As you may have heard, President Obama and Mitt Romney both delivered speeches in Ohio on the economy this afternoon. If you missed them, here are the videos.
Here's Obama:
And here's Romney:
If you want to know what the 2012 presidential election is going to look like for the next four months, you can start with these two competing visions.
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Well, Obama's speech was terrific, the pundit hacks notwithstanding. I haven't heard Mitt's yet, but for Obama, the gloves were off, he got the audience fired up, and he linked the obstruction GOP in Congress to political motivations with this great line, "Romney and his allies in Congress...."
I thought it was great, specific and very smart in outlining the two futures we can choose.
Wait until you here Romney's speech. 18 minutes of crap!
Obama said vote for Romney [if you want to live in an apocalyptic hellscape.] I'm paraphrasing of course, but bringing back the bush economic policies, but on steroids, wouldn't be too far off.
Mitt says "talk is cheap"? Since that's all he is, he should know. Lots of talk, no actual plans or policies proposed.
That hit me too. For someone who has taken both sides of almost every issue in front of him, Romney's the last guy who should be complaining that talk is cheap.
A great line for a t-shirt
How about when Romney said armaments and bombardments? He was referring to armor and bombs.
What I do not understand is ow Republican plan to win this year relation if they against let said 65% of the voting block, that is women, minorities, poor, low middle class, you ahve to be crazy to vote for any of these new Republicans, who are going to eliminate your benefits, lower your salary, deport your cousing, and tax you at a higher rate than rich people.
"Always and inevitably each of us underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation." Carlo Maria Cipolla
I think in a utopia, every citizen has a substantial level of understanding and control of information they drink from the fountain of the media and political campaigns.BUT our democracy isn't anything close to that.The least informed are the most passionate and the [informed] are full of confusion and disappointment.
Like my mother would say,"Democrats are more of policy animals and the Republicans are more of political animals" and heh,Politics wins most of the times in a democracy.
How about you can never go wrong when you vote for a Democrat. This statement was made by a Republican who changed parties because he thought the Republicans could give him more bang for his buck. Ha, was he mistaken. There are a lot of Republicans out there that assume if you're rich you should vote republican.... young and clueless.
I just want to say: I got fired today, from a country club. I live in Cleveland. Mitt Romney was in town. Fortunately, I have another job at a Chevy dealership.
Probably the most delicious bit of cosmic irony of my life.
I'm so sorry, Patrick... But I'm glad you're looking on the bright side!!!!!
Rmoney: Putting jobs first. Pass it on!
I'm 6 minutes into Mitt's speech and wondering when he'll fire someone up... the guy in the back is almost dead by the look on his face.
Business oportunities in Mexico? America isn't a hedgefund dude.
Romney couldn't set an audience on fire even if you handed him a lit Molotov cocktail.
He did try to set his hair on fire though the time his brain caught fire when he was trying to think up a word that meant donut.
On Obama: An actual thought out vision for America with facts and a non-partisan platform. Refreshing isn't it?
Wow. Obama's speech was almost an hour, and I enjoyed every second of it! Then Romney. 18 minutes of nothing but lies and hatred...and still no real answers on what he plans on doing. Oh, and is he trying to take credit for other people finding new ways to adjust thier businesses to make them work? Huh? Aren't these examples of how well people can turn thier own situations around if they just usethier brains? How is that a bad thing, Mr. Romney? You contradict yourself by saying how bad the job situation is, but follow it up with recent success stories! What a schmuck!
I could be wrong, but wasn't there a problem with the pipeline? I thought it was a problem because it would end up polluting neighborhoods or something like that. What does everyone think about that? And, why is Romney so against renewable energy from the sun and wind? Oh, probably because his rich buddies would lose money for themselves while we save not only money, but help save (or at least stop depleting) our planet!
Robme is afraid the wind energy would mess his hair, and the solar might make him to dark for the repubs.
Yes, "that pipeline" would threathen drinking water for people from Canada to the Gulf. If we really want the oil sands - build a refinery where the oil sands.
And yes, it's amazing how Romney seems to know nothing of safe energy. I live on the east coast where states are vying for offshore wind turbines to generate energy. Romney refers to wind energy as 18th century technology as if that's a reason not to use it. I knew many people living in Oklahoma who provided their own electricity and received checks for the excess they produced from the power company - wind power in action. Solar could produce a huge amount of the energy we need but Romney wants nothing to do with it because it's not a big money maker. You'll also notice he's evidently unaware of geothermal. Individuals in the coldest of climates are heating and cooling their homes with geothermal. All three of these clean energies take initial investment but once it's made - the energy they provide is paid for and that's Romney (and Republicans) biggest fear because they effectively end our slavery to high cost energy producers.
The pipeline would have crossed a huge aquifer used by millions of people. That crazy Obama thought we ought to look at this before going ahead in case it could contaminate the water millions rely on. Don't tell the Republicans, but when you don't have access to water it is more valuable than oil. Mainly wanted to look at another route. Besides some of the pipeline that is not near the aquifer is in process.
There already is a pipeline in existence that pollutes Ohio and displaces residents (potential voters). Why he thought constructing another pipeline would be a good talking point in Cleveland is beyond me.
It was like comparing hot dogs, apple pie and root beer floats with caviar. Which would you rather?
I cannot wait for the debates!!!!
Our President is smart, articulate, honest, and compassionate, none of which apply to Romney. But can someone at MSNBC explain why I have to watch an add from ExxonMobil here? I'd love for our government to "invest in teachers," but apparently subsidizing oil companies is a higher priority for Republicans, slaves to ExxonMobil and the like.
