They stream out of the dugout! This game is over!
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They stream out of the dugout! This game is over!
Politico has published a devastating perspective on a presidential campaign in total disarray. Care to guess whose? The article raises as many questions about Team Romney (pictured at top) than it answers, but the piece does explain -- although it doesn't excuse -- why Afghanistan and the troops weren't mentioned in Romney's Tampa speech, and why it was so light on policy.
Nevertheless, Wehner came up with a draft he found pleasing, including the memorable line: “The incumbent president is trying to lower the expectations of our nation to the sorry level of his own achievement. He only wins if you settle.” It also included a reference to Afghanistan, which was jettisoned with the rest of his work.
Adding:
That weekend, Stevens accompanied Romney as he went to a school auditorium in New Hampshire with his wife, Ann, to practice yet another version of the speech. Only one paragraph from the McConnell-Scully draft wound up being used, about a rose that Romney’s father had put on his mother’s bedside table each day. The speech that was actually delivered, it turned out, had been cobbled together by Stevens and Romney himself.
When asked about the various versions of the convention speech, Stevens said: “The governor writes his speeches.”
A couple of thoughts:
1) Only a fool would declare the race over at this point (which means disregard the headline at top :-) ) because many things could happen between now and November (like, Israel could attack Iran...just a crazy thought that popped into my head). Still, it;s hard to imagine what becomes a game changer now, with Obama taking the first clearcut lead that either candidate has had for months. It looks like Romney and Ryan are floundering about for a new direction, any direction -- and that's a shame. I'm serious. America deserves a more robust debate about economic policy and the war (we still have one of these) that we're not getting. Some of that is Obama's fault but it's incumbent on the challenger (see what I did there?) to get the party started.
2) That said, I think what this story does reveal about Mitt Romney is fairly appalling. The reason the speech didn't mention the troop is, utltimately, because Romney wrote it himself. Which suggests that he doesn't really think about the troops all that much. That speaks horribly of a man so focused on becoming "America's CEO" that the very concept of a commander-in-chief is a distant afterthought.
This comment has been deleted.— bil,l atkins- hahahahahahaha. again, note the theme of having not one positive thing to say about Mitt. hey Bill, are there any swings states besides NC that are trending in Mitt's favor? didn't think so. go luck in the electoral college. demographics, dear boy.
- Will:
I am shocked that you are surprised about Romney's disregard towards US armed forces.
Romney toured Paris while his fellow Americans fought and died in Vietnam.
Romney son's worked in Wall street and robbed Americans after 9/11 while others fought and died for their country.
Romney family value is money, not honor.— Seed - seed- you left out that mitt also led counter-protests in college in support of drafting people into the Vietnam war before he vacationed in France.
- Rasmussen = Faux News bought and paid for. Obama up by 11 in PA and a ton in NJ. — PHJR2010
- I stopped reading at "Politico has published." Stop criticizing Romney's foreign policy and focus on the President's foreign policy, the one that caused U.S. sovereign soil to be attacked and an ambassador killed by al Qaeda, in the most significant attacks since 9/11. (/2001). The administration's response was (i) to apologize to al Qaeda and (ii) for the President to fly to Vegas for a campaign event. Why does Mr. Obama want to win so badly? He could be the President now, if he wanted to.— BlairW
- "you are not smart"- Rick Santorum — Seed
- If you had any doubt that Romney is trailing in the race, read Batty's rant above!— will
- Guess his double-digit decline in all major "battleground" states, as reported by ALL major outlets and polls (oh yes that's right - every major poll is "librul" biased) is simply some kind of anomaly - as opposed to simply the sound of 100K votes running in the opposite direction every time either of these idiots opens his mouth.Really? Hey Mittster - can you say ONE thing about foreign affairs that doesn't make you appear as the new Gigi in "Gigi Meets The Russians"? Holee molee, these friggin morons actually found an idiot that makes Sarah Palin look like Einstein's illegitimate daughter. Man, who would have thoght "McCain/Palin" was the zenith of this "movement"? Lol.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
- Actually, Will - bile.atkins' rant is pretty much an everyday post for him. When a day goes by where he doesn't call you a "pantload" multiple times it will be a sign of something unusual.
Can't judge much from a deranged rant from bile. We can know that the election isn't going well for Romney simply by reading Nate Silver's commentary based on his modeling that incorporates all major polls, considers "house effects," economic metrics, historical precedents, etc.
— Talking point sleuth - I have to say, when the Dems picked Kerry and Gore, I figured it would pretty much set the low bar for terrible presidential candidates. It seemed that it would be impossible to pick more ineffective candidates than them.
But the Republicans have actually outdone the Dems with Romney. That anyone could be losing to an incumbent with this bad an economy is pretty mind-boggling. Then again, it would be tough for any Republican candidate at this point. They do have a structural problem. It's tough for them to pander to the bile-atkins-type lunatics and still maintain support of moderates. That, plus the fact that they think that insulting minorities is a good way to win their vote and that calling senior citizens "parasites" is a good way to appeal to older voters.
And then there's also the laughable platform policy of giving hundreds of billions (yearly) to the wealthy, taking hundreds of billions in health and anti-poverty benefits from the poor and middle class, and raising the deficit while doing so.— Talking point sleuth - regardless who you vote for, Obamney/Ryden will fail our country.— palmyra21
- Politico? Yea there's an unbiased poll. Don't get excited just yet Lefties. Dukakis was ahead of Bush Sr. by 17 points at this point. How did that work out for you? Maybe it's best if the Kenyan does win. Then maybe there will finally be some action in splitting this country up. One country for producers and the other for takers. It's long overdue I'm afraid.— MilesLong1
- That's so cute, Bunchie! You think the imaginary thoughts in your head are real! November 6th is coming... Tick, tick, tick!— Frank S.
- ==]] One country for producers and the other for takers. It's long overdue I'm afraid. [[==
Take a look at which states (controlling for population and amount paid in federal taxes) get the most support from the federal government. Then get back to us. We'll talk.— Talking point sleuth
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