http://www.nationalmemo.com/did-young-mitt-romney-impersonate-a-police-officer-another-witness-says-yes/
When Mitt Romney was a college freshman, he told fellow residents of his Stanford University dormitory that he sometimes disguised himself as a police officer – a crime in many states, including Michigan and California, where he then lived. And he had the uniform on display as proof.
So recalls Robin Madden, who had also just arrived as a freshman, the startling incident began when Romney called him and two or three other residents into his room, saying, "Come up, I want to show you something." When they entered Romney's room, "and laid out on his bed was a Michigan State Trooper's uniform."
Madden, a native Texan who graduated from Stanford in 1970 and went on to become a successful television producer and writer, has never forgotten that strange moment, which he has recounted to friends over the years as he observed his former classmate's political ascent. The National Memo learned of the incident from a longtime Madden friend to whom he had mentioned it years ago.
Said Madden in a recent interview, "He told us that he had gotten the uniform from his father," George Romney, then the Governor of Michigan, whose security detail was staffed by uniformed troopers. "He told us that he was using it to pull over drivers on the road. He also had a red flashing light that he would attach to the top of his white Rambler."
In Madden's recollection, confirmed by his wife Susan, who also attended Stanford during those years, "we thought it was all pretty weird. We all thought, 'Wow, that's pretty creepy.' And after that, we didn't have much interaction with him," although both Madden and Romney were prep school boys living in the same dorm, called Rinconada.
Other eyewitnesses have previously recalled Romney's alleged use of a police or trooper uniform in pranks during his high school years at the exclusive Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Phillip Maxwell, a prep school buddy, told the New Republic in 2008 that Romney had pulled over students from a girls school next door to Cranbrook while wearing a police uniform as a prank. Other former classmates described Mitt as a "happy-go-lucky guy known less for his achievements and more for his pranks."
In The Real Romney, a biography published by Boston Globe reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman this year, another former friend recalled how Romney had "put a siren on top of his car and chased two of his friends who were driving around with their dates." The two friends were in on the scheme, but the girls were not. There was beer in the car trunk, according to a prearranged plan. Mitt told his two counterparts to get out of their vehicle and into his car. Then they drove off, leaving the girls behind.
"It was a terrible thing to do," said one of his accomplices, a Cranbrook classmate named Graham McDonald.
To some observers, Romney's alleged masquerading as a cop to intimidate innocent drivers shows a character defect that is also revealed by other bullying incidents during his youth. When those incidents were disclosed in the Washington Post earlier this year, Romney issued an apology of sorts, stating that he had done "stupid" things and was sorry if he had harmed anyone.
While he may have believed that his cop antics were harmless, Romney may well have been breaking the law merely by donning a police uniform, committing a crime if he pretended to be a cop and a felony if he did so more than once. In both California and Michigan, any person convicted of fraudulently impersonating a police officer may be sentenced to up to one year in prison. (The National Memo has collected some other examples of police impersonators.)
The Romney campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Following his sophomore year at Stanford, young Mitt left and never went back. For more than two years he served as a Mormon missionary in France — thus avoiding the obligation to wear a very different uniform in Vietnam.
"The National Memo learned of the incident from a longtime Madden friend to whom he had mentioned it years ago."
Is the National Memo like the National Enquirer for liberals?
Barak Obama snorted cocaine and was a pot head by his own account. Both substances were illegal in Hawaii.
Keep digging RM if you think it's going to take everyone's eyes off Obama's dismal job performance.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 09:03:47 AM
"The National Memo learned of the incident from a longtime Madden friend to whom he had mentioned it years ago."
Is the National Memo like the National Enquirer for liberals?
Barak Obama snorted cocaine and was a pot head by his own account. Both substances were illegal in Hawaii.
Keep digging RM if you think it's going to take everyone's eyes off Obama's dismal job performance.
I don't think he needs to. The NAACP appearance yesterday and now his Bain problem will keep the mainstream media busy for a while.
Quote from: Hoss on July 12, 2012, 09:05:18 AM
I don't think he needs to. The NAACP appearance yesterday and now his Bain problem will keep the mainstream media busy for a while.
What exactly is his Bain problem? An 80% success rate of businesses they incubated and grew? There are thousands upon thousands of Americans who would not have jobs today if it were not for Bain.
Why is Obama sending Biden to speak to the convention? I'd feel very slighted that the president couldn't find the time to come and face one of his core constituencies.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 09:08:00 AM
What exactly is his Bain problem? An 80% success rate of businesses they incubated and grew? There are thousands upon thousands of Americans who would not have jobs today if it were not for Bain.
