What can you expect him to do after a decade's worth of a repub f'n it up?

ahh yes...still pointing the finger at the "last administration"....just can take the blame for nothing.

LOL

Obama hits all-time lows, according to NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll

I take all polls 'with a grain of salt'.

But, I sure hope this one is accurate.

This Nation can't take another 4 years of clueless leadership.

Do we like what ANYONE is doing? No, we don't.

Are we headed in the right direction? Hell no.

Is it all on Obama? No, it's mostly on the GOP/TP Congress.

Will a Republican president fix this? Not a chance.

Are Democrats disappointed with Obama's apparent move to the right? You bet.

Will Democrats vote for a Republican? Not on your life.

Will they just sit home and chance a Republican victory? Not on your life.

The above would constitute a complete poll.

The question all along has been what will happen if a popular president has unpopular policies? Will the popular president make the unpopular policies acceptable or will the unpopular policies make the popular president unacceptable? Too early to say for certain, but we appear to have our answer....

Obama is the ultimate "Progressive." Inundating businesses with new regulations and the threat of higher taxes is simply killing them. Then again, if you scratch a "Progressive" you will find a Fascist underneath.

Who would have ever imagined that China would be the largest economy on earth by 2016?

Every time Obama decries those "corporate jet owners" he plays to his strongest supporters, the losers. Those who have not taken advantage of the opportunities that this nation used to allow. So they elected a man who promised them equal results to go along with equal opportunity.

Castro did the same thing.

Appealing to the lowest common denominator is one way to win office, not a good way to keep it.

Will Democrats vote for a Republican? Not on your life.

Will they just sit home and chance a Republican victory? Not on your life.

LMarcT, what you are saying is correct, but misleading. It does not matter what the die-hard Democrat or the die-hard Republican does - the election has always been decided by the voters who don't consider themselves either Democrat or Republican. Those voters went for Obama in 2008 and now appear to have abandoned him. I can't speak for all swing voters, just myself, but I know I will not vote for Obama. Way too many broken promises. He strikes me as a decent enough fellow who is in over his head as POTUS. Too bad he didn't spend more time in the Senate and get more experience. Right now he simply doesn't have what it takes to hang with the tough, veteran in-fighters of D.C.

Can we for once pull our heads out of our asses and elect the Libertarians into power?

44% is not a bad low to have. I've seen lower ratings in my lifetime. But also, if the economy is the ONLY thing Obama is going to be judged on, then we as voters still have a lot of growing up to do. There's more to the Presidency than taming the economy. Every President that I've lived under had bad or slumping economies, every single one.

However, I predict that Bill Daley is going to be fired as his advisor. I don't think Daley is helping his campaign at all.

A poll today means nothing tomorrow. With a little luck we will have this clown out of office. With a lot of luck, we will have somebody in office who can actually do a good job.

frank

Please read the article,It's says OBAMA not the tea party, Republicans,bush,arab spring, Fox news,cretit downgrade,or anything and anybody you libs can are told to blame has hit a all time low. OBAMA!!! NBC is talking about his approval rating. I thought he hit an all time low yesterday when he groveled like a lap dog at the union meeting.

For those people who claim that Obama has raised taxes on businesses and saddled them with regulations, please list out the exact offenses you're accusing him of.

Are you talking about the financial regulations that Congress imposed on the financial sector to protect Americans from being victims of the greed from the Wall Street?

Are you talking about pollution reduction regulations that the EPA is proposing? Which, prior regulations have shown to create jobs, create industries, create exports, create world-leading innovation?

Industry is making record profits and are sitting on that profit - not because their being overly regulated or because they are fearful of their tax situation. They are sitting on that profit because there is weak demand for their products or services.

For your own sake and for the sake of the future of this country, stop listening to and mindlessly repeating talking points (from ANY party) and do your homework. The information is out there if you're not too lazy to find it.

Richard, ain't gonna happen. Everybody out there is casting their vote with "Anybody but X". When you vote like that you don't give a hoot about who you're voting FOR.

The only thing worth less than these idiotic polls is the crop of G.O.P. candidates. The polls mean absolutely nothing this far in advance of the election.

The numbers that actually have relevance show that this horrible mess track primarily to the previous administration. You right-wingers can snivel all you want about that, but that doesn't change the truth. The Bush policies put us where we are.

The leading G.O.P. candidates have NO answers. None. Bachmann and Perry are nothing more than Bush lite. Same policies. Make the rich richer, and pray, pray, pray. Romney is a demonstrated job-killer.

That said, President Obama has not helped himself in his three years. Yes, his Health Care Reform is a major piece of social legislation, but it is only a start. He has some other accomplishments as well. His accomplishments in the fight against al-Qaeda and illegal immigration dwarf the previous administration's - another fact that the right-wing snivelers can't stand.

But what the country really needs is a very, very strong leader. The constant swings in the polls are clear proof that the public has no clue, no idea where to go, and worse, doesn't understand the fact that the world has changed, and continues to change at lightning speed.

If the President expects to win, he is going to have to stop with the "Hope and Change" theme and stand up tall and say "WE WILL MAKE THE CHANGE." He has to level with the public and tell us the truth. The change is going to hurt. It will not be painless.

He will win hands down with that message. Good grief, the G.O.P. has nothing.

We'll know in a year.

Why was the first comment collapsed? If this was not acceptable by the community, we got bigger problems than I thought.

Needaplan - not all businesses are sitting on record profits. Some are, but, butnot most. Due to the current anti-business Administration, Obamacare, and the current economy, they're keeping as much as possible to weather the bad times they believe are just around the corner. Let alone, folks like you forget those quarters those businesses had that were in the red, can't make up for that, can they? It is a business goal to remain in business, not become a 501(c). And for sure, you keep forgetting, if there are not increased orders, there is NO NEED to hire more employees. Until demand increases, there is no need to spend that profit.

Back to the article.....as long as the President keeps trucking down the road he's been on for the last 4 years, (including his campaign time) his popularity will continue to decline. Just yesterday, he continued his support of the Unions during his speech in Detroit. A huge, huge mistake, giving favor to 11% of the working Taxpayers over the other 89%. The 89% are tired of his ignoring of their group. Let alone, business has no use for a President who will favor those who have hurt their ability to remain profitable and stay in business. What is he thinking?!? (He's not, he's only following the money....) Hestill has not gotten out there and LEARNED how Unions have hurt American business and have been a primary contributor to jobs leaving the US. TIME TO LEARN, Mr. President!

Can we for once pull our heads out of our asses and elect the Libertarians into power?

*Sigh*........won't happen. Not enough Americans can THINK for THEMSELVES.

Swallow your pride and admit you voted for a lame duck empty suit!!!! I did in 2007...it's easy....just accept you make mistakes....your only human....just make sure you vote smarter next time....you vote this dip$ h i t in again and it's for sure the end of america!!!

So my choices are someone who actively supports the corporate takeover of America, or someone who is just going to roll over and let it happen. Great!

however, what ails this country is the muscle flexing of the Republican controlled congress who have done nothing but bully the president into submission

"Republican controlled Congress?" Since January 2011 the republicans have controlled one of the three branches of the government with the democrats controlling the other two branches of the government, hardly a republican controlled Congress or government.

From January 2009 until January 2011 the democrats controlled all three branches of the government.

From January 2007 through January 2009 the democrats likewise controlled two of the three branches of the government.

No, the President is not a victim of bullying by a "republican controlled" congress, but the American people and the American economy are the victims of the actions of a democrat controlled government for far too long.

stopthespending-

Did you know that the "healthcare" bill contains a tax on the sale of homes of 3.5%? If you sell your home (not sure if it includes businesses, will have to verify that), you have to fork over 3.5% to our federal government?

I support your viewpoint, but I find it necessary to point out the mistake in this portion. It is a 3.8% tax on the profit of home sales exceeding $250,000. Still BS, but doesn't have the impact on everyone that your comment seems to portray.

willowbrook , stopthespending-2291099 and W-2719163

Great rebuttals! To David Walker. Let's see if comes back.

I wish I could've added more, but all of you succinctly handled the topic you were focused on.

Well done!

Sally in Chicago

44% is not a bad low to have. I've seen lower ratings in my lifetime.

So Obama's numbers are not an "ALL TIME LOW" as the article points out? I guess you agree with Obama's "fast and furious" program too.

needaplan

To help you out:

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/10/red-tape-rising-obamas-torrent-of-new-regulation

That's just FY 2010.

America is an expression of it's voters. As long as you have career politicians, do you really expect that we make a turn for the better? I don't care who's in office, their goals are to line their pockets, while my middle-class ass' goal is to make my situation better...
Sometimes I think voting should be illegal.

I read a comment from someone who likened the current situation to a car brought into a shop in the Bush administration, and Obama only having two days to fix it...
How would you react if you go to the shop and find the car in worse condition than the one it was when you brought it in? Yeah, thought so.

"When [Obama] addresses the American public, he is going to have one more chance to provide some sense of hope and optimism that he ... can provide answers to what is a woeful economy,"

It will be the 'same old, same old'.

Tax and Spend.

Stopthespending: [ we own a business and we are doing great!!!]

Then you talk down the President! are you aware that he has been office for almost three years, and your business is doing great? most business are sitting on record profits! greed can destroy the country from within if these wealthy sitting on record profits don't wake up and realise that without the middle class doing good you and the other wealthy will one day be ruled by another stronger country, the cost of health care is killing the middle class! thank God that the President took on this country killing problem before it took the country down many Americans have sacrificed for you and me we owe them and the country a debt of gratitude, and we all need to stand together as Americans!!!

i think the biggest issue with this president is jobs. jobs make the economy go round. he has more than made it clear he plans to give the jobs to one group of people....again, something this country didnt need the 1st time, and sure doesnt need this time around, due to the fact it showed no results.

America is a stake your claim naition, thats what made it so great from the start. mom and pop had a great idea back in the day, they could set up shop and go to work. now there is more red tape, inspection issues this and that, who wants to mess with it? i know because i looked into starting a small buisness.... its beyond too risky. production is at an all time low, and there is no faith in taking a risk anymore that it will pan out. you can be doing super one day, the next putting chains on the door because the bottom fell thru.

rather than cater to the unions right off the bat, and staying on that path, had there been more incentive, less restrictions, and something to fall back on if it did get a bit ruff like in the past, im pretty sure things would have gone a lot different for the economy, and the workforce. That being said, he would have had my vote come 2012... but from the begining, Nobama made his point abundantly clear, he was going to give it all to the unions, screw the backbone of America.

No discussion of economic recovery plans is complete without addressing illegal immigration. I don't mean reform, I mean enforcement. Put AMERICANS back to work.

44% is not a bad low to have. I've seen lower ratings in my lifetime. But also, if the economy is theONLY thing Obama is going to be judged on, then we as voters still have a lot of growing up to do. There's more to the Presidency than taming the economy. Every President that I've lived under had bad or slumping economies, every single one.

Are you kidding me ? What exactly impacts our day-to-day lives <b>MORE</b> than the economy ? Personally, people should be more concerned with the economy and things like this.

Boring, same old radicals spewing about their oh-so-important hate for the President or love for him. s-n-o-r-e.

To talk to the thinking non-radicals, here's the plus and downsides I see. Obama's hugest mistake is that he has the wrong crew as his financial team, starting with Timothy "I can't do my job" Geitner. You don't hire the theory guy, and then when he is proven wrong, not fire him. Worse, ask him to stick around. Like every President, while the economy is job #1, the White House (and all politicians) continue to make sure it ISN't job #1 on their agenda.

Oh, but your Republicans suck, too.

Just as much, if not worse. Why the President could get re-elected is because if you break down the party, the Baggers are the new version of spoilt brats who can't think past their thick skulls. You can see it in the candidates, with Perry and Bachman actually getting attention. The Baggers throw fits in congress instead of working, because they want to be the rock stars they Boo Hoo cry about others being. Then you have the part of the Republican party with brains actually avoiding fighting the Baggers. Who would have thought the so-called 'crusty' Republicans would put on lipstick, pink skirts, and holding baby dolls? Today's Democrat is made ten times tougher than any Republucan.

Too bad the Democrats decided to use that toughness to not actually deal with the economy first. Just like the Republicans before them. After a while, I think you come to realize that politics isn't about helping people, it is about being a baby and trying to get what you want. Look at all the cryingfrom the radicals on this thread alone? I think you could dump the Baggers and the Wall Street Democrats in the sea and make the best sonar ever from their whining alone.

So, I can't wait for this 2012 race of who is less dumb than the other candidate. Racing towards mediocrity started in schools in the '80s, but is now all grown up and voting. Wonderful.

Still a wanna be rock star who has done exactly what he said he would do.....collapsing the economic framework of the United States is the first step towards his vision for an America that is subject to the internationl community.

That is why he continues unabated with his counterproductive policies as well as his illegal use of the E.P.A. and the D.O.J. to implement his partisan agenda.A quintessential example of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.......and all the simpletons who bemoan the conservatives for the lack of progress didn't the dems control all three branches for the first two years of obamas reign yet the tactics of bribery,coercion and outright threats were employed on their own party members in order to ramrod healthcare thru congress....yeah that pathetic arguement of blaming conservatives looks rather infantile when the truth is honestly looked at.

dragonus

Personally, I've gotten to the point that all hostile right-wingers need to be killed so they won't have a chance to kill the rest of us with their stupidity.

LOL, that certainly supports the claim of tea party folks being racist, gun toting terrorists now doesn't it. The left is never violent.. LOL!

Imagine how bad the polls would be if the liberal-biased media didn't stack them in the Democrats favor.

Strong Democrat ........................... 18
Not very strong Democrat ............. 13
Independent/lean Democrat .......... 8
Strictly Independent ....................... 17
Independent/lean Republican ........ 10
Not very strong Republican ........... 11
Strong Republican ......................... 13
Other (VOL) ................................... 10

5% more "strong" Dems than Repubs, followed by 2%more Dems of the next level... and the Dems still can't skew the numbers enough to favor themselves.

pjam09

Bingo! You win the Newsvine prize of the morning.

I'll be right over and do your laundry. Call me! Hee-he.

Dragonus:

Obama cannot even get his own party to go along with all his policies. Stop blaming the right wing for all of Obama's failures.

"right wingers need to be killed" That is inflammatory and probably violates the code of conduct.

Since you probably are against guns- what are you going to kill them with- harsh language?

Once obama starts to take responsibility for his own failures- then you can move forward with your life.

To socialcapitalist:

From January 2009 until January 2011 the democrats controlled all three branches of the government.

From January 2007 through January 2009 the democrats likewise controlled two of the three branches of the government.

The three branches of the government are the Executive (President), the Legislative (House and Senate) and the Judicial (Supreme Court). The second and third branch are not the House and Senate as your post implies. The Judicial (the actual third branch) is considered independent and not controlled by any one party.

Don't you love the product of a unionized teaching system? and we wonder why people think Obama is still a good President?

Unionized teaching is at fault? Okay, I could get what you are saying, IF you prefaced it with the parents of kids today don't do their job.

FYI, that is usually the conservative line, and I happen to agree with it. That the PARENTS are who is responsible for their children. Blaming the institution is the hype the Baggers have subjected the party to lately. Don't be fooled. Baggers aren't conservatives. They are the current version of pretend to be conservatives who actually want bigger government to force you to do what they want (not unlike those who are the extreme radicals on the left, but shhh, don't tell a Bagger that).

OH please GWB is the worse president ever. Remember he is from Texas and we do everything big, too bad he got it backwards and did a bad job. Obama will have to be in the white house four more years to even get close to GWB. Too bad Perry is such a good candidate and being from Texas. That might hurt him. Vote Perry

"right wingers need to be killed" Spoken like a TRUE compassionate, tolerant liberal. Thanks for showing people the liberals TRUE colors.

It sems to me that whether the Big O is re-elected hardly matters. He will be a lame duck from day one because the Senate will swing to Rep control and the House will become even more in Rep control. He could just barely get some of his agenda passed when he had control. How will he operate when he has no control?

This President has compromised, as this country stands for all. It can't be all one way, but the ideology from the TB's and GOP doesn't work. They are against everyone that isn't a CEO or business owner. There are more that can't be those things, we are all not the same.

We were asked to stand behind Bush or we were terrorists, unpatriotic. I have heard so much name calling from the right that I cringe to talk to any of them, it didn't use to be that way!

Why you business owners will go to Washington and fight a 10 cent tax on your product but you don't do squat about the healthcare costs. Why don't you put your money to fighting insurance companies who keep raising your premiums because of speculating that healthcare reform won't work.

My guess is you are some of the stockholders that care more for profit then for human life.

44% think President Obama is doing a good job.

28% think the Republican Party is doing a good job.

13% think Congress is doing a good job.

eyes wide open - NOOOOT.

What Obama and the progressives work on 2 plains

Request items that are beyond the realm of reasonable in order to fall back to the original position. This makes them APPEAR to have compromised

OR

When what they want is clearly unreasonable to obtain, break down the steep mountain into incremental steps to get what they really want.

The true goal of the HCL is to create an environment that would make Government Run Programs appear to be less expensive with more coverage than private insurance. The HCL did nothing to create savings, but rather increased costs to doctors and insurers while threatening more intervention if costs were not contained. With all private insurance bankrupted or simply abandoning Health Insurance, then Government run Health insurance will be the only reasonable thing to do.

way i see it, Nobama the Clown could have done a better job, IF he applied himself in a more positive, unbiased manner. What the Nobama supporters fail to see is, not everyoone was against him from the start. he had to got more support than he has now, way more, to match his election results. therefore the claims of republicans causing his demise, is just false. from the start, as said earlier, his own party wouldnt even back him on his (cough) ideas. in order to get support, he has to give incentives, or exsemptions, and even then.... the open door policy, has been nothing but shut since he couldnt get the HCR bill passed the 1st time around, and hasnt opend since. so much for transparency, lol.

What people might want to take a look at, shouldnt be party lines, but performance. performance to making America the best country ever, with jobs, and oppertunity. You can blame Bush all you want to... fact is after a year from when Nobama was elected, he on his own said anything from here on out was his fault, bring it on. Then tho, things looked as if they were on an upswing. dems controlled congress and senate. dems failed. they passed nothing for a budget in 2 yrs.... and to be honest outside of spending starting with Nobama on down the ranks, the only thing done thus far, is spend like no tomorrow. IT STILL FAILED!

the dems REALLY should have come up with someone to run against the Clown... my opinion. America needs to be put back on the tracks to prosperity, and thus far, its been sitting in idle off the tracks, and the tank is going dry.

too too bad... the 1st African American President in this history, pissed it all away....

