Mitt Romney and President Obama played the hits today at their back-to-back campaign speeches in Ohio. Romney framed the election as a referendum on the president's performance, while Obama framed the election as a choice between two distinct ideologies. Their speeches highlighted the questions that will define the race to come: How do you feel? vs. How will we move forward?
Romney walked through what he says are Obama's failed policies: the stimulus, the Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank, and his refusal to approve the Keystone Pipeline. "On day one," Romney said, "we're going to get the approval for that pipeline from Canada and if I have to build it myself to get it here, I’ll get that oil into America!" He went on to tackle the question of tax cuts for the wealthy with a short anecdote about Marco Rubio’s childhood:
"I saw Marco Rubio the other day. He spoke to a group of people and said something that struck me well. He said when he was a boy, he lived in a very modest home, and said there were some pretty fancy homes in the Miami area. He said, you know what? I never heard my parents say, Why won’t those people give us some of what they have? I never heard my parents say, Why won’t the government give us some of what they have?"
Obama, who spoke for nearly twice as long, explained in detail how he inherited an economic mess from the George W. Bush administration, and why Romney's proposals are merely the same policies "on steroids."
"The economic vision of Mr. Romney and his allies in Congress was tested just a few years ago. We tried this. Their policies did not grow the economy. They did not grow the middle class. They did not reduce our debt. Why would we think that they would work better this time?"
Both candidates doubled down on the arguments they've been making for weeks. In a key swing state such as Ohio, which holds a critical 18 electoral votes, the presidential race is going to come down to who can make their message stick in the minds of voters — either by eloquence, or unceasing repetition.
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I don't think he ever mentioned the Bush Administration by name - do you want to check that? I think it was done on purpose.
I did watch both speeches. Mr. Romney listed five things - general areas he would do if elected - at the END of his speech. President Obama began his speech by saying four things his administration has done:
1. six months after taking office, the economy was growing again
2. 4 million + jobs have been created in the 2 1/2 years since then
3. 500,000 jobs in manufacturing have been created since the previous decade when 42,000 such jobs were lost or outsourced.
4. the auto industry was supported and is thriving
What part of those things did Joe Klein not hear? He talked about gains in education and plans that would grow the middle class and others.
When is Joe Klein going to do some research - even checking the WH website to see what was in Dodd-Frank or what is in the Affordable Care Act or other measures which have been passed? Isn't that what reporters are supposed to do, and it's not that information on all of the bills the President has signed have not been made available, publicized, etc. Perhaps, it's because Joe doesn't like the amount of information and specifics that have been released that he chooses to dismiss what has been. You'd think after two years someone would have fleshed out the other 100 specifics in the two bills...someone like Joe Klein?
If Independents can't do a google search or check the archives of MSNBC shows, I would be surprised to learn what the President has proposed and done in education, the economic recovery, innovation, reducing the deficit, proposed areas of budget cuts, tax code changes, etc. Granted, I hope the DNC, the Obama campaign, and Representatives and Senators will speak up about all the things they see having been accomplished and what yet needs to be continued to improve the economy and the lives of middle class citizens, but I would submit that citizens ought to be able to find out information about the candidates by seeking credible sources that report locally, state-wide, and nation-wide what each has accomplished.
Excellent Lawrence! excellent. The same thoughts went through my mind while Romney, the draft dodger was lecturing about the veterans. What a shame! As a veteran myself, I thought it was the height of hypocrisy.
I hope MSNBC gives you an earlier airing time daily. I LOVE YOUR SHOW.
As if Romney could have done better in repairing the damage wrought by the spending ravages of the prior administration, who began with a surplus and spent the country into bankruptcy.
In their theme song that it is the Democrats who waste money, the Republicans are masters of mysticism. That so many people fall for this line is mind-boggling.
