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Subscribe to RSSAnother weak jobs report helps Romney get back on message … But Obama leads in Virginia and two words – gender gap. It’s tough to see a great path to 270 for Romney without winning Virginia. … Is McDonnell veep possibility hurt by good VA economy? … The 17 “Swing Markets” – Obama’s going to two of them this weekend … China became the political story yesterday … Romney and religion, the need to coalesce but reach out to swing voters … Santorum, Romney meet, but no endorsement expected today … Romney addresses Grennell … and Lugar’s last chance: the last big weekend of campaigning in Indiana. It’s statesmanship vs. the Tea Party (and the Tea Party’s winning).
NBC’s Chuck Todd, Domenico Montanaro, Natalie Cucchiara, and Brooke Brower
Jewel Samad / AFP - Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign event in Chantilly, Virginia, on May 2, 2012.
*** Another weak jobs report helps Romney get back on message: The bin Laden anniversary, a secret trip to Afghanistan to announce staying in that country for 10 more years and simultaneously the ending of the war as we know it, a diplomatic crisis, a presidential candidate drops out, and the latest report on the most important number this election – unemployment. All in a week’s work. It was another weak jobs report. Just 115,000 jobs were added, though the unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent,” and CNBC notes that the rate dropped because there were fewer people in the workforce. It was clear in the last NBC/WSJ poll that economic optimism had flat-lined. These jobs reports do have an impact on how people view the economy. We noted earlier in the week that Romney was having a tough week because of all the national security news that dominated. This will allow him to get back on message for a month. “This is not progress. This is very, very disappointing,” Romney said this morning. The upside inside the report was the fact that job gains were revised UPWARD for BOTH February and March, accounting for SOME of the drop in unemployment. But again, the shrinking workforce is the story.
The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd talks about the April jobs report, in which unemployment fell to 8.1 percent with the economy adding just 115,000 more jobs.
*** Obama leads in Virginia: With Romney in Virginia yesterday, the Washington Post is out with a poll poll in Virginia, where Obama leads 51%-44% over Romney. It’s the fifth swing state poll in two days – WI, FL, OH, PA, VA. What have we learned from those? Romney’s got a lot of work to do. The common denominator on all these – we thought he might get a bump after being the de facto nominee, and while he showed improvement in some places, particularly Florida, he didn’t get much of a bump out of becoming the nominee. Virginia may very well be the scariest state for Romney. If Obama wins Virginia, he could win the White House without FL or OH. If Romney loses Virginia, he doesn’t have a path if he also doesn’t win any of the swing states out West.
*** Virginia, not just for lovers, but also for candidates – but two words – gender gap: Assuming the West becomes out of reach due to the GOP’s problems with Hispanics, then Romney HAS to win one of the following four: PA, VA, WI, or MI. And of those four, Virginia is clearly the most winnable. And of all the swing states, Virginia’s was closest to the national number in 2008. And it has moved with where the country has moved from 2005 forward. “I think most would say it's a very tough path for a Republican to win the presidency without winning Virginia,” said Gov. Bob McDonnell, who appeared with Romney yesterday. “So that's why you see Mitt here last night, today and he'll be here next week a couple times. This is clearly on the top of his list. The president's here today and the president's here on Saturday, so everybody knows Virginia's in play.” Digging deeper into the Washington Post poll and one result stands out above all others: the gender gap. If you didn’t think before that the fight over transvaginal ultrasounds hurt the GOP, then simply look at this gender gap in this poll. That fight did damage to the GOP’s brand with suburban women.
*** The Swing Markets: There are swing states and then there are swing MARKETS inside those swing states. And it’s these swing markets, where you’ll not just see TV ad spending but the candidates themselves. Our ad-tracking partners, SMG Delta crunched the numbers to break down the 17 “swing markets” within the broader group of battleground states. These are the ONLY media markets in these 12 battleground states where Bush won in 2004 and Obama won in 2008. We break down the list of those places here. Interestingly, Virginia sports three of the 17 markets (including Richmond) and Ohio sports two of the 17 (including Columbus). And where’s the president going for his first two official campaign events on Saturday? Richmond, VA, and Columbus, OH. By the way, margins in media markets matter as much as whether a candidate carries it. For instance, Colorado does not have a “swing” market. Kerry and Obama BOTH won the Denver-market. Obama just won it by a MUCH larger margin.
