As I read that Mitt Romney picked Paul Ryan as a running mate, I heard "Puppet Man," by the 5th Dimension, echoing through my head. I wondered if this choice, worse than Palin could even pretend to be, would wake up the 50 percent who chant the "Star Spangled Banner" even though they are clueless as to what that song signifies. I’m sure the tune gets blurred between shouts of Hallelujah and Ave Maria.
I have to laugh at this choice. Obviously, Mitt and his puppeteers aren’t concerned with the vote. The majority of independents are lost on Mitt’s choice. Independents are smarter and above the propaganda. We search out the truth. We aren’t easily bought when pummeled by media. We look at everything, closely scrutinizing every move made by both parties, and then, with critical thinking skills fully intact, vote. With Mitt choosing Paul, it seriously makes me wonder how fixed the voting system already is. If Mitt can pull this off and become president with Paul as a running mate, our people are either really, really stupid, or it is totally fixed. America doesn’t hold that many ignorant people. People with any intelligence, right now, should be humming Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.” America wouldn’t want any part of a Romney/Ryan team. I’m sure if the independents were polled today, Romney would take a huge hit. The Republicans would cry it’s because of the college educated idiots. If this team wins, I, along with many others, will know this is a fixed vote. We are done. The democracy is over.
I did read a Facebook friend's post about voting. This friend was told he wasn’t allowed to split his ticket. He had to vote a straight ticket. Since when are we told how to vote? I never vote a straight ticket. I won’t now, either, no matter who tells me what. If someone tries otherwise, well, you’ll hear the rest of that story when, and if, I’m released from jail.
While the Republican politicians are singing the songs of the self-righteous God they don’t even believe in, I, and many like me are going to sing "Free Bird," (Lynyrd Skynyrd.) At this point in politics, even I want to roll a blunt, kick back, and remember the day I was a member of a free country. The bird I will sing about isn’t a shy sparrow, but a raging and angry eagle.
George W and Dick Cheney were bad enough. I can’t imagine what will happen if Mitt decides to turn our war games over to Paul, as George did to Dick. I wish the Kochs would grow some much needed testicles and run for office themselves. They couldn’t buy an election to put themselves in power. They would lose, we already know the polluting losers they are. They wouldn’t have the guts to face the nation, one on one, with their lies and schemes, because even the dumbest of dumb could see through it. They have to use puppets. Puppets like Romney, Ryan, Snyder, Walker, and Scott play out the dreams of the billionaires who would be told no if they ran the political race. What would it be like for a billionaire, one who can buy every whim, to be told no? Oh, wait, we know. The Kochs, the Kochs who began their wealth through Stalin, were told no by Obama, weren’t they?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - yadent
A vote for Obama is a vote for the bankers bitch. Think Jon Corzine.......
2 - Rick H.
Paul Ryan must be a great choice since the libs are especially nutty over it.
3 - HAL-9000
...songs of the self-righteous God they don’t even believe in, I, and many like me are going to sing "Free Bird,"...(Lynyrd Skynyrd.)
Actually, it will not be 'many' but 'few.' The country is split close to 50/50 for a Donkey or Elephant as their preferred form of the Destructor, but its ~98.3986/1.7124 (or so, my precision is lacking) for not singing/caring/knowing about Lynyrd Skynyrd.
4 - Bobloblaw
An independent???? Her rant reads like an OWS suicide note.
5 - Pam Messingham
@1 It seems the past two presidents have allowed the bankers to get away with everything they have done. People have short memories. Just like they forget W gave the first $13 billion to the auto industry.
@2 I hope you do your research on Paul Ryan before you vote based on what the libs think, you know, they say their is a little truth to every rumor.
@3 You're right.
@4 I am an Independent, and I stand behind the OWS. They are the people that are out pounding the pavement to create the change both parties should want; preservation of the constitution.
I really wish the other slams weren't deleted. It just shows when you write something shallow, the followers of the right bash in rapid fire, but it gets their attention, unlike serious and fact laden articles that prove the issues at point. Yes, I could prove the Koch and the oil sands comment, but I didn't feel like it. I can prove Obama said no to the Koch's with the oil sands pipeline XL project, but I did all that in a previous article and again, I simply didn't feel like it. Of course, none of the comments can argue the points, they just bash and slam and go to the American Thinker for their answers.
6 - Pam Messingham
"there is a little truth..." not "their" sorry
7 - Corey
This sounds more like a temper tantrum.... Paul Ryan is a numbers nerd. By Mitt choosing Ryan, he is actually serious about cutting our wild and out of control spending.
And before you start with your Marxist tripe about tax cus, news flash, tax cuts don't cost a dime...... Letting Americans keep more of their money doesn't cost the tax payer jack.... We don't have a revenue problem, we have an Obama spending binge problem.... The federal government takes in more than 2 trillion dollars per year from us, this is near historic highs.... So if revenues aren't historic highs, why are we awash in red ink in DC? Because we spend too much.