Why is Obama sending Biden to speak to the convention? I'd feel very slighted that the president couldn't find the time to come and face one of his core constituencies.
Boston Globe. Saying he was CEO and stakeholder until 1999 when he left to run the Olympics. SEC filings showed that he was CEO until 2002.
And sending Biden instead? Really. That's pretty weak sauce for you.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 09:03:47 AM
"The National Memo learned of the incident from a longtime Madden friend to whom he had mentioned it years ago."
Is the National Memo like the National Enquirer for liberals?
Barak Obama snorted cocaine and was a pot head by his own account. Both substances were illegal in Hawaii.
Keep digging RM if you think it's going to take everyone's eyes off Obama's dismal job performance.
It would be nice to hear anyone else's account of Obama's formative years.
Quote from: Hoss on July 12, 2012, 09:09:29 AM
Boston Globe. Saying he was CEO and stakeholder until 1999 when he left to run the Olympics. SEC filings showed that he was CEO until 2002.
And sending Biden instead? Really. That's pretty weak sauce for you.
Blacks have been hardest hit by the economy and have less to show for the last 3 1/2 years of the Obama White House. Their jobless rates are through the roof and many believe traditional marriage is between a man and woman. If I were Obama, I'd go speak to them. It's a simple PR move to show he's still in touch with black Americans and hasn't become an Uncle Tom. I'd feel pretty slighted that he couldn't be bothered to attend and sent his blathering minion to crack tasteless remarks.
What difference does it make if Romney was CEO until '99 or '02? How does it affect his qualifications to be POTUS? I don't get the big deal if he ran the Olympics at the same time. I'm not catching an obvious conflict of interest, if there is, please enlighten me.
It's just like the attacks on Romney for college and prep school pranks which happened 45 years ago. At least explain how that's relevant to his leadership skills today. I'm quite certain if Romney had been the pot smoker, cocaine snorter, and drunk when he was that age, the libs would be all over it. Apparently that's no big deal that Obama was. Previous substance abuse issues were hinted at as being a reason why Bush II was an unfit leader.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 09:28:08 AM
Blacks have been hardest hit by the economy and have less to show for the last 3 1/2 years of the Obama White House. Their jobless rates are through the roof and many believe traditional marriage is between a man and woman. If I were Obama, I'd go speak to them. It's a simple PR move to show he's still in touch with black Americans and hasn't become an Uncle Tom. I'd feel pretty slighted that he couldn't be bothered to attend and sent his blathering minion to crack tasteless remarks.
What difference does it make if Romney was CEO until '99 or '02? How does it affect his qualifications to be POTUS? I don't get the big deal if he ran the Olympics at the same time. I'm not catching an obvious conflict of interest, if there is, please enlighten me.
It's just like the attacks on Romney for college and prep school pranks which happened 45 years ago. At least explain how that's relevant to his leadership skills today. I'm quite certain if Romney had been the pot smoker, cocaine snorter, and drunk when he was that age, the libs would be all over it. Apparently that's no big deal that Obama was. Previous substance abuse issues were hinted at as being a reason why Bush II was an unfit leader.
If he LIED about having part in Bain Cap on a federal disclosure form (which he does state that he left Bain in 1999) then it's a felony. I'm not saying what he did was felonious, but the media will get traction on this. All except Fox for obvious reasons.
And the 33rd attempt at repealing the ACA (why try if you know the Senate won't do it?) is probably not going to resonate well with many who are undecided. A lot of people see the perceived 'performance issues' as the stonewalling by the Republican controlled House. And the constant Republican filibustering in the Senate. Sofar about 150.
I have my issues with the current president. Bush had a rubberstamp Congress for 6 of his 8 years in office so obviously it was easy for him to get many bills through. Both parties inability to work with each other is destroying the political process.
Quote from: Hoss on July 12, 2012, 09:39:50 AM
I have my issues with the current president. Bush had a rubberstamp Congress for 6 of his 8 years in office so obviously it was easy for him to get many bills through. Both parties inability to work with each other is destroying the political process.
That's one reason I like Romney, he appears more moderate to me in important issues based on his track record as governor of Mass. He's much more a traditional Republican along the lines of Reagan, Ford, Bush I, or Nixon, not one of the Neo-Cons.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 09:44:27 AM
That's one reason I like Romney, he appears more moderate to me in important issues based on his track record as governor of Mass. He's much more a traditional Republican along the lines of Reagan, Ford, Bush I, or Nixon, not one of the Neo-Cons.
