U.S. Politics - wages haven't moved edition...

[awesome possum]

Gods, Romney is a sleazeball of the highest order (well, at least as high as one can get without raping and murdering children).

I, for one, cannot wait to dance on his campaign's grave.

[TerraPrime]

If Obama wins but faces a GOP controlled House (likely) and a Senate that is very close to 50/50 (likely), what should he try to do in his first year?

Implement communism.

[Merentha]

Enact whatever agenda the gay community has supposedly been concocting since the 80s, followed by inviting the Kenyan president over to discuss the terms of surrender.

[Shryke]

Don't forget taking away everyone's guns.

[drawkcabi]

If Obama wins but faces a GOP controlled House (likely) and a Senate that is very close to 50/50 (likely), what should he try to do in his first year?

In that scenario, what Obama should do is endorse bill after bill that all sound good to the Amercian people and watch the Republican Congress shoot everyone down and basically continue campaingning alongside that for the next 2 years. Emphasize how everything he's trying to do is being obstructed by the republicans and at the same time bring the spotlight to democrat challengers in key congeressional races. Then it's hope for 2014 to go buck the usual trend of off-year elections (like 1998 did because people were fed up with the repubs for wasting so much time on Clinton and his bj) and then maybe, hopefully, 2015-2017 instead of being lameduck years for Obama can be some of his most productive.

[Fez]

If Obama wins but faces a GOP controlled House (likely) and a Senate that is very close to 50/50 (likely), what should he try to do in his first year?

The one thing that springs to mind as having a sliver of a chance is major tax code reform. This is the one issue that both elected officials and citizens on both sides of the isle at least ostensibly agree on, so maybe some major simplification of the tax code is possible?

Its really way to early to start thinking about such things but I suspect we'll see lots o' executive orders to get things done. Also the signs are pointing towards the Democrats enacting serious filibuster reform next session if they retain the Senate, so that'll enable them to start passing lots of bills and labeling the GOP-led House as obstructionist.

[Fez]

ETA: Fez - Can they enact said reform with only a tiny majority in the Senate?

The funny thing about the filibuster is that it can be abolished at anytime with only 51 votes (or even 50 votes and the VP's tiebreaker) and the approval of the Senate parliamentarian (who is appointed by the majority leader and can be replaced if they don't go along with it). However by waiting until the start of a session it doesn't break quite as many precedents.

ETA: In fact last October Reid actually did overturn a filibuster but didn't go all the way in abolishing its future use. However he's recently come out in favor of doing so next session.

[drawkcabi]

That brings to bear one of the most interesting things to consider if Obama wins.

What will the Republican leadership's reaction be? That they overreached? That they must still obstruct at all cost? I honestly don't know, but I suspect the latter.

ETA: Fez - Can they enact said reform with only a tiny majority in the Senate?

If the Teabaggers, which are eating up primary challengers like they're candy, still hold the GOP by the short and curlies then yes obstruct at all cost, no bargains, no compromise.

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

Heard some buzz on conservative talk radio this afternoon that Romney is making overtures at David Petraeus for VP. An interesting choice, though likely poisoned since DP is a sitting member of some of Obama's most powerful advisory councils. Also, is DP even a Republican?

[Shryke]

That's an occasionally brought up wet dream for some republicans.

I can't see it happening.

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

Apparently it's denied, though of course it ain't over till it's over.

[lokisnow]

Chilling new Bain ad:

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/08/bain-napalm.html

From a strategic standpoint, this ad is risky, but clever. Priorities’ biggest handicap is that they’re being badly outraised by Republican SuperPACs, but a controversial ad like this will surely get tons of free airtime on cable news programs, and drive discussions about political ads, but also about Romney’s record at Bain. It’s also a tough ad to respond to if you’re a Republican, because any counter-argument hits the tripwire that is health care policy. Romney can argue that he had “left Bain” when Soptic’s plant closed, or dig up someone with a similar story to hit back at President Obama, but the fact is that, no matter who is responsible for this guy losing his health insurance, only one of these candidates has a health care plan thatwould have helped.

[TrackerNeil]

If Obama wins but faces a GOP controlled House (likely) and a Senate that is very close to 50/50 (likely), what should he try to do in his first year?

