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Forum Post: I think it's becoming increasingly clear Romney will not be elected president

Posted 11 years ago on Sept. 13, 2012, 5:20 p.m. EST by PeterKropotkin (1050) from Oakland, CA
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

I'm not even sure I'll vote in the upcoming presidential election and if I do it will probably be for a third party candidate. However what I am increasingly sure of is that Barak Obama will be relected.

The fix is in.

Barring a serious fumble by the Obama campaign on November 5th he will remain the president despite the fact that he has done very little to help working families. The trade deals he has passed including the TPP corporate death star that he wants to push through which subvert national laws and regulations to the dictates of a corporate tribunal will most certainly be the next big policy goal in the second half of the Obama administration. This is what the president means by bringing back manufacturing jobs to america. Essentially corporate forces are working to reduce the working conditions of Americans to slave labor, and the president fully supports and is working furiously to facilitate that goal.

The question is what will we do to stop him?

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54 Comments


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[-] 2 points by LeoYo (5909) 11 years ago

Obama Against the World: Forget Mitt Romney, Can the President Make It to November 7?

Monday, 24 September 2012 10:25 By Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch | Op-Ed

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/11729-obama-against-the-world-forget-mitt-romney-can-the-president-make-it-to-november-7

Since this is my version of an election piece, I plan to get the usual stuff out of the way fast.

So yes, the smartest political odds-givers around believe President Obama has a distinct edge over Mitt Romney coming out of the conventions, the Senate is trending Democratic, and who knows about the House. In fact, it almost seems as if the Republicans put forward the only man in America incapable of defeating an economically wounded and deeply vulnerable president (other than, of course, the roster of candidates he ran against for the nomination).

In every way that they can control, the Obama people have simply been smarter. Take those conventions: in each of them, the presidential candidate was introduced by a well-known figure who went on stage and ad-libbed. One was an 82-year-old guy talking to an empty chair (and I still thought he was the best thing the Republicans had to offer, including his shout-out about withdrawing all our troops from Afghanistan) and the other was... well, Bill Clinton.

It wasn’t even a contest. As for the upcoming debates, if you think Romney can outduel Obama without wandering in among the thorns, I have a Nigerian prince I'd like to introduce you to. In other words, it should really all be over except for the usual shouting and the gazillions of dollars of attack ads that will turn swing-state TV screens into a mind-numbing blur of lies. Even there, however, some Super PAC and dark-money types may evidently be starting to consider shifting funds from beating up on Obama to beating up on Democratic senatorial candidates. It's a sign that the moneybags of the Republican right fear the Romney campaign is a rerun of McCain World and the candidate is a Bain Capital version of John Kerry wind-surfing. After all, Romney seems almost incapable of opening his mouth without letting out a howler, his staff is in a state of civil war, and Republican candidates elsewhere are leaping from the ditched bandwagon, as are even conservative pundits.

By now, Obama and his savvy campaign staff should really be home free, having run political circles around their Republican opponent as he was running circles around himself. There's only one problem: the world. These days it’s threatening to be a bizarrely uncooperative place for a president who wants to rest on his Osama-killing foreign-policy laurels.

An Administration of Managers Face the Tsunami

So send Mitt to the Cayman Islands, stick Paul Ryan in a Swiss bank account, and focus your attention instead on Obama versus the world. For the next 43 days, that's the real contest. It could prove to be the greatest show on Earth, filled as it is with a stellar cast of Islamist extremists, Taliban militants, Afghan allies intent on blowing away their mentors, endangered American diplomats, an Israeli prime minister on the red-line express, sober central European bankers, and a perturbed Chinese leadership, among so many others.

In such a potentially tumultuous situation, the president and his people are committed to a perilous high-wire act without a net. It involves bringing to bear all the power and savvy left to the last superpower on Earth to prevent some part of the world from spinning embarrassingly out of control, lest the president’s opponent be handed a delectable “October surprise.”