I think your new wife has sucked your brains out. Romney's got no integrity. Reagan did...Ford did....Bush I did. Again, he has no integrity. And, do you still think this guy will have our backs when he has a history of outsourcing jobs to China? http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/bain-capital-mitt-romney-outsourcing-china-global-tech
Above all else, magic underwear.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 09:03:47 AM
Barak Obama snorted cocaine and was a pot head by his own account. Both substances were illegal in Hawaii.
What a retort. If anyone says anything bad about Mitt, your response is that Obama did drugs when he was in college. No matter what the Mitt says or does, you don't respond to the actual Mitt event or words, you just say that Obama did drugs.
I would bet that more people of the similar age as Obama did drugs in college than dressed up as a police officer, bought a flashing light and pulled over the friends while driving. I bet not many of the people of Romney's age bullied a kid in the hallway and cut his hair off.
Romney was a weird freak who was a menace to his schoolmates and wore odd costumes while driving. Obama did some drugs.
Who was the freak?
Oh, well...boys will be boys....Mitt just had extra resources available due to lots of money and good political connections...
Quote from: RecycleMichael on July 12, 2012, 11:39:33 AM
What a retort. If anyone says anything bad about Mitt, your response is that Obama did drugs when he was in college. No matter what the Mitt says or does, you don't respond to the actual Mitt event or words, you just say that Obama did drugs.
I would bet that more people of the similar age as Obama did drugs in college than dressed up as a police officer, bought a flashing light and pulled over the friends while driving. I bet not many of the people of Romney's age bullied a kid in the hallway and cut his hair off.
Romney was a weird freak who was a menace to his schoolmates and wore odd costumes while driving. Obama did some a lot of drugs...by his own admission
Who was the freak?
No, you keep dredging up incidents which happened well over 40 years ago about his opponent rather than point to anything positive President Obama has accomplished. It's sad you must think his record as president is so bad that you need to dig up second and third hand accounts about things Romney did as pranks when he was in prep school & college. Do you realize how sophomoric that is? Either that or you are just jealous you didn't have an OHP uniform when you were that age.
I know I'm a lot different now than I was in high school & college. How about you? Do you believe your life today is defined by the dumbest stunt or prank you ever pulled as a young adult?
Point is RM, people change and what they do as a teenager or in their early 20's is no sure predictor of what they will eventually become. Many people around Obama's age drank and got stoned, and not one of the people I knew back then were people I thought would change and become something productive. Many of those same people now lead major financial institutions, have become politicians worthy of respect, priests, excellent doctors, lawyers, engineers, and above all very good family people.
I'm quite certain Romney, just like Obama is a very different person today than he was in his wilder years. I'm not going to judge a candidate based on what he did in his youth. I'm going to look substantively at what his leadership traits are today which will make him a great leader. President Obama has had almost four years to prove whether or not he is qualified to lead the next four years. In my mind, he has not, and I don't believe he deserves another four years based purely on his record since Jan. 20, 2009.
Quote from: Teatownclown on July 12, 2012, 11:28:25 AM
I think your new wife has sucked your brains out. Romney's got no integrity. Reagan did...Ford did....Bush I did. Again, he has no integrity. And, do you still think this guy will have our backs when he has a history of outsourcing jobs to China? http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/bain-capital-mitt-romney-outsourcing-china-global-tech
Above all else, magic underwear.
There you go with your religious bigotry again.
Obama has paid for the outsourcing of jobs to China via the stimulus. Where's the integrity in that? He was for gay marriage, then against it, then for it again in an election year. Is that what you equate to integrity?
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 02:08:29 PM
There you go with your religious bigotry ANTI-CULT again.
Obama has paid for the outsourcing of jobs to China via the stimulus. Where's the integrity in that? He was for gay marriage, then against it, then for it again in an election year. Is that what you equate to integrity?
You really beat the sh!t out of logic. I would not expect you to understand integrity. Obama was never against gay marriage. And the outsourcing of jobs to China by Bain directly benefited RMoney's pocket.
Quote from: Teatownclown on July 12, 2012, 02:24:41 PM
You really beat the sh!t out of logic. I would not expect you to understand integrity. Obama was never against gay marriage. And the outsourcing of jobs to China by Bain directly benefited RMoney's pocket Obama's loyal bundlers.
Personally, I seriously doubt he's ever been against it, but he's on public record saying he was:
QuoteIn 2008, he said: "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/may/11/barack-obama/president-barack-obamas-shift-gay-marriage/
So he either lied about his stance on it very publicly in 2008, or he's now for it for political expedience. Neither shows integrity.
