Election Day Reads: Four More Years!
Posted: November 6, 2012 Filed under: 2012 elections, 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, morning reads, Patriot Act, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics, Women's Rights | Tags: drones, election day, Joe Biden, Osama bin Laden, pathological liars, Paul Ryan, race baiting, Racism, Ralph Reed, War on Terror 84 Comments
Good Morning!!
The big day is finally here. I voted In Massachusetts by absentee ballot shortly after I got to Indiana. I voted for Barack Obama and Joe Biden for President and Vice President, and for Elizabeth Warren for Senator. I voted for my long-time Representative Ed Markey. I also voted in favor of ballot questions on legalizing physician assisted suicide and medical marijuana in Massachusetts.
In 2008, I didn’t care much for Barack Obama, because I didn’t think he had any real ideology and I didn’t trust him to stand up to the Republicans. But I have to admit that he accomplished some good things in his first term.
I still have plenty of problems with President Obama’s policies. I think he should have fought harder for a bigger stimulus and for a public health care option. I think the President should have made a much more serious effort to deal with the foreclosure crisis, prosecute the banksters who brought down our economy, and create jobs through government investment.
I strongly disapprove of Obama’s support for the Patriot Act and for his use of drones to assassinate suspected “terrorists”–along with many innocent civilians–in several foreign countries. I’m glad he found Osama bin Laden, but I think he should have been arrested and put on trial instead of being summarily executed.
On the other hand, the stimulus–though not large enough–did help state and local governments save and create jobs. I think the auto bailout was absolutely necessary and it seems to have saved and created jobs for many U.S. workers. I appreciate that President Obama reversed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and came out in support of same-sex marriage. I believe that this president has grown in office and that he now recognizes that the Republicans in Congress are never going to compromise with him.
I also think President Obama did a very smart thing in appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State and giving full control over the State Department. Many of Obama’s advisers didn’t want him to appoint Hillary, but he did it anyway. I respect that Obama has asked for Bill Clinton’s help during the past couple of years and has wholeheartedly thanked him for his efforts.
We now face a choice between a President who kept us out of another Great Depression, managed to pass a health care law that is at least a step in the right direction, and appears to have grown in office, and a man who is a pathological liar and race baiter who represents the top 1%–the people who got us into the financial crisis in the first place; who conceals his highly suspect finances and potential conflicts of interest; who refuses to spell out what he would do if elected, who treats the electorate with utter disrespect, and who clearly has no understanding of or interest in what it is like to be poor, or even middle class. We do know that, if elected, Mitt Romney would appoint Supreme Court Justices who would very likely overturn Roe v. Wade, the Voting Rights Act, and other important progressive court decisions.
Obama must be reelected or our country will be be in deep deep trouble.
If Obama wins reelection, I think we must continue to be eternally vigilant. I strongly suspect that he will push for what he calls a “grand bargain,” which is really a “great betrayal.” We cannot let his desire to “reach across the aisle” lead him to accede to the Republicans’ austerity agenda and trade away the social safety net that allows so many elderly, disabled, and poor people to live with some kind of dignity.
Just in my lifetime, the American people have lived through many difficult times politically. Our rights were threatened and curtailed in the McCarthy era, we faced the murder of President John F. Kennedy, and later the murders of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. We dealt with Watergate, Iran Contra, and 9/11. For the past thirty years we’ve faced increasing income inequality and reduced opportunities for upward mobility. Our rights have been threatened anew by fundamentalist crazies and by Bush’s “war on terror.”
Democracy isn’t easy. It’s very hard, as we have seen in the past week watching people in Ohio and Florida struggling to exercise their rights to vote and over the past couple of years as we watched Republican legislatures try restrict voting rights and take away women’s control over their own bodies and their health care choices.
But we can’t quit. We must fight on to make this country a place we can be proud of and a place where our children and grandchildren can have decent lives. We have to try. If Obama is reelected, we have a chance. If Romney wins, we go back to the Bush years–on steroids.
I’ve gone on a rant now and taken up a lot of space in this post, but I wanted to express how I feel about this election. Over the past four years, I’ve realized that we really can’t have perfection–only progress, if we work at it. President Obama has made some progress, and in a second term, he can be pushed to make more. I’m glad I decided to vote for him.
