HELEN:
Margaret, I can’t imagine that there are many, but if a woman still plans to vote for Mitt Romney chances are she owns a car elevator. I am sure there are a few exceptions to that rule, and I imagine they will leave a comment here soon enough. I’ll keep their head shots in a binder so we can talk about them later.
Everybody is still talking about Mitt’s binder full of women. It makes for a good sound bite, I guess. But look past the sound bite and you’ll really get a good glimpse of the man.
In Mitt’s world, a woman trying to get ahead in her career simply needs a flexible schedule to be home for dinner and bedtime. Sadly, I think he actually believes that. He also says that every woman should have access to contraception, but he supports the Blunt Amendment and the defunding of Planned Parenthood where the vast majority of low-income or uninsured women get contraception. Just to prove how much he believes women should have access, he picked a running mate who neither believes in birth control nor a woman’s right to choose abortion for any reason. When it comes to women’s rights, Ryan believes the Catholic Church got it right. Rhythm method anyone?
Exactly what decade are these guys living in? And just how far back will they take us if elected? They remind me a little of Herman and Eddie Munster. In fact, if you glance at a picture of Mitt’s dad, George, you’ll see a resemblance to Grandpa as well. The Munsters might have been popular when TV shows were still in black and white, but by today’s standards they lack color and there’s a reason we call them reruns. But I digress…
If you paid really close attention you might have also picked up on Mitt’s solution to the problem with assault weapons… I mean hunting rifles. (Sorry NRA) He blamed part of the problem on single mothers. You might find that too bizarre to be true but he actually shares that opinion with others. Mitt World is a crazy place, but he doesn’t live there alone. He is joined by the New York Times Biggest Footed List author, Ann Coulter. I kid you not. She too blames mass murderers with assault rifles on single mothers..
Also In Mitt World, children of illegal immigrants are simply soldiers for the wars he wants to start with Russia, Iran and now China. I mean honestly, Margaret, how much more proof do you need that this guy is a complete jackass? He plodded around that debate stage (a little like Herman Munster I might add) and then looked right into the camera and said those children are not welcome to stay here unless they are willing to take a bullet for him. After all, somebody has to protect the fortune he’s leaving to his sons – all of whom seem like they were quite capable of joining the Army if you ask me. In fact, if even one of his five sons actually had served, he might fool a few more people into thinking that he really is from Mexico. But according to Mitt, his sons are serving their country “by helping their Dad get elected.” Seems a bit self-serving, but what do I know? I’m just an old woman with a grandson and a nephew in Afghanistan.
But again, let’s not stop at the sound bite. Let’s really dig into that one. He also said that if you are smart enough to get a high-paying job you can get a green card and stay. So basically there is nothing honorable about serving in the military. It’s just a consolation prize for being poor… and stupid, I guess.
The Mitt who showed up to the debate this week is the same one who has been showing up in politics for years – the one who will say anything to get elected. Well. I’m done. I’ve seen and heard quite enough and I am voting for President Obama. Anyone in a swing state want to trade votes with me?
The Republicans say that Obama can’t run on his record. Really? You want to talk about records? Mitt Romney was born wealthy, married wealthy and will most likely die wealthy. Bully for him. The other guy is black man born in America in 1961 to a single white woman. He went on to become President of the United States. I’d say there’s no contest. Thanks to Republicans, Obama inherited the biggest mess since the great depression and in his first year in office prevented a total economic meltdown.
As for Mitt’s record – he was a bully in high school and got pretty upset when his father wasn’t elected President. At the age of 46 he was bored with making more money so he decided to become a Republican simply to challenge Ted Kennedy for the Senate. By the way, he claimed that he was more Pro-Choice than Teddy. He lost. Then he spent millions of his own fortune to get himself elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002. Four years later he left with an approval rating so low he ranked 48 out of the 50 Governors. Most of the middle class in Massachusetts got frustrated with his taxes which Mitt called fees – license fees, gun fees, gas fees, college fees… He left with a 38% approval rating. And for the record, Massachusetts’ reputation for having great public schools was in place long before Mitt became Governor. Of course, what he won’t tell you is that record is largely due to academic achievements of the predominantly white, affluent population in the state. If you are a minority, your kids might fare better in say… Maryland. And if you pay attention to high school graduation rates, seven other states rank above Mass. Candy Crowley tried, but she could only fact-check so much while being yelled at.