To believe that tax cuts cost money, you first have to come to the belief that government owns all money, and is only being generous by letting us keep 50% of what we make.... The first guy to put those ideas to paper was Karl Marx. I'm not surprised the left believes deeply in his ideas, I mean the president of the United States is out on the campaign trail trying to sell Karl's ideas of government owning the means of production ala "You didn't build that, someone else made that happen"...... And that "someone Obama is talking about is GOVERNMENT.
I don't see how anyone can say anything negative about a VP pick after Obama chose Plugs..... But I guess I might as well say something nice about Joe "Plugs" Biden:
At least there is ONE person in the White House who isn't a devout radical marxist/fascist....can't say that about the president or anyone he chose for his cabinet.
8 - Pam Messingham
Corey, first of all, there hasn't been all of this outragous spending by obama as you claim. Corporations paid far less taxes under Obama than they paid under bush. I don't have Marxist ideas, I have American ideas. I truly believe that Mitt Romney, and if you follow his words you will see it too, speaks to suck up to his audience. When the audience changes, so do his words. I am not one to support Obama either. I think we should ditch both parties and begin again. I think we need to take lobbied dollars away from the elections and the politicians. Paul Ryan is all about privatizing everything. He is also one of those people that condemn on his catholic beliefs. Look him up, and with a clear and knowledgable mind, ask yourself, is that American? I am so sick and tired on the fights against the people that seem to benefit the rich...remember the rich are the reason that jobs are outsourced. I haven't researched your point on how many tax dollars we have taken in, but with the slow and low paying economy, it surely isn't like it used to be. You also seem to forget, as many choose to do, that Obama's hands are tied when it comes to spending. He is far from the worst president. The numbers don't lie. He has spent less than most. You have to look at credible sources for that information. You will be surprised. I laugh everytime I hear the communist bullshit come from all the right wingers. I know for a fact that is the koch pushed propaganda. I think it's funny when the original Koch money came from Josef Stalin. Then again, W's grandfather, Preston fed Hitler during world war II, so I'm not suprised. If you don't see anything wrong with Ryan you don't know him very well...do research and look at the bills he has voted to pass, denied, and created. Listen to his speaches. Mitt and Paul together, well that puts W and dick to shame. At least Dick could speak with intelligence, unlike the other three.
And as for the government owning all the money...wow...no, that they don't. I'm not going into that one, not today at least.
9 - John Lake
Yes Romney’s selection of Ryan WAS a bold move. Ryan is a Washington insider who can overshadow Romney, and as a speaker, is a threat to Obama. Ryan dominates the Tea Party newcomers before they can catch their Congressional breath. Ryan has been a driving force behind the hypocritical obstruct-everything policy. Ryan shares and promotes the corporate takeover of America, while whistling Dixie and tossing down fries. His young tanned appearance will pull women to his support, and his Catholic background may bring some of the Evangelical middle of the road to the Republican side. You mention Bush/Cheney. They’re back, and less transparent/accountable than ever.
10 - Igor
@7-Corey: wrong. Tax cuts cost money. The revenue lost is made up by borrowing, which is paid off by future taxpayers, wherein the lowest earners will pay higher taxes than the high earners. Witness Romney, who has a lower personal taxrate than most middleclass workers.
11 - Glenn Contrarian
*watches the Ryan nomination for VP, and the corners of the lips curl, the teeth showing in a truly predatory grin*
Romney sure made his base happy - though he may not realize that many of them are now praying for his demise the day after his (assumed) election so that a 'real' Republican (as opposed to unforgivably moderate Republicans like Reagan and Bush 41) can take charge.
But what Romney didn't realize is that there are people out there who actually use their brains before choosing which candidate to support, most of whom are independents. By choosing a VP candidate who supports privatization of Social Security, a voucher system for Medicare, and slashing taxes for the wealthy to the point where Romney would have paid a whopping .83% this past year (as opposed to 25% or more for the vast majority of the rest of us).
Perhaps Romney should learn that the old Republican saw that gun control means using both hands does NOT mean taking careful aim at one's foot and pulling the trigger.
12 - Pam Messingham
#7:Corey: Educate yourself. It's the fox news intelligence that leads so many astray.
#11 Glenn: So you agree that Romney lost many Independents in choosing Ryan?
13 - Igor
Reagan and Bush both financed tax gifts to the rich with borrowing. No kidding. For Bush, most of that borrowing was from the Chinese.
Thus, while tax rates were reduced for the rich, since the borrowing burden fell on everyone, the rich get an advantage because their share of paying off the debt has been reduced.
It's a double swindle: first you give big gifts to the rich, borrowing to do it, then you make the non-recipients pay the bulk of the debt. Sweet! If you're a con-man.