I do have some news items for you.
Unfortunately, the areas that were hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy last week are facing a nor’easter this week.
Storm-savaged New Yorkers still drying out and rebuilding their lives after the fury of Hurricane Sandy face another nightmare barreling up the East Coast — an angry nor’easter packing winds of 55 mph hour that’s expected to pummel the area on Wednesday.
Forecasters say the latest assault from Mother Nature — while not nearly as ferocious or crippling as the Oct. 29 superstorm — is expected to bring renewed coastal flooding to parts of the city and the New Jersey shore, where Sandy obliterated protective sand dunes and age-old natural beach defenses.
New power outages could strike still-ravaged swaths of Staten Island, the Bronx and Westchester — and possibly “undo” some of the repairs Con Ed has made to its battered system, said John Miksad, the utility’s senior vice president of electric operations….
Meteorologists expect howling winds whipping up to 3 inches of rain along the Northeastern shoreline late Wednesday afternoon. Then it may get worse: Forecasters also fear a bone-chilling cold by Thursday morning that could bring several inches of snow to New York, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania.
Dana Millbank says that a new Romney has suddenly emerged in the final days of the campaign. What number incarnation is this?
As he made his closing appeal to voters on the final day before the election, Mitt Romney sounded as though, at any moment, he might burst into a song from the musical “Annie.”
“Tomorrow’s a moment to look into the future and imagine what we can do,” he said.
“Tomorrow, we get to work rebuilding our country, restoring our confidence and renewing our conviction.”
“Tomorrow, on November 6th, we come together for a better future.”
“Tomorrow is a new beginning. Tomorrow we begin a new tomorrow.”
As usual, Romney is talking ragtime–making no sense whatsoever. Either he really believes he’ll win the election, or he’s just blabbering aimlessly waiting for his dream to die. The death stench must be unbearable for anyone who gets close to him.
Still, despite Millbank’s claims, the mean Romney still lives on. His campaign is making robocalls calling President Obama a ‘Threat To Our Religious Freedom.’ Here’s the transcript of the call:
Christians who are thinking about voting for Obama should remember what he said about people of faith: “They … cling to guns or religion.” And remember when Obama forced Christian organizations to provide insurance coverage that was contrary to their religious beliefs?
That’s the real Barack Obama. That’s the real threat to our religious freedom. Mitt Romney understands the importance of faith and family. That’s why so many leaders of the Christian community are supporting Romney.They know we can’t underestimate the threat Barack Obama poses to our faith, our values, our freedom.
So once again, Romney is playing the race card, suggesting that Obama is not a real American and that he’s lying about his religious beliefs.
Paul Ryan expressed something similar on a conference call with members of Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition:
Representative Paul D. Ryan accused President Obama on Sunday of taking the country down a path that compromised Judeo-Christian values and the traditions of Western civilization….
“It’s a dangerous path,” Mr. Ryan said, describing Mr. Obama’s policies. “It’s a path that grows government, restricts freedom and liberty and compromises those values, those Judeo-Christian, Western civilization values that made us such a great and exceptional nation in the first place.”’
A spokesman for Mr. Ryan, Michael Steel, said, “He was talking about issues like religious liberty and Obamacare – topics he has mentioned frequently during the campaign.”
Sigh… if only we could be rid of Ryan tomorrow, but I suppose he’ll be back in Congress if Romney loses.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie refused to appear at a campaign event with Mitt Romney on Sunday.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was effusive in his praise of President Barack Obama when the two leaders toured damage from Hurricane Sandy last week, turned down a request by Mitt Romney to appear with him at a rally on Sunday night in Pennsylvania, The Huffington Post has learned.
Christie’s decision will only add to questions among Republicans about what the governor — who is up for reelection a year from now — is thinking, and why he went out of his way to heap praise on the president, and then refused to appear with Romney.
The Romney rally was held at a farm in Morrisville, Pa., not more than 20 minutes from Trenton, the New Jersey capital. The physical proximity of the event to New Jersey only added to questions in the Romney campaign about why Christie chose not to come.
“You can’t tell me he couldn’t have gone over there for a night rally,” a Romney campaign source told HuffPost.