*** China rising: We noted yesterday that the story of Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng would become a political story, and did it ever – with Chen himself even calling into a Capitol Hill hearing. Romney criticized the Obama administration, charging that yesterday was “a day of shame for the Obama administration." Romney wasn’t very specific about would he’d do if he were president, but an aide indicated to NBCPolitics.com’s Mike O’Brien that Romney would have offered him asylum. State Department spokesman Mark Toner contended, however, “You cannot achieve political asylum unless you are outside of the country you are trying to flee.” This morning China says Chen can apply to study abroad, which seems like a way for everyone to save face. We can’t imagine Secretary Clinton leaving China without a firm deal in place.
*** Quick on the trigger: Romney rolled the dice a tad by deciding to jump on the Chen story. Yes he couched his comments with “If the media reports are true” but what if they aren’t. There’s a backstory here that no one is quite sure of. Why not wait a day? Why not wait two days until all the facts are known and the Secretary of State is back in the country? Of course, Republicans might argue that they put pressure on the administration to fight for Chen. This morning, Clinton, by the way, said, “All of our efforts with Mr. Chen have been guided by his choices and our values,” per NBC’s Sarah Blackwill. “And I'm pleased that today our ambassador has spoken with him, our embassy staff and our doctor had a chance to meet with him and he confirms he and his family now want to go the United States, so he can pursue his studies. In that regard, we are also encouraged by the official statement issued today by the Chinese government confirming that he can apply to travel abroad for this purpose.”
*** Close up: Romney was asked by local NBC Virginia affiliate WAVY if he believed his religion was part of the reason conservatives were slow to embrace him. Romney replied, “I've got great support from evangelical voters - a number of states that we had primaries in I was the leading contender.” Evangelicals were not a strength for Romney; it’s a big reason he lost South Carolina and didn’t win a single culturally Southern state. He won evangelicals in NH, MA, FL, NV, VT, MD, VA (where only he and Paul were on the ballot). He acknowledged, though, “I know there will be a narrative perhaps to that degree….” But he said, “I want all elements of our party to come together and support me, but I also have to get those folks that are the undecideds, the independent voters, women voters, Hispanic voters, young people, I've got to get them, too.” How tough has this pivot been for Romney? AP notes today that members of the Mormon Church are nervous about the church coming into the spotlight, having again to defend the church amidst “vetting” that “will take place amid the emotion of what may well be a nasty general election.”
*** McDonnell hurt by good VA economy ironically? McDonnell noted yesterday that Virginia has the lowest unemployment rate in the Southeast, and he’s running sunny ads about the state of the Virginia economy. If you’re wondering how he did in the audition, he might not make as much sense now, because he throws Romney off his “bad economy” message a bit. McDonnell would argue that it’s because of his pro-business policies that have helped create jobs in the state. But it’s hard to have it both ways. "Remember three and a half years ago, we heard that tune about hope and change?" McDonnell said. "Now what do we have? We have recession, division and malaise. It’s time for a change, don't you think?" But when you peel back the onion of the Virginia economy, you realize just how much the federal government is such a vital part of the economy. Two words: defense contractors.
*** Santorum, Romney meeting but not expected to appear together publicly: Romney will appear with Rick Santorum on his home turf in Pittsburgh today, but there isn’t expected to be an endorsement and, NBC’s Andrew Rafferty reports, the two aren’t even expected to appear together PUBLICLY. Santorum is really running out of political capital here – whatever’s left of it. Even Michele Bachmann, who once said Romney couldn’t beat Barack Obama, endorsed him yesterday. As AP’s Phil Elliott pointed out, Santorum endorsed Jon Bruning yesterday in the Nebraska Senate primary, but still hadn’t yet endorsed Romney. Romney holds an event at noon ET. The last time Pittsburgh hosted one of these meetings was for Bush-McCain.
*** Romney addresses Grennell – ‘wanted him to stay’: Mitt Romney address the Richard Grennell controversy for the first time this morning on FOX. “We wanted him to stay with our team,” he said, per NBC’s Garrett Haake. “He's a very accomplished spokesperson. We select people not based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation... We select based on ability.”
*** Big weekend of campaigning in IN and WI: It’s the last chance for Richard Lugar to turn the tide in his bid to retain his Senate seat against upstart Tea Party challenger Richard Mourdock, the state treasurer. Bloomberg today sums it up – pitting Lugar’s “statesmanship” against Mourdock’s fight for conservative purity. In Wisconsin, two Democrats – Kathleen Falk and Tom Barrett have their last chances to sell Democrats on why they would be best to take on the well-funded Gov. Scott Walker, in the recall fight. Barrett is favored by double-digits, according to a poll out Wednesday.
