How did Mitt Romney win the Republican Nomination?

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Sure the Democrats are preying on my fears of the Republicans. I'm glad they've informed me on that there's a lot to be afraid of. The Ryan budget calls for cutting medicaid, food stamps, school lunches, education, subsidized housing, and everything else good and proper the government offers - and yet increases the Goddamn tax cuts for the rich. As for social security - - the plan, according to Senator Ryan, is that the elderly would get a coupon to cover for the first two months of nursing care or assisted living, and then would have to fend for themselves the rest of the time. This is not Democratic hyperbole, this is what the Republicans figure will save the country. Well, save the country for the wealthiest of them. Add to that union busting - which is happening in Wisconsin - the vilification of the poor and Muslim Americans - which is no longer being hidden behind code words - and barely concealed racism - which is behind the anti-illegal immigrant campaign in Arizona and elsewhere to prevent the "browning of America" - among other matters. There is plenty to be afraid of.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

It couldn't have hurt that the fact that Santorum had won Iowa rather than Romney was kept under wraps until well afterwards so he could fully benefit from it.

Which matters given that there is now apparently a consensus that "momentum" is more important than minor details like "votes."

That's all fear of the GOP; hopefully not the only reason you vote straight Dem. The real question I wanted answered from you was what would Obama have to do in order to lose your vote?

Essentially support all those Republican stances I had already rattled off.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Okay, I'll bite.

So tell me... What have the Democrats done to prevent America's debt to GDP ratio from climbing?




He's helping the demise of Social Security along quite nicely by giving businesses a holiday from matching employer tax contributions.



You mean like wanting to repeal the Bush tax cuts which have arguably lowered taxes for lower and working class families and passing feel-good legislation like the "Buffet Rule" which leaves capital gains and dividends, the wealthiest of the wealthy's source of income, untouched?



You mean that blessing to the big insurance companies that essentially locks everyone into a profit-driven system without doing anything to address the out of pocket (and out of control) costs of health care?



And if Bush did something like order the death of a de jure American citizen and suspected terrorist without due process, you'd be screaming for his impeachment.



Precisely according to the timeline set forth by his predecessor. He also doubled down in Afghanistan. Or don't you remember "the surge"?



Apparently, you conveniently forget when our current president clearly said in his State of the Union Address: "Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal."

You also forget that economic sanctions are a precursor to war.

At any rate, it never ceases to amaze me what hypocrites Democrats and their apologists are. According to them, what was intolerable under Bush is acceptable and even perfectly justified under Obama. i.e. "It's only okay when my party is doing it."

Bill, I think we can both agree that throwing senior citizens under the bus and cutting off all social programs at the drop of a hat isn't going to solve any problems, but you do realize that the vast majority of America's national budget is taken up by Social Security and Medicare, right? Even if we eliminated all military spending tomorrow and passed the overhyped "Buffet Rule," how exactly are we going to get the rest of the money we'd need to sustain a system like Social Security that's running on a "surplus" of two trillion dollars worth of IOUs that aren't payable out on demand?

America's projected debt to GDP ratio is 104% and shows no signs of dropping. You can only make so many cuts elsewhere before you have to start looking at cutting "sacrosanct" programs like SS and Medicare. The alternative is to continue borrowing money we can't afford and letting foreign nations become "shareholders" of the United States.

He got more votes than any of his competitors.

ruveyn

Is this really necessary?

Gotta think ending the Bush tax cuts - for everyone - will help raise revenue for social security and other programs.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

No. We really have to stop fighting the Forever War. If we don't we will be ruined economically.

ruveyn

Only in the short term. You're forgetting about a current generation who's uncertain whether or not the system will be solvent when it's their turn to retire, and for good reason considering the current ratio of workers to retireees is 2.9 to 1 and dropping. Moves like giving businesses a break from paying matching employer SS tax contributions certainly isn't helping matters either. On the other hand, allowing them to expire will at least increase tax revenues from capital gains and dividends, which are the sources of income for the wealthiest of the wealthy that wouldn't be affected by the "Buffet Rule."

I also failed to mention that other monster which comprises a signifigant portion of the U.S. budget: "Discretionary Spending"

There has to be some alternative to the hardhearted Ryan plan. What will the government do? Let people die in the streets?

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Aside from showing more fiscal responsibility and creating incentives for the repatriation of wealth and capital in order to create long term jobs which we desperately need right now for economic growth? No, I can't really think of many alternatives.

Trust me, not many people are going to support the Ryan Plan once they know what it calls for. So there won't be much support for it. I think things can be extended by tinkering here and there, while something else is thought on, and compromised on, by both sides of the aisles.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

All these stories of Mitt winning is fan fiction.

Oh, without a doubt. I just wish I had more faith in Congress' ability to behave like mature, rational adults.