Meanwhile Christie’s new BFF Barack Obama made Christie’s dream come true: Chris Christie moved to tears by hug from Bruce Springsteen.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said on Monday that he was moved to tears by recent interactions with singer Bruce Springsteen, who hugged the governor at a benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy on Friday and spoke with Christie by phone on Monday while flying aboard Air Force One with President Obama.
Christie, a Republican, is an ardent fan of Springsteen, a noted liberal who was traveling with the president to Columbus, Ohio, after playing at an Obama rally in Madison, Wis. Christie said during a press briefing that Obama called during the flight to discuss New Jersey’s recovery from Sandy and then handed the phone to Springsteen.
“[Obama] told me in times of real difficulty, he thought that the only thing better than one Jersey guy were two Jersey guys, and he put Bruce Springsteen on the phone,” Christie said.
“Bruce said to me how proud he was of his state and how proud he was of the people of this state and how tough they are,” Christie added. “And he’ll be back to the Jersey Shore soon.”
I can’t help but be happy for the guy. Will he be running against Hillary Clinton in 2016? Who knows? I just hope that sometime tonight we’ll know whether we’ll have an Obama second term or two pathological liars running the country back into the ditch.
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
dakinikat
ecocatwoman
grayslady
mablue2
NW Luna
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
“But we can’t quit. We must fight on to make this country a place we can be proud of and a place where our children and grandchildren can have decent lives. We have to try. If Obama is reelected, we have a chance. If Romney wins, we go back to the Bush years–on steroids.”
Preach it Sister.
Great post and just what I needed to get me going this morning
Ditto!
Thanks, you guys. I’m not thinking too clearly the past few days. I’m glad I made some sense.
BB, You did great! Wonderful way to start the day with a really smart appraisal.
You voted correctly, and analyze the national situation pretty correctly too. Good post.
bb, I’m with you all the way. Great recap of Obama’s accomplishments. In addition to what you listed, I’d add on the positive side, the Lily Ledbetter Act & the appt of 2 women to SCOTUS. I think the appt of Hilary as SOS was the hallmark of his presidency. I’m holding out the barest of hope that following his reelection he will just say NO to Keystone XL. I feel really confident that he will win a 2nd term. I also hope he’ll jump on some big things while McConnell, Ryan & Cantor are licking their wounds. I also feel certain he’ll have an ally in the House with Alan Grayson – he will keep those Repugs in the House hopping.
My 2 cents on the Christie thing: I think Romney offered the veep position to him & he said no because he was convinced Romney was/is a loser. He didn’t want to ruin his (Christie’s) chances of achieving higher office. The people of New Jersey would also have been pissed had Christie attended the campaign rally instead of staying focused on NJ’s problems at this critical time. I think it would have hurt his reelection bid.
I just want to thank you, jj & kat for staying on top of everything throughout this election cycle. I think everyone here is better informed than anyone in the country. It’s inspiring to be part of a like minded, intelligent & caring community here at SD. Nobody does it better than all of you/us.
Well said. That’s a pretty comprehensive summary of the first Obama administration by BB. I agree with your take on Christie. I’m not sure he was offered the no. 2 slot, since his personality would have overwhelmed Romney’s by too much, but agree he wouldn’t take it if offered. Also, as much as I abhor many of his stances, there are worse things than having a fat, funny president. Of course I would vote for the Democrat if he were ever to run, but for entertainment value, you gotta admit Christie beats Romney hands down.
“I just want to thank you, jj & kat for staying on top of everything throughout this election cycle. I think everyone here is better informed than anyone in the country. It’s inspiring to be part of a like minded, intelligent & caring community here at SD. Nobody does it better than all of you/us.”
I second that motion!!!!
Ditto, and as sky dancers, ultimately we have to restore what has been lost by the Bush Adminstration, and it’s not enough to conserve what women have already achieved, but to push for all of us, including our children for unalienable rights, and equal opportunity and justice for all.
I liked BB post this morning, very much, and I am glad you are all here to help me get through the waiting period.
Well said, Connie!
I’d like to thank BB, Dak, and JJ for their tremendous work on the blog. I know it must be difficult to write several detailed and insightful posts each day but you all manage to do a great job. I appreciate it very much.
