State legislators? "They are our finest men; after all we elect them again and again".
The Village and School Board "Politburo"; anyone know what the word sinecure means?
But in the face of all this, guess who will be walking into Prospect School come Tuesday?
My vote; it's all I've got - and it is all YOU got. Don't let it go to waste.
Finally allow me to share that on a flight this past September KRIC-KORD, I was seated next to a fellow from Dayton OH (so much for direct airline routing's: KRIC-KORD-KDAY does "not exactly" sound like such). He says he writes in the likes of Daffy Duck. All I could say to him was that "you of course have the right to do that and to have that vote counted, but I really think that living in a swing state on which the Presidential election could ride, you have a duty to bone up on the issues and select the major party candidate of your choice".
I think we parted ways at O'Hare as friends.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
I am SO excited!!!! I haven't been this excited about anything in a very long time. Last night I only got three hours of sleep. Tonight is probably going to be the same thing again. I can't wait to see the news media say, "President-Elect Mitt Romney". Obama WILL be given his pink slip THANK GOD. That one-man wrecking ball will get to go live it up on Oahu in his gorgeous new home starting in mid-January. Aloha dude--now get the heck out of our lives!
And for Obama supporters wondering why I feel this way, allow me to just provide two ENORMOUS examples:
1) He promised that if the stimulus passed, unemployment would be at 5.5%. The economy would rebound. Housing prices would resume to normal. If not, in his OWN WORDS, "It's a one term proposition". Seeing as the U6 number, which is the REAL unemployment number, is above 14%--it's time for him to go.
2) He promised to cut the debt in half. Instead, he ADDED six **TRILLION** dollars to it. SIX TRILLION!!!!! Is that cutting it in half?? Hello Obama supporters---do you understand that he did not do what he said he would do? DO YOU GET IT??? Honestly, I don't think you do.
Those two examples are the two biggest reasons to vote him out. And if you think "he needs four more years" to get things working, all I can say is, "What are you smoking??".
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
And, allow me to pass along some words of wisdom that a friend wrote. The words are spot-on, and super clear. THIS is why we must vote Obama out:
-----
This Tuesday our country’s future is in our hands.
What’s past is prologue. We know what we will get from a second Obama term because we’ve all endured his first term. We know how well he kept his 2008 campaign promises. Do we really believe he’ll keep his 2012 promises?
Do we believe the word of a man who promised he wouldn’t raise taxes on the middle class, but then slammed the middle class with a massive tax hike in the form of Obamacare (and don’t forget that his own lawyers argued before the Supreme Court that the individual mandate is a tax)?
Do we really believe he won’t raise taxes even more on every American in order to pay for his wasteful spending and his crony capitalism?
Do we believe that the same president who increased the debt in his first term by more than all the first 41 presidents combined will suddenly decide to cut the deficit in his second term?
Do we believe that the president whose reckless spending led us to the first credit rating downgrade in our nation’s history will suddenly become a responsible fiscal manager if we reelect him?
Do we really believe that a president who promised us that job creation was his number one priority despite month after month of dismal job numbers now has a credible “plan” for the job growth that eluded him for the past four years?
Do we believe that the same president who shut down the Keystone Pipeline and blocks domestic oil and natural gas development at every turn is somehow going to reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and lead us to energy independence?
Do we really believe that our country’s national security is safe in the hands of a president whose administration denied security and assistance to our consulate under attack on the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on America, and then blamed that consulate attack and the death of our ambassador on a “spontaneous” protest over an obscure YouTube video despite all the real time evidence to the contrary?
Do we believe that a president who was caught on a hot mic telling the Russian president that he would have “more flexibility” after his reelection is being honest about his plans for a second term?
We know what we will get from a second Obama term. We will get the same failed policies. We will get Obamacare locked into law without any chance of undoing this dangerous legislation and any chance to seek real patient-centered health care reform. We will get a debt crisis. We will get more inflation and higher gas prices. We will get tax increases. We will get fewer jobs. We will get more small businesses collapsing under the weight of higher taxes and unfair regulation. We will get more corruption and crony capitalism favoring the Obama administration’s friends. We will get less domestic energy development and increased dependence on terrorist sponsoring foreign regimes for our energy needs. We will get a “blame America first” foreign policy that bows to our enemies and snubs our friends like Israel and leaves America and the world less safe. We will get less opportunity and security for ourselves and for our children.
