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Sunday Roundup

Posted: 08/18/2012 11:44 pm

This week started optimistically, with the hope that Paul Ryan's selection would finally turn campaign 2012 into a big picture discussion about the role of government and the nature of capitalism. Instead, we got outraged reactions to President Obama joking about Seamus the dog, hours of debate over Joe Biden's use of the word "chains," and a back-and-forth between the campaigns about which presidential candidate was "unhinged." It is 78 days until the election, with 25 million Americans unemployed or underemployed, over 13 million homeowners underwater and our national conversation is still on a level of two children fighting in the back seat of the minivan. Maybe for the first debate, we should strap each candidate into a car seat, give them each a juice box, and let them have at it.

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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
John Hermans
I'm in the middle and I can't even see the right!
06:29 AM on 08/20/2012
Arianna, what do you expect in a race for the undecided voter?

If you are undecided 78 days before this election you have to be a complete idiot.
One candidate is CLEARLY championing your best interests and one CLEARLY championing against them, don't you know what your own best interests are?

Because reason and intellect bounce off the stupid, candidates obviously shift to lies and soundbytes. I'm surprised that you are surprised!
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SecularAdvocate
Media Watcher
02:16 PM on 08/20/2012
Well, that's exactly what I was going to say. Darn it.
12:51 AM on 08/20/2012
Now that we've been introduced to "Mom," I would be very interested to learn from a trained psychotherapist his or her impressions of Rep. Paul Ryan's toilet-training habits and early bottle/breast feeding experiences. I'd bet $10,000.00 he was overly-praised for his tidy B.M. habits and was never breast fed.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
giftsthatpurr
zestful life
11:31 PM on 08/19/2012
No - no juice box until they behave!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JaPaKDaily
Fish killer.
07:16 AM on 08/20/2012
unfortunately, one of them will get a juice box either way.
07:40 PM on 08/20/2012
If Mitt gets it, he'll try to trickle the juice onto the rest of us.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
thelondonco
10:45 PM on 08/19/2012
i was just thinking which isn't good for you, but i was pondering how you would truly assess all of the resources in America, figuring out how you would separate what to keep and what to sell, becoming more efficient, and it crossed my mind didn't the military leave a whole bunch of tanks and assets behind after the war, why if you’re just going to give them away why did they not sell them, they are not a Kia.

how much government waste is there?
07:42 PM on 08/20/2012
Don't worry, I'm sure some corporation got a big write-off for that.

Oh, you mean saving the American PEOPLE money? Yeah, I think they stopped caring about that a long time ago...
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
thelondonco
10:38 PM on 08/19/2012
I’m just saying ,if you don't think that the policies of either party are what you think is best ,that neither has policies that will make the changes we desperately need, then should you accept it.? And do it anyway because that’s what you’re meant to do.

We are adults ,we are allowed to change our minds, the government is meant to work for us if you have forgotten.fi you don't want another 4 years of the same then don't accept this,it's your right and your lives this affects including your family, demand they negotiate and bash this out, we’re in a real mess and we need real solutions
we need heroes and i'm not joking this time
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
thelondonco
10:27 PM on 08/19/2012
We blame the parties and systems when truly they are not to blame WE ARE.
we are choosing to once again accept one of two men who are terrible candidates it's embarrassing to think we will accept once again policies that aren't the best for America and will do damage in the future, just to stave off our new enemy the 1% don't just think about now think about our future .
if you stop the problems escalating now ,in the future we're not going have to go through this again and more importantly neither will our children.

Make sensible change, not this, we need new parties and leaders.78 days is more than enough.
10:24 PM on 08/19/2012
Exactly! What is supposed to be one of the MOST IMPORTANT times for Americans is now merely another form of infotainment. Rather than getting ones teeth stuck into the REALLY IMPORTANT matters like, health care (for all for free!), foreign relations (which war? China? Who??), or money matters (YOU BANKERS ARE STEALING AND RIPPING THE US OFF!!!!!!!!)... what happens? Blather (that's ridiculous and meaningless talk) and nonsense from the people who you are supposed to take seriously. I'm only mildly angry (not surprised) because American foreign policy and economic matter impact New Zealand marginally... in saying that though AMERICA, YOU ARE AT RISK OF F#@KING UP THE WORLD! All the rich self serving policies are BAD! The whole notion that people are free... nonsense! You are all being manipulated! Edward Bernays!!!! Look him up, LEGAL PROPAGANDA is being used, worldwide, to control the masses. To control YOU...
Be afraid people of the world, dig deep and ask questions. The most important people in your country are nothing more than shysters, charlatans and tricksters! Keeping the money, the power and your ideas for themselves!
Troy, NZ
10:59 PM on 08/19/2012
Thanks for the great post! I looked up info on Edward Bernays & it was very interesting! I found out there is a documentary (award winning from BBC) entitled "The Century of Self" that explains the propaganda used to turn the U.S. & England into consumeristic nations. And - the PR/ marketing techniques used. Same ones the Tea/GOP uses which turn me completely off! I'm certain the Dems & others use them but the Tea ones are so insane! Ex.) death panels, etc.

I know everything is being manipulated/ screwing up the country & world! The 1% (Not all!) are really doing a number on the rest of us! It's incredible how many intelligent people I point things out to, & they just really don't seem to believe it! They're not Teapartiers, though, thank goodness.