[-] 1 points by PeterKropotkin (1050) from Oakland, CA 11 years ago

Great article. Thanks

[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 11 years ago

Re. TTP - "The question is what will we do to stop him ?" By finding out as much as possible about TTP, disseminating the information, educating, agitating, & organising - because what are the options ?!

a) "Obama Trade Document Leaked, Revealing New Corporate Powers And Broken Campaign Promises" : Zach Carter :

"A critical document from President Barack Obama's free trade negotiations with eight Pacific nations was leaked online early Wednesday morning, revealing that the administration intends to bestow radical new political powers upon multinational corporations, contradicting prior promises." ;

b) "TPP Agreement : Drone Strikes on People With AIDS ?", by Robert Naiman :

"The administration intends to bestow radical new political powers upon multinational corporations, contradicting prior promises." & ...

c) "The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) : An Extremist 1% Global Attack", by Mark Vorpahl :

"During the week of July 1st - 7th an international cabal of corporate lobbyists met behind closed doors in San Diego. Their aim is moving the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) towards completion. For over two years TPP negotiations have been in process, yet the proposals and agreements made so far have been carefully kept from public view, until recently."

e tenebris, lux ...

[-] 2 points by notaneoliberal (2269) 11 years ago

Corporate Death Star, is an apt description. I little investigation will reveal, Obama signed on to this back in 2009.

[-] 1 points by hchc (3297) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

First off, almost the ENTIRE country thinks that voting is the end all of involvement. Spend 1 hr every 4 years, and that is your duty served.

SEcond, 30% arent even registered to vote (why isnt everyone auto enrolled?).

Of the remaining 70%, only half vote. (I believe the % turnout is based on registered voters, not the total population above 18).

So we have a third of the country that has enough gumption to spend 1 hr every four years. MAYBE 1% get more involved than that.

That 1/3 is split about evenly between indies, dems and reps (biggest is indies, then D and then R). So you have about 10% of the country voting for Obama, 10% voting for Romney, and another 10% voting for third parties or lesser of two evils.

This is not a hard system to fuck up. It has so little impact from so few people, that shaking it up should be, numbers wise, relatively easy.

So what is stopping the political leaders (those that are more involved than just voting) from saying FUck IT , lets get something else going.

[-] 1 points by Buttercup (1067) 11 years ago

There is an enormous amount of impact by a few people.

[-] 1 points by LeoYo (5909) 11 years ago

So you have 2/3 of the eligible voting population that doesn't vote. If they could be targeted with something worthwhile for them to vote for, they would sweep the elections. Even just half of them would still sweep the elections. They would be the perfect storm for http://occupywallst.org/forum/freeda-template/ FreeDA.

[-] 1 points by hchc (3297) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

The D and R parties are losing registrations in droves, and for good reasons.

The problem is that nothing else is really taking hold.

Most likely due to a lack of TV airtime, unfortunately.

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 11 years ago

out on the road, I saw 1 bumper sticker advocating someone for president

this elections seems to be the least popular election in a long while

[-] 1 points by LeoYo (5909) 11 years ago

FreeDA http://occupywallst.org/forum/free-democracy-amendment/ oh wait, no, you asked what will we do, not what will we not do. My bad. What we will do is protest, agitate, march, occupy, continue to vote for corporate bought politicians while demanding money out of politics, not vote at all because they're all the same,...oh no, wait again, you asked "to stop him". Oh, well that's different. What we'll do to stop him is...uh, hey, the phone's ringing! I'm not copping out on you, really, I just have to go answer the phone. I'll get back to you on this...really.

[-] 1 points by PeterKropotkin (1050) from Oakland, CA 11 years ago

Lol, indeed.

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

Protest - continuously. In the streets and over the internet - we need to get the public involved in a major way.

[-] 0 points by oneandone (-67) 11 years ago

Today's poll. Read it and weep asshole.

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows Mitt Romney attracting support from 48% of voters nationwide, while President Obama earns 45% of the vote. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided.

[-] 1 points by PeterKropotkin (1050) from Oakland, CA 11 years ago

You were saying?

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[-] 0 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 11 years ago

There will be lots of republicans on every ballot, find out who can best them and vote accordingly killing the GOP is a goal worth achieving and take us miles closer to addressing the concerns of the poor, some will let perfection be the enemy of the good and some are just secretly hoping for the Republicans, either way they say the same old crap about Obama,. while ignoring the real problem.

[-] 0 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

Unless the republicans succeed at cheating, & stealing the election.