In 2008, Barack Obama promised to fundamentally transform America. And for all his failures and broken promises, that’s the one thing he has delivered on. He’s transformed us from a nation of hope to one of anxiety. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Tuesday is our chance to turn things around.
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have offered a credible alternative to Barack Obama’s failed policies. Governor Romney understands how the free market works. His pro-growth economic policies will benefit all Americans. He has promised to move us toward energy independence, deficit reduction, and responsible entitlement reform that honors our commitment to our seniors and keeps faith with future generations. Governor Romney deserves a chance to lead. President Obama had his chance. He’s failed, and we can’t afford to go backwards.
We must also remember the many good Republican candidates who are running for the House and Senate this year. They deserve our support as well. If you are like me, you have watched these campaigns, learned about the candidates, and know where they stand despite the skewed lens of a partisan media bent on keeping liberal leadership in power. We saw the destruction a Democrat controlled White House, House, and Senate brought us after the 2008 election. Our country can’t afford that again. Your vote is the only safeguard against that happening.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
You are wrong, Smitty.
The economic destruction a Democrat controlled House & Senate brought to us started in 2007 and included obama in our US Senate.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Mike: Those words are copied from a friend--I did not write them.
But yes, indeed things started with the '06 mid-term elections when the Dems took over.
On a side note, I can't help but roll my eyes when people claim that Obama didn't get to do everything he wanted to do because of "GOP obstruction". His first two years, he got EVERYTHING he wanted--everything. And those things were supposed to "fix" our economy and the unemployment numbers. Obviously, his university theories that look great on paper did not work in real life (welcome to the real world, Mr. President!!). Yet people actually believe this guy when he says he needs four more years to fix things. I continuously say to myself, "I don't get it".
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Oh well, here I go making the first statement that I have during this election cycle that could be construed as "partisan" (I think anyone who has followed my material regarding this election will have to agree that such have been quite non-partisan in nature and scope).
I have friends residing in Iowa who are as staunch Obama supporters as the "Smith Brothers" here are otherwise. I have had to listen to the likes from them as "why don't you stop thinking about your money and start thinking about the middle class?" and the capper: "he (Romney) will take our trains away".
Well, to that last one I say, Romney is in favor of expanding coal production and directing resources to making it a clean source of energy. And what energy source do railroads represent the only reasonable and practical way to transport such from mine to market.
Of course, they are thinking of Amtrak (most particularly Long Distance Amtrak) and, honestly, what happens to Amtrak is "not exactly" top on my priority list.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Here we are: 6 NOV 2012
This is it. The most important political date in my entire life.
It's 0325 and once again, I am awake. Two nights in a row like this.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
It is now 1PM Pacific. I continue to have butterflies in my stomach. Not much sleep last night.
I just heard the official report on voter turnout in Hamilton County (Ohio), which is where I used to live as a kid after we left Philly (lived in Montgomery on Deer Shadow Lane). The latest official report on voter turnout shows that turnout is H U G E. Absolutely ENORMOUS. GOP turnout is astonishing, while Dem turnout is "eh". Everything is falling into place exactly as I have been predicting (and Mike Smith as well).
We will have a President-Elect Romney before midnight Pacific time tonight---perhaps as soon as 9PM Pacific. It will be so nice to be vindicated because of all of the people who doubted me. Not here really, but on my Facebook page (where I have been posting anti-Obama pieces once a day for the last year).
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Warning: There is a lot of logic, common sense, and analytical abilities exposed on this facebook page. If these items are foreign concepts to you, you may not want to visit.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
TSR, liberals are so gullible, they will believe anything. Thanks for posting more proof of that basic fact.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Mike-just sent you a friends request.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Ugh.....things are not looking good for Romney right now. It ain't over yet, but wow, it should NOT have been this close in FL and OH. I'm having a rough night.
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
With as many different outcomes as this election promised, I wouldn't have expected this one;
OBAMA WON BIG!! WINNER DECLARED BEFORE MIDNIGHT!!!
At this posting, Romney leads in the popular vote, but that means nothing - just ask Al Gore! With VA, and FL, still to declare, We may see Barry top 300! And a personal note to the Smith Brothers: To quote Nelson Muntz - HA! HA!
