1 Giving Mitt the benefit of the doubt, he is pointing out that China's regulators are more favorable to free enterprise than our home grown variety.

2 Would rather wake up to an anti-obama thread since he is the real enemy right?

3 Barack Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable tyrant.

4 H8trZ!!

5 he is pointing out that China's regulators are more favorable to free enterprise than our home grown variety.

Then he's wrong.

Way to pander to the base, Mitt.

6 Romney also said that Obama wasn't to blame for high gas prices!!! Do we have a Manchurian Candidate or what?

7 Posted by: real joe at March 12, 2012 08:44 AM (w7Lv+)

I agree. It is undeniable that the government of China is a benign influence on the business climate -- as long as that business fits their plan. Of course that's the devil in the details.

8 he is pointing out that China's regulators are more favorable to free enterprise than our home grown variety. Then he's wrong. Way to pander to the base, Mitt. Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 12, 2012 08:45 AM (8y9MW) How is he wrong, if that is his point?, on that? Our regulators here are like Nazis. It's becoming damn near impossible to build anything here

9 Watch out Andy.  This is the type of thing that will get you labeled as a shithead.

10 Morning CBD

11 Back in the 70s and 80s Japan was the "miracle" economy.  Now it is China.  Both were wrong.  Contrary to what you hear from the MFM, American manufacturing before the great collapse was so far above China's that if you stacked them side by side you would not even see China's.

As for commie incentives to build stuff. Yeah their hotels go up fast, looks like they come down fast too when they collapse.

12 They're also moving quickly, of course, because China's communist government can seize property by fiat
---------------------


So can US government entities now.

13 It's the word FREE , not the word ENTERPRISE that always confuses the modern American politician. They wouldn't know free if they woke up in bed with it.

14 It's becoming damn near impossible to build anything here

That's true.  You're absolutely right.

Now go to China and try to build something the government doesn't specifically want you to build.

They're still called "Communist China" for a reason, after all.  Just because they'll facilitate you building things they would have spent money on anyway doesn't mean they're interested in free enterprise.  They're just not stupid (which, again, is an improvement over our own regulators- but that's a problem with the regulatory state, not a mark in favor of China).

There's also the fact that, here in the US, if a Regulator gets too obstructive, there are usually systems (of varying levels of effectiveness and inefficiency) to get past that- the Courts if all else fails.  In China, if the regulator says, "No," then you're stuck- he speaks for the state which rules supreme.

15 The last volley of Muzzie "rockets" landed in Gedera Israel. Creeping closer to Rehovot

16 Posted by: nevergiveup at March 12, 2012 08:48 AM (i6RpT)

And to you!

What do you think of Dagan? Is he the latest in a long list of disgruntled former officials who still want to be influential, or was the interview butchered by the editors?

Either way, Israel doesn't need public disunity.

17 They wouldn't know free if they woke up in bed with it.

Ouch.

Correct. But ouch.

18 The argument in support of the vast project -- with many lines connecting to more sparsely populated inland regions -- is that they are a strategic investment that will link markets across the country.
-------------------------


Didn't a famous Russian woman write a book about that back in the 50s?

19 Well gee, it's easy to be happy working for a government that may choose to toss you in prison if you don't toe the line.  Wonder what the Chinese Christians think about it?

20 Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 12, 2012 08:51 AM (8y9MW) I hear ya. I was not touting the Chicom system, just pointing out the draw backs in ours

21 >>It's pretty impressive over there how quickly they can build things

It would be nice to be able to shoot eco-fascists in the head and sell their organs instead of letting them tie new projects up in court for decades.  Never mind the federal dollars that fund their lawyers could be spent on something useful (or better, never spent at all).

Anyway, the towns in Indiana who got blown off the map earlier this month? No one is allowed to rebuild so much as a utility shed until until the state and federal governments sign off.  And there are 150-year-old homesites that will never be rebuilt, because FEMA won't sign off.

22 At some point we're going to have to get behind Romney. I don't like it anymore than the rest of you. If I ever get my hands on Rick Perry or his advisors, I'm going to give them shaken baby syndrome. However, all our efforts have to be focused like a laser on the scoamt.

23 At some point we're going to have to get behind Romney. I don't like it anymore than the rest of you. If I ever get my hands on Rick Perry or his advisers, I'm going to give them shaken baby syndrome. However, all our efforts have to be focused like a laser on the scoamt.

24 sorry that was weird

25 What do you think of Dagan? Is he the latest in a long list of disgruntled former officials who still want to be influential, or was the interview butchered by the editors? Either way, Israel doesn't need public disunity. Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at March 12, 2012 08:52 AM (nEUpB) Yeah I think he is a jack ass for talking out like he is. And while he seems to describe the fall out from an Israeli attack on Iran with glee, he doesn't mention what the fallout from a nuclear Iran attack on Israel might be? I guess the answer is to wipe out Hamas in Gaza and Hezbellah in Lebanon first before going after Iran?

26 Posted by: dagny at March 12, 2012 08:55 AM (u50z0)

A point so nice;
You made it twice!

27 Yes by all means let's bash Romney for pointing out we're being strangled by regulation and regulators, that's a winning argument you got there Andy.

28 Well, we already knew he isn't a True Conservative. At least this sentiment would be popular in the US. We just have to shape it as "let's take down regulations" and not the whole "let's take all their property" angle. I don't know, I think Barky is certainly beatable, even with Our Chump Mutt at the helm.

29 For a second there I thought Data was going to leave me a clue about what choice to make.

30 sorry that was weird

Come, now, dagny: we all know that double-posting is one of the finest traditions of the HQ.

Oh- quasi-on-topic: What do the morons know about the government/society of Jamaica?

31

.

Now go to China and try to build something the government doesn't specifically want you to build<<<<

 

Like a refinery? Or a nuclear power plant? A pipeline?

 

Because our government is all about the free market.

32 "It's pretty impressive over there how quickly they can build things, how productive they are as a society. You should see their airport compared to our airports, their highways, their train systems. They're moving quickly in part because the regulators see their job as encouraging private people. It's amazing. The head of Coca-Cola said the business environment is friendlier in China than in America. And that's because of the regulators. That's because of government."

That's pretty much what Steve Jobs told Obama last spring when asked if he could move iPhone production to the US.

33 I have a friend who moved to China 3 years ago because of the manufacturing that could be done so cheaply and efficiently. He's moving back to the US now.  He sees it as highly unstable there and becoming difficult to do things profitably. He also says the worker conditions really started to wear on him and the pollution is horrifying.

34 >>we're on the cusp of nominating a guy who just extolled the virtues of China's command economy.

SCOAMF is already implementing Five Year Plans.  Better the devil you know, I guess.

35 Never fails, I always post on dead threads.

Anyway, spend the weekend enjoying the new car.  Here is a picture of it waiting for me at the dealership: http://tinyurl.com/7t8lluu

Turns out, it was the first one shipped to Florida, so I got a lot of head turning over the weekend.  One guy even tried to buy it, while I was signing the paperwork.

36 Posted by: nevergiveup at March 12, 2012 08:56 AM (i6RpT)

I was irritated that he overemphasized the damage from a conventional attack by Hamas and Hezbollah, but ignored the slightly more significant problems that would be caused by A FUCKING NUCLEAR WEAPON DETONATING IN TEL AVIV!

37 We just have to shape it as "let's take down regulations" and not the whole "let's take all their property" angle.

Yeah... it would certainly help if he hadn't specifically praised the Olympics, though- that was Communist Statism in all its sordid glory.

And that's the problem- there are plenty of places with lower regulation than we have- that get things done pretty quickly- that aren't autocratic societies that will kill or imprison someone for daring to disagree with their government.

38 Did he visit any of China's unoccupied ghost cities? The ones that their enlightened "regulators" and other omniscient government officials decreed to be built, but have no economic activity occurring in them? Have any of these fuckwits read Economics in One Lesson? It's pretty simple -- pretty airports and fast trains are nice, and it's easy to see why politicians would want them to be built when the Olympics are on, but to understand anything economically, you have to include (a) all the people affected, and (b) on a sufficiently long time scale. These fast trains and beautiful airports came at the cost of other projects and economic activity that never came to exist.

39

This is weak shit, Andy. The Huffington Post notes that these comments came after "his usual full-throated defense of free enterprise and small government." You just happen to omit that part.

 

So the Huffington Post has made a more balanced critique of OUR probable candidate than you did. Not great.

40 The word from the street is that Chinese healthcare is also superior.  If you get injured on the job, you're taken out back and immediately given a shot to cure what ails ya.

41 This was posted on Hot Air headlines yesterday and even most of the whack jobs there dismissed this as anything. And that's saying something.

42 22 At some point we're going to have to get behind Romney. I don't like it anymore than the rest of you. If I ever get my hands on Rick Perry or his advisors, I'm going to give them shaken baby syndrome. However, all our efforts have to be focused like a laser on the scoamt.

Posted by: dagny at March 12, 2012 08:55 AM (u50z0)

 

 

Did you see that Newt is talking to Perry about being on the bottom of his ticket? My heart breaks all over again.

43 Posted by: Phinn at March 12, 2012 09:00 AM (KNtHw)

And making things "pretty" comes at a huge cost. Utilitarian infrastructure is appropriate for all but the richest, mature economies. All of those beautiful buildings and rail stations for the Olympics came at the cost of basic infrastructure for the rest of China.

How many miles of sewer and water pipe will not be laid? How many homes will be without electricity? How many peasants will die?

44 I'll bet it takes 25 minutes instead of 25 years to get a power plant permit in China. And the ghastly chicoms could probably give a flying shit about whether or not a highway will cut right through the home of a field mouse.

