Well, not really. But the selection by Willard of the detestable and hated Paul Ryan to be his running mate certainly isn't going to help him at all. This pick was solely about trying to shore up his conservative base so that they don't stay home on election day. It does nothing to help "broaden the tent" and bring in more minority voters, especially Hispanics, that the Republican party is always giving lip service to saying it wants to do. It also indicates that despite all of the social issues nonsense spewed out of the mouths of the likes of Sarah Palin, when the rubber meets the road the Republican Party leadership is all about ensuring that the federal government should first and foremost exist to serve big business. Ryan, the perfect ideological Randian stooge, meshes perfectly with Romney's vulture capitalist to form a billionaire mogul's wet dream of a perfect presidential ticket.
All of which serves to make President Hopey-Changey the prohibitive favorite to win reelection this November. I've said all along that Obama's chances to win a second term were largely dependent on whether Ben Bernanke and Obama's economic team could manage to stave off the next major market crash until after this election, and every day the chances of that happening are increasing. The market could still deliver an "October surprise" like it gave to Bush and McCain back in 2008, but the difference this time is the "stewards" of the economy are on guard for another Lehman Brothers-type meltdown and not asleep at the switch.
I don't really believe that Romney and the Republicans are consciously trying to throw this election so that the next big phase of the economic meltdown that started in 2008 will happen while a Democrat is sitting in the White House, but even if that is not their deliberate intent the result is likely going to be the same. I now expect the status quo of stock market-levitated economic unreality to continue at least through the end of this year. After that, all bets are off, and Obama will likely be the fall guy to get the blame when it does all finally come crashing down.
Bonus: Steve Miller was also born in Wisconsin, so this song is dedicated to Paul Ryan
Accurate analysis, imo. Florida will be interesting - Romney all but handed Obama that state. I really don't get why he picked Ryan. His biggest weakness is the 'one percenter' label, and he picks the guy who is the poster boy for 'one percenter' policy? And there's no appeal to those outside the conservative base (whose vote was never in question) - there's little to no independent, moderate, women, or minority draw. It is almost like an intentional throwing of the race. Could they really be that ideologically blind?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't vote for Romney even before his VP pick, but I am worried about the narrative that will be told after the next meltdown. If the blame is cleanly pinned on Obama, it could lead to some very reactionary responses. The narrative would be the failure of liberal politics instead of the failure of the system itself. And the evangelicals will have their spin, too. Whole groups of voters actually believe Obama is trying to intentionally destroy the country.
Honestly, It just feels like another choice between who gets to be "President" of the US Titanic. They argue about how to keep the band playing and change that isn't really change...as the icy waters continue to pour in. No one with any sense, or honesty, can start talking about rational simplicity, managed contraction/decline and lifeboat type mentality. It's more bullshit about tax cuts and trickle down to the peasants fixes everything, or massive debts and endless warfare/welfare can somehow continue with funny money.
ReplyDeleteI think given Spain's precarious position, its going to be difficult for the craziness of the ECB loaning spain money--to pay back the ECB type shell game--lasting very long. Who is going to continue to buy bonds at 7% another month--I see European Union starting to unravel big time by the end of September--although perhaps the process will take a year to work itself out. I've never cared less about an 'election' than this year, the myth of endless 'growth' and both parties basically pretending that technology can fix ecology is just too much for me. Apparently, almost no one really lives in reality---blind faith, may as well just say god is going to fix everything--people don't ever have to learn to live differently.
This will surely tend to polarize the political choice for voters, and, I do agree that Obama’s probability of being re-elected are increased, or maybe now is a shoe-in, barring some economic catastrophe. And, regardless of how one feels about it, this will have some very interesting long-lasting implications for the selection of several new Supremes in the coming years (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304141204577509250108648814.html).
ReplyDeleteI've long suspected that Palin was selected as insurance for Obama, once the deals to never prosecute bankers was in place. Paul Ryan? Same s**t, different day.
ReplyDeleteRomney pretty much said it all during his introduction, by freudian slip: he called on people "to serve -- solve -- the problem" by voting for him and Ryan...
ReplyDeleteI would have thought, considering the news, that if one were to select a Steve Miller song, "Take the Money & Run" would have been more appropriate ...
ReplyDeletePity those of us who live in Wisconsin. First Scott Walker and now this. The local media has already turned into a 24-7 campaign commercial for Romney. The latest is how his wife wears "frugal" dresses from Kohl's, and how he "bleeds cheese." And I wonder which execrable Tea party favorite will replace Herb Kohl in the senate.
ReplyDeletePass the brown bag, I feel some cheese coming up...