[RitaOK]

>> “ Romney may talk policy actually, and that’s more of a threat to Obama than Sarah rousing her base, which is not.” <<

>> “You’re kidding, right? “ <<

No, not kidding.

Sarah won’t declare, which means she isn’t running, so she doesn’t have to speak on substance, and is free to herd us ducks up and down the coast. Unfortunately, the dang Independents will elect the next president and not us ducks.
Romney is going after them. Sarah is not. This is a major concern, or should be.

[Diogenesis]

It appears FACTS do not matter to YOU.

Right? YOU BETCHA.

Here are some facts for YOU. Want to rebut them?

MITT ROMNEY - THE PROVEN BAD GOVERNOR

"As U.S. real output grew 13 percent between 2002 and 2006, Massachusetts trailed at 9 percent.
* Manufacturing employment fell 7 percent nationwide those years, but sank 14 percent under Romney, placing Massachusetts 48th among the states.
* Between fall 2003 and autumn 2006, U.S. job growth averaged 5.4 percent, nearly three times Massachusetts' anemic 1.9 percent pace.
* While 8 million Americans over age 16 found work between 2002 and 2006, the number of employed Massachusetts residents actually declined by 8,500 during those years.
"Massachusetts was the only state to have failed to post any gain in its pool of employed residents," professors Sum and McLaughlin concluded.
In an April 2003 meeting with the Massachusetts congressional delegation in Washington, Romney failed to endorse President Bush's $726 billion tax-cut proposal."
[Cato Institute annual Fiscal Policy Report Card - America's Governors, 2004.]

[Diogenesis]

By the way, here is another INCONVENIENT FACT.

Independents LIKE DOGS.

MITT ROMNEY – ABUSER OF SEAMUS

"But the details of the event are more than unseemly - they may, in fact, be illegal. Massachusetts's animal cruelty laws specifically prohibit anyone from carrying an animal "in or upon a vehicle, or otherwise, in an unnecessarily cruel or inhuman manner or in a way and manner which might endanger the animal carried thereon. "An officer for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals responded to a description of the situation saying "it's definitely something I'd want to check out." The officer, Nadia Branca, declined to give a definitive opinion on whether Romney broke the law but did note that it's against state law to have a dog in an open bed of a pick-up truck, and "if the dog was being carried in a way that endangers it, that would be illegal." "Dog on Roof? What Was It Like for Romney's Pooch? - Scientists Say Dog Likely Experienced Wind-Whipped, Uncomfortable Trip - "Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family's hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon's roof rack. e'd built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog,".. Jordan Kaplan, the owner of Petaholics, a dog walking service in New York City, and a lifelong dog owner and dog lover, said Romney's actions were uncalled for" "Romney's dog - This is a distinction Mitt Romney probably could do without, but he is surely the first presidential candidate to be attacked for putting a dog with diarrhea in a carrier and tying it to the top of a station wagon. Romney's defense: Seamus liked it. [like the citizens under Romney's RomneyCARE, etc.?] " "As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. ''Dad!'' he yelled. ''Gross!'' A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who'd been riding on the roof in the wind for hours. As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway." "Story about dog on car roof comes back to bite Romney - 200 comments from readers complaining of animal cruelty" Romney's bad behavior Exposed by Seamus "Romney Loses Nomination Over Dog Abuse? - Romney was traveling that summer with his wife, five sons, and Seamus to his parent's cottage on Lake Huron. But hours into the ride, Seamus apparently suffered diarrhea, which ran down the back window of the car. .David Kravitz wrote on BlueMassGroup, a liberal blog. "It also strikes me as classic Romney: it solves a problem efficiently, in a business-like manner, and with no regard whatsoever for the suffering that the solution may cause."

[kevkrom]

Unfortunately, the dang Independents will elect the next president and not us ducks.

Patience, Grasshopper. "Us ducks" have a pretty big say in the primaries, and she'd have to win those before dealing with the general election.

[dalereed]

Romney is human garbage and independants can’t nominate him!

He’ll be turned down just like he was 3 years ago.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Sarah won’t declare, which means she isn’t running...

And so I guess that she's been doing all of this hard work and travel just for the fun of it, eh?

[Steel Wolf]

I'll concede that Mitt is more attractive to the center than the right. The problem is, you can't win a national campaign without a dedicated core of shock troops, and he doesn't have any.

McCain didn't have any. Dole didn't have any. Being the veteran, sensible establishment guy can help you win nominations, but people that don't inspire passion in at least a large cadre of their supporters don't win elections. Reagan, Clinton, Bush, all had legions. Obama has them. Romney doesn't. Kerry didn't. GHWB didn't either, for that matter, that was leftover Reagan love.

Now, it may be that Palin's troops are just the Goldwater / McGovern vanguards, but it may not. She may find a good running mate that inoculates her to the center. Someone the right hates but will tolerate only because she's at the top of the ticket. (The same way that many people here voted for her, even though they despised McCain).

Going with boring old Joe Biden actually helped Obama quite a bit, insofar as putting a tried and true old hand in the number two seat, making Obama's ticket at least appear to be more seasoned and venerable to the independents. Palin may need her own 'Joe Biden', so to speak, to make her more palatable to the independents, but that's an easier task than trying to be the #1 turkey on the ticket trying to fly on the wings of their #2 eagle.

Either way, Palin and Obama have got decisive advantages over Romney, as far as excitement and passion goes. You need that to win. I just don't see anything in Romney's character, delivery or record that will enable him to challenge either on that front.

[vortigern]

Sarah won’t declare, which means she isn’t running, so she doesn’t have to speak on substance

Then you haven't been listening to her have you? She's made more policy statements than most of the wannabe's out there. All you have to do is pay attention. Think first, then post.

[silverleaf]

Who are “Independents”?

People playing with the heads of the people who ask them which party they are?

People who are embarrasesd by core values? Peopel who have none?

People who are willing to vote present until they enter the voting booth, if they ever do (if they are squishy on values and can’t truly see a difference in candidates based on total issues, then why vote for one over the other?

Democrats who won’t admit they vote conservative?

People who are conservative and too embarrassed and PC to admit it?

I guess you are associating the term “politically independent” with “politically clueless”, “flakey”,or
or more succinctly “STUPID”

Instead of the elitist talking heads making the “independents” so damn relevant to chosing which candidate is electable, we need to make them ALL irrelevant