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 11 years ago

it's not a popular election which favors the republicans

[-] -1 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

How does that make you feel?

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[-] 0 points by hchc (3297) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

QE 3 dropping today is all the proof you need that Obama is a 100% lock.

[-] 1 points by PeterKropotkin (1050) from Oakland, CA 11 years ago

Yup

[-] 1 points by hchc (3297) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

Unlimited campaign donations....40B a month minimum.

And people are actually going to partake in this foolish system.

[-] 0 points by Orwellwuzright (-84) from Lockeford, CA 11 years ago

Perhaps our collapsing foreign policy will be that "stumble".

[-] 0 points by GNAT (150) 11 years ago

I'm not really in to campaigning. Don't politicians get enough exposure between the Media and the millions spent on invading my living room while I'm watching documentaries or in my car listing to the radio? This space is reserved for The People. Thanks for your time.

[-] -1 points by BetsyRoss (-744) 11 years ago

I'm counting on the American people being smart enough after 4 years to know that Obama and his policies are NOT what we need right now.

If Americans re-elect a man who has, even in your opinion, NOT done what he promised, and has failed working families on almost every count-they get what they deserve.

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[-] -1 points by bensdad (8977) 11 years ago

Vote for willard - if we dont,
grover-david-shelly-charlie will be very angry
and you wont like them when they are angry


the best way to end abortion and any capital gains tax & any inheritance tax

[-] 3 points by PeterKropotkin (1050) from Oakland, CA 11 years ago

Your posts become more hilariously incoherent and ridiculous everyday.

[-] -1 points by bensdad (8977) 11 years ago

I R R R U ?

[-] -2 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

You want to end abortion, and cap gains taxes? If so vote repub.

You understand. You just don't agree. Calling people names when you simply don't agree betrays your weakness of position.

Understand that!?

[-] 2 points by NVPHIL (664) 11 years ago

First off he said he will vote third party not for romney. I would also love to see youcome up with something besides fear mongering when you disagree with someone.

[-] 1 points by bensdad (8977) 11 years ago

Obama did not let GM die. would you?
Obama signed the Lilly Leadbetter Act. would you?
can you answer these so I can ask you some more?

[-] 1 points by NVPHIL (664) 11 years ago

The GM bailout was a tough call, lose the jobs or perform another bailout. I am happy when any majorcorp goes out of business but I respect what it was supposed to prevent. Equal pay for equal work I support completely.

One of my questions is why obama hasn't used the bully pulpit tofight against walker like busting of unions. I also haven't heard any pre-campaign defense of the poorest peoples right to vote.

[-] 1 points by bensdad (8977) 11 years ago

Great! I am pissed that he did not GO to Wisconsin to fight walker No doubt he is against any voter suppression
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/02/obama-voter-suppression_n_1850926.html
I don't think any of it is targetted ONLY at the poor

[-] 2 points by NVPHIL (664) 11 years ago

I didn't take encouraging voter apathy into account. What worries me is forcing voters to pay for an ID in order to vote. If they are so worried about voter fraud they should make the ID's free and easy to get. Otherwise it is a poll tax which affects everyone and hurts the poor most. I'm sure you know but for the uninformed a poll tax is illegal.

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[-] 1 points by PeterKropotkin (1050) from Oakland, CA 11 years ago

Thanks for the support buddy but it's really not necessary. The tactic that works best for our local village idiot is to ignore him.

[-] 1 points by NVPHIL (664) 11 years ago

I'm just tired of the lie that only republicans are angry at obama. Having my legit concerns about what was done by obama placed in the samecatagory as thebirther nonsense just helps the ogliarchy consolidate their stolen power.

[-] 1 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

Where have you heard that lie? I'm angry at Pres Obama for compromising with right wing wackos. Large numbers of the left are angry at Obama for the same reason, as well as his failures in ending the US military killings, and implementing stronger fin reform

We're just smart enough to know that the repubs are responsible for obstruction and the people are responsible for apathy and laziness, as well. Can't put everything on one guy. that would be unfair.

Blaming/attacking one man for our problems is just lazy, entitled, spoiled American suburban couch potatoe shit. No?

We gotta get off our fat asses, protest for the change we want and stop whining like little fuckin brats.

