Anyone watching the RNC/DNC conventions?

Hmm...8 years versus <4, one was on watch when the financial melt down started and the other came into office at the melt downs peak.

Yeah, they are similar...rolls eyes

Actually, it was still peaking, and we hadn't actually hit bottom till the housing market finally bottomed out, which only happened recently. Really, the lack of demand isn't something that any President can do anything about, since it has more to do with the World market (Europe and China) and their problems, than domestic issues. It's actually a miracle that we're not losing jobs right now, and that miracle is largely fueled by Natural Gas. It's like blaming the President or Congress for current high gas prices, as if the US can control the weather that shut down Gulf oil production.

All this talk about Presidents and Congresses, and how they can "grow" or haven't "grown" the economy, ignores the plain fact that no US Government has EVER managed to affect the economy more than as a mere blip of momentary change. But people expect some sort of miracle fix from electioneering idiots who promise that they can indeed fix the economy. With Europe doing it's "delay of the month" Euro Crisis Management, and China's economy slowing down, there isn't enough non-domestic demand to pick up the US economy, and with high unemployment, high UNDER-employment, and high uncertainty, domestic demand is weak as well. Until these two problems sort themselves out, all political economic talk is just so much gas.

I disagree. Government policies can spur growth or contraction. Now I will say that the affects of their policies are not usually felt right away. For example, you have Obama signing executive orders promoting natural gas use and the military is also looking to go greener and lower it's oil consumption, all have helped natural gas prices to be lower and will inevitably create more jobs in both instances.

The reason natural gas prices are low is because of the enormous surplus we have of it not because anything Obama did.

Give credit where it is due. Obama did sign all those drilling permits, which is (ahem!) fueling the surplus of gas, as companies drill enthusiastically for "wet" gas, to make their money off the butane and propane.

He will never give Obama credit for anything. But he will continue spewing inaccuracies.

Honestly, I think he does it just to get a rise out of you.

Then damn! He's good

It almost appears that the repubs are shooting themselves in the foot here. It's entertaining to not be affilliated with either side and to sit back and watch the show.

Flip flopping for votes. As I said......"comical"

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012...909?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=76



rather than pull a double post, I thought I'd just tack on a bit more comedy to this post:

(what they didn't televise)

What is FUNNY is how the same attacks on Romney revolve again like a cylinder of a six shooter.

So, unlike Romney himself, the attacks are at least CONSISTENT?

I am not arguing the fact that he is frequently redefining himself and his views but it is a changing world. You really think Obama has been consistent with his promises? Didn't he say something about closing Guantanmo, immigration reform, etc.

Obama is doing a similiar thing but can hide behind his role as president.

Not just the top mucky-mucks, but nearly all polititians. Politics= the art of telling people what you know they want to hear. It used to be on the covert side, now it's all just in-your-face-bald-faced-lying. And people fall for it.

Actually, Romney is once again redefining himself, doing the Centrist Swing that Conservatives were so afraid he would do, on the talk show circuit.

And as for Guantanimo, how do you manage to fault the Executive Branch for the near universal blockage from the States and the Legislative Branch? Immigration is a legitimate nit to pick, since Obama's administration had been avoiding that fight, but with Guantanimo, he had at least been TRYING to keep his promise for quite a while, before giving up.

Ok then I will pick another justice department issue. Why doesn't he give up more information on the Fast and Furious stuff going on? Wasn't his main message that Washington was going to change and be more transparent?

Now there you are onto something!

You can still say he flip-flopped on closing GITMO because of his signing of the NDA. With him signing the NDA he has allowed GITMO to stay open indefinitely.

Repubs are trying to block stuff? Your right we are! We blocked stuff like immigrants illegally entering the country. I believe it was Bush that got the border secured and guess what he was the one that got the program rolling that you quoted.

"Secure Communities was piloted in 2008.[4] Under the administration of George W. Bush, ICE recruited a total of 14 jurisdictions. The first program partner was Harris County Sheriff's Office (Texas)."

Ignorance is bliss!

I'll take issue with that calling! He only took that deportation change well into this election cycle. He did not put in any sort of effort at passing immigration reform, and has put that issue on the back burner while he did other stuff. He may be just facing political reality in not trying, but it is a legitimate nit to pick.

Fast and Furious isn't so much pumped up in order to damage the President (though there is an element of that), so much as it's Congress and the Justice Dept. having a peeing contest over who has a right to do what and when it should be done.