President 'is no longer the favorite to win re-election,' Democratic pollster says

How stupid is this statement above?

Since Obama is the only one in the race who could be RE-ELECTED, the entire content of the rest of the article from this statement further is also suspect to complete inaccuracy. Someone please find said “Pollster” so that we can see this one individual who is completely out of touch with how the election works.

President Obama could be in negative numbers … but when faced with the choice between him and the group of un-electable fear mongering “No can do” candidates the GOP/Tea Party is pushing, Obama will still be elected in a landslide.

For those of you who conveniently forget the campaign rhetoric of 2008, some questions:

Are we still in Guantanamo? Are we still in Iraq? Are we still in Afghanistan? Do we still have unacceptable unemployment levels?

The president found out the real truth when he took office, in spite of the Bush bashers' statements to the contrary, and that explains the answers to the first three questions. For the fourth, you only need to understand that the president receives far too much blame for a bad economy, and far too much credit for a good one.

You can blame Greenspan for a huge amount of the economic malaise, and you can credit Bernanke that we did not go into a full-blown depression.

Hi Derek,

I agree with you that parents are primarily responsible for their kids. But I strongly disagree that schools aren't a big part of the problem. In an earlier post you even brought this up as well, saying that mediocrity began in the schools in the 80s and is now all grown up and voting. I'm not sure how you square your two posts on this.

Schools definitely cater to the lower academic performers. Of course there are contrary examples and I agree some kids are challenged by the school they attend, but we aren't talking in anecdotes. But this began long before the 1980s, and teacher unions are only part of the problem. Federal involvement is as large a problem as well, and can easily be reversed if we simply read our own constitution and discover there is no federal authority to involve themselves in local schools.

So let's marry the two ideas. Getting more parents to be more responsible seems to me to follow from getting the government to be less intrusive. Raise the money for schools locally (balance it with state money if you want) and in the process make the local schools more respondent to local voters. It is what worked years ago. There is no reason it can't work now.

Some people argue that one locale or another is populated with people unable to educate the kids in their area, but this is on its face ludicrous. and we might end up spending less on education--this would be a very good thing for many reasons--while getting more dollars actually into the classroom. Can you believe that in Cali we spend nearly 10k per year per student and only about half that amount goes to the school--not the class, just the school. We are wasting hundreds of billions on bloated administrations. Trust the parents in the local school to run it better.

Hey Mike,

I'm with you about 90% of the way. I think you are a little off when it comes to poor economic decisions, but spot on about crediting a good economy to a president. What I mean is that a president/congress can destroy an economy with a little work. Doing too much too fast is one way. Regulatory uncertainty is one way.

If they were to allow for more resource exploitation, legal reforms, regulatory reforms, and so on, then they would not be responsible for the good economy that follows but they would be responsible for allowing it to occur. In our present situation our president seems convinced that more business burdens from whatever angle has no negative effects. He can't be right. And so he is to blame more than not for the mess we are in.

He has done a TERRIBLE job and things are getting worse by the minute.

He is obviously in WAY over his head.

Someone else should run in the Dem primaries in 2012.

Cal, things were getting better until January 2011. Slower than we all wanted, sure, but that was still better than the complete collapse we saw after the 2010 elections.

Obama's bad pole numbers are a given, he deserves it, in fact I'm surprised he poles that high. Now on to congress, don't assume this is totally directed at republicans. The dems control 1/2 of congress, I'd say a disproportionate amount of the total dissatisfactionwith congress is directed at those who are democrat since they've held control for more than 4 years, and have presided over this whole mess.

"W - Rambling? You take the cake for that one. The right-wong talking point is 57, not 58. Good grief, you can't even get that straight. That said, I have observed that this race appears to be coming down to what has become the norm in the country - a choice between the lesser of two evils. Right now, the G.O.P. has the scariest crop of candidates I have seen in my voting life. Frankly, I will not be doing cartwheels when I vote, but at this moment, there is no candidate who comes close to representing a reasonable alternative to Mr. Obama".

You still did not answer my question what did he accomplish for the last 21/2 years in office? Sorry I forgot 4T and nothing to show. And you are still rambling.

BTW, to quote your smart President, he said, he has gone to 57 states so far and on his way to 58 (state of misery). Look it up.

@Rich. Your idea sounds good to me. I didn't mean to make it sound like education exists in a vacuum separate from parental control. But I do think a parent is the first responsibility in getting a child educated. And then, that parent will be served by a school district that doesn't make excuses for itself. Of course, I find most parents just use blaming schools as their crutch. Anyway, what you said, if it happened, well I'd be all for it.

Toasty McGrath says:

"...sure, but that was still better than the complete collapse we saw after the 2010 elections."

Could You explain: 'complete collapse'?

Or, is this just YOUR bias showing again?

I would LIKE a reply!

I'll 'tangle' with YOU anytime when you're biased and not open-minded!

But, I'll always do it respectfully.

Leiya

Leiya,

Do we need to quote, AGAIN, the deficit numbers under Obama? Do we need to remind you the unemployment numbers before ...then after...Obama? Do we need to again point out today Obama has the lowest approval rating of ANY president of all time..even Jimmy Carter?

What else could you possibly need to prove he is a one shot, horrible president? I can keep piling it on but hey, not sure if you are even apprised of the current situation. It seems most libs do not know these numbers either. I also find the Bazzaro Land Times fails to report the numbers. Oh Well.

if u think about voting for obama or any other gop member please go to utube and watch this clip

CEO of Gibson: Feds Told Us to Leave U.S.

vote ron paul 2012

Mark-1219747 says:

"Do we need to quote, AGAIN, the deficit numbers under Obama? Do we need to remind you the unemployment numbers before ...then after...Obama? Do we need to again point out today Obama has the lowest approval rating of ANY president of all time..even Jimmy Carter?"

Hey Mark! We're on the same page. Did you miscomprehend ALL of my posts on this vine and the hundreds of other posts I've made regarding our DEAR LEADER?

Why so anxious towards Me? We agree.

With respect, Leiya

"Slow under the Democrats"? Hahahahahahaha. I guess technically no movement at all is slow.

Gharms

Great retort!

AMERICA AND THE WORLD NEEDS A REAL LEADER, NOT A COMPLAINER!!!!!

Our nation has been the beacon that has guided the world for over 200 years. This young and unique country we call America is what other nations could only hope to be. We became the leader of the free world because we have done what we can to help ourselves and others. We were and still are the "land of opportunity". We built our nation on the backs of hard working, good, proud people. We opened our door to the world and challenged anyone willing to become an American to join us. All we demanded is that you respect our Declaration of Independence, our great Constitution and our laws made for the people. The price of admission was simple, the results are infinite.

In order for our great Republic to succeed required a society who understood that American exceptionalism was not only achievable, it was expected. America was built on individual responsibility and our government was to allow that, no more, no less. As a Federal Constitutional Republic and a Representative Democracy we offered what no other nation ever could, a country for the people. Our Founder's and Framer's saw the corruption of the aristocracies, kingdoms and dictatorships. They knew a nation built to protect the ultimate minority, the individual, is what was necessary. They knew a Democracy was not what would create or protect the freedoms and liberties we are all born with. Only a Republic can do that.

Since then we have eclipsed any nation, civilization or empire as far as accomplishments. We have created the world we see around us. Imagination, innovation and ambition have created a better world. Our hard work and belief in individual freedom is what brought the masses from around the world to our door. In order for this to work we needed leadership from a Constitutionally limited government. The blueprint was handed to us by our great Framer's and their genius was obvious. Unfortunately for nearly 100 years that blueprint has been bastardized. It has been corrupted under the guise of socialism Liberal Progressivism.

The results of this corruption are now being exposed. The preoccupation of our government with trying to be a nanny state rather than a governing state has created most of our problems today. Massive intrusions into its Constitutionally enumerated responsibilities has created unsustainable entitlements, social programs and debt. Enormous debt. As a result of this preoccupation of statism it neglected its responsibilities, mainly to protect us from foreign invaders and from each other. Now it believes it has to protect us from ourselves. This is the biggest reason for our economic and social collapse.

Our economy was also corrupted as free-market principles were replaced with over-taxation, regulations, unfair trade agreements and union destructive collective bargaining. Keynesian principles have been failing since the Great Depression and continue to do the same today. Yesterday Barrack Hussein spent another day campaigning and cohorting with the unions. He continues to blame everyone but himself and his incompetence, inexperience and his socialist underpinnings. During the campaign speech he and the unions called every American that is not loyal to unions "sons of bitches"! Blaming and complaining is NOT what a real leader does. A real leader unites the masses and delivers solutions to problems. He hasn't solved any of our problems, only magnified them.

Real Americans and the rest of the world see this Imposter being exposed, his inabilities are obvious. Instead of dealing with a global recession he wasted his political capital on another nationalization of 1/6th of our GDP. Weakened our strategic arms policies. Embarrassed us with his global apology tour. Made America weaker rather than stronger. Because of his incompetence our and the world’s economies now teeter on the brink of a collapse that will make the Depression look like a picnic. We need big changes in our economy. Trade reform, tax reform, regulation reform, unions destroying industries rather than supporting them are the problems that need to be resolved. This empty suit is brainwashed that a government subsidizing an industry, his ridiculous Green Initiative, can somehow become profitable and affordable. Show me one industry that the government has subsidized into success. There is none and there never will be. Only free-market forces create winners, and losers. Governments only job is to mediate the differences created between them.

It's obvious this Community Organizer is incapable. His pathetic pandering to what is left of his base on Labor Day was obvious to all of us. His inaction when his union thugs were calling Americans "son's of bitches" exposed his true colors, and they're NOT red, white and blue. We and the world need a true leader that understands the new global market and what needs to be done to return America to its rightful place as the Shining City on the Hill. Barrack Hussein is NOT what we need. 2012 will be critical to elect a true American who will lead us and the world back into the confidence so needed.

david 1.17 - Spoken like a true dem lapdog.

As much as I hate to say it, he still looks like the best choice for the job in 2012. Perry is a walking disaster with the comments this past few weeks. M Bachman is a joke, just like S Palin both have the conservative right but nothing else. One of the above 3 most likely will get the nod from the Far right republican side. This would be a blessing for the president. Most moderated minded independents (which is the voting segment that will probably decide who is the next president). I am a independent and can not see myself voting for any of the above trio. IMHO the president went wrong way back when he took office. He should have taken the reigns from the 2 idiots running the senate and house back then. The president should have set the agenda Jobs and more jobs, put health care, don't ask don't tell, cap and trade and the other Far Left Wing agenda. To me this showed his lack of experience and leadership ability. If he loses the Far Left is as, if not more responsible for his possible 2012 lose.

Don't give a damn what the polls say. It's how i feel about him and right now i don't care squat for him.

Not surprising that he has low approval numbers. Obama is the most right-leaning Democratic President in history. Naturally his own party would disapprove, and the other party hate him because he is on the other team.

Extending the tax cuts. Allowing big business to continue getting subsidies. Allowing Planned Parenthood to get cut. Stopping EPA regulations. Giving the GOP 98% of what they want in the debt debate. Passing a health care law that was originally proposed by Republicans in the 90's, Bob Dole, and based off of the Romney bill. Bailing out companies just like Bush did. Starting a war . . . this all screams Republican.

Is it any wonder the disapproval in his own party is increasing?

I laugh at the people who think someone like Romney will be any different.

@suzanneberry

now im just glad your not running...

can you name anything he did for the country that helped us....

(heres a hint if theres less than 50% support for the topic you say helped us.. it doesn't count as helped... )

David Walker,

I have read your debate with Willow. I do want to address one comment. You made this comment. "Somehow, we are supposed to believe that this rather small minority is guiding the policy of this country. That is utterly absurd.

Mr. Walker, I will just share this with you. This is true. I once was so frustrated with all that I was seeing happening during the Clinton era. So I was basically insulted into getting involved. I always had daily constructive non name calling debates with a Liberal friend of mine. Yes we conservatives can have Liberal friends if you are open. So anyhow back to my point. I went to my first Committee Meeting for the local GOP in my county. So I show up and there are only like 9 people who are at this very important meeting. This is the meeting where they vote for Chair people, Precinct Committee People, Districts Business, support of candidates, and who is going to volunteer to put up signs. Well I walk in with a friend who was already a part of the GOP. So I end up getting voted into to two positions, Vice Chair for the 11th Dist, Precinct Committee Man for the 34th precinct. Yes and it was only 12 people total in this meeting. Who made decisions for the masses.

You see David, most people don't get involved and its the handful of people like you and I who give a damn enough to be involved in the process. Yet while I served in these positions I saw things I was very unhappy about. One is the lack of people who want to get involved. Oh before you answer with a answer that most people attend the Democratic Party Meetings. Guess what? The same there. In fact worse showing ever for them, now of course living in predominantly Republican State I can admit that we need balance. But your still wrong, it is the few who are making decisions for the masses.

Oh yeah and I attended several steering committee meetings in the House of Representatives. Guess what David? It was the same thing there! Small number of people making all these decisions for the masses.

how can Obama ask the democrats to support him when he caves in to every republican demand .. he lost my confidence ... but I would support him over any of the crazies running on the republican side .. things are bad but let someone like perry or palin or paul in and were totally s---w-d

Hey Frank Nitti up there at the top of the posts. There isn't a man on this earth that could fix the damage the Bush administration did to this country in 3 small years. All economists will tell you it will take years to get us out of this mess and if this country falls back into the hands of the Republican party you will see things happen that make Obama look like our saviour. Tell me what it is that you have heard the Republicans say they will do to fix THEIR mess? Exactly what? Have we all missed their big message somewhere along the line. And is it some where they don't destroy the middle class and make the rich richer? Please let us know. I guess you have heard them put forth something the rest of us have not heard. Waiting............................

Look at almost 90 pages of ranting...Mostly by Republicans jumping like pirhanas over some news that MSNBC posted. I thought that you guys said that MSNBC was "biased"

Besides you are taking time from your employers. I will remian you when you call Democrats names about taking advantage of Employers, Government time etc. when you are supposed to be working ...hypocrites!!!!

For those of you who are asking what Obama has done for this country, he's done a helluva lot more good for this country than the prior administration. I'm amazed at how hard he has worked to do some good despite that horrible, horrible situation this country was left in by Bush/Cheney. Bush and Cheney didn't have to face anything like what Obama had to face. They just waltzed right in with the country looking good and had one grand time butchering it.

I'm rooting for Obama too - I need inflation to get back to the Jimmy Carter era so I can get more SS, 18% on my other retirement income, and my gold continues to climb - whoo hoo !

Viet Sem Fi

Hee-he!

Viet Sem Fi

and my gold continues to climb - whoo hoo

You and me brother. I've been in since 2003, almost 90% in now. It topped over $1,923 today, grabbed a few bucks and will buy back in in a few days again

Get rid of the anchor around his neck and tell the republicans to find a new job.

@markmich - the US stopped being a beacon a long time ago. The world stopped viewing us as the leader 10 years ago.

It's interesting to view the demographics of the poll - 88% white and around 65% over 50. Total polled were 1,000 with only 200 that use cell phones only. So anotherwords, they majority polled are Tea Partiers - and we all know what they think. The last I remembered, polls were showing support for Tea Partiers below Congress' approval ratings which were at a historical all time low. It's amazing how polls are twisted to show a certain point-of-view. No matter what polls show - unless the demographics are equal - they mean nothing to me.

Irespond......Haha, thanks to the current administration, most people posting on here are unemployed.

The SwordNPen 79:

Now there's a post that's worth a serious reply. First though, the remark that seemed to bother you was made in reference to unions. Willowbrook - who is a stone-cold ideologue - was trying to make the point that unions, which according to his/her own stats comprise only 11% of the work force swing the country's employers around like little toys. That is utterly ridiculous. The fact is union membership is in serious decline. It is non-union businesses like banks that in fact run the country.

Now, to your point with the grass roots. I was quite active in politics once upon a time. Very active. I tended to go with the Republican view, but after a point it became clear to me that there was an incredible divide between the "leaders" of the party and the drones. The more I looked at the drones, the more they scared me.

Too many of them are single issue zealots: Anti-abortion, anti-tax, anti-just about anything you can think of. While they can tell you that your solution to a problem will not work, they cannot present an alternative. These guys have been the party of "NO" for a very long time. They will not compromise. They will vote. What makes that so terrible is that they vote as the "leaders" want them to vote, and it is generally against their better interests. I simply can't escape the notion, that the G.O.P. has become the party of the truly stupid.

As far as Dems. It takes a lot to mobilize Dems. They seem to believe that there is only one election that counts, and that comes along every four years. If they had simply turned out in 2010 as they did in 2008, the House would most likely still be in their hands. But...while Republicans are ready to vote as they are told, Dems are just plain lazy.

Obviously, I generalize, but that's pretty much how it plays out. As far as local elections - well, no one pays attention. I've followed local politics from just about every point of view. People simply don't have a clue what goes on at the local level. For instance, you'll rarely see a turnout at a school board meeting, UNLESS there's talk of cutting sports. Now, that's important!

You call yourself a conservative. I consider myself a liberal, but after I've had a face-to-face political conversation with someone they almost always say I'm really a conservative. They're wrong. I am a liberal type, but I don't believe in wasting money. I believe in accepting personal responsibility. I believe you stay out of other person's lives. I believe government is not my enemy, but I know it can be very wasteful, and I know you must watch it constantly. That's truly what a liberal believes. Noah Webster and I pretty much agree on that.

I also know that this is getting very long, and I have to make dinner. Hope to meet again.

saphiramite: And of course, you are not collecting UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, as the rest of the lazy democrats, are you?

Since we do not yet know who will be the Republican candidate all I can say is I am voting against President Obama and what he stands for.

I will never forgive him for signing Obamacare and destroying our Healthcare system.

I will never forgive him for destroying the Middle Class

I will never forgive him for throwing money at the spending problem and

I will never forgive him for being a Left Wing Radical liberal

Carl:

What did Obama do that destroyed the health care system? Did he make your doctor go away? Did he lock up all the nurses? Has he closed the medical schools?

I can demonstrate empirically that the middle class NEVER existed in this country - or anywhere else in the world for that matter. Actually, you can do that yourself with a simple curve. The "middle class" is a fiction. Always has been.