Well, the expiration of the Bush tax cuts certainly provide leverage for a reelected Obama. The GOP cannot extend them all without his say-so, and won't extend just the cuts Obama wants extended, so either they have to preside over a "tax increase" or they have to make a deal with the Big O. Obama, on the other hand, never again has to face the voters and won't suffer too badly from the affair. In that circumstance, were I the president I'd sit back and say to Boehner and McConnell, "Make me an offer, fellas." Perhaps the Republicans would be willing to pass a real jobs bill in exchange for extending the tax cuts, or some other initiative Obama's hankering after.

[MinorityReport]

I sure hate to get overconfident, but it's really looking like Romney needs something huge to win this. The electoral map has so many potential firewalls for Obama.

Someone somewhere (I think it was Michael Tomasky but I could be wrong) said that Romney basically needs an inside straight which seems about right. He needs to basically win everything that is up for grabs whereas Obama just needs to hold serve in enough of the key places. If Romney takes Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia, he's still toast with Obama keeping Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico. Shit, New Mexico isn't even looking at all like a swing state anymore.

Michael Tomasky is a moron. Take a look at the electoral map from 2008:

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/election2008/2008-election-map.html#/president?view=race08

There is not one good reason why a red state in 2008 is going to flip Democrat in 2012. Not one. So considering that Romney is locked in no worse than 173 votes means he only needs to pick up another 97 electoral votes. Florida and Wisconsin look like prime states to switch from blue to red which is an additional 37 electoral votes meaning Romney would only need another 60 votes for the presidency. Now I am not saying Romney is a shoo-in by any stretch of the imagination, but there is no way Obama wins in a blow out. It won't happen. Matter of fact, with the unemployment rate still as high as it is I would wager that Obama is way more likely to get blown out than Romney will.

Releasing his tax returns is a non story in my opinion. The main reason he doesn't release them is that most people don't understand their own taxes, much less someone elses. Everyone talks about tax loopholes, but there is no tax loopholes, just tax code, which Romney didn't write. How many people know that the most common "tax loophole" is purchasing Municipal Bonds? When you purchase a Municipal Bond what you are actually purchasing is state debt. For purchasing state debt you make a profit that you do not have to pay taxes on. Of course there are other deductions that he can make which are all legal. Seriously, do you really think that a guy who has had political ambitions, for what seems like forever, would cheat on his taxes? The answer is no. It is a non-story. A red herring.

[lokisnow]

no one is saying he's cheating, we're saying he's covering up things that will look really really bad.

Wisconsin is unlikely to flip from blue to red in 2012, it's about as likely as Arizona flipping from red to blue. North Carolina and Indiana are the most likely flips, after that, it becomes more interesting, in the 50/50 range in states like Florida.

Obama can't play 'prevent' he needs to not just be defending all the time, but Romney has a huge deficit of electoral votes to overcome.

[Crazydog7]

Chilling new Bain ad:

http://andrewsulliva...ain-napalm.html

Effective ad and I love how the GOP response is "Well Romney passed the first comprehensive health care for all citizens when he was govonor"

This demonstrates a level of irony that I don't think we have a word for in the English language.

[All-for-Joffrey]

Seriously, do you really think that a guy who has had political ambitions, for what seems like forever, would cheat on his taxes? The answer is no. It is a non-story. A red herring.

Were people ever really making this about catching him doing something illegal with taxes? I thought the idea was to highlight the absurdity of the tax loopholes that benefit the rich and allow them to pay a lower tax rate than the middle class (let's call them the productive sector if you will) and make Romney look bad on the grounds that he favors all these things simply because he's too greedy to pay minimal taxes despite the vast amounts of wealth he's accumulated?

[All-for-Joffrey]

Wisconsin is unlikely to flip from blue to red in 2012

I'm not sure about this. The elections there the past year have pretty much all been razor thin, with Republicans having a slight lead. It seems conceivable to me although certainly not a given.

[lokisnow]

Obama debuts a new line,

It's like Robin Hood in reverse, it's Romney Hood.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/06/obama-debuts-romney-hood/

Take that you fuckers that use the term Obamacare.

[Crazydog7]

Obama debuts a new line,

http://politicaltick...ts-romney-hood/

Take that you fuckers that use the term Obamacare.

Interesting. Good idea for a halloween costume.