Oh the ads..but I found one I like!

I make the statement later in this blog that a certain ad is "still my favorite of the election" but I just saw one from the NYTimes titled 11 Excellent Reasons Not to Vote.  It cannot be embedded.  At first I thought it a bit hokey but I watched and actually had chills at a few points. #SuddenlyOptomisticVoter! or #SwayedByAd.  Whichever, it is worth the watch.  Guess it is a video and not an ad but...http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/10/30/opinion/100000001874355/11-excellent-reasons-not-to-vote.html

Other recent ads, nothing too negative, just supposed lying and the next calling the first a liar.

A Romney add is aired concerning Obama and the auto industry and Obama counters with an ad of his own. 

Romney:



Obama:


Still my favorite ad of the election.  It just brings a smile to my face.



More to come...

What's At Stake

I'm sure I could find an economist writing just the opposite of what is said in this article by economist Joseph Stiglitz but I found the article on-target and interesting.  See what you think and if you have article/s of the opposite view, please post!  The link goes to an original op-ed piece but the 10/28 article in its entirety does not appear online.  Unsure why. If you have the Times from 10/28 it is worth a read.  The link has most of the points of the 10/28 article, titled What's at Stake in this Election.  The op-ed is titled
Some are More Unequal than Others.

From the article 10/28 article: "Mr. Romney has not explained why individuals in the hedge fund and private equity fund business should enjoy a loophole in the tax law that allows them to pay just 15 percent taxes on their earnings, while ordinary workers pay a far higher rate.  The 14 percent rate Mr. Romney reportedly paid on his income tax last year is well below that of Americans of comparable incomes who created a real business or made real innovations that transform our economy." and "Putting all this together isnt' the politics of envy.  It's about cold, hard economics.  Tax avoidance and low tax rates on capital gains - and the inequality they amplify - weaken our economy and distort the way in which we allocate resources.  They lead to underinvestmenst in infrastructure, technology and education."

The article also addresses why the issue of poverty, and addressing it, has appeared in the Romney-Ryan camp but that Ryan's proposed budget would hit programs that specifically help those in poverty.  Another article on this issue is Paul Ryan's Poverty Play.

From this article "House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget plan would get at least 62 percent of its $5.3 trillion in nondefense budget cuts over ten years (relative to a continuation of current policies) from programs that serve people of limited means." In Ryan's speech on poverty he stated "The short of it is that there has to be a balance – allowing government to act for the common good, while leaving private groups free to do the work that only they can do.” 

Also from this article, we see a number quotes issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stating they were against the Ryan budget.  An example: "At a time of great competition for agricultural resources and budgetary constraints, the needs of those who are hungry, poor and vulnerable should come before assistance to those who are relatively well off and powerful. With other Christian leaders, we urge the committee to draw a “circle of protection” around resources that serve those in greatest need and to put their needs first even though they do not have powerful advocates or great influence."


Love the end of the article "Sometimes you just run out of words for galling."
.

And now the recipe...

SKUNK!!

In the midst of storm preparation last night my dog, Sallie Mae, was sprayed in the face by a skunk.  A quick outside wash using shampoo and what I had left of a V8 did little to reduce the smell but did clear up her face so she wasn't bothered.  I looked up a remedy on Google (thank goodness for Google!), mixed up a batch and proceeded to the shower with Sallie.  As I'm cleaning her, I think, this is what our whole election system needs.  I'm so tired of the ads, name calling, over the top fundraising, phone calls (although I am still hoping for a call to be polled), and just about everything else about this election. Just thinking that this process is yet again right around the corner (seems like it) tires me.  Yes, I'm still voting but I'm not happy and not optimistic.  The entire venture has me down.  So, here's what we need, multiplied by however many you think need to be doused and scrubbed ("use a sponge around the eye area" or not...):

1 Qt Hydrogen Peroxide
1/4 cup Baking Soda
1 tsp dish washing detergent

Mix well!  Let's get the stench out!

Having your boss in the voting booth with you...

I really cannot believe this is OK, but it is as the law changed in 2010.