45 When I watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in China, one word reverberated in my mind. Power.

46 Heritage Report showing world's free economies.  U.S. has dropped to number 10 under commie Obama.  China?   How about 138.

Not so "free" is it?

http://is.gd/zl0klw

47 Posted by: texette at March 12, 2012 09:05 AM (zt3lR)

You noticed? Apparently it was too subtle for any of the MBM to point out that China took its cues from Nazi Germany.

48 Dave in Florida - WOW!  That's a nice looking car!  I'm sorry,  I don't know what kind it is.  But I like it, that's for sure.

49 It's very simple - Mitt believes he has the nomination locked up so he's moving left.

50 t's very simple - Mitt believes he has the nomination locked up so he's moving left.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at March 12, 2012 09:08 AM (DacKi)

-------------------------------

He did that at the beginning of the campaign. Did he know something we didn't?

51 good morning.....at least we can pretend it is........

52 All your SCOAMF are belong to us.

53 It's becoming damn near impossible to build anything here

That's true. You're absolutely right.

Now go to China and try to build something the government doesn't specifically want you to build.

-------------------

Same damn thing, isn't it. Want to build an oil refinery? Nuke plant? Good luck with that. Want to build a windmill driven hemp processing facility? you will probably get stimulus money.

54 He did that at the beginning of the campaign. Did he know something we didn't? *** Well, he alway believed he was inevitable. There are bouts of Mitt revealing his opinion, suffering in the polls, shutting up, then talking again when he thinks he can't lose.

55 It's very simple - Mitt believes he has the nomination locked up so he's moving left. Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at March 12, 2012 09:08 AM



And there you have it in a nutshell why I will not be voting for Mitt in my state's primary.  If he does not get any pressure from the conservatives on the right, he is going to continue to move left. 

56 By the way "Tom Friedman" wrote another anti-Israel, pro-obama article last week. I hate that asshole with all my soul

57

@48

 

Mini Cooper?

58 Mitt Romney = ACOAMFF Articulate clusterfuck of a miserable flip-flopper

59

Vic, he'd better hold off on that.  I know a lot of "Christians" and "Conservatives" who would still vote for Obama AGAIN just to teach Romney a lesson.

 

Idiots.

60 >> The Huffington Post notes that these comments came after "his usual full-throated defense of free enterprise and small government".

So?

61 I recall this (or segments of it), and my recollection is that in context Romney's point was that the U.S. government is standing in the way of business and that is one reason the U.S. is losing so much business to China and elsewhere. I think this is a critical difference in what is being stated by Freidman and Obama. PLEASE don't make me defend this man.

62 Hahaha. Now Romney is Tom Friedman? Amazing how when you excerpt a paragraph or two from an entire lifetime it can lead to a less than full understanding of a man's position. The MSM ain't got shit on the RDS brigade.

63 Vic, he'd better hold off on that. Iknow a lot of "Christians" and "Conservatives" who would still vote for Obama AGAIN just to teach Romney a lesson.
--------------------------


You do not know any conservatives who voted for Obama.  You may know some people who claim to be conservatives who voted for him.   Nobody who is a real conservative would have ever voted for Obama who even the stupidest person could see was a communist.

64 very nice dave in fl.......

65 Posted by: nevergiveup at March 12, 2012 09:14 AM (i6RpT)

Take a look at his house.

http://is.gd/vhxNiP

66 Which is why I included the " ".

67 Vic, he'd better hold off on that. Iknow a lot of "Christians" and "Conservatives" who would still vote for Obama AGAIN just to teach Romney a lesson.



They're lying. They are neither.

68 OT: For your Monday after Daylight Savings Time Sunday pleasure- several new posts up at my place.  A couple went up while I was on vacation (like I could schedule them, or something) and another new one today.

69 So the " " means just the opposite of what is in the " ". So just say secularists and liberals.

70 You do not know any conservatives who voted for Obama. You may know some people who claim to be conservatives who voted for him. Nobody who is a real conservative would have ever voted for Obama who even the stupidest person could see was a communist.

Posted by: Vic at March 12, 2012 09:19 AM (YdQQY)

Exactly; they're "conservative" like Andi Sullivan is.  Or Nelson Rockefeller

71 Yes, it is the new Mini Cooper Roadster.  I was in the dealership the first week they started taking orders.

72 >>Iknow a lot of "Christians" and "Conservatives"

I understood that.  Sneer quotes. 

I like to throw a [sic] in there, just so people I know I'm quoting lies instead of attributing the lies to me.  Like Daylight Savings[sic] Time or Working[sic] Families[sic] Party. But I'm a nerd.

73 This post is even flimsier and more idiotic than DrewM's "Romney lies about his own name" drivel, which I didn't think possible.

74 Mitt's Potemkin Village tour was "the good part of losing" to McCain. As a successful businessman he appreciates him some Chinese communist efficiency.

.....Hmmm.....

After that I have a headache and a hankering for some high speed Chinese.
What's on special today?

75 "60 >> The Huffington Post notes that these comments came after "his usual
full-throated defense of free enterprise and small government".

So?"


What do you mean so? So now we can't use China regulators to point out how fucked up our system is? What's the acceptable comparison for you Andy, we'll let everyone know so you don't smear anyone else as China sympathizers or something.

76

I'm not a Mitt fan, but broadly speaking, it probably is easier for a US company to open a facility in China than in the USA.  In China, regulators are generally pro-business.  If you want to build a new facility, you pay some bureaucrat a pittance to leave you alone so you can build your facility.  In USA, too many government regulators are either agnostic or anti-business and don't want you to succeed.

77 So the " " means just the opposite of what is in the " ". So just say secularists and liberals.

Posted by: dagny at March 12, 2012 09:23 AM (u50z0)

 

 

I figure they're as "informed" about politics as they are the Bible.

78

At some point we're going to have to get behind Romney.

 

There are seven and-a-half months to go till the actual vote.  Speaking as a Romney loather, I think some of us are hoping for divine intervention as that is an eon in political time.  The Establishment is already whining about Willard's inability to get R voters enthused.  Imagine that.  A candidate who ignores/dislikes the base AND doesn't excite the Beltway kids.  Can't. Lose.  If he's the last man standing, I'll vote ABO, but I will NEVER be behind him.  He defies all laws of nature by simultaneously sucking and blowing at the same time.

 

 

Same damn thing, isn't it. Want to build an oil refinery? Nuke plant? Good luck with that.

 

Gotta correct you on the nuke plant building.  If you get a judge to back down on Baracka's eligibility issue, you can get $8.3B and the official okay for two nuke plants.

 

http://bit.ly/ymJHGv

79 Fox is reporting that union thugs will be knocking on people's doors to get people to vote for the SCOAMF.  Time to take the doberman to war dog training.

80 Take a look at his house. http://is.gd/vhxNiP Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at March 12, 2012 09:20 AM (nEUpB) Typical Liberal: Do as I say not as I do

81 Mitt's statement was an anti-regulation one, not a pro-China one. Now go back and color.

82 The Chinese just have an extra three thousand years of experience with crony capitalism.

83 Oh good grief, can't we get a damned conservative candidate with conservative values? 

2016, if the US still exists by then, is going to have to be 3rd party.  The Republicans are breaking the lightspeed barrier in beclowning themselves.

84 Thank God Ace is currently stuck on a plane with no internet.  He might self-immolate just from reading this.

85 Mitt's statement was an anti-regulation one, not a pro-China one. Now go back and color.

Except he actively praised China.  Now, I'm not going to say he's going full-on Tom Friedman here, but praising China is not the tone I would expect from a Republican candidate for dog-catcher, let alone President. 

And, as I noted above, the same point could have been made by praising some country that wasn't China (India comes to mind, since they've made great strides towards Free Enterprise in the last 10 - 15 years or so) or by making more clear the distinction that even in Communist China regulation is less burdensome than it is in the US.

That's not the way the comment comes across, though.  It comes across as "Wow!  China sure is neat in how fast it can get things done, huh?"

86 81 Mitt's statement was an anti-regulation one, not a pro-China one. Now go back and color. *** It sounds awfully pro-China, what with all the 'look how awesome China is' talk. I know, I know. I'm helping to reelect Obama but pointing this out.

87 I love how folks like Andy always say Romney "seems to be saying" or "it could be inferred from what Romney said".  Hey, crazy idea here- how about LISTENING TO THE ACTUAL WORDS COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH.  See, unless you're a woman, thats how men communicate.  So Andy (and all you other haters) is going to ignore every other word and action of Romney's over the past 30 years of his career in the free market and instead throw out the chicken bones and tea leaves and divine what Romney "seems" to say.  Pathetic.

88 By, not but

89 I wish Romney would channel his inner Milton Friedman.   

90 Fox is reporting that union thugs will be knocking on people's doors to get people to vote for the SCOAMF. Time to take the doberman to war dog training.

Posted by: Peregrine Took, Hobbit S.O.B. at March 12, 2012 09:36 AM (owwdk)

My airedale is on perpetual war dog mode; those fucks might never find their happy place again after visiting chez Hate.

91 I don't care to get into the tit for tat about the "inevitable" Mitt. My problem is more with the GOP that keeps handing us these tried and lost already, "his turn" fucking lightweight losers.

You have to wonder about a Republican that can gush about Red China's qualities without holding his nose and telling you to pull his finger.  