Yep. By subsidizing oil companies, TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR THESE EXXONMOBIL ADS. We are paying to be hoodwinked and to have other taxpayers hoodwinked by these greedy oil executives. Grr.
If ExxonMobil really wanted to invest in education (as they claim), they would relinquish their subsidies, so that the monies might be spent on education.
I couldn't listen to Romney to the completion of his speech. He is a corporate front and is dishonest in his speeches. In my opinion, he wants to be president so badly that he has sold his soul to the corporate regime who cares little, if anything, for the 99% of Americans. His words are without meaning when he speaks about his caring for the middle-class and the poor. Except for embracing the Ryan Plan and promising to "kill dead" the Affordable Care Act, Romney has not put forward anything that is substantive...just GOP talking points and right-wing rhetoric.
Romney, if he were to win the election, would be president in name only; the actual presidency would be the Koch Brothers' Regime! They already serve as the majority of Justices in the U. S. Supreme Court, governors for 60% of our states and the majority of GOP congressmen in the U. S. House of Representatives. What they all have presented has been UGLY!
I'm not sure the Ohio voters are getting the right messages, though, if they don't read beyond the headlines. If you check the Columbus dispatch this afternoon, the headlines have a totally different slant.
"Obama spoke for nearly an hour to a predominately African-American crowd of 1,500 at Cuyahoga Community College’s Cleveland metro campus."
"Romney addressed a crowd of several hundred inside Seilkop Industries, a manufacturer located in a predominantly Republican area."
Having been raised in Ohio, (and was just there last weekend), the hidden message is clear. Obama's audience today was a minority group; not the 'typical' Ohio voter. Therefore his 54 minute speech is not worth listening to. (Ohio is 82% white, and I would describe it as somewhat racist, esp. in rural areas. Minor example: Why would the newspaper clarify his audience is predominately AA? Who cares?)
According to the articles, Romney's speech covered 'a three-point plan for how he would bolster an economy wobbling in recovery.' The fact there is no substance to his plan is not relevant.
When I'm in Ohio, I get the sense the majority of Ohioans have no idea of what is really going on in national politics, and that scares me. They are tired of the garbage, and tend not to read beyond the headlines (such as the ones above.)
Obama clearly had the upper hand in this one. If it had been a debate, then Obama would have won hands down. Romney may have been the best choice R's had -- but Romney is way outclassed. Every time voters get a chance to see them side by side, Obama is going to pick up votes and Romney will lose them.
From an economic perspective, it is clear that Romney really does not understand how to fix the economy or create new jobs.
The message for the Democrats should be: "Get the Republicans out of the way of progress." The GOP has stalled. They have blocked legislation. They have held up appointments. They have stopped reform and refused to push bills that would put people to work. The first message out of a Democrat running for office whether presidential office or Congress needs to be "Get the Republicans out of the way."
Yes jobs are important, they are very important, but we better pay attention to the other things Mitt Romney and the Republicans say they want to do if given a chance. Starting with Medicare, Social Security, education. They talk of reducing the debt, but how will they do that, when Mitt want to give the 1% another tax cut, along with making the Bush tax cuts permanent. Yes I want a job, but I don't want my elderly parents who depends on Medicare, to wake one morning and fine Medicare as we've known it is gone. And it ends up costing them more out of their pockets. Lots of things the voters need to think about. And I so agree that the Republicans have been sabotaging the economy, hoping it would be in bad shape. Re-elect the President, get rid of the do nothing congress, and put someone in there who will work with this President and I have no doubt things will improve.
I love how Mutt goes on and on about how the current administration makes it hard to start businesses and hire people then tell's story after story about people who recently started new businesses directly because of retraining allowed by the current administration and then about companies that employee like 1000 people.. Does he really not know he contradicts himself from sentence to sentence.. Like Obama's speech - He seemed fired up and pissed as he should be... I can't wait for their debates when P.O.T.U.S. is speaking and Mutt is trying to make lies into facts and jokes into policy.
Why does Obama say "if candidates agree with me, vote for them... Democrat, Republican, or Independent"? Sure, it sounds bipartisan, but Republicans would still vote for Boehner for Speaker, or against cloture in the Senate... so why doesn't he just say "Give me a Democratic House and a filibuster-free Senate and then we'll get things done." Four years of gridlock are enough!
Here's some food for thought... Mittt Romney's father George was not born in America . He was born in Galeana,Chihuahua. Also are any of you aware that Mitt got 5 deferments to avoid the draft. It is true he supported the war in Veitnam will using his religious status as a moron. He spent 5 years in France as a recruiting missionary to convert the french to the moron beliefs. I have a difficult time understanding why the republicans would have Mitt as their canidate over the others. I know it is lame to ponder that now.
Ouch I apologize for the moron I truly was thinking Mormon and simply did not catch it in time.
Thanks, Steve, for giving us these two speeches to compare. I never tire of listening to Obama's speeches. Each one always seems like his best, but this one really was outstanding. Normally, I wouldn't waste my time listening to deadbeats like Romney but here, for comparison, I gritted my teeth and sat through it. What a load of weak tea!
The important thing about this election in November is not so much the razzmatazz of the presidential contest but rather the election for Senate and the House. Only when the gridlock caused by Republican obstructionism can be finally swept away will the eminently superior and rational policies of Obama have a chance of implementation. That's what's clearly needed, as alluded to by Obama in his speech. Is there any chance that this can happen?