From the NYTimes: Bosses Offering Timely Advice: How to Vote

Letters are being sent to employees from executives of companies warning that if President Obama is re-elected the company could be harmed and jobs may be in jeopardy.  David Siegel, CEO of Westgate Resorts, sent a letter to his 7000 employees letting them know if Obama won, there may be higher taxes that could hurt the company's future.  "The economy doesn't currently pose a threat to your job.  What does threaten your job, however, is another four years of the same presidential administration.  If any new taxes are levied on my, or my company, as our current president plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company."  When questioned about pressuring his employees to vote for Romney, Siegel stated "There's no way I can pressure anybody.  I'm not in the voting booth with them."  OR IS HE???

Sounds like a threat to me.

Blogging the debates

What the polls are saying...

Race/Topic (Click to Sort)	Poll	Results	Spread
Connecticut	Rasmussen Reports	Obama 52, Romney 45	Obama +7
Connecticut	SurveyUSA	Obama 53, Romney 40	Obama +13
Minnesota	Rasmussen Reports	Obama 51, Romney 46	Obama +5
Nevada	ARG	Obama 49, Romney 47	Obama +2
New Hampshire	ARG	Obama 47, Romney 49	Romney +2
North Dakota	Forum/Essman	Romney 57, Obama 32	Romney +25

And, from the Buckeye state...         OH   IO

Nevada and New Hampshire  Really? Nevada and New Hampshire?

Need to poll on this:  Thinking Obama is the better hugger... just saying...

Possibly my favorite article on the polls

David Brooks from the NYTimes covers several of the questions and ideas that we've brought up in our class in his opinion piece titled Poll Addict Confesses. 

On predicting human behavior: "Most important, stuff happens. Obama turns in a bad debate performance. Romney makes offensive comments at a fund-raiser. These unquantifiable events change the trajectories of tight campaigns. You can’t tell what’s about to happen. You certainly can’t tell how 100 million people are going to process what’s about to happen. You can’t calculate odds that capture unknown reactions to unknown events."

We like the data: "I check every few hours. I’m motivated by the illusion of immanent knowledge. I imagine that somehow the next batch of polling will contain some magic cross-tab about swing voters in Ohio that will satisfy my voracious curiosity and allay this irritable uncertainty."

On status competitions: "When the polls swing your way, you feel a surge of righteous affirmation. Your views are obviously correct! Your team’s virtues are widely recognized! You get to see the humiliation and pain afflicting your foes. When the polls swing the other way, well, who believes the polls anyway? Those idiots are obviously skewing the results. This has been a golden age for confirmation bias."

Enjoy! I'm sure hoping I don't end up a poll addict! I think I'll do as David suggests and read them only once every few days.  #playingitsafewithpolls

Gallup Poll On Polls

This is from 1997 but still interesting.  "Survey researchers have actually conducted public opinion polls to find out how much confidence Americans have in polls -- and have discovered an interesting problem. People
generally believe the results of polls, but they do not believe in the scientific principles on
which polls are based. In a recent Gallup "poll on polls," respondents said that polls generally
do a good job of forecasting elections and are accurate when measuring public opinion on
other issues. Yet when asked about the scientific sampling foundation on which all polls are
based, Americans were skeptical."

Someone asked about the history of polling and this goes into that a bit.

And here is a 2010 Update from Gallup.

Wow, I've selected my eHarmony President!

I thought that this was an interesting article.  Some site titled Public Agenda. 
They have a FAQ link but when you try and see who is funding the site the information the page is no longer available, although you can get a list of the major funders.  Voter guides to help us "cut through the rhetoric and propaganda of election season!"

Now this is just getting a bit weird... "Now that you know your priorities and understand the tradeoffs, which candidate matches the policies you want? ElectNext works like eHarmony for elections, matching you to your candidates based on what you believe.

Wow, I've selected my eHarmony President! Back to the polls...

I should have asked the 20 questions about this article.

We can't afford four more years...

This ad was aired right after the debate (following an Obama ad).  From looking at her large kitchen, TV in the kitchen, and yet, "My family can't afford another four years like this."  I guess she could be unemployed, having her coffee, pouring over the want ads looking for a job.  American Crossroads ad.