2 good sites for everyone: *** ALECexposed.org *** AND ** GodsOwnParty.com **
04:30 AM on 08/21/2012
Sweet:) Spread the word about Mr Bernays! Everyone needs to know how they have been mistreated and essentially hypnotised by the state and the powers that be!
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10:15 PM on 08/19/2012
Like a child who makes a couple of hops on one leg, without falling down, on one leg and is pleased at his dextirity . Doubly so , because there are onlookers.
Dag Hammarskjold
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mangoaddict
10:12 PM on 08/19/2012
100 Percent right Arianna. The entire process is an insult to the American people and not just the pettiness. It is the blatant lies, the super PAC money, the voter suppression, and the lack of leadership in Congress while millions suffer with unemploymentent. We talk about bringing democracy to the middle east yet we suppress the vote at home. I do not think that we have a workable system worth emulating in its present state.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tbsa
GOP, wanting America to fail since 2009.
10:03 PM on 08/19/2012
Really Arianna, perhaps you should use your platform to find out why the conservative media is bent on lying to the american people. Why isn't the press talking about how we don't know what Romney's positions are because he won't tell us. Or why he thinks he should be the one to reform the tax code when he won't come clean with America about his finanical history. And finally why has he literally destroyed the files of everything he has done in his professional life?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ztck5356
When in doubt, Google it.
09:12 PM on 08/19/2012
Perhaps we expect too much from most politicians today. After all, it seems most of them are drudging the bottom of the proverbial "barrel" of intelligence. We do have some very intelligent, moral, ethical, wise, people who could probably turn this country around, but who would want to wade into the murky waters that the current politicians have turned Washington into? Anyone decent who would think they might want to run, would soon realize that one person cannot make a dent in the corruption. Unless an entire group of men/women band together and run on a platform of sanity, there is no hope that anyone with a grain of sense would dare waste their time.
10:27 PM on 08/19/2012
F&F! And ... the Super Pacs would make sure to outspend you by zillions. The Tea/GOP is making sure to get rid of moderate GOPers during every election. Pretty scary, IMO, that there are that many 'delusional' (facts don't matter) people to vote for the Delusional Party -- Teaparty.

Plz. pass on 2 good sites everyone. *** ALECexposed.org *** re: the Tea/GOP & their Pro-Corporation & Pro-1% agenda. Totally Anti-99%.

Also: ** GodsOwnParty.com ** re: their radical religious beliefs. Dominionism. (Wiki has good definitions/ info, also) Info includes which politicians -- Gingrich, Santorum, etc. Has a blog also.
08:45 PM on 08/19/2012
Only politicans run for office with no legs to stand on and elections become just balancing acts till one falls on their " constitution".
08:36 PM on 08/19/2012
We are all masters of our own destiny. I refuse to follow our leaders blindly into battle. If voting works for you then make yourself happy by believing in this society. Believe in your self first concur all the challenges you set for yourself, and if you win more's the better. Then go out and vote, why not, some one has to believe in capitalism.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
thelondonco
08:15 PM on 08/19/2012
when two parties fail to talk to each other and negotiate, in my opinion neither party is fit to run a country, it is all or nothing, miracles aren't going to solve this but good policies introduced slowly with a sensible budget ,

we have many issues people are to politically correct to talk about, we need new stiff immigration to stem the growth in pop, by allowing anyone in means that the resources we have are stretched and the resources decline per head the more the population, it’s logic, shut the boarders for a while why we take care of the population we have before pushing through immigration bills to increase pop so they can vote.

you and your two party system has failed you, if you have a strong hold on power are you going to encourage smaller competition NO. So if no incentives to change you force it and i am starting tomorrow .
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evgolightly
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08:07 PM on 08/19/2012
I'm really tired of the "both sides" false equivalencies.

Arianna, I'd love to read your analysis of the Ryan Plan for America. President Obama gave a lengthy, detailed speech about it, covering exactly what it would mean for millions of lower middle class and poor Americans, how it would make seniors have to pay skyrocketing costs for healthcare, etc. He has spoken about Romney's economic plan at length.

President Obama put forth a detailed a jobs plan and a budget that balances in twelve years, a health care overhaul, a successful auto rescue, a green energy push, and thoughtful foreign policy that doesn't rely on constant fear and distraction. Let's not act as though he's a dilettante.

How about a discussion about GOP voter suppression efforts?

So, Pres. Obama made a joke about a dog and we now have to strap him to a car seat? Never mind Romney's hundred outright lies a day ...
08:22 PM on 08/19/2012
Couldn't agree more. I watch Morning Joe all the time and Joe is always talking about how both parties are being petty. I am biased but I see way more dirty tricks coming from Romney, Ryan and Rove. That welfare commercial alone is enough of an outrage but there are so many others.
10:29 PM on 08/19/2012
Sadly, all any politician promises, is in order to gain your trust and vote. They (both sides) are backed by the most powerful corporations in the world. These entities do not want to give up their power. They do not want to help anyone if it is not profitable! The money being bandied about, during the lead up to the elections alone, is grossly obscene. Even worse, the American public is being given two clear choices in this campaign. Two. Is that really how things are in the land of the (apparently) free and the home of the (aren't we all?) brave? Oh that's right, Disneyland... Good versus evil... Ring a bell?
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evgolightly
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01:10 AM on 08/20/2012
I'm not interested in whining right now. Obama gets next to zero Wall St support and never got money from big oil in the first place.
Look at the hidden billions (with a "B") that Romney is getting and then talk to me about "both sides" nonsense. Obama discloses his donors.
WE must engage and WE must reelect this president and every progressive we can.