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Our Republic has just been dealt a death blow. This is a national tragedy, and most people don't even realize it yet.
I am numb and in shock.
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
quote:Originally posted by smitty195: Our Republic has just been dealt a death blow. This is a national tragedy, and most people don't even realize it yet.
I am numb and in shock.
Bought your one - way tickets to Canada yet? No, wait - they got socialised medicine! Where CAN you go?
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
States where Nate Silver was wrong - zero (again).
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Belize.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
I cannot believe our Nation has this many ignorant voters that would re-elect the most inexperienced, incompetent President the USA has ever seen.
The USA is rotten. Maybe it is time to cut out the rotten parts and form the United States of Texas from the normal parts that are still left.
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
If Texas wants to secede, I say let it go! And take South Carolina with it!
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
If Texas secedes from the Union, then I'm moving to Texas.
Still very, very confused this morning. Many questions---too many. I'm at a loss for words.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
While I know many here are either elated or disappointed with the Election results (maybe some ho-hums as well), the one thing that has come through "loud and clear" is that the pollsters to whom recognized media subscribe "had it right on".
It looks like Nate Silver' Five Thirty Eight poll and commentary that is carried exclusively by The New York Times was "dead on". I know that people tend to see and hear what they want to see and hear (when did you learn that? age ten maybe) and I guess that caused both voters and, much worse, the campaign managements to look for polls largely appearing in alternative news sources.
Yes, pollsters 64 years ago; had a "lot of 'plainin to do" especially to those who were paying for their services, but the art has clearly been perfected.
But now that it is all over and for better or worse, the people have chosen to "stay the course", allow me to share it was hardly an open and shut for me as it was for many here (one way or the other), but I am most concerned the need for bi-partisanship if ANYTHING is to get done over the next four years.
Obama has shown no capacity whatever for such; even on Inauguration Day he was blaming the other guy. He has to bear accountability that he could not work at all with the other side. I'm certain, under a Romney administration, there would be legislation enacted I'd be less than happy about (I'm in favor of PPACA '10; health care is a social cost and as such all should pay their fair share), but enacted legislation is a better outcome than anarchy.
While I surely would have been less than happy with Romney appointments to the Appellate and Supreme Courts, that just have had to take back seat for the need to efficiently enact legislation in which everyone has had some degree of "say". The right wing whack jobs (Tea Party; whatever); I could have only hoped that a Romney presidency would not have gone too far to accommodate them; very safe they will fight tooth and nail any agenda Obama puts forth.
Amtrak funding level? not even an issue with me.
My vote was for Romney/Ryan.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
The fact that 538 got it right is very close to the disappointment of obama winning. I am constantly amazed at the ignorance of the average US Citizen. Looks like Nate Silver has tapped into that mentality...
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
I too am amazed by the accuracy of the 538 projections. I believed that an Obama re-election was coming but by a smaller margin.
I will note that I was mildly surprised when, on Monday morning, Nate Silver moved Florida from a Romney lean to an Obama lean.
Regardless of how Florida is ultimately called, I'd say that 538 was 'spot on' with it's call there as well.
I have discussed my hopes and concerns with the outcome as they relate to my passenger train enthusiasm and my career over on the Railforum election thread should anyone care to read them.
Mr. Norman - while I did not address your concerns on the other thread - I concur that it takes two sides not wanting to come to the table and I'm concerned that we will not see improvement in that regard. Perhaps with Mr. Obama no longer having an election to win we will see some improvement. Not holding my breath.
Mike Smith - I appreciate the insight you bring to this forum and I do read and consider your posts. I hope that you're able to do the same with those who vote differently than you. Many of us read, research, search our hearts, and choose differently. It's taken me most of my adult life to learn not to simply write those who bring different opinions off.
Posted by Vincent206 (Member # 15447) on :
I remember how devastated I felt in 2004 when Kerry came up short against Bush*. I wasn't a huge Kerry backer, but he was the anti-W candidate and that was good enough to get my vote. I know there is a lot of disappointment today among the anti-O crowds, but with the exception of Ron Paul, none of the GOP candidates campaigned as anything other than "I'm not Barry". Romney promised to repeal Obamacare, but after that, what was he going to do? Romney didn't have many good answers to that question, so Obama filled in the blank. And America chose to stay with Obama.