*** Get the NBC Politics app: Get the power of our political reporting and analysis where and when you want it with the new NBC Politics app. Get the latest stories and video from First Read, The Daily Rundown, Meet the Press, and more. Read our daily Tip Sheet to stay in-the-know with Decision 2012 and check out our national and state contest results. The app features an exclusive battleground map game that allows readers to carve out each candidate’s path to 270. Share those maps with us via Facebook or NBCPolitics.com and we might feature them online on air. Download it now for your iPad or iPhone. In this week’s Press Pass, David Gregory interviews actor Robert DeNiro from near Ground Zero. And check the blog this afternoon for The Week Ahead and The Week That Was.
*** The schedule: President Obama speaks against about student loan interest rates, this time at a high school in Arlington, VA, at 11:50 am ET. Then he hosts the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball champion Kentucky Wildcats at the White House at 4:50 pm ET. … Vice President Biden speaks about women’s issues at the YWCA Annual Conference in DC at 1:15 pm ET.
Countdown to Indiana Senate/Wisconsin recall primaries: 4
Countdown to Wisconsin recall election: 32
Countdown to Election Day: 186 days
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As long as both parties continue to send billions of dollars overseas to "help" other countries, and continue unpaid for wars, and refuse to reduce DOD costs America will never fully recover.
We live in a global economy. America will be impacted when the markets fail in any of the developed nations.
We will recover, why is everyone so doomsday, the sky is falling?
just think...if the news were better...the DOW could be down 300 instead of just 127
Based on the way the Republican are mouthing off about President Obama, if Romney gets elected, I better f-ing see everybody getting a job, housing values going up and gas prices coming down pretty damn quick!! But I know that won't happen because eveyone is talking out of their ass.
talking out one's a55 is SOP #1 for all politicians to follow
one dummy is as good as another...I just want a new one
a whole new congress? now that's hope and change!
Dragon on you point to reduce DOD, it has already happened and along with that comes more unemployment so it is a double edge sword, yes you cut spending but you put more people out of work. Suprise job growth is down.
So, your supporting "war" as a growth industry? Isn't that a typical right wing position?
Which is exactly what the Republican governors are doing. Class size projections for grades 1 - 3 in our state are expected to reach 35 students per teacher next school year. Imagine a teacher trying to do a decent job with 35 first graders in the classroom! The demand for Prozac will be going up!
Can't wait to see how the talking heads on MSLSD will spin this, Rachel madow, fat ed can-o-schiltz, Lawrence of stupidity.
They will all tell us how this is good news, and how well obama's policy's are working.
33,000 less jobs than last month, yippy skippy, liberals call that growth.
the great and powerful OB just said "clearly there is much more work to do"
yup, we start by voting this poseur out.
yea but if you don't count those no longer eligible to get unemployment...the unemployment numbers go down
a whole .1% of the original cooked number.
ALL IS WELL!!!! our government said so.
You must have been very disappointed during the bush regime, losing 700,000 jobs a month is the republicans idea of a "good" jobs report?
The rethugs are simply trying to capitalize on slow economic growth, which has been stymied by the do nothing rethugs in congress.
Bush is not in the white house anymore, or did you notice that little fact?
Jan 2009 obama and the liberals showed us all these graphs & charts that if they do not pass the A.R.R.A. the unemployment rate will hit 8%.
So the thing passes, by October 2009 the unemployment rate was over 10% and has been over 8% sense....
Own up to the failed policy's of the president and the liberals in the senate.
If it weren't for double standards Democrats would have no standards at all.
Ordering a double is my standard.
Where's my $5.00 gas, people?
Don't know much about that, but Cinco de Mayo means tomorrow is half price Margaritas Day! Enjoy......
the government just said gas was going down...and my local Shell just went up $0.26 in one day.
I guess everyday in washingstoned is opposite day!
Maybe we should demand that Obama nationalize the oil companies! Afterall, he is a Socialist, isn't he?
So! Where's all those jobs the Republicans were going to create - you remember JOBS 2010 - Boehner, Cantor, and McConnell standing in shirt sleeves - going to get America back to work just as soon as they got the HOUSE back.
WELL - I'm still waiting BUT our representatives - who don't do anything useful when in Washington are on a Break!