The keys to the nations rebound from the financial collapse recession (not a business cycle recession) came from the emphasis in the Bush Administration to recapatalize the bank holding companies and shore up the flagging sense of every actor in the economy of fear and trepidation by the actions of the TARP program. The Obama stimulus of early 2009 was simply inefficent, non lasting cotton candy fluff, although it cost more when you throw in the Cash for Clunkers and the cost of dealing with all the myriad new federal regulations and the costs of the loss for two years now to the Social Security Trust Fund. That's pretty sure as we now slip back into a recession due to the policies that Obama keeps voicing he is going to pursue, more spending, more borrowing, more regulations, more taxing. And more cotton candy stimulus for the sugar junkies of the public employee sector.
Romney and the pipe line, What a laugh, he is doing and saying as directed. This pipeline he is speaking of is owned by KOCH. The same Koch that has formed the Billionaires club which is American and foreign money.
These billionaires plan to own the America by owning the politicians and judge"s. YES, I know this sounds like a plot for a book, some times the truth is stranger than fiction. Look at the money they are pouring into the election. The politicians jump on command and you are forgotten 99% expected to take orders from the high and mighty. Are we Americans really this stupid to allow these billionaires to take over our government and control our life and future?
The Republicans speak of job creation, while taking the money from people who have moved American jobs over sea's. These same billionaires have built huge companies in Brazil, China, Mexico, Some of the oil companies have moved their home office and the employees to Swisserland and become swiss citizens.Why? cheap labor, no pension's no insurance, no limit to the hours an enployee must work.
Romney states he wants to fo away with social security, medicare, cut education, No regulation for banks, ( go to PBS.org/frontline/ look up how JP MORGAN began this depression that cleaned out your lifes' work, Facts not fiction) No health insurance rules, in short he wants to give you and I our family to the billionaires to do with as they please.
We lived this in the late 1800'S to 1937 in this country. Check out those years on the web!
There was a time that we Americans could respect the Republicans even if we did not agree with them, Now There are but three Republicans who can be respected and who are honorable. The rest is following the path of the past dictator's who seized power through big finance, lies and propaganda. I cannot for one moment believe that whatever political lable you may wish to wear you will allow the takeover of your country, your freedom, your life.
There will be no grave markers' to mark this fight for freedom. There will be no cheers as you speak out for the freedom that we are so close to having taken away from us. Just remember the man who traveled calling himself the medicine man, who had a cure for everyting in the bottle he was trying to sell you. Just like Romney.That bottle contained no cure, it contained whiskey and cherry juce that make you think you felt good. You were still sick when you woke up.
What are you, a 13 year old teenager Virginia? Your mind sure works like one.
You've obviously been sucking at the pap this network spews forth in you few brief years of political awareness.
Back it up with reference to Romney's position papers on your claims of his intended policies, or do what chidren should do when the adults are conversing.
One of our major problems is that our political pundits are always talking about growing something.The economy,housing,wages,personal liberties,you name it.The point is that nothing grows forever.Be it a plant.a person or a society.After a certain point a society like a person must learn how to maintain itself in a way that best preserves its identity and retains its sovereignty
The only thing that we have grown in the past 3&1/2 years is a shockingly high pile of IOUs. And Obama is looking to add more to that over the next four years if the country gives him a chance at it! SAVE THE CHILDREN, elect a fiscal conservative and give them a fighting chance to get out from under the crushing debt our greedy generation is laying on them in the name of "progressive" causes.
Fiscal Conservative, Mitt Romney . Are you sure you know what the hell Mitt Romney is? Since he has no idea. And it is truly funny to hear you people talking about fiscal,when it's the Republican Presidents who have left this country in more debt. It's like the President said, these so call fiscal conservatives sit down at the table and order a big expensive dinner, then when it comes time to pay for it they get up and leave and tell the next guy it's all on you, you pay for trying to clean up their mess. Fiscal conservative, I thought Newt Griginch were out of the race.
Two unpaid for wars, big prescription drug plan, two big tax cuts for the Mitt Romneys of the country, all, let me repeat that, all unpaid for. But it was put on America's credit card. As you put it, a pile of IOU's. Took a surplus and left a dam mess for this President to clean up. But hay it's been long enough now for this President to take the blame for G.W.Bush. Only in politics. Because if one of my kids wreck the car, then the other kid come along and try to repair that same car, kid one would always be responsible for that car being wreck, messed up. America only hope is to re-elect President Obama. OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
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