Mitt Romney – Party Unifying Behind the Presumptive GOP Nominee – Bachmann Endorses – Fantasy Electoral Map: ABC outcome versus Gallup Polls.

Michelle Bachmann on the Stump for Mitt Romney for President- image Boston Globe




ABC News – Yahoo News: Michelle Bachmann has endorsed Mitt Romney with a typical Bachmannism: (Mitt Romney is) “"the last chance we have to keep America from going ... over a cliff." The only woman to run on the GOP ticket, Bachmann left the race in January after the Iowa Caucus – she is noted for her work with the Tea Party from the beginning, and was responsible for rallying Conservatives to an historical win in the 2010 general election.

Bachmann, along with Governor Bob McDonnell went on the campaign trail with Mitt Romney in Virginia yesterday, of course there was the usual speculation as to which former candidate or Governor, might be in consideration for the V.P. slot, (Politico) however, as history tells us, no-one is going to be aware of who Mitt Romney will choose as his second. In Romney’s case, as a businessman and former Governor, he will look towards capabilities, as well as the political opportunity a particular V.P. candidate might bring to the table. Therefore, it’s anyone’s guess, and speculation is rampant with every single high profile Republican who has endorsed Romney – from Senator Rubio in Florida, to Nikki Haley in South Carolina.

Over at ABC News one can play “fantasy” election – by mapping the electoral votes by state, awarding the states that one believes would go to Mitt Romney and those that Might go to Barack Obama – ABC Currently favors Romney: with 198 to Obama’s 196 solid votes (either Democrat or Republican based on voting history of the state in question – Obama picks up 54 votes for states that “lean Democrat”, while Romney has 11 that lean Republican, there are 82 electoral votes that are “could go either way”, from the following states: VA, NC, IA, FL, NV and CO. Of course, one might use an entirely different method of playing this game - basing it on the Presidents job performance numbers, state by state. Any state over 50% approvals (and that includes states where his approval is at 50.1%) is a fairly safe bet for Obama – there are, according to Gallup’s latest findings: 10 states where Obama enjoy a 50% or better threshold of job performance approval. This has been consistent with the last three survey’s taken by the polling firm – Approval January 2012, February 2011, and the first in February 2010, when the map looked a little bright for the President, the top states where his approval ranked higher than others, remained the same.)

Using this data, giving the President the consistent 10 states, the “Fantasy” Map (versus the ABC Official Fantasy Map (ABS Does Not sure the Word Fantasy, but given the fact that the news organization has about as much chance as accurately predicting the outcome of the 2012 general as, well, a blogger using Gallup approval rankings in 10 states) - the map looks a bit more like:


Map Generated by ABC Fantasy Election Game - using Polling data from Gallup - click to enlarge


In the map above, it looks similar to a route, and although giving Romney the industrial states of Michigan Ohio and Wisconsin may appear to be a bit risky, it is based on who might get out to vote, and who might just stay home – with every indication that the youth vote could care less, and that there would have to be some sort of miracle between now and November to turn the tide on the price of gas, food, and goods, and create several million jobs, (in the private sector), while uniting not only the Democrat Party but the Independents and yes some Republicans – in this mind, not likely. Even with the dead voting, with the current climate in Massachusetts, the state has been given to changing minds in Carter-like election years: as well as several of the other states given to the President as “solid” Democrat. It is more likely that the race will depend, this time, on the persona of the individual, or their ties to figures in recent history (i.e. tying Romney to Bush is similar to tying Obama to Clinton – no one is buying it – unless one is speaking to the “choir.)


You too can play along: at abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/fullpage/2012-presidential-electionos-fantsasy-game-game-changer-1517794.

Mitt Romney’s “Attempt” to Compare Obama to Carter – Romney’s Clear Sense of History – “Those who Ignore the Past are Doomed to Repeat It”

Carter and Obama Comparison - from the Wall Street Journal

In an article from Reuters this morning, the headline “Romney wants voters to see Jimmy Carter in Obama”, leads into an article that makes anyone with a sense of history (or who lived in reality during the Carter Administration) shrug – the story line:

“Romney accused Obama of being anti-business and compared him to Carter, seen by Republicans as an example of a weak Democratic president. Carter served from 1977 to 1981.”

