that’s really moderate! In fact, you know what that is? That’s extreme! I’m an extremely loving, passionate man! And people who investigate me honestly — without the baggage of political correctness — ascertain the conclusion that I’m a damn nice guy! And if you can find a screening process more powerful than that, I’ll suck your fucking dick!”
After offering Glor some man-on-man action, Nugent then threatened to “f*ck” a female CBS producer, turning to her and screaming “Or fuck you! How’s that sound?”
Like a serious cry for help? The rage of an impotent cartoon image of a man? I dunno, but it doesn’t sound like a man who’s getting any without buying it or forcing it.
Poor widdle Teddykins claims that a kidney stone made him say the crazy fucking things. The unbalanced cuckoo must have a lot of kidney stones. Tsk tsk…
The Mitt Romney camp was/is thrilled to have the endorsement of Ted Nugent, as well as claiming they never solicited any such endorsement.
Somebody tell Tagg Romney before he Twitters again…
Ted Nugent just endorsed my Dad today. Ted Nugent? How cool is that?! He joins Kid Rock as great Detroit musicians on team Mitt!
Define “great Detroit musicians,” please.
Okay, sorry about the stupid Nug pic first thing in the morning. 🙂 I’ll read all about how much you hate me when I get home this afternoon. Srsly, I can take it. 😉
This is our daily open thread — ARE YOU AWAKE YET!!??
Are you in? I’m in!
This is our daily open thread — Happy Friday!
This is an anti-Romney video paid for by Winning Our Future, a Super PAC that apparently supports Newt Gingrich.
It exposes Mitt Romney’s vulture capitalism with Bain — something we need to know about! But this is coming from a rightwing PAC, and we should consider the source. No, I don’t think we need to give Romney any quarter, but I’m suspicious of the motivation behind this video.
A quote early in the video is this, “but in the wrong hands those dreams can turn into nightmares.” Hello!? The people making the video are exactly the people who supported those very actions by every politician coming down the pike for the last thirty years.
Sure, I’m happy Mitt Romney is being exposed, but we need to keep focus on the source.
This is our daily open thread — Thoughts?
Popcorn is many things to many people.
For some it is a magazine for teen people.
For some it is software.
For some it is a place to go.
For some it is .. well.. pick your favourite.
For me it is the irreplaceable ingredient for having to watch the GOP Presidential nomination unfold. As there is still some time to go for the New Hampshire results, you can have fun making your own predictions here, or right here at The Zoo voting at the polls.
For more on Romney solid positioning in politics read this.
This is our daily Open Thread. Actually it is YOUR daily Open Thread. So use it if you feel like it.
This woman is so impressive. It’s so refreshing to listen to someone running for office that makes sense and is not just spouting platitudes and talking points. She speaks to everyone, for everyone.
“You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear: you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn’t have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did.
“Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea? God bless. Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.”
This race is one to watch.
By passing all manner of radical legislation that will make people’s lives more and more difficult, Republican governors could turn out to be the biggest recruiters of Democratic votes in 2012. All have approval ratings in the toilet, but they keep pushing their hard-core agenda.
In Florida:
A Quinnipiac poll released last week found that just 29% of voters approved of [Rick] Scott’s job performance, while a 57% majority disapproved.
In Ohio:
[U]nion-busting Gov. John Kasich is now so unpopular that a recent PPP poll showed him losing a do-over election by an astounding 25-point margin.
In Wisconsin:
[Scott] Walker’s approval rating tanked, capped off last week when a PPP poll found that a 50% majority of voters wanted to remove Walker from office.
In Michigan:
Then there’s Michigan’s Rick Snyder, whose “financial martial law” bill — which would allow appointed bureaucrats to dissolve municipal governments in struggling cities and void union contracts — sent his approval rating down to 33%, with a 50% majority of voters disapproving of his job performance.
If you don’t know why these poor governors are feeling the wrath of the voters, the TPM article has the gory details.
All this might tempt us to feel a bit giddy about the prospects for a landslide of epic proportions for Democrats in 2012, and on one level I’m feeling it. But right this very minute, the above mentioned Republican governors, as well as others not making so much noise about their despicable policies, are ramming every piece of legislation they possibly can through the process, and happily signing laws that will make their citizens suffer — while siphoning off that money for tax cuts for the rich and big corporations.
Recall doesn’t come quickly or easily, and some states (Florida) don’t have recall for governors, so these pigs have lots of time to a HUGE amount of damage. So the Democrats might win big in 2012, particularly President Obama, but there’s a lot of suffering between now and then.
TheZoo 