Romney 2012

[Avatar]

Hahaha, if he was the Anti-Christ, that might actually motivate me to vote for him. (If I lived there and was eligible of course.)

I expect him to win. Dunno how close it'll be, but I think he will. Reps will probably take the one after that though.

--A

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

I'm with Av on this one. I just can't bring myself to believe that Romney will win this thing.

[Cail]

I wonder how tight it's going to get?

u.

It will probably wind up being like 2000--there will be recounts and more recounts lasting into December and even when those are done half the people will think the election was "stolen".

It'll either be this or a Romney landslide. The media is so far in the bag for Obama that I don't trust that we're hearing an honest assessment of the race. Especially when I see stuff like Carville's number.

Thanks to unemployment, Obama's lost a lot of the youth vote. His peculiar stance on gay marriage has hurt him with Hispanics and evangelical blacks. The novelty of voting for the first black president is gone. He simple doesn't have the wave of enthusiasm behind him that he did 4 years ago. Romney's such a piss-poor candidate that it might not matter. On the other hand, he's been such a piss-poor president that Romney might not matter.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

[DoctorGamgee]

I am SOOOOOO stealing this!

Doc!

[Vraith]

I saw that a Carville poll had Romney up by double digits over Obama among Independents, whom many believe will decide the election.

I looked all over for that...all I found is a couple really conservative places citing it [one was Rush Limbaugh, for instance], and Real Clear Politics has it linked...but all the links are dead, the poll itself is nowhere. It doesn't exist even at Carville's site. I'd really like to see it.

[wayfriend]

This will probably not meet the Republican criteria of "not convicted of a crime", and so will not be considered an issue.

This is about Ryan reporting his marathon time as 2:50:something when it was 4:01:25, as indicative of his overall honesty.

What Ryan's marathon 'Oops' tells us (Opinion)

[...] And yet -- no. No, no, no, no, no. There is no possible explanation for a four-hour marathoner claming he's a three-hour marathoner. None. Zero. Nilch.

Having been a runner for the last 32 years, and having competed for a season of track and cross country at the University of Delaware (I was arguably one of the nation's worst 100 Division I runners), and having completed 11 marathons, I can tell you -- with 100% certainty -- that when Paul Ryan says (more or less), "Oops, simple mistake," he is full of it.

For those of you who don't run, a 4:01 marathoner insisting he broke three hours is the equivalent of a .220 hitter speaking of a .310 average. It's a retired small-town mayor looking back at his time as a U.S. senator; a dive-bar rock band bragging of once opening for KISS at Madison Square Garden. In this world of ours, there are exaggerations ("She looked just like Halle Berry!"), there are boasts ("Hell, gimme a week in the pool and I'll destroy Michael Phelps!") and there are flat-out, straight-up, no-holds-barred lies.

This is a flat-out, straight-up, no-holds-barred lie.

Of course, in and of itself, perhaps Ryan's fib isn't such a big deal. The world is filled with once-upon-a-time jocks recalling glory that, truth be told, wasn't all that glorious. (Isn't this what high school reunions are made for?)

But when it comes to Wisconsin's favorite son, a lie -- in this case about a marathon time --isn't such an isolated occurrence. In case you missed the Republican convention, Ryan's speech was an unambiguous ode to mistruth. Among other dandies, he ripped the president for ignoring the Simpson-Bowles commission recommendations -- even though Ryan voted against its final report; claimed the American people were "cut out" of stimulus spending when, actually, more than a quarter of all stimulus dollars went for tax relief for workers.

[...]Truth be told, there's no shame in being average.

There's only shame in refusing to accept it.

[Prebe]

The mere fact that a candidate would think it beneficial to flaunt his sporting achievements is saying a lot about the average american voter.

That he is (apparently) also lying only makes it pathetic.

[Cail]

I'm sure we all remember exact times and scores from events we competed in 22 years ago.

[Prebe]

We all lull ourselves into beliving that we are better than we really are. A lie that you tell yourself grows every time you tell it. You lie by slight increments so it doesn't actually feel like a lie. Fuck his actual time. The interesting thing is that his running is even an issue.

[Cail]

We all lull ourselves into beliving that we are better than we really are. A lie that you tell yourself grows every time you tell it. You lie by slight increments so it doesn't actually feel like a lie. Fuck his actual time. The interesting thing is that his running is even an issue.

Oh I don't think it is an issue for anyone other than those looking for a "gotcha".

[Prebe]

I'm assuming (I may be wrong) that his athletic prowess was brought up either by himself or a spin-doctor to further his cause?

[Cail]

It came up in an interview I think. I dunno, it's really not important to me.

[Prebe]

And yet you feel compelled to take up the discussion.

As did I, mind you.

And it is (if possible) even less important to me

[Vraith]

I'm sure we all remember exact times and scores from events we competed in 22 years ago.

If you've run a marathon, and haven't suffered a serious brain injury/memory illness, particularly if you've only run ONE in your entire life, you do NOT mistake a time over four hours for a time under 3. I don't care if you've run HUNDREDS, you won't mistake a time of 3and one millisecond for a 2:59.99999999999. if you've only been under 3 one time.

But ya know, I would just consider it a "gotta find a gotcha" from the opponents...but all other things considered, I used to think Ryan was honest even if I thought him wrong on everything. Now I'm starting to think he's a complete weasel.

[Cybrweez]

All I know about Ryan is his budget plan wasn't a good one. But really, marathon times? Unbelievable.

[Cail]

I'm sure we all remember exact times and scores from events we competed in 22 years ago.

If you've run a marathon, and haven't suffered a serious brain injury/memory illness, particularly if you've only run ONE in your entire life, you do NOT mistake a time over four hours for a time under 3. I don't care if you've run HUNDREDS, you won't mistake a time of 3and one millisecond for a 2:59.99999999999. if you've only been under 3 one time.

But ya know, I would just consider it a "gotta find a gotcha" from the opponents...but all other things considered, I used to think Ryan was honest even if I thought him wrong on everything. Now I'm starting to think he's a complete weasel.

I've competed in one marathon and one triathlon. Couldn't tell you with any certainty what my times were without looking them up. Hell, I ran track for 4 years in high school and couldn't tell you any of my times from those races (and I won a bunch of them). Can't remember my golf handicap either, nor my best score.

It's a fucking marathon time from 22 years ago. Who gives a shit?

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

Nobody that isn't trying to convince themselves that the republicans are the debil.

[Cail]

Nobody that isn't trying to convince themselves that the republicans are the debil.

Well that must be so......Bobby Boucher's mamma told me they was da debil.

[Vraith]

Nobody that isn't trying to convince themselves that the republicans are the debil.

Well that must be so......Bobby Boucher's mamma told me they was da debil.

Yea, that's it. I said by itself it's nothing. When it's a pattern/who you are/how you do business, it's something.
[like 'ole "I didn't inhale," but if you find out he was dealing on the street, it's something else.]
If you don't recall your marathon time, then I guarantee it wasn't under 3. If your golf game was as good as his marathon claim you wouldn't HAVE a handicap. You'd probably be a club pro. [depending on the club, of course].