Graph via WattsUpWithThat*

Politifact: TRUE, WINGNUTS!!11!

Oh, my. Mitt really stirred the hornets' nest with his joke about Obama's promise to rein in those pesky sea levels.

Like they did with Paul Ryan's Janesville GM plant reference, the "fact checkers" are wetting themselves as they completely miss the point (and get the facts wrong at the same time).

They can't accept that every rational person outside their little Progressive/Media (BIRM) bubble views their Messiah's grandiose promises of environmental healing and a magically restored economy where every job is a green job as the punchline to a joke. A very bad joke.

The death throes of their fairytale are going to be ugly, but lucky for us they will be televised. Enjoy.

*(h/t Damn Dirty RINO for adding the Obama quote to the graph)

Posted by: andy at 10:01 AM | Comments (292)
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Now fortified with 100% more nostalgic 90's lunacy.

The gay vampire look was very hip back then. Don't act like you don't remember.

Open thread, darling hearts.

Posted by: LauraW at 07:26 AM | Comments (593)
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Some idiot rich guy invited a reporter to one of Karl Rove's fundraising meetings in Tampa. Nothing stupid was said (Rove and team are smart enough to know any meeting with more than two people is essentially public) but it's a really interesting look into the world of courting big money donors.

Rove explained that Crossroads had conducted extensive focus groups and shared polling and focus group data with “all the major groups that are playing” in the election. “As many of you know, one of the most important things about Crossroads is: We don’t try and do this alone. We have partners,” he said. “The Kochs—you name it.”

What had emerged from that data is an “acute understanding of the nature of those undecided, persuadable” voters. “If you say he’s a socialist, they’ll go to defend him. If you call him a ‘far out left-winger,’ they’ll say, ‘no, no, he’s not.’” The proper strategy, Rove declared, was criticizing Obama without really criticizing him—by reminding voters of what the president said that he was going to do and comparing it to what he’s actually done. “If you keep it focused on the facts and adopt a respectful tone, then they’re gonna agree with you.”

...

Rove’s analysis of the Senate races was technical and masterly. The Republicans need four seats to gain a majority, and Rove said he feels “really good” about Nebraska and is optimistic about North Dakota, even though Democrats have a strong candidate in former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp. “We’re deeply engaged” there, Rove said. In Wisconsin, former Governor Tommy Thompson “has an excellent shot to win—he has a quirky, cross-party appeal.” Virginia is going to be tight and will likely mirror the way the state votes in the presidential race. Of those, Rove declared, “we can win three.”

In Connecticut, Rove noted that Linda McMahon, the former head of World Wrestling Entertainment, whom he had once written off, was running a “really smart campaign.” And the state, he noted, had moved more to the right. “Those affluent, socially liberal, economically conservative people in Fairfield County and the New York suburbs have finally figured out that their pocketbooks matter more than abortion.”

There are six Republican incumbents Rove identified as in jeopardy, but the biggest risk to Republican hopes of retaking the Senate is Todd Akin in Missouri, following his comments about “legitimate rape.” Rove urged every attendee to apply pressure on Akin to convince him to leave the race. “We have five people who are interested” in replacing Akin, Rove said. “We don’t care who the nominee is, other than get Akin out.”

Just from personal experience I think Rove is right about the tone of the campaign. I know we all want red meat all the time but we simply aren't the target audience. There has to be some hard hitting stuff but the few hundred thousand people Mitt needs in each of a handful of states don't react to it the same way we do.

If Mitt and team can keep the right combination of hard hitting, more in sadness than anger and personal revelation they struck in his speech last night, he'll do very well.

A couple of thoughts about last night:

-Romney was great. He's gotten so much better on the stump. I was pretty close to the stage for his speech to the American Legion on Wednesday and was shocked at how much better he was in person than on TV. Last night a lot of that came through.

-Eastwood was alternatively hilarious and horrifying. It would have been much more effective as a Night One event. It was simply out of place last night.

-The elderly couple and especially the woman who lost a daughter were fantastic character witnesses for Mitt. They need to be in ads, lots of ads pronto.

-Rubio was great as always. No one in politics today gives the "love letter to America" speech any better. He's going to be President some day. I just hope he leaves the Senate and does a term as Governor first. There's plenty of time for it.

-Whoever scheduled last night needs to be shot and then fired. The personal testimonials were fantastic but following them up with two generic politico types and then the Bain stuff (which was good, just not as good as the personal speeches) sucked the energy out of them and they were too distant from Romney's speech. Also, showing the bio video out of the network window in exchange for Eastwood was simply political malpractice.

Mitt was let down by his staff last night but much to my surprise, he bailed them out.

Today Romney is heading to New Orleans. Smart move to distance himself from Bush and beat Obama there. There was talk in Indianapolis he was going to go from the Legion speech to the Gulf Coast but I guess the storm was still raging there so it didn't work out. That would have been very aggressive programming.

Posted by: DrewM at 05:50 AM | Comments (428)
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Happy Friday.

I couldn't resist piling on media fact checkers yesterday.

Yahoo News reports that there is a planned Reagan hologram, it just wasn't ready in time for the convention.

DOD is threatening to sue the author of an UBL raid book for breaching non-disclosure rules.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 02:55 AM | Comments (378)
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The 2012 Election in a Nutshell

As explained by Paul Ryan:

"So here's the question: Without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years?"

Posted by: Maetenloch at 07:59 PM | Comments (381)
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On MSNBC, they are insisting that the statement "You want an American for big jobs" is a "birther" attack on Obama.

From AD, here's a partial transcript:

Ed Shultz: He said "When the world needs to do really big stuff, we need an American."