"The ad will air on network TV stations and cable systems in eight states, with additional advertising on Pandora (Internet radio) and the Big 10 and SEC networks. The state TV buys include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia."

Enough of the polls!

I've had about enough of the polls.  Below is information from the site RealClearPolitics with information from today's polls.  Real Clear??  http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/
Who has time to follow these each day and are people really basing any decisions on them?

Monday, October 22

Race/Topic   (Click to Sort)	Poll	Results	Spread
Ohio	Suffolk	Obama 47, Romney 47	Tie
Ohio	CBS News/Quinnipiac	Obama 50, Romney 45	Obama +5
Colorado	Rasmussen Reports	Romney 50, Obama 46	Romney +4
Iowa	Rasmussen Reports	Obama 48, Romney 48	Tie
Pennsylvania	Morning Call	Obama 50, Romney 45	Obama +5
Pennsylvania	Gravis Marketing	Obama 48, Romney 45	Obama +3

Sunday, October 21

Race/Topic   (Click to Sort)	Poll	Results	Spread
Florida	PPP (D)	Romney 48, Obama 47	Romney +1
Missouri	PPP (D)	Romney 52, Obama 46	Romney +6

Saturday, October 20

Race/Topic   (Click to Sort)	Poll	Results	Spread
Ohio	PPP (D)	Obama 49, Romney 48	Obama +1
Ohio	Gravis Marketing	Obama 47, Romney 47	Tie
Florida	SurveyUSA	Romney 46, Obama 47	Obama +1
New Jersey	SurveyUSA	Obama 54, Romney 40	Obama +14

Cokie Roberts on women and voting

This interview was on NPR's Morning Edition today and prompted a chuckle from Cokie Roberts when asked “The woman’s vote is something we talk about every election and how important a role women play.  Is there something different happening this year or is this the reality of every election that women are really important?”

Cokie chuckles and replies “Yes, they are really important because it is the majority of the vote.”

She goes on to explain that women vote on the economy and the role of government.  She states that it’s not that women like government but they don’t dislike it as much as men do.  I thought it an interesting segment and worth listening to.

http://www.npr.org/2012/10/22/163378354/week-in-politics-polls-womens-vote

NYTimes Polling Standards

Just brousing the NYTimes I found they have a page that describes the NYTimes Polling Standards and the NYTimes Polling Checklist.  There are standards!

New Romney Ad

We knew it would get ugly.  From the Washington Post...

 “On just about every level, this ad is misleading, unfair and untrue… Simply repeating the same debunked claims won’t make them any more correct.”

“The debt will grow from 16 trillion to 20 trillion dollars”
“Twenty million Americans could lose their employer-based health care.”
“Taxes on the middle class will go up by $4,000.”
“Energy prices will continue to go up”

Let's not forget to frighten the seniors!

“$716 billion in Medicare cuts that hurt current seniors”


From the Washington Post 9/7/12... This article explains the Message Grid in advertisements.

" As we put the theater of the conventions behind us and move into the homestretch of the campaign, that simple fact — along with the omnipresence of outside groups flush with unchecked money and unchecked facts — means we can expect the nastiest two months of attack ads in modern American history."  I'm really, really dreading all of the ads.  I have not been enthused with what has been produced thus far and just want them to end but i realize they will not.

Gender Gap

With the Gender Gap near historic highs, Romney's comments can't be helping him.  Nate Silver states that "The biggest gender gap to date in the exit polls came in 2000, when Al Gore won by 11 points among women, but George W. Bush won by 9 points among men — a 20-point difference. The numbers this year look very close to that."

"Women, apart from their tendency to vote Democratic, also seem slightly more inclined than men to give the incumbent party another chance. When the incumbent is a Republican, as in 1976 or 1992, this can mitigate the gender gap. When the incumbent is a Democrat instead, as for Mr. Obama this year, both trends operate in the same direction, making it wider."

 

Silly Women!

The cities are full of women...

Bill Maher, Romeny and his women

"It's close, and we're seeing a significant gender gap...

