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US Presidential Race 3
January 28, 2012 - 3:10pm
continued from here:
http://rabble.ca/babble/international-news-and-politics/us-presidential-...
At least Newt's moon gaff has left us with something memorable.
the major reason Obama will be re-elected:
steady improvement in US economy and jobs market in 2012:
http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-cohn/100098/obama-visit-michigan-gm-bailout-detroit-jobs-skills
The Odd Couple: Romney Vs Gingrich - by Matt Taibbi
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/9729-the-odd-couple-romne...
"Has the GOP race become a showdown between a walking OCD diagnosis and a flatulent serial adulterer?"
Mitt Romney, Florida's Psycho-Killer Superhero of Cash - by Charles Pierce
http://www.readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/9737-focus-mitt-romne...
"Romney won because he had more money.."
US economy jumps ahead, nearly half a million net new jobs in last 2 months;
conclusion, Obama '12 in a landslide if things continue to improve: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/us/politics/improved-job-picture-poses-risks-to-obama-and-romney.html?ref=global-homeEconomists were surprised by the strength of the new numbers, which showed a gain of 243,000 jobs last month and larger gains in earlier months than previously reported. Over the last year, the economy has added almost two million jobs for the best 12 months in five years. Stocks surged, with the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index closing only slightly below its high since Mr. Obama took office.
The economy has now been gaining strength for almost six months, according to a broad array of data, offering some reason for hope that the effects of the deep financial crisis are finally starting to fade.
Numbers are spun, people also dropped out of the labour market completely
http://blog.american.com/2012/02/why-the-official-8-3-percent-unemployme...
that's an old argument, in fact the US national statistics on unemployment take that into account (that people drop out of, then rejoin the jobs market as it improves), which makes it progressively harder for the unemplyment stats to drop below, say, 4-5 per cent ...
the ILO formula allows stats agencies to normalize these fluctuations and compare between countries/regions better; they track "discouraged workers" and the ""participation rate" and try to even out the variations, these are calculated as U-3, U-4 and U-5 figures, for example:
http://www.ilo.org/washington/ilo-and-the-united-states/spot-light-on-the-us-labor-market/recent-us-labor-market-data/lang--en/index.htm
Total employment in the U.S. has continued increasing with the strengthening U.S. economy, creating a total of 200,000 net new jobs in December 2011. The private sector added 212,000 jobs while the public sector shed 12,000 jobs. During 2011, the private sector added 1.9 million jobs while government decreased by 280,000. All sectors (except construction, professional, and business services) had increases in December, led by transportation and warehousing. Overall, the employment to population ratio (E/P) stands at 58.5%, unchanged from previous months.
and for youth unemployment:
http://www.ilo.org/washington/ilo-and-the-united-states/spot-light-on-the-us-labor-market/spot-light-on-us-youth/lang--en/index.htm
If the unemployment rate is falling quickly -- as it is in the U.S. now -- the above facts are integrated into the employment stats; but the U-3 rate gets the headlines, no question.
It is dropping fast, the others historically follow in lockstep, so cheers
You sound just like Jim Flaherty. 600,000 new jobs, not including all the ones that were lost since 2008
It would be one thing if Republicans used the argument that Obama is creating something (that actually has existed in greater scope in the past) "foreign" as a cynical political ploy. But a lot these folks really believe it. And I'm not just talking about the nutjob teabaggers and talk radio blowhards. But office holders as well.
There's always that thread with the tumbleweeds blowing through, where you were asked to outline your indepth solutions.
Well, I have been around here for awhile its true, but not long enough to have seen you propose anything with a snowball's chance.
How to waste your vote in 2012
by Bruce A. Dixon
It's true enough. Your vote really is your voice, and in the modern era, every government on earth claims to rule with the consent of the people. This bestows upon the vote a unique kind of legal and symbolic power. The gap, however, between this legal, this symbolic power of the vote and any real ability to change things for the better is a vast one. The authorities rightly fear the people's voice, and so have contrived law and custom to ensure that we are seldom heard and almost never heeded.
They would never dream of allowing us to vote on the price of gas, food, housing, credit or college tuition. But they don't mind at all letting us choose between corporate-funded Republicans and corporate-funded Democrats. The powers that rule our economy, our media and our politics won't let us vote on whether to bring the troops home from 140 countries and the seven seas, or whether to continue spending more on weapons of death and destruction than the other 95% of humanity combined. But they will let us choose between an ignorant, crazy or racist Republican who promises to give banksters, polluters and corporate criminals a free pass, and a sane, smart, level-headed free market liberal Democrat who does exactly the same thing, no matter what he promised.
The authorities won't let us vote on whether the broadcast spectrum should be privatized, whether we should have the right to start and join unions, whether to create millions of good-paying green jobs. They won't allow voters to decide whether corporations deserve more rights than flesh and blood people, or whether the president should be able to kidnap, torture, imprison and murder people without trials or even charges. But they will let us choose between a white guy and a black guy. As long as it's their white guy, and their black one as well.
Ha!
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/08/us-usa-campaign-idUSTRE80Q2AQ2...
Wow! If the NDP race could contain these sorts of twists and turns it might be interesting--- exciting even.
Just a side show. Romney will win the next two big races in 3 weeks, Michigan and Arizona, which are not caucuses or beauty contests. He will be the nominee.
Not that I give a shit about the Republicans but I'd like to see whom Romney picks as his VP...
He'll need someone especially whacky, in the spirit of reaching around to the various base ideologies and such. Displaying a knack for having people come together in other words. It didn't work out so well for John McCain though, but they really can't help themselves from exercising the same type of judgments.
Romney/Bachman 2012. Theme song: Takin' Care of Business.
Probably one of 4: Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Bob McDonnell or Susana Martinez. Romney seems to making a play for the Catholic vote. All four are Catholic, and two are Latino.
Well, that should be interesting. Hardcore evangelicals already think he's not a real Christian - I'm sure they would just love it if he teamed up with a Catholic, which many of them also consider to be not quite Christian.
Anyhoo, my non-existent vote is with Roseanne.
Obama: 'The Devil' Made Me Take The Super-Pac Money - by Glen Ford
http://blackagendareport.com/content/obama-%E2%80%9C-devil%E2%80%9D-made...
"...There is no evidence that Obama wants to clean up campaign financing, only that he finds all kinds of excuses to take the money. This election year, just like last time, the top influence seller is Barack Obama.."
Anyone post this yet?
Diebold accidentally leaks 2012 election results
Good one jas!
Ha, jas, I love that one. I think they might have recycled it from a few years ago, though, updated with new names. I seem to remember seeing that one last time around.
Edited to add: I knew it. Here's the 2008 version - exactly the same, with the names changed.
Rick Santorum won the caucus vote in my state (Minnesota) last night. But, if there is any evidence that Santorum is unfit to be president, then this is it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js3BYcHmBhE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Rick Santorum is bad news for everybody.
Jay Smooth on Romney vs Gingrich.