Support NeoGAF

[Particle Physicist]

I'd say he's doing a pretty good job of smearing himself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8YJIx0I23U



Hilarious. Like this:

He's bowing!!!!! Lysol wipes in his pocket?

 

[dave is ok]

Michelle Obama at Target pictures in 3.. 2..

 

[Clevinger]

Kosmo has turned into a parody of himself.

 

[eznark]

It's a right-wing smear job with no hope of success. They're trying to get Obama to drop him like he did everyone else they challenged, attempting to make it look like he has a single scandal during his tenure. He doesn't.

Which is really astounding, if you think about it.

Holder's bald faced lie to the House Judiciary Committee on the treatment of medical marijuana dispensaries would be a scandal if anyone were able to separate out issues and ethics. But no one cares about medical marijuana so no one cares if Holder is a liar when discussing it.

 

[PantherLotus]

ROMNEY IN AN APRON vs. OBAMA INCORRECTLY BOWING

We'll never know who wins THIS battle of optics!

Also -- PD is wrong about Romney automatically passing the "looks like a president" test. John Kerry did too. Hell, he looked like his face was carved right out of Mount Rushmore. I don't think the looks test matters, either.

But I do think optics matters, and it's not just that Romney can't win it, it's that anything he does to combat prevailing notions about him (being a rich, aloof, callous, humorless wall-street fat cat) will just play into the disparity between the candidates.

 

[RustyNails]

Obama bowed and sullied the good name of US and A!!

 

[ToxicAdam]

Pretty interesting stuff:

Given unrealistically high initial expectations, perhaps it is unsurprising that young voters are more disappointed by Obama’s performance. For many, disillusionment with the political process has accompanied increased hardship in life, as the hope and idealism of a bright future coming out of school dissipated into the reality of a harsh economy or taxing student loans, which might compound frustration with the Obama administration. The unemployment rate for 18 29-year-olds is well above the national average, at a dismaying 12.1 percent.

Those convinced that young voters would usher in a progressive political era might be surprised to learn that disappointment with Obama has led many young whites to switch their political allegiances to the GOP, not just return to the political sidelines. According to Pew, young whites have shifted a net 18 percentage points toward Republicans since 2008, leaving a majority of young whites identifying as Republicans by 2011

Young whites constituted just 11 percent of the electorate in 2008, but that's more than the entire Latino vote and nearly as much as African Americans

http://www.tnr.com/blog/electionate/104109/obamas-challenge-young-white-voters

 

[Invisible_Insane]

I am tempted to leave work early just to watch this game.

I left for the evening thinking PoliGAF was holding free and fair elections, but then I return to find something very different.

Bring on the UN monitors!

Optics 101

Here's what Romney did today:

http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/gty_mitt_romney_pie_shop_nt_120619_wblog.jpg

http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2012/06/19/17/44/602-FoBXH.St.55.jpeg
the apron is a nice touch


Here's what Obama did today and yesterday:

http://www.navytimes.com/xml/news/2...lence-syria-061812/061812-obama-putin-800.JPG

http://gdb.voanews.eu/1D2CC2E4-AF51-4CCA-B93E-620FEA8C9789_mw800_s.jpg
Oh, that's just a few of most powerful people in the world.

This is strident cable news bullshit at its worst. I was so disappointed in Maddow for that segment. Are we going to pretend that Obama isn't going to do any retail politicking between now and November?

 

[eznark]

Pretty interesting stuff:






http://www.tnr.com/blog/electionate/104109/obamas-challenge-young-white-voters

Conservative tripe!!

I think a lot of people have been arguing that the youth vote would not be able to propel Obama to victory, but I am pretty shocked that the youth vote is (according to this poll) actively switching sides.

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[codhand]

Optics 101

Here's what Romney did today:

OMG!! @ one crust pie in aluminum?* wait it's a two crust, but still Tisk Tisk.

 

[gcubed]

Conservative tripe!!

