Leaked Oppo on "Barack Hussein Obama" NH Visit

Chuck Todd is my favorite newsie n/t (0.00 / 0)

If the kids can't bop to it, it's bombsville.

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 17:53:20 PM CDT

HUSSEIN!!!!!!!!!!!!11111one11 (4.00 / 7)

Former President George W. Bush's middle name is Walker.  Is that shortened from Skywalker?  Does that mean his father, George H. W. Bush, 41st President of the United States, is Darth Vader?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

WHERE'S HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE?

--
New Hampshire's stimulus: a train to Boston.
Visit NHBTI.org to learn about the NH Capitol Corridor project.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 17:55:30 PM CDT

Put more simply. . . . (4.00 / 3)

"Hussein" = "Scary Black Man"

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by: Dartmouth Dem @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 18:18:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Or (4.00 / 2)

"vaguely Middle Eastern sounding scary black man"

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by: Dean Barker @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 19:01:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yeah, but (0.00 / 0)

I heard some wingnut make a good point the other day. Barack used to embrace the exotic nature of his name -- his entire name. Going back to that -- this is me now, not the wingnut -- would banish the "smear."

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by: JimC @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 12:48:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

He used his full name when he took the oath. (4.00 / 1)

And if memory serves, he was reportedly annoyed that the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (a joint Congressional committee, existing well before the election takes place, chaired by Senator Feinstein) wrote his name as "Barack H. Obama" on their materials.

--
New Hampshire's stimulus: a train to Boston.
Visit NHBTI.org to learn about the NH Capitol Corridor project.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 14:25:38 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

"popular blond" You see they are motivated by jealousy (4.00 / 1)

and they're groupies.  The line between adulation and antagonism is apparently very thin.  And that's likely what's concerning to the leadership.  It's going to be hard to keep the groupies in line when a new star appears on the scene.

The big problem the Republican party has is that, while the base has been obedient on election day, their basic mode is one of disinterest.  So, keeping them involved in the deliberative process is going to be super hard.

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by: hannah @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 18:07:59 PM CDT

Different take - (4.00 / 2)

or maybe a different spin on the same take.

"Popular blond" plays on the "dumb blonde" stereotype - which has always been applied to women only (okay, we made an exception for Dan Quayle). The posters are suggesting that the very popularity of the Democratic Party today is proof of its stupidity.

Insults, stereotypes, alogical (is that a word? it is now) discourse - this is a hat trick for the GOP.

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by: elwood @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 18:19:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I love this (4.00 / 5)

Barack Hussein Obama will be arriving in Portsmouth on Tuesday to hold a STAGED "Town Hall Meeting", where he will essentially hand pick who the guests will be and what types of questions will be asked of him.

This, to me, is the funniest part of the press release.  For eight years, we had a President who ONLY held staged events, ones in which political goons forcibly evicted people who didn't ask questions like "Why does the media hate you, President Bush."  

Now we have a President who has repeatedly -- and patiently -- answered questions from ordinary, non-activists citizens about his health care plan.  And who's attacking him of "hand picking" audience members?  George Bush's apologists.

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by: Dartmouth Dem @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 18:18:13 PM CDT

Transference seems to grow out of a sense of guilt for bad behavior and the (4.00 / 1)

expectation that the opposition will engage in similar behavior to get revenge.  The next step is to take umbrage at this "nasty" behavior which hasn't even happened yet.

The net effect is that they're always accusing Democrats of what they've done themselves.  They do get an advantage from the fact that it's hard for Democrats to defend against what they haven't done.  So, it's best not to even try.

It might be worth keeping in mind that one of the major objections to taxation as a funding mechanism is its efficiency.  Money comes in and goes out without any intermediation by the financial sector--i.e. there's no opportunity for the financiers to get a "cut."

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by: hannah @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 18:35:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

case in point: (4.00 / 2)

notice how Cash For Clunkers is viewed as a flop because they used up the $1B within a few days and some car dealers actually ran out of cars to sell.

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 20:44:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Clearly, (4.00 / 1)

President Obama is a failure because his policy was more successful than he anticipated.

--
New Hampshire's stimulus: a train to Boston.
Visit NHBTI.org to learn about the NH Capitol Corridor project.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 23:19:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

at least it's collateralized debt (0.00 / 0)

Denis makes a good point--- but at least this is collateralized debt.  At least the debt is being created to buy something tangible and useful.