(Reuters)

During the Carter Administration errors were made that had not only “Republicans”, but a majority of the voters sitting up and taking stock of one Ronald Reagan (or anyone actually could have replaced Carter) – at the time, Democrats were so disenfranchised from the administration that they voted for Reagan in droves, coining the term “Reagan Democrats” – after four years of Carter, Ronald Reagan made a clean sweep of the electoral map, and one has to note, that included Massachusetts. There were the bailouts, the jobs bills, the budget, the cost of oil and gasoline, and then the scarcity and the gas lines, the Middle East fiasco and Iran – from the economy to foreign policy – Jimmy Carter was a disaster. That is not, however, how he is portrayed by the modern day press nor by the Progressive professors – Carter is portrayed as someone who got the raw end of a deal. It is best to blame the Republican predecessor - familiar? Those “rascally Republicans” getting the blame once again for something they warned the public about!

However, in the late 1970’s, individuals were introduced to the misery index (a combination of the rate of inflation and the unemployment rate under Jimmy Carter), a man who was elected as a nice Governor, who was a peanut farmer, and purportedly had a sense of busies and government combined – he was also a first term Governor.
Warning bells should have gone off left and right, however, desperate to see a fresh face (the American Way) in office, the people duly voted party line, (hook and sinker) for the man who would “save America”. They did so without thinking that someone with little to no experience might not be the best fit for the job of CEO – it’s a risk American’s take, when choosing a President, one might have reams of experience or not, a vision or plan or not, and in Carter’s case, the systematic destruction of the economy, his bailout of Chrysler, his jobs plans that relied heavily on the government rather than the private sector – one could go on.

The problem is – it sounds all eerily familiar – as if someone took a blueprint of what not to do to the United States of America, and did it anyhow. Surely Mitt Romney (given his age) would have seen some of the effect of the Carter era; many others might recall giving up a car for public transportation since there was little use in paying for insurance on a mode of transportation for which there was no fuel. Hamburger became the new steak, and those on fixed incomes, well; they started to find cat food to be quite the delicacy. Although at the present time, we are nowhere near that catastrophe, we are at a point where there are significant numbers of people out of work; we see the costs of groceries, and clothing rising, due to the rise in gasoline and diesel prices (bringing the goods to market). We do see bailouts, and we do see Job’s programs, and we do see a pattern. Some are Republican’s, others are not.

Therefore, Romney is not looking to make it appear that Obama is like Carter, he’s just giving everyone a simple history lesson. It is not as if the Obama Campaign isn’t comparing Romney to Bush (of course, they are using Bush as that is considered recent history, and it is quite obvious to those who have followed the Obama Administration from day one, that Romney’s comparison is – honest.

It is not that this blog is enamored of Mitt Romney, one only needs to read the material contained herein to understand there may be some flaws involved when it comes to Romney’s path to balancing budgets (get ready for fee’s!), however, set that aside, and one finds a man who actually understands business, and the business of running a government, (States, even small Sates like the Bay State count), and now we find, understands history – making him less likely to repeat mistakes made by say, George W. Bush. Therefore, comparing historical knowledge of both candidates for Presidency and the ability of one to grasp facts, while the other ignored the facts, and followed the Carter path, makes Romney infinitely more appealing to those who would prefer not to live in “misery”, and in addition more qualified from the perspective of being able to look at past mistakes and take a different tactic.

As to Carter-Obama Comparisons, one is invited to peruse this blog, and one would think others, whose opinions link to credible news sources from the late 1970’s – with a bit of personal historical recall included. Exhibit A: ”Obama - Shades of Jimmy Carter! – Unemployment at 8.5%, Government Creates 60,000 Temporary Jobs – Cuts Defense – Analysis” (the Date: May 9th 2009)

Exhibit B: ”Obama Repeating History – Calls for Increase in Tax Revenue – Increased Public Sector Stimulus, Recipe for both Fiscal and Electoral Disaster” (the Date: Sept. 19, 2011)
(There are more, depending upon the year, but available in search of blog or simple Google)

It was in amazement that one was able to watch the Obama Administration mirror the tactics of the Carter Administration, knowing full well that there was sufficient data available that would have allowed one to read and understand – what one was about to unleash on the American Public, had been tried before and filed – miserably.
Therefore, in fairness to the Obama campaign comparing Romney to Bush – yes, they are both Republicans. However, Romney on the other hand, is going a bit beyond the party affiliation and to the core of what went wrong, and how it could have gone so right – had President Obama done exactly the opposite of Jimmy Carter, he may have been extremely successful, (yes, even the deficit under Carter, adjusted for inflation, is equal to the current deficit), and Romney merely a foot note.