Both parties have been responsible for throwing money at EVERY problem.

What the hell is a left wing radical liberal? Wait! Let me guess. It's whatever you don't like?

Man, you have the intellectual depth of Saran Wrap.

And voting in a Republican for POTUS in 2012 will solve the problem...Yea sure!!!

Get your heads out of the sand and other places...The Repubs have orchestrated the problems we see now in our economy and basic world class downward spiral for the last 30+ years...

Next thing you know the Repubs will run Jeb Bush in 2012 to continue all the great things the other Bushes did to screw the American middle-class and help the ultra rich...Don't blame any of the Bush family when it is easier to blame Obama (and his long 3 year tenure as POTUS) for not correcting all the harm they did...What a laugh?..Can you envision how the Repubs would rally around Jeb Bush blaming Obama for the mess he got us into in just 4 years?..

Show the FAR RIGHT REPUBLICAN PARTY OF "NO" what the American middle-class and poor think of their agenda...Vote Democrat in 2012...Revive union representation and help the working class Americans...Get our teachers, police, firemen back to work and demand a fair wage for all working class Americans...

Obama may not be as popular as before, but he sure is way ahead of any Republican Party member...We THE AMERICAN PUBLIC will not be fooled in 2012 by the Republican Party...Obama will be elected by a large margin over any FAR RIGHT REPUBLICAN PARTY OF "NO" candidate...

70 percent of respondents still find him likeable

Unfortunately many idiots will use this and other similar stupid reasons to vote for him. They don’t care that he is quickly driving this country in the ground.

I don't know if he cares that much. He got into the White House which was his primary goal so if he gets kicked out because of his slavish obedience to Wall Street and the wealthy and powerful generally he may just think "So what?". He certainly will be well taken care of by them if he does get kicked out since he has done them so many favors.

I think Obama, like the Republican candidates, underneath all of the friendly banter, smiling and tossing in the word "folks" all the time is a really cold and calculating guy with a tremendous contempt and hatred for "ordinary" (meaning not rich and/or powerful) people.

Obama's real message to working people is this: Sure I'm horrible and my right wing economic policies will lead to continued lowering of Americans standard of living, but, THE REPUBLICANS ARE EVEN WORSE SO YOU HAVE NO WHERE ESLE TO GO. HA HA HA!

Here's an article I found online that I think tells more accurately what's really going one:

Obama on Labor Day: No measures to address historic jobs crisis

By Joseph Kishore

6 September 2011

In remarks yesterday at a Labor Day demonstration in Detroit, President Obama made it clear that the federal government would take no serious steps to address the worst unemployment crisis in the United States since the Great Depression.

In remarks presented as a preview of an address to Congress scheduled for Thursday, Obama praised the many "sacrifices" of workers, i.e., the disastrous decline in the living standards of the working class produced by the policies of his administration. He used the speech to reaffirm his pledge to work with the unions in enforcing the attack on workers, while union officials, led by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, pledged their support for Obama's reelection in 2012.

The background to Monday's speech was the announcement by the government Friday that there was zero net growth in US payrolls in August. European markets fell precipitously on Monday in response to the US jobless figures, an ongoing European banking crisis and clear signs of a decline in global growth, particularly in manufacturing.

The sharp slowdown of the past month and the indications of another looming financial collapse make it clear that the measures adopted since 2008 by the major capitalist powers, led by the United States, have solved nothing.

The bailout of the banks overseen by Obama has preserved the wealth of the financial elite, while the living conditions of the working class have suffered a historic collapse. Corporations, which have slashed worker wages and laid off millions, are sitting on record cash reserves, refusing to put it to productive use...

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/sep2011/labo-s06.shtml

If toasty mcgriff is the strongest supporter of obama, he's in much worse shape than the polls suggest. She really needs to come up with a better line than 'it's Bush's fault', or her favorite: 'It's the baggers fault'..... she also uses that line when she gets home from the store and her eggs are cracked! lol

The Republicans could challenge Obama....if they had a serious candidate who didn't practice the opposite of what they preached.

Still waiting for the Republicans to confirm a real candidate. Still. It could be Romney. It could be Ron Paul. But you watch, the Republicans will pick Perry, and auto lose the election.

Let me save you the wasted time in watching this speech:

Infrastructure blah blah blah invest in ourselves blah blah blah corporate jet owners blah blah blah inherited blah blah blah millionaires and billionaires blah blah blah George Bush blah blah blah Republicans don't care about the elderly, poor, and sick blah blah blah oil companies blah blah blah fair share blah blah blah those that can afford it blah blah blah stimulate the economy blah blah blah compromise blah blah blah.

If you are absolutely going to watch yet another useless speech without any real ideas or proposals at least make it a drinking game. Every time he says "infrastructure", "inherited", or "millionaires and billionaires" then take a drink. You will be trashed within 15 minutes................

ProBusiness - great post!

BTW - the first time he starts blaming the Republicans, they should all get up and walk out. It is time for the Republicans, Conservatives, and the Tea Party to stop accepting the ignorant verbal abuse. They have not stooped to the Democrats level with the insults and lies, and they shouldn't take it either.

President 'is no longer the favorite to win re-election,' Democratic pollster says

kind of funny when i read this everytime... the only president running for re-election and he cant even be a favorite as a 1 man show....says it all right there.

from the irony of the statment its self, being there can only be 1 runner for re-election to the part the guy running cant even come out on polls against himself running for another term.....

personal note: im not for 4 more years of Nobama the Clown or his polisies, so both the Clown, and Romney dont get my vote. would have to be Ron Paul, or Perry. Perry may have created some lower paying jobs, but they were jobs. More than i can say for the 3 ring Circus Clown in the White House at this time. with more even if they are lower paying jobs, come more jobs. then you get the compitition back to keep the employees they have by giving raises, promotions, and to hire more people. Slow way to go, but i look at it like this... would you rather have a job the pays little... or no job, and getting nothing? me, ill take the low paying job, vs no job and nothing. it at least keep me going until i do find a better job, giving the employer a chance to match wages, and something to consider. if the employer scoffs... his loss imo. you make out with the better job at least. Employers do also look at how much time you have off work. yes, a person with any job, will be considered over a person who has had no job. even if it is bagging groceries.... that person has shown they are willing to work, and show up despite being a low entry position, and stick to it.

@Irespond -

The only people I know who are still collecting unemployment benefits are diehard Republicans.

i'm embarrassed for the pubes, with all the candidates running. Only one i'll vote for and that is perry. If he don't get it i'll not vote

Suzanne Berry=====Simplely Amazing!!! Blind as a bat in the middle of the day.

I don't know of a time when Congress had a higher rating than any President.

Live to Ride ,Congress is running for the office of President.

"Obama is no longer the favorite to win re-election,"

OK. Who else will be reelected?

Live to Ride,

Don't bother. You'll just sound like all the righties crying about Pelosi when Bush was f*cking things up.

Remember the democrats control the do nothing senate.

Why was the first comment collapsed? If this was not acceptable by the community, we got bigger problems than I thought.

I believe that Mitt will take a closely contested nomination. His race against Obama will be very close. Obama is going to have a hard time getting the minority vote out to the polls.

BUT ! one thing I am pretty sure on ,is the big change in Congress in the election, 1/3 of the Senate is up for re-election and the whole house. As the poll clearly demonstrates people ar every upset with the WHOLE Congress. And as we have seen more then a few times, control of the congress by the president ( as in being from the same party ) doesn't mean his agendas are the same as the Congressional agendas. This as I see it is going to be a very tough election all around.

I also see the possibility if Obamas' numbers keep going down, someone from the Democratic side is going to jump up and challenge him for the nomination. Who??? I don't know

Obama hits all-time lows, according to NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll

I take all polls 'with a grain of salt'.

But, I sure hope this one is accurate.

This Nation can't take another 4 years of clueless leadership.

I also find it very sad that a complete tread can be "collapsed by the community" because of not agreeing with someone or one or two people violating the honor code

The last time I checked, Congress had a lower rate than the president did at 17%

That's because the Republicans AREN'T any better.

Face it - what we have here is a House of Hookers.

Who violated the code? I didn't see any code violations.

Leiya: Agreed!

I just find it sad that yesterday he was blaming Republicans for the lack of job growth while he was "pontificating" at a union rally in Detroit.

Of all places, Detroit, a city that has been in the death throes for years and years.

So let me get this right, Obama is the reason for a bad economy? So his policies caused the recession.? How quickly we forget the recession was in place before he was sworn in. Oh yes does anyone realize it takes time to get out of a recession not 6 months, not 1 year, definitely not 3. And let's see Gov Perry took the stimulus money that he and his GOP friends were so against. The lie that's being told is Obama is spending like crazy, Obama isn't spending, Bush's policies are still in effect and the GOP will notlet them go. Also if Obama didn't spend to stop the recession how many more people would be unemployed. By the way the President can't create jobs in the private secter, he can create gov't jobs, but with the GOP trying to undermine him by saying manage the debt (that was generated due to Bush's policies). So ask yourself what can really be done. COMPROMISE, ever since we voted Obama in The GOP has acted like old southerners who were against change and refuse to allow it to come. Did not they said no to allowing balack students into universites, did nothte GOP say no to any and every compromise, unless they get what they want.

With the Federal Reserve now predicting the unemployment to stay around 9% past the 2012 election, how long can Obama ride the train say"don't blame me". At what point can the Commander and Chief run out of the excuse that he is not in charge and someone else is the problem?

Obama is the worst President in the history of the United States!

Lkessler

I was transfered from Dallas to Flint and then transfered to Detroit as a MIS director for a "major' car company. I've seen it and I lived it.

I wonder if the gangs in Detroit still have 'hell night' just before Halloween?

Michigan is a beautiful state and I want to go back, but only to visit.

Lot's of tax's in Michigan.

P.S. Can anybody let me know if 'hell night' still continues (thats when the gangs burn down buildings/vacant homes)?

It is the ENTIRE US GOVERNMENT that has hit all time lows. Bunch of special interest sellouts, incompetent fools, and flat out crooks - arguing and bickering like little kids on the playground.

With the alternatives, the country is doomed.

So let me get this straight: the country would vote for the Tea Party as president? Seriously? This angry group of anti-government, kill Social Security, kill Medicare crazies will run the country? Can we sue the Tea Party for all the money we will lose over the last thirty years in contributions when they give it all to the wealthiest Americans?

So this is what wins? Do Democrats have to do the same thing to a Perry or a Romney that Republicans have done to Obama? Do we start 2013 saying we will do everything possible to make them one term presidents and scream every time they try to do anything? What a country.

The thing is that with Congress, that lower poll number is for the entire 535 members of both houses of Congress. The President's poll number is for only one person - him. It obviously hits the President much harder because it's more difficult for one man to dodge a low poll number than it is for a collective of 535 to deflect their own.

LIVE TO RIDE

Quote from article

"A whopping 82 percent now disapprove of the job Congress is doing."

That would be 18% approval. Up from the 13% I heard last. (why up?)

Sane Central, you do realize that Congress is not running for office of the President?

Racismhasneverleft 2.14

I believe the word you were looking for to describe the GOP is "Luddites"

How long do we have to endure a Commnder and Chief who say that he is in charge but the lack of recovery is not his fault? If you say your in charge but you blame others for your poor job performance isn't that another way of saying "it wasn't me"? You expect that from children not the President of the United States.

Jemma:So let me get this straight: the country would vote for the Tea Party as president? Seriously? This angry group of anti-government, kill Social Security, kill Medicare crazies will run the country? Can we sue the Tea Party for all the money we will lose over the last thirty years in contributions when they give it all to the wealthiest Americans?

You do realize that everything you said above is false? A high percentage of the Tea Party members are on ss and medicare. Killing them is the last thing they want. FIXING them is another thing. They are all about financially securing the country: Stop spending more than you bring in, balance the budget, reduce the size of the government. What in the world is wrong with that? We cannot sustain the type of borrow and spend habits that we currently have, and that Obama is advocating.

Obama is the worst President ever. Anyone, I repeat anyone, would be better than him.

The last time I checked, Congress had a lower rate than the president at 17%!

Gee, that's like saying the Detroit Lions had a 6-10 record, but the last time I checked, the Buffalo Bills had a 4-12 record.

Gary-302710 2.23

I was filling in the information the OP LIVE TO RIDE was questioning.

Any other dumb questions?

Both parties aren't worth a damn. They all need to go. What we need are less special intrest and more moderates. Not a 2 party system that caters to each end of the spectrum but people in office that cater to the majority of Americans who are stuck in the middle with no lateral movement and the only direction available for us to move is down.

Gary-302710 2.25

How long will we have to endure republicans in congress who are willing to punish ALL Americans in their attempt to achieve their stated goal of making Obama a 1 term president? Scorched earth? Leading from the void? Or maybe just flat out dysfunctional.

You surprised? After watching O'Bagger grovel like the lap dog he is at a union meeting while his overseers (hoffa,trumka, seiu, buffett,) watched!

Hate to burst any teabagger bubbles of joy but this is just ONE poll they are talking about in this article. What should make you happy is that MSNBC, who you usually accuse of being too left leaning, put such a big headline on this story. However, the truth is that if you look at the combined totals of all the polls you will see a different picture. His approval rating isn't nearly as low as this one poll indicates. Not only that, he is ahead of ALL the GOP contenders, even according to the Fox poll. See for yourself.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/

When a candidate goes out on the road his numbers are supposed to go up, not down. Obama just started campaigning and his numbers start falling. At this rate by election time his only remaining support will be the hard core DNC base.

The first thing I would point out is that no comment from any view point shoule be allowed to be collapsed by the community unless it is inflammatory to the point of inciting violence.

Next, It has been said that President Obama is the worst president ever on here and on other discussion boards. For all those saying so, or even thinking it, I suggest reading some history on the matter before you pass judgement. As a historian, I would not say he is the worst, though definitely not the best. As far as the record goes, the previous president will go down as one of the worst presidencies in history. Why you say? He started two unfunded wars. Now granted, one definitely should have beec enacted, and it actually should have received a declaration of war from the Senate, with a reinstatement, temporarily, of the draft so that all classes of people had a stake, so to speak, in the war. Also, he should have enacted funding for the war. He also enacted a Medicare Presctiption Drug Plan, also known as Part D, and it also was unfunded. He continued the deregulation of the financial services industry which was partly responsible for the economic crash we have endured. There are other things, but you all really should do your own research since reasearch leads you to discover other things about other individuals which would amaze you. I believe that the Bush presidency will go down as one of the bottom five, or bottom 10 in Presidential history. The book is still out on Obama, but things are not looking good for his presidency.

I would also like to point out the the president is not all responsible for things that occur during their presidency. Congress has much of the blame or praise for what occurs during a presidency. Take the Clinton presidency. A republican controlled Congress deserves much of the praise for the success of his later term, though the same republican controlled Congress deserves much of the blame for the failures of the Bush presidency.

My point in all of this is that both sides do good things and bad. It all depends on whether both sides are willing to compromise and do what is right for the country.

stopthespending-2291099 says

......A high percentage of the Tea Party members are on ss and medicare. Killing them is the last thing they want. FIXING them is another thing. They are all about financially securing the country: Stop spending more than you bring in, balance the budget, reduce the size of the government. What in the world is wrong with that?

Thanks for bringing some sanity to the discussion.

To me Tea Party members seem to be people tired of paying taxes to support illegal aliens and 5th generation welfare recipients, their tired of Obama trying to spend us back to prosperity.
I'm not even a Republican but I'm sick and tired of the Socialist agenda of this administration, and I'm damn sure tired of Obama trying to change the greatest nation in history into something else.
The best thing that could happen to the Democrats would be for Obama's numbers to be so low that he would have to withdraw from the race and give back his 1.1 million dollar bus. At least they would have the chance to run a candidate more worthy of the office.

this is just ONE poll

Allie,

This is a NBC poll which tends to favor Obama. Polls like Gallup gives him much worse numbers.

Gary S Cook - nice post. Neither party holds the moral/ethical high ground over the other, neither party has all the answers.

I very much agree with you comment on collapsing posts because you don't agree with the opinion. It shows a lack of maturity when you do that.

You have any idea how hard it is to get a high approval rating?

I mean, you can build all the Cathedrals and sports complexes in the world - but the people will still be only like 50% approval for your military junta. Then you got to appease the Nationalists who want you to kick out all your foreign workers which you depend on and demand you build a nuke program, as if you could afford the uranium import prices. Then you have to please the Environmentalists by building a million gardens, since your only income comes from industry and mines that they demand you close down. Then there's the commies, ugh, not hard to please but they keep asking for farms when you don't have anywhere left to build them...

Lee- In response to your comment Obama and Biden should be ashamed of themselves for spitting out nastiness and rhetoric and also allowing this Hoffa idiot to talk like a gangster crap about rubbing these S.O.B OUT! Obama and Binden are suppose to be leaders and they should be telling these unions and to themselves to knock off the rhetoric there is no need to talk or act like bullies. I find this adminstration and the LEFT a bunch of hypocrites and playing this double standard crap. If the Right was to talk the same way like Hoffa boy the Left would be all over this. I lost all respect for this President and Biden. Rubbing the Tea Party out is gangster talk of killing and murdering people. To me that is unacceptable. I will not vote for a President who allows this to go on.!!!!!!!!!!

Have you listened to Paul Ryan? Vouchers. That's their plan. Vouchers. Did you contribute $300 or $400 a month over the last 30 years (plus interest) to Medicare? Too bad. Now you get a coupon and will try to buy insurance on the open market. Did you contribute $500-$700 a month (plus interest) over the last thirty years to Social Security?

Jemma, if you're contributing $300/month to medicare, that puts you earning over $20,000 per month. Contributing $500/month to SS would put you earning over $8,000 per month. Which is it? Or are you pulling numbers out of you backside?

"Congress" includes the democrat senate, right? If they just meant the house they would say the house?

You hate government and you hate unions? Wait until you can't afford private school for your children or your house is on fire but the firemen don't care because they are working minimum wage to run into burning buildings.

I can't afford private school right now. However, if federal mandates to the states for education were eliminated, and education was privatized, then I could afford private schooling for my children.

I can't afford private school right now. However, if federal mandates to the states for education were eliminated, and education was privatized, then I could afford private schooling for my children.

And do you care at all for those that cannot afford private school for their children? It's unbelievable what a class system the Tea Party wants to create.