Give me a Break!
and the Senate is just fine, right?...they all SUCK
The one thing I know is that we were on course to pay off the deficit by 2010 when Bush was handed the presidency by a republican Supreme Court ruling on a contested election result from a state controlled by his brother and the republcian party. I know, if Gore had taken the Presidency everything would be worse because he's a democrat, right!!!, keep on smoking whatever it is you're smoking. If the republicans regain control of the government it will only get worse. We need only look at how well they governed from 2001 to 2007.
right!!!
if gore had been elected, we would be even worse off, he would have made america believe the country is melting away.
Two wars, tax cuts and an expansion of Medicare benefits put us on the road to balancing the budget?
Are you delirious?
If Gore had been elected over 3,000 people in the World Trade Center would still be alive.
if gore had been elected it would have been more killed. that commie sum B$@#% would have killed us all.
Scott , you're delusional, time for your meds.
The economy hit the skids five years ago, about as long ago as when Romney started campaigning for the White House. During that period of time none of the Republican candidates for President discussed in any detail how they would revive the economy, including Romney. But now that he is the presumptive nominee, he has the platform to detail his economic recovery plans.
It will be interesting to see how his economic strategy, whatever it may be, complements the House passed budget that Romney has described as 'marvelous'. The budget cuts tax rates, increases military strength, and reduces safety net programs such as food stamps. It also transfers other existing programs to the states but does not transfer any funds to the states to manage those programs.
Supporting the 'marvelous' Ryan budget while supporting deficit reduction and job creation will be a trick worthy of Houdini!
wow...its a good thing none of them damn republicans got elected 5 years ago...otherwise we would have had a useless incompetant non-leader in the white house.
Zzzzzzz..... Wake me up when the debates start.
I want to clarify a few things for the conservatives on this board If you doubt what I am writing, then please feel free to look it up yourself. Not from a conservablog but from a non-biased entity.
1. Over the last month, Obama has created more jobs than Romney did in his entire public sector career.
2.Since becoming president, Obama has created more jobs than George W. Bush did in eight years. You can even add the number of jobs that Dubyas father added and they would still come up short. So 3.5>12
3.Obama has a jobs bill ready to go. If it were to be implemented, growth could be much better.
If you guys want to keep on with the Obama hating, please feel free. I am actually looking forward to Obama losing so that you guys can be reminded how ignorant supply side economics really is. Go ahead and get rid of programs that help the poor. I know that it makes you guys more angry that some guy/gal is getting a $500 check without working for it, than some trust fund baby cheating the system and his investors out of millions.
You got people that buy up millions of barrels of oil so that they can sit on it, make the supply appear limited, and then sell it off when the prices skyrocket. That stuff is OK to conservatives, but god forbid a mother or father getting help in feeding thier family. Over 40% of people receiving benefits, are in working households. Over 40% of those receiving benefits, are children or elderly. There are some lazy people out there getting checks, but for the most part, Americans are hard workers.
Fox news: Rich people paying rich people, to convince middle-class people, to blame poor people.
Obama created as many jobs with his own hands the arabs he personally
assassinated
zero
American Citizen, your words are wind, they don't go anywhere.
hmm, wind travels idiot
Scott, wind evidently blows out your ass, nitwit.
It one thing to complain that job growth is not what we prefer it to be its another to complain about it and have no plan of your own. So I agree were are those jobs they GOP promised, and please don't say they are sitting on the senate floor because all they have offered it trickle down economics which we all know does not work.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projects 1,781,000 students at the bachelor's degree level will graduate as the college Class of 2012. Let's ad them to the mix this spring. We should also be looking at High School graduates and Trade school grads trying to enter the job market.
THis is getting pretty serious libs. How much longer will you back this President.
Vote Mitt in November.
add not ad
Atticus, the funniest comment I have heard recently was when Speaker Boehner demanded leadership from the President. The President's job is to execute the laws passed by Congress, which is why it's called the 'Executive Branch, not make law.
i really cant think of one good thing obama has done for the country as a whole other than run up the national debt.
he has excelled at that. what's your problem?!!
Ended the Iraq War (good thing)
Avoided a depression (good thing)
Killed OBL (good thing)
SAved two of the largest US manufacturers from bankruptcy (good thing)
Saved commerical credit industry from collapse (good thing)
Provided health care to the poor (good thing, by most standards)
Well at the very least he saved us from 4 more years of republican lunacy
and the economy means nothing to you, you just care whether or not your if ruled by republicans.such an idiot
Of course you can't when you do not like someone they can not do anything right, ever have a boss like that.
and yet america is still in the toilet.
