Between Barack and a Hard Place: Ultimate US Elections 2012 Thread

[CenturianSpy]

So if gay marriage becomes THE hotbutton topic this election (and I think it will), and Obama wins the election (and I think he will), how far to the left do the GOP slide to try to remain relevant in the post-black-president-that-openly-supports-gay-marriage world?

By allowing our government to define marriage outside of anything but contract law, we've lost the argument. Now, it's an issue for politicians instead of a freedom or inalienable right. So we now argue about how the vast majority of African-Americans voted yes on California's Prop 8, the overturning of "Don't ask, don't tell.", and due process for Scout Leaders. We've all been duped that something simple as Person A merges with Person B needs Equal Protection. I actually believe the Republicans will part ways with the Religious Right, which is becoming far less powerful, before the Democrats will part with their growing religious minorities on this issue.

[worstblogever]

The belief that the GOP was going to circle the wagons now that Mitt Romney is their candidate, going forward, and stop feuding amongst themselves... well, that's not entirely true, it seems. The current issue is, that Ron Paul is still out there, and the Tea Partiers really, really don't like Mitt Romney, what with his big wall street ties.

Tea Partiers in support of Paul audibly booed Mitt's son, Josh Romney, while he appeared to stump for his father at the Arizona GOP convention, and literal fights were breaking out between Romney and Paul supporters in Oklahoma during their primary.

We'll have to see if they reign it in during the GOP convention in Tampa, but Romney is still hardly a beloved candidate, even amongst Republicans.

[Matt Algren]

So we now argue about how the vast majority of African-Americans voted yes on California's Prop 8...

For the love of GOD will people stop saying that. It just isn't true and my fingers are getting tired of typing this sentence. From 2009:

Don’t blame Proposition 8 on African-Americans

In the wake of California’s passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state, many speculated that it was homophobia among African-Americans that led to the measure’s success, since exit polls suggested that as many as 70 percent of black voters supported the ban. Now, a new study by Patrick J. Egan of New York University and Kenneth Sherrill of Hunter College (h/t Hilzoy) purports to debunk that notion.

In their statistical analysis, Egan and Sherrill found that the exit polls dramatically overstated African-American support for Proposition 8. According to the two professors, 58 percent of African-Americans voted for the measure. By comparison, 59 percent of Latinos and Hispanics supported it, along with 49 percent of whites and 48 percent of Asians.

Egan and Sherrill came to their conclusions after doing a precinct-level statistical analysis of voting data. They examined the voting in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco counties, where 66 percent of California’s African-American voters live. Using estimates of the precincts’ racial composition, they were able to then create an aggregate model comparing race and support of Proposition 8. The report calls the exit poll results an “outlier,” and surveys conducted by two separate agencies just before the election seem to affirm Egan and Sherrill’s conclusions. Both surveys found that the statistical differences between African-American support for Proposition 8 and the feelings of Californians generally were insignificant.

So what did account for the results of the vote? “Party identification, age, religiosity and political view had much bigger effects than race, gender or having gay and lesbian family and friends,” the authors say. They add:

African Americans are more religious (as measured by frequency of attendance at religious services) than any other racial or ethnic group of California voters … controlling for frequency of religious attendance helps explain why African Americans supported Proposition 8 at higher levels than the population as a whole. Among Californians who attend worship at least weekly, support for Proposition 8 was nearly uniform across all racial and ethnic groups. Among those who attend worship less than weekly, majorities of every racial and ethnic group voted “no” on Proposition 8.

Egan and Sherrill found that 70 percent of those who attend church weekly reported voting for the measure. Eighty-one percent of those identifying themselves as Republicans also voted for it.

[Darrell D.]

For the love of GOD will people stop saying that. It just isn't true and my fingers are getting tired of typing this sentence. From 2009:

Don’t blame Proposition 8 on African-Americans

In the wake of California’s passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state, many speculated that it was homophobia among African-Americans that led to the measure’s success, since exit polls suggested that as many as 70 percent of black voters supported the ban. Now, a new study by Patrick J. Egan of New York University and Kenneth Sherrill of Hunter College (h/t Hilzoy) purports to debunk that notion.