Romney really is trying...to alienate the majority of women voters.  I actually felt sick at a few points during the debate.

"It's close, and we're seeing a significant gender gap here with women breaking for the president by 55 percent to 38 percent"

Whether the issues is contraception

• "Perhaps Mr. Romney forgot that he vetoed a bill as Massachusetts governor in 2005 that would have given women who were raped access to emergency contraception, or that he supported an amendment this year that would have allowed any business to opt out of the contraceptive mandate, or that he has said he would support a state constitutional amendment that would declare that life begins at conception — potentially making some kinds of contraceptives illegal."

Equal pay for women

Gun Control?

• "When a member of the audience at Tuesday night's debate asked what each candidate would do to keep assault weapons off the streets, Romney launched a baseless diatribe about making sure we have more two-parent families in this country, therefore equating gun violence with single parenthood."

Abortion

• "Mitt believes that life begins at conception and wishes that the laws of our nation reflected that view. But while the nation remains so divided, he believes that the right next step is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade."

Long Live Paper...More on digital vs print

I really enjoyed reading this article as I enjoy having a newspaper in my hands.  I do read the paper online as well, but there is something relaxing about having the paper copy in hand.

"Which brings us back to paper. With strength and durability that could last thousands of years, paper can preserve information without the troubles we find when our most cherished knowledge is stuck on an unreadable floppy disk or lost deep in the “cloud.”

Newsweek ending print edition

News today that Newsweek will end its print edition as of 12/31/12 and going entirely digital.  Job cuts are expected. Per the editor, Tina Brown, "In our judgment, we have reached a tipping point at which we can most efficiently and effectively reach our readers in all-digital format."

Election ads

Mandi's video has been produced. A laughing Biden and a concerned Ryan.

 

 

Romney Gains Ground With Women.

A USA Today-Gallup poll Monday showed Romney within 1 percentage point of President Obama among women in 12 swing states, trailing just 48-49 percent. A Pew Research Center poll found Romney tied with Obama among women at 47 percent after the first presidential debate after trailing the president by 18 percentage points in early September.

A woman in a new Romney ad states "“This issue is important to me but I’m more concerned about the debt our children will be left with.”

More on Romney and abortion

 

Obama: If we can’t trust him here, how can we ever trust him here…

 

 http://bcove.me/sdsyg314

 

Can't be aggressive in a town hall-style format?

All the talk was about how the town hall style format would not be the format for Obama to come back aggressive against Romney.  Wrong!  President Obama came across as a leader, disputed statements made by Romney, and I think he won the debate.  The closing statement by Obama was perfect and overdue.

President Obama's closing statement:

The more things change...

In reading the paragraphs below, I stopped and wondered what the author would have thought of today's use of communication in politics.  This is from The Paranoid Style in American Politics by Richard Hofstadter and this particular essay was written in 1954, titled Pseudo-Conservatism Revisited- 1954.

“The growth of the mass media of communication and their use in politics have brought politics closer to the people than ever before and have made politics a form of entertainment in which the spectators feel themselves involved.  Thus it has become, more than ever before, an arena into which private emotions and personal problems can be readily projected.  Mass communications have made it possible to keep the mass man in an almost constant state of political mobilization.” 

“In a populistic culture like ours, which seems to lack a responsible elite with political and moral autonomy, and in which it is possible to exploit the wildest currents of public sentiment for private purposes, it is at least conceivable that a highly organized, vocal, active, and well-financed minority could create a political climate in which the rational pursuit of our well-being and safety would become impossible.”

Smiling and Lying...

I enjoyed this article from the NYTimes!

"The fact that one diffident debate by the president could throw his whole race into crisis shows that nobody madly loves Obama anymore. With his aloof presidency, he shook off the deep attachments from 2008, and now his support lacks intensity."

and

"It’s hard to imagine a politician getting penalized for smiling too much, but Joe Biden managed it, breaking out in smiles and laughter 92 times by the count of ABC News. "

and

"Ryan explained Romney’s embarrassing secret tape to fat cats with this snide put-down to Joe, as he chummily called his elder: “I think the vice president very well knows that sometimes the words don’t come out of your mouth the right way.”