I know no one wants to drag up George Bush’s name because what’s done is done. Lord knows I would like to forget him. But I take issue when Mitt and the Republicans try to blame all of Bush’s problems on the black guy who moved into the neighborhood. I say bullshit. Mitt Romney is George Bush all over again – same song, second verse. I mean it. Really.
MARGARET:
Good lord. I remember when Mitt’s father ran for President. Could we maybe find someone whose father is just a simple man who hopes his daughter might one day grow up to be President?
If you would like to support Margaret and Helen’s website, click here.
GPS up date; there are many millions of women who are not limbs and do not buy into your views.
By: Anonymous on October 19, 2012
at 9:09 AM
Must be the gene pool –
“The private equity firm run by Tagg Romney—Mitt’s eldest son, who is now taking a leadership role in guiding his father’s presidential campaign—misled reporters last year about its involvement with a company run by men accused of taking part in a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme.”….
http://www.eclectablog.com/2012/10/tagg-romney-wants-to-take-a-swing-at-obama-victims-of-8-billion-ponzi-scheme-may-want-to-punch-him.html
Peace.
By: Cynthia on October 19, 2012
at 8:50 AM
I just watched a video of Obama speaking at the Alfred E. Smith dinner last night in NYC. Everytime the camera caught Mitt and Ann they had sour, dour, pinched looks on their faces. Neither of them seems to have the capacity to be gracious at all. I really don’t like those two.
By: Terri in NY on October 19, 2012
at 8:37 AM
but Gato…
they asked for more security and were told no…..
Libya Embassy Security Officer: Obama’s security strategy was ‘hope’
http://washingtonexaminer.com/libya-embassy-security-officer-obamas-security-strategy-was-hope/article/2510393#.UIFVAm_A-as
By: uawtradesman on October 19, 2012
at 8:31 AM
Hi, Easier – I may have already mentioned this, but never mind if I have. From what I’ve read about Ambassador Stevens, he loved the Libyan people, and was often out among them. He spoke their language, respected their culture, and knew many of them well. I doubt that he ever wanted our Embassy, on his watch, to be an armed fortress. In short, he seems to have been exactly what an Ambassador should be, IMHO. Many Libyans grieved his death.
The R/R constant nagging about this says much about their “foreign policy” position: That we should be a giant impenetrable and arrogant monolith, wherever we are, fully armed and ready to kill. I don’t think that’s what Ambassador Stevens ever intended to be, and that’s evidently not how he conducted himself or how he ran his/our Embassy.
Those who killed him are to blame for his death, and for the death of the others who died in service to our Country. Nobody else. Period.
Gato
http://partyandsoul.wordpress.com
By: gatodicima on October 19, 2012
at 8:02 AM
I usually agree with everything you say, but as a long term resident of MA who sent her kids thru public school I think you have a wrong idea of what an affluent school system in MA is about. First of all, MA is now a VERY diverse state with populations from all over the world. Seconf, you forgot METCO, a program that busses from the inner city to suburban schools to further aid in diversity.
Mitt did screw the public schools, but because of Prop 2.5, towns couldn’t raise taxes without voting an override. Mitt did change the state curriculum and standardized tests, both of which screwed the schools. But Mitt’s single worst attack on public schools was to cut and cut mental health services (now nonexistant) so kids that needed help for drug and mental illness were ignored and allowed to disrupt classes.