If the owners of the new cars default on their car payments the repo man will stop by.  (Although I suppose the government doesn't get its Clunker payment back if that happens.)

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 10:59:45 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

There are more wasteful things involving larger amounts of money. (4.00 / 1)

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say almost any amount of money that can be stacked on a forklift is, in fact, a large amount of money." -Jon Stewart

--
New Hampshire's stimulus: a train to Boston.
Visit NHBTI.org to learn about the NH Capitol Corridor project.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 11:26:13 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

debt for value (0.00 / 0)

Cash for clunkers' success is its failure. We succeeded in taking actual, physical value -- paid-off cars that their owners were using -- and traded it for $1B in pure debt.

We are not a country in a position to trade shiny things for future debt. That's a bad strategy no matter which party affiliation the administration is.

I completely reject the use of violence to effect social and political change.
End the wars. ALL OF THEM.

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by: d_goddard @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 06:12:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

at least it's collateralized debt (0.00 / 0)

Denis makes a good point--- at least this is collateralized debt.  If the owners of the new cars default on their car payments the repo man will stop by.  (Although I suppose the government doesn't get its Clunker payment back if that happens.)

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 10:55:51 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Collateral (0.00 / 0)

Thanks Tim.

The collateral aspect would be a mitigating factor in other circumstances. However, I would point out that:
1) bank loans for homes are also collateralized, but no bank is happy to suddenly own lots of homes
2) homes don't lose most of their resale value the moment someone owns them. Cars, however, do...

I completely reject the use of violence to effect social and political change.
End the wars. ALL OF THEM.

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by: d_goddard @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 14:48:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

A great success (4.00 / 2)

One of the major points of the program was to increase the overall mileage of the American auto fleet. Done.
Another was to reduce the inventory of cars sitting on car lots. Done.
Another purpose was to get more cash circulating in the national economy. Done.
No need to be defensive about this program; it did exactly what it was supposed to do.  


"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 16:39:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Right you are ! (4.00 / 1)

If you completely ignores the actual GOALS of the program - taking high-pollution vehicles off the road and stimulating a crippled economy in general and the automotive industry in particular - why, if you ignore the goals the program is an abject failure!

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by: elwood @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 18:40:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

cash for clunkers a flop? (0.00 / 0)

Some including me look at cash for clunkers as a good idea poorly implemented.  The bill has become an economic stimulus for low mpg foreign car manufacturers. Four out of five cars sold were to foreign car maufacturers.  There should have been language in the bill restricting the incentive to cars containing at least a 50% us manufactured content.

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by: moderatejoe @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 06:38:14 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

you never seem (0.00 / 0)

to provide any proof of your assertions, fauxmoderatejoe.  

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by: susanthe @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 07:13:21 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

link attached... (4.00 / 1)

...I assumed you were well informed and stayed current in events.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Many 'Clunker' Dumpers Buy Foreign
$664 Million Has Been Requested in Vehicle Vouchers; Most Top Sellers Are Japanese

By Dana Hedgpeth and Sholnn Freeman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Four of the five top-selling cars in the government's "Cash for Clunkers" program are made by foreign automakers, according to new data released Tuesday by federal transportation officials.

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by: moderatejoe @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 07:41:17 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

A little more research (4.00 / 2)

would have shown you that

NHTSA records show that nearly half of new vehicles purchased under the program were from the U.S. Big Three. Their share in this program -- 45 percent -- is equivalent to their overall share in the auto market

 http://www.consumeraffairs.com...

and

that the Toyota and Honda both have US plants.  The Toyota Camry is made in Kentucky. The Honda Civic in Indiana.

and

Toyota's annual spending in the US for parts, goods and services total more than $29 billion.

So...
It seems the cash for clunkers has been good for the American economy no matter which cars were bought.


"Plus Ça Change, Plus C'est La Même Chose"

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by: NHFlatlander @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 08:34:54 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Nicely done.... (0.00 / 0)

...there are a number of foreign assembly assembly plants in the with varying %'s of foreign content but those sales are good for those plant workers.

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by: moderatejoe @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 15:35:48 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

What's the difference? (0.00 / 0)

You live across some border, an invisible line on a map, and having a job and being able to take care of your family isn't as important because you're on the wrong sie of the invisible line?