Biden shot back: “But I always say what I mean.”

and

"Ryan is a true believer, and that’s a little awkward now that Romney is making strides by showing that he truly believes nothing — running away from, rather than toward, the hard-right stances that won him the nomination."

and

"Ronald Reagan knew how to bluster for peace. Neocons do not. When they run the show, threatening a war is followed by going to war and that is followed by bollixing up the war and that is followed by our troops’ dying at war and money-pit nation-building to end the war, and that is followed by economic disaster for America."

Call Me Crazy...

Preface to the commercial:  I know this is long, I know I'll loose folks' attention but here goes...I believe that Mitt Romney needs to enthuse current supporters to ensure they vote on election day, woo the undecided voters (work on  his love of the middle class), and capitalize on the idea that President Obama is weak on Foreign Policy (channel Reagan here).  I think he should use some of his current rhetoric (We Can Turn Around America), some of Reagan’s rhetoric (Peace is made by the fact of strength…), some of Obama’s last election rhetoric (America is a country of strong families…), and lastly, Joe Lieberman jumps on board.

These items are just FYI, not directly in the commercial:

A few items on the undecided voter: The PNA survey (Project New America) shows that 73 percent of undecided voters in Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico plan on watching the debates, but what's more telling is that 80 percent of the undecided voters surveyed said they would not be making their decision until at least three weeks before election day and 59 percent said they would likely make their decision in the final week of the election. Meaning a potentially large swath of voters in key states are still up for grabs and all four debates could shift momentum toward either candidate in the race which, according to the latest polling, remains tight in the western states.

PNA asked undecided voters in Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico this question:

Recently Mitt Romney said quote "47% are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it." Based on everything you've heard about this 47% comment, does this make you more likely to vote for Mitt Romney, less likely to vote for Mitt Romney, or does it make no difference?

To which 32 percent said the comments make them less likely to vote for Romney, while only 16 percent said the statements make them more likely to vote for him. Perhaps most encouraging for the GOP candidate is that 53 percent said the comments do not make a difference to them. But the 32 percent that said they are less likely to vote for Romney due to the comments could be a crucial percentage in states like Colorado and Nevada where the race appears very tight.

Although “jobs and economy” were far and away the most important issue for the undecided voters — mirroring the results of every poll — Winkler said that a follow-up question yielded a surprising result. Asked what the undecided voters were looking for in a candidate, the undecided voters answered overwhelmingly with the words “country,” “leadership,” “integrity” and “honesty.” Any one of those factors “trumps the economy, that trumps the issues,” he said.

This is why these people are undecided — they’re cross-pressured here between the lack of trust in Mitt Romney, the character issues they have with him, and the sense that the economy’s not great and maybe it’s time to change,” Winkler said.

Inside the minds of the undecideds:

Myth No. 1: They don't care. As it turns out, nearly three-quarters planned to watch the debates. "That was a huge driver when we asked them what they're waiting for — why they haven't made up their mind," Winkler said. "People are intending to watch these debates and learn more about these candidates."

Myth No. 2: They only decide based on economic conditions. As it turns out, the most important issue these Western undecided were looking for in a candidate was not their ability to improve economic conditions. Instead, it was "someone you can trust."

Myth No. 3: They always break for the challenger. Obama is viewed favorably by 51 percent of the undecided and viewed unfavorably by 45 percent. For Mitt Romney, those numbers were 40 percent and 54 percent, respectively. Asked to predict who would win, 8 in 10 said Obama.

This was PRIOR to the first debate.

How many, who arethey and why haven’t they decided?

This Election is About the Soul of America

Now for the commercial:

(Undecided about the music playing in the background. At first I thought something soft and patriotic but now I think I need something upbeat and forceful)

We Can Turn Around America!

After four years of getting the runaround, America needs a turnaround, and the man for the job is Governor Mitt Romney!

America is a country of strong families and strong values. Governor Romney’s life has been blessed by both. He was taught accountability, self-reliance, working hard without making excuses, and treating your neighbor as you’d like to be treated.  He has a deep and abiding faith in the country he loves.