By: margalit (@margalit) on October 19, 2012
at 7:19 AM
Polls and pensions! My stars and garters! First of all, the majority of polls anyone saw are OLD. The bulk of them were done just before the 2nd debate. Where Mittens is polling well is among old white men in the deep South. That’s it. Let him have MS and LA. Obama has already taken the states he needs for electoral votes. When it comes to pensions, especially pension plans attached to a job, the whole shebang is already set up and running before you are even”hired”. Some plans have been running so long that they no longer have the basic information one would ask for concerning the individual planks in the plan. It may even be necessary to hire someone to do all the digigng to discover the “moral” side of the investments. The point here is that Obama did not deliberately with aforethought invest in China via the Caimans whereas Mitt most certainly did. The fact that Mitt has not devested himself shows that he still does not know the job description for President of the United States and the president of a vulture capitalism company and if elected will continue on with his old Bain-ity.
By: mageen in old virginny on October 19, 2012
at 5:19 AM
Love you two, xo
By: Bernadette Wood on October 19, 2012
at 12:03 AM
I think it’s just awful that fact-checkers aren’t setting off alarms all throughout the debates, or at least running facts at the bottom of the TV screens on both candidates. People who only hear Fox News obviously watch Rob-Me in all his eloquence and have no idea how many lies he just told them. I also think that anyone who votes for wars should first be willing to send a loved one to harm’s way. It makes me sick this evening listening to Lawrence O’Donnell explaining how Rob-Me and ALL of his sons weasled their way out of serving in the military because they are, after all, Romney’s. And furthermore, I am so sick over these polls, I can’t stand it. I think I’m going to fix myself a strong drink.
By: Skyler on October 18, 2012
at 10:05 PM
Hey, Riley – And then there’s the high-functioning Asperber’s person, at the top of the autistic scale. Someone who can’t quite get the social signals from someone else. Can’t empathize. Can’t quite get what someone else is saying, or meaning, and does his darndest to get there with them. Makes his best effort. And then might have to go somewhere else, talking about how the trees are all the right size, and how much he loves cars, in an effort to make that connection, god bless, when he realizes he is somewhere where there are both trees and cars.
It’s a real burden, and, lord knows, people try hard to work around this, and many do very well. (A dear friend has an Aspie son, who’s about to graduate from college with an aeronautical engineering degree, thanks to his parents’ getting him plenty of special tutoring, and to his own great efforts.)
But that kid is not running for President, and he never would. He’s going to have a great life, accepting his challenges, and working with them.
I’ve never quite figured out anything that makes sense about why Romney is doing this. His own party doesn’t even seem to like him much. He seems to just hate doing all the stuff he’s been asked to do, by his Church, and by his big money donors. And they don’t seem to always agree. among themselves, about what they want him to do. He’s got to answer to them all. Talk about conflict!
I think he’d just really prefer to be left alone, to spend his time with his lovely Ann, and their many strapping boys, none of whom has ever left this country to serve it in sand and misery, and all the grandkids. We should let him do that, don’t you think?
Gato
http://partyandsoul.wordpress.com
By: gatodicima on October 18, 2012
at 9:24 PM
Hey Gato! Hope your prescription works!
In a perfect world, the President would be way ahead in the polls because things have gotten better, all economic indicators are pointing to that fact. Next Monday, I hope the President closes the deal. Mitt will come back with the subject of Libya next week, I know. They will prep him well to say what he failed to say on Tuesday. I hope the President has an equally good answer. Intelligence sometimes fails, as simple as that. The President does not live in Libya, and even if he did, the terrorists were not going to let him in on the fact that they were going to attack the embassy. In addition, that stupid movie was also out there, muddling things. Embassies have been attacked before, other targets have been attacked under every President. So, why is it that this President is supposed to have been a psychic, that would have foreseen this event? People lost their lives in the service to this country. We are not honoring their memory trying to find the President guilty of their murder.
In my view, CNN wanting to be right after using somebody’s private diary and revealing his private fears has held on to this story and fanned the flames. They should be ashamed. I never felt the need to hold any administration responsible when attacks happened on foreign soil because most of those things are outside of the control of even our intelligence services, as great as they are. I am thoroughly disgusted about this subject, about the way the press has handled it. There was a lot of confusion around that time. Let the administration sort things out. How something is qualified at the moment of an attack may change after facts are sorted out. Why is that so difficult to understand?
