The 2012 Three Ring Circus AKA The US Presidential Election

[The Emerald Dawn]

If we're not allowed to call him "Mittens" or "Mitthead" or even "Willard" I think that perhaps inferring that his cock is the size of a down-quark is probably right out.

Well I wasn't actually doing that, per se. I was riffing on Mrs Romney's claims that her husband makes her laugh, and yet when pressed, she's not got one single anecdote that comes to mind. And the one incident she writes off as 'joking'... is him saying he doesn't know why plane windows don't open.

If he makes her laugh, but he's completely unfunny... what is he doing that makes her laugh? See?

Oh, ok. I'd just hate to see someone getting in trouble for noting the fact that his penis requires two Hubbles and a physicist to speculate the existence of.

[Not Safe For Work]

Well I wasn't actually doing that, per se. I was riffing on Mrs Romney's claims that her husband makes her laugh, and yet when pressed, she's not got one single anecdote that comes to mind. And the one incident she writes off as 'joking'... is him saying he doesn't know why plane windows don't open.

If he makes her laugh, but he's completely unfunny... what is he doing that makes her laugh? See?

Oh, ok. I'd just hate to see someone getting in trouble for noting the fact that his penis requires two Hubbles and a physicist to speculate the existence of.

Nah, if I was actually make political jokes about Mr Romney's intimate regions, I wouldn't actually target his penis. I'd use his complete lack of consistent positions to suggest that it was his testicles that are missing, presumed gone.

[The Emerald Dawn]

Oh, ok. I'd just hate to see someone getting in trouble for noting the fact that his penis requires two Hubbles and a physicist to speculate the existence of.

Nah, if I was actually make political jokes about Mr Romney's intimate regions, I wouldn't actually target his penis. I'd use his complete lack of consistent positions to suggest that it was his testicles that are missing, presumed gone.

I believe we can confirm his prostate though, I'm given to understand that he's got a good view of it currently.

[United Dependencies]

Jesus Christ NSFW, that flag is freaking me out.

[The Emerald Dawn]

Jesus Christ NSFW, that flag is freaking me out.

Hence it is an accurate, and useful, "War Face".

[United Dependencies]

Jesus Christ NSFW, that flag is freaking me out.

Hence it is an accurate, and useful, "War Face".

...

I guess it does scare me.

[The Emerald Dawn]

Hence it is an accurate, and useful, "War Face".

...

I guess it does scare me.

Now imagine me and my entire squad rushing at you with that on our face. Would you want to face that?

Just so you know, vote Obama.

[United Dependencies]

Now imagine me and my entire squad rushing at you with that on our face. Would you want to face that?

Just so you know, vote Obama.

Well, I was already committed to voting straight ticket democract, but now I'm extra committed.

[The Emerald Dawn]

Now imagine me and my entire squad rushing at you with that on our face. Would you want to face that?

Just so you know, vote Obama.

Well, I was already committed to voting straight ticket democract, but now I'm extra committed.

NSFW's work is done then, I believe.

[Ashmoria]

Romney doesn't understand economics as well as he thinks he does. I just looked at what he says is his tax plan, and it is scary.

He says that closing "loopholes" without adding new taxes on the middle class or the rich while cutting spending will balance everything.

So...this is your "plan", guv? You're going to...do nothing?

No, he's going to lower taxes 20% - I believe that's the amount - and close loopholes. That should occupy most of his first term. That should automatically lower the deficit because reducing the amount you take in as revenue always reduces the amount you're short on your bills.

its all going to be revenue neutral

by class

so that your tax rate will go down but so will your deductions so you will end up paying the same amount.

so vote for mitt for....better accounting?

[Alien Space Bats]

Can you say that if companies that are operating for profit are suddenly asked to cut into their profit to pay for pollution, they won't in turn increase billing to maintain profit margin?

<dons economists cap>

They can't.

Simply put, business always charge what the market can bear. If I can raise prices to recapture profits Uncle Sam has just taxed away from me, then being a greedy capitalist bastard, what in the world prevented me from raising prices before Uncle Sam grabbed my loot, and just pocketing the difference?

