Game on: Obama v Romney, the 2012 campaign for the office of the POTUS

[byu71]

I just saw Tony Perkins of the something family council on Hardball. He said he feels Gingrich, Perry and Santorum could easily bring the party together and basically Romney couldn't.

Idealogues really scare me if they ever really got into power. Only their idea of a Christian can be President? Newt will round up judges who don't interpret the constitution the way he does? If they truly got the power positions in the Country, they could be scary.

i was going to send him an e-mail telling him if mormons were as narrow minded as he is, Obama might win Utah if one of his boys wins.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Perhaps Romney is saving his best arguments for Obama? Give a nice economics speech in September on the art of the turn around, the elimination of debt, reduction in spending, and the virtues of free enterprise.

He should keep some of his powder dry until he starts getting grilled by all the OWS Obama surrogates sometime around Labor Day.

Simply put, if the economy is the way it is right now, Obama will lose. I'm not sure if the unemployment rate has to get to 7.5% like it did for Reagan, I'm more inclined to believe that 8.0% is the magic number. Above that, Obama loses, below it, Obama wins. Barring some unforeseen national security threat that unites the country behind Obama, I think that's basically how things will go.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I just saw Tony Perkins of the something family council on Hardball. He said he feels Gingrich, Perry and Santorum could easily bring the party together and basically Romney couldn't.

Idealogues really scare me if they ever really got into power. Only their idea of a Christian can be President? Newt will round up judges who don't interpret the constitution the way he does? If they truly got the power positions in the Country, they could be scary.

i was going to send him an e-mail telling him if mormons were as narrow minded as he is, Obama might win Utah if one of his boys wins.

Tony Perkins should stick to playing weirdos in the movies.

[SoonerCoug]

All that really matters for most presidential elections is the state of the economy. I have always said that the president who follows W would be a one-termer because of the mess that W left.

[DU Ute]

I just saw Tony Perkins of the something family council on Hardball. He said he feels Gingrich, Perry and Santorum could easily bring the party together and basically Romney couldn't.

Idealogues really scare me if they ever really got into power. Only their idea of a Christian can be President? Newt will round up judges who don't interpret the constitution the way he does? If they truly got the power positions in the Country, they could be scary.

i was going to send him an e-mail telling him if mormons were as narrow minded as he is, Obama might win Utah if one of his boys wins.

"Family" in the name of any is an instant turn off for me. Sorry, folks. Your family isn't under attack, at least not to the extent you think it is.

[Jacob]

Romney doubled down on his foreign policy, defense spending, and interventionist rhetoric last night contra my advice.

His staff is also saying that he pays about a 15% tax rate. This should have been obvious as all his income comes from blind trusts, over which he has no control, and is likely invested in long term capital investments. Still, I think this could be a perception problem. I'd have preferred he waited until Obama demanded the returns and said he would when Obama released his college transcripts.

[Ma'ake]

His staff is also saying that he pays about a 15% tax rate. This should have been obvious as all his income comes from blind trusts, over which he has no control, and is likely invested in long term capital investments. Still, I think this could be a perception problem. I'd have preferred he waited until Obama demanded the returns and said he would when Obama released his college transcripts.

Yep, this will be an issue. Obama will say this isn't an attack on free enterprise, but the "Buffett Rule" should become effective: Romney should not pay a lower rate than his secretary.

On the unemployment rate theorem, ordinarily I would agree, but I think this election may be exceptional.

If Obama presses the "square deal" approach effectively, makes the case that we need to alter the rules of the game to preserve the American Dream for the growing ranks of the struggling class, contrasts this vision with Mitt's vehicle for getting rich and his tax rate, a significant portion of the middle might give him a pass if Europe collapses.

We'll see. It's going to be interesting.

[Goatnapper'96]

Yep, this will be an issue. Obama will say this isn't an attack on free enterprise, but the "Buffett Rule" should become effective: Romney should not pay a lower rate than his secretary.

On the unemployment rate theorem, ordinarily I would agree, but I think this election may be exceptional.

If Obama presses the "square deal" approach effectively, makes the case that we need to alter the rules of the game to preserve the American Dream for the growing ranks of the struggling class, contrasts this vision with Mitt's vehicle for getting rich and his tax rate, a significant portion of the middle might give him a pass if Europe collapses.

We'll see. It's going to be interesting.

Ma'ake, are you lypsincing "blinded by the light?"

Trust me, I am white and not part of the 1%. I am almost 40 and my hightest academic accomplishment is accompanied by the letters BS. However, I am sober almost all of my awake hours save for a few mind enhancing journies in my early teens. Trust me on this: Mitt's tax rate might get you and your wanker liberal buddies nipples hard, but it isn't going to earn President Obama one "hail mary" worth of forgiveness from the middle class if Europe finally hits rock-bottom before November's election.