92 So Mitt's Chinese handlers didn't take him on a tour of the Chinese countryside?

http://tinyurl.com/yly2v5r

93 Also, even more OT:

Waiting in the Ft. Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport all day on Saturday, Mrs. G and I were playing MadLibs.  Which gave rise to this particularly Moron-Worthy statement, I thought:

"Gently rub your eardrum with a donut soaked in a bag of warm booze."

Just thought I'd share that.  Though it's much funnier on less-than-adequate sleep.

94 The nice thing for Mitt is that having an opinion on the Chinese just means in a half hour you'll have another one.

95 And for the record, why do you think businesses go to China?  No eco Nazis, no union thugs to bribe, or labour comissions to pay off. Just bribe one commie and go to work.  Compare that to NYC- which one is more free? You think NYC is a free place to do business?

96 I wish Romney would channel his inner Milton Friedman.

Posted by: PLUM at March 12, 2012 09:44 AM (h4Yoq)

As much as a non-flub I think this whole China stuff is, this is still Truth. When he sticks to his script, he talks pro-freedom and liberty. When he starts talking off the top of his head, he says some Dumb Stuff.

97 So Andy (and all you other haters) is going to ignore every other word and action of Romney's over the past 30 years of his career *** Point of order, Mitt's supporters are the ones who ignore his record and statements.

98 There you go again using apple juice to make a screwdriver. Of course Romney was making the point that over regulation stifles productivity.

99 Taliban vows revenge after US soldier allegedly kills 16 Afghan civilians ??/Like these animals need and excuse to murder and maim?

100 No, you will not be able to get a conservative candidate with conservative values until you somehow convince everyone that the "middle" doesn't matter. I hate "independents". They are just as stupid as the far left but less evil. I don't know how they decide what to wear in the morning. They're needed to win? Probably not. If you got someone to articulate the conservative position well we might be able to avoid them but I'm not sure withe the state of the press.

101 poly is making a screwdriver with apple juice the same as making an appletini with orange juice? allen welcome back

102 What's all this about flying ewoks and internet access. Don't they only go aloft on gliders made of sticks and womp rat leather?

103 Taliban vows revenge after US soldier allegedly kills 16 Afghan civilians

They vow to kill 20 civilians.

104 "Mitt's supporters are the ones who ignore his record and statements."

And that was a problem for Obama, how?

105 Point of order, Mitt's supporters are the ones who ignore his record and statements.


We all have to be Mitt supporters now. It's him or Obama.

106 If you got someone to articulate the conservative position well we might be able to avoid them but I'm not sure withe the state of the press.

I'm convinced that the "core" of the "Conservative position" is exactly what the "middle" wants: Less government, more liberty.  Government choosing to "fix" problems of its own creation by shrinking, rather than growing.  Lower taxes- not for lower taxes' own sake, but as a pathway to greater economic liberty.  Less regulation- not for its own sake, but as a pathway to greater general liberty.

I'm not sure why our candidates can't communicate that, though.

107 When he starts talking off the top of his head, he says some Dumb Stuff.

Posted by: GergS(Dirty Scandi Dog Whistle) at March 12, 2012 09:47 AM (xAtAj)

Godallfuckingmighty isn't that the truth.  He sounds as awkward when pretending to be a "regular guy" as Kerry did.  Just fucking stop it.

Speaking of sounding awkward, would somebody tell Laura Ingraham to stop inviting that fuckhead Pat Buchanan on her show.

108 welcome back

Thanks.

109 >> What's the acceptable comparison for you Andy Why do you need a foreign comparison to point out how fucked up our regulations are? And, presuming you do, why make it to a country that doesn't respect property rights?

110 The Chicoms are bloody butchers but one thing they wouldn't do is deliberately turn California into a desert like the EPA has.

111 Why do you need a foreign comparison to point out how fucked up our regulations are?

I like to point out that France has more restrictive abortion laws than we do.

112 Romney is full of shit.

113 OT but just wanted to say that the story of Dieter Dengler from last night's ONT was riveting.  I watched the documentary mentioned in the link and could not stop.  What a hellacious story.

Carry on.

114 Romney is full of shit. Posted by: SurferDoc at March 12, 2012 09:55 AM (6H6FZ) Maybe, but he is our bag of shit. And a bag of shit is better that obama

115 113 andy not to mention their record on human rights......... and romney should remember..china had a deadline to meet building shit for the olympics.....i wonder how much was even to code......

116 I think a lot of people are actually impressed by the things that China does that we cannot. Build a fast train, build a dam, build a building - it seems like we cannot do those things quickly, if at all. (how many years since 9/11 and we still don't have the replacement up?) If you were to look at it without politics you'd go, wow, that's an accomplishment. (take history's view, the Pyramids at Giza are something, we don't really talk all that much about the slavery deal that it took to build them.) So in some ways the China praise is pining for an America that gets things done. Whether you think that NASA is a good idea or not, isn't it kind of disappointing that that country that got to the moon first has to pay the Russians to get to low earth orbit? But the thing is that the Chinese Olympics were designed to do just what they did, fool a bunch of people into thinking that China is a fabulous place. That's why dictatorships want the Olympics in the first place. I don't doubt that there are a lot of business people saying that the government makes it easy to things there that the government makes hard to here. That story about Foxconn and staffing up, what, tens of thousands of people in a few days? Sure, some of that is just the scale of China, but just the paperwork would kill you in the US. I've said that the best way for the US to compete these days is by acting on the comparison other - export our hippies to these foreign countries. Send them to China, North Korea, Iran, etc. and let them protest their nuclear programs and pollution etc. Either they gum up the works or the fascists eliminate them. Either way works for me.

117

And, presuming you do, why make it to a country that doesn't respect property rights?<<<

 

***cough***KELO***coughcough***

118 Not a big enough mistake to worry about. Maybe it'd be worthwhile if somebody significantly better had any possible shot at the nomination. Actually, the more significant error was highlighting the fact that he lost to McCain.

119 Oh no no no. Clearly, when Romney uses China as an example to illustrate how their communist system actually is friendlier to business than America, and that maybe that says something negative about the overregulation of American free enterprise, there can be only one logical conclusion: MITT IS A CHICOM-LOVING SOCIALIST
Posted by: chemjeff at March 12, 2012 09:50 AM



The logical conclusion I draw is that Mitt does not see the world through a conservative lens and therefore does not frame his arguments from the perspective of a champion of liberty, but rather from a perspective of how can the enterprise of business get a fast track.    Which I guess is in keeping with a pro-business establishment Republican.  Which is pretty much what Romney is.  That may end up being good enough for this election cycle.

120
Compare/Contrast:

We are a fairminded people. We're taught not to take what belongs to others. Many of us, as I said, are the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of immigrants, and from them we learned something of hard labor. As a nation we toiled up from poverty, and no people on Earth are more worthy to be trusted than those who have worked hard for what they have. None is less inclined to take what is not theirs.

Ronald Reagan
Remarks at Fudan University in Shanghai China,April 30, 1984




One-party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks. But...
Mitt Romney

121 97 And for the record, why do you think businesses go to China?
 
Er, because the US even though it has 25% of the world's GDP, also has the world's highest corporate tax rate?
 
As of April coming, when Japan lowers their rate below ours.....leaving us with that shiny prize of #1 taxer.

122 Ok settle down Andy. I think this scores on like a 2/10 in flub-factor. He will do something much worse within a week I'm guessing.

It's obvious what he was trying to say. He just did it badly, and in fact it's not going to hurt him at all since Americans really don't give an eff.

In other news, I made an Ewok meme for the occasion, in my name link.

123 Romney vetoed almost a thousand pieces of liberal legislation. Doody that doesn't count. Romney squashed tuition for illegal aliens. Doesn't count because he was pandering. Romney issued EO for state troopers to inquire about immigrant status. Again doesn't count because he was pandering. Romney withdrew from the NE greenhouse initiative. Doesn't count because at one time he said he didn't know how much man was contributing to climate change. Romney vetoed the bill for morning after drug, embryonic stem cell research and pushed for parental notification laws. Doesn't count because he previously stated he would not change MA's pro choice laws. Romney started with a billion dollar deficit as Governor and left with over a hundred million surplus. Doesn't count because he raised some fees. Romney saved the Winter Olympics. Doesn't count 'cause anyone could have done that. Romney created jobs and successful companies. Doesn't count because F you that's why and also Crony Capitalism!!!!

124 They also want them some sweet socialism in the form of public schools, Social Security, Medicare, farm subsidies, etc...

First off, it's not until very recently that Conservatives decided that public schools were, in themselves, a form of socialism.  Indeed, the Texas Declaration of Independence cites Mexico's refusal to provide for some form of public education as a reason to sever ties- based on the idea that an educated populace is necessary to police the Government- which is true.

Modern Public Schools are a disaster, but they're a disaster because of Teachers' Unions, bot because they are evil in themselves.

That said:  I think you're wrong about the other as well.  I think they "want" SS, Medicare, and Farm Subsidies" because they have been trained, over the last several generations, that these things are Necessary and that only Government can provide them properly.

That's an education issue, not a core values issue.

As for being Conservative more than Libertarian, I agree.  I'm more Conservative than Libertarian.  I believe that the Government does need to exert influence- not quite "control" but certainly "influence"- on Society to ensure that the Society remains one that can be Governed, rather than turning into one that must be Ruled.  Social issues are part of that, but so are fiscal issues (I believe the two are so closely intertwined that to speak of the one absent the other is nonsense).

125 I think they are more conservative than most give them credit for, and I do think most have a generally live-and-let-live attitude, but that is not the same as favoring liberty for liberty's sake.