In their statistical analysis, Egan and Sherrill found that the exit polls dramatically overstated African-American support for Proposition 8. According to the two professors, 58 percent of African-Americans voted for the measure. By comparison, 59 percent of Latinos and Hispanics supported it, along with 49 percent of whites and 48 percent of Asians.

Egan and Sherrill came to their conclusions after doing a precinct-level statistical analysis of voting data. They examined the voting in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco counties, where 66 percent of California’s African-American voters live. Using estimates of the precincts’ racial composition, they were able to then create an aggregate model comparing race and support of Proposition 8. The report calls the exit poll results an “outlier,” and surveys conducted by two separate agencies just before the election seem to affirm Egan and Sherrill’s conclusions. Both surveys found that the statistical differences between African-American support for Proposition 8 and the feelings of Californians generally were insignificant.

So what did account for the results of the vote? “Party identification, age, religiosity and political view had much bigger effects than race, gender or having gay and lesbian family and friends,” the authors say. They add:

African Americans are more religious (as measured by frequency of attendance at religious services) than any other racial or ethnic group of California voters … controlling for frequency of religious attendance helps explain why African Americans supported Proposition 8 at higher levels than the population as a whole. Among Californians who attend worship at least weekly, support for Proposition 8 was nearly uniform across all racial and ethnic groups. Among those who attend worship less than weekly, majorities of every racial and ethnic group voted “no” on Proposition 8.

Egan and Sherrill found that 70 percent of those who attend church weekly reported voting for the measure. Eighty-one percent of those identifying themselves as Republicans also voted for it.

Exactly.
It was a tactic by the GOP to get that misinformation out there, to cause dissension in the ranks.

[Iangould]

The belief that the GOP was going to circle the wagons now that Mitt Romney is their candidate, going forward, and stop feuding amongst themselves... well, that's not entirely true, it seems. The current issue is, that Ron Paul is still out there, and the Tea Partiers really, really don't like Mitt Romney, what with his big wall street ties.

Tea Partiers in support of Paul audibly booed Mitt's son, Josh Romney, while he appeared to stump for his father at the Arizona GOP convention, and literal fights were breaking out between Romney and Paul supporters in Oklahoma during their primary.

We'll have to see if they reign it in during the GOP convention in Tampa, but Romney is still hardly a beloved candidate, even amongst Republicans.

Ron Paul's effectively suspened his campaign - although he is still accepting donations.

Got to make sure there's a big fat chunk of cash to hand on to his son and other white supremacists.

[Darrell D.]

Ron Paul's effectively suspened his campaign - although he is still accepting donations.

Got to make sure there's a big fat chunk of cash to hand on to his son and other white supremacists.

I figured he is going to start hoarding gold, or something.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Ron Paul's effectively suspened his campaign - although he is still accepting donations.

Got to make sure there's a big fat chunk of cash to hand on to his son and other white supremacists.

Right now he and the few staff he still has on payroll are trying to get as many of his supporters as possible into the state delegations for the national GOP convention, in hopes of incorporating as many of Paul's batshit ideas as possible into the GOP platform, and possibly leveraging whatever influence they can muster into some influence in Romney's choice of VP candidate.

So, expect the official GOP platform to be even more insane than usual.

[7thangel]

Exactly.
It was a tactic by the GOP to get that misinformation out there, to cause dissension in the ranks.

but, but, what will the msm do if they can't run that narrative into the ground? it's been a while since i've seen so much attention on what black folks are supposed to think and feel and i don't think i've seen so many pastors in the news

[CenturianSpy]

For the love of GOD will people stop saying that. It just isn't true and my fingers are getting tired of typing this sentence. From 2009:

Don’t blame Proposition 8 on African-Americans

In the wake of California’s passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state, many speculated that it was homophobia among African-Americans that led to the measure’s success, since exit polls suggested that as many as 70 percent of black voters supported the ban. Now, a new study by Patrick J. Egan of New York University and Kenneth Sherrill of Hunter College (h/t Hilzoy) purports to debunk that notion.

In their statistical analysis, Egan and Sherrill found that the exit polls dramatically overstated African-American support for Proposition 8. According to the two professors, 58 percent of African-Americans voted for the measure. By comparison, 59 percent of Latinos and Hispanics supported it, along with 49 percent of whites and 48 percent of Asians.