Am I to believe that our vaunted hoper and changer, yea our great constitutional scholar and community organizaer extrodianire after 3+ years in the White House is going to throw out Mitt Romney's tax rates as support that he should be re-elected. I agree it will help in California but in Pennsylvania or North Carolina...fuggedabout it. Come up for air amigo, I don't like President Obama much at all but I could come up with more compelling campaign accomplishments and even more compelling scorched earth attacks on Romney.

Obama stands as much chance to win re-election on appeals to his ideology, i.e. changing the game, as Jenna Jameson does to be called as the next LDS General Primary President.

[myboynoah]

Yep, this will be an issue. Obama will say this isn't an attack on free enterprise, but the "Buffett Rule" should become effective: Romney should not pay a lower rate than his secretary.

On the unemployment rate theorem, ordinarily I would agree, but I think this election may be exceptional.

If Obama presses the "square deal" approach effectively, makes the case that we need to alter the rules of the game to preserve the American Dream for the growing ranks of the struggling class, contrasts this vision with Mitt's vehicle for getting rich and his tax rate, a significant portion of the middle might give him a pass if Europe collapses.

We'll see. It's going to be interesting.

What middle class earner pays a real rate of over 15%? With all the available deductions and tax credits, I suspect one must earn over $100,000 to even start paying a real rate of 10%. Most "middle class" earners probably receive EIC and actually get a net refund.

But I guess facts have no place in all of this.

[Flystripper]

To make it easier on all these are the states that matter:


Personally, I don't buy that Wisconsin is still a toss up to that moves the President to 239. I.

I think Wisconsin is a toss up. This is the state that has a govenor who attempted to break up public unions. If he that guy can get elected, I think Romney has a chance to win those electoral votes as well.

[Goatnapper'96]

Yep, this will be an issue. Obama will say this isn't an attack on free enterprise, but the "Buffett Rule" should become effective: Romney should not pay a lower rate than his secretary.

On the unemployment rate theorem, ordinarily I would agree, but I think this election may be exceptional.

If Obama presses the "square deal" approach effectively, makes the case that we need to alter the rules of the game to preserve the American Dream for the growing ranks of the struggling class, contrasts this vision with Mitt's vehicle for getting rich and his tax rate, a significant portion of the middle might give him a pass if Europe collapses.

We'll see. It's going to be interesting.

To be clear, I think one can win an election advocating higher taxes but it needs to be compellingly linked to our deficit issues and not based upon ideology and President Obama's sense of "fairness." I don't think the independents are nearly as enamored with the results of President Obama's sense of fairness as they once were. They still understand his motivation, which is all Mitt's tax rates is, but they have seen the results of his responses and changes, anyone right? right?

Using Romney's tax rate is petty and most of the people who really vote and are of the independence mindset are not going to be moved by that in light of President Obama's job record.

[Goatnapper'96]

I think Wisconsin is a toss up. This is the state that has a govenor who attempted to break up public unions. If he that guy can get elected, I think Romney has a chance to win those electoral votes as well.

In both Ohio and Wisconsin I think the Republican's Governors favorability ratings have dipped below 50%. I expect Obama to win those two. I would love to be wrong, however!

[TripletDaddy]

However, I am sober almost all of my awake hours save for a few mind enhancing journies in my early teens.

Simi Valley.

not surprised at all.

[Goatnapper'96]

Simi Valley.

not surprised at all.

I was pretty straight arrow by the time I was having multi homer games against the gomers from TOIV ward in the Ventura Region Juniors Slowpitch Softball tourney!

It was SoCal and I was into heavy metal music, junior high was a rough place to be!

Of course over the hill, I hear roids were the rage? Lance Martin? Marion Jones? Brother Todd Foster?

[Jacob]

Yep, this will be an issue. Obama will say this isn't an attack on free enterprise, but the "Buffett Rule" should become effective: Romney should not pay a lower rate than his secretary.

What middle class earner pays a real rate of over 15%? With all the available deductions and tax credits, I suspect one must earn over $100,000 to even start paying a real rate of 10%. Most "middle class" earners probably receive EIC and actually get a net refund.

But I guess facts have no place in all of this.

mbn is correct. The median household pays an effective rate of 3%, or so I read recently. You have to get up to the 4th quintile to have a rate above 15%


This all seems to prove that the smart thing to do would be to lose all the deductions and get a top rate around 20% for both cap gains and OI.