[-] 1 points by SingleVoice (158) 11 years ago

"Can't put everything on one guy. that would be unfair"...

I thought everything was Bush's fault.

[-] 1 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

That's is your misfortune.

All our problems have there roots in conservative policies.!

Bush was just the conservative puppet Pres at the time.

Understand now?

[-] 1 points by SingleVoice (158) 11 years ago

By the way....abolishing Glass-Steagle wasn't a conservative policy. It was a greed policy put forth by both parties and signed by a Dem, Clinton. And the subprime mortgage fiasco started with greed policies put forth by Carter initially and doubled-down on by Clinton and enforced by Obama and his law firm in 1993 when they forced Citibank to loan money to high risk applicants in a class-action suit which Obama led. And the Fed's money manipulation is also greed policy, today being forced on us as an Obama campaign last ditch effort to make it look like things are improving before the election, when in fact, after the election we will pay for it dearly. Bernanke's trying to keep his job. Our dollar will decrease even more in value making inflation skyrocket, my wage will pay for even less than it does now making my now living wage a not so living wage. It's just more manipulation of our future over a power struggle to remain Pres for 4 more years by a guy who is not qualified and has not done anything to improve the economy or even fix what started the mess. 4 more years of this guy will doom us.

The things I listed above are the most relevant things that started this financial crisis that led up to and came to a head in 2008. There was nothing conservative about any of the policies that got us here. They were all greed policies put in place by both parties but Obama has done absolutely nothing to fix what started it. The Dodd-Frank bill is a phony. The banks are still too big to fail and still risk taxpayer money on risky investment. The banks are still making subprime loans to high risk applicants and bundling and repackaging to sell to hedge funds to start the next bubble. The fed is still printing money as a phony fix. Anyone would do a better job than this guy. I don't think the country will survive 4 more years and worse, the media isn't telling anyone the truth. Journalism is dead.

[-] 1 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

Repealing Glass Steagal is a weakening of fin regulation! That is conservative policy 101.

The repub created fin crash was not because the poor banks were forced to lend to poor people. That's ridiculous. Remember those people lost everything. The banks came out ahead. So clearly the banks were the con artists, the people were the marks.

No one forced the banks to bundle the bad mtgs, create cdo, get good ratings on bad fin products. It was all during repub watch, Conservative policy without a doubt.

Dems failure was in betraying progressive principles and voting for you corrupt conservative policies.

Listen we disagree. I stand with the hard working American homeowners who got scammed, You stand with the banks and their republican tools.

Let's leave it at that.

Carter? LMFAO what a reach!

[-] 0 points by SingleVoice (158) 11 years ago

I was being sarcastic....You said you can't put everything on one guy, yet all I've heard for 5 years is "It's Bush's fault". Seems like partisans only say what fits there narrative.

[-] 1 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

I can't speak for others or what you think you've heard. Seems to me conservative policies were pushed by Bush so certainly we could say he was responsible.

Just not alone. I mean Dems had to betray progressive principles, cave in and vote for these conservative policies also.

So dems are also responsible for passing these conservative policies.

cool?

[-] 1 points by NVPHIL (664) 11 years ago

I'm not blaming just one man. I blame the whole two party system. We have already lost this election. What we need is a large percentage of the country to vote third party, which is possible due to the obvious corruption of both parties. Once the country sees that the party hold isn't absolute then we can start finding candidates who care about the country in 2014. I also encourage the republicans I know to vote for alternate conservative candidates.

[-] 1 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

Really.? On line? Maybe on a tea party site? or do you only urge OWS progressives to vote 3rd in your on-line efforts.

Much change must occur in election/campaign reform before 3rd party can have success. But I do think there is a better chance to make inroads at the local level 1st and build up.

Now Nevada might have a 3rd party named Gary Johnson running that would send a message to both parties if he gets a good number of votes.

Are you voting for Gary Johnson? Maybe campaigning for him as well?

That would be an excellent test of whether a 3rd party could make a showing.

I also saw that Jesse Ventura can be convinced to run in 2016 so that's something to look forward to.

[-] 1 points by NVPHIL (664) 11 years ago

I'm torn between rocky anderson and jill stein. Jill looks like she has more of a chance to get on the ballot.