However, as it stands now, one can see the writing on the wall come November, even if, there is a miracle and the economy makes a slight recovery – to have that happen, gas prices would have to drop significantly before summer, otherwise, there simply will not be enough time for the economy to adjust, specifically when it comes to prices of food and necessities that are driven to market, and affect the daily lives of the population. Cutting the corporate tax rate to zero now, would not show effect until 2013 – again too late (See the Reagan plan, and the rocket that was the economy in his hands.)

Therefore, to all those who know that Carter was well-meaning and a giving and caring man (see Habitat for Humanity), as the leader of the free world, he was – in a word- disastrous – One can re-write history, but one cannot erase the memories of millions of Americans (now in the largest voting bloc in history (baby boomers) who saw the similarities from the beginning. To Mitt Romney, kudos for the history lesson, although the Press is not pleased that you may have gotten a point or to right and that you have the nerve to try to equate Obama and Carter – as if on purpose!


Bush Romney Comparison - rather old/new tactic from the Obama Administration - it may have worked on McCain - but that is history - image via Salon dot com

Elizabeth Warren, Democrat Candidate for Senator, MA, Working the System as a “Minority” Proud that she is 1/32 Native American!

An ABC Newsarticle suggests that MA Democrat Senatorial Candidate, Elizabeth Warren, used her status as being of Cherokee Heritage to claim minority status:

Law School directories from the Association of American Law Schools from 1986-1995 list Warren as a minority law professor. During this time Warren taught at the University of Texas School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

.

Somehow, being 1/32 of any culture, gives you a bit of bragging rights, however, to use this as a means to obtain employment, is a bit of a stretch – and/or otherwise: working the system.

Elizabeth Warren will face one of Massachusetts most popular politicians, Scott Brown, Republican Senator from Massachusetts. Brown, who at times angers far right conservatives for taking a moderate approach, is a hit with the unenrolled, which make up a majority of the voters in the Bay State.

Warrens advertising is very subtle, no attacks (yet), but an introduction of sorts, one thing of note - nowhere in any of her televised ads does it mention political affiliation. They are so low-key as to be non-memorable.

See latest ad below – Perhaps she is taking the tactic that someone may think she is running sans Party:



The rhetoric contained in the advertisement is also very “Occupy Wall Street” a movement Warren has taken credit for in the past – similar to Al Gore and the Internet.

Newt Gingrich – Out of the GOP Race Today – Former Rivals will Coalesces Around the Presumptive Nominee

Newt Gingrich Thanks His Supporters Via Facebook as He Bids Farewell to his Campaign

CNNNewt Gingrich will be ending his campaign for the GOP Presidential Nomination on Wed., according to “sources “from CNN. Newt Gingrich on Facebook as of yesterday evening, had made it quite clear he was out of the race, with a banner that read “Thank You” and the introduction of a new website: Obama Failures.net. It is quite obvious, and has been from the onset of the GOP contest that there would be winners, and losers, and those would eventually support whichever candidate won the nomination. Amongst the most vocal regarding this scenario was Gingrich himself, who had mentioned that option, time and again, during early debates.

Gingrich, who came into the race polling near the bottom, enjoyed a brief period of being the top candidate, based mostly on his debate performances, which were fairly consistent, with the exception of the Florida debate, which he appeared rather tired.
Romney and Ron Paul savaged the former speaker in AD campaigns during his rise to the top, however, that is nothing new in politics, given the contentious 2008 primary campaigns – from both major parties.

Going forward one can anticipate endorsements from former candidates for Mitt Romney as the presumptive nominee.

President Barack Obama – Alternate Career Option – Entertainment – Comic Timing Impeccable at Washington Correspondence Dinner

The President during Washington Correspondence Dinner "Stand-Up Routine" - "My mother was from Kansas, my father was from Kenya, and I was born in Hawaii - wink" - image from gulfnews.com




Each year, the Washington Press Corp holds an event celebrating the Press and the President – it is a “star-studded” event, with a comedian (or comedienne) roasting the President, and in turn, the President gets a shot at the stage. Having watched this event through so many administrations, the only individual who struck as truly funny was Karl Rove and his attempt at a rap – more often than not, it is boring, with comics who appear over careful of offending the President or over-the-top partisan – this year, it was stunningly different. Once one got through the “red-carpet”, and intros, awards presented by the press to the press, the President of the United States got his turn to poke fun at himself, the press, and anyone he chose – Obama was – in a word- hysterical. The C-Span clip is below, and it is worth watching. While some might take offense (Keith Olbermann over Jimmy Kimmel’s segment for one), or some partisan shots taken by the President during his bit - which were truly funny. President Obama was so funny, in fact, that he totally eclipsed Jimmy Kimmel, who delivered a few good lines, but overall, could not compete with the natural skill the President displayed. He clearly has a future, should Kimmel’s one term joke, play out – Kimmel may be out of a job.