14 - Glenn Contrarian
Pam -
In the short run, no...but when the Dems expose to the general public what Ryan's all about - like supporting banning common forms of birth control, possibly overturning Roe v. Wade, and voted against funding Planned Parenthood and against the Lilly Ledbetter Act - then a lot of the independents will see him for what he is. He's not as disastrous as Sarah Palin, but he's going to hurt the GOP come November.
15 - Igor
I think that's right. Ryan has a certain appeal, but it will diminish as policy issues come into play.
16 - zflynn3
"When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and waving a cross" Sinclair Lewis.
17 - Pam Messingham
#14 + #15: Glenn and Igor, I think the independents already know and are quite aware. I think they all remember Ryan's budget plan. Maybe not though, you both may be right.
#16 @ Zflynn3...scary, isn't it? We are so right there and nobody wants to see it...they are too focused on the trivial.
18 - Lynda
I have some spare birth control for you Pam, it's free.
19 - Dr. Joseph S. Maresca
I'm very concerned when I hear about cutting things like Medicaid and simultaneously increasing the defense budget which is greater than the nearest 17 national defense budgets combined. I hope that we're finally getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan with no new wars planned.
20 - Dr Dreadful
I think we - and Pam - have just discovered that Paul Ryan, like the man he shares one of his names with, has his horde of rabid Internet apologists...
21 - Igor
Oh Joe, the next war is already planned: Israel initiates an attack on Iran and we follow. Romney is licking his chops: eager to get in and increase defense spending, financed by snatching old peoples pensions and cutting safety nets. We already know he has no respect for the poor or old.
This will give him a chance to launch a Really Big posse hunt to chase down all those unconventional types in Iran, screaming "That's not right! They can't be like that!" And this time the bully has a really big Nuke advantage and can do more than just cut someone's hair.
22 - Igor
@7-Corey: Forbes magazine says Obama is the cheapest spender since Eisenhower Forbes.
Amidst all the cries of Barack Obama being the most prolific big government spender the nation has ever suffered, Marketwatch is reporting that our president has actually been tighter with a buck than any United States president since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Who knew?
Check out the chart
...
So, how have the Republicans managed to persuade Americans to buy into the whole “Obama as big spender” narrative?
It might have something to do with the first year of the Obama presidency where the federal budget increased a whopping 17.9% , going from $2.98 trillion to $3.52 trillion. I’ll bet you think that this is the result of the Obama sponsored stimulus plan that is so frequently vilified by the conservatives…but you would be wrong.
The first year of any incoming president term is saddled, for better or for worse, with the budget set by the president whom immediately precedes the new occupant of the White House. Indeed, not only was the 2009 budget the property of George W. Bush, and passed by the 2008 Congress, it was in effect four months before Barack Obama took the oath of office.
Accordingly, the first budget that can be blamed on our current president began in 2010 with the budgets running through and including including fiscal year 2013 standing as charges on the Obama account, even if a President Willard M. Romney takes over the office on January 20, 2013.
So, how do the actual Obama annual budgets look?
Courtesy of Marketwatch-
In fiscal 2010 (the first Obama budget) spending fell 1.8% to $3.46 trillion.
In fiscal 2011, spending rose 4.3% to $3.60 trillion.
In fiscal 2012, spending is set to rise 0.7% to $3.63 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of the budget that was agreed to last August.
Finally in fiscal 2013 , the final budget of Obama’s term , spending is scheduled to fall 1.3% to $3.58 trillion. Read the CBO’s latest budget outlook.
No doubt, many will wish to give the credit to the efforts of the GOP controlled House of Representatives. That’s fine if that’s what works for you.
However, you don’t get to have it both ways. Credit whom you will, but if you are truly interested in a fair analysis of the Obama years to date, at least when it comes to spending, you’re going to have to acknowledge that under the Obama watch, even President Reagan would have to give our current president a thumbs up when it comes to his record for stretching a dollar.
...
23 - Pam Messingham
Igor, no matter how many times or how many ways you prove it to them, they will not believe you simply because they don't want to. We have to remain the liars and the idiots to make it work for them. It's so sad that nobody wants to open their eyes and I agree that Romney is a huge mistake. I can't even believe he made it this far with all the different stories he tells. Nobody is paying attention. It's against Obama, period. It's the belief that he is a muslim, a big spender, a communist, and worse...this shit works...I find it interesting that the super religious believe this when the current state with Iran is threatening the bible book of revalations.....but that too...they don't get...hang the muslims and burn the blacks and starve the poor and elderly...it seriously makes me ill.
24 - Igor
It is subrosa racists who hate Obama so.
Some people just can't get over the fact that the Confederacy lost the civil war.
25 - Pam Messingham
Igor, that's how I see it...the whining and pouting over the fact that they can't deal with the fact that they lost to a black man. It drives them crazy...they never thought....lol