I think a lot of people have been arguing that the youth vote would not be able to propel Obama to victory, but I am pretty shocked that the youth vote is (according to this poll) actively switching sides.

I'll believe it when I see it.

yeah i dont believe that one bit.

 

[PantherLotus]

This is strident cable news bullshit at its worst. I was so disappointed in Maddow for that segment. Are we going to pretend that Obama isn't going to do any retail politicking between now and November?

I think it's weird that in the first part of your comment you suggest it's strident cable news bullshit at its worst, but in the next you say that you're disappointed in Rachel Maddow, as if she weren't on cable news. So either you think she's above this "bullshit" or you don't understand the long term electoral consequences, which are probably overstated.

I don't think anyone is pretending that Obama won't go on a bakery tour, or w/e "white/young/married woman love me" thing works, but I think the point was that it won't be on the same day Romney is acting like a big boy and addressing heads of state and staring down Putin.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Conservative tripe!!

I think a lot of people have been staying that the youth vote would not be able to propel Obama to victory, but I am pretty shocked that the youth vote is (according to this poll) actively switching sides.

I'll believe it when I see it.

That is just the white youth vote.

 

[eznark]

That is just the white youth vote.

Which according to the article is 60% of the youth vote. The article also indicates that its more about disillusionment than switching sides.

The other important part buried in that article is that it is using data compiled prior to Obama's gay marriage support speech.

 

[Invisible_Insane]

I think it's weird that in the first part of your comment you suggest it's strident cable news bullshit at its worst, but in the next you say that you're disappointed in Rachel Maddow, as if she weren't on cable news. So either you think she's above this "bullshit" or you don't understand the long term electoral consequences, which are probably overstated.

I don't think anyone is pretending that Obama won't go on a bakery tour, or w/e "white/young/married woman love me" thing works, but I think the point was that it won't be on the same day Romney is acting like a big boy and addressing heads of state and staring down Putin.

I think much of Maddow's work is considerably more informative than the typical cable news show, which is why I make a point of watching it, and why I'm disappointed when she descends to coverage of this nature. "They happened on the same day..." really?

-//-

BREAKING INVISIBLE_INSANE LIFE NEWS:

I'm going to Berlin! (Or maybe the Hague) for another year and an MPP! After I finish my MPA. woooooooooooooooo

 

[Plinko]

Pretty interesting stuff:






http://www.tnr.com/blog/electionate/104109/obamas-challenge-young-white-voters

My favorite part of this is youth thinking that the GOP being in control will actually benefit them.

LOL, youth.

 

[Sirpopopop]

White youth.

Not shocked at all.

These are the same folks who seem to believe that if affirmative action is eliminated they don't have to worry about undeserving minorities taking their "jobs."

Edit: Yes, I meant to use the word jobs.

 

[RustyNails]

Thank you mods.

 

[eznark]

Fast and Furious documents have officially been covered up by the Obama administration.

This is going to explode now.

 

[Plinko]

Fast and Furious documents have officially been covered up by the Obama administration.

This is going to explode now.

Wow--I didn't think it would happen.

This is going to be a huge story.

 

[Black Republican]

gop switches talk from immigrations to fast and furious


good stuff

 

[eznark]

Wow--I didn't think it would happen.

This is going to be a huge story.

This is the first time I've actually believe there is anything to the allegations. Essentially, this proves the GOP's accusations are at least in part true.

 

[thefro]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...ll-as-voters-view-romney-as-out-of-touch.html

13 point lead for Obama in new Bloomberg national poll (directed by the great Selzer & Co) at 53-40. Dooooomed!

 

[Measley]

Looks like we got another Republican witch hunt on our hands.

 

[The Technomancer]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Dept says that President Barack Obama has asserted executive privilege to withhold documents a House committee is seeking in an investigation of a flawed gun-smuggling probe.

In a letter to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a Justice Department official said the privilege applies to documents that explain how the department learned that there were problems with the investigation called Operation Fast and Furious.