Egan and Sherrill came to their conclusions after doing a precinct-level statistical analysis of voting data. They examined the voting in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco counties, where 66 percent of California’s African-American voters live. Using estimates of the precincts’ racial composition, they were able to then create an aggregate model comparing race and support of Proposition 8. The report calls the exit poll results an “outlier,” and surveys conducted by two separate agencies just before the election seem to affirm Egan and Sherrill’s conclusions. Both surveys found that the statistical differences between African-American support for Proposition 8 and the feelings of Californians generally were insignificant.

So what did account for the results of the vote? “Party identification, age, religiosity and political view had much bigger effects than race, gender or having gay and lesbian family and friends,” the authors say. They add:

African Americans are more religious (as measured by frequency of attendance at religious services) than any other racial or ethnic group of California voters … controlling for frequency of religious attendance helps explain why African Americans supported Proposition 8 at higher levels than the population as a whole. Among Californians who attend worship at least weekly, support for Proposition 8 was nearly uniform across all racial and ethnic groups. Among those who attend worship less than weekly, majorities of every racial and ethnic group voted “no” on Proposition 8.

Egan and Sherrill found that 70 percent of those who attend church weekly reported voting for the measure. Eighty-one percent of those identifying themselves as Republicans also voted for it.

Exactly.
It was a tactic by the GOP to get that misinformation out there, to cause dissension in the ranks.

<laughs> Sooooo ironic, you two prove my point. OF COURSE African-Americans are statistically insignificant in all California Statewide elections, they consist of only 1.8 million eligible voters in a 28 million eligible voter state (the fact is they did vote yes by a 3-2 margin in some polls and 2-1 in others, but this number was still too low to sway the election in either direction). But, once again we're arguing over minutia, WHICH WAS MY ORIGINAL POINT. We've lost the argument because our politicians/media have swayed a SIMPLE argument of contract law into a morality plight which demands Equal Protection. Think of it this way, how many years have women been trying for an Equal Rights Ammendment? We still don't have one. Why is that? Are we going to blame Republicans? Your arguments/responses say YES. Where has that gotten us? NOWHERE.

[Matt Algren]

<laughs> Sooooo ironic, you two prove my point. OF COURSE African-Americans are statistically insignificant in all California Statewide elections, they consist of only 1.8 million eligible voters in a 28 million eligible voter state (the fact is they did vote yes by a 3-2 margin in some polls and 2-1 in others, but this number was still too low to sway the election in either direction). But, once again we're arguing over minutia, WHICH WAS MY ORIGINAL POINT. We've lost the argument because our politicians/media have swayed a SIMPLE argument of contract law into a morality plight which demands Equal Protection. Think of it this way, how many years have women been trying for an Equal Rights Ammendment? We still don't have one. Why is that? Are we going to blame Republicans? Your arguments/responses say YES. Where has that gotten us? NOWHERE.

Your reading comprehension is off the chart.

No, the other edge.

[jmc247]

George W Bush gives Romney the least enthusiastic endorsement of all time

“Yeah, sure, I’ll vote for Mitt Romney. Whatever,” may as well have been former president George W. Bush’s words Tuesday when ABC News asked him who he is endorsing for president.

Actually, he said, verbatim, “I’m for Mitt Romney,” as elevator doors closed on him, in perhaps the most unenthusiastic presidential endorsement of all time.

Bush’s tepid endorsement doesn’t come as much of a surprise, since Romney is all but confirmed as the GOP nominee. But the former president has stayed out of the public eye since leaving office in 2009, preferring a low-key lifestyle in Dallas to playing politics in Washington.

He was in Washington, D.C. to promote the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s global human rights campaign.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/05/15/ge...t-of-all-time/

[7thangel]

...and torture expo and emporium

[Vibranium]

...and torture expo and emporium

Waterboarding half off if you come before 5 pm

[CenturianSpy]

Your reading comprehension is off the chart.

No, the other edge.

I believe you either misread or misinterpreted my original post. Then you blame my reading comprehension level and post an ad hominem attack. Wasn't it Frederick Douglass who said "At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed."? He'd be proud, because I have both.

[Deadman25]