Governor Romney appears desperate to win a news cycle, and to deflect inquires about his tax returns. He tried this gambit before, leaking information to Drudge about the VP prospects of Condeleezza Rice (See "The Rice Bowl" and "Mitt Wimps Out"). Today's Drudge Report is no different.
General Petraeus is not going to run. The disloyalty inherent in running against a President he is serving as director of the CIA, is not in his nature. The risk to his reputation and legacy is too great.
The Drudge Report is not always accurate, but it serves as a barometer of the desperation of the Romney campaign. The current forecast is dark and gloomy.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Perspective
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Can Obama Save his Marriage?
No there is no rift between the President and the First Lady. The President's first campaign was filled with the excitement, and hope, of a courtship. His term in office, like a marriage, is more meaningful, but lacks the magic of a courtship. A marriage takes work. Obama is sparing no effort to save his union with the American people.
Timing is everything. Some argue that front ending efforts will leave Obama with too few resources to go the distance. An excellent analysis can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/us/politics/record-spending-by-obamas-camp-shrinks-coffers.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all . But Obama is wise to nip any flirtation with Romney in the bud. As a suitor, Romney has failed to discuss his background or his plans for the future. Obama has filled in the blanks.
There are two presidential campaign seasons--before and after the Olympics. Negative advertising is incompatible with the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Obama won the first season. But equally important, he has laid the foundation to win the second. With the magic gone, he understands the need to use resources to develop an unprecedented, and admittedly expensive, organization to grind out every vote.
Romney, as he has in every campaign, intends, instead, to rely on omnipresent negative advertising in the fall. Negative advertising is good for rallying the base, but unlikely to change opinions about someone as well known as the president. Will the dislike of Obama on the right, be enough to woo the casual voter? If not, the marriage will last another four years.
Timing is everything. Some argue that front ending efforts will leave Obama with too few resources to go the distance. An excellent analysis can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/us/politics/record-spending-by-obamas-camp-shrinks-coffers.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all . But Obama is wise to nip any flirtation with Romney in the bud. As a suitor, Romney has failed to discuss his background or his plans for the future. Obama has filled in the blanks.
There are two presidential campaign seasons--before and after the Olympics. Negative advertising is incompatible with the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Obama won the first season. But equally important, he has laid the foundation to win the second. With the magic gone, he understands the need to use resources to develop an unprecedented, and admittedly expensive, organization to grind out every vote.
Romney, as he has in every campaign, intends, instead, to rely on omnipresent negative advertising in the fall. Negative advertising is good for rallying the base, but unlikely to change opinions about someone as well known as the president. Will the dislike of Obama on the right, be enough to woo the casual voter? If not, the marriage will last another four years.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Need to Know
The Romney campaign has extensively vetted prospective vice presidential nominees. Reams of financial information, including tax returns, have been requested and received. Before selecting a running mate he needs to know any potential problems. Apparently, he sees no contradiction in denying the American public the same information before we vote for a president. Are there improprieties in his tax returns? We need to know. Until we do, we need to say no to his candidacy.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Is the Romney Campaign a Joke?
Romney reminds me of a joke told by a dear Unitarian friend. "What do you get if you cross a Unitarian with a Seventh Day Adventist? Someone who goes door to door with nothing to say." Romney and friends will spend over a billion dollars to knock on our electronic doors to deliver tasteless attacks and bland platitudes.
His domestic menu is empty calories, reheated basic GOP puffery filled with voodoo economics. His international tidbits have been standard fare for late night monologues. His whine list is long, but poorly chosen. Romney offerings lack conviction. He serves up whatever is trendy and expedient.
His resume is incomplete. There is little mention of his term as Governor or, of his piece de resistance, Romneycare. There are doubts about when, and under what circumstances, his tenure ended at Bain Capital. Nor is his financial information filled in. His advise, based on his Olympic experience, nearly caused an international incident.
Non-work experience is similarly sketchy. There is nary a murmur about Mormonism, nor mention of his experiences as a pet owner.
Do not give your blind trust to a candidate who hides the details of his own blind trust.
His domestic menu is empty calories, reheated basic GOP puffery filled with voodoo economics. His international tidbits have been standard fare for late night monologues. His whine list is long, but poorly chosen. Romney offerings lack conviction. He serves up whatever is trendy and expedient.
His resume is incomplete. There is little mention of his term as Governor or, of his piece de resistance, Romneycare. There are doubts about when, and under what circumstances, his tenure ended at Bain Capital. Nor is his financial information filled in. His advise, based on his Olympic experience, nearly caused an international incident.
Non-work experience is similarly sketchy. There is nary a murmur about Mormonism, nor mention of his experiences as a pet owner.
Do not give your blind trust to a candidate who hides the details of his own blind trust.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Pre-selling the Presidency
Presidents often reward campaign contributors. The coin of the realm comes in different denominations, from invitations to inauguration balls and state dinners all the way up to minor appointments. But most candidates have had the decency not to have pre-election auctions.
Mitt Romney has shown an unprecedented level of corruption before even officially becoming the nominee. Sheldon Adelson accompanied him to Israel. Being investigated for violation of the federal corrupt practices act, should have prevented Adelson from getting an aisle seat on Romney 1. Far more troubling is Adelson's opposition to the official American position of a two state solution. Most experts believe that is the only option for peace in the Middle East. Mitt's, odd and bellicose, comments in Israel are perhaps the first installment of Adelson's reward for contributing tens of millions to the campaign. American policy should not be for sale, not even, on the installment plan.
From http:\\phoodphotospolitics.blogspot.com
Mitt Romney has shown an unprecedented level of corruption before even officially becoming the nominee. Sheldon Adelson accompanied him to Israel. Being investigated for violation of the federal corrupt practices act, should have prevented Adelson from getting an aisle seat on Romney 1. Far more troubling is Adelson's opposition to the official American position of a two state solution. Most experts believe that is the only option for peace in the Middle East. Mitt's, odd and bellicose, comments in Israel are perhaps the first installment of Adelson's reward for contributing tens of millions to the campaign. American policy should not be for sale, not even, on the installment plan.
From http:\\phoodphotospolitics.blogspot.com
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