Scott you can sit back and say gee the economy means nothing to the libs and be totally wrong but you will not see that because you have an agenda which is to deny anything done by the democrates as possitive we get that no issue. If you want to live in that world go right ahead its your fantasy, but we still need jobs, the president has a jobs plan and bill, which the GOP will not allow to be passed, so how can we say it will not work until we try it. What a present this could be for the right if it does not work, but I think the right knows full well it will which is why they will not even try it. What are you afraid of showing us all that Obama is wrong or that you are.
oh yes, obama's job plans...how can anyone forget his green/alternative energy agenda in which 2 green companies took millions in government money and went bankrupt and/or left the country. oh yes, obama's job plans.
Anyone seen Romney's jobs plan? He's been campaigning for five years and one would think he would be campaigning on a platform of job creation. The only thing I've heard him say so far is that he wants to add 100,000 more military personnel, while supporting the Ryan budget that cuts funding for the Veterans Administration.
If Mitt Romney wants to seem more likable and electable, he should outsource all of his ads and stump speeches to a trained parrot. It only needs a four word vocabulary to capture Romney's one-note message.
Reporter: Parrot Romney, how do you plan to close the gap with women without angering the social conservatives in your base?
Parrot Romney: Jobs. Caw.
Reporter: And how will you appeal to hispanics without alienating the xenophobic nationalists you count on for support?
Parrot Romney: Caw. Economy.
Reporter: And why did you just fire the gay staffer you recently hired?
Parrot Romney: Caw. Obama. Failure. Caw.
President Obama cannot make the laws, he can only sign or veto legislations congress sends to him.
If you believe it is still Obama's fault, there is plenty of resource on the internet that explains how laws are made in the USA.
When jobs are being outsourced from the USA, they failed to enact laws to slow it down. Minimize number of people becoming unemployed.
When jobs are being outsourced and yet companies are bringing in workers under the H1B visa program and wants to bring in more every year, they failed to stop this and protect the american workers, particularly those loosing their jobs to outsourcing. IT and Manufacturing got the biggest job losses.
When illegal immigrants and smugglers crossing the Rio Grand becoming hostile to US citizens living near the border, killing a rancher protecting his property, they choose to not act on immigration reforms totally. They are more concerned with the undocumented than protecting the integrity of our immigration laws.
When gasoline prices started rising about 12-14 years ago, they did not put a mandate to have gasoline companies contribute to fund commissioning new refineries in exchange for the tax breaks. Refineries are getting shutdown, law of supply and demand, we end up paying higher gasoline prices.
16 years ago, cars have 26-29 MPG average ratings, 3 years ago, the average is 22-25 mpg. Once again, they are not paying attention to what is happening. Average MPG goes down, gas prices goes up, less spending money, economy tanks.
President Obama nor GOP presumptive presidential nominee Mr. Mitt Romney cannot fix what is wrong with a do nothing congress. It is better to fix part of a problem right than to not do anything to fix the problem.
Congress must be remodeled from top to bottom
they have done so little for America for so long, thay now think "nothing" is their job.
we have to vote out all incumbents, vote in those that will pass term limits, abolish lobbists, and address the rest of your outsatnding list.
Let's change what really needs to be changed---CONGRESS
We can start the term limits....just stop voting for the incumbents. I just bought a bumper sticker that reads "Re-elect no one"
Just ask yourself, How many jobs did Mitt Romney kill with his company? How many people did he put on the welfare line? He put many!!! He is the modern day Anti-Robin Hood, Steal from the poor and give to the rich... He has set out to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.. You far righty's (RepubliCan'ts)are losing your minds if you think this is your man, he will make G W Bush look like a saint.. I think you should have went with someone else... It's the McCain/Palin all over again.. As for Paul Ryan, Just say "NO" to his budget, again for the rich and stomp on the poor.. What a work of art these righty's really are.. If it looks and smells like crap, then it is crap, and that is what the right is,"crap"....
I'm seeing a lot of smoke being blown by both sides. What I'm not seeing is action on creating jobs within the United States. Let's take the largest if not one of the largest consumers in our fine country, the US Government. Start purchasing actual US made products from tires to clothing and you will begin to see a rapid increase in employment in this country. Our manufacturers can be efficient and competitive. This is hardly an overnight panacea to our problems but by being creative, it can't hurt.