Not in favor is not against....just to counter punch.
How do you argue against a website that is only a year old? (www.nationalmemo.com)
Oh right, you ignore it.
Quote from: erfalf on July 12, 2012, 09:16:50 AM
It would be nice to hear anyone else's account of Obama's formative years.
You already have. He was part of a pot smoking gang. Obama was that guy who would take the J from you if you were too slow.
Conan, I believe RM and others have been quite open about what successes they consider Obama to have had. You, on the other hand, refuse to acknowledge any. That's OK, I understand that him doing what you want is irrelevant since he's apparently so far left that he's almost Communist. (Nevermind the facts)
Quote from: nathanm on July 12, 2012, 03:02:47 PM
You already have. He was part of a pot smoking gang. Obama was that guy who would take the J from you if you were too slow.
Conan, I believe RM and others have been quite open about what successes they consider Obama to have had. You, on the other hand, refuse to acknowledge any. That's OK, I understand that him doing what you want is irrelevant since he's apparently so far left that he's almost Communist. (Nevermind the facts)
That's actually not true. I've applauded his few accomplishments when they have happened.
Quote from: nathanm on July 12, 2012, 03:02:47 PM
You already have. He was part of a pot smoking gang. Obama was that guy who would take the J from you if you were too slow.
Conan, I believe RM and others have been quite open about what successes they consider Obama to have had. You, on the other hand, refuse to acknowledge any. That's OK, I understand that him doing what you want is irrelevant since he's apparently so far left that he's almost Communist. (Nevermind the facts)
He does deserve credit in one arena. . .
He has been the most successful president in history for delivering terrorists to their awaiting virgins. Between 1,658 and 2,597 militants vaporized now with only about 391 – 780 civilians killed (according to Bureau of Investigative Journalism). No messy prisons, tricky interrogations, free prayer mats, lawyers or drawn out trials. Just KABOOM! . . .and he was able to do it without any congressional approval.
Unfortunately his ability to solve simple economic problems has been challenging.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7558070472_fa1e4007d5_o.jpg)
Quote from: Gaspar on July 12, 2012, 04:10:37 PM
Unfortunately his ability to solve simple economic problems has been challenging.
And you wonder why people call you delusional. We had the worst financial crisis since the great depression and many other countries are worse off today than they were 5 years after the start of the Depression, yet you call the economic problems simple. ::)
Quote from: nathanm on July 12, 2012, 04:38:10 PM
And you wonder why people call you delusional. We had the worst financial crisis since the great depression and many other countries are worse off today than they were 5 years after the start of the Depression, yet you call the economic problems simple. ::)
Simple for him because he has been relatively unaffected - no layoff.
Full disclosure - I haven't been laid off for almost 6 years, too, so have also been relatively unaffected. Well, except for the standard reduction in standard of living due to the ongoing reduction in real terms of income - but that has continued for 30+ years, so it is just hanging round the background...
Seriously, Mitt? If you really think your time at Bain was so peachy (which is fine, we all have our opinions), why on earth did you lie about when you stepped down as CEO of Bain and why did you claim you had no involvement with it or any of its companies after that time if you were still working for Bain companies in 2002?
http://bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2012/07/11/government-documents-indicate-mitt-romney-continued-bain-after-date-when-says-left/IpfKYWjnrsel4pvCFbsUTI/story.html
(alternately, be glad you weren't the one who F'd up the SEC filings and articles of incorporation)
Seriously, though, this is just weird.
Quote from: Gaspar on July 12, 2012, 04:10:37 PM
He has been the most successful president in history for delivering terrorists to their awaiting virgins.
That's actually a typo. The persons awaiting are Virginians, Washington, Jefferson....
Quote from: RecycleMichael on July 12, 2012, 08:55:01 AM
http://www.nationalmemo.com/did-young-mitt-romney-impersonate-a-police-officer-another-witness-says-yes/
When Mitt Romney was a college freshman, he told fellow residents of his Stanford University dormitory that he sometimes disguised himself as a police officer – a crime in many states, including Michigan and California, where he then lived. And he had the uniform on display as proof.
So recalls Robin Madden, who had also just arrived as a freshman, the startling incident began when Romney called him and two or three other residents into his room, saying, "Come up, I want to show you something." When they entered Romney's room, "and laid out on his bed was a Michigan State Trooper's uniform."