I don't quite understand. So there was a flawed operation called Fast and Furious and the coverup wasn't covering up the flawed operation, but covering up how the Justice Department found out that it was flawed?

 

[PantherLotus]

Fast and Furious documents have officially been covered up by the Obama administration.

This is going to explode now.

I must've been hiding under my liberal media rock. Gimme the quick n' dirty about the whole thing.

 

[eznark]

I must've been hiding under my liberal media rock. Gimme the quick n' dirty about the whole thing.

Go to any news site today, I'm sure it's all that will be discussed for the rest of the week.

 

[Black Republican]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...ll-as-voters-view-romney-as-out-of-touch.html

13 point lead for Obama in new Bloomberg national poll (directed by the great Selzer & Co) at 53-40. Dooooomed!

biased

 

[PantherLotus]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsme...ege_on_fast_and_furious_documents.php?ref=fpa

Btw, claiming executive privilege is hardly a "cover up." Good god, hyperventilate much?

 

[Invisible_Insane]

something something sunshine disinfectant

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsme...ege_on_fast_and_furious_documents.php?ref=fpa

Btw, claiming executive privilege is hardly a "cover up." Good god, hyperventilate much?

I'm sure you would be applying the same level of nuance to this judgment if Bush was still president. C'mon, man. This is shitty.

 

[The Technomancer]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsme...ege_on_fast_and_furious_documents.php?ref=fpa

Btw, claiming executive privilege is hardly a "cover up." Good god, hyperventilate much?

Wait the US government seriously uses that old-timey ornate font for the headers of important letters?

 

[RustyNails]

Go to any news site today, I'm sure it's all that will be discussed for the rest of the week.

I give it 1.5 days.

 

[ToxicAdam]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsme...ege_on_fast_and_furious_documents.php?ref=fpa

Btw, claiming executive privilege is hardly a "cover up." Good god, hyperventilate much?

"I need to go to my biased news sites to tell me how I should feel!"

 

[harSon]

"I need to go to my biased news sites to tell me how I should feel!"

I don't recall reading the author's views on the subject anywhere on that page?

 

[Averon]

I give it 1.5 days.

Nah. Given it's the middle of election season, the GOP's messaging machine, and cable news desire for controversy, I can see this story going for at least a week.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Darrel issa needs to chill the fuck out. Ive seen in quite a few interviews and boy does he look like the typical " i have slept with hookers and done coke while serving congress" asshole.

 

[ToxicAdam]

I don't recall reading the author's views on the subject anywhere on that page?

Yea, but ...

::crawls back in his hole::

 

[PantherLotus]

^There's news, there's opinion, and then there's documents pasted to a page. I think we can tell the difference TA.

something something sunshine disinfectant

I'm sure you would be applying the same level of nuance to this judgment if Bush was still president. C'mon, man. This is shitty.

Yeah, that's probably fair. But eznark's description of this announcement as "an official coverup now" is hysterical. I'm not saying there's nothing there, I'm saying that this hasn't met what any of us expect of a coverup. I mean, that's a HUUUUGE term to be lobbing around and invokes Watergate. I'm not sure this is that.

 

[kehs]

something something sunshine disinfectant

I'm sure you would be applying the same level of nuance to this judgment if Bush was still president. C'mon, man. This is shitty.

“The documents responsive to the remaining subpoena items pertain to sensitive law enforcement activities, including ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions, or were generated by Department officials in the course of responding to congressional investigations or media inquiries about this matter that are generally not appropriate for disclosure,” Cole wrote.

What a shitty excuse they're using to cover up a botched job.

Just put everything out and blow up any ongoing investigation!

 

[Measley]

^There's news, there's opinion, and then there's documents pasted to a page. I think we can tell the difference TA.