*And how many of you would like to go back and change your '04 vote?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Oh, relax, everyone. There will be another election in two years and we can exercise our right to hoot and holler again.
That's why although I'm happy, I'm not gloating. The b.s. will start flying soon enough.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: Oh, relax, everyone. There will be another election in two years and we can exercise our right to hoot and holler again.
That's why although I'm happy, I'm not gloating. The b.s. will start flying soon enough.
True common sense. I'll vote for Mr. Kisor please.
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
Guy on ABC News had the best quote: "The Republicans are a "Mad Men" party in a "Modern Family" world".
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
If you were watching one station last night when the race was called at, in the case of NBC, 1013P CT, the other three presently have video of their moments of call at their websites.
Fox News was rather non-partisan when they made their call.
For myself, I was watching NBC and promptly at 10P, they cut away for Local News. For about the first five they talked about Local races, but by the time for the call, they were into their usual "flash and trash; if it bleeds, it leads" assortment of "news". Breathlessly the anchor interrupts a reporter that they were going to Network, but by the toime they got there, the call had been made.
I guess the "Emmy" goes to ABC News, as they hold the rights to broadcast live events from Times Square. While I'm not about to check it out for a public event (I once did New Years Eve), it still is a pretty exciting place to be when a major event breaks.
disclaimer: author holds long position DIS
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
I am still at a loss for words. I have so many questions, and no answers so far. It will take me a long time to sort this out. Say goodbye to America as we have known her. A full depression is coming within two years. Our military is going to be picked apart. That's just for starters. How can this be? (Yes, I would very much love to be proven wrong--I do not want this for us).
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Received from Retired USMC:
It is a sad day Gil... I think that America is becoming more and more uneducated and unfortunately this is the way of the future. We will becom more of a socialism type country. We have lost our super power status and soon will fall in line with many of the European countries that are having such financial issues right now because of their socialist programs.
My glasses of wine were in sadness.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
smitty - I hope that your worst fears are not realized.
Personally I'm baffled trying to figure out what agenda drove the engines which produced such widely divergent polls. You and Mike legitimately believed (passionately believed even) that a Romney landslide was probable. Many other Americans did as well.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
GBN: Your Marine Corp friend is on the same page that I am. I am so incredibly sad at what just happened. What makes me even more sad is the large number of people who don't understand what I do. America's greatness is coming to a screeching halt.
David: I have asked myself a million questions today. Where did I go wrong? *HOW* did I go wrong? How did I mis-read things so horribly? How did I make these mistakes? I am VERY slowly coming to some realizations.....realizations that make me extremely uncomfortable about my fellow Americans. Days that I believed would never happen have happened. How can this be? For those who think that today is just another day, and life goes on.....I almost admire your ignorance. And I almost wish I could unlearn what I have learned. If I were not a retiree, chances are, I would not know any of the things that I know---simply because I would not have the time to do the massive researching that I've done. I would have just be-bopped along like everyone else, caught the evening news, and that's that. Because relying on the evening news is just like attending a strategy meeting at the DNC Headquarters---there is NO difference--literally.
I don't know where to go from here, who to turn to, what to do....I'm truly out of my element and am very confused.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
I feel like I want to say more....need to say more. But I'm out of words.
I will remember this day for the rest of my life.
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
quote:Originally posted by smitty195: I feel like I want to say more....need to say more. But I'm out of words.
I will remember this day for the rest of my life.
Me, too! Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
I'll say it Smitty.
The voting machines have been rigged by the democrats. There are WAY too many reports of people voting for Romney and the machine registering an obama vote an there are a few instances where the machine already had an obama vote registered before anyone voted. We have been scammed. Google who built those machines and who owns that company.
We need to go back to paper ballots. Even though the democrats have learned how to scam that system, it is easier to spot (think hanging chad). The only way to get a hanging chad is to punch more than 3 ballots at the same time. The fourth or fifth one will have a hanging chad.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
I'm still speechless. I can't wrap my mind around the colossal ignorance that we just witnessed.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
For those who like myself were watching Returns on other sources (NBC in my case), here is the on-air disagreement that Karl Rove had with his Fox News "massas":
I think Mr. Rove, who is about as partisan as they come; his columns in The Journal are certainly testament to that. But I think this simply points out that Mr. Rove did not want a rerun of Florida in 2K, where of course he had far more "skin in the game" as Bush's primery strategist.