Posted by: chemjeff at March 12, 2012 09:55 AM (7FadD)

 

 

 

Well, in fairness, hardly any people on earth are really that way.  Most are willing to surrender some liberty for safeguards against life's inevitable minfortunate.  Unfortunately the institution of government always lies to the people, and convinces them that impossible things are possible.  Government provides false choices.  Thus, we end up in situations like this.

Of course, in this nation the worst thing that government has done is to undermine traditional values of hard work, self control, independence, etc.  This has been done via the public schools and the welfare state.  By doing so it has killed off the real Americans and put in their place a slave nation. 

126

@131  "minfortunate"

 

 

 

Gah.  Worst typo ever.  Should be "misfortunes."

127

Romney is what you're going to get.  There is no True Conservative waiting to swoop in at a brokered convention and save Teh Republic.

 

Grow the fuck up.

128

Posted by: HeatherRadish at March 12, 2012 09:25 AM (ZKzrr)

 

Heather, in the editing world, the [sic] means that the author is unsure of the spelling.

129 One-party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks. But...
Mitt Romney
Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at March 12, 2012 09:58 AM




gahhhh

130 The Chinese went from Communist to Fascist in the blink of an eye.  That in itself is confirmation the Jonah Goldberg is onto something in "Liberal Fascism".

The Chinese know more about economics than the Democraps in the U.S. Congress.

131 Romney is what you're going to get. There is no True Conservative waiting to swoop in at a brokered convention and saveTeh Republic.

Yep.  I'm sure he will manage the decline better than the SCoaMF, and maybe buy us a few years. 

On the plus side, I still get to vote for Perry tomorrow.

132

No, you will not be able to get a conservative candidate with conservative values until you somehow convince everyone that the "middle" doesn't matter.

 

 

Rush really went off on a guy last week when this claim was made.  He said we do not need them.  I agree. 

133

Heather, in the editing world, the [sic] means that the author is unsure of the spelling.<<<

 

I'm pretty sure it means that the mispelling has been intentionally left uncorrected.

134
And the Romneybots complained that Santorum was a "big government" conservative.

HAHaahaaahaaaa!!!!

135

Posted by: Insomniac at March 12, 2012 10:05 AM (v+QvA)

 

You are correct.  I have seen it with a ? behind it as well.

136

If Obamacare is struck down by the SCOTUS (should be WHEN, but who knows these days) then Romneycare is no longer an issue and Romney will be able to focus on the economy.  While the President sets the tone, the real heavy lifting is done by advisors, cabinet members, and agency heads.  Reagan assembled a very strong team.  Would expect nothing less from Mitt.

137 Grow the fuck up.

Take your own advice. Drop the True Conservative crap. Do you want to win or do you want to slam conservatives?

138

Zero killed cousin Binny, and 16 Afghans.

139 We still have Michele Bachmann on the ballot in Alabama.

140 If Obamacare is struck down by the SCOTUS

Unless they rule the mandate severable, in which case, the boning will be NHS complete.

141
Heather, in the editing world, the [sic] means that the author is unsure of the spelling.<<<

I'm pretty sure it means that the mispelling has been intentionally left uncorrected.

Posted by: Empire of Jeff at March 12, 2012 10:07 AM (l+kmq)

I was taught it meant "such (or so) it stands", indicating an error in spelling, grammar or syntax.

142 gahhhh

That wasn't Romney, that was Friedman.

143 Did ANYONE actually look at that Heritage report on free economies?   China 138 vs USA 10?  Do you not understand that China is NOT more free than the US in their economy?

All this is BS myth.

144 >> ***cough***KELO***coughcough*** Exactly my point. Kelo is in the exact opposite direction from "It's pretty impressive over there how quickly they can build things". China is one big fucking Kelo. But no regulations, so yay!

145 I was pulled over by the state police on Saturday for violating the "Move Over Law", which I didn't even know about.  Two cops were sitting at the end of the exit ramp I was going to use, with their lights flashing.  Since I didn't move over to the middle lane (duh! I was getting off there!), they gave me a warning (which was a preprinted glossy info card about the law).

The real annoying part was getting cited for not having proof of insurance.  I had a valid insurance card for my old car, that I traded in the previous day.  I tried to ask the cop exactly how I was supposed to drive a new car home with valid proof of insurance.  Crickets.

In the end it is going to cost me $10 for court costs and waste a few hours of my time bringing a new insurance card to the clerk's office.

Bureaucracy, gotta love it.

146 Don't forget all the Chinese people that found a hole in their state controlled firewall to an Obama website.  They've been posting pleading messages that the U.S. should come and liberate them like they did Iraq and that living in China is really oppressive.

147 I'm sure Andy threw this out there to get the "true Mutt Mushers" aroused by throwing chum in  the waters.

148 Hear about the Bullet train derailment in China yesterday?  A bridge was washed out. 

149 This again? You want Mitt or 4 more years of JEFrule? To me it's a pretty simple proposition.

150
I want to win - meaning, get SCOAMF out of there.

Posted by: chemjeff at March 12, 2012 10:12 AM (7FadD)

You could start by explaining why he'd make a good president, or even defending the guy.

151

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 12, 2012 08:58 AM (8y9MW)

 

If you're still around Allen.  I have 20 year old second-hand knowledge of Jamaica if that'll help any.

152 @155

Dave, isn't it typically a 30-day grace period of sorts where your old policy for your old car covers a new vehicle?  Unless the policy for the old car was out of force, it should have sufficed.

153 >> Unlike Andy's hyperventilating that "Romney made a comparison to China, just like Tom Friedman!!!eleventy!!!!" You mad, bro?

154

Ummm, isn't but the trains run on time a standard slap about how someone is a dictator?

 

It's interesting, in church on Sunday our pastor went on a bit of a rant about China and all the people of faith being killed there (he didn't mention Falun Gong but that's what I thought of instantly) and how all American politicians care about is that we have free trade with China.  I'm not bringing this up for any reason other than it's interesting that this came up on Sunday and now here's a thingy about politicians and China at the HQ today.

155 My bad.  The line collapsed.  No derailment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17336130

156 Bummer Dave--cop friend told me FHippies are considered the lowest rank of cop-dom in Florida.

157 Hi Andy,

Are you an idiot?  Flunked reading comprehension?

Let's take the last line of what you quoted:
"The head of Coca-Cola said the business environment is friendlier in China than in America. And that's because of the regulators. That's because of government."

No, if you desperately want to, I suppose you can take from that "Mitt Romney like dictatorial rule."

But what I took from that is "Mitt Romney says that Barack Obama's government regulators are even more anti-business than Chinese Communists."

You find that comparison unfair why?

158 ... so let me get this straight ... We are on the verge of nominating a candidate who can beat SCOAMF, but has warts. ... or we can nominate any number of other candidates who couldn't beat SCOAMF, have their own warts as well. Seems awful damn simple to me. That we are this far in, and so determined to bloody the candidate who can beat SCOAMF, to the point that the electorate may look at all that damage and say "not good" ... mebbe not so smart. If you want to change government, first you need to gain control over the levers of government. If you fail in that first task, yeah, you will probably fail in the second. So ... does removing SCOAMF matter or not? Ask yourself this before you go all medieval on a candidate, especially the one who can beat SCOAMF. Because if all you leave us is a bloody pulpy mess to go after SCOAMF with, yeah, you've just helped SCOAMF. That would not be forgivable. But go right ahead and exercise your first amendment rights. No matter the cost. Even if swallowing some bile, closing your eyes, and thinking of England is the right thing to do here. No, go right ahead and bash him. [seriously? WTF?] Meta: I think we want to lose. I really do. I think we want to so completely kneecap our likely candidate that there is no conceivable way he could win against SCOAMF. We want to do this because we object to some aspect of his being, his personality, his religion, or words of his from ages ago, or more recent words plucked from context. Yeah, we really want to lose. Disgusting.

159 If Romney becomes our president, who would be a good choice (among the Republican senators) to replace Mitch?  He is SOOO weak and is a big part of the problem.

160 >> I'm sure Andy threw this out there to get the "true Mutt Mushers" aroused by throwing chum in the waters. Ya think? ;-)

161 #160 the case for Romney has been made over and over but you choose no to accept it. Frankly you never had any intention of accepting any basis to support Romney because everything presented didn't count for one illogical reason or another.

162 The conservative sitting in my chair would like to see the public schools DIAF.

163

Yep. I'm sure he will manage the decline better than the SCoaMF, and maybe buy us a few years. <<<

 

Romney is a symptom of that decline, not the cause.  The American people are the cause. It's the curse of all affluent societies - abundance leads to apathy, because most people just want to do their thing and be left alone.  What is there to be politically passionate about when the average schmoe is enjoying the highest standard of living on the planet? Most people aren't interested in devoting their lives to telling other people how to live theirs.

 

But liberal fuckery never sleeps. They are always marching forward, constantly probing for opportunities to gain positions of authority. If you want to compete with that, you need to raise a generation of Americans that both are driven to seek positions of authority, yet have no desire to wield it, much.

 

Get back to me when you've figured out the solution to that one. Until then, suck it up.

164 If you're still around Allen. I have 20 year old second-hand knowledge of Jamaica if that'll help any.

Better than what I've got, certainly.

Ocho Rios was one of the stops on the Cruise, and my wife absolutely fell in love with the place.  I, on the other hand, saw a ton of half-finished buildings (no on-going construction, apparently just abandoned), a large number of kids who can't be any older than 14 or 15 working instead of being in school, and so forth.

I couldn't tell if it was the early, ugly, stages of freedom, or the ugly late stages of socialism at work.  Or some combination thereof.