Once you realize that businesses will always charge the revenue maximizing price for their goods because doing so will always maximize profits, it's easy to see why 99% of the common arguments given about the effects of wage and/or commodity and/or component price increases and/or taxation on consumer prices are basically bullshit. Nobody raises their prices because their workers just won a pay increase; nobody raises their prices because the cost of oil or glass or steel or plastic just went up; and nobody raises their prices because taxes on profits just went up. Why? Because if the market could bear said price increase, the businesses in question would already have raised their prices to begin with and pocketed the difference.

Now, in the long term, these things can have an effect on prices; but that's only because returns to investment determine where investment money goes. If labor and/or commodity and/or component prices go up, or taxes go up, that doesn't drive prices up; it cuts straight into profits. As a result, it affects each firm's decision to remain in business, expand, or shut down; it does this based on such factors as the net return to capital investment remaining after taxes are paid.

Consequently, prices only increase as a result of such factors if they cause business expansion to fall behind demand (or, in extreme cases, if they cause businesses to close their doors, resulting in supply contraction. Thus tax or cost increases that are modest and non-discriminatory generally have only a minimal effect on prices (indeed, in some cases, they can end up having no real effect at all).

[Wikkiwallana]

No, he's going to lower taxes 20% - I believe that's the amount - and close loopholes. That should occupy most of his first term. That should automatically lower the deficit because reducing the amount you take in as revenue always reduces the amount you're short on your bills.

its all going to be revenue neutral

by class

so that your tax rate will go down but so will your deductions so you will end up paying the same amount.

so vote for mitt for....better accounting?

At least this lie is more transparent than the "tax cuts pay for themselves" mantra that so many others have chanted.

Edit: typo

[The Emerald Dawn]

Can you say that if companies that are operating for profit are suddenly asked to cut into their profit to pay for pollution, they won't in turn increase billing to maintain profit margin?

<dons economists cap>

They can't.

Simply put, business always charge what the market can bear. If I can raise prices to recapture profits Uncle Sam has just taxed away from me, then being a greedy capitalist bastard, what in the world prevented me from raising prices before Uncle Sam grabbed my loot, and just pocketing the difference?

Once you realize that businesses will always charge the revenue maximizing price for their goods because doing so will always maximize profits, it's easy to see why 99% of the common arguments given about the effects of wage and/or commodity and/or component price increases and/or taxation on consumer prices are basically bullshit. Nobody raises their prices because their workers just won a pay increase; nobody raises their prices because the cost of oil or glass or steel or plastic just went up; and nobody raises their prices because taxes on profits just went up. Why? Because if the market could bear said price increase, the businesses in question would already have raised their prices to begin with and pocketed the difference.

Now, in the long term, these things can have an effect on prices; but that's only because returns to investment determine where investment money goes. If labor and/or commodity and/or component prices go up, or taxes go up, that doesn't drive prices up; it cuts straight into profits. As a result, it affects each firm's decision to remain in business, expand, or shut down; it does this based on such factors as the net return to capital investment remaining after taxes are paid.

Consequently, prices only increase as a result of such factors if they cause business expansion to fall behind demand (or, in extreme cases, if they cause businesses to close their doors, resulting in supply contraction. Thus tax or cost increases that are modest and non-discriminatory generally have only a minimal effect on prices (indeed, in some cases, they can end up having no real effect at all).

See? That. That right there. He answered me without snark or demeaning me, and caused me to actually learn something. I can't argue against that other than to say that I think that there is always an option to charge more, the fear of losing the PR war stays their hands from digging TOO deep.

[Alien Space Bats]

Which makes me idly wonder, since you brought up Limbaugh and all, if the above nightmare scenario does happen, what are the talking heads and pundits and blowhards going to do when there are no Democrats or leftists left in positions of power and influence to blame when things go wrong? Or are they even going to admit there's anything wrong in the first place?

"Those people who don't believe wholeheartedly in capitalism, those dissidents and malcontents who attack free enterprise by demanding higher wages and better working conditions - the Communists who oppose everything that is dear to America - they're the ones who are disrupting our society through their protests. Until leftism is banned in all forms and these agitators are in prison for life or shown the inside of a noose, America cannot prosper. To save this country we need to completely eradicate leftists and leftism NOW!!!"