We Can Turn Around America!

President Obama supports changing the definition of marriage; believes that human life is disposable and expendable at any time in the womb, even beyond the womb; and tells people of faith that they must bow their knees to the god of government and violate their faith and conscience in order to comply with what he calls health care.

We Can Turn Around America!

Governor Romney will be a strong president and strong on Foreign Policy.  Peace is made by the fact of strength, economic, military, and strategic.  Peace is lost when such strength disappears or, just as bad, is seen by and adversary as disappearing.  The message from the President has to be one of strength and one of confidence. 

(Refer to Reagan, something like in this commercial, regarding strength) http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1980/peace-republican#4072

We Can Turn Around America!

Flash to Joe Lieberman campaigning for Mitt Romney (taking actual statements from Lieberman): One of the things I learned early on in public life is you have to be ready for public anger if you’re going to have the guts to say what you believe.  The standards of decency and civility have eroded and I am calling for a renewal of the moral center of this nation.  Religion and values need to have a place in the Democratic appeal, but do not.  Have you checked any polling lately? God is running ahead of any living politician. Leaders should connect with the majority by reflecting their best values and living by them. Republicans have often unsettled people with talk of religious values. But the alternative is not to be neutral or mute.  People need sources of morality for good behavior, and there is none better than religion.

The time is now for strong leadership.

This Election is About the Soul of America.

We Can Turn Around America!  Mitt Romney for President!

 

 

 

A few sites to check out

http://www.zebrafactcheck.com/  Fact Checking "Zebra Fact Check evaluates statements other fact check services ignore and provides information other fact check services may miss. Our goals are accuracy, balance and adherence to proper journalistic standards for identifying content as news, news analysis or commentary."

http://www.allsides.com/ AllSides- The VP Debate from the left ("Not a single thing he said is accurate," Democrat Biden declared), center ("Neither candidate let his opponent get away with much of anything during the vice presidential debate Thursday night."), and right ("Grinning Biden Fails to Throw Ryan Off Course")

Not the debate or commercials, but interesting

Justices Weigh Race as Factor at Universities

This is interesting!!

WASHINGTON — With the future of affirmative action in higher education hanging in the balance, the Supreme Court on Wednesday grappled with two basic questions, repeated by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. in various forms at least a dozen times.

Now this is a debate!

"This debate was a lot more entertaining than the presidential debate"  CBS News

"Biden did everything but pat him on the head"  CBS News

"Biden was taking advantage of Ryan's youth" CBS News

"Voters are looking at these two and asking which they can see as president CBS News

"Who do you trust?" Joe Biden looking into the camera and asking the question.

"Biden had all the energy that Obama was missing last week" CBS News

"Biden may have helped the president with his base" CBS News

Fact Checking the debate, Washington Post

tweeting fast and furious

Amazing what is coming up on twitter!

Barack Obama‏@BarackObama

Joe Biden: "If you notice, he never answers the question." #DetailsMatter

 

OFA Debate Response‏@OFADebates

FACT: President Obama strongly believes in a woman's right to choose—and that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.

Retweeted by Barack Oba

 

Zach Carter‏@zachdcarter

Ryan is getting out-wonked. #VPdebate

Retweeted by Barack Obama

 

Upworthy‏@Upworthy

Wow. @martharaddatz to @PaulRyanVP "Do you actually HAVE the specifics or are you still working on it and that's why you won't tell voters?"

Retweeted by Barack Obama

HuffPost Politics‏@HuffPostPol

Biden: "My whole life has been devoted to leveling the playing field for the middle class." http://huff.to/TkeTq8 #debates (corrected)

TJ Holmes‏@tjholmes

Why is no one talking about Big Bird tonight? #VPDebate

 

Eric Stangel‏@EricStangel

Martha should ask these guys what the hell to do with A-Rod... #VPDebate #Yankees

Max Lucado‏@MaxLucado

Much talk n post #VPdebate discussion about Biden's demeanor. Did his smiles, smirks and sneers bother u?

Favorite quote from the debate...