165 DiT, those cops are assholes.  Your proof of insurance, from the old car, is valid. 

166 Romney issued EO for state troopers to inquire about immigrant status. Again doesn't count because he was pandering. *** Just picking this one - you know this is total bullshit. He did it with a month left in his fucking term. Yet you keep trotting it out. It was not a principled move. There's a pattern of contortion to make Romney - whose record is unspectacular if we are being generous - out to be a great conservative. He isn't. Unmentioned are the conservative assault weapons ban, all the fee increases, and of course the mandates. Or his many statements of being a progressive, pro-choice, etc. Mitt Romney was a one-term Bill Weld.

167 Yawn.

Andy, Maureen Down is on line 1 for you. She says thanks for all the help making conservatives look like monkeys fucking a football.  Great job, dude.

168

It's the curse of all affluent societies - abundance leads to apathy, because most people just want to do their thing and be left alone.

Posted by: Empire of Jeff at March 12, 2012 10:19 AM (l+kmq)

 

This!

169 >> You find that comparison unfair why? That's certainly what he's trying to say. I didn't say otherwise. It just isn't backed up by the facts of the actual China versus the version he was given a tour of.

170 Yeah Andy you're just a super genius provocateur and your illogical comparisons were done intentionally to get the Romney supporters riled up. Next on your agenda. Splitting atoms with your mind.

171

Yay, another American pol with truncheon envy.

 

Now shut up and eat your Mitt Sandwich, purist!

 

 

 

 

172 truncheon envy

Nice.

173 Remember "Clutch Cargo?" We need a way to superimpose someone else's mouth on this guy.

174 Anbody know what time/what channel the Newt/Santorum debate is on tonight?

175 But liberal fuckery never sleeps. They are always marching forward, constantly probing for opportunities to gain positions of authority. If you want to compete with that, you need to raise a generation of Americans that both are driven to seek positions of authority, yet have no desire to wield it, much.

That is some pure awesomeness right there. 

176 Well, "The regulators see their job as encouraging private people" may be an incorrect view of China and is not exactly "get government out of the way" but wouldn't it be a refreshing change from the Dems appointing people who have been indoctrinated in school to think "private business will kill the planet unless we prevent them" to oversee regulations. I don't really see a problem with someone saying that having regulators that work WITH business instead of against it is a good thing.

177 EoJ @175 Spot on!

178 Right, polynikes. Mitt didn't make those comments at all in your bubble.

179 He's better than Obama. I do think he has a love of things "other" and would try to drag us rubes kicking and screaming to his more sophisticated world view. He was clear about his admiration for Euro energy consumption for example. If he wins , there will be a lot we don't like. But he is better than Obama.

180 Guess who the student was who edited Crazy Derrik Bell's Critical Race Theory articles?

Anyone?

181 "....ate driven to seek positions of authority, yet have no desire to wield it, much." I think that describes Romney pretty well.

182 But he is better than Obama.

Indeed.  Romney will not be out to punish us for our sins.

183 I think we need 50 more debates hosted by Soledad O'Brian.

184 But he is better than Obama. Posted by: Y-not still for Newt at March 12, 2012 10:27 AM (4Q04p) Not need for the 'But" he is better than obama!

185 Guess who the student was who edited Crazy Derrik Bell's Critical Race Theory articles?

Anyone?

Posted by: dagny at March 12, 2012 10:28 AM (u50z0)

----------------------------

How many read it in the news thread?

186 Yeah, it is supposed to carry over, and my policy covers me regardless of what car I drive.  It was just a bullshit thing the cop was doing to be a dick, it was totally not a violation.  Probably because of my radar detector.

187 Obama appointed Kagan because she supported Bell's Critical race bullshit regarding the Constitution. IOW, he appointed a Supreme Court Judge who doesn't support the Constitution. Well, at least this one is out in the open. She should be impeached.

http://is.gd/dYt45S

Posted by: Vic at March 12, 2012 06:55 AM (YdQQY)

188 Romney will not be out to punish us for our sins. Posted by: toby928© at March 12, 2012 10:28 AM (GTbGH) Well I for one are sinless.

189 There is no point trying to convince the Romneyphobes that Mitt is anything but pure concentrated evil. It is fun watching them make up new crap to throw at him every day, though. Bozos.

190 Bozos

Plenty of stones for glass houses.

191 198 Sorry, I didn't get that far since I had to drive kids to school (parochial school children have to be driven).  I think it bears repeating though since the bloggers here are all sorta vacationing or something. Just consider it a AoS double post.

192 No fan of Romney, but he is not a Fascist like Santorum.

193 Would rather wake up to an anti-obama thread since he is the real enemy right?   Posted by: nevergiveup at March 12, 2012 08:44 AM (i6RpT)

 

 

No, the primaries aren't over yet. First we conservatives must lose to Romney, before we lose to Obama.

194 SoCons suck




Hi there! 

195 (parochial school children have to be driven)

Bah.  Why do you think the trebuchet was invented?  Of course, that was before such long commutes, so then they invented the howitzer.

196 I didn't realized support meant she was the f-ing editor of that crazy bastard's theory. Thomas Sowell said that Bell knew he didn't belong at Harvard and said so himself. He had to go off on a radical tangent because otherwise he would be overshadowed completely by people who were more educated, more learned, more published, more experienced. Bell then went batshit to get attention.

197 Not getting into the whole Mitt debate, but it was an inartful comment. One could argue that China is amazing because they "get stuff done" which could be interpreted to mean less regulation. However, the reality is much different. They get stuff done because the government demands it. And to me the Chinese government is one big regulation in and of itself "do what we say or you'll go to jail. or worse"

198 Think about this, a Republican had to vote to allow her nomination out of committee.  She was confirmed 63-37.

199 Of course bribing one PLA general who'll shoot anybody in your way is faster.

200 No, theprimaries aren't over yet.First we conservatives must lose to Romney, before we lose to Obama. Posted by: Sad Dad at March 12, 2012 10:33 AM (71iUa) Fair enough the primaries are not over but: A )If in the process of trying lose Romney you harm the effort to defeat obama, what have you gained? B) Do the Math C) Attack Romney over something relevant please

201 kagen

202 Mama Winger, but if the public school system collapses, Christian Conservative parents will lose the luxury of school sports to teach their children the rules of life.

203 I didn't realized support meant she was the f-ing editor of that crazy bastard's theory

I do have to ask, though, how much editorial influence the editors have at HLR- since I don't know.  Are they limited simply to "help the author say what they want to say more effectively," or do they have the power to say, "No, that's stupid.  Stick it in your ear?"

I don't doubt that she believed every word Mr. Bell wrote, so I don't think she would have said "stick it in your ear," if she'd had the chance, but if she didn't even have that option, it at least gives her some "cover."

204 If Romney must be replaced I'd prefer Hannah Minx to Santorum. Two boobs better than one, right?

205

chemjeff, that's a good list (even including The Hair, which, sadly, does count).  No, I'm not being snarky, that's a good list.  You left off putting the dog on the roof and driving off.  That's the one thing about Romney that I truly like.

 

To those who are all bitching about oh noes you're taking Romney out of context and leaving stuff out, well, my tolerance level for those who find anything positive to say about the Chicoms is nil.  The Chinese government is evil.  What is so damn hard about not going "well some of it is okay".  You see, once you start on the some of it is okay thing, I am left to wonder just where you draw the line.  Selling organs?  Politicial opponents as slave labor?  Censorship of the internet?  Religious persecution?  How hard is it to comprehend that the things you like are implemented by a gun pressed to a forehead and the finger on the trigger?  Sure, I point out to people in the US that the logical conclusion of not following a law is that the government will come and shoot you.  The Chicom position is this is the law BLAM.  The lack of intermediate steps is significant.

 

 

206 Funny I didn't read the link on who edited Bell's articles but for a split second I guessed Obama but immediately realized he would have then had to have someone edit his edit to correct the grammar and middle school level language structure.

207 Hey!  I like Ms. Hannah Minx.  Such pretty....eyes, yes that's it, eyes.

208 Hong Kong 1
USA 10
Macao 19
China 138 (?)
---
The point is...

209 Mama Winger, but if the public school system collapses, Christian Conservative parents will lose the luxury of school sports to teach their children the rules of life. Posted by: katya, the designated driver at March 12, 2012 10:37 AM



Not sure I'm following you there. 

210 I want to know how much the alien traders will give us for the French.

211

While what Romney said is being taking out of context regarding the larger point of his speech it doesn't make it false. We can pretend it isn't true or we can realize it and and step up our ability to compete with them.

 

Steve Jobs also realized the same thing Romney said when he said he couldn't manufacture the I Phone here even if he wanted to because of regualation and union work rules.

212

<i>1. Executive experience, both in government and in the private sector
2. Sterling family life
3. Man of generally good integrity - ranks low on the "slimy corrupt pol" scale (not PERFECT, but much higher than your typical Chicago-style thug-pol)
4. Has a decision-making temperament that is calm and level-headed, which is what a chief executive needs when faced with unforeseen future threats
5. *Consistently* polls better vs. Obama than all of the other R candidates
6. Turnaround artist for struggling businesses, and for the Olympics
7. The Hair (laugh if you want, but it's important in some superficial way)</i>

 

OK, I'll bite, point by point.

 

1. Yes, but. The business experience is the least impeachable, but it can be oversold. He's a turnaround specialist, which is a specialized field, and--it must be emphasized--not instantly transferrable to our executive branch issues.

The governmental executive experience is a serious net minus. Too many warts, too many conflicts with basic conservative principles, and well into 2009 on the all-important individual mandate issue.

