Category Archives: 2012 Election

First Robocall of the 2012 Political Season

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

Just got my first robocall of this political season. Joe Martinez’s voice, with decent sound quality, but still sounded a bit muddy.

Seems he wants me to know he’s running for Mayor of Miami-Dade County, that he’s against bureaucrats (is that the worst he can say about the incumbent?), against spending tax dollars and, most important, I should vote for him not because I believe in him, but because he believes in me.

B- at best, and only because the sound was fairly good. Then again, the ad may fairly reflect Martinez’s vacuous platform.

Posted in 2012 Election, Miami | Comments Off on First Robocall of the 2012 Political Season

Yes, But Not Enough

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

Matt Stoller asks, Does the 2012 Presidential Election Matter? and seems to mostly suggest it doesn’t:

The 2012 election, in other words, is at this point a completely empty enterprise, bereft of substance, or integrity. This is new to our era, reminiscent of the late 19th century electoral landscape which was dominated by policy consensus around corruption and plutocracy while electoral contests were organized around “bloody shirt” smear campaigns. Populism intruded briefly, but there’s a reason that time period was known as the time of the robber barons. It’s increasingly analogous to our time.

And yet, I think the robbing would be even worse with the other guys.

It doesn’t help, though, that I got an online poll from “YouGov” today, which among other things asked me the following question:

How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right?
Just about always
Most of the time
Some of the time

No, I didn’t cut off the last line. There was no other choice offered.

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Mitt Romney’s Greatest Hits, Vol 1

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

Straight from the Obama campaign a strong attack video — Romney quotes from the primary campaign.

Those Obama guys might not be good at little things like closing Guantanamo or keeping themselves from arguing for expansive state power, but they seem to be good at campaigning.

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Kevin Drum Finds the Ultimate Anti-Romney Ad (by Santorum)

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

Via Kevin Drum, there’s this stab in the jugular:

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Elections Should Be About Important Things

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

If the 2012 election feels hollow, this might be why. Such a massive Constitutional redesign of our American order should be debated, and a Presidential race is the right forum in which to do so. But since that’s not happening, social conflict a few years down the road is probably the more likely path.

— Matt Stoller at naked capitalism

He’s writing about all the terrible things we’re learning about banks robosigning foreclosure documents…learning it conveniently days after the government has (robo?)signed off on a whitewash deal for the perpetrators. Worst fact: it’s still happening.

The thing about that quote is that it could just as easily have been about civil liberties, such as the Obama-Holder view that they can terminate any US citizen with extreme prejudice without bothering to have the slightest judicial process. Of course right now the other side probably is unhappy they haven’t killed more citizens…

Posted in 2012 Election, Civil Liberties, Econ & Money: Mortgage Mess | 1 Comment

Why Can’t They Just Get Along?

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

Assume that Mitt Romney is going to be the GOP nominee eventually. It’s clear that a slice of the base would rather have Rick Santorum and that they are not going to give up easily. Thus, any friend of the party must be concerned that the ongoing battle will just bleed Romney’s campaign of funds, and provide soundbites for Obama to use against him in the general election.

Isn’t it time, therefore, that all friends of the Republican Party urged Mitt Romney to promise to make Santorum his vice presidential nominee in exchange for his support, and thus unify the party before the internecine fighting becomes too much?

Or, they could just let the food fight escalate and provide free entertainment for Democrats.

Posted in 2012 Election | 1 Comment