I'd like to give each candidate a 45 day challange on how they can make this work. No more smoke
What these so-called cerebral media liberals fail to mention is the Independent vote! With 55% of independents undecided, history has shown that undecided's vote against the incumbant 88% of the time. Also, there are undecided Republicans who will vote for Romney to prevent our current "campaigner-in-chief" from being re-elected. So all you liberals.....please don't wet your pants with this skewed optimism article. It isn't as rosey as it appears.....just as the economy isn't doing well! I laugh every time I see articles written about the unemployment numbers dropping! Any competent, objective, and rational person knows the new way of calculating the employment numbers doesn't show the real double-digit unemployment which really exists! We'll have to see if America wants a new direction, or most of Americans are truly part of the nanny-state, with it's entitlement goodies and their desire to be ruled instead of being FREE to decide their own destiny!
the silent majority is about to ROAR!
GaryL, Certainly no one can accuse you of being cerebral, thoughtful or intelligent.
To: The new era of useful idiots.
It is all about the Economy Stupid. I hate to see the numbers slide and the Economy slowing because it affects all of us but mainly the middle and lower class. I hate it. It is IRONIC that what did the Repubs in 2008 is going to be the same for the Dems.
Nobody should be happy about this. and it really made the usual crowd of deniers come out in force to defend the Elites know it all posted all form the left folks. Are there any Democrats like JFK out there?
Feisty good thing that you have so much time today, You posted at least 11 times, followed by the rest. I really hope that the numbers get better for every-ones benefits. I do not want to be in another Socialist Country as the one that I came from (not vacationed in).
So,,, What's Romney's Plan?
More cutting jobs or bailing out the states who aren't doing their part?
For some one who said "Government doesn't create Jobs" one would think he's barking just to be barking like a dog that becomes a neighborhood nuisance
His Trade Policy out sources all our manufacturing right back to China
i didnt know they were even leaving china.
It's taken a hard fight in this Do Nothing Congress for 3 years to get a policy passed that would.. But yes, they are coming back
Don't you remember on inauguration night the gang of republican House & Senate leaders pledged to block Obama's agenda ?
Romney's plan, and correct me if I'm wrong, is less regulation and lower taxes.
Scott you just showed everyone here your ignorance of facts but yet you still spew lies. Yes manufacturing companies are coming back to american workers, they have found that even though the pay more for them they produce more than the workers in China. Look it up before you continue to make a fool of yourself.
do you mean foreign industries coming to america as in no american companies. yes, thats a great sign, the great trade off.
Jim,
What states are "not doing their part"?
Government does not create private sector jobs. Consumer confidence and free markets do.
Romney has shown no regard for the truth. He is the most unlikable candidate. How could anyone ever vote for him? By the way wasn't he some sort of high ranking mormon during their anti blacks, anti gay days?
No jobs report can be good enough for the Republican spin machine. The more people struggling and losing their jobs, the better. Priebus and the rest in the GOP leadership (and Romney in particular) couldn't care less about the personal tragedies behind the numbers - all that matters is having more fodder to feed their political purposes. Meanwhile the administration is working every day to improve our lives and fix the enormous mess we were left with in 2008... as are many good people of all political persuasions. One can only hope that all the stone-throwing and negative, nasty commentary will be rewarded in November.
To: The new era of useful idiots.
It is all about the Economy Stupid. I hate to see the numbers slide and the Economy slowing because it affects all of us but mainly the middle and lower class. I hate it. It is IRONIC that what did the Repubs in 2008 is going to be the same for the Dems.
Nobody should be happy about this. and it really made the usual crowd of deniers come out in force to defend the Elites know it all posted all form the left folks. Are there any Democrats like JFK out there?
Feisty good thing that you have so much time today, You posted at least 11 times, followed by the rest. I really hope that the numbers get better for every-ones benefits. I do not want to be in another Socialist Country as the one that I came from (not vacationed in).
I'm seeing a lot of smoke being blown by both sides. What I'm not seeing is action on creating jobs within the United States. Let's take the largest if not one of the largest consumers in our fine country, the US Government. Start purchasing actual US made products from tires to clothing and you will begin to see a rapid increase in employment in this country. Our manufacturers can be efficient and competitive. This is hardly an overnight panacea to our problems but by being creative, it can't hurt.
I'd like to give each candidate a 45 day challange on how they can make this work. No more smoke