 "That is a bunch of malarkey."  Joe Biden states after Ryan says that the Obama's administration's foreign policy is unraveling.  Malarkey is such a great word!  Exaggerated or foolish talk, usually intended to deceive.  Love it!

Biden on the attack...

Joe Biden is on the attack.  I think he is being a little rude, but making his points.

"He's got to go right at Ryan and shake him from the very beginning," said Chris Kofinis, a Democratic strategist. "He's got to put him on the defensive from the get-go."

From the Huffington Post:
"Biden Winning Undecideds By 18-Point Margin

Joe Biden is winning a crucial test during the vice presidential debate, bringing undecided voters into his corner. Biden, an hour in, has persuaded 64 percent of those polled, while Ryan has won 36 percent of them.
The survey, conducted for HuffPost by OverTheShoulder.com, is dubbed a "Smartphone Town Hall" and draws on a random sample of more than 300 voters from across the political spectrum. The members of the panel are watching the debate live and answering questions sent to their phones. "

Medicare

"If we don’t get Medicare right, there’s no money for anything else. On this particular policy issue, the Republicans have the edge."  Looking forward to hearing about this in tonight's debate.  I think this article is on target.  Another artcile on Medicare.

Softening his conservative edges...

The Romney folks are working on playing up the image that Mitt presented in the debate, hoping to win the undecided voters.  Even though he seems to be flip flopping on abortion, he eventually stated: “I’m a pro-life candidate. I’ll be a pro-life president.”

"Mr. Romney evidently decided yesterday was a good day to throw any semblance of consistency to the wind. In addition to his abortion comment, he said in an interview with CNN that he would protect mortgage and charitable deductions for the middle class."

An article highlighting Romney advertisements and how he has altered them to suit the audience:
"It must be the case that many Americans recognize his contortions, and will vote for him regardless because they don’t like the president. That’s their right. But if Mr. Romney wins, he’ll set a nasty precedent. Candidates will be justified in assuming not only that they can lie, but that they can tell different lies to different audiences from week to week, and voters will actually reward them."

Voters Give Romney Better Grades for Leadership

Voters Give Romney Better Grades for Leadership, Polls in 3 States Find

Post debate Romney is looking better to a lot of people.

Suddenly the polls are on target

After all the hoopla regarding the polls and how they do not represent the truth (over sampling Democrats...), now that some polls show Romney even with Obama, the polls aren't so crazy after all.  What happened to "These polls are so skewed, so phony, that we need to start paying attention to what’s going on so that you won’t be deflated.”?

From the NYTimes The Polling Conspiracy "In case you missed it, that’s how some Republicans explained the pre-debate polls favorable to Mr. Obama. Hugh Hewitt, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and John McLaughlin, among others, all tried to cast doubt on the validity of the surveys, in some cases suggesting that pollsters were in the tank for Mr. Obama and trying to suppress turnout among Republicans."

Pew Center Poll

A new Pew Research Center poll states that President Obama's lead has been wiped out due to Romney's performance at the first debate.  From Pew "Romney is seen as the candidate who has new ideas and is viewed as better able than Obama to improve the jobs situation and reduce the budget deficit."  And maybe worse news for Obama as the report states "More generally, the poll finds Romney’s supporters far more engaged in the campaign than they were in September."  Looks like Romney has revitalized his supporters!

$4.65 per gallon?`

Ouch! Gas prices in CA rose to $4.65 per gallon!

Wonder how this will play out as we know the prices are coming our way.

Out of work??

Romney Wins Debate

Most are saying that Romney won last night's debate but many are saying that much of what he stated was untrue or a reversal of previous statements.

Obama was not on the attack and failed to mention many of the things that his campaign has brought out regarding Romney.  The 47% comment was never mentioned.  "It was as if he left his campaign’s best attack lines in a folder backstage."

I would think that Romney may have pulled some undecided voters his way.  My favorite Romney line:" Look, I've got five boys. I'm used to people saying something that's not always true, but just keep on repeating it and ultimately hoping I'll believe it."  Rings true for me!

From the Washington Post: "Mitt Romney finally found his voice Wednesday night. After many months of awkward moments and shifting campaign messages, he forcefully and confidently stood alongside President Obama and offered an alternative economic vision to what he called Obama’s “trickle-down government approach.”