But all told, it just seems like the pollsters and other number crunchers "have got their game', come '16 when I think it will be Hillary v. Christie, I guess we shall see.
Posted by MontanaJim (Member # 2323) on :
I'll say it Smitty.
The voting machines have been rigged by the democrats.
LOL
the one instance where it was proven there was a machine with a problem was in PA, and that machine wouldnt allow a voter to vote for Obama!
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
quote:Originally posted by smitty195: I have asked myself a million questions today. Where did I go wrong? *HOW* did I go wrong? How did I mis-read things so horribly?
smitty - I once asked myself these very same questions. It was in 1991 when I returned to the United States from a deployment in Saudi Arabia and picked up the phone to call a girl that I thought was interested in me. I intended to ask her out. Instead I wound up getting invited to her wedding.
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
It's now been established that the election was rigged by a little boy in Colorado who stole ballots in all the swing states so that Obama would win. He did this to keep the integrity of the "Star Wars" movies from being sullied by the Chinese or Disney!
Hey, it makes as much sense as what the Smith Brothers are saying!
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
Heh heh heh Jerome thinks he knows what "makes sense" means... That's funny!
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
You can lead a horse to water....
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Three million votes, or enough votes to switch 60 electoral votes, would be a lot of votes for the democrats to steal and get away with it.
Five trillion in tax cuts plus 2 trillion in increased military spending could not be paid for by eliminating some (even all) tax deductions.
Nate Silver looked at real poll data without a bias. Actually it turned out the small variance between the real results and the 538 predictions were due to his not counting enough democrats.
One answer to the question "Where did I go wrong?"
Arithmetic. It is hard to spin arithmetic.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
Yep... 3 million voters that voted for McCain did not show up at the polls, according to the vote count. And there was a number of socialists that stated it doesn't matter who votes for whom, it only matters who counts those votes.
I am curious. Can you furnish proof of the $5 trillion in tax cuts and the $2 trillion in military spending? Or is that just another liberal myth?
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Excerpt from Washington Post.... "It’s right there on his Web site. He wants, he says, to give defense spending “a floor of 4 percent of GDP.” Compared to Obama’s proposals, and the military’s current requests, that’s an increase of $2 trillion over the next decade. That’s a huge amount of money."
Excerpt from Bloomberg Business Week... "Romney issued a more aggressive tax-cutting plan in March that would cut individual income tax rates an additional 20 percent. It involved, as Obama correctly said, approximately $5 trillion in reduced tax receipts over 10 years."
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
quote:Originally posted by notelvis: smitty - I once asked myself these very same questions. It was in 1991 when I returned to the United States from a deployment in Saudi Arabia and picked up the phone to call a girl that I thought was interested in me. I intended to ask her out. Instead I wound up getting invited to her wedding.
Whoa! Now that's a story! I'd imagine you were pretty shocked? I would have hung up the phone after that conversation and thought to myself, "What the heck just happened??".
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
Seriously, TSR? You are taking the befuddled words of Bloomberg and obama? Did you miss that reduction in deductions that would cancel out the $500 billion a year mythical "tax cut"?
4% of GDP for military spending is what we are spending RIGHT NOW!!!!
Research is an enlightening and educational endeavor. You should try it some time, instead of believing obama's re-election committee.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
quote:Originally posted by smitty195:
quote:Originally posted by notelvis: smitty - I once asked myself these very same questions. It was in 1991 when I returned to the United States from a deployment in Saudi Arabia and picked up the phone to call a girl that I thought was interested in me. I intended to ask her out. Instead I wound up getting invited to her wedding.
Whoa! Now that's a story! I'd imagine you were pretty shocked? I would have hung up the phone after that conversation and thought to myself, "What the heck just happened??".
Well - I didn't accept the invitation to the wedding, that's for sure!
There is more to the story, of course. The girl and I had known each other for four or five years and had been exchanging letters during my time in Desert Storm. Nothing had been said in these letters about having a new boyfriend or getting married...... though she had made certain that I knew her new address when she moved from California to Texas during my deployment.
All I can say is that I was horribly embarrassed to have misread the intent and doubted my ability to correctly interpret anything for at least a couple of years afterward.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)