If you think Obama's numbers are low now, wait until Obama's "fast and furious" program blows up in his face. The investigation has already begun.

Jemma,

Again, you missed the point. Your numbers are inconsistent. Your numbers show a variance of $12,000. Methinks you're making up chit. We won't get into "I'm sure I pay more than you."

You have a complete misunderstanding of the tea party. I haven't heard anyone saying "end the program" and let everyone lose their contributions. If you believe that then there is no point trying to argue it. You have a preconceived notion that obviously isn't based on reality.

And do you care at all for those that cannot afford private school for their children?

Yeah, you got me. I want to see children eating from garbage cans, old people dying in the streets, etc.

Jemma -

I never mentioned unions. Maybe before continuing with your posts you should consider the Betty Ford Clinic - oops, sorry, I forgot that she was a Repblican.

You sound like you don't have basic knowledge of the issues. The cost of health care going up is a problrem, but Obama care, when it kicks in in a couple of years will break the bank - and it's the consevatives that fought it.

The issue of deficit spending was serious with Bush, but Obama is in a league of his own. Never before has this country seen the rate of spending shown by this man.

Do some research and then come back.

Piegan, you want to talk about disrepect from a political office? Republicans have shown more outrageous disrespect for the President of the United States than anything I have ever seen in my lifetime. And now they have set the bar. If a Republican wins the presidency, he better not for one second say "let's be friends now, it's time for the country to unify". Not a chance.

The Republicans started the hateful rhetoric and Democrats owe them nothing in the way of respect for any Republican president ever again. We can now scream "you lie" during presidential speeches. We can make their image into farm animals (remember the monkeys and the watermelons in front of the White House?). There is no limit to what Democrats can do in disrespecting the office of the presidency because Republicans set the new low.

Chuck, Republicans have done nothing about healthcare. Nothing. And Obama's plan was based on Romney's plan which Republicans supported until it became Obama's plan. Do not tell me to do the research. It's is all on video. Watch old Republican speeches (that are not that old). They called the Romney plan "personal responsibility" because everyone had to buy into the plan. Now they call it "Unconstitutional".

And you're right, Betty Ford was a Republican. Congratulations, you got one right.

I love this poll / Congress approval rating is 17%. That's a joke poll. A con job by the media. Ask the question this way. "Do you like your congressperson? and the poll is 85% that they like "there" congressperson". So in fact most people like there person in Congress, just not the whole Congress, a huge difference.

Obama is toast unless they nominate a far right wing nut.

Do I understand this earth shattering poll correctly. Of the 1000 people polled 76% were white and the other 24% were something or other and 46% over the age of 50. The results are not surprising.

fig33 and all other haters,

You do realize that the president, any president, has next to no power don't you? Congress - that is both the senate and the house, has all the power. The only real power he has is veto, and that is limited. Congress knows this. If the president were to veto a bill because there is something that congress sneaked into the vast pages, he might be vetoing a very important piece of legislation along with it. How do you think so much "fluff" is passed?

This president has faced opposition since before he was sworn in - the repubs. said they would not work with him right off the bat. Anything he has proposed has been opposed before it even sees the light of day! This is no way to work for the people. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

This whole mess was inherited from every single administration since George Washington. Every administration has borrowed money to run the country and every administration except for Andrew Jackson's administration has left office with a deficit. And he left office in 1817! Every administration has to spend money in order to keep it running. Populations grow and the demographic changes; spending goes along with those changes.

Even the "surpluses" of recent past administrations were not true surpluses - the money was not really there. The "powers that be" borrowed from one program to give to the other. This will not get fixed any time soon - maybe it never will. Americans are so brainwashed with the easy fix - easy solutions we see on the those horrific "reality" shows. This cannot and will not be fixed overnight!! It is stupid to think otherwise. Whoever is elected will face the same problems - the same crap.

LIVE TO RIDE "The last time I checked, Congress had a lower rate than the president did at 17%!"

That's always true, but the funny thing about polls on Congress is that people still like (and vote for) THEIR Congressman - it's the OTHERS they don't like.

And guess which party gets the highest marks? Here's a clue;

"A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican in their district’s congressional race if the election was held now, while 37% would choose the Democrat instead."

In all fairness the DOW is dropping almost as fast as O'Baggers approval!!!LOL

Atlas, we won't get into who pays more? Why not? See, that's the funny thing; Republicans that say they pay a lot in taxes, actually don't.

Let's cut to the chase on Social Security and Medicare - I pay the maximum because my income exceeds when they stop pulling the deduction which is $108K. Is that simple enough for you? Beyond the maximum, it's none of your business what I make.

Racismhasneverleft So let me get this right, Obama is the reason for a bad economy? So his policies caused the recession.? How quickly we forget the recession was in place before he was sworn in. Oh yes does anyone realize it takes time to get out of a recession not 6 months, not 1 year, definitely not 3.

Recessions actually come and go. We have been in them on and off since the inception of this country. How soon you seem to forget we were going into a Recession at the end of Clinton's term and the beginning of Bush's.

The recession in which Bush took over of 2001, lasted eight months, from March through November of that year. The recession in which Clinton took over of the early 1990s also lasted eight months, from July 1990 through March 1991. Which is fairly average when it comes to recessions.

Only one other time in our life time has a recession gone on for more than a few months and that was the recession Carter got us into lasted 16 months, Carter the WORST President of our times, or at least until now.

So those that try to explain off incompetence in the White House really should go back and look at their history on recessions in this country. Under both competant Democrats & Republicans, recession's lasted for MONTHS not YEARS!!!

This man needs to go!! I don't care if it's another Democrat that decides for the best of the country to run against him, he is in way over his head!

about that "Why was the first comment collapsed? If this was not acceptable by the community, we got bigger problems than I thought."

I agree. There was nothing controversial about that post.

So let me get this straight: the country would vote for the Tea Party as president?

Absolutely! As opposed to the "spend em if ya got em" crowd we have now.

Most Democrats fail to see what the Tea Party actually is. What people don't understand, they ridicule, then they defame, then they attack.

Democrats, on the whole are decent enough people. Yet the fundamental difference between them and Republicans is how they look at an issue. Democrats typically look at problems and come up with an emotional response over a logical response and Republicans are the opposite of that.

We always hear about the "poor" from the Democrats. They paint this picture of the downtrodden and how bad it is for the "poor" in this country. Having traveled to 36 countries to date, I can assure any Democrat that we do not have any "poor" people in the US. I have seen POVERTY for myself, but not here. We have the fattest "poor" people on the planet! So while the Democrats want to take care of the "poor," in fact, they are largely being duped.

Now I am not saying that there are not people who need help, there certainly are. Where I differentiate from the typical Democrat is that I would like to see us help the helpless, and discard the clueless.

So with all the vitriol and name calling aside, the fact remains dear Democrats, the country is flat broke, 50% of us do not pay a dime in income taxes, ad those who do are a bit tired of carrying the whole load. So instead of decrying those who DO pay taxes, like Obama does daily, maybe you should look at those of us who don't pay ANY taxes, myself included and ask why?

I have not had to pay any income tax in years. Not because I don't earn a decent living, I do, but because of deductions and other things in the current tax code that I take advantage of. Is that "fair?" I don't know, it is what it is. Yet there IS a solution, one that the Tea Party embraces. That solution is the Fair Tax. It would help create millions of jobs AND bring real 'fairness" to the income tax.

So dear Democrats, instead of all the emotional rhetoric about the "poor" and how the rest of us just don't care, why not reflect on this, it was a Democrat that declared a "war on poverty" in 1965. We have spent TRILLIONS on programs designed to better the lives of the "poor," yet every year, their numbers increase. So how is the "war" going General?

The election is 14 months away and already polls show that the President has lost the election. Well, no reason to vote then. I can just stay home and plan my immigration to Costa Rica or Canada.

Gimme a break.

Take this to the bank kiddies, President Obama will be re-elected in the largest landslide in US History. Perry, Bachman and the rest of the GOP/TP/LDS wannabes will falter and fall when the real campaign begins. Romney will be the nominee and he will fail to get the GOP base vote because of his religion.

All of this noise means nothing 14 months out.

I've been there and I've done that. I successfully ran two GOP campaigns. My candidate was told he would be defeated, he was not electable, the seat had never been held by a Republican. We won a crowded primary without a run-off and we won the general election by a respectable margin.

When he came up for re-election we were told he was politically DOA. He could not be re-elected. He was dead politically. His career was over. Wrong again, he was re-elected and is still in office today nearly 20 years later.

I know what I'm talking about. I've been there and I've done that.

This poll is meaningless at this stage. It's not even a reliable benchmark.

America Held Hostage, day 249

Obama/Biden 2012

racismhasneverleft, it's because YOU have never left. What about the "United Negro College Fund"? Get off your high horse, and get with the discussion - nobody is saying Obama is getting negativity because of his RACE! C'mon! It's because most everything he said he would do, he hasn't.

Clb, if another Democrat ran against Obama and won and the first thing Republicans did is say they will not work with him and will do everything they can to make sure he fails, will you get it then?

When Clinton was in office, Republicans investigated him his entire time in office. Republicans are doing the same thing now. They went to the Supreme Court to appoint Bush into office and then declared war against President Obama from the day he was inaugurated. You say you don't care if it's another Democrat, but at what point does the Republican approach become obvious to you?

lee-936758

In all fairness the DOW is dropping almost as fast as O'Baggers approval!!!LOL

In all fairness, keep in mind that some of those "racist, gun toting terrorists" may have been armed by Obama himself through his "fast and furious" program. Where's the outcry?

"LIVE TO RIDE' The last time I checked, Congress had a lower rate than the president did at 17%!'

That's always true, but the funny thing about polls on Congress is that people still like (and vote for) THEIR Congressman - it's the OTHERS they don't like." - Roy Wilson

You know Roy, I was about to say the same thing, but then I thought: "Who am I to get in the way of Live To Ride hanging his hat and pinning his false hopes and dreams on that."

He's more of the rainbows and unicorns crowd, thanks for interjecting some reason into the conversation.

Wish they had asked WHY people disapprove. Many of us are frustrated that Obama is so willing to continue the policies of Bush, to roll over every time the Republicons dig their heels in, and to not pass a single payer public option health plan like Canada.

Do you really think Canada is a socialist, oppressed society just because if their kid gets cancer, Mom and Dad don't have to go bankrupt, end up homeless, and brother and sister don't get to go to college?

Money and PACS and lobbying is what is soo wrong with our pollitical system. That, and lack of facts. Wish they could have an FCC fine for misleading the public with lies. Every political ad should be subject to fact checking. Done.

Oh, and someone batted around the figure of health care costing 2,000 dollars a month as a "be scared of the possibilities" number. Well, that scary figure is already here for many people. I have self-employed friends with a family of 5 and you wouldn't believe the horror stories of what they go through at the hand of their private health insurance company. Their deductible, Per person is 6,500 EACH! and they pay dearly just for that "coverage" while the company constantly moves the bar. They need a lawyer just to understand their policy.

Here is the latest from Rasmussen, which is the most accurate pollster by far because he polls VOTERS, not people who are not going to vote.

"The president now earns his lowest level of support yet against a generic Republican in a hypothetical 2012 election matchup. The generic Republican earns 48% of the vote, while the president picks up support from 40%.

For the first time this year, Texas Governor Rick Perry, the current frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, leads the president in a national Election 2012 survey - by a 44% to 41% margin. "

"I can just stay home and plan my immigration to Costa Rica or Canada." - skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City

Let me know if I can assist in any way.

Obama set a new low when he bragged that he was going to raise $1 billion dollars for his re election bid. Nothing like bragging to say that your in someones pocket.

skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City "Take this to the bank kiddies, President Carter will be re-elected in the largest landslide in US History." Circa September 1979

lol

Being somewhat of an independent/conservative person, nothing makes me happier than seeing Obama's popularity hit all time lows. But nothing makes me sadder than seeing the pathetic panel of candidates lining up to take his place.

Obama needs to be one and done, but I finally understand at least why some people refuse to vote.

Racismhasneverleft "So let me get this right, Obama is the reason for a bad economy? So his policies caused the recession.? How quickly we forget the recession was in place before he was sworn in. Oh yes does anyone realize it takes time to get out of a recession not 6 months, not 1 year, definitely not 3."

Actually, the recession DID end only about 5 months after Obama took office. Economists say it ended in mid-2009.

It's the 'recovery' that sucks, and Obama's persistent anti-business policies and onerous over-regulation is responsible. In Obama's first years in office (2009), the Democrats passed a record 81,000 pages of new 'regulations'. Is it any wonder that businesses are hesitant to hire more workers? What's next?

Really - If you are judging the poor on their obesity, you don't have an understanding of poverty. The fattest people tend to be the poorest people. That is because the cheapest food is the most fattening food. It is a fact. The thinnest people tend to be higher on the economic scale because they can buy high quality produce, seafood, chicken, etc. whereas the poorest survive on noodles and bread which is pure carbs but will take away hunger. A box of macaroni can be relatively cheap compared to a pound of broccoli and how full it makes you feel.

I can just stay home and plan my immigration to Costa Rica

Already looked into it. I have the necessary independent income and will be filing the paperwork shortly.

Always a good idea to have an escape plan in the event of an emergency. The US is at pre-revolution anger levels. Once the welfare checks start to bounce, there will be hoards of people taking from others. It will make "Dawn of the Dead" look like Sesame Street. LOL

"I can just stay home and plan my immigration to Costa Rica or Canada." - skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City

Costa Rica - Si

Canada - No (Too cold).

Of course if you split your time between Canada in the Summer/Fall and Costa Rica in the Winter/Spring, you have an unbeatable combination.

Really - If you are judging the poor on their obesity, you don't have an understanding of poverty. The fattest people tend to be the poorest people. That is because the cheapest food is the most fattening food.

Oh, I understand that all too well. So is it my fault, or yours, that ignorance breeds ignorance?

Trillions are paid to people every year so they can feed themselves. If they don't have the good sense to eat properly, that is on them. Unless you believe that we need a new "Dept of Spending" to ensure that these people buy the right foods.

Where is the dignity in that? I guess it went with the first generation of welfare recipients and was not passed on to their prodigy.

Every day I pass by a "Christian Relief" charity building. Every day there is a line outside. Every person in that line is either smoking or chatting on a cell phone. Hard to feel sorry for anyone with enough discretionary income to afford either.

Jemma77

Atlas is right your numbers are bogus. I am one of "highly compensated" worker and my FICA conrtibution per month is around 450, Federal medicare 160. Your statement "I am a Democrat and I'm sure I pay more in taxes than you do. So much for that theory that Democrats are welfare recipients, isn't it?" can't be true , if you pay a lot of taxes you would be at least "Blue dog"

Really?-1739510 " 'I can just stay home and plan my immigration to Costa Rica' ..........Already looked into it. I have the necessary independent income and will be filing the paperwork shortly."

I got back from 5.5 months in Costa Rica in May - I will be going back. Great beaches and friendly people.

I agree with the sentiment of questioning the collapse of thread 1. I may not believe in unicorns like most of those posters do, but I believe they have the right to voice their opinions.

I also believe the people who collapse comments simply for disagreeing with them should face banishment. It shows a complete lack of respect for the poster of the collapsed comment which is a violation of the code.

From one conservative to other conservatives who may be collapsing comments...stop. It makes you look like either A) you do not have the mental capacity to challenge their fantastical rhetoric or B) you are wrong. Since we know that "B" is an incorrect answer, that would seem to leave us with "A".

What does congress having a lower rating have to do with the statement that President Obama's rating has hit an all time low.

Does that somehow raise his rating in your eyes. His rating is his rating.

I'm quite sure you fail to see the locic in that.

Did you know that the Sun is 93 million miles from earth?

USA, (wow you must be really patriotic, I bet you have a flag tattooed on your forehead), I am pulling my check stub up right now.

Okay, I've paid $1815. for Medicare so far this year and they stopped pulling Social Security at $4,485. when I reached $108K. That's as of today. So you can play with those numbers all day long. I've been contributing my entire working life and Republicans want to kill these programs and say recipients are "sucking off the government". Listen to Perry. Listen to Romney. I hope we can sue these guys for all the money we've contributed plus the interest.

Obama has overspent. S&P downgraded the US because of his massive overspending and has it done anything for jobs? Obama has implemented Obamacare, dodd frank, and EPA regulations that choke jobs. It is obama's economy. By the way, Moody's still shows the US with a AAA rating, but a huge part of Moody's is owned by Berkshire Hathway aka obama's friend Buffett.

Mike in SA "I also believe the people who collapse comments simply for disagreeing with them should face banishment."

I agree completely. I never have (and never will) collapse anyone's post. If someone 'collapses' a post inappropriately, they should face at least a temporary suspension.

Tyler and Sally - How about it? Can you modify the Conduct Code?

@jemma77

Anyone can pull numbers from thin air. Just saying.

I am an independant. I dont believe in either parties ways of thinking. I think both parties are totally screwed up and corrupted by the wealthy. So, why do we have two parties to begin with?

From the way i see it, the United States has the least successful political system in the world in that, we can never get anything done that represents the american public like its suppose to. If your net worth is not at least 7 digits or more, then our system doesn't know you even exsist.

Is this how things are suppose to be? Is this the direction our country is headed? Unfortunately, it is. The only way, the ONLY way to change this, is to totally reconstruct the political system. I'm not talking about just removing all politicians but a total reconstruct.

Get rid of the 2 party system and make it 1. Face it, all they do now is argue. Argue, argue, argue. All this arguing almost cost our country a major default AND cost us a degrade to our countries credit rating. Doesn't matter which side started the argument. The nature of the argument is that it included both sides, so both sides are at fault here.

Our political leaders are suppose to be adults, so why do they always act in the manner of a child everytime a crisis shows itself? Examples....the dems storming out of office and hiding in a nearby state and the repubs refusing any plan but their own for the debt crisis. I mean i'm sorry, but arguing never solves nothing. Just shows who the bigger ass is.

I'm also sorry but in the best interest of our national debt, arguing only made things worse. This is where both parties failed horribly. Why? Because they choose the path of arguing instead of coming together to solve the debt issue.

It would have been in the best interest for the country, for both sides to work together instead of against each other like they did, especially when we're dealing with something as big as our national debt and the deadline to the debt ceiling and a possible default.

