The 2012 Election . . .

[Amskeptic]

The lofty talk about "the stakes couldn't be higher", this being an "important" election, a "clear choice", a "referendum on the direction of this country", it was all true.

However, this morning, the Republican talking heads, the Senate whip Mitch McConnell, and House Speaker John Boehner, have all agreed that this was no such thing, it was just a piddling little squeaker close-call. Mitch said, "this was not a mandate to raise taxes."

Yes. It Was. President Obama said specifically and repeatedly and honestly! that we must ask the wealthy to pay more to help us all pay our bills. And we said at the ballot box, "we agree with you, Mr. President." We must not allow the House Republicans to hold us hostage to their doubled-down obstructionism.

Therefore, I am asking my fellow citizens to please email John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and suggest to them in the strongest words possible, that it is time for them to work with the President. Please, contact your representatives.

Folks, the currents in this country are becoming more apparent through the sediment stirred up by this election cycle. You could see it at the conventions and the election night halls.
The diversity and the energy in Chicago last night bodes well for our future.
ColinRelievedThisMorning

[Amskeptic]

Therefore, I am asking my fellow citizens to please email John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and suggest to them in the strongest words possible, that it is time for them to work with the President. Please, contact your representatives.

Well Colin, I did just that. Only Mitch McConnell so far . . .

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
United States Senate
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1702

Dear Senator McConnell,

Last night I saw with my own eyes the joyful mandate bestowed upon President Barack Obama as he was re-elected for his second term. I saw the resounding Electoral College victory. I saw his margin of victory exceed one and a half million votes over his challenger. For the record, President Barack Obama has a greater mandate than either election that installed George W Bush.

This morning I saw you declare that the results of this latest Presidential election carried no mandate to raise taxes. As an American voter who takes my responsibilities to be an informed citizen seriously, I beg to differ with you. Both candidates articulated that this election posed two starkly different paths to the future. President Obama expressly stated that his path includes tax increases, "the well-off such as myself must contribute their fair share." Apparently, 60,558,670 Americans agree.

I must ask you and House Speaker John Boehner why it is that you preface your remarks with "the American people don't want tax increases" when:
a) you can speak only for the citizens of your own districts,
and
b) polls show that 67% of the American electorate does indeed want higher taxes for those Americans making over 250K per year.

It is time for the United States Congress to exercise cooperation and compromise in our search for solutions. With a current Congressional approval rating of barely 13%, I should think that the most pressing mandate for you is to re-earn the trust and respect of the American people.
Thank-you, and good luck with the fiscal cliff!
Colin Kellogg
New York

[ruckman101]

Well crafted. Can I crib it?

My head is still spinning. This much good news is a new thing for me a day after a major election.



neal

[Amskeptic]

Well crafted. Can I crib it?

My head is still spinning. This much good news is a new thing for me a day after a major election.

neal

You may. I am working on John Boehner now.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear House Speaker Boehner,

While I understand that you have an unruly caucus to corral, please be acutely aware that you also have an unruly American electorate who, by virtue of this election, have put you on-notice that you must answer to them as well. Your place in history will be far more assured by your good-faith efforts to work with President Obama, than it ever could be by attempting to mollify parochial representatives of Alabama, South Carolina, and Georgia. Please, step up to the challenges of simple arithmetic.
Colin Kellogg
New York

[hippiewannabe]

Therefore, I am asking my fellow citizens to please email John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and suggest to them in the strongest words possible, that it is time for them to work with the President. Please, contact your representatives.

Well Colin, I did just that. Only Mitch McConnell so far . . .

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
United States Senate
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1702

Dear Senator McConnell,

Last night I saw with my own eyes the joyful mandate bestowed upon President Barack Obama as he was re-elected for his second term. I saw the resounding Electoral College victory. I saw his margin of victory exceed one and a half million votes over his challenger. For the record, President Barack Obama has a greater mandate than either election that installed George W Bush.

This morning I saw you declare that the results of this latest Presidential election carried no mandate to raise taxes. As an American voter who takes my responsibilities to be an informed citizen seriously, I beg to differ with you. Both candidates articulated that this election posed two starkly different paths to the future. President Obama expressly stated that his path includes tax increases, "the well-off such as myself must contribute their fair share." Apparently, 60,558,670 Americans agree.

I must ask you and House Speaker John Boehner why it is that you preface your remarks with "the American people don't want tax increases" when:
a) you can speak only for the citizens of your own districts,
and
b) polls show that 67% of the American electorate does indeed want higher taxes for those Americans making over 250K per year.

It is time for the United States Congress to exercise cooperation and compromise in our search for solutions. With a current Congressional approval rating of barely 13%, I should think that the most pressing mandate for you is to re-earn the trust and respect of the American people.
Thank-you, and good luck with the fiscal cliff!
Colin Kellogg
New York

Oh please. Here are the results:

..................Obama.......Romney
States carried...26 + DC......24
Popular vote....62,711,814..59,189,598
Percentage.......50.6%......47.8%

If two idiot Republicans in the hinterlands hadn't thrown gasoline on the abortion fire, or if hurricane Sandy hadn't blocked the momentum Romney had coming out the debates, where the voters saw the real Romney beyond the media caricature, it could have easily gone the other way. Take away the abortion and gay rights single-issue voters, and Romney won the economic-issue vote. Hopefully the Republicans will swing towards their libertarian wing and quash the religious wing who have hijacked the agenda.