While Romney's freshman year may be instructive regarding the formation of his views and subsequent behavior, I don't think it has much relevance to his candidacy, Michael. His stint at Bain and his refusal to release his tax returns are more recent and more revealing. Tossing fellow Americans out of work while investing his money in foreign businesses has every appearance of destructive, self-serving capitalism. If he doesn't release his tax returns, he's not forced to reveal whether he deliberately ruined American companies for his personal enrichment. When he said that Detroit should be allowed to go out of business, did he say so because he owns large number of shares in foreign car companies? Without the tax returns, we'll never know.
I think the Romneycare/Obamacare flip-flops are revealing, too, because it shows us that Mitt is far more concerned with his political career than with any personal integrity. His state insurance scheme was the pattern for the Affordable Care Act, yet he repudiated it as a presidential candidate. Then just recently, he said that he agreed with the central ideas - kids covered under their parent's policies, no denial for pre-existing conditions, and more - yet it turned out his only major disagreement involved paying for it.
Every politician does this to some extent. One of the maxims is "the large print giveth and the small print taketh away." They're all in favor of good schools, good roads, a strong national defense, and on and on, yet Mitt is sketchy on the details of how to implement the grandiose ideas. Some of his are laughably absurd, like the contention that larger class sizes would actually benefit children.
Let's go a step further and ask what happens to the Republican party when Romney loses in November. The contention among the tea party types after McCain lost was that he did so because he wasn't far enough to the right. You know they really don't like or trust Romney, so what happens to the party when he loses?
And for you dyed-in-the-wool right wing ideologues (you know who you are!) please remember that Oklahoma is not representative of the rest of the country (and those of us on the left are profoundly grateful for that!)
Quote from: Ed W on July 12, 2012, 08:18:08 PM
While Romney's freshman year may be instructive regarding the formation of his views and subsequent behavior, I don't think it has much relevance to his candidacy, Michael. His stint at Bain and his refusal to release his tax returns are more recent and more revealing. Tossing fellow Americans out of work while investing his money in foreign businesses has every appearance of destructive, self-serving capitalism. If he doesn't release his tax returns, he's not forced to reveal whether he deliberately ruined American companies for his personal enrichment. When he said that Detroit should be allowed to go out of business, did he say so because he owns large number of shares in foreign car companies? Without the tax returns, we'll never know.
I think the Romneycare/Obamacare flip-flops are revealing, too, because it shows us that Mitt is far more concerned with his political career than with any personal integrity. His state insurance scheme was the pattern for the Affordable Care Act, yet he repudiated it as a presidential candidate. Then just recently, he said that he agreed with the central ideas - kids covered under their parent's policies, no denial for pre-existing conditions, and more - yet it turned out his only major disagreement involved paying for it.
Every politician does this to some extent. One of the maxims is "the large print giveth and the small print taketh away." They're all in favor of good schools, good roads, a strong national defense, and on and on, yet Mitt is sketchy on the details of how to implement the grandiose ideas. Some of his are laughably absurd, like the contention that larger class sizes would actually benefit children.
Let's go a step further and ask what happens to the Republican party when Romney loses in November. The contention among the tea party types after McCain lost was that he did so because he wasn't far enough to the right. You know they really don't like or trust Romney, so what happens to the party when he loses?
And for you dyed-in-the-wool right wing ideologues (you know who you are!) please remember that Oklahoma is not representative of the rest of the country (and those of us on the left are profoundly grateful for that!)
I can respect your reasons to not think he's a great candidate. Turning over 45 year old rocks on someone's prep or college career is petty, IMO.
I believe Romney has released his 2010 returns and an estimate of his 2011 returns. How many years is customary for a Presidential candidate?
What will be the Democrat response when Obama loses in November, Ed? ;)
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 11:29:40 PM
I can respect your reasons to not think he's a great candidate. Turning over 45 year old rocks on someone's prep or college career is petty, IMO.
I believe Romney has released his 2010 returns and an estimate of his 2011 returns. How many years is customary for a Presidential candidate?
What will be the Democrat response when Obama loses in November, Ed? ;)
His father, in the 1968 campaign, released 12 years.
By comparison, the President has released every one since 2000.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 11:29:40 PM
What will be the Democrat response when Obama loses in November, Ed? ;)
The usual response when a Democrat loses is that "we didn't get our message across" when in fact, they often have.
Quote from: Red Arrow on July 13, 2012, 07:48:20 AM
The usual response when a Democrat loses is that "we didn't get our message across" when in fact, they often have.
Mitt better hurry up and get both his messages across for his platforms then.
;D
Quote from: Hoss on July 13, 2012, 08:53:27 AM
Mitt better hurry up and get both his messages across for his platforms then.
;D
I like what you did there.