What i gathered from the debate on how to fix the debt and the debt ceiling, is that both parties wanted to be the hero with the better plan. I didn't know there was going to be a ceremony that would crown the party with the best working plan but its how both sides acted. THIS, form of discipline is NOT in the best interest of the country or the people.

Our country has tried for many, many years to put a perfect system, or what it believe a perfect system is, in place but in that venture, the most important thing was lost, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. At this point, i really don't see how we will ever change it to how it's suppose to work.

As long as we have major corps and the oil companies paying off the politicians to work in their best interest, the average american will NEVER have a chance at anything.

Amyshine -

I have always said even before he was elected that Mr. Obama is just Bush III. They are simialr in many ways.

Actually, you are right, Canada is far from socialist and Canadians are doing quite well. Harper and his Conservative Party was elected to a second term recently. Canada is actively drilling for oil and fracking for natural gas. In fact, most of the U.S.'s oil imports are from Alberta, not OPEC. They are lowering the corporate tax rate. Their unemployment rate was 7.2% for July 2011. I'm sure Mr. Obama (and the rest of the U.S. for that matter) would love to see those numbers.

And I agree with you again that there is way too much lobbying and political favouritism for corporations in DC. This goes on in both parties. The federal government should not decide winners and losers in the private business marketplace. I hope that someday the U.S. gov't will eliminate all tax breaks and subsidies for all businesses and level the playing field. Oil companies, "green energy" companies (GE, thank ARRA for them paying no taxes) , Wall St., all of them. If states and municipalities want to experiment with tax breaks and subsidies for businesses, let them. The federal government should not. But, this is a discussion for another day.

Imagine how bad the polls would be if the liberal-biased media didn't stack them in the Democrats favor.

Strong Democrat ........................... 18
Not very strong Democrat ............. 13
Independent/lean Democrat .......... 8
Strictly Independent ....................... 17
Independent/lean Republican ........ 10
Not very strong Republican ........... 11
Strong Republican ......................... 13
Other (VOL) ................................... 10

5% more "strong" Dems than Repubs, followed by 2%more Dems of the next level... and the Dems still can't skew the numbers enough to favor themselves.

Jemma;

You're pulling figures out of the air - very immature. The deficit doubled the year the Libs took control of both House and Senate, 2007, from 500 billion to 1 trillion - this year it's expected to be 1.3 trillion.

The conservatives fought Obamacare - a far more socialistic approach to health care - and even tough they were outnumbered almost pulled it off.

Don't put words in my mouth. I'm sure you feel more comfortable when you can generalize and avoid thinking - but the assumptions you make a very wrong, just as your made up figures. I support neither party. Me agreeing with the conservatives on how my taxes are spent no more makes me a Republican than you supporting that poor excuse for a president - Obama - makes you a Muslim....you're not a Muslim are you?

A polished turd is still a turd any way you "slice" it.......

Nosar08 "The only way, the ONLY way to change this, is to totally reconstruct the political system. I'm not talking about just removing all politicians but a total reconstruct. Get rid of the 2 party system and make it 1."

Which 1? And that would mean that they are not accountable to anyone, because there will be no alternative to doing what that 1 party dictates.

Besides, it's been tried countless time (It's called a dictatorship - ala North Korea), and has not been very pleasant for the people who have to live with the decisions of the dictators.

Jemma77 - I would venture to say that you are some union official living off the back of the membership - sure don't seem to have any business sense that a company would be willing to pay you big bucks for!

roy vacationing in costa rica.you have lots of money.explains your point of view.congradulations.for the rest of us its the economy stupid.we still have to earn ours and obama isnt putting anything on the table that will work. temporary busy work projects while american industry quietly slips away thanks to free trade/job exporting.tariffs are well known to create in country jobs and provide much needed tax revenue.but then both parties campaign contributers dont want that.theres too much money to be made replacing us.job exporting is the number one priority of corporate america and is responsible for its decline

i think its abundently clear that someone or something wants to see america destroyed.in the past we would never have allowed critical industries vitial to national security to completely leave our country.tariffs were always used to protect them.

its a global economy!nonsense its never a global economy.right this minute china is artifically devaluing their currency so that the flow of jobs continues from us to them.while discontinuing their free trade agreements with india when the direction of trade had jobs leaving china for india.most countries governments look out for their populations.not us.hince congresses low approval rating.all the fox news lie cant explain the empty factories or forclosed houses.the people of this country are being sacraficed so that the super rich can become even richer

Republicans have shown more outrageous disrespect for the President of the United States than anything I have ever seen in my lifetime.

Jemma77, so sorry to hear you were in a coma during Bush's 8 years.

This President has been up against a brick wall from day one. The Republicans ARE to blame for the stagnation we are experiencing today. They are total obstructionists and now they are trying to obstruct voting. Obama has had a struggle on his hands that is different and more vile than any president has ever had.

What other options do we have? There is not one other option available that does not intend to crush the middle class. We have watched the Repubs/TP loudly call out to the middle class how they will continue to take away our rights and very plainly scream out their intentions to keep handing out money to the rich. What could be worse than that? Hello?

TERRIFIC!!!!! EXCELLENT!!!!! Haven't read the article yet. Have to dash for a bit, again, first.............It's great to see "The People's" President on a more even playing field to "The People's" Congress and their 87% DISAPPROVAL rate.

I don't care if I go crazy........1-2-3-4-5-6~ ~ ~SWITCH.......

CRAZY GO I....IF CARE DON'T I....1-2-3-4-5-6~ ~ ~SWITCH!!!

Preparing to head out for a "sing-along-in-the-car" to the Store with my 2 year old Grandaughter!!!! Hope to get back to the posts later. Happy post-Labor Day!

Nosar,

The political system is an naturally occurring entitity and not one that is constructed. If there is a single party, it is not politics. What you may be seeing is a third party (the Tea Party) developing. Many parts of the world have 3 or more political parties in their political systems. With more parties, you have the possibility of different "bedfellows" in a given issue.

Ok, the people have spoken and Costa Rica it is. I'll have my pension and my social security and money in the bank. I think I can live pretty well in Costa Rica.

So, if one of the Tea Party Poopers gets elected you can just call me "Ex-Pat" because this country is going to be flushed down the toilet and I'm not going to stick around to see it.

I don't think it will happen, but you never know, I never thought Clinton or Bush II would get a second term.

Hasta la vista amigos. Yo voy a Costa Rica en 2012.

Jemma77

So let me get this straight: the country would vote for the Tea Party as president? Seriously? This angry group of anti-government, kill Social Security, kill Medicare crazies will run the country? Can we sue the Tea Party for all the money we will lose over the last thirty years in contributions when they give it all to the wealthiest Americans?

Hey Jemma-

Try doing some fact checking before coming on and spewing lies. NOBODY wants to kill SS or Medicare, they want to REFORM it, which needs to be done because at their current rates they are UNSUSTAINABLE. Also, they aren't "anti-government", they are for SMALLER government. One last thing, where are they trying to "give money to wealthy americans". Last thing I checked they weren't trying to lower taxes for the rich.

Keep spewing the false Dem talking points though! Woo hoo!!

multiplepartysystem, on the money! since that was a quote was it from someone like Krautheimer? Instead of "it's the economy stupid" it should be "it's the electorate"

I find it amazing that a person noting their lifetime contributions to Social Security and Medicare are questioned by people who are constantly defending the rich.

So Weiser, if Rick Perry is leading in the polls and he is the Tea Party candidate, you are supporting the demise of Social Security and Medicare. I know if you really try, you will be able to connect the dots. Think slowly. Don't hurt yourself.

WeiserJG

Excellent post, on top of that, the LA Times, not ecactly a tea party rag, revealed that only 60% of the TEA party are republicans, the rest are independants and DEMOCRATS.

Reforming something that is BANKRUPT (or will soon be) and is NOT SUSTAINABLE is "supporting its demise"????? I know you liberals can't wrap your head around this. I know you refuse to admit that they are not solvent programs. PLEASE, try using you head.

Read Rick Perry's book. He thinks Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional. You can try to pretend he doesn't believe it, but he repeats it at every stump speech and put it in writing.

So he cant state his views without some libtard assuming that means he backs eliminating SS and Medicare? There is an argument to be made that income tax, the fed, and many other things democrats hold dear are not what the founders wanted or thought wise.

"If the America people ever allow private banks to control the issuance of their currencies, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their prosperity until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." Thomas Jefferson

What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue. ~Thomas Paine

Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery. ~Calvin Coolidge

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation... For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent.... We, therefore... solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States. ~The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies, 1776

Rick Perry has never been quoted to say he suppor5ts eliminating either SS or Medicare. He is making a philsophoical statement. Everyone with a brain understands that the train has left the station and all we can do is better manage what already exiists and can not be disolved.

Hard for you to understand I know, but all these quotes are simply opinions, not statements of action or intended action except one, can you guess which one?

Learn the difference.

Skip, know how you feel, I felt that way after the last election. But, you will stay and presever.

My fear was that the economy would get worst under Obama (it has); Obama care would only increase health care cost (it will) or business will bail out of providing private health care and go to the exchanges if it is cheaper (they will), that his favor for Union and regulation would create a business climate that will keep employers from hiring (they have), that he will get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan within 4 yrs (he has not), that he would shift Middle East support to the Arab (to be determined), and that the US sediment would be that we would be in the toilet by 2011 (you decide).

Right now, the republicans do not have to do much to beat him, he has hurt himself. I am not pleased with the either party; but you fear of the Tea Party is nothing more than fear of the unknown. Yes, they scare a lot of people when they tell America that the only way we should have entitlement programs is if we can afford them- Americans do not want to hear this. Will we ever accept the fact that our account may be overdrawn??????

Many Dems will be pissed off if companies start hiring if Obama is defeated, agree?

The reason the Congress is even lower than the guy in the big white house is because they collectively don't have even one gonad amongst them. They wouldn't be capable of making a decision to leave a burning building without first requesting a committee to look over what they are about to do and then worrying about the consequences to their re-election if in fact they do decide to leave the building. As for the guy in the big white house, as the computer geeks say, garbage in, garbage out.

jemma ignore the pro rich posters.most are wealthy themselves others are simpled minded fox news viewers easily duped.as Limbaugh says he will do the thinking for his dittohead minions.

something has to happen.either the wealthy have to pay more tax or one of the 2 biggest government expenditures must be cut.that's defense or social security[referred to as entitlements by republicans because of its natural visceral first impression].who gives more money to our politicians.the defence industry lobbyists or seniors.right the elderly are screwed unless they mobilize

your joking right atlas.dems will be mad if they get jobs without obama.lol the unemployed dont care who is in power if they are given work

FIG, i'm sorry but GWB was the worse president, Obama will have to serve in the white house four more years to do that bad. Remember GWB is from Texas we do the biggest and best of everything here in Texas, including screwing things up. Vote Perry!

johnQcitizen -

I am not wealthy or"pro rich", nor do I listen to or watch Fox and I can't stand Rush. However, I do understand that those entitlements are not sustainable and something must be done.

Note: before you call us simple minded, be sure to proofread your incoherent posts.

If Obama would win another term, he would have no reason to not bring into public offices his radical socialist advisors and associates that he has had to keep in the background thus far....

Obama sucks! He hasn't done a damn thing for anyone other than special interest, corporate interest and illegal aliens. Sadly with Romney plus Christian wackos Bachmann and Perry being put forth by Republican's him being thrown out in 2012 remains to be seen.

Personally as much as I hate Obama I would vote for him in a minute over Romney, Perry or Bachmann.

Limbaugh says he will do the thinking for his dittohead minions.

Obviously you have never listented to Rush. WTF?

your joking right atlas.dems will be mad if they get jobs without obama.lol the unemployed dont care who is in power if they are given work

Reagan cut unenployment in half and the far left hated him, so again WTF?

weiser not rich,not a fox news watcher,not a rush listener.i guess your right then my post must have been incoherent if you thought i was talking about you

does beg the question why when someone mentions a simple minded person do you think they are refering to you

Jemma77,

I am on disability and had to start a corp, work a couple of hours and have the corp keep most the wages or I would loose SSDI, I have a 17,000 medical bill a month because I got hurt on a job by a employer that had no workers comp., he got a slap on the wrist I am disabled.

I went to disability and said even though I am unemployable through a business could I work at home and try to at least do something, they told me if I did and worked 40 hours (just setting up a web site to start a business) then I would loose SSDI. I asked if I could pay insurance and work, they said no. So I had a corp. set up, it pays me hourly, then it pays it's taxes and hopefully in two years I can get off SSDI.

Now with this being stated, I paid max SSI for years before I was hurt, it was my retirement fund, now both parties call it a entitlement (in other words they stole the money to fund their projects and now SSI has no money). But the truth is, could you please pull up the constitution and show me where SSI or Medicare is in the constitution, you will not because it is not. This was a socialist program put in by a president that thought the same way our current one does, he was FDR, and to be truthful had it not been for WW2 he would have went down in history like our current president will, as a dismal failure.

The problem is that we need to fix our medical, to put a cap on lawsuits (and the reason I am disabled is not from the accident, but because of a doctors mistake in surgery) so yes I do have a right to state this, instead of paying for SSI I should have been able to put that money into a savings, stock, or whatever for my future, instead I got hurt, sold my business, my house, my 401k (had to pay taxes on that) just to pay for medical until I could get on disability, I had to live in my mother-in-laws basement with my wife and child or would have been homeless because even though I can not walk, am in unbearable pain, I was denied three times until I went to court. But with that being said, I need to plan for a future for my family and sitting and collecting SSI is not it. So yes, I did legally manipulate the system (but should have not had to, they should have something in place to help people who want to help themselves), but this government has turned into more of a socialist state then a democratic one, they want us to be on government assistance, or why is it that over 50% are on food stamps or government housing. The system is broke, and either we the people need to have the courage to suffer while it is being fixed, or if it is unwilling to be fixed, then it needs to be done away with and another put in it's place. (Radical thinking, look at Thomas Jefferson's writings and you will see the same thing said from him, from John Adams, from George Washington, and so on). We need to stop giving to others, helping law breakers that have unlawfully entered our country, and take our land back, our government back, and our right to have morals and stand by our convictions back. And then tell the politically correct people that want to call us racist, bigots or anything else (and I am a racial minority), that disagreeing with this government does not mean that because you think this president is the worst we have had in the last 100 years does not mean that I am prejudice.

Grover, he had control of both houses for two years, mostly with veto proof filibuster proof majority, and got nothing accomplished with regard to the economy and jobs, so another two years will be different. No preisdent has ever been dealt more power and he FAILED.

Look up the definition of "insanity"

Sorry to burst your bubble

There is some hope:
Scarborough from Morning Joe 9/6/2011:"no way Perry can win a general election for President".

This is not about who can win, its about Obama not being able to win. ITs Obamas race to lose, and he IS losing it.

johnQuitizen - how about a larger percentage of the population start paying federal income taxes? 48% not paying is simply ludicrous - and please don't tell me that they are soooo poor that they cannot pay taxes. Just one item - what percentage of the population has a cell phone (no, they are NOT a necessity - we did pretty well before they were invented)? I would venture to say higher than 52%.

GroverLipscomb

There is some hope:
Scarborough from Morning Joe 9/6/2011:"no way Perry can win a general election for President".

With the newly elected non-TeaParty Congress, Obama will finally get this country moving again after he's re-elected!!

Obama had two unobstructed years (Dems controlled House, Senate and WH) and got NOTHING moving. Things got worse. What in the world makes you think he will "get the country moving again"??????

johnQcitizen

weiser not rich,not a fox news watcher,not a rush listener.i guess your right then my post must have been incoherent if you thought i was talking about you

does beg the question why when someone mentions a simple minded person do you think they are refering to you

Your posts are incoherent because your spelling, grammar and ramblings are atrocious.

johnQcitizen -

something has to happen.either the wealthy have to pay more tax or one of the 2 biggest government expenditures must be cut.that's defense or social security[referred to as entitlements by republicans because of its natural visceral first impression].

The wealthy alone will not be able to support the ballooning costs of social security/medicare/medicaid/defense. If the solution is to just raise taxes, then the taxes will have to go up substantially on the poor and middle class as well. This is because the middle class as a whole pays the most taxes.

Unfortunately, these gov't programs will need to be reformed in some way to alleviate their costs. There will also need to be some additional revenue requirements. There is no other way around it.

I see no other choice but to vote for obama ,I can not vote for the republicans/tp because I am not rich and they only work for the rich they prove that at every opportunity they get

Leiya: This Nation can't take another 4 years of clueless leadership.

That's why we need to get rid of Mitch McConnell, John Baehnor, and the Tea Party.

vegasbill I've heard that tired old stat now a thousand times.the rich pay most of the income taxes because they have most of the income.the top 400 richest Americans earn more then the bottom 60 percent of America.they should pay more.

weiser i did forget to put a couple of commas in one of the sentences.my apologies.thankfully you seem to have eventually discerned my points.i can go with small words if you need it

pyhrric.i agree completely

working man - you may not be rich, but do you believe in the form of government as set up by our founding fathers? Do you want this great country to live for our children, grandchildren, etc? If so, I suggest you rethink your selection. We cannot sustain this "give away", "spend, spend, spend" government much longer. Have you paid attention to events in the rest of the world, such as in Turkey??

working man-780222

I see no other choice but to vote for obama ,I can not vote for the republicans/tp because I am not rich and they only work for the rich they prove that at every opportunity they get

How do you figure? Based on what? Evidence?

weiser i did forget to put a couple of commas in one of the sentences.my apologies.thankfully you seem to have eventually discerned my points.i can go with small words if you need it

It isn't just commas! LOL

I find it amazing that a person noting their lifetime contributions to Social Security and Medicare are questioned by people who are constantly defending the rich.

Debating with you is like talking with an adolescent. Lies and fantasies - I think you've been lying to yourself for so long you can't tell the difference anymore.

Your opinions are in question because your logic lacks a foundation, you haven't backed them up with facts - just more of you opinions. In a debate your opinions are worthless.

You staed Obama is 25% responsible for the deficit spending and Bush responsible for 75%. Show some proof - facts to back up your bogus claims - or stop whining.

Go figure- At some point the American populous wakes up and realizes that things aren't going the way they were told in a floral campaign speech a while ago. Maybe 30% realize it early on, another 30% about mid way through, another 30% right about now, and 10%- well they'll never think about it enough to care.

Likable- Sure he's a likable guy you'd want to have a beer with. Lead the nation- Oh hell no. Policies working out for you- Oh hell no.