Atlas can accept a little more burden, for the good of the country, but it can only go so far before he shrugs. All socialists have eventually run out of other people's money.

[Bleyseng]

Since "Trickle Down" didn't work for the rest of us 98% its time the 2% paid their fair share of taxes. This includes corporations like GE who pay nothing. The socialists haven't run out of money as the "Rich" are hoarding it and not paying taxes on it. Atlas hasn't shrugged as he is on his corporate yacht in the Cayman Islands, tax free.

[Amskeptic]

Oh please.
Popular vote....62,711,814..59,189,598
Percentage.......50.6%......47.8%
Electoral College 322 ....... 206
It could have easily gone the other way.

Not in the context of history.
Republicans have been blowing it for some time, and if you look at the movement of these latest election numbers, they have some serious adjustments coming their way if they want to remain relevant. The serious Republicans under the Faux Snooze Bloviator/Conservative Entertainment Purveyors tempests-in-teacups, are well aware of this.
Colin

[Bleyseng]

There really wasn't a chance for Romney as he carried the smaller states even though it was 24 of them. 24 smaller states with only 206 electoral votes vs Obama's 26 larger states (East coast and West Coast) with their 330 votes. The population centers are what matter in these elections or you just miss every time. Carrying the White male parts of the Midwest and the South doesn't cut it as the GOP found out. Blacks, Asians, Latinos and women carried Obama to a second term by this wide margin. Bush said he had a "Mandate" with less votes!
Hopefully Obama will be more forceful in pushing forth his programs.

[hambone]

It is nice that the old White vote ain't what it used to be. It will hopefully change our country for the better.

X2 with Obama, no more pussyfootin around.

[Randy in Maine]

Of course you know this is not true....your point is in a good direction, but this "fact" is not helping your case.

This includes corporations like GE who pay nothing.

http://www.factcheck.org/2012/04/warren ... -no-taxes/

[Bleyseng]

Ok, GE and a lot of other corporations don't pay their fare share by taking advantage of loopholes and aggressive deductions....

[ruckman101]

I was most encouraged by the fact that the flood of "free speech" the Citizen's United decision unleashed wasn't louder than that of actual living and breathing citizens. And, goodness, there are a lot of bodies being thrown under buses so to speak. Eating their own. Also encouraging to hear those high decibel Citizens United voices gnashing their teeth at the result. Twist Rove.


neal

[Amskeptic]

I was most encouraged by the fact that the flood of "free speech" the Citizen's United decision unleashed wasn't louder than that of actual living and breathing citizens. And, goodness, there are a lot of bodies being thrown under buses so to speak. Eating their own. Also encouraging to hear those high decibel Citizens United voices gnashing their teeth at the result. Twist Rove.


neal

Yes, this was the root of my mad joy . . . seen in the faces of those at Obama's acceptance speech.

The gnashing of teeth was rather more quiet at the Romney bash that same night.

And I want the Republicans to deeply consider that the Democratic Party tradition has the legs
that allow us to celebrate our ex-Presidents and even ex-Presidential candidates at the convention while the Republicans had to hide theirs (again and again),
that the Democratic Party tradition has the heart to keep its friends (we did not have to throw Akins and Mourdochs and Palins and Angles in the closet and plead for them to please shut up).
Look at how fast Mitt Romney has been abandoned . . .

It has something to do with honesty.

Republicans did not SEE that their convention was chimera while the Democratic convention was actually alive? They do not see still, that their party is full of hatred and scorn and divisiveness and dishonesty and intolerance and is bereft of scientific curiosity and intellectual celebration, that their one-track platform of Save The Rich will not fly in this new world of quickly disseminated information and smart new citizens from around the world.

I cannot wait! for the "moochers" and "takers" to prove them wrong . . . forever.

[glasseye]

...the Democratic Party tradition has the legs
that allow us to celebrate our ex-Presidents and even ex-Presidential candidates at the convention while the Republicans had to hide theirs

"Eisenhower was the last legitimately elected Republican president."

http://truth-out.org/news/item/12871-wh ... be-ignored

An eye-opening article about current and historical election rigging by guess who.


"Twist, Rove" : impeccable concision.

[Velokid1]

I was most encouraged by the fact that the flood of "free speech" the Citizen's United decision unleashed wasn't louder than that of actual living and breathing citizens. And, goodness, there are a lot of bodies being thrown under buses so to speak. Eating their own. Also encouraging to hear those high decibel Citizens United voices gnashing their teeth at the result. Twist Rove.


neal

I am enjoying this one, too. Though it was still too close for comfort. As elections go, it was a "landslide" but in any other competition it would be a very close race... 49% to 51%. At any rate, even if I am being naive, I am enjoying the thought that these huge corporations are rethinking their enthusiasm for throwing millions and millions of dollars into a campaign.