From the Huffington Post, The Etch-A-Sketch Debate: "We know who he is. He believes in more tax breaks for the wealthy, less regulation on the corporations, more corporate trade deals, more money for the military, deep and debilitating cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and every domestic program. The full catastrophe that got us into the mess we are in. But he's prepared to abandon that agenda to sell it, and to do so without even a glimmer of conscience that he forcefully argued the reverse last month."

If anyone cares, Sarah Palin called the night a victory for Romney and felt sorry for Obama: " "I almost felt sorry for him in his role as president trying to explain why we need to repeat four more years of failed policies. I thought this was Romney’s night. Romney did very well and he was able to articulate well why it is that someone with great business experience is what we need to turn this economy around.”

From the Washington Post, Presidential Debate: Two candidates on stage, two different ones on campaign trail "Wednesday’s presidential debate was a tale of four candidates: the two men who stood on the stage for 90 minutes and the two rivals Americans have seen for months on the campaign trail and in television commercials. There was no comparison."

Let the Fact Checking begin!
Washington Post
Dubious Denver Debate Declarations, from Factcheck.org

Sports News, briefly…

Before I get to the election, I had to blog about Miguel Cabrera’s feat of winning Baseball’s Triple Crown, the first winner since 1967!  Congratulations!

“Cabrera became just the 15th player to win baseball's Triple Crown, joining an elite list that includes Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig. Cabrera topped the AL with a .330 batting average, 44 homers and 139 RBIs, becoming the first Triple Crown winner in the major leagues since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.”

Bias in the media

Does NPR have a Liberal Bias?  I'm not sure but I do agree with this quote from David Carr of the NYTimes:

"Many in Congress, including Mr. DeMint, have argued that NPR’s serving of news comes with a heaping side dish of squishy liberal ideology. And that’s true to a point. In terms of assignments and sensibility, NPR has always been more blue than red, but it’s not as if it has an overt political agenda. Working in public broadcasting probably disposes you to certain kinds of government assistance — to public broadcasting, for example."

Question:  do you think you can detect bias in the reporting of an issue you don't care about? Well....No.  I'm not sure I would be able to.  I'm not sure I can detect bias in the reporting of an issue I do care about. I may just object to the information and ignore it.

Lots of folks think there is bias in the media and the call is out to tune out the liberal media.

From a Fox News story:

More than 20 Prominent Conservative Leaders Call on Public to Tune out the Liberal Media!

In a letter posted on Media Research Center (America's Media Watchdog!) site, the conservative leaders claim the established media are "out of control with a deliberate and unmistakable leftist agenda."

Fox News states regarding the liberal media "To put it bluntly you are rigging this election and taking sides in order to pre-determine the outcome."

Just when we thought no one cared about foreign policy…

Post Debate: I see that the debate tonight was on domestic policy only.  Oh well... so much for my blog post.  Waiting on the NEXT debate!  I've been dealing, as Romney has, with my lying teenage boys.

What will be said about Benghazi, Libya in the debate tonight? We’ve heard little about foreign policy but this could change.

Per Bloomberg.com: “That attack by what is now believed to be al-Qaida-linked militants has become fraught with election-year politics as Republicans accuse administration officials of dissembling in the early aftermath on what they knew about the perpetrators and for lax security at the diplomatic mission in a lawless part of post-revolution Libya.”

And from the NYTimes: “The Obama administration sidestepped Al Qaeda ties in the case of the Libyan attack to perpetuate the narrative that the president had decimated Al Qaeda when Osama bin Laden was killed, and to preclude allegations that they were asleep at the switch on the anniversary of 9/11. Better to blame it all on a spontaneous protest to an anti-Islam video on YouTube.”

Does any of this bring Jimmy Carter to mind? Some think so, such as this article on the “JimmyCarter Strategy”

Is Paul Ryan Right that Obama’s Foreign Policy is Blowing Up in Our Faces?

And, last...

Election 1980 Style

Eager to watch the debates tonight!  Not sure why the colors are off on my text. Blog help!