Comments on: The Worst Political Decision of the Year https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/08/11/the-worst-political-decision-of-the-year/ Wed, 15 Aug 2012 05:31:56 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.6 By: adelady https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/08/11/the-worst-political-decision-of-the-year/#comment-494311 Wed, 15 Aug 2012 05:31:56 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=13123#comment-494311 Anyone with the least familiarity with online discussions of energy policy or climate change science will have seen lots of people unhappy with Obama suggesting they’d find third party candidates to vote for or abstain from voting.

This looks like the perfect political move to get them to set aside any reservations or reluctance and a) vote, b) vote to defeat RR by voting for Obama, c) actively seek support of others to defeat RR.

A real clanger – seeing as all they get on their side of the ledger is more enthusiastic support from people who’d support them anyway. (Though I’m not so sure about older/baby boomer voters staying with them in the face of the Medicare proposals.)

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/08/11/the-worst-political-decision-of-the-year/#comment-494310 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 21:59:15 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=13123#comment-494310 In the use of science to develop science policy.

]]> By: daedalus2u https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/08/11/the-worst-political-decision-of-the-year/#comment-494309 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 21:53:18 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=13123#comment-494309 What I hope happens is that this puts the lie to the idea that who wins “doesn’t matter”.

That a vote for the Green Party candidate is ok because Obama/Biden is exactly the same as Romney/Ryan.

There are fundamental differences in social programs, in taxes, in what kind of Supreme Court Justices will be nominated, in thresholds for military intervention, in reproductive rights.

]]> By: Daniel J. Andrews https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/08/11/the-worst-political-decision-of-the-year/#comment-494308 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 16:34:44 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=13123#comment-494308 Read one political commentator saying the appointment of Ryan is evidence that Romney is just the puppet with the Tea Party and the Kochs pulling the strings. They’re not taking any chances that Romney will have another etch-a-sketch moment once elected–Ryan is there to keep him in-line.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/08/11/the-worst-political-decision-of-the-year/#comment-494307 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 15:17:26 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=13123#comment-494307 The Tea Party voting record is very similar across the board.

]]> By: mark https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/08/11/the-worst-political-decision-of-the-year/#comment-494306 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 15:16:31 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=13123#comment-494306 Ryan may not be as crazy as Bachmann, but his voting record is very similar to hers, as others have pointed out. And speaking of similarities, I noted the Romney announcement had a familiar odor.

]]> By: Jockaira https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/08/11/the-worst-political-decision-of-the-year/#comment-494305 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 04:52:56 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=13123#comment-494305 By now it is obvious to anyone with a more-than-two-digit IQ that Romney has less chance of winning this election than he has of telling the truth for any particular 24-hour period. The strangeness of his selection can only be a tacit admission that he will lose, and then will have to reposition himself for another grab at the brass ring in 2016.

By then his bonafides for the extremely wealthy and seriously hated will be firmly established and he will be able to lie like a m*****-*****r to the simpletons he is sure will vote for him. Of course having those wealthy creds will guarantee him a monstrously large war chest of contributions from the 1%’s, many of whom are just as simple-minded as Romney’s other rank-and-file faithful.

Gotta give it to him…He’s discovered a way to make a big paycheck without having a job or even being elected to an office.

]]> By: F https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/08/11/the-worst-political-decision-of-the-year/#comment-494304 Sun, 12 Aug 2012 01:49:28 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=13123#comment-494304 So not only do we have a single target, that target will probably have less people supporting it.

Your warning might be a good thing for those with fuzzy and wishful thinking problems, but “target” is hardly limited to being “something at which one discharges a firearm”, especially now. (The original sense was for archery, but prior to that it had the meaning of “shield”. Wouldn’t it be weird to reach your fundraising shield or complete something by your shield date?)

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