And I would go to the tea party site if they were not already taken over. OWS is smart enough to realize the corruption of the parties and I feel like I have a chance getting my ideas across.

[-] 1 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

Yeah no need to try and get conservatives to vote 3rd party. better to just focus on the progressives here at OWS.

Good idea!

But you are voting 3rd party in Nevada right? I think you should definitely vote 3rd party in Nevada.

[-] 0 points by VQkag2 (16478) 11 years ago

"village idiot"? At least we don't have to resort to schoolyard name calling.

We got that goin for us!

Your arguments are too weak to stand up to respectful civil discussion in the marketplace of ideas.

[-] -3 points by shoozTroll (17632) 11 years ago

Conspiracy Theory!!!!

Where's that rascally thrashy?

No one here "knows" the future. Not you. Not me. Not that guy over there.

Also, please explain to me how this was not posted to stir up even more of the maligned "partisanship" that there's been so much incessant bitching about lately?

There isn't a positive word or idea expressed here.

[-] 4 points by PeterKropotkin (1050) from Oakland, CA 11 years ago

Exactly what is conspiracy theory? It's common knowledge that Obama supports the TPP. The only way to reverse this disastrous abomination from occurring is though massive public resistance. The kind of resistance that the CTU is now engaged in in Chicago against Obamas former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Until the so called left in this country or what passes for the left wakes up and starts to put forth resistance the degradation of working people will continue. No matter if it is a sophisticated lawyer from Chicago or and inarticulate Texas oil man hat carries it out rest assured whoever is in the white house will act in the interest of their constituents who put them there, in other words wall street and corporations.

[-] 1 points by jrhirsch (4714) from Sun City, CA 11 years ago

The TPP, NDAA, Patriot Act, Etc. are symptoms of a government that has run wild. Don't treat the individual symptoms, treat the disease.

If we don't get the money out of politics and knowledge into the minds of the voters, we will be defeated.

We only vote every other year for our representatives, but we vote every day with our dollars which the corporations use to buy the representatives. Our dollars are the rope that will hang us if we don't pay attention where we spend them. Buy a Koch product and that dollar becomes the noose that strangles our freedoms.

Buy used, buy local, buy in bulk, buy less, make or grow your own. You feed the beast. Starve it instead.

[-] 1 points by jph (2652) 11 years ago

exactly,. some folks here seem to think speaking the truth about the military-corporate-fascist system is some how 'partisan'. I suppose because they themselves are hopelessly partisan, and are caught up in the good cop/bad cop game of electioning.

It IS positive to point out the reality of the control system, that escapes many people who have been numbed down by the corporate media's endless inane propaganda.

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 11 years ago

That you can predict the future.

You can't.

Conspiracy theory!!!.

Just another one that is constantly trying to stir up "partisanship".

Why don't you comment in a thread on fracking? Or voter suppression?

Or the laying waste to women's rights?

Or the activities of the Kochs?

No.. You're always going for the partisan reaction.

[-] 1 points by PeterKropotkin (1050) from Oakland, CA 11 years ago

The voter suppression that is occurring is a desperate attempt by the republican party to avoid the inevitable withering away of their base through a shift in demographics. It comes from a place of weakness.

Fracking is supported by both parties so unless your post decries Obamas support of it then who exactly is being partisan? http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-25/obama-backs-fracking-to-create-600-000-jobs-vows-safe-drilling.html

As far as women's rights go that is one of the few things on the democratic platform I can get on board with. However, what difference will it all make when the plan is to impoverish working women for the profits of the corporate state?

[-] 0 points by shoozTroll (17632) 11 years ago

Noncommittal, but at least it's something on voter suppression, although to think it's purely a demographic shift is not the whole picture. As a plus you didn't shy away from who is responsible for it.

This isn't the whole story either, as a lot of what goes on is dealt with in the States. Here in Michigan it's expansion is a plan put forth by (R)epelicant's and opposed by a handful of Dems. The current (R)epelican't administration is going to auction off an additional 190,000 some acres to further "exploration". The last auction brought in 4 mil for 94,000 acres, much of it in around our fresh water lakes.

The last statement is noncommittal, evasive and once again borders on conspiracy theory.

I look forward to you comments in a wider variety of threads in the future........:)