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by: Alex Gallichon @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 18:15:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Great idea! Start a tariff war! (but herbert hoover beat you to it) (4.00 / 2)

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 07:22:40 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes I know........ (0.00 / 0)

...we have have to be careful in its implementation, but we have clever people in govt and it seems to me that this temporary program could have been written to avoid the tariff war issue.  If cash for clunkers was intended to get X number of old low mpg vehicles off the road then it had an early success, call it a victory game over.  If it is some type of stimulus funding and 80% is going over seas then it is a failure.  Bottom line the program shouldn't have been extended.

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by: moderatejoe @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 07:47:57 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

"Low mpg foreign cars" (0.00 / 0)

What crapola.

The mpg is lower than it should be precisely because the program was tuned to support current generation US hogs. Trade in a 15 MPG Hummer for a 19 MPG Explorer.

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by: elwood @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 18:43:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

As an added bonus (0.00 / 0)

low-income people who wanted to get a crummy first car as an alternative to taking the bus or the shoe leather express will soon have a price floor of about $4,500 for a car as the old "clunkers" are destroyed and the used market shrinks.

I'm sure that counts for success... for someone.

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by: Brinck Slattery @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 09:20:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Nice spin (0.00 / 0)

The working class rage angle.

Have you tried crying about the misfortunes of used parts dealers?

The HORROR!

Brink,
Your support for marraige equality and medical marijuana is appreciated.

Try to stick to the path, please.

www.KusterforCongress.com  

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 09:26:58 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Haha thank you, Jack (0.00 / 0)

but it's simple economics - if you pay people to destroy all the used cars that sell for equal to or less than $4,500, there won't be a lot of those cars lying around for very long.

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by: Brinck Slattery @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 09:45:32 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Grand scheme of things (4.00 / 1)

You point is negligible.

The cash for clunkers will give car based biz a shot in the arm. Also, since your average car is 25K-30K, the spike in purchases will give credit markets a nudge.

This is a great program.

www.KusterforCongress.com  

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 10:01:09 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

they are all staged events........ (4.00 / 1)

.....both parties ensure that the events go their way on the inside.  No elected official really wants to bump into a Joe the Plumber question at their event, which can happen when you allow someone to ask a question and you don't know where its going.  I tried to get a ticket and entered my name Saturday morning, but as the story stated there were only a limited number of available tickets.  The attendees are screened and hand picked, Bush did it and so does Obama.

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by: moderatejoe @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 07:04:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Evidence please. (4.00 / 4)

"Bush did it and so does Obama"

From the link:

And as much as some might want to believe the White House will be staging the questions, don't believe that hype. The White House knows the political price for being caught doing that is MUCH higher than having to deal with a confrontation or two at the meeting itself. If anything, I'd bet some inside the White House are hoping for a confrontation since they believe the president's demeanor alone will politically play well with the folks the White House cares most about right now, ACTUAL independents.

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by: Dean Barker @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 08:28:45 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I can't prove it... (0.00 / 0)

...but it can't be proved that others stacked the audience either.  We all know, these events get filled first by the list of local politicians, supporters and activists.  I'll bet the make up of attendees in the room doesn't match the make up of thosse outside.

Never mind stacking the audience with supporters, wasn't just last month that Politico noted that Obama seem to know the Iran subject and question before Nico Pitney asked it?

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by: moderatejoe @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 15:42:11 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes, it can't be proved (0.00 / 0)

It's merely obvious.

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by: JimC @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 15:58:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

You write. (4.00 / 3)

it can't be proved that others stacked the audience either

It has been proven.  There is a long and documented history of George W. Bush's staged POTUS events.

And no, I'm not going to do the research for you.

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by: Dean Barker @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 17:48:27 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

pragmatic view.... (0.00 / 0)

I clipped this from the Boston Globe.

Protests planned for Obama N.H. visit
Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor August 10, 2009 05:24 PM
President Obama's town hall meeting on healthcare on Tuesday in Portsmouth, N.H., will almost certainly be far less of a free-for-all than the raucous ones that members of Congress have been having, filled with shouting matches, pushing and shoving, and even some arrests.

It is the president's first public healthcare event since the protests at town halls became big news -- and it is happening in the birthplace of the American ideal of town meetings and small-d democracy. (The White House this evening confirmed the start time as 1 p.m. EDT)

As usual for such events, the White House controlled the distribution of the free tickets to get into the gym at Portsmouth High School. And, per usual, the Secret Service will take care of any unruliness.

It seems that most people accept stacking, as the truth.

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by: moderatejoe @ Tue Aug 11, 2009 at 10:23:24 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

we all know this? (0.00 / 0)

Who is this we? Is there a hamster in your pocket?