By: Easier on October 18, 2012
at 9:05 PM
I too want to give my thanks for your blog. It is one of the few bright spots on our political landscape. I am extremely terrified about our upcoming election. If the polls are indeed correct (and I am skeptical of our press), the fact that the duo team of a narcissist (Ryan) and a psychopath (Romney) even have a chance to lead our country is truly frightening.
Just for kicks: According to the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised, the characteristics of a psychopath include superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth, manipulative behavior, lack of empathy, impulsivity, shallow affect, failure to accept responsibility, and a lack of realistic long-term goals. Other than the lack of realistic goals, this seems to fit with what I’ve seen and heard of Romney.
By: Riley Holden on October 18, 2012
at 8:24 PM
Hey, Easier… Dang. i think that, for some reason, we just don’t stand up on our hind legs and scream, at the top of our goddess-given lungs, “You are a lier! A real lier! And everything you say is a LIE!”
That “good girl” thing kicks in, and we feel we’re going to be somehow safer if we just behave nicely. I don’t think we really get the enormity of our own power. But, thank heavens, we have M&H right out there, saying they don’t give a flying F, and they call it like it is. And all us us porch sitters are going to get right up there and do that, with them, aren’t we?
Howl like the woman you are.
And think about calling yourself “Harder,” from this moment forward. I will not be ruled any further by some group of doughy white guys, and i don’t think you will be, either.
GATO!
http://partyandsoul.wordpress.com
By: gatodicima on October 18, 2012
at 8:24 PM
Check out Romney & Ryan As The New Munsters.
By: E.A. Blair on October 18, 2012
at 8:22 PM
Helen and Margaret, thanks so much for helping us keep our heads up. The pols are getting me depressed. I can’t believe what the people are seeing in Mitt. Most of the time, I just want to scream at the TV. Is the press so bought that they all are choosing to ignore his many different positions on so many different issues? They are matters of record and it should be news that someone who likes to just float with the winds would be pursuing a job that requires steadafastness and steady hands. We want to trust our children’s futures to someone like that and it is okay? What is wrong with us?
By: Easier on October 18, 2012
at 7:56 PM
Thanks, Sidney… Meant to say that myself!!
Been a while since we’ve heard from under the porch.. Going to check out the rest. Lemonade, anyone?
Gato
By: gatodicima on October 18, 2012
at 7:29 PM
just saw the link you posted–thank you. However, that article is premised on the notion that Romney actually “left” Bain in 1999. I think it’s been subsequently and very clearly shown from the Bain SEC filings that he did not. Of course, one could determine the answer from the tax returns–but Romney won’t release them.
By: Donna on October 18, 2012
at 7:09 PM
Hi, UAW. I was not weighing in on your views about abortion–I don’t think I ever heard what they were. It’s just that Romney keeps carrying on about how pro-life he (now) is.
The blind trust issue is an interesting one. The trustee is Romney’s personal lawyer and close friend. He is not independent. What is interesting is that his ethical duties to a client would require him to disclose any information to Romney that could affect Romney’s interests (i.e., pretty much anything). There is no duty on the part of a “blind trustee” that is comparable, so the attorney/client duty would trump it. This is wny a true “blind trust” would be with an institution, not one’s personal lawyer. So calling this a “blind trust” is a misnomer.
By the way, even Romney claimed that blind trusts were b.s. and can be easily circumvented. He did so when running against Ted Kennedy.
Returning to Stericycle, it has been a huge issue for the pro life community. Pickets, attempted boycotts, etc. My point is simply that Romney claims one thing and, when it comes to making money, throws those sentiments out the window.
By: Donna on October 18, 2012
at 7:07 PM
and some more on stericycle….
http://www.lifenews.com/2012/07/04/left-wing-blogs-falsely-attack-romney-on-abortion-stericycle/
By: uawtradesman on October 18, 2012
at 7:06 PM
and…
“And, of course, this was a situation in which Obama was not making the decision about which fund to invest in–your own link makes that clear.”
and Romney’s is in a blind trust…something he can’t control…..
so if one is guilty of impropriety isn’t the other????? Just saying…..