What Beata Said! Sending positive thoughts your way. Good Luck y’all. One question, if Willard doesn’t cut the mustard this time out, will he quietly fade into the woodwork thereafter, or will he try again?
I join you in thanking Kat, BB and JJ and other front pagers for keeping us informed and sane during this election season.
BB – this post today is so beautifully written – I completely agree with your assessment of Obama and do hope that he will further mature in office. I just voted for him and hope that he will stay in office for the next 4 years. And I agree that we have to push him to do the right thing for the country and her citizens. All of them, not the top 1% and not for the mega corporations which will never be living, breathing, thinking, feeling people/citizens.
Kathy, I have to tell you…I was very selfish when I saw your power was back on. I thought, “Oh good, she will be able to comment over at the blog.” lol
Thanks, Delphyne. So glad to see you. I’ve missed you–didn’t know your power was off. I hope everything is OK.
Thank you for being here, Connie. You have added so much to the blog, along with all of our wonderful and intelligent regular commenters.
BTW, I haven’t seen HT lately. I hope she’s around.
She’s been posting in the last few days. Said she’s always reading but doesn’t like to comment on US elections. I’d been concerned about her too. She always has something insightful to say. Actually she & I had an interchange about Errol Flynn the other evening in the comment section.
BTW, thanks for the kind words. I’m honored to be a part of such a wise, witty group of folks here. It feels like home.
HT is always insightful on the weirdness of US elections!
Hey guys, I’m here – don’t you see me waving, laughing and crying with you? Connie is spot on, I don’t feel that I have the right to comment on your elections, although lately it really is hard not to express my utter revulsion for the republican agenda. Never fear, I really am here every day, several times a day actually. and I’m with you all the way.
What Connie said!
BB, the evolution of your feelings and thoughts about Obama mirror my own. In his second term, I hope Obama will continue to build on the positive accomplishments of the last four years. FORWARD!!!
Thanks for rewinding the Forward video this morning Beata….It’s better than a cup of coffee.
Beata,
One of the things that has made me like Obama more is Michelle. Another is his support for Hillary and her obvious respect for him. Finally, Bill Clinton’s support and Obama’s genuine appreciation for it.
Hey, I think that Romney was channeling Stephen Colbert, because the slogan for the ColbertPAC is, “Making a better tomorrow, tomorrow.”
Willard is a thought vampire. 🙂
“Making a better tomorrow, tomorrow.”
Is that like “jam yesterday, jam tomorrow (but never jam today)?”
Brilliant essay bb!
You have summarized perfectly exactly what I feel. A much needed boost to carry me through the next 24 hours.
Believe it or not some of us here have been together now going on 4 years of “cyber friendships”.
Time marches on as they say!
Hey Pat, I am feeling a little more positive. Hopefully 24 hours is all we will have to wait to see Romney leave the scene…
I could not sleep last night, in fact I am on no sleep for almost 24 hours and so worked up I could scream.
Maybe that is why this post from LGM hit home.
Because it’s 3:19 a.m. and my Facebook feed is already full of declarations of rank despair … – Lawyers, Guns & Money : Lawyers, Guns & Money
Hi Ho SILVER!!!!
If we lived closer we could hold hands when not pouring a hefty libation as the results come in mink.
I so want to shed my “Debbie Downer” persona.
Me too Pat, me too!
Too cool! Love it. Thanks jj.
It will be over when the “fat lady sings” & I’m getting ready to sing. I am betting on Obama supporters to kick Romney’s elitist a$$.
I have to agree. I was a fan of sabermetrics back in the days when Bill James was self-publishing his stats and predictions. It definitely works. Not to say that there isn’t a human factor in every endeavor that can produce outliers, but over the long haul, the numbers don’t lie.
Wow, you’re right Pat – we have been ‘hangin out’ together for more than four years!
Here I am with a new knee and survived Sandy – we are so lucky – there is devastation all around us here in northern NJ. We were over a week with no power, phone, Internet, or TV. It was really cold. We’re grateful to be alive.
So now let’s all get out there and vote!
Happy you’re doing better now.