QuoteHis father, in the 1968 campaign, released 12 years.
Yeah, but George wasn't a vulture capitalist.
How many years did Clinton, Nixon, Ford, Carter, the Bushes, Dole, Mondale, or Reagan release?
Quote from: Conan71 on July 13, 2012, 10:20:28 AM
I like what you did there.
Yeah, but George wasn't a vulture capitalist.
How many years did Clinton, Nixon, Ford, Carter, the Bushes, Dole, Mondale, or Reagan release?
http://www.taxhistory.org/www/website.nsf/Web/PresidentialTaxReturns/
don't know how many prior during their candidacy they released, or if they were even asked to do so. If that's the case, then George Romney releasing 12 years previous was certainly unprecedented. But our current CIC released as far back as 2000. Why does Romney feel the need to hold his to 2011, or even 2010?
So prior to 2008, candidates who won didn't provide their tax returns prior to entering office, other than FDR?
Either that or the site doesn't answer my original question.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 13, 2012, 10:31:24 AM
So prior to 2008, candidates who won didn't provide their tax returns prior to entering office, other than FDR?
Either that or the site doesn't answer my original question.
Or, as I stated earlier, maybe we didn't ask as much of previous candidates.
Quote from: Hoss on July 13, 2012, 08:53:27 AM
Mitt better hurry up and get both his messages across for his platforms then.
This fall we will get to choose among several messages:
One bad one from Obama
Several good ones from Mitt
;D
Quote from: Red Arrow on July 13, 2012, 10:51:13 AM
This fall we will get to choose among several messages:
One bad one from Obama
Several good ones from Mitt
;D
Or several bad ones from all candidates.
Looking more like two options for me.
Don't vote.
Vote for the lesser of the two evils (or go with the evil you know, vs the one you don't know).
Sad we don't have a viable third party in this country.
Quote from: Hoss on July 13, 2012, 10:53:48 AM
Or several bad ones from all candidates.
Looking more like two options for me.
Don't vote.
Vote for the lesser of the two evils (or go with the evil you know, vs the one you don't know).
Sad we don't have a viable third party in this country.
I guess you must be younger than I thought - it has always been voting for the lessor of two evils....
This thread serves as the weakest defense of an inept candidate (Romney) by their followers that I have ever seen. Candidates make mistakes. That's a given. Some you laugh off, some you explain, some you shamelessly ignore. But his mistakes are being defended as though they show some kind of character improvement over time.
Any one chapter of a candidate's life is not enough to pass judgement, but what is emerging is a profile of a guy that, unlike Bush II, you wouldn't want to have a beer with. Boehner's remarks last week say it all. The republicans have no love for this candidate but if he gets rid of Obama, then he's our guy. IOW, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
I don't blame you guys for just making a gut decision that Obama just isn't your kind of guy. But defending Romney for mistakes in judgement and character that were similarly exploited in past campaigns against Democrats is hard to defend.
Quote from: AquaMan on July 13, 2012, 11:13:38 AM
Any one chapter of a candidate's life is not enough to pass judgement, but what is emerging is a profile of a guy that, unlike Bush II, you wouldn't want to have a beer with.
You are right I wouldn't. Mormons don't drink.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 13, 2012, 11:21:49 AM
You are right I wouldn't. Mormons don't drink.
And yet another ding on his character!
Quote from: AquaMan on July 13, 2012, 11:54:29 AM
And yet another ding on his character!
Yeah the no drinky thing makes me question his character. What kind of weirdos don't enjoy a nice micro-brew?
Quote from: Conan71 on July 13, 2012, 01:39:37 PM
Yeah the no drinky thing makes me question his character. What kind of weirdos don't enjoy a nice micro-brew?
No no no....do not make fun of the Morons.
Quote from: Teatownclown on July 13, 2012, 02:00:07 PM
No no no....do not make fun of the Morons.
I wasn't. I was making fun of the teetotalers. They ARE fair game.
Can you imagine waking up in the morning and thinking "this is as good as it's going to get today?" ;)
Quote from: Conan71 on July 13, 2012, 03:16:05 PM
I wasn't. I was making fun of the teetotalers. They ARE fair game.
Can you imagine waking up in the morning and thinking "this is as good as it's going to get today?" ;)
It's almost vodka time!
(http://cdn.twentytwowords.com/wp-content/uploads/drunk.jpg)(http://www.freefunnyshit.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Drunk-2.jpg)
(http://www.sabotagetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/drunk4.jpg)
Quote from: Gaspar on July 13, 2012, 03:25:56 PM
It's almost vodka time!