 

2. 100% agreement.

 

3. In the sense of not being a machine sleazeball, sure. But he's politically tone deaf, and has no history of being able to build up an effective party organization, which is one of the virtues of being a Chicago-type pol.

 

4. "Let's index the minimum wage!" He gives off a calm demeanor, but when faced with a crisis, lurches left and shows a near-craving for bipartisan approval. Not good given the crises we face. See also the "Perry Scheme" demagoguery.

 

5. On average, yes--to date. But he hasn't been hit with the blitz yet. His twisting on the issues is going to be a much bigger liability in the general than his boosters think. Just ask President Kerry. He is going to be painted as a pandering, hyper-ambitious politico desperate for the office, and willing to trim his sails accordingly. He's going to be a tougher sell to independents when all is said and done than is generally admitted.

 

6. True enough, but the Olympics aren't as persuasive as people seem to think they are. A plus, but minor. The turnaround specialist theme is probably the best, but it's a tightrope. Axes falling freak out the voters, too.

 

7. In this day and age, looking Presidential is important. I'm not going to knock that. He does fit the bill in that respect.

 

213 Rumors swirling that Romney ate at a Thai restaurant last night! Whether this implicit endorsement of child prostitution will end his campaign is the question of the day.

214 202 There is no point trying to convince the Romneyphobes that Mitt is anything but pure concentrated evil. It is fun watching them make up new crap to throw at him every day, though. Bozos. *** You can trash us all you want, but Mitt Romney supported mandates. We're not the ones deluding ourselves.

215

Romney must be channeling his inner Nixon.

 

 

216 There's another debate tonight?  Good grief.

217 And?  some state's constitutions permit mandates.  Some don't.  At the Federal level, it's a different animal.

218

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 12, 2012 10:20 AM (8y9MW)

 

I'm afraid you're the one who's right (unless things have changed a lot.)

 

When My Grandmother went with Christ for the Nations to the poorest parish in Jamaica to start a school after my grandfather's death she said the kids were great.  The adults on the other hand were horrible.  Their goal was to move to the US and be rich but couldn't be bothered to work anymore than absolutely necessary to stay alive. 

 

Honestly, Neidermeyer's Dead Horse's discription yeaterday of growing up in the projects sounds almost exactly like the attitude of the majority of Jamaicans grandma lived with for several years before brain cancer caused her to have to return to the States where she died.  The people are also slightly paranoid.  When my sister went back to help finish the school building a few years after grandma's death the people were shocked that she confirmed grandma's death.  They had just assumed we'd lied about it even though there had been communication about the situation both before and after her death.

 

Crime was also very bad.  From the mild stuff like everyone just picking up anything that caught their eye to knife-point robberies even in the "nice" areas.  Men would also proposition my 60+ quite round grandmother and most of the girls she worked with and taught had been molested.

 

For a long time Jamaica was able to keep a lot of the problems "under wraps" and usually away from tourists.  For you to have seen all this at a tourist port seems to indicate that either things are getting even worse or that you are unusually perceptive.   

219 Good to see EoJ's wit hasn't been dulled by sleep deprivation caused by the dumbfuckery of Daylight Savings Time, the most obvious example of politicians not knowing WTF they're doing in jacking around with the settings of the clock; and justifying it in some garbage like they're helping the farmers (like any modern farmer needs their fucking help on things other than subsidies) or the chilrun.

220 Ghost cities are impressive.  But there's something wrong with a society when you have to worry about your kidney being robbed.

221 Two boobs better than one, right?

If the cameras can be elevated, then I'm with you. Presidential press conferences and speeches would suddenly be interesting again.

222

O/T - If I were a tweeter, I know what I'd be doing all day.  Heh heh.

 

http://bit.ly/w58APq

223

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 12, 2012 10:40 AM (hiMsy)

 

So did you finish that book or were the nightmares too bad?  I definitely appreciate your giving it a try so I don't have to.

224 some state's constitutions permit mandates.



There is a world of difference between what is permissable and what is desirable, beneficial and worth pursuing.

225

Mama Winger, but if the public school system
collapses, Christian Conservative parents will lose the luxury of school
sports to teach their children the rules of life.

 

Ummm, what? No, seriously, what? I went to Christian Conservative schools from first grade through college and we had our own sports teams and leagues with other Christian schools all the way through. Do you mean home schoolers? Because if so that's still an incredibly inarticulate comment.

 

226 I wasn't a Romney fan, but he's the nominee now. I'll pull the lever for him. Some people are still stuck back in 2011.

227

Jamaica talk is a weird coincidence. A woman in the Seattle area was raped and robbed at knifepoint two nights ago in her own garage (she'd just gotten home from work) and the description of the suspects was that they had a Jamaican accent.

 

Kind of surprised the media actually put that much out, which sort of indicates a racial make-up, because usually if the assailant is anything but white there is no identifying quality given. It is hilarious how the sketch artists here manage to draw everyone as white, regardless of the reality.

228 231 And? some state's constitutions permit mandates. Some don't. At the Federal level, it's a different animal. *** It isn't really. Horrible government intrusion doesn't become okay if a state does it. And why should you support a guy who implemented it to national office? What sense does that make, unless you started off supporting the guy and need to justify that support? And when Mitt was telling Barry he should follow the MA model in 2009, and saying he was the perfect guy to fix healthcare in 2007, there was no nuance about how a federal mandate would be bad.

229 Almost twelve years since the WTC went down. Going to be almost 14 before they are back up. On the other hand you have the Pentagon. Think about why.

230 And? some state's constitutions permit mandates. Some don't. At the Federal level, it's a different animal.

There are two separate issues here.  On one, I agree with Romney- certainly Massachusetts had the right to issue a health insurance Mandate.  The power of the States is assumed to be much greater than the power of the Federal Government, and so that is a power they can take, if the People of the State (as the people of MA did) choose to allow it.

The other, though, is a huge problem.  An Insurance Mandate assumes two things with which I disagree on a basic, fundamental level- I cannot compromise with these assumptions.

1) It assumes that Health Care is a Right.  That is, it assumes that everyone has the right to be treated for their illnesses, and that the counterbalance to that is to force on them the responsibility of paying what they can.  Health care is not a Right.  Once more: You have NO RIGHT to something someone else must provide or produce.

2) It assumes the Government (at any level) understands more about your choices and their effects than you do, and that it should have the power to control your choices.  That it should be able to force two disparate private parties into private contracts.  This is not the behavior of a Representative Republican form of government, but of an autocracy.  The People are not viewed as citizens, but as subjects.  They do not need to be Governed, they need to be Ruled.

These are two assumptions that are antithetical to Liberty, and should be absolutely abhorrent to anyone who is conservative.

So, Mitt Romney believes (correctly) that the Federal Government should not have this authority, but he also believes (incorrectly) that it being permissible at the State level is the same thing as it being acceptable at the State level.

231 I wasn't a Romney fan, but he's the nominee now.




That's odd.  I could have sworn there were still several upcoming primaries.  Have they been cancelled?

232

Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at March 12, 2012 10:47 AM (RZ8pf)

 

My information is twenty years old but nothing seems to have happened to change things for the better.  Grandma found Jamaican men to be the most have the greatest sense of entitlement and contempt for women of any group she'd met.

233 I think that the public schools are now being used as a propaganda tool.

234 Mama Winger,  I know many Christian parents who seem to be in full support of public school in spite of the daily propeganda fed to their children.  Nearly every one of these kids are highly involved in school sports.  I believe sports are actually a good thing, but it had become a religion itself for the parents.  I wonder to what heights the socialism in schools must go to before parents give up their devotion to school sports to find an alternative to public school.

235

Posted by: Billy Bob, pseudo-intellectual at March 12, 2012 10:48 AM (hXJOG)

 

I'm really glad to hear that.  If the people have reached a point where they realize what they've been doing is unsustainable there may be hope.

236 mama winger i just went to drudge to see what i missed......until he's the nominee i won't support him...........

237 Polli, I read the first two chapters and then skipped ahead to the bizarre "Space Traders" section. I have it for a couple weeks, so I'll give it another go. One thing that strikes me is how low the bar is for someone's work to be taught in "prestigious" Universities. Any regular commenter could dissect and destroy any of his arguments with ease.

238 New non Mutt thread up.

239 For you to have seen all this at a tourist port seems to indicate that either things are getting even worse or that you are unusually perceptive.

Yeah.  I'm a cynic.  I tend to assume the worst so I'll be pleasantly surprised if I'm wrong.  I'm not wrong nearly often enough.

One of the guides on our horseback riding tour couldn't have been older than 13.  He was the second of 6 kids (his older brother is 21, I think he said), and had to work, instead of going to school, to help support his family.  That seemed not-uncommon.

So I wasn't sure if that was a problem with a society on the final stages of sinking, or a (bleak) tribute to a society beginning to pull itself up by its bootstraps.

240 @234: I predict in the future people in NYC will be assaulted and have their kidneys stolen with switchblades. Scary thought.

241 I think that the public schools are now being used as a propaganda tool.
Posted by: dagny at March 12, 2012 10:50 AM


Absolutely.  Government indoctrination via  union reps from 8 to 3, five days a week, 180 days a year, for 13 years. 

242 For the record, I'll restate a few personal opinions:

1) Mitt will be our nominee, he is the only one who can mathematically reach 1144 delegates.  Neither Newt nor Rick can reach 1144, given the remaining schedule and their levels of support

2) If Mitt doesn't reach 1144, he will still be the nominee, just not on the first ballot.

3)  Mitt will beat Obama.  Obama is unelectable.