His comedic timing, impeccable, his delivery – spot on, and whether one disagrees or agrees with his political ideology, the man is simply funny. One has to ponder, at one point not too long ago, there was a great fear in the nation in the final year of Jimmy Carter’s Presidency, it was that one Ronald Reagan, Governor of California and former Actor (emphasis) just might best Jimmy Carter. We had an actor in the White House and for eight years the press never let up on that fact. Now, we might have a comedian who leaves the White House and heads to Hollywood (although there are some stellar comedy clubs in Chicago), where he would definitely have both the connections and the ability to have a career – watch out Jay Leno and Dave Letterman, there is a very qualified candidate for your jobs. For those who feel the President has an “agenda” imagine full access to the nation after-the-fact, indoctrination through comedy!

Seriously, President Obama was hysterical, and as he noted, the person who is elected in November will be lucky to attend this event. Word to Mitt Romney - start working on your punch lines now – it’s inevitable.

Articles referencing the Presidents Performance under “entertainment and celebrities”, The Minneapolis Star Tribune: “President delivers as nation's comic-in-chief” - No kidding.

C-Span video below:


At 19:48 marker

Mitt Romney as Governor: Taxes and Unenployment in the State of Massachusetts: What He’s not Hiding

An article from the Daily Beast, by Paul Begala, suggests that Mitt Romney is hiding his record as Governor, specifically on employment, because, as Mr. Begala suggests, Romney’s record is not so hot. However, when one reviews data supplied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and compares the Statistic (via a handy map) of Massachusetts and Neighboring States, one finds that Romney’s Massachusetts actually fared better, than he predecessor, and was on a par with the previous administration.

In fact, although no great shakes on paper, Massachusetts unemployment dropped under Romney’s watch. In fairness, one cannot count the data of March 2003, for Romney as that would have been from the prior administration, nor 2007, under Duval Patrick’s watch, as that would have been Romney policies that had lowered the unemployment rate. However, both Romney and Patrick (who is a model for Obama), fight the corporate tax rate in Massachusetts, which when state, local and Federal taxes are combined, make Massachusetts one of the most inhospitable States in the Union (and globally) for Corporations to do business in – several have moved to nearby Rhode Island, where the Corporate Rate made that state more attractive.

The Review: Bureau of Labor Statistics:

In March of 2003, the Unemployment rate in MA was 5.7% (Seasonally Adjusted), In 2002: 5.1%, In 2003: 5.7%, In 2004: 5.4%, In 2005: 4.8%, In 2006: 4.8%, In 2007: 4.5%, In 2008: 4.6%. It now stands at 6.5% (2012)



2006

2005

2004

2012





For information on Massachusetts and Taxes in General, the Tax Foundation offers a snapshot of the state, as well as a 50 state standing on Corporate Tax Rates: The Massachusetts Corporate Tax rates have been consistently high (not including Local and Federal taxes):

Massachusetts Corporate Tax Rates (Tax Foundation) 2002: 9.5% through 2008, the corporate tax rate remained at 9.5%.

The corporate tax rate is set in the budget which is set by both the legislature and the Governor.

The legislature, at the time when Romney was Governor, as with any Republican Governor in Massachusetts, was primarily Democrat, with a handful of Republican legislators and Senators.

In addition the Governor, with two hands tied behind his back, walked Massachusetts through both the aftermath of 2001, which affected businesses nationwide, and enjoyed the Bush Administration’s first term of low national unemployment rates. Therefore, it is difficult, when looking at the “big picture” so to speak, to chastise Romney for his Record on employment in the State of Massachusetts. He maintained an even keel, improved the record, albeit slightly, under the auspices of the State Legislature, where, if one lives in Massachusetts understands they tax everything and anything, including one’s dogs. (No Joke.)