Congress- Oh come on! Both parties "representatives" have no interest in the American people, just their games and power. That's why they are perfectly happy to spend your money without regard.

It can ALL be fixed in the next election.

Mr. Obama has been beating the drum since last campaign, telling us the "Republicans" only care about the "rich"...most notably, the oft mentioned "corporate jet owners".

The sad thing about many "modern" Americans is that actually swallow the tripe that this president is feeding them.

Now he's out there saying that Republicans need to put "country before politics" and sign on to the details on Mr. Obama's yet-to-be-announced "new" jobs plan...he hasn't even given his speech yet and is already defaming the other political party before our national legislators have seen his plan.

Haven't we gotten ourselves in trouble over the past couple years by having our Senate and House signing onto this president's plans without the benefits derived from actually READING the plans before agreeing to them ?

oh?then the republicans really didn't hold up raising the debt ceiling just to protect the super riches tax cut.tony, I'm ashamed, I've been completely fooled by the liberal media

working man -

I see no other choice but to vote for obama ,I can not vote for the republicans/tp because I am not rich and they only work for the rich they prove that at every opportunity they get

Both parties pander to the rich. The rich have spare cash, and politicians need that cash for campaigning and getting votes. In return for the cash, the politicians give favours to their donors. It's a vicious cycle indeed.

This is nothing new. Politics has been awash with this crap for as long as people have had organized governments. Democrats are very good at hiding it and deflecting the blame toward Republicans. Hence we have the stereotype that Republicans are the "party of and for the rich" and the Democrats are the "party of and for the people". But the fact is, the Democrats are just as guilty. They pander to rich special interests, corporations, Wall St., etc. just as much if not more than Republicans. They just do a very good job at blaming Republicans.

johnQcitizen - I did not say anything about the rich paying most of the taxes - I just stated that a greater percentage of Americans need to pay income taxes (as I previously stated, 48% not paying income taxes is ridiculous). I believe more Americans need to have a financial stake in the success of this country.

Yep, you are a fool - part of the hold up was to try to get a grip on the spend, spend mentality.

well the rich do pay a higher percentage of income taxes.they make most of the money.boat owners pay most of the dock fees.truck drivers pay most of the heavy vehicle taxes.its a stat that's a common,misleading, fox news talking point.sounds like it means something but doesn't.oh i think the millions of us unemployed losing our houses have a huge financial stake in this country.are you seriously proposing that our government takes what little extra income these people have by way of taxes?the whole purpose of the stimulus was to try to get money into poor and middle class peoples hands.thus jump starting the economy

bill its not possible to reason with someone so lack of economic knowledge.go ahead call me names.you need to go back to college.try economics 101.then well talk.if you pass

Man, look at the collapse happy liberals today.

Newsflash: Collapsing posts isn't supposed to be used to shut down opinions different from yours.

And last I checked....like, say, a week a go, MSNBC ran a story saying his approval rating was below 40%. Sounds to me like MSDNC is trying to sugar coat Obama losing more and more favor by inflating the numbers.

Perhaps....and this is just a suggestion.....Obama should tell Reid to stop playing the new Party of No in Senate and pass the 11 jobs bills sitting on his desk? Maybe? Nah, that would make all you Obots unable to continue to scream "WHERE ARE THE JOBS REPUBLICANS?!?!?!?", and they can't have that.

I've got a jobs plan for Obama. Scrap Obamacare. You'll notice the companies doing the bulk of the hiring are those that recieved waivers from Obamacare. That should be a hint as to what is holding up so much hiring.

David Walker

The only thing worth less than these idiotic polls is the crop of G.O.P. candidates. The polls mean absolutely nothing this far in advance of the election.

The numbers that actually have relevance show that this horrible mess track primarily to the previous administration. You right-wingers can snivel all you want about that, but that doesn't change the truth. The Bush policies put us where we are.

The leading G.O.P. candidates have NO answers. None. Bachmann and Perry are nothing more than Bush lite. Same policies. Make the rich richer, and pray, pray, pray. Romney is a demonstrated job-killer.

That said, President Obama has not helped himself in his three years. Yes, his Health Care Reform is a major piece of social legislation, but it is only a start. He has some other accomplishments as well. His accomplishments in the fight against al-Qaeda and illegal immigration dwarf the previous administration's - another fact that the right-wing snivelers can't stand.

But what the country really needs is a very, very strong leader. The constant swings in the polls are clear proof that the public has no clue, no idea where to go, and worse, doesn't understand the fact that the world has changed, and continues to change at lightning speed.

If the President expects to win, he is going to have to stop with the "Hope and Change" theme and stand up tall and say "WE WILL MAKE THE CHANGE." He has to level with the public and tell us the truth. The change is going to hurt. It will not be painless.

He will win hands down with that message. Good grief, the G.O.P. has nothing#1.17 - Tue Sep 6, 2011 6:51 AM EDT

Well said, David and you are absolutely right!

Here is my take on Obama -

He should accomplish more of his 2008 progressive campaign goals.

Obama should FORGET the Tea Party!!!

johnQcitizen - funny - I was going to say that you need to take Eco 101. Re read my previous posts - my question then and still is - if someone can't pay taxes, how do they afford cell phones, designer clothes, etc.

Please explain, if you are so great in economics, how the government can continuously spend more than it takes in and expect to stay solvent? If you took economics, this must have been the only course you took (and probably slept through). My grammer and spelling are horrible, but yours is worse!

He should accomplish more of his progressive goals? Because that worked out sooooooooooooooo well? HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

Jemma...you confuse me. In Post 2.51, you mention the hateful rhetoric "started" by the republicans, and how we can now scream YOU LIE on the floor. First, if someone lies, yes, they should be called out. And what about the democrats BOOING Bush in 2005? That is fine? I would rather someone have the nerve to say YOU LIE when it is true than showing no respect and booing.

Then you mention barnyard animals and watermelons. Were you in hiding during the Bush administration? In 2004 a democratic artist created a portrait of Busg using photos of monkeys. Do a simple on-line search and you will find hundreds of examples of this. Did you not notice these before, or just willfully ignorant? But luckily, I don't think the average reasonable person will hold out to much hope of you actually ackowledging any facts in your arguments...just emotional lies and rumors.

Then in post 2.52, you contradict yourself. First, you state Repubs have done nothing for health care, and then go on to say that Obamacare really is the republic plan. So which is...done nothing or contributed about 90% of it? Can't be both. Just not possible.

Post 2.103...Perry has gone on record many times saying that SS is a "ponzi scheme". Young people are paying into a program that can not, as it is today, sustain itself to pay out what is paid into it. All of that is true. There is no way it can go on like it is. I have already been notified (I am 37) that my payments will likely be lower than the original estimated amounts. So if SS is already ackowledging that, why can't you? And why is it a problem to try and do something about it? Also, another simple search will show a recent poll amongst "Tea Partiers" show 62% in favor of Social Security. So what "dots are you wanting to connect"?

johnQcitizen "roy vacationing in costa rica.you have lots of money.explains your point of view.congradulations."

Ah, the benefits of retirement, especially when you plan for it instead of just hoping the government will take care of you. It really doesn't take a 'lot of money' - just careful planning.

skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City Ok, the people have spoken and Costa Rica it is. I'll have my pension and my social security and money in the bank. I think I can live pretty well in Costa Rica.....Yo voy a Costa Rica en 2012.

Maybe I'll see you there, and yes, you can live very comfortably in Costa Rica on a relatively modest retirement income. Es muy hermoso, y las playas son grandes, pero debe aprender a hablar español. Cuidado con los extranjeros loco.

Jemma77Really - If you are judging the poor on their obesity, you don't have an understanding of poverty. The fattest people tend to be the poorest people. That is because the cheapest food is the most fattening food. It is a fact.

Jemma, it's hard to chose from your post on which to respond to since all of them are loaded with non sense or half truths. It was hard to chose between your SS/Med post on your wages, which by the way is totally inaccurate or this.

I think most of us can remember those day when we first left home and had to survive on boxes of Macaroni & cheese and other carbs. Most of us grew up with a high Carb diet regardless of what income group we were in. My family growing up were poor, Dad in the military with 5 children barely making it from pay to pay. We ate well balanced meals, but with a lot carbs. My grandparents were farmers, ate tons of carbs. None of us were obese. Why? Because we were outside all the time running around getting exercise. Not behind a TV or computer all day. We had PE in school, recess, etc. Kids today DO NOT get exercise. Kids in poverty get less exercise because its less safe for them to go out doors. For the records there is a lot of obese rich & middle class kids out there!! If they got exercise the carbs would not make a difference except for a small percentage who would be prone to obesity no matter what they did.

Gharms and clb - Great posts, great points.

AMERICA AND THE WORLD NEEDS A REAL LEADER, NOT A COMPLAINER!!!!!

Our nation has been the beacon that has guided the world for over 200 years. This young and unique country we call America is what other nations could only hope to be. We became the leader of the free world because we have done what we can to help ourselves and others. We were and still are the "land of opportunity". We built our nation on the backs of hard working, good, proud people. We opened our door to the world and challenged anyone willing to become an American to join us. All we demanded is that you respect our Declaration of Independence, our great Constitution and our laws made for the people. The price of admission was simple, the results are infinite.

In order for our great Republic to succeed required a society who understood that American exceptionalism was not only achievable, it was expected. America was built on individual responsibility and our government was to allow that, no more, no less. As a Federal Constitutional Republic and a Representative Democracy we offered what no other nation ever could, a country for the people. Our Founder's and Framer's saw the corruption of the aristocracies, kingdoms and dictatorships. They knew a nation built to protect the ultimate minority, the individual, is what was necessary. They knew a Democracy was not what would create or protect the freedoms and liberties we are all born with. Only a Republic can do that.

Since then we have eclipsed any nation, civilization or empire as far as accomplishments. We have created the world we see around us. Imagination, innovation and ambition have created a better world. Our hard work and belief in individual freedom is what brought the masses from around the world to our door. In order for this to work we needed leadership from a Constitutionally limited government. The blueprint was handed to us by our great Framer's and their genius was obvious. Unfortunately for nearly 100 years that blueprint has been bastardized. It has been corrupted under the guise of socialism Liberal Progressivism.

The results of this corruption are now being exposed. The preoccupation of our government with trying to be a nanny state rather than a governing state has created most of our problems today. Massive intrusions into its Constitutionally enumerated responsibilities has created unsustainable entitlements, social programs and debt. Enormous debt. As a result of this preoccupation of statism it neglected its responsibilities, mainly to protect us from foreign invaders and from each other. Now it believes it has to protect us from ourselves. This is the biggest reason for our economic and social collapse.

Our economy was also corrupted as free-market principles were replaced with over-taxation, regulations, unfair trade agreements and union destructive collective bargaining. Keynesian principles have been failing since the Great Depression and continue to do the same today. Yesterday Barrack Hussein spent another day campaigning and cohorting with the unions. He continues to blame everyone but himself and his incompetence, inexperience and his socialist underpinnings. During the campaign speech he and the unions called every American that is not loyal to unions "sons of bitches"! Blaming and complaining is NOT what a real leader does. A real leader unites the masses and delivers solutions to problems. He hasn't solved any of our problems, only magnified them.

Real Americans and the rest of the world see this Imposter being exposed, his inabilities are obvious. Instead of dealing with a global recession he wasted his political capital on another nationalization of 1/6th of our GDP. Weakened our strategic arms policies. Embarrassed us with his global apology tour. Made America weaker rather than stronger. Because of his incompetence our and the world’s economies now teeter on the brink of a collapse that will make the Depression look like a picnic. We need big changes in our economy. Trade reform, tax reform, regulation reform, unions destroying industries rather than supporting them are the problems that need to be resolved. This empty suit is brainwashed that a government subsidizing an industry, his ridiculous Green Initiative, can somehow become profitable and affordable. Show me one industry that the government has subsidized into success. There is none and there never will be. Only free-market forces create winners, and losers. Governments only job is to mediate the differences created between them.

It's obvious this Community Organizer is incapable. His pathetic pandering to what is left of his base on Labor Day was obvious to all of us. His inaction when his union thugs were calling Americans "son's of bitches" exposed his true colors, and they're NOT red, white and blue. We and the world need a true leader that understands the new global market and what needs to be done to return America to its rightful place as the Shining City on the Hill. Barrack Hussein is NOT what we need. 2012 will be critical to elect a true American who will lead us and the world back into the confidence so needed.

AMERICA AND THE WORLD NEEDS A REAL LEADER, NOT A COMPLAINER!!!!!

Our nation has been the beacon that has guided the world for over 200 years. This young and unique country we call America is what other nations could only hope to be. We became the leader of the free world because we have done what we can to help ourselves and others. We were and still are the "land of opportunity". We built our nation on the backs of hard working, good, proud people. We opened our door to the world and challenged anyone willing to become an American to join us. All we demanded is that you respect our Declaration of Independence, our great Constitution and our laws made for the people. The price of admission was simple, the results are infinite.

In order for our great Republic to succeed required a society who understood that American exceptionalism was not only achievable, it was expected. America was built on individual responsibility and our government was to allow that, no more, no less. As a Federal Constitutional Republic and a Representative Democracy we offered what no other nation ever could, a country for the people. Our Founder's and Framer's saw the corruption of the aristocracies, kingdoms and dictatorships. They knew a nation built to protect the ultimate minority, the individual, is what was necessary. They knew a Democracy was not what would create or protect the freedoms and liberties we are all born with. Only a Republic can do that.

Since then we have eclipsed any nation, civilization or empire as far as accomplishments. We have created the world we see around us. Imagination, innovation and ambition have created a better world. Our hard work and belief in individual freedom is what brought the masses from around the world to our door. In order for this to work we needed leadership from a Constitutionally limited government. The blueprint was handed to us by our great Framer's and their genius was obvious. Unfortunately for nearly 100 years that blueprint has been bastardized. It has been corrupted under the guise of socialism Liberal Progressivism.

The results of this corruption are now being exposed. The preoccupation of our government with trying to be a nanny state rather than a governing state has created most of our problems today. Massive intrusions into its Constitutionally enumerated responsibilities has created unsustainable entitlements, social programs and debt. Enormous debt. As a result of this preoccupation of statism it neglected its responsibilities, mainly to protect us from foreign invaders and from each other. Now it believes it has to protect us from ourselves. This is the biggest reason for our economic and social collapse.

Our economy was also corrupted as free-market principles were replaced with over-taxation, regulations, unfair trade agreements and union destructive collective bargaining. Keynesian principles have been failing since the Great Depression and continue to do the same today. Yesterday Barrack Hussein spent another day campaigning and cohorting with the unions. He continues to blame everyone but himself and his incompetence, inexperience and his socialist underpinnings. During the campaign speech he and the unions called every American that is not loyal to unions "sons of bitches"! Blaming and complaining is NOT what a real leader does. A real leader unites the masses and delivers solutions to problems. He hasn't solved any of our problems, only magnified them.

Real Americans and the rest of the world see this Imposter being exposed, his inabilities are obvious. Instead of dealing with a global recession he wasted his political capital on another nationalization of 1/6th of our GDP. Weakened our strategic arms policies. Embarrassed us with his global apology tour. Made America weaker rather than stronger. Because of his incompetence our and the world’s economies now teeter on the brink of a collapse that will make the Depression look like a picnic. We need big changes in our economy. Trade reform, tax reform, regulation reform, unions destroying industries rather than supporting them are the problems that need to be resolved. This empty suit is brainwashed that a government subsidizing an industry, his ridiculous Green Initiative, can somehow become profitable and affordable. Show me one industry that the government has subsidized into success. There is none and there never will be. Only free-market forces create winners, and losers. Governments only job is to mediate the differences created between them.

It's obvious this Community Organizer is incapable. His pathetic pandering to what is left of his base on Labor Day was obvious to all of us. His inaction when his union thugs were calling Americans "son's of bitches" exposed his true colors, and they're NOT red, white and blue. We and the world need a true leader that understands the new global market and what needs to be done to return America to its rightful place as the Shining City on the Hill. Barrack Hussein is NOT what we need. 2012 will be critical to elect a true American who will lead us and the world back into the confidence so needed.

Thanks Chuck, Mike, and Roy for your agreement about collapsing threads. I too agree that people who collapse should be banned, unless the thread incited violence.

Oooops, sorry about the double post.

markmich - RIGHT ON THE HEAD!! CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!

I can't wait to see the rebuttals!

I also vote that collasping threads needs to be abolished - why hasn't this been addressed MSNBC??

Gary - I can think of many good reasons to have a post collapsed - profanity, personal insults, general insults, etc., but the whole point of these threads is for people to discuss opinions and have the chance to review different ideas. Your post should not have been collapsed.

Robert Heinlein once said - "I never learned anything from someone I agreed with."

I'm glad your original post was restored.

Keep posting garbage...Obama is 100 times a better candidate than any of those lunatics of the tea party...

You are shooting yourselves in the foot - no - in the face.....

IRESPOND - If you vote for Obama, you are shooting our country in the heart!

Gary;

I think part of the problem is that the job is too big for one man. The other problem is that politicians spend a lot of time nad base many decisions in persuit of another term.

From my perspective the best administrations have involved the two paties in control of only one of the House/Senate or the Presidency - but not so good if one party controls all three.

Beaumont: Tell me who in the tea party is really capable of doing a good job? It there was a decent republican I WILL VOTE FOR HIM/HER but there are just lunatics!

COLLAPSING POSTS!

Interesting concern. Perhaps if certain partisan politicians didn't call others terrorists, extremists, cowards and un-American the threads would be more appropriate?

Perhaps if certain political groups didn't falsely accuse people of spitting on them, calling them the N-word, telling them they can "go to hell", telling others that they want to see them "hanging from a tree" and of course yesterdays typical Liberal Progressive bravado of calling all Americans not submitting to their agenda "son's of bitches", maybe we wouldn't have this problem with the cowards here that collapse posts?

Didn't Barrack Hussein tell all you Liberal Progressives after the Gabby Gifford's shooting to tone down the hate, anger, racism and vitriol?

Yes he did.

Hey IRESPOND.....how about instead of attacking the opposition, you brag about your candidate?

Oh, right. It's because he's done nothing to brag about. My bad. Back to your partisan stupidity with the other left wing fringe nutjobs.