(http://cdn.twentytwowords.com/wp-content/uploads/drunk.jpg)(http://www.freefunnyshit.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Drunk-2.jpg)
(http://www.sabotagetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/drunk4.jpg)
Dude! That third photo is almost a perfect portrait of you!
Quote from: Conan71 on July 12, 2012, 11:29:40 PM
I can respect your reasons to not think he's a great candidate. Turning over 45 year old rocks on someone's prep or college career is petty, IMO.
I believe Romney has released his 2010 returns and an estimate of his 2011 returns. How many years is customary for a Presidential candidate?
What will be the Democrat response when Obama loses in November, Ed? ;)
When he was vetted as a possible running mate for McCain, he provided 20 years worth of tax returns, Conan. His father's reasoning for providing 12 years worth was that a single year could be a fluke or a show piece.
Still, how many presidential candidates have Swiss bank accounts and investments in Bermuda and the Caymans?
Romney is supposed to blanket the airwaves tonight. Let's see what he has to say.
...and as for our reaction in November when Obama wins, it will be something along the lines of "Thank God we dodged that train wreck" or "Thank God it's over and we can go back to normal for a couple of years." Just sayin'.
Quote from: Ed W on July 13, 2012, 06:04:44 PM
When he was vetted as a possible running mate for McCain, he provided 20 years worth of tax returns, Conan. His father's reasoning for providing 12 years worth was that a single year could be a fluke or a show piece.
Still, how many presidential candidates have Swiss bank accounts and investments in Bermuda and the Caymans?
Romney is supposed to blanket the airwaves tonight. Let's see what he has to say.
...and as for our reaction in November when Obama wins, it will be something along the lines of "Thank God we dodged that train wreck" or "Thank God it's over and we can go back to normal for a couple of years." Just sayin'.
Nah, I already emailed Debbie Wasserman Schulz the meme: "Romney bought the election!"
Actually, there was accusations of that floating around about former candidate Clinton in 2008.
Secondly, it's perfectly legal as US citizen to have a Swiss bank account and investments in the Caymans, Bermuda, or Katmandu. If he's engaged in anything illegal with his finances, it's important to know.
Would it make everyone happier if Romney paid 80% in taxes? Would he appear more patriotic?
Quote from: Conan71 on July 13, 2012, 07:19:21 PM
Nah, I already emailed Debbie Wasserman Schulz the meme: "Romney bought the election!"
Actually, there was accusations of that floating around about former candidate Clinton in 2008.
Secondly, it's perfectly legal as US citizen to have a Swiss bank account and investments in the Caymans, Bermuda, or Katmandu. If he's engaged in anything illegal with his finances, it's important to know.
Would it make everyone happier if Romney paid 80% in taxes? Would he appear more patriotic?
Should the public NOT be asking these questions? It goes directly to his financial management style. Why are the righties so up-in-arms about asking these questions? They'll ask about Presidential BJs and Whitewater but somehow this is now out of bounds?
Aren't these the same types of questions his primary opponents were asking?
Quote from: Hoss on July 13, 2012, 08:45:55 PM
Should the public NOT be asking these questions? It goes directly to his financial management style. Why are the righties so up-in-arms about asking these questions? They'll ask about Presidential BJs and Whitewater but somehow this is now out of bounds?
Aren't these the same types of questions his primary opponents were asking?
Of course they should. Pundits trying to create fear, hatred, and skepticism and the likes of hypocrites like Debbie Wasserman Schulz who engages in similar practices should butt out instead of trying to protect a weak candidate with noting but...well... see the first quarter of this sentence.
I'd look at shrewd personal and business finance planning as far preferable to someone who has no concept of what "credit limit" means nor when it's time to cut and run from failed policies and investments. If he's worked within the tax and finance codes legally, as they are currently written, there is no issue. If he's acted criminally, then yes, it's a problem.
You need to realize, Romney is a very, very strong opponent in a weak economy. That's why he's the nominee. Gingrich and Santorum don't know squat about business. They've been on the public dole longer than Obama. The only hope in keeping Obama in office is to imply that Romney is A) a cultist or B) a criminal. Look at the angle of every story and whisper campaign. It's obvious. If he wasn't a strong candidate, they wouldn't waste so much time in the op-ed pages on him.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 13, 2012, 09:31:29 PM
Of course they should. Pundits trying to create fear, hatred, and skepticism and the likes of hypocrites like Debbie Wasserman Schulz who engages in similar practices should butt out instead of trying to protect a weak candidate with noting but...well... see the first quarter of this sentence.