By: uawtradesman on October 18, 2012
at 6:59 PM
sorry Donna but you seem to think that I’m prolife….wrong again…..as long as that company followed all the laws I have no problem….do you have a problem with disposing of medical waste…..
I quit smoking in 2004 but still own Altria….it pays a good dividend…..
So what’s the problem with Romney and Stericycle……
are you saying that Romney can’t do something that Obama does ……
or is this just some political BS that you are fooled into thinking will change the inevitable outcome…..
By: uawtradesman on October 18, 2012
at 6:55 PM
by the way, UAW–if you have investments in mutual funds, do you know what the funds invest in? I don’t and I think I’m pretty savvy and informed. I believe that to know that, you’d have to get the funds’ prospectus and disclosure of every investment. And, of course, this was a situation in which Obama was not making the decision about which fund to invest in–your own link makes that clear.
By: Donna on October 18, 2012
at 6:53 PM
Hi, UAW–I can answer the question about the President. He has a small pension from when he was an Ilinois state senator. It has roughly 50-100,000 in it, which is invested in mutual funds. Some of those funds invest in foreign companies, including in China. It is a very small amount of money, indirect ownership, and the investments were not directed by Obama at all.
You may also be interested to see the news today about the extent to which Mr. and Mrs. Romney made at least $15 million from the auto bailout–the one that Mr. Romney and his running mate claim was so immoral. And, of course, the newly pro life Romney fails to disclose his investment in Stericycle, which disposes of medical waste, including aborted fetuses. Apparently Mr. Romney will make money in any way possible.
Facts are our friends, dear UAW.
By: Donna on October 18, 2012
at 6:39 PM
What’s the matter Sidney….
Are you upset that Obama has money invested overseas or his pension is through the Cayman Islands………..
By: uawtradesman on October 18, 2012
at 6:39 PM
HI Sidney…..
By: uawtradesman on October 18, 2012
at 6:35 PM
Hey UAW………why don’t you go F yourself.
By: sidney18511 on October 18, 2012
at 6:28 PM
hey Gato…what are you babbling about…..
“disenfranchised, discouraged, unemployed, fueled by religious fundamentalism, and packing plenty of firepower.”
WTF…
are you talking about conservatives or about the liberals that are advocating riots if Romney wins…..(what liberal is fueled by religion????)
I myself want to know more about the offshore accounts and foriegn companies Obama is invested in…..
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2012/oct/17/mitt-romney/romney-says-obama-also-has-investments-chinese-com/
By: uawtradesman on October 18, 2012
at 6:24 PM
Again and again Romney returns to “you’ve had four years to fix it and you haven’t!” This is exactly the same as saying “We spent eight years digging this hole, and in four years you haven’t filled it in, so give us back the shovel.” AS IF!
By: oldgrumpysteve on October 18, 2012
at 5:54 PM
Thanks, Bo, for including the link to the Amazon reviews of the Avery Binders-literally hundreds of hilarious comments.
During the first debate,we saw Romney interrupt and bulldoze over the moderator Jim Lehrer-much less tell him he would fire him-so I tried to watch more carefully on Tues to see how he treated this moderator. I think I counted 6 times where he did the same thing-but at one point she managed to tell him to sit down! And yes, Obama interrupted her a few times, too, I think, trying to get a response in. All in all, Romney’s arrogance and bullying scare me. Evidently he started his marriage that way: as I read Ann’s parents weren’t allowed at their wedding in the temple because they are not Mormon. And as scary as his policies toward women are, it seem Ryan’s are even more Neanderthal.
Thanks Margaret and Helen for your spot on comments and humor-it’s so refreshing!
By: claudette on October 18, 2012
at 5:42 PM
Definitely a spot on assessment!! One thing that comes to my mind is that if George Romney was alive today, would he be supporting his son? From what I’ve read, I think that George Romney was an honorable person. I don’t think his son is!!! I was a lot younger when George Romney ran for president, so don’t remember the campaign.
I love your comments and I’m looking forward to Monday night’s debate — I hope the President rubs Mitts nose in the BS he’s been spouting.!
By: Victoria on October 18, 2012
at 5:25 PM