Gharms: You seem to miss the point. I just do not have any confidence on any of the tea party candidates. If you were really fair, you would see that Obama has done many things for the country. Starting by getting Osama-Bin-Ladin...and don't tell me that it was the military and not him...I hear that before. I could list many others, but you will not dignify them, so why waste my time?

marmick: The master of the Republican rhetoric Karl Rove is the one who set the bar low for comments. You talk big saying that liberal progressive lower the tone...tell me that after the Republican debate...It's just going to be about bringing down the President...How pathetic!!!

Oh! HE got Osama?

He made a phone call to give the order.

When I call to order a pizza, did I make the pizza?

IRESPOND-2315268

The master of the Republican rhetoric Karl Rove

Hmmmmm, was he the one who said this?

"light skinned" and possessing no "Negro dialect".

Hypocrites!

Gharms: 'Please don't show your stupidity writing that in here. That goes to show that you never served in the military.

markmich: Write me tomorrow after the great Republican Debate to talk about the tone that your heroes are going to use with the president.

Irespond:

I could list so many things that indicate Barry is no leader - only a community organizer, but what's the point. You wouldn't honor them.

IRESPOND-2315268

Write me tomorrow after the great Republican Debate to talk about the tone that your heroes are going to use with the president.

ROTFLMAO!

I'll be happy to. I can guarantee you NONE of their debate will be lowered to the level of your Liberal Progressive vitriol, especially to the TEA Party. Typical slow-minded rhetoric the wannabe Hoffa in Detroit calling out all Americans as "sons of bitches". How does it feel him calling you names?

IRESPOND - if the only thing you can point to that Obama did (and you say he started with this - what has he done up til that point?) is get Osama, then you don't have much to point to. Go ahead, try to point out something he has done to better the country. Whatever you bring up, it will most likely be able to be shown that, instead of bettering the county, it has divided or trashed the country as a whole.

Obama's ratings are down? Oh no! That's gonna raise gas prices again... ;-)

IRESPOND - what branch of the military did you serve in?

And voting in a Republican for POTUS in 2012 will solve the problem...Yea sure!!!

Get your heads out of the sand and other places...The Repubs have orchestrated the problems we see now in our economy and basic world class downward spiral for the last 30+ years...

Next thing you know the Repubs will run Jeb Bush in 2012 to continue all the great things the other Bushes did to screw the American middle-class and help the ultra rich...Don't blame any of the Bush family when it is easier to blame Obama (and his long 3 year tenure as POTUS) for not correcting all the harm they did...What a laugh?..Can you envision how the Repubs would rally around Jeb Bush blaming Obama for the mess he got us into in just 4 years?..

Show the FAR RIGHT REPUBLICAN PARTY OF "NO" what the American middle-class and poor think of their agenda...Vote Democrat in 2012...Revive union representation and help the working class Americans...Get our teachers, police, firemen back to work and demand a fair wage for all working class Americans...

Obama may not be as popular as before, but he sure is way ahead of any Republican Party member...We THE AMERICAN PUBLIC will not be fooled in 2012 by the Republican Party...Obama will be elected by a large margin over any FAR RIGHT REPUBLICAN PARTY OF "NO" candidate...

pyrrhic: the Democrats are just as guilty. They pander to rich special interests, corporations, Wall St., etc. just as much if not more than Republicans. They just do a very good job at blaming Republicans

Of all the obsurdities.........that has to be one of the most laughable lines the right has ever come up with.

Wow! A long way down to a "reply". From something I saw on an earlier post mentioning bankruptcy, "Can the USPS officially file for Bankruptcy protection to restructure and reorganize?" Including whatever this seemingly shady thing Congress did in 2006 to force them to pay future benefits and all of that. They need to and could effectively reorganize and downsize costs, not People and locations effectively in the Bankruptcy Court, it seems to me. There is definately excessive "bloat" in the payroll and benefit and pension packages of USPS employees that it seems to me should be able to be reorganized in such a way that 220,000 people would not have to lose their jobs but duties and responsibilities could be reorganized and shifted to be more efficient in how they do things and some "fair and legal" salary, benefits and pay cuts done, in the Bankruptcy Court; being mindful and with intent to sustain the 220,000 jobs and keep them from being lost and at the same time reorganize to create and take on the new cost cutting benefits and pensions plan program that they've wanted to create, with an eye toward remaining fluid, as in "not locked in" so as to be ready to make any further necessary shifts once the whole HealthCare thing is settled into what it's going to be. And all of this being done under Court Supervision by the Bankruptcy Court. Then and separately, eBay needs to be looked at and it's Paypal Financial Whatever that it owns because it has been for years forcing buyers to pay using Paypal and then taking a percentage charge from the merchant on the total of the transaction, including USPS shipping charges in the total transaction, whereby actually taking a percentage of the USPS shipping charge, itself, i.e. Purchase of $15, then $5 for shipping, ebay takes a percentage of the $20 that is paid to Paypal instead of a percentage of the just the $15. It's been done for years. eBay and Paypal owe the USPS mega mega monies; maybe they should also go after that in the Bankruptcy Court, too. or the DOJ? Mail Fraud?

Bill C-645784

Of all the obsurdities.........that has to be one of the most laughable lines the right has ever come up with.

REALLY?

How does this sound?

Telecom executive Donald H. Gips raised a big bundle of cash to help finance his friend Barack Obama’s run for the presidency.

Gips, a vice president of Colorado-based Level 3 Communications LLC, delivered more than $500,000 in contributions for the Obama war chest, while two fellow senior company executives collected at least $150,000 more.

After the election, Gips was put in charge of hiring in the Obama White House, helping to place loyalists and fundraisers in many key positions. Then in mid-2009, the new president named him ambassador to South Africa. Level 3 Communications, in which Gips retained stock, meanwhile received millions of dollars of government stimulus contracts for broadband projects in six states—though Gips said he was "completely unaware" of the stimulus money.

More than two years after President Obama took office vowing to banish “special interests” from his administration, nearly 200 of his biggest donors have landed plum government jobs and advisory posts, won federal contracts worth millions of dollars for their business interests or attended numerous elite White House meetings and social events, an investigation by iWatch News has found.

These “bundlers” raised at least $50,000 and sometimes more than $500,000 in campaign donations for Obama’s campaign. Many of those in the “Class of 2008” are now being asked to bundle contributions for Obama’s re-election, an effort that could cost $1 billion.

As a candidate, Obama spoke passionately about diminishing the clout of moneyed interests and making the White House more accessible to everyday Americans. In kicking off his presidential run on Feb. 10, 2007, he blasted “the cynics, the lobbyists, the special interests,” who he said had “turned our government into a game only they can afford to play.”

“They write the checks and you get stuck with the bill, they get the access while you get to write a letter, they think they own this government, but we’re here today to take it back,” he said.

But just like other presidential aspirants, Obama relied heavily on mega-donors to propel his campaign across the finish line and many fundraisers have shared in the spoils of victory. Some took jobs in pivotal federal agencies such as the Department of Justice, Department of Energy and the Federal Communications Commission, while others have served on influential advisory commissions and boards that meet periodically to help formulate policy. Two dozen have been appointed ambassadors to foreign countries.

The White House said its appointees were highly qualified. “In filling these posts, the administration looks for the most qualified candidates who represent Americans from all walks of life,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said. “Being a donor does not get you a job in this administration, nor does it preclude you from getting one.”

The iWatch News investigation found:

• Overall, 184 of 556, or about one-third, of Obama bundlers or their spouses joined the administration in some role. But the percentages are much higher for the big-dollar bundlers. Nearly 80 percent of those who collected more than $500,000 for Obama took “key administration posts,” as defined by the White House. More than half the ambassador nominees who were bundlers raised more than half a million.

• The big bundlers had broad access to the White House for meetings with top administration officials and glitzy social events. In all, campaign bundlers and their family members account for more than 3,000 White House meetings and visits. Half of them raised $200,000 or more.

• Some Obama bundlers have ties to companies that stand to gain financially from the president’s policy agenda, particularly in clean energy and telecommunications, and some already have done so. Level 3 Communications, for instance, snared $13.8 million in stimulus money. At least 18 other bundlers have ties to businesses poised to profit from government spending to promote clean energy, telecommunications and other key administration priorities.

Some bundlers trade on their campaign largesse for Obama to further career aspirations or business plans. Others, already successful, simply enjoy the exclusive stature bestowed by ties to the White House. Lena L. Kennedy, for instance, papers her Southern California consulting website [6] with photographs of herself with Obama. She put out a press release announcing a June 13 fundraiser featuring Michelle Obama in Los Angeles; ticket prices ran from $1,000 to $10,000, the latter “allowing a photo opportunity and private time with the First Lady.” She declined to comment for this article.

“Some people just crave attention and some people just like getting the notoriety or attention of being a big player,” said Thomas M. McInerney [7], a San Francisco lawyer who bundled at least $100,000 for Obama. He said he didn’t ask for or get anything in return, though he knew others who did. “There was so much money this time, and there were so many people involved in raising the money, the number of people looking for something was exponentially more.”

Want more? I have over 4 more pages.

Also, do you know WHO the Barrack Hussein administration granted a no-bid contract for $568 Million dollars to? You better sit down.

KBR (aka Halliburton)

Didn't Barrack Hussein promise NOT to grant anymore no-bid contracts? Yeah, I think he did.

Hypocrite!

I never said democrats don't take campaign contributions. Of course both parties have to do that to get elected. But you have to admit that republicans are far more notorius, and rightfully so, for favoring big business and the super rich. I pay a higher percentage of my income to the IRS that Warren Buffet does.

Why won't they agree to stop subsidizing big oil, when Exxon is the 2nd most profitable company in the world? BP is 4th, and a Russian oil company is 1st, btw.

And I have plenty more examples of THIS.

I"ll see you there Roy. Your Spanish is a little better than mine, but I'll catch up. We can try the local beers and solve the worlds problems while watching the young people frolic on the beach.

Again, thank you Chuck. I did not even realize that my post had been collapsed. I agree with some of your subsequent statements also. A politically divided government might be the way to go, though it does not seem to be working now. I think politicians are more concerned with re-election than governing. Also, thanks for your support in the other thread. Even though I do not follow a religious organization, it is obvious about the New Testament. I also posted some possible fixes to the Constitution on another post that might help our governing principles today. Again, thanks. we need rational debate and not childish name calling.

Bill C-

But you have to admit that republicans are far more notorius, and rightfully so, for favoring big business and the super rich.

Only in the mind of the Democrats. You seem to have fallen for their marketing ploy. You are not unique. Democrats believe that the Republicans are the party "of and for the rich" while the Democratic Party is the party "of and for the people". Democratic strategists constantly trumpet that the Republicans care only for the rich. They take any proposal, soundbyte, speech, blog, etc. and spin it in a way that makes Republicans seem to only care for the rich. They then pass this message to the masses. I will give credit where credit is due however; it has been very effective.

But, if you take the time to do some research, you will find that Democrats also pander to big business, Wall St., and rich special interests. In fact, most Wall St. affiliated donations in the 2008 presidential campaign went to Mr. Obama. Donations from executives in these companies went to Mr. Obama's 2008 campaign: Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, JP Morgan & Chase Co., IBM, Time Warner Cable, GE. Those sound like big businesses to me. And that isn't even including public unions who use taxpayer money for politial donations.

Let's talk about GE for a minute. Most liberals complain that GE pays no taxes. Do they know why this is? Well, according to ARRA (Stimulus Bill), any company that is associated with the production of green energy can apply for tax breaks and/or direct subsidies. GE is a huge manufacturer/installer/producer of wind turbines. Do you think they applied for the tax breaks entitled to them under ARRA? Also, their CEO is Mr. Obama's chairman of the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. In addition, GE is the parent company of this website and MSNBC. Have you ever read First Read? Pretty biased in favour Mr. Obama and the Democrats. Is this a coincidence? You decide.

markmich -

Great post. You illustrate as I try to do that the Democrats are far from innocent when it comes to pandering for money from rich special interests, Wall St., and big businesses. Hopefully it will help to drain the swamp.

Jemma77 - I would venture to say that you are some union official living off the back of the membership - sure don't seem to have any business sense that a company would be willing to pay you big bucks for!

As opposed to corporations living off the backs of $10. an hour employees Beaumontvegasbill ? The crumbs of which you are living off of? I hear the corporations are now moving from China because the Chinese want better pay. If we're lucky they'll run out of places to pollute and pay slave labor prices.

Here's the latest back stabbing Obama has given us:

Dear MoveOn member,

I have some tremendously upsetting news: Late Friday, President Obama overruled EPA science and blocked crucial new protections against smog pollution that have been years in the making.¹

The decision came after a major campaign by corporate polluters and Republicans to kill the rules.² The result, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is likely to be tens of thousands of premature deaths, as well as increased illness among seniors, kids with asthma, and people who have lung problems.³

Worse, in announcing his decision, President Obama repeated discredited tea party talking points about environmental rules costing jobs. The reality is that these standards were the best thing for the economy and the environment. And clean air protections are the perfect issue to remind Americans that enforcing rules to protect citizens' health and safety is one of the most important roles for our government.

With congressional Republicans planning a series of votes starting this week to block other health and environmental standards, we need to set the record straight, right away.

President Obama tried to bury this news by announcing it hours before Labor Day weekend.

What's more, Nobel-Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman pointed out that this anti-smog rule would actually create clean energy jobs: "It would have forced firms to spend on upgrading or replacing equipment, helping to boost demand. Yes, it would have cost money—but that's the point!"⁵

Pyrrhic Victory: The reason democrats believe Republicans are the party "of and for the rich" is because republicans ARE the party of the rich.

I don't care about donations - as I said before both parties have to accept donations for the campaigns. What I care about is their actions once they are in office, and the republicans clearly look out for the rich. And for you to try to say they don't is BEYOND RIDICULOUS!!

Who just held the entire country hostage on the debt ceiling until Obama would agree not to raise taxes on the rich?

Who demanded that cutting the deficit come from cuts to medicare, social security, and medicaid, with no tax increases on the rich, thereby placing the burden entirely on .... guess who? I don't think billionaires depend on social security!

Who would not let any legislation get through, even for nuclear treaties, until Obama finally gave in and renewed the Bush tax cuts for the rich for 2 more years?

Who won't cut the subsidies to the oil companies?

As for the tax credits to GE - I have no problem whatsoever with tax credits for using green technology - that's making us less dependent on foreign oil, it reduces pollution, and it will pay for itself!

Marcmich: But, if you take the time to do some research, you will find that Democrats also pander to big business, Wall St., and rich special interests. In fact, most Wall St. affiliated donations in the 2008 presidential campaign went to Mr. Obama. Donations from executives in these companies went to Mr. Obama's 2008 campaign: Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, JP Morgan & Chase Co., IBM, Time Warner Cable, GE. Those sound like big businesses to me. And that isn't even including public unions who use taxpayer money for politial donations.

So?

Worst thing for Obama would be if Palin declared her candidacy - WAIT and hear my argument before deciding. Palin is not electable and won't even get the Republican nomination, but she would hurt the President. The media will fall all over Palin as soon as she declares - my bet is that they will focus almost exclusively on her because she gets ratings whether you love her or hate her. She's a lighting rod for the media and they publish what she says even while attacking her. The other candidates will almost be forgotten by the media. Palin will attack the President in plain language, publicly and often - and while the media is bashing her - the public will take some of her populist ideas on board. While the media is focused on Palin, the other Republican candidates can build their campaigns with little coverage and the party can decide on the best to run. Mean while, both the President and Palin take a bashing in the media and a fresh candidate comes up to run and takes over where Palin has left off. Thoughts?

I still think Obama is going to win. Perry is an idiot and he will get exposed. It's one thing to run a gubernatorial race, but being under the scrutiny of a Presidential Election? Perry has so many terrible statistics during his reign in Texas. (First in illiteracy rates in the nation, for example. So many to choose from!)

Bachman is just in to stab at Obama over and over. The GOP is letting her take that role. It's supposedly to help soften Obama up for either Perry or Romney.

Romney, Romney, Romney - He's out of touch with the majority of America. Simple as that.

No one will take Palin seriously after bailing on the governorship of Alaska. No way. This woman is in it for herself and no one else.

If anyone here can identify how any of these GOP contenders can ACTUALLY HELP THE ECONOMY, let's hear it. And the whole argument of lessen tax burdens on the rich is an argument found to be completely idiotic and insane because of things called HISTORY and STATISTICS. Trickle down economics does not work for the betterment of all. It's an illusion of compassionate capitalism that withers into dust and ashes, designed only to lure the middle and lower class that it is good for them.

If any of these corporations think the US tax code is SO UNFAIR, let them go to another country and see how well they do there. But, wait, we don't see that happening, do we? I wonder why? HMMMMMMMMMMM.

If any of these corporations think the US tax code is SO UNFAIR, let them go to another country and see how well they do there. But, wait, we don't see that happening, do we? I wonder why? HMMMMMMMMMMM.

Have you bought a Hershey's bar lately? Or a Maytag appliance? Both companies moved to Mexico due to labor and tax costs.

When you have the highest corporate taxes in the world, it is not hard to see why any company would move.

Steve Wynn, moved his operations to Macau to take advantage of lower taxes.

Steve Wynn, moved his operations to Macau to take advantage of lower taxes.

No, Steve Wynn moved his operations to Macau because Macau has replaced Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world; and not because of lower taxes. Many countries have lower taxes than Macau; why didn't he moved to those countries?

If any of these corporations think the US tax code is SO UNFAIR, let them go to another country and see how well they do there. But, wait, we don't see that happening, do we? I wonder why?

I'm not sure your statement is correct. There does appear to be an exodus of both American companies and American citizens who have chosen to leave lately. It is difficult to say for certain because the government does not even attempt to count people who leave (and doesn't do a very good job of counting the people who come either), but Googling "American emigrating" produces a lot of stories.

TomTom, you are arguing why Steve Wynn left and I think you are correct, but you are really proving the previous post - corporations are leaving America and that is hurting the rest of us.

Whoever is the incumbent in tough times is not going to put up good poll numbers. I agree with kflann; unless another candidate steps forward with better ideas, they're going to be also rans in the end. The current GOP crop cannot distinguish themselves from Congressional policies or inaction; and they have completely embraced the philosophy and tactics of the Tea Party. These things will not generate many independent votes or cause Democrats to cross party lines. It's likely to come down to voter turnout by region.