I'd look at shrewd personal and business finance planning as far preferable to someone who has no concept of what "credit limit" means nor when it's time to cut and run from failed policies and investments. If he's worked within the tax and finance codes legally, as they are currently written, there is no issue. If he's acted criminally, then yes, it's a problem.
You need to realize, Romney is a very, very strong opponent in a weak economy. That's why he's the nominee. Gingrich and Santorum don't know squat about business. They've been on the public dole longer than Obama. The only hope in keeping Obama in office is to imply that Romney is A) a cultist or B) a criminal. Look at the angle of every story and whisper campaign. It's obvious. If he wasn't a strong candidate, they wouldn't waste so much time in the op-ed pages on him.
Looking at the numbers, Willard better start making his move or hope he has the October Surprise. He's like the Republican version of Al Gore. Except his wife is better looking. ;)
What has sofar hurt him the most is that asinine following of the religious nuts on the right talking about contraception rights for women. He's alienated that part of the dems/indies, I'm quite sure of that. That's one of the main reasons I call him the "Etch A Sketch" candidate. He catered to the hard-core right of the base to hold on to his campaign when it appeared multiple opponents were gaining ground that were using that platform to keep their hold in the deep South. That, and his railing of ObomneyCare.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 13, 2012, 07:19:21 PM
Would it make everyone happier if Romney paid 80% in taxes? Would he appear more patriotic?
No, he needs to pay it all. No one needs that much money.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 13, 2012, 07:19:21 PM
Secondly, it's perfectly legal as US citizen to have a Swiss bank account and investments in the Caymans, Bermuda, or Katmandu. If he's engaged in anything illegal with his finances, it's important to know.
I'll have to look it up, but an absurd proportion of the Swiss accounts held by US citizens turned out to be used for hiding income and assets when we finally managed to get the Swiss to disclose account information after 9/11. But yes, having the account is of course perfectly legal (so long as you disclose its existence to the IRS if it's worth more than $10,000 USD or whatever the cutoff is).
Also, it's really weird how it's now considered unfair in some circles to examine Romney's professional record.
Quote from: nathanm on July 13, 2012, 09:52:55 PM
I'll have to look it up, but an absurd proportion of the Swiss accounts held by US citizens turned out to be used for hiding income and assets when we finally managed to get the Swiss to disclose account information after 9/11. But yes, having the account is of course perfectly legal (so long as you disclose its existence to the IRS if it's worth more than $10,000 USD or whatever the cutoff is).
Also, it's really weird how it's now considered unfair in some circles to examine Romney's professional record.
Weird how it's considered unfair to examine Prez Obama's past.
Quote from: Red Arrow on July 13, 2012, 09:55:04 PM
Weird how it's considered unfair to examine Prez Obama's past.
It's not. It's considered idiotic to continue claiming Obama isn't a natural born citizen.
Quote from: Red Arrow on July 13, 2012, 09:55:04 PM
Weird how it's considered unfair to examine Prez Obama's past.
How? It's out there for all to see. Romney's? Jury is out on that sofar.
Quote from: Hoss on July 13, 2012, 09:56:19 PM
How? It's out there for all to see. Romney's? Jury is out on that sofar.
I still don't recall a transcript from Columbia or Harvard being proffered. Nor at what point Barry Soetoro became Barack Obama and at what point. How about his outright lies about his nationality on publisher promo material to make him appear more exotic?
Quote from: nathanm on July 13, 2012, 09:55:58 PM
It's not. It's considered idiotic to continue claiming Obama isn't a natural born citizen.
I don't question that he is qualified by
citizenship to Prez. Other, non-legal considerations yes. Why does Obama hide his college records?
Edit:
Dang you Conan, you keep getting to the post before me.
I think dressing up as a police officer and buying a police light to go on top of your car is very weird. To actually pull people over is illegal and I would think a little dangerous. If I were a policeman and I found some kid playing cop, I would be pissed.
This wasn't some Halloween party costume. He actually got a real police uniform and then went around acting like a real cop.
That is some weird power trip behavior.
Quote from: RecycleMichael on July 14, 2012, 08:22:03 AM
I think dressing up as a police officer and buying a police light to go on top of your car is very weird. To actually pull people over is illegal and I would think a little dangerous. If I were a policeman and I found some kid playing cop, I would be pissed.
This wasn't some Halloween party costume. He actually got a real police uniform and then went around acting like a real cop.
That is some weird power trip behavior.
What's disheartening is that someone compares that to a kid smoking a joint, and believes it evens the score.