Romney straps dog to roof of family car

[Townsend]

If the "they" pick Bachmann, you know they are throwing it over to Obama.

If that happens, it means someone lost a bet.

[RecycleMichael]

Because it's certainly more important than job creation, reducing the deficit, and stable energy policy.  You know, the irrelevant stuff.

No, it isn't more important. But those are complex issues that require critical thinking and homework. The American voter doesn't decide who they will vote for on these issues. They want things black or white. Pro-life or pro-choice is a good example. That determines many a vote.

40% of Americans will vote for any republican and 40% will vote for any democrat. The other 20% decide who wins and many of those 20% are undecided because they don't want to think about politics. They choose based on how they feel about  a candidate.

Go ahead and make fun of this issue forever. You refuse to comprehend how a little thing like abusing the family dog will decide whether people like Romney or not. If he is not likable, he loses.

[Gaspar]

Because it's certainly more important than job creation, reducing the deficit, and stable energy policy.  You know, the irrelevant stuff.

I wonder how many thousands people have ended up dead, incarcerated, addicted, or disabled as result of continued bad policy and economic failure?  I wonder how may dogs have gone homeless, been euthanized, or crushed in the street because their families could no longer care for them?

It's not that this stuff is irrelevant, because there are people who spend their lives focused on surface issues.  It's simply less relevant than the important issues that have deeper impact on more people.

[Townsend]

It's not that this stuff is irrelevant, because there are people who spend their lives focused on surface issues.  It's simply less relevant than the important issues that have deeper impact on more people.

One politician points at another and says "we need to fix the economy."

The other politician points back and says "you torture dogs."

Wonder which will become more relevant on the 24/7 cycle and will remain in people's minds?

Will they interview economists or will they interview PETA?

[Gaspar]

One politician points at another and says "we need to fix the economy."

The other politician points back and says "you torture dogs."

Wonder which will become more relevant on the 24/7 cycle and will remain in people's minds?

Will they interview economists or will they interview PETA?

It's not a question of who "they" will interview.  Its a question of what "we" find important.

As I said, I have no doubt that the PETA war dance will work many into a froth.  In fact the narrative has already changed from dog on a car in a carrier with a windshield, to animal torture.  That's going to make a strong impact on many.  The question is, will it have as strong and lasting impact as massive economic failure, and continued national despair?

[Townsend]

The question is, will it have as strong and lasting impact as massive economic failure, and continued national despair?

Only needs to for a week or two coming up to election night.  I think that's RM's point.

[RecycleMichael]

The media does a story about the economy every day. There is a complete business section in the newspaper (which by the way the Tulsa World will focus on the business of recycling this Sunday).

I am saying that you guys follow issues and make up your minds based on your perception of the candidate's ability to work on your issues. Most of the undecided voters don't. You don't remember when they said Americans would rather have a beer with GW Bush over Al Gore?

McCain was seen as too old and out of touch. John Kerry was seen as indecisive. They both lost. It had nothing to do with their economic policies.

This is going to hang around and get repeated as long as Mitt is in the race. It is just the kind of thing that undecided and uninformed voters will judge him by.

[Townsend]

This is going to hang around and get repeated as long as Mitt is in the race. It is just the kind of thing that undecided and uninformed voters will judge him by.

And Santorum will be known for being all up in your wife's bidness.

[patric]

It's not that this stuff is irrelevant, because there are people who spend their lives focused on surface issues.  It's simply less relevant than the important issues that have deeper impact on more people.

Its not so much an issue as it is an indicator -- sort of a sneak peak into one's decision making process.

[Gaspar]

Its not so much an issue as it is an indicator -- sort of a sneak peak into one's decision making process.

I think you are exactly right.

[Townsend]

Stuff like this is grabbed and told to the voters over and over.

"Ann Drives a Couple of Cadillacs"

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2012/02/24/_ann_drives_a_couple_of_cadillacs_.html?wpisrc=twitter_socialflow

[we vs us]

Hoi Polloi:  (Ancient Greek: οἱ πολλοί, hoi polloi, "the many"), an expression meaning "the many", or in the strictest sense, "the majority" in Greek, is used in English to denote "the masses" or "the people", usually in a derogatory sense. Synonyms for "hoi polloi" include "... commoners, great unwashed, minions, multitude, plebeians, the plebs, rank and file, riff-raff, the common people, the herd, the many, the proletariat, the proles, the peons, the working class".[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoi_polloi

We are a nation (nominally) run by the hoi polloi.  Everybody -- plebes included -- get to vote.  So yes, anecdotes about Romney's supposed cruelty to his dog have a very real chance of doing him harm.

[AquaMan]

It provides insight into his psyche. Not because he actually did this, which would suggest his lack of empathy for those below him and might be correlated to his lack of empathy about the companies he butchered, but because he chose to relay this story as something positive and humorous. That indicates he has little understanding of the common folk.

One wonders just what he though was important about this story and who would find it humorous. Just one more thread in his fabric.

[guido911]

Dog...It's what's for dinner!

[Conan71]

Best comic line so far:

"Are you on the team who throws the dog on the car, or the one that throws the dog on the hibachi?"

Of course there will be no uproar over this since other than those having fun with this aren't being "culturally-sensitive".

Let's see:

Dog rides on car and shits himself.

Dog gets eaten for dinner.

Sorry, I know false equivalency!


For those who have not heard or didn't read President Obama's memoir:

Anybody who has gotten as far as chapter two of Barack Obama's book, "Dreams From My Father," knows that, as a child living in Indonesia, he ate some dog meat.

http://www.ohmidog.com/2012/04/18/meaty-matters-barack-obama-ate-dog/