Regarding Dave's thoughts about Palin: that's an interesting premise that is plausible (to me ... and I'm certainly no expert) except Palin has focused on furthering her own brand / celebrity and 0 issue development since 2008. An insignificant base takes her seriously to begin with and that's not something you turn around instantly - that would take a lot of work .. not exactly her strong suite. Her comments will continue to carry less weight every month on the way to the election and I don't believe she can stop being the center of attention long enough to help the GOP. I agree she'll always be good for a quote.

Obama's biggest problem is that he has not stood firm in his campaign promises to the American people.

He has given the GOP/Tea Party extension of the Bush tax cuts for the super wealthy, cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, WIC and other social safety nets, and now the oil pipeline.

Obama has had achievements such as his healthcare inititive, Bin Laden, improvements in the nation's transportation system and educational tax credits for financially struggling families.

Obama's poll numbers would climb if he would stand firm on his 2008 progressive campaign ideas - and FORGET the Tea Party.

I don't believe it is corporate INCOME taxes (the reason why a Hersheys or Maytag Appliances move productions overseas) but because of labor costs. If Americans are willing to work for half of what it costs to live here--so that both parents essentially must hold down two jobs--then these companies would be more than happy to keep their productions in the Good Ole U. S. of A.

I believe it is the unfair trading practices we have gotten ourselves into over the past few decades or more that have screwed us over royally. Corporations have taken advantage of that--as have other countries. They have also demonized labor unions, who helped build this nation and set the standard(s) for great workplace safety regulations, decent work hours with time off for the chance of a life with your family or just to HAVE a life, a living salary, etc. Times change and everything needs to be updated--including the role of some union tactics, as well as corporate ones. But, I believe that the American worker was thrown under t he bus--deliberately or not--some years back. We are not working with a fair playing field and everyone knows it.

Truthfully, it is high time our elected politicians started addressing this issue in ways that will bring worker representatives, corporate heads, small business representatives, state representatives, environmentalists, etc., all to the table to discuss how to bring back a more level playing field with, say a year. The feds and corporations are the ones who have to give in the most--because they are the ones who allowed this to happen over the years. Again, this has nothing to do with corporate income taxes (as many already pay ZERO or receive REFUNDS yet are making huge profits) but labor costs due to trade imbalances caused by trade agreements we've signed over the years that cost us dearly.

Most comment on this thread are typical, but TomTom is a standout, for what is wrong if he thinks anything he said is true let alone significant:

I agree. He is the best man in America to bridge the gap between whites and minorities; he is part white and part minority.

Funny, I recall, the divide has grown deeper lately, primarily due to our President and his actions. Oh, and you do realize, whites in America are rapidly becoming a minority?

He is the best man in America to deal with the growing Muslim turmoil in the Middle-East; he grew up in a Muslim environment.

Please state anything he has done to deal with the growing Muslim turmoil in the Middle-East. (And no, you can't use the apology tour as a reason.)

And he is also the best man in America to deal with Asia's economic threat; he grew up in Asia (Indonesia) and understands its culture. His opponents don't even come close

Please state anything he has done to deal with Asa's economic threat. I seriously doubt being a young child in Indonesia gave him any experience in dealing with our economic imbalance with Asia.

This President has done little to nothing that has helped any of these points. What has he done to improve the economy here at home...(chirping crickets.....) How about a little work here?

The divide between races has been also because of Obama's IN-actions. He does nothing to stop the rhetoric. And to me that is a passive fueling of therhetoric.

Even as we speak, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (DNC chairperson) will NOT refute the language that Mr. Hoffa used ("take the SOB's "OUT", referring to the Tea Party.) She just laughed and went back to her liberal talking points about the American people not being interested in that. Blah, Blah Blah. They must all go to bed wearing helmuts playing the liberal mantra for the day.

Tom Tom may actually believe what he says......but an intelligent person actually takes all bit of information, investigates that information, and draws his truths from that investigation. Many people just don't know how to connect the dots.

it seems strange that a President like Bush can take 8 years to drive this country in a ditch,. and expect our current President to fix it with a wave of a magic wand...

Willowbrook, when white racist cops arrested a Black Harvard professor for trying to enter his own home; something that could have escalated into something very nasty, Obama bridged the gap with a beer summit; and it ended right there and then.

When America was seen as agreat Satan in the Middle-East, Obama went to Egypt and delivered one of the all-time great speeches by any President. And things have gotten a little better since.

Today, because of Obama policies, more Chinese are buying GM cars than Japanese cars. I can go on and on and on; but it doesn't matter because you are a die-hard Obama hater.

The Black Harvard Professor acted inappropriately and the cop acted appropriately, end of story.

America is still seen as the great Satan in the Middle East, the apology tour did not end that. Overall, nothing has changed.

The Chinese are buying GM cars as GM has gone over there and started building them, and for some Chinese, buying things from foreign countries holds some fascination with them, as it does withfolks in many other countries. This is not significant, but has probably helped GM's bottom line in the US.

I don't hate Obama, or anyone else. It is time for all of America, not just the "aware" Americans, to wake up and see what hasn't been done and move on to someone else. Four more years of Obama is not going to help the country as a whole.

I didn't vote for Obama as he did not possess the work background that would make him a good President. My assessment has been, unfortunately proven correct. His lack of useful experience, coupled with his lack of a true understanding of "Americana" has hurt this country far more than anyone previous. Let alone, having a set of handlers who want to take this country down a road with policy that is causing other countries to go bankrupt. Why repeat someone elses' mistake?

Tom Y, what are you about 12 years old. What we don't expect is a double down slide in 3 years. It is only going to get worst with this president. His rhetoric is to blame everyone else and to tell everyone if we take money from one group and give it to another everyone will be prosperous. All these things are divisive, show lack of leadership. and are false.

Tom tom It was the Harvard professorthat was racist. Obama spoke ignorantly and divisively. The other things you say are just too silly to comment on.

President Down Grade leading the Democrat party down the path of oblivion. Perfect

Obama is a failed president due to his greed, lack of ability, and ignorance.

Tom Y...who are yo quoting who expects things to be saved with a "wave of the wand". What we should be able to expect is a solid plan to get us out of this mess. Not an instant fix, you have to be an idiot to believe in that. But something that shows he understands what is happening and that he has a grasp on the situation. He has neither. And please explain why more money has been THROWN AWAY in his years than the previous administration. He has thrown good money after bad with his refusal to stop and think about the ramifications. And he shows no sign of wanting to change that....just go on and on about blaming everyone else but him and his cronies. He does exactly what he accuses everyone else of. And no, no other administration is responsible for where we are RIGHT NOW with the economy and the fact that last month saw not a single job gain. That is on his shoulders and his alone. He was famous for stating, when still sitting in Chicago, that the buck stops with the current administration. Funny how now he just likes to look back. Are you seriously OK with that?

MSNBC throw you a bone...and you are gnawing it like what you are...enough said

Tom Tom: when white racist cops arrested a Black Harvard professor for trying to enter his own home; something that could have escalated into something very nasty, Obama bridged the gap with a beer summit; and it ended right there and then.

You are kidding right? A neighbor called the police because they saw someone trying to break into a neighbor's house (the professor's house). When the police arrived, he (the professor) was trying to break in because he couldn't find his key, and he was drunk. They asked for identification, and he went off on them, cursing, insulting and striking one of the officers. They tried to calm him down, but he was out of control, so they arrested him.

Obama, without even seeing one detail, condemned the officers. Basically called them racist for arresting him, without knowing one detail of the incident. Obama CAUSED the incident to become front page news.

Now if someone is reportedly trying to break into your house, the officers catch them in the act, wouldn't you want the officers to arrest the thief? How would they know he was the actual owner of the house if he didn't identify himself?

Obama caused a great divide between white's and black's , and showed his true beliefs by automatically taking the side against the cops, who were totally right.

Another reason why Obama is the worst President ever.

stopthespending: Oh Please! like if the people of this country needed an excuse for being racist. The one thing that you can not blame the President, because he is black..., but you found a way around. The great divide between whites and blacks has always been there....don't play coy about it.

Last time I checked Wall Street Journal was owned by Rupert Murdoch.That's hardly a liberal media outlet. They have little or no credibility. They probably did the poll using workers in the Fox News office. Don't believe a word of it. I'm starting to have my doubts about NBC. You folks who are crowing, let's wait and see if you are still crowing in 2012.

And voting in a Republican for POTUS in 2012 will solve the problem...Yea sure!!!

Get your heads out of the sand and other places...The Repubs have orchestrated the problems we see now in our economy and basic world class downward spiral for the last 30+ years...

Next thing you know the Repubs will run Jeb Bush in 2012 to continue all the great things the other Bushes did to screw the American middle-class and help the ultra rich...Don't blame any of the Bush family when it is easier to blame Obama (and his long 3 year tenure as POTUS) for not correcting all the harm they did...What a laugh?..Can you envision how the Repubs would rally around Jeb Bush blaming Obama for the mess he got us into in just 4 years?..

Show the FAR RIGHT REPUBLICAN PARTY OF "NO" what the American middle-class and poor think of their agenda...Vote Democrat in 2012...Revive union representation and help the working class Americans...Get our teachers, police, firemen back to work and demand a fair wage for all working class Americans...

Obama may not be as popular as before, but he sure is way ahead of any Republican Party member...We THE AMERICAN PUBLIC will not be fooled in 2012 by the Republican Party...Obama will be elected by a large margin over any FAR RIGHT REPUBLICAN PARTY OF "NO" candidate...

Respond: Oh Please! like if the people of this country needed an excuse for being racist. The one thing that you can not blame the President, because he is black..., but you found a way around. The great divide between whites and blacks has always been there....don't play coy about it.

Was not being coy Respond. Tom Tom made the comment that Obama "saved" the situation by his "beer summit". My point was that he CREATED the issue by assuming the police were being racist. Never would have made the front page without his public comment. Obama was wrong to speak before having all the facts. He is known to do that quite often.

Obama, without even seeing one detail, condemned the officers

stopthespending, without even seeing one detail, condemned the professor.

Tom Tom:

You can give all the childish responses you want. Obama knew he made a mistake, which is why he did his "beer summit", to apologize to the police officers. Some of the officers were black by the way. I am sure you will have a coy response to that.

At least Obama knew he did wrong. Have to give him credit for that.

leslie:

The divide between races has been also because of Obama's IN-actions. He does nothing to stop the rhetoric. And to me that is a passive fueling of therhetoric.

Even as we speak, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (DNC chairperson) will NOT refute the language that Mr. Hoffa used ("take the SOB's "OUT", referring to the Tea Party.) She just laughed and went back to her liberal talking points about the American people not being interested in that. Blah, Blah Blah. They must all go to bed wearing helmuts playing the liberal mantra for the day

Hoffa is not part of the Obama administration. How do you expect him to control what citizens say? If you think he's responsible for that, then I guess Mitch McConnell is responsible for Neil Boortz saying people need to get handguns, learn how to use them, and then he wants to see dead thugs on the landscape of Atlanta (while talking about the black population). And I guess John Baehner is responsible for the Tea Party people holding up racial signs at rallies and wearing KKK clothing...

You have Hopes for Democrats and your a Independent to Death?

excalibur,

"Independent" doesn't mean that blubal is objective. It just means he hasn't officially declared himself a republican.

All time lows? Only as of "today", but tmorrow will be worse for him.

Obama is simply a "modern day HUMPTY DUMPTY" who has fallen down due to his obsession with his radical, moronic, Marxist, Redistribution of Wealth, Bill Ayer's, Fran Marshall, Cloward & Piven Strategy, Anti-capitalist ignorance.

All the Marxist's men and all the Marxist' horses can never put HUMPTY OBAMA together again.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that of the nation's voters:

ONLY 20% Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president.

While 43% Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -23

Obama's so-called "approval numbers have been sinking like a ROCK since the summer of 2009.

Anyone who believes Obama "has any chance of re-election" is truly DELUSIONAL.

This idiot has even managed to irritate millions and millions of his "former supporters" who keep running from him like "rats from a burning building". It is irrelevant whether or not those "remaining and rapidly dwindling supporters" like the guy or not... his re-election is not only NOT going to happen, MANY are now questioning "If hell even run at all?"

Jesus Christ could not win an election with Obama's numbers.

Meaning it was a democratic poll! What part of independent is so hard to understand?

Independent just means that you're not a registered republican or a democrat. But it doesn't mean that you're objective.

I didn't undersatnd your post at all, to be honest.

Jesus Christ could not win an election with Obama's numbers.

Speedy,

Jesus would be unelectable in today's America. He was far too liberal.

That being said, the elction isn't today. Reagan, with similar numbers and 10.2% unemployment in his 3rd year, was able to get re-elected. It'll depend largely on what happens in the upcoming year.

By the way, your second paragraph with all of its anti capitalist / Marxist rhetoric is hilarious. You couldn't have been more over the top, more cartoonish, if you tried.

This month we will have 3 wonderful fun filled evenings of Republican debates.

I suspect that by the time it is over, Obama will be well up in the polls.

I've got my popcorn stocked up, and the beer chilled. This is going to be fun. I wonder if ANY of them will actually answer the question they are asked?

This actually is to an above collapsed comment.

The divide between races has been also because of Obama's IN-actions. He does nothing to stop the rhetoric. And to me that is a passive fueling of therhetoric.

Even as we speak, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (DNC chairperson) will NOT refute the language that Mr. Hoffa used ("take the SOB's "OUT", referring to the Tea Party.) She just laughed and went back to her liberal talking points about the American people not being interested in that. Blah, Blah Blah. They must all go to bed wearing helmuts playing the liberal mantra for the day...nor do they don't listen to their messiah, who stated ,"Now children, no more bad rhetoric, tee hee hee".

Tom Tom may actually believe what he says......but an intelligent person actually takes all bit of information, investigates that information, and draws his truths from that investigation. Many people just don't know how to connect the dots.

Jesus is more like a conservative Republican, definitely on the far right. To describe Jesus as a liberal could not be further from the truth.

Jemma, you are completely clueless. You have NO idea what the Tea Party is about, so please stop bolding your posts like they say something important, and not just the same dribble all you scared liberals are touting because you are so afraid all your freebies will go away.

Jesus is more like a conservative Republican, definitely on the far right. To describe Jesus as a liberal could not be further from the truth.

Really? "Give up all your wealth and devote everything to the poor" does not sound very far right Republican.

Jesus was definitely a liberal.

You are hopeless if you are counting on the Democrats. We DO NOT have a democracy as of now, due to Obama and his supporters. He is nothing more than an illegal, terrorist, Muslim, traitor and Soros puppet. Anyone that votes for this impostor is a traitor to America. This Obama has done enough damage. All we can do is vote for the best of the worst, because ALL politicians are liars and traitors to the American people.

Jesus could get elected because he cant produce a US birth Certificate! :)

btone...you feel good about slandering a dead man behind a "safe" anonymous posting? Big man. And please provide us with anything that would substantiate your claim.

"Some" have stated that Reagan's "unemployment rate" was similar to what "the 6.25% Black, 43.75% Semitic Arab MARXIST" is experiencing today?

Well, the bad news for "the 6.25% Black, 43.75% Semitic Arab MARXIST" is that, at this point in Reagan's presidency, America was still suffering from Jimmy Carter's Misery Index with the recession and unemployment still surging. It ended up topping out at 10.8% in December '82, at the end of Reagan's 2nd year, not at the end of his 3rd year where the MARXIST is NOW. By Election Day 1984, Reagan's unemployment rate stood at 7.4%, about what it had been on Election Day 1980.

Because there was such a marked drop from its 1982 peak, American voters rewarded President Reagan with a 49-state landslide.

I'll repeat, Anyone who believes Obama "has any chance of re-election" is truly DELUSIONAL... and that is sad (for them) :-)

In addition to all of Obama's detractors, one of the most alarming things for him is how many "former supporters are openly criticizing him and actually "discussing if Hillary may run?"

Just to add insult to injury, the fact is a "rapidly growing chorus of DEMOCRATS" are now questioning "If this low-life, Marxist-minded, so called 'community organizer in chief' will even run at all?"

January 20th 2013 = New American Independence Day

On that day, when a new President is sworn in to office, the Obama entourage quietly slinks out of Washington DC. In the background, millions and millions of proud, patriotic and joyous Americans will chant and sing those famous words from Dr. King:

Free at last... Free at last :-)

Thank GOD ALMIGHTY, America is Free from that low-life Marxist bum at last :-)

Immediately followed by, "Oh Happy Day :-)"

All the people that are actually working in the day tine instead of posting garbage here don't agree with the lazy republicans that took all morning in bashing the President!!!!!!!

And voting in a Republican for POTUS in 2012 will solve the problem...Yea sure!!!

Get your heads out of the sand and other places...The Repubs have orchestrated the problems we see now in our economy and basic world class downward spiral for the last 30+ years...

Next thing you know the Repubs will run Jeb Bush in 2012 to continue all the great things the other Bushes did to screw the American middle-class and help the ultra rich...Don't blame any of the Bush family when it is easier to blame Obama (and his long 3 year tenure as POTUS) for not correcting all the harm they did...What a laugh?..Can you envision how the Repubs would rally around Jeb Bush blaming Obama for the mess he got us into in just 4 years?..

Show the FAR RIGHT REPUBLICAN PARTY OF "NO" what the American middle-class and poor think of their agenda...Vote Democrat in 2012...Revive union representation and help the working class Americans...Get our teachers, police, firemen back to work and demand a fair wage for all working class Americans...

Obama may not be as popular as before, but he sure is way ahead of any Republican Party member...We THE AMERICAN PUBLIC will not be fooled in 2012 by the Republican Party...Obama will be elected by a large margin over any FAR RIGHT REPUBLICAN PARTY OF "NO" candidate...

I will be voting for President Obama! I do not trust the republicans or conservatives because they fathered our current jobs situation! If some are foolish enough to believe the the party that protect the rich and ignore the working class,then enjoy! Go Obama and try slapping a conservative every once in a while because they slap you all the time!

believe it was Ghandi that said:

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

For those who can't think for themselves. The poll was a democratic poll, meaning they don't believe in Obama so much anymore. Which gives me hope they wont put his worthless ass back in office. I'm not sure who is a better to do the job, but I sure wont vote for Obama! Is this clear enoughfor you brainiacs out there?

The poll shows a serious lack of leadership on all of our professional politicians. And with the super PAC money flooding in, it doesn't look good for the future of leadership. I fear we're seeing the start of America as a 3rd world nation.