Yeah, that's probably fair. But eznark's description of this announcement as "an official coverup now" is hysterical. I'm not saying there's nothing there, I'm saying that this hasn't met what any of us expect of a coverup. I mean, that's a HUUUUGE term to be lobbing around and invokes Watergate. I'm not sure this is that.

It's not. Its the standard witch hunt that Republicans engage in when they control the House and not the presidency. See Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky from the Clinton era.

 

[codhand]

This began as a Bush-era program right?

I'm sure you would be applying the same level of nuance to this judgment if Bush was still president. C'mon, man. This is shitty.

See Executive Orders numbered 13198 - 13486

 

[Chumly]

Fast and Furious documents have officially been covered up by the Obama administration.

This is going to explode now.

Kind of like how the walker investigation exploded?

 

[Doc Holliday]

This began as a Bush-era program right?

I believe so. I bet obama wishes now he had begun investigations of Bush officials lol.

 

[RustyNails]

Clinton, GWB both exercised the executive privilege. I like how the term suddenly means Chairman Obamao exercising total authority.

 

[Invisible_Insane]

This began as a Bush-era program right?

See Executive Orders numbered 13198 - 13486

Not really sure what you're driving at here.

Clinton, GWB both exercised the executive privilege. I like how the term suddenly means Chairman Obamao exercising total authority.

Is it not clear to people that this is, in fact, the problem?

 

[Blergmeister]

I haven't been following this closely. My general, admittedly biased, impression from a few months ago is that the DoJ had provided documents pertaining to Fast and Furious but the Republican House was using this as an in to gather even more documents in other DoJ affairs in a whichhunt attempt to find somthing, anything, to pin on the Obama administration.

Did somthing actually happen here or is this just reaching the height that the back and forth can go?

 

[eznark]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsme...ege_on_fast_and_furious_documents.php?ref=fpa

Btw, claiming executive privilege is hardly a "cover up." Good god, hyperventilate much?

Sorry I was in a meeting so this might have been touched on but this is incredibly hypocritical. Obama was going to bring a "new level of transparency" to government and as soon as his AG gets into some trouble he executive orders the documentation. It's absolutely a cover-up. Calling it anything else is semantics.

I fully expect it from Republicans who have no problems with trampling the rule of law in the name of national security, but when you ride the white horse of transparency into the Oval Office, maybe you should at least pretend to value said transparency?

Kind of like how the walker investigation exploded?

Huh? I never said the John Doe stuff would explode.

Clinton, GWB both exercised the executive privilege. I like how the term suddenly means Chairman Obamao exercising total authority.

Why does that make it ok? That's fucking baffling to me. If it was wrong when they did it (and it absolutely was) then it should be wrong now.

 

[PantherLotus]

Please, before saying another thing about executive privilege, can you guys at least look it up and find out why Presidents have that power in the first place?

This is all so bizarre, and while yes, it can be abused, this is pretty obviously a bad deal mixed with intel -- not exactly violations of the Geneva Convention and torturing our prisoners.

But be my guest, let's conflate the two wherever possible. Something about a chicken and fucking, keeping on.

 

[eznark]

Please, before saying another thing about executive privilege, can you guys at least look it up and find out why Presidents have that power in the first place?

This is all so bizarre, and while yes, it can be abused, this is pretty obviously a bad deal mixed with intel -- not exactly violations of the Geneva Convention and torturing our prisoners.

But be my guest, let's conflate the two wherever possible. Something about a chicken and fucking, keeping on.

I'm not saying there is no use-case for it, there are and have been in the past. Concealing information into a DoJ gun walking program meant to ensnare Mexican cartels has no national security implications.

 

[codhand]

Not really sure what you're driving at here.

Same thing as Rusty.

Why does that make it ok? That's fucking baffling to me. If it was wrong when they did it (and it absolutely was) then it should be wrong now.

It doesn't make it OK he didn't say that, and I agree with you [shudders], but I would add that it was tiresome when they did it, and it is tiresome now.
circle-of-life.jpg