[Alien Space Bats]

By contrast, Mr. Romney’s advisers have privately urged him to “rescind and replace President Obama’s executive order” and permit secret “enhanced interrogation techniques against high-value detainees that are safe, legal and effective in generating intelligence to save American lives,” according to an internal Romney campaign memorandum.

<gapes>

So... in Mitt's America, abortion won't be safe, legal, and effective, but torture will be?

[Norstal]

<gapes>

So... in Mitt's America, abortion won't be safe, legal, and effective, but torture will be?

All that means is just that it's going to be harder to get a safe, legal, and effective abortion... *nods*

[Khadgar]

<gapes>

So... in Mitt's America, abortion won't be safe, legal, and effective, but torture will be?

I have doubts about the safety of torture.

[Not Safe For Work]

Well, I was already committed to voting straight ticket democract, but now I'm extra committed.

NSFW's work is done then, I believe.

I'm like a one man 'Get Out the Vote' campaign.

*nods*

[Revolutopia]

Well, I guess the Republicans were right about there be widespread cases of Voter Registration Fraud going on in Florida that needs to be cracked down on. Interesting through it seems like the charge is aimed at firm aligned with the Florida GOP and Romney campaign must be the results of dastardly Democrats in disguise.

http://www.salon.com/2012/09/26/fla_voter_fraud_charge_has_ties_to_romney/

[Death Metal]

I don't trust that source at all, but the really alarming thing about the so-called "Voter Fraud" charges (none of which have ever actually made to trial) in Florida is that they send SWAT teams on 60-year-old black women because they may have voted by absentee twice.

ARMED SWAT TEAMS.

KICKING DOWN DOORS.

ON SENIOR CITIZENS.

If that's not obvious fear mongering (thanks to the criminal governor of Florida Rick Scott) I don't know what is.

Also note that these fraud charges are done with county officials, yet Rick Scott wants to ban third party registrars.

[Khadgar]

Well, I guess the Republicans were right about there be widespread cases of Voter Registration Fraud going on in Florida that needs to be cracked down on. Interesting through it seems like the charge is aimed at firm aligned with the Florida GOP and Romney campaign must be the results of dastardly Democrats in disguise.

http://www.salon.com/2012/09/26/fla_voter_fraud_charge_has_ties_to_romney/

Are they legally required to turn in all voter registration forms they get? Or are they generating these in house and turning them in? The latter makes no sense unless they're going to do absentee voter fraud using them.

[Revolutopia]

Well, I guess the Republicans were right about there be widespread cases of Voter Registration Fraud going on in Florida that needs to be cracked down on. Interesting through it seems like the charge is aimed at firm aligned with the Florida GOP and Romney campaign must be the results of dastardly Democrats in disguise.

http://www.salon.com/2012/09/26/fla_voter_fraud_charge_has_ties_to_romney/

Are they legally required to turn in all voter registration forms they get? Or are they generating these in house and turning them in? The latter makes no sense unless they're going to do absentee voter fraud using them.

I don't really know, I just found it funny in respects to how often Republicans cry about Acorn.

[Ashmoria]

How planes don't have windows that roll down.

Hey now, his wife already addressed that - Romney isn't incredibly ignorant, he's just got the sense of humor of a paint can.

i saw that clip.

he wasnt joking

at least as i understand joking.

he may have not meant it but he wasnt trying to be funny.

i dont know why he said it. i think it was to cover up his embarrassment at being still shook up that his wife had been in such danger.

[Death Metal]

Well, seeing as the person works for the county elections board, they probably do have to turn everything in.

[Not Safe For Work]

Hey now, his wife already addressed that - Romney isn't incredibly ignorant, he's just got the sense of humor of a paint can.

i saw that clip.

he wasnt joking

at least as i understand joking.

he may have not meant it but he wasnt trying to be funny.

i dont know why he said it. i think it was to cover up his embarrassment at being still shook up that his wife had been in such danger.

Oh, absolutely - what I saw... not a joke. He seemed absolutely in earnest, even if he came across looking kind of silly.

I have no doubts that his wife was covering for him - he was, after all, looking silly while trying to 'protect' her, in some fashion.