The Politics Thread

[DRW50]

Looks like for once the public is looking at the party platform. The GOP one is very frightening.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/platform-could-be-messaging-minefield-for-gop.php?ref=fpa

Meanwhile, here's another one of the by-the-numbers, "We're making progress because everything is so bigoted!" articles about gay conservatives.

http://www.advocate.com/politics/election/2012/08/28/gay-conservatives-see-progress-beyond-2012-platform

[Wales2004]

This is going to be the most magical event ever. First they are trotting out as many speakers with hispanic and/or Latino background as possible with the belief that they will somehow win the votes of that demographic. Then Ann Romney is going to win all the women of the nation over with 20 minutes of how good her husband is and what a hard working mother she is. Pure magic.

No, as far as the outrage goes.

I don't even think the instances are comparable. I believe that people were upset with Melissa Reeves over an issue that is important to them. Samuel L. Jackson and Ellen Barkin are not promoting an issue, they're wishing pain, injury, and death on a group of people. I know that people may have wished the same on Melissa Reeves but it all stemmed from a specific issue which is a bit more complex than the general death wish.

I am not in favor or wishing people dead because you don't agree with them on whatever issues but people have a right to their feelings. I do find it inappropriate to express these feelings in public. I don't get all this public thinking out loud. Eventually people and their motor mouths (via their fingers on twitter) will cause themselves enough problems that they will learn not to share every unkind thought they have.

[ReddFoxx]

Ron Paul supporters are not happy, they made somewhat of a scene on the convention floor. They had cothes pins on their noses and were chanting.

[marceline]

I don't know if this is appropriate for this thread but since it's the anniversary...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V57lotnKGF8

[DRW50]

I didn't realize.

I know how much the heart of the GOP loves the '80s (welfare queens, yuppies, Reagan, and so much more), but why in the world is THIS their entire convention theme?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxGGckAc1rs

[MissLlanviewPA]

Is it really? I had no idea.

As a side note, that's actually one of my favorite songs. I don't care how many people will laugh at me for saying that.

[DRW50]

They aren't using the actual song but their theme is WE BUILT THIS! WE BUILT THIS!

AKA, none of you pesky "others" got your hands on it.

[MissLlanviewPA]

Oh okay, I understand. Interesting.

And yeah, somehow I don't think Starship would have EVER allowed their song to be used by the GOP (just like Springsteen didn't allow Reagan to use "Born in the U.S.A.," Bobby McFerrin didn't allow Bush Sr. to use "Don't Worry, Be Happy," and Heart didn't allow the McCain campaign to use "Barracuda" for Sarah Palin).

Edited August 29, 2012 by MissLlanviewPA

[Wales2004]

Oooh I thought their theme was Obama has to go even if you don't like Mitt Romney ye have no choice but to vote for him so that Barack Obama will be gone and we can all sleep better at night.

Seriously.

And if they're harping on We built this...it's apparently because Obama had the nerve to tell them that they didn't build it on their own. I don't even know what he meant and I'm not sure I care but I do know the man in the first ad received loans from the big bad government by his own admission.

I listened briefly to some fantasy about how the small business owner wants someone who is going to congratulate him which I suppose is meant to exclude Barack Obama. I turned it off because I'm pretty sure Mr.Personality isn't going to be all man of the people.

Oh and I built this message all own so I reckon I qualify to be a Republican now.

[DRW50]

Republicans showing their true colors:

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/cnn-republican-convention-black-camerawoman.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

[quartermainefan]

I thought Chris Christie's speech was pretty flat. There were applause lines where there was an awkward moment of silence before the audience realized they were supposed to applaud. No one gave a better speech than Reagan at the 1992 convention, and what all the great speeches need is a little humor. Christie had nothing. I don't know how the speech was perceived but compared to Reagan or Anne Richards' speech where she spoke of "poor George" this was a real dud.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WxL3OU1dwmI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wtIFhiqS_TY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

These two both had a great way of delivering a line, but you gotta have a line to deliver. Christie's speech was total blah.

[DRW50]

I miss Ann Richards.

There was and still will be a lot of hype for Christie and that speech, but the fact that he got little reaction from the crowd and barely mentioned Romney - along with the rumors that he leaked the "didn't want to be VP" story to spite Romney - doesn't bode well for his ambitions.

[MissLlanviewPA]

Dan Quayle's son Ben got defeated in his primary last night (he was elected to Congress in 2010):

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/08/29/schweikert_defeats_quayle_in_primary_battle.html

[Ann_SS]

Not a surprise. It was actually two GOPers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/cnn-should-reveal-details-of-nut-throwing-incident/2012/08/29/658b3608-f1e7-11e1-adc6-87dfa8eff430_blog.html?hpid=z3

[alphanguy74]

Bernie Taupin and Dennis Lambert wrote it... so perhaps they got permission. They might NOT have... that has happened alot in the past, and massive cease and desist orders were leveled. If Grace Slick had written it, you can bet your ass there would have been nuclear war from Grace. It's good that they didn't use the actual song... cause even though Grace hates it, repubs using something she is singing on would still cause her head to explode, I'm sure, as she's said publically she to the left of Lenin.