4) The primaries continuing are a good thing.  They show Mitt and his staff that the SoCons and Tea Party can not be safely ignored.  He has to manage his position and be firm on actions he will take.  My feeling on Mitt is that his honor and faith make it hard for him to outright lie (hence the "soft" positions he takes).  The more concrete promises he has to make, the better for us.

5) Having to fight to hold the Conservatives will force him to make a good VP pick. 

243 Katya - where I live Christian and parochial schools have full sports programs and are highly competitive state-wide.  So if folks are using that argument to avoid taking their children out of public schools, there is probably something else going on in their heads.  Or maybe it is different in different parts of the country. 

We have kids out of our Christian school who've been drafted by MLB.

244 249 katya i went 12 yrs to private catholic school as did my sis and 3 brothers i have 4 children....i sent none of them to catholic school and i'll tell you why.....catholic schools for the most part are run by commies and people who don't take the faith seriously.....i'd rather deprogram my kids from the crap they pick up from gov't school than try to deprogram them from what FATHER or SISTER so and so teach them about religion......

245 Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 12, 2012 10:20 AM (8y9MW)

AllenG, Jamaica is very, very bad. My best friend is Jamaican and returns twice a year. She just got back from her brother-in-law's funeral. He was murdered by a cop. Crime is rampant, public corruption is norm, drug wars are constant. She waited 5 hours in the post office to mail something special delivery; this is the norm for any public service.  Poverty is everywhere and the work ethic of previous generations is gone. Jamaica is one big clusterf*ck. Sad.

246

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 12, 2012 10:53 AM (8y9MW)

 

My understandin gi shtat the nation has always suffered from the people's ability to literally reach up and grab the fruit off the trees(I know, that doesn't sound like a bad thing).  With subsistance nearly guaranteed and little shelter needed only those with in intense natural drive bothered to do more and usually "more" meant "go somewhere else" further draining the country.  

247

O/T need to catch up on some old bisness...

Condolences DiT, wish you and yours well.

***

Mr C. Dildo, How was the get together? Did the Ewok make a guest appearance?

 

248 Agh!  the spaces went mad.  "My understanding is that".

249

"Romney issued EO for state troopers to inquire about immigrant status. Again doesn't count because he was pandering."

 

So, do you Romney supporters ever google his claim of this?  I know he said this in the last debate, and TECHNICALLY it's true.  But it was during his last month in office, AFTER the election.  Governor-elect Patrick said it was not gonna happen the day Romney announced it and was true to his word; it never went into effect.  Pardon my cynicism, but Mittens was in his presidential aspirational period the last year he was in office, so yeah, he was building up his pandering creds.

 

The sad part is Romney NEVER gets called out on this absolute fabrication of events.  I'll vote for the dirt bag if he's the nominee, but please don't promote Romney's stance on illegal aliens as a reason to support him.  He didn't do jack in dealing with illegal aliens while in office; hey, he needed his yard work done.

 

Romney's biggest disqualifier?  Romneycare.  Just my own opinion, but that trumps everything even remotely considered a success by this douche. 

 

 

250 AllenG, Jamaica is very, very bad.

Yeah, like I said, my wife absolutely fell in love with it (based on what she saw).  I was deliberately keeping my Political Brain turned off (well, the output thereof, I can't turn off it's input and analysis systems), so I didn't point out all the problems obvious if you thought about it for half a second.

Also- does anyone know this- one of the beaches we wanted to go to required a ticket- like $2 or $3.  I wasn't sure if it was just a private beech (in which case- go ahead, charge for admission) or if that was the status quo on the island.

251

At the risk of sounding like I'm stereotyping.... I work in an HR/Legal function at a mulit-national corporation and my daughter attends a school made up of multi nationals.

Mitt is right, in a sense. The Chinese and Indian kids, and their parents, are the nicest, most helpful people I meet. They get upset when they have a line of people waiting for them. They smile and offer real customer service. Our big problem is getting them to think outside the box.

The Americans are whiney assholes who bitch about how they are being screwed out of every little thing.  Their daughters are total bitches playing the drama queen / popular game and picking on the weak girls, and their sons are just plain stupid, because it's cool to be so.  The good part of American culture - the individual- is also, in the wrong hands, the bad part of Ameican culture ("it's all about me, screw everybody else... you'll get your place in the driver's license line when I feel like it).

Obviously I live in a small piece of the world, but I think Romney was right - your average bureaucrat in China is probably quite pleasant and sees it as his or her job to get things done.  Versus your average bureaucrat in the US who views his glass as half empty and that he's always being "put upon" to have to actually do his job.

Add to the Chinese model that to my knowledge there is no Sierra Club, United Mine Workers, or Soros-funded advocacy group -- and no legal system to bog down with ridiculous (and meritless) citizen suits.

252

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 12, 2012 10:52 AM (hiMsy)

 

Thanks for the update.

253 Almost twelve years since the WTC went down. Going to be almost 14 before they are back up. On the other hand you have the Pentagon. Think about why. Posted by: polynikes -

An EXACTLY appropriate example of the wrong thing.  The Pentagon went fast because the Generals said do it and didn't have to pay for it.  The WTC is slow because of lots of things, one of which is artsy design contests, property squabbles, etc. and then regulation.  Apparently you and Mitt both don't get where fast = Pro Business <> good for anybody but the owner and the bribee.

254

 Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 12, 2012 10:20 AM (8y9MW)

 

I'm acquainted with an empty nester couple who used to vacation in Jamaica when their kids were younger.  When the kids left home, the dad decided he wanted to leave the USA and live in Jamaica forever (yeah he's a major pothead).

 

The mom was terrified at the thought of spending more than a week at a time down in Jamaica, it's a dangerous place for a woman and she did not want to be a captive in her living quarters forever.  She spent more than a decade going there on vacation, she knew her future there was nothing but "future victim".

 

They divorced and he's still down there as far as we know.

255 And for the grow up.

FUCK YOU!

And for the we gotta get behind x

No it's xs job to lead.

And for the vote for x or you're voting for SCOAMF

No staying home is a VALID third choice.

And for the "oh we'll damage x for the general"

Ha, if x is that weak he won't win the general anyways and couldn't do the job.

All these clowns suck. 

256 When you have guards on your tour with guns, you are in Israel or some third world country.

Well, we didn't have any of that, and at no point in my (admittedly brief) time in the city did I feel particularly in danger.  I'm sure if I'd gotten outside of the tourist zones that would have changed substantially, but I never did.  My observations were purely on demographics (13 & 14 year olds working during the week tells me schools are a) not available b) not important c) some combination) and landscape (half-finished buildings completely abandoned, people obviously living in shacks that might not survive the next Caribbean Gale, etc.).

I know enough about life that those are signs of abject poverty.  The only question was- is it poverty that comes at the end (well, really the middle) of Socialism, or is it poverty that comes at the beginning of Liberty. 

257 Hear Mitt now, believe him later...China will eclipse the US economy in ten years or so...Kicking the guy in the balls for saying that we need to streamline regulation to make a more friendly business environment is spot on...Try going into business yourself Andy.  You'll find that you are prey to government at all levels.  They feed off of you.  Morevover, business owners are a small voting block.  So, you don't get any of the vote buying goodies that private individuals get.  You are taxed at higher rates, double and triple taxed when you throw in things like gross receipts tax and property tax.  The list is endless...

258 About school sports, we actually homeschooled for several years and our local school system was very open-minded about letting the homeschool kids participate in any of the extracurriculars.  I'm speaking about the so-called "Christian" parents who are sold out to their local public school sports.  Seems like they'll sacrifice any convictions for their childrens' sports.

259 The slowness in rebuilding the World Trade center probably has more to do with the economy than it does regulation.

Keep in mind that building a big building like this is damned expensive, and there is a glut of commercial property on the market right now.

260 China will eclipse the US economy in ten years or so...

Define "Eclipse".  China's GDP is roughly a third of that of the US.  It's much worse viewed per capita.

China will grow old before it grows rich.

261 Here's some more on that Chinese badassery. 

China:  Gettin' some shit done!

tinyurl.com/7anso7f

262 >> Try going into business yourself Andy

You're presuming a fact that is not in evidence.

263 They divorced and he's still down there as far as we know.

Posted by: Boots at March 12, 2012 11:09 AM (neKzn)

 

I hate divorce but good for her that she could see where that plan was headed and didn't go along.

264 So I wasn't sure if that was a problem with a society on the final stages of sinking, or a (bleak) tribute to a society beginning to pull itself up by its bootstraps.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) SMOD 2012 at March 12, 2012 10:53 AM (8y9MW)

 

 

 

 

Tropical islands will never be prosperous, unless they can pull in big cash in tourism, expat relocations, and banking.  They're almost always resource poor.  It's too hot to work hard much of the year.  They have limited access to markets and volume efficiencies are nearly nonexistent.  Most in this hemisphere were once French or Spanish colonies, which pretty much makes failure and incompetent government impossible to avoid. Not every sow's ear can be fashioned into a silk purse.

BUT - they tend to have a climate that doesn't try to kill you several months out of the year.  Food is generally not hard to come by.  Most people are poor, and used to helping each other out.  There are usually larger patron nations to discourage others from invading you.  There are cute island girls running around.  There are usually very few muslims (something I find delightful).  Also, the government is often too poor to spend its scant resources oppressing you directly. 

Very few places are all bad.  Especially in this hemisphere.  Of course, there are a few.  Haiti IS all bad. 