Joanelle, it sounds like you have been through a terrible ordeal. You sound in amazingly good spirits considering everything! Hoping for better days ahead for you and your loved ones. (( HUGS ))
I love it when Mouse and Beata get “wound up” and keep the comedy coming!
Thanks Beata- gotta keep on truckin!
Has everyone read Pierce’s post from Pompano Beach. Once again, brilliant & sobering, dissecting “participatory democracy”. http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/election-day-2012-14483643
The comment from Weldon Berger hit home for me & echos bb point of “keep fighting.” Here’s just a piece of it, near the end of his comment:
Yep, we have to be ready to raise bloody hell.
Connie,
I just read the Pierce post, and this really spoke to me. It’s just how I feel about this election.
I’d like to add that I have been inspired by the thousands of people who have created a backlash against the Republican officials’ voter suppression efforts by insisting on voting in FL and OH, even if it means standing in line all day. It’s sickening that this is happening, but the lines demonstrate the bad faith of Republicans and their fear of a diverse American populace. The days of white men controlling the rest of us are coming to an end.
…and that end can’t come soon enough for me!
I watched Obama make his last campaign speech last in before a crowd estimated at 20,000. The tears – something we have never seen before – flowed from his eyes. Very moving.
I am hoping to see the same from Romney when he realizes he lost.
Fingers crossed that this scene repeats itself at his Boston headquarters in a state that seriously detests him.
Tears from Romney may make him rust…
lol
ROFLMAO!!
Okay jj, that was laugh out loud. I want THAT on a bumper sticker. That, IMHO, is the funniest line of this batshit crazy election cycle.
ROFLMAO, JJ has already won the internet for the day!
LOL!!!! Great visual JJ
JJ – make sure when he rusts, there is no one around with an oil can (an obscure reference to the Tin Man, who had more personality and was far more likeable).
Hey HT……Glad to see you today. We need your vibes
It’s here! Finally! Happy Election Day everyone! Dixville Notch voted and it was a tie, 5 for Obama and 5 for Romney but I think the rest of the country is going to lean much further toward Obama.
Awesome post, BB. I’d just like to say that it has been an honor and a privilege to participate in this blog. I have been educated by the brilliant and informative posts and allowed to share my opinion in a welcoming forum. Thank you all for your posts, links, and opinions. They really help me get through my days even when I don’t have the time or energy to respond.
Vote vote vote everybody!
Janicen,
We’re very lucky to have you here, and I hope you won’t go away after the election. Keep us posted on anything you hear today!
darn, I’m in moderation with Hart’s Location election results 🙂
I put this on the last thread last night, but it’s worth a repeat.
https://twitter.com/JamesPindell/statuses/265686777279418368
Here’s some good news from TPM: Polls Suggest Undecideds Won’t Help Romney (If They Show Up)
SD has been my “go to” website for all the election news. I’ve been so well informed by both the posters and commenters and I thank you all for that. Now though, I’m really looking forward to the election being done. I’ve been so anxious because of the dirty tricks from the Right, yet I’d rather know about it than bury my head and hide.
Greywolf,
I can’t thank you enough for your kind words. I have followed your tweets for a long time now. I wish you’d comment more often, but you’re always welcome here!
It might not be me. I don’t tweet under this name. But if you have found me, I hope I don’t geek out too much. 🙂
Thank you for making me feel welcome. I feel like you all say things better than I could.
BB, wonderful post and I agree you and all the ones in the comments.. I also want all of you to know you have keep me sane although sometimes it may not have been evident 🙂 I am going to vote 10:00 today, I feel certain of no line because of where I live. It is raining lightly and just to keep myself calm I’m wearing a hoodie. 🙂
PD,
Your sense of humor and your links have helped me stay sane too. I don’t know what I’d do without this little community.
I’m “packed up” and ready to go! Have a bottle of water, some peanut butter crackers, and a Snickers bar in a backpack in case the lines are long. I doubt this will be the case since MA is usually well prepared for voting day but just in case.
I intend to vote for anyone with a D after their name, from president to senator to dog catcher because it seems from those ranks the most insane Repub emerges, secures a nomination, and finds him/herself sitting in congress or state legs making laws that will eventually find its way into my life.
I shall return!
Go get ’em Pat.
I hope you will give us a report from the MA front lines when you get back, Pat!