I don't know any such thing. The only politician I have ever seen stack the audience and the questions is former Congressman Jeb Bradley, and I've been to hundreds of town hall meetings around the state.  

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by: susanthe @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 17:51:06 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Evidence please... (0.00 / 0)

I just wanted to say to you....

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by: moderatejoe @ Tue Aug 11, 2009 at 10:25:59 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

So, "liberty" means free to be sick and die (0.00 / 0)

unattended?

That Medicare participants seem ignorant of the fact that government is keeping the books while doctors provide the care needs to be corrected.  

It seems that much of the insurance advertising budget has served to obscure that the add-ons they've been selling aren't augmenting their own programs.

While I am somewhat shamed to admit that I haven't read the spouse's annual Medicare update report with care, I think the reason is that the focus was mainly on add-ons in which we had no interest.  It's possible that Medicare is under some sort of obligation to provide information about private insurance alternatives as a concession to the privatizers.
Newt Gingrich was quoted as opining today that Medicare is a private program that's funded by the government--an entirely accurate statement.  More reason why we should just go with Opt-In Medicare or, as someone else proposed, make it open enrollment.

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by: hannah @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 18:20:54 PM CDT

free speech zone (3.00 / 4)

Emperor Bush was so enamored of his Orwellian "Free Speech Zones"

And now Lord Obama is finding he likes them, too.

Funny, I thought the whole USA was a free speech zone. I guess it's not just Republicans who trash the bill of rights.

I completely reject the use of violence to effect social and political change.
End the wars. ALL OF THEM.

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by: d_goddard @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 06:15:47 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I don't agree with that (0.00 / 0)

But I think it's worth discussing. I wish someone would challenge free speech zones in court.

Or, you know, the Democratic Congress could act to ban them.

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by: JimC @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 11:57:32 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

In court? (0.00 / 0)

Why "in court?"
Good people disobey bad laws.

At least, that's what Rosa Parks thought, I do believe I agree with the woman.

I completely reject the use of violence to effect social and political change.
End the wars. ALL OF THEM.

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by: d_goddard @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 14:51:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Clearly (4.00 / 1)

I am a bad person.

If the authorities -- the people with tasers -- are enforcing a free speech zone, then a court challenge would be handy.

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by: JimC @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 14:54:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

an inartfully provocative (0.00 / 0)

yet important observation.

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by: Alex Gallichon @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 18:19:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I missed your reference. (0.00 / 0)

Perhaps because you posted in the wrong place?

Are you claiming that Obama is creating walled-off areas as "free speech zones?" If so I will join you in condemning it.

But I haven't seen any such story.

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by: elwood @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 20:32:08 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I have just noticed that "oppo" is (4.00 / 8)

an anagram for "poop".

That is all.

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by: elwood @ Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 18:41:36 PM CDT

NHRVC (4.00 / 2)

Their facebook listing for this event - probably where NBC got it - is public.

But just like the Googlegroup, their group page is not:

This is a closed group. Members must be invited or approved by an admin.

Definitely a step in the right direction for copying the Democrats' grassroots success.

It's time we steer by the stars, and not the lights of every passing ship

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by: Andy Edwards @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 02:29:21 AM CDT

As someone else writing on groupism pointed out, a group's (0.00 / 0)

existence depends on another group to be different from.  In this they are similar to elitists who require subordinates for their existence.  You'd think that "separate but equal" might make a group (all humans), but that whole concept is antithetical to the groupist.  Groups are unequal on purpose.  Which, I guess, tells us that the Supreme Court in its school decision was being groupist and objective--i.e. looking at effect rather than cause.

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by: hannah @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 04:28:54 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

AFL-CIO will be there for health care (4.00 / 3)

Hey all - Unfortunately I won't be making the trip there from DC but there will be lots of AFL-CIO folks speaking up for health care and they won't be intimidated by these corporate funded mobs!

They will be starting to rally outside the town hall at 9:30am if anyone wants to join.


Disclaimer - Don't know if I technically still need one since no longer work in NH, but am paid staffer at AFL-CIO :)

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by: EVale @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 12:24:05 PM CDT

Make your own birther certificate! (0.00 / 0)

http://kenyanbirthcertificateg...

I think I may frame mine!

Doing my best to elect NH Democrats since 1968 and getting better at it every year!

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by: Ray Buckley @ Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 14:57:42 PM CDT