Ed Shultz: That was a bither line.

Ed Shultz: I don't know how else to take that.

Ed Shultz: That was below the belt.

Maddow: It struck me the same way.

They're also deriding Clint Eastwood as being unwatchable and inarticulate. Remember, this is Rachel Maddow and Al Sharpton and Ed Schultz lodging this complaint.

The most amazing thing here was Ed Schultz' passionate insistence that Clint Eastwood, ventriloquizing (by suggestion) "Go f*** yourself" into the mouth of the Invisible Obama, was a nasty, degrading attack, because Obama is a "family man" and presumably would take offense at this language.

Right. Chicago politician. Chose Rahm Emmanuel as his chief of staff, a famously profane man.

Right, Ed. Poor Obama. How will he get over it.

Posted by: Ace at 07:38 PM | Comments (725)
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Get it on.

For Clint (?), Rubio, & Romney.

Either Clint's late, or Clint's not coming and they're killing time, or, possibly, they've decided they want Clint on national tv at 10 and will let Romney run well past 11, and will dare the networks to cut away.

Option 3. They decided to dare the networks.

Posted by: Ace at 06:00 PM | Comments (1575)
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Joe Biden was so moved by Mitt Romney's acts of charity that he left a breadcrust at a diner and told the waitress, "For your bambino."

Preview of Chris Matthews: Dave S. thinks he knows what Chris will say about Clint Eastwood.

You know what strikes me? You got this guy, Clint Eastwood, he gets up there and he just looks angry. He looks like an angry, old, white man. And he's speaking to a group of angry, old, white men. So it plays well in the house, but this guy is detached from the pain of those that are left out.

I start to watch this guy, the scowl on his face, and it occurs to me that his role in Gran Torino was more of a biography than anything.

He wants us to check to see how close he got. I can guarantee you right now it's pretty close.

Posted by: Ace at 05:07 PM | Comments (1017)
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The Newt/Callista thing was very natural and totally not a bad idea, so there's that.

Posted by: Ace at 04:02 PM | Comments (1075)
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Here's the Update: complete schedule:

Introduction of Colors US Central Command Joint Forces Color Guard Team

Pledge of Allegiance by Dylan Nonaka

National Anthem sung by SEVEN

Invocation byKen and Priscilla Hutchins

Remarks by U.S. Rep. Connie Mack (FL)

Reagan Legacy Video

Remarks by Newt and Callista Gingrich

Remarks by Craig Romney

8:00 p.m. Remarks by Governor former Jeb Bush (FL)

Remarks by Bob White, chairman of Romney for President campaign

Remarks by Grant Bennett

Remarks by Tom Stemberg

9:00 p.m. Remarks by former Massachusetts Lt. Governor Kerry Healey

Remarks by Jane Edmonds, former Massachusetts Secretary of Workforce (Democrat who's going to sing Romney's praises)

Remarks by Olympians Michael Eruzione, Derek Parra and Kim Rhode

Remarks by ~MYSTERY SPEAKER~

10:00 p.m. Remarks by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (FL)

Remarks by presidential nominee Mitt Romney

Benediction by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan

Speaker Boehner declares convention adjourned

By the way, take a gander at the Murderer's Row of talent the Democrats have scheduled for next week:

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin

Newark Mayor Cory Booker

Former President Jimmy Carter (via video) (?!?!?)

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who will be the first Latino keynote speaker at a Democratic National Convention (he's the keynoter, not Clinton? Um, okay)

Former President Bill Clinton (ah, so Clinton speaks last, and is therefore the keynoter)

Former Republican Governor of Florida Charlie Crist (also, "Former Independent, Current Bunghole")

Former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Georgetown Law School Graduate Sandra Fluke (Oh she's a graduate now? Wow. They got a Law School Graduate!!!)

Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (Hope she talks about her state's amazing turnaround... under a different governor)

Former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine

Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California (awesome)

President of NARAL Pro-Choice America Nancy Keenan (this should be good)

Caroline Kennedy (noted orator and layabout)

WomenÂ’s rights activist Lilly Ledbetter (also good)

Obama Campaign Co-Chair Eva Longoria (was a TV "star" like five years ago)

U.S. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts (another Human Highlight Film)

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (ummm...)

U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, together with the women of the U.S. Senate (Gee, I wonder what this evening's theme is? Besides leghair)

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (beloved)

President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund Cecile Richards (another one... they've got a lot of eggs in this Abortion is Awesome basket)

Journalist Cristina Saralegui (They got a Journalist... almost as good as a Law School Graduate)

Los Angeles Mayor, Democratic Convention Chair Antonio Villaraigosa (running his city smooth as silk)

Senate candidate from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren (need big wampum)

U.S. Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina (she dared to come?)

I omitted all the ones I never heard of or barely heard of.

Anyway, should be a real hoot.

Click on the link above that list and you'll see some complaints by Democrats-- that the DNC is actually attempting a very white convention, because, I guess, they want to appeal to undecided whites.

So... Racism? You be the judge.

Excerpts... From Romney's speech. Some pungency here:

President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. MY promise...is to help you and your family.

From what I read, it's a more lovey-dovey humanizing speech than I would want, but I don't fear; I'm pretty sure he's holding the tough stuff back, so it's fresh when he delivers it.

You don't telegraph your blows, after all.

No one reading Ryan's excerpts would have realized what a thorough skull-f***ing he planned to deliver.

Here's one sharp line:

"If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President Obama? You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had, was the day you voted for him."

Again, going directly after Obama's strength.

Posted by: Ace at 03:01 PM | Comments (561)
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