265 Here's the problem: Romney is correct and China is still an authoritarian country we should not emulate. What Romney is saying in the first quote is that their government is business friendly. They don't go raiding Gibson guitars for fun and games like ours do, and they welcome investment. They also can build infrastructure without canvassing for union wages and worrying about the Delta smelt. This is all true, and does not mean you have to be a mean old one party state to achieve this. you just need officials who don't actively look for new problems to solve and maybe consider business to be a legitimate pursuit. Now, seizing land and being corrupt - that's more one-party state, and we don't have to do that.

266 They also can build infrastructure without canvassing for union wages and worrying about the Delta smelt.

They shoot you for union organizing and even Algae die in some of their rivers.  What part of Commie hellhole do you not get!

267 Thank you for the quote from Romney that once said they seem to be doing well getting investment and infrastructure completed. I will vote for Obama now, because I don't want any infrastructure or investment apparently. Keystone XL....China would have already approved that. Now, China is bad...therefore Keystone XL is bad, and so is Mitt for praising any system that would allow such an infrastructure decision to be made rapidly.

268 "They shoot you for union organizing and even Algae die in some of their rivers. What part of Commie hellhole do you not get!" The nuanced version where you can not canvas for prevailing wages for every stupid project, but where you lay off the killings. I don't know about you, but that seems possible. Of its not, then why not vote for Obama?

269 I could never send a kid to public school. I'd home school first.

270 US GDP per capita   48K    China   5K.   A freakin' juggernaut.

271 181: Andy:

1: No, you did not anywhere in your post compliment Mitt for the fact that he was slamming Obama for being worse than Communists when it comes to regulation.

2: You might want to ask GM and Chrysler's former bondholders who Obama screwed in the bankruptcy what they think of the comparison.

Mitt compared the US to China for the purpose of bashing Obama for over-regulating the economy.  The MFM don't want to see that, because they want to protect their boyfriend.  What's your excuse?

272 Also, for all of the traffic jams in China, they did an amazing job building a road network from scratch in Guangdong province. They used private money to build toll roads which later revert to public ownership in a system called build, operate, transfer. But, they are communists, so anything they do is horrible, horrible, horrible, and cannot be commented on in any positive light.

273 @Greg Q, spot on.

274 Why do you need a foreign comparison to point out how fucked up our regulations are?
For the same reason football coaches praise the opposing team.  Nobody ever pumped up their team to greater exertion by telling them the opponents were not worth bothering about. 

275 "Yes, business and government can do great things in totalitarian nations." His point is not about command economics, but that a lighter regulatory touch would be helpful. But i guess that's communist! We need a heavy regulatory touch, more raids on guitar factories, because that's not what China does so ipso fact that's capitalism.

276 "Why do you need a foreign comparison to point out how fucked up our regulations are?" I don't know. How else would you benchmark your level of national government? For example, the entire Hong Kong tax code is 150 pages or so. Ours is tens of thousands of pages. See, this is useful to show people who would otherwise say "without a 20,000 page tax code, we would be like Somalia!!!!!!" But maybe you are right, and most people don't want to know what the dirty heathen furriners are up to.

277 I remember when someone figured out it took 6 months of man-hours to open a business in Peru, and it was much faster in the USA. I bet we are working hard to catch up to Peru and create jobs for our people and more work for our bureaucracy.

278
I'd rather comment on the latest dumb-shit move by Obama.

Surely Obama has done or said something stupid or bad in the last 24 hours, yes?

279 "Point being: Businesses in China do not build quickly because China is a free economy or has less 'government regulation.' They build quickly because the government wants them to, for now. And later, when the government wants them to do something else, they will do that too, and quickly. " You ever been to China? Its a complicate place. Because you could say what you just said and be totally true - state run enterprises do exactly that. But you could also look at millions of small factories making stuff for export that do not do the government's bidding - "Make more dancing Santa's for Wal-Marts!" or millions of small shops and services that also have nothing to do with the state except when tax time rolls around, etc. Just like us. Those businesses are just like ours - they want to make money and be left alone. China does leave them alone, though it also does batshit crazy stuff too, which we should not emulate. Also, regarding infrastructure projects, I don't think Mitt is admiring the seizure of peasants land, but the faster approval process and probably that they don't canvas for prevailing wages.

280 Here's a great example of what Mitt is talking about: Keystone XL See, our bureaucracy vetoed this project, for political reasons of course, but there you have it. Yucca Mountain too. But since these were American decisions, I guess all of the anti-Romney people stand firmly behind Obama's wise and benevolent rule.

281

 

Running a business has to be totalitarian in nature.....because if it were run like a democracy and employees got to vote for what they wanted, the business would go under.

 

So, while I like the idea of having someone in the white house with executive business experience......the decision-making done in business creates some fertile ground for political foes to mine for things that can be held up as 'dictatorial'.

 

I am bracing myself for what may be coming, if Romney is our nominee. .....With the money and resources that team Barky has to work with, they are very likely sitting on some stuff that we don't know about yet. 

282 There are NO sexy pigs.

Of its not, then why not vote for Obama? Posted by: sexypig

It's not a binary choice fuckwit.

How about the ProGOP moderates get the FACT that the edging the Democrats out didn't work when SCOAMF went full retard with our money and future.  It seemed like a semi-workable idea when the debt was serviceable but now were screwed.

If you want to spend the next 4 or 8 years making excuses and rationalizing squish statism as much or more than W go for it.  Me, I'm tired of stupid shit.

283 Damn.....I just noticed that my hash has changed again. ....I don't understand it.

284 I've been to china as well, and Mitt is right; they have better airports, trains, subways and highways. Mitt was simply stating what is obvious to any traveler. No need to read so much into it.

285 A link to the fucking Huffington Post. Awesome. Listen, he's emphasizing that regulators get in the way of business here. That's the whole point. Was China a great example? Probably not. But it's certainly damning if Coca Cola finds the government over there more business friendly that here. So how about we stop bashing Romney with lame attacks like this? He's got plenty of flaws. We all know it. We don't need to make up more.

286 Damn.....I just noticed that my hash has changed again. ....I don't understand it.

If your IP address changes your hash will change.

287 It's a dead thread but I would just like to thank those posters who proved my point. It doesn't matter what Romney has done or said that is positive from the conservative viewpoint. It just doesn't count because of X. And if X isn't good enough , we'll just make shit up.

288

312.....If your IP address changes your hash will change.

 

Thanks, but nothing has changed on my end.....unless my service provider changed our IP configuration for some reason. .....There have been some service outages in the last few days, but I figured that had something to do with the solar blurp thats been going on.

289 The chick-ity China the Chinese chicken.

290 Good thing GOP voters are going to nominate a ChiCom apologist instead of an unenlightened idiot like Rick Perry.  This way even if Obama loses, the Left wins.

291 Commenter #1 has it right.

292 300: Even if that were true, so what?  Why do you have a problem with someone bashing Obama for too much regulation?

Or is it just that you don't like Romney, so everything he does must be bad?

Do I like China?  No.  Do I want the US to be more like China?  No.  Do I want to see Obama bashed for the things he does wrong?  Yes.  Is Obama doing wrong on regulation?  Oh hell yes.

Do I want to see Obama lose in November?  Yes.  That's my top priority.  What's yours?

By all means, slam Romney when he screws up.  That's all we can do to try to keep him on the straight and narrow.

But don't be a tool for the MFM, and don't bash him when he doesn't deserve it.

293 316: I'd much rather have Rick Perry.  But last I checked, he's not still running.

294 A sore loser is still a loser.

Suck on it.

295 Although Mittens probably could have said it a better way, he was making a point that the (Communist) Chinese government is friendlier to business then our own government.

296 The Republican Primary: standing in for the World Angry Retard Convention for 23 years running!

297 It's pretty impressive over there how quickly they can build things, how productive they are as a society.

If you're impressed by China you're doing it wrong.  I may be angry but even I'm not retarded enough to think China is an anwser.

298 "I've been to china as well, and Mitt is right; they have better airports, trains, subways and highways. Mitt was simply stating what is obvious to any traveler. No need to read so much into it." To be fair, its all NEW and things that are new always look and feel better...but in China new stuff only lasts a few years before falling apart.

299 Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

300 "I recall this (or segments of it), and my recollection is that in context Romney's point was that the U.S. government is standing in the way of business and that is one reason the U.S. is losing so much business to China and elsewhere."

That's the way I read it... I actually got the idea Romney was trying to make the opposite point.  Maybe he could have been more articulate about it or maybe I was misreading though... but...

context!

301 Fine "Conservative" Republican Party you've got there.

302 Obama in white face is all Romney is. You can talk yourselves mute but that wont change who Romney is and what he will NOT do to fix the Leviathan we have in DC. Its where he lives and wants to be come hell or high water. Four years of him and all the crap "Obanancyreid" passed will be codified in stone for the next one hundred years.Count on it.

303 328 Rich:

Will Romney sign a repeal of ObamaCare, or veto it?
Will he appoint SC Justices more likely to vote with Scalia, or with Sotomeyer?
If the Ryan Medicare plan passes the House and Senate, would Romney sign it, or veto it?

Will the Romney "Justice" Department sue to block Voter ID laws?

If you can't tell a significant difference between Romney and Obama, the problem is you, not Romney.

304 If Romney is only concerned with appealing to moderates and independents, then he can just count on moderates and independents to write campaign checks and knock on doors for him.

Have fun with that, Mitt.

305 Oh, and I'd like to point out to my fellow so-cons that Mitt Romney, more than any other one person, is responsible for introducing same-sex "marriage" to the world.

306 Hey now! Don't be sayin' nasty shit about the chink trains!

307 #331 How's Romney on lesbian porn?