Go Pat Go…..Vote for everyone with the big (D) beside their name. We’ll be here waiting when you return. FORWARD!!!!
Fox News freaks out over scary black man opening the door for old ladies at polls in Philadelphia (h/t dailykos).
Aren’t they cute, the little dumb asses.
How’s a white person supposed to go and vote if there are black people at the polling place!??!?! This is too scary!!! (I’m joking for those lurkers and visitors who don’t come here regularly and don’t know me.)
The one old white dude said he’d like to see the man’s “poll watcher card” to make sure he’s a registered poll watcher. I was a poll watcher during the ’06 midterm election and nobody gave me a card.
I’ll be honest, if Romney were to be elected, I don’t know what the hell he would do…….that’s the problem with him, you don’t know what the hell he will do.
With Obama I can say I know what he will do, because he has be greatest support in the way of Bill Clinton leading him all the way.
What he’s said is bad enough. What he might actually do is scary as hell.
He’d do nothing – he’d just step back and let the same fools who screwed up Bush’s two terms take the helm
Sunny but cold this morning in central Indiana. Some minor problems reported at the polls in Indianapolis and its suburbs but otherwise a-okay here as far as I know. I’m hoping for a big upset in the Mike Pence-John Gregg Governor’s race. Pence is a loony-tunes wingnut who has been masquerading as a regular “Joe Hoosier” during the campaign. I hope people aren’t buying his act. I still predict Joe Donnelly will defeat Richard Mourdock in the Senate race. I also think Obama may do better than expected here. Political robo-calls are illegal in Indiana so poll numbers have been scarce.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20121106/NEWS0502/121106001/1001/NEWS
I would be so thrilled if Gregg could pull an upset!
Rainy here in Seattle, surprise 😉 More than half the county has already sent in their vote-by-mail ballots. Mine went in last week. Cutoff date is postmark today, so complete results won’t be known until at least tomorrow 😦 Turnout is up so far.
I have to say “Word!” to so many of the comments above. I’ve been reading and commenting with some of you wonderful people for more than 4 years! BB, your post today is heart-felt and well worth the length — lays out the pros/cons and the obvious rational conclusion. One more reason why this place has helped keep me sane.
Hope all voting in-person today have short lines, mild weather, and friendly door wardens!
From Colbert last night.
TPM: Nate Silver Would Rather Vote For Ebola Than Political Pundits
Great post, Bostonboomer. Thank you.
Thanks, Riverbird.
Speaking of dumb asses, there is Fox and now AP’s political unit.
AP Writes Entire Article About Obama’s Terrifying, Witch-Doctor-Filled Kenyan Village Home
WTF?!
I’m back!
Finding a parking space was a big issue but MA always prepares in advance.
The line was long but the wait was only about 15 minutes because there were about 30 booths available and only 3 questions on the ballot to answer.
The poll workers said that the line has been steady since they arrrived at 6:30am to open with no less than about 35 lined up at any given time.
Outside there were at least 5 people holding signs for Warren and only 2 for Brown.
It took me less time standing in line and then voting than it was to maneuver out of the parking lot that was filled to capacity and so many waiting to get in.
I ran to the pharmacy and when I doubled back many of the cars had spilled out into the side streets and you could see waves of people coming and going.
Looks as if the turnout – at least here in my little slice of the country – is doing pretty well. I think by 4pm when people are getting out of work the lines may get longer but voting this early in the day gets around that possibility.
We close at 8pm here in Sprlngfield but I have no doubt about Obama winning this state and hoping he brings Warren along on his coat tails.
Hang tight. We are all in this together!
Congratulations!
I’m so hoping for Warren to win!
Fresh thread up top! Come on up!
I spent the weekend making calls for Warren, and it was a somewhat unsettling experience. the vast majority of the phones the computer put me through to were answering machines, or quick hang ups when they learned what I was up to. I gotta think that the poor saps I was directed to talk to had already had enough calls, if their numbers were available to the Warren campaign. However, I did have several nice conversations with people who said they were voting for Warren. I’m absolutely confident she has the win, as does Obama, even more so. Nice job all you skydancers of keeping us all abreast of